Kumuls named for 9s

Posted on The National

BRISBANE Broncos hooker James Segeyaro is expected to captain the Papua New Guinea LNG Kumuls at the Rugby League World Cup Nines in Sydney, Australia, from Oct 18-19.
Hela Wigmen centre Stanford Talita is the only fulltime Digicel Cup player named in Michael Marum’s 16-man squad. Announcing the national sides yesterday, PNG Rugby Football League chairman Sandis Tsaka said the Kumuls and Oil Search Orchids (women) players were selected on form and performance, with most having just completed their season.
Orchids executive committee chairman Ruth Waram said the team were selected on agility and speed.
“We may still be finding our feet in the 13s game but this shorter version will suit our style and athleticism, which we naturally have,” Waram said.
Waram said the team would be coached by Bagelo Solien.
“He did a good job with the women at the Pacific Games and against the Brisbane Broncos women’s team last month so I have every confidence and support in him,” Waram said.
Kumuls executive committee chairman Sudhir Guru said Marum and the national selectors had picked a strong team and “they will do us proud in this shorter version”.
Only four nations – Australia, New Zealand, England and PNG – are competing in the women’s tournament.
Twelve nations are competing in the men’s tournament with the Kumuls in Pool A alongside Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
England, France, Lebanon and Wales make up Pool B while Pool C has Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and the Cook Islands.
The Kumuls and Orchids will assemble in Port Moresby on Monday.
The tournament will be played at Bankwest Stadium – home of the Parramatta Eels.
Kumuls: Stargroth Amean (Barrow Raiders), Watson Boas (Barrow Raiders), Edwin Epape (Wynnum Manly), Edene Gebbie (Wynnum Manly), Lachlan Lam (Sydney Roosters), Kyle Laybutt (Townsville Blackhawks), Bernard Lewis (Sydney Roosters), Garry Lo (Hunters), Rhys Martin (Leeds Rhino), Justin Olam (Melbourne Storm), Nixon Putt (North Devils), Daniel Russell (North Queensland Cowboys), James Segeyaro (Brisbane Broncos), Jedidiah Simbiken (Redcliffe Dolphins), Stanford Talita (Hela Wigmen), Terry Wapi (Hunters).
Orchids: Elsie Albert (UNRE Cowgirls), Catherine Anjo (Hohola Flies), Heather Ario (Gabutu Dragons), Lekiellia Brown (Wentworthville Magpies), Shae-Yvonne Dela-Cruz (Easts Tigers), Carol Francis (Gabutu Dragons), Shirley Joe (Eriku Panthers), Janet Johns (Hanuabada Hawks), Roswita Kapo (Paga Panthers), Sera Koroi (Goodna Eagles), Ua Ravu (Leeton Greens), Jacobeth Wake (Royas Ramu League), Joyce Waula (Blackswan Royals), Veronica Waula (Royals), Angelo Watego (Capalaba Warriors), Josephine Wong (Nightcliff Dragons).

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/kumuls-named-for-9s/

Chinese president hails PNG’s affinity with table tennis

Posted on The National

Chinese President Xi Jinping, one of the most powerful persons in the world, is delighted with Papua New Guinea’s affinity with table tennis.
National table tennis representative Geoffery Loi had written to Xi on July 15 but never thought that the 66-year-old would respond to his letter.
The Tubusereia villager was taken by surprise when Chinese Embassy deputy chief of mission Yao Ming delivered Xi’s letter to him at the Convention Centre in Port Moresby yesterday.
In his letter, Xi wrote: “I have received your letter, dated July 15, which reminds me of my visit to PNG last year when I watched you and your teammates training with Chinese coaches.
“I am delighted to hear that you all love learning the Chinese language and culture as well as ping pong (table tennis).
“Congratulations to you and the PNG table tennis team for delivering a great performance at the Pacific Games and making your country proud.
“I wish you and your team still greater success.”
Yao said China valued its relationship with PNG through sports and economic ties.
“We will continue to support table tennis in the country as it is the national sport in China,” he said.
Loi said he was grateful to Xi for taking some time out of his busy schedule and to respond to his letter.
“This shows that he (Xi) supports PNG sportsmen and women in their careers,” he said. PNG Table Tennis Federation president George Shao praised the continued support of China and the Chinese business community in the country.
“We are again sending four athletes — Geoffrey, David Loi, Maryann Hane and Leah Taru — to Shanghai University in China to undergo table tennis training for two weeks.
“I thank the China Table Tennis College for it support in helping develop table tennis in the country.”

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/chinese-president-hails-pngs-affinity-with-table-tennis/

Row over budget

Posted on The National

DEBATE on the 2019 Supplementary Budget has started even before is it tabled by Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey in Parliament, with Opposition MPs calling the figures “misleading”.
Prime Minister James Marape is confident Ling-Stuckey will provide the correct “economic numbers” for the 2019 Supplementary Budget and the 2020 Budget, based on areas the Government team has been working on with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Treasury, the World Bank and others.
“What the Treasurer is doing is to fully ascertain our present economic conditions for us to offer solutions to take our country out of the present (economic) conditions,” Marape said.
“When I was finance minister, I was part of the government that deliberately entered into debt financing so we could do economic projects.
“But along the way, the areas of investments influenced by the then prime minister (Peter O’Neill) differed against some of our opinions.
“And these investments now add up to our present debts.
“Whether it is at K27 billion or above K30 billion, the fact is that it is still very high and possibly above requirements of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.”
Marape said his Government wants to establish where the true economic position of the country was and put forward policies and programmes in 2019 and 2020 “that should take us out of this mess”.
Opposition Leader Belden Namah and Shadow Treasurer Joseph Lelang refuted, saying the figures provided by Ling-Stuckey were “influenced by foreign due diligence group” and therefore unrealistic.
They allege that it “is a dangerous trend and a threat to national sovereignty” if “foreigners” are allowed to influence the 2019 Supplementary Budget and the 2020 National Budget.
Lelang doubted that the Budget, as claimed by Ling-Stuckey, was being assessed and verified by the IMF.
He said the IMF only provided surveillance and based their report on figures provided by the due diligence team.
Lelang cautioned Ling-Stuckey “not to mislead the nation” because the purpose of the IMF’s mission to PNG is to do surveillance of its policy and economy”.
He said the IMF reported a K2.7 billion blow out which was based on the figures provided to them by the Treasurer and his team.
Meanwhile, Marape said one of the reasons he had resigned from the O’Neill-led Cabinet was because his “protests” against budget policies, expenditure priorities were not acknowledged.
“The latest was my protest last November when I had no knowledge of budget frameworks, yet I was forced to support that budget,” he said.
But he said now was not the time to continue the “blame game” but to accept the state of the national economy and work to “rescue” it.
“Our Government will initiate immediate cost cutting on projects and expenditures of no significance to the economy, invest in economic stimulant projects, and source lower cost loans in the immediate to refinance our debts as well as provide budget support,” he said.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/row-over-budget/

Send these primitives back home. But where is home? What is home?

By Nelson Himugu - via Facebook

TARI! TARI! TARI! KKK!

Many of us grew up in POM. We have friends, families, jobs, education in POM. Its been years now. We love this city we call home now. Yes we are from Hela but you people do not care that Tari is just one of the many districts and villages in the province. Tari just kamap big nem tasol lo bagarapim.

Home is where the heart is. But our heart bleeds everytime we think of home. Tribal fights, no law and order, poor education standards, poor health service coverage, poor road conditions and coverages, no fire station, no dependable electricity and water supply, no business opportunities, no employment opportunities, poor public service mechanism and the list goes on. How can our people strive in this kind of environment? Where the Government and the Developer playing divide and rule tactics to rob us of our natural resources wealth. A hostile, volatile environment. Will you? Put youselves in our shoes. We lost fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, friends in the very place we call home. We have become refugees in our own country.

We as Papua New Guineans have all the right under the sun, in this beatiful country of ours to live our lives to the fullest, and to the best of our abilities as mentioned and enshrined in the constitution by our forefathers for our great nation. We have all the right to be here just as you, no matter the circumstance, job difference, employed or not, educated or not, men, women, children, black skinned, white skinned, soft hair, fuzzy, who gives a shit. At least theres clothes on our back, food on our table and a place to rest our heads. Money doesn't grow on trees. You must struggle.

"Send them home. Charter planes, hire buses, hire boats and ships, just kill them all." WOW, PNG vs PNG. Then fellow Papua New Guineans ask them also to provide an aid in billions of Kina to these provinces so they can build better schools, health systems, airports, roads, bridges, law and order, create jobs, business opportunities, everything a provincial town needs. Better incentives so that this people don't come. Because we, well off Papua New Guineans are bleaching and scrubing our skins white and do not care about other black poor people of this country.

Lives were lost, people were injured. Laws were broke. Life is precious. Law brings peace and order. Only God makes life and for us, just once. Its very precious to God, but to us?

Condolences to the family of deceased. To the injured, wish you a speedy recovery. Taris please respect others and keep the peace. Let the Law do its job.

God bless PNG.

Group claims police demanded money, calls for investigation

Posted on The National

A GROUP of people living at Erima in Port Moresby claims the clash with police officers which led to the death of two people began after the officers had demanded money and liquor from them.
Spokesman Roy Hela Amburi called on acting Police Commissioner David Manning and Police Minister Bryan Kramer to carry out a thorough investigation.
He identified the two killed as Tarali Kopaya, 20, from Tari-Pori in Hela and Tamiabe Tigili, 18, from Komo-Margarima in Hela.
Amburi said at around 7.20pm on Thursday, five police teams drove into Erima from three directions and stopped at a small trading shop in Erima. He claimed that they demanded money and liquor.
“The police officers swore at the public and demanded the storekeeper to come out and give them money and alcohol,” he said.
He alleged that the police officers in the vehicles were “drunk”, with some in civilian clothes carrying guns. Amburi said after a while, the police officers broke into the small trading shops and fired a warning shot.
“Then they opened fired on the community from 7pm to 9pm, not caring that there were people living in the community. We saw them shoot one of the young men but we could not help him or get him to the hospital as they kept shooting.”
He said some people watching the rugby league clash between the Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters were drunk too and tried to defend the people.
Amburi said when the police officers realised that the two men were dead, they abandoned one of their vehicles and moved to the bridge side of the road.
“One man from Milne Bay who was in his house having dinner with his family was shot by a stray bullet, while an old man was shot in the back. Two teenagers, aged 14 and 15 were shot in the leg. Another man was shot in the knee and another on his thighs. So far, six are injured and two are dead. We want the officers involved in the shooting to be immediately arrested.”

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/group-claims-police-demanded-money-calls-for-investigation/

Unrest in city

By REBECCA KUKU - The National

TWO men were shot dead and others injured during a clash between police and residents of a settlement in Port Moresby over the weekend, disrupting traffic and damaging a few passing vehicles.
Police Minister Bryan Kramer, acting Police Commissioner David Manning and National Capital District police commander talked to the people yesterday morning to calm the situation down, and managed to persuade the relatives of the two men to allow traffic to flow again on the main highway.
“We promised them that we will undertake a full investigation into the incident, and deal with everyone involved. If any member of the Constabulary has broken the law, he or she will be dealt with severely.
“There are reportedly two deaths so far and I do not wish for more deaths or injuries to occur nor do I want to see more damage done to both public and private property.
“I am appealing for calm and common sense to prevail while the investigation gets underway. The situation is still tense and details are sketchy at this point in time.”
Some locals claimed that a group of police officers had started the trouble on Thursday evening when they allegedly demanded money and liquor from shop owners. The officers had gone to the area to investigate complaints that certain shops were involved in bootlegging.

The officers were met with resistance and a fight broke out.
“Police reinforcements were called in to contain the situation. In the process two members of the Erima community were killed and members of the commuting public were attacked by Erima settlers on Saturday and again this (yesterday) morning,” Manning said.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/unrest-in-city/

Bing: China ready to support PNG in trade, development

Posted on The National

CHINA stands ready to continue to support Papua New Guinea in trade and many development areas, Chinese ambassador Xue Bing says.
He was speaking during the 70th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the People’s Republic of China celebrated in Port Moresby.
“China is ready to continue to work together with PNG to strengthen dialogue, communication and cooperation in various areas,” he said.
“We welcome the export of PNG coffee, coconut, tropical fruits, tuna, lobster and other products to China and we want to put them on the dining tables of the Chinese people at an early date.
“We welcome more PNG students to study in China, learning and speaking Chinese language so as to become friendship ambassadors between our two countries.
“We welcome more Papua New Guineans to come to visit and enjoy the charm and wonders of modern China.
“We are ready to work together with the new government of PNG under the leadership of Prime Minister James Marape to actively implement and strengthen practical cooperation.
“We look to further promote the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries and bring more tangible benefits to our two peoples.”
Bing said China was PNG’s second largest trading partner and an investment destination with more than 40 Chinese companies now operating in the country creating over 6,000 jobs.
“In 2018, the bilateral trade volume reached US$3.62 billion (K12.2bil), with the PNG side enjoying a surplus.”
Prime Minister James Marape affirmed the relationship between the two countries.
“There is a huge trade imbalance more to the favour of PNG and less to China,” he said.
“More of our exports find their destinations on the ports of China and we get less from them.”
Ambassador Bing said the two economies were highly complementary and there were huge potentials to be tapped.
“The public is the biggest beneficiaries from the ever deepening of practical cooperation between China and PNG.”
He said China’s development over the last 70 years in technology and other areas was a good opportunity for the world.

Go to this link for more: https://www.thenational.com.pg/bing-china-ready-to-support-png-in-trade-development/