Dede Sophie

Police manpower will be increased starting next year as the Government starts focusing more on the law-and-justice sector, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape announced today (November 6, 2022). He said more judges and magistrates would also be recruited as the sector was moved to the forefront of Government focus amidst an increasing law-and-order problem. The Prime Minister said rundown jail facilities throughout the country would also be improved and rehabilitation for inmates, including through further education via Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) and Flexible Open Distance Education (FODE), would be strengthened. PM Marape said Police would embark on a recruitment drive next year to increase manpower to 7000 from the current 5000 at the very earliest, and 10,000 in the medium-term. “We cannot deny that there are so many issues within the Police Force, including lack of manpower, which has allowed it to deteriorate over the years,” he said. “It also does...

When people think of Iran, they think of the large square and bustling bazaars of Isfahan , the ruins of Persepolis and the tea houses of Tehran. But, when I think of Iran, I think of the desert city of Na’in, the mountain village of Abyaneh and Yazd, the city of wind towers, Zoroastrianism and the one that has a sweet tooth . I think of the rich Iranian hospitality , the beautifully woven carpets, the endless conversations had over many cups of tea, the super friendly people and the ubiquitous door knockers . In this article, I wish to talk about Na’in, one of the cities mentioned above. Located 140 kilometres east of Isfahan, Na’in is one of those Iranian cities where it feels like time has come to a standstill. It’s citadel, it’s mud houses, its gorgeous mosques and its busy bazaars transport you to a different era. You cannot stop admiring the door knockers on its house doors as you walk past its narrow lanes. Each door has a male and a female door knocker and they came in diffe...