The United Nations is warning that hunger in one of Haiti's biggest slums is at catastrophic levels, as gang violence and economic crises push the country to "breaking point". Nearly 20,000 people in the capital's impoverished Cité Soleil area have dangerously little access to food and could face starvation, the UN says, Across Haiti, almost five million are struggling with malnutrition. "Haiti is facing a humanitarian catastrophe," a top UN official said. "The severity and the extent of food insecurity in Haiti is getting worse," Jean-Martin Bauer, the Haiti country director for the UN's World Food Programme added. The poorest nation in the Americas is suffering acute political, economic, health and security crises which have fuelled a rise in violence and paralysed the country. Powerful gangs have blocked Haiti's main fuel terminal, crippling its basic water and food supplies. In the Cité Soleil neighbourhood, the UN said levels of food insecurity had reached the highest level on its classification system - Phase 5 - meaning residents have dangerously little access to food and could be facing starvation. Mr Bauer said Haitians "have gone through the gauntlet". Anger at the government's handling of the country's multiple crises have boiled over into anti-government protests. These have escalated to looting with at least one woman reportedly killed in clashes. On Tuesday, the World Health Organisation said there had been 16 cholera deaths and 32 confirmed cases, three years after an epidemic of the water-borne disease killed 10,000 people. Another UN official said 100,000 children under the age of five were severely malnourished and are especially vulnerable to cholera. Prime Minister Ariel Henry has asked for foreign military help, but the call has been criticised by some Haitians who see it as foreign interference. The UN has since called for the immediate deployment of a special international armed force to Haiti, but it is not yet clear which countries would provide the members of such a force and what its task would be. Gangs have taken control of key highways and Varreux, Haiti's largest fuel terminal. With food and fuel deliveries suspended as a result, more and more Haitians are going hungry. Several warehouses run by aid organisations have also been looted, resulting in the most vulnerable going without food and drinking water. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and has suffered a number of recent crises, most notably the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moïse, in July 2021 and a massive earthquake that left more than 2,200 people dead just a month later. Source: CNN

With 10 years of mine life remaining, Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) is committed to enabling a sustainable future for its 158 CMCA (Community Mine Continuation Agreement) communities post closure. OTML Managing Director and CEO Musje Werror said this when he presented at the Community Affairs and Business Development workshop hosted by the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum at the Hilton Hotel on Thursday 13th October in Port Moresby. “Ok Tedi will be the first big mine to close and there will be many lessons that will be drawn from Ok Tedi’s experience, not only from the technical aspects of closure, but importantly from the social and sustainability aspects as well,” he said. “We are developing our social and closure strategy which will address focus areas as identified in our Vision 2025. These include the transfer of public infrastructure assets, for example the maintenance of the Tabubil/Kiunga Highway to third parties prior to cessation of production, creating alternative income generating opportunities for the CMCA communities, sustaining community programs implemented by the Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF), increase National and Local content in service contracts, and the nationalisation of leadership roles in OTML.” He added that it will be challenging given the mine related dependencies built over time and the lack of commercial industries operating in the Western Province. OTML funds and operates the mining township of Tabubil which include the Tabubil Hospital at an annual cost of about K150 Million, maintains the Kiunga-Tabubil Highway at K30 Million a year, and provides power, and water and sewerage services in Kiunga at a cost of about K30 Million per annum. “We need to identify new owners that can assume and operate these services well before mine closure so these services can be sustained. Finding the right owners is not easy let alone the ongoing funding to maintain the services post closure,” he said. Despite these challenges, the province is privileged to have major development partners such as the Government, OTDF, Sustainable Development Program Ltd, Incentive Fund, and Innovative Agro Industry who are already implementing sustainable development programs in the province. Mr Werror said OTML will continue to have discussions with these partners including the Fly River Provincial Government to address these challenges. He concluded his presentation by saying that it is time to ensure the people of the Western Province, more so the CMCA communities are better off into the future for they have given their land and waterways to support the development of this country since the commencement of mine production in 1984.

The Kangaroos have launched their World Cup title defence with a 42-8 win over a committed Fiji Bati outfit at Headingley Stadium. A double to winger Josh Addo-Carr and a starring role off the bench by hooker Harry Grant provided the impetus for Australia's victory. Five-eighth Cameron Munster showed his class throughout the Test and was rewarded with the player of the match award. After the Kangaroos conceded a penalty for offside the Bati worked their way down field and came up with a superb try in just the fourth minute when Siti Moceidreke put in a perfectly weighted grubber for Semi Valemei to follow through and score. Valemei was in the action again in the 11th minute when he combined with Maika Sivo to deny Kangaroos centre Murray Taulagi a try in the corner with good scramble defence. The Kangaroos opened their account in the 16th minute when back-rower Jeremiah Nanai celebrated his Test debut with a try on the right edge after some slick passing from Cameron Murray and Daly Cherry-Evans. Nanai went within inches of making it a second in the 22nd minute but he was pulled up just short by Moceidreke and Ben Nakubuwai. Two minutes later Australia had their second try when Josh Addo-Carr produced a length-of-the-field special after a quick shift from Latrell Mitchell. A mistake by Pat Carrigan coming out of Australia's end handed Fiji a chance to hit back but Brandon Wakeham couldn't pick the ball up cleanly after Api Koroisau had grubbered expertly into the in-goal. Angus Crichton grabbed his first Test try soon after as the Kangaroos stretched their lead to 18-4 at the half-time break. The Kangaroos went further ahead early in the second half when Munster handled twice in a left side raid that resulted in Mitchell touching down for Australia's fourth try. A 40-20 by Harry Grant in the 53rd minute to put Australia on the attack and the hooker cashed in on his own good work by darting over from dummy half as the score blew out to 30-4. Skipper James Tedesco produced a trademark weaving run from 10 metres out in the 61st minute to grab his fourth Test try and Australia led 36-4. Fiji continued to fight to the end and Turuva grabbed a try after a deft grubber kick by Wakeham. Play of the Game With the Kangaroos under the pump on their own line in the 24th minute, flying winger Josh Addo-Carr went the length of the field to grab his team's second try of the night. Skipper James Tedesco had cleaned up a grubber kick under his own posts before the ball went to Latrell Mitchell who saw the chance to get Addo-Carr into the clear with quick hands. 'The Foxx' then put it into overdrive and produced a brilliant swerve to evade Sunia Turuva and give Australia some breathing space at 12-4. Source: NRL.com

Knights winger Dom Young scored two spectacular first half tries as England got their World Cup campaign off to the best possible start with a 60-6 win against an injury hit Samoa side at St James Park. Young combined superbly with fellow England rookie Jack Welsby to score in the 24th and 29th minutes as the host nation made a statement about their World Cup ambitions in the opening match of the tournament. Selected on the right wing ahead of England's greatest ever tryscorer Ryan Hall after an impressive Test debut against Fiji in last weekend's World Cup warm-up match, Young had the 43,119 crowd on their feet every time he touched the ball. Roosters lock Victor Radley was named man-of-the-match as England's six NRL players all had an impact. Raiders second-rower Elliott Whitehead scored two second half tries, while Broncos centre Herbie Farnworth crossed for his first England try as Shaun Wane's men dominated a disappointing Samoa outfit. Sharks prop Braden Hamlin-Uele was assisted from the field in the 11th minute with a lower leg injury and there were initial fears he may have suffered a fracture. Former Panthers playmaker Tyrone May suffered a dislocated hip and was taken to hospital, while Cowboys flier Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is also expected to be out of the tournament due to a syndesmosis injury. England led 18-6 at half-time and laid on seven second half tries, including six in the final 16 minutes. Samoa halfback Anthony Milford was sin-binned midway through the second half for a late tackle on England captain Sam Tomkins as discipline and poor ball control proved costly for the Pacific nation. England scored four tries while Samoa were down to 12 men and another two after Milford's return. For England, Welsby was sensational and scored the opening try after former Raiders halfback George Williams burst through Martin Taupau and Junior Paulo before sending the St Helens five-eighth racing away. Panthers centre Izack Tago scored Samoa's only try when he intercepted a Welsby pass and raced 60 metres to score. Play of the game Dom Young bought the crowd to their feet as he raced down the touchline, stepped inside wing opposite Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, swerved around Joseph Suaalii and stepped out of an attempted tackle of Izack Tago to score England's second try. What They Said “I know nobody gave us a chance to win the game but within our group the tight team spirit we have and how we’ve trained, we knew what we could do. We enjoyed all that negativity to be honest. Whatever people want to say about us that’s up to them. I’m not on social media so I don’t hear lots of things but I knew it was quite negative about us." - England coach Shaun Wane “It wasn’t the result we wanted. England played very well and we had a few injuries and setbacks. They got a lot of momentum. Tyrone May disclocated his hip and has gone to hospital here in Newcastle. There’s a few injuries in there that might not take part of rest of the tournament. We’re not looking for excuses or anything like that, we didn’t have much luck injury wise. We rolled in here this morning with a good team and we’ve still got a good team." - Samoa coach Matt Parish What's next The win all but guarantees England will finish top of Pool A  as they play France at Bolton on October 22 and Greece in Sheffield a week later. Samoa are now on a collision course for a quarter-final showdown with Tonga, assuming they finish second in Pool A and their Pacific rivals top Pool D. Matt Parish's team now meet Greece on October 23 in Doncaster and France in Warrington on October 30.   Source: NRL.com

Elon Musk is under a federal investigation related to his $44 billion takeover deal for Twitter. The news came from a court filing made public on Thursday about the latest in ongoing legal disputes between the billionaire and the social network. While the filing said he was under investigation, it did not say what the focus was. "This game of 'hide the ball' must end," the company said in the court filing. Mr Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Twitter - which sued Mr Musk in July to force him to close the deal - said lawyers for the Tesla CEO had claimed "investigative privilege" when refusing to hand over documents it wanted. It also said it had requested that Mr Musk's attorneys produce their communications with federal authorities months ago, but they had not done so. In late September, Mr Musk's attorneys provided a "privilege log", identifying documents to be withheld. The log referenced drafts of a 13 May email to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) - the American regulator which enforces the law against market manipulation. It also referenced a slide presentation to the Federal Trade Commission - whose principal mission is promoting antitrust law and consumer protection. The court request was filed on the same day the court granted a stay of litigation to allow Twitter and Mr Musk to close the takeover deal. Questions over the deal The SEC has questioned Mr Musk's comments about the Twitter acquisition. In April, the SEC asked him whether the disclosure of his 9% Twitter stake was late and why it indicated that he intended to be a passive shareholder. Mr Musk later refiled the disclosure to indicate he was an active investor. In June, the SEC asked Mr Musk in a letter whether he should have amended his public filing to reflect his intention to suspend or abandon the deal. Alex Spiro, an attorney for Mr Musk, told Reuters that Twitter's court filing was a "misdirection". "It is Twitter's executives that are under federal investigation," he said. Twitter declined to comment on the statement. The filing comes as the months-long saga of Mr Musk's proposed Twitter purchase continues, during which the billionaire proposed a takeover, went back on the deal, and was then sued by Twitter to stick to his word. The billionaire's side then said he would go ahead with the deal, just days before a trial was set to take place to force the purchase through. Source: BBC

Selina Haoda was a small-town girl who grew up dreaming of fixing and operating machinery and equipment. Who knew that one day she would lead a team of Instrument Technicians in the longest running open-pit copper, gold and silver mine in Papua New Guinea. Now a newly appointed Supervisor Crusher Instrumentation leading a team of four in a male-dominated field, Selina is the first Tradeswomen Supervisor, First Tradeswomen Supervisor from Western Province, and the First female Supervisor Instrumentation, under the Processing Electrical Maintenance Department. Selina started her early education at Morehead Primary School, located in one of the most remote places in South Fly, Western Province towards the Indonesian Border. She made it to Daru Secondary School and continued her studies at the Port Moresby Technical College undertaking a Certificate in Trades – Electronics. Not only did she pass but secured a Higher Education Contribution Assistance Scheme (HECAS) Scholarship relieving some financial burden off her parents. Selina’s greatest motivator was her late Uncle Mervyn Haoda, a Refrigeration mechanic, who was very good at his job and inspired her to take up a Trade. However, she chose to study Electronics because of the change in technology. Her potential to excel in the trade came 14 years ago when she realised she was one of only two females out of 30 apprentices selected through the OTML Apprenticeship Program in 2009. She recalled the day the administration assistant called to advise her that her flight was booked from POM to Tabubil. The humble rural girl laughed and said she resided in Daru. Today, with her hardhat on, her role is to supervise and monitor work performed by her team. “In the field of Instrumentation, our responsibility is to install, calibrate, monitor, repair and maintain various monitoring devices (sensors / transmitters) for machinery, human life and the process itself. The scope of my role covers the crushing and conveying system, which is the primary stage of the process where the mine haul trucks deliver ore.” She said the process of getting accurate measurements is challenging. “We work with heavy equipment in varying weather conditions day and night. For instance, if we do not calibrate the crusher precisely, we feed the wrong size ore downstream, this affects the process and we lose money. As for human life, if I do not calibrate a gas monitor properly someone could die from exposure to high levels of harmful gas. This is why instrumentation is so important we have to ensure it is done correctly,” she said. “What makes it more challenging for me as a female, is balancing my work and home responsibilities,” she added. As the first female tradeswomen Supervisor her advice to other tradeswomen colleagues is, “You are a qualified tradeswoman, believe in yourself and step up. Do not expect special treatment out in the field, be patient, work honestly, ensure good quality work, and always respect your colleagues. These attributes and other values will speak volumes about your performance.” Selina admires her team and manager for inspiring the younger generation while acknowledging the amount of teamwork they put in, the humility each member possess, respect and the attitude of looking out for one another’s safety. “They are basically my family away from home.” Her advice to young women of Western province is “If I can come this far from a rural area, you can do even better. Do not make excuses, work smart and be determined to achieve your goals. Put God first and never forget the people who contributed meaningfully to your life and helped you to get to where you are,” she concluded.

Every match of the upcoming Rugby League World Cup will be available to watch, no matter where you live in the world with unrivalled coverage secured via traditional broadcasters and online streaming platforms. The coverage is so extensive that all 61 games across the men’s, women’s and wheelchair formats is available to watch all around the world, with live match action being broadcast or streamed to 22 territories and totaling more than 150 countries. Rights agreements have been in place in the UK for some time, with every minute of every game being broadcast live on the BBC, while rugby league fans in New Zealand and Australia have known for some time that games there can be watched on Spark and FoxSport respectively. In addition, it has now been confirmed that fans of the sport as far afield as the Asia, Scandinavia and the Middle East will have similar coverage via broadcasters such as Premier Sports and ViaPlay. Any territories not covered by traditional rights-holding broadcaster have the option of live streaming matches via the RLWC2021 App, on a pay-per-view basis purchases can be made via www.rugby-league.com/ourleague or accessing on Apple TV or Roku. “With TV coverage confirmed in 22 territories, which spans an impressive 150 countries, supplemented by streaming services to cater for fans elsewhere, we have an unprecedented opportunity to ensure every rugby league fan can support their nation and also enjoy all of the action," Jon Dutton, RLWC2021 Chief Executive, said. “With all matches being produced to a world class standard by both the BBC and Whisper productions, it’s fantastic we are able to bring the RLWC2021 to a truly global audience, helping us not only to fulfil our commitment to being the biggest, best and most inclusive rugby league world cup in history but also to showcase our brilliant sport to brand new audiences.” Where to watch RLWC2021 American Samoa – PCS Asia – Premier Sports Australia – Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo Sports Baltics – Viaplay Brazil – RLWC2021 App / Fite TV (via Apple TV & Roku) Canada – Rogers Caribbean (inc Jamaica) – Sport Max Cook Islands – CITV Fiji – Fiji TV Finland - Viaplay France – beIN Sports / RMC (Selected Games) Greece – RLWC2021 App / Fite TV (via Apple TV & Roku) Iceland – Viaplay Italy – RLWC2021 App / Fite TV (via Apple TV & Roku) Middle East (inc Lebanon) and North Africa – Premier Sports The Netherlands – Viaplay New Zealand – Spark Sport Pacific Islands – Digicel TV Papua New Guinea – MNL Poland – Viaplay Samoa – TV1 Samoa Scandinavia – Viaplay Spain – RLWC2021 App / Fite TV (via Apple TV & Roku) Tonga – Tonga Broadcasting UK and Ireland – BBC platforms USA – Fite TV (PPV); In Demand (PPV); Direct TV (PPV); Dish (PPV) / Women’s & Wheelchair on FITE+ (Subscription needed) Vanuata – VBTC Source: NRL.com

At least 25 people have died and dozens remain trapped underground after an explosion in a coal mine in northern Turkey's Bartin province. Around 110 people were working in the mine at the time of the blast, almost half of them at over 300 metres deep. Turkey's health minister Fahrettin Koca said 11 people had been rescued and were being treated. As night fell, emergency workers were digging through rock to try to reach more survivors. Video footage shows miners emerging blackened and bleary-eyed accompanied by rescuers at the facility in Amasra, on the Black Sea coast. The family and friends of the missing could also be seen at the mine, anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones. The explosion is believed to have occurred at around 300m deep. Some 49 people were working in the "risky" zone between 300 and 350m (985 to 1,150ft) underground, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said. "There are those whom we were not able to evacuate from that area," Mr Soylu told reporters at the scene. The cause of the blast is not yet known, and the local prosecutor's office has begun an investigation. Turkey's energy minister said there were initial indications that the blast was caused by firedamp, which is methane forming an explosive mixture in coal mines. "We are facing a truly regretful situation", he said. There were partial collapses inside the mine, he said, adding that there were no ongoing fires, and that ventilation was working properly. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit the site on Saturday. Amasra's mayor Recai Cakir said many of those who survived had suffered "serious injuries". One worker who managed to escape on his own said: "There was dust and smoke and we don't know exactly what happened." The mine belongs to the state-owned Turkish Hard Coal Enterprises. Turkey witnessed its deadliest coal mining disaster in 2014, when 301 people died after a blast in the western town of Soma. Source: BBC

Barrick Chief Executive Mark Bristow, in PNG for quarterly operational reviews, said that the incorporation of New Porgera Limited (NPL) on 22nd September, following execution of the New Porgera Shareholders Agreement by Barrick (Niugini) Limited, Kumul Mineral Holdings Limited and Mineral Resources Enga, marked an important step towards the long delayed restart of the Porgera mine. Once certain conditions are fulfilled, the company intends to apply for a new Special Mining Lease (SML) in coming weeks. Bristow said that New Porgera will work with the State and the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) to ensure that the SML application process proceeds without delay and in accordance with the Mining Act and the Porgera Project Commencement Agreement (PPCA). “The application and early approval of a new SML is the goal that all Porgera stakeholders should be striving for. The mine has sat idly for far too long – almost two and a half years – depriving landowners and the communities of Porgera of employment and other essential benefits that the mine delivered successfully for 30 years,” said Bristow. Together with Barrick’s executives, Bristow arrived Sunday (09/10/22) night in PNG and Monday (10/10/22) travelled to Porgera to kick-off the security forum alongside the Mining Minister Sir Ano Pala, Porgera MP Maso Karipe, SML and LMP landowners, community, women groups and business leaders. Also in attendance was Enga Provincial Police Commander and representatives of the Enga Provincial Government, Porgera District and PNG Defense Force. “We had a constructive kick-off meeting in Porgera and everyone agreed that law and order is crucial to the restart of Porgera mine and the long term future of Porgera District. The Parties will continue to meet and collaborate on law and order initiatives and their implementation. All landowner and community leaders acknowledged the urgent need for leadership at ground level to complement the work being done by security forces. There was a call from the landowners for a signing of a Peace Agreement and the need for a Government endorsed Police Operation to address the current lawlessness in Porgera” said Bristow. As a sign of Barrick’s commitment to restart, we are building a dedicated team, comprised of a majority of Papua New Guineans, to get the mine up and running so that the people of Porgera can finally see the ‘white smoke’ they have been waiting for. To date, Barrick and Zijin have funded USD 391 Million (approximately 1.37 billion kina) solely for Care and Maintenance. Bristow and Barrick executives are expected to meet with Prime Minister James Marape, the State Negotiation Team led by Dari Vele, Kumul Mineral Holdings Limited and attend the inaugural board meeting of New Porgera Limited.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Richard Marles MP, joined Defence Minister the Win Bakri Daki MP and Chief of the Defence Force, Major General Mark Goina opened the Taurama Barracks Chapel. The redeveloped Chapel is an important milestone for the base, for the local community, and for Papua New Guinea and Australia’s enduring partnership. “In Australia the chapels on our bases are places of prayer, reflection, faith and friendship, open to all and welcoming all. I can see the same spirit infuse Taurama Barracks Chapel today” the Deputy Prime Minister said. The Chapel was remediated through the long-standing PNG-Australia Defense Cooperation Program and is a demonstration of Australia’s ongoing support to PNG Defense infrastructure priorities, both big and small. It complements the broader Australia-PNG Churches Partnership and builds on decades of close relationships between our respective faith communities. Australia’s relationship with PNG is unique and profoundly important to us. Nowhere is this more evident than in the close ties between the PNG Defense Force and the Australian Defense Force. “May this Chapel serve to strengthen the partnership and fellowship between the Defense Forces of Australia and PNG” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

With the best of the best on show, World Cup tournaments not only produce scintillating moments, but they unearth new stars and unlock the potential of others. The last tournament in 2017 saw Valentine Holmes rise to - twice - score the most tries in a World Cup game, while Jason Taumalolo, already a formidable force in the field, went to another level as a leader in the game. This year’s tournament promises to produce more outstanding performances across the teams, with heavyweights and minnows alike set to see players rise to the occasion. Breakout stars to watch Group A: England, France, Greece, Samoa Bound to garner an even greater fan base after his call-up to the England squad, Victor Radley will be hoping to fire for the Old Dart. Nicknamed ‘The Inflictor’ for his aggressive style of play, Radley made the big call to turn his back on a potential future New South Wales and Australia call-up and is all in with England. NRL regulars Herbie Farnworth and Dom Young are two more fresh faces in the squad who will be keen to make an impression, while NRL fans will be interested to see Wigan’s Kai Pearce-Paul in action, with the youngster attracting plenty of interest from clubs. Samoa also has a plethora of young stars ready to feature for the nation this tournament, headlined by Joseph Suaalii who is set to get an extended run at fullback. Although he is expected to feature for Australia in the future, having declared his intention to represent Samoa despite a strong chance of Kangaroos selection, he’ll be keen to show his wares. Fellow back Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has already shown what he can do in the representative arena, scoring a try in his State of Origin debut. Given the off-field difficulties faced by Greece in the past to even play the game, it’s a remarkable achievement to be at the tournament. South Sydney Rabbitohs duo Lachlan Ilias (halfback) and Peter Mamouzelos (hooker) will be key performers for the Greek side and will look to add some flair to their group. [caption id="attachment_28415" align="alignnone" width="906"] Pete the Greek Freak [/caption] As hosts of the 2025 World Cup, France will be out to defy expectations and progress from their tough group. While arguably their biggest name is an off-field ‘signing’ in Roosters coach Trent Robinson, who is the France’s director of rugby, they have picked a number of young faces in the squad who will definitely gain from the experience, including Catalans Dragons half César Rougé. Group B: Australia, Fiji, Italy, Scotland Australia have named 13 uncapped players for this campaign, and there’s a tonne of exciting talent in that group, including Dally M Rookie of the Year winner Jeremiah Nanai and this year’s Wally Lewis Medal recipient Pat Carrigan. All eyes will be on back-to-back premiership winning halfback Nathan Cleary, who is yet to don the green and gold. [caption id="attachment_28416" align="alignnone" width="906"] Kangaroos Debutants - Nathan Cleary[/caption] His Panthers squad mate Sunia Turuva will be one to watch for Fiji. Having made an impression in his Test debut for the Bati earlier this year, there’s no telling what this talented fullback can do as the team look to build into the tournament. Importantly for the Bati, four players (Jowasa Drodrolagi, Pio Seci, Penioni Tagituimu and Vuate Karawalevu) who started with the Silktails have earned selection in the squad. Another fullback to keep an eye on is Luke Polselli for Italy. Polselli, who spent time with the Melbourne Storm over the pre-season this year and took home the player of the year award for the Sunshine Coast Falcons, a side who made it through to the preliminary finals in the Hostplus Cup this year. He’ll have some familiar faces around him as well, with Jake Maizen and Daniel Atkinson from the Falcons also representing, while initial inclusion Cooper Johns has withdrawn. A slew of injuries to some of their most experienced players has left Scotland, who already had an uphill battle in a tough group, facing an even greater challenge this World Cup. However, the team with arguably the best playing shorts in the game (if they wear their blue tartans again) won’t be short of enthusiasm and have players keen to make a good impression on the world stage. Strong forward Logan Bayliss, who is signed to the Broncos and played for Souths Logan Magpies this year, has played representative football in the past for the Queensland Under 20 side, while Mackay Cutters hooker Kyle Schneider, who helped with coaching the club’s All Abilities team this year, has also played for the New South Wales Under 18 side in the past. Group C: New Zealand, Lebanon, Ireland, Jamaica This tournament is Joey Manu’s time to shine. Already a superstar of the game, Manu has played plenty for the Kiwis, but this is his first World Cup. A tournament like this will provide the perfect platform for him to build into his game, especially in the fullback position, although New Zealand fans will want him firing from the first whistle. Ireland have already unearthed someone who is set become everyone’s favourite player in Mike Ward. The Batley forward has done the sums and put his money where his mouth is, quitting his job as a maths teacher to pursue his dream of representing his country in a World Cup. That kind of passion just has to be admired. [caption id="attachment_28417" align="alignnone" width="840"] Adam Doueihi playing for Lebanon in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.[/caption] One area most emerging nations have struggled with in the past is the halves, but that is not likely to be the case for Lebanon this year. Wests Tigers star Adam Doueihi will partner with newly-appointed skipper Mitch Moses in the halves, forming a formidable combo. While Doueihi is not an unknown entity and also gained experience for the Cedars during the last World Cup, he’ll be hoping to further cement his five-eighth credentials with a strong showing for Lebanon, after a disrupted 2022 season. Group D: Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Wales, Cook Islands When he made his Test debut for Tonga in 2019, it was a surprise call up for Tesi Niu, stepping up to cover for Ata Hingano, who suffered a shoulder injury at training. Niu played fullback, Will Hopoate moved to the halves and Tonga defeated Great Britain, the second of their Tier 1 scalps at the time. While injury contributed to him only play 10 games in the NRL for the Broncos this past year, a fit, firing and confident Niu is a sight to see. [caption id="attachment_28418" align="alignnone" width="840"] Cook Islands forward Pride Petterson-Robati runs out for Redcliffe Dolphins[/caption] It seems at every World Cup, the Kumuls unearth a new star or provide one of the moments of the tournament with length-of-the-field try or big powerful hits. In Nixon Putt (pronounced 'put' like ‘Nixon will put you on your backside’, and not 'putt' like the golf term), they have a player who can do both. The Central Queensland Capras star is no stranger to the international scene, but having won the Hostplus Cup’s second rower of the year award this year, he is in the best form of his career and no doubt will be catching the eye of either NRL or Super League scouts. With a large domestic contingent in this year's Welsh squad, there are only a few names NRL fans would be familar with, which include halfback Josh Ralph who players for Mounties, and Valleys Diehards brothers Ollie and James Olds. Interest will be on cross-coder Kyle Evans, who was a somewhat surprise call up given his relatively late move across from union, and how he goes if given an opportunity on the wing. Cook Islands have named an array of up-and-coming forwards, including Brisbane Bronco Brendan Piakura and Warrior Pride Petterson-Robati, who is part of the squad’s leadership group. Although he is one of the younger players in the squad, Rabbitohs prop Davvy Moale, who has already had 14 impressive games for South Sydney across two seasons, will be a key man for the Kukis. Source: NRL.com

Health outcomes for women experiencing prolonged or obstructed labour will be improved following capacity building for midwifery trainers and educators. Fourteen Midwifery Master Trainers and four Midwifery Educators from educational institutions across the country participated in a four-day workshop in Port Moresby with specialists from the Burtnett Institute. These participants were guided through how to assess, monitor, and support women and babies when labour is not progressing normally. In partnership with the Burnett Institute, the United Nations Population Fund in Papua New Guinea is supporting the National Department of Health to conduct Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) training with midwifery professionals around the country. The program began in 2019 and over 100 midwives have been trained. Facilitating this training was Burnett Institute’s Midwifery Specialist Kara Blackburn and Research Midwife Boe Calvert, who introduced how to complete a rapid assessment of mothers in labour when prolonged labour is suspected, what to do during ineffective contractions and how to manage hyperstimulation especially by managing oxytocin infusion. “I hope to see an Improvement in the initial assessment of a mother in labour by midwives to identify any complications as soon as she arrives in the health facility and maternity ward,” said Ms. Blackburn. “Midwives in PNG are doing extremely well in really challenging circumstances. especially in the rural areas when it is identified that a woman is in prolonged obstructed labour. I really commend the midwives for doing an outstanding job.” Obstructed or prolonged labour can be dangerous both mothers and babies. It can lead to newborn deaths and conditions like obstetric fistula. Central to this training is participation in, and repetition of, simulations using state-of-the-art models. By providing this training to educators, the nation’s next generation of midwives are being provided with the highest standards of preparation before joining this essential workforce. Simulation supports the development of midwifery skills and creates a link between theory and practice. According to Ms. Kara Blackburn simulations increase confidence and competence among midwifery students and healthcare professionals and strong evidence shows that students and healthcare professionals are able to retain the knowledge and are confident and competent in performing in a real life situation. A senior Midwifery Lecturer from the University of Papua New Guinea , School of Health & Medical Sciences, Mrs. Lillian Temo was grateful for the enhancement of her skills in using simulators when teaching. “I will encourage more student interactions through the case presentation of simulations which will increase their knowledge capacity as well,” said Mrs Temo. In opening the training, UNFPA Country Representative Ms. Marielle Sander reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to the midwives working to serve women and babies in PNG and committed to a stronger, and more direct relationship between midwives and UNFPA.