The Prime Minister James Marape lead his Papua New Guinea-PNG delegation into the first ever U.S-Pacific Island Country Summit at the State Department Building in Washington DC yesterday (Wednesday, 28th September 2022, 1pm (local time). Mr Marape was accompanied by Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko, Foreign Affairs Secretary Elias Wohengu, Ambassador Max Rai, Representative to the PNG Permanent Mission to UN, Charge de’ Affaires to the PNG Embassy in Washington DC, Mr Cephas Kayo and senior PNG government officials. The Governor of East New Britain Michael Marum, Goilala MP, Casmiro Aia and North Waghi MP, Benjamin Mul are also part of the Prime Minister’s delegation to the Summit. The two day summit was opened yesterday (Wednesday, 28th September 2022, 1pm local Washington time) by US Secretary of State Antony John Blinken at the Franklin Roosevelt Room at the State Department Building. Secretary Blinken welcomed the Pacific Island Country Leaders and said “US to hear out the Pacific leaders and their concerns, on trade and economics, climate change, security and the concerns for the greater Blue Pacific strategy.” Secretary Blinken further applauded the Pacific Island country Leaders for their support and commitment in attending the summit and to discuss issues of common interest with the US and the Pacific region. Issues discussed today at the summit includes “people centred development in the Pacific” amongst others are “Pacific economy and Trade ties” with discussions on climate action, climate resilience, and clean energy transformation”. These are key issues that Prime Minister James Marape addressed when he delivered PNG Country statement at the 77th UN General Assembly in New York last week suggesting that “despite rallying efforts by global community, the world remains on fire”. PM Marape further stressed that “rising sea level continue to inundate and adversely affect coastal communities” and he had reiterated his call for the global north to support submissions that will preserve and protect the rainforests as well as the coastal marine life. Secretary Blinken stressed on the importance of resilient pacific blue economy and safe livelihoods and announced various funding facilities including for the new Resilient Blue Economies program which will strengthen marine livelihoods by supporting sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism. Those present were Prime Minister of Fiji Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manaseh Sogovare, Prime Minister of Tuvalu Kausea Natano, Prime Minister of Samoa Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, President of Kiribati Taneti Maamau, Prime Minister of Vanuatu Bob Loughman, President of the Federated State of Micronesia David Panuelo, President of Nauru Lionel Aingimea, and Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape. Prime Minister Marape will tomorrow meet US President Joe Biden at the White House with the Pacific Island Country leaders in attendance at the Summit who will close the meeting. It is in a the program too where they will meet Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Mr Marape concludes his first meeting here in Washington D.C. on Friday and he returns home to Papua New Guinea.

I want to acknowledge the Government of PNG and the PNG Sports Foundation Management under Mr. Albert Veratau and all his Management Team for the wonderful job they have done so far in ensuring that our Men’s Football Team is taken good care of whilst attending this inaugural revamped MSG PMs Cup 2022 in Port Vila, Vanuatu. I also thank the Marape and Roso Government for their support to our MSG Men’s Football Team in their staying in Vanuatu. Secondly, I would like to congratulate PNGFA’s Coaching Director, Harrison Kamake and all your Coaching & Management Team in ensuring that our Men’s Team has focussed very well all the way through to the final and we are very delighted of the entire Teams performance. Honestly, you all have been our best Ambassadors on the field and off the field and your oneness and strong unity with great determination has taken PNG to this Inaugural revamped MSG PMs Cup Final tomorrow which unbelievable. Thirdly, I want to acknowledge the contributions of our never-ending retiring player and Captain Raymond Gunemba (R7 Gunman) for your leadership which I saw in the first match and knew that you will take our Team right through the Semis and through to the Grand final and bring the MSG Cup to PNG for the first time like our Women’s National Team that did in Fiji. Our Team, we can create another history that can be written down as the 2022 MSG Cup Men’s Champion. Fourthly, I want to acknowledge all our Men’s Team that was made up of both the young and old and you all have blended together very well in your contributions on the field. Coach Harrison, I salute you for believing in the young youths of our players who will one day carry the torch. I also want to say thankyou to PNG Sports Foundation for bringing Alwin Komolong and Nigel Dabinyaba to the Team for the second and the third match and it paid great dividend to reach the final and my big thanks. Lastly, PNGFA and all of our Football family are very proud of your achievement. I believe most of our comments and sayings will have also change and will change to move forward for the betterment. You have done the Government of PNG proud of your achievements and football can now raise its head of moving forward with great anticipations. It is another final day tomorrow and please take it as normal. Believe me Ol Bois, tomorrow that stadium will be flooded tomorrow night for the crowning of the MSG Champions. My words to you...Believe in God and believe in yourselves. Be humble but be strong and lastly be patient and discipline for that winning GOAL that will come to you. Play Strong and Hard until the final whistle. Nogat Les Man. In closing, we thank our God Almighty for the victories. God Bless PNG! Source: PNG Football Association 

Cronulla Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes has capped off a superb season by taking out the 2022 Dally M Medal for the NRL Player of the Year. Hynes' 38 points are the highest tally by an individual player in NRL Premiership history, with the halfback finishing ahead of Roosters fullback James Tedesco (33 points), Dragons halfback Ben Hunt (32 points), Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater (23 points) and Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards (23 points). After shifting from the Melbourne Storm ahead of the 2022 campaign, Hynes excelled in his first season at his new club — playing 25 of a possible 26 matches to help the Sharks to a top four finish in the regular season for the first time since 2018. Named as the Dally M Halfback of the Year in addition to the main award, Hynes ended the season with 21 try assists, 29 linebreak assists and six tries, while also adding 83 goals to finish with 194 points for the season. Hynes also recorded career high totals in kick metres (9,347 metres), offloads, tackle breaks and running metres, averaging 117 metres per game with the ball in hand. No player landed more field goals during the season than Hynes, who also topped the count among all players in the competition for linebreak assists. He is the first Sharks player to win the award since Preston Campbell in 2001. Source: NRL.com

Key landowner groups of the Porgera mine, the Porgera Landowners Association (PLOA) and the newly established Lease for Mining Purpose Landowners Association (LMPLOA) have signed an agreement to provide support for peace restoration efforts in the Porgera valley. The groups have undertaken to fund the logistics, administration and accommodation requirements for a group of identified strategic leaders of the various warring tribal clans to convene in a neutral environment setting to discuss and initiate a way forward for normalcy to return in anticipation for the reopening of the Porgera mine. On Saturday 24 September 2022, PLOA Chairman Tony Mark Ekepa and LMPLO Chairman Timothy Andambo signed a contract with Puluperale Limited, a local company to provide these services. The signing took place at Yoko and was witnessed by members of the Porgera Crisis Management Committee, Restoring Justice Initiative (RJI) and Barrick Niugini Limited (BNL) including the Mineral Resource Authority (MRA) through Porgera Project Coordinator Joe Kak. The contract is for a period of one month and the services will be provided to affected strategic leaders who are identified by the crisis management committee. The landowner group leaders expressed that the tribal conflict which started off near Kairik in 2020 between the Aiyela and Nomali clans has spread to many other clan boundaries and villages leaving in its path, death in the hundreds, destruction of properties in the millions, a shut-down of basic government services, abductions, fear and overall suffering. The landowner group leaders expressed that with the strong public outcry from relatives of victims, the communities and general populace compounded by an obvious lack in leadership from all levels of authority, it was incumbent to initiate this kind of support as leaders on the ground to give confidence back to the Porgera people. “No one is going to come and do it for us. We need our public servants to come back, our employees to come back, our people and leaders to come back, our school children, women and the young to roam freely without fear and intimidation. We need the sporadic killings and guerrilla type warfare to stop and we need the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to fix the ongoing lawlessness. “The only way we will see tangible benefits from the mine is if we do our part to find solutions to fix this law and order crisis in the valley,” Mr Andambo said. The intent of the support being provided by the SML and LMP landowner groups is to have the public servants houses currently being occupied by warring clan members to be vacated and for hired gunmen engaged by the warring clans to be repatriated out from the Valley. PLOA Chairman Tony Mark Ekepa said as the people on the ground they have to take ownership of the law and order problem. “In the absence of authority in the district at all levels, we as people on the ground need to take ownership of the law and order situation. We need to restore the presence of control and leadership to give our people confidence again,” Mr Ekepa said. Both Mr Andambo and Mr Ekepa reiterated that the agreement is in the interest of the SML and LMP landowners including the wider population of Porgera and neighbouring regions to restore peace, and revive the services that were closed in preparation for reopening of the mine.

The Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates Commission, with support from UNDP, are running a national workshop to reflect on the participation of women candidates in the recent 2022 National General Election. Thirty-one women candidates from all over the country have come together in Port Moresby to reflect on their experiences and produce a Statement recommending a range of actions that should be taken by the Government and other partners to ensure election outcomes in 2027 are fair, inclusive and follow the law. At the opening ceremony, the IPPCC Chairperson, Reverend Roger Joseph, stated: “It saddens me that we still don’t have enough of their voices represented in our National Parliament. I encourage all of our male MPs to commit themselves to working to promote women’s empowerment during their term in Parliament. I encourage our political parties to include gender equality and women’s empowerment in their manifestoes and to make it a core part of the policies they try to promote.” Mr Jerry Ubase, Secretary of the Department for Community Development and Religion, also spoke at the opening. He stressed that the National Council of Women is supposed to be the voice for all PNG women, holding the Government to account but hasn’t been operational, and committed his Department to fixing that in the coming months. He also expressed his commitment to establishing a need to review and strengthen the new parliamentary committee on gender equality and women’s empowerment in the National Parliament. A total of 159 female candidates contested the 2022 National General Election with 64 women endorsed by 14 political parties. Twenty female candidates polled in the top five candidates in counting in their respective electorates. This includes the two women declared winners: The Hon. Rufina Peter, Central Province Governor, and the Hon. Kessy Sawang, as the Member for Rai Coast Open. The two women elected to the National Parliament make up less than 2% of the 11th National Parliament’s seats. This is much less than the global average of 25.5% as estimated by the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Mr Edward Vrkic UNDP’s Officer in Charge highlighted the importance of expanding women’s representation in the National Parliament stating, “The Parliament is amongst the most important of all national institutions. It shapes a country’s future. Increasing women’s participation is fundamental to delivering in the best interests of Papua New Guinea. International experience tells us, that when this happens, societies are more peaceful and more prosperous.” Key outcomes and findings are intended to inform political parties on ways to better support women candidates in future elections. This Forum is part of the Women Make the Change Project funded by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. This initiative is jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Programme and the Office of Integrated Office of Political Parties.

It’s a complicated world but we all need to eat – without consuming the world in the process Indeed, we live in a world full of competing interests and disagreements.  Yet despite this, there is one underlying, unifying interest that we all share. It is in all our interests to have access to safe, affordable and nutritious food at all times. The question is will there be enough food for all in the not too distant future, and will it be produced sustainably? The answer is not so affirmative without immediate action. Despite our common interest, this region is backsliding into greater hunger and malnutrition. According to one recent UN report, Asia and the Pacific is so off track, it would need an additional 35 years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals – in 2065. Some of the backsliding is obvious. This year, in Asia and the Pacific, we’ve witnessed droughts and floods, the highest food prices in decades, an armed conflict in Eastern Europe, and a lingering COVID-19 pandemic that continues to threaten health, disrupt supply chains and livelihoods. Together, these have resulted in a crisis of five ‘Fs’ – lack of food, feed, fuel, fertilizer and finance, and it’s predicted there could be reductions of cereal output next year due to fertilizer shortages in some countries in the region. But even before these crises, successive annual reports of FAO’s flagship publication, the State of Food Security and Nutrition, were warning the fight against hunger and malnutrition was stalling, and then failing. In 2021, more than 400 million people in Asia-Pacific were malnourished, most of them in South Asia. In fact, of the billions of people in this region, 40 percent cannot afford a healthy diet. Transforming our agrifood systems is vital to achieving all the SDGs For decades, as the world’s population grew, we took our collective eye off the agrifood food systems ball. The world was producing enough food, and there was little political appetite to upset the applecart. Our agrifood systems were (and still are) a complex, interdependent system, of planting, harvesting, transporting, processing, marketing and consuming. The wakeup call came two years ago with the arrival of a global pandemic. While food production didn’t come to a halt, the lockdowns and supply chain disruptions that followed took a serious toll on this interdependent system. For those of us in Asia and the Pacific, the pandemic and fallout were happening in tandem with other huge disrupters such as climate change, natural disasters, hazards and risks that account for 60 percent of global fatalities and 40 percent of economic losses. And so it became clear we urgently needed to fix our agrifood systems by transforming them to withstand shocks and disruptions, and also use this an opportunity to make nutritious foods and healthy diets more accessible and affordable for all. Last year, the UN Food Systems Summit in New York was the world’s first major attempt to move these plans forward. Now it’s time to get that transformation underway on the ground in our Asia-Pacific region. In other words, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and build a better applecart. But it will take more than just a few of us to do that. Asia and the Pacific – time for action Governments in our region must act through leadership. Asia-Pacific’s private sector, among leaders in technology and innovation, must broaden its customer base to provide affordable solutions to the region’s smallholders. Civil society, while continuing its important role as watchdog, must work more proactively with policymakers and the private sector. Academia must accelerate its research, while resource partners must make this transformation their top priority, because to achieve this massive transformation, our region, indeed the world, must literally, put its money where its mouth is. This transformation is about nature and people More than 80 percent of the world’s smallholders and family farmers live off the land in this region and their interests and livelihoods must be safeguarded. Social safety nets and reskilling programmes to improve employment prospects should form an important part of this transformation. The good news is that, overall, there are plenty, and a variety, of available solutions – policy and evidence-based, regenerative, innovative and technological. These include strengthening actions to sustainably manage natural resources, enhance forest areas and restore landscapes. The Asia-Pacific region benefits from thousands of years of agriculture-based systems and hundreds of generations of traditional knowledge which could be coupled with a fast-growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. For our part, FAO’s mission is to support the 2030 Agenda through helping Member Nations and partners build more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems for Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment, and a Better Life, leaving no one behind. In order to get this massive region’s transformation underway, FAO is convening an Asia-Pacific Symposium on Agrifood Systems Transformation in Bangkok, 5 – 7 October (in-person and virtual). The response has been impressive, with government Ministers from many Member Nations signing up, along with private sector, academia and civil society joining in as well. Without doubt, this transformation will require massive public and private investment – and the political will to effect the change. But if we fail to act, even the year 2065 may be too optimistic. This time, all eyes are on the ball, as no one doubts what’s at stake. Failing to transform our agrifood systems is not an option – it is an imperative for our future and that of our children’s. Jong-Jin Kim is an Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

After defeating them in the opening match, PNG will face again the Vanuatu Development Team in the grand final of the inaugural Melanesian Spearhead Group Prime Ministers cup this Friday. The two weeks soccer tournament will finally come to a close this week following a battle for supremacy by the five Melanesian countries, PNG, Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. PNG beat Fiji 1-0 to book the first semi-final spot while the hosts upstaged favorites Solomon Islands during a penalty shoot-out. The Harrison Kamake-coached side has been boosted by the late arrival and inclusion of Nigel Dabinyaba who scored the only goal through a penalty in the first half of the match at Korman Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu. Knowing how dangerous and effective the Vanuatu Development Team will be, PNG will be banking on their experienced campaigners in veteran striker Raymond Gunemba, midfield maestro’s Emmanuel Simon and Jacob Sabua, and trusty defenders Daniel Joe and Alwyn Komolong to hold the ship steady against a fiery home side. The Kepo brothers, Ati and Kolu continue to be a threat to any teams they face and will be hard to handle. Exciting young talents in Mesa Joe, Pala Paul, Stahl Gubag and Yagi Yasasa continue to impress and will be the face of PNG soccer in the future. In all, it will be a tough battle but PNG is good hands under direction of Kamake and his experienced playmakers. Meanwhile Papua New Guinea Sport Foundation Executive Director has thanked Prime Minister James Marape and Chairman of the National Gaming & Control Board Mr. Clemence Kanau for their support in PNG’s participation at the Inaugural MSG Prime Ministers cup. Mr. Kanau also conveyed his best wishes to the team in the grand final while Mr. Veratau said he will be there to represent the Government of PNG and hopes his presence would be a real booster for the team. PC: PNGSF Media

The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary as well as its sister forces around the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand held a special memorial services early this morning (Thursday September 29) to remember those who have died in the line of duty over the last 12 months. September is the day set aside each year to honour and remember policemen and policewomen who have died in the line of duty throughout Papua New Guinea, the Pacific, and our sister countries Australia and New Zealand. It is also an opportunity to remember police officers who have lost their lives over the last 12 months through illness or other circumstances. For the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, the memorial service will be held at the School of Excellence in Bomana in the National Capital District. This year we remember, First Constable 13713 Neil Maino, from Central Province attached to the Special Services Division. He was the Close Protection Officer to the Deputy Prime Minister late Hon. Sam Basil, both of whom died in a tragic car accident along Bulolo highway in the Morobe Province on May 11, 2022. Commissioner Manning said, “It is our responsibility to remember them and to stand by the families and the loved ones they have left behind. “Policing is a demanding profession. Those who promised on the Holy Bible to protect and serve the people, know the risks and dangers they will be faced with. “This day offers an important opportunity for us, the living, to remember those departed and to reflect upon our roles as police officers. We are reminded also of the common purpose we share and the shared responsibility we bear. “We will honour the legacy of our fallen heroes and remember their sacrifices. Lest we forget!”

As part of the organization’s member engagement, National Superannuation Fund (Nasfund) recently participated in the 2022 Mona Festival. Held in Buka, Autonomous Region of Bougainville, from Thursday 22nd to Saturday 24th September 2022, this event brought together traditional groups from across North, Central and South Bougainville, to celebrate the autonomous region’s traditional canoe, known as the Mona. Over 1,500 people attended the Festival over the 3 days. According to the Fund’s General Manager Member & Employer Services Anne Wilson, participation at this event provided an avenue to raise awareness on the importance of superannuation, as well as showcasing services on offer by Nasfund. “As the largest Fund by membership size, we believe it is important that we continually engage with our members wherever they are. The Mona Festival provided one such opportunity. The Fund’s Buka Member Service Centre took the lead in facilitating our involvement in the Festival, with the Fund coming on board as a minor sponsor for the 3 day event. Our participation at this event enabled us to engage with our current membership, as well as potential members who may want to join Papua New Guinea’s leading superannuation provider. Those who visited the Nasfund exhibit were provided an overview of the role of the Fund, as well as the service on offer. Awareness was provided on the services provided to members through our branch and online channels, as well as the value of Nasfund membership through our popular Membership Discount Program (MDP). The Festival also allowed the Fund to speak to potential members, especially those within the Micro and Small to Medium Enterprises (MSME & SME) space. We would like to thank the Mona Festival Organizers for allowing our participation at this event, and we look forward to working together in ensuring that we promote the important role of superannuation to the next generation of Papua New Guineans. The Autonomous Region of Bougainville remains an important area of focus for the Fund, particularly as there has been some growth in the amount of economic activity in recent years, largely driven by the MSME and SME sectors. We remain committed to promoting, and enabling superannuation services to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville today, so that our members are ready for tomorrow.

Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) PNG is proud to announce a new partnership with local business Hannah's Beauty Box of Port Moresby. Hannah's Beauty Box will come on board as the Hair & Makeup Partner for the 2022 Palmolive Project Runaway  on Saturday 1st October 2022. Chairperson of MPIP PNG Committee, Mrs Molly O’Rourke said, “Our Hair & Makeup Partner – Hannah’s Beauty Box is a locally owned company who have graciously accepted our invitation to partner with us.” Owner of Hannah’s Beauty Box Ms Anna Nawara expressed her delight at being invited to be part of a prestigious event such as the MPIP PNG Palmolive Project Runway. She further stated that “ When we were invited to come on board we saw this as a great opportunity not just for the company but for our young hairdressers, stylists and makeup artists.” Hannah’s Beauty Box is a 100% Papua New Guinean owned salon and boutique aimed at providing the latest in fashion and beauty. The team will be doing the Hair & Makeup for our 50 models and will also be awarding a prize for Model of the year ! Tickets are going fast but still available don’t miss out email : mpippng401@gmail.com or head down to Alibi to purchase. Tickets not sold on the night Miss PNG Pacific Islands

Ukraine has accused Russia of causing leaks in two major gas pipelines to Europe in what it described as a "terrorist attack". Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said the damage to Nord Stream 1 and 2 was "an act of aggression" towards the EU. He added that Russia wanted to cause pre-winter panic and urged the EU to increase military support for Ukraine. Seismologists reported underwater blasts before the leaks emerged. "There is no doubt that these were explosions," said Bjorn Lund of Sweden's National Seismology Centre, as quoted by local media. The operators of Nord Stream 2 warned of a loss of pressure in the pipeline on Monday afternoon. That led to a warning from Danish authorities that ships should avoid the area near the island of Bornholm. The operator of Nord Stream 1 said the undersea lines had simultaneously sustained "unprecedented" damage in one day. Denmark's Defence Command has released footage of the leaks which shows bubbles at the surface of the Baltic Sea near the island. The largest patch of sea disturbance is 1km (0.6 miles) in diameter, it says. "Gas leak from NS-1 [Nord Stream 1] is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression towards the EU. Russia wants to destabilise the economic situation in Europe and cause pre-winter panic," Ukraine's Mr Podolyak tweeted in English. He also called on European partners, particularly Germany, to increase military support for Ukraine. "The best response and security investment are tanks for Ukraine. Especially German ones," he said. \Other European leaders have raised the idea that the damage to the pipelines was deliberately inflicted. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki blamed it on sabotage and said it was probably linked to the war in Ukraine. Denmark's Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, said it was too early to come to conclusions, but that it was hard to imagine the multiple leaks could be a coincidence. At the same time, unconfirmed reports in German media said authorities were not ruling out an attack on the undersea gas network. A Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said he was "extremely concerned" about the incident, and the possibility of a deliberate attack could not be ruled out. The EU has previously accused Russia of using a reduction in gas supplies as an economic weapon, in response to European sanctions imposed because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, Moscow denies this, saying the sanctions have made it impossible to maintain the gas infrastructure properly. Whatever the cause of the damage, it will not immediately affect the supply of gas to Europe, as neither pipeline was operational. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline - which consists of two parallel branches - has not transported any gas since August when Russia closed it down for maintenance. It stretches 745 miles (1,200km) under the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast near St Petersburg to north-eastern Germany. Its twin pipeline, Nord Stream 2, was halted after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. Although neither pipeline is in operation, they both still contain gas. German, Danish and Swedish authorities are all investigating the incidents. How can the world cope without Russia's oil and gas? How Russia is cutting gas supplies to Europe The Danish energy authority told the Reuters news agency that the leak could continue for several days and perhaps even a week. The pipeline's operators - Nord Stream AG - said it was impossible to estimate when the system's infrastructure would be restored. Energy prices have soared since Moscow invaded Ukraine and scarce supplies could push up costs even further. There are growing fears that families in the EU will be unable to afford the cost of heating this winter. Poland is leading the effort to curb reliance on Russia, once Europe's main energy supplier, with the inauguration of a new gas pipeline. The Baltic Pipe will be a new link for Norwegian gas to Europe, which will allow countries to the south of Poland, including Slovakia and the Czech Republic, to access it.     Source: BBC

Canada has said it is dropping all remaining Covid border restrictions, including vaccine requirements for travellers. As of 1 October, travellers will also no longer need to provide proof of Covid vaccination, to undergo any testing or to isolate and quarantine. The mask mandate on planes and trains will also be lifted. The ArriveCan app - used to upload health documents when entering Canada - will become optional. Federal health minister Jean-Yves Duclos said in an announcement on Monday that Canada is "in a much better position" than it was earlier in the pandemic, in part due to availability of Covid-19 vaccines and treatment options. The country's high vaccination rate - with around 82% of the population having received two doses - and a falling death rate are also factors. Around 32 Canadians are currently dying each day from the the virus. Covid-19 cases are slowly rising in Canada and signs point to a resurgence ahead of autumn, Mr Duclos said, but he added this is "largely explained by the domestic transmission of the virus". He said Ottawa is open to reintroducing measures, especially if a new, highly-transmissible variant emerges. Vaccine mandates for travellers entering the US remain in place, and some American lawmakers have urged President Joe Biden to drop remaining restrictions. Other countries, including the United Kingdom, dropped Covid entry requirements earlier this year. Covid-19 mandates were opposed by some in Canada and were the subject of the 'Freedom Convoy' protests in Ottawa, which were held in support of truckers who refused to get vaccinated to cross the US-Canada border. The February protests gridlocked Canada's capital for two weeks. Supporters of the convoy also staged blockades at key border crossings between the US and Canada, disrupting the flow of goods between the two countries. The protests were eventually cleared after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the never before used Emergencies Act, which gives the government additional powers in times of national crisis. The World Health Organisation declared in early September that Covid-19 deaths have hit their lowest point but experts have warned about ongoing threat of the virus, especially if new variants emerge. Despite the end of the restrictions, Mr Duclos urged people to get their booster shots and encouraged people to continue wearing masks in public.   Source: BBC