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PNG News Links
Women's group welcomes removal of Wewak police commander -- http://giaman.com/pg/?111be8
OFC bans Cook Islands and PNG football officials -- http://giaman.com/pg/?0ae635
P10M aid for 'Yolanda' survivors from Papua New Guinea -- http://giaman.com/pg/?164a23
Poverty Rises Amidst Gold -- http://giaman.com/pg/?88448d
Striker Gunemba riding wave of success -- http://giaman.com/pg/?7ab4be
PNG inflation rate stands at 3.5 per cent -- http://giaman.com/pg/?9d8e42
Indonesia's Growing Maritime Disputes -- http://giaman.com/pg/?575ae8
Respect courts, police told -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/64652
Misc. Links
Century old counterfeit press turns up in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?cdb729
Health worker served people PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?f01f39
Setting sail for the last frontier -- http://giaman.com/pg/?57ad24
Saudi's Red Sea wins PNG deal -- http://giaman.com/pg/?c64b48
PNG Images
Expert Boatmen Display Skill in Canoes Made by The Australian National Film Board 1958 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?abe32d
PNG Blogs
American embassy in Port Moresby won't support communist UniTech! -- http://giaman.com/pg/?181907
Paraka Will Testify -- http://www.pngblogs.com/2014/02/paraka-will-testify.html
Local mine workers lowest paid -- http://giaman.com/pg/?1acb36
Reasons why students want Albert Shram back -- http://giaman.com/pg/?e0d683
News Items
New Cabinet
Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has announced a cabinet reshuffle which includes the sacking of the influential Minister for Petroleum and Energy, WIlliam Duma. Mr Duma is replaced by Nixon Duban, a member of Mr O'Neill's People's National Congress party. O'Neill said: "I have decided to make these changes after 18 months of government since the 2012 election. My decision has been based on performance, teamwork and stability."
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?61e4bf
Manus Riots
Three more people medivac'd to Port Moresby for treatment after riots in which one man was killed and 77 asylum seekers were injured at a detention centre on Manus Island. The man who died suffered head injuries overnight outside the detention centre where security is the domain of PNG police.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?639a3b
Top cop blames Aussies -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/64424
Aust Govt taking this very seriously -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/64422
Breakout at Australia's PNG detention centre -- http://giaman.com/pg/?ea1ee3
Flawed Manus Island policy is now an embarrassment -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8e90f3
PNG Hunters
IT IS the first month of the Papua New Guinea Hunters' revolutionary rugby league experiment being conducted in a dilapidated police academy. The Hunters are the first league side where players and coaching staff eat, drink and sleep together every day. Each Hunter is paid exactly the same weekly wage, deposited into bank accounts set up by management. From 20-year-old's to the five Kumul Test players in the team, the pay-packets are identical.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?738d55
UAE Foreign Minister
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Zayed, has stressed the interest of the UAE on opening new horizons for cooperation with the Pacific Island states when he recently met with PNG Foreign Minister, Rimbink Pato. Shaikh Abdullah and Pato also discussed the latest regional and international developments.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?a3039e
Dual Citizenship
The dual citizenship legislation has been passed 90-0 votes that will now allow for that on a reciprocal arrangement. At its first reading in PNG Parliament the vote received an overwhelming 84-0 votes in its favour. Dual citizenship will only be on a reciprocal arrangement with countries willing to share that arrangement with PNG.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?c14305
Judge Awarded K400,000
The PNG National Court in Waigani has awarded more than K400,000 (US$156,400) in damages, in PNG's first and highest in amount, in a defamation case instituted by a judge against a media company.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?021a66
Illegal Currency
PNG authorities are holding an American who tried to smuggle into Bougainville 1.6 million Bougainville kina from the United States. According to the Bank of PNG Governor, Loi Bakani, the money was illegal and the central bank lawyers were looking at possible penalties and working on the charges to be laid.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?51b0ac
LNG Project Lauded
United States Congressman and chair of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security Homeland Defence and Foreign Operations in the House of Representative Jason Chaffetz has thanked the PNG government for its ongoing support of the PNG LNG project.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?eeb3e6
Haru Gets 4 Years
Ex rugby league and Kumul star Stanley Haru has been sentenced to four years in prison for illegally selling the Kone Tigers oval in Port Moresby.
-- http://dev.postcourier.com.pg/Stories/ex-kumul-haru-gets-four-years
Olive Branch Extended to Bougainville
A landmark visit in January by Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, to the semi-autonomous island province of Bougainville, has paved the way for reconciliation and renewed commercial interest in the region. O'Neill's visit, which marks the first by a serving prime minister since a ceasefire was signed in 1998, looks set to usher in a new era of relations and investment.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?aed7ed
PNG Govt committed to Bougainville referendum -- http://giaman.com/pg/?65d71f
Australian Federal Justice Minister
Fighting transnational crime and corruption will be on the agenda when the Australian federal justice minister, Michael Keenan, heads to PNG for talks with PNG Attorney-General Kerenga Kua, Police Minister Nixon Duban and other senior officials. He will also visit the Australian Federal Police missions in Port Moresby and Lae to hear about co-operation on policing.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?c7eea6
Volley Ball
PNG is building up to the defence of the gold medal they won at the 2013 Mini Pacific Games in Wallis and Futuna. The PNG Volleyball Federation has its sights set on the Oceania Volleyball Championship in June in Port Moresby.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?f9e7e4
Anti-Graft Commission
Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has said there is overwhelming support from the public for the government to establish an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). O'Neill presented the ICAC Bill to parliament recently and it was unanimously passed 91 votes to 0.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?66de29
Visa on Arrival Ban
From the 1st of March Australian passport holders arriving in PNG without a visa will be repatriated on the next available flight. This means that if you come in from Sydney you may end up in Manila.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/64419
Aussie Smart Traveller Update -- http://giaman.com/pg/?3a9158
Have visa, Aussies warned -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/64647
Air Niugini Board
PNG Public Enterprise Minister Ben Micah has announced changes to Air Niugini Limited's board. Micah said among the changes that Sir Frederick Reiher, who in 2013 served the board as deputy chairman, had since been confirmed to the post of chairman, taking over from Garth McIllwain. He said businessman Sir James Tjoeng assumed office as the board's deputy chairman while the directors would include Ian Tarutia (Nasfund), Ken Harvey (Remington Group of Companies) and Garry Tunstall (Nambawan Super).
PX planes refurbished -- http://giaman.com/pg/?f25fa3
Mining Industry Reforms
The deputy opposition leader, Sam Basil, has commended the mining minister Byron Chan for his determination to reform the mining industry.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?f2b2f6
Pacific Games Mascot
The mascot for the 2015 Pacific Games is the Hornbill, commonly known as the Kokomo. Nicknamed Tura, the Kokomo, the Games mascot, has been officially launched by the chairperson of the Games Organising Committee Emma Waiwai. The name was chosen for the friendly Games coming to Port Moresby and the people of Papua New Guinea who are ever friendly wherever they are.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?97683e
Air Niugini has taken a major step in promoting the 2015 Pacific Games by painting the games logo on three of its aircraft. The Games logo is visible on two Boeing 737's and a Fokker 100 aircraft operated by Air Niugini.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?18b3b1
The 2015 Pacific Games will be held in Port Moresby from the 04th to the 18th July 2015. Twenty two(22) countries in the Pacific are expected to participate in 28 sports. An estimated 4,500 people are expected to converge including 3000 athletes, 1000 technical officials and 500 officials.
Challenges of Doing Business
A new report on 'the Challenges of Doing Business in Papua New Guinea' says law and order and corruption are the biggest problems facing business. The report was produced by the Asian Development Bank and the Institute of National Affairs using an INA survey of 130 businesses, the majority of which are PNG-owned.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?5bbb25
Nestle Plant
Nestle is spending A$9.5m (US$8.5m) on a project at its site in Lae that it said will create 75 jobs. The expansion is expected to see the amount of products manufactured at the facility increase by 30 per cent.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?7be56a
WWII Soldiers
Almost 70 years after they were tortured and executed by Japanese troops on a tiny island off the coast of Papua New Guinea, the remains of two Australian soldiers from the top-secret 'Z' Special Unit have been found and identified and will be buried with full military honours.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?b764bd
Coffee Industry
On Friday (tomorrow) Peter O'Neill will launch new plans to revitalise the coffee industry at the National Park in Goroka.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/64643
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.
Perth PNGAA Reunion 11 April 2014 at Air force Home Village Complex, Bull Creek 11.30am to 2.30pm
Softball championships in Kokopo - April
5th Melanesian Festival of Arts - July 2014
Rabaul Mask Festival 16 - 21 July
Remembrance Day - 23 July 2014
Wewak Crocodile Festival 5-7 August
National Day of Repentance - 26 of August 2014
Dedication of Plaque Commemorating Battle of Bita Paka - Saturday 6 September 2014 -- https://www.facebook.com/events/560048074067522
Goroka Show 13 - 14 September
Independence Day - 16 September 2014
Morobe Show 11 - 12 October
Alotau Canoe and Kundu Festival 1 - 2 November
6th PNG Games - Lae - November 2014
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women - 25 November 2014
Christmas Day - 25 December 2014
Boxing Day - 26 December 2014
Full Pacific Games - PNG 4 July to 18 July 2015 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?081f78
Pacific Mini Games - Vanuatu 2017
2018 - APEC summit to be held in Port Moresby.
Do you have an event that you want advertised? - Use the submission form located at -- http://www.pnggossip.com/misc/ctc.html
PNG Media
Interested in having your own Web Site? Worried about the cost? It may be cheaper than you think. Take a look at pricing at the PNG Web Hosting site. Sites with space for unlimited data storage and data transfer per month start from less than US$5.00 per month. -- DOT COM Domains from US$9.00 per year. All plans come with 24 hour a day / 7 day a week ticket / phone support
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