Briefs
Envoy appointed chairman
PAPUA New Guinea’s Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union Joshua Kalinoe has been appointed to the troika of the chairmen of committee of ambassadors (COA) of the 79-member Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of states in preparation to assume the chairmanship of (COA) in August. COA is the third highest decision-making body in the ACP behind the Council of Ministers and the leaders’ summit. Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is the current chairman of the summit. He will hand over the chairmanship to another head of state when the summit meets later this year.
Loan for school fees
TERTIARY students from Maprik in East Sepik can get loans for school fees — on the condition that they have a hectare of cocoa or 625 cocoa trees in their farm, says MP John Simon. He said K2 million had been allocated for the Maprik district tertiary students’ loan scheme. Of that amount, K1m is from the district services improvement programme fund and K1 million committed by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to support the people of Maprik. The money will be managed by NDB.
College sets priority
A college in Port Moresby set its priority to introduce new teaching codes for teachers and new technology to enhance learning students for 2019. Paradise College principal Safak Deliismail said they had goals of having a lot of practical lessons in the classroom and outside from elementary up to grade 12. “We would like to focus on skills that will enhance the learning of students as a public speaker, critical thinker, independent learner, able to analyse data, good at time management, caring, a team-worker, a risk-taker and emotionally intelligent,” Delliismail said.
Manus needs six teachers
There are 521 registered teaching positions for primary schools in Manus according to the Manus education appointment officer Ludwig Charles. Charles said out those positions, 515 positions were occupied and six vacant.
Murder case adjourned
THE Goroka Committal Court has adjourned a mention of an attempted murder case allowing police investigators to complete court files. Magistrate Gerard Vetunawa set March 11 as the date for police file to be tendered in court for a proper hearing date to be set. Suspect Joel Sorasa has been in custody at Bihute jail outside Goroka.
Landowners welcome funding
THE landowners from Makabus in Wapenamanda, Enga, have welcomed a K3.7 million expansion project for the Pombapus Technical Education Vocational Training Centre funded by the European Union. Principal landowner and chairman of the Makabus Landowners’ Association Smith Iso thanked EU for funding the expansion of Pombapus Tvet owned by the Catholic education agency of Enga.
Liquor ban challenged
The provincial executive council’s decision to ban liquor in Madang was challenged at the National Court on Thursday. Principal plaintiff Veronica Mocke and others filed a National Court proceeding challenging the legality of the ban. According to the court, Mocke and other plaintiffs said the PEC could only recommend to impose the ban but did not have the power to impose it. They said only the liquor commission had the authority to call for the ban if there was need to. After a two-day trial, the court scheduled the ruling of the matter on March 7.
In court for alleged wounding
A man appeared before the Waigani Committal Court on Thursday to face charges of wounding another person in Port Moresby last month. Magistrate Cosmas Bidar read out the charges to Samuel Killien, 25, from Imane village in Kagua, Southern Highlands. The case was adjourned to March 28.
Rape case adjourned
The Waigani Committal Court adjourned a case of a man charged with raping a teenage girl with disabilities. Magistrate Cosmas Bidar adjourned the case of Mariano Apini, 21, from Iesubaibua village in Kairuku, Central, because police prosecution was yet to receive instructions from investigating officers on the status of investigations. The matter returns on March 21.