Both Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts spoke to the media on Thursday as they recognized the significance of being the first two Black quarterbacks to start in the same Super Bowl. Almost exactly 35 years after Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl with the then-Washington Redskins, Mahomes and Hurts made history as the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles reached the NFL’s season finale. For 27-year-old Chiefs quarterback Mahomes – who is looking for his second Super Bowl ring when the two teams face off in Arizona on February 12, which would make him the first Black quarterback to win multiple titles – the moment of history is “special.” “I’ve learned more and more about the history of the Black quarterback since I’ve been in this league,” he told reporters. “The guys that came before me and Jalen set the stage for this, and now I’m just glad we can set the stage for kids that are coming up now. It’ll be a great game against two great teams and against another great quarterback. I’m excited to go out there and do what we can against a great team.” Eagles quarterback Hurts, in just his second full season as a starter, is just the eighth Black quarterback to start in the Super Bowl and Philadelphia’s second Black quarterback to start in a Super Bowl, joining Donovan McNabb who started Super Bowl XXXIX. “I think it’s history,” Hurts said. “I think it’s something that’s worthy of being noted and it is history. It’s come a long way. I think it’s only been seven African-American quarterbacks to play in the Super Bowl, so to be the first for something is pretty cool. I know it will be a good one.” Should the Eagles win at State Farm Stadium, Hurts will become the fourth Black quarterback to win an NFL championship after Williams in 1988, Russell Wilson with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014 and Mahomes in 2020. Mahomes outlined that he has come to understand the platform he and others in his position have to push others forward. “I think you’ve seen over time,” Mahomes said, “whenever a guy like Doug Williams or Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb go out and play great football, it gives other guys like me and Jalen this platform and have this spot on another NFL team. “If we can continue to show that we can consistently be great, I think it will continue to open doors for other kids growing up to follow their dreams and be a quarterback of an NFL team. It’s good we have guys like Jalen on the other team because he’s a great person and, obviously, a great quarterback.” Both Mahomes’ and Hurts’ runs to the Super Bowl are inspiring to their contemporaries around the league. “I know those guys are going to be hyped up and ready to play,” Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields told CNN Sport. “But it’s definitely a big moment for a lot of Black, young QBs coming up and having them inspire them and maybe they’re saying to themselves: ‘That could be me one day.’” Fields added: “Jalen and Patrick, they can do a lot of great things on the field in terms of throwing the football and being able to extend plays with their feet. “It’s just awesome – having the first Super Bowl [with] two Black quarterbacks in is definitely a historic moment, for sure.” Source: CNN

A 30-year-old Portuguese dog has been named as the world's oldest ever by Guinness World Records - beating a record that stood for a century. Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo - a breed that has an average life expectancy of 12 to 14 years. The previous oldest dog ever was Australia's Bluey, who died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and five months. As of 1 February, Bobi was 30 years and 226 days old, and is said to be doing well for his age. His grand old age has been validated by the Portuguese government's pet database, which is managed by the National Union of Veterinarians, according to Guinness World Records. He has lived his whole life with the Costa family in the village of Conqueiros, near Portugal's west coast, after being born with three siblings in an outbuilding. Leonel Costa, who was eight years old at the time, said his parents had too many animals and had to put the puppies down, but Bobi escaped. Leonel and his brothers kept the dog's existence a secret from their parents until he was eventually discovered and became part of the family, who feed him the same food they eat. "Between a can of animal food or a piece of meat, Bobi doesn't hesitate and chooses our food," said Mr Costa, who always soaks the food in water to remove most of the seasoning. Apart from a scare in 2018 when he was hospitalised after suddenly collapsing due to breathing difficulty, Mr Costa says Bobi has enjoyed a relatively trouble-free life and believes the secret to his longevity is the "calm, peaceful environment" he lives in. It may also be in the blood - Bobi's mother living to the age of 18. However, time has taken its toll on Bobi, who now has trouble walking and worsening eyesight. Mr Costa says Bobi is the "last of a long generation of animals" in the Costa family and describes him as "one of a kind." Bobi's crowning as the oldest dog ever comes just two weeks after Guinness World Records named another dog, Spike the Chihuahua, as the oldest living dog - at 23 years old. Guinness have since updated its records, and announced Bobi as both the oldest dog living, and the oldest dog ever. Source: BBC

Cancer is destructive, threatening every single country, claiming thousands of lives each year and impacting the lives of countless others. Cancer isn’t an easy thing to talk about, but it’s incredibly important to be aware of the impacts and the ways you can detect and even reduce the chances of getting cancer. The World Health Organisation is making it their mission to ‘close the care gap’ this year focusing on uniting our voices and taking action. Because the more we share new ideas and keep the conversation going, we can achieve almost anything. At the Sir Brian Bell Foundation, we’re on the same page and are working with many special organizations and individuals to put an end to preventable cancers in our communities such as Sir Brian Bell Centre for Transfusion Medicine, we’re committed to collecting blood donations for those affected by cancers and performing mini health checks. Grass Skirt Project - GYMBOX, combining a sport and wellness centre to get our bodies active and moving while also providing health and nutrition advice and Queenpads which teaches women about menstrual hygiene and how to notice menstrual changes which can signify cancer. We’re also committed to supporting communities through health and education and connecting people to the right health information in the hopes of preventing some types of cancer. The most common types of cancer in Papua New Guinea are breast, lip, oral cavity, cervix, uterine, liver and prostate. The good news is that in most cases, these types of cancer (and others) can be prevented. Some easy ways you can look after yourself and help prevent cancer include avoiding chewing betel nut, smoking tobacco, eating unhealthy foods, binge drinking and failing to exercise. We will continue to work alongside Papua New Guinea Cancer Foundation to minimise the impact cancer has on our communities, you can check out a range of cancer awareness resources on their website. “Remember, your body is your business. If you notice any changes in your health—even small things—talk to a medical health professional and schedule regular check-ups. It just might save your life” commented Sir Brian Bell Foundation CEO Bronwyn Wright. This World Cancer Day (Feb 4th), we’re calling on you, whoever and wherever you are, to play your part in creating a cancer-free world. What will you do to close the gap in cancer care? You can start by sharing this post with your friends to spread the word! Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) World Cancer Day 2022-2024 “Close the Care Gap” This World Cancer Day, we recognise the power of working together. We know that every single one of us has the ability to make a difference, large or small, and that together we can make real progress in reducing the global impact of cancer. This 4 February, we call on you, whoever and wherever you are, to play your part in creating a cancer-free world. This World Cancer Day, what will you do to close the gap in cancer care. 2023: Uniting our voices and taking action. As our campaign continues, we will join with like-minded people because we know that we are stronger when we are united. We will celebrate real-world progress in its many forms and allow that momentum to fuel our fight for fairness. We’ll do more than spread the word—we’ll shout it from the rooftops. We’ll build stronger alliances and innovative new collaborations. Our actions can take countless forms: motivating neighbours to provide transport to cancer treatment for a fellow resident or ensuring that healthy and affordable food options are offered at the local school. We’ll mobilise our friends, family, co-workers, and communities because we know that together we can achieve almost anything.

The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), that will result in greater cooperation and competition between the two FIFA Confederations for the benefit of football in the Pacific and Asia. The MOU signed after the 33rd AFC Congress in Bahrain will run for three years and will see the OFC and AFC strengthen their ties through more matches between teams from the two Confederations. It represents a further strengthening of a strong relationship forged between the Confederations who first signed an MOU in 2016. OFC President Lambert Maltock is hailing the MOU as hugely significant and beneficial for football in Oceania and reflects a long-standing relationship that has been built from AFC’s and OFC’s commitment and love for football. “We are pleased that the implementation of this agreement means a focus on high level competitions between representative teams from both confederations,” Maltock said. “The development that Oceania men’s and women’s teams will gain from these competitions are hugely beneficial, and reinforces OFC’s commitment to the strategic pillars of development and high performance within the OFC Strategy.” AFC President Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa believes the MOU will strengthen both Confederations. “This Memorandum of Understanding symbolises the long-standing partnership between the AFC and the OFC and reinforces our commitment to unlock the opportunities to further expand the growth of the game in this passionate Asia-Pacific region,” Al Khalifa said. Both the AFC and the OFC share similar challenges as well as common interests and I am confident that the exchange of best practices will provide fresh impetus to take the beautiful game to even greater heights.” There are 11 national football associations in the OFC and two associate Members, and 47 in the AFC. The two Confederations intend to foster cooperation and dialogue for the purpose of building a solid legacy, with an aim to give rise to sporting, social, cultural and educational benefits. The MOU will focus on creating high-level competition for men’s and women’s teams and the exchanging of knowledge, experience and resources through the technical and administrative training of the respective Confederations.   Source: Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)

City Pharmacy and Paradise Private Hospital joined the PNG Cancer Foundation to host basic health checks and cancer awareness sessions at the Holiday Inn (Waigani, Port Moresby), closing off a 2-day workshop schedule held ahead of World Cancer Day (4 February). More than 60 participants from corporate companies, individuals and the hotel staff took the opportunity to get their basic health check done and participated one of three (3) different cancer information sessions conducted by the PNGCF Health Educator team, including Paradise Private Hospital's Dr. Polapoi Chalau who facilitated a session on breast cancer. The health check campaign is an initiative aimed at building a stronger cancer prevention campaign in 2023 by incorporating basic health check as a component of the foundation's existing education and awareness programs.PNGCF is grateful to the supporters of the health check campaign including volunteers from Port Moresby General Hospital & UPNG, and implementation support from CPL PNG , Paradise Private Hospital and the Holiday Inn.

London Broncos are pleased to confirm Papua New Guinea international Emmanuel Waine has signed for the club, subject to VISA approval. The 26-year-old back-row middle joins from the PNG Hunters who compete in the Hostplus Cup, the second tier of Rugby League in Australia, and has more recently been training with NRL side The Dolphins. Waine started in Papua New Guinea’s 36-0 win over Wales at the recent Rugby League World Cup where he combined with new teammate Wellington Albert. He said he can’t wait to journey over to the UK and begin in his first campaign with the Broncos. “This is a really exciting opportunity for me, and I’m pleased to be part of the Broncos squad,” said Emmanuel. “I enjoyed my first World Cup in the UK during the autumn which was a great experience and hopefully I can develop my own game in the coming months. “It will be good to link up with Welly again and meet my other new teammates. I’ve kept myself fit by training with The Dolphins and will be ready to go straight into battle when I arrive.” Mike Eccles was equally pleased to add Waine to his squad and described him as an explosive and dynamic individual. “Emmanuel is a very explosive and dynamic player who will be hard to handle when carrying the ball,” said Eccles. “He’ll compliment our current squad really well and joins from a fantastic background. “We’re delighted to have him onboard and look forward to his arrival in the UK. His World Cup performances for Papua New Guinea really caught our attention where he partnered well with Welly (Wellington Albert). “We won’t be rushed into making signings for the sake of it. It’s a priority to ensure every player we recruit adds real quality to the team and Emmanuel ticks this box and can help push the Broncos forward.”     Source: Broncos Media

Work has commenced on the sealing and upgrading of the remaining 27km of the Lihir island ring road, following a ground-breaking ceremony at Palie Catholic mission station on Lihir. The Lihir ring road is a project covered under both the 1995 and 2007 Benefits Sharing Lihir Memorandums of Agreement (MOA) – signed between the three levels of Government (National, Provincial and Local Level Government) and the Lihir Mining Affected Landowners Association (LMALA). As outlined in the MOA, Lihir Gold Limited is responsible for the upgrade of the component on the Eastern side from Zuen to Palie, which has already been completed. The remaining 27 kilometres on the western side of the main island is the responsibility of the National Government. The National Government has approved funding under its Tax Credit Scheme (TCS) Policy, using tax credit payments from Newcrest’s Lihir mine, for the completion of its obligation under the MOA. Villagers from all around the island joined in the celebration that was coordinated by the Nimamar Local Level Government headed by LLG President Stanley Tunut. He thanked and congratulated all stakeholders for their role in bringing the project to fruition. Minister for Civil Aviation and Transport, and Namatanai MP, Walter Schnaubelt, thanked the people of Lihir for their patience and said the ring road construction and sealing was just one of several projects identified under the MOA. “If there is any positivity or hope from day’s event – (ground-breaking), it’s the partnership between all stakeholders. This partnership is important to achieve the remaining projects under the MOA. It takes a partnership to deliver any kind of project,’’ Mr Schnaubelt said. “This partnership is like a marriage. All partners have their role to play, and the people of Lihir must also play your role,’’ he told the crowd.’’ Mr Schnaubelt commended Newcrest Mining Limited Lihir for doing its part by sealing the road from Zuen to Palie on the eastern side of the island and said the government will now seal the outstanding 27 kilometres from Palie to Zuen on the western side. Acting Lihir General Manager Patrick Fordyce congratulated all stakeholders on the historic occasion. He acknowledged and paid homage to the vision and commitment of Lihirian elders, both past and present, for setting the foundations of sustainable development that is currently seen in Lihir yesterday (02/04/23). “Today is a special day for us on the island. As a member of this island community, Newcrest is very pleased that this significant road sealing project will be completed to better serve our communities in Lihir,’’ Mr Fordyce said. The completion of this project will serve to improve current socioeconomic conditions on Lihir, such as access to vital services for people on the western side of the island to schools, medical, business, and other government services located in Londolovit township. Following an open and transparent tender process, consistent with Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme Guidelines, the contract for the sealing and upgrade of the project was awarded to PNG company Dekenai Construction Limited. Dekenai has now immediately begun work on the project.

Prime Minister and Tari-Port District Development Authority (DDA) Chairman James Marape presided over his district’s first DDA meeting for 2023 on Thursday (February 2, 2023). The meeting was held at Pangale Haus in Tari which is the Tari-Pori DDA office. At the meeting, PM Marape announced that each district in PNG had been allocated K10 million in District Services Improvement Programme (DSIP) with an additional K5 million for priority infrastructure. He urged his DDA Members to work on Tari-Pori District priorities. “We have a K15 million envelope so the DDA must approve clear priorities to be driven by Local Level Government (LLG) and District leadership in support to our Provincial Government and National Government focus areas,” PM Marape said. “I have tasked the district administration to finalise the 2022 financial report and also update on all work which happened last year. “I have also asked all LLGs to put all their development aspirations for 2023 together. “The focus areas for Tari-Pori District in 2023 are Education, Health, Law-and-Order, SMEs and infrastructure development. This is consistent with the focus of the National Government. “Churches, women and youth will play key roles because they will be engaged as development partners.” Hela Governor Philip Undialu was also in attendance to give Provincial Government support to Tari-Pori DDA. “I commend Tari-Pori DDA for always being transparent in your development focus,” Governor Undialu said. “The Hela Provincial Government stands ready to support you in all your development aspirations.” Also at the meeting, Tari Town Mayor, Andaija ‘AJ’ Jeli, was reappointed as Deputy Chairman of Tari-Pori DDA to Chairman Marape

Papua New Guinea does not welcome foreigners who consort with criminal elements and corrupt state agents, the Chairman of the Permanent Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Defence, Hon. Belden Namah said today. Mr. Namah made these remarks upon receiving information that a businessman, resident in Wewak, had been detained by officers of Immigration Office following strong allegations of "rogue and criminal activities" in the province. Mr Namah said: “I am informed that this man is not just happy with conducting business on PNG soil but is abusing his privilege by forming friendship and patronage with both criminals and police officers. “There is no place in this country for this kind of filthy criminal behaviour and those responsible must be dealt with in the harshest manner. “I am informed this man has been on the radar of our Immigration and Citizenship Office for some time. There are strong suggestions that he has been seen supporting known criminals and possibly benefiting from criminal activities. "Further, there are suggestions and strong evidence that he has strengthened his position and protection by forming friendships with officers of the local police force. “This associations are of the worst and most dangerous sort. It tends towards organised crime for which this country has very little response or protection. “I commend the Chief Immigration Officer, Mr. Stanis Hulahau and his officers for carrying out their duties diligently in the face of mounting resistance by elements of the police who were compromised.” Mr. Namah said the foreign businessman was extracted forcibly from a police cell in Wewak last week. When it was discovered there was an immigration sweep against him, this man was arrested, detained in a locked police cell and the officer with the key disappeared. Immigration officers forced open the lock and extracted the Person of Interest (POI) from the cell and replaced it with a new padlock before escorting the businessman to the Moem Airport to catch a Port Moresby bound flight. The businessman is currently in custody at the Bomana Immigration Centre in Port Moresby. Mr Namah said: “While this country invites foreign direct investment, it does not and will not welcome business people who will consort with criminals and corrupt state agents. “This is the cheapest and the most dangerous sort of business activity. Such people will build their empires on criminal proceeds and will next go into drugs, arms and human trafficking. "They will pay for protection from the police force and other state agencies and then we are lost.” Mr Namah said as soon as his Committee is properly established and resourced, he will carry out sweeping public inquiries to identify, investigate and remove shadowy operations and individuals right around the country. He called on people to be ready with information to submit to his office. “I am not against genuine businesses," Mr Namah said. "I will screen all information received by my committee so those who might have ill will towards honest businesses will not use my office to gain mileage, of that be certain.”

The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have signed an agreement they say will see more matches between the two continents. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Bahrain during the Asian body's annual congress. Oceania President Lambert Maltock said the agreement is hugely significant and beneficial for football in the Pacific. "We are pleased that the implementation of this agreement means a focus on high level competitions between representative teams from both confederations," Maltock said. A joint statement said the MoU would result in "high-level competition" for men's and women's teams and the exchanging of knowledge, experience and resources. The statement does not say whether the new competitions would be for clubs or national teams. Both continents have their own men's Champions League competitions. An OFC spokesperson said the MoU opens up the possibility of the OFC Champions playing in the Asian equivalent competition; and vice-versa, the top Asian side playing in the OFC competition. The spokesperson also said it could result in more pan-continental matches, for example, New Caledonia or Solomon Islands playing against China, to test them against higher-ranked and more experienced national sides. It would not mean, however, that the respective World Cup qualifying competitions would be merged. AFC President Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said both organisations share similar challenges as well as common interests and he was "confident the exchange of best practices will provide fresh impetus to take the beautiful game to even greater heights." There are 11 national football associations in the OFC and two associate members, and 47 in the AFC. At the 2022 men's World Cup, Asia was represented by hosts Qatar and five qualifying nations; Oceania's top team New Zealand fell to Costa Rica in the Intercontinental Playoff. The top-ranked Asian nation is at Japan at 20, followed by Iran (24) and South Korea (25). New Zealand is the best-ranked Oceania side at 105 with Solomon Islands at 136. Source:rnz.com

The PNG University of Technology and the PNG Joint Forces Academy (Igam) signed a MOU for training and technical cooperation and implementation of Learning Management System (Moodle) at the academy. The signing of the MOU that took place yesterday morning between Unitech Vice Chancellor Dr Ora Renagi (Unitech) and PNGJSA Commanding Officer Lt Colonel Donald Aisuk enables Unitech to install Moodle software on all computers and servers at the Igam based academy. The MOU is to promote closer cooperation and exchange of information on Moodle Platform between the two institution to improve delivery and learning for instructors and officer cadets at the academy. Unitech will now work with PNGJSA to design, develop and test the mechanisms, methods, procedures and the implement steps necessary to transition management responsibility for the Moodle software at the academy. Commanding Officer of PNGJSA Lt Colonel Aisuk said that the implementation of this learning management system was part the Defence Force’s digital transformation which the academy now is implementing. It was also part of the Defence Force aim to digitalise all its operation by the end of the year and it was a positive step forward for the academy said Lt Col Aisuk. Vice Chancellor Dr Renagi thanked the academy for seeking out technical expertise from the University, and was overly excited about the prospect for further collaborative and partnerships with the Defence Force. Dr Renagi said that there was a lot of areas that both neighbouring institutions could work together in terms of technology and using skillsets from both organisations to better and improve lives of rural based people of the country.

Five members of a criminal gang responsible for hurling a grenade that killed two men in Goilala were ambushed and killed in a retaliatory attack in December. Acting Provincial Police Commander of Central Province Senior Inspector Patterson Birigi said the five suspects were slain by angry relatives of the bomb victims, who went after and found them holed up in a remote village in Fane LLG. The gang led by a renowned criminal identified as Awa Pilot were responsible for various other crimes around the Tolokuma area until they met their fate, acting PPC Birigi said. He said since the closure of the Tolokuma mine in 2017, the neighbouring communities lived in fear because of the menace and terror imposed on them by the Pilot gang. The acting PPC said when reports of the bomb attack reached Port Moresby, a composite team comprised of Central Police, the SSD and CID personnel were deployed into Tolokuma to investigate the killings, but the vigilant villagers had gotten to them first before the police arrived. The villagers had raided a village and killed Pilot and his four accomplices. Mr Birigi said the police deployment was initially hampered by Goilala's tough geographical settings especially the rugged terrains, but the policemen managed to walk to some of the far flung village communities and spoke to them about the importance of law and order. He said the police team was extracted back into Port Moresby and on 19th of January, five police officers from Central were shuttled by helicopter into the mine site to provide police presence there. Upon their arrival, the policemen met with the Guard Dog security officials who briefed them on the law and order situation at the mine site and the surrounding villages. With the information provided, the police officers went out to the villages to conduct more awareness on law and order issues. The policemen also told the people about the developments happening back in the city. They also met with the youths and informed them about the newly amended laws, more particularly the new Dangerous Drug Act, which stipulates harsher penalties for offenders. While interacting with the community the police officers received some vital information that led them to a notorious criminal linked to the Pilot gang. The police officers were quick to respond to the information provided and walked to a location away from the mine and apprehended the suspect. The suspect was apprehended, flown back into Port Moresby and referred to the CID.