The St. Joseph Training Centre at Iawakaka ward, Rabaul District has produced more than 300 students since the rollout of trainings in June last year. The training center which is a Catholic run organization offers one month basic cooking, basic sewing and organic gardening courses. It recently hosted its graduation which saw Batch 5 for Basic Cooking and Batch 4 for Basic sewing graduated with flying colors; wearing shirts they themselves sewed and celebrating afterwards with food they prepared. A total of 34 participants graduated which includes both male and female; 26 for basic cooking and eight for basic sewing. Speaking during the graduation mass was Fr. Paul Kote who stressed on the importance of acquiring basic life skills and using it to help others. “These skills are gifts from God and we must utilize it to serve others. Do not let these skills die out, we must continue doing it and also share our skills with others,” Fr. Kote said. He further said that we must prioritize our education whether it be a short course or year-long course. “Make use of such opportunities, a lot of people travel long distances and spend more money to learn such courses and you are lucky the courses are offered at your doorstep,” Fr. Kote said. Meantime, Sr. Elmah who is the Training Center Coordinator said that though most of the participants are from the nearby communities, only two female participants travelled all the way from the Autonomous Region of Bouganville to attend the training. Also speaking on behalf of the Rabaul District Administrator was District Social Development Officer (DSDO) Tony Namur who highlighted on the importance of such life skills training saying that it is the foundation of the family unit. Mr Namur said that it is better that such training is conducted so that participants improve their art in cooking and sewing and prepare themselves for possible employment. He added that everybody eats food and wear clothes and that the demand for such skills is still high. Mr Namur confirmed that the District will continue with supporting future trainings and also encouraged more youths to apply.

Argentina has revived its World Cup hopes with a 2-0 victory over Mexico in front of a raucous crowd at Lusail Stadium in Qatar. The match was scoreless entering the second half, but it was 35-year-old superstar Lionel Messi who made a superb goal in the 64th minute to break the tie. Enzo Fernández punctuated the victory with a second goal for Argentina just before the end of regulation. La Albiceleste was humiliated earlier this week when it threw away the lead to lose 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in its opening Group C match, immediately throwing the team's contention into doubt. With the victory, Argentina moves into a second place tie with Saudi Arabia in Group C standings. Now it has a chance to decide its fate when the team takes on Poland on Nov. 30. A win can guarantee the team's advance to the Round of 16. Source: CNN

Minister for Foreign Affairs Justin Tkatchenko, in an official address to the media on Friday (25/11/220, said the Department had already initiated preliminary arrangements to update Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Policy White Paper since its creation 41 years ago. Minister Tkatchenko revealed seven career diplomats, who previously served Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Service, would become the core team of experts to primarily undertake a Foreign Policy Review then subsequently establish the country’s new Foreign Policy White Paper. The team of experts will be led by Sir Charles Lepani and include Dame Jean Kekedo, Dame Meg Taylor, Gabriel Dusava, Winnie Kiap, Gabriel Pepson and Ambassador Max Rai. “This announcement is long overdue and I have given the deadline for the completion of this critical document by June 1st 2023.” “It is a document that guides our foreign service and also our foreign missions overseas in our policies and direction for the country.” “It allows us to be on the same page where PNG stands with diplomacy and foreign policy going forward.” “This is the cream of the crop when it comes to recruiting distinguished Papua New Guineans with huge amounts of knowledge and wisdom to revise and completely redo our Foreign Policy White Paper,” Minister Tkatchenko said. Additional to the esteemed team of diplomats is veteran Professor Mr. Ted Wolfers who worked as a permanent consultant to the committee responsible for developing Papua New Guinea’s Constitution. Minister Tkatchenko pointed out that Papua New Guinea’s only Foreign Policy White Paper was developed in 1981 with the title “Active and Selective Engagement.” “Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Policy since independence had been universalism-based and under this broad policy, successive governments have conducted international relations under the statements of “Friends to all, enemies to none” and “Look North” including “Look North and Work the Pacific.” “There was a review endeavoured by the Department in 2017 to re-assess Papua New Guinea’s conduct of international relations, but funding restrictions hindered this review, however since taking office in August this year as the minister responsible with our new Secretary Mr. Elias Wohengu, we put it as ur number one priority to get it fixed and completed,” Minister Tkatchenko said. Minister Tkatchenko also thanked the Australian Government for supporting this very important exercise by providing funding and technical assistance which was announced this week during an Australia-PNG Senior Officials Meeting in Canberra. Minister Tkatchenko said the official work on the White Paper would commence as soon as funding was received. “This is a very important exercise given the changing global dynamics, such as regional security, Papua New Guinea’s trade and investment interests, global conflict, climate change including all matters pertaining to our foreign relations,” Minister Tkatchenko concluded.

Boisen Secondary School in Rabaul District, East New Britain Province recently witnessed the graduation of 54 pioneer Grade 8 students under the 1-6-6 reform structure. Apart from the pioneer Grade 8’s, the school also celebrated the third graduation for Grade 10’s and the second graduation for Grade 12’s after the school’s re-establishment in 2017. Speaking during the graduation was school Principal Mr Wesly Kankan who stressed on the graduation theme; “Empowering Responsible Citizens”. He encouraged students to set goals and have a positive mindset; contributing meaningfully to the development in their communities. Mr Kankan added though the school infrastructure development rate is moving at a fast pace, there is still more work to be done. The Principal further said that though the project fees were set at K260, some parents and guardians yet to pay up resulting in more than 50 percent outstanding fees for the year. The School principal also pointed out some of the challenges that they face which hinders their education. “Transport for our students to school is the main problem which affects student’s attendance and punctuality. There are not many PMV’s following our route simply because we have deteriorating roads,” Kankan said. He added that community fights also interfere with the students learning, however they still manage to work together with the ward member and nearby communities to resolve issues for the safety of students. Meantime, speaking on behalf of the Rabaul District Administrator Benedict Mode was Deputy District Administrator for Operations, John Vule who told graduating students that graduations are milestones and that they have to take pride in successfully completing another level of education. The Deputy Administrator further encouraged the students to have a positive mindset and not to be discouraged if one does not further his or her studies; but to consider other pathways such as FODE, Vocational Centers and Matriculation centers. Mr. Vule also assured Rabaul District’s continuous support to the school where he announced that K500 000 had been appropriated for in this year’s budget to counter-fund the PSIP projects which were the Administration block, Double-storey Science Lab and Economics Building. Mr Vule added that the District counterpart funding would be for the schools Water Supply system and the Practical Skills building. In his closing remarks, Vule congratulated the graduates and urged parents and guardians to assist the school by settling their children’s outstanding fees and further encouraged them to apply for the Rabaul District’s 2023 Tertiary Tuition Fee subsidy to assist the Year 12 continual progress of their individual career paths.

The future looks bright for those wishing to pursue a career in Medicine after the announcement by the Minister for Health, Dr. Lino Tom, of his ministry and the National Executive Council (NEC) plans to introduce a standalone Medical University that must be established from 2023 onwards. Dr. Lino, when giving his ministerial statement on the floor of parliament in last week Thursday’s parliament session, said that he will be commencing collaboration with the Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Mr. Don Polye and other stakeholder to progress these possible options. “This will definitely take some time, but a clear work plan will be developed to show how we will achieve this,” the minister stated. He reiterated that health is labour intensive and without adequate workforce, health services will be compromised. Meanwhile, the minister also expressed great confidence in the state of the health system of the country, stating that the health sector has gone through reforms to strengthen and improving health delivery systems. He said the key significant reform being the establishment of the Provincial Health Authorities (PHA) for a unified health service delivery in all provinces in the country. One of his key priorities is to strengthen this major reform by ensuring all relevant legislations are reviewed and amended to remove political interference in the selection of boards so credibility is restored to ensure the people’s health remains in good hands. “This also goes to the selection and appointment of CEOs. The systems established will have to process candidates and provide a list that will be left for the province to select from, not the other way around,” Dr. Lino added. He further stated that his ministry will continue to support the ongoing system, strengthening programs supported by their development partners, especially in leadership and management training and the Public Finance Management training and system building.

With law and order issues escalating at uncontrollable levels at village and ward levels in Rabaul District of East New Britain Province, the establishment of ward development committees (WDC) is timely says Rabaul District Administrator, Benedict Mode. He was speaking at the swearing in ceremony for WDC officials for the Kombiu LLG at Waterhouse Junior High School at Gelagela on Friday (Nov 25). Rabaul District now has successfully established 47 WDCs for its total of 49 wards situated in the four LLGs of Rabaul Urban, Watom, Balanataman and Kombiu. Two wards namely Pilapila in Balanataman and Korere ward two in Kombiu, did not have their WDC swearing in following recent deaths of their ward members. They will await by-election next year. He said the WDC mentoring training and swearing in at this time is very critical and highly timely because the ward governance units and leadership at this level is becoming weaker resulting in law and order issues. He cited the continuous fights and unrest among youths in the communities. Mr Mode reminded WDC officials they have sworn oath to serve the government and must identify and manage minimum standards in their wards with the assistance of LLG and District Administrations. He said it is also important for the District and LLG administrations to lock in budgets and programs to include ward governance and development programs. This includes preparing leadership and laying foundation for good governance at wards level as they will be participating and preparing next 5 years development rolling plans for the ward level up to the LLG and district for this term of parliament 2023-2027.

Writer E Jean Carroll has sued Donald Trump in the US state of New York for allegedly raping her in the 1990s. Ms. Carroll, 78, is among the first to sue under the Adult Survivors Act, which came into effect on Thursday. The state law allows a one-year period for victims to file sexual assault lawsuits in New York over claims that would have otherwise exceeded statute limitations. The former president has denied the allegations against him. Ms. Carroll alleges the attack took place in a New York luxury department store dressing room 27 years ago. The Adult Survivors Act allows victims to come forward if the sexual assault occurred when they were over the age of 18 and took place on a date that exceeds time limits that exists on most felonies. It is modelled after the state's recent Child Abuse Act, which applied to victims who were abused as minors. The Child Abuse Act, which came into effect in 2019, allowed a two-year period for victims to come forward. Around 11,000 lawsuits were filed in New York against churches, hospitals, schools, camps and other institutions under that law. Ms. Carroll has also sued former President Trump for defamation after he accused her of lying when she first made her allegations public in 2019. Mr. Trump has called Ms. Carroll's claims "fiction". A civil trial for that case is scheduled for 6 February. In a statement, Ms. Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said the new lawsuit filed on Thursday is intended to hold Mr. Trump accountable for the alleged assault. Alina Habba, a lawyer for Mr Trump, told US media that, while she respects and admires individuals that come forward "this case is unfortunately an abuse of the purpose of this Act" and "runs the risk of delegitimising the credibility of actual victims". Others are also planning to file lawsuits under the new law. This includes a planned class action lawsuit against Robert Hadden, a former gynaecologist at hospitals tied to New York-Presbyterian and Columbia University, who has been accused by dozens of patients of sexual abuse. Mr Hadden was convicted in 2016 on sex-related charges in state court, but has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of abusing female patients over two decades. Advocates for survivors of sex abuse believe the legislation provides an opportunity for people to come forward who may not have done so previously due to trauma or fear of retaliation. Several other states have also extended or temporarily eliminated their statues of limitation on sex crimes in the wake of the #MeToo movement in 2018, including New Jersey, California, Arizona and Montana. Source: BBC News

Watching Cristiano Ronaldo in the first half of Portugal’s World Cup opener against Ghana on Thursday, you could feel the frustration from the stands. The striker still looked the part, waving to the crowds and receiving the biggest cheer of anyone when the starting lineups were announced before kickoff. He was applauded by fans around the stadium and shirts with his name emblazoned on the back could be seen all over Doha, Qatar, in the buildup to the match. His iconic “SIUU” broke the language barrier with people from all over the world communicating to each other by mimicking the iconic celebration. But while the 37-year-old’s popularity and star appeal remain relatively unchanged, his performances on the pitch of late haven’t been vintage Ronaldo. It was the same story up until the 65th minute of the match at Stadium 974, at which point Ronaldo started making yet more history. If his body might be losing its power, his footballing brain remains as sharp as ever. With his team searching for the breakthrough, Ronaldo used his body to get in front of Mohammed Salisu and hit the floor when he felt contact from behind. It was never in doubt who would take the penalty: Ronaldo picked up the ball and rifled it into the top corner of the net before running to his adoring fans in celebration. The goal had added significance with Ronaldo becoming the first male player in history to score at five World Cups – a feat Brazilian striker Marta became the first player to achieve back in 2019. It’s yet another record to add to Ronaldo’s glittering career and a reminder to everyone that he can still make the difference when it really matters. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has scored in the previous four tournaments and now has eight World Cup goals to his name. Fleeting press conference Despite winning player of the match and making history on Thursday, Ronaldo wasn’t in a talkative mood. After the coaches of Portugal and Ghana spoke to reporters in the post-match media conference, it was Ronaldo’s turn to answer questions. He was smiling when he walked into the media conference, but before many journalists in the room could even start recording what he was saying, Ronaldo was off again. He delivered a very short answer in Portuguese when asked about his eventful week – his departure from Manchester United was announced on Tuesday – and record-breaking achievement at Qatar 2022. One journalist estimated that Ronaldo was in the room for just two minutes before leaving. Source: CNN

The mass rollout of ward governance mentoring in East New Britain in the past two weeks is an eye-opener for most members of Ward Development Committees (WDC) especially on the demarcation of roles and responsibilities. The 21 days ward governance mentoring and WDC setup program initiated by the Division of Districts and LLGs Affairs under the ENB Provincial Administration is to address the weak system of governance displayed at the ward level. On Thursday (Nov 24), the Balanataman LLG in Rabaul District successfully hosted a swearing-in occasion for 126 officials from its 18 wards. The officials included 18 ward members, 18 ward recorders and 90 chairpersons of sub-committees of identified priority government sectors including health, education, infrastructure, law and order, economic development. Benson Papua, Chairman Infrastructure under the Volavolo/ Clifton Resettlement WDC said he was happy with the approach taken on by ENBPA to strengthen ward governance and clear the confusion regarding respective roles by committees under the WDC “My sector has discussed many projects that we must initiate in our ward. In the past we did not know how to get funding for projects but the mentoring exercise has empowered us with information on which process to follow,” Mr Papua said. John Burua, ward recorder for ward 1 Ratung said the mentoring training now clarifies and sets the different committees apart to place them in their rightful place to perform their roles in the WDC. “Many times people think ward members must deal with all issues faced in the ward not knowing the ward member is just the chairman for WDC which makes decision on development issues in the ward. In turn, ward members must not be confused on their roles so they can delegate,” Mr Burua said. For Robert Egan, chairman for law and order Tavui 2 WDC, he said the training clearly spells out roles and will help him to perform his role in his ward, to maintain peace and harmony. Kunera Felix, ward recorder for economics sector under Volavolo WDC has served in this position for a term saying for the past two years, she has been confused over her role. “This training has helped me to know my boundaries and not to bypass my duties. Now I will tackle some issues that concerns my sector which deals with generating internal revenue for my ward, which has never eventuated,” Mrs Felix said.

Prime Minister James Marape is keen to see the immediate start of work by the bi-partisan parliamentary committee established to delve into and improve the country’s electoral process, with a submission to Cabinet next year 2023. With Papua New Guinea set to mark its 50th Independence anniversary in 2025 and the next National General Elections in 2027, Prime Minister Marape told Parliament Thursday (24/11/22) that he and his government wanted to secure the voting system in time for these two major events and beyond. The Prime Minister was responding to Opposition Leader Joseph Lelang who, during Questions Without Notice, asked the Prime Minister a series of questions on reviewing the electoral process, the work of the parliamentary committee, and citizens identification and how these relate to voting. PM Marape agreed with the Opposition Leader, saying that the many challenges of PNG’s electoral system have become “very serious business” and that the country needed a “better electoral process”. “The parliamentary committee that we established is a bi-partisan parliamentary committee, with members from both the Opposition and Government,” PM Marape said. “We want them to be at work; we want them to have full funding, to be at arm’s length from Government, and have a holistic review into what happened in 2022 (National General Elections), in 2017, 2012, 2007 and going back over the entire process. “We want them to put in an informed, fact-based suggestion to us on how we conduct elections in 2027 and beyond. “The committee has the freedom to establish the terms of reference. The Government will not influence this Committee and its independence of work. “The committee can go to work right away. From the desktop: establish a template, what needs to be done, as well as the detailed work that should start as soon as possible, and run exhaustive work in the early part of 2023. “The overall timeframe I am looking at is that by 2025, we will have arrived at a process clearly – whatever that is.” The Prime Minister said bio-metric voting through the National Identification system would be worked out, especially now that the Government will conduct a comprehensive census next year 2023 to get better data on the population of PNG. He said this would help toward improving the voting system so that by 2027, there is an improved and secured system. “The Government will hold back our commentary and get this committee to recommend to us and certainly the consideration of an independent team to work with this committee can be looked at. “By 2023, the proposal should have matured to submission level that should come to Government for implementation,” said PM Marape.

A man was arrested and charged by NCD Police for demanding compensation in Port Moresby yesterday. The accused John Tobias 38 of Imbongu Southern Highlands Province and his tribesmen allegedly demanded K500,000 from G4S Security company when one of their male relatives employed by the firm, passed away while on duty recently. The aggrieved relatives blamed the company for his death and allegedly threatened the company officials. The company refused to pay but offered K5,000 for funeral expenses, which was rejected and met with threats. The Managing Director of security firm offered K33,000 for funeral expenses which was initially accepted but the Southern Highlanders later demanded a further K11,000, which was refused. Unhappy with the threats and attempt to extort more money, the managing director filed a police complaint and police swarmed the company premises and arrested several people including Tobias. He was charged under section 390 (a) under the PNG Criminal Code Act. He will appear in court soon as Police investigations continue. Source: Police - NCD/Central Divisional Command Fb page

It may have only been a goalless draw but Friday’s result at Qatar 2022 spoke volumes as to where this US Men’s National Team (USMNT) is going. Facing an England team full of superstars that reached the European Championship final last year is no easy task, but the Americans looked more than at home. In fact, the players appeared disappointed as they were cheered off the field – frustrated, perhaps, that they couldn’t find the winner they might well have deserved. But any annoyance shouldn’t last too long with the USMNT still unbeaten against England at World Cups. The sides have now met three times on the world stage with the USMNT winning once and the other two matches ending as draws. The USMNT’s hopes of progressing into the knockout rounds are still in its own hands, knowing a win against Iran on Tuesday will see it through to the last 16. Despite England getting the better of the early exchanges, the US grew into the match and looked the most threatening by halftime. Christian Pulisic saw his effort crash off the crossbar as England struggled to cope with the American’s intensity. It felt reminiscent of the USMNT’s previous match against Wales when it started in brilliant form. On that occasion, this young side struggled to keep up the intensity and suffered a late equalizer through Gareth Bale’s penalty. But against England, the Gregg Berhalter’s side doubled down after the break and continued its waves of attacks against England’s nervous-looking defense. Pulisic, the player of the match, was orchestrating the US fans behind the goal, whipping them into a frenzy as they started to believe their team could beat England, which is ranked fifth in the world. The breakthrough never came but it coped well with a late surge from England, which finally seemed to wake up with no more than five minutes to play. England missed the chance to qualify for the next round but would need to lose heavily to Wales to miss out on a place in the Round of 16. For the USMNT, all eyes turn to the game against Iran, which beat Wales 2-0 in the earlier Group B match. Source: CNN