In an effort to promote agriculture as a profession (Agribusiness) among youths in Papua New Guinea, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, is supporting an initiative by Wosera High School to engage students as well as the surrounding communities in sustainable cocoa value chain development. Following appraisal visits and a review of their business plan, the Programme supported the school’s newly initiated cocoa project through the provision of cocoa husbandry tools and materials, including polybags, shades cloths, pole pruners, wheelbarrows, pruning saws, shovels, tie wires, watering cans, measuring tapes, and budding tapes. “The EU-STREIT PNG also supplied 3,000 cloned seedlings that will be followed by a training on cocoa bud-grafting for subject matter teachers and lead students to produce seedlings for planting and community distribution”, highlighted by the FAO National Cocoa Production Officer, Odrick Urum. “Many are called, but few are chosen. With a visionary person like the principal of Wosera High, the Programme supports these initiatives to serve as an encouragement for other schools and communities,” said Ms Patu Shang, the Programme’s International Gender and Youth Inclusion Specialist, during the presentation of tools and materials. The school, through its own initiative, had already planted 1,200 Cocoa Pod Borer (CPB) tolerant seedlings, and the support of the EU-STREIT PNG will further boost the students’ and staff’s morale to produce more cloned seedlings in their new nurseries, thereby increasing their farming capacity as well as for distribution to local communities.  According to the School Principal, Joseph Jangwan, the plan is that every Grade 7 student will be in charge of 20 cloned cocoa seedlings on the school farm. The skills and knowledge imparted under the Programme will help the students to grow these seedlings. The resulting cocoa beans once sold, will serve as a source of income for the students (30%) and for the school (70%). These students will open an account at MiBank, a partner of the UNCDF under the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, to save their income. Upon graduation, they will not only depart with a certificate, but also with a savings account, 15-20 cloned seedlings to set up in their respective communities, and the knowledge and skills to improve their cocoa farms. The establishment of a fermentary is also envisioned as part of the plan for the school cocoa business project. “Not all students will find a place for higher learning, so some of the students can take up farming as a profession. The income from cocoa farming can be a means to other ends, including furthering their education,” explained the very enthusiastic Principal Jangwan. “I see this as a sustainable self-reliant project which will be of immense benefit to the students, the school and the communities at large, and I recommend other schools to follow this pathway,” said Agriculture Teacher Tai Luke. “This is the first initiative for a high school in the Sepik region, with the support of the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, and I’m very excited,” said a Grade 9 student Hillary Makain. In addition to the school farm project, Wosera High School has an ICT centre, which is now earmarked as a resource centre to be supported by the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, under the ITC component of the Programme, led by the International Telecommunication Union. The resource centre will serve as an information and knowledge hub for students and communities. This package, thereby, serves as a one-stop shop for the exemplification of a sustainable cocoa value chain development approach. The EU-STREIT PNG is being implemented as a UN Joint Programme (FAO as the lead agency, and ILO, ITU, UNCDF and UNDP as implementing partners), is the largest grant-funded Programme of the European Union in the Country and the Pacific region. It focuses on increasing sustainable and inclusive economic development of rural areas through increasing the economic returns and opportunities from cocoa, vanilla and fishery value chains and strengthening and improving the efficiency of value chain enablers, including the business environment and supporting sustainable, climate-resilient transport and renewable energy infrastructure development.

The National Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has donated K200, 000 as emergency fund to support thousands of people that were displaced in Nipa Kutubu District in Southern Highlands Province due to the post-election violence. The post-election related violence displaced more than twenty thousand people and they were in dire straits, mostly women and children. NGCB Chief Executive Officer Imelda Agon said the donation by the Board to the people of Nipa Kutubu shows the organization’s concern over the displacement-affected communities. “We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate election-related violence and the NGCB, as an organization owned by the 8 million plus people of this country, is committed to provide emergency funds to restore peace, law, and order in the affected areas. “We stand behind the Marape-Rosso Government and the Nipa Kutubu District Development Authority and pledge our support to eliminate all forms of violence befalling in our communities. “On behalf of the Prime Minister Hon. James Marape, Minister responsible for NGCB Hon. Manasseh Makiba, NGCB Chairman Clemence Kanau and the board members, I am pleased to announce NGCB’s support towards this cause”, Mrs. Agon said. The cheque was handed over to the Member for Nipa Kutubu Hon. Dr Billy Joseph by the Minister Responsible for NGCB Manasseh Makiba. Hon. Dr Billy Joseph thanked the Prime Minister Hon. James Marape, Hon. Manasseh Makiba and NGCB for the emergency fund donated to the people of his electorate and said the funding will assist Nipa Kutubu DDA to restore peace and law and order in the district. The donation was made through NGCB’s ‘Give Back Program’, aimed at improving the lives of people and the communities in Papua New Guinea.

Cyclone Hale is now hitting Northland, Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island and is also forecast to reach Marlborough and the North Canterbury coastline, from tomorrow morning. Northland is being battered by heavy rain, as Cyclone Hale approaches New Zealand. A fallen tree has closed a section of State Highway in Dome Valley, while severe surface flooding has closed Kokupu Road in Whangārei. Police were advising motorists to stay clear of the area until further notice. Police also advised motorists to avoid travelling in Northland unless it was urgent due to the continued heavy rain. A heavy rain warning remains in place for the region till 7pm today. The council said large slips have closed the 309 Road near the waterworks and Colville Road near Amodeo Bay. It was hoping to reopen Port Charles Wharf Road, which has been blocked by fallen trees since last week. The council has also received reports of flooding, tree fall, and slips along various sections of State Highway 25. Thames Valley's Civil Defence controller Garry Towler said the weather in the Coromandel region has deteriorated, with widespread flooding, power and cellphone outages. MetService is now forecasting heavy rain from Cape Campbell to Kaikoura and the Seaward Kaikoura Range from 5am tomorrow. More than 100 homes in Coromandel are without power as Civil Defence staff and contractors this morning assess the initial damage wrought in the region by severe weather. "We had quite a lot of impact last night," Towler told Morning Report. The eastern seaboard has been most affected, he said, and it was highly likely the entire eastern seaboard would close after high tide, he said. "We've got widespread flooding, we've got a number of slips all the way from Hikuai all the way up to Whitianga. Widespread phone and power outages as well. "The impact is quite dramatic in terms of what is still to come but also we've got to keep this in context because we had over 400mm of rain last week and there's just no capacity to absorb some of this stuff." In Whitianga 136 properties in the town of Whenuakite have been without electricity since 2am today. The network company is investigating the cause of the outage. At 11am police advised residents to stay indoors and away from the coast as high tide was due at 11.15am. Several roads in Thames-Coromandel district have been closed because of the storm. As well as Coromandel, wide impact is also expected in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay as the weather front that was originally known as Cyclone Hale fans out across the island. MetService issued severe weather warnings for Gisborne, Coromandel, Northland up to the Bay of Islands, Auckland including Great Barrier Island, and Hawke's Bay. It forecast heavy rain, gale-force winds and storm surges. The rain is predicted to peak in most areas this afternoon. It has also now added a heavy rain warning for Marlborough and the Canterbury coast from Cape Campbell to Kaikōura. There are flooding and slips on Aotea Great Barrier Island. Aotea Great Barrier Local Board chairperson Izzy Fordham said there are a few slips being dealt with by contractors, but campgrounds on the island had already cleared out after last week's storm. The local emergency management team is on call and Fordham said residents are hunkered down, waiting for the storm to pass. In Tairāwhiti, between 200 and 250 millimetres of rain is expected through to 2am tomorrow, along with four to six metre swells. Unpaved roads are closed, campers near the coast have headed home, and Tairāwhiti Civil Defence is asking people to check on their neighbours. Gisborne District Council is urging extreme caution on the region's roads after several people were rescued when their vehicle became stuck in a flooded stream. The council posted on social media that police and the fire service were called to help those trapped in the vehicle after severe weather hit last night. Cyclone Hale is predicted to continue to lash Tairāwhiti and other areas of the North Island today. Gisborne businesses are waiting to hear if unsealed roads will be reopened to trucks today. Tairāwhiti Civil Defence announced the 24-hour closure, which kicked in at 8pm yesterday, because of Cyclone Hale. Forestry company Ernslaw One has backed the decision. Regional manager Bill Wheeler said workers were meant to return from holiday yesterday, but that has now been delayed until Thursday. Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management controller Ian Macdonald said his region was expecting heavy rains and strong winds from tonight. Emergency services were co-ordinating preparations and residents should stay home during the worst of the weather, he said. Source: Radio New Zealand

Gibson Seseru was an energetic teenager with ambitions of becoming a politician or business leader when he first noticed numbness in his legs. As the months progressed, he found it increasingly hard to walk, eventually requiring a wheelchair for mobility. Gibson found attending school difficult, eventually resulting in the heartbreaking decision to leave. Gibson recognised the lack of representation of people with disabilities at all levels of government. He decided to organise community outreach programs, advocated for improved support and utilised data collected from a PNG-Australia Partnership-supported survey to form the Bulolo Disability Association (BDA) - an organisation that serves as a voice for change. Gibson says that through the formation of the association, people with disabilities have developed a voice and are more aware of their rights to access government services including law and justice services. Bringing people with disabilities together to form an association was not easy. People have different disabilities and varying needs that all need to be addressed to ensure participation. The most significant challenge is people’s mindsets, negative attitudes, and the assumptions many make about people with disabilities. “Most people think we want money,” Gibson says. “The public’s view is shallow, so I clarify that this [association] is a voice and vehicle for change and not for charity.” “We advocate for equal treatment of all persons with disability. They are part of the community.” With support from Australia through the PNG-Australia Partnership, BDA assisted the Morobe Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee last year to organise training for people with disabilities on leadership and financial literacy, including a separate workshop designed to equip people with disabilities, their families and carers with the skills and knowledge needed to enrich their lives. There is much to do. Unemployment and illiteracy among people with disabilities is high. “I want to see change and persons with disabilities empowered through the association’s activities and projects we carry out,” he says. Gibson backs the National Government’s vision of ensuring that no one is left behind and says the BDA is keen to seize this opportunity to enable people with disabilities to contribute to the development of their communities, the district, and the province.

China has taken down more than 1,000 social media accounts - some with millions of followers - that criticised the government's Covid policies. Social media platform Weibo said it had suspended or banned accounts for what it described as personal attacks against Chinese Covid specialists. Weibo did not specify which posts had prompted the action. China scrapped its strict zero-Covid policy in December and has seen a rapid surge of infections and deaths. Online criticism has until recently largely focused on the strict enforcement of Covid regulations, including lockdowns that required people to stay at home in isolation for weeks. But recent posts have taken aim at experts who have defended the sudden decision to drop restrictions, despite supporting them just weeks ago. Weibo said it had spotted almost 13,000 violations, including attacks on experts, scholars and medical workers. Temporary or permanent bans have been handed to 1,120 accounts. "It is not acceptable to hurl insults at people who hold a different point of view, or publish personal attacks and views that incite conflicts," Weibo said in a statement. Any kind of move that is destructive to the [Weibo] community would be handled in a serious manner." Since China abandoned key parts of zero-Covid following historic protests against the policy, there have been reports of hospitals and crematoriums being overwhelmed. But China has stopped publishing daily cases data and has announced only 22 Covid deaths since December, using its own strict criteria. On Saturday, China marked the first day of the 40-day period of Lunar New Year, known as the world's largest annual migration of people. The Ministry of Transport said it expects more than two billion passengers to travel over the next 40 days, an increase of 99.5% year-on-year and reaching 70% of trip numbers in 2019. This has led to widespread concerns that the festival may see another wave of infections, especially in rural areas that are less well-equipped with ICU beds and ventilators. From Sunday, China will drop a requirement for travelers coming from abroad to quarantine, meaning many Chinese will be able to travel abroad for the first time in almost three years.   Source: BBC

China has reopened its borders to international visitors for the first time since it imposed travel restrictions in March 2020. Incoming travelers will no longer need to quarantine - marking a significant change in the country's Covid policy as it battles a surge in cases. They will still require proof of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of travelling. The move has been welcomed by many eager to reunite with family. In Hong Kong, 400,000 people are expected to travel into mainland China in the coming weeks with long queues for flights into cities including Beijing and Xiamen. On Sunday, double-decker coaches packed with travelers arrived at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to catch buses to the Guangdong province - among them were college students returning home. One man told the BBC he hadn't seen his extended family in three years and could not hold back his excitement, having just bought a ticket back to China. A woman told news agency Reuters she had not seen her parents in years - despite one of them suffering from colon cancer - and said she was "so, so happy". The country's reopening comes at the start of "Chunyun", the first period of Lunar New Year travel. Before the pandemic, it was the largest annual worldwide migration of people returning home to spend time with family. Two billion trips are expected to be made this Lunar New Year, double the number that travelled last year. Li Hua, who travelled from the UK to China - where her family lives - for the festival said it had been "too long" since she had returned, "I'm so happy to be back, and breathe Chinese air. So happy, so happy". Mark Clayton returned home to Zhuhai, in Guandong, with his wife and baby after visiting Hong Kong. He told the BBC his trip home had been "nearly as smooth as it used to be pre-Covid". "We didn't even show them the PCR, we simply scanned a code and put in a very quick customs declaration... And then straight through," he said. But there is concern from some that opening the borders will result in more transmission of Covid-19. Some local bus drivers told the BBC they are worried they might get the virus from incoming travelers, and want their companies to provide them with more protection. Over the past three years, China had one of the world's strictest Covid health policies that saw numerous lockdowns, frequent testing requirements and had a significant impact on the nation's economy. The government recently walked back that policy after mass protests across the country, triggered by a fire in a high-rise block in the Xinjiang region that killed 10 people. Many Chinese believed the long-running Covid restrictions contributed to the deaths, but authorities denied this. Since China abandoned the key elements of its Covid zero policy there have been reports of hospitals and crematoriums being overwhelmed, but the country has stopped publishing its case numbers and reported only two deaths on Saturday. On the same day, the Chinese government banned over 1,000 social media accounts critical of its handling of the virus. The anticipated surge in cases and travel out of China has prompted many countries - including the UK - to impose requirements for a negative COVID-19 test on people arriving from China, drawing the ire of the Chinese government.     Source: BBC

The East New Britain provincial administration has received K43, 875 as their 2022 dividend payment today from Gazelle International Hotel (GI). The cheque was presented to Governor Michael Marum and East New Britain acting provincial administrator Levi Mano by the Hotel Manager Luis Gomes and chairman of the hotel Professor David Kavanamur. The dividend following an 8.75 share own by the provincial government and the hotel management has been paying dividend since 2014 which is a total of K15 million has been paid over the period of years to all the shareholders. According to Mr Mano he thanked GI hotel for their dedication and commitment in paying the dividend to the provincial government stating that business environment is not so good but this payment has come from the hard work and effort of the chairman of the hotel and team. He said it is important that the people of the province know this as people need to know that some business operations in the province are actually giving back to the people and to the province. “We appreciate all your support since 2014 it is hard to come up with such amount but we are thankful and we can always work together in the future,” he said. Governor Marum also extended his appreciation to the hotel management and look forward to assist in upgrading the hotel. He said these funds will go a long way in assisting the people of the province. Hotel General Manager Luis Gomes said GI is a proud recipient of the provincial government and has been performing well over the years. He said of the K15 million shared between all shareholders K1.3 million of those is for the provincial government. He said GI has been paying constant dividend since 2014 and although the dividend is paid to the provincial government the linkages through the local economy is much more than the dividend itself because it provides the link to the local economy where service providers provide service to the hotel. Mr Gomes said GI is one of the best investment for the provincial government and the purpose is to contribute to the economy development of the province. He further stated that they are looking forward to province infrastructures development and the growing business in the hotel upgrade and keeping and raising the standard of tourism and hospitality in the province.

Vanuatu residents have been left rattled following Sunday night's magnitude-7 earthquake. Five aftershocks followed the first long and strong jolt that struck 23 kilometres west-north-west of Port Olry at a depth of about 28 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said. Tsunami alerts had been issued but were lifted soon after. Property owner in Sanma Province, Lily Lui said she could barely stand when she was trying to escape. "It was 11:40 and I was fast asleep. I just fell from my room," she said. "It's like somebody digging out the house and trying to move the house from where it is placed so I was like, what's going on? "When I woke up, I found everything lying down on the floor and I was rushing down the stairs trying to find a way to get out. "Everybody was scared and ran out of the house because we are close to the sea and everybody was looking at the sea," Lui said. It was a similar story for tourism operator, Oka Vocor Harris, who said his children all ran to him scared and cuddled him. He then ran out to check on his customers in his bungalows. "When the earthquake comes over, they all get around me holding me tight, it sounds like a big machine moving, heavy machine, bulldozer, it sounds like the earth is trembling," Harris said. Both of the residents did not report any serious damage, Lui said she does have cracks in her house but nothing major. Santo Hardware general manager Leighton Shearer and his family also felt the earthquake. They are from New Zealand where they experienced a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Kaikoura in New Zealand's South Island. "It was certainly a big shake. You could hear it coming and that woke my wife. "We managed to get under a door frame before it hit but our 13-year-old son slept through it. "He also slept through the Kaikoura quake in 2016…it's his superpower…lol.. "We had no damage at our house apart from an extractor fan/light falling out of the ceiling of a bathroom. The pool lost a fair bit of water and a few pictures moved. There were quite a few aftershocks, reminiscent of the Kaikoura quake," Leighton Shearer said. Source: Radio New Zealand

Men can have an important role to play in ending violence, particularly Family and Sexual Violence and Sorcery accusation related violence. However, this requires respect for human rights for both men and women and challenge to the gender and social norms that lead to violence, discrimination, and injustice. After witnessing an increase in the rates of family and sexual violence (FSV) in his community, Alphonse Pemuko took it upon himself to educate and counsel the mostly male perpetrators. Pemuko credits the training he received through the PNG-Australia Partnership, including an intensive Learning to Lead course, that empowered him to develop skills and ways to tackle FSV and other human rights abuses and achieve his goals. In 2014, Pemuko supported the establishment of the Arawa Men’s Hub - an organisation that works with men and boys to change attitudes towards women and girls by discouraging violence and building awareness of FSV and the laws surrounding it, including the Family Protection Act. The hub also provides a safe refuge for men from South and Central Bougainville fleeing sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV). Pemuko notes awareness and understanding of the law as key issues. Often, perpetrators who are served interim protection orders (IPOs) and protection orders (POs) by a court to prevent further violence do not understand their purpose. “They come to us and we explain to them what the orders mean and why they were served.” The Hub provides a space for men and boys to talk about issues around gender, SARV, and FSV and undertake counselling. since its inception, it has served more than 1000 people. The facility is also part of the Bougainville-wide network of services for FSV survivors operated by the Nazareth Centre for Rehabilitation, providing safe refuge and referral service. “When survivors come to us, we have this referral pathway where we refer them to different service providers like the police, Family Sexual Violence Unit, the Family Support Centre, the courts and safe houses,” Pemuko says. Under his leadership the Hub has developed targeted training and activities that promote respect for human rights for both men and women and change attitudes and gender and social norms that lead to violence, discrimination, and injustice.

Shocking news out of New Ireland!! An elderly man was speared to death by one of his tribesman after he attempted to murder a lady with a bush knife a week ago, this is according to outgoing New Ireland Provincial Police Commander Felix Nebanat. According to Nebanat, the incident occurred in Lamusmus Village along the West Coast of New Ireland Province where the deceased had an ongoing argument with a lady from the same village, to which he had intended to hurt on several occasions but failed to do so. The situation became more tense and escalated when the man had begun to chase the villagers with his bush knife until he was speared down by one of the villagers. “The deceased was a troublemaker who was always on the run and for a long time could not be apprehended by police until reports came in that he was speared down by one of the locals after he had been chasing them with his bush knife.” The deceased suffered a mortal injury from his thigh right up to his private part as a result of the spearing and was confirmed dead at the Kavieng General Hospital. All identities are confidential at the moment as stated by PPC Nebanat. “The villager who was responsible for the spearing of the deceased along with twelve other suspects surrounding the incident surrendered to community leaders later on and were taken into custody by police.” The Correctional Institute Service officers are now working on their files to decide whether they will stand trial or face the full force of the law. Despite this incident, Mr Nebanat stated that nothing serious other than that has occurred and the festive period was very quiet within the province unlike previous years. “Everything is back to normal now and I would like to commend fellow New Irelanders for celebrating the festive season by being mindful and taking ownership of the law”, said the PPC. Nebanat concluded in saying there will be a handover takeover ceremony later this month to bring in the new PPC for New Ireland Albert Beli, who is already in the province and will be serving the people of New Ireland in 2023 till his next posting.

Prime Minister James Marape left for Singapore yesterday Saturday, January 7, 2023 to meet with Puma Energy executives on the ongoing saga with Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG) which continues to threaten the country with energy insecurities. He was accompanied by Minister for Petroleum and Energy Kerenga Kua and the State Solicitor to discuss this issue which resulted in all Air Niugini flights being cancelled on Thursday last week. Puma Energy is a Swiss multinational mid- and downstream oil company, majority-owned by Singapore-based Swiss company Trafigura. Its operations span around 40 countries across five continents and encompass the supply, storage, refining, distribution, and retail of a range of petroleum products. Minister for Inter-Government Relations. Soroi Eoi, will be acting Prime Minister for the next two days as Deputy Prime Minister  John Rosso is also out of the country. “I am going to Singapore with Minister for Petroleum and Energy, Kerenga Kua, to meet Puma executives about this ongoing saga between BPNG and Puma,” PM Marape said before leaving for Singapore. “ This is so that we do not have energy or fuel insecurity issues going forward into the future. “We cannot be held to ransom like this – which recurs every time there is an issue with foreign exchange. I know Central Bank has some regulatory issues with Puma and we want to hear from Puma leadership on why compliance to Central Bank directions are not possible and for us to find a permanent solution. “I am also bringing our State Lawyers and we will be informing Puma that we are looking at other options, apart from fixing the relationship between them and BPNG, and finding permanent solutions so our country is not energy-insecure. “I will also indicate to Puma that we are reviewing the NapaNapa Refinery Agreement – which gives them a monopoly of fuel supply to Papua New Guinea - and to check if they are in full compliance to all requirements that secured them this present monopoly.” PM Marape also said the Government was now seriously looking at downstream processing of PNG’s oil and gas resources. “I have signaled our major oil and gas harvesters like Santos , Total Energies and ExxonMobil that the State, through Kumul Petroleum Holdings Ltd and Mineral Resources Development Company, wants to move into the downstream processing of our own petroleum products with their partnership and we are looking at the cost of setting up a refinery.”

A six-year-old boy has been detained by police after shooting a teacher in the US state of Virginia, officers say. The shooting happened shortly after 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) at Richneck Elementary School in the city of Newport News, Chief Steve Drew said. It is unclear how the child obtained the gun, but Mr Drew said the incident was not "an accidental shooting". The teacher - who has not been named and is said to be in her 30s - was left with life-threatening injuries. She was taken to a local hospital and is being closely monitored by doctors. The incident took place in a first grade (ages six to seven) classroom after an altercation between the pair. But Mr Drew emphasised that the shooting had been an isolated incident and stressed that officers "did not have a situation where someone was going around the school shooting". Officials said that while the school - which has around 550 students - had metal detection facilities, students were checked at random and not every child was inspected. Police declined to name the weapon used in the incident, but said the boy had used a handgun. School District Head Dr George Parker said officials would "be looking at any instance that may have occurred that may have caused this incident". "This is terrible, something like this should never occur," Dr Parker added. "We want to ensure nothing like this happens again." He said the school would be closed on Monday, and pledged that students and parents would be offered support to help them deal with the traumatic event. Mayor Phillip Jones - who took office just three days ago - said the shooting marked "a dark day for Newport News". "We're going to learn from this and we're going to come back stronger," he told reporters. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said he had offered assistance to local officials, adding that his administration was "ready to help in any way we can". "I am continuing to monitor the situation and am praying for the continued safety of all students and the community," he wrote on Twitter. Newport News is a city of around 180,000 people and sits about 70 miles (112km) to the south of the state capital Richmond.     Source: BBC