Thailand

After returning from a trip from Thailand, Minister Maru said a strong trade and investment relationship with the Government of Thailand, its private sector, targeting potential investors and the people to people ties with Thailand, can help PNG. 

Maru related that in Thailand there are 30,000 Japanese owned companies operating in which they employ over 1 million people from Myanmar to assist with low-cost labor in their manufacturing industry, to ensure they continue to be a low-cost producer of goods and services for the world. 

She called on the National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology to collaborate with Thailand in pursing to meet international standards and apply these standards to PNG companies.

“Most of Thai food are processed foods are exported to the USA, Europe and Japan.

“PNG has a lot to learn from Thailand in meeting international standards for food processing for exports as well as domestic market.

“We call on the National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology to collaborate with Thailand and other Asian countries to apply these standards in PNG.

Francesco Galdelli, 58, and Vanja Goffi, 45 have been wanted on an Interpol red notice since 2013.

The Hollywood star sued them and in a 2010 trial in Italy testified against them, saying they had fraudulently used his name.

They are also accused of a series of other scams and frauds in Italy.

They had fled their home country to avoid arrest and had been dubbed the Italian Bonnie and Clyde after the legendary US gangster couple.

The 12 boys and their coach became trapped in the cave system after heavy rain in northern Thailand on June 23, and the mission to bring them back to the surface has gripped the world's attention.

On Tuesday, the final members of the team were brought out to complete the rescue, and the news has been welcomed across football.

United hailed the news and offered a trip to Manchester during the 2018-19 campaign for the group and their rescuers.

Teams entered the cave at 10:00 local time (03:00 GMT), operation chief Narongsak Osottanakorn told reporters.

All non-essential staff have been cleared from the site near the entrance, leaving only diving teams, medics and security forces.

The boys were exploring the cave on 23 June when they were cut off by water.

Thirteen foreign divers and five from the Thai Navy are involved in the rescue mission.

Saman Gunan, 38, lost consciousness on his way out of the Tham Luang cave complex after delivering supplies and could not be revived.

"His job was to deliver oxygen. He did not have enough on his way back," said an official.

The diver had left the navy but returned to help the rescue operation.

Mr Gunan, said to be an avid runner and cyclist, was part of a massive rescue operation which started almost two weeks ago after the group went into the Tham Luang cave.

They have received their first food and medical treatment in 10 days.

Seven divers, including a doctor and a nurse, joined the group inside the caves in the north of the country after they were discovered alive on Monday.

Rescuers are now considering how best to bring the group to safety.

"We will not rush to take the lads out of the cave," the governor of Chiang Rai, Narongsak Osoththanakorn, told reporters, adding: "Whoever has zero risk first can leave the cave first."

They were discovered by two British divers on a ledge in a cavern after a marathon search operation in the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai.

The challenge now will be to extract the party safely, with rising water and mud impeding access.

Families of the missing group were ecstatic at news of the rescue.

Rescuers had hoped they would find safety on a ledge in an underground chamber nicknamed Pattaya Beach but they were found 400m (440 yards) away having moved to higher ground to avoid the rising water.

How did they find them?

The revered king died in October 2016 aged 88.

He will be cremated later on Thursday, in a royal pyre to be lit by his son and successor to the throne, King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

The funeral officially started on Wednesday with a merit-making ceremony, a Buddhist rite, in the Grand Palace.

A series of Buddhist rites began in the royal palace on Thursday morning. Later, the royal urn will be moved onto a chariot and brought in a large procession to the site of the cremation.