Lionel Messi finally achieved his World Cup dream as Argentina won their third crown on penalties in one of the greatest finals in the tournament's history. Argentina won the shootout 4-2 after a spectacular game which developed into the much-anticipated confrontation between the 35-year-old maestro Messi and his France opposite number Kylian Mbappe. France's own superstar scored a hat-trick - the first in a Fifa World Cup final since 1966 - but still ended up on the losing side at Lusail Stadium. Messi looked to be securing the one major honour missing from his glittering collection in comfort as Argentina cruised into a two-goal lead. But an explosive intervention from Mbappe, who scored two goals inside two minutes late on. Messi had given Argentina the lead from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute following Ousmane Dembele's foul on Angel di Maria. It made him the first player in World Cup history to score in the group stage, last 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final of a single tournament. He then contributed a delicate touch within a magnificent counter-attack that ended with Brighton's Alexis Mac Allister setting up Di Maria for the second 13 minutes later. 'Now hard to argue against Messi being football's greatest' 'Breathless, staggering and magnificent' - was final one of best ever? Messi's World Cup trophy lift provides iconic image Argentina were untroubled until the closing stages, only for Mbappe to give France a lifeline from the penalty spot with nine minutes left - then restore equality with a magnificent volley moments later. Messi bundled Argentina back in front in extra time, but Mbappe completed his treble from the spot two minutes from the end of a frantic, chaotic added spell. And so it went to penalties, with the two greats opening the scoring. But Argentina and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved from Kingsley Coman, before Aurelian Tchouameni missed, leaving Gonzalo Montiel to win the World Cup. Messi, a World Cup winner at last, collapsed to his knees in the centre circle and was engulfed by jubilant Argentina team-mates. The mind games of Argentina's dancing hero Martinez World Cup Daily podcast: Argentina champions after 'best game ever' Reaction to one of the most dramatic World Cup finals Tearful Messi reaches peak Messi stood at the pinnacle of his career as Argentina closed out time in the World Cup final, only for great rival Mbappe to threaten to knock him off and leave him in despair. Instead, this World Cup - which will now have Messi's name attached to it forever, along with a final that will rank alongside the greats - gave the iconic Argentine the conclusion he wanted. Messi was imperious for 80 minutes in his final World Cup game as Argentina exerted complete control over a strangely laboured France, scoring his penalty with ease before contributing crucially to a second goal which was a team creation of beauty finished off by Di Maria. And then came Mbappe. And then came France. In an atmosphere of disbelief among the massed ranks of Argentina fans who were starting to celebrate victory, Lionel Scaloni's team had to lift themselves once more from the double blow inflicted by Mbappe. Inevitably it was Messi who gave them hope again, showing he was happy to do the dirty work by turning home a scrambled finish in the box in the second period of extra time - only for Mbappe to answer again. But Argentina prevailed on penalties and Messi was the centre of attention when Montiel sent the decisive penalty past France keeper Hugo Lloris. Amid wild scenes of celebration, Messi fell to his knees in tears and raised his arms to the skies, before disappearing beneath a mountain of team-mates. Messi then took to the microphone to address Argentina's jubilant fans, his Holy Grail reached, another piece of evidence assembled in the argument that would have many declare him the game's greatest player. Elation in Argentina, sorrow in France - fans react Messi wins Golden Ball, Mbappe wins Golden Boot Mbappe the history-maker in defeat Mbappe cemented his status as one of the game's modern greats with only the second hat-trick in a World Cup final, following Sir Geoff Hurst's when England beat West Germany in 1966. But the 23-year-old still suffered the pain of defeat. Mbappe was as anonymous as most of his team for the first 80 minutes, ill-served amid an unfathomably poor France display - which they put in despite seeking to become the first side to retain the trophy since Brazil did so 60 years ago, and only the third ever after Italy won in 1934 and 1938. Manager Didier Deschamps even made two substitutions before half-time, replacing Olivier Giroud and Dembele with Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani. And yet it was Mbappe who revived France in those sensational seconds when they went from looking like timid losers to potential winners, then getting his third from the spot after Messi had put Argentina back in front. In a stunning period of extra time during which both sides exchanged chances, France could have won but for a superb last-gasp save by Martinez with his outstretched boot from Muani. Instead, Mbappe will find history no consolation as he was embraced by his team-mates and French President Emmanuel Macron at the end of this enthralling spectacle. Source: BBC News

The Commissioner of Police, David Manning, has made it clear that criminals carrying guns and other weapons are at high risk of being killed through the legitimate use of force by Disciplined Forces Personnel. Mr. Manning said the Government’s announced intention for legislative amendments on offences and categories of assault relating to officials involved in security and public administration will provide a further deterrence to targeted attacks. “The Prime Minister has made it very clear to gunmen and other criminals that choose to carry weapons to cause fear and to harm other people, will most likely be shot and die as a result of their injuries,” the Commissioner said. “An escalated response to a criminal brandishing a gun is law enforcement procedure in countries around the world, because the primary concern is the protection of the public ahead of the safety of the gunman. “Reality is not like a movie, warning shots do not work if a gunman is about to shoot another person, and Disciplined Personnel are trained to fire at the center of mass to stop an assailant. This is the chest and abdomen area, and in most instances these shots will kill the gunman. “Every legal means will be used to prevent a criminal carrying a weapon in public from harming another person, be they members of the public or Disciplined Forces Personnel. “There are no second chances when a suspect has a weapon and is not compliant with Police direction, they must be stopped from discharging the weapon.” The Commissioner said the intended Criminal Code amendments to escalate the level of charge and penalties for attacks on security and government officials are a step forward in strengthening law and order. “It must be clear to criminals that if they attempt to interference with the administration of Government and law and order in our country, they will be singled out and face harsher penalties. “This is likely to include changes to categories of assault relating to private citizens, Members of the Disciplined Forces and Members of Parliament, and penalties dependent on aggravating circumstances as to the official assaulted, wounded or killed. “Disciplined Forces personnel are the frontline of the Nation’s attack on criminals, and often their response is to target Police, Military or lawmakers. “With the growth of international organized crime attempting to infiltrate our country that threat is growing, so we are increasing our mechanisms to meet these challenges.” When it comes to violent crime using firearms, Mr. Manning said several laws have been enacted to take action against people carrying weapons with intent to cause fear or harm. “According to the Firearms Act, someone who threatens to discharge or points a firearm towards another person is committing a crime. “Under the Arrest Act, authorized persons, meaning an official empowered to make an arrest under PNG laws, who attempts to affect an arrest a person and the suspect resists, are authorized to use all reasonable means to make the arrest. “The threat is more serious when a person carrying a weapon is part of a group that is organized or able to use physical force. Under the Criminal Code, this means people carrying weapons to cause fear or terror, or to use a weapon against the functions of the Police or Defense Force, are committing a crime. “In terms of Disciplined Forces personnel, under the Summary Offences Act, a person who assaults a member of the Police Force in the course of their duty is committing a crime. “But the reality is that it does not matter if a gunman is threatening a Police Officer, a Soldier, a Parliament Member or any member of the public, as a means to protect lives an armed criminal will likely be shot and most likely killed.”

A woman has died after being injured in a crush at a gig at London's Brixton O2 Academy that left several others hurt. The concert, by Afro-pop singer Asake, had to be abandoned part-way through after a "large number of people" tried to force their way inside on Thursday, the Met Police said. Mother-of-two Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, from Newham, east London, died in hospital on Saturday morning, the Met said. Her family said she was a nursing graduate known for "care and kindness". Two other women aged 21 and 23 remain in a critical condition, police added. Asake said he was "overwhelmed with grief" and "devastated" by her death. The artist said he had spoken to Ms Ikumelo's family and asked people to "keep them in our prayers". In a statement released through the Met, her family said Ms. Ikumelo was an "adorable mother of two children who loved working with kids". They said: "She was well respected in the family for her care, kindness and love. "Her parents call her Tosin (short for Oluwatosin) meaning 'Lord is Worthy'." Academy Music Group, which owns and runs the venue, said in a statement: "All at O2 Academy Brixton and Academy Music Group are deeply saddened by the news of the tragic death of Rebecca Ikumelo. "We send our heartfelt condolences to Rebecca's family and friends, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this devastating news at this extremely difficult time." London Mayor Sadiq Khan also wrote in a tweet he was "heartbroken" by the death. He said it was "vital that the investigation into what happened concludes as soon as possible" and added that City Hall was working with authorities "to ensure nothing like this happens again". Videos on social media showed the crowd stretching from the road outside to the venue's doors. Speaking at the scene on Friday, Ch Supt Colin Wingrove said: "I'd like to extend my sympathies to all those who have been affected. "Having seen some of the really upsetting images on social media our thoughts are with them," he added. The force said more than 4,000 people were in attendance at the gig and it has set up a website for people to submit relevant photos and videos. In a statement outside Brixton police station on Friday afternoon, Mr Wingrove said officers were called by staff at the venue "following reports that a large number of people were attempting to force entry". He added: "Some officers provided first aid and CPR to members of the public in order to save life." Florence Eshalomi, Labour MP for Vauxhall whose constituency includes Brixton, tweeted on Saturday: "I visited the site this morning and I've been dreading this news ever since the incident and hoping it would never never come. "My thoughts and prayers to Rebecca Ikumelo's family and friends. Such a tragic loss of a young 33 year old with so much life ahead of her." The first officers were reported to be on the scene at 21:11 GMT, seven minutes after they were called. The concert was the final performance of three sold-out shows at the venue by Nigerian singer Asake, sometimes known as Mr Money. Before the gig, he had posted on Twitter asking fans not to try to gain entry unless they had tickets. In a statement published on Twitter on Saturday, Asake said: "I am overwhelmed with grief and could never have imagined anything like this happening. "My team and I are still awaiting the full debrief back from the venue management and the police to determine what exactly led to all the disruption caused and ultimately to Rebecca's passing." He urged anyone with information to contact police.   Source: BBC

Two far-off planets are likely made of water, according to research conducted using NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer telescopes. The so-called “water worlds” are orbiting a red dwarf star, the smallest and coolest kind of star, according to a news release from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The aqueous planets are 218 light-years away in the constellation Lyra, says NASA. And they’re “unlike any planets found in our solar system,” the agency said. The finding that the planets are likely composed of mostly water comes from a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy on Thursday. A research team led by Caroline Piaulet, a PhD student at the University of Montreal’s Institute for Research on Exoplanets, used NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes to observe the distant planetary system. The planetary system they studied is called Kepler-138 because it’s located within the field of vision of NASA’s Kepler spacecraft. Researchers have known about the existence of three exoplanets – the term for planets outside our solar system – within the Kepler-138 system but have only just discovered two of them are likely made out of water. They also discovered evidence for a fourth planet that hadn’t been described before. But the finding isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. The scientists didn’t directly detect water at exoplanets Kepler-138c and Kepler-138d. Instead, they compared the sizes and masses of the planets to models for comparison. When they compared the planets to the models, they found “that a significant fraction of their volume – up to half of it – should be made of materials that are lighter than rock but heavier than hydrogen or helium.” Water is the likeliest candidate for a material that’s lighter than rock but heavier than hydrogen or helium, says NASA. Source: CNN

The Councillor of Wutung Village, the border village of Sandaun Province and Chairman of the landowner company of the proposed Papua New Guinea (PNG) Trade Centre in Wutung village have reached an agreement with the Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru and the Sandaun Provincial Government and Administration to provide land for the establishment of the Trade Centre. The agreement reached during the recent trip of Minister Maru and the Japan Development Institute (JDI) Expert Team to visit Vanimo are as follows: The land identified for the Trade Centre at Wutung Village will not be sold to the government but only leased long term to the National Government. All business spin off for the Trade Centre like security, cleaning, etc will be given to the landowner company. The National Government will fund the cost of building a new bore water supply system for the proposed Trade Centre and the border post at Wutung. The same water supply system must also provide a continuous and free water supply system to Wutung Village. Currently, there is no electricity and water supply at the border post, resulting in all the scanning machines including the truck which has the scanning machines has not been used since 2018. “They are all gathering dust, including the office complex as there is no water. The whole border post is in a despicable state and we must act now to fix all these shambles if we are serious to trade with Indonesia,” said Minister Maru. “I have asked the Sandaun Governor and his administration to meet the cost of connecting electricity from Vanimo to Wutung as a matter of priority at the cost of the Sandaun Provincial Government while the National Government will take care of funding the water supply system and lease the land from the Wutung landowners for the Trade Centre. We cannot continue the one-way trade of our people going to Batas in Indonesia to buy Indonesian goods. The time has come for us to get our act together and build the Trade Centre at Wutung. This has to be a shared responsibility between the National Government, Sandaun Provincial Government and the Vanimo District DDA,” Minister Maru said.

A Sanskrit grammatical problem which has perplexed scholars since the 5th Century BC has been solved by a University of Cambridge PhD student. Rishi Rajpopat, 27, decoded a rule taught by Panini, a master of the ancient Sanskrit language who lived around 2,500 years ago. Sanskrit is mostly spoken in India by an estimated 25,000 people, the university said. Mr Rajpopat said he had "a eureka moment in Cambridge" after spending nine months "getting nowhere". "I closed the books for a month and just enjoyed the summer - swimming, cycling, cooking, praying and meditating," he said. "Then, begrudgingly I went back to work, and, within minutes, as I turned the pages, these patterns starting emerging, and it all started to make sense." He said he "would spend hours in the library including in the middle of the night", but still needed to work for another two-and-a-half years on the problem. Sanskrit, although not widely spoken, is the sacred language of Hinduism and has been used in India's science, philosophy, poetry and other secular literature over the centuries. Panini's grammar, known as the Astadhyayi, relied on a system that functioned like an algorithm to turn the base and suffix of a word into grammatically correct words and sentences. However, two or more of Panini's rules often apply simultaneously, resulting in conflicts. Panini taught a "metarule", which is traditionally interpreted by scholars as meaning "in the event of a conflict between two rules of equal strength, the rule that comes later in the grammar's serial order wins". However, this often led to grammatically incorrect results.`1 Mr Rajpopat rejected the traditional interpretation of the metarule. Instead, he argued that Panini meant that between rules applicable to the left and right sides of a word respectively, Panini wanted us to choose the rule applicable to the right side. Employing this interpretation, he found the Panini's "language machine" produced grammatically correct words with almost no exceptions. "I hope this discovery will infuse students in India with confidence, pride and hope that they too can achieve great things," said Mr Rajpopat, from India. His supervisor at Cambridge, professor of Sanskrit Vincenzo Vergiani, said: "He has found an extraordinarily elegant solution to a problem which has perplexed scholars for centuries. "This discovery will revolutionise the study of Sanskrit at a time when interest in the language is on the rise."

A Sudanese woman charged with adultery has had her life spared and will instead spend six months behind bars after she admitted to kissing a man. The 20-year-old was initially sentenced to death by stoning, sparking an international outcry. She was arrested by police after her cousin killed her boyfriend. The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) described the initial penalty as a "grave violation of international law". The divorcee was sentenced to death after she was found guilty of adultery by a court in the city of Kosti, in Sudan's White Nile state. Following international condemnation, the White Nile state court retried the case. Ultimately, the presiding judge changed the charge from "adultery" to an "obscene act" which meant she would instead serve prison time for her actions. She confessed in court to being with a man and admitted that the pair had kissed. Her lawyer, Intisar Abdullah, said the judge "didn't have many options but to convict her". "The thing is she confessed at the court that she was with a man, she is very young and she doesn't know the complications of the case," the lawyer told the BBC. The woman had been free on bail but has now gone to prison to start her sentence. The ACJPS said she was not allowed a lawyer in the initial case, and procedural errors led to the stoning sentence being overturned. Sudan still imposes the death penalty for some hudud crimes - offences specified by Allah in the Quran, including theft and adultery. In Sudanese law they carry penalties such as flogging, the amputation of hands and feet, hanging and stoning. The majority of stoning sentences in Sudan - laid predominantly against women - have been overturned at the High Court. Previously, a government minister described the sentence as a "joke" but admitted that no government minister could intervene. Sudan has been run by a military junta since a coup in 2021.   Source: BBC

Malaysian search and rescue teams are scouring a holiday campsite in the Selangor state for survivors after a landslide killed at least 21 people. Families were sleeping in their tents when the landslide happened around 03:00 Friday (19:00 GMT Thursday) at a farm stay in Batang Kali township. Some 400 rescue workers spent Friday digging through mud to find 12 missing people, local media reported. Among the victims are five children and 12 women, officials announced. Fire Chief Norazam Khamis also told local media that two of the bodies were found "hugging each other" and are believed to be mother and daughter. The farm's managers said at least 30 children and 51 adults were registered for an overnight stay, and Health Miniser Zaliha Mustafa said one of those injured was a pregnant woman. More than 20 primary school teachers and their family members were also at the campsite, according to a New Straits Times report. Malaysia's fire and rescue department said a 30m (100ft) high slope impacted the campsite in "a terrible tragedy". Government authorities noted that the landslide involved about 450,000 sq m of soil. The camp site had been operating illegally, according to local government development minister Nga Kor Ming. He added that the operator had government approval to run an organic farm, but was not permitted to run camping activities. If found guilty of violating the law, the owner could be jailed up to three years or fined up to 50,000 ringgit (£9,306; $11,318). Mr. Nga also said he ordered all "high-risk" camping sites - those located along rivers, waterfalls and hillsides - across Malaysia to immediately shut down for seven days. Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi echoed the message, warning that the weather was expected to worsen in the coming days. "We have to learn from what has happened today," he said. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Singapore's foreign ministry said three of its citizens were among those rescued. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong expressed "heartfelt condolences and sympathies to all those affected by the landslide". It is unclear what triggered the landslide, which happened in a forested, hilly area next to the side of the road in Batang Kali, close to the Genting Highland region. Locals reported some light rain, but no heavy downpours or any earthquakes in the lead up to it. However, monsoon season is currently underway in Malaysia. Pictures posted online by Malaysia's rescue agencies showed crews of helmeted workers clambering up uneven ground, past uprooted trees and other debris. One camper, Teh Lynn Xuan, said she and her mother had survived, but her brother had died and another brother had been injured and taken to hospital. "We felt the tents becoming unstable and soil was falling around us," she told Malaysian newspaper Berita Harian. "My mother and I managed to crawl out and save ourselves." She said they had been camping with a big group of more than 40 people. Another survivor, Leong Jim Meng, said he and his family were woken by an explosion before the ground began to shift. They were briefly trapped in their tents by debris before managing to escape. "It was too dark to see clearly what was happening," he said. And a campsite worker, Thawng Uk, told the Reuters news agency that they had narrowly survived the disaster after being roused by neighbours. "I have never seen such a horrible incident. I feel so shocked and terrified," the 35-year-old said. "We could bring nothing at all as we urgently ran. We are asking around where to get shelter and food." Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was due to arrive at the site later on Friday, following visits from several other government ministers. He offered condolences to the victims and prayers for more survivors on his Facebook page.   Source: BBC

Minister Responsible for National Gaming Control Board, Manasseh Makiba, MP has challenged the Board and Management of NGCB to collect annual gaming revenue of K2 billion starting next year. He made this remark during a welcome reception at the Stanley Hotel in Port Moresby on 13th December 2022. Minister Makiba while was pleased with the Board’s performance and achievements for the past 27 years said in line with the Government’s ‘take back PNG’, NGCB must align with Government policy to take back gaming industry. “The Board and Management must reach a target of K2 billion in revenue in 2023 and onwards and meet the Government’s aim for the country to become a K200 billion economy in the next 10 years." “I am pleased to know that the NGCB generates over K55 million monthly of which fifty five percent (55%) goes directly to Government in the form of tax through IRC. “I want the Board to keep this momentum but must set target to increase the revenue and assist the Government on the development phases of our country to be smart, wise, fair, healthy and a happy society by 2050. The Minister further said that he will work with the Board and Management to create Investment and Dividend Trust Funds and certain percentage from the Community Benefit Fund 7% levy received monthly be allocated to these two new Trust Funds. “This is to assist the Board park aside funds and invest into businesses for sustainability in the long run”, Minister Makiba said. The Minister was adamant that the Community Benefit Trust Fund ‘Give Back Program’ be revisited and changes be made to ensure funds are diverted to strategic development as well as consider investing into businesses as part of long term growth, development and sustainability of the Board. “ I am aware that NGCB has invested a lot into sports in the country, thus it is time we prioritize and look at ways to expand the industry and generate more revenue to support the Government achieving the Vision 2050,” Minister Makiba said. Furthermore, the Minister said the Gaming Control Bill 2021 is still under review and when complete, he will table in Parliament . “The new bill will include proper regulation of other gaming such as casino, online gaming, sports betting lottery and other games”, Minister said. He said the core functions of NGCB is to regulate all forms of legalized gambling activities and stop illegal gambling that will affect people’s lives. “The NGCB will be working around the clock in 2023 to monitor and close all illegal gambling activities,” Minister said. He added that the regulations will be tightened to strictly prevent young people under the age of 18 years and older people over the age of 70 years from getting involved in gambling. The Minister said Minister also clarified that one casino license is given to Paga Hill Development Limited to support Government’s Special Economic Zone Development in Port Moresby on provisional basis to be reviewed in three (3) years. He said if no development of casino takes place by Paga Hill Development within 3 years, then the license can be revoked and a floating casino by way of ships with casino can be licensed to dock in Port Moresby wharf to trial out how casino will fare in PNG and if positive outcome then onshore casino will be seriously developed as part of Special Economic Zone Development. NGCB Chairman Clemence Kanau while congratulating the Minister of his appointment assured him that the Board stands ready to work with his office to deliver tangible key government agendas and policy matters concerning the gaming industry. “ The Board has set target to increase monthly revenue from K55 million to K100 million and this will be possible with introduction of online gaming and gaming tourism,” Kanau said. The Chairman said the Board has been working tirelessly despite confronted with the COVDI-19 pandemic in early 2020 and 2021. “At the time of our appointment in 2021 we were confronted with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. “This had a devastating effect on the industry. Our operations throughout the country were severely disrupted, resulting in a loss of over K200 million in revenue during the shutdown period. “Working closely with CEO Imelda Agon and her management, my board held nine (9) extraordinary board meetings to find ways to reopen the industry and keep it operational in the midst of the pandemic. “We crafted out a business continuity plan that would satisfy the requirements of government, and be in compliance with guidelines imposed by the Controller under the COVID-19 Emergency Act.” Kanau said. The Chairman further added that the Board has approved the Gaming Control Bill 2021 which has taken the NGCB six years to thoroughly go through, review and amend the Act to ensure the laws are consistent with the industry’s best practices. NGCB Chief Executive Officer, Imelda Agon shared the same sentiment and said NGCB was once a back office operated on an ad hoc basis. She said fast forward to today, NGCB makes millions of kina for the country and it stands to serve the 8 million plus people of this country. “ I acknowledge the Prime Minister for his leadership and vision for the country and welcome the appointment of +Honorable Manesseh Makiba as the Minister Responsible for the NGCB Matters and also Bougainville Affairs. “I stand together with my management team who have been working tirelessly behind the scene to ensure we serve the government and the people. The CEO said my management team will be working closely with the Board to meet the target set by the Minister. She further alluded the importance of team effort in progressing the NGCB’s vision and goals as well the country’s.

The Prime Minister on Wednesday (14/12/22) responded to the press release by the Deputy Opposition Leader in relation to the reopening of the Porgera Mine. “The Deputy Opposition Leader has never sat down at the table with any project stake holders to negotiate a way forward for any national projects and can only make uninformed statements from the sidelines. “The National Government together with Barrick have jointly concluded all the important milestones contained in the Porgera Project Framework Agreement, which was initially signed in April 2021. Since then, we have concluded the Commencement Agreement, the Shareholders agreement and now Kumul mining is completing the Operators Agreement which is between the new joint venture company and the Barrick Operating entity rather than with the State,” Prime Minister Marape said. “The New Porgera Limited has been incorporated and the State parties are now 51% majority owner of the mine which means the risks and responsibilities that must be negotiated through the various legal agreements are different and more complex than what the State is used to. They must now go through the regulatory process with the Mineral Resources Authority in accordance with the Mining Act which will include dealing with licensing, other technical regulations and a Development Forum for the Landowners and Provincial Government stakeholders.” He said it is now this internal process and the settlement of legacy issues that the old Porgera Joint Venture between the Mineral Resources Enga (owned jointly by the Landowners and Provincial Government) and Barrick that needed to settled that will drive the timing of the reopening of the mine and not further commercial, technical and administrative negotiations with the Marape - Rosso Government. “PNG deserves the best outcome in our resources negotiations and our stakeholders have a right to be heard and benefit from those projects,” the Prime Minister said. “There are no ulterior motives in the delay, other than to ensure that all stakeholders views are considered. It was important for both Barrick and the National Government to secure the support of the Enga Provincial Government, and the landowners in the early part of the negotiations, and with the signing of the revised PPCA in September 2022, those issues are now sorted out. “The government is working through a process of properly establishing the SNT as an organization. But these two processes are happening simultaneously,” the Prime Minister said. “We have had State Negotiation Teams since 2007 when we started negotiations on the PNG LNG Project, and we are fortunate that a handful of these experienced resources are still around and available to the State. These are high value industries and we have had some high quality resources who have effectively secured important gains for our people. “I want high quality negotiations, advisory services and project coordination that result in positive results and reputation for our people and our government. If we do not have those immediately available, we procure them. “The Government part of the negotiation is supported by high technical advisors and advisory firms where required who are procured internationally. These advisors support Public Servants who serve the interest of the SNT over and above their day-to-day duties. The consultants are paid industry rates within the legal limits of the authorizing officer and within the terms of their contracts.” In relation to Wafi Golpu project, Prime Minister Marape said that the negotiations were focused on ensuring that the landowners are able to participate throughout the construction phase and then build value over the life of the project. He expects to make an announcement on the completion of the fiscal terms before the end of the year. “My government is committed to ensuring that we get better fiscal terms from large scale projects such as those proposed for the New Porgera Gold Mine, Wafi Golpu, and the gas projects P’nyang and Papua LNG Project. In P’nyang we achieved a 63% benefit split outcome which is a record. I have achieved more than the previous governments and a large part of this is due to the leadership of the various State Negotiations Team over the last two years under my leadership,” the Prime Minister said. “Any bonuses that may be due and payable to public servants working in this space would normally be based on the bonus guidelines approved by NEC and the SRC back in 2009 when the PNG LNG was first negotiated. “This is not something that my government initiated, but we are determined to support and recognize the commitments made by good public servants who are useful to any government in this line of work. Most importantly these incentives are performance based and allow us to compete with the Statutory Authorities and the private sector where our public servants could go to because of remuneration.” Prime Minister Marape said he is surprised that the good Deputy Opposition Leader has chosen to rubbish the efforts that our public servants put into this work, which is over and above the regular duties they have on a day to day basis. The Prime Minister added that considering the work of the SNT is negotiating an estimated USD30 billion worth of resource projects, arguing over the payments to advisors and advisory firms shows inexperience and immaturity.

Simbu Province came out in full force yesterday to present K1 million to Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru to fund the Feasibility Study into the viability of establishing a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the Karamui-Nomane District. Simbu Provincial Government presented K1 million to Minister Maru upon his visit to Karamui as he had promised Chuave MP, James Nomame in the last parliament session. The Department of National Planning and Monitoring also presented K1.3 million to support fund the study. The presentation was made by the Vice Minister for National Planning and Monitoring and Chuave MP, James Nomane. “I am very impressed with your commitment; you are the first district and province, from those that we have visited so far, to make such a commitment.  You have set the record and you should be extremely proud,” said Minister Maru during his visit with the Japan Development Institute (JDI) Expert team and the local consultants to assess the potential of Karamui-Nomane District for it to be developed as an economic zone. Simbu Province leaders are united in supporting this initiative because Simbu has only been generating K5 million internal revenue and cannot develop the province with such revenue each year. The province does not have an economy because of the mountainous terrain of the province. The only land that is flat and very fertile and that can be developed into a major agriculture hub to contribute to the revenue and development of the province is in the Karamui-Nomane District. Cocoa and other crops grow very well there. “Simbu has no gold, no copper, no silver and no gas, but it has the raw potential to be a major agriculture hub in the country. Over the last 47 years, human resource has been Simbu’s greatest contribution to our country,” said Minister Maru. “Despite its vast potential, the country has not been able to unlock development of Karamui-Nomane District because it has no road access and it will be difficult to bring any of their produce to the market. While the people are ready to work and get behind development, we need to build the infrastructure to attract the investors to go in and develop agriculture in a large-scale commercial scheme of arrangements,” said Minister Maru. Minister Maru explained that Simbu generates K5 million only in revenue every year, making it one of the lowest income generating province in the country in terms of income generation. “East Sepik generates K15 million, Madang- K30 million, Morobe almost K200 million, and NCD K250 million. This is why the provincial government cannot carry out any major development because there is no revenue- that is Simbu’s biggest problem; there is no money for service and development. How can Simbu Province be developed and lives of the people improved if the province cannot generate enough internal revenue to develop the province? The National Government pumps in K200 million in budget each year to support Simbu Province. Unless Simbu sorts out its economy- it will not have a prosperous future,” said Minister Maru. “East Sepik Province once had K5 million internal revenue but it had increased to K15 million and is still climbing. How are we climbing when we have no mine? We are climbing on the back of cocoa and other agriculture produce. Today I fully appreciate that Karamui’s land is very fertile and it has the potential to grow Simbu’s internal economy through agriculture. Simbu must have a clear plan to generate over K20 million in internal revenue each year. Without an SEZ in Karamui (ySimbu’s greatest land asset) this would not be possible,” said Minister Maru. Minister Maru added that for Karamui to be an economic zone, it needed to have law and order, have a state land, and have road access to a port, and have cheap and reliable electricy. “With the K1.3 million given by the Department of National Planning and Monitoring, I will get one of the best consulting firms in the world to come in and assess the viability of Karamui and also to tell us all the requirements that we need to meet to turn it into an economic zone. They will recommend to us, from their studies whether the road will go from Karamui to Kundiawa or to Lae where the port is. Karamui cannot be an economic zone without roads to give access to market and it also has to set up a mini hydro to produce cheap and reliable electricity to the proposed Karamui SEZ. There must also be a state land for the offices and factories to be established, which means the landowners must be willing to sell some land to the state. The study will also include a new town plan and will also recommend the crop that Karamui will be specialized in,” said Minister Maru. Minister Maru encouraged Simbu Provincial Government to sort out law and order issues in Karamui by building a police station and bringing enough police manpower on the ground. “I also want the Provincial Government and the local MP give me a house and an office in Karamui early next year so an officer from the new Department of International Trade and Investment will come and stay here and facilitate the feasibility study,” said Minister Maru. Meanwhile, Minister Maru also visited Kundiawa where people crowded the streets of town to receive them and to celebrate the new dawn of the province. Governor Kool described the day as a ‘historic day’ of the province.

The  PNGAus Partnership has been contributing to the expansion of Family and Sexual Violence Units (FSVUs) since 2009, helping to establish 27 of the current 47 FSVUs around the country. Recently, more than 60 frontline police officers from PNG’s FSVUs and Criminal Investigation Division (CID) gathered in Port Moresby for a week-long workshop to learn from each other’s experiences and discuss recent amendments to the Family Protection Act (FPA). Tougher penalties for offenders were a key change to the FPA. Those found guilty of aggravated domestic violence will face up to 5 years prison and up to 2 years for breaches of family protection orders. Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary National FSVU Directorate Coordinator, Chief Inspector Delilah Sandeka said the workshop and similar training supported by the Australian Government was a “lifeline” for FSVU officers in keeping them abreast of changes in the law. Australian High Commission representative, Casey Senome praised the attendees, “You are critical, you are on the frontline of PNG’s response to FSV. Your work can literally save lives. That is why Australia is committed to supporting your efforts, because what you do matters.”