In form Raiders rookies Matthew Timoko and Sebastian Kris may be playing for a World Cup berth in Friday night's semi-final against Parramatta after being named in an extended Kiwis squad. Timoko, 22, and Kris, 23, are the only two members of the 34-man squad yet to pull on a New Zealand jersey, with Bulldogs hooker Jeremy Marshall-King and Eels winger Bailey Simonsson having played in the 2019 World Nines. The pair have earned their selection after being instrumental in Canberra's surge into week two of the NRL finals after eliminating Melbourne Storm 28-20 last Saturday night. The No.1 ranked Kiwis boast a strong forward pack and spine but are light on for outside backs as coach Michael Maguire playing Parramatta's Marata Niukore at centre in the mid-season Test against Mate Ma'a Tonga. Among the players added to the squad chosen for the Tonga Test are Kiwis veterans Shaun Johnson, Kodi Nikorima and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, who may not be available until the knock-out stages of the World Cup due to suspension. Canberra's Corey Harawira-Naera and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, and Cronulla prop Braden Hamlin-Uele also join the squad, along with Marshall-King, Simonsson, Kris and Timoko. Gold Coast hooker Erin Clark isn’t included after being ruled out following knee surgery. Seven of the players are yet to make their Test debuts for the Kiwis – Kris, Timoko, Marshall-King, Simonsson, Griffin Neame, Jordan Riki and Scott Sorensen – but Neame, Riki and Sorensen were in camp for the Tonga Test. “We wanted to name a wider squad so we have all options covered while the NRL finals are playing out,” said Kiwis head coach Michael Maguire. “We’re excited about the depth of players available and the form they’re in. The vast majority of them are in sides that made it into the finals which is a real positive as we look ahead to the tournament.” The Kiwis are due to assemble in Sydney on September 27 where they’ll train for two days before flying to England on September 30. Players selected from the two teams in the grand final will travel separately the following week. The Kiwis will warm up for their World Cup campaign with a match against the Leeds Rhinos at Headingley on October 8 when 2008 World Cup winner Thomas Leuluai will be guest captain in the final match of his decorated career before retiring. The Kiwis will then move to their RLWC base in York. Their opening Pool C match is against Lebanon in Warrington on October 16 followed by Jamaica in Hull on October 22 and Ireland in Leeds on October 28. Source: NRL.com

Red Cross volunteers are struggling to access remote parts of Papua New Guinea to assess the impact of a 7.6 magnitude earthquake. At least seven people have been confirmed dead as a result of the earthquake, which struck the country's eastern highlands region on Sunday morning. Red Cross PNG secretary general Valachie Quagliata said the full scale of the damage is not yet understood. "Papua New Guinea is a very geographically tough location to attend to the impacted areas," he said. Source: ABC Pacific

Community members in Morobe Province have expressed mixed reactions and have publicly cried foul over the first-of-its-kind government allocation of funds to mark and celebrate the 2022 National Independence Day tomorrow. Most of them did not support the government's resolution to allocate K1million to each districts just to observe the national event. They said the funds could have been prioritized on other vital services that were lacking in the remote parts of the country. The Marape/Rosso government has announced it had sourced K1million from respective District Development Authority funds throughout the country which are yet to be disbursed to their accounts for them to celebrate the 47th Independence Day which falls this Friday. Only minority of the citizens aired their views supporting the government's resolution saying it's important the government allocated funds to celebrate independence as its the country's national event and should be celebrated using public funds. Already schools, churches and communities started hosting sporting activities leading up to the observation of 16th September. Dramas, traditional dances and other fun activities are part of the local organizers programme contents to witness. Most local organizers said their planned activities are not to observe the national event just because government has announced funding. They said the hosting of activities have been part of their annual celebration of independence day over the years without public funding support.

New Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan has expressed sadness at the passing of Wewak Open MP, Kevin Isifu. Sir J said the late Kevin Eziro Isifu, was a strong People’s Progress Party politician for many years and a personal friend. “As the Minister for Inter-Government Relations, the late Kevin Isifu pushed through my agenda for Greater Autonomy among the Governors and the forerunner platform, the Service Delivery Partnership Agreement,” said Sir J. He said, “Through his work, the People’s Progress Party made strong impressions which led to the decision to empower three provinces, Enga, East New Britain and New Ireland to pioneer Autonomous Government Arrangement.” Late Kevin Isifu later joined another political party before the 2022 NGE but Sir J said they shared several hours of private discussions thereafter. To the wife and family of the late Kevin Isifu Sir J relayed,..“I am saddened that I cannot offer words of comfort to you and family at his passing. But God has a reason for everything and I hope you will find peace in the knowledge that your husband and father served his Province and Country well as a faithful PPP advocate on balanced development and autonomy.”

The Voice Inc (TVI), a civil society organization dedicated to empowering citizens to build a sustainable future, has commenced the Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) Online Action-Learning Program with 30 of its Coalition Members and Partners from around the country to build local leadership and collective action for change. The PDIA Program is offered by the Building State Capability at the Center for International Development at Harvard University. The program will run for a total of 12 weeks and has started with a 2-day introductory session at the Hilton Port Moresby which will allow all who are involved to meet one another and go through their first online session with the Building State Capability Team. All partners whom are participating in the PDIA Program work in the spaces of Sorcery Accusation Related Violence, Education, Higher Education, Decentralization and Youth Employment. TVI has taken this step to ensure that through its partners and extensive network, policy reforms and action can be taken within these priority areas. Speaking at the launch of the 2-day session, Executive Director of TVI, Maliwai Sasingian, stated that the organization is thrilled to be able to provide such an enriching opportunity to its partners and looks forward to seeing how best TVI can support the work that partners take on as a result of their participation in the PDIA program. “We thank all our partners for accepting our invitation to participate in this program and ultimately joining TVI in our journey to address key issues within Papua New Guinea. The network that this program will create is invaluable and one which we will continue to strengthen. We are grateful to the Australian Government for their generous support and funding for this program”. The PDIA program is made possible through the Local Leadership and Collective Action Program (LLCAP) of the Voice Inc. The participants departed for their respective provinces on Friday 9th of September and will continue their interaction online until December of 2022.

BSP Finance PNG, an Asset Finance Specialist and a subsidiary of the BSP Group of Companies with the help of a contractor gave an overhaul to the building by replacing the entire roofing iron including ceilings, fly-wires and electrical wiring. Chief Inspector & Manager Operations Dimon Gah said, “With the refurbishment of this building, it will very much ensure a safe, secure and humane facility that will now provide a good healthcare and effective rehabilitation to the 800 detainees we currently have, whenever they need it.” “More importantly, the boost on the facility will encourage Correctional Officers to serve with pride under a more conducive environment for the rehabilitation process of the prisoners and helps them conduct positive daily activities.” BSP Group CEO Robin Fleming when handing over the project said, “It’s a privilege to stand here every time and handover projects like this, but it’s our staff commitments that makes a difference in improving the welfare of our local communities through interventions in education, environment and health.” “As a part of the communities we live in, we would like to build these relationships and strengthen our community involvement. BSP Community Project initiatives provide an avenue for each of our branch staff to contribute to make a difference. This is not only in PNG but also in other Pacific Countries we operate in,” said Fleming. BSP Finance General Manager Andy Roberts also thanked the Bomana Correctional Commanders and Officers for allowing the BSP Finance team to carry out work needed to improve the building facilities, reaffirming that, “Everyone has a right to good health and welfare and these 800 detainees here at Bomana deserve the same.” Meanwhile, BSP Vanimo also handed over a completed Water tank installation project at Lujan Home for Girls in Vanimo East Tower, West Sepik Province. Lujan Home for Girls is a refuge home in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea run by the SSVM Sisters. They take care of girls ranging from 2 years old to 25 years old. The Vanimo branch team delivered four new water tanks which include one 9,000 litres and three 5,000 litres with main fittings of the storage water pump fully installed. This year, BSP has selected 49 projects as part of its 2022 Community Project initiative, all coordinated and organised by the bank’s different branches, departments, units, subsidiaries and the countries BSP operates in.

On behalf of the senior officers and the members of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, we wish the people of Papua New Guinea a Happy 47th Independence Anniversary. This day not only marks a time for celebrating our nationhood, but marks another milestone for our young nation. We have just completed the 2022 National General Election and the 11th National Parliament has once again given the mandate to Prime Minister James Marape to lead our nation. In the biblical context, we have been wondering in the wilderness for the last 47 years. The Moses Generation has come to an end. We are now in the Joshua Generation and the young leadership of toady will take us into the future and the promised land of “milk and honey”. So it is with sincerity that I call upon all Papua New Guineans, wherever you are and in whatever position of responsibility, to come together, join hands, and move our country forward into peace and prosperity. The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary has been an integral part of PNG from the beginning. We helped in the creation of PNG. We took the first steps with PNG and remain committed to a free and secure Papua New Guinea.

As part of continually improving accessibility and services to its members, the National Superannuation Fund, Nasfund, has opened its second Client Service Centre in Lae, Morobe Province. Located on Malekula Street, this centre provides easy access for members within Lae city’s main market and surrounding areas – which includes our members in the Finance & Banking, Manufacturing & Construction, Tourism & Hospitality, Retail, and MSME sectors. Job Inimup, a Nasfund member for over 20 years, employed by Markharm Culverts, was given the honor of opening the new service centre, to signal the start of operations. The occasion was witnessed by Nasfund Chief Executive Officer Ian Tarutia. Mr. Iminup thanked the Fund for opening this new facility. “With the service centre now located in the busy market area, those of us who work within the market area don’t have to go far to access Nasfund services. Thank you Nasfund.” CEO Tarutia said it is a welcome addition, as the fund ramps up its services to members in this part of the country, especially as the province looks set to meet the demands of increasing business activities and economic opportunities on the back of the Wafi Golpu Mine. “We are pleased to add the second Lae Service Centre to our Nasfund branch network. oreso, as Lae and Morobe Province as a whole is the second largest membership base of the Fund. Morobe Province accounts for over 111,000 Nasfund members from across 300 employers, which constitutes approximately 18% of the Fund’s total membership – a good number of whom work within this busy industrial area. We are confident that our membership within the busy Lae market area and surrounding industrial precinct will take ownership of this Service Centre, and utilize the services offered here. The opening of this centre is part of efforts to improve our service to members, all across the country. In the coming weeks, we will also be opening our new and improved service centres in Milne Bay Province, as well as two additional service centres in NCD. Whilst we open this Service Centre, we also encourage our members to utilize our on line electronic channels, which includes our Call Centre, Member Online Portal, the Mobile Phone App, or Mobile SMS facilities.

The New Ireland Government will be hosting the countries 47th Independence Celebrations on the West Coast of New Ireland, Lasiliba this Friday 16th September. It will be a privilege and an honour for the people of New Ireland and West coast to spend Independence day with one of our country’s remaining founding Fathers, Last Man Standing and Governor of New Ireland, Sir Julius Chan. On the occasion Sir J will also officially open the first 500 meters of sealed West Coast Highway to kick start the first phase of 5km of the road sealing. The West coast is a total of 190 kilometers of road, the majority of which Governor Sir Julius Chans intends to seal in this term of office. The West Coast Highway project is the biggest project ever undertaken by any Government in New Ireland. Activities for the day will include announcement of 2022 Village Beautification Awards, LLG Sports Awards presentations entertainment by Choirs, Singsing groups and String Bands.  

Recent times have been tough for humanity, the world has been in a turbulent state, facing multiple crisis’s that require complex solutions, people all over the globe are overwhelmed by unrest, fronting illness, conflict, and disaster. A shift of direction is crucial, to avoid further deprivations and injustices, warns the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The newly launched 2021/22 Human Development Report (HDR) by UNDP, spotlights the continuous uncertainty that affects us in unprecedented ways, and argues that in the end, working towards shared goals and doubling down on human development are critical to creating a future in which we can all thrive, however uncertain. UNDP Papua New Guinea Country Office held a media briefing on the launch of the 2021/22 HDR, “Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World” on 13 September 2022. The report canulates the Human Development Index (HDI) for 191 countries and territories, including Papua New Guinea as well as other indices such as the Gender Inequality Index. The HDI a composite index looking at a nation’s human development, considering health, education, and per capita income, i.e. measuring three key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living. For the first time in the 32 years that UNDP have been calculating it, the Human Development Index has declined globally for two years in a row. Human development has fallen back to its 2016 levels, reversing much of the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Around 90% of countries saw their HDI decrease in either 2020 or 2021, and more than 40 percent declined in both years, signalling that the crisis is still deepening for many. While some countries are beginning to get back on their feet, recovery is uneven and partial, further widening inequalities in human development. The last two years have had a devastating impact for billions of people around the world, when crises like COVID-19 interacted with sweeping social and economic shifts, dangerous planetary changes such as climate change, and increased polarization. “We are facing a high degree of uncertainty. We need to embrace transformation, invest in basic services, institutions, and innovation to navigate through multiple layers of complex challenges. Focussing on a transition to a green and sustainable economy is at the core of this.’’ said Dirk Wagener, Resident Representative, UNDP Papua New Guinea. “This HDR report highlights the speed and level of changes and threats confronting humanity is beyond what we have ever experienced before, and how humanity must double down and navigate through this uncertainty.

Cricket in Papua New Guinea has come far in the last 10 years. It used to exist on raw talent, passion and little else. Now, the men's and women's national teams are professional outfits that both sit inside the International Cricket Council's (ICC) top-20 ranked T20 teams. Cricket PNG is about to receive a funding injection in partnership with Cricket Australia and the Australian government. Over the next 12 months, the funding will be rolled out to further develop the sport and strengthen ties with Australia as part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's ramped-up engagement in the Pacific. Pauke Siaka giggles at the suggestion she and husband Assad Vala are the "King and Queen" of PNG cricket. "Maybe," said Siaka with a big grin. Vala is one of PNG's most-capped cricketers. He is a leading run-scorer and is the current skipper for the national men's team, the PNG Barramundis (the Barras). [caption id="attachment_26605" align="alignnone" width="862"] Pauke Siaka and Assad Vala are key members of the PNG women's (Lewas) and men's (Barras) cricket teams.(Supplied: Pauke Siaka)[/caption] He was also the first PNG cricketer selected for a global professional team when he played in the Hong Kong Twenty20 Blitz competition. Siaka was captain of the PNG national women's team, the Lewas, in the 2017/2018 season. The highly decorated all-rounder is currently on tour with the Lewas in Abu Dhabi for the T20 World Cup qualifiers. Siaka and Vala share the parenting of their nine-year-old son while juggling their sporting careers. For the next five weeks, Siaka is playing cricket overseas and Vala will be a stay-at-home dad. There is a lot of travel in cricket. Siaka and Vala guess they have been to up to 30 different countries on cricket tours, including Nepal, Namibia, Argentina, Oman, Netherlands, Japan and Thailand. PNG's Cricket Hub Siaka has seen a lot, considering she started playing cricket as a girl on a dirt road "in the village". But Hanuabada is no ordinary village. It is a hub for cricket like nowhere else in PNG. Remarkably, 14 of the 17 women in the current Lewas squad are from Hanuabada. Vala thinks 50 per cent of the Barramundis also hail from the village. World Vision estimates Hanuabada's population is 20,000. Not far from Port Moresby, it is known for shack homes built on stilts that reach a hundred metres out into the ocean. But it is no paradise. Over the years, Hanuabada has struggled to manage waste and rubbish. At times the conditions there have raised international concern. [caption id="attachment_26609" align="alignnone" width="789"] Like almost all of PNG's Lewas, Pauke Siaka comes from the cricket-mad village of Hanuabada.(Supplied: Cricket PNG)[/caption] It is anyone's guess how Hanuabada became the home of cricket in a nation fanatical about rugby league. But it has been this way since British missionaries introduced the game in the early 1900s. Given so many players in the current national teams live in Hanuabada, it will continue to incubate cricket stars well into the future. When Vala first played cricket for the Barras 10 years ago, there was not much gear and no money. "Everyone in the national team would share equipment," he said. "There were only a few bats, pads, and helmets. "We only used to train a couple of weeks a year. "There were no player contracts and only one tour a year with no tour allowance." Thankfully, a lot has changed since then. 'A lot of talent' A key person who ushered in the new era for Cricket PNG is former Australian Test cricketer and Cricket PNG chief executive, Greg Campbell. He committed to ensuring players like Vala and Siaka reached their full potential as cricketers while not having to worry about making a living. When Campbell got a call from an old mate and another former Australian cricketer, Andy Bichel, he did not know where PNG was. "I didn't even know it existed," Campbell said. At the time, Bichel was the Barras' head coach. "He [Bichel] said to me, 'Come help out, this country has a lot of talent but they're very raw,'" Campbell said. "I went up there for a week. It was an eye-opener … but you just saw the talent. "There was five-year-old girls and boys throwing balls at stumps and hitting the stumps and knocking them out of the ground … you couldn't get five-year-olds in Australia to do that." Within a few months, both Bichel and the then-Cricket PNG chief executive left their jobs, so Campbell took on both roles. For someone who did not know anything about PNG, his leadership has delivered revolutionary growth and development of the sport. An early breakthrough was in 2013 when he brokered a partnership with the South Australian Premier League to allow the Barras in the six-team competition. It was the first time a national sporting team of any kind from PNG was accepted to compete in an Australian domestic competition. Since then, Cricket PNG's school-based cricket development programs have achieved up to 300,000 kids playing cricket. Players from the national squads run the school and other development programs to work and play in cricket year-round. Growth of the game This year, Cricket PNG introduced an under-19 women's team. This brought their national teams to four and gave equal pathways for men and women. Campbell said the new funding from Australia would be channelled towards coaching and training. It will place up to six women in Canberra and Perth-based clubs and high-performance centres over the 2022-23 Australian cricket season. The funding also sponsored the Barras playing in the Northern Territory's Top End T20 competition last month. The Barras have had a tough year. They have struggled to regain momentum after experiencing the high of qualifying and playing in last year's men's T20 World Cup for the first time. Earlier this year, they missed out on qualification for the 2023 T20 World Cup. They are unable to nudge higher than their 19th ranking on the T20 team rankings. And they are sitting at the bottom of the ladder for 2019/23 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 (a tournament based on ODIs) known as League 2. This is despite beating host nation Nepal to win the ODI bilateral series. Head coach and former Australia domestic cricketer Carl Sandri resigned last month after a lacklustre 15 months in the job. With a caretaker coach, the Barras will host USA and Namibia in their first League 2 series in Port Moresby for the following two weeks. It is the first international match PNG has hosted in four years. Over in Abu Dhabi, it is up to the ladies to push PNG's chances at the 2023 T20 World Cup. If they make it to the finals, it will be the Lewas' first World Cup qualification. They are grouped with Thailand, Zimbabwe and UAE. After years of COVID-19 setbacks to women's International cricket, Siaka said she was "so excited" to represent her country again after a three-year hiatus. "My family are watching back home and admire me and my husband for representing our country," she said. "We are living our dream." Source: ABC News

A two-day National Climate Change Summit concluded successfully in Port Moresby today, reaffirming Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) climate change adaptation and mitigation priorities. This was the second Summit following the first in 2021. Facilitated by the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA), the Summit was regarded as a momentous occasion to identify key challenges and opportunities of addressing climate change in the country. The Summit also focused on strengthening coordination roles amongst stakeholders, promote private sector engagement in climate finance, and re-affirm climate action priorities and guidance from stakeholders for Government consideration. Participated at the Summit were Heads of Agencies, Development Partners, Private Sectors, Institutions, Civil Society Organizations and individuals. During the opening, newly appointed Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change, the Honorable Simo Kilepa, emphasized the need to prioritize and strengthen collaboration by relevant sectors in their efforts of addressing climate change. “As government, people, entities and sectors, we must continue to step up our roles in what we can do to ensure our country is resilient to impacts of climate change which is already affecting us. “Our country’s Vision 2050 and the Medium-Term Development Plan three already provide us a clear direction of what PNG needs to do to adapt to domestic impacts of climate change and contribute to global efforts of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. “Sectors must therefore work in alignment and strengthen implementation of climate related policies and plans in place”, said Mr. Kilepa. The Summit concluded with a signing of a communique, which captured the outcome of the Summit and key actions going forward. CCDA’s Acting Managing Director William Lakain when highlighting CCDA’s efforts on climate change, also emphasized the significance of stakeholder collaboration in implementing the country’s priority climate actions. “CCDA as the lead coordinating agency for climate change actions in PNG, we have formulated policy, enacted legislation and regulations, driven programs and projects to prepare implementation of mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate change. “But there are so much we can do. To fully achieve our country’s climate objectives and goals, we require relevant sectors, such as Land, Forest, Health, Agriculture and Infrastructure to work together moving forward”, said Mr. Lakain. Mr. Lakain further acknowledged the support of Development Partners and sponsors, stakeholder participants and organizers for successfully delivering the Summit. The Summit was financially and technically supported by Global Green Growth Institute (PNG), the Australian Government, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme, Kina Bank, Newcrest Mining Limited, Deloitte and Steamships Trading Company.