Heavy rain from Cyclone Gabrielle is likely to arrive in Northland slightly earlier than expected, while people in the Coromandel in areas at risk are being warned to self evacuate. An orange warning is in place for severe wind and heavy rain for several areas including Northland, Auckland north of Whangaparaoa and Great Barrier Island, and a red warning for heavy rain was issued today for the Coromandel Peninsula and Tairawhiti Gisborne north of Tolaga Bay. The cyclone has been downgraded to Category 2 from Category 3, with wind speeds estimated between 89-118 km/h. Civil Defence Controller for the Coromandel Garry Towler said after weeks of severe weather, civil defence officials are very worried. Civil Defence is recommending that residents in the Coromandel consider evacuating before Sunday evening if they live in an at-risk area. "Things have changed a little bit and we are now confident to say that a very severe and possible destructive cyclone is descending on the Coromandel," Towler said in a video. "We ask people to seriously consider preparing to evacuate if you are in areas that are prone to flooding or areas that are possibly going to be inundated with coastal surge." "We need you to take this seriously." MetService says regardless of the storm's eventual track, there is a very high risk of extreme and impactful weather over the upper North Island late Saturday night, spreading to south and central New Zealand by Monday. MetService says it expects up to 400 millimetres of rain to fall in the regions, mostly on Monday. "Central Auckland is still under a Severe Weather Watch. It hasn't been upgraded due to the uncertainty of movement of the cyclone, but it could be in the near future, " MetService's head of weather communication Lisa Murray said. "Auckland is already sodden from recent events which could exacerbate impacts of any strong wind and rain." Norfolk Island in firing line first North of New Zealand, Norfolk Island has declared a red alert and residents have been urged to take shelter as Cyclone Gabrielle continues to track straight towards the island. The Bureau of Meteorology says gale-force winds could impact the island through Saturday night and into Sunday. Emergency Management Norfolk Island (EMNI) moved the island to a red alert Saturday afternoon, meaning people should stay inside until further notice. The storm was downgraded from a category three to a category two system but is still set to bring destructive winds, heavy rain and abnormally high tides. Much of the island has lost power. Norfolk Island's Emergency Controller George Plant said gale-force winds and heavy rain started to ramp up around the island on Saturday morning. "We're happy that it's been downgraded to a category two again, but still, with 155km an hour winds, we're expecting some sort of damage," he told the ABC. Monday, Tuesday predicted to see heavy rain Strong winds are already being felt in the north, with Waka Kotahi issuing a strong winds warning late this afternoon for the Auckland Harbour bridge. "Please take extra care especially if you are in a lighter or high-sided vehicle or riding a motorcycle." The storm is due to track across Northland before moving south to Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne on Monday and Tuesday. Forecasters are warning of strong wind, heavy rain and big seas. MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said the cyclone would bring widespread severe weather. The cyclone had taken a more eastern track over the last few days, but there was still disagreement over where the central point will lie when it made landfall, Ferris said. "It's still looking like Monday-Tuesday are going to be the biggest days for the weather with the approaching cyclone. The worst impacts, where they are and when they occur, are still going to be riding on where the track of the cyclone actually eventuates." The storm is due to track across Northland on Sunday before moving south to Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne on Monday and Tuesday. It is possible that even Wellington could see some impacts, MetService said. MetService has issued heavy rain and strong wind watches ahead of its arrival. Travel warnings issued Meanwhile, the government is urging people to avoid non-essential travel in areas that could be hit by Cyclone Gabrielle. Air New Zealand has cancelled several flights. Emergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty said safety trumped the disappointment of scrapping weekend plans. "We would urge people, despite the inconvenience this would naturally cause, to heed that advice, because it is not given lightly. We are taking this very seriously. Depending on how this tracks it could be quite severe and we're just asking people to take it seriously." McAnulty said he had assurances government agencies and local civil defence services would update their social media channels regularly. People were also being urged to stock three days' worth of food and water and prepare for possible power outages. Supermarkets have urged shoppers to be patient as people stocked up on essential supplies. St John Ambulance said it was scaling up in preparation for Cyclone Gabrielle. Spokesperson Dan Ohs said St John had increased deployments in Northland, Coromandel, Auckland, and Bay of Plenty. There would be extra ambulances and four wheel drives on the ground, he said. "For us it looks like additional ambulances where that's relevant and in particular, four-wheel-drives. We're also in discussion with Wellington Free (Ambulance). Wellington Free have a rescue unit capability and four-wheel-drive resources." Parents in Auckland are likely to receive communication from their children's school this weekend about Cyclone Gabrielle. Yesterday, the Ministry of Education advised Auckland schools that they must decide individually whether to stay open or close in response to the storm. The decision would be based on schools' assessment of health and safety risk of their situation. Maraes prepare to help A number of maraes in Northland may be available as welfare centres when Cyclone Gabrielle hits the region. A health organisation based near Kaitaia, Whakawhiti Ora Pai, said it had been talking to maraes in the area. General manager Errol Murray said several marae are prepared to step in if needed, including Potahi Marae in Te Kao, Waiora Marae in Ngataki. Murray said they had also been doing welfare checks on vulnerable communities ahead of the cyclone, as well as preparing food packs and water. And an iwi in the far north said community support networks developed during the Covid-19 pandemic had made it more resilient to face sudden weather events. Te Runanganui o Te Aupouri chief executive Mariameno Kapa-kingi said they had already started doing welfare checks and stocked up on supplies and water ahead of the cyclone. "We did a lot of this work ... communities (in Northland) are still very Covid-aware, right, so a lot of the work we did then is actually carried forward into capacity that we have today to deal with this." South in Tairāwhiti's Tolaga Bay people were on edge. Five inches of silt covered Suesanne Kutia's property during the recent Cyclone Hale. The prospect of more bad weather was making people feel stressed and anxious, but they were prepared, she said. Kutia said her grandmother and two other family members drowned during Cyclone Bola in 1988. You can find the latest advice from Civil Defence here. The latest MetService warnings are here. Source: Radio New Zealand

Governor for Madang Ramsey Pariwa presented a dummy cheque of K1.2 million to the President of Divine Word University, Professor Fr Philip Gibbs, during the President’s dinner at the Madang Campus this week. While handing over the cheque, Governor Pariwa, making reference to the preamble of the constitution of Papua New Guinea, said he is honoring the stance of the fore fathers of this nation in investing in integral human development. “The late Sir Michael Somare and our fore fathers believed that upon education this nation will be successful, that is why integral human development is the number one goal in the mama lo,” Governor Pariwa said. He said on behalf the Madang Provincial Government this is the first of its kind in Madang and the first to Divine Word University. The funds presentation affirms the Governor’s commitment which he made during the launching of the Sir Peter Barter’s Tertiary Scholarship Foundation in Madang last December. The scholarship covers 75% of Madang tertiary students’ fees for the 2023 academic year.

A Selwyn Cobbo hat-trick propelled the Indigenous All Stars to a 28-24 victory over a gutsy Māori All side in the Saturday's NRL Harvey Norman All Stars clash in Rotorua. Cobbo scored his three tries in the space of 12 minutes in the final quarter of the match to help his side overcome a Māori outfit who led for the opening 44 minutes and fought back to make it a one-score game with two minutes to go. Halfback Nicho Hynes was at the heart of the win for Ronald Griffiths' side, scoring a try and then setting one up either side of half-time. With the Māori leading 18-16 with 20 minutes to go, Cobbo took it upon himself took it upon himself to put his side ahead with a try that showed off all of his athletic talent, before grabbing another two in quick succession to put the result beyond doubt. Following a spirited pre-match Indigenous war cry was met with a stunning haka – performed to a chorus of cheers from most of the 17,644 fans in attendance – it was a nervous drop from Cobbo on his first touch which gifted the Māori with the opening try. After the Indigenous hit back through Tyrell Sloan, who grabbed onto a Brent Naden flick pass, Cobbo left a try begging when he dropped the ball with an open line in front of him. The sides then traded converted tries to Jesse Arthars and Nicho Hynes to leave the Māori up 12-10 at the half-time, with Josh Kerr being sent to the sin bin just before the break for a high contact with his shoulder on James Fisher-Harris. But the numerical disadvantage did little to hurt the Indigenous, who scored four minutes into the second half, with Hynes again at the heart of it with a break which ended in Naden crossing. Jordan Riki's try stopped the rot temporarily, before Cobbo took over the game with his treble. A late try to Preston Riki did reduce the gap to four, but wasn't enough to change the result. Source: NRL.com

Nambawan Super Limited (NSL) welcomes the State’s announcement to move the Department of Education, Teaching Services Commission and PNG National Commission for UNESCO into the 100% Member owned Vulupindi Haus in Port Moresby. NSL CEO Mr. Paul Sayer said on Wednesday (08/02/23) that in recent months, NSL has been working closely with the Government Office Allocation Committee (GOAC) to ensure the seamless transition of these key Departments to Vulupindi. “NSL and GOAC are currently working to finalize the tenancy agreement for Vulupindi Haus to onboard these new tenants and also to renew the expired leases for other NSL owned buildings tenanted by the State”, Mr. Sayer said. “In anticipation of the onboarding, our team has been working to ensure that our new tenants have everything they need to continue providing their valuable services to the people of PNG through our facilities at Vulupindi.” “On behalf of Namabwan Super and our Members, we thank the State for supporting this PNG-owned investment property by committing to continue their tenancy. As NSL continues to work on mitigating the adverse effects of challenging global and local economic conditions, our Members will be pleased to hear that Vulupindi Haus is continuing to generate returns through this partnership with the State.” “In addition, we are aware of the State’s ambitions to own and operate some of the properties in which it is a tenant through the Build Own Lease Transfer (BOLT) initiative. Nambawan Super owns a number of office buildings within the busy Town and Waigani Districts which would suit the States vision of creating a one-stop-shop for the effective delivery of similar services and needs of the public.” “For instance, Vulupindi Haus, Eda Tano Haus (Department of Lands and Physical Planning) and the AOPI Centre (Department of Health and Department of Higher Education) are all occupied by State Departments and are conveniently in walking distance from each other as well as other public service providers, making them ideal potential options for a BOLT arrangement.” “The State is an important stakeholder of Nambawan Super as they are one of our largest tenants, investment partners, and most importantly the employer of many of our Members. NSL aims to continue our strong relationship with the State and progress discussions with the various parties on a potential BOLT arrangement.” “We are also thankful to the State, through the Departments of Finance and Treasury, for honouring the agreement to settle its outstanding arrears and continuing to make timely payments of the first two installments for November and December 2022.” “Last year, NSL and the State reached an agreement whereby the State would settle the remaining balance of its rental arrears in K10 million monthly installments. The installments include K5 million for clearing the balance of the K70 million previously accrued and K5 million to pay its current rental invoices.” “As at the end of January 2023, the State had paid K102 million of its outstanding rental arrears. We expect that the State’s rental account with NSL will be brought up to date and all outstanding arrears will be settled by the end of February 2024 if the K10 million monthly payments are not missed”, Mr. Sayer concluded.

Timothy Masiu, Minister for Information and Communications Technology, announced the Pacific ICT Heads Dialogue, which will take place next week in Kokopo, East New Britain province. The conference will bring together the heads of ICT in almost all the Pacific Island nations to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced in the region's ICT space. At a media conference yesterday, Minister Masiu emphasized the importance of the Pacific region coming together in the fast-paced digital transformation, which is crucial for driving economic growth and addressing security concerns. The conference is the start of the Pacific region's collaboration, with almost all Pacific Island countries confirmed to attend. The Dialogue will result in the establishment of an ICT regional network that will connect all Pacific Island nations and allow them to share resources and collaborate effectively towards infrastructure, security, and economic growth. Discussions will focus on sub-regional IT offices, cyber security frameworks, online trade and investment networks, and more. On Monday, Prime Minister James Marape will attend the Dialogue and give closing remarks. The following day, the Pacific delegates will tour Kokopo and East New Britain, showcasing the area's interesting sites and landmarks, which will be a bonus for tourism and cultural promotion. Minister Masiu expressed his excitement for the outcomes of the meeting and the collaboration towards building the Pacific region. The conference is a prelude to the larger ICT Minister's Conference, which will be hosted by PNG later this year.

The world of Harry Potter is getting new life. Hogwarts Legacy – the new open-world video game by Avalanche and Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, will be released , to much anticipation. The single-player game has been five years in the making — experts put its budget at $150 million. The game already broke a record on Twitch for being the most-watched single-player game, played by streamers who got the game early. And it’s the No. 1 pre-sale this week on gaming platform Steam. “Open world style games are a really a big deal in the games industry,” said Joost van Dreunen, an adjunct professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business who was formerly CEO of games market research firm Super Data Research. “The expectations are quite high not just from the consumers, but also from the game makers themselves.” Warner Bros. has had 20 years of experience putting out Harry Potter video games — but those were based on the movies. Not every game was a blockbuster hit, despite the fandom around the Harry Potter franchise. Hogwarts Legacy is based on Harry Potter but is set in the late 1800s, well before the action in the Harry Potter books take place, and opens the Harry Potter World beyond Hogwarts Castle. Players are witch or wizard avatars that complete missions to gain skills such as flying on a broom. “They definitely put out some big titles and worked with some big franchises, but their games have been hit and miss,” Dan Martin, general manager at videogamesnewyork says of the Warner Bros. games. The game’s release has been delayed twice — building excitement from Potter fans but then fizzling. Videogamesnewyork, a New York City store that sells modern and retro video games, is ordering just enough games to their store based on pre-orders. “We’re not over-ordering or under ordering. Only because we don’t know what to expect,” said Martin. Part of the game’s expectation is based on controversy surrounding Harry Potter’s creator — J.K. Rowling. The author has repeatedly made anti-trans comments, and some of the movies’ actors have spoken out against them. Some gamers also are boycotting Hogwarts Legacy over the controversy. “It’s not a commercial risk so much as is a cultural one,” van Dreunen said of the game’s release. The game features a trans character, a first for the franchise. Though the Hogwarts Legacy character Sirona Ryan does not explicitly say she is trans, dialogue in a scene suggests it: “[It] took them a second to realize I was actually a witch, not a wizard,” the character said. Warner Bros. Discovery said creating diverse characters was a high priority in order to encompass all people who play the games including the LGBTQIA+ community. The company says J.K. Rowling is not involved in the Hogwarts Legacy game. But she does stand to make licensing royalties. Some fans have been turned off to the franchise because of Rowling’s comments, others say they won’t let that get in the way of experiencing a new world of Harry Potter. “There was a time when I thought it was going to impact my view on the whole Harry Potter world, but I am able to separate the situation with JK Rowling with the Harry Potter world,” said Camila Rodrigues, a Harry Potter fan who says she plans to buy the game. Despite the controversy, gaming experts anticipate a blockbuster release — easily selling 10 million copies, according to some estimates. In some ways, the game is a re-branding opportunity for the franchise. “It perhaps has room to develop something new, to iterate on the existing relationship with its fan base,” said van Dreunen. “Perhaps making it into this big production video game allows the franchise to kind of save itself a little bit from the drag it’s been experiencing culturally.” Source: CNN News

Pat Carrigan had a breakout season in 2022, but there’s still plenty of things he wants to achieve with the Broncos. Carrigan created history in 2022, becoming the first debutant to win the Wally Lewis Medal after starring for Queensland in the State of Origin Series and went on to win a World Cup with Australia. “Last year was fun, I’m really grateful for everything that happened,” Carrigan said. “It’s a new year and there is a bit I want to achieve this year with the Broncos.” The 25-year-old has quickly established himself as a leader at Red Hill and an integral part of the Broncos pack. He believes the whole squad learned a lot from the end of last season and is hungry to return to September footy. “We took our lessons from last year, it makes you really hungry to have a good year this year,” he said. “The f word - playing finals footy - gets tossed around with us a lot. “We are training really hard and putting ourselves in a position to build throughout the year, which is important, it’s a long year. “We have been working on the habits that probably let us down last year, as a group we are fresh. “We have to work hard for each other, that is the biggest thing I’ve learned. “If we have 36 guys here that want to keep getting better, improving and pushing each other, we will have a really strong club.” The Broncos will be bolstered by the return to fitness of Herbie Farnworth, who missed the second half of last season, and new additions Reece Walsh and Martin Taupau. “There are a few new faces in Marty Taupau and Reece Walsh – who have played a lot of footy, it’s exciting time for the boys and the club,” he said. “Marty has done everything in the game and is a real point of difference for us and he’ll be really important. For the young Pacifica guys we have here in terms of being a mentor and leading them around, he’ll be really great. “Walshy is one of my best mates at the club, I’m super excited to have him back, he just brings a lot of energy and loves playing footy. “When you play footy with your best mates, there is nothing better, if you pull on a broncos jersey on top of that, it’s awesome. We have the best fans, they pack out Suncorp Stadium.” The Broncos will get another hit out against the Titans on Sunday as they build towards the NRL season. While Carrigan won’t be playing in this clash, he believes the squad will have a strong showing. “As a team we will play an exciting brand of footy,” he said. “Kevvie encourages us to be that sort of team, while working on our resilience, put the two of those together, I think we’ll be alright this season.” Source: BrisbaneBroncos.com.au

The Review of the Form and System of Government -The Election of the Prime Minister By The People, will commence after it is launched on the 15th of February 2023 in Port Moresby by Prime Minister James Marape and CLRC Chairman Saki Soloma. The Government directed Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC) to undertake the Review as the timing was critical to our 50th Independence Anniversary in 2025, Soloma said. “This Review is critical to audit the form and system of Government and take stock of how far we came as a nation since Independence in 1975, with the thoughts of looking at whether the current form and system of the government has adequately, effectively and efficiently worked for us, and to determine whether or not we need an alternative form and system of government, that can take us through in the next 50 years and beyond,” Soloma said. Apart from the election of the Prime Minister by the people, the other key matters of the Review include the current structure of the National Parliament; the system of government; and the different levels of Government. This Review will raise fundamental questions and discussions on bicameral and unicameral Parliamentary systems; current three-tier system of government; the tenure as well as the method and criteria for the nomination and election of the Prime Minister, and the relevance of the English Monarch as Head of State. CLRC with other relevant government agencies, will conduct nationwide consultation in all the provinces and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville from the 5th of March to the 18th of May 2023 to gauge the views of the people. An online survey will be accessible to the public on the 15th of February 2023 for people to participate in the Review online. Other data collection methods such as written submission, public forums, technical papers from experts and research will also be used. The final report with recommendations is expected to be complete by December for submission to the Prime Minister, Soloma said.

The Japanese Special Economic Zone (SEZ) experts from the Japan Development Institute (JDI) visited Middle Ramu District in Madang Province today to assess its viability to be a SEZ. Middle Ramu SEZ is targeted for large-scale rice and pineapple development. The experts were led by Middle Ramu MP, Hon. Kansol Kamdaru and Madang Governor, Hon. Ramsey Pariwa. The JDI team will visit the proposed Rai Coast SEZ tomorrow, led by Vice Minister for International Trade and Investment and Rai Coast MP, Hon. Kessy Sawang. They will visit Finschaffen in Morobe Province and Pomio in the East New Britain Province next week, followed by visit to the proposed Port Moresby Industrial Park and Western Province before they conclude their visits to all the proposed SEZ locations in the country. JDI have been working with the local experts to help Papua New Guinea (PNG) formulate its SEZ Masterplan. The draft Masterplan will be presented in April this year when PNG hosts its very first SEZ Summit in Port Moresby where all SEZ experts from around the world will come together to share their story and experience on how their countries used SEZs as a vehicle for economy growth. “These experts will be given the opportunity to comment and put their input in the draft Masterplan before it is finalized and presented to the Government for approval and implementation,” said Minister for International Trade and Investment, Hon. Richard Maru.

Ninty- eight policemen and women graduated today from the Bomana Prosecutions Training School in Port Moresby after successfully completing a four-year Prosecutors Qualifying Program. The graduation ceremony for the 98 police prosecutors was held at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby. Acting Manager Prosecutions Training, Senior Inspector Ruth Tusela, said that this is the first of its kind for the college, the Prosecutions Directorate and the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary. Senior Inspector Tusela said, “The Prosecutions Qualifying Program sets a milestone and a new chapter into professionalising the Prosecutions Directorate. The program is designed only for prosecutors and in order to be in this program you must be a prosecutor and be registered in the Prosecutions Directorate. “Anyone who had been in the prosecutions directorate prior to the program had been approved automatically and commenced when the program started in 2020.” She said police prosecutors who have missed out on the training program can always fill in the registration papers for future courses. “Together with that form they will have to attach all the relevant approvals from their immediate supervisors and send their applications to Director Prosecutions and a copy to the Prosecution Training. “This program is mostly funded by the PNG Australia Policing Partnership (PNGAPP). I thank the people of Australia and the Australian government for funding this program. Just last year, the RPNGC took ownership and co-funded some of the programs,” she said. The Prosecutors Qualifying Program is a 4-year program consisting of two years of theory and two years of prosecution. There are three stages in the program and include: Distance Education, Residential school and court assessment phase. Some of the topics covered include: Introduction to criminal law; Criminal practices and procedures; Duties and powers; and Defendants’ rights. SIP Tusela said prosecutors have a duty in appeasing the court to come to a satisfactory conclusion of each case where everyone consisting of the defendant, the victim and every interested party is happy with whatever decision that is handed down by the courts. She stressed that this program has enhanced the prosecutor’s knowledge of the law and the skills attained will enable them to confidently and competently carry on their duties as police prosecutors. She said, “Now we have all the resources and the knowledge and skills to professionally do our job, so it’s about time we give back to our organisation the results that our organisation needs through our duties when prosecuting in court.” The four-year Prosecutors Qualifying Program is an ongoing Diploma program in Law at the University of Papua New Guinea.

The Warriors have started the Andrew Webster era off in style with a thumping 48-12 win over Wests Tigers in the opening round of the Pre-season Challenge on Thursday night. New recruits Te Maire Martin and Luke Metcalf combined well in the halves to help the Warriors to a 14-0 lead before Marcelo Montoya crossed for his third try of the evening as the left edge caused havoc in Auckland. Montoya produced a charging effort that knocked Charlie Staines off his feet for his second try but Staines otherwise looked solid at fullback for Wests Tigers in his first showing for the club despite limited opportunities in the match. Metcalf though continued to impress with a brilliant solo effort in the second half that will give new Warriors coach Webster a halves selection headache with Martin, Shaun Johnson and Ronald Volkman all pushing for Round 1. Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens has a decision to make between Staines and Daine Laurie for the fullback spot in the club's season opener against the Titans on March 5. Sheens would've been disappointed by the side's start but buoyed by their efforts in a 10-minute period during the second half with Stefano Utoikamanu and Trey Peni both getting over the line. The momentum quickly evaporated, however, with two intercept tries to Viliami Vailea adding an exclamation mark to the Warriors win. Another of Sheens' recruits, Brandon Wakeham, had a mixed evening in the halves after only arriving to the club a fortnight ago. Source: NRL.Com  

Remington Group today announced the successful applicants for their leading Graduate Development and Apprenticeship Program in Port Moresby. Since the inception of both these development programs, the Apprenticeship Program initially took in TVET graduates for Remington Group’s business unit’s Remington Technology and FX Business Centre. In 2022, the Group successfully received approval from the National Apprenticeship Trade Testing Board (NATTB) to hire apprentices for their print business BizPrint and Scan. The Graduate Development Program (GDP) continues to attract some of the best graduates with the attitude to excel in their careers. “Since the commencement of these two programmes, it has become more competitive based on the data we gather. The candidates we come across through the shortlisting and interview process never fail to indicate that there is an increasing need for new graduates to have career advice, hands on experience and work exposure”, says Natasha Austin, Remington Group’s HR Manager. “As part of our contribution to nation-building and economic empowerment of our youths, Remington who has been operating in PNG for 75 years now, provides these pathways for young women and men to gain vital exposure and professional experience”. The process of selecting these individuals was a long and rigorous one, with over 300 candidates applying for both programs, from this pool of applicants, we chose two exceptionally high-performing individuals who are Ivy Puipui and Ivatius Igara to join us under our GDP program. Our popular Apprenticeship Program identified three outstanding candidates – Lindon Tairo, Sione Mega, and Nowes Nati – who will join our Remington Technology Service Team as Junior Service Technicians.