Hundreds of offshore workers could spend Christmas in the North Sea after weather conditions cancelled more than 50 helicopter flights. About 300 staff, many of whom are Scottish, have been unable to leave platforms off Denmark as scheduled. French firm TotalEnergies said a phenomenon called "triggered lightning" was responsible for the disruption. The company said it would never compromise with the safety of employees. It also denied reports it was refusing to reschedule cancelled flights and put extra transport on to get workers home for Christmas. A spokeswoman said: "Helicopter transports during wintertime around the North Sea are always challenging due to ice, fog, wind speeds and other factors. "This year has been particularly impacted by so-called "triggered lightning" which is caused by polar air passing over a warmer sea surface. "This phenomenon has led to the cancellation so far of 52 flights in November and December 2022 which can be compared to zero cancellations caused by triggered lightning during the same period in 2021. "Unfortunately, the phenomenon cannot be eliminated with de-icing systems, as has been mentioned in the media." The company, which runs the Tyra Redevelopment Project, said manned offshore installations were normally serviced by helicopters. They usually transports 130 people back and forth every weekday out of a total offshore staff of about 1,250. "Since the flights have not been able to take place to the required extent, there are approximately 300 people who should have left and are now awaiting transport to shore," the spokeswoman said. "We never compromise with the safety of our employees, neither on the platforms offshore nor during the transport back and forth between Esbjerg [Denmark] and the fields 250km out in the North Sea. "We are in close dialogue with our supplier of flights, Offshore Helicopter Services Denmark, and other parties, so that we can best keep our employees informed and restore flights when it is safe. " TotalEnergies has also called in helicopters from another supplier to increase the number of flights when weather allows them to resume. The spokeswoman added: "In addition, we have committed three boats at short notice, which can dock close to the platforms and establish a safe footbridge if the wave height is not too great. The first one left Esbjerg harbour the night between Saturday and Sunday, and new boat trips are planned for this week. "We will do our outmost to bring all stranded people back before Christmas." Source: BBC

Netflix has announced its next project with Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex – a Nelson Mandela-inspired docuseries titled “Live to Lead.” Dropping December 31, the series will feature interviews with several familiar and famous faces, from New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and South African rugby player Siya Kolisi, to the late United States Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In a statement, the streaming giant summarized the seven-part series as “extraordinary” leaders reflecting on their lives, while highlighting the “fundamental values, daily disciplines and guiding principles that leaders employ to motivate others and create meaningful change.” “Live to Lead” is executive produced by Harry and Meghan in association with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, it said. Geoff Blackwell, the series’ creator and director, said in the statement that he and co-executive producer Ruth Hobday wanted to “honor Mandela’s values by surfacing the stories of leaders who distinguish themselves through their moral courage, the conviction of their ideals and values, and their prioritization of others.” A trailer for the series, released Monday, features both the subjects and the Sussexes, with Harry quoting Mandela as saying, “‘what counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived,’” and Meghan concluding “it is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Other interviewees include climate change activist Greta Thunberg, social justice campaigner Gloria Steinem, and anti-apartheid activist and former justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa Albie Sachs. This project follows the release of the eagerly anticipated docuseries “Harry & Meghan” on the streaming platform earlier this month. Source: CNN News

Director for Local Government affairs and Autonomy has called on New Irelanders to keep pushing for full Autonomy. Speaking during a recent opening of the Kavieng District Administration office he said it was important for all New Ireland landowners to have power over their resources. “Whether you like it or not, we are going into a new system of Government. Autonomy will come. The Districts and LLG’s will benefit from it. You papa, mama graun will get benefit from the gold, timber and fisheries from your respective surroundings. That is the whole idea behind why the Provincial Government is pushing for Autonomy,” said Fugonto. Fugonto said Waigani should not be the one calling all the shots for resources that rightfully belong to the Provinces and its landowners. National Government has let us down. It continues to mismanage dividends from our resources and gives us crumbs in return. Sir J has been pushing the agenda for 15 years, he will not be around forever, but we must continue our bid for full Autonomy.” Fugonto said New Ireland has a population under 300,000 and can look after its population through the management of its resources. “ New Ireland has already began the process by building the necessary infrastructure, like roads, Schools, hospitals and Council Chambers across all 10 LLG’s. This Kavieng District Administrative building will also greatly assist our development objectives with effective communication between the all the LLG’s. The district administrator is the Chief advisor of all the LLG’s.” Acting Administrator Moses Taram said New Ireland in recent years has seen unprecedented development throughout the Province. This office is an important asset of the province and the district. The four LLGs will be coordinated effectively as governments at the grassroots level. We now have four Council Chambers in Kavieng District. These council chambers align well with the District office complex,” said Taram. Taram stressed on the importance of forging partnerships and good working relationships between all arms of Government. “In the New Year the New Ireland Government will fund some staff houses on the LLG seat of Government. Therefore on this occasion, I call on the DDA board and the district administration to partner with the Provincial Government to strengthen the capacity of our Local Level Governments,” said Taram. After 27 years a new Kavieng District Administrative office was officially opened on Friday 16th December. The project cost K250,000 to build and was funded through the Kavieng District Development Authority. The building will now allow for better processing of queries relating to the Kavieng District. The event was well attended by all presidents in the Kavieng District including acting Governor Sammy Missen who praised the initiative of Kavieng District Administrator David Lens for pushing for the project and eventually making it become a reality. The building is located within the Kavieng District Treasury premises. Mr Lens said, "Kavieng Town is growing so this is only temporary. We will allow Kavieng Urban Council to Govern the town area while a permanent District Administration office will be built further out of Kavieng Urban." The Kavieng District LLG presidents pledged to stand united and work together for the betterment of their people.

South Sydney superstars Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker will remain at the Rabbitohs long-term after officially re-signing with the club on Wednesday. The Rabbitohs announced their retentions in a major double boost before Christmas with Mitchell to remain at the club until at least the end of the 2027 season while Walker's extension is for a further two years until the end of 2025. Walker, 32, and Mitchell, 25, coincidentally made their NRL debuts against each other in 2016 while Mitchell was at the Roosters. The pair joined forces four years later when Mitchell moved across to the Rabbitohs after winning two premierships with the Tricolours. Walker celebrated his 150th game in 2022 while Mitchell requires six more appearances for the personal milestone. Walker has been a mainstay in the Rabbitohs side for the past seven seasons, scoring 82 tries in 169 games. He's produced 135 try assists, including 21 in 2022 in a season the Rabbitohs came from seventh to reach their fifth-straight preliminary final. Mitchell made a remarkable return from a mid-season trip to the USA for treatment on a hamstring injury, scoring seven tries and setting up 17 in his third year at Redfern. His stay in particular ends any speculation the Indigenous All Stars representative would be a primary target for new franchise the Dolphins in 2024. Former Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett was said to be interested in Mitchell before South Sydney begun negotiations with the star fullback. The news comes after the Rabbitohs confirmed last week that dynamic hooker Damien Cook is likely to play out the remainder of his career at the club after signing a contract extension until the end of 2025 last week. Cook, 31, also made his club debut alongside Walker and against Mitchell in Round 1, 2016, after a brief stint at the Bulldogs. The trio will play a vital part in South Sydney's quest for a 22nd premiership in the coming years under Jason Demetriou. Source: NRL.Com

ANZ today announced Lachlan Halstead has been appointed Country Head, Papua New Guinea (PNG), reporting to Tammy Medard, Managing Director Institutional Australia and PNG. The appointment has received PNG regulatory approval. Mr. Halstead has worked with ANZ for 21 years, most recently in the role of Chief Operating Officer, Institutional Australia, since 2018. Prior to this, he held senior management positions in Singapore, Vietnam and India. Commenting on the appointment, Ms. Medard said: “ANZ has been in PNG for more than a century, and we continue to see opportunities for growth and investment. “Born and raised in PNG, Lachlan is well-placed to support our local team and drive opportunities for our customers and the PNG economy. His proven track record of leadership across the Asia Pacific will contribute to advancing trade and capital flows with PNG and the region.” Mr. Halstead will relocate from Melbourne to Port Moresby in early 2023. He has a strong personal connection to PNG, having spent part of his childhood in Port Moresby and Madang. Lachlan succeeds Mark Baker who retires after ten years in the role. ANZ established operations in PNG in 1910 and has dedicated corporate centres in Port Moresby, Lae and Goroka. ANZ PNG offers a full range of services for Institutional and Corporate customers across transaction banking, markets, loans and specialized finance. ANZ locally has a particular focus on resources, energy, infrastructure, food, beverage, agriculture and diversified industries. In addition to supporting Institutional and Corporate customers, ANZ delivers its flagship financial literacy program MoneyMinded across PNG communities to increase the financial inclusion and capabilities of Papua New Guineans.

Nambawan Super Limited (NSL) is excited to announce the renewal of its Discount Partnership Agreement with the CHM Group (CHM), which will see Members of the Fund receiving up to 15% in discounts on selected products at CHM storefronts across the PNG. Nambawan Super Members, with membership ID cards, can now enjoy an amazing 5% off mobile phones; 10% off all computers, drones and laptops above K5,000; and 15% off other selected products. CHM Group Managing Director, Mr. Raymond Chin, MBE, said, “We are happy to be renewing this Partnership with NSL just in time for Christmas so that the 214,000 Nambawan Super Members can enjoy something special from us during the festive period and throughout 2023”. “CHM carries a range of top global brands such as JBL, Sony, Panasonic, DJI, Seiko, Apple, PowerPac, PhoneMax and many more new and exciting products that we would like to make accessible to all Papua New Guineans”, Mr. Chin added. NSL CEO, Mr. Paul Sayer thanked CHM for their initiative and generosity in partnering with NSL for the benefit of its Members. “We are pleased to have renewed our Discount Partner Agreement with CHM as they have been a great supporter of the Fund and our Members for many years”, Mr. Sayer said. “I am sure that our over 214,000 Members will also be very pleased to receive the news of the renewed discounts”. “Through this renewed Partnership, CHM re-joins over 160 participating businesses across the Country as a Nambawan Discount Provider.” “We encourage all our Nambawan Super Members, including those in Retirement Savings and Choice Super, to take advantage of these discounts if they are looking to purchase high-quality technology brands for themselves or their families”, Mr. Sayer added. Nambawan Super offers a full list of over 160 Discount Partners, to help members to plan where to shop a save throughout the year.

Clare Guria is the leader of a hearing-impaired team who, with support from the Australian Government through the PNG-Australia Partnership, provided technical advice and input into PNG’s first Disability Inclusive Communication Guide. Law and justice agencies and other groups can now use the Guide to improve communication and build respectful relationships with staff and clients with disabilities. As a child growing up in Wewak in East Sepik Province, Clare was active and outgoing until one morning in 2006, at just 16 years of age, she had the scary experience of waking up to find that she had lost her hearing. An even greater challenge though was overcoming the prejudice she experienced from others. “It was hard growing up. I got bullied and left out because I could not hear.” Years later, even after achieving significant academic success in PNG and in Australia, Clare - like many other deaf people and people with disabilities - still encounters discrimination and abuse on a regular basis. Despite losing her hearing, Clare completed her Grade 12 at Wewak’s Mercy Secondary School and a two-year Certificate in Painting, Decorating, and Sign Writing at Madang Technical College. Under her mother’s guidance, in 2015 she applied for an Australia Awards scholarship and in mid-2016 started a design degree at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane. Clare embraced the opportunity and in 2020 graduated with an Honours degree in Interactive and Visual Design. She also won a People’s Choice Award for her final year thesis on e-Bilum (woven bilums with integrated electronic components). After graduating, Clare returned to Port Moresby with two goals: to build her career in design and to help improve the lives of people with hearing impairments and other disabilities. As Vice-President of the National Capital District Deaf Association, Clare’s greatest motivation is to ensure that in the future, young girls with hearing impairments do not have to deal with the sort of challenges that confronted her. She believes the path to achieving that is by empowering people with disabilities to learn about their rights, further their education, speak up when faced with discrimination, and know how to seek help when faced with injustice. “I want to help people with disabilities reach their own potential and be game changers in our society. When we help them, they help themselves and those around them,” she says

The People’s Alliance/National Federation and SODELPA will form the next government. The announcement has been made SODELPA’s negotiation team lead, Anare Jale. Jale says in a secret ballot, 16 SODELPA management board members voted for a coalition with the People’s Alliance and NFP while 14 board members voted for the FijiFirst Party. He says the management board members met for a few hours today. He says it has not been an easy decision on the way forward for Fiji and it was a big responsibility for SODELPA. Jale says the decision was a tough one and a decision that took into account the offers and presentations by the parties. FijiFirst Leader, Voreqe Bainimarama led the delegation for the party and made the presentation to the management board this afternoon while the People’s Alliance presentation was done by senior members of the party and the National Federation Party Leader, Professor Biman Prasad. fijivillage News has received confirmation from SODELPA General Secretary, Lenaitasi Duru that a written directive from the party will then be given to the three SODELPA MPs, Viliame Gavoka, Aseri Radrodro and Ifereimi Vasu to follow the party’s decision and vote for the chosen party in parliament. This will be legally binding. If someone does not vote along the party lines, then according to the 2013 Fijian Constitution, they will lose their parliamentary seat. Based on this Sitiveni Rabuka will have the majority votes in parliament and will be the next Prime Minister of Fiji. Rabuka was last Prime Minister in 1999. He lost the elections to the People’s Coalition led by Mahendra Chaudhry.   Source: fijivillage

When it comes to Tom Cruise’s daredevil stunts, the sky is literally the limit. On Sunday, the 60-year-old Hollywood action hero shared a video of himself thanking fans for making “Top Gun: Maverick” a box office hit –while flinging himself out of a plane. “Hey everyone, here we are over stunning South Africa, and we’re filming ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning’ parts one and two,” Cruise yells to the camera, while hanging out the door of the plane. “I didn’t want the year to end without thanking you all for coming out to the theaters, and thank you for supporting ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’” The camera then pans to reveal director Christopher McQuarrie, who returned to the action franchise to helm “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.” McQuarrie, who also co-wrote the screenplay for “Top Gun: Maverick,” reminds the leading man that they are on set – “gotta get the shot” – before declining Cruise’s invitation to join him in his skydive. [caption id="attachment_32709" align="alignnone" width="906"] Tom Cruise went into free-fall over South Africa.[/caption] Cruise, who is known for performing his own stunts, then jumps from the plane, before turning back to the camera as he free-falls. “Thank you for allowing us to entertain you. It truly is the honor of a lifetime,” he tells fans. “I’m running out of altitude, so I have to get back to work – we have to get this shot – you have a very safe and happy holiday, we’ll see you at the movies.” “Top Gun: Maverick,” released in May this year, saw Cruise reprise the famous role of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, to return to the Top Gun academy to train fighter pilots. The sequel to the 1986 blockbuster became the first of Cruise’s films to reach the billion-dollar milestone at the box office. And fans definitely appreciated Cruise going to great heights to deliver his thank you message. One wrote under his post on Instagram: “Forget Marvel! @tomcruise is the real action hero! Thanks for making going to the movies a thrill again!” Another said: “Tom Cruise saving the whole movie industry with risking his own life to entertain..! Rest of the movie world, take a note!” A third added: “He’s a madman, in the best way.” “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – Part One,” is scheduled for release in July next year. Source: CNN News

The original mechatronic model of the little alien from Steven Spielberg's 1982 sci-fi classic "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" sold over the weekend for a staggering $2.56 million, according to the auction organizers. The filming model, created by Oscar-winning special effects master Carlo Rambaldi in 1981, went under the hammer as part of the "Icons and Idols: Hollywood" sale put on by Julien's Auctions and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). (TCM , like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Disovery.) "Considered an engineering masterpiece, this one-of-a-kind animatronic figure, featuring 85 points of articulation, pre-dates the advent of CGI (Computer Graphic Imagery) effects in filmmaking, and was designed, developed and engineered in 1981," the lot description read. The big-eyed alien, whose movements included facial expressions, neck movements, as well as the famous pointing of its glowing finger, was brought to life by a team of animators using electronic and mechanical elements. According to the auction listing, Spielberg described the E.T. model as "the eighth wonder of the movie world." A maquette of E.T., made for Spielberg to approve the character's design, also sold for $125,000, while the Kuwahara BMX bike ridden by the character "Greg" in the film was bought for $115,200. The sale of the E.T. memorabilia coincides with the 40th anniversary of the film's release. "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," starring Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore, told the story of a friendly alien's bid to return home after getting stranded in a suburban US neighborhood. E.T.'s childlike innocence melted hearts across the globe, and the film won four Oscars at the 1982 Academy Awards, including Best Visual Effects. According to website Box Office Mojo, by the end of its theatrical run, "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial had grossed more than $359 million at the US box office. "It speaks to our universal human compassion," Thomas told CNN in October this year. "And we all have that. We all have the nurturer inside of us, right? So I think it speaks to that. It brings us back to being young." Other highlights from the "Icons and Idols: Hollywood" auction, which offered more than 1,300 artifacts from Hollywood, included the staff that Charlton Heston used to part the Red Sea in the Cecil B. DeMille classic "The Ten Commandments," which sold for a thumping $448,000. A black wool dress owned by Marilyn Monroe went for $256,000. Source: CNN News

East New Britain (ENB) Province has a gold mine of war relics and history; it is a province whose tourism potential is untapped, says the Vice Minister for International Trade and Investment, Kessy Sawang. Vice Minister Sawang made this comment during her recent visit to the province on Sunday with the Minister for International Trade and Investment, Richard Maru and the Japan Development Institute (JDI) Expert team. Vice Minister Sawang also shared her experience of her recent visit to the war museums in the United States of America (USA) which are a huge tourist attraction. “In those war museums (in the USA), there were pieces of war relics like a wheel of a vehicle, a wing of a plane or a boot preserved there with all their information and stories digitalized. So, when you walk in, the history is there, already digitalized and you decide whether to watch the videos or read about them. East New Britain has a gold mine of war relics because it does not have part of a war plane; it has the whole plane. We have to preserve our war relics in a museum, and though we are a storytelling society, we now have to start digitalizing these stories about the war relics that we have,” “It is obvious that ENB is set to something greater in the future, and it will need political will and support,” she added. Minister Maru also added that ENB was one of the provinces in the country with the highest potential, especially in tourism. “East New Britain has hospitable people, fertile land, rich culture and all the war relics. It has the war relics, the Japanese barges and caves, volcano, hot spring and the package is much better than those that are offered in any other tourism destinations, but why have we not reached our potential? It comes down to leadership, vision, unity between the National and Provincial Government to work together with a target to come up a vehicle to unleash ENB’s potential,” said Minister Maru. “We cannot live in the past; let’s see what the rest of the world has done, get the ideas from them and let’s make it happen for ourselves. In 5 to 10 years, we can develop our infrastructures and facilities. The ENB Provincial Government and all MPs must work together with the National Government to come up with a plan and look at how we can build the tourism potential of this province." "This means there should be a wharf just for cruise ships, the road must be upgraded to world standard, we must have the hotels and all the facilities like a convention centre, and the airport at Tokua must be redeveloped to world standards so we can have direct flights from Japan and other countries. We need to have a package; that is what has been missing and need to develop it now.” “I will be reaching out to Tourism Promotion Authority and the National Cultural Commission to put together a plan on how we can digitalize all our history, especially our war history. I will also discuss with them on how we can preserve our history as there is currently no preservation work done on the Japanese barges and the bunkers, and all other war relics that we have,” Minister Maru said. Minister Maru added that ENB and Japan should have a very close relationship but it does not exist. “Every Japanese know Rabaul but they are not coming here. There are millions of Japanese tourists leaving Japan every year and none of them come here. We should create a little Japan here. I want to make sure that by the end of next year, there should a province in Japan that would be a sister province to ENB, and there will be a city in Japan that will be a sister city to Kokopo and Rabaul,” said Minister Maru. East New Britain was identified by the government as one of the 18 potential Special Economic Zone (SEZ) locations, specifically a tourism SEZ, hence the visit by the JDI Experts on Sunday. “I want to see two SEZs in East New Britain Province- one in Tokua and Kokopo, and another one in Rabaul. The package for Rabaul will be different from Tokua and Kokopo because of the volcano and that is the only way that we can reconstruct our town of Rabaul,” said Minister Maru. “There is also a possibility of establishing hotel facilities at the old airport in Rabaul, especially to offer natural hot spring baths which is a major tourism attraction in Japan where they have hundreds of such facilities. JDI is willing to assist the East New Britain Provincial Government and the State to develop such facilities in Rabaul. It will be a major attraction for international tourists and also local tourists who would like to receive healing from the use of natural steam baths,” said Minister Maru. Minister Maru encouraged the ENB Provincial Government to hold discussions with the landowners of Matupit to find a way forward to establish a 50megawatt energy project in Mt. Tavurvur. “East New Britain has the raw potential, it always had. If there was a time in ENB history where it was exciting, this is the time,” Minister Maru said. Meanwhile, the JDI CEO and Chairman, Dr. Shoichi Kobayashi, after visiting the tourism sites in Rabaul and Kokopo said that there was so much opportunity in East New Britain Province. “I see that there is a possibility for tourism SEZ here; there is a great opportunity in ENB. We (JDI) have been involved in many tourism SEZ development in other countries, and from what I see, East New Britain Province can be a second Bali. Bali was developed from nothing to where it is now and I think this province can be developed too as a major tourism destination, with its war relics as an attraction for the tourists,” said Dr. Kobayashi.

The Thai navy says 31 sailors are missing after a warship carrying more than 100 crew capsized and sank during a storm in the Gulf of Thailand. HTMS Sukhothai sank after water flooded its power controls on Sunday night. Images shared by the navy showed some crew who survived in a life raft. On Monday, authorities said they had rescued 75 sailors, but 31 were still missing in rough seas. "We will keep looking," a navy spokesman told the BBC. Search crews worked through the night to find survivors, with the operation continuing on Monday with air force assistance. The navy also announced an investigation into the cause of the disaster. "This has almost never happened in our force's history, especially to a ship that is still in active use," spokesman Admiral Pogkrong Monthardpalin told the BBC. Footage shared by the navy on Twitter showed crew members wrapped in blankets and receiving treatment after they had been rescued. Some were being airlifted to hospital. Other images showed sailors from the Sukhothai in a life raft, having jumped from the sinking vessel. One unnamed crew member said he had been in the water for several hours before he was rescued. "The waves were quite high, about three metres when the ship sank," he said in a clip shared on local media. "I put on the life jacket and jumped. I swam for three hours." Officials said the ship went down after it took on water, which flooded its hull and short-circuited its power room. With the power lost, the crew battled to retain control of the ship which listed on to its side before sinking around 23:30 local time Sunday (16:30 GMT). The ship had been on a patrol 32km (20 miles) east of Bang Saphan, in the Prachuap Khiri Khan province, when it got caught in the storm on Sunday. Dramatic pictures posted on the Thai Navy's Twitter account show the vessel listing onto its side, and back-up rescue ships trying to find survivors in choppy waters. Three naval ships and helicopters were sent to assist, but only warship HTMS Kraburi reached the vessel before it sank. The frigate picked up most of the Sukhothai's crew, the navy said. Sailors wearing life jackets were found in the water and in life rafts. The navy has disclosed scant detail on their condition. Local media published pictures showing medical personnel at the dock taking crew members off in stretchers. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha released a statement on Monday confirming officials were investigating the disaster. "I am following the news closely - about five people are seriously injured," he said. Source: BBC