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PNG News Links
Sole survivor fights to clear WWII shadow -- http://giaman.com/pg/?4cb344
Milne Bay: MV Asian Lilly Oil Spill Review -- http://giaman.com/pg/?0c5016
Transplant saves PNG doctor's life -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a9ad18
Ross Garnaut says his PNG travel ban has been a "low point" in Australian diplomacy -- http://giaman.com/pg/?7389fa
Carr passes on BHP PNG dispute -- http://giaman.com/pg/?19cf75
Port Moresby governor seeks betel nut ban -- http://giaman.com/pg/?b7a753
Health experts are concerned about the number of unsafe abortions taking place in PNG -- http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportID=97331
P2-PXR Arrives -- http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Air-Niugini/88806860236
Misc. Links
Download the 2013 Air Niugini Desktop Calendar -- http://www.airniugini.com.pg/about-us/download-the-2013-desktop-calendar
PNG LNG -- http://www.pnglng.com
Sacred Heart Teacher College -- http://giaman.com/pg/?323bb3
Sea Bed Mining -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8b2ede
Coastwatchers Memorial Lighthouse, Madang -- http://giaman.com/pg/?952c06
Chief's Singular Discovery Of The "Tribe Of The French" -- http://giaman.com/pg/?e49fd6
Tufi Resort - Fishing -- http://www.tufidive.com/fishing.html
Denver firm helps power PNG hospital -- http://giaman.com/pg/?46615c
IPBC -- http://www.ipbc.com.pg/
Explore PNG -- http://explorepng.com
PNG Images
Sunrise at Madang Resort Hotel -- http://giaman.com/pg/?fb6cb4
Faces of Papua New Guinea -- http://vimeo.com/34538727
Reading about the victory celebrations at Wewak Point -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/australian-war-memorial/8369174478/
PNG Blogs
In Port Moresby today -- http://malumnalu.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/in-port-moresby-today_17.html
PNG Languages -- http://giaman.com/pg/?7ddf53
News Items
Ministers on Notice
Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has told his Ministers to "shape up or ship out!" National Planning Minister Charles Abel revealed this at a recent press conference in Port Moresby. "2013 is implementation year and on the 17th of this month, the Prime Minister is putting all the departmental heads together."
-- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20130110/news01.htm
O'Neill Curbs Travel
The Prime Minister has issued a ban on ministers and bureaucrats travelling overseas. As well as the ban on overseas travel, government departments and statutory bodies will not be allowed to hold conferences or workshops within PNG. The ban is expected to save around 40 million kina this year.
-- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21038686
Criminal Killed
Police have shot a convicted criminal wanted for various crimes in Milne Bay Province. The deceased, a 30-year-old from East Sepik and Milne Bay, was identified by police as Wesley Ben Bodo. Police believe this is not his real name. He died from loss of blood as he was being transported to Alotau in a motorised dinghy.
Rodney Pora Cleared
Papua New Guinea Rugby League international, Rodney Pora, has been cleared to travel to the UK and to play for Whitehaven. The Whitehaven club sees Rodney as a major signing and want him in the UK as soon as is practical
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?5ecc7c
Re-trial for Convicted Man
A man convicted of murder has forced the local court to order a re-trial. The Milne Bay man, Ilai Bate, was found guilty in September of 2008 of killing 21 year old Trent Wesley in Alotau by attacking him with a crowbar. The courts relied on a sole State witness to identify Mr Bate.
-- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=73079
Lae Land Gifting
Traditional landowners in Lae are continuing to give land to settlers despite concerns over lawlessness in the city. People from the six Ahi villages of Lae, the traditional landowners of city land, have been leasing and selling their land to settlers, causing the settlement population to spiral out of control. Morobe Governor Kelly Naru warned the Ahi people, especially those from Kamkumung, to refrain from unnecessarily distributing their land for meagre monthly rentals.
Settlements have been identified as the main breeding grounds for lawlessness in Lae and most other towns around the country.
Vale Sir Barry Holloway
Sir Barry Blyth Holloway - born c.1934 has died on the 16th of January 2013 at the age of 78. He was a Papua New Guinean politician. He arrived in the Australian Territory of Papua and New Guinea to serve as a kiap (colonial administrator) in 1953, and remained permanently in the country. In 1968, Papua New Guinea having begun a transition towards self-government, he was (along with Albert Maori Kiki, Michael Somare and Tony Voutas) a founding member the Pangu Pati, "the first real political party in Papua New Guinea", which went on to become one of the country's main political parties. In the 1968 general election, he was elected to the House of Assembly as MP for Kainantu.
-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Holloway
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?c0533b
Outcome-Based Curriculum
PNG has dropped the OBE Outcome-Based Curriculum. Educational experts in the country believe the real problem arises from a lack of specialized resources, such as teacher-written workbooks and lesson plans that support the use of the OBE curriculum. PNG is not alone in dropping OBE. Although OBE sounds more appealing, it appears to be difficult to implement effectively. For instance, Western Australia abandoned their OBE curriculum in 2007 after being criticized for designing 'vague' objectives that were too difficult to measure. South Africa similarly dropped its use of the OBE system back in mid-2010.
Major Gas Contract
Leighton Contractors has scored an AUD $200 million deal to build Esso Highlands Ltd's head office in Port Moresby. Construction is due to start in 2013. Leighton PNG will employ 360 with all but 72 people coming from the area.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?d97d91
Police Funding
Prime Minister O'Neill says the police need to stop waiting for money from the government and do their jobs.
-- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=73392
Border Incident
Reports say there has been an altercation between disgruntled Sandaun villagers and Indonesian soldiers along the PNG/Indonesian border. The Post- Courier says people from Wutung in West Sepik Province tried to forcefully lower the Indonesian flag at the Bartas market, but were stopped by armed Indonesian soldiers.
-- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=73430
Tyre Recycling
Eldan Recycling is preparing to deliver a complete tyre recycling plant to PNG for converting all kinds of tyres - including truck and huge mining tyres - into rubber.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?e5ad00
Indigenous Business Council
The recently launched Indigenous Business Council has received a stimulus package of $500 million to train and encourage indigenous Papua New Guinean to begin formal sector businesses.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?5184e1
RAB Flights Disrupted
Air Niugini flights to Tokua Airport (RAB) in East New Britain have been cancelled because of ash and vapour blowing in from the Mt Tavurvur volcano.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?e26c25
Travel Air have also cancelled its operations to Tokua -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20130125/news09.htm
Air Niugini has announced it is making arrangements with a reputable shipping company to ferry its passengers between Kokopo and Kavieng while the temporary suspension of flights into Tokua continues.
Vanuatu Plane Checked
Prime Minister O'Neill says the private jet which transited through Port Moresby carrying two controversial Vanuatu diplomatic passport holders was checked thoroughly by officials.
-- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=73498
The United States Embassy in Port Moresby has denied any meeting with the Vanuatu Foreign Minister Alfred Carlot. -- http://giaman.com/pg/?778db8
Detention Centre Challenged
The validity of the Manus Detention Centre for asylum seekers seeking refuge in PNG has been questioned by the PNG Opposition Leader, Belden Namah. Namah says the facility is illegal because it authorises the deprivation of the asylum seekers' personal liberty. His lawyers have asked PNG's National Court to declare the centre unconstitutional and shut it down. Namah says the issue is also about post-colonial politics.
A spokesman for Australia's immigration minister Chris Bowen said the latest issue was a matter for the PNG government.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?fc3b98
PM O'Neill says his government will vigorously defend an opposition court challenge aimed at shutting down the Australian-run Manus Island detention facility -- http://giaman.com/pg/?1eeb3b -- Manus MP Ronny Knight - a member of Mr O'Neill's government - accused Mr Namah of trying to score political points.
Uncle Returns Alter 69 Years
The remains of Co-pilot Second Lt. William R. Parkinson have been returned to his hometown on the 18th Jan. 18 this year after being missing since the 7th of May 1944. The plane Second Lt. Parkinson died in was finally discovered near Nadzab in September 1973. Read more of the story at -- http://www.covnews.com/section/18/article/36335
Webb Shield Clash
Even with 98 runs to new Indian recruit Mukesh Sharma this wasn't enough for Ipswich, Queensland to defeat Papua New Guinea in the recent Webb Shield clash at the Ivor Marsden Complex. PNG lost nine wickets in their run chase, including a lower-order collapse where they lost five wickets for 42 runs. PNG number nine Charles Amini and last man Toma Tom managed to steady the ship to secure the game with six overs remaining.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?e2a091
Djoko Tjandra
The PNG passport of Indonesian born, PNG citizen Djoko Tjandra has reportedly been used to obtain visas to travel to Japan and Taiwan.
-- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20130124/news01.htm
The government has started the process to cancel the passport issued to Djoko Tjandra, according to an unsigned media statement on the Chief Secretary's letterhead.
-- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20130124/news05.htm
The Immigration office issued Djoko Tjandra the passport under the alias of "Joe Chan".
-- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20130124/news06.htm
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.
Rabbitohs to play PNG Kumuls -- 9th of Feb 2013
SKerah Extreme Kokoda Trek - 6th to 13th of April, 2013
2013 Oceania Cup - June 2013
Hiri Moale Festival - July 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
Air Niugini celebrates 40 years - November 2013
Christmas Day - 25th December 2013
Boxing Day - 26th December 2013
New Year's Day -- 1st January 2014
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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