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PNG in the News
Early childhood education, the way forward for PNG -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/779
K5million to revive potato industry -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/892
Palm growers in Oro province will not be able to meet this year's target harvest of 170000 tonnes. -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/754
PNGDF steps in to assist Morobe -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/818
Tuna exploits in PNG -- http://freeofstate.org/new/?p=8495
Panic at Lae police station cells -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/859
PNG must upgrade its health services -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/840
Pacific coral reef destruction continues unabated, says researcher -- http://giaman.com/pg/?96d055
Nautilus Mining is hiring a ship to explore the seabed between Milne Bay Province and New Georgia Island in Solomon Islands -- http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/200909/s2696136.htm
Mum toasts tennis champ -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/683
Bemobile Cup - PNG National Rugby League -- http://giaman.com/pg/?005568
Health emergency in PNG's Morobe area under control -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=49189
PNG Blogs
Papua New Guineans and SP beer -- http://www.trupela.com/2009/09/19/papua-new-guineans-and-sp-beer/
Our weekly 'You couldn't make it up' slot -- http://giaman.com/pg/?97f247
PNG and China: Old friends with new Cooperation -- http://giaman.com/pg/?de2f10
Kokoda Diary - Trekking the Kokoda Trail -- http://mykokodatrek.blogspot.com
Kisim Piksa -- http://journal.davidhempenstall.com/
Kavieng -- http://www.sailblogs.com/member/oceanswatch/?xjMsgID=102722
Kimbe Bay -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8a4ba9
PNG Moments with the Myers -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a7f7f0
More PNG Pics -- http://giaman.com/pg/?954c00
Blog entry from Kundiawa -- http://giaman.com/pg/?d8e76f
Journey to PNG -- 12 - 17 September, 2009 -- http://journeytopng.blogspot.com/
Random Links
View pictures of a man making modern day pottery taken at a recent craft market held at the Moresby Arts Theatre located in Waigani, a suburb of the National Capital District, by Skerah -- http://www.skerah.com/pottery
Weather at Jackson's airport, Port Moresby -- http://weatherreports.com/Papua_New_Guinea/Port_Moresby_Airport
The Lae War Cemetery established in 1944 is located adjacent to the Botanical Gardens in the centre of the city of Lae the capital of Morobe Province -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lae_War_Cemetery
Popondetta Sunday afternoon on Flickr -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/34905793@N07/3950565855/
Gerehu Sports Centre -- http://wikimapia.org/13967550/Gerehu-Sports-Centre
News Items
Mini Pacific Games
The Cook Islanders have welcomed their Pacific islands guests at the start of the Mini Pacific Games currently underway in Rarotonga until the 2nd of October. The following nations are competing - Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Cook Islands, Guam, Micronesia, American Samoa, Norfolk Island, Palau, Northern Mariana Islands, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, French Polynesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Vanuatu (including New Hebrides). At the last Pacific Mini Games held in Palau in 2005, New Caledonia won 112 medals, 56 of them were gold. Fiji was second with 59 medals, 23 of them gold, and Papua New Guinea was third with 35 medals, 16 of them gold.
See -- http://www.cookislands.org.uk/pacificgames.html
Overseas Help
New Zealander Dave Neru has headed to the Highlands on the 18th of September to assist with Oxfam's emergency response to the country's first confirmed cholera outbreak.
Full story -- http://giaman.com/pg/?9e5c11
Squatter Settlements Targeted
Illegal squatter settlements considered to be likely breeding grounds for cholera, dysentery and influenza on state owned land in Goroka, Eastern Highlands province, will be destroyed. Police will issue notices to the settlers and will only proceed with the eviction exercise if the settlers do not comply with the eviction notice. Despite some settlements have seen three generations or more of families born in the settlement most consider basic infrastructures in the illegal settlements as lacking and not suitable for human habitation.
see -- http://www.trupela.com/2009/09/21/genoka-settlement-to-be-razed/
Wewak Airport
Maintenance work on the Boram airport at Wewak, East Sepik province has been completed. Air Niugini's Fokker F100 aircraft can now land safely at Wewak direct from Port Moresby.
Wewak is a gateway to the Sepik River. Associated link -- http://giaman.com/pg/?738ba9
Hanjung Power Wins Case
Hanjung Power, the supplier of half to two thirds of electrical power to the city of Port Moresby has won its case against unfair legislation imposed by the National Government stopping it from importing heavy fuel needed to run the Port Moresby generators. Justice David Cannings ruled that the whole of the Customs (prohibited imports - certain petroleum products) regulation 2008 had no effect as it denied Hanjung the principles of natural justice. Hanjung was not consulted before the National Executive Committee approved the new legislation.
Hanjung Power, a South Korean owned company, is located at Kanudi. The Kanudi power plant was opened by the Honourable Rabbie Namaliu, former Minister for Mining and Petroleum, on the 1st of April 1999.
see -- http://pnggossip.com/news/g090406.html#mp -- for previous item in the PNG Gossip and -- http://pnggossip.blogspot.com/2009/04/moresby-power.html
Also -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20090921/news08.htm -- for the report by the Post Courier.
Snake Man Leaves
David Williams, known as the Snake man, has left PNG. Mr Williams was the Venom Research Unit's clinical toxicologist and herpetologist. Mr Williams has worked and lived in PNG for almost 15 years. Through his work, the lives of many snakebite patients have been saved, and with the development of a new taipan anti-venom that costs less than one-eighth the price of the current anti-venom, he hopes that many thousands more lives would be saved in the years to come by enabling the National Government to supply more anti-venom to many more parts of PNG than ever before.
Papua black snake alive and well -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/765
Magi Highway Accident
A utility, carrying 14 passengers was recently hit by a 15-seater PMV at Kwikila, along the Magi Highway, outside Port Moresby. Four teenagers died in the accident and ten others escape serious injury. The driver of the PMV escaped from angry bystanders by escaping into the bush near the scene of the accident. It has been alleged that the PMV driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
Rare instance of cholera in PNG brings challenges in raising awareness about treatment and prevention. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), already working in Lae, the provincial capital of Morobe, was able to mobilise quickly and assist the Ministry of Health in responding to the outbreak.
full story -- http://giaman.com/pg/?35cc64
MSF has been working in Papua New Guinea since 2007. In addition to the current emergency response, teams provide free medical and psychological care for victims of sexual and domestic violence in Lae at the Angau Hospital. There is also a team in Tari, providing emergency medical and surgical care for victims of violence at the Tari Hospital.
Toxic Lake
Oil and gas company Oil Search Pty Ltd is being blamed for an ecological catastrophe in the country in which toxic chemicals allegedly flooded a pristine lake, causing dozens of villagers to become sick. However there has been no proven link between the chemical run-off being used at the drill site, when the incident occurred in June 2007, and the deadly pollution.
see full story -- http://giaman.com/pg/?869550
New DWU Building
Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, has opened a new K1 million state-of-the-art student services building named after him at the Divine Word University (DWU) held during the Independence Day celebrations in Madang. The building will house the office of the Student Representative Council, student services director, deans, student counselling office, and board and conference rooms equipped with electronic overhead projection equipment and video-conferencing facilities.
PNG Wins Twenty20 Trophy
PNG has comfortably won the Twenty20 event of the East Asia-Pacific Trophy in Samoa, beating Fiji by 101 runs in the final. Captain Chris Amini belted 82 runs off 50 balls.
See -- http://giaman.com/pg/?f75f99
Direct Flights to Fiji
Air Niugini and Fiji's Air Pacific have signed an agreement for direct international flights between Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Air Niugini has previously flown to Nadi International Airport via Henderson International Airport in Honiara. Air Niugini has advertised that a one-way airfare to Nadi will cost K1,293.
See -- http://www.fijisun.com.fj/main_page/view.asp?id=27097
PNGDF Arava Crash
An Israeli-built Arava aircraft operated by the PNG Defence Force has crashed when landing at Menyamya airstrip in Morobe province. Preliminary reports say the Arava's front wheel broke on landing at the remote airstrip. The plane was assisting in the delivery of relief supplies to the dysentery, influenza and cholera-stricken areas of Menyamya and Wasu in Morobe province.
See -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/885
Interim Air Accident Report Released
An interim report by the Department of Transport Accident Investigation Commission has been released for the 11th of August crash of the Airlines PNG de Havilland DH-6 Twin Otter at Kokoda.
The crash was one of PNG's worst ever civil aviation disasters and the cause of the crash will not be announced for at least another six months as the interim report merely states the factual circumstances of the accident.
See news item -- http://giaman.com/pg/?4ed6d1
PNG's Civil Aviation Authority is continually plagued by underfunding and has failed to properly investigate 19 air crashes since 2000 in which 16 people, including three Australians and three New Zealanders, have died.
Trobriand Islanders Hungry
Villagers on the Trobriand Islands are suffering a shortage of food attributed to a bad harvest and a shortage of gardening land on the island. The shortage of land has meant that villagers are not able to rotate land and have been using the same gardening plots over and over again.
See -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20090923/news01.htm
UniTech Supports Solomons Education
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Technology in Lae, Dr Misty Baloiloi, has re-affirmed the University's commitment to support the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) with its training needs and requirements.
UniTech is one of the two oldest institutions of higher learning in PNG. It has the largest enrolment of Solomon Islands students. There are currently seventy one (71) Solomon Islands students studying at the University.
This year the Solomon Islands Government has received K4 Million from the PNG for the education and training of Solomon Islands students studying at various PNG tertiary institutions.
APNG Future Expansion
APNG, formerly Airlines PNG, has applied for rights to fly to a number of cities in Asia with the Department of Transport.
Aussie Police
Are the Aussie Federal Police (AFP) set to return to PNG? The Sydney Morning Herald reports that AFP could be back in PNG in large numbers next year, under a new program. The AFP plans to do it differently this time, with an emphasis on strengthening the institutional resilience of the Royal PNG Constabulary, focusing on human resources, finances, policy making, the national training infrastructure, and internal disciplinary systems.
Full story -- http://giaman.com/pg/?f808a8
Kandep By-election
The Governor General, Sir Paulias Matane has issued writs for a by-election in Kandep. About 15 candidates are expected to nominate for the seat. Polling officials from Chimbu and other parts of the country, including Madang will conduct the election. Officials from Western Highlands and Enga were barred from being involved in the by-election by the court. Ousted member for Kandep, Don Polye, was the first to nominate and pay his nomination fee. It is estimated that the by-election will cost the State K4.6million.
See also - Ipatas warns polling officials -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20090924/news06.htm
Fatal Mt Hagen Shooting
A security guard has been shot dead and another is in a critical condition in the Mt Hagen General Hospital after an early morning shooting in Mt Hagen. The incident happened around 2.30am when two guards from Guard Dog Security Service were attacked by a group of ten criminals trying to break into the Mainland Holdings company yard and steal a container loaded with cigarettes. Western Highlands provincial police commander Chief Supt Kaiglo Ambane confirmed the shooting, saying police are investigating.
see -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=49299
Bid to Squash Land Hearing
Landowners from the Wafi Golpu Exploration site in the Bulolo district of Morobe Province have filed a notice of motion and a submission to quash the Special Lands Title.
Full story -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20090924/news03.htm
Cocoa Pest Fight
It is estimated that Bougainville will need K10 million to manage the cocoa pod borer pest currently threatening one of the region's premier cash crops. The presence of the pest in Bougainville poses a threat to the livelihood of the people of Bougainville who depend on the one industry for income to meet the numerous socio-economic obligations faced in today's fast changing society.
Coming Events
Pacific Mini Games in Rarotonga, Cook Islands on now - from the 21st of September to the 2nd of October.
World Heart Day is being celebrated in more than 100 countries all over the world - 27th September.
AFLPNG Talent Search. AFL Queensland side Coolangatta, a regular host of PNG talent, will travel to take on the PNG Mosquitoes in Port Moresby. -- 24th October 2009
PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum 2009 Seminars 27th to the 30th of October -- http://skerah.com/Venuecentral/Premiumlink/pngcmp.php -- or -- http://www.pngchamberminpet.com.pg/images/pdf_files/chevents.pdf
31st October and the 1st of November - Morobe Show - see -- http://www.morobeshow.org.pg/ -- and -- http://giaman.com/pg/?2f4583
6th to 8th of November - National Canoe and Kundu Festival, Milne Bay -- http://giaman.com/pg/?ab7f63
National Arts and Craft Exhibition - 13th - 15th of November
PNG Games in Port Moresby from 18th to 29th of November
World Aids Day -- http://www.baha.com.pg -- 1st December 2009.
AFLPNG Talent Camp will be held in Goroka with 120 Under 17's, 15's, 13's present -- 4th to 6th of December 2009
AFLPNG - PNG Scholarships/Under 18 Trials will be held in Australia. 8 x U18s are hoped to be provided with Country Queensland, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast Scholarships. -- February 2010
Women in Mining and Petroleum Conference - 22nd - 24th March 2010 - to be held at Divine Word University in Madang.
25th April 2010 - World Malaria Day. Malaria affects 90 per cent of the PNG population.
World liquefied natural gas (LNG) summit - Mid 2010
11th Mining and Petroleum Investment Conference - 6th to 8th December, 2010 - Hilton Hotel, Sydney - http://www.pnginvestment.cia.com.au -- This web site is out of date showing information abut the 2008 conference.
National Elections - Scheduled for June 2012
Do you have an event that you want advertised? - Use the submission form located at -- ../misc/ctc.html.
PNG Media
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