Tragedy turns to triumph for unsung Panther James Segeyaro

By RAY GATT of The Australian

Penrith's James Segeyaro finds himself in the clear as he races to score one of his two tries against Parramatta at Centrebet Stadium last night. Source: Getty Images

It was  one of the toughest days he had ever experienced but James Segeyaro knew what his mate would have wanted him to do  
Just hours after young North Queensland player Alex Elisala tragically passed away, Segeyaro came off the bench last night to play a huge hand in Penrith's 44-12 demolition of Parramatta in an eight-tries-to-two rout at Centrebet Stadium.

Playing with a heavy heart, the 22-year-old Papua New Guinea international dedicated his two tries to Elisala, with whom he had become close friends during his previous two seasons with the Cowboys.
Segeyaro was too upset to talk after the match but it was clear where his thoughts were during the game: he celebrated both tries by pointing to the sky and beating his chest close to his heart.
Coach Ivan Cleary said he had left the decision to play last night with Segeyaro.

"We had a chat this morning. I wasn't sure what he was going to do today. It's one of those situations ... there's no playbook for that sort of stuff," Cleary said.

"But he was straight on the front foot and said the best way to honour his mate was to play. They were pretty close.
"James played very well but the hard part now will be the myriad of emotions he will go through in the next few days, and we will have to be mindful of that."
Segeyaro was one of several standout players for the Panthers as they overcame tremendous odds to record a near record win in the local derby.
Hampered by a heavy injury toll, coming off five successive losses and lacking confidence, Penrith was given little hope in the battle of the west.
But with halfback Luke Walsh in devastating form, the Panthers refused to follow the script, producing a spirited display to record only their second win of the season.
It was also Penrith's biggest win over the Eels at home and just a point shy of the club's biggest victory against them, a 39-6 thrashing at Parramatta Stadium last season.
The Eels were left shattered and that feeling was reflected in the words of devastated coach Ricky Stuart. He labelled the performance embarrassing while captain Jarryd Hayne described it as awful.
"It's embarrassing when your two best players are 19 (Kelepi Tanginoa) and 20 (Vai Toutai)," Stuart said. "Both are still trying to learn how to play the game, or first grade level ... and one of those (Toutai) is a winger.
"It's hard to know what to expect from this team ... seven games in and it is what it is."
Stuart admitted he was extremely disappointed with the effort. "Yes, I am (the most disappointed he has been)," he said. "It was embarrassing. It is going to be hard to make changes because we don't have a lot underneath to put pressure on players. As for tonight, I'll discuss it with the players but I won't play things out in the media."
And to make things worse, the Eels look like being without inspirational prop Tim Mannah for an extended period. He was carried off the field in the 61st minute with an injury that Stuart revealed could be a broken fibula. He will have scans today.
While Penrith led 16-12 at half-time, the highlight belonged to Eels winger Toutai, who revived memories of legendary Eels winger Eric Grothe Snr after going on a rampaging 20m run that saw him beat five defenders and then carry three over the line.
The Panthers, however, raced in 28 unanswered points in the second half.
PENRITH 44 (T Robinson 2 J Segeyaro 2 D Simmons 2 L Brown D Whare tries; L Walsh 5 M Moylan goals) PARRAMATTA 12 (J Hayne V Toutai tries; C Sandow 2 goals) at Centrebet Stadium. Referee: Jason Robinson, Gavin Reynolds. Crowd: 14,211.

PNG mulls death penalty for sorcery murder

AFP

Papua New Guinea is considering introducing the death penalty for sorcery killings and rape after a spate of horrific crimes against women drew international condemnation.Attorney-General Kerenga Kua said public opinion had swung in favour of capital punishment after a series of brutal sorcery-related murders including beheadings and torchings, and the gang rape of a US academic.
Kua said he had received more than 100 petitions from human rights and other groups across the globe calling for urgent action on the violence against women.
"Those horrific, brutal, gruesome killings of the type that a woman was burnt alive to her death should attract death penalty," The National newspaper reported Kua as saying.
"Most of the people are ready for it and they want it now as they are fed up of the law and order problems in this country and they want to see a more liberal use of the death penalty."
In February a 20-year-old mother accused of witchcraft was stripped and burned alive in front of a crowd at a village market. Earlier this month an elderly woman was beheaded after being accused of black magic.
Also this month, an Australian was murdered and his friend sexually assaulted by a group of men, followed barely a week later by the ambush of the US researcher, her husband and their guide on a wilderness track.
She was stripped, had her hair cut to the scalp and was gang-raped by a group of nine men armed with rifles and knives before a sound in the forest frightened them away.
Kua said he had been monitoring the public mood on the issue and it was time the government "did something radical" to halt the crimes, which have undermined PNG's standing as a tourism and investment destination.
"My job is simply to do what the people want me to do. I cannot shut my eyes to the people's request. I'm not deaf, I'm listening; if they want it we will give it to them," he said.
The offences of treason, piracy and wilful murder are already punishable by death in the impoverished Pacific nation, but the country has not carried out an execution since 1954.
The Catholic Church condemned Kua's remarks as "giving in to the same vengeful streak in PNG culture that is part of our current problem", and said the death penalty would not be a deterrent to violent crime.

A warning of a downturn in mining in PNG

ABC

Papua New Guinea's Chamber of Mines and Petroleum says the global mining boom is definitely over and a current down turn, is likely to have a big impact on capital spending on exploration and financing for many existing and planned projects in PNG.

The Chamber's outgoing President, Doctor Ila Temu says there has been a significant drop in gold prices in recent times and with lower commodity prices, it will impact PNG government's 2013 budget and planned expenditure.
Firmin Nanol reports:
Presenter: Firmin Nanol
Speaker: Doctor Ila Temu, Country Manager for Barrack Gold, PNG's Chamber of Mines and Petroleum elected Oil Search Managing Director, Gerea Aopi New Crest Mining's Country Manager, Peter Aitsi
Doctor Ila Temu who is also Country Manager for Barrack Gold in PNG says the Chamber wants the government to help planned and existing mining and petroleum projects get off the ground quickly.
He says the drop in gold prices and related impact on the mining sector could make potential investors think twice before investing in PNG.
Dr Temu says the PNG government needs to honour outstanding commitments both to landowners and developers of certain projects.He says the government also needs to build build and improve existing infrastructure in certain project areas so those projects could get off the ground soon.
Barrick Gold's PNG Country Manager, Dr Ila Temu says Barrick is also considering selling some of its projects in Australia due to the current global down turn in the mining boom.
He has also cautioned that the PNG government's 2013 budget will be impacted because revenue projections were based on high gold prices before the current down turn and drop in gold prices.
PNG's Chamber of Mines and Petroleum elected Oil Search Managing Director, Gerea Aopi as its new President during its annual general meeting last week.
Mr Aopi says the government needs to improve efficiency in its public service to ensure projects which are under exploration stage and others nearing completion before full production could finish soon.
He says the chamber will discuss certain issues affecting the industry with the government.
Meanwhile, the Chamber has urged the government to reconsider its position on a proposed review of its taxation regime.
The review panel include two former Internal Revenue Commissioners Sir Nagora Bogan and David Sode and former Australian Treasurer Peter Costello.
The Committee has started work already and is expected to submit its report and recommendations by the end of June this year.
The outgoing President Dr Ila Temu says the mining and petroleum sectors already pay well and above their normal company tax and it should not increase further.
The Chamber's Senior Vice President and New Crest Mining's Country Manager, Peter Aitsi also cautioned the government to be mindful of its expenditure.
PNG's Chamber of Mines and Petroleum is the peak industry association which represents the interest of over two hundred companies operating mining and petroleum projects in PNG.
President Gerea Aopi, Senior Vice President Peter Aitisi, Vice President Richard Kassman and out-going President Dr Ila Temu in a joint news conference issued the caution in Port Moresby today.

FGV mulls Papua New Guinea foray

By Zaidi Isham Ismail

New Straits Times

FELDA Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV), the world's largest crude palm oil producer, may venture into Papua New Guinea to increase its plantation land. President and group chief executive officer Datuk Sabri Ahmad said Papua New Guinea's government officials were impressed with FGV's businesses and operations during their visit here recently.

"They were impressed with the FGV model and have asked for our help to start oil palm plantations in Papua New Guinea. If all goes well, we will go there on a government-to-government level of cooperation.

"We are conducting feasibility studies and technical due dilligence and if we decide to go there, we can easily start with an initial 10,000ha. The land is suitable for oil palm and can either be greenfields or brownfields," Sabri told Business Times in an interview.

FGV currently has a RM4.4 billion war chest following its listing on Bursa Malaysia last June.

Sabri had said previously it would use part of the proceeds to buy more plantation land as oil palm land in Malaysia is limited, and also with many plantation companies having expanded resinto Indonesia.

He had said FGV was looking for land in Myanmar, Cambodia and more recently in Mindanao in the Philippines.

The latter plan, however, was put on hold following the Lahad Datu intrusion recently.

FGV currently owns a total of 350,000ha and manages another 500,000ha for the country's 112,635 settlers grouped under the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda).

FGV has businesses in cooking oil, oleochemicals and refinery operations in 12 countries.

If FGV's plan materialises, Papua New Guinea will be its second overseas plantation land venture after Indonesia.

On its Myanmar venture, Sabri said the company is in the final stage of due dilligence with a local partner to start rubber processing activities in the country's south.

"We will buy natural rubber from local farmers and turn them into processed rubber. If it is successful, we may go further into rubber plantations by buying an initial 12,000ha," he added.

In December, FGV signed a memorandum of understanding with Myanmar's Pho La Min Trading Ltd.

Under the deal, a joint venture company will be set up to develop rubber business in three phases, starting with a processing plant.

On West Kalimantan, Sabri said FGV, which owns 14,700ha there, is in the final stage of a due dilligence to plant another 10,000ha at Kebun Patin Landak.

Kulim (Malaysia) Bhd is another Malaysian planter in Papua New Guinea through its 48.7 per cent-owned New Britain Palm Oil Ltd.

Kulim, in turn, is 59.6 per cent-owned by state government investment agency Johor Corp.

Read more: FGV mulls Papua New Guinea foray http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20130429002909/Article/index_html#ixzz2RoPYcXZS

PTTEP considers energy investment in Papua New Guinea

National News Bureau of Thailand

Thailand's leading energy explorer is considering an investment plan in Papua New Guinea although the company has conceded that more time is needed before a conclusion is drawn.

Mr. Tevin Vongvanich, President and Chief Executive Officer of PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP), revealed that the company's investment feasibility study has been underway in Papua New Guinea.

He stated that the plan was conceived to help Thailand achieve energy security in the future when local demand is expected to surpass domestic supply.

The President and CEO of PTTEP said Papua New Guinea is considered a possible investment destination as the country has been discovered with natural gas deposits and its liquefied natural gas development project has already begun.

Mr. Tevin added that the government of Papua New Guinea extended an official invitation to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra during her recent trip to the South Pacific nation for Thailand to conduct an exploration project.

He said PTTEP is in the middle of data collection and analysis to determine the quality of the natural gas deposits and if the investment will be worthwhile.

PTTEP stressed that more time will be needed before a thorough study in Papua New Guinea can be completed and a decision can be made.

Papua New Guinea health workforce crisis: A call to action

World Bank

• Download report: Papua New Guinea (PNG) health workforce crisis : a call to action

• Papua New Guinea faces a health workforce supply crisis arising from:

(i)    the current severely constrained training system for new health workforce cadres;

(ii)    the rapid aging of the existing workforce – over half of the current health workforce will retire within a decade;

(iii)   the expanding demand for services over the next 10 to 20 years due to sustained increase of the population.

• The National Headcount Survey in 2009 shows that the size of the health workforce financed by the public sector has grown from 10,791 in 1998 to 13,063 in 2009. Since 2004, however, the pace of growth has slowed down markedly. The number of nurses, for example, dropped from 3,980 in 2004 to 3,618 in 2009.

• To respond to the health workforce crisis, the PNG government’s needs to deal with:

(i)    the immediate supply-side crisis (quantity);

(ii)    the qualitative side, including preservice and in-service training (especially for emergency obstetric care for existing staff);

(iii)   incentives to ensure staff are able to be deployed where needed, particularly in rural areas which is home to 80 percent of the population.

• Armed with information of supply and demand, the report provides five scenarios to draw out the implications for each health cadre and for all service delivery staff, including affordability. The five scenarios vary from no change in existing supply capacity to four alternative scenarios with supply adjusted to meet the postulated demand.

• The scenario most recommended envisages a new mix of direct service-delivery staff, which is not only affordable but also responds to the demand requirements for staff from the health system while leaving space in the recurrent health budget to boost quality. This scenario is driven by: (i) the growth in the resource envelope likely to be available for health and service-delivery staff; and (ii) the feasibility and speed with which preservice training can be ramped up to meet the demands of workforce attrition and the needs of a growing population.

PNG minister says conjugal bail will curb sex crimes

By ABC Papua New Guinea correspondent Liam Fox

Papua New Guinea's only female minister says some prisoners should be released on bail to have sex with their wives to reduce sex crimes.

Loujaya Toni, the minister for religion, youth and community development, has drawn a link between prison breaks and sexual assaults.
In a statement, she says when men escape after being locked up and deprived of sex they will "find a female … to vent their sexual aggression".
Ms Toni says the solution is to release low and medium-security prisoners on weekend conjugal visits in order to "prevent rising levels of sexual frustration".
She also says high-risk prisoners should be injected with drugs to "lower their sexual aggressiveness".
Her comments have been widely panned on social media sites.
Ms Toni declined an interview with the ABC.