PNG now has over 1,000 workers in Australia, earning good wages, learning new skills and sharing income back to their local communities. Over 1,400 workers are expected by the end of the year. This represents an explosion of nearly a 1,000 per cent increase from the low numbers inherited by this government. "These increases are good news for our people, for our economy, and for our broader relationship with Australia” stated the Treasurer, Ian Ling-Stuckey. “Given the explosion in the numbers of our workers going overseas, we must now quickly adapt our management structures and processes. During my recent visits to Australia, and in discussions with officials from their Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we agreed we should move towards the creation of a “one-stop shop”. This One-Stop Shop would cover all government requirements such as health checks, police checks, identity checks, passports, visas and education programs. This will require new and expanded management structures. The plan is to shortly start recruiting a new CEO for PNG’s Labour Mobility Unit. We are also working to ensure the experience in Australia is a positive one with actions to improve welfare activities available in Australia. In addition, actions are underway to help mobilise the World Bank’s program of support to labour mobility." “I want to simplify the process to make this extraordinary opportunity open to more of our people. There is good money to be made – much more than workers usually earn in PNG." The minimum wage in Australia is AUD21.38 (Kina 59.40) per hour. In some sectors, pay rates are even higher. Even after allowing for accommodation and transport and insurance costs, our people can earn good incomes as well as new skills. And studies indicate that a large share of these earnings will come back as remittances to PNG. This will lift our foreign exchange reserves and help support our Kina. They can also provide a valuable source of shared income back to our villages. This will build our economic independence as a proud country trading with the world in both goods and services. The “one-stop shop” will be supported by expanded programs to get out into Provinces. This will not be just an urban based exercise but focused on rural communities. For those clearances that require a physical check (such as a medical), the plan is to ensure that the medical checks can be done in all of our Provinces. “The “explosion” in labour mobility numbers is good news. We need to adapt and modernise our management arrangements to meet the challenge of seeing tens of thousands of our people being able to voluntarily decide to work overseas. International experience is clear that schemes such as this must be driven by the private sector. Specifically, it is the employers in Australia that must want our workers and this means they will be the ones making the key decisions. Working in Australia under the labour mobility program is a privilege, not a right. The Government of PNG can assist with the process, and the creation of a one-stop shop is an important step along this path. I look forward to working with other members of Parliament to encourage take-up of the scheme within each of their electorates” stated the Treasurer.

Prime Minister James Marape has condemned in the strongest terms the killing of Port Moresby-based policeman Senior Constable Nelson Kalimda in Hela. He said this today (October 31, 2022) when passing his sympathies to the widow, children, family members and officers of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary on the killing. “I condemn in the strongest possible terms the killing of the policeman in Hela,” PM Marape said. “No person can take the life of a policeman or another person in this manner. “It is now becoming common for criminals to be no longer fearful or respectful of police, and this is not good. “Police personnel must be given full respect and appreciation by the community. “We will assist Police to bring the criminals to justice. “Going forward, we will amend laws to bring higher penalties to those who commit offences against Police personnel.” PM Marape said Police should carry out a thorough investigation as a matter of urgency into the death of Senior Constable Kalimda, whose body was discovered at the Andapali River in Margarima, Hela, on Sunday (October 30, 2022). PM Marape said the investigation would put to rest all the speculations into the death of the policeman. “The officer drove out by himself without letting his colleagues know, only to be found dead a few days later,” he said. “This demands a full investigation by Police to ascertain his line of duty, why he drove out, mobile phone communications records, and where he went to, leading to his unfortunate death.” PM Marape said he appreciated the work of Hela Governor  Philip Undialu leading to discovery of the body of Senior Constable Kalimda. “I appreciate the assistance of the Hela Provincial Government and Governor Undialu, who assisted the police investigation, which led to location of the vehicle and later the body,” he said. “I call upon all persons with any information to come out so that the criminals can be arrested, and the full story behind the Police officer going missing and killed is established

Papua New Guinea have secured a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals after beating Wales 36-0 in Doncaster this morning. In driving rain, PNG crossed over in just seven minutes through five-eighth Kyle Laybutt, and from there the Kumuls piled on five more tries, with doubles to Nixon Putt and young-gun Jimmy Ngutilk. It was clear from the kick-off that the Kumuls were determined to book their quarter-final spot, scoring two converted tries in the first 11 minutes through five-eighth Kyle Laybutt and Putt. Papua New Guinea went further ahead in the 23rd minute when 21-year-old Jimmy Ngutlik put the burners on to break Wales' line and run over 60 metres to score his first try for the Kumuls. Too big and too strong, PNG went over again in the second half, with interchange Dan Russell finishing off some crisp ball movement from close range to stretch over the stripe and extend PNG's advantage 24-0 at the break. The opening of the second stanza saw some desperate defence by Wales but weight of possession eventually saw the Kumuls cement their lead with Putt bulldozing his way through Welsh defenders to score his second for the night. The wild conditions looked to take their toll in the final stages of the match, with a string of costly errors from both sides, but Papua New Guinea had the final say with four minutes to play, when a high ball bounced perfectly for Ngutlik to finish with a double. Source: NRL.Com

Josh Mansour scored a hat-trick of tries as Adam Doueihi steered Lebanon to a 74-12 defeat of Jamaica that sets up quarter-final clash with Australia and secures a place in the 2025 World Cup. The Cedars play the Kangaroos at Huddersfield on Friday night after finishing second behind New Zealand in Pool C of the tournament and the 13 try effort was an ideal warm-up for playing the world champions. With his side leading 44-0 at halftime, Lebanon coach Michael Cheika rested star halfback Mitchell Moses for the second term and Doueihi ensured that the intensity remained high in his absence. The Reggae Warriors, playing in their first World Cup, scored two tries in the second half through winger Mo Agoro and forward Jordan Andrade. Source: NRL. Com

The University of Goroka (UoG), Papua New Guinea’s third largest University, is planning to set up a campus in Port Vila, Vanuatu. This was revealed by UoG’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr Teng Waninga during the University’s inaugural Vanuatu Graduation Ceremony in Port Vila this week, where 15 students were conferred their degrees after completing four years of study. They were awarded their academic papers in a packed conference room at the Ramada Hotel in front of their proud parents, family members and community elders. Dr Waninga said he was proud to reveal that, overall, the Ni-Van students topped the high-achiever awards given out by the University of Goroka to its graduating students. He also emphasized that, like other Universities and Higher Learning Institutions in Papua New Guinea, the UoG had a long history of building the human resources of Vanuatu and was committed to continuing this service. [caption id="attachment_29406" align="alignnone" width="461"] Director General of the MSG Secretariat, Leonard Louma receives a gift from UoG’s Vice-Chancellor, Dr Teng Waninga.[/caption] He noted that some members of the Ni-Van Goroka University alumni were present to witness the graduation occasion. “We have a vision to establish a campus here, not to challenge or compete with other universities that are already here in Vanuatu but to simply bring in our expertise in the area of teacher training and contribute to the development of Vanuatu’s human resources,” he noted. "We want to bring our service to Vanuatu to reduce costs and make it more affordable to all stakeholders," he added. The Director General of the MSG Secretariat, Leonard Louma, who was a guest at the occasion, welcomed the move saying that this initiative by the UoG is consistent with what the MSG Leaders envisage in their desires to see greater cooperation amongst MSG members. It is in line with one of MSG’s core objectives as endorsed by Leaders in the “MSG 2038 – Prosperity for All Plan”, to develop human resources through increased education investment and quality training. “This is a very encouraging move where universities can cooperate to avoid duplication of work and focus on their strengths in order to develop human capital in the context of an increasing MSG population,” he stated. Source: MSG Secretariat 

Today I will travel to Papua New Guinea to deepen the relationship between our nations. This builds on the high tempo of ministerial engagements since elections in both our countries. Australia’s relationship with PNG is profoundly important and built on a strong foundation of friendship and respect. I will attend events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Kokoda campaign – an important part of our national stories and shared identity with PNG. I will meet Ministerial counterparts across a range of portfolios, listen to how Australia can best support PNG’s priorities and consult on Australia’s new development policy. I am looking forward to attending the PNG launch of a new PacificAus Sports partnership, visiting health and infrastructure investments supported by Australia and talking with young Papua New Guineans about their aspirations for the future. Australia is committed to working together with PNG in the interests of a peaceful, prosperous and resilient Pacific.

Santos PNG Orchids debutant Lisa-Marie Alu will be one to watch at the Rugby League World Cup. The 25-year-old was named player of the match in the Orchids’ #RLWC2021 warm-up clash against York after a two-try performance and impressive defensive display. Lisa-Marie, who hails from Jiwaka but lives in Port Moresby, put herself on the radar of the Orchids’ nationwide selection process in early 2022 with impressive performances in multiple tournaments. But, even before this development in her rugby league career, she was already making an impact in her home province. She explains: “Last Christmas I went home to Jiwaka and joined a group of women there to put a team together for a tournament in the Highlands. About 20 of us spent a month together in camp staying at one of the player’s houses, training and cooking together. Most of the girls didn’t study or work, so this was something new for them, and I taught them different rugby league skills every day.” Inspired by her father, who was one of the first players for Waghi Tumbe (Jiwaka's Digicel Cup team) when it was formed, Lisa-Marie is keen to take a leadership role in developing the women’s game in her region. “Women’s rugby league is in its early stages in Jiwaka – they like playing but they lack knowledge and skills. I would like to go back there after this World Cup and do more development. Maybe next year we can start a women’s league in Minj. They are really talented women, they can run faster than me, so I’m confident there are lots of future Orchids there if we can identify and train them.” Source: Santos PNG Orchids

New Caledonia were crowned Melanesian basketball Cup champions at the weekend after defeating Papua New Guinea in the final in Suva. New Caledonia flew out of the blocks finishing the first quarter with a 25-point led that they built on to win 87-57. "I am really proud of the team, we worked really hard, and I believe we showed that on the court today," star player Jo Delaunay-Belleville said. "In 2017 we lost twice to Papua New Guinea, so it was nice to finally win in the final today." Fiji defeated Solomon Islands, 67-53 to win bronze. Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia will now join current Micronesian Cup winners Guam as qualifiers for the Pacific Games 2023 in Solomon Islands. The top two teams from the FIBA Polynesian Cup 2022 will also qualify. The tournament All-Star Five line-up has been named with each country represented in the line-up. Source: Radio New Zealand

Official squad lists and schedule for all Round 1 matches of the 2021 Women's Rugby League World Cup. England v Brazil Wednesday, November 2, 1.30am AEDT at Emerald Headingley Stadium England (alphabetical): 2 Caitlin Beevers, 21 Keara Bennett, 5 Leah Burke, 13 Jodie Cunningham, 11 Hollie Dood, 8 Grace Field, 3 Fran Goldthorp, 4 Amy Hardcastle, 22 Zoe Harris, 24 Zoe Hornby, 17 Shona Hoyle, 9 Tara Jones, 14 Vicky Molyneux, 6 Georgia Roche, 12 Emily Rudge, 1 Tara Stanley, 15 Vicky Whitfield, 7 Courtney Winfield-Hill, 18 Olivia Wood Brazil: 18 Natalia Momberg, 4. Daniele Soares, 3. Leticia Medeiros, 1 Adriana Felix, 2 Tati Fernandes, 6 Giovanna Moura, 7 Maria Graf, 8 Franciny Amaral, 9 Patricia Bodeman, 15 Franciele Barros, 11 Patricia Oliveira, 12 Amanda Welter, 13 Barabara Leal, 14 Giovanna Barth, 10 Paula Casemiro, 16 Brena Prioste, 17 Ana Loschi de Quadroa, 22 Edna Santini, 20 Pamella Silva Papua New Guinea v Canada Wednesday, November 2, 4.00am AEDT at Emerald Headingley Stadium Papua New Guinea: 1 Tara Moxon, 2 Anika Butler, 3 Belinda Gwasamun, 4 Shellie Long, 6 Sera Koroi, 7 Lilah Malabag, 8 Elsie Albert, 9 Therese Aiton, 10 Gloria Kaupa, 11 Emily Veivers, 12 Essay Banu, 13 Jessikah Reeves, 14 Ua Ravua, 15 Bertshiba Awoi, 16 Michelle John, 17 Martha Molowia, 18 Veronica Waula, 19 Talitha Kunjil Canada: 1 Dani Franada, 3 Petra Woods, 4 Ferris Sandboe, 5 Karina Gauto, 6 Alanna Fittes, 7 Sabrina McDaid, 8 Kirsty Sargent, 9 Natalie Tam, 10 Laura Mariu, 11 Gabrielle Hindley, 12 Sarah Maguire, 13 Megan Pakulis, 14 Maddy Aberg, 17 Brittany Douglas, 18 Alex Evans, 19 Jade Menin, 20 Lauren Mueller, 22 Ada Okonkwo, 24 Elizabeth Steele Source: NRL.com

Following confirmation that the body retrieved in Magarima, Hela Province, is that of Senior Constable Nelson Kalimda, Commissioner of Police David Manning has called for calm amongst police personnel and their families as those responsible are arrested. “Now is the time that the country needs our disciplined forces to show restraint and calm as we deal with the death of Senior Constable Nelson Kalimda,” Commissioner Manning said this evening during a media conference at the National Police Headquarters. The conference was held after senior officers visited the family of the late constable to inform them of the death of their husband and father. “I appeal for calm, and to put off any response or protest action, because nothing will be achieved from more violence. “I am appealing to, and I am directing, all uniformed personnel to show restraint and let the law take its course. “I share your pain, and the pain of Senior Constable Kalimda’s family, and I am as angry as every other man and woman in our uniform over what has happened to our brother. “Ours is a dangerous profession that is not free from risk, and our police men and women face threats every day they go to work. “That we confront these risks does not make it any easier to deal with the grief we face, but it reminds us that we lead by example and use the law to bring enemies of the people to justice,” Mr Manning said. Commissioner Manning said investigations are being led by some of the most capable officers in the Police Force to bring swift justice upon those involved in the death of Senior Constable Kalimda. “I issue a clear warning to anyone involved with Senior Constable Kalimda’s death, to not resist arrest when police catch up with them. “If these suspects threaten police with weapons, our police personnel have full authority to escalate the use of force and to use all appropriate means necessary to take control of the situation. “Police have made two arrests so far and there are four other persons of interest that are the subject of an ongoing search. “On behalf of all police and our families, my direction to investigating officers is clear, to go and find the culprits and bring them in using every means at your disposal because the weight of the law and the will of the people is on your side,” Mr Manning said. Commissioner Manning said Hela Governor, Philip Undialu, has supported the search with provincial resources, alongside community leaders with their knowledge at the local level, and all of these efforts have been most valuable in supporting police action.

When Sera Koroi found out she was pregnant in mid-2021, she thought her long-held dream to represent the Orchids at a Rugby League World Cup was over, with the tournament scheduled for November that year. But a 12-month postponement left the door ajar for Sera, whose mother is from New Ireland Province and whose father is from Fiji, to play for PNG after all. Sera explains: “When I got pregnant, it was God’s plan for me. I really trusted that no matter what. Then when the tournament got postponed, I thought it was meant to be. Before I knew I was pregnant, I actually injured my ankle which forced me to stop playing, which was His way of taking me out of the sport and making sure my son would be healthy. “After I had my son Viliame on 28 October 2021, it was pretty hard because I had a C-section, and I knew that would delay my return to rugby league. But I started training again after three months and my club coach at Souths Logan Magpies in Brisbane, Maia Tua-Davidson, was very supportive.” With Viliame celebrating his first birthday this week and 20-year-old Sera joining him via video call from the Orchids’ RLWC base in Leeds, she admits it has been a tough time to be away, but made easier by the support of her family. “I would not be here without my parents – they and my three younger siblings are taking care of my son. My parents have always been 100 per cent supportive because they know I can make a career out of rugby league. We always agreed that I would play in RLWC if I could get selected, and they will continue to support me as I try to earn an NRLW contract. “They say ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, and this is certainly true in my family.” Source: Santos PNG Orchids

On the precipice of famine, Somalia is already in dire straits "I've never seen anything like it," says Paul Healy from the Irish charity Trocaire, which runs several healthcare clinics in the southern Gedo region. Within weeks, the UN predicts a famine will be declared in parts of the country — a technical determination that critics say is abstract from day-to-day reality. There is barely a village across the country untouched by the drought. The most vulnerable are already stricken by catastrophic hunger and fearful of violent insurgency by militants from Al Shabaab — the Islamist group that controls swathes of Somali territory and is responsible for attacks that have killed civilians, including in the capital Mogadishu. [caption id="attachment_29332" align="aligncenter" width="688"] One of the camps near Dolow, a town on the Somali-Ethiopian border.[/caption] On the edge of towns in the Gedo region, informal camps full of people who have fled their homes in search of food stretch for kilometres. Residents fashion colourful makeshift shacks from sticks and scavenged fabric in the dirt. Thorny brambles arranged in rings around their base double as shields against the wind and fences to protect from unwanted visitors. When it does rain, the roads turn to mud. The more enterprising, or those with something to contribute, do what they can to help others, forming a kind of unofficial support net for the newest arrivals. When there is a wedding between two in a camp, residents pool their resources to construct a shelter for the newlyweds. The camp lights up with song and laughter, there are howls and dancing into the night. Thousands who turn up every week with little more than the clothes they are wearing are offered water and hot food by their neighbours. If a child is sick, they are given directions to a clinic in a nearby town. Aden Moallim Mohamed, a self-described leader of one camp, who himself arrived earlier in the year, shows exhausted mothers how to plant scavenged deadwood into the soil to build the base of a shelter. "We learned this building technique by pure circumstance," he says with a grin while walking through the camp. Inside displacement camps, 'we share what we have' In Dolow, a small community in Gedo along the Somali-Ethiopian border, roughly 150,000 people crowd the camps around the edge, far eclipsing the residents of the town itself. Life in the camps is bleak and precarious. Every resident knows to expect a difficult night when storm clouds gather overhead. A few hours' deluge is not enough on its own to break the drought, but is sure to cause havoc among the dwellings, which quickly turn into muddy disarray. Mr Mohamed recently spent a wet night underneath a rubber mat in a neighbour's shelter, the pair trying to keep each other dry. "We share what we have," he says. Sanitation is almost non-existent without proper toilets in most camps. [caption id="attachment_29334" align="aligncenter" width="679"] Even a few hours of rain in the displacement camps can cause chaos.[/caption] Disease is common. If uncontained, an outbreak of measles, for example, can spread quickly and kill children already weakened by malnutrition. At Mr Mohamed's camp, on the edge of Baidoa, a major centre in the Gedo region, many residents have lived there for months, and in some cases years. For many, there is nothing to return home to and nothing to look forward to. Life as they know it will eventually come to an end in the muddy squalor of the camp. All that remains is a daily struggle to stay alive. "I have come here with no intent of leaving," says Muslimay Durow, a mother of 10 who arrived after a journey of 90 kilometres by foot. "We are waiting here for the mercy of God." As she speaks, her youngest child cries of thirst. She disappears and returns moments later with a small cup of water, which the child gulps gratefully. Even in towns like Dolow, which attracts thousands of displaced people because of the heavy presence of aid organisations, public health care is severely limited. The town itself is a modest grid of dusty streets, where young men sit idly outside shopfronts and wild goats chew on weeds that crowd hillsides. Somali schoolgirls walk home in groups, wearing colourful garbasaar (a religious shawl) as Ethiopian soldiers slouch in the shade of military checkpoints. On the outskirts, the town's airstrip receives daily UN humanitarian flights. The burnt-out wreckage of a jet aircraft registered to Tajikistan lies abandoned along the edge of the apron. Above the terminal entrance, a sheet of white plastic covers the first part of the sign that hangs above that once read 'international airport'. It now reads 'national airport'. At malnourishment clinics, babies cling on for life A short drive away is the town's only stabilisation centre, a specialised clinic set up to treat the severely malnourished. Every morning, Somali women arrive clutching stricken babies, many of them close to death and showing symptoms of diarrhoea, infection or fever. [caption id="attachment_29333" align="aligncenter" width="687"] A baby is measured for severe malnutrition.[/caption] "The situation is very serious at the moment," says Pamela Wesonga, the centre's head of nutrition. Staff use a band slipped over each child's upper arm to measure its circumference. A reading of 11.5 centimetres or less indicates acute malnutrition. Throughout the centre's only room, women lay exhausted in beds as their starving children sleep or cry. Ms Wesonga estimates nine in 10 live in the camps on the town's outskirts. Some of the children have swollen limbs and torsos — symptoms of oedema, a condition developed in the most severe cases of malnutrition. Three times a day, nurses under Ms Wesonga's watch prepare a formula of therapeutic milk to give to the babies — the only thing their weak stomachs can handle. Later, when they're ready, they're given Plumpy'nut, a nutrition-dense supplement that tastes like peanut butter. A whiteboard in the stabilisation centre's office showing the year's patient data tells the story of the drought's effect on children: admissions have more than tripled from 42 in January to 154 in July. "The number of children you see here is just a fraction of the total number who are malnourished in the community," says Shueb Abdishakur Ali, a Somali physician who performs regular check-ups on the patients. "A number of them might actually die within the camps." Source: ABC News