Category Archives: Oceania

As Singapore opens its borders to international travellers, sports fans here and in the region can look forward to attending two international floorball tournaments hosted at the OCBC Arena at the Singapore Sports Hub. The two events Womens Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation Cup (Womens AOFC Cup) and the Mens World Floorball Championship Qualifiers AOFC (Mens WFCQ AOFC) will also kickstart the inaugural Singapore Floorball Series, launched as a platform that aims to regularly bring top floorball action to the community.

Sport is back and here to stay. With players including Singapores athletes given the opportunity to acquire valuable high-quality competition experience through putting their skills against a variety of different playing styles, floorball fans and followers here will also stand to benefit from the entertaining displays of speed and athleticism on court. A key part of the floorball community in Singapore comprises schoolgoing youth over 300 floorball teams from more than 100 schools participate in the annual National School Games, and there are 14,000 participants from the primary to university levels.

The second edition of the Womens AOFC Cup on 23 28 May will feature six teams. The AOFC Cup is held every year with the womens edition taking place on even years while the mens competition is held on odd years, ensuring that all players have at least one international tournament to look forward to each year. The first-ever Womens AOFC Cup was also hosted by Singapore in 2018, and the national womens team clinched the title with a 4-1 win over runner-up Thailand. Playing on home ground is always special and were all looking forward to competing in Singapore again. We hope both floorballers and those who are keen about the sport are excited to catch both the womens and mens teams up close in action. Winning the Womens AOFC Cup in front of a home crowd in 2018 was definitely a memorable and honourable experience. The team is training hard to put up a good fight to retain the title and do Singapore proud, mentions Singapore womens captain Michelle Lok who was part of the 2018 team.

The men take to the floor from 31 May 4 June and eight teams from the Asia Oceania region will congregate in Singapore for their opportunity to secure their place in the upcoming Mens World Floorball Championship 2022 in Switzerland. The teams are: Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, Malaysia and Australia. Were excited to play in front of our family, friends and supporters. Weve learnt a lot from our recent outings at major tournaments such as last years World Championships and have been working hard to improve all areas of our game in preparation of the Mens WFCQ AOFC. Floorball is a sport we love and enjoy playing, so we hope the fans who come also enjoy the matches and get to learn a little more about the sport, said Singapore mens captain R. Suria.

The Singapore Floorball Series is organised by sports agency Kin Productions Pte Ltd and hosted by the Singapore Floorball Association, with the support of Sport Singapore. Kin Productions, whose impressive repertoire of sports events includes the HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens and World Table Tennis Singapore Smash, will also be the organiser of the Womens World Floorball Championship when the tournament is hosted here next year. More details of the latter will be shared at a later date.

The Womens Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation Cup and the Mens World Floorball Championship Qualifiers AOFC are events that feature some of the best floorball athletes from the region. Staging these tournaments is a boost to Singapore floorball. In addition to providing valuable competition experience for our current players, we hope these events generate more interest among those who may not be familiar with floorball, as well as inspire our future floorball players through watching top athletes in action, said Singapore Floorball Association president Kenneth Ho.

Our national floorball teams have featured prominently on the international stage in recent years, and the Singapore Floorball Series will provide an opportunity for them to play amongst the best on home ground. Not only will this series see the mens team vying for a spot in the upcoming mens world championships, but it will also give the international floorball community a glimpse into the world-class stage that the 2023 IFF Womens Floorball Championships will be played on. By giving Singaporeans a front row view of world class floorball action and a chance to cheer the national teams on as One Team Singapore, we hope the event will inspire the growing base of local floorball enthusiasts and encourage more people to take up the sport,said Dr. Su Chun Wei, Chief of Singapore Sport Institute, Sport Singapore.

It is our honour to organise the Singapore Floorball Series and our commitment to the floorball community. It gives floorball enthusiasts here and in the region more opportunities to play amongst their peers and to better their game. Kin Productions is heavily involved in the sports industry and the energy witnessed at such events is uplifting and inspiring. We cant think of a better way to celebrate as we adjust to living with Covid-19, said Vincent Chai, director of Kin Productions Pte Ltd.

The OCBC Arena at Singapore Sports Hub has welcomed many international games and seen top athletes competing for world rankings inside this state-of-the-art facility, and we are excited the Arena has been chosen as the venue for these two international floorball tournaments, said Damian Bush, Managing Director, Singapore Sports Hub.

About Sport Singapore

As the national sports agency, Sport Singapores core purpose is to inspire the Singapore spirit and transform Singapore through sport. Through innovative, fun and meaningful sporting experiences, our mission is to reach out and serve communities across Singapore with passion and pride. With Vision 2030 Singapores sports master plan, our mandate goes beyond winning medals. Sport Singapore uses sport to create greater sporting opportunities and access, more inclusivity and integration as well as broader development of capabilities. Sport Singapore works with a vast network of public-private-people sector partners for individuals to live better through sport.

To find out more, visit SportSGs websites atwww.sportsingapore.gov.sgandwww.circle.myactivesg.com/stories.

About Singapore Floorball Association

The Singapore Floorball Association (SFA) was formed in 1995. It aims to encourage, develop and manage the sport of Floorball at national and international levels in Singapore. It also strives to promote Floorball to countries within the region. The association is constantly working to increase participation in Floorball and provide more playing opportunities for Singaporeans of all ages.

SFA supports its national teams in international competitions such as the World Floorball Championships and Asia Pacific Floorball Championships. The association consistently works with the relevant organisations to encourage the inclusion of Floorball on the rosters of major Games such as the SEA Games and the Commonwealth Games. Through its efforts, SFA believes that Singapore will have the top-ranked men and women national teams in Asia.

SFA manages the development and promotion of the game to more than 15,000 players, more than 200 schools and 100 clubs. Through the organization of Singapore Floorball Leagues, National Inter-Schools tournaments, coaching courses and officiating seminars, SFA aims to promote Floorball to Singaporeans of all ages and continuously improve the standard of the sport locally.

About Kin Productions Pte Ltd

Founded in 2017, KIN is a sports event agency that specialises in major sporting events. The team adopts a multi-disciplinary approach, paired with vast experience in taking on pivotal roles in consultancy and management in collaboration with various Organising Committees of Major Games & Championships.

Comprising specialists in planning, design, technical production and implementation, the team lives by a shared statement of purpose and guiding principles: To elevate the sports scene with our services around Southeast Asia through our expertise and collaboration with local and international industry players.

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Singapore to host two international floorball tournaments - IFF Main Site - International Floorball Federation

SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gravity Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRVY), a global game company, will start the second CBT for a new 3D MMORPG, Ragnarok V: Returns, in Oceania on April 6.

Ragnarok V: Returns, a multi-platform MMORPG, is the sequel to Ragnarok: Valkyrie Uprising, which has been played by more than five million global users. In addition to the attractive aesthetics unique to Ragnarok, this game will feature a high level of freedom for players.

After the first CBT held over one week from February 16, users expressed satisfaction with the game by commenting, This game is the closest to Ragnarok Online, It brought back old memories throughout the CBT, and I enjoyed this game because it had many cute and adorable costumes.

The second CBT of Ragnarok V: Returns will target Oceania users and be held from 1:00 p.m. on April 6 to 1:00 p.m. on April 12 (Australian Eastern Standard Time). Unlike the first CBT held for mobile users only, the second CBT can be enjoyed on not only a mobile version for Android and iPhone devices, but also on a PC version. During the CBT period, a variety of benefits will be provided to users during two events. The first event, Show off Your Character, will invite users to take screenshots of their characters and post them on social media. The second event, Second CBT Questionnaire Survey, is a survey to gather feedback from the users.

For the second CBT, the game has been updated through balance adjustment, playtime improvement, debugging, trial content improvement, and more based on user feedback from the first CBT. Being the last CBT, users participating in the CBT will be able to enjoy playing the game even more prior to its official launch.

A Gravity official said, We prepared the 2nd CBT for users to enjoy the game even longer before the games official launch in April. As this is the last CBT before the launch, we ask for users to participate, as we are committed to updating the game until the very last minute based on users opinions from the second CBT.

Detailed information about the Ragnarok V: Returns CBT, including version, download and schedule, is available on the Ragnarok V: Returns Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ROValkyrieUprising/).

Since March 16, Gravity has been receiving pre-registrations for Ragnarok V: Returns from the Ragnarok V: Returns pre-registration page (https://go.ragnarokv.com) as well as from Google Play and Apple App Store.

[Official Website of Gravity] http://www.gravity.co.kr

[Ragnarok V: Returns Facebook Page] https://www.facebook.com/ROValkyrieUprising/

[Ragnarok V: Returns Pre-registration Page] https://go.ragnarokv.com

[Ragnarok V: Returns Steam Page] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1865770/Ragnarok_V_Returns/

About Gravity

Established in Korea in April 2000, Gravity is a global game company that is directly listed on the NASDAQ. As of June 30, 2021, the cumulative global accounts of the Ragnarok IP, Gravitys representative IP, exceeded approximately 120 million. In addition, Ragnarok has been selected as the "second most loved Korean game overseas" consecutively over the last three years (Global Hallyu Trends 2021).

Gravity has established a powerful global network comprising of Gravity Neocyon (Korea), a subsidiary, as well as Gravity Communications (Taiwan), Gravity Game Link (Indonesia), Gravity Interactive (U.S.), Gravity Game Arise (Japan), Gravity Game Tech (Thailand), Gravity Game Hub (Singapore), and Gravity Game Vision (Hong Kong), the overseas branches. Together with its branches, Gravity is broadening its recognition and influence across the world by promoting global publishing businesses to discover and distribute a range of platforms and genre games in addition to games using the Ragnarok IP. The company is also accelerating not only the Ragnarok merchandise business, but also the content business, such as animation, IPTV, and webcomics, by collaborating with a number of brands.

- Key Titles

"Ragnarok Online (launched in 2002)," a PC MMORPG, and "Ragnarok M," "Ragnarok Origin," "Ragnarok X: Next Generation," "Ragnarok: Labyrinth," and "Ragnarok: Poring Merge," the mobile MMORPGs

Continued here:

Gravity Launches 2nd CBT of Ragnarok V: Returns, New 3D MMORPG, in Oceania - Business Wire

Oceania includes 14 countries each of which is ecologically, socially, and culturally rich. It offers a varied amalgamation of cultures and economies that operate through peculiar standards, notions, beliefs, and practices. Some countries rank among the highly advanced in the world, and some are less developed. For a great part of its history, Oceania remained in oblivion and it was only upon the arrival of the European settlers that gradual changes to the local life were introduced and the world got to know about its many offerings. Today, Oceania is of high strategic importance in an array of areas including politics, environment, and higher education.Higher Education has become a pillar of repute and prestige to the Oceanic region. This is evident from the fact that millions of students from all corners of the world migrate to many countries to pursue education. Australia and New Zealand, particularly, are known for their student-friendly, high-yielding, and world-class education system and have quite a few of their universities ranked among the global best. This fact also underlines the competition that applicants face when they apply to these universities. Still, you should actively pursue your application in these universities, as these are the gateways to a bright and lucrative future.

In case you want some help as to where to apply, here is a list with the top 4 in the region:

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Top 4 Universities In Oceania You Should Know - CEOWORLD magazine

In a major announcement, i-PRO APAC Oceania has recently announced a separation from Panasonic i-PRO in the Oceania region and will now trade as an independent entity.

As a new entity, the company looks to accelerate the development of high technology cameras with advanced capabilities built on a platform powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the edge.

They say they will move forward with a more agile, start-up mentality and bring a wider, more diverse range of products to the Oceania market.

Panasonic NZ will continue to be the leading NZ distributor for i-PRO technology and aims to provide continuity for existing customers and resellers with no significant changes.

Marius Van Der Merwe will step into the role of director for the Oceania region, building on his experience as national security solutions manager for Panasonic i-PRO. The move will also see more investment in the Oceania regions with increased reserve in all states.

This is an exciting time for i-PRO in our region. It is essentially a fresh start, and an opportunity to look objectively at the business and create a more effective model, says Van Der Merwe.

The goal is to provide high-level, reliable cameras for a wide array of scenarios at a competitive price and deliver them to the market quickly and effectively.

He also says that the move will create better opportunities for customer engagement and spread company resources around Oceania in a more efficient and effective way.

The new i-PRO APAC Oceania operation will also put more resources in place to better service customers, with pre-and-post sales engineers being added across all territories.

The new entity will also look to increase the number of key integrator partners operating and expand its presence in the channel.

Van Der Merwe also acknowledged the supply chain and customer service struggles relating to past business models and noted that the change will help streamline and simplify a variety of processes with new initiatives and innovations.

We acknowledge that the previous business model was sometimes cumbersome, and as such we are putting pieces in place that allow us to answer questions and deliver solutions in a timely manner, with local support, he says.

The planned opening of our own experience centre will add a lot of resources to our operations also. Customers will get the best of both worlds - the strength and reliability of our high-end cameras, now coupled with an agile local team that is responsive and flexible.

Panasonic NZ senior product sales manager for security Paul Grey says the companys role as NZ distributor will continue to help provide better solutions to customers.

Panasonic NZ Ltd is very excited to be announced as the New Zealand distributor for the i-PRO Brand. We believe that our in-house capabilities in CCTV, software development and network technologies complement the very exciting roadmap of products that I-PRO is producing, he says.

i-PRO will allow Panasonic NZ to provide a wider range of solutions to our customers leveraging best of breed technologies while maintaining the reliability that the Panasonic Security products were renowned for.

He says the i-Pro has plans to triple the number of camera releases in the current range over the next 6-12 months, and they are committed to assisting with the transformation.

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Panasonic i-PRO rebrands in the Oceania region - ChannelLife Australia

The number of Swiss nationals living abroad increased in 2021 by 1.5 per cent compared to the previous year, recent figures unveiled by Switzerlands Federal Department of Foreign Affairs show.

In a press release issued on Thursday, April 7, the Department announced that about 788,000 Swiss citizens were registered with a Swiss diplomatic representation outside the country, the majority of them in Europe.

Regardless of the continent in which they lived, the majority were aged between 18 and 64. Reflecting Switzerlands multicultural nature, many of them also had more than one nationality, according to the results of the statistics on the Swiss abroad from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the press release reveals.

It also points out that the year-on-year increase recorded from 2020 to 2021 was similar to the increase marked from 2019 to 2020, which was 1.4 per cent. In 2021, the highest increase of Swiss citizens living abroad was marked in Europe by 2.2 per cent, followed by Asia with 0.7 per cent, Oceania with 0.6 per cent, and the Americas with 0.2 per cent.

The number of Swiss nationals living in Africa dropped by 0.6 per cent.

Whereas the number of citizens living in the continent of Europe was distributed as follows:

In spite of marking a low increase from 2020 to 2021, the Americas lead the remaining continents when it comes to the number of Swiss citizens living in their territory.

Data show that out of the remaining 286,300 Swiss citizens living abroad, 23 per cent lived in the Americas, 6.8 per cent in Asia, 4,2 per cent in Oceania and another 2.4 per cent in Asia.

The largest communities outside Europe were in the United States, which registered 81,800 people, ahead of Canada (40,800), Australia (25,800) and Israel (22,100). An increase was seen in all of these countries, but the greatest was observed in Israel with three per cent more than in 2020, the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs reveals.

>> Switzerland Among Best European Countries for Its Living Conditions

Since 2017, the number of Swiss citizens holding more than one nationality has increased by 5.3 per cent, with the highest growth recorded in Asia, 6.7 per cent, followed by Europe with 6.5 per cent.

In 2021 alone, 590,500 Swiss citizens living outside the country had at least one other nationality, which accounts for 75 per cent of the total number of Swiss nationals living abroad.

The highest percentage of Swiss citizens with more than one nationality was found on the American continent (80 per cent). In over half of the American countries in which they lived, the percentage was 75 per cent or more. The highest percentages were seen in South America, particularly in Chile and Argentina, where they were 91.3 per cent and 94.2 per cent respectively, the Department note, adding that on the contrary, the lowest share of Swiss citizens abroad with more than one nationality was recorded in Asia.

The Department further notes that in 2021, 28,700 persons left Switzerland, and 22,300 arrived, which means that net migration was 6,431 persons.

According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, Switzerland has a permanent resident population of 8,670,300.

>> Switzerland to Facilitate Residence & Work Permits Issuance for Skilled Workers From Third Countries

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1 in 10 Swiss Citizens Live Abroad, 75% of Them Have Dual Nationality - SchengenVisaInfo.com - SchengenVisaInfo.com

After a rough couple of years due to COVID-19, the cruise industry has recently started bouncing back. Earlier this month, the Center for Disease Control eliminated its pandemic-related Cruise Travel Health Notices, and also eliminated all risk warnings.

So if things arent fully back to normal for the industry, theyre at least heading in that direction.

As a sign that cruise fans are back on board in the new normal, Cruiseline.com has just released the results of its 2022 Member Choice Awards.

The awards come from review rankings submitted by more than 4,000 members of theCruiseline.com community who took a trip between June of 2021, when ships could cautiously restart, through the end of last year, which means theyre from the diehards that couldnt wait to get back on the water.

The ratings reflect the safety and health procedures that were set in place before cruises could resume. And now that the results are in, Royal Caribbean International (RCL) - Get Royal Caribbean Group Reporthas a lot to brag about.

Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) - Get Carnival Corporation Report, Princess Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Disney Cruise Line (DIS) - Get Walt Disney Company Reportand Norwegian (NCLH) - Get Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Reportalso all made strong showings. But you could, of course, argue that the real winners were cruise fans who were just happy to be reunited with their buffets, sea breeze and gigantic on-board swimming pools.

The categories that cruise fans were asked to vote on include the overall mainstream cruise line, top premium cruise line, best river/luxury line, highest-ranked cruise line for first-timers, top cruise line for couples, and best line for families.

Image source: Carnival Cruise Lines.

Heres where all the cruises placed, in terms of the overall experiences, as well as their member ranking.

Best Mainstream Cruise Line

Royal Caribbean (4.471)

Disney Cruise Line (4.482)

Norwegian (4.431)

Carnival (4.388)

MSC (4.356)

Best Cruise Line for First-Timers

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Royal Caribbean (4.563)

Carnival Cruise Lines (4.374)

Norwegian Cruise Line (4.274)

MSC Cruises (3.871)

Celebrity Cruises (3.740)

Best Cruise Line for Couples

Royal Caribbean (4.568)

Celebrity Cruises (4.558)

Holland America Line (4.520)

P&O Cruises (4.489)

Disney Cruise Line (4.485)

Best Cruise Line for Families

Royal Caribbean (4.448)

Carnival Cruise Lines (4.413)

Princess Cruises (4.376)

Silversea Cruises (4.350)

Disney Cruise Line (4.339)

Image source: Carnival.

Getting a little more granular and specific, cruise fans also voted on which ships had the best dining, onboard activities and service and staff. Heres who won in those.

Best Cruise Line - Food & Dining

Celebrity Cruises (4.622)

Royal Caribbean (4.519)

Disney Cruise Line (4.468)

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (4.465)

AmaWaterways (4.451)

Best Cruise Line for Onboard Activities

Royal Caribbean (4.346)

Celebrity Cruises (4.284)

Princess Cruises (4.023)

Oceania Cruises (4.021)

Carnival Cruise Lines (4.019)

Best Cruise Line for Service & Staff

Princess Cruises (4.832)

Royal Caribbean (4.797)

Celebrity Cruises (4.778)

Oceania Cruises (4.760)

Silversea Cruises (4.751)

Overall, Royal Caribbean clearly dominated proceedings and have a hold on the hearts of cruise fans.

But its a new era now that things have fully opened back up, and theres plenty of opportunity this summer for Carnival, Disney and everyone else to step it up and claim the title of the King of the Seas.

See the article here:

Royal Caribbean Beats Carnival, Norwegian in This Key Vote - TheStreet

The World Press Photo Foundation has announced the 2022 global contest winners that it has recognized as the best photojournalism and documentary photography taken in the last year.

This year, the World Press Photo competition took on a new format that is broken into regions. As explained along with those regional winners in March, the organization found that there was an imbalance in representation among entrants, stories, and winners with the previous contest system. In 2021, only 7% of entrants came from South America, 5% from Southeast Asia and Oceania, and 3% from Africa. The organization felt that this was not representative of the photojournalistic talent around the world, and sought to change its methods to reflect that.

The system was changed to a six-region format Africa, Asia, Europe, North and Central America, South America, and Southeast Asia and Oceania and of the winners from each division, the jury selected on the 24 overall regional winners and from there, selected its four global winners: World Press Photo of the Year, World Press Photo Story of the Year, World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award, and World Press Photo Open Format Award.

These four global winners were chosen from a total of 64,823 photographs and open format entries from 130 countries. Every regional winner of the Contest received a monetary prize of 1,000, inclusion in the annual worldwide exhibition, inclusion in the annual yearbook, publication and a personal profile on the World Press Photo website, promotion on World Press Photo platforms, an invitation to the Winners Program, and a physical award. In addition to their regional prizes, global winners will also receive an additional monetary prize of 5,000 and an additional physical award.

Kamloops Residential School, by Amber Bracken, Canada, for The New York Times

Red dresses hung on crosses along a roadside commemorate children who died at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, an institution created to assimilate Indigenous children, following the detection of as many as 215 unmarked graves, Kamloops, British Columbia, 19 June 2021.

Saving Forests with Fire, Matthew Abbott, Australia, for National Geographic/Panos Pictures

Indigenous Australians strategically burn land in a practice known as cool burning, in which fires move slowly, burn only the undergrowth, and remove the build-up of fuel that feeds bigger blazes. The Nawarddeken people of West Arnhem Land, Australia, have been practicing controlled cool burns for tens of thousands of years and see fire as a tool to manage their 1.39 million hectare homeland. Warddeken rangers combine traditional knowledge with contemporary technologies to prevent wildfires, thereby decreasing climate-heating CO2.

Amazonian Dystopia, Lalo de Almeida, Brazil, for Folha de So Paulo/Panos Pictures

The Amazon rainforest is under great threat, as deforestation, mining, infrastructural development and exploitation of other natural resources gain momentum under President Jair Bolsonaros environmentally regressive policies. Since 2019, devastation of the Brazilian Amazon has been running at its fastest pace in a decade. An area of extraordinary biodiversity, the Amazon is also home to more than 350 different Indigenous groups. The exploitation of the Amazon has a number of social impacts, particularly on Indigenous communities who are forced to deal with significant degradation of their environment, as well as their way of life.

Blood is a Seed, Isadora Romero, Ecuador

Through personal stories, Blood is a Seed (La Sangre Es Una Semilla) questions the disappearance of seeds, forced migration, colonization, and the subsequent loss of ancestral knowledge. The video is composed of digital and film photographs, some of which were taken on expired 35mm film and later drawn on by Romeros father. In a journey to their ancestral village of Une, Cundinamarca, Colombia, Romero explores forgotten memories of the land and crops and learns about her grandfather and great-grandmother who were seed guardians and cultivated several potato varieties, only two of which still mainly exist.

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The Global Winners of the 2022 World Press Photo Competition - PetaPixel

Sevens teams back in action; Fiji women lose to Philippines, and PNG footballers ready for tri-nations

The Samoa and Fiji sevens rugby teams are back in action on the sevens field in Singapore this weekend.

Manu Samoa had been due to play in the last two legs in Spain in January, but had to withdraw late due to Covid-19.

The first squad back in the series features nine debutants.

Fijiana sevens coach Saiasi Fuli watches on during training. Photo: Fiji Rugby

Samoa are in Pool B with Australia, England and Spain.

Meanwhile, the return of Jerry Tuwai at the Singapore Sevens is a boost for Fiji.

Head Coach Ben Gollings was also eager to test out some of the young guns like Filipo Bukayaro.

Fiji are paired with Ireland, France and Japan in their pool.

The Fiji Football women's team suffered a heavy defeat to the Philippines in Sydney last night, losing 7-2 to a team preparing for its debut appearance in next year's World Cup.

It was Fiji's first international match in more than two years.

The side meet the Philippines again on Monday, also in Sydney.

Fiji, who were runners-up at the OFC Women's Nations Cup 2018, will know a repeat of four years ago will give them a chance to enter the inter-confederation play-offs next February.

Papua New Guinea women's football team coach Nicola Demaine said the upcoming Singapore tri-nations series will show her where her 20-strong squad stands.

The tournament will be PNG's first international appearance since the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa, where they won their fifth gold in a row.

PNG will play their first match against Seychelles tonight before facing hosts Singapore at Jalan Besar Stadium on Monday.

Delmaine said the players need a reminder of how it feels to be dealing with pressure, preparing themselves, and recovering.

That will show them where they stand with the rescheduled Women's Oceania Nations Cup now taking place in June and July.

But she admits that not everyone in the squad is ready for the Cup and that they were trying to get all players up to speed.

A quartet of Papua New Guinea athletes have qualified for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England later this year.

The four athletes included 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallists Dika Toua and Morea Baru from weightlifting, along with Geoffrey Loi and Tammy Agari from table tennis.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has confirmed that the four athletes had qualified through the regional qualification process.

Thirty-seven-year-old Oceania Champion Toua will be looking to upgrade her silver medal from 2018 in the women's 48kg category in her fifth appearance at the Games.

Baru will be participating in the men's 61kg weight category.

Both athletes are currently based in Melbourne.

Read more here:

Sports news from around the Pacific - RNZ

ReportLinker

The market is expected to witness strong growth due to factors like rising applications in residential segment along with commercial spaces like golf clubs, office and public lawns spaces, etc. , including stringent emissions regulatory norms for maintaining green areas around the cities across different regions of the world.

New York, April 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Lawn Mower Market by Type, End Use, Propulsion Type, Battery Type, Lawn Size, Autonomy and Region - Global Forecast to 2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05749254/?utm_source=GNW The growth opportunity is also driven by factors such as rising popularity of robotic mowers which are integrated with automation and AI enabled self-operated technology for uniform and efficient lawn mowing operations.

Medium Size Lawns: The fastest-growing segment in terms of lawn size for lawn mowersLawn mowers, suitable for lawn areas between 0.25 acres to 0.5 acres, i.e., from 1000 m2 to 2000 m2, are considered medium lawn sizes. The lawn mowers with mid-range capability in terms of cutting width, engine/battery discharge time, cordless/automatic, robotic, etc., are used specifically in residential and commercial spaces where the home or business has a medium size lawn area at the front/back, wherein each lawn is considered as a zone. Lawn mower models like Honda HRG 416 PK IZY, Husqvarna LC 247SP, Bosch Universal Verticut 1100, Toro 20836 Aluminium Deck Super Recycler, etc., along with robotic mowers are some of the majorly used lawn mowers for medium size lawn spaces across different regions.

The autonomous lawn mower is estimated to register highest CAGR, under level of autonomy segmentAutomated solutions for lawn mowing provide efficient, aesthetic, and uniformity in mowing operations without or only minimal involvement of human labor.Due to the aging population and unavailability of cheap labor across European and other developed countries, the demand for autonomous technologies for lawn mowers is likely to register an increase in demand.

Technological advancements like IoT and AI-assisted mowing will be the future in the lawn mower market.Newer versions of robotic mowers, such as the CEORA by Husqvarna & Miimo by Honda, have an autonomous capability that enables them to cater to various lawn sizes.

In August 2021, Husqvarna launched CEORA, a solution for commercial turf care management.This is expected to revolutionize an industry dominated by heavy, conventional diesel mowers that require manual operation.

It can independently mow an area the equivalent of up to 8 football pitches day or night. The purpose-built robotic mower is made to be autonomous and designed with safety in mind. Thus, the autonomous lawn mower market is expected to grow with increasing environmental concerns and development in the product range with varied capabilities.

The Asia Oceania is estimated to be fastest and Americas to be the largest market for lawn mower during the forecast periodThe Asia Oceania region market comprising China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia, and it has a comparatively less market share for the lawn mowers than other major regions of the world, but is expected to register the fastest growth in terms of CAGR during the forecast period.The region has recently witnessed many foreign companies offering new technology-driven robotic and walk-behind lawn mowers.

An increase in disposable family income and peoples interest in gardening activities in emerging economies have opened new avenues and created several opportunities for lawn mower manufacturers in the region.The Chinese lawn mower market is the largest in the Asia Oceania region and is witnessing significant growth in sales and demand for different types of lawn mowers.

China is one of the fastest-growing markets for robotic lawn mowers, given the rising disposable income in the country.On the otherside, Americas, comprising countries like US, Canada, Mexico and Brazil is projected to be the largest market for lawn mowers in terms of volume sold annualy during the forecast period. It houses major OEMs such as John Deere (US), MTD Products Inc (US) (with major sub-brands like Cub Cadets, Troy-Bilt, Rover, Robomow, etc.), The Toro Company (US) along with several multinationals like Honda Motors Co. Ltd., (Japan) and Husqvarna (Sweden). The US, traditionally one of the global technological leaders, is the largest American lawn mower market. The large customer base and high disposable income levels fuel the demand for lawn mowers resulting in increased manufacturing activities. The growth of the lawn care industry and a higher annual cost of landscaping services are the major factors for the growth in this region.

Breakdown of PrimariesIn-depth interviews were conducted with CXOs, marketing directors, other innovation and technology directors, and executives from various key organizations operating in this market. By Stakeholder: Demand-side- 45%, and Others 55% By Designation: C Level -10%, D Level -10%, and Others -80% By Region: North America - 30%, Europe - 20%, Asia Pacific - 50%The lawn mower market is primarily dominated by globally established players John Deere (US), Honda Motor Co Ltd. (Japan), The Toro Company (US), Husqvarna (Sweden), MTD Products Inc (US), and Kubota (Japan).

Study coverageThe study segments the lawn mower market by Type (Walk-behind, Riding & Robotic); Distribution channel (Online & Retail); Lawn Size (Small, Medium & Large); End User (Residential & Commercial); Propulsion Type (Electric and ICE); Level of Autonomy (Autonomous and Non-Autonomous); Battery Type (Lithium-ion and Lead acid) and Region (Asia Oceania, Europe and Americas).

Key Benefits of Buying the Report:The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market with the information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall lawn mower market.This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain valuable insights to better position their businesses and plan suitable go-to-market strategies.

The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides them information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05749254/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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The lawn mower market, by value, is projected to grow to USD 33.6 billion by 2027 from USD 23.5 billion in 2022, at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2022 to 2027 -...

Supplied/Stuff

Swoop Aero Oceania manager Richard Adams with a drone taking part in a demonstration flight at Leithfield beach.

An international drone company is using Christchurch to test its concept of an urban delivery network and will begin delivering medical supplies by drone on the West Coast in the next few months.

Swoop Aero has partnered with Christchurch NZs urban development team to test a network that includes autonomous docking stations for a fleet of drones.

The companys Oceania manager Richard Adams said it planned to spend several months developing the concept before considering a physical operation.

Swoop Aero already utilises drones to provide medical services across rural areas in the United Kingdom, Australia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique and Malawi, such as delivering vaccines and Panadol, and collecting pathology and blood samples.

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Drone footage captured in December 2020 reveals the state of the interior of the quake-damaged Christ Church Cathedral.

It has operated in some towns in Africa but the Christchurch programme will be the first time it has considered operating in a fully urban environment.

Operations in cities need to consider hazards such as helicopters and international airports, along with risks such as people and buildings.

We need to look for the best routes to fly. Is that directly over houses, following train tracks or motorways? Adams said.

Christchurch was chosen because of its forward-looking urban design as the city rebuilt after the 2011 earthquake, allowing drones to be integrated into future planning rather than being an add-on to an already established network.

Stuff

The project will consider utilising existing tracks around the Christchurch as potential routes.

The drone concept plan for Christchurch should be completed this year, and Swoop Aero, an Australian company, will then be able to consider a timeline for making the project a reality.

It hopes to expand beyond medical supplies to potentially include courier parcels, he said.

The companys current drones carry weights of up to three kilograms, but a new model would be in service before the end of the year carrying up to 5kg.

By the time a drone delivery service could potentially become a reality in Christchurch it could be carrying heavier loads, he said.

Ross Setford/NZPA

The West Coast District Health Board is planning to use drones to carry medical supplies between Greymouth and Westport.

The West Coast would likely be its first New Zealand base, with the transportation of medical supplies between Greymouth and Westport starting in three or four months.

Adams is working with the West Coast District Health Board, the Grey and Buller District Councils, on the project.

The company is seeking approval from the Civil Aviation Authority and will then engage with affected communities and aviators.

Concerns around privacy are often raised, Adams said, but the drones have only small and very low-resolution cameras to locate QR codes at destinations, and do not record images while carrying out logistical work.

Other versions of the drones used for search and rescue work and mapping have cameras attached, he said.

Swoop Aero is working with the Ministry of Business Innovation and Enterprise and other drone operators on a programme to integrate uncrewed aircraft into New Zealands airspace.

Supplied

Kaitrete Spit, near Christchurch, could be developed into a space rocket launch site.

It is also part of Project Twhaki, a joint venture between the Crown and Kaitrete Ltd, which owns 1000 hectares of land on the Kaitrete Spit, near Christchurch.

The joint venture will develop aerospace research and development facilities at the site, including a possible launch facility.

Swoop Aeros chief executive Eric Peck said the companys goal was to provide a service accessible to 100 million people by 2025.

Since 2017, it has completed over 13,000 beyond visual line of sight flights, safely delivering over 700,000 items worldwide.

Health Promotions Vanuatu

Drones have been used to deliver vaccines to remote island communities in Vanuatu.

In 2018 Swoop Aero became the first company globally to deliver a vaccine via a commercial drone operation, in Vanuatu.

That project helped increase child immunisation rates across the country by providing access to remote island communities.

Cath Carter, ChristchurchNZ's general manager of urban development, said the aerospace and future transport sector had a current global value of $360 billion.

It is estimated to be a $2.7 trillion industry by 2050.

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Drone company to deliver medical supplies on West Coast and use Christchurch to test urban networks - Stuff