Responding to emergencies 24-7 is of top priority for the Saint John Ambulance (SJA) team, but when dealing with unnecessary hiccups along the way can cause damages and loss of money which can be used to help patients. A SJA crew was stoned at 2mile in the Moresby-South Electorate when the crew was heading to an emergency around 7pm on Monday 12th of June. The ambulance was responding with lights and sirens to attend to a patient from a fall from height incident. Ambulances have lights and sirens on when it is a critical life-threatening priority one case. It was unfortunate that one or two from a group of men at 2-Mile chose to stone the ambulance instead of just letting the ambulance pass through. This ambulance is brand new and will incur over K7000 in repairs because of the actions of just one or two in the community. It is vital money that could have been used to help patients. This damage will take weeks to fix. St John is now calling on the members of the community to take ownership of the ambulance to take measures to prevent damage to the ambulances through awareness in community meetings.

Primary and Elementary Schools in Rabaul district will now be implementing 5 important plans to guide them after the successful launching yesterday at Pilapila Primary School. The documents launched included the School Learning Improvement Plan (SLIP), Standard Base Curriculum (SBC) Benchmark Exam and Behavioural Management Policy. Additionally, the Disaster Risk Management Plan and the Board of Management Constitution. When addressing the students and teachers during the launching, Senior Provincial Advisor for primary schools Mr Wartovo Kilala said that Rabaul district is the first in the province to launch its school plans. “Teachers and students, these are five important documents to guide us.” “The challenge now is on the implementation part; and when schools effectively implement, it will enhance quality teaching and learning.” Also stressing on the importance of the school plans was Rabaul District School Inspector Mrs Cecilia Tapil who called on the ward members and its Ward Development Committee (WDC) to work together with school boards and implement the plans. She further said that it is quite a challenge in terms of management for Rabaul district as some of its schools are scattered across the other three districts due to the resettlement after the 1994 volcanic eruption. However, she added that the teachers and school management have proved otherwise over the years. Meantime, Rabaul Town Mayor Hon.Changol Manuai commended the Rabaul district education sector for their time and effort in compiling the booklets and successfully launching the plans. The town mayor said that as the government they will continue to support such programs in the district. The launching was attended by teachers from the four LLGs of Rabaul district, Provincial education officers, district officers, ward members and parents and students.

Blues coach Brad Fittler has named a 19-man squad for Game Two of the 2023 Ampol State of Origin series to be played in Brisbane on Wednesday, June 21. Eels halfback Mitch Moses and Rabbitohs hooker Damien Cook have been recalled to the NSW side to fill the void left by the injuries to Nathan Cleary (hamstring) and Api Koroisau (jaw). Moses has played one game for the Blues in the third game of the 2021 series while Cook played 15 straight Origins between 2018 and 2022 before being overlooked for Game One. Wests Tigers prop Stefano Utoikamanu, who was 19th player for Game One, and Cowboys hooker Reece Robson have been named on the bench for their Origin debuts. Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell has been named again at centre after being a late withdrawal for Game One with a calf injury. Panthers centre Stephen Crichton is the 18th Man and Rabbitohs back-rower Keaon Koloamatangi is the 19th player. Sharks playmaker Nicho Hynes and Bulldogs forward Tevita Pangai Junior have been omitted from the side that lost Game One in Adelaide. Source: NRL.Com

The SP PNG Hunters have produced back-to-back wins for the second time this season, making light work of the Western Clydesdales 40-4 in Round 13 of the QRL Hostplus Cup. The growing crowd at the Santos National Football Stadium were treated to a high-scoring affair on Saturday, 10th June as the Hunters continued their impressive run of form at home this season. The Hunters survived the early raid comfortably. They worked well from the inside to repel a clunky Clydesdales attack on both edges. Taking confidence from their defense, the Hunters moved the ball smartly in yardage, finding good meters through Benji Kot on the left edge and Epel Kapinias on the right. With the game settling into an early grind, the Hunters again attacked with their defense. A promising backline movement from the visitors came to a sudden halt when Rodrick Tai and Solo Wane jammed expertly on the right edge to prevent a certain try. Joshua Mire’s successful conversation gave the Hunters a 6-0 lead after 15 minutes. Brandon Nima and his new centre partner – debutant Joshua Lau – worked together effectively to contain the Clydesdales attack, bundling the ball carrier into touch not once, but twice in the space of five minutes. Having dominated without the ball, Nima finally got his chance in attack. Some bruising defence from Moide and Junior Rop forced an error in yardage from the visitors and halfback Judah Rimbu made them pay with a perfectly weighted grubber into the in-goal. Clydsedales fullback Jordan Lipp couldn’t clean up the loose ball and Nima was the beneficiary one channel wider. With a 16-0 lead courtesy of Mire’s conversion, the Hunters took plenty of confidence into the break and started the second half with aplomb. Forcing an early error with their line speed, the Hunters quickly set up camp on the Clydesdales line. Sanny Wabo was next to get in on the action, pouring through the space behind the markers in yardage to break into the backfield. Another big right footstep wrongfooted the fullback as Wabo finished a spectacular solo try much to the delight of the crowd. As the scoreboard climbed, it was only a matter of time until Morea crossed the line. He eventually did in the 51st minute, slicing through the defence on the left edge to pass Lau into space. A good offload back to Morea beat the cover defence as the Hunters took a 34- point lead. As fatigue set in and the conditions took its toll, the error count rose for both sides. In the disruption, the visitors scored a consolation try through Drew Timms to add some respectability to the scoreboard. A late try to strike centre Rodrick Tai summed up the Hunters dominance in this game. Their spine players engaged the line effectively to create space for Morea on the edges, and the rookie fullback summed things up smartly from there. With the confidence of back-to-back wins, the Hunters will again look to make the most of their home ground advantage when they host Souths-Logan Magpies at Santos NFS on Saturday, 17th June.

Maroons coach Billy Slater has named a 19-man squad for Game Two of the 2023 Ampol State of Origin series to be played in Brisbane on Wednesday, June 21. Having watched his side take the opening game of the 2023 series with a 26-18 victory in Adelaide, the Queensland coach has made a handful of changes for Origin II with Cowboys forward Jeremiah Nanai set to return to the fold. The 2022 Dally M Rookie of the Year missed the opening game due to suspension but returns to the side in place of Tom Gilbert, who underwent shoulder surgery following an incident in Game One – sidelining him for the rest of the year. Jai Arrow (ankle) and Selwyn Cobbo (hip pointer) are also out, with Titans prop Moeaki Fotuaika and Storm winger Xavier Coates called into the side. Fotuaika is joined in the squad by Titans teammate AJ Brimson, who will feature as 18th Man, with Tom Dearden returning to club commitments with the Cowboys, while Raiders prop Corey Horsburgh joins the side as 19th Man. For Coates, it will be his first Origin game since the opening match of the 2022 series in Sydney, where he was unfortunately ruled out with injury. Source: NRL.Com  

Powerhouse Blue prop Payne Haas has thrown his support behind his Brisbane Broncos captain Adam Reynolds to get another chance in the Origin arena. New South Wales will name their squad for Game Two on Tuesday, with Reynolds one of the contenders to replace the injured Nathan Cleary in the halves for the must-win game at Suncorp Stadium on June 21. "I think I'm probably biased because I'm his teammate, but I feel like he’s ready and he's been one of the form halfbacks this year and in the last few years," Haas told media following Brisbane's close Round 15 win against the Knights where Reynolds scored the match-winning try. "So, I'm hoping he gets picked and I reckon he should, but we'll wait and see I guess." Reynolds last played for the Blues in 2016 where he played in Game One and Game Two in a losing series alongside James Maloney, but since that time said he had developed as a player and would be ready to go if presented with another opportunity. “Obviously, I know the game a lot better now, I'm a lot more confident in my own game, I know what I do well, I know what I don't do well, I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses,” Reynolds said. "It's out of my control, I've got no bearing on what happens from here on out. "If I get selected great, I don't get selected, I'll still be cheering on the Blues. “I can't do anything else, I've played my game, (but) probably wasn't at my best tonight. “It's all irrelevant what I say, it's up to Freddy (NSW coach Brad Fittler) and the coaching staff now if they want to go my way. “I am more than happy to put my hand up and do my best next Wednesday night, but if I don't get the nod, I'll still be cheering on New South Wales. "Hopefully they can get the job done.” While Reynolds and Haas regularly receive cheers as Brisbane’s best performers when playing at Suncorp Stadium, Haas knew it would be a different story from the crowd for Origin II and said he was looking forward to the challenge ahead to defy history and claim a series win. “Obviously we know Suncorp and how hard it is to win (Origin), but it's a good challenge for us,” Haas - who played 70 minutes for the Broncos in the win, with 199 run metres, eight tackle breaks and 44 tackles made - said. “Queensland is pretty red-hot at the moment, so I can’t wait to take on that challenge and hopefully get picked and go into camp and work hard and improve on Game One. “I think there was enough evidence in Game One that we can get the job done and obviously, we lost the little moments in the last 10 minutes. "It's a big game coming up and I want to tie it up and I want to win the series.” Source: NRL.com

Superstars Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans dazzled and Reuben Garrick piled on 30 points of his own in Manly's 58-18 demolition of the Dolphins on Friday night. After suffering a head knock in the Origin opener, Trbojevic received a clearance from the NRL to play in Round 15 and came up trumps with two tries and 201 running metres, while Cherry-Evans called the shots in style and Garrick bagged three tries and nine goals. The Sea Eagles made a blistering start with Jason Saab crossing in the fourth minute after slick lead-up work from Cherry-Evans and Garrick. Garrick had a try of his own four minutes later as he left Euan Aitken in his wake and he knocked over the conversion for a 10-0 lead. A spilled ball by Dolphins youngster Valynce Te Whare then handed Manly the field position to post a third try and it was Trbojevic who delivered with a 35-metre charge to the line. Hooker Lachlan Croker then grabbed a soft try to make it 16-0 to the rampant Sea Eagles before a double movement ruling against Toafofoa Sipley denied them a fifth of the night. The Dolphins managed to stem the tide in the 23rd minute when Jamayne Isaako crossed for his 14th try of the season to pull the score back to 22-6 but the Sea Eagles struck again seven minutes later when Garrick completed his double. Leading by 22 points at the break the Sea Eagles stretched their lead with another razzle dazzle effort in the 46th minute when Cherry-Evans took the odds to a chip kick over the top from deep in his own territory. The Cherry-Evans kick was gathered by Garrick who found Trbojevic in support and then took a return pass from his fullback before giving it back Turbo for a slashing try. Come the 51st minute and it was Josh Schuster laying on a try for Tolu Koula with a well weighted chip kick and Manly had raced to a 40-6 lead. Dolphins flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow then showed his blistering pace to notch his 11th try of the sesason before Koula raced 70 metres for his second of the night and the Sea Eagles closed in on a half century. With 10 minutes to play Saab became the fourth Sea Eagle to rack up a double courtesy of a Garrick flick pass, who converted the try to take his own tally to 24 points. Garrick kept the party going in the 75th minute when he crossed for his third try and landed his ninth goal to equal his own club record of 30 points in a match, which he also shares with Matthew Ridge (1996) and Ron Rowles (1954). Source:NRL.Com

The PNG Sports Foundation (PNGSF) officially launched the Go Rural to Go Global (GRtGG) program in Hood point of Hula village in the Central Province on the 8th June 2023 to change the landscape of sports through the development of junior athletes with basic soccer drills. The program is sectioned in 4 parts which is focused to target children from the age of 6 to 16 years old and will be piloted in selected parts of the country. The GRtGG program is in 4 parts: 1. Sports Talent Development to Increase Participation. 2. Balanced Nutrition for Physical and Mental Development to full potential. 3. Sports Development drives Discipline, Obedience, Confidence, Self-Esteem and Determination to Succeed. 4. All these drive Academic Performance so children do well in school and Raise their Standards in Education. PNGSF Executive Director Albert Veratau, the man who initially thought out the concept, is adamant that this country needs strategic interventions to chart out a new direction for our future generation and sport is doing its part with the GRtGG initiative. “This is a holistic program. We want to shape the behavior and attitude of our future young generation to be doing the right things, and it is more effective when we start this at the earliest age possible.” Veratau said that the program’s primary focus was to produce a more skillful sports population over the next decade and beyond so that this can increase the chances of PNG’s developing into impacting world class sportsmen and women. Meanwhile, Central Provincial Administrator Mr. Francis Koaba urged parents and their kids especially to promote healthy living by taking part in sports as they charter to promote sports and healthy living as this is a good step in the right direction. “Just like the Central Dabaris Junior program that is currently running, we want to build our junior players to senior players.” “This is a potential program that we can use to neuter the talents that we have in the rural areas.” PNGSF Sports Operations & Development Director Peter Chalapan said, to have well-skilled and disciplined athletes, grooming them at a very young age needs to start. “We must invest in the juniors. We want to develop their basic skills in a way of having fun through the soccer drills.” “Currently, we have visited 7 schools and registered over 600 plus students for this program.” He said, sports can be a tool to assist in addressing cross-cutting issues like law & order and aims to increase student attendance which is important as PNGSF stays connected to many of the Government’s development plans.

The SP PNG Hunters will return to the Santos National Football Stadium this Saturday, 10th June to host the Western Clydsedales in Round 13 of the QRL Hostplus Cup. Kick off is at 3pm. Saturday’s fixture is the third of four consecutive home games the Hunters are scheduled to play at Santos NFS, and the proud PNG-based club will look to make the most of their home ground advantage this weekend. With the hot and humid weather often a shock for Australian-based players, the Hunters enjoy a considerable advantage in the familiar conditions. Add in the influence of a stadium packed with fanatic supporters, and the Hunters will have everything in their favour when they take the field on Saturday afternoon. The Hunters will also carry a sense of confidence and belief into their Round 13 match-up, having dominated the Tweed Seagulls 34-18 last weekend in their best performance of the season. Despite conceding first points, the Hunters soaked up the pressure before mounting it right back on the visitors. Running in five consecutive tries midway through the match, the Hunters stuck to their game plan and slowly ground Tweed Heads out of the contest. The Hunters were well represented by Junior Rop in the forward pack, who consistently put the team on his back in yardage to generate post-contact metres or second-phase play. From there, the spine of Judah Rimbu, Joshua Mire, Jamie Mavoko and Morea Morea combined beautifully in attack to orchestrate a number of pleasing attacking actions. The best part of PNG’s Round 12 win was that it came as a result of a whole-team performance. Across the park, the Hunters played to their potential and ran away deserving winners. With Jamie Mavoko (suspended) out this week and several other key players (Wesser Tenza, Ila Alu, Sherwin Tanabi, Junior Igila) on the injury list, the Hunters will field a new-look team on Saturday afternoon. If they can stick to their processes and play anything like they did last week though, the home crowd will be in for another exciting and entertaining contest. The Western Clydesdales bring a very different form line into Saturday’s match, having not tasted victory since besting the Ipswich Jets 46-10 way back in Round 7. That result was just their second win of the 2023 season, having also made light work of the Jets two weeks earlier in Round 5. Aside from their favourable record against Ipswich, the Clydesdales are yet to taste victory over a fellow Hostplus Cup club and they will be desperate to turn things around when they face the Hunters for the second time this year. In Round 1 it was the Hunters who came away on top in a seesawing, 20-10 win at Clive Berghofer Stadium, Toowoomba. Now with the home ground advantage, the Hunters will be confident of going two from two in 2023 against the Hostplus Cup newcomers. Player to Watch PNG Hunters utility Judah Rimbu has filled several vacant positions across the opening few months of the season and will be asked to do so again in QRL Round 13. He has provided wonderful versatility and coverage off the bench and at dummy-half in recent weeks but with Jamie Mavoko suspended, Rimbu will start in his preferred halfback position against the Clydesdales on Saturday. A diminutive and clever playmaker with a strong running game, Rimbu brings a different skillset to the halfback position this weekend. He will challenge the line smartly in attack and is a real livewire with his speed and strength through contact often a problem for defending units. With rookie five-eighth Joshua Mire in the halves beside him and two new faces at dummy-half, Rimbu will shoulder the bulk of playmaking duties this weekend and can have a real impact on the Hunters attack. Having spent time with the Dolphins NRL squad over the pre-season, Rimbu is well placed to continue his development as a genuine QRL half and gets his latest shot on Saturday afternoon. Coach’s Comments SP PNG Hunters Head Coach Stanley Tepend said that spirits have been high at training this week following their big Round 12 win over Tweed, but insists his team is still a work in progress. “It’s been a good week at training for us. The mood has been positive,” said Tepend. “Obviously coming off a win the spirits are high, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves and need to be better again this week.” “We’ve had a habit of playing well one week but not backing it up in the following game, so there’s been a real focus this week on reproducing what worked for us against Tweed and not getting complacent.” Tepend acknowledged the disruption caused by a series of injuries and suspensions, but is excited for the opportunities those changes present. “We’ve had a bit of a reshuffle with Jamie (Mavoko) suspended and another few guys battling injuries,” Tepend said. “It’s an exciting opportunity for some of our younger players – and some boys from Digicel Cup – to come in and get their chance.” “The young guys coming in could end up being the future of the club, so we’re looking forward to the challenge.” Tepend said the focus at training this week has been internal, however he conceded the Clydesdales will be much improved from their last meeting. “Our focus this week has been similar to last week. We really embraced that ‘never give up’ mentality and we need to do the same again on Saturday.” “The Clydesdales have improved a lot since we faced them in Round 1. They’re more experienced and they’ve really been pushing their opposition.” “We’ll try to make the most of our home ground advantage and put our best foot forward.” “We’re expecting another big crowd at NFS and I know the boys take a lot out of that support.”

Despite 2 minor setbacks, the Secretary for Education, Dr. Uke Kombra has thanked all the provinces and schools for the successful conduct of the Grade 10 Written Expression Examinations held last week Thursday. “Reports received from provinces are welcoming so far and the Department is looking forward to the other examinations that are coming up.” Dr. Kombra said the first issue was reported by Nissan High School in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. The Department faced challenges to do with the delivery of exam papers to the school because of bad weather. Dr Kombra added that the second issue was to do with the late request to the Department by Ovan Technical High School in Eastern Highlands Province and Mendi Secondary School in Southern Highlands Province for Braille Exam for their students. “I believe these provinces sorted the students out through their local Callan Services Offices.” “However, the Department of Education will ensure that the upcoming national examinations will be brailed for these students.” The next lot of National Examinations coming up include the Grade 12 Written Expression on Monday, 7th August, the Lower Secondary School Certificate (Grade 10) on Monday, 9th to Friday, 13th October followed by the Upper Secondary School Certificate (Grade 12) on Monday, 16th to Friday, 20th October, and the Certificate of Basic Education (Grade 8 on Monday, 23rd to Friday, 26th October. “I advise all students to take their studies seriously and start preparing for the final examinations.” “I also call on our good parents, guardians, and the community at large to continue to support our children in their education.” “These are our future leaders.”

More than 100 rice farmers in Sapuka village, South Fly District of Western Province have embarked on remarkable progress towards food security with the rapid growth of rice farming. Sapuka villagers have embraced agriculture with great enthusiasm and are eager to secure their livelihoods through this activity. On May 24th this year, the community proudly bore witness to the official launch of a food security program, aimed at empowering people to cultivate rice and drought tolerant crops at the village level. The farmers have been producing milled rice at the Community Seed Bank Centre (CSBC) since November 2022. Igu Kisua, a community representative expressed the villager’s shift in focus from hunting and gathering to agriculture. He said, "The villagers used to rely on the forest for sustenance, but with the advent of rice farming, their lives have been transformed." Sapuka village has already yielded an impressive 1.5 tonnes of rice this year. The locally produced rice has not only met the needs of the village, but it has also contributed to feeding nearby villages on the Fly River. However, Kisua highlighted a persistent challenge faced by the farmers-the limited capacity of the milling equipment resulting in delays. He emphasized the urgent need for a larger and more robust milling machine and emphasized that downstream processing plays a pivotal role motivating farmers. During the launch, John Kewa, Executive Manager of Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA), praised the farmers' achievements, acknowledging the contribution of farming to improve livelihoods. Kewa also expressed his anticipation to support food security through a collaborative partnership with the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) in Kiunga. "We are actively working towards deploying our officers to Sapuka village this year to provide technical support on the ground." Meanwhile, OTDF's Chief Executive Officer Havini Vira conveyed his heartfelt appreciation to the Sapuka community for taking ownership of the food security program which would be rolled out across Western Province. He emphasized the significance of such community-driven initiatives as a pathway to sustainable community development. As rice farming trade continues to blossom in Sapuka village, the future looks promising for the community who are determined to improve their livelihoods. With ongoing support from the OTDF, FPDA and various stakeholders, Sapuka's remarkable journey stands as an inspiring example for other communities within the province.

The Border Divisional Command of Police has provided Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment worth K3000 to police in Kiunga on Sunday afternoon (June 4th 2023). The equipment includes cables and desktop to help strengthen the prosecution division and policing in North Fly Command. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Divisional Commander Border Peter Philip said the equipment would provide better process of reviewing data in prosecution, detention, and arrest. He added in frontline policing, police headquarters in the border areas need more support to reduce ongoing social, law and order problems faced in respective provinces. "When more funding is made available this year, Daru in South Fly Command, Wewak in East Sepik and Vanimo will also be supported." ACP Peter Philip added police in divisional command would do their best to ensure operational divisions and sections are equipped with most needed resources so that effective policing services can be delivered to people. "Western Province has reported low crime rate in the last five months this year.” “People of Western must not be influenced by others coming into your province but maintain peace and harmony." As police officers are doing their best to maintain safe communities, councillors, and leaders of respective villages within Western Province have been urged to help solve law and order problems faced in the villages.