Five soldiers involved in yesterday's altercation between the Police and Defence have been apprehended by the Military Police and they are currently detained at the Military Police cell at Murray Barracks. This was revealed today by PNG Defence Force commander Major General Gilbert Toropo in a joint press conference with the Police Commissioner David Manning. A very disappointed commander Toropo condemned the actions of the soldiers, while ordering an investigation into the incidents that started from the weekend and boiled over yesterday. "This action by few members of the PNG Defence Force to go out to the main road and public areas to create and cause fear among our community and people is totally unacceptable." "People need to have the trust and confidence in the military force so they can rely on our security and protection," Toropo said. Police Commissioner David Manning also revealed that police officers who were involved in assaulting a soldier in uniform during the whole ordeal yesterday have been suspended awaiting internal investigations to be completed. Manning said this is the initial response whenever an investigation is being carried out on professional misconduct, however if there is an official complaint from the victim, a criminal investigation will be conducted. "We are not here to defend the actions of our members." "We are first to admit that we will provide that leadership to ensure that there is full transparency and accountability in how we deal with the investigation." Manning said. Both Manning and Toropo have agreed to conduct internal investigations and take disciplinary actions on officers that were directly involved. Meanwhile it is understood that the incident started over the weekend when the Police Fox Unit conducted a house search within the Boroko area. A member of the Fox Unit allegedly assaulted a female in that house who happens to be the wife of a soldier from the Taurama Barracks. Following the incident on the weekend, the soldier went to Boroko Police Station yesterday to lay a complaint and while he was inside, the confrontation between his men and a group of policemen started outside the station. This then led to the soldiers disarming the police officers and drove off with the police vehicle to Taurama. One of the soldiers who fell off the speeding vehicle was apprehended by police and assaulted. A video footage going viral right now on social media shows police officers kicking the soldier and dragging him onto a vehicle.

DEPUTY Controller of the National Pandemic Response Dr Daoni Esorom says rapid test kits for coronavirus (COVID-19) being brought into the country must be validated by the National Control Centre. “I have a concern that too many organisations and (private) companies are bringing rapid test kits. It’s becoming a concern because these are not validated by NCC. These have the potential to mess up our national testing protocols,’’ said Dr Daoni. “There are certain requirements that organisations must meet before NCC gives approval for the test kits to be used in the country.’’ The three steps that need to be done before approvals are given are: Firstly, the kits must be locally field validated to see the performance of these kits on our Melanesian population. Secondly, from the field validation our technical team will determine the positive predictive value, negative predictive value, sensitivity and specificity on the performance of this test on this rapid test on the field. Thirdly, these rapid kits must be prequalified by the World Health Organisation. “I strongly encourage any organization or companies willing to bring in any new rapid test kits to get in touch with our laboratory team at NCC to advise on what to do in order to get these kits approved for use in the country,’’ said Dr Daoni.

PRIME Minister James Marape has condemned in no uncertain terms "the use of force and breaking of the law" by members of the country's disciplinary forces in yesterday's PNGDF|RPNGC physical confrontation in Port Moresby. He has also summoned the Police Commissioner and Defence Commander to appear before him today to provide an explanation, after returning from East New Britain and hearing of the incident. He said: "I am appalled at the news that members of our two disciplinary forces have resorted to the use of force and breaking of law to resolve a law and order issue. "Police and soldiers are supposed to be the most disciplined of people, yet it is very disappointing to see such breakdowns happening and continuing. "Not just as the Prime Minister but as the Defence Minister, I am directing all soldiers involved in this altercation to immediately withdraw to your barracks, and for the Commander and commanding officers to immediately restore order at Taurama Barracks. "Most of you soldiers are hardworking; you put your body on the line. Do not allow the ill-discipline of a few and the ill response of police to allow a resolvable situation to get out of hand. "I have called for joint police and military investigation into this matter. "My Government has never tolerated this behavior and going forward, we will not entertain it in any way. Matters of genuine concern have to be handled lawfully. This is the only way. "Disciplinary actions such as these involving alcohol and acts of public disorder warrants discharges from both the police and the military. It will be most unfortunate for hardworking Defence and police officers to be discharged. “Hence, I call on all soldiers and police personnel to exercise restraint at all times and may incidents of such nature be handled maturely and lawfully," said PM Marape.

PNG Trade and Directories Limited (PNGDL) customers can now pay for services instantly online without using their VISA Debit cards to make advertisement payments for both Print and Online Directories. PNGDL is a subsidiary of Telikom Holdings and an official publisher of directory books for PNG and Solomon Islands. PNGDL commonly trading as yellow pages has been in operation since the inception of Telikom PNG and is an authorised publisher of directory books in the country. As part of the business modernisation and transformation strategy, management has invested in mobile and internet technologies to improve their customer experience and further boost service standards for directory services in the country. The newly appointed Chief Executive Officer for PNGDL, Mr Jessy Pendene said business transformation and modernisation is the way forward to allow businesses remain competitive especially in today’s market setting. “With the growing use of mobile and internet technologies in the country, the Board and Management have to think outside of the normal to venture into the online business. It is a credit business where businesses subscribe in the current year and revenue is collected in the following year. The operations cost for revenue collection is high due to countrywide collections. Now with the timely intervention by BSP using the BSP Pay platform, customers can conveniently pay online to list their business for both print and online directories without constant follow ups”, said Mr Pendene. PNGDL Board Chairman, Mr Cedric Rondoke thanked the Board and management of BSP for providing such a magnificent platform that goes a long way to support small subsidiaries like PNGDL. “PNGDL’s modernisation and transformation strategy is in line with the national government plan to drive business transformation in most of the SOE’s and he commend the efforts of the new CEO and his team for living that vision” Mr Rondoke added. The third phase of the transformation will include an online shop concept whereby every Papua New Guineans will be provided a reliable opportunity to shop online. Mr Pendene further stated “his management is currently in talks with mother company Telikom Holdings and other sister SOE companies like Post PNG for a possible partnership for the online shop concept using their retail distribution network in the country. He said onboarding of BSP Pay is a key achievement to support the company’s ongoing online plans. BSP Pay is a payment solution that allows a BSP account holder to carry out online payments on registered merchants instantly and securely without the use of card details. The only information required is their CIF (BSP ID) and registered mobile number to receive security codes. BSP encourages other businesses to consider moving online to enjoy the benefits. Businesses interested in setting up a payments page on their website can contact BSP through email servicebsp@bsp.com.pg and call BSP 3201212 or 70301212.

The Papua New Guinea expo team is privileged to have a Papua New Guinea Defence Force officer as a team member. Major Richard Elizah Selan is in charge of the movement of expo cargoes from Papua New Guinea to the United Arab Emirates and also from the expo warehouse to the PNG pavilion. The secondment of Major Selan as the Expo Team's Logistics Officer saw the involvement of the PNG Defence Force soldiers in assembling all PNG products at the PNG Defence Force's Air Transport Wing at the Jacksons International Airport before being shipped to Dubai in July. Apart from his title as the Logistics Lead, Major Elizah is a pavilion staff and everyday he is at the pavilion talking to visitors and telling them about PNG. PNGDF is an expo partner apart from other Government Agencies who are working on the ground at expo. The Expo2020 in Dubai is the first time in which the event was organised in a whole of Government approach where by different Agencies were involved to present the different potentials of PNG to the world. The team on the ground is being led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and consists of officers from the Investment Promotion Authority, Tourism Promotion Authority, National Trade Office, Conservation and Environment Protection Authority, Department of Finance, PNG Defence Force and Department of Information and Communication Technology.

Papua New Guinea received the first state minister from the United Arab Emirates this week at its pavilion in the world expo in Dubai. His Excellency Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of State and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) graced the PNG pavilion with his presence as part of his expo pavilion visit. The Minister was received by the PNG Pavilion Assistant Manager and Acting Marketing Director of Tourism Promotion Authority Ms. Alice Kuaningi and PNG Protocol, Accreditation and Media Liaison Officer Ms. Nerolyn Kuamugl. In a tour of the pavilion, Ms. Kuaningi took the Minister through each section of the pavilion and explained to the Minister the storyboard outlined through the pictures of the natural beauty of Papua New Guinea. [caption id="attachment_16988" align="aligncenter" width="935"] PNG Protocol, Accreditation and Media Liaison Officer Ms. Nerolyn Kuamugl presenting a Sepik bilum containing PNG products including coffee, tea, chocolate and Pure water to the UAE Minister of State His Excellency Ahmed Al Sayegh[/caption] His Excellency Ahmed was amazed about the beauty of PNG, especially the culture and traditions, natural resources and the environment. The Minister thanked the country of PNG for participating in the expo and making its presence known in the UAE saying that there were potential areas for further collaboration between the two countries. He pointed out the key issues of visa and travel which he said needed to be sorted out soon. Visa issues and travel connectivity are some of the issues being worked on while the PNG expo team is in the Middle East for the world expo. As part of Papua New Guinea’s tradition, Ms. Kuamugl presented a Sepik bilum (bag) packed with PNG Products including coffee, tea, chocolate and pure water and thanked His Excellency for taking time out and for choosing to visit the Papua New Guinea pavilion.

All shops and business houses within the Boroko vicinity have closed up for the day following an altercation between the Police and the members of the PNG Defence Force this morning.  The Situation has subsided, however Police are patrolling the Boroko area to make sure opportunists do not take advantage of the situation. A meeting was held between the Military Police and ACP NCD/Central Anthony Wagambie Junior at the Boroko Police station to address the incident. ACP Wagambie refused to speak to the media outside the police station however has said a statement will be released by the Police Commissioner later today on the incident. There have also been unconfirmed reports of a member of the security force being shot at and that report will also be verified by the Police Commissioner. Meanwhile Deputy Chief of PNG Defence Force, Commodore Philip Polewara said the issue has been resolved and further details of the incident and investigations will come from the Police.

Fully vaccinated international students, eligible visa holders and travellers from Japan and South Korea will be welcomed back to Australia from next week. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said eligible visa holders would be able to come to Australia from the beginning of December without needing to apply for a travel exemption. "The return of skilled workers and students to Australia is a major milestone in our pathway back, it's a major milestone about what Australians have been able to achieve and enable us to do," he said. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said welcoming travellers from those countries would further help the tourism industry recover "These changes are crucially important to Australia as we go through our reopening phase," she said. "We are working on a figure of 200,000, it may well be more than that but we will be actively looking to bring as many people into Australia as soon as we possibly can." Migration rates fell sharply when the border was closed to everyone except Australian citizens and permanent residents in March last year in response to the emerging pandemic. Now, almost two years later, many industries are reporting a shortage of workers, with projects including big public infrastructure works at risk. The migrant intake will expand to around 200,000 places a year from December 1, including more refugee visas, but it is not yet clear how many new spots will be made available in each area. Currently, there are 79,600 places in the skilled visa category, 13,750 in the humanitarian program, and no cap on the number of student visas that can be granted. International students back at uni Vaccinated international students with a valid visa will no longer need an exemption to travel to Australia, but they will be subject to the quarantine arrangements of the state/territory they are travelling to. In jurisdictions with quarantine-free travel, international students will not count towards passenger caps. Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said international students would be back at universities early next year. "We would be encouraging them to make their plans, and to be back here to give that lift to universities and to the many other parts of our economy that have benefited so much from international students over the years." Senator Birmingham said the expansion would be undertaken in line with the plans of the states and territories. "As with returning international Australian citizens and permanent residents, you've got Victoria and New South Wales who have been playing a leading role in reopening their international borders," he said. "Other states have spelt out different criteria for when they will provide that type of movement, and that will be a matter for those states to continue to work through those issues, and we'll respect that. "Obviously we want them to get the very high vaccination rates of New South Wales and Victoria so that they hopefully can follow suit and have international students back for commencement at their unis next year." Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told Sky News more migration would accelerate the economic recovery from the pandemic. "Both skilled workers and international students play an essential role in our economy," he said. "International students are worth some $40 billion to our economy. "We know that there are workforce shortages out there and skilled workers can play a key part in meeting some of those shortages." SOURCE: ABC NEWS

Minister for Education Hon. Jimmy Uguro, MP has called on students to respect government property and not to damage them if they have any grudges with the school management. “Students must learn to take their grievances to the right authority in the school if they are not happy with the school management instead of taking their frustrations out on school property like classrooms and dormitories,” the Minister said. The Minister said this after a number of schools and institutions’ facilities such as classrooms and dormitories were either damaged or burned down allegedly by students and that were reported by the media recently. “I am very disappointed with these recent events and call on school authorities of the schools affected to take appropriate action as soon as they can,” the Minister said. He added that willful damage of property is a criminal offence under the recently launched Behaviour Management Policy and schools must refer the students involved to the police to deal with them. “The facilities take a number of years to build and at huge costs. Therefore, students and the community must look after them for their use and also for future generations,” the Minister said.

East New Britain Provincial Administrator Wilson Matava, was arrested and charged for fraud by Detectives from the National Fraud & Anti-Corruption Directorate on the 18 November, 2021. Wilson Marava, aged 51 from Kabakaul village, Kokopo District, East New Britain Province was slapped with One count of Money Laundering and One count of Misappropriation of K510, 770.40 the property of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. Mr Wilson Matava is the current Provincial Administrator for East New Britain Province. He was appointed to the substantive position 2016. This offences are alleged to have been committed after he had been made permanent. The allegations against Mr Matava was that the K20 million that was released by the National Government to ENB Provincial Government and Provincial Administration for the purpose of developing Tourism Related Infrastructure in Kokopo, ENBP was not used for the purpose it was intended for and was grossly misappropriated. In 2014, the National Government made a policy decision to declare Tokua in East New Britain Province as the Tourism Hub for Papua New Guinea. Based on that policy decision, K58 million was allocated in the 2014 Development Budget for Tourism Related Infrastructure Development for Kokopo, East New Britain Province. Out of the K58 million budget allocation, K20 million was initially released to the ENB Provincial Government and its Administration as a first batch in 2014. However, despite specific appropriation of K20 million in the Development Budget identified for Tourism Related Infrastructure Development, this money was grossly misappropriated on unrelated and non-development and unqualified expenditures not in any way associated with Tourism. Out of the K20 million, he directed that K1 million be allocated to Legal Fees Vote. From the Legal Fees Vote, K510,770.40 was paid to Waisi Lawyers who had represented him court against former Provincial Administrator – Mr Aquila Tubal in court. The total cost for Waisi lawyers legal fees was K40, 950.00 which Waisi lawyers kept in the law firms Trust Account whilst the balance of the money was paid to various entities and individuals as directed by the Provincial Administrator which were not related to Infrastructure Development for Kokopo  which was identified as Tourism Hub for Papua New Guinea. The complaint was made to the Police by interested stakeholders such as Chamber of Commerce and ENBP Tourism Board and Civil Society against Corruption. Mr Matava was picked up at Jacksons Airport and taken to National Fraud & Anti-Corruption Directorate Office in Konedobu, where he was interviewed and charged and later placed at Boroko Police Station cells. He has been leased on K2,000 bail and will appear before Waigani District Court. Since the offences were committed in Kokopo East New Britain Province, this matter will be transferred to Kokopo District Court for committal hearing there.

Autonomous Bougainville Government’s (ABG) President Ishmael Toroama has described the late Selau Constituency MP Joseph Watawi as a patriotic and passionate Bougainville leader who worked throughout his life to ensure there is political liberation and freedom for their people. The late Joseph Watawi passed away on 15 November, at his home at Kokopau in North Bougainville. In his condolence message, President Toroama said late Watawi played an integral role in the peace process during the negotiations and creation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement in 2001. The late Watawi was also instrumental in the formation of the first Bougainville House of Representatives in 2005 and was elected as the inaugural Member for Selau Constituency. He was then appointed by former President Joseph Kabui as Vice President and the Minister for Commerce. “As Vice President he worked with President Kabui to hold together a deeply divided Bougainville and bring about socio-economic and political change,” Mr Toroama said. “These changes strengthened Bougainville and paved the way for unity to prevail and development to flourish.” President Toroama said while many can attest to the Late Joseph Watawi’s accomplishments, his overall legacy will be his commitment to Bougainville’s Independence Mission. “He leaves behind a legacy that we as a people must strive to emulate.” “On behalf of the Government and people of Bougainville I offer our sincerest condolences to the family of the Late Joseph Watawi and the people of Selau.”

After talking the climate talk at U.N. negotiations in Scotland, the Biden administration now tests whether a divided United States can walk the climate walk: push a massive investment for a new era of clean energy through the narrowest of margins in the Senate. The House passed a roughly $2 trillion social policy and climate bill Friday, including $555 billion for cleaner energy, although the legislation is almost certain to be changed by the Senate. What ultimately emerges in the climate part of the bill will have a lasting impact on America and all its neighbors on Earth, and help determine whether the United States does its promised share to keep climate damage at a level not disastrously worse than it is now. “The problem is that when you have these storms that are coming with such frequency, just as soon as you deal with one, you're dealing with the next one,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who has struggled with five federally declared disasters in his six years leading the global oil hub on Texas' Gulf Coast. Turner talked on the sidelines of the U.N. conference in Glasgow, where he was one of dozens of mayors pushing for investment in climate. After years of storm deaths in intensifying deluges and hurricanes from the tropics, Houston residents froze to death in record numbers in a wobbling polar vortex this year. “And so for our vulnerable communities ... where people are already on the margins, it keeps getting a little bit further down,” Turner said. In the Senate, cost-cutting demands by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin from the coal state of West Virginia and that chamber’s strict rules seem certain to force significant changes to the bill. That would prompt fresh disputes between party centrists and moderates that will likely take weeks to resolve. If Biden's package passes, its impact boosting clean energy sources and technologies will mean the U.S. likely will just miss, by 5%, Biden's target of halving fossil fuel emissions by the end of this decade — more precisely and wonkily, of halving the amount of carbon dioxide that the U.S. is pumping out by 2030 compared with 2005 levels. That's according to modeling by researchers at Princeton University and elsewhere, climate scientist and energy analyst Zeke Hausfeather explained. But if Biden's bill fails in Congress, the United States likely will fall shy of its emission-cutting promise by much more, by 20%, the academic modeling shows. Market forces making renewable energy ever cheaper would help carry the United States a lot of the way regardless, Hausfeather said. But with that broken promise behind it, it would be harder for the U.S. "to convince countries like China and India to follow through on their climate commitments ... if we are unable to follow through on our own promises,” noted Hausfeather, a director at the Breakthrough Institute research center. The United States over time is the world's biggest emitter of the coal, natural gas and oil fumes that are altering the atmosphere and heating the Earth. China, with its dependence on coal-fired power plants, is the biggest emitter currently, and the U.S. No. 2. India, with its booming population and coal dependence, is poised to overtake both in coming decades. At Glasgow, Bangladesh climate negotiator Quamrul Chowdhury fought, as he has for years, for the United States and other big polluters to make the fast, big cuts needed to keep his and other low-lying nations above water. After decades of U.S. climate policies flipping with the political parties of incoming administrations, Chowdhury was eager for Congress to seal the deal. “In your domestic legislation, if it is enshrined, that will help,” Chowdhury said. At climate conferences, leaders “make promises, make commitments, but those are not met. Promises are made, only to be broken." The sharpest U.S. climate swing of all was by the Trump administration. It pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord, slowed offshore wind projects, promoted oil and gas exploration and drilling. It canceled Obama administration projects that had aimed to promote clean energy and discourage coal. Scores of Republican lawmakers in Congress are stepping forward now to lay claim to a middle ground on climate, between Trump and Biden, whose falling popularity is raising doubts about continued Democratic power in Washington. In a conservative caucus founded by Republican Rep. John Curtis of Utah, the Republicans say they know how to move voters off fossil fuels and argue for a climate policy that continues use of natural gas in particular. They emphasize trees, as well as carbon capture technology that has yet to be developed to scale, to capture climate-damaging emissions. “We know we must reduce emissions. Now let's have a thoughtful conversation about how we go about it,” Curtis said in a panel with other U.S. lawmakers at Glasgow. “And that's, that's a new place, I think, for us.” Depending on whether a next Republican administration, like Trump's, actively opposes efforts to scale down fossil fuel use, another U.S. retreat on climate efforts might knock the nation a few more percentage points back further on meeting Biden's emission-cutting goal, Featherhaus said. But “I think the larger effect ... would be from the lack of global leadership on the issue, and creating the (quite justified) impression that U.S. pledges are not to be trusted,” he said in an email. SOURCE: ABC NEWS