Links
If links in the newsletter do not work properly, copy and paste the URL into your browser and press Enter. Be sure to copy the entire link, as it may wrap to the next line. If this still does not work please send an email to the newsletter advising of the broken link.
Do you have a web site or link to a PNG related area on the WWW? If so do you want it mentioned here? Then use the submission form by clicking here
External links - while PNG Gossip Newsletter will not sell your email address to others many links on this web site lead to other sites that may may not have the same policy regarding your valuable email address. Be careful when handing over your email address.
PNG in the News
Moresby without water -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20090223/news09.htm
Port Moresby General gets new board -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20090223/news10.htm
Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Sasa Zibe has said Port Moresby General Hospital (POMGH) cannot cater for the city's expanding population -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/022309/nation1.php
All roads lead to Wabag for Cabinet meeting -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/022509/nation1.php
Court dismisses poll petition against Hickey -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/022509/nation9.php
PNG Blogs
Tiri Kuimbakul -- http://tirikuimbakul.blogspot.com
Every Languages -- http://everylanguage.blogspot.com/2009/02/dehydrating.html
Postcards from around the world -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8a28b7
Warakumb, PNG -- http://warakambpng.blogspot.com/2009/02/waeca-association.html
World Wide Travel -- http://giaman.com/pg/?126385 -- and -- http://giaman.com/pg/?102724 -- and -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8bad80
Musings of a minister's wife -- http://giaman.com/pg/?493ce0
Vanimo says thank you to Victoria -- http://giaman.com/pg/?25d4e4
Birds in Paradise -- http://birdsinparadise.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/arrived-in-png
Life by Danielle: Living in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?404412
Jan Messersmith in Madang is suffering from Crashing Servers -- http://giaman.com/pg/?034044
PNG Images
Images from the '60's -- http://giaman.com/pg/?10bcc0
Joeri Kalwij Photography -- http://kalwij.com/wpg2?g2_itemId=237 -- and -- http://kalwij.com/wpg2?g2_itemId=127
This PNG photo gallery is part of the TrekEarth Photo Gallery, a website devoted to photos from around the world -- http://giaman.com/pg/?22075d
4 years of photographs from PNG -- http://www.pbase.com/chris67/papua_new_guinea
Thousands of PNG Images and Photographs -- http://www.pngbd.com/photos
A collection of fascinating PNG pictures and images at Info Hub -- http://giaman.com/pg/?908179
16 pages of professional PNG images -- http://www.bugbog.com/gallery/gallerypng/pngdoor.html
Samson Komati Yuimb's pictures -- http://www.geocities.com/kokopvillage/skypics.html
http://blog.bigmoviezone.com/?p=1621
Mike and Alison in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?0042fb
Andrew Hughes, Expedition Class.com -- http://www.expeditionclass.com/pngphotos/
PNG Universities
Divine Word University (DWU) -- http://www.dwu.ac.pg
Pacific Adventist University -- http://www.pau.ac.pg
PNG University of Technology -- http://www.unitech.ac.pg
University of Goroka -- http://www.uog.ac.pg
University of PNG -- http://www.upng.ac.pg
Misc Links
DataNets -- htpp://www.datanets.com.pg
Synergy PNG -- http://www.synergypng.com
PNG Buai -- http://www.pngbuai.com
PNG Orchids -- http://www.orchidspng.com/lindex.html
Bank of Papua New Guinea -- http://www.bankpng.gov.pg
Department of Agriculture and Livestock -- http://www.agriculture.gov.pg
Department of Health -- http://www.health.gov.pg
Department of Civil Aviation -- http://www.casr.gov.pg
Department of Minerals and Energy -- http://www.mineral.gov.pg
PNG Tourism Promotion Authority -- http://www.pngtourism.org.pg
Warakamb Adventist Elite and Clergymen's Association -- http://waeca.com
News Items
PNG Invaded
PNG's Autonomous Bougainville has been invaded by ants from across the border in the Solomon Islands. The ants are threatening to wipe out the economy in at least one part of the country. Bougainville residents have claimed the ants have destroyed cash crops. The Solomon Island ants are attacking and killing off the local PNG ants, vegetables and cash crops as well as also attacking people. Bougainvilleans have appealed to the Government to help before cash crops are wiped out in Bougainville.
Alotau School Donation
James Marape, the Education Minister, has presented K1.25 million in assistance grants for schools in the Alotau district in Milne Bay. Culture and Tourism Minister and Alotau MP Charles Abel accepted the cheque, saying the money would be distributed fairly to all schools in his district. Mr Abel said K250,000 would be given to the Cameron Secondary School.
UPNG Accom Crisis
The University of Papua New Guinea says it was unlikely it could ever accommodate all enrolled students. For this reason accommodation could not be guaranteed for all students. The University can accommodate 2700 students. Vice chancellor Professor Ross Hynes has said the Uni had plans for increased accommodation and would this week be asking the neighbouring Institute of Public Administration for access to more bed space as it had done in the past to help alleviate the current accommodation shortage. There is also a shortage at the University of Technology (Unitech) in Lae.
Digital Radio
Thanks to assistance from Australia via AusAID's Media Development Initiative the National Broadcasting Corporation's Radio East Sepik has gone digital. Radio East Sepik is just one of nine stations that have cutover to digital. The others are in East New Britain, Madang, Mendi, Milne Bay, Morobe, New Ireland, Sandaun and Western.
Aussie Bushfires
A PNG man has relived his close experience of the deadliest Aussie bushfires. He is still coming to terms with the tragic scenes he witnessed during the ordeal, which he says was something totally out of the ordinary, watching the fire burning from the highest branch to the smallest weed on the ground.
read his story in The National -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/021709/nation10.php -- and see also -- http://www.noroads.com.au/
The Morobe provincial government has made a K100,000 donation towards the appeal. Madang PNG Red Cross Society branch is staging a major appeal for donations to assist the victims of the fires.
see also - Vanimo helps -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a5574a -- and http://www.thenational.com.pg/022309/nation11.php
The Monash Medical Centre in Victoria has thanked Vanimo General Hospital for the K10,000 presented to families affected by the recent bushfires in Australia.
Bilums
A French firm has patented the bilum! The traditional hand made string bag from PNG has been patented. The firm calling itself "bilum" has a website located at -- http://www.bilum.fr
See also -- http://pnghandcrafts.8k.com/j-woven.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilum
http://alex.golub.name/porgera/bilum.html
http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/bilums.html
Illegal Rifles
A deacon of the Evangelical Brotherhood Church and a headmaster in the Kup Local Level Government area of the Kerowagi District of the Chimbu Province have been caught in possession of a semi-automatic and a single shot .22 rifles during a dawn raid by police. They have been charged under section 27A (b) of the amended Firearms Act.
Mass Burial
A mass burial of more than 60 unclaimed bodies has been made at the Nine-Mile public cemetery outside Port Moresby. The burial of 32 children and 32 adults took place after relatives of the dead failed to remove the bodies from the morgue after names were published.
Highlands Highway
Several parts of the Highlands Highway at Dumun in Sinasina-Yongomugl district of Chimbu are slowly slipping away due to heavy rain in the past few weeks. Semi trailer have been stopped from passing through the area in fear of them overturning. Smaller trucks and Public Motor Vehicles (PMV's) are carefully negotiating their way around the area. Landowners have said they will claim compensation for any work done to fix the problem as it is located on their customary land.
Under the Sea 3D
While Howard Hall was shooting his latest IMAX movie, Under the Sea 3D, the filmmaker caught a moment he'd been waiting three decades to film: A green sea turtle feeding on a jellyfish.
For full story please visit -- http://giaman.com/pg/?1ab0a7
Sorcery Killings
London-based human rights group, Amnesty International yesterday joined other international human rights groups and the growing number of concerned people and organisations in PNG in calling on the Government and its relevant agencies to "act now to end the rash" of killings related to allegations of sorcery.
Post PNG
Post PNG is being sued for using an adaptation of a traditional spirit figure known as Sengi associated with the Bowi stock clan of Chambri Lakes. The clan have asked for a settlement with Post PNG Ltd over the use of K4 and 65 toea stamps. Lawyers for the clan have estimated that Post PNG sold K280 million worth of the stamps. The stamps were sold between January 2003 and March 2004.
PNG Floods
Flooding has caused over 700 villagers to be left homeless after the Waghi River in the Western Highlands burst its banks. PNG's National Disaster Centre says there are no reports of casualties, and that officials are assessing the damage. Disaster officials say hundreds of houses and a church building have been swamped by the river's waters. Although the villagers escaped, they have lost all their possessions, livestock and food sources.
Over 1000 people are homeless in the Southern Highlands after flooding destroyed homes, food gardens and cash crops. In Chimbu province, the flooding Wahgi swept away several people in Karamui last week and was also threatening food gardens, cash crops and homes along the banks of the river.
Two teenage girls have drowned in the rain-swollen Waghi River at Baisu outside Mt Hagen, Western Highlands province.
Jail Abuse
USA-based non-governmental organisation, Human Rights Watch has said that police in PNG routinely use excessive force, sexual violence, and torture against people in their custody including children. It said PNG citizens described police violence as so widespread and entrenched as to be "normal" that is, what they expect from the police.
Baisu Jail
The Australian Government will provide funding to help renovate the Baisu prison facilities in the Western Highlands at an estimated cost of K30 million.
Malaria Testing Centre
Moresby South MP Dame Carol Kidu in conjunction with Rotary Against Malaria (RAM) has provided funding for a malaria testing centre at Badili in the National Capital District if successful, similar centres would be established in other suburbs and throughout the country. The centre will help ease the workload of the medical staff located at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
RAM is also heavily involved in the distribution of treated nets across the country.
Medecins Sans Frontieres
Two members of the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) team, commonly referred to as Doctors Without Borders have been attacked by a drunken guard in Tari, Southern Highlands province. The complete team of six foreign doctors and nurses who were offering their services free of charge have been evacuated to Port Moresby. The MSF team has been in Tari for about six months, helping to restore a hospital that had not functioned for 15 years. The man is now in police custody.
Doctor Verena Doolabh is helping out with Australian Doctors International (ADI) in the North Fly district of Western province where she will be the only doctor for many remote villages. Despite being shot a year ago in the spine and paralysed while holidaying in Jordan, she taught herself to walk again and trekked to the Everest base camp in Nepal to raise money for Spinal Cure Australia.
Gunsmith Nabbed
West New Britain police have arrested a wheelchair-bound "gunsmith". Police have confiscated three home-made firearms and equipment used to produce ammunition from the suspect's shed at Dami village near Talasea. Police believe the suspect was heavily involved in producing and distributing arms to men and boys for use in violent clashes between the Marebu-Rihate and the Takale clans of ward 10 in the Bakovi area of Talasea. 55 villagers arrested earlier appeared in court and pleaded guilty to a charge of illegally being in possession of firearms.
The disabled man has been placed on a good behaviour bond with a two year suspended jail sentence.
Buai Fight
The clean up of buai (betel nut) vendors in Moresby took a nasty twist recently when three men were injured in a 30 minute clash between vendors and National Capital District Commission (NCDC) Task Force members. The injured were admitted to the Port Moresby General Hospital for treatment. The clash erupted when members of the NCDC Task Force went to Hohola market and demolished and forcefully removed market stalls, shelters and tables next to the Hohola TST supermarket.
The vendors have been warned of the consequences of not following previously directions but they have ignored the message.
NCD Governor Powes Parkop has condemned the action of city rangers who have been moving around in motorcades to remove betelnut vendors plying their trade at unauthorised areas in the city.
Trukai Fun Run
The Trukai Olympic Day Fun Run has been launched. This event is the main fundraiser for sports in the country. This will be the ninth year that Trukai Industries has been associated with the event. The Fun Run with various sponsors has been in existence since 1983. This year's Fun Run will raise funds to help PNG athletes to the 2012 London Olympics. The event is also a major campaign against HIV/AIDS as the T-shirts carry awareness messages. Last year's Fun Run raised a K650,000 from the nationwide sales of T-shirts.
Coming Events
Oceania Snooker and Billiards titles in Port Moresby from the 20th to the 29th of March.
PNG Institute of Engineers national conference -- 2nd and 3rd of April.
34th Games Fishing Association PNG National Game Fishing Titles - Madang - from the 3rd of April to 13th of April - see -- http://giaman.com/pg/?b94786
PNG Kickboxing Association has postponed its world title fight -- 25th April.
ANZAC Day - 25th April
Arafura Games - 9 to 17th of May -- 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
5th National Tourism Conference -- June (date to be confirmed) - to be held at Madang Resort Hotel.
Tolai Warwagira from 8 to 14 July and Mask Festival from 15 to 18 July at Kokopo East New Britain
Trukai Olympic Fun Run -- 12 July
PNG Remembrance Day - 23rd July
45th Medical Symposium - Port Moresby - sponsored by the Pacific International Hospital from the 1st to the 5th of September.
31st October and the 1st of November - Morobe Show - see -- http://malumnalu.blogspot.com/2009/02/morobe-show-on-again.html
National Elections - June 2012
Do you have an event that you want advertised? - use the submission form located at -- ../misc/ctc.html.
PNG Media
If a friend has given or sent you a copy of this newsletter and you would like to keep receiving free copies then please visit -- ../news/index.html -- for instructions on how to join the list.
Articles for this Newsletter
If you think you have a PNG page worth mentioning then please click here and use the submission form
To send a message for submission to the PNG Gossip Newsletter queue please click here and use the submission form.
.gif)
.jpg)
View PNG Gossip Newsletter Archive