Parkop urges vendors to move to new market

NATIONAL Capital District Governor Powes Parkop has advised vendors setting up an informal market at the Erima Recreational Park to move to the new Boroko market.
He said the Erima market had not been authorised.
“If the space at the Boroko Market is not adequate for the vendors, some will be moved to the Hohola Lareva Market,” he said.
“But the market at the Erima recreational park will be closed.”
After the Gordon market was closed for renovation recently, some vendors moved to the Erima Recreational Park to sell their farm produce.
Parkop said he did not sanction that move to Erima.
“The Erima Recreational Park is purposely for families, youths and children to use for recreational purposes and not for vendors to sell their produce,” he said.
“I don’t know why people have started selling their produce at a park. The illegal market will be closed this week and all vendors who are selling there will be moved to the Boroko market and the Lareva market at Hohola.”
Parkop urged the vendors to cooperate with the city authorities and to sell their produce at designated market area until the  Gordon market re-opened.

 

Source  :  The National

K3.1b pay-hike bill probed

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK

AN exercise is being carried out in government departments to find out why the total civil service salary bill swelled by K3.1 billion from K1.4 billion to K4.5 billion in four years.
Public Service Minister Elias Kapavore said a data-cleansing exercise which had begun should identify positions being duplicated.
The exercise involves the Personnel Management Department in consultation with the departments of Treasury and Finance to verify the huge annual increases to the public sector wage bill.
“The primary records show that the public sector wage bill in 2012 was K1.4 billion. This increased to K4.5 billion in 2016,” Kapavore said.
“While we need the increase in manpower to meet services demands, we must be accountable and prudent in controlling costs and achieving efficiencies.”
Kapavore said the data cleansing exercise would include national and provincial administrations “to establish a one-person, one-position, one-pay status for all public servants”.
“We will make it compulsory for all public servants to be registered through the national identification system,” he said.
“All organisations must improve their staff profiling system to put faces to the names of all public servants.”
Kapavore said he was seeking the cooperation of all sectors to support the government initiative “as we strive to improve productivity”.
Earlier, Kapavore said some public servants around the country were yet to be inducted in the public service system.
“That’s why they don’t know their job descriptions,” he said.
“There are many public servants not been inducted on their roles and responsibility.
“Induction programmes are so important. Once someone is recruited, they must be given their job description so that they will know what is required of them. They must also understand the General Orders and Parliament Acts.”

 

Source  :  The Nationla

Top officers reshuffled

By REBECCA KUKU

A MAJOR reshuffle involving 26 senior police officers, including the just suspended Metropolitan Superintendent Benjamin Turi, has been described as a “normal police operation”.
Police Commissioner Gari Baki said in a statement the transfer directives were final and that he would not accept any refusal from any of the officers affected.
“They will take their posts as directed with immediate effect,” he said.
He said everyone should be in their new positions by Oct 31.
Police Minister Jelta Wong told The National yesterday reshuffles in the police hierarchy were part of normal police operations.
Wong however said some questions might have been raised about yesterday’s announcement “because of the things happening within the same time”.
The reshuffle came in the wake of the general election security operation in which four police officers were killed, the gun amnesty in Hela and current security operations in Mendi.
“We are supposed to reshuffle (senior officers) every three to four years and the time has come for the reshuffle to take place,” Wong said.
“And that is why the Police Commissioner Gari Baki has issued directives for the reshuffle of the 26 police officers.”
Turi was suspended this week for 21 days over “serious disciplinary” matters.
He told The National that it might have something to do with a letter he wrote to “higher authorities” in relation to the fire which damaged an office at the Boroko police station.
He said in the letter that an investigation be conducted into the fire which damaged police files and documents.
Those transferred are;

• Assistant Commissioner (ACP) Sylvester Kalaut – Divisional Commander NCD to ACP human resources;
• ACP Donald Yamasombi– Divisional Commander Border to Divisional Commander NCD/Central;
• ACP Kaiglo Ambane – Divisional Commander Highlands Western End to Divisional Commander Border;
• Chief Superintendent (CSP) Samson Kua – Director Special Services Division (SSD) to Acting Divisional Commander Highlands Western End;
• CSP Perou N’Dranou – Commandant Bomana Training College to Metropolitan Superintendent NCD;
• CSP Jimmy Onopia – Deputy Commander Highlands Eastern End to director prosecutions;
• CSP Sibron Papoto – Unattached. Posted to Police Headquarters;
• CSP Johannes Yapi – Director HR to Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Enga province;
• CSP Rigga Neggi – A/ACP Human Resource to Director Corporate Planning;
• CSP Ben Turi – Metropolitan Superintendent NCD to Deputy Commander Highlands Eastern End;
• CSP Joseph Tondop – Provincial Police Commander Jiwaka to PPC Southern Highlands;
• Superintendent (SP) Peter Philip – Provincial Police Commander East Sepik to Commandant Bomana Training College;
• Superintendent. Michael Corren – National Election 2017 Coordinator to Director Reserve;
• Superintendent. Mark Yangen – Deputy Commander Highlands Western End to Director CID;
• Superintendent. Robert Gesa – Provincial Police Commander West Sepik to PPC East Sepik;
• Superintendent. Jim Namora – Provincial Police Commander West New Britain to Director Special Services Division;
• Chief Inspector (CIP) Julius Tasion – Group Commander Southern to Deputy Director Special Services Division;
• ClP John Midi – Provincial Police Commander New Ireland to PPC West New Britain;
• ClP George Kakas – Provincial Police Commander Enga to PPC Jiwaka;
• CIP Moses Ibsagi – Director Crimes to Provincial Police Commander West Sepik;
• ClP Gideon Kauke – Gordon Barracks to Commander Mendi Police Station;
• CIP Mas Tuman – Police Station Commander (PSC) Mendi to PSC Madang;
• CIP Gideon Ikumu – APEC to Provincial Police Commander New Ireland Province;
• ClP Michael Tilae – Deputy Director SSD to Superintendent Operations NCD;
• CIP Bob Kerry – HRM Pensions to Acting Director HRM; and
• Inspector Daniel Yangen – PSC Tari to PSC Kimbe.

The officers are expected to take their posts as directed by October 31.

 

Source  :  The National

Rugby coach says Morocco Tai was “fearless and rugged”

The former rugby coach of 15-year-old Morocco Tai killed after a police pursuit has described the young player as “fearless”, “rugged” and supportive of his teammates.

Cori Paul, the teenager’s former junior rugby coach at Horahora Club, in Whangarei, posted on Facebook following Monday’s fatal crash in Auckland, saying it was sad to hear of his death.

He included a team photo with Morocco in the front row whispering a few words of encouragement in his teammate’s ear.

The teenager died on Otara’s Bairds Rd, when the stolen car he was driving collided with a tree following a police pursuit.

Two 15-year-old women in the car were also injured – one seriously.

“This has hit a little close to home, so to speak, and we can all take lessons out of this tragedy,” Paul said in his Facebook post.

“I just want to put it out there if any of you kids or your mates need someone to talk to drop me a message on Facebook or call me.”

Morocco and his sister joined the team about four years ago, when they were about 11 years old.

“Although he was with us for a short time Morocco was a rugged, hearty player with no fear. All thoughts to his whanau.”

Comments on the post included a message from Trevor Baker who said it was sad news and the young rugby player had been an “up and comer”.

“Too many of our rangatahi getting caught up with the law these days. Credit to you for all your time and energy for them bro.”

And from Jay Sugarplum: “Very sad to think someone so young had such a tragic end. Gosh it hits home alright Corza. Same age as our boys Rest In Peace Morocco. HH hard.”

 

Source  :  New Zealand Herald

Coalition talks: NZ First, National ‘making huge progress’

Negotiations to form the next government are reaching a crucial stage with two days left for talks between NZ First and the main parties.

NZ First leader Winston Peters has wrapped a morning meeting with National – saying “huge progress” is being made.

Peters will shortly begin another meeting with Labour’s negotiation team, and said a picture was emerging as to what policies parties’ shared, and what they disagreed upon.

“We are making huge progress finding out what we agree on, what we don’t agree on, what we can still negotiate on. And where we might take things into the future by co-operation.

“We know what we are doing. We have got a plan. And we are sticking with it.”

If Labour is to lead the next Government an agreement will need to be worked out with both NZ First and the Green Party.

Peters won’t meet with the Greens and has said he doesn’t want Labour to update NZ First on what the Greens want. Greens leader James Shaw says he trusts Ardern to work out a deal that his party will be happy with.

At least 75 per cent of Green party members will need to approve any deal, and this will be done through delegates.

Asked if he was concerned about that process, Peters implied the sign-off process wouldn’t be complex because of the number of delegates that would be consulted.

“You should know far more about the Greens than I do. But they don’t have to go back to their membership. They have to go back to about 170 members. Even I know that.”

Peters turned on a journalist who asked about how the Greens would fit into any deal.

“For two years you have run a Labour-Greens Government. Now you are asking me why you made that mistake for two years…you got it all wrong.

“Please don’t ask me to explain your gross misrepresentation of the political situation in this country for the last three years.”

Earlier today, Green Party leader James Shaw finished his meeting with Jacinda Ardern and the Labour negotiating team – saying he trusts Labour to deliver a good deal for his party.

NZ First leader Winston Peters is only talking to Labour and has said he does not want to be told what the Greens want out of a deal.

That puts the onus on Labour to form an arrangement with NZ First that will also be acceptable to the Greens.

Any arrangement will need to be approved by at least 75 per cent of Green members. This will be done through delegates.

Asked if he was confident Labour would represent fairly what the Green Party wants out of any deal, Shaw said he was.

“Jacinda made fairness one of her principle values in the campaign. I have known her for a number of years and I said this before the election – I trust her, and she seems to be doing a good job of it.

“It has got to be a stable and responsible Government that is going to go the full distance in the national interest. And Labour are working very hard in ensuring that happens. And that is of paramount concern to all of us. So I am very confident.”

Shaw would not say if the Greens were considering or open to the idea of sitting on the cross benches, instead of being part of a Government with Labour and NZ First.

“I can’t get into the detail of the negotiations.”

Shaw said the Greens had campaigned hard to change the Government.

“That is what we campaigned on. We have thrown everything at it. That is what we are working on – is securing that deal to change the Government.

“It has got to be worth it for everybody.”

Shaw said he wasn’t concerned that Winston Peters had confirmed he wouldn’t meet his self-imposed deadline of announcing NZ First’s decision by tomorrow.

“I think a day here, a day there, is no big deal in the grand scheme of things. I’m pretty relaxed about the timeframe.”

This morning, NZ First went into its first meeting of the day with National’s negotiators for what is shaping up to be another long day of talks.

Peters’ team included commerce, energy and trade spokesman Fletcher Tabuteau while National’s included its trade and state owned enterprises spokesman Todd McClay. Both have previously been called into the talks a couple of times but are not constant participants – indicating a policy area they are involved in is up for discussion.

Otherwise NZ First’s included Peters, Shane Jones, Ron Mark, Tracey Martin, Paul Carrad and a staff member. National’s had English, Steven Joyce, Gerry Brownlee, Paula Bennett and chief of staff Wayne Eagleson. Jones has so far attended three meetings with National but has not been to any Labour meetings.

Peters and his team last met with National’s team for just over an hour last night and it got the first billing again this morning – putting it two meetings ahead of Labour. That will even out slightly over the course of the day.

NZ First will meet with Labour at 12.30pm followed by a further meeting with National mid-afternoon. Then it is Labour’s turn again at about 6.30pm. Peters has not ruled out squeezing in an extra meeting on top of those as he aims to close off discussions by tomorrow night.

Earlier this morning, Winston Peters left his office ahead of another round of the meeting.

Peters, accompanied by MP Shane Jones and adviser Paul Carrad, had little to say to waiting media.

“How can I possibly tell you how the meetings are going to go before the meetings start?”

Peters had said he would make his decision public tomorrow, but last night ruled that out, saying he expected decisions to go through until tomorrow night, and an announcement made as soon as possible after that.

Yesterday Peters pushed out his deadline for an announcement on which side he will back, and now says it will be made “as soon as possible after Thursday night”.

He won’t go as far as to confirm it will be on Friday.

“Our target is to complete all these discussions by Thursday night,” he told reporters on Tuesday night after another round of negotiations with National and Labour.

“We will make it [the announcement] as soon as possible after Thursday night. I’ve got other arrangements and people to organise.”

He apparently means a meeting of his party’s board to ratify a decision. Mr Peters also said the timing depended on the other parties as well, but didn’t explain what he meant by that.

If he decides to back Labour and the Greens, an issue could be ratification of the deal by a special meeting of Green Party members, which is one of that party’s requirements.

Peters is still insisting that the decision is not his alone to make.

“Winston Peters is not going to make a decision – it is NZ First and it’s board,” he said.

“I can’t speak for the party because I haven’t had a chance to speak to them.”

– NZN, staff reporters

 

Source  :  New Zealand Herald

Footage shows what an undersea supervolcano in Auckland would look like

A veteran volcanologist has won New Zealand’s top research honour for his work on explosive supervolcanoes and the threat they pose to us.

And visualisation by the Auckland Museum shows what a supervolcano in New Zealand’s largest city would look like.

Victoria University’s Professor Colin Wilson, who is now leading an $8.2 million, five-year study into the risk of a New Zealand super-eruption, has been awarded the Rutherford Medal at the Royal Society Te Aparangi’s annual Research Honours dinner.

Wilson has worked on many of the world’s supervolcanoes, including Taupo, and Long Valley and Yellowstone in the United States.

His work has pioneered new techniques to map out the volcanic processes from slumber to massive eruption, and has helped us understand how, where and when molten rock gathers below volcanoes.

Perhaps most impressively, Wilson’s research has been able to link long-term cycles with some of the largest and most destructive eruptions known to science.

His research showed how there was a long build-up to the massive Oruanui super-eruption from Taupo about 25,500 years ago, which created an enormous caldera that Lake Taupo fills only part of today.

Scientists believe the eruption would have been heard in central Australia and spread ash as far as Antarctica.

Wilson has also studied the volcanoes of Raoul, Healy and Macauley in the Kermadec Arc – in the latter volcano, he showed how it didn’t produce a violent explosion, but buoyant lava balloons, jokingly described as “lava lamps on speed”.

This new type of eruption was named by Wilson and his team as the “Tangaroan” eruptive style, after the Niwa research vessel that is itself named after the Maori god of the sea.

In a new government-funded study he and colleagues aim to create a state-of-the-art model to clear up some of the uncertainty surrounding the risk of supervolcanoes.

Super-eruptions are extremely rare: in the past 2.8 million years only 10 have been recorded, four of them in our Central North Island.

“Professor Wilson is a world-renowned geologist whose research has provided profound insight into how volcanoes behave,” stated the selection panel that awarded him the honour.

“He is a meticulous, insightful and highly productive researcher who melds acute field observations with advanced analytical techniques.”

Wilson said he was “deeply grateful” for the honour and the recognition that it brought.

“The work for which I am being recognised owes, however, a great debt to the many outstanding students and talented colleagues with whom I have worked over the years, and to my family for their support.

“It has been an enormously enjoyable journey of discovery, which I hope will continue for some while to come.”

 

 

Source  :  New Zealand Herald

Emergencia en California por incendios forestales – Despierta con Loret

Aumenta la popularidad de Ivanka Trump – Foro Global

Misteriosa arma ataca a estadounidenses – Foro Global

México encabeza índice de percepción de corrupción en América Latina – Despierta con Loret