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PNG in the News
Survivors describe the sinking of PNG passenger ferry -- http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201202/s3425217.htm
PNG told to resolve internal problems -- http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=192895
PNG's political crisis back in court -- http://giaman.com/pg/?aac200
PNG parliament resumes, critical legislation to be debated -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=66169
2012 BSP Kriket Madang Launch -- http://giaman.com/pg/?34dbd6
Search still on for missing PNG scientists -- http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201202/s3430777.htm
Misc PNG Links
TE PNG -- http://www.tepng.com
PNG Sustainable Development Program -- http://www.pngsdp.com
Grand Papua Hotel -- http://www.grandpapuahotel.com.pg
Carpenters Motors -- http://www.carpentersmotors.com
Ela Motors -- http://www.elamotors.com.pg
Boroko Motors -- http://www.boroko-motors.com
Bank South Pacific - BSP -- http://www.bsp.com.pg
Esi Loan -- http://www.esiloan.com.pg
National Development Bank -- http://www.ndb.com.pg
National Information and Communications Technology Authority -- http://www.nicta.gov.pg
New Ireland Kayaking -- http://www.noroads.com.au
Blogs about PNG
Cardinal Sean's Blog - PNG -- http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/2012/02/10/papua-new-guinea
PNG Images
Milne Bay District - My Magic Moments -- http://islandmeri.wordpress.com/tag/milne-bay-district
Nadzab Baggage Claim -- http://mollyfelde.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/nadzab-baggage-claim
Photos from Madang -- http://inagist.com/antloewenstein/169358365783375872
News Items
Missing Named
183 people, identified as still missing from the sunken MV Rabaul Queen, have been named in a preliminary report in the local papers. The Post Courier ran the report on page 4 of its Tuesday (13 Feb) edition along with a list of 200 survivors.
-- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17036895
MV Rabaul Queen
The Managing Director of Rabaul Shipping, the owner of the MV Rabaul Queen, says he is waiting on advice from their insurers in regard to the sinking of the ferry. He has also commented on the quantity of weather reports being made available to ships in PNG with reports being made available every 24 to 28 hours.
The National Maritime and Safety Authority last inspected the MV Rabaul queen when it was in the Madang RD Tuna dockyard located in October 2011.
A church worker looking after survivors of the ferry disaster says many are dealing with stomach pain after swallowing oily seawater. -- http://giaman.com/pg/?897a2b
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?d6d9e5
-- http://news.msn.co.nz/worldnews/8419498/png-to-ban-vehicles-more-than-5-years-old
Probe Into Sinking
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority will conduct a probe into the sinking of the MV Rabaul Queen. PM O'Neill said the Australian option hade been used because they had the experience to do the job. Mr O'Neill said the high level enquiry would place the entire PNG shipping industry under a microscope including the PNG National Maritime Safety Authority. The Rabaul Queen is sitting on the ocean floor between 1300 metres and 1600 metres below the surface.
Shell Returns
Royal Dutch Shell is teaming up with Petromin and returning to PNG to concentrate on upstream processing from its downstream activities prior to its departure. Royal Dutch Shell is the leader of the top 5 global energy companies.
Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill has welcomed the return of Shell to the country and said his government was ready to assist in any way it can to ensure that investor confidence in the country is maintained.
Vehicle Donated
PNG Ports have donated a vehicle to the Waigani Police Station. The vehicle will be used to assist the community in the Waigani area. This in line with the station's zero tolerance towards violence against women and children.
Geraint Jones
Geraint Jones will fly to PNG at the end of the month to prepare for the World T20 qualifiers. PNG will join emerging sides including Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Ireland and Holland in UAE as they bid to earn a spot to play the big guns in Sri Lanka later this year. Jones has been quoted as saying "It's an opportunity that's there and I'm looking forward to it - it's certainly something a little bit different to your usual pre-season".
Jones was born in Kundiawa but he moved to Australia with his parents at the age of six.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?3a0e9a
Morata Learning Centre
The Digicel Foundation has helped to fund a Community Learning Centre at the Glynn Special Needs Children's centre located in Morata, one of the outer lying suburbs of Port Moresby. The Digicel Foundation first became aware of the centre through the founder of WeCARe Father John Glynn.
Angabanga Bridge
It is understood the National Works Department has put aside K5 million for repairs to the Angabanga Bridge in Central province. Heavy rain and floodwater has made the bridge impassable to motorised traffic. People travelling to and from Moresby via the bridge have to hop off their transport, traverse the bridge by foot, and then catch another vehicle on the other side.
South Korea Expo
PNG will participate in the 2012 Yeosu Exposition to be held from the 12th of May to the 12th of August in South Korea. PNG will be located within the Pacific Pavilion. 109 countries and 9 international organisations have indicated they will take part in the Expo.
New Enga Hospital
The Enga provincial administration has paid K8.9 million to over 200 landowners of land where a new provincial hospital will be built in Enga. The hospital will be a level 3 hospital designed to cater for 150 beds and it is hoped to commence building in 2013 and have the building completed sometime in 2016. A total of K300 million will be needed to complete the hospital.
Swamp Ghost
The old World War II bomber spirited away to USA while under the watch of the Somare government may come back to haunt Sir Michael. Along with the midnight flight from PNG to Solomon Islands by Julian Moti. The people of PNG may have put those instances into the back of their minds but it appears the present government of Peter O'Neill has not.
Telikom Outages
Two of Telikom's critical mountaintop transmitters have been down causing communications failure between major towns. The key transmitters are located on Mt Strong in Morobe province and Mt Au in the Southern Highlands province. Normally, if one transmitter is down, traffic can be routed through the other transmitter but with both down all forms of communications throughout the country are affected.
Angau Hospital
Angau Hospital in Morobe province was the scene of a ground breaking ceremony recently when officers of the Bank South Pacific (BSP) and members of the hospital joined to announce that the three BSP branches in Lae had combined to deliver a significant upgrade to the only Radio Therapy and Oncology Clinic in the country. BSP will construct a new chemotherapy room and purchase new equipment.
Motu Koitabu GST
The Courts have ordered the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) to pay the Motu Koitabu Assembly ten percent of the proceeds it makes from the collection of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the National Capital. The NCDC claimed they only had to pay two percent of the GST it receives.
Buka
The Buka Ring Road is in pretty similar condition to many of the roads around the country, in other words, not suitable for transport. Truck and Public Motor Vehicle owners have asked the Autonomous Bougainville Government and the Bougainville Administration to explain what benefits can be seen from the millions of kina put away to maintain the ring road over the years.
Alcohol at UPNG
The University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) has announced it will have a zero tolerance on alcohol being consumed by students on the campus. Vice Chancellor, Professor Ross Hynes, has said any student found consuming alcohol on campus would be terminated from UPNG on the spot.
Coming Events
Note: please verify any date mentioned as dates change and events can sometimes get cancelled. Of course I may also put down a wrong date.
Ride the Rivers Enduro - 24 and 25 March 2012
2012 PNG Games - Kokopo, East New Britain
Olympic boxing qualifying tournament - April 2012
2012 Milne Bay Critter & Adventure Expeditions with Bob Halstead & Graham Abbott
Milne Bay-Critters-Milne Bay: 17th April 2012 to 29th April 2012
Milne Bay-Critters-Milne Bay: 1st May 2012 to 13th May 2012
Alotau-Adventure Diving-Kimbe Bay: 15th May 2012 to 30th May 2012
-- http://diving4images.com/trips/milne-bay-critter-cruises
South Pacific Export PNG Golf Open - May 2012?
National Elections - Scheduled for June 2012
Solomon Islands welcomes you to the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts -- http://www.festival-pacific-arts.org.sb.
From 1 to 14 July 2012,
Mt Hagen Show - 11th and 12th of August 2012
Samarai and Milne Bay Reunion - Rydges Oasis Resort, Caloundra, Australia between the 7th and 9th of September 2012 -- http://www.loosenuts.com.au/www/index.php -- and -- http://www.facebook.com/groups/121192744602253/
Pacific Mini Games - Wallis and Futuna 2013
2013 Pacific Netball Series (hosted by Fiji)
Full Pacific Games - PNG 2015 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?081f78
Pacific Mini Games - Vanuatu 2017
Do you have an event that you want advertised? - Use the submission form located at -- http://www.pnggossip.com/misc/ctc.html
PNG Media
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