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PNG in the News
Brain Disease 'Resistance Gene' Evolves in PNG Community; Could Offer Insights Into CJD -- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120091959.htm
PNG enters a period of optimism -- http://giaman.com/pg/?c44d1b
National Capital cricket side cruise home after early fright -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/3141
PNG needs a competent public service -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/3145
Toronto-based company hotly denies crime at South Pacific site -- http://giaman.com/pg/?305072
Solomon Airlines is planning to lease a Dash 8 aircraft from Airlines PNG to cater for the influx of domestic passengers travelling home for Christmas -- http://giaman.com/pg/?c83df7
Asians in PNG should now boycott Post-Courier! -- http://giaman.com/pg/?bb78e3
Five live on after epic in ocean -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20091125/news02.htm
Kandep by-election vote counting lapses into chaos -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=50514
PNG Blogs
The story of a captured Japanese flag unfolds -- http://giaman.com/pg/?c9d9c0
EHP athletes continue to starve at Taurama Barracks -- http://giaman.com/pg/?952004
Ken and Una in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?5bbe41
Odd Fish Pics -- http://www.messersmith.name/wordpress/2009/11/22/odd-fish-pics/
Malum Nalu: Tourist ships in Alotau -- http://giaman.com/pg/?12b2da
Mike and Alison in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?5be98b
The Bougainville Invasion: November - December 1943 -- http://blog.usni.org/?p=5188
Radio Australia celebrating 70 years -- http://giaman.com/pg/?1aed60
Fishing on the Karawari River in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?96aa60
PMV Ride to Goroka (Video) -- http://mattinpng.com/2009/11/20/pmv-video/
Misc PNG Links
Kavieng Photos -- http://www.pbase.com/perofsweden/kavieng -- and -- http://www.pbase.com/perofsweden/children6
Mount Hagen singsing on Flickr Photo Sharing -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/rietje/4124448676/
Sir Paulias shaking hands with pilot of Kodiak P2-SIB, Rick Nachtigal -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/kahunapulej/4117891133/ -- P2-SIB, SN 8 - ex N498KQ
80 days around the world. Day 47 - Wau -- http://giaman.com/pg/?03f3df
Unusual Stories from the Past
"Japanese people taste the best - whites are too salty!" -- http://giaman.com/pg/?45451d
Out of 173 countries, only four have no paid leave for new mothers -- Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, Liberia and the United States -- http://giaman.com/pg/?b04acb
The number of registered voters in Papua New Guinea is 33 percent larger than the number of eligible voters -- http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21326731-401,00.html
PNG PM's 'removed' shoes sell for K11,000 -- http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200505/s1379577.htm
Police hijack plane full of cash they were supposed to be escorting, forcing it to land on deserted island and leaving the pilots handcuffed to a tree -- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7103654.stm
Half of PNG forests could vanish -- http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/06/02/new-guinea-forest.html
Woman suspected of witchcraft burned alive -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8eb4c8
News Items
Kurt Treks Kokoda
Read about the amazing trek of the Kokoda trail by paralympian Kurt Fearnley. Kurt, born missing the lower part of his spine and unable to use his legs, became the first person to crawl the 96-kilometre Kokoda Trail. Take one look at Kurt and you will believe that you can achieve anything. Kurt committed to tackling the Kokoda to raise awareness for men's health groups beyondblue -- http://www.beyondblue.org.au/ -- and Movember -- http://www.movember.com
Read the Story -- http://giaman.com/pg/?0fe9db
Cholera Hits East Sepik
Cholera was initially detected in Morobe province a few months ago and then it spread to Madang about a month ago. It has now spread to the East Sepik province with over 100 having caught the infection. The East Sepik Provincial Health Administrator, Samson Torovi, says the situation is critical as the disease is water-borne and people depend on the surrounding rivers and lakes for their water needs. Some deaths in Eastern Highlands and Gulf provinces have been linked to the disease, however, the deaths have not been confirmed.
see also - WHO says Papua New Guinea political leaders must act over cholera -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=50483
Election Problems
What would an election be in PNG without some problem around ballot boxes? Armed villagers near Kandep recently cut down trees and blocked the highway to prevent police and Electoral Commission officials from moving ballot boxes to Mt Hagen.
Also fighting and the presence of gunmen prevented helicopters from going into Tarapis, Muyan and Sawi 2 polling areas to conduct polling. The situation was so severe that the polling officials decided to abandon polling in those areas.
see -- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=50494
see also -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/3202
Counting in Goroka due to security fears -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/3175
Commissioner Andrew Trawen has ordered polling officials to return to Kandep and conduct a re-poll in three areas where polling was abandoned due to violence. But the directive was flatly rejected by polling officials who are still terrified by the violence they witnessed and were subjected to during polling last week.
Full story -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/3290
New Jet Arrives
The Falcon Jet, to be operated by Air Niugini, touched down at Jackson's International airport at around 11am PNG time on the 23rd of November. The jet was ferried to PNG by PX pilots from Little Rock, Arkansas in the United States of America via Hawaii. The jet is designed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France and is powered by three Honeywell TFE31-60 turbo fan engines. It can carry 12 passengers when set up in its standard configuration.
Pictures -- http://www.michie.net/balus/p2-anw-fal(a).html
Story -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20091124/news05.htm
Marijuana Crop Discovered
A crop of marijuana has been discovered on the Sogeri Plateau. Five truckloads of armed police raided the area after a tip off by the locals and the Koitaki cattle owners. Police said they discovered a garden full of marijuana plants, many of which were about three metres in height, with an estimated street value of K10,000.
Mining
New mines at Ramu Nickel in Madang province and Hidden Valley in Morobe province as well as the extended life of the Lihir Gold mine in New Ireland province are expected to boost the domestic economy next year.
Budget
Is the 2010 National Budget out of touch? The 2010 K7.5 billion Budget has been approved and Parliament adjourned to March next year after more than five hours of debate. -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/3284
The budget is hoping that inflation will be 9.5 per cent compared to 7.4 percent projected for 2009. The budget also assume that the LNG project will increase demands on imports. It is assumed that increased government spending for rural development will also add to inflation. The Opposition has described the Budget as little more than a fast money scheme and an inflation time bomb. -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20091125/news01.htm
Madang Water Woes
Vandals recently disrupted the water supply in Madang by damaging wooden power poles near the water treatment plant at Panim. Without power the Water Board could not refill the holding tanks.
World Poultry
PNG is now a member of the World's Poultry Science Association (WPSA). The historic occasion was witnessed by the president of WPSA Australian chapter, Dr Julie Roberts, and inaugural members of the WPSA-PNG.
Buimo Jail Escape
Sixteen prisoners recently made a dash for freedom from Buimo Jail near Lae. One escapee was shot dead and two were recaptured. The 13 escapees overpowered five guards and a truck driver before driving and leaving the truck along the old road towards the abattoir. A public appeal has been launched by both police and Correctional Services for the general public to come forward with information that would lead to the capture of the 13 escapees.
PNG Games
The Fourth PNG Games have begun in Port Moresby. See the report in the Post Courier -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20091120/news01.htm
The National Online reported that the PNG Games Organising Committee needs additional funding to successfully host the 4th PNG Games. The K2.3 million allocated to the committee by the Government, a figure based on the previous games in Goroka, has been exhausted.
full story -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/2987
The PNG Games a shambles! -- http://www.trupela.com/2009/11/19/the-png-games-a-shambles/
Bougainville Tourism
The interim chairman of the Bougainville Tourism Association, Chris Simba, has said the association's vision was to make Bougainville a tourist attraction destination bringing in 10,000 tourists a year with an estimated K10 million in revenue. He said Bougainville had the potential to be a hot spot for tourists and urged all stakeholders to develop the tourism industry without delay.
Looking For
Lee-Anne Mcfadden has sent the following -
Hi I am looking for a good friend of mine who was in Australia but is now home in PNG his name is Dennis Oli or D.V.OLI. I would like to find him.
If anyone has some info about David please leave a message at -- http://pnggossip.com/misc/ctc.html
POM General
The Port Moresby General Hospital labour ward has received birthing kits from the Pacific International Hospital (PIH). PIH in partnership with Zonta International, an Australian international aid agency (AusAID) program donated 10,000 birthing kits to the ward. The kits contain the basic equipment needed to help a mother during birth. Approximately 12,000 babies are born each year at the hospital so the kits will last almost a year.
Kiriwina Cultural Show
A cultural show was held recently at Kiriwina on the Trobriand Islands in the Milne Bay Province. All 33 wards in the Kiriwina / Goodenough electorate participated in the Kiriwina Cultural Show, the first of its kind. The acting PM, Sir Dr Puka Temu, has promised to support the preservation of the Trobriand culture, committing K150,000 towards the event next year.
PNG Microfinance Bank
The Microfinance Bank will soon be set up at Bereina in the Kairuku district of Central province this would allow the people in the area and those from Gulf Province and surrounding areas to do their banking locally instead of travelling all the way to the National Capital District.
Miss South Pacific
PNG will host the 2010 Miss South Pacific pageant. PNG made a successful bid to host the contest beating the Solomon Islands and Fiji.
Coming Events
World Aids Day -- http://www.baha.com.pg -- 1st December 2009.
AFLPNG Talent Camp will be held in Goroka with 120 under 17's, 15's, and 13's present -- 4th to 6th of December 2009
Pacific Reggae Sounds - FREE CONCERT
A fusion of Pacific rhythms and Reggae beats
Location: Live at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia
Time:7:30PM Saturday, 5th of December
AFLPNG - PNG Scholarships / Under 18 Trials will be held in Australia. 8 x U18s are hoped to be provided with Country Queensland, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast Scholarships. -- February 2010
Women in Mining and Petroleum Conference - 22nd - 24th March 2010 - to be held at Divine Word University in Madang.
25th April 2010 - World Malaria Day. Malaria affects 90 per cent of the PNG population.
World liquefied natural gas (LNG) summit - Mid 2010
11th Mining and Petroleum Investment Conference - 6th to 8th December, 2010 - Hilton Hotel, Sydney -- http://www.pnginvestment.cia.com.au -- This web site is out of date showing information abut the 2008 conference.
Full Pacific Games - New Caledonia 2011
National Elections - Scheduled for June 2012
Pacific Mini Games - Wallis and Futuna 2013
Full Pacific Games - PNG 2015
Do you have an event that you want advertised? - Use the submission form located at -- ../misc/ctc.html.
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