The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League Competition (PNGNRLC), managers of the domestic semi-professional rugby league competition, the Digicel Cup, announces that there will be no new franchises for the 2022 Digicel Cup season. Due to the challenges and uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic, PNGNRLC Chairman Adrian Chow said the board decided that there would be no additional franchises joining the current 12 franchises this season. There will be a review of the Digicel Cup Strategic Plan and the expansion of the competition will depend on this and the quality of future bids. He acknowledged the funding from Australian DFAT which will enable this review and assist development of the sport in PNG. He thanked all the current franchises and their sponsors for their commitment and continued participation in the competition, especially as the pandemic had disrupted many businesses, sports and social activities. The Participation Agreements will be finalised with the 12 franchises and franchise fees must be paid before season kick-off. Season fixtures and draw will be announced as soon as conditions under which the competition may proceed are clarified with the Office of Pandemic Controller. Chow said preparations for the 2022 Digicel Cup season has started with all franchises well into preseason training. We have the Franchise Manager’s Meeting and the Annual General Meeting (AGM), dates to be confirmed later and advised.

The death toll from the south-east Queensland weather emergency has risen to seven as flooding continues across the region. Police said a man was swept away while trying to cross Cabbage Tree Creek Road at Fitzgibbon on Brisbane's northside late on Sunday. Two members of the public saw the 59-year-old and tried to rescue him, conducting CPR once he was out of the water. Paramedics also responded but the man died at the scene, according to police. [caption id="attachment_19377" align="aligncenter" width="658"] The Brisbane River was forecast to peak at about 4 metres on Monday morning.(ABC News: Brian Hurst)[/caption] South-east Queenslanders face a chaotic start to the week, with floods expected to worsen, more than 1,000 roads cut off, trains shut down, schools and many businesses closed and hundreds of residents sheltering in evacuation centres. The "rain bomb" responsible for the weekend's record-breaking inundation has moved slowly south today lashing both sides of the New South Wales-Queensland border. The wild weather has already left widespread damage and flooding in its wake and will continue to affect thousands of residents for days. More than 1,400 houses in Brisbane were affected by internal flooding yesterday, and Brisbane City Council estimates another 4,501 properties could be flooded today. "We had almost 1,000 SES calls just yesterday in the last 24 hours, and it's right across Brisbane because it wasn't just river flooding, it was creek flooding," Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner told ABC Radio Queensland this morning. [caption id="attachment_19378" align="aligncenter" width="618"] Severe damage to several boats and the ferry terminal at Hawthorne.(Supplied: Phil Hearne)[/caption] As of 2:15am this morning Wivenhoe Dam was sitting at more than 185 per cent capacity, but slowly dropped during the morning and as of 8am was siting at 183 per cent. More more than 100 millimetres of rain had been recorded in parts of the Gold Coast this morning. The state government said nearly 1,000 schools would be closed today and urged Queenslanders to work from home. Almost 1,000 people were sheltering in evacuation centres late yesterday, with more expected to join them, especially in the Maryborough region. Brisbane River hits 'major' flood levels [caption id="attachment_19379" align="aligncenter" width="644"] More than 1,400 Brisbane homes in riverside areas such as Rocklea are believed to have been flooded.(AAP: Jason O’Brien)[/caption] State Disaster Coordinator Steve Gollschewski declared Gympie and Brisbane disaster zones, saying conditions in the capital were extremely dangerous. He said Brisbane faced flash flooding, multiple road closures and landslides, while its rail network was down, and rivers and creeks were flooded. The Brisbane River peaked at 4m during high tide, about 8:30am. Authorities have already described it as a "major flood", though below the city's 2011 peak of 4.46m. Mr Gollschewski said people needed to be very aware of the high tides. "There are two [high tides] every day, so we are planning around those tides,'' he said. Threat to remain for days [caption id="attachment_19380" align="aligncenter" width="607"] A large amount of flooding underneath the Ipswich motorway in Goodna.(ABC News: Michael Rennie)[/caption] A major and historic flood also hit Maryborough this morning, about 220km north of Brisbane. The Mary River surpassed the major flood level of 9m, and was sitting at 9.5m at 7:30am. Fraser Coast regional Council Mayor George Seymour said the water was rising at a rate of 10cm an hour. Council expects the river to reach the 2013 flood level, which is marked on the historical Bond Store in town. "This is a major flood and there is a lot of water coming down river from Gympie floods. What we've seen at Miva, nobody has ever heard of it at that height," Mr Seymour said. [caption id="attachment_19381" align="aligncenter" width="618"] The Bremer River, near the Ipswich CBD, is also forecast to rise this morning.(ABC News: Tobias Jurss-Lewis)[/caption] Meanwhile, the Logan and Beaudesert regions were also likely to be under threat as the rain system drifted south. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is predicting the river will pass the 2017 level of 20.5 metres this morning at the Maclean Bridge gauge, making it the largest flood recorded since 1974, when it reached 21.22 metres. In Ipswich, Goodna was the worst affected area with some residents in low-lying parts of Booval and Bundamba told to prepare to evacuate. As of 9am, more than 53,000 households across the state's south-east had lost power. Disaster payments for Gympie, North Burnett In Brisbane yesterday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie said some affected residents in the Gympie and North Burnett regions would receive disaster-relief payments. The financial aid is likely to be expanded soon to other badly impacted areas. [caption id="attachment_19382" align="aligncenter" width="634"] Properties in Gympie are being inundated by floodwater.(ABC News: Janzey Pratt)[/caption] Senator McKenzie said the disaster payments would include $1,000 per person and $400 per child. Applications will open at 1pm today. Senator McKenzie said disaster victims could also claim an extra hardship grant of $180 per person, up to $900 per family. SOURCE: ABC NEWS

A statement on the Telegram messaging app said the two sides would meet at an unspecified location on the Belarusian border and did not give a precise time for the meeting. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he needed to use every opportunity to secure peace. "I do not really believe in the outcome of this meeting, but let them try so that later not a single citizen of Ukraine has any doubt that I, as President, tried to stop the war, when there was even a small, but still a chance." The announcement came hours after Russia confirmed its delegation had flown to Belarus to await talks. Ukrainian officials initially rejected the move, saying any talks should take place elsewhere than Belarus, where Russia has placed a large contingent of troops. Putin's nuclear threat President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian nuclear forces put on high alert in response to what he called "aggressive statements" by leading NATO powers. Speaking at a meeting with his top officials, Mr Putin directed the Russian defence minister and the chief of the military's General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a "special regime of combat duty". "Western countries aren't only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere," he said in televised comments. "But top officials from leading NATO members made aggressive statements regarding our country." The US ambassador to the United Nations responded to the comments from Moscow. "President Putin is continuing to escalate this war in a manner that is totally unacceptable," ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said. "And we have to continue to condemn his actions in the most strong, strongest possible way." She added that it "remains to be seen" if Russia is acting in good faith regarding the talks. Anti-war protests continue across Russia From Moscow to Siberia, Russian anti-war activists have taken to the streets again to protest against the invasion, despite the arrests of hundreds of protesters each day. [caption id="attachment_19371" align="aligncenter" width="835"] A demonstrator is detained by police officers in St Petersburg[/caption] Demonstrators have been holding marches in city centres, chanting "No to war!". Protests against the invasion started on Thursday in Russia and have continued daily ever since, even as police have moved swiftly to crack down on the rallies and detain protesters. The protests on Sunday appeared smaller than the ones on Thursday, the first day of Russia's attack in Ukraine, when thousands of people rallied in Moscow and St Petersburg, but their true scale was hard to assess. In St Petersburg, where dozens gathered in the city centre, police in full riot gear were seen grabbing one protester after another and dragging some into police vans, even though the demonstration was peaceful and no violent incidents have occurred. According to the OVD-Info rights group that tracks political arrests, by Sunday afternoon, police had detained at least 356 Russians in 32 cities over anti-war demonstrations that day. SOURCE: SKY NEWS

We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia's unprecedented military aggression against Ukraine. By its unprovoked and unjustified military actions, Russia is grossly violating international law and undermining European and global security and stability. We deplore the loss of life and the human suffering. We call on Russia to immediately cease the hostilities, withdraw its military from Ukraine and fully respect Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. Such use of force and coercion has no place in the 21st century. The EU stands firmly by Ukraine and its people as they face this unparalleled crisis. The EU leaders will meet later today. President Michel of the European Council has urgently convened an extraordinary meeting of the European Council to discuss the crisis and further restrictive measures. These will impose massive and severe consequences on Russia for its actions. President von der Leyen and High Representative Borrell will outline a further sanctions package being finalised by the European Commission and the EEAS in close coordination with partners. The Council will adopt them swiftly. The EU will continue to provide strong political, financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and its people.

On Monday 14 February 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Papua New Guinea in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade (DFA&IT) and the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) conducted the Country Consultative Meeting for the FAO 36th Session of the Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Port Moresby. The half-day high-level consultation meeting with relevant Government authorities is a lead up to the main event, which is the FAO 36th Session of the Asia Pacific Regional Conference. The FAO conference is scheduled to be held from 8th - 11th of March 2022, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The FAO APRC is convened every biennium and is an official forum where Ministers and Senior Officials of the Government of FAO Member States in the Asia and the Pacific region meet to elaborate, beyond the borders of the individual countries, on challenges and priority matters related to food and agriculture, with a view of promoting regional coherence on global policies. The APRC results in recommendations that guide FAO’s work in the vast Asia-Pacific region, and provides further guidance to FAO’s global conference in Rome in June of the following year. Government Ministers, Secretaries and Senior Officers from DAL, DFAIT, Department of Communication and Information Technology (DCIT), National Fisheries Authority (NFA), Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA), Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA), PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA), Department of National Planning and Monitoring (DNPM), Department of Health (NDoH), Department of Finance (DoF), Department of Commerce and Industry (DCI), Department of Community Development, Youth and Religion, were invited to attend the consultation. The high-level Country Consultation aimed to sensitize participants on the APRC, regional priorities and initiatives as well as identifying the country’s gaps and needs of which FAO can better support the Government in achieving its development goals and objectives. Discussions were based on the following regional priority areas; (i) the state of food and agriculture in the Asia and Pacific region, in light of Covid-19 pandemic; (ii) promote climate resilient agri-food systems in Asia and Pacific region (iii) scaling up inclusive digitalization in agriculture value chains; (iv) identifying One Health priorities in Asia and the Pacific region; (v) Conserving, restoring and sustainably using biodiversity for food security and nutrition in the Pacific islands. The meeting also enticed participatory discussions and provided the opportunity for Government stakeholders and agencies to engage amongst and with FAO on avenues for collaboration to benefit the people of PNG. FAO PNG Head of Office and Country Representative, Mr Bir Mandal, spoke of the importance of partners and communities, and following the triangle approach to partnerships, explaining that in each angle of the triangle there is an international community (such as FAO) or development partner(s), a technical organisation and the community. “If I’m working with a team, I must work with a key Department. And under the most important angle is the community – the farmers with whom you work with. So if we follow this approach we will be successful.” Mr. Mandal went on further to talk about the importance of farmer cooperatives or community farming to assist small farmers to access equipment and empower themselves. “Due to COVID-19, we have had a lot of problems in food supply, transportation, and such. It has also taught us to be independent to the extent possible in our own food production system. And it has opened our eyes and ears” said Mr Mandal in his closing remarks. DAL Keynote speaker, Mr Brown Konabe, Acting Deputy Secretary for PATS, advised that to be engaged with the APRC, the GoPNG needs to be guided by the relevant policies, i.e.; the PNG Vision 2050, PNG DSP 2010-2030, MTDPs, and AMTDP 2020-2022. The AMTDP is the current sector plan that will provide the basis for the GoPNG’s expectations, as it is well aligned with PNG Vision 2050, DSP, MTDP and the SDG 2030. He concluded that, “6 -7 million people depend on commodity crops for cash income, hence, agriculture, fisheries and forestry are important economic sectors that will contribute significantly to the growth of the economy. Though, there are many challenges, the GoPNG is committed to support the sector to protect and secure the wellbeing of 87% of the population in rural areas who depend on it for their livelihood.” Mr Timothy Masiu, Minister for Communication and Information Technology, noted the importance of agriculture in the economic development of the country and how his department (DCIT) must be seen as enablers and facilitators to play an active role in implementing the APRC fourth regional priority, “Scaling up inclusive digitalization in agricultural value chains” in PNG. The minister also emphasized on the importance of information dissemination, ‘’As Minister responsible for Communication, I am calling on all Government Departments to utilize our media platforms as our medium for sharing knowledge and information. Utilize the government radio and television because most of our people do not have access to development agendas such as presented today. The lack of information reaching the people is negatively affecting their interest to participate in development issues in the country.”

Final endorsements of Athletes and Officials to the 2022 Saipan Pacific Mini Games will be made when the Justification Committee (JC) meets on February 28th. The JC is the committee under the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC), that deliberates and endorses sports and their top athletes to take part as Team PNG in Olympic, Commonwealth and Pacific Games. Targeted sports that will represent Papua New Guinea at the 2022 Pacific Mini Games in Saipan, Northern Mariana Island, which is scheduled for June 17th to 25th 2022 are Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Golf, Tennis, Va’a and Weightlifting. “We urge National Federations to provide all requirements for the Pacific Mini Games preparations and accreditation purposes”, PNGOC Secretary General Auvita Rapilla said. Whilst the endorsement of the final team is pending, the top management for Team PNG has been appointed. Secretary General announced the General Management Team (GMT) today, with other members to be added subject to the overall team size. The GMT, like other sports officials on the team are made up of volunteers and these were: · Kila Dick, Chef de Mission · Anzillah Miro, General Manager · Ivan Ravu, Chief Medical Officer · Hendriella Vilosi, Head Physiotherapist Mr. Kila Dick, Chef de Mission for Team PNG to the Pacific Mini Games is also the Male Vice President of the PNGOC Executive Board and also chairs the Justification Committee. Prior to his appointment as the Male Vice President, he served as the President for the PNG Volleyball Association. A former athlete himself, Mr Dick has been in the sporting fraternity for more than 40 years. He is currently employed as the Manager for Sports Recreation and also Social Service with the National Capital District Commission. Assisting the Chef de Mission in the capacity of General Manager for Team PNG is Anzillah Miro. Anzillah had previously served in the same role for Team PNG to the 2017 Pacific Mini Games and 2019 Pacific Games, and also employed as the Volunteer Manager for the 2015 Pacific Games. Her Games experience together with her professional career as the Executive Manager – Operations for Vanguard International is welcoming. Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ivan Ravu has worked with various sports such as the PNG Kumuls, PNG Hunters, Gulf Isou Rugby League and Team PNG to the Vanuatu 2017 Pacific Mini Games and Samoa 2019 Pacific Games. Hendriella Vilosi is no new comer to sports. Appointed as the Head Physiotherapist to the 2022 Pacific Mini Games, Hendriella was previously employed by High Performance Sport PNG as a Physiotherapist. She has been engaged with sports such as Cricket, Rugby, Netball, Football, Hockey and was part of Team PNG to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and Samoa 2019 Pacific Games.

Our Capital City will be celebrating the first anniversary of the founding father of our nation Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare. This will be part of the many celebrations in our nation to commemorate and celebrate his life. The people of NCD including school children will do an evening of candlelight virgil at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium as the city comes together in remembrance and commemoration. This is a National event celebrating the life of the founding father so it’s equally a celebration of our country. The history of our country and our people has been shaped largely by the life of Grand Chief Somare. Without his vision, passion, dedication and commitment our nation and our people would not have traveled this far in the last 46 years. Though he has left us, his story and legacy remains. It is important that we embrace his guiding principles and values. Grand Chief Somare united our people of a thousand tribes, languages and cultures peacefully into independence. These are important values and lessons we must maintain and preserve. We must promote peace at all times as how he has taught us as we celebrate his life. Our program at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium will commence at 5pm on Saturday evening and will involve a virgil, speeches and a showing of videos and images of Sir Michael’s life including a documentary of his funeral program last year. Public is most welcome to attend. Mr. Sana Somare, a family representative will also give a speech and we are still waiting for confirmation our Prime Minister James Marape. Please come along in our PNG colours and let’s celebrate the life of this great man, our founding father, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare.

The Chief of Defence Force has commenced his unit visits this week, visiting the Air Transport Wing today after commencing with the 1st Battalion, Royal Pacific Islands Regiment on Tuesday. The Unit visits is to allow the CDF to understand the challenges currently faced and how best to assist the units as PNGDF is undergoing preparations to support the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary during the 2022 National Elections Security Operations. Major General Mark Goina when visiting ATW received the unit briefing from the Commanding Officer of the Unit, Lieutenant Colonel Nancy Wii, the Director Air Preparations, Lt Col Eddie Miro and the Qualified Flying Instructor from the Royal Australian Air Force Wing Commander Tim Shaw among others. The Air Transport Wing with the help of partner from the Royal Australian Air Force has put in place the Defence Aviation Air Safety Framework which is critical to implement the Flight of Excellence concept. Among the challenges raised include the need for perimeter fencing around PNGDF establishments and the need for maintenance of existing facilities. Similar sentiments were shared by the Commanding Officer for 1RPIR, Lieutenant Colonel Heta Nombe and the Commanding Officer of Taurama Military Hospital, Major David Iamo earlier this week, when the CDF visited Taurama Barracks in the National Capital District. Major General Mark Goina has given his assurance that he will address the issues in-line with his priorities which include duty of care to the men and women within PNGDF, organizational reform, operational proficiency, infrastructure and nation building. “I will prioritize areas of immediate concern and direct the Director Engineers to do scoping so these immediate concerns can be addressed,” Maj. Gen Mark Goina said after an area tour of the Hangar at the Air Transport Wing. While visiting 1RPIR earlier this week, Major General Mark Goina also had the opportunity to witness troops from Alpha and Bravo Company of 1RPIR, the Force Support Battalion and ATW undergoing pre-deployment training for deployment to Porgera in the Enga Province. He also cautioned serving members to do what is right during the 2022 National Elections when supporting the RPNGC in providing a free, fair and safe election period. “We don’t want to see our men and women interfering with the election process. Our people should exercise their democratic rights to vote freely,” Major General Goina said. The CDF’s visit to the units will see him visit all Port Moresby units before completing all the Northern units before elections.

National Superannuation Fund (Nasfund) has congratulated Bank South Pacific Group on its’ 2021 performance. The 2021 Full Year Results, announced to the market this week, includes a Net Profit After Tax of K1.075 billion, and a dividend payment of K1.34 per share. Nasfund owns 9.7% of the largest and fastest-growing bank in the Pacific Region. Commenting on these results, Nasfund Chairman Charles Vee commended BSP Chairman Sir Kostas Constantinou & the Board, Group CEO Robin Fleming, Management and Staff for delivering sterling results for the 2021 year, in a challenging economic environment. “As one of the top 5 shareholders of the Bank, Nasfund is pleased with the achievements of this investment, and looks forward to continued positive returns. In the last 5 years, the Fund has received K275million in dividends from BSP, representing on average 14.78% of the Fund’s cash income. BSP continues to be Nasfund’s best performing investment in terms of yield (dividend) and capital value. These results continue to contribute significantly to Nasfund’s income stream and profitability. As a major shareholder, we are pleased with this performance for the 2021 Financial Year. These results auger well for the Fund, as some of these earnings will be passed on to our members, when the Fund announces our interest crediting rate to members in the coming weeks. We remain committed to supporting BSP in its role in providing efficient banking services to its customers, the majority of which are also our members.”

Founder of a local mental health awareness organisation Changing the Narrative is calling for more recognition of mental health issues by Papua New Guinea’s corporate community. Gaironedi Lavett, says that stigma is so big in the country that we feel anger and aggression instead of compassion towards those that are mentally ill. Lavett believes that the business community must take into account the fact that there may be employees suffering from mental health issues that they are not aware of. “Business houses must not treat their employees like robots; they need to be aware that sometimes performance is hindered because people are struggling mentally”, she said. Stigma around mental illness in Papua New Guinea, has become a norm within communities due to the level of awareness on mental health. Papua New Guineans need to know the harm caused by disparaging language and actions toward those living with a mental illness. With all the uncertainty brought on by the covid-19 pandemic, global suicide rates have increased significantly, and no doubt the effects of the situation have been taking their toll locally as well. The common age group that is impacted by mental illness ranges between 15 and 29 with the main causes being depression and drug use, stated by Dr Losavati Daugunu, CEO of the Laloki Psychiatric Hospital. The effects on individuals who experience trauma through all forms of violence, harassment or bullying can be seen through behavior. Mental illness in PNG is also viewed at a cultural perspective which could be a challenge for the awareness, diagnosis and treatment process (The History of Mental Health in Papua New Guinea, 2017). Lavett uses the example of a campaign led by Canadian electronics company, Bell Canada, which has united millions of people across Canada in promoting mental health awareness through an initiative which has also reached the international community. Since the inception of the “Bell Let’s Talk” campaign in 2010, an incredible $155m has been committed to organisations to provide support and services for mental health. In partnership with more than 1,300 organisations, Bell Let’s Talk has been able to support 5.5 million Canadians with access to mental health services and changed attitudes as reported by 82 percent of Canadians. Furthermore, the campaign has been the single largest corporate commitment in the country’s history. Central to the campaign are four guiding pillars; anti-stigma, care and access, research and workplace leadership. Guided by these pillars, the campaign’s main methods or outlets are social media, post-secondary outreach, community fund grants and celebrity support. The amount of attention this campaign has gained has led to its success to date, and should be an example for other nations. There is an opportunity for corporate organisations to consider, as in the case of the Bell Let’s Talk initiative, a way to contribute as part of their corporate-social responsibility. Stigma often worsens the condition of a person with a mental illness and is a major concern because of the barrier it builds, hence, this is the silence that the awareness campaign seeks to break. Alleviating stigma, supporting establishments focused on mental health and investing in proper research, paves way for a healthier population. Bell Canada saw the potential of initiating an influential campaign on mental health resulting in the immense support returned to the country. A better future and stability of PNG is resting in the hands of its people and through knowledge and awareness, this stability and future can be achieved.

The investigation into a report about foreign consultants engaged by the National Judicial Staff Services receiving millions of kina worth of payments is ongoing and has not yet been completed. Justice Minister Bryan Kramer revealed the status of the investigation upon a series of questions by Rabaul MP Dr Allan Marat during Question Time in Parliament yesterday. On January 27 this year, Minister Kramer released a statement regarding payments worth millions of kina being paid in Australian dollars to foreign nationals employed as consultants by the NJSS. It was alleged that some are paid K200 million a year and receive twice to trice the salary of National and Supreme Court judges as well as the government ministers, including the Prime Minister. Dr Marat asked Mr Kramer if the investigations have commenced and for its outcome if it has been completed. He further questioned if the payments are consistent with the Government of PNG’s salary scale and whether or not the relevant government agencies are doing anything to address it. Minister Kramer in response said the investigations are ongoing to determine whether administrative and legislative guidelines are complied with in accordance with the awarding of the contracts. “Investigations are not complete as yet but once it is done, the decision will be made as to what course of action will be taken,” Mr Kramer said.

Overcharging of school project fees is deemed illegal and school principals or teachers issuing these charges will face suspension if found to be practicing these. Education Minister Jimmy Uguro gave this undertaking in parliament yesterday when responding to Moresby North East MP John Kaupa to clarify on the project fees component required of parents. “For 2022, projects fees are allowed for parents and only the authorities concerned which are the National Education Board and Provincial Education Boards are responsible for that,” Mr Uguro said. “Schools and their principals are not the ones to charge project fees.” “Overcharging of project fees is illegal and not allowed.” said Minister Uguro. He said last year school principals and teachers who were investigated on this issue where suspended when they were identified. “I have instructed the Teaching Service Commission and National Education Department that school inspectors are the only legitimate authority to charge teachers and principals who do not follow the Education Act.”