A tsunami has hit Tonga, after a massive eruption from an underwater volcano near the Pacific Island nation on Saturday. Waves surged through coastal Tongan areas, crashing into people’s homes after Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai erupted around 5.30pm on Saturday, NZ time. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii, US, confirmed the eruption generated a tsunami late on Saturday night. It followed an earlier eruption, on Friday, that sent ash, steam and gas 20 kilometres into the air. Stories of horror and despair quickly emerged in the aftermath of the tsunami. Locals described waves hitting their homes as they ate dinner, and one man had to carry his grandmother as they fled to the roof of their house. Mere Taufa was inside her house with her family, getting ready for dinner, when they heard and felt the eruption. “It was massive, the ground shook, our house was shaking. It came in waves, my younger brother thought bombs were exploding nearby,” Taufa said. "My first instinct was to take cover under the table, I grabbed my little sister, and screamed at my parents and others in the house to do the same." She said next thing they knew, water had filled their home. “We just knew straight away it was a tsunami. Just water gushing into our home.” She saw the walls of one of her neighbours’ homes collapsed, from her own window. “You could just hear screams everywhere, people screaming for safety, for everyone to get to higher ground.” Tevita Sailosi carried his elderly grandmother to the roof of their Nuku’alofa home after the tsunami hit. “We're still in shock to be honest, first we heard the explosion, and then water was in our house,” Sailosi said on Saturday night. His family was safe, but worried about what the night would bring. “Hopefully we're out of this now, and there aren't any more waves. Right now we're just staying put, we've got our phones and radio on, for any updates. “We've heard screaming, people have helped where they could. We've also heard some singing too, so that's lifted our spirits a bit. We just hope everyone else is safe out there.” A local who did not want to be named told Stuff the New Zealand High Commission complex was “filled with people, and they're running out of food to feed them”. They said "Sopu, Popua, Fangaloto, Patangata were underwater at last light" and it was "scary dark everywhere". “One boy who just arrived soaking wet said he ran out of his friends’ home not knowing what happened to his family. He's not sure if they made it out of their home as they don't have a car to leave in.” The volcano is located about 30 kilometres south-east of Fonuafo'ou island in Tonga. It was erupting intermittently in late December. [caption id="attachment_18405" align="aligncenter" width="850"] This satellite image taken by Himawari-8, a Japanese weather satellite, shows the eruption as it appeared from space.[/caption] New Zealanders warned to move off beaches A national advisory was issued by New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency shortly after 8.15pm on Saturday, warning it expected coastal areas on the north and east coast of the North Island to experience “strong and unusual currents” and “unpredictable surges at the shore”. NEMA said there was a danger to swimmers, surfers, people fishing, small boats and anyone in or near the water close to shore. People in or near the sea should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas and away from harbours, rivers and estuaries until at least 4am on Sunday, and people were warned not to go to the coast to watch “unusual” wave activity. Coastal inundation (flooding of areas near the shore) was not expected, and there was no need to evacuate other areas unless directly advised by local civil defence authorities, the advisory stated. The currents and surges would continue for several hours and the threat "must be regarded as real" until the advisory was cancelled, NEMA said. The NZDF said it was monitoring the situation on Saturday night, and was ready to assist if the Tongan Government requested help. ‘Raining' stones in Tonga Jese Tuisinu, a reporter at Fiji One, posted a video on Twitter showing it was “dark” in parts of the island, and said people were “rushing to safety” following the eruption. United States-based former safety and protection cluster co-ordinator for the Ministry of Internal Affairs Lavinia Taumoepeau-Latu was on the phone with her husband at the time, but lost the connection. While they were speaking, it went dark and began raining small stones. Her husband told her there were people trying to evacuate to higher ground, but as there was only one main road from the town messages on the radio were telling people from central and eastern areas to stay put to allow others to evacuate. Eruption felt in other countries People from as far away as neighbouring Fiji – northwest of Tonga – reported hearing or feeling the eruption on social media on Saturday night. Dr Frank Ross, who lives in Suva, Fiji – over 800km away from Tonga - said there had been "constant, on-and-off booms" for over half an hour that were still ongoing at 7pm NZ time. “The house has been shaking, I've figured out that it must have been from this eruption. “I went outside, and it sounded like this constant boom, boom, boom in the distance, but there wasn't any thunder ... it must have been massive,” he said. “It was even shaking a few minutes ago – it comes and goes, so it must be a series of eruptions. It's been going on for half an hour or 45 minutes,” he said on Saturday night. Ross said there were no signs of any disruption to the sea near his home, which he said was about 100m from the sea. The United States issued a tsunami advisory for American Samoa following the eruption, but cancelled it later on Saturday night. Evacuations took place on Savai’i, Samoa on Saturday night, according to local media reports. The Fijian Government also advised those living in low-lying coastal areas to move to higher ground in anticipation of strong currents and dangerous waves. Fiji opened evacuation centres on Saturday night due to the “unusual tidal waves”. New Zealand reaction The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said there were 18 New Zealanders registered on SafeTravel as being in Tonga. MFAT had “no information” on Saturday night on whether any New Zealanders had been affected. All New Zealanders in Tonga are advised to register their details on www.safetravel.govt.nz. If you require consular assistance please contact the New Zealand High Commission in Nuku’alofa on +676 23122 or for consular emergencies +64 99 20 20 20. Meanwhile, Metservice reported a “pressure surge” from the latest eruption had been observed in weather stations across New Zealand. People on social media were also reporting hearing “sonic booms” across New Zealand. Tauranga couple Kris and Tim, who didn't want their last name used, believed they felt the eruption while sitting in their living room. “We were watching TV and the wind is blowing, birds are tweeting, so over top of all that we heard a very loud rumble, like a boom, and we both looked at each other and said 'what the heck was that?'. "It was very intense, it was a low rumble very far away," they told Stuff. “It was like Jurassic Park. As if the T. rex was coming in the distance and the water on the dash is vibrating. That's what it was like.” SOURCE: STUFF NEWS

Prince Harry has filed a claim for a judicial review over a Home Office decision to not to allow him to privately pay for police protection for himself and his family during a visit to the UK. A legal representative for Harry said he wants to bring his son Archie and seven-month-old baby daughter Lilibet to visit from the US, but fears they will be "unable to return to his home" because it is too dangerous. The duke wants to fund the security himself, rather than ask taxpayers to foot the bill after he stepped down as a senior member of the Royal Family. Harry is now arguing his private protection team in the US does not have access to UK intelligence information which is needed to keep his wife and children family safe. The legal representative for the duke said in a statement: "The UK will always be Prince Harry's home and a country he wants his wife and children to be safe in. [caption id="attachment_18399" align="alignnone" width="846"] Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared an adorable family photo featuring their two children Archie and Lilibet for their Christmas card. Pic: Alexi Lubomirski[/caption] "With the lack of police protection, comes too great a personal risk." The representative added: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the UK. "In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home." Harry briefly returned from the US last July for the unveiling of a statue of his late mother Princess Diana. The day before, he met seriously ill children and young people at a WellChild garden party and afternoon tea in Kew Gardens, west London. [caption id="attachment_18398" align="aligncenter" width="831"] The Duke of Sussex now lives in California with Meghan and their two children[/caption] However, it is understood the duke's car was chased by photographers as he left. Harry has shared his concerns in the past about his family's safety after Diana died in a car crash after she was chased by the paparazzi in Paris in 1997. The legal representative added: "Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life. He remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats. "While his role within the Institution has changed, his profile as a member of the Royal Family has not. Nor has the threat to him and his family." SOURCE: SKY NEWS

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will hold a media conference this afternoon to address New Zealand's response to the crisis in Tonga. In a post on her Facebook page, Ardern said images of the volcanic eruption were "hugely concerning". She said communication as a result of the eruption had been difficult but the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were working to establish what what needed and how to help. More information would be provided during the media conference at 3pm, she said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said there were no official reports of deaths or injuries in Tonga, however communication remained limited. New Zealand's High Commission in Nuku'alofa is in contact with local authorities and said damage assessments were underway. An NZDF P3 Orion is on standby to fly over the area once atmospheric conditions allow. There are currently 30 New Zealanders registered as being in Tonga. Alerts in place for New Zealand The west coast of the South Island has been included in a warning about dangerous sea conditions as a result of the volcanic eruption in Tonga. The National Emergency Management Agency this morning said that coastal areas on the north and east coast of the North Island are expected to experience strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore. It said the conditions were dangerous for swimmers, surfers, people fishing, small boats and anyone in or near the water close to the shore. The agency later also added the west coast of the South Island and the Chatham Islands to the advisory area. It comes after a tsunami hit Tonga when underwater volcano Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai erupted for eight minutes, throwing clouds of ash into the sky, yesterday afternoon. Waves flooded the capital Nuku'alofa, where video footage has shown water engulfing buildings. The eruptions have been heard as booms or 'thumps' across the Pacific, in Fiji, Niue, Vanuatu, and in New Zealand. RNZ listeners from Northland, to Wānaka in Central Otago have reported hearing what sounded like gunshots, loud bangs, or sonic booms. Tsunami waves reported around the world Meanwhile, the United States and Japan are warning people on their Pacific coastlines to stay away from the shore because of tsunami waves from the Tongan eruption. Japan has warned of waves as high as three metres, and waves of 1.2 metres hit the south of the country. The US warned of strong currents and waves, and coastal flooding. The National Weather Service for Alaska also confirmed they had heard the eruption. SOURCE: RNZ NEWS

Eels hooker Therese Aiton isn’t just a trailblazer for Papua New Guinea players; she has established a pathway for more women from the Pacific nation to play in the NRLW. Aiton, who is only the third Orchids international to earn an NRLW contract after  Amelia Kuk and Elsie Albert, has created a scholarship program to help promising PNG players further their careers in Australia. Albert, the Orchids captain and St George Illawarra prop, was the first beneficiary after Aiton organised for her to come to Brisbane in 2020 to play for Souths Logan Magpies. The 32-year-old, whose brother Paul played more than 100 NRL matches for Penrith and Cronulla and represented the Kumuls in 16 Tests, accommodated Albert at her house in Brisbane until she earned an NRLW contract with the Dragons. Albert again received help from Aiton, through the Hezekiah Sports Scholarship Foundation she founded, to return for the 2021 NRL Telstra Women’s Premiership, which kicks off on February 27 after being postponed due to COVID. This time, Aiton will be lining up against Albert after being signed by Parramatta and the Orchids star is working to ensure that there are more PNG players in the NRLW in future years. “Ideally, we wanted to bring more players here now but the whole visa process and the funding for that was huge,” Aiton said. “A friend of mine runs a charity, His Harvest, so we just branched off that with the Hezekiah Sports Scholarship Foundation and through that, with whatever funding comes through, we can support more players to come over here. “I’ve put up my house for accommodation for them. This year I have offered to take five or six girls in my own home and get them to training. “We just need funding to support us with visas and flights to get them over here and whatever food they require when they are here, but we are happy to take them to training and accommodate them. “We were able to get Elsie here for the first year with Souths Logan Magpies, which was great, and to support her to come over again this year with the scholarship I created, so hopefully we can bring more players over because there is just so much talent in PNG.” Albert told of her struggle to return to Australia for the 2021 NRLW season and thanked the Hezekiah Sports Scholarship Foundation in a Facebook post after re-signing with the Dragons. "The founder of the foundation is one of our PNG Orchids player, Therese Aiton," Albert said. "She created this foundation to help raise money to help our PNG girls to get the opportunity to play in Australia and achieve their dreams. A quick shout to His Harvest, as well, in helping to set up the foundation. "I am fortunate enough to be one of the first one to be helped by this foundation. They helped sponsor for my ticket to come to Australia. "At the beginning of the year, I pictured myself getting on a plane and flying to Australia and it took me seven months to finally settle everything and am now in Australia. Long story short the chances were 0%. "Keeping my fingers crossed and keen to see what this foundation can achieve through helping our PNG girls in the near future." Aiton said the inspiration for the scholarship program came after hearing about some of the obstacles female players still face in PNG to access training programs and gyms which would help with their development. The Orchids, whose first Test was during the 2017 World Cup, enjoyed an historic win against England at Port Moresby in 2019 but Aiton said more support was needed at grassroots level if PNG was to compete with the Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns. “There is so much talent in PNG so we just want to get more girls into the competitions here and that’s what the scholarship is designed to do,” she said. “Even at A-grade and club level, the football in Australia is completely different to back in PNG. “I really feel that the sooner we can get girls over here experiencing this level of football the easier it is going to be when they go back to PNG with the skills they have learned here, and they can support other girls to develop at home.” Paul Aiton, who is on the coaching staff of the PNG Hunters, is working in Papua New Guinea to help organise for more women to be able to play in Australia. Therese’s move to Parramatta may also open another pathway, with the Eels - through NRLW manager and former NSW women’s coach Andy Patmore - have expressed an interest in helping to develop players from PNG in their junior teams. “They played a schoolgirl comp in PNG and there were quite a few young players who were switched on and just need that support to take their football career to the next level,” Aiton said. “You just want to pluck out those players and give them the opportunity to do what Elsie has done, basically. “The amazing thing for Elsie now is that not only has she been supported to work, she has got a two year visa, she has got an opportunity to study and it has just absolutely changed her life, so it would be nice to do that for a few more girls.” SOURCE: NRL NEWS

Matairuka Village Councilor Mr Gelema Gaba is greatly relieved after his recent call to have a medical officer posted to his village was acted upon with The Salvation Army sending one medical officer to officially resume work at the aid post. The villagers who have been accessing basic health services from Kwikila Town and the neighboring villages of Sivitatana and Boregaina with some even travelling to Port Moresby to seek health care will no longer have to travel far as the Aid Post which remained closed for 12 months will now resume operations as soon as preparations are complete. Mr Gaba confirmed with this newsroom that the village community has already started work by cleaning around the Aid Post area and assisting where possible to have the facility ready for operations as soon as possible. “I am now relieved and it’s like a burden has been taken off my shoulder because now my people will not have to travel far to access basic health care,” Mr Gaba said. Mr Gaba said he has received advise from the new medical officer that the Aid Post will resume operations as soon as necessary medical equipment have been installed. According to the medical officer, this will take about a week before the Aid Post can resume full operations and start treating patients again. The councilor has made a call to villagers and those from nearby villages who will be accessing health services from the Aid Post to look after the facility and the people managing it so that the service can be ongoing without any hiccups. “I would like to issue a friendly reminder to the people to make sure that the facilities and workers also are well looked after so that health services can continue to be made available for all to access,” he said. Mr Gaba also expressed his gratitude to The Salvation Army for bringing health services to their village and acknowledged the great work they have done so far with regard to the providence of affordable basic health services in the village.

India is experiencing a third wave of Covid infections — while its overall impact is expected to be less disruptive than previous waves, some economists are predicting slower growth in the near term. The economic impact of the new wave could be relatively less severe in the first three months of 2022, Citi economists Samiran Chakraborty and Baqar M Zaidi wrote in a Jan. 9 note. But they pointed out that the momentum for India’s economic activity between October and December fell below expectations, even before the third wave hit. That led the Citi economists to revise down their inflation-adjusted GDP estimates for India for fiscal year 2022. Growth is predicted to fall by 80 basis points from 9.8% year-on-year to 9% largely due to weaker economic activity in the October-December quarter, Chakraborty and Zaidi said. Consequently, they also revised down their fiscal 2023 growth estimates from 8.7% year-on-year to 8.3%. India’s fiscal year 2022 ends in March, and its fiscal year 2023 starts on April 1 and ends Mar. 31 next year. Omicron in India Covid cases are surging in India again, with daily figures exceeding 150,000 in recent days. Government data showed India reported 247,417 new infections over a 24-hour period on Thursday, with the daily positivity rate — which measures the share of Covid-19 tests that are positive — at 13.11%. There are more than 1.1 million active cases of infection in the country, according to the data. So far, India has identified 5,488 cases of Covid infections that were caused by the new, highly contagious omicron variant that was first detected by South African scientists. It is likely that the number of omicron cases in India is much higher than what has officially been reported so far as it takes time for genetic sequencing to determine if a person with Covid contracted the new strain. The predominant strain in India is still delta. While India’s health-care infrastructure is relatively better prepared to tackle the third wave, a rapid uptick in cases could potentially push it to the brink again. “Regional variations in access to healthcare personnel, medical facilities, oxygen ventilators and critical care underscore the need for proactive action before caseloads intensify beyond the metros,” Radhika Rao, a senior economist at Singapore’s DBS Group, said in a Jan. 6 note. The impact of the third wave could potentially worsen in the coming weeks and months. Thousands of pilgrims are expected to gather at the Ganges River in the eastern state of West Bengal this week for an annual festival, local media reports said. Last year, a similar large-scale religious gathering was partly responsible for the devastating second wave of infections between February and May. Economic impact While the sharp rise in cases led economists to become more cautious about the January-March quarter outlook, they are also expecting a less severe impact than before. “We expect far less economic damage from the current outbreak compared to the first two waves of infections as the economy has adjusted to be more resilient to Covid-related disruptions,” Priyanka Kishore, head of India and Southeast Asia economics at Oxford Economics, wrote in a Jan. 8 note. Still, she said Oxford Economics has lowered its growth forecast for the January-March quarter by almost 0.5 percentage points to 2.5% quarter-on-quarter to “reflect the third wave of Covid infections.” The latest surge is expected to lead to another slump in India’s private consumption as states step up restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. She added that the subsequent April-June to quarter is set to be the start of a more “durable recovery” as by then, a large percentage of the population are expected to be fully vaccinated. Citi’s economists said there are reasons to be hopeful for a less disruptive Covid wave. They include: lower hospitalization rates — such as what’s currently seen in cities like Mumbai — a shorter Covid wave cycle, higher vaccination coverage and a weakening link between Covid and economic activity. “Higher vaccination coverage will provide support to policymakers in avoiding strict restrictions,” they wrote. India has fully inoculated nearly 70% of its adult population and rolled out a vaccination drive this year for those between 15 and 18 years old. Inflationary pressure in India It’s unlikely that the Reserve Bank of India would consider raising interest rates before the second quarter as the central bank looks to prioritize growth risks over near-term inflation spike, according to Kishore from Oxford Economics. Rising prices are a concern as retail inflation in India hit a 5-month high in December. DBS Group’s Rao said the RBI last month indicated its preference for “a gradual road towards policy normalisation,” and diverging from global policy shifts — particularly from the U.S. Federal Reserve. Supply disruptions could potentially keep inflation on the upper end of the RBI’s 2% to 6% target range in fiscal 2023, according to Rao. “Sticky inflation and global rate adjustments prompt us to retain our call for the repo rate to be adjusted by a cumulative 50bps in 2H,” she said. SOURCE: CNBC NEWS

Until now, ministers have relied on Chinese suppliers for the rapid tests sent to households and the first British company to get involved said it took six months to get approved. Sky News has been given exclusive access to a warehouse where millions of lateral flow tests are being stored ready for distribution. The pictures of the warehouse full of rapid tests are likely to frustrate those who have been unable to get hold of lateral flow devices over recent weeks. The storage site in Nottinghamshire is part of a giant manufacturing facility run by SureScreen Diagnostics, the first British company to have its lateral flow tests approved for self-use in the UK. Until now, the government has relied on Chinese suppliers for the rapid tests it provides to households. One of SureScreen's directors, David Campbell, explained it has taken around six months to secure approval for their tests. Mr Campbell said approval was given in November which meant the company could begin packaging up the test kits with official NHS Track and Trace instruction leaflets and prepare them to be sent to pharmacies across the country. They say that for several weeks now they've been dispatching lorries full of tests to national distribution centres, but have been waiting for the official announcement that they have been approved for use. They've only started to appear on pharmacy shelves in the last few days. SOURCE: SKY NEWS

Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) has signed a PGK50 million project agreement to commence the upgrading and sealing of the Kiunga-Tabubil Highway. The agreement was signed today (11th January 2022) in Port Moresby between OTML and contractor, China Railway Construction Engineering Group Co. Limited for Phase One of project. Funded under the Government’s Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme (ITCS) program, the project will be undertaken in three phases, with Phase One to commence in February which will see the upgrading and sealing of the highway commencing at Kilometre-3 near Kiunga town. Phases 2 and 3 will follow suit once further funding is available through the ITCS. OTML Deputy CEO and General Manager Community and Operations Support, Kedi Ilimbit, said the 135-kilometre highway provides a vital link for the people of North Fly and having it upgraded and sealed will significantly help the people, local farmers and small-to-medium enterprises. Since 1997 OTML has spent over PGK300 million on ITCS projects in Western Province and Telefomin District in Sandaun Province. These include high impact priority projects in Health, Education, Law and Justice and Transport Infrastructure and Utilities. OTML recently thanked the National Government for increasing the Tax Credit Scheme (TCS) ceiling from 0.75% to 2% as announced in the 2022 National Budget. The increased tax credit ceiling along with improved performance by OTML in the near term, mine performance is expected to see a significant increase in annual tax credits from approximately K25 million per annum to more than K100 million per annum over the life of the mine. Other major projects being considered include the upgrading and sealing of the Daru Town Roads and airport extension, construction of a new District Court House in Kiunga, refurbishment of the Aiambak Secondary High School, road link to Vanimo and Hela Province, construction of Atemkit/Kavorabip road and construction of the road from Alice Pit to the border.

ExxonMobil PNG (EMPNG) recently donated GeneXpert testing cartridges to help boost local COVID-19 testing capabilities across Hela Province. The testing kits will help medical authorities at Tari Hospital test and diagnose COVID-19 cases locally, supporting the Hela Provincial Health Authority’s (HPHA) efforts to reduce the spread of the virus. HPHA Director Corporate Services and Acting Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Tipi and Director Curator Services, Dr. Sylvester Tati were on site to receive the donation from EMPNG at the Tari Hospital. ExxonMobil PNG’s Executive Director – Production, Scott Sandlin said ExxonMobil PNG and the PNG LNG Project remain committed to doing its part to support the PNG government’s COVID- 19 emergency response both at the national level as well on the ground in its area of operation. Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, ExxonMobil PNG has supported the Port Moresby General Hospital and health authorities in Hela and Central provinces with much needed medical supplies and equipment. Last year, EMPNG through the PNG LNG project assisted HPHA with oxygen and hospital beds for the isolation wards together with its local partners on the ground. EMPNG is also continuing to carry out vaccination awareness amongst the communities. Later this year, ExxonMobil PNG will deliver laboratory equipment and vehicles to HPHA as further support for the Covid-19 emergency response operations in the Hela Province. EMPNG has also donated office equipment and supplies to support operations of the National Covid-19 Control Centre, while PNG LNG staff have assisted the National Department of Health with the distribution of COVID-19 awareness materials as well as food donations to medical facilities and remote-area frontline health workers.

The Office of the Governor General is seeking Court eviction orders to remove illegal settlers that have settled on land belonging to the State on which the Governor General’s Office and Government House is located. Acting Official Secretary Mr. Bill Toraso said, the illegal settlers have been given advance notices and time to remove their structures and move out, however, to date they have not done so. Mr. Toraso said, on instructions from the Governor General, he has held talks and meetings with the concerned parties since 2020 as well as on three separate occasions in 2021, but so far the illegal settlers have refused to move. “Out of compassion, we have notified them (illegal settlers) to move out of the land surrounding the perimeters of Government House as it is State land. We gave them an additional 31 days as of 2nd December 2021, which has since lapsed, but they have refused to leave. We are seeking legal advice, and in addition, Court eviction orders to remove these illegal settlers,” Mr. Toraso said. Mr. Toraso said, he has also had discussions with traditional landowners of this land and this matter is before the Department of Lands to pursue with the genuine landowners. Mr. Toraso said, the traditional landowners have also confirmed these settlers were not traditional landowners but squatters settling on State land. “We have sought to find an amicable solution with the illegal settlers but so far they have not been cooperating. The national Government has allocated funding for expansion of Government House to include staff housing and the completion of the perimeter fencing for the entire boundary of Government House. We have yet to undertake and complete these projects because State land is been illegally settled on by this settlers,” Mr. Toraso said. The land area, on which the Office of the Governor General and Government House is located, is located at Granville area of Port Moresby accessed via D’Albertis Street from Champion Parade, Lot 6. Sect. 47, and has a total land area of 4.503 hectares.

Minister for Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Timothy Masiu is in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the invitation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Soroi Eoe and will deliver the Keynote Address at the World Expo 2020 PNG Investment Forum themed “Eco-Tourism and Connectivity – Living in Balance with Nature” to be held at the PNG pavilion on 14 January 2022. Minister Masiu arrived on Saturday 7th January 2022 and is accompanied by the Department of ICT Secretary Steven Matainaho, NICTA CEO Kila Gulo-Vui, and technical officers from the ICT ministerial sector, and Foreign Affairs and International Trade. On the invitation of Tuvalu pavilion organising committee, Minister Masiu and the government delegation attended the Tuvalu National Day event on 9th January 2022 at Al Wasl, Expo Site Dubai, and later met with the PNG Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium based in Brussels H.E Joshua Kalinoe at the PNG pavilion for a ministerial briefing. After the ministerial briefing, Secretary Matainaho visited the Romanian pavilion and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Cluj IT Cluster, which was represented by Vice President Daniel Homorodean. Mr Matainaho was accompanied by his Deputy Secretary Russell Woruba, Principal Legal Counsel Oala Moi, and Janet Raula-Ila from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. The MOU will enable further development of ICT Cluster and ICT Incubation Centre development in Papua New Guinea. Secretary Matainaho also toured the digitally progressive Estonian pavilion where he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Estonian technology company Cybernetica. Cybernetica was represented by its Head of Business Development, Kevin Tammearu. The MOU will enable further development of secured digital government programs driven by the government. On 10th January 2022, Minister Masiu and Secretary Matainaho and the government delegation will visit the Al Yalais Government Transactions Centre at the Dubai Investment Park, for a guided tour. This will be followed by a private meeting between Minister Masiu and a representative from the UAE Chamber of Commerce. On 11th January 2022, Minister Masiu will depart Dubai for Abu Dhabi, where he will pay a courtesy call on His Excellency Abmed Ali Al Sayegh, the Minister for Economic and Commercial Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. While in Abu Dhabi, Minister Masiu will also pay a courtesy call on his counterpart minister, His Excellency Omar bin Sultan, the Minister for State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications. The final stop for Minister Masiu’s engagement while he is in Abu Dhabi, will be at the Telecommunication & Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA). The TDRA is the ICT regulator in the UAE. For this meeting, Minister Masiu will be accompanied by Ambassador Kalinoe, Secretary Steven Matainaho, and NICTA CEO Kila Gulo-Vui. On 12th January 2022, Minister Masiu will meet with a private investor. Later in the day, PNG officials will meet  with a blockchain consultant, to be followed by a meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of the Jaheen Group of Companies. In the afternoon, Secretary Matainaho will sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with a representative from Cisco Systems at the Cisco Grove located at the 2020 Expo site. He will end the day by attending a meeting with the Etisalat UAE Director. On 13th January 2022, Minister Masiu is scheduled to meet with Her Excellency Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, the Minister of State for International Cooperation. Her Excellency is also the DirectorGeneral of the Dubai Expo 2020. Minister Masiu will then take a tour of the UAE pavilion. Later in the morning, PNG officials will meet with officials from the Asian Broadcast Satellite. In the afternoon, Minister Masiu is scheduled to visit and take a tour of the Israel pavilion. On 14th January 2022, Minister Masiu will be at the Business Connect Centre at the Expo site, where he is scheduled to attend the PNG Investment Forum themed “Eco-Tourism and Connectivity” and give his Keynote Address.

Tonga's Parliament has been opened by the King Tupou VI. The King addressed the newly elected parliament, via livestream, with a brief speech from his residence on 'Eua Island, an hour south of Tongatapu. Members of Parliament and invited guests gathered at the parliamentary chambers to receive the opening address. He congratulated the incoming Prime Minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, as well as all Parliamentarians on the successful completion, and peaceful transition of power leading to the opening of Parliament this year. [caption id="attachment_18298" align="alignnone" width="639"] Tonga's parliamentary chamber Photo: Tonga parliament[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_18299" align="aligncenter" width="635"] Tonga MPs wait for the King to open parliament Photo: Tonga parliament[/caption] In his speech he said Covid-19 is still a serious and immediate risk to all citizens just as illegal drugs are still an ongoing risk to the population but especially to our children. "Our population must be both healthy and educated for the country to advance towards our development goals," he said. "The challenge for the duration of this next election period is clear. How are we to answer those challenges should be formulated and led by this government, but they must be discussed and accountable in how they are implemented here in Parliament," King Tupou VI said. First parliamentary session Clerk of Tonga's Parliament Gloria Pole'o said the first parliamentary session will be on Thursday. "At this meeting the newly elected members will take their respective oathes of office as Members of Parliament and as ministers of the Cabinet and these oaths will be taken in the presence of the Assembly," she said. Gloria Pole'o said Thursday's meeting will include the election of chairman of the House Committee. The reply to the Speech from the Throne is also expected to be tabled at Thursday's meeting and needs to be approved by the House before it is submitted to the King. [caption id="attachment_18300" align="aligncenter" width="636"] King Tupou VI receives Tonga's new Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, after presenting the Royal Warrant of Appointment for the PM at the Royal Palace in Nuku'alofa on Tuesday 28 December 2021. Sovaleni was elected as PM by the new parliament, following Tonga's November 18 general election. Photo: Pesi Fonua / Matangi Tonga Online[/caption] Last month, King Tupou has presented Tonga's newly elected Prime Minister, Siaosi Sovaleni with a Royal Warrant of Appointment in Nuku'alofa. Mr Sovaleni was elected as Designate Prime Minister by 16 members of the 26-members parliament in a secret ballot earlier this month. He will hold the office of Prime Minister for four years. SOURCE: RNZ NEWS