New York has become the latest US state to allow so-called human composting. A person can now have their body turned into soil after their death - which is seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to a burial or cremation. Also known as "natural organic reduction", the practice sees a body decompose over several weeks after being shut in a container. In 2019, Washington was the first US state to legalise it. Colorado, Oregon, Vermont and California followed suit. New York is therefore the sixth American jurisdiction to allow human composting, following Saturday's stamp of approval from Kathy Hochul, the state's Democratic governor. The process happens in special above-ground facilities. A body is put in a closed vessel along with selected materials such as woodchips, alfalfa and straw grass, and gradually breaks down under the action of microbes. After a period of around a month - and a heating process to kill off any contagion - loved ones are given the resulting soil. This can be used in planting flowers, vegetables or trees. One US firm, Recompose, has said its service can save a tonne of carbon compared with a cremation or a traditional burial. Emissions of carbon dioxide are a major contributor to climate change, because they act to trap the Earth's heat in a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. Traditional burials involving a coffin also consume wood, land and other natural resources. Proponents of human composting say it is not only a more environmental option, but also a more practical one in cities where land for cemeteries is limited. New York's approval of the process was "a huge step for accessible green death care nationwide", one Washington-based provider, Return Home, told the New York Post. But, for some, there are ethical questions about what happens to the soil which results from the composting. Catholic bishops in New York state reportedly opposed the legislation, arguing that human bodies should not be treated like "household waste". Concerns have also been raised about the cost of composting. But the firm Recompose - whose facility in Seattle is one of the world's first - says its $7,000 (£5,786) fee is "comparable" with rival options. The median sum in the US for a funeral with a burial was $7,848 in 2021, or $6,971 for a funeral with a cremation, according to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). Human composting is already legal throughout Sweden. And natural burials - in which a body is buried without a coffin or with a biodegradable coffin - are permitted in the UK. Source: BBC

An earthquake struck Northern California Sunday morning for the second time in less than a two-week span, according to the US Geological Survey. The 5.4 magnitude earthquake occurred about 30 miles south of Eureka and was centered about 9 miles southeast of Rio Dell, the USGS said. The earthquake was a shallow one, occurring at a depth of about 17.3 miles, according to preliminary information from the agency. Rio Dell Mayor Debra Garnes said the quake shook her house. “It was crazy. The earthquake felt more violent this time,” Garnes told CNN. “It was shorter, but more violent. My refrigerator moved two feet. Things came out of the refrigerator. There’s a crack in my wall from the violence of it.” Garnes said a neighbor’s house also had a crack in the wall from the quake. This is the second earthquake to strike the Northern California region in less than a month. A 6.4 earthquake that shook the region on December 20 left two people dead. Garnes said 27 homes were red-tagged – meaning they were unsafe due to damage – and 73 homes yellow-tagged in Rio Dell from that quake. As of Sunday morning, the USGS said the latest quake is a green pager, indicating there were no estimated fatalities and very low estimated economic losses. Source: CNN

At least nine people have died in a crowd crush during New Year festivities in the Ugandan capital Kampala. A number of children were killed in the incident that unfolded in a shopping center that hosted a fireworks display. One eyewitness explained that people - including his friend - suffocated after getting caught between crowds that were moving in opposing directions. Big gatherings for New Year's Eve were allowed for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Kampala police said people had attended a concert at Freedom City Mall in large numbers. A crowd surge was said to occurred when partygoers tried to head back inside - having gone outdoors to see the midnight fireworks. Five people - described as "mostly children, juveniles" - were said to have been killed after being stepped on. The death toll was later put at nine after a number of people were taken to hospital. An eyewitness, Ramadhan Aphongo, told local broadcaster NTV that a friend was among the victims: "She was enjoying, she was having fun, but due to loss of breath... eventually she died." An investigation is under way. Source: BBC

The arrest of three men in Rabaul for possession of drugs during the festive period has exposed a well-organized drug syndicate in East New Britain. Cleopas Warpit, ward member for Vunadidir ward in Toma Vunadidir LLG in Gazelle District said this when commending and appreciating the efforts of police officers involved in the Rabaul District festive operations. The trio- Tazo Tinoa from Eastern Highlands Province, Raymond Peter from Aperera village, Kainantu, EHP and Tony Walange from Suhumu village, East Sepik Province were charged on Tuesday Dec 27, 2022 after police confiscated 16 kilograms of marijuana drugs from them that was carefully hidden in a bag of sweet potatoes from Lae, aboard the MV Kula. On Friday Dec 30, 2022, Rabaul District Court convicted and sentenced the three men to serve a total of 12 years at Kerevat jail with hard labour. “It is a risky job to investigate, act on tip off and arrest drug dealers but we have to break the cycle. We must continue to discourage youths from taking drugs as it is lethal and a catalyst for disorder,” Mr Warpit said. He said at Vunadidir ward, the ward development committee has been monitoring Raymond Peter’s movement, a notorious drug dealer, as he is married to a local woman from Vunadidir. Peter has previously served time for the same offence. “Raymond Peter is involved in a sophisticated network and his arrest will likely to reveal more,” the ward member said. Mr Warpit said drug abuse in his ward is a threat to his initiated Backyard Sports program. “People are buying K50 worth of marijuana packs and repacking to sell K2 packs". "Many social disorders today in our communities are drug related. Vunadidir ward has a total of 10 mentally disturbed youths between the age group of 12 and 30, a direct result of drug abuse,” he said. The ward member has called on the ENB provincial government to set up a special unit for drugs, put more support into community development sector and recently established ward development committees to work in collaboration to address these critical issues. He said clergies must go one step further. “This is a big challenge as we go in the New Year. If we do not act now, we will have a mentally disturbed generation with chaotic leadership,” Mr Warpit said.

The Port Moresby General Hospital Adult Emergency Department (ED) has had to endure another year of festive season increase in Trauma Cases. Official records from the Christmas period record nearly fifty (50) cases with 70 per cent being male. The most common injury was assault and blunt force trauma with penetrating injuries being the next most common. The New Year period, however, saw a quiet night progressing into the New Year with most casualties arriving after 8am to the department. As of 3:00pm yesterday afternoon , over 40 patients were seen, and 80 per cent were male. Unfortunately 98 per cent of all injuries during both the Christmas and New Year period were alcohol related. The department saw patients ranging between the ages of 9 and 55 years old. The first death was recorded at 3pm yesterday afternoon as a result of a motor vehicle accident where the injured was a pedestrian who was run over by a vehicle and succumbed to his injuries. A motor vehicle accident occurring at 10:30am on Sunday morning resulted in another casualty being brought in, the patient has been stabilized and will be observed under the surgeons. The supporting specialties like Radiology and Pathology also had increased workload to ensure fast processing of patients. At the mean time blood products are still required for immediate trauma management, therefore Port Moresby General Hospital is encouraging  all patients' families to come in and donate blood, as this goes a long way in operative and critical case management that is handled by Operative and Anesthetic teams. The hospital also reveals that there are approximately 4 patients with Penetrating Chest injuries with associated sequelae who will be admitted for further management. Port Moresby General Hospital acknowledges and appreciate the national ambulance service provider St John Ambulance crew for their dedication in transporting all patients to the ED including those with medical ailments. Their pre-hospital assessment and transport of trauma patients was critical in saving many lives. POMGEN also acknowledges the Police force for their hard work in keeping the nation’s capital safe and also for ensuring that movements around the city was kept under control.

One-year-old Brenda’s tiny feet are bare on the cold asphalt of an El Paso parking lot as the harsh reality starts to sink in for her parents. They are undocumented. They are homeless. And their daughter barely escaped death when they crossed the Rio Grande. “My daughter would have died because she was super frozen,” said Glenda Matos. Matos’ pain is clear in her eyes as she recalls her daughter being drenched, in the freezing cold, all while crying hysterically. Matos and her husband, Anthony Blanco, say they had nothing to keep their daughter warm, not even body heat, because they, too, were wet and cold. Matos says she hugged Brenda tightly and ran from house to house begging for help until they finally found a kind El Paso resident who helped them with clothes and shelter. “I asked God for help,” Glenda said. “God… put those people in my way. For Matos, the tiny red rosary with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, hanging from Brenda’s ancle, saved them. Matos says she wrapped the religious token on her daughter’s little body for protection when they left their native Venezuela. Brenda and her parents are some of the hundreds of migrants living in squalor in the streets of downtown El Paso around Sacred Heart Parish. The makeshift camp – with its piles of blankets, strollers and tents lining both sides of a busy street – has city officials expressing concerns about safety and public health given the area is packed with migrants who have no running water or proper shelter. The surge of migrants aggregating here started a few weeks ago, when anxiety about the scheduled end of the Trump-era pandemic public health rule known as Title 42 prompted thousands of migrants to turn themselves in to border authorities or to cross into the United States illegally in a very short period of time. Title 42 allows immigration authorities to swiftly return some migrants to Mexico. The policy was scheduled to lift last week, but a Supreme Court ruling kept the rule in place while legal challenges play out in court. One-of-a-kind surge While the impact of the ruling has sent ripples throughout the southern border, the scene in El Paso is one of a kind. It’s the only U.S. border town where hundreds of migrants are living in the streets longer than expected. It’s a new phenomenon that city officials say had never happened during prior migrant surges. It’s driven, in part, by the anxiety created by the uncertainty of Title 42, which motivated some migrants to cross the border illegally. These migrants don’t have family or sponsors in the US to receive them. And many also fear that traveling out of town without the proper paperwork could lead to apprehension by US immigration authorities. [caption id="attachment_33507" align="alignnone" width="1239"] Anthony Blanco poses with his wife Glenda Matos and 1-year-old Brenda in the cold of El Paso, Texas.[/caption] The misery around Sacred Heart Parish is palpable. Evelyn Palma has blankets hooked and draped on a chain-linked fence to keep the cold and the drizzle from hitting her five children, ages 1 to 8, some of them shirtless. She’s been living on the street for eight days. But Friday was especially miserable because it was 40 degrees and it poured overnight. “We woke up drenched,” Palma said. The 24-year-old mother from Honduras says she and her children turned themselves in to immigration authorities earlier this month, but they were swiftly returned to Mexico, likely under Title 42. That’s why, she says, that a week ago she decided to evade authorities by crossing the river. She is part of the growing number of migrants who El Paso city officials say have decided to enter the US illegally and, for various reasons, have not left the city. “They are people who came into the country in anticipation of Title 42 going away,” said Mario D’Agostino, El Paso’s deputy city manager. The living conditions Palma and other migrants are enduring has officials concerned about their safety and overall public health. City spokesperson Laura Cruz-Acosta says that the spread of disease is top of mind. “We are still in the middle of what is being called a ‘tripledemic,’ with continuing high infection levels of upper respiratory infections across the community,” Cruz-Acosta said. And while the city has space for about 1,500 migrants at shelters that have been erected at the convention center and at a public school, those beds are only offered to migrants who have turned themselves in to border authorities and have been allowed to stay in the US pending their immigration cases. Those migrants receive documentation from US Customs and Border Protection that allows them to travel within the country. Migrants who enter the country illegally are not offered city-provided shelter because federal dollars are being used to foot the bill. And those monies can’t be used to serve people who entered the country illegally, according to D’Agostino. City officials have been referring undocumented migrants to non-profit organizations and churches like Sacred Heart Parish, which turns into a shelter when night falls. [caption id="attachment_33508" align="alignnone" width="906"] Evelyn Palma receives gifts for her children in the streets of El Paso, Texas.[/caption] And while the city has space for about 1,500 migrants at shelters that have been erected at the convention center and at a public school, those beds are only offered to migrants who have turned themselves in to border authorities and have been allowed to stay in the US pending their immigration cases. Those migrants receive documentation from US Customs and Border Protection that allows them to travel within the country. Migrants who enter the country illegally are not offered city-provided shelter because federal dollars are being used to foot the bill. And those monies can’t be used to serve people who entered the country illegally, according to D’Agostino. City officials have been referring undocumented migrants to non-profit organizations and churches like Sacred Heart Parish, which turns into a shelter when night falls. That’s why hundreds of migrants aggregate on the streets around the church, hoping to score one of the 120 to 130 slots to enter the church for the night. Around 6 p.m., a line of migrants forms outside the church’s gymnasium. Parents can be seen clutching their children to try to keep them warm. Women and men with children are given priority, according to Rafael García, the priest that runs the shelter. García says it’s tough to send people away but that his church has limited resources to serve the growing need. Angello Sánchez and his 4-year-old son Anyeider were allowed into the shelter for the night several times this week. The Colombian father says he was trying to protect his son from the cold because his little face still had windburn from being out in the elements during the recent freeze. “I got here from southern Mexico on a train. It was so cold and he wasn’t wearing any jacket,” Angello said. Palma, the mother of five, says she was offered entry into the shelter with her children but decided not to take the offer because a pregnant friend who is accompanying her was denied access. El Paso, which means “The Pass” in Spanish, has historically been a gateway for migrants passing through into the United States. “For hundreds of years people have been passing through and it’s just part of their journey,” D’Agostino said. “In normal times the community doesn’t even realize it.” Fear of deportation But this migrant surge is different because migrants are staying for days and even more than a week, city officials say. Besides lacking family or sponsors in the US to receive them, many migrants don’t have money to pay for their transportation out of the city. And in the makeshift migrant camp around Sacred Heart Parish, word is spreading about another factor that has some undocumented migrants hunkering down in El Paso: The fear of getting detained at immigration checkpoints located in the interior of the US. In the last week, at least 364 undocumented migrants who were traveling in commercial buses headed to northern cities were detained at these immigration checkpoints, according to tweets posted by El Paso’s border patrol chief. Palma says she heard about the checkpoints and the apprehensions and decided to stay in El Paso longer while she figures out what to do. “If immigration detains me, they’ll return me,” Palma said. Juan Pérez, from Venezuela, was down the street and said that “immigration is in the exits [of the city]… they’ll return us and send us to Mexico.” The US has 110 Border Patrol checkpoints in the southern and northern borders, where vehicles are screened for the “illegal flow of people and contraband,” according to a recent US Government Accountability Office report. The checkpoints are usually between 25 and 100 miles from the border, according to the same report. Anthony Blanco holds a hand-written sign asking for a job while his wife, Glenda Matos, plays with Brenda in the streets of El Paso, Texas. Rosa Flores/CNN Anthony Blanco says he’s not afraid of being detained at these interior checkpoints. “I’ve walked through many different countries without documents. I don’t think we’re going to be detained, but if that happens, it was God’s will,” Blanco said. For days this week, Blanco has been holding a sign on the street corner that reads, “Help me with work so I can support my wife and baby,” and asking drivers who pass by for money for bus tickets to Denver. Why Denver? He says word has spread that there is work there and living is more affordable. Friday morning, a day which was especially miserable because it was cold after a hard overnight rain, Blanco was all smiles. He says he had collected enough money to continue his journey to Denver. “Thank God,” Blanco said. Source: CNN News

The PNG emergency ambulance service attended to 50 incidents in the 12 hours from 6pm and 6am on New Year’s Day. 39 of these were in NCD and 11 in regional stations. The ambulance service had 14 ambulances and response vehicles on duty during the NYE celebrations included six ambulances and four rapid response vehicles in NCD; two ambulances and a rapid response vehicle in Lae; one ambulance and one rapid response vehicle in Kokopo. 38 ambulance team members were involved in the operation including 30 ambulance staff in NCD, five in Lae and three in Kokopo, with additional on standby in case of significant emergency. The ambulance crews in NCD encountered challenges accessing patients in some incidents. That's from St John Ambulance PNG Commissioner/ CEO Matt Cannon. In one case ambulance crews were obstructed from attending to a male in a critical condition after falling down a drain. The ambulance crews were unable to approach the scene because youths from the area had blocked the road and were brandishing bush knives in a threatening manner. "There were a number of instances where drunk youths were throwing rocks at vehicles which meant responding to emergency incidents difficult for our crews." "We had to stand down or delay responding to some cases because it was too dangerous." Commissioner Cannon added that, "This is never a situation we want to be in, and as commissioner it is one of the most difficult decisions we make to delay responding to someone we know is in great need because it is too dangerous for our crews to respond to them." "It pains us all because we know these casualties need our help." These types of situation are all too common problems that make it difficult and post great personal risks for our brave ambulance workers trying to help people in urgent and critical need. Trauma accounted for many of the calls for help on NYE. The ambulance crews attended more shootings and stabbings than in a typical day. Other emergencies responded to included respiratory and obstetric emergencies. We thank the NCDC, Lae City Authority and ENB Provincial Government for giving great support to the ambulance service in 2022. The CEO of St Johns Ambulance further stated he thanked the public who welcomed in the new year safely and respectfully.

The Dragons are pleased to welcome Tongan international Ben Murdoch-Masila to the club for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The 14-Test veteran joins the Red V from the Warriors, where he played 27 games in two seasons after returning from a five-year stint in the Super League at Salford and Warrington. “Ben is a quality player with great experience and he certainly provides what we have been looking to build within our forward pack,” said Dragons General Manager of Football Ben Haran. “We are excited to see him join the playing group next week and look forward to the impact he will have at the club.” Source: Dragons.com

While some major cities around the world marked the New Year with a bang and festivities, celebrations were more muted in places experiencing surges of Covid-19, or enmeshed in war and conflict. Sydney, one of the world's first major cities to welcome in the New Year, did so with a typically dazzling fireworks display, which for the first time featured a rainbow waterfall off the famous Harbour Bridge. Australia celebrated its first restriction-free New Year's Eve after two years of Covid-19 disruptions. "This New Year's Eve we are saying Sydney is back as we kick off festivities around the world and bring in the New Year with a bang," said Clover Moore, lord mayor of the city, ahead of the events. Lockdowns at the end of 2020 and a surge in Omicron cases at the end of 2021 led to crowd restrictions and reduced festivities in Australia. However, curbs on celebrations were lifted in 2022 after Australia, like many countries around the world, re-opened its borders and removed social distancing restrictions. Sydney's 'family fireworks', displayed three hours before midnight every year ahead of the main show at midnight, fill the sky over the Opera House in Sydney on New Year's Eve. Photo: AFP/ David Gray The display in Sydney featured thousands of fireworks launched from the four sails of the Sydney Opera House and from the Harbour Bridge. Revellers celebrated across Asia from China to the Philippines to Thailand. In China, rigorous Covid-19 restrictions were lifted only last month in the government's reversal of its "zero-Covid" policy, a switch that has led to soaring infections and meant some people were in no mood to celebrate. "This virus should just go and die, cannot believe this year. I cannot even find a healthy friend that can go out with me and celebrate the passage into the New Year", wrote one social media user based in eastern Shandong province. Others expressed hope the New Year would herald China's return to pre-pandemic life. "I lived and worked under Covid throughout 2022 ... I hope 2023 is when everything can go back to what it was before 2020," said one user based in the neighbouring province of Jiangsu. Revellers attending a New Year celebration in Wuhan, in China's central Hubei province on December 31, 2022. Photo: AFP/ STR Security presence In the city of Wuhan, where the pandemic began three years ago, tens of thousands of people gathered to celebrate amid a heavy security presence. Barricades were erected and hundreds of police officers and other security workers stood guard on the night of the first large-scale spontaneous gathering in the city since nationwide protests in late November - soon after which Chinese authorities all but abandoned the zero-Covid policy. Officers shuttled people away from at least one popular New Year's Eve gathering point and used loudspeakers at various locations blasting out a short message on a loop advising people not to gather. "In the interest of your health and safety do not gather or stop," the message advised large crowds of revellers, who took no notice. In Shanghai, many thronged the historic riverside walkway, the Bund. "We've all travelled in from Chengdu to celebrate in Shanghai," said Da Dai, a 28-year-old digital media executive who was travelling with two friends. "We've already had Covid, so now feel it's safe to enjoy ourselves." Days after Hong Kong lifted limits on group gatherings, tens of thousands of people gathered near the city's Victoria Harbour for a countdown. Lights beamed from some of the city's biggest harbour-front buildings. It was the city's biggest New Year's Eve celebration in several years. The event was cancelled in 2019 due to often violent social unrest, and was scaled down in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Malaysia's government cancelled its New Year countdown and fireworks event at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur after flooding across the nation displaced tens of thousands of people and a landslide killed 31 people last month. Celebrations at the country's famous Petronas Twin Towers were pared down with no performances or fireworks. Fireworks in Jakarta, Indonesia, over the Selamat Datang (Welcome) Monument, taken on January 1, 2023. Photo: AFP/ Adek Berry Ukraine war Europe was bidding farewell to a year that saw a major war erupt after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, with no end in sight to the conflict. Curfews ranging from 7pm to midnight remained in place across Ukraine, making the celebration of the beginning of 2023 impossible in public spaces. Several regional governors posted messages on social media warning residents not to break restrictions on New Year's Eve, with some even warning that the police presence on city streets would be increased at night. "I would really like this year to be over", said Kyiv resident Oksana Mozorenko, 35, though she said her family had put up a Christmas tree and bought presents to make it "a real holiday". Russia carried out its second major round of missile attacks on Ukraine in three days on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said, with explosions reported throughout the country. "The terrorist country launched several waves of missiles. They are wishing us a happy New Year. But we will persevere," the governor of Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba, wrote on Telegram. Russian President Vladimir Putin devoted his annual New Year's address to rallying the Russian people behind his troops fighting in Ukraine. Hundreds of tourists and citizens attend a water and laser show to celebrate the New Year 2023 on the main square in Graz, Austria. Photo: AFP/ Erwin Scheriau Europe marks the New Year Paris was set to stage its first New Year fireworks since 2019. A 10-minute firework show was set to kick off at midnight, with 500,000 people expected to gather on the Champs-Elysees avenue to watch. Like many places, the Czech capital Prague was feeling the pinch economically and so was not holding a fireworks display. "The main reasons include the situation in Ukraine and the unfavourable economic situation of many Prague households and the related need to seek financial savings on the part of the capital," city hall spokesman Vit Hofman said. "Holding celebrations did not seem appropriate." In an echo of sometimes violent weather extremes around the world in 2022, heavy rain and high winds on Saturday meant firework shows in the Netherlands' main cities including Amsterdam and The Hague - and the national televised display in the port city of Rotterdam - were cancelled. But several European cities recorded record warmth for the time of year. The Czech Hydro-meteorological Institute said on Twitter it was seeing the warmest New Year's Eve recorded, with the temperature in Prague's centre, where records go back 247 years, reaching 17.7 Celsius. It was also the warmest New Year's Eve ever recorded in France, official weather forecaster Meteo France said. In Croatia, dozens of cities, including the capital Zagreb, cancelled the fireworks after pet lovers warned about the damaging effects of noise and gases on animals and people, calling for more environmentally aware celebrations. The Adriatic town of Rovinj planned to replace fireworks with laser shows and Zagreb was putting on confetti, visual effects and music. The port town of Rijeka aimed to re-direct funds allocated for fireworks to animal care associations, authorities said. -Reuters

My Fellow Papua New Guineans, It is with warm and joyous greetings, I bring optimism for a better, happy and prosperous New Year - 2023. As I look back on this year that we are about to transit from, I notice the many challenges we have encountered; but challenges we have managed to overcome. As we moved beyond the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were hit by inflation triggered by the Russian-Ukraine Crisis, which took a toll on our goods and services, particularly our fuel and food prices. If that wasn’t enough to bear, we encountered more challenging times during our 2022 National General Election, and the aftermath seemed unfortunate, yet we managed to pull through, regardless. However, despite all the economic hardships we have faced, we must walk with optimism into 2023. With God’s mercy and grace, the future holds a brighter year for us. In this New Year’s message, this evening, I would like to take the opportunity to remind us all that this Government, composed of vibrant and dedicated leaders, will serve you to the best of our ability. Only some weeks ago, your Government passed the 2023 National Budget with a record total expenditure of K24.567 billion – a 10.8 per cent increase on the original 2022 Budget, making it the largest in the 47-year history of our country. 2022 marked the first year our country reached the K20 billion mark. This is not just our budget numbers and allocations that matter, but the policies behind them. Your Government stands ready to unlock rural Papua New Guinea and return our economy to being debt free by year 2034. Over the four years since taking Office, your Government has successfully and steadily reduced our fiscal deficits from -8.6 percent in 2020 to a -4.75 percent projected for year 2023 and further aims to reduce it in the years to follow. At this optimistic rate of progress, we can already foresee budget surpluses, predictably by 2027. As we establish measures for a zero sovereign debt by 2033, your Government has recently made our first investment of K5.6 million into the long-awaited Sovereign Wealth Fund, enabling us to be a competitive lender to our neighbours by 2040. The 2023 National Budget also continues to move forward into spaces, where previous governments have not given enough attention. Areas such as Health, holistic Education, Agriculture, the growth of small and medium businesses to create a bigger economy-supporting Middle Class for PNG, downstream processing of our natural resources, and infrastructure development to connect rural PNG. For Education, we recently paid the last tranche of K158 million from the K800 million allocated for all school fees from elementary right up to high school, colleges and universities. All who have left schools have options of continual lower education on Flexible Open Distance Education (FODE) and also a link to SME/TVET education. We want no child to be left behind. We aspire for our children to become positive contributors to the growth of our country’s economy. In Health, your Government has allocated even more funding in the Budget to further rehabilitate the declining health system, consequentially from years of neglect by governments, since Independence. As promised, this year, your Marape-led Government will continue to build the 22 world-class hospitals in each province, including the Special Autonomous Region of Bougainville, altogether totalling K470 million. Some of which will be opened this year. Another K60 million has gone toward the construction of the heart and cancer facilities at PNG’s leading referral hospital, the Port Moresby General Hospital. I do not want to see Papua New Guineans going to seek health services overseas, and I have directed that in our country, health service access must be within one hour reach by foot, by boat, by car or by a plane. I n the Agricultural sector, K200 million has already been allocated to be within the reach of 80 percent of our rural-based population. Complementing your Government’s Price Support Programme and Agriculture Intervention, we have now created separate ministries for Coffee, Oil Palm and Livestock, respectively, for increased revenue generation and more efficiency. In Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, your Government continues to support the growth of small businesses. This follows through from the success of 2021, where almost 600 small and medium businesses have started out of low-cost business borrowings Papua New Guineans have made. This is from the K100 million the Government had installed at BSP to implement our policy on growing MSMEs. In downstream processing – an area long talked about but hardly ventured upon, our Government has already launched Manus Province as a Special Economic Zone and is now focusing on opening the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ), in Madang, this year. It is well overdue that PNG starts processing the fish caught in its waters onshore so we keep all the benefits in the value chain, such as jobs and other spin-off benefits. This Government will also expand its focus on downstream processing for all sectors in mining, petroleum, forestry and agriculture too, so we can add value to our resources and create more ripple economic gains, including employment and Kina entrapment in our domestic economy. With such focus, in Agriculture - for instance - we would like to put a ban on imports of foods like rice and beef, and those we can grow and process locally. This journey has already started when we took Office and will be further entrenched in 2023, going forward. As I have envisaged to build our economy bigger and our country better, our signature Connect PNG programme continues to put in place the country’s enabling infrastructure – roads, airports, wharves, jetties, airstrips, bridges, electricity, and telecommunications. For instance, we are currently building 323 roads covering over 1,900 kilometres into mostly rural Papua New Guinea. All these are currently underway and will achieve a 100 percent connectivity by the Year 2040. For the extractive sector, it is time to Take Back what is rightfully ours – a larger share of benefits in our own natural resources God has blessed us with, but of course, with respect to our laws that allow our investors to make a return on their investments, in our country. PNG’s Vision 2050 also summons us to act prudently to reach the goal where as a country, we are all "healthy, happy and prosperous by 2050". Our Budget for this year is set, and I am very pleased with the Team headed by Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey, for putting together a very respectable budget amidst the challenges of economic hardship. I am very mindful of the course our country is on, especially with relation to key national milestones such as our 50th anniversary, which play essential roles in measuring our progress. In less than two years, PNG will celebrate its Golden Jubilee. As I close, I make a final call to all our people including politicians and residents, to respect each other and each other's rights; to be law-abiding as we proceed through 2023. Let us commit to respect the child and wife in your house, the women and children in your community and workplace, the elderly, and those living with disabilities amongst us. Be kind and warm to our foreign residents and visitors in our country. By doing these, you will have truly contributed to “Taking Back PNG” from the wrong road and putting our country onto the right road to economic independence, where we do not leave anyone behind. I want to conclude by thanking all those who helped our country in 2022. Our people and the praying Christian churches for living through with understanding of the hard times we lived in 2022, our business and civil community, foreign investors, bi-lateral and multilateral partners, the Judiciary, the Parliament, and our faithful public servants, right across the country. It was a privilege serving you all in 2022, and I look forward to your support and to work with you all again in 2023. In conclusion, I thank our God once again for the blessings and protection in 2022, and I wish you all a Happy and Safe New Year, as we look forward to God’s continuing care in 2023 and beyond. May God bless you all and may God bless Papua New Guinea. HON. JAMES MARAPE, MP Prime Minister

Dignitaries and religious leaders have been paying tribute to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died Saturday in a monastery in the Vatican at the age of 95. Benedict, who was the first pontiff in almost 600 years to resign his position, rather than hold office for life, passed away on Saturday, according to a statement from the Vatican. “With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican,” the Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni said. The funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will be held on Thursday in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City at 9:30 a.m. local time, Bruni said. The funeral will be led by Pope Francis. The former pope’s body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican from Monday for the faithful to bid farewell, Vatican News reported Saturday. As per the wish of Pope Emeritus, his funeral will be “simple,” Bruni said. Pope Francis in his first public comments after the death of former Pope Benedict XVI called him a “noble person” and hailed his predecessor’s “sacrifices for the good of the church.” “We are moved as we recall him as such a noble person, so kind and we feel such gratitude in our hearts, gratitude to god for giving him to the church, and to the world,” he said on Saturday. Francis paid his homage to Benedict in Saint Peter’s Basilica while leading traditional vespers ceremony ahead of New Year’s Day. “Gratitude to him for all the good he accomplished and above all for his witness of faith and prayer, especially in these last years of his life. Only God knows the value of his sacrifices for the good of the church,” Francis said. News of Benedict’s death came days after Pope Francis asked the faithful to pray for him, saying he was “very sick.” His health had been in decline for some time. Benedict stunned the Catholic faithful and religious experts around the world on February 11, 2013, when he announced plans to step down from his position as Pope, citing his “advanced age.” [caption id="attachment_33509" align="alignnone" width="906"] The former pope, pictured on September 9, 2007, was known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis.[/caption] In his farewell address, the outgoing pope promised to stay “hidden” from the world, but he continued to speak out on religious matters in the years following his retirement, contributing to tensions within the Catholic Church. A powerful and polarizing voice Benedict was a powerful force in the Catholic Church for decades. Born Joseph Ratzinger in Germany in 1927, he was the son of a policeman. He was ordained as a priest in 1951, made a cardinal in 1977, and later served as chief theological adviser to Pope John Paul II. One of his most significant steps up came in 1981 when he took over as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, the Vatican office that oversees “the doctrine on the faith and morals throughout the Catholic world,” according to the Vatican. Ratzinger became known as “Cardinal No” stemming from his efforts to crack down on the liberation theology movement, religious pluralism, challenges to traditional teachings on issues such as homosexuality, and calls to ordain women as priests. He was elected pope in April 2005, following John Paul II’s death. He was known to be more conservative than his successor, Pope Francis, who has made moves to soften the Vatican’s position on abortion and homosexuality, as well as doing more to deal with the sexual abuse crisis that has engulfed the church in recent years and clouded Benedict’s legacy. In April 2019, Benedict discussed the sex abuse crisis in a public letter, claiming that it was caused in part by the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the liberalization of the church’s moral teachings. In January 2020, Benedict was forced to distance himself from a book widely seen as undercutting Francis as he considered whether or not to allow married men to become priests in certain cases. The book, “From the Depths of Our Hearts,” argued in favor of the centuries-old tradition of priestly celibacy within the Catholic Church. Benedict was originally listed as co-author, but later clarified that he had only contributed one section of the text. A year later, Benedict came under fire over his time as archbishop of Munich and Freising, between 1977 and 1982, following the publication of a Church-commissioned report into abuse by Catholic clergy there. The report found that while in the post he had been informed of four cases of sexual abuse involving minors – including two that had occurred during his time in office – but failed to act. It also revealed Benedict had attended a meeting about an abuser identified as Priest X. Following the report’s publication, Benedict pushed back against accusations that he knew in 1980 that this priest was an abuser. In a letter released by the Vatican amid the furor, Benedict wrote that he was “of good cheer” as he faced “the final judge of my life,” despite his shortcomings. He also issued a general apology to survivors of abuse. ‘Giant of faith and reason’ Global leaders paid homage to the former pope, following his death. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England, said he is “mourning” the former pope. “Pope Benedict was one of the greatest theologians of his age – committed to the faith of the Church and stalwart in its defence,” Welby said in a statement Saturday. “In all things, not least in his writing and his preaching, he looked to Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God. It was abundantly clear that Christ was the root of his thought and the basis of his prayer. “In 2013 Pope Benedict took the courageous and humble step to resign the papacy, the first Pope to do so since the fifteenth century. In making this choice freely he acknowledged the human frailty that affects us all,” he added. [caption id="attachment_33510" align="alignnone" width="906"] Global leaders have paid homage to the former German-born pope, pictured on September 12, 2006.[/caption] Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, said he will remember the former pope with “love and gratitude.” “Saddened to learn of the demise of His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola tweeted Saturday. “Europe mourns him. May he rest in peace.” The leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, on Saturday told Pope Francis he had received news of Benedict’s passing with “sorrow,” according to the message shared on the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate. “His Holiness’s many years of life marked a whole epoch in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, which he led in a difficult historical period, associated with many external and internal challenges,” Kirill said of Benedict. Kirill added relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church had “developed significantly” during Benedict’s tenure, in an effort to “overcome the sometimes-painful legacy of the past.” “On behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church, I express my condolences to you and the flock of the Roman Catholic Church,” he continued. US President Joe Biden said the late pontiff “will be remembered as a renowned theologian, with a lifetime of devotion to the Church, guided by his principles and faith.” Biden, the second Catholic to serve as President of the United States, reflected on his meeting with Benedict at the Vatican in 2011, saying he remembered “his generosity and welcome as well as our meaningful conversation.” “As he remarked during his 2008 visit to the White House, ‘the need for global solidarity is as urgent as ever, if all people are to live in a way worthy of their dignity.’ May his focus on the ministry of charity continue to be an inspiration to us all,” Biden added. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also paid tribute. “I am saddened to learn of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI,” Sunak tweeted Saturday. “He was a great theologian whose UK visit in 2010 was an historic moment for both Catholics and non-Catholics throughout our country. Italy’s new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni voiced her admiration for the former pope. “Benedict XVI was a giant of faith and reason. He put his life at the service of the universal Church and spoke, and will continue to speak, to the hearts and minds of men with the spiritual, cultural and intellectual depth of his Magisterium,” she tweeted Saturday. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is leading Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, called the former pope “a staunch defender of traditional Christian values.” Source: CNN News

Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr on a deal that runs until 2025. The Portugal captain is a free agent after leaving Manchester United following a controversial interview in which he criticized the club. Ronaldo will reportedly receive the biggest football salary in history at more than £177m per year. The 37-year-old says he is "eager to experience a new football league in a different country". Ronaldo added: "I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia." Al Nassr - nine-time Saudi Pro League champions - described the signing as "history in the making". The club said it would "inspire our league, nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves". In the summer, Ronaldo turned down a £305m deal to join another Saudi team - Al Hilal - because he was happy at United. Earlier in November, the striker spoke out in an interview with Piers Morgan for TalkTV in which he said he felt "betrayed" by United, did not respect manager Erik ten Hag and was being forced out of the club. Ronaldo, who scored 145 goals in 346 appearances for United, left Juventus to rejoin the Old Trafford club in August 2021 - 11 years after he departed to join Real Madrid. He had just over seven months remaining on his £500,000-a-week contract with United but his immediate exit was "mutually agreed". A day after he left the club, he was banned for two domestic matches for knocking a phone out of an Everton fan's hand after United's defeat at Goodison Park in April. He will serve the ban at domestic level with any new club - in England or abroad - although it does not apply at continental club level, such as the Champions League. Ronaldo recently returned from playing for Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar, where he made history by becoming the first man to score at five different Fifa World Cups with his strike in his side's opening win against Ghana. Source: BBC