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PNG in the News
World Wide Food Crisis - Half the planet could be hit by food crisis by 2100: study
-- http://news.smh.com.au/world/half-the-planet-could-be-hit-by-food-crisis-by-2100-study-20090109-7d18.html
Highlands adventurers -- http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/01/11/38295_gold-coast-news.html
Blogs
An older blog not being updated anymore -- http://pnglife.blogspot.com/
http://ittoktok.blogspot.com/
http://ittoktok.blogspot.com/2009/01/air-fares-could-go-down-this-week-but.html
How to win friends and influence people, PNG style: East New Britain -- http://steveinpng.blogspot.com/2009/01/east-new-britain-province.html
How to win friends and influence people, PNG style: Sandaun Province -- http://steveinpng.blogspot.com/2009/01/sandaun-province.html
How to win friends and influence people, PNG style: Eastern Hghlands -- http://steveinpng.blogspot.com/2009/01/eastern-highlands-province.html
A Love Better Than Life -- Chicken Toes -- http://alovebetterthanlife.blogspot.com/2009/01/chicken-toes.html
PNG: The Ride -- http://placesfacesthings.blogspot.com/2009/01/png-ride.html
Misc Links
Aurora Expeditions - Rabaul to Alotau -- http://www.auroraexpeditions.com.au/expedition/rabaul_alotau.aspx?rt=16
Tales of the South-West Pacific -- http://www.aerohub.co.nz/?p=602
The forgotten prisoners of Rabaul -- http://www.angellpro.com.au/rabaul.htm
PNG Photos - Thousands of Papua New Guinea Images and Photographs. Start at -- http://www.pngbd.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/11949/sort/1/cat/500/page/2
Martin Maden's Photos - Tribute to Sir Mathias Kauage -- http://www.guartic.com/martin-madens-photos-tribute-to-sir-math
Jason's Papua New Guinea -- http://www.jasons.com/Papua-New-Guinea
News Items
PNG Web Hosting
Having a website has become a true necessity nowadays. Here you will find all the required website resources in one place - 24/7 web hosting services complemented with FREE bonuses such as popular php scripts, marketing tools and a website builder, among others. -- http://www.pngwebhost.com
2009 Prediction
Islands Business predicts 2009 could be another good year for PNG even in the wake of the world financial crisis. See full story -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a7c898
See also -- http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/01/09/papua-new-guinea-from-economic-boom-to-economic-gloom/
Buai Ban
Powes Parkop, the National Capital District Governor, is trying to ban the selling and chewing of betel nut in public places. The Governor says chewing betel nut is not only a dirty habit, but it also poses a health risk to the community like tuberculosis, one of PNG's biggest killers.
The World Health Organisation says that around 20 per cent of betel nut chewers in this part of the world suffer from oral diseases like mouth cancer.
see -- http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2008/s2459777.htm
Associated article -- http://michie.net/pnginfo/buai.html
Bougainville President
Former Bougainville Revolutionary Army commander James Tanis has officially become Bougainville's second president in a ceremony held in Arawa, Central Bougainville in the first week of January. Bougainville went to the polls last month after former president Joseph Kabui died from a heart attack in June last year. Tanis was born and raised in Panam Village in Lamane, on the border of South and Central Bougainville.
James Tanis has said that the future of Bougainville does not depend on mining alone and that it needed a broad-based economy such as agriculture and smallholder development opportunities.
Alleged Sorcerer Killed
A young woman has reportedly been lashed naked to a pole and burnt to death in what authorities fear may be another sorcery killing in the Western Highlands.
Black magic is still practiced in the highlands of the country and women are often killed for having extra marital affairs, accused of sorcery or blamed for spreading HIV/AIDS.
The Post Courier reports that more than 50 people have been wilfully murdered, some in gruesome fashion, for allegedly practising sorcery in two Highlands provinces last year.
see -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20090108/news01.htm -- and -- http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/01/08/png.witchcraft/index.html
PNG to toughen laws on sorcery killings -- http://news.theage.com.au/world/png-to-toughen-laws-on-sorcery-killings-20090112-7f2y.html
see also -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/011309/nation5.php
Papuan's Repatriated
Over 700 West Papuans living in PNG are choosing to return home to the Indonesian side of the border despite claims they face human rights abuses. The voluntary repatriations are happening because, according to the Indonesian Embassy in Port Moresby, conditions in West Papua have steadily improved since 2001. The Indonesian government will pay for the repatriation and was working with the PNG government on the issue.
Felix Meraudje from the West Papua National Congress based in Port Moresby said it was a publicity stunt to show Indonesia is good. West Papuans fled their province following alleged human rights abuses by Indonesian authorities and security forces.
see also - Cops to be hauled up for smuggling contraband -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/010909/nation6.php
Air Fares
This has come from another blog dealing with PNG Info Tech.
Both Domestic and International airfares could go down this week which is great news for the travelling public in Papua New Guinea but what about Internet Service Provider fees? Read the full story and check out the PNG IT blog at -- http://ittoktok.blogspot.com/2009/01/air-fares-could-go-down-this-week-but.html
Plagued Plaque
Thieves have once again stolen an Australian War Memorial plaque, most likely to sell it to scrap metal dealers. The plaque was taken late last year from the Australian War Memorial in Wau, Morobe province and recovered from a scrap metal dealer. The acting High Commissioner to PNG, John Feakes, has said "the repeat theft is very disappointing" and condemned the act in a written statement. Feakes has urged locals to return the plaques or provide information on its whereabouts.
Criminals have not only target WWII plaques but also gone after family graves and other historic markers.
Vale Sir Danny Leahy
The Goroka Chamber of Commerce has expressed sadness over the recent passing of pioneer businessman Sir Danny Leahy. President Terry Shelly said Sir Danny was an avid believer in Goroka and Eastern Highlands who pushed for better services for the people and had a firm belief in the coffee industry.
Hummers Hit PNG
Boroko Motors have advertised that they are selling H3 Hummers in the country. I wonder if they waited for the drop in fuel prices before advertising? See -- http://www.guartic.com/serioulsy-get-noticed
Border Pass Abuse
PNG Police say that passes issued to traditional border crosses between Indonesia and PNG must be discontinued immediately and should be replaced with a proper system and only people with valid passports allowed to move to and fro. It has been reported that rural stations near the border were doing illegal trading and there were no proper monitoring systems because the police and defence were ill equipped.
see also -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20090109/news13.htm
Taxi Meters
Owners and operators of taxis have been warned that the deadline for the installation of taxi meters is the 20th of January. The installation of meters is a requirement under Section 38 of the Motor Traffic Act, which stated that every taxi should be installed with a meter. Meters can be purchased from Dick Smith Electronics, Progress Motors, Auto Zeal and others at a cost of K1500. The date of the 20th of January may be extended for another 2 weeks taking into account that less than half of the approx 700 taxis in Moresby have had meters fitted to date.
see also - Taxi operators engage law firm to fight meters -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/010909/nation8.php
Fuel Prices
Recent prices for fuel in Port Moresby are
Petrol K2.25
Diesel - K2.07 / litre
Kerosene - K.92 / litre
Overall, the average retail prices for the period from August 2008 to January 2009 have fallen by K1.82 per litre for petrol, K1.92 per litre for diesel and K1.81 per litre for kerosene respectively.
UNHCR
Is PNG really such a rough, tough place for expatriate workers? The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) doesn't seem to think so as both the outgoing and incoming representaives for PNG are women. Both have served the United Nations with distinction in some of the major trouble spots around the world, such as Bosnia in the 1990s and the Middle East. The new leader of UNHCR in PNG is Austrian Walpurga Engelbert and Thai citizen Wallaya Pura is the outgoing head.
UNHCR
4th floor, ADF Building, Musgrave Street
Port Moresby.
Ph : 321 5973/ 321 7422
Fax : 321 5977
Email : pngpo@unhcr.org
PO Box 1041, Port Moresby, PNG.
Highlands Highway
Yet again passage along the Highlands Highway has been severed. This time it was blocked by trucks sliding off the road due to the wet weather near Mata in the Chimbu Province. The highway was impassable in both directions. Initial attempts by road contractors to fix the situation were thwarted by the continuing inclement weather.
PNG Art
If you are interested in contemporary PNG Art then visit Pasifik Nau -- http://www.pasifiknau.com -- a recently set up web site. If you are a Melanesian artist and would like to share your own work or publicise an upcoming exhibition etc then visit the site and make contact. There is even a section devoted to bilum art. A bilum is a string bag.
Tokua Airport
Tokua, the main airport servicing East New Britain, has been closed due to volcanic activity causing massive disruptions to the travelling public. Continuous strong north-west monsoonal winds experienced in East New Britain province recently has been blowing volcanic ash from Mt Tavurvur over Tokua Airport, rendering it unsafe and unusable by aircraft. Rabaul Shipping Limited has offered to ferry some, if not all, of the stranded passengers from Rabaul to Kavieng and vice-versa. From Kavieng the passengers will then be able to catch Air Niugini flights to their destinations.
The airline says it cannot put passengers on other forms of transport, unless a safety risk assessment is carried out to ensure customers' lives are safe.
see also -- http://volcanolive.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/rabaul-volcano-papua-new-guinea-john-seach/
Training Courses
Veniba Training Services have advised they are conducting short computer courses in Madang. Visit -- http://www.veniba.com/UpcomingCourses.pdf -- for more information or call them on 852 0560 / 682 0654 / 7229 9684
Matupit Island
The Governor-General Sir Paulias Matane has shed tears when he visited the volcano devastated Matupit Island near Rabaul, East New Britain province. The National reports that he was dismayed by the desert-like island that has been neglected since the eruption of Mt Tavuvur in 1994. The island presently has no water, roofing iron, water tanks and educational services and health care facility. Islanders survive on a staple of fish, wild fowls' eggs and bananas from the mainland.
Seasonal Workers' Program
PNG has been accused of delaying the seasonal workers' program with Australia. The allegations come after the Australian Federal Opposition last Friday accused the Rudd Government of bungling a plan to give Pacific Islanders special visas to work in Australia. However the PNG Foreign Affairs office technical team has been quoted by the Post Courier as saying that preparations were on schedule and that they were still preparing the final report to be presented to the Foreign Minister Sam Abal later this month.
The guest worker scheme will allow workers from PNG to pick and pack fruit in Australia for seven months a year.
Mass Burial
As is often the case the morgue at Port Moresby General Hospital is overcrowded. The National Capital District Commission has assured the hospital that it will assist to conduct a mass burial once a list of the unclaimed bodies has been put out in a public notice so that relatives are given a chance to remove the bodies for a more formal burial.
Chinese Tombs
It is hoped that the Republic of China government in Taiwan will send investigators to the site of three abandoned tombs found in East New Britain. The tombs are said to belong to Republic of China soldiers from the Second World War. Historical records show that Japan sent about 1,600 Republic of China soldiers to Rabaul as slave labourers. Some of the soldiers died on their way to Papua New Guinea, while others lost their lives in prisoner of war camps. Many of them were buried in Rabaul.
Coming Events
Inaugural Madang Golf Classic February 2009 sponsored by Airlines of PNG.
Symposium on Sea Turtles - to be held in Brisbane, Australia between the 17th and 19th of February 2009.
Oceania Snooker and Billiards titles in Port Moresby from the 20th to the 29th of March, 2009
34th Games Fishing Association PNG National Game Fishing Titles - Madang - from the 3rd of April to 13th of April 2009. - see -- http://giaman.com/pg/?b94786
PNG Kickboxing Association has postponed its world title fight -- 25th April 2009
ANZAC Day - 25th April
Arafura Games - 9 to 17th of May 2009 -- http://www.arafuragames.nt.gov.au/
The International Cricket Council (ICC) East Asia Pacific (EAP) Under 19 Cricket Trophy tournament will be held from the 1st to the 7th of June 2009
5th National Tourism Conference -- June 2009 (date to be confirmed) - to be held at Madang Resort Hotel.
Tolai Warwagira from 8 to 14 July 2009 and Mask Festival from 15 to 18 July 2009 at Kokopo East New Britain
PNG Remembrance Day - 23rd July
45th Medical Symposium - Port Moresby - sponsored by the Pacific International Hospital from the 1st to the 5th of September 2009
31st October and the 1st of November 2009 - Morobe Show
National Elections - 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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