A New Zealand-based media research and publication group has called for an “urgent rethink” on Papua New Guinea’s draft media development policy, saying its proposed regulation plan for the country’s media council and journalists threatened a free press. The Asia Pacific Media Network Inc. (APMN), publishers of the research journal Pacific Journalism Review, said in a statement that it supported the Community Coalition Against Corruption (CCAC) plea for more time to be granted for public consultation. The CCAC is a loose coalition of NGOs chaired by Transparency International-PNG and the PNG Media Council and is supported by churches, chambers of commerce, the Ombudsman Commission and the Office of the Public Solicitor. While noting that the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology had initially granted an extra week following the original 12 days for submissions on the draft National Media Development Policy 2023, the APMN said this was still “manifestly inadequate and rather contemptuous of the public interest”. “In our view, the ministry is misguided in seeking to legislate for a codified PNG Media Council which flies in the face of global norms for self-regulatory media councils and this development would have the potential to dangerously undermine media freedom in Papua New Guinea,” the statement said. The statement was signed by the APMN Chair Dr Heather Devere; Deputy chair Dr David Robie, a retired professor of Pacific journalism and author, and a former head of journalism at the University of Papua New Guinea in the 1990s; and Pacific Journalism Review editor Dr Philip Cass, who was born in PNG and worked on the Times of Papua New Guinea and Wantok newspapers. “The draft policy appears to have confused the purpose of a ‘media council’ representing the ‘public interest’ with the objectives of a government department working in the “national interest’,” the statement said. Risk to PNG media freedom “If the ministry pushes ahead with this policy without changes it risks Papua New Guinea sliding even further down the RSF World Press Freedom Index. Already it is a lowly 62nd out of 180 countries after falling 15 places in 2021.” The statement made reference to several principles for media freedom and media councils, including Article 42 of the Papua New Guinea Constitution, the M*A*S systems of media accountability and ethics pioneered by Professor Claude-Jean Bertrand, and the 2019 declaration for press freedom of the Melanesian Media Freedom Forum. It said the ministry needed to consult more widely and take more time to do this. The APMN called on the ministry to “immediately discard” the proposed policy of legislating the PNG Media Council and regulating journalists and media “which would seriously undermine media freedom in Papua New Guinea”. It also asked the ministry to extend the public consultation timeframe with a “realistic deadline to engage Papua New Guinean public interest and stakeholders in a meaningful dialogue”. It added that “essentially journalism is not a crime, but a fundamental pillar of democracy as espoused through the notion of a Fourth Estate and media must be free to speak truth to power in the public interest not the politicians’ interest”. Source: Asia Pacific Report

Broncos prop Thomas Flegler will fulfil his contract with the club until the end of the 2023 season. Broncos Coach Kevin Walters said: "Tom has made his decision and I respect that - he has spoken to me and has assured that he will be ripping in for us for the rest of the season. Broncos prop Thomas Flegler will fulfil his contract with the club until the end of the 2023 season. Broncos Coach Kevin Walters said: "Tom has made his decision and I respect that - he has spoken to me and has assured that he will be ripping in for us for the rest of the season. Source: Brisbane Broncos. com.au

The first trial match between the SP PNG Hunters and the Central Queensland Capras at the Santos National Football Stadium ended with the Capras defeating the Hunters. This was the first home game for the Hunters since the start of the pandemic, which saw the Hunters having to base in Australia for the duration of the pandemic period. The hunters were leading at halftime with 8 points to 4; however, the Capras fought back in the second half and scored 3 tries. Benji Kot scored a try in the second half but the boys couldn’t manage to score any more tries so the they lost the match 12-20 to the CapraThe SP PNG Hunters coach Stanley Tepend said that the boys were really looking forward to the game yesterday. “Even though it’s a trial game, we’ll go back and work on areas we need to before round 1.” “I haven’t seen any of those injured players yet, so hopefully they are all minor.” Coach Tepend said that they had to rest some of their players due to injury so they didn’t have a full-strength team. He said now they will go back to training and preparing for the Hostplus Cup season to start in 2 weeks time.

An earthquake has shaken parts of Wales, with tremors felt for 100 miles. The British Geological Survey (BGS) said the 3.7 magnitude quake was at 23:59 GMT on Friday and was 2.2 miles (3.6 km) under the Earth's surface. The epicentre was north of Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent, and west of Crickhowell, Powys, but people on Twitter reported feeling it as far away as Birmingham. Gwent Police said it received multiple calls overnight but it was "business as usual" for the force. BBC journalist Alex Humphreys said she felt the "mini earthquake" in Cardiff, 30 miles (50km) away. "My whole bed shook," she tweeted. Others described it as a "scary" experience. Brian Baptie, BGS head of seismology, said it was the largest earthquake in south Wales since a 4.6 magnitude quake about 25 miles (40km) west, near Swansea, in February 2018. He added that, on average, Britain only gets about one earthquake with a magnitude of 3.7 or greater each year. The largest earthquake ever recorded in the UK was in the North Sea on 7 June 1931, with a magnitude of 6.1. The epicentre was in the Dogger Bank area, 75 miles (120km) north-east of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Wales' most powerful quake was on the Llyn Peninsula, Gwynedd, in 1984 - measuring 5.4, it began at a depth of more than 12 miles (20km). The BGS said smaller quakes were not unusual in Wales, with 70 measuring more than 3.5 between 1727 and 1984. A 5.2 magnitude earthquake in Swansea in 1906 was one of the most damaging British earthquakes of the 20th Century, with damage to chimneys and walls reported across south Wales. In Ebbw Vale shoppers said they had been left shaken and stirred. Gerald Davies called the moment "strange", adding: "It freaked me out a bit but I didn't realize it was an earthquake until this morning when I heard people taking about it on the buses. "We're not used to feeling earthquakes here." Alison Stephens said: "I live in a house that house that has a cellar underneath and I thought something in the cellar had collapsed. "But my daughter and husband were in the living room and went, 'oh my god did you hear that?' "Then everyone was out in the street going, 'oh my God, was that an earthquake'?" She said it was "quite a rumble". Caroline Davies thought nothing of it until people started messaging on Saturday. "My husband was sat on one sofa and I was sat on the other... and it just wobbled," she said. Listeners told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that they felt the "earth shake" in Ebbw Vale, which brought people out of their homes and into the streets. Robert Griffiths, from Rhiwbina, Cardiff, said he had just sat down to watch TV after a night out when "all of a sudden the whole house shook". "The ceiling creaked, we immediately turned the television off and thought 'what on Earth was that?' "It was kind of like 20 trucks had driven in front of the house so it was most unusual and quite strange." Stephanie Palfrey from Blackrock, near Abergavenny, said she "thought the mountain right behind the house was sliding down". "Other villagers came out of their homes to see what the noise was," she said. "We live in an old cottage. You could hear it rattling. It was quite something." Geoffrey Davies described an "almighty bang" at Llangattock, near Crickhowell. "Initially we didn't know what to think. It was the sort of bang I had never heard," he added. "When someone says 'it shook you to the core', it was that kind of feeling." Elsewhere, Cat said she "thought we were going mad" in Blaenavon, Torfaen, as her "bed and house shook side to side". Dr Ian Stimpson, a senior geologist at Keele University, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, said such events "happen relatively infrequently" in the UK. "They are a big shock. An earthquake of this size, probably the UK has about three of them a year on average," he said. "These earthquakes are way smaller than the Turkish earthquake for example - that was a million times more powerful than the earthquake last night." Other recent earthquakes in Wales were much smaller than Friday's. The BGS reported a tremor with a magnitude of 0.9 in Llwynmawr, near Chirk, Wrexham, on 4 February, one of 1.1 at Llandybie, Carmarthenshire, on 20 January and one with a magnitude of 2 at Llanbedr, Powys, on 27 December.   Source: BBC

A Waihi Beach bach owner says the formation of the tornado which ripped roofs off houses and cut power to nearly 2500 properties was one of the most amazing things he's ever seen. The storm tore through the Bay of Plenty beachside settlement about 9am on Saturday. Mark Wright says he stood on the dunes as two water spouts merged into a twister and headed into shore. "I could just see debris and there was just all sorts going on in the sky, and there was just almost like an explosion of debris up in the air. There was just corrugated iron and objects and birds." Wright said he spoke to a resident who escaped uninjured from his home after his roof was torn off and was trying to contact a builder. "And we were just standing around, quite bewildered by what we had just seen, and the second water spout I had seen forming out at sea hit land as well, and we watched it go across the road. We just could not believe what we were seeing." Western Bay of Plenty mayor James Denyer said he was thankful no one was too badly injured. He said he rushed to the area soon after the tornado went through and had been speaking to locals near Seaforth Road where the first part of the storm hit. "I've seen roofs lifted off, tossed across the road - they're gone through power lines, which is why they're down. There's a little bit of shock, but they're coping and getting through." A second tornado landed south of Seaforth Road, felling trees and damaging cars in the area. Power supply has been disconnected for the safety of crews repairing the damage and a second outage has cut off properties in nearby Athenree. PowerCo hopes to address both faults by early evening.     Source: Radio New Zealand

Police in Kerowagi in the Simbu province have arrested and charged three suspects for wilful and unlawful damage to the windscreen of a 25-seater coaster bus.  The incident occurred on Sunday February 19 at Mingende in the Kerowagi District.  Simbu Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Superintendent Epenes Nili said intervention by police and the arrest of the suspects who are now in the Kundiawa Police Station cell, prevented a potential tribal conflict from erupting.  Mr Nili said the suspects were arrested and charged on Monday February 20. They were under the influence of alcohol when they were alleged to have stoned the bus.  The PPC said in retaliation the owner of the bus and his clansman attacked the suspects on Monday where a stone throwing battle took place. He said many people from both sides received minor injuries.  “Police intervened and went in for peace negotiation, but they also threw stones at police. Kundiawa Police Station Commander (PSC) Senior Inspector Himson Larmatam’s official police vehicle was also stoned, causing serious damage to the windscreen. It has been sent to the workshop for repairs,” Mr Nili said. He said the police calmed down the situation and called leaders from both sides within the Mingende community to assist in the peace process and surrender of the suspects to police. The suspects were identified, arrested, and charged. Mr Nili thanked the community leaders for their assistance in bringing in the suspects and for maintaining peace within their communities. He also called upon the people, especially young men, to refrain from excessive consumption of alcohol, whether homebrew or otherwise, as they can contribute to igniting problems as was recently witnessed.

The Dolphins have pulled off a massive coup by signing international centre Herbie Farnworth to a three-year contract. Farnworth will join the Dolphins for the 2024 season after completing his commitments with the Broncos later this year. The move should be a familiar one for Farnworth, who has lived in Brisbane since 2017 after relocating from England to chase his NRL dream. The Dolphins play seven matches each year out of Suncorp Stadium, the home ground they share with Farnworth’s current club. His signature is a true prize for the Dolphins, who attempted to sign the scintillating back for their debut season of 2023. But the 23-year-old will now play in red, gold and white until at least the end of the 2026 season. Dolphins’ chief executive Terry Reader said Farnworth’s signing was a huge coup for the new club, that will make its debut in the NRL in just over a week’s time. Farnworth stamped himself as a centre of true international class while playing for England at last year’s World Cup. There is no doubt that Herbie has been on our radar right from the very moment we started recruiting for this club at the end of 2021. Terry Reader “We made a big play to get him for 2023 and just missed out, so to now secure him on a long-term deal is a huge win for our club. “Herbie showed what a great player he can be in the NRL for the Broncos last year before injury hampered him. “To see him bounce back from that biceps injury at the end of last year and demonstrate what a world-class performer he is was amazing. “We are so excited about what he will do in Dolphins’ colours.” After playing in the under-20s for the Broncos and graduating to the Queensland Cup, Farnworth made his NRL debut in round 16 of the 2019 season. He has appeared in 53 NRL matches for the Broncos and played the first of his four Tests for England at the 2022 Rugby League World Cup. He will join the Dolphins when pre-season training for the 2024 season begins in November. Source:dolphinsnrl.com

After defying expectations last year with their preliminary finals appearance, the North Queensland Cowboys will have to contend with the unfamiliar feeling of being a hunted team this season. A breakthrough season from their young talents – including Rookie of the Year Jeremiah Nanai – saw the team go within one game of making the grand final, but there is no chance of teams taking the side lightly this year. “We've spoken about that (being hunted), because we played pretty well last year,” star centre Valentine Holmes told media follow his side’s Pre-Season Challenge loss to Brisbane Broncos. “We pretty much have got the same team; we have got a couple new faces to the team who have been really good for us and played well today, and we just played the same way we did last year. “We don't really have to change much.” However, Holmes - who scored a try and kicked three from three conversions in the 20-18 loss - said the side still have plenty of improvement in them and would be able to go to another level, with a few new faces still to get familiar with how the team plays. “If we all stay on the pitch, we'll get to know the way we all play,” Holmes said. “We’ve got a lot of talented edges, Miah, we have got Hessy [Coen Hess] back on our left edge, so once we find out how everyone likes the ball and likes how to play, I feel the sky is the limit for us.” Like Holmes, who was looking to the future, coach Todd Payten was also intent on keeping the focus on getting the most out of his team this year, and wasn’t too concerned with trying to manage the expectations from outside his squad. “From my point of view, last year is done and dusted,” Payten said. “We’ve just got to start again. We didn’t really care about what was said outside of our group (last year) and I don’t think that is going to change. “I am worried about what is said within our own four walls and out on the training pitch.” On his own game, Holmes said there was more he could do to up his game this season as well, with goal-setting a big part of his focus. “I always try and tell myself I'm going be the best centre on the field, no matter who I'm playing against, even with my own teammates, with Pet, I am a competitive person and I want to be the best centre out there on the field, that’s just my goal and I set that for myself. “Defensively, that’s the second thing I focus on … as an edge, myself, Muz [Murray Taulagi] and Tommy [Dearden], we try and be as a solid edge out there and that's something we focused on in pre-season and I think we need to be pretty solid this year." Source: NRL.Com

Deputy Commissioner of Police Special Operation Donald Yamasombi during the Dog Unit Directorate’s first parade said that the Police Dog Unit is a vibrant police operational unit in Papua New Guinea. DCP Yamasombi was accompanied by officers from the Australian Federal Police and the recently appointed Director of the Dog Unit, acting Superintendent Daniel Yangen. He said he was pleased with the turn out of the members of the Dog Unit during the parade he said the Dog Unit Directorate is a special directorate in the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary that has done many good things in many police operations. Yamasombi added, "Going forward, the members must find ways to upgrade the directorate and roll the unit out into other provinces as well where it is not operating at the moment." Currently, there are Dog Unit facilities in Port Moresby and Lae and only a few other towns in the country. "The dogs that are trained by the handlers at the Bomana Dog Unit Base perform different roles." He added, "Some are trained for general policing duties, while others are trained to sniff for drugs and explosives." DCP Yamasombi also challenged the officers to make sure that their dogs are attentive and responsive to their commands. He further added that going forward, there will be more community engagement programs in which the dog unit officers will be conducting awareness among the communities in the city and also participate in road shows with their dogs. Meanwhile, Director for Dog Unit, Superintendent Daniel Yangen Yangen, said he is looking forward to working with the police officers in the directorate and he is looking forward to helping transform the directorate.

Digicel PNG has announced its sponsorship of K100, 000 for the 49th Hiri Moale Festival 2023. Senior Vice President, Ms Lorna McPherson said this is part of Digicel’s continuous support to the Motu Koitabu indigenous people. “Digicel is proud to be a Gold sponsor of the Hiri Moale Festival and we congratulate the Motu Koita Assembly as it prepares to hosts yet another spectacular Hiri Moale Festival.” “Digicel is committed to support the Motu Koita Assembly as it prepares to deliver a successful 2023 Festival”. “Our sponsorship shows our commitment to the Motu-Koitabu people, as the traditional landowners of Port Moresby and we acknowledge its leaders, past, present and future.” Ms McPherson said that the Hiri Moale Festival is a celebration of our people’s rich history and an occasion to inspire the younger generation. She further added that Digicel has worked closely with the Motu Koita Assembly to promote its culture and tradition and to bring out the best in the festival. Meanwhile, Motu Koita Assembly Chairman, Dadi Toka Jnr has thanked Digicel PNG for their continued support saying that the partnership between DIgicel PNG and Motu Koita Assembly has grown from strength to strength, and this is shown by the support they receive each year. The Hiri Moale Festival 2023 will be hosted from March 3rd to the 5th ending with the Hiri Hanenamo Crowning at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium on Sunday 5th March 2023.

Mama Bank was honoured to be part of a significant ceremony this week that took place during the official visitation program of the People's National Congress Party (PNC) Leader and MP, Ialibu-Pangia Peter O’Neill to Alotau. This week 21st Feb,2023, Mama Bank signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Alotau District Development Authority under the leadership of Ricky Morris. A cheque of K200,000 was presented to Mama Bank, Alotau Branch Manager Mr Tony who was there to receive it and make few remarks on behalf of the Bank. The partnership is to promote and drive financial inclusion services in the district. Representing the Bank during the signing and cheque presentation ceremony was Alotau Branch Manager Mr Tony and Team. Other dignitaries presented also were Provincial Governor - Gorden Wesley , DDA Representatives and other important stakeholders. Alotau DDA is now the twelfth (12th)  DDA the bank has signed partnership with to bring financial inclusion services to the people right in the district. We look forward to more of such partnerships with other districts and provincial governments. Mama Bank is committed to provide accessible, affordable and accountable banking services to eighty percent rural and informal population of this country.

Trukai Industries has renewed its two-year sponsorship with the PNG Weightlifting Federation Inc (PNGWF) The two year sponsorship is valued at K120,000 with an annual sponsorship of K60,000 and will go towards supporting their activities for the 2023 and 2024 games calendar. The renewal of this sponsorship reinforces Trukai's dedication in investing in this sporting code. Trukai Industries Limited’s Marketing Manager, Maryanne Tom, said that the company will continue to support sports and athletes in PNG. "We are pleased to renew the sponsorship of the PNG Weightlifting Federation Inc as it signifies our support not only for Weightlifting but also team PNG. Trukai has been a supporter of the PNGFW for over 23 years," said Tom. Through the success of this partnership PNG has seen PNG weightlifting representatives in the likes of Dika Toua and Morea Baru compete at international sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games, Weightlufting World Championships and the Olympics. Morea Baru won a silver medal in the last Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham and both have their eyes set on qualifying for the upcoming World Championship and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.