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The OFC U-17 Championship and OFC U-20 Championship tournaments have been postponed but remain on track to take place this year. The events were originally meant to be played in 2020 as qualifiers for the FIFA U-17 and FIFA U-20 World Cups but were delayed due to travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.  Last month, FIFA cancelled the FIFA U-17 World Cup that was meant to be held in Peru in October and the FIFA U-20 World Cup that was set for Indonesia in May-June.  Given OFC’s youth tournaments are a key element of its long-term strategy to qualify two teams for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OFC’s Executive Committee has agreed to try and exhaust all possible options to play them in 2021.  All of OFC’s tournaments have been on hold since March 2020 due to the global pandemic and ongoing border restrictions throughout the Pacific.  If the youth events can go ahead this year, the original hosts will be retained with Fiji holding the OFC U-17 Championship and Samoa staging the OFC U-20 Championship.  A decision around potential new dates for the tournaments will be decided by OFC’s Executive Committee in the coming months.  OFC General Secretary Franck Castillo said it was vital to give our region’s youth footballers the opportunity to play in these events.  “The players who take part in these tournaments could potentially progress to represent their senior national team and we want to ensure they have as many chances as possible to play in meaningful, competitive matches at youth level,” Castillo said.  “We thank the Executive Committee for their vision and patience regarding these tournaments and we hope we can hold them safely at the appropriate time.”  The OFC U-16 Women’s Championship and OFC U-19 Women’s Championship events also remain on track to be held later this year.  Those tournaments will serve as qualifiers for the next editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup that are due to be played in 2022.  Source: PNG Football Association

Police Commissioner David Manning has apologised to the Ombudsman Commission over the events of last Friday in which Chief Ombudsman Richard Pagen and a number of his staff were detained at the Boroko Police Station. This event culminated from an administrative oversight in the handling of a District Court warrant on an ongoing high-level case currently subjected to the constitutional process of investigation. It was reported that police detectives from the NCD Metro Fraud had gone over to the Ombudsman Commission office with members of a Fox Unit to serve a search warrant to “retrieve, seize and confiscate” all documents relating to the Manumanu Land Deal. Ombudsman Commission staff including Mr Pagen were then allegedly cited for perverting the course of justice and taken to the police station. They were later released without being charged. Chief Ombudsman Richard Pagen Picture sourced: ombudsman.gov.pg Mr Manning regretted the unfortunate incident, saying the Police Force and the Ombudsman had always had a very good cordial working relationship. He said the Police Force has an operational duty including execution of search and arrests warrants, and their legal obligation to arrest in the event of police obstruction. “We have established processes and procedural guidelines with regards to police investigations. These processes and guidelines ensure that our conduct cannot be questioned." “In this instance there were fundamental flaws in the manner in which the search warrant was obtained, including jurisdiction of the courts in the issuance of the search warrant, as well as in the service of the search warrant itself. Police men and women are not constitutional lawyers, hence are not subjected to full and self-interpreting of court documents to identify flaws." “What transpired is rather unfortunate and was done so without the knowledge of either myself or the various commanders including the Acting Deputy Commissioner Donald Yamasombi, Assistant Commissioner Crimes Hodges Ette, Director Crimes Joel Simatap and the NCD/Central Command. Mr Manning again expressed his apologies to Mr Pagen and the staff of the Ombudsman Commission and promised for a better understanding and working relationship going forward. Mr Manning said, “In fact we respect each other and have worked well together in the past and will continue to do so now and into the future in the dispensation of justice. “I have since issued directives for the investigation to immediately cease, all files on the investigation to be made available to my office and members involved in the investigation to be immediately stood down pending a full investigation into this incident.”

The newly appointed Metropolitan Superintendent for NCD , Acting Chief Superintendent Gideon Ikumu says he will not deviate from performing his established duties as the city's top cop, despite allegations levelled against him. "The welfare and safety of the people of NCD is greater and upon me," said Mr Ikumu. Acting Chief Superintendent Ikumu addressed the media in Port Moresby clarifying certain allegations against him during his term as Provincial Police Commander in New Ireland "to set the records straight" Ikumu said allegations of an assault and a motor vehicle accident in New Ireland took place while he was PPC in the province and both matters have been dealt with accordingly. He said the motor vehicle accident is still before the district court in New Ireland and resumes again in March. He was charged for dangerous driving causing death while the assault case was an "administrative matter" which was resolved away from the public eye. "For the assault case, it was a matter of command and control at the station. I approached a police officer because of something he did," said Ikumu. "He came too close to me within my private space, trying to measure up to me. I pushed him, he fell a step back and hit the table. And that was the complaint that he was assaulted by me." Ikumu said, "these allegations and speculations will still arise later on so it's better to speak now than later. So I want these cleared out before I start to lay out my plans on what I want to do in NCD."

Two female health workers are among eight new cases of COVID-19 reported in West New Britain and NCD in the last 24 hours increasing the country’s total cases to 843. Two cases were reported in NCD whilst six cases were reported in West New Britain. In NCD, 58 year old female health care worker who resides in Moresby South electorate was tested positive. She was not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 virus but swab samples returned positive. Also living in Moresby South was a 28 year old male who was tested positive. He was showing symptoms of fever at the time of testing. In West New Britain, a female nurse, a female teacher, a male boat crew and a male airport employee are among the six cases tested positive for COVID-19. All six cases, two female and four male, ages ranging from 23 to 63 years are from Talasea district. They were not experiencing COVID-19 symptoms at the time of testing but swab samples returned positive. The country’s COVID-19 cases as a result now stands at 843 with nine known deaths. A total of 40,697 people have tested for COVID-19. Eight hundred people have recovered whilst 16 samples are pending at the laboratories. Thirty-four active cases are in isolation. Sixteen provinces including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) have reported cases. The distribution of the cases is as follows: NCD 367 Western Province 214 West New Britain 162 East New Britain 30 New Ireland 18 Eastern H/lands 13 Western H/lands 10 Central 10 Morobe 6 East Sepik 3 Enga 3 Milne Bay 2 West Sepik 2 Southern H/lands 1 AROB 1 Hela Province 1 TOTAL 843 Globally, the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 has reached 93,805,612 including 588,325 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The death toll is 2,026,093; of which 11, 136 were reported in the last 24 hours.

Reckless behavior by police in the Central Province had landed a Kerema man at the Port Moresby General Hospital who is now receiving medical treatment after sustaining a bullet wound to his right leg. It was alleged that Police Officers from Laloki Police Station in Central Province fired close range shots at a 25 seater PMV bus and its passengers, on Monday night wounding the victim in the leg, while they were travelling to Port Moresby along the Hiritano Highway. "It was a moment of death for me personally," recalled the terrified bus crew Peter Kinamun when an officer pointed the gun in his face. Four police officers allegedly stopped the PMV bus at a place called Rupuroka Tulait Market within the Laloki vicinity and assaulted the driver and the bus crew. Kinamun said they were travelling from Kerema towards the Rupuroka Tuklait market in the dark when all of a sudden a vehicle that was hidden just within the market put on their spot light. Peter said they thought they were local hunters on a routine hunt for wallabies and continued to drive when they realized they were been chased down by the vehicle and ordered to stop. “We recognised the vehicle which was a single cab Toyota Hilux that belonged to the Laloki police so we stopped as instructed by them.” He said three police men in civilian clothes stepped out and took the driver’s licence, the crew permit and then ordered everyone to come out of the bus. “We didn’t see the fourth police officer hiding in the dark with the gun, we only saw the three police men who were standing in the light.” “One of the three officers started punching the driver while the driver was trying to explain to them that he did not see any road signs to signal a police road block so he drove passed them.” “While they continued to punch the driver, the fourth police officer came out from the dark and landed the butt of the gun on the drivers face knocking him to the ground.” “When the police man with the gun saw me standing behind the driver, he cocked the gun and pointed it right on my face. I stepped back and realised there was no way to run so I thought to myself, this is the day I die.” "I told the police man, I have done nothing wrong but if you are going to kill me than go ahead and do it , and I raised my hand up to surrender.” The police man then lowered the gun and swore at them and told them to get in the bus and leave. “As we were rushing the passengers to get in the bus while the police men kept swearing and yelling at us, the officer with the gun fired the first shot which came through the glass bringing the glass on the door down.” “He then fired the second shot at close range which penetrated through the metal covering of the bus and straight into a passenger’s leg, completely damaging the leg and the same bullet just lightly tipped my knee cap which burnt my skin.” “I felt a burning sensation on my knee and I looked down and saw some blood so I rubbed my knee to be sure the bullet didn’t get me.” "At that very moment, I got emotional and yelled at the police men and told them off; is this what your bosses tell you to do? To shoot at unarmed civilians!” “When I looked down, the passenger that got shot was bleeding very badly and he passed out so we quickly got on the bus and drove off with the same police officers tailing us from behind” “We couldn’t slow down as the bleeding was getting worse so we just sped off as fast as we could to the hospital without second thoughts if they followed us or not.” The owner of the PMV bus Mr Kelly Kinamun was shocked and disappointed at the manner in which police officers opened fire at unarmed civilians for no good reason. Kinamun said his bus was only six weeks old and there was nothing wrong with the bus nor the crew and the driver. He expressed his utmost frustration at the actions of the few police men that spoil the name of other good police officers almost killing an innocent passenger and endangering the lives of the others. “I don’t know why they stopped the bus, assaulted the driver and then decided to shoot at close range injuring an innocent person.” “The crew had his permit, the driver had his license, no one was drinking and the bus is fully registered so I fail to understand the police men’s behaviour,” Mr Kinamun said. He said police can only fire shots like that when there is danger and not just pulling the trigger unnecessarily in front of unarmed civilians. “You fire a gun when there is a life and death situation, not at a group of harmless passengers who were on their way to Port Moresby to sell their crabs,” Mr Kinamun said. He said that if the passenger had died, his innocent family back home could have suffered the loss at the hands of rogue officers. “I feel sorry for the poor guy who caught the bullet, he did not deserve that and I’m relieved that he made it to the hospital on time, however his leg looks really bad and could be amputated if serious. ” Mr Kinamun said rogue police officers don’t deserve to be on the Force and should be removed at the first instance of such misconduct to protect the other law abiding and hardworking police officers. “I would like to suggest to the Police Commissioner to remove these police officer from the Force if they cannot substantiate their actions for the shooting.” Mr Kinamun is yet to establish the cost of damage done to his bus but in the meantime, he has filed reports at the Central Police Head Quarters for investigation to take place. The Central Police have also confirmed this incident and they have started preliminary investigations with the Internal Investigation Unit visiting the crime scene area and collecting statements from witnesses.

People on the mining island of Misima in the Milne Bay Province will resort to sea transport as the only alternative transport means to get into the provincial capital, Alotau. This is following an announcement by airline company PNG Air to cease flights into Misima. PNG Air regrets to advise the general public that their flights into Misima Island, have ceased indefinitely and its due to poor conditions of the Bwagaoia runway in Misima. The cancellation of flights was effective on Monday 18th January 2021 and until such time when the runway is in compliance with Civil Aviation Rule Part 121 Operations, flights are cancelled. "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding." For further information, please call the call center on 7411 2644.

Papua New Guinea reported one new case of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the last 24 hours increasing the country’s total cases to 835. The latest case was reported in Western Province. A 42 year old male mine worker who resides in Tabubil, North Fly district is the latest to be tested positive. He was not showing symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of testing but swab samples returned positive. The country’s COVID-19 cases as a result now stands at 835 with nine known deaths. A total of 40,697 people have tested for COVID-19. Seven hundred and ninety people have recovered whilst 16 samples are pending at the laboratories. Thirty-six active cases are in isolation. Sixteen provinces including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) have reported cases. The distribution of the cases is as follows: Provinces Confirmed Cases NCD 365 Western Province 214 West New Britain 156 East New Britain 30 New Ireland 18 Eastern Highlands 13 Western Highlands 10 Central 10 Morobe 6 East Sepik 3 Enga 3 Milne Bay 2 West Sepik 2 Southern Highlands 1 AROB 1 Hela Province 1 TOTAL 835 Globally, the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 has reached 92,596,811 including 688,015 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The death toll is 2,001,773; of which 14, 718 were reported in the last 24 hours.

Supermodel, Joylene Tanfa has joined the PNG Fashion Week 2021 management team to add experience and value to the PNG Fashion Week 2021 Runway. Ms Tanfa joined PNG Fashion Week as a model coach, mentor and one of the stars of the PNG Fashion Weeks 2021 campaign. "I believe that it is our life purpose to help others. Being given the opportunity from PNGFW to help mentor these young models has been an absolute pleasure. I am excited to share my talent and experiences and would love to see where my mentorship takes them to in their modeling career." said Joylene Managing Director and owner of PNG Fashion Week, Ms Philma Kelegai said that they are excited to have her join the team. Ms Tanfa is a rising star, having started her modelling career on the iconic Stella Runway Show in 2016, she has gone on to grace many other Stellar Runways and has been one of the international models at the International Fashion Week hosted at the Pearl in Fiji in 2019. "At the end of my training, I can assure you that you are definitely going to see more confident models with good attitude and stage presence grace the fashion week and other platforms in regards to modeling." Apart from being fierce and fabulous, Miss Tanfa was recently one of the faces of the 2019 Kina Bank campaign and also has moved into the world of competitive boxing, joining the ‘Tru Warrior’ team – a local Health and Fitness group that promotes healthy lifestyles.

A suspect involved in the K1.2 million heist at the Jackson's Airport in 2016 was recaptured on Saturday after escaping for the second time last year. Joel Taha Ruana alias Taberi aged 40 from Wasuma village, Rigo in the Central Province, is one of five suspects involved in robbing a logging company pay run at the Tropic Air hanger at the Jacksons Airport in 2016. Four of his accomplices were arrested, charged and are now serving jail time at the Bomana prison. Joel escaped from lawful custody in 2016, was recaptured in 2019 but escaped again in 2020. Commander of NCD Central Assistant Commissioner Anthony Wagambie Junior said, members of the NCD Armed Robbery Squad received a tip-off and they followed a PMV carrying Joel from Waigani to Downtown. Joel disembarked and was having lunch with a female companion when a detective walked into the restaurant and arrested him at gun point. In the commotion, the woman slipped away and could not be arrested. Mr Wagambie praised his team for recapturing this dangerous criminal. Commander of NCD Central Assistant Commissioner Anthony Wagambie Junior Source: POLICE - NCD/Central Divisional Command FB page

People in Porgera will continue to benefit from much needed Health Services which will continue at the Porgera District Hospital despite Porgera Gold Mine in Enga Province not making or selling gold in more than seven months, with the mining giants continued support to health services in Porgera District. This time, Mine operator Barrick (Niugini) Limited (“BNL”) is accommodating nursing students from the Enga College of Nursing in Sopas, Wabag, who are currently on a four-week clinical practice at the Porgera District Hospital. The Hospital’s General Surgeon and Acting Medical Superintendent Dr Jerry Hoga had requested for the accommodation. The 10 final year students, accompanied by their Instructor Jerick Laganson, the College’s Clinical Coordinator Sister (Sr) Grace Job, arrived at Paiam on 7 January. They were received by a team from the Mine, and the Hospital’s Acting Matron Sr Miriam Kikil. BNL Manager for Community Land Access Agreements Trevor Liversidge, gave the keys for three Company houses, to Sr Kikil.    Sr Kikil said the Hospital has had staffing issues, and so the arrival of the students brought short term relief for the Hospital staff.  Sr. Miriam Kikil, Acting Matron, Porgera District Hospital At the Hospital, the students were placed in different areas to apply their clinical theoretical learnings into the clinical setup. “We are really happy that most of the staffs here are actually helping the students on the ground,” Mr Laganson said.“Without you guys, we’ll not be…have a good hand here. So thank you very much for this accommodation as well as the practice of clinical application into the hospital as well, thank you so much,” he said. The Enga College of Nursing at Sopas, was established in 2013, offering diploma and degree programs in general nursing. The first intake in 2014 graduated in 2017, and to date there had been four graduations. The Bachelor in Nursing program only started last year.To date, more than 105 students have passed through the College, with new intakes notably increasing every year.

It has been an extraordinary challenging year for the district, province and country as a whole because of the COVID-19 Pandemic hitting the global arena and affecting the country’s economy. Nevertheless, the Member for Kikori and the board of Kikori District Development Authority and administration have been busy working to bring services to the district. A lot has been achieved since the beginning of the 2020 and the Member for Kikori Hon. Soroi Eoe, has reflected on these achievements thus far and will be making major announcements when he visits the district. Despite the COVID-19 restrictions the Member for Kikori and his administration was able to deliver funding assistance and COVID-19 PPE, medical supplies and equipment to health facilities such as Faia Health Post, Kikori District Hospital and Karati Health Post in the Kikori area. In the Baimuru District – Baimuru Health Center and Kapuna Hospital. and The Member for Kikori, Soroi Eoe congratulated the incoming President of West Kikori, Hon. Buara Esega, MPA. Hon. Esega is from the Goare Ward. He assumes the job as the West Kikori President after the former President of West Kikori Late Hon. Paul Dodobai passed away late last year prompting the District LLG to run a By-Election resulting in his nomination. We welcome him to the KDDA board. Hon. Eoe also congratulates Heagi Luki of Apiope village. Mrs. Heagi Luki has been appointed as the new Women’s Representative for the Kikori District Development Board replacing the late Lina Ori who passed away this year as well leaving the vacancy in the board. Hon. Eoe also is pleased to announce that the District Procurement Committee has been established. The DPC was previously non-extant until the National Procurement Commission was enacted in 2014, enabling districts to establish their own Procurement Committees.  The purpose of the DPC is to approve projects and publicly tender the projects in the district to the value of K2.5m. By doing this, it addresses the delivery of projects in a timely manner and also encourages transparency and good governance in the district. Hon. Eoe says going forward, the KDDA is taking on the national government’s focus on strengthening MSME’s, as well as Agriculture support and he encourages his people to be innovative and work hard and take advantage of the governments support coming through in order to fully benefit. Hon. Eoe will be visiting the district to do presentations and make announcements on the following:  Announcement of K400,000 towards WASH projects. The project is to be carried out for Kikori Secondary School and Belepa area. Both projects would ensure clean water is supplied to the School and communities surrounding the Belepa/Hiloi area. Presentation of funds totalling K500,000 to be given to the following schools:Kikori Secondary School – K200,00.00Ihu Provincial High School – K200,00.00Don Bosco Technical School (Arai Miri) – K100,000 Announcing the allocation of K1m support for agriculture projects. Part of this funding will be put towards Agriculture extension work. Farmers also are encouraged to submit their project proposals for funding various agriculture projects.MSME SUPPORT - Recognizing women as an integral part of change in developing communities is important. The Member for Kikori in the community economic change and Commitment of K500,000 for MSMEs in the district to assist in their businesses. This is part of the further COVID-19 stimulus recovery assistance given by the national government.Through the KDDA Board, gensets were purchased in late 2018. The gensets were delivered on-ground in 2020 and now funding has been secured to ensure connectivity is realized. This announcement will be made during his district visit.Announcement of K6m LEDL/IDG funds. Previously the monies went straight to the Provincial Government and never reached the district. The KDDA board has resolved that the KDDA would manage the funds through the LLGs. So affected landowners who want access to these funds need to submit project proposals through their LLG for KDDA consideration and approval.In Wabo the Member for Kikori will be presenting 4x Motors & Dinghies and announcing the rehabilitation of Wabo Health PostHon Eoe will also do a presentation of funds for construction of bench-cut tracks in Foroba area in the East Kikori LLG then stop-over in Faia to launch Faia Sub-Health Centre Project.In Kikori government station, Hon. Eoe will present funding assistance to Kikori Secondary School and announce the short-term fuel assistance to Kikori District Hospital (fuel)Hon. Eoe will then travel to Baimuru to open new ward for Baimuru Health Centre, Police Station, upgrade of Baimuru Primary School to Baimuru Junior High School and announce the Electricity project. Member for Kikori Hon. Soroi Eoe will announce the K500,000 funding support for sporting groups in the district under the Ministry of Sports through the PNG Sport Foundation. Previously the KDDA board assisted communities in the Upper and Lower Ahia areas of the Ihu LLG to register their Sporting Associations with IPA. This was well received by the sporting associations from the area. So, following this, the Minister will address communities in the Ihu Station area & communities nearby. He will also do presentation of sports assistance to Upper Ahia Basketball Association, presentation of sports assistance to Momohobo Basketball Association, announcement of Belepa Water Supply Project, presentation of Outboard Motor/Dinghy and Community Health Post Materials and presentation of Financial Assistance to Ihu Provincial High School.The Minister will also address the Vailala East Villages & communities nearby and do presentation of sports assistance to Karokaro Touch Association & Lahoharapa Touch Association in the Ihu LLG.The Minister will also pay a visit to the provincial administration office and meet with the Provincial Administrator the Provincial Management Team/PEC and do a presentation of Ihu Special Economic Zone Project update. Hon. Soroi Marepo Eoe will also announce the Prime Minister’s official visit to the district to launch the Ihu Special Economic Zone Project. Hon. Eoe says “Prime Minister, Honorable James Marape has accepted our invitation to visit the project site to formally launch the project program, and will also officially open other completed projects by Kikori DDA”. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Member for Kikori will be visiting his district in the next couple of weeks to make these important announcements and make presentations as well. Ihu Special Economic Zone Project

One of the Top 5 winners of the Jacks of PNG’s, Design PNG – PNG’s Most Influential Design Competition Junior Nalo says he could not believe that his design was chosen as one of the Top 5 designs out of over 330 design entries. “I was traveling to town from the village (Lou Island, Manus) to leave a family member who was traveling back to Port Moresby. When I reached Lorengau Town, I got a call from the Manager of Jacks of PNG that my design was one of those chosen as a winner”, said Junior Junior Nalo, from Mbuke and Timoenai in Manus. He said back in Manus Province when he was young and still in school, he would usually fiddle around with his pencil to draw anything random that he could think of. “Entering this competition was a big challenge for me because this is the first time I entered into such competitions like this”, said Junior. With the K2000 that Junior has won, he plans to stock up on art supplies and materials to grow what he has already achieved and also to continue on creating designs. “I am very happy and thankful to Jacks of PNG for organizing this competition especially for us the Youths who don’t have much to do. We have a lot skills and when given such an avenue or platform like this through competitions, that is when we can showcase our talents”, said Junior. His message to the upcoming or aspiring artists is that God has blessed everyone with talents and gifts and it is up to you how you use it.