The future of ex-Brisbane Broncos playmaker Anthony Milford’s NRL career is in doubt after the NRL barred the South Sydney Rabbitohs from registering his contract while criminal proceedings are ongoing. Milford was handed a one-season lifeline by Souths after the Broncos opted not to renew his $1 million-per-year contract, but was arrested in late September following an incident in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. Milford is accused of three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm after allegedly assaulting three bystanders - a man and two women - who intervened in an argument between Milford and his wife Miri. He also allegedly threw a garbage bin at a car, leading to a charge of wilful damage involving a vehicle. An NRL statement read: “The National Rugby League (NRL) has advised player Anthony Milford and the South Sydney Rabbitohs that it will not consider registering a contract for the player until criminal proceedings against Milford have been completed. “Given the severity of the allegations, particularly that two charges allege violence against women, the NRL will not consider an application for registration until the court process is complete. “Milford was arrested on 20 September 2021 and charged with 3 counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and 1 count of wilful damage involving a vehicle.” A Rabbitohs statement read: “The South Sydney Rabbitohs respect and support the NRL’s decision to not register a contract for Anthony Milford at this stage. “The Rabbitohs will await the outcome of the legal proceedings and the NRL’s final determination before commenting further.” Milford played 42 times for the Canberra Raiders before moving to Brisbane in 2015, eventually playing 151 times for the Red Hill club and earning two State of Origin caps in 2017. and 2018. But his form nosedived in recent years and this season Milford took home a million-dollar paycheque despite struggling for first team selection. “Police were called to Marshall Street in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley shortly before 2am following reports of a disturbance,” a Queensland Police spokesperson said at the time of his arrest in September. “A number of bystanders allegedly attempted to break up the altercation,” a police spokesman said. “In the course of events the 27-year-old man allegedly assaulted two other women and caused damage to a parked motor vehicle. “Police will also allege the man assaulted a 19-year-old man before being apprehended. “A 27-year-old Forest Lake man was arrested nearby and charged with three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count of wilful damage.” Source: foxsports.com.au

The opening address of PNG Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape, at the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum conference on December 1st and 2nd this week, is expected to spark public debate on the continuing role and prospects for petroleum and mining companies in Papua New Guinea. The Prime Minister’s address on the Conference theme, “Resource Industry – Making it Work for PNG”, comes at a challenging time following last year’s sharp K6 billion fall in export revenues from the sector, which has experienced solid growth since exports commenced in 2014 from the PNG LNG Project. According to statistics released by the Bank of Papua New Guinea, mining and petroleum exports last year fell from K32.5 billion in 2019 to K25.8 billion, because of a fall in LNG prices and the shutdown of the Porgera mine. The 2022 PNG National Budget incorporates a bullish view on recovery in mining and petroleum exports, and it is expected that the Prime Minister will outline his plans to stimulate such recovery. Australia’s view on the prospects for PNG’s resources sector, which since 2014 has overtaken agriculture as the largest segment of the economy, will be addressed by the Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Hon. Zed Seslja. “We are hopeful that discussions sparked by this conference will lead to a renewal of interest in exploration and development activities in PNG in the coming years,” commented Mr. AnthonySmaré, President of the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum. He said: “Current large projects such as the PNG LNG Project, Ok Tedi and Lihir continue to perform well despite difficulties created by the Covid-19 pandemic. We have also seen solid contributions from other projects such as Hidden Valley and Kainantu gold mines.”

ExxonMobil PNG and its PNG LNG Project partners are continuing to support the government’s COVID-19 emergency response. As operator of the PNG LNG Project, ExxonMobil PNG is overseeing the implementation of a PGK 4.3 million effort in support of the National Coordination Centre (NCC) plus the Provincial Health Authorities in the National Capital District (NCD) as well as Hela and Central Provinces. Since starting the program in early 2021, much needed supplies and equipment have been delivered Hospital plus health authorities in Hela and Central provinces along with equipment and supplies to support NCC operations. Also included as part of this program was the October donation of a mobile vaccination clinic to the Motu Koita Assembly. [caption id="attachment_17231" align="aligncenter" width="576"] New patient beds donated to POMGEN being assembled[/caption] “ExxonMobil PNG and its PNG LNG Project partners are once again showing their commitment to Papua New Guinea“, said the Police Commissioner and Controller of the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response David Manning. “COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the PNG people and our economy, and it will take everyone - government, industry, international donors, and communities - to work together to overcome the pandemic’s many challenges,” concluded Manning. “We share the government’s commitment to safety and its focus on minimizing the spread of COVID-19 and caring for the affected population,“ stated EMPNG’s Managing Director, Peter Larden. Our focus is the safety and health of our workforce and the communities in which we operate, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and to maintain operations that provide critical revenues to the country and the communities that rely on our operations,” said Larden. [caption id="attachment_17232" align="aligncenter" width="549"] Medical supplies arrive at Tari General Hospital[/caption] The PNG LNG Project initiative builds upon support provided to PNG’s health infrastructure since Project construction as well as recent assistance following the onset of the pandemic in 2020. This includes support for the nation’s diagnostic capacity as well as training, medical supplies as well as logistical support. PNG LNG staff also 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. ExxonMobil PNG Limited (33.2%), a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, constructed and operates the PNG LNG Project on behalf of joint venturers: Oil Search Limited (29%), Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (16.8%), Santos Limited (13.5%), JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corporation (4.7%), Mineral Resources Development Company Limited (2.8%). Petromin 0.2% was incorporated into Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL) in 2016.

Provincial Administrator for Western Province, Robert Alphonse Kaiyun of Karemgo village, North Fly District, Western Province was arrested and charged  with one count of Abuse of Office under Section 92 (1) of the Criminal Code Act by detectives from the National Fraud Anti-Corruption Directorate on Sunday 28 November 2021 in Port Moresby. This is the second Provincial Administrator to be arrested in less than two weeks in November by NFACD.  The first arrest was Wilson Matava, Provincial Administrator for East New Britain Province on the 19 November 2021. Mr. Kaiyun was appointed Provincial Administrator for Western Province for a period of 4 years commencing on 2 August 2018. His appointment was gazette in the National Gazette on 24 August 2018. It is alleged on the 13 of December 2018, Robert Alphonse Kaiyun on behalf of the Fly River Provincial Government signed a three years Office Lease Agreement with New Century City Limited and Fly River Provincial Government. The office space in question is located at Section 2 Lot 59, Kiunga Town, Western Province. The value of the lease agreement is valued at K330, 000. 00 per month which equated to K3, 960,000.00 million per year. The contract agreement valued at K11, 880,000 million for three years commencing on 1st January 2019 and ending on 31 December 2021 was signed by Robert Alphonse Kaiyun on behalf of the Fly River Provincial Government which is beyond his powers as Provincial Administrator. As Provincial Administrator he can only sign for procurement contract valued at K500, 000.00 and as the chairman of PSTB, K5million. According to the National Procurement Act, 2018 and the Public Finance (Management) (Amendment) Act the Provincial Procurement Board, the threshold is K5, 000,000.00 million. Accordingly, the Office Lease Contract signed between the New Century City Limited and Fly River Provincial Government is contrary to the National Procurement Act and is void from the moment of execution. Police investigation revealed that there was no PEC approval, no Western WPSTB meeting convened and no approval given for the PA (Robert Alphonse Kaiyun) to execute such Commercial Lease Agreement prepared by a private lawyer representing New Century City Limited. When asked during the interview, Kaiyun said there was no formal approval but there was need for office space as he informed the WPSTB members and the governor and the JPBPC members (the Political leaders of the province ) were aware. The defendant was taken to the National Fraud & Anti-Corruption Directorate office, at Konedobu, National Capital District where he was cautioned, given his constitutional rights and interviewed regarding the allegations against him. After the interview, he was arrested and charged with one count of Abuse of Office and taken to Boroko Police Station, where he was placed in the cells. He will appear in court at Waigani Committal court next week for mention.

The Department of Personnel Management has issued a Circular Instruction (31/2021) advising all heads of Departments, Provincial Administrations and heads of statutory bodies informing them of the festive season shutdown period. Department of Personnel Management Secretary Ms Taies Sansan said, all line agencies are to take note of the shutdown period to determine the applicability of the arrangements within their organizations. “Through the Circular Instruction we are notifying respective agencies to take heed of the dates to ensure those that provide essential and emergency services are maintained throughout this period”. Secretary Sansan said, the Government has determined the arrangement for the Christmas and New Year holiday shutdown as follows; Friday 24 December 2021 - Working Day to lunch time Saturday 25 December 2021 - Christmas Day Sunday 26th December 2021 - Boxing Day Monday 27th December 2021 - Public Holiday Tuesday 28th December 2021 - Designated Day off (1) Wednesday 29th December 2021 - Designated Day off (2) Thursday 30th December 2021 - Designated Day off (3) Friday 31st December 2021 - Designated Day off (4) Ms Sansan clarified that the 4 days outlined as Designated Day Off’s are paid shutdown days and are not to be accrued if not taken. She said, they are allocated days for the convenience of closing of government offices however officers who are required to work to cater for essential and rostered arrangements will not be paid overtime but will be awarded a paid day off at a later time. The Department of Finance, Immigration & Citizenship Authority will continue to work as normal under the arrangements as set out in the circular (see link http://www.dpm.gov.pg/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/DPM-CIR.-INSTRUCTION-31-OF-2021.pdf) Public Servants are required to report back for normal duties in the New Year on Monday 3rd January 2022. Secretary Sansan extends her well wishes to all public servants and their families for a safe and blessed Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 2022.

Thailand’s start-up scene is giving birth to a new breed of tech entrepreneur — such as Aukrit Unahalekhaka, who came up with the idea of creating an app that helps small farmers boost yields using artificial intelligence and machine learning. After returning from the United States, Unahalekhaka and Usman Javaid, whom he met at MIT, co-founded Ricult in 2016. The start-up aims to improve the livelihoods of farmers in Thailand and Pakistan. His partner handles the business in Pakistan, while Unahalekhaka oversees Thailand, where he is focusing on the central provinces of Lopburi, Saraburi and Korat, working with corn and cassava farmers in particular. 400,000 farmers Ricult’s mobile app has so far signed up almost 400,000 farmers in Thailand, according to Unahalekhaka. “In the past two years, we have worked a lot with the central banks and many research institutions. We have shown that our technology has increased the farmers’ income by at least 50%, as a baseline,” Unahalekhaka told CNBC’s “Managing Asia.” The Ricult app gives farmers access to data to help them make better decisions throughout the farming cycle. The platform analyzes weather patterns and advises farmers on when they should start putting their seeds into the soil and when to add fertilizer. But getting farmers in Thailand to adopt the new technology wasn’t easy. “Bringing in new technology to totally change the way they farm was initially a challenge,” Unahalekhaka said. But after spending time shadowing farmers, “I realized how to convince them and how to make the app easy for them to use, and [how to be] able to convince them.” The app addresses a serious problem that farmers face — yearly droughts and bad weather conditions, which have led to a decline in crop yields. Because of those risks, it’s difficult for farmers to get reliable capital — and Unahalekhaka said some end up going to loan sharks. “By having our data platforms, the banks can ... understand the risk profile of the farmers better with our credit profiling,” said Unahalekhaka, who said the app has helped banks “provide affordable loans to the farmers at a fair rate.” Broker model Ricult does not charge farmers for the app. Instead, it collects fees and commissions from banks when they apply for a loan. Unahalekhaka said he’s careful to protect that kind of personal data in light of Thailand’s Personal Protection Act, which the government is due to begin enforcing by June next year. (The act’s provisions have been established, but in the wake of the pandemic, companies in Thailand asked the government to give them time to prepare internal processes.) Unahalekhaka said he gets farmers’ consent before sending such information to banks, insurance companies and crop buyers. Ricult is growing fast, and Unahalekhaka said he has plans to expand into Vietnam and the Philippines. With the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as one of its backers, he is speeding up his capital-raising exercise. Unahalekhaka said the company hopes to be profitable by next year. “We want to open up our Series A round next year to investors” who believe in Ricult’s vision, he said. SOURCE: CNBC

Commissioner of Police and Controller of the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response Mr David Manning said a total of 37 Police personnel were deployed to the Solomon Island under a Police-to-Police arrangement to assist in light of the country’s civil unrest. Commissioner Manning, when returning from the Solomon Islands on Friday evening, said 37 Public Order Management personnel including 14 Correctional Service officers are on a mission to assist contain the situation and to ensure normalcy is restore at the earliest in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Mr Manning said, "We acted swiftly at the urgent request from the Solomon Island Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. At this stage we only provide manpower assistance and if need be, will continue to do so. This assistance is through a Police-to-Police arrangement and the deployment is covered under the Royal Solomon Island Police Rules of Engagement. “It is our duty to protect life and property and we have just extended our generosity to our brothers and sisters and importantly to preserve peace and enhance posterity within the pacific region,” Mr Manning said. The PNG personnel deployed to the Solomon Islands have been specifically trained for the purpose of the 2018 APEC meeting and will provide the necessary tactical expertise needed by the Royal Solomon Island Police. Commissioner Manning, who was accompanied by Director Special Services Division Superintendent Julius Tasion, had a meeting with the Royal Solomon Island Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau before returning to PNG. He is expected to brief the Government on the situation in the Solomon Islands. Mr Manning said help is also being extended to the Solomon Islands by other pacific communities including Australia and New Zealand and anticipate the situation in Honiara to be brought under control soon.

One of the most essential and vital services in the country during times of emergency, the St John Ambulance Services has once again been excluded from the 2022 National Budget plan. The St John Ambulance services have been very active and committed during the current COVID-19 pandemic, however they have been overlooked again in this budget lockup. Chief Executive Officer for St John Matt Cannon said they are in disbelief of the exclusion of reference to Ambulance services in the National Budget. "This decision not to provide a direct funding grant for the ambulance service will inhibit tens of thousands of people from having access to health care in an emergency." "This will not only disadvantage the 4 million people in rural and urban communities that St John serves, but it will result in significant and preventable loss of human lives." "If St John Ambulance were to cut services in Papua New Guinea, it is estimated that perhaps as high as 2,000 people will die." St John is once again calling on assistance to resolve this matter and ensure that basic ambulance services can be provided.

Nations in southern Africa protested bitterly today as more of the world’s wealthiest countries cut them off from travel, renewing a debate over border closures from the earliest days of the coronavirus pandemic and compounding the problems facing poorly vaccinated countries. The New York Times reports a new coronavirus variant called Omicron, first detected in Botswana, put governments on edge after South Africa announced a surge of cases this week, plunging countries into the most uncertain moment of the pandemic since the highly contagious Delta variant took hold this spring. As in the early days of Delta, political alarm spread quickly across the world, with officials trading blame over how the failures of the global vaccination effort were allowing the virus to mutate, even as researchers warned that the true threat of the new variant was not yet clear. Bearing a worrying number of mutations that researchers fear could make it spread easily, Omicron was spotted this weekend in patients in Britain, Germany and Italy, leaving in its wake what scientists estimated to be thousands of cases in southern Africa and tens or hundreds more globally. One nation after another shut its doors to southern Africa even as they spurned public health measures that scientists said were far more urgently needed to take on the new variant. Australia, Thailand and Sri Lanka are among the latest countries to join the United States, Britain and the European Union in banning travellers from South Africa and nearby countries. Israel announced the world’s strictest ban to date, sealing its borders to all foreigners for 14 days after one case was confirmed in the country. Prime Minister Naftali Bennet of Israel says the key here is caution and minimal risks until they know more. Health officials in the Netherlands announced that 61 passengers on two flights from South Africa had tested positive for the virus, the latest indication of how difficult it might be to stop the variant from crossing borders. The cascade of travel closures triggered a wave of resentment among Africans who believed that the continent was yet again bearing the brunt of panicked policies from Western countries, which had failed to deliver vaccines and the resources needed to administer them. Scientists said richer countries, having already hoarded vaccines for much of 2021, were now penalizing parts of the world that they had starved of shots in the first place. Francois Venter, a researcher at University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg says told you so, referring to warnings from African researchers that delaying vaccinations there risked the emergence of new variants. Scientists worried that the restrictions would discourage other nations from reporting variant cases, out of fear of being slapped with travel bans. Border closures have provoked debate during a succession of public health crises, including the Ebola outbreak in 2014, with global health officials warning that such bans can interrupt the flow of medical supplies and do economic damage that makes countries reluctant to report health threats. The chaotic introduction of the closures in Amsterdam on Friday left some 600 passengers on two flights from South Africa crammed into planes and then unventilated rooms for about 30 hours. Those who avoided hotel quarantines by testing negative scattered to other destinations after receiving results around 3am Saturday. Experts say the border closures would wreak havoc in African countries that were counting on reopening. In South Africa, December is traditionally the high season for tourism, one of the country’s biggest industries, and operators had been banking on a surge in visitors from Britain, which had removed South Africa from its “red list” only last month. South Africa’s number of daily infections — 2,828 on Friday — was a small fraction of case counts in countries with similarly sized populations, like Germany and Britain, not to mention the United States. Just over 10 percent of people in Africa have received one dose of a vaccine, compared with 64 percent in North America and 62 percent in Europe. For the countries imposing travel bans, scientists said, far more consequential than delaying the arrival of new Omicron cases was the question of what they would do with whatever time they had bought themselves to respond. SOURCE: FIJIVILLAGE

With no plans to evacuate their citizens from Honiara, the international community is closely monitoring the situation in the Solomon Islands following a week of political unrest. There's an air of calm across Honiara this weekend. Resident Claire Percel puts it down to the arrival of Australian and Papua New Guinea defence forces to help the local police. She said the reinforcements have "really helped the situation but we're still nervous". "Roadblocks now set up in key locations and I've seen them check vehicles. Local businesses have started cleaning up the streets and removing the burnt vehicles. "I managed to get out of the house today for a grocery shop and visit some family. Was a really good change of scenery. I took my kids with me, was a very difficult conversation trying to explain why this happened," Percel said. There was rioting and looting across the capital following a protest at Parliament on Wednesday calling for the Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to stand down. The protesters are angry at their government's move to establish diplomatic ties with China, after decades of relations with Taiwan. Sogavare has said he will not resign. The tension escalated on Friday when more than 100 protesters reached Sogavare's residence, throwing rocks while police with riot shields fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. Australia and Papua New Guinea have deployed their defence force personnel to help the local police control rioting anti-government protesters. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Solomons reached out to his government for help. But he added Canberra was monitoring the situation in Honiara. New Zealand officials are in contact with their citizens in Honiara and are aware that the travel plans of some have been disrupted. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the government has not yet received a formal request for assistance from the Solomon Islands government. "We are not activating evacuation plans at this stage but remain in contact with relevant partners on the ground and are monitoring events closely. "The New Zealand High Commission is providing Safe Travel advice to New Zealanders in Solomon Islands, including to follow the instructions of local authorities. "New Zealanders in Solomon Islands should not rely on New Zealand government-assisted departures in an emergency," the MFAT spokesperson said.

Face coverings will become mandatory again in shops and on public transport in England from next week under a raft of measures to target the new Covid variant, Omicron, the PM has said. PCR tests for everyone entering the UK will be introduced and all contacts of new variant cases will have to self-isolate, even if fully jabbed. But Boris Johnson said Christmas would be "considerably better" than in 2020. The measures were "temporary and precautionary", he added. Mr Johnson announced the restrictions at a Downing Street news conference after it was confirmed that two Omicron cases had been detected in Brentwood, Essex, and Nottingham. Officials said the cases were linked and connected to travel in southern Africa. The new variant was first reported from South Africa on Wednesday, with early evidence suggesting it has a higher reinfection risk. Mr Johnson said: "Our scientists are learning more hour by hour, and it does appear that Omicron spreads very rapidly and can be spread between people who are double vaccinated." He added: "We need to slow down the spread of this variant here in the UK, because measures at the border can only ever minimise and delay the arrival of a new variant rather than stop it all together." The prime minister said the new measures would be reviewed in three weeks, by which time they should have better information about the "continuing effectiveness" of vaccines. The prime minister said the "tightening up" of the mask rules will be outlined by Health Secretary Sajid Javid "in the next day or so". He did not indicate when PCR tests would begin and in a press release the Department of Health only said it was among the measures being "introduced from next week". Covid restrictions were tightened across the UK days before Christmas last year amid a surge in cases. Asked by the BBC's Iain Watson if the prime minister could say with any confidence whether or not people could keep their Christmas plans this year, Mr Johnson replied: "We continue to be in a strong position largely thanks to the speed of the vaccine rollout, another booster rollout, and... I'm pretty confident to absolutely confident this Christmas will be considerably better than last Christmas." Countries around the world are introducing travel bans and restrictions on southern African countries in an effort to contain the variant's spread. Under the plans: Everyone entering the UK (other than those coming from the Common Travel Area that covers the Channel Islands and Ireland) will have to take PCR test by the end of the second day after their arrival and self-isolate until they receive a negative result All contacts of suspected Omicron cases must self-isolate, regardless of whether or not they are fully jabbed Face coverings will be made compulsory in shops and on public transport - but hospitality settings will be exempt from the changes The health secretary is to ask advisers to consider rapidly extending boosters, including reducing the gap between the second dose of the vaccine and the booster The UK's chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, said there was a "reasonable chance" that vaccines could be less effective against the new variant but stressed people who are vaccinated or receive the booster jab will be less likely to become seriously ill. He said the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation would now need to decide whether to extend the booster vaccine down to adults age 18, and whether a second dose should be offered to children aged 12-15. The reintroduction of masks in shops and public transport brings England back into line with the other UK nations. Paddy Lillis from the shopworkers' union Usdaw accused ministers of "flip-flopping on basic and sensible Covid measures" and said the face covering rules should have been kept in place when restrictions were relaxed in July. "Retail staff working with the public every day are deeply worried about catching Covid-19 and the arrival of the Omicron variant is a further concern," he said. Carol Popplestone, chairwoman of the Royal College of Nursing, said face coverings were "something we have already called for and it should not have been a new variant that forced the prime minister to act". SOURCE: BBC NEWS

Law and order issues have increased immensely this year in West New Britain Province due to the eviction exercise carried out by the Provincial government. The academic year was affected for schools with some schools being broken into, teachers and staff being attacked and students as well. “Last year, we only had one or two law and order issues in the schools.” “This year was a worst year for us where we had tried to manage the situation by suspending classes and once the issues were sorted out, we resumed classes again,” said Provincial Education Advisor, Mr Paul Laure. Laure said that by suspending classes for schools affected, the surrounding communities would take the initiative and hand over the culprits involved to the police to deal with. “Once the culprits were brought forward and turned in to the police, the classes resumed.” Laure said that since this was a major issue that they faced this year, he had spoken to the Provincial Police Commander to carry out awareness on law and order issues to schools in the province. He also notified all schools and had the contact details for school headmasters, principals and head teachers given to the police. He added that hopefully the awareness program will help curb the law and order issues affecting schools so they won’t have to face the same problems next year.