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
Dr Ken Ngangan - It's now or never! -- http://giaman.com/pg/?7b235f
Memorial service for victims of WWII Montevideo Maru disaster -- http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090615p2a00m0na007000c.html
PNG continues preparations for possible swine flu outbreak -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=47218
Girl, 3, beheaded in PNG -- http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,528070,00.html
PNG court hands six-month jail term for Jayapura police officer -- http://giaman.com/pg/?4cf979
PNG Blogs
PNG is the new surfing destiny -- http://giaman.com/pg/?ae40ed
More Criminals -- http://anvanderheide.blogspot.com/2009/06/more-raskols.html
Blog entry from Kundiawa -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a443a5
Random PNG Links
Buk Bilong Pikinini -- http://bukbilongpikinini.org
Madang Water Life -- http://giaman.com/pg/?4ba1e5
West New Britain -- http://anthropology.uwaterloo.ca/WNB/WestNewBritain.html
OroHaven Kokoda Bush Retreat -- http://www.orohaven.com
Digicel Foundation -- http://www.digicelpngfoundation.org
PNG Hospitals -- http://pnghospitals.info
Goroka General Hospital -- http://www.ggh.org.pg
Kudjip Nazarene Hospital Website -- http://www.kudjipnazarenehospital.org
Tok Pisin -- http://www.tok-pisin.com
A link recommended by Sharon in USA -- http://www.wolframalpha.com/ -- http://giaman.com/pg/?ffecd7 -- http://www07.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=wedau -- etc
Battle of Port Moresby -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Port_Moresby_(air)
PNG Images
Port Moresby Orchids -- http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1003170/
http://worldsgreatphotos.blogspot.com/2009/06/goroka-in-full-colour.html
http://www.calibercreations.com/pisin/images/talus.htm
Wewak Yacht Club, Sepik Ironman Dinner, 7 June,2009 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?48de10
News Items
Rotary Assists UPNG Clinic
The Rotary Club of Boroko has helped the University of Papua New Guinea extend its clinic. Rotary provided K68,900 towards the extension that saw the clinic double in size. The clinic, serving the University and surrounding areas, has a specialist clinic for child health, an antenatal clinic, a family planning clinic and room for minor operations.
Others behind this project were JDA, Planning and Monitoring Department and Brian Bell who donated a DVD player to the clinic for patients to watch
The Rotary Club and the Latter Day Saints (LDS) have recently presented a total of 670 wheelchairs to the National Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (NOPS) for people with disabilities. 315 chairs went to Moresby and the rest to Lae.
Provincial Affairs
District administrators and local level government officers throughout the country now have access to details of project documents necessary to access a K61 million European Union funding for their districts via the Strengthening of Districts and Local-level Governments (SDLLG) Project web site. The new web site can be found at -- http://www.sdllg.org.pg/
New Library
It has been claimed that there has been a marked improvement in the literacy levels of children after the opening of two libraries in Port Moresby under the Buk bilong Pikinini charity scheme.
A new library has been launched by the charity at the Konedobu Health Centre. The libraries were the charity's contribution to increasing the literacy levels in the country.
Visit their web site at -- http://bukbilongpikinini.org/
Indonesian Convicted
A PNG court has sentenced a police officer of Jayapura city, Papua in Indonesia to six months in jail for allegedly illegally crossing the border between Indonesia and PNG.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?4cf979
Transport Infrastructure Upgrade
The Works, Transport and Civil Aviation Minister, Don Polye, has announced Australia will provide PNG with more than K1.1 billion for transport infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation over the next five years.
He said rehabilitation and maintenance were now the primary focus on 4,127km of a total of 8,460km of national roads. Mr Polye also said Lae and Port Moresby seaports handled between 75% and 80% of all trade in PNG and, given their importance, focus would be on improving ship turn-around times at these two ports.
UniTech
Information Technology Services staff at the University of Technology in Lae are very excited at being able to move into their recently completed building. The new building was funded by the European Union. The building has 3 computer labs, 2 lecture theatres, a conference room, director's office, managers' offices, secretary's office, two receptionists' areas, one for communication and the other one for students, main office and Domain Name Services office etc. The old office belongs to Surveying and Land Studies Department so they will use the office when the IT staff move out.
This will allow ITS to come together in one building. At the moment ITS sections are in many different buildings.
Cheshire Homes
Staff and children at Cheshire Homes in Hohola (National Capital District) have received donations of mattresses, pillows, bed lining and cutlery worth K2,000 from LNG Energy (PNG) in Port Moresby. LNG Energy has also donated K2,000 worth of similar items to Igat Hope, and also bought carpet for the Kiriwina Evangelical church.
Cheshire Home Port Moresby, opened in 1965, provides inclusive education, physiotherapy, community-based services and residential care.
http://www.cheshire.org.pg/index.html
Police Chaos
Policing in Port Moresby seems to be grinding to a halt. Recent reports have claimed that all police stations in the National Capital have encountered difficulties in performing their duties due an acute shortage of basic resources and manpower. For example stations at Badili, Boroko, Six-Mile and Waigani lacked vehicles and Port Moresby, Moresby Northeast and Gerehu only have one donated vehicle each. The Boroko police station is so short of manpower that one officer is in charge of 80 prisoners. Many police are digging into their own pockets. Recently a police commander said he had to pay a cab driver K50 to drive into a settlement at Six-Mile to apprehend a suspect.
Rotary Against Malaria
The Rotary Club of Lae has launched its Rotary Against Malaria (RAM) campaign hoping to send out more than 20,000 treated mosquito nets to villages in Morobe province to prevent malaria attacks. The cost of distributing mosquito nets to each village ranges between K5,000 and K15,000.
Vale "Jabber Jim"
Sir James Jacobi has passed away in Brisbane at the age of 83. James "Jabber" Jacobi worked in PNG as a general practitioner for about 40 years, during which time he became the first president of the PNG Rugby League, a position he held for more than 25 years. Sir James was knighted in 1991 for services to PNG rugby league. He died on Sunday the 21st of June (2009).
The president of the Medical Society of PNG has described the passing of Sir Dr Jim Jacobi as a great loss for the medical society.
Gas Project Begins
Construction has begun on a major gas export project that is partially owned by Abu Dhabi Government, a partner firm announced yesterday. The project represents the first foray by the government's International Petroleum Investment Company into liquefied natural gas (LNG), a form of gas chilled for transport on tankers that is expected to grow in importance as an energy source for East Asia after the global economy recovers.
Recently officials at Sinopec, the Chinese oil company, revealed they were in talks to buy 2 million tonnes of LNG from the project annually.
German Chocolate
If all goes well cocoa grown near Nadzab airport in Morobe province could be used to produce German chocolate in the future. Producers in Germany have requested more samples of the cocoa produced from the Huon Gulf area for analysis. Farmers have been told they would need to ensure they maintained the high quality of their cocoa in order to meet the strict standards required by the Germans.
Mouse Delays Flight
Jan Messersmith reports in his Madang - Ples Bilong Mi blog that a terrorist mouse has recently delayed an Airlines PNG Flight from Cairns to Port Moresby.
http://www.messersmith.name/wordpress/2009/06/terrorist-mouse-delays-apng-flight-from-cairns/
New ANZ Chief
The ANZ Banking Group has appointed Vishnu Mohan as chief executive of its PNG and north west Pacific operations. Mr Mohan is a veteran of Standard Chartered Bank and most recently held a corporate banking role with ANZ in Malaysia. He will take up his new position on the 1st of July which also includes responsibility for Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands.
Ipili vs Barrick Gold
A representative of the Ipili people in the Porgera district of Enga province has presented a statement to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues about concerns surrounding the Porgera mine operated by Canadian based mining corporation - Barrick.
Jethro Tulin's, Executive Officer of Akali Tange Association, full statement can be found here -- http://allan.lissner.net/?cat=45
Long-Beaked Echidna
A research intern working for the Wildlife Conservation Society has completed the first study of a rare egg-laying mammal called the long-beaked echidna. The study consisting of thousands of hours of gruelling field work in PNG's Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area took the researcher several years to remotely track the porcupine-sized mammals and record their dens and other signs.
see full story at -- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609220725.htm
Airlines PNG
Airlines PNG has appointed Gary Toomey as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mr Toomey was previously president and chief executive of the Air New Zealand group.
Goroka Hospital
The Government has revealed a plan to redevelop four major hospitals in the country into specialist hospitals. This was announced at the handing over of K5 million to the Goraka Base Hospital as part of a K10 million amount specified in the 2009 budget for the hospital. The remaining K5 million will be paid in September.
Goroka Power
A senior judge has given an ultimatum to the Goroka branch manager of PNG Power. National Court judge Justice Mark Sevua has warned the manager that if one more power blackout causes the Goroka court house to have to delay or interrupt court sessions and he will send police to pick up the manager and take him to Bihute jail, located outside Goroka.
tok pisin report -- http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/tokpisin/news/stories/200906/s2601226.htm
Carbon Trade Con
The government is to conduct an investigation into claims of con men selling fake carbon-trading certificates to small landowners. Many villagers have paid upwards of $400 to register as shareholders in a carbon-trading company. This highlights problems encountered by many developing countries in setting up carbon-trading schemes to reduce their CO2 emissions.
See also - K6m for PNG-Aust forest carbon plan -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/062509/nation12.php
Medical Symposium
The PNG Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR) has donated K5,000 towards the running of 2009 PNG medical symposium to be held in September. The symposium is an avenue for scientists, social scientist and researchers to present their research findings and meet with colleagues in their field of work.
PNG IMR -- http://www.pngimr.org.pg/
Medical Symposium -- http://www.mspng.org/
Port Moresby Hospital
The labour ward and the special care unit nursery at the Port Moresby will be upgraded thanks to the support of the Port Moresby Rotary Club and Brian Bell Co Ltd. The labour ward will be extended by 63 metres to cater for an additional 60 to 80 new hospital beds for mothers and the same number of cots for newborns. Brian Bell and Co has committed K2 million to cover material costs for the extension of the facilities, while labour would be provided by Australian volunteers and retired specialists from Rotary Australia World Community Services (RAWCS).
Pacific Niugini Minerals
Australia's Chrome Corporation has agreed to acquire PNG gold explorer Pacific Niugini Minerals for AUD 5.92 million, marking its first foray in the region.
Solar Panels for Cows
Telikom PNG solar panels stolen from Mt Oupen in Sandaun province have been exchanged for cows. A panel cost around K5,000 and a cow was priced between K1,500 and K2,000.
Coming Events
The combined sixth regional technical board meeting of the Pacific Plant Protection Organisation (PPPO-RTBM) and the 14th regional technical meeting for plant protection (RTMPP) will be held in Port Moresby from the 29th of June to the 3rd of July.
Tolai Warwagira from 8th to 14th July and Mask Festival from 15th to 18th July at Kokopo East New Britain.
Trukai Olympic Fun Run - 12th of July.
PNG Remembrance Day - 23rd of July.
Western Highlands provincial show - 18th and 19th of August
45th Medical Symposium - Port Moresby - sponsored by the Pacific International Hospital from the 30th of Aug to the 4th of September. -- http://www.mspng.org/
31st October and the 1st of November - Morobe Show - see -- http://www.morobeshow.org.pg/ -- and -- http://giaman.com/pg/?2f4583
6th to 8th of November - National Canoe and Kundu Festival, Milne Bay -- http://giaman.com/pg/?ab7f63
25th April 2010 - World Malaria Day. Malaria affects 90 per cent of the PNG population.
National Elections - Scheduled for 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