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PNG in the News
Bishop Tony Burgess of Wewak diagnosed with cancer -- http://giaman.com/pg/?b9a85e
Manus Island centre to be ready within weeks -- http://giaman.com/pg/?0bd2e5
Police patrol PNG market after attempted rape -- http://giaman.com/pg/?3ca5a6
Paga link to 'profits from PNG deceased' -- http://giaman.com/pg/?3d026d
Paga Hill relocation was legitimate -- http://giaman.com/pg/?c1bf6f
UN agency warns on problems with Manus plan -- http://giaman.com/pg/?b6c407
After months of controversy that drew the attention of the Prime Minister construction has resumed on roads in the Lae CBD. -- http://www.emtv.com.pg/home/latest-news/item/lae-roadwork-resumes
Dion on Vanimo Land Issue -- http://www.pngfacts.com/1/post/2012/10/dion-on-vanimo-land-issue.html
Misc PNG Links
PNG Soccer -- http://www.pngfootball.com.pg
Rod & Rose Mokuta in Alotau -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFhqow8yJPU
PNG Facts Online -- http://www.pngfacts.com
Nuli Sapi, Alotau: -- http://giaman.com/pg/?eb9b94
The Goroka Show -- http://epictomato.com/inspiration/the-goroka-show-papua-new-guinea
70th anniversary of Battle of Milne Bay -- http://giaman.com/pg/?6ec57d
Academics assure expedition has no agenda -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=71381
PNG Images
Painim Wok band of Rabaul -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSj58dLa1zQ
Team NCD to send all athletes to Kokopo -- http://giaman.com/pg/?ec29e9
In pictures: Port Moresby's rugged streets -- http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2012/09/201292892518329408.html
Most of the Pacific International Hospital Clinic has moved to Three-Mile -- http://giaman.com/pg/?4d4041
PNG - Mount Hagen Festival 1995 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fUjJMzxZ0s
Shut Down band of Rabaul -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBm1crQG3gM
Mt Hagen Show -- http://giaman.com/pg/?bc4054
PNG Blogs
Band Aids and Health Care -- http://actnowpng.org/content/band-aids-and-healthcare-png
PNG designated for regional processing -- http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/cb/2012/cb190599.htm
Magnitude 4.9 - Near North Coast of New Guinea, P.N.G. -- http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usb000d5m3.php
News Items
Royal Visit
Many residents of Port Moresby are wishing Prince Charles would visit more often. Roads that have been neglected for ages are suddenly receiving attention. Even Digicel has gotten in on the preparations by sponsoring a major clean-up of Port Moresby city.
Prince Charles first visited PNG as a student from Melbourne's Geelong Grammar School in Victoria in 1966. His first official engagement representing his mother, Queen Elizabeth the 2nd was in 1975 as part of PNG's Independence celebrations, and his last visit was again in 1984, when he opened PNG's National parliament.
There is also rush to prepare PNG for asylum seekers -- http://giaman.com/pg/?003db3
Cebu Pacific
Cebu Pacific has been granted 300 seat entitlements to PNG. The budget carrier was originally seeking 540 seat entitlements. Another airline, Zest Airways Inc. also applied for 540 entitlements but was denied by the Philippines Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). There are no Philippine carriers that currently service flights to PNG even though Philippine Airlines. already has 300 seat entitlements but with this deal the CAB is hoping that local airlines will consider this route in expansion plans. "The demand is growing although the market is still small," said the CAB official.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?933407
Dentists
Depending on where you are trip to a dentist in PNG might be a once in a life time experience or may never happen. In a nation of 6.25 million people there are only around 32 dentists who mainly serve the expat and high income earning national population.
-- http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/lending-helping-hands/1578200
Giant Butterfly
Butterfly collectors are keen to collect specimens of the mighty Queen Alexandra's Birdwing butterfly except it is consider an endangered species. Breeding for collectors may be one way to save the giant. It's the world's largest butterfly, with females attaining wingspans in excess of 25 centimetres (10 inches).
The butterfly is vulnerable because of its unusual reproductive biology. The female lays its eggs exclusively on a poisonous vine called Aristolochia. Once the caterpillars have hatched, they ingest the plant's toxic leaves, making them unpalatable for potential predators.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?c52ed9
-- http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2012/10/15/3606233.htm
Land Leases
special Agricultural and Business Leases (SABL) are in the press again. The leases are meant to be for small agricultural developments, not for logging, but they have been rorted by logging interests. The leases were set up as road corridor of 40 metres, 20 metres each side of the road. Unfortunatley it soon became a plan for a corridor stretching to 1 kilometre each side of the road, then to 5 kilometres.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?36c16c
Chikungunya Outbreak
The Deputy Secretary of Health, Dr Paison Dakulala, says an outbreak of the mosquito borne viral disease, chikungunya, in and around Vanimo in West Sepik, is under control.
-- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=71494
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury will visit PNG between the 20th and 25th of October. The five day visit by the Most Rev Dr Rowan Williams will see him visiting Port Moresby and Northern and Milne Bay provinces. This is only the third visit by a serving head of the Anglican Church and the first visit for Archbishop Williams.
AFL International Scholarship
Aussie Rules Football team Richmond has signed Bougainville teenager Gideon Simon, a small forward from PNG as part of his AFL international scholarship. Richmond recruiting manager Matt Clarke said that the Tigers planned to turn Simon, who just turned 18, into a "tackling machine". The AFL says about 80,000 people in the Pacific now play the game in one form or another.
-- http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=149236
Safer Markets
The Catholic Bishops Conference has suggested calling out the PNG Defence Force to help police the problems at markets especially the one at Gordons in the National Capital. Police will target the markets in a bid to lower the crime rate and help protect women. The prevalence of violence has been linked to the threat of gender based and sexual violence including verbal and visual harassment, robbery, threats, intimidation, stalking, assault, rape and gang rape.
Goroka Rubbish
Rubbish is a common sight in PNG. Everywhere you go in Port Moresby you see plastic bags littering the roadside, clogging gutters and drains. You can imagine what it does when they are all washed into the river system and out to sea. Goroka is no exception although a lot cleaner than Moresby it still suffers. Mt Michael Eye has written to the Post Courier complaining -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20121005/yutok02.htm
Fiji Produce
The Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation have welcomed PNG's decision to remove the import duty under the Melanesian Spearhead Group Trade Agreement. The Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation have welcomed Papua New Guinea's decision to remove the import duty under the Melanesian Spearhead Group Trade Agreement.
-- http://www.fbc.com.fj/fiji/5228/fiji-businesses-welcome-png-tariff-reduction
Madang Airport
Managing Director of the National Airports Corporation (NAC) Joseph Kintau has said the expansion of the Madang Airport is a must for Madang province.
-- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20121003/news10.htm
Air Niugini
Air Niugini is embarking on increasing its fleet and staff number to meet the demand for air services. Currently, three Q-400 and a Dash 8 aircraft are being sourced to increase redundant capacity to improve service reliability. The airline expects these deliveries to be completed by the end of this year.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?e78c68
PNG Contraception
The government plans to distribute a cheaper, long-lasting and more effective female contraceptive. Sino-Implant is currently being delivered by a family planning non-government organisation, Marie Stopes, in just a few provinces.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?74a274
Corrupt Money Trail
As much as half of Papua New Guinea's A$3.5 billion (US$3.57 billion) development budget over three years has been lost to graft or dodgy overseas investments. PNG Task Force Sweep chairman Sam Koim said Australian financial institutions have been complicit by turning a blind eye to dirty monies being redirected to Australian connections.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?94d14d
Escapee Caught
Police over-powered an escapee after he tried to shoot his way out of a settlement in Milne Bay he was holed up in. Acting Milne Bay provincial police commander Lincoln Gerari said Tembel Doringo, 21, of Rabaraba district, who had been on the run since 2009, was found at Garuboi settlement last Friday morning after a tip-off. He was armed and tried to resist arrest by shooting at police officers who returned fire and injured him, Gerari said.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/39481
Total Purchase
Australia's Oil Search Ltd. has sold half of its interests in five exploration blocks in the onshore and offshore Gulf of Papua region to Total in exchange for the reimbursement of past license costs, and Total will pay part of the cost of drilling for natural gas. No specific price tag was put on the deal. Drilling is scheduled to start in the first quarter of next year, and any significant discoveries of natural gas could lead to construction of a new terminal in the country or an expansion of the US$15.7 billion PNG LNG export terminal led by ExxonMobil.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?ec78e3
Oil Search shares up 3% on PNG Total deal -- http://giaman.com/pg/?20da71
Rabaul Queen
Police are going through recommendations reached by the Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the MV Rabaul Queen. The Commission of Inquiry found the inter-islands ferry was both unseaworthy and unsafe and that the ship's owner displayed flagrant disregard for the safety of passengers. It is anticipated the investigation will be completed within the next two weeks.
-- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=71443
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.
Miss South Pacific Pageant - PNG -- Crowning on the 20th of October
Archbishop of Canterbury visit 20th to 25th of October
Milne Bay Music Festival -- 28th October 2012
IOTA tour -- 19th October to the 4th November 2012 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?7fb078 -- http://www.p29ni.yolasite.com
Prince Charles Visit -- first week of November
Fifth PNG Games, Kokopo, East New Britain - 17th to 30th November 2012
12th PNG Mining and Petroleum Investment Conference, Sydney Hilton Hotel - 3rd to 5th December 2012
Rabbitohs to play PNG Kumuls -- 9th of Feb 2013
Pacific Mini Games - Wallis and Futuna 2013
2013 Pacific Netball Series (hosted by Fiji)
Goroka Show 2013 -- http://epictomato.com/inspiration/the-goroka-show-papua-new-guinea/
Full Pacific Games - PNG 4th July to 18th July 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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