Links
Warning:
PNG web sites seem to come and go. The fact of life is that it costs
money to host a web site and there is not much return on the outlay
to most businesses in PNG. If you do click on a link and use the services
or even have some comments to make then please contact the people at
the relevant web site and let them know so they at least know that someone
has gained some value from their efforts. If you are so inclined them
mention that you heard about them from this web site. -- The PNG
Gossip Newsletter.
Mention
of a website or service does not necessarily mean that this newsletter
endorses the website or service
Malaria Sites
It has been widely publicised that worldwide everyday over 3, 000 people
die of malaria.
Malaria among pregnant women in PNG -- http://www.prema-eu.org/iss4muell.htm
The official Rotary Against Malaria (PNG) Website -- http://www.ram.com.pg
PNG Aviation
Note the couple of additions to the list below that appeared in the
last issue.
Air Niugini, National Airline of PNG -- http://www.airniugini.com.pg
Airlines of PNG -- http://www.apng.com
Airlink -- http://www.airlink.com.pg
Bill Purcell's Site -- http://www.billpurc.com/aviation.htm
MAF Australia (PNG Info) -- http://www.maf.org.au
and search from there
PNG Unofficial PNG Aircraft Register -- http://michie.net/balus
North Coast Aviation -- http://www.nca.com.pg
Online Airline schedule -- http://www.pngbd.com/travel/flights.php
PNG Balus Project -- http://www.balus.gov.pg
TNT Air Cargo -- http://www.tnt.kenmore.com.pg
Regional Aviation -- http://www.regionalaviation.com
PNG Civil Aviation Site -- http://www.casr.gov.pg/
Digger History
Interesting site showing various documents and badges used in Papua
New Guinea during the Second World War -- http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-conflicts-periods/ww2/pages-2aif-cmf/fuzzy-wuzzy.htm
Misc Sites
Quest Investigation International Limited -- http://www.karmally.com/htmls/pacific-detail.htm#png
Wewak Guest House -- http://www.wewakguesthouse.com
National Disaster Centre -- http://www.pngndc.gov.pg
The Wikipedia web site information about PNG continues to grow -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea
Do not forget the Melanesian Institute's home page is at -- http://www.mi.org.pg
Tourism Offices
http://www.tourismmorobe.org.pg
-- Morobe Tourism site
http://www.milnebaytourism.gov.pg
-- Milne Bay Tourism Site
http://www.pngtourism.org.pg
-- Main Government Tourism Site
http://www.pngbd.com -- Papua New
Guinea Tourism and Business Directory
http://www.eastnewbritain.com
-- East New Britain Tourism Promotion Web Site
http://www.tourismwestnewbritain.org.pg
-- West New Britain Tourism Promotion Web Site
News Items
PNG Independence Day (UK)
It looks like the people in the United Kingdom are better organised
that the whole of PNG with respect to getting ready to celebrate PNG's
30th Anniversary. There will be a special 30th anniversary celebration
dinner in Cornwall on Saturday the 17th of September.
The private sector in PNG has contributed K1.2 million towards staging
the 30th Independence Anniversary celebrations.
Salvation Army
The Governor General of PNG, Sir Paulias Matane, has kick started the
Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal. Sir Paulias is the patron of the appeal
and a long time supporter of Salvation Army activities in PNG. The Red
Shield Appeal supports a large range of Salvation Army services such
as HIV/AIDS care, support, education and training; emergency disaster
works such as the work being carried out amongst the displaced Manan
Islanders; a remand centre for youth sentenced by the courts; aid to
those in prisons, hostels, community services, community development
projects and village health car centres. For more information contact
the Salvo's on telephone +675 325 5507 or send a donation by mail to
the Red Shield Appeal, PO Box 505, in Port Moresby. (That's in PNG of
course).
Mobile GSM Network
The board of Pacific Mobile Communications have announced that Mendi,
the provincial headquarters of the Southern Highlands Province will
have a mobile telephone service before the end of this year. The Governor
of the Southern Highlands, Hami Yawari, paid K176, 000 to Pacific Mobile
to carry out a feasibility study and identify a suitable site to locate
the necessary equipment and associated antenna.
Japanese Photographer
A Japanese Photographer is holding an exhibition in Tokyo in October
to promote portraits of the many faces of Papua New Guinea. The exhibition
will be held in the Fuji Photo Saloon in Ginza, central Tokyo, from
Oct 7 to 13. On display will be 35 photographs of PNG portraits, which
will be exhibited to about 1, 000 visitors a day during the week.
Papuans Not Aussies
The Australian High Court has upheld laws that PNG people ceased to
be Australian citizens when PNG became independent in 1975. It had been
argued that people in Papua had remained Australian citizens after PNG
became independent and they had never become PNG citizens because they
did not take steps to renounce their Australian citizenship. Papua along
with New Guinea was administered by Australia up until Independence.
People born in Papua after the Australian Citizenship Act was passed
in 1948 were Australian citizens but under the Migration Act required
an entry permit to enter or live in Australia. The PNG Constitution
does not allow for dual citizenship and declares that anyone who was
born in PNG and had two indigenous grandparents was automatically a
PNG citizen.
Autonomy
The New Guinea Islands wants financial autonomy from the PNG Government.
The Governor of West New Britain, Clement Nakmai, has said that the
National Government is collecting taxes in the region and not giving
enough back to the provinces. The Governor has said that they are not
trying to break away from PNG but are asking for financial authority.
Failed Robbery
A daylight robbery of a person outside the Bank of PNG (BPNG) was foiled when
one of the BPNG staff members tripped one of the robbers and wrestled
the stolen money away from the thief. A security guard, attempting to shoot
at the robbers, only managed to put a bullet hole in one of the nearby parked
cars.
Garden City
Management of Garden City in Boroko have been allocated a large sum
of money to renovate the shops and residences. A large proportion of
the money allocated will go towards getting the lifts in the building
fixed. Residents have already been treated to getting their private
car park gate fixed.
7th Mini SP Games
The mini SP games have been wrapped up and PNG finished with 16 Gold,
11 Silver and 8 Bronze medals. The weightlifting team lead the PNG team
with six gold, 15 silver and nine bronze medals in the lower weight
categories. The women's team also scored the most points to finish at
the top of their competition. Weightlifter Dika Toua managed to win
three gold medals. Track specialist Mae Koime won three gold and was
named queen of the track. In outrigging canoe the PNG women's team,
competing for the very first time managed to finish third ion the event.
The next step for the team that went to the mini games is the Commonwealth
Games in Melbourne, Australia in March 2006. New Caledonia finished
in first place with 56 Gold medals.
UPNG Students
It has been reported that many students at the University of PNG are
attending classes without knowing whether they have passed or failed
previously completed courses, leading to charges of incompetence on
the part of the administration. It is supposedly so bad that a final-year
student is attending classes even though he has no official grades for
a previous course.
Uni Probe
The probe into the recent unrest at the University of PNG is getting
underway. It is being headed by committee chairman Dr Thomas Webster,
a director at the National Research Institute, and the other four members
are deputy chairman Lady Hilan Los, who is the executive director of
the Individual and Community Rights Advocacy Forum, Prof Bryan Gould,
a retired vice chancellor from the University of Waikato in New Zealand,
lawyer and former diplomat Sir Kina Bona and former auditor-general
Makena Geno.
Operation Open Heart
Operation Open Heart is set to get under way later this year. The medical
team usually comprises of 25 - 30 volunteer doctors, nurses and support
staff. This will be the 12th times that a team has come to PNG to help
people, mainly children, with heart defects.
Medical Symposium
The annual PNG Medical Symposium will be held in Goroka this year.
Goroka is in the Eastern Highlands province of PNG and is the headquarters
of the PNG Medical Research Institute -- http://www.pngimr.org.pg.
-- The Symposium is being hosted by the Medical Institute and will be
held at the University of Goroka -- http://www.uog.ac.pg.
Ashdown Medal
Professor John Reeder from the Institute of Medical Research -- http://www.pngimr.org.pg
-- in Goroka is the holder of an Ashdown Medal from the Australasian
College of Tropical Medicine in Cairns. This is one of the highest honours
that can be given out by the College and Professor Reeder received his
in recognition of his contribution to tropical medicine. Professor Reeder's
contribution has been in the area of research on malaria and he has
published over 60 articles in international scientific journals during
the last 15 years.
Hydro Power
PNG relies heavily on the generation of electricity using water. PNG
Power has announced that the Rouna 2 Hydro Power station just outside
Port Moresby will be undergoing a major rehabilitation programme worth
K89 million to refurbish and replace the aging generators at the power
station. Rouna 2 Power Station is the biggest of the four Hydro Power
Stations at Rouna, with an installed generation capacity of 30 Megawatt.
However, due to the wear and tear of the five generators at the station
over the last 37 years, the generating capacity has been reduced to
about 11.5 Megawatt.
Murder Trial
The trial of 13 Southern Highlanders accused of murdering six people
at a squatter settlement in Port Moresby two years ago has finally begun
in Port Moresby and the court has set aside three weeks for the hearing.
The accused are alleged to have killed the victims from Goilala in Central
province at the Tete settlement in Gerehu in an apparent payback killing.
The killing is believed to have been related to the murder of a betelnut
seller from Tari who was returning to the Tete settlement when he was
attacked.
Casino Raid
Police recently arrested 54 people in an early morning raid on a casino
located at the Song Bird nightclub collocated with the Fu Gui restaurant
in Gordons. Out of the 54 arrested two were operating an illegal casino
that was in breach of the relevant chapter of the Gaming Act. The raid
was conducted at the request of the Gaming Board who have been on the
trail of illegal gaming establishments in the country. An amount of
K50, 000 on top of a table was seized during the raid.
Highlands Highway
The Chinese government is willing to help PNG fix the poor state of
the Highlands Highway. They have recommended that a feasibility study
is carried out to determine exactly what is needed. The Chinese have
also indicated that they support the Government's medium term development
strategy.
Angau Donation
A vanilla buyer from Australia has donated K7, 00 worth of medical equipment
to the Angau Memorial Hospital. The buyer had collected surplus medical
items from a private hospital in Melbourne through his sister. Many
hospitals throughout PNG are suffering from shortages of even the most
basic of items and all donations are welcomed by the various hospitals.
HIV/AIDS
It is believed that about 220 new HIV/AIDS cases are being reported
in the country every month that is a 10-fold increase from last year.
It has been mentioned that this is a staggering 2 percent of the whole
PNG population but in the same report by Dr Banare Bun it mentions that
the figure is as much as 40, 000. It is difficult to get accurate figures
but the population of PNG is over 5 million.
Illegal Trading
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has instructed the Civil Aviation
Authority to close two kiosks being operated by foreigners at the Port
Moresby Airport and sell them to qualified PNG operators. The PAC has
said that the foreigners were operating in jobs that could be carried
out by PNG people and in fact the jobs are classified as being reserved
for PNG citizens only.
Air Niugini
Air Niugini continues to struggle with its solitary Boeing B767 aircraft.
Every time the aircraft is serviced in New Zealand the airline experiences
lengthy delays in the schedule causing inconvenience for passengers
attempting to visit or leave PNG. It also throws into chaos the hospitality
industry due to the greater demand for accommodating disrupted passengers.
I am also sorry to have to announce that Bob Martin, the General Manager
for Marketing at Air Niugini, died a week ago (30 July 2005) when attempting
to climb Mt Wilhelm with his two sons. -- http://www.airniugini.com.pg/news/bobmartin.htm
-- All who knew him will miss him.
Hiri Hanenamo Quest
19 entrants in the 2005 Hiri Hanenamo Quest from 10 Motukoitabuan villages
have been formally introduced to the Hiri Moale Festival Organising
Committee. Out of the original 44 applicants, only 20 were selected
to participate due to financial problems and other constraints but now
one of those 20 has withdrawn. The quest, in its 19th year, is run in
conjunction with the Hiri Moale festival along with Independence celebrations.
The winner of the quest will fly to Townsville for the Townsville Show.
Port Moresby and Townsville are sister cities.
Miss PNG
Miss PNG Red Cross Contestants have visited the Red Cross Special Resources
Centre. The centre helps to educate children from elementary to upper
primary level who have disabilities. The school is funded by the Red
Cross through various fund raising activities such as the Miss PNG Quest.
The girls who visited are Miss Boroko Motors Sharley O'Conner and three
girls, Melinda Sape, Kathy Hamadai and Michelle Pala who do not have
sponsors yet.
Coronation College Murder
A student at Coronation College in Lae has gone wild and allegedly
murdered two staff members and injured a third victim who is recovering
from her wounds at the Tusa Private Clinic. The suspect remained calm
and appeared to showed no remorse at the Lae police station cell when
investigators conducted interviews.
Coming Events
Squash - The K50, 000 Steel Industries PNG Squash International has
been set to be held between the 16th and 21st of August in Port Moresby.
Mount Hagen Show, Western Highlands Province -- around the 20th of
August 2005.
Look Save Art Show -- to be held at the Royal Papua Yacht Club from
the 14th to the 16th of September, 2005. This is the third such show.
PNG 30th Independence Day Celebrations -- 16th September 2005.
Hiri Moale Festival -- 15th to 18th of September 2005.
Goroka Show -- Independence Weekend (17th - 19th September)
Tufi Cultural Show -- 17th - 19th September
Morobe Show, Lae -- 15th and 16th of October 2005
The Milne Bay Canoe and Kundu (drum) festival is to be held 4th - 6th
of November.
Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March 2006.
2006 - April 8th to the 16th -- National Game Fishing Titles
PNG Media
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