A 101-year-old woman has been awarded an honorary degree more than eight decades after qualifying as a teacher. Madge Brown, who lives in Ryde on the Isle of Wight, graduated with a diploma in physical education in 1942 after three years of study and training. The University of London said Mrs Brown and others who became teachers at that time deserved the level of recognition they would have received today. She received the degree on the same day as 94-year-old Sheila Gordon. Both reside on the Isle of Wight and attended the now-defunct Nonington College of Physical Education in London during the 1940s. Mrs Brown said she felt "rather old" to finally be getting a bachelor of education degree, and described her time training as a teacher as "the happiest days of my life". "I'm very grateful for this - but it has been a long time coming," she said. "When I left college, they always said it should be a proper graduation because of the hard work we did. "Why they never made the diploma of physical education a degree I don't know, because it was very intense." Teachers were typically trained on two-year or three-year certificate courses at training college until the 1980s, but this was later replaced with the requirement for all trainees to complete a graduate or postgraduate course. A University of London spokesperson said it was working to present all those who gained teaching certificates from the now non-existent teaching colleges in the city with degrees to recognize "their dedication to teaching and enriching the lives of young people". Source: BBC

Health care workers, Senior lecturers from Lutheran School of Nursing and selected health institutions in Madang Province are preparing themselves for a weeklong training on increasing COVID Vaccinations rates in the province.  This training will be from March 20th to 24th and will be facilitated by donor agencies, the National Department of Health, National Control Centre, and the Madang Provincial Health Authority.  The focus of the Vaccine Taskforce is to ensure that March onward, COVID-19 Vaccines, like routine Immunizations, will be normalized and the uptake of the COVID-19 Vaccines in the country will increase.According to the Deputy Controller/Executive Director Vaccine Taskforce National Control Centre Dr. Daoni Esorom, increasing the COVID vaccination is the way forward to making sure of the protection of one’s health and their families too.    “Make sure to protect yourself and your family by getting fully vaccinated at an authorized vaccination site near you today.” For more information about COVID 19 and vaccination sites., Call hotline number 1800 200 or visit the National Control Centre Facebook Page.   

After news circulated of the sexual assault of a young girl in remote Koroba in Hela Province, Prime Minister James Marape has called on the Police Commissioner to receive a petition by concerned citizens.    Prime Minister James Marape was in East New Britain to launch a project when he made this call.     “I have asked the Police Commissioner to attend to receive the petition and for police to do their job in making arrests on all law-and-order related issues including assaults of all forms on our daughters and mothers.    “My government’s policy focus is more money to Police, Magisterial and Judicial services in 2023 than other government of pasts years.”    “We have passed tougher laws like life imprisonment for rapists and gun handlers, so it is now on law enforcement agencies to do their jobs.”    “It cannot be the Prime Minister doing the police and magistrates' job. Police must do their job of arresting offenders, prosecuting the case, and securing convictions on those who break laws in our country.”    “My job is to pass laws and allocate enough money, both of which we have secured for 2023. Police right across our country must do their jobs.”    Marape said that they will continue to increase funding and capacity building for the police, courts, and correctional facilities over the next 10 years to address these issues.    He added that he will continue to work towards empowering the law enforcement agencies to convict those that commit offenses against the women and daughters of this country.    

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's children have officially been named as prince and princess on the Royal Family's official website. It comes the day after Prince Harry and Meghan announced their daughter Lilibet had been christened and they used the title princess for the first time. Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, are named as the Prince and Princess of Sussex on the line of succession page. They are sixth and seventh in line to the throne. Previously they were listed as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor. The rules governing the titles of royal children were set out by King George V - Queen Elizabeth's grandfather - in 1917. Archie and Lilibet were not prince and princess at birth, because they were not grandchildren of the monarch, but they gained the right to these titles when King Charles acceded to the throne. A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan said: "The children's titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch. "This matter has been settled for some time in alignment with Buckingham Palace." It comes after the couple announced that Lilibet, who was born in June 2021, had been christened at their home in California. The Right Reverend John Harvey Taylor, the Bishop of Los Angeles, presided over the christening last Friday. Prince Harry and Meghan relocated to the United States after stepping down as working royals in 2020. Source: BBC

A stunning Broncos debut by Reece Walsh has led Kevin Walters' men to a 28-16 win over the Cowboys in Friday night's Queensland derby at Suncorp Stadium. With Walsh at his mesmerising best and five-eighth Ezra Mam also enjoying a magical night, the Broncos made it two straight wins to start the season. The Cowboys flew out of the blocks with Jason Taumalolo making big metres and star back-rower Jeremiah Nanai capitalising on the early possession with some trademark footwork to cross in the fifth minute. Some desperate defence by Chad Townsend denied Mam a chance to hit back in the 12th minute before the Cowboys extended their lead to 8-0 midway through the half courtesy of a Val Holmes penalty goal. The Broncos had several chances to open their account with 16 tackles inside the Cowboys' red zone in the first 25 minutes but Todd Payten's men held firm. Herbie Farnworth looked to have jagged a try for Brisbane when he dived into the corner in the 30th minute but the try was disallowed for obstruction in the lead-up. In the 34th minute the Broncos finally took their opportunity inside the 20-metre zone when skipper Adam Reynolds grubbered for Kurt Capewell to score. A penalty against Martin Taupau for a hip drop tackle handed Holmes the chance to add two more points and the Cowboys took a 10-6 lead before the Broncos had the final say with a superb try to Mam. With 30 seconds remaining in the half, Walsh found space and sent the ball to winger Corey Oates who put a perfectly weighted grubber back inside for Mam to gather and score. Reynolds missed the conversion and the score was locked 10-10 at the break. The Cowboys lost fullback Scott Drinkwater to the sin bin in the 44th minute when he made high contact on Oates as the Broncos winger tried to score in the corner and the home side cashed in immediately when Kotoni Staggs scored from a Walsh kick. The Broncos went further ahead in the 50th minute when Walsh sparked another raid and Mam finished it off to make it 20-10 to Brisbane. Drinkwater returned to the field in the 54th minute to make it 13 on 13 but the Cowboys looked to be out of gas and a penalty goal to Reynolds with 10 minutes to play made it 22-10. Nanai made it a double in the 73rd minute when Townsend put a perfectly weighted grubber into the in goal and the Cowboys were back in the contest. The Cowboys threw everything at Brisbane in a bid to level up but Walsh had the final word when he backed up a Farnworth break to score the Broncos' fifth try. Source: NRL.com

Prince Edward has been named as the new Duke of Edinburgh, Buckingham Palace has announced. The King has given the title to his youngest brother on Prince Edward's 59th birthday. It is a title strongly associated with their father, Prince Philip, who was Duke of Edinburgh for more than 70 years, up until his death in 2021. The new Duke and his wife Sophie, who becomes Duchess of Edinburgh, visited the Scottish capital on Friday. The couple went to a reception in Edinburgh which recognised the efforts of volunteers in supporting Ukrainian refugees over the past year. Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic criticised the award of the title to Prince Edward, saying the "views of the people of Edinburgh" should have been considered before the title was given as a "birthday present". Prince Edward becomes Duke of Edinburgh almost two years after the death of his father, Philip, who was given the title in 1947 when he married the then Princess Elizabeth, who later became Queen Elizabeth II. It was understood that Philip had wanted Edward, his youngest son, to take on the title, but the decision was left in the hands of King Charles. It means that Edward, 13th in line of succession to the throne, will attend the coronation in May as a duke, with a title that was synonymous with his late father. With Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, no longer a "working royal", there could be a more high-profile role for Edward, the King's youngest brother. At the end of last year, Parliament fast-tracked a change in law to add Prince Edward and his sister Princess Anne to the "counsellors of state" who can act on behalf of the King. In his earlier career, Prince Edward had worked in theatre and television production, but had increasingly focused on public duties, including taking on a number of roles from Prince Philip as he grew older. This included supporting the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, created by Prince Philip in 1956, which provides activities and training programmes for young people in the UK and overseas. When Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, Buckingham Palace had announced that "in due course" it was expected by the Queen and Prince Philip that Edward would eventually become Duke of Edinburgh. Although it is a prestigious title, it does not come with any land or income. But the announcement was challenged by Graham Smith of the anti-monarchy group Republic. "If we're going to have such daft titles they should be decided by Parliament or government - and it should not be possible for the head of state to award his own family," said Mr Smith. The title of Duke of Edinburgh will not be hereditary, so when Edward dies it will not go to his children, but could be given to another senior member of the Royal Family. Prince Edward's former title of Earl of Wessex will now go to his son, the 15-year-old Viscount Severn. But there will be no change in title for Edward's daughter, Lady Louise Windsor. Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "The new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are proud to continue Prince Philip's legacy of promoting opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to reach their full potential." The first Duke of Edinburgh was created in 1726, when the Hanoverian monarch George I gave the title to his grandson, Prince Frederick. Queen Victoria recreated the title in 1866 for her second son, Prince Alfred, and it was created again in 1947 for Prince Philip.   Source: BBC

The Panthers are on the board in 2023 after surviving a late comeback from the Rabbitohs to win their clash 16-10 in the opening game of Round 2 on Thursday night. It took a desperate diving effort from Dylan Edwards to stop Alex Johnston from scoring in the final minute to secure the result, after the Panthers had 15 minutes earlier held a 16-0 lead and appeared to be cruising. Earlier tries from Johnston and Isaiah Tass, the second of which was converted by Latrell Mitchell, set up the tense finish. The Panthers had started with a hiss and a roar, after being upset by the Broncos in an opening-round defeat, and with a mid-week jibe from Latrell Mitchell no doubt fresh in their minds. Outside of the late comeback from their opponents, the major scare for Penrith came when skipper Nathan Cleary left the field with a limp just before the break, although he was able to return and play the second half without issue. The Panthers terrorised South Sydney's back three with high kicks all night, while they wore the Rabbitohs down with an 80 percent completion rate and high tempo play, led by impressive bench dummy-half Soni Luke. Penrith got over the line twice in the first five minutes, with the first effort ruled out by the Bunker and the second ending in Stephen Crichton scoring in the corner. After some brave defence from the Rabbitohs, and blown opportunities of their own causing, the Panthers finally got a result again a minute before the break, with Izack Tago scoring and Crichton converting for a 10-0 lead. A penalty goal and Brian To'o try saw the hosts stretch the gap to 16 by the 52nd minute, before Johnston's try 14 from time created some interest. Tass then scored to set up a thriller, before Edwards saved the day on the last set with a desperate lunge to clear the ball before Johnston got there in the in-goal area. Source: NRL.Com

Storm utility Nick Meaney is hoping to emulate the path of former fullback-turned-Dally M medalist Nicho Hynes and use his opportunity in a coveted jersey to cement his place in the side. Running for 208 metres, breaking two tackles and scoring his side’s season opener, the 25-year-old went above and beyond as No. 1 understudy in his side's thrilling 16-12 win against the Eels in Round 1. With Ryan Papenhuyzen set to miss at least the next six weeks, Meaney hopes his time in the No. 1 jersey puts coach Craig Bellamy in a tough position in regard to how the versatile back fits into the team when the star fullback returns. “Last year was a bit of a roller coaster ride for me with positions but that comes with the job. I knew that coming down here and that’s what Nicho Hynes did for the Storm in previous years, so I was accepting of that and ready to do the job for the team," Meaney told the media at pre-season training. “Whenever he’s (Papanhhuyzen) back we’ll see what direction Craig wants to go with but I’ve just got to focus on myself, get better each week and try and force that to be a tough decision with whether he wants to put Paps back in straight away or leave me in there for a while. “Craig’s been very supportive of me with my full-time role at fullback. He’s been encouraging me to put my best foot forward, build as a player and take more ownership of my own game and the people around me. “It’s incredible to be under a guy like him and I’m cherishing the time I’ve got at the moment." Since Meaney joined the storm last year to replace Hynes as a utility, Bellamy has relied heavily on the former Bulldog's versatility to help combat a string of injuries over the past 12 months. After covering Xavier Coates on the wing, Cameron Munster at five-eighth and most recently Ryan Papenhuyzen at fullback, the Ballina Seagulls product said the No. 1 position is where his focus lied during pre-season. “I played a bit of wing and five-eighth last year…but I’ve spent more of my time at fullback so I probably feel most comfortable there," he said. “I’ve been working closely with Billy Slater and that’s a huge win for a fullback working with someone like him so I feel really confident with where I’m at. “He was all over the park as a fullback so we’ve been working on being active and used the pre-season to build that fitness. “I’ve got to take that now to help the team…popping up everywhere on the field and on the defensive side as well, trying to save tries and jump on loose balls.” Meanwhile, with Cameron Munster joining Papenhuyzen in the casualty ward after sustaining a compound fracture in Round 1, and winger Xavier Coates “a chance” (shoulder), skipper Christian Welch is trusting the squad’s depth to back up their Round 1 performance. “Coatesy is still a chance, but Munster will definitely be out for a bit,” Welch told the media. “If you look at it in a positive way, Munster is going to play Origin this year so it’s a good audition for that guy who's got to step up in the middle of the year, as he will get a game under his belt this weekend. “We’ve had a few injuries last week, but you’ve just got to get on with it and trust the depth of the squad and the guys that have put the work in over the off-season, we’re really confident in them stepping up.” Source:NRL.Com  

Dozens of people have fallen sick in coastal villages in the Philippines after a major oil spill from a sunken tanker. The MT Princess Empress was carrying 800,000 litres of industrial fuel oil when it sank off the coast of the Oriental Mindoro province last week. That oil has since reached the shores of several nearby fishing villages, coating beaches in black sludge. Residents have reported experiencing cramps, vomiting and dizziness. Clean-up workers deployed to the affected village of Pola have also reported feeling ill, local media reported. Breathing fuel oil vapours can cause symptoms such as nausea and headaches, while skin contact may cause itchiness and blisters. Philippines authorities have declared a state of calamity for the affected areas in the province and imposed a fishing ban until the spill is cleaned up. But the ban has a huge impact on the livelihoods of many locals in the area. More than 18,000 fishermen across 60 villages have been barred from the water, local authorities said. Philippines' tourism ministry has also raised concerns about the spill tainting waters at popular diving destinations including the Verde Island passage and Apo Reef in Mindoro and World War Two shipwrecks in Palawan. Some 36,000 hectares (88,958 acres) of coral reef, mangroves and sea-grass are also at risk from the spill, marine biologists say. Oil can kill corals or impede their growth. It can also poison or suffocate wildlife, which further disrupts food chains and ecosystems. The Philippines Coast Guard has been trying to contain the spill for over a week - since the ship sank on 28 February. They have also deployed oil spill booms and sprayed chemicals in efforts to control the spread. Authorities said on Monday they believed they had located the ship, which had moved from the spot it sank at last week. It is not yet clear what caused the Philippine-flagged vessel to sink in rough seas. All 20 of its crew were rescued by a passing cargo ship before the vessel went down. Experts say authorities are verifying how much oil is left inside the tanker, and how to pump the remainder out and prevent further leaks. The tanker's owner, RDC Reield Marine Services Inc., has contracted two local agencies for the clean up.   Source: BBC

Maurice Hastings, a man wrongfully convicted of a 1983 robbery-homicide and sexual assault, has been declared innocent by a California judge. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan formally declared Hastings factually innocent and cleared the arrest and prosecution from his criminal record during a Wednesday hearing, according to a news release from California State University Los Angeles. “It means a lot. I’m grateful for the judge’s ruling, and the apologies – everything has been wonderful today,” Hastings said during a news conference after the ruling. “I’m ready to move forward with my life. I’m a happy man right now.” Hastings, 69, was freed from prison in October after DNA from the 1983 attack identified another suspect. He had been serving a life sentence for the crime, despite the fact that witnesses supported his alibi during the time of the murder and no physical evidence linked him to the scene, according to a news release from the Los Angeles Innocence Project. An oral swab from a sexual assault kit collected shortly after the attack was finally tested in June 2022, according to California State University, Los Angeles, which hosts the Los Angeles Innocence Project. The DNA conclusively ruled out Hastings and pointed instead to Kenneth Packnett, who died in 2020 while serving a prison sentence for kidnapping and rape. During the hearing, Deputy District Attorney Martha Carrillo issued Hastings a “long overdue apology” on behalf of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. “I am sorry, very sorry, for the injustice, the great injustice, that my office and the criminal justice system perpetrated upon you. There’s a lot to be learned from that,” she said. “We are humbled by that lesson and we’ll take it to heart. I know that it’s not enough to say ‘I’m sorry,’ for 38 years in prison, and I realize that, and I’m humbled.” Carrillo also apologized for not heeding Hastings’ previous requests for DNA testing on the evidence. Hastings wrote to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in 2000, asking them to test the DNA, which he said would “conclusively show that I was not the person involved with the deceased at the time of the crime.” After the news conference, Hastings said that “despair” had set in as he faced the possibility of spending life in prison for a crime he did not commit. “It’s a lot of hopeless moments to go through,” he said. “A lot of trials. But you know, it’s all worth it right now.” “Now I feel vindicated,” he added. With his record cleared, Hastings wants to focus on “enjoying life,” he said. He’s currently participating in an entrepreneurship boot camp and performing outreach with homeless communities. “As time goes on, I’ll look to do some other things that give back to people,” he said. Source: CNN

Isaiya Katoa was one of two young Dolphins blooded by Wayne Bennett to help launch the club’s inaugural season and he received a rugby league education in his winning NRL debut. As well as being crunched in a tackle by Roosters superstar Joseph Suaali'i where he struggled to get back to his feet and making a critical error which directly led to a try after he tried to trap a kick-off with his foot instead of catching the ball on the full; Katoa bounced back each time and played a key hand in the victory, setting up points with his passing and his running game. “It was incredible, what an amazing atmosphere it was,” Katoa said of his debut to assembled media in the sheds following the match. “Full credit to the boys who turned up today, we were confident that we could come in here and do a job and we're very fortunate to come away with that. “(The Suaali'i  hit) made me realise, that's the first grade physicality, that kind of epitomises what you have to do. “You have get back up after those and keep going, but, that hurt man! But it was still good to get up there and stay on the field after that shot.” Describing himself as an instinctive player, who likes to “play eyes up footy, react on the go”, Katoa said he had the confidence to do just that on the field thanks not only to his halves partner Sean O’Sullivan being the more “dominant player” in their duo, but also due to the work he has been doing in the pre-season on his mental preparations, including with performance psychologist Dr Phil Jauncey. “I've done a lot of work on the mental side (of my game), when I'm trying to move on after I've made an error or a mistake and Wayne and Woolfy [assistant coach Kristian Woolf], they've been massive on helping me focus on my next job," Katoa said. “Even after the mistake, it's not about the mistake that counts, it's about my response after the mistake. That's something that I'm still learning and that's part of the journey. “(Phil’s) been massive, he's another one that who has helped me with the mental side of footy, understanding myself and understanding how I deal with my footy. “Phil's helping me out, especially with the things like mistakes and how to move on, how to get back to our Plan As is what Phil calls it. “He's had so much experience, he's awesome. When he's speaking in our in our meetings and everyone's listening and he's saying a lot of a lot of very, very true points.” Since his signing in February last year from the Panthers - where he also bypassed the development contract stage and was fast-tracked into the club’s top 30, despite barely turning 18 - Katoa has attracted headlines, with calls for him to make his debut growing louder following his Rugby League World Cup performance with Tonga. After being named in the Dolphins side last week, alongside fellow debutant Kurt Donoghue, Katoa is set to keep his five-eighth jersey for the long term, with the more experienced Anthony Milford continuing to work hard to address some areas of him game that need improvement. “I can't wait to get to next week, (I am) just feeding off that energy from that game,” Katoa said when asked if he was keen to play more NRL. “Hopefully we're in good stead going into next week. “I think the boys will enjoy tonight and then go back to the drawing board and we've got another job next week.” The Dolphins will head back to Kayo Stadium on Saturday to host the Canberra Raiders in Round 2. Source: NRL.Com

Nations have reached a historic agreement to protect the world's oceans following 10 years of negotiations. The High Seas Treaty aims to place 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, to safeguard and recuperate marine nature. The agreement was reached on Saturday evening, after 38 hours of talks, at UN headquarters in New York. The negotiations had been held up for years over disagreements on funding and fishing rights. The last international agreement on ocean protection was signed 40 years ago in 1982 - the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. That agreement established an area called the high seas - international waters where all countries have a right to fish, ship and do research - but only 1.2% of these waters are protected. Marine life living outside of these protected areas has been at risk from climate change, overfishing and shipping traffic. These new protected areas, established in the treaty, will put limits on how much fishing can take place, the routes of shipping lanes and exploration activities like deep sea mining - when minerals are taken from a sea bed 200m or more below the surface. Environmental groups have been concerned that mining processes could disturb animal breeding grounds, create noise pollution and be toxic for marine life. The International Seabed Authority that oversees licensing told the BBC that moving forward "any future activity in the deep seabed will be subject to strict environmental regulations and oversight to ensure that they are carried out sustainably and responsibly". Rena Lee, UN Ambassador for Oceans, brought down the gavel after two weeks of negotiations that at times threatened to unravel. Minna Epps, director of the IUCN Ocean team, said the main issue was over the sharing of marine genetic resources. Marine genetic resources are biological material from plants and animals in the ocean that can have benefits for society, such as pharmaceuticals, industrial processes and food. Richer nations currently have the resources and funding to explore the deep ocean but poorer nations wanted to ensure any benefits they find are shared equally. Dr Robert Blasiak, ocean researcher at Stockholm University, said the challenge was that no one knows how much ocean resources are worth and therefore how they could be split. He said: "If you imagine a big, high-definition, widescreen TV, and if only like three or four of the pixels on that giant screen are working, that's our knowledge of the deep ocean. So we've recorded about 230,000 species in the ocean, but it's estimated that there are over two million." Laura Meller, an oceans campaigner for Greenpeace Nordic, commended countries for "putting aside differences and delivering a treaty that will let us protect the oceans, build our resilience to climate change and safeguard the lives and livelihoods of billions of people". "This is a historic day for conservation and a sign that in a divided world, protecting nature and people can triumph over geopolitics," she added. Countries will need to meet again to formally adopt the agreement and then have plenty of work to do before the treaty can be implemented. Liz Karan, director of Pews Trust ocean governance team, told the BBC: "It will take some time to take effect. Countries have to ratify it [legally adopt it] for it to enter force. Then there are a lot of institutional bodies like the Science and Technical Committee that have to get set up." Source: BBC