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PNG in the News
Kokoda Track our major shrine -- http://giaman.com/pg/?9c614e
Remains found on Kokoda Track -- http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/10/3187232.htm
Kokoda Upgrade -- http://www.travelweekly.com.au/news/kokoda-upgrade-reassures-travellers
Harmony Gold May Sell Bonds to Fund Billion Dollar Project in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?3287fe
Effective rural development means knowing what people need -- http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/apr/12/papua-new-guinea-resources-tang
Teachers get 16% pay hike -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110407/news01.htm
Adelaide, Australia to fix Madang roads -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110407/news11.htm
Bid to ban lamb flaps -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/18307
Majority oppose bid to ban lamb flaps -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110413/news09.htm
PNG to overhaul drug procurement -- http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201104/s3186457.htm
PNG Blogs
http://mypngandaustraliatravelandtourismblog.blogspot.com
Rebecca and the World -- http://www.rebeccaandtheworld.com/tag/port-moresby
PNG Blog Madang -- http://www.earthcheck.org/en-us/wp/madang.aspx
Air Niugini's Ambiguous Ticket Prices & Taxes -- http://giaman.com/pg/?485fb5
Splinters Surf Movie - the evolution of surfing in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?d367fe
PNG Blog Rabaul -- http://www.earthcheck.org/en-us/wp/rabaul.aspx
Misc Links
Malaria: The Forever War -- http://magazine.jhsph.edu/2011/malaria/index.html
PNG Gardener -- http://www.pnggardener.com.pg
Eating with Cannibals -- http://giaman.com/pg/?c18bda
Surfing PNG style -- http://giaman.com/pg/?e295a9
Kenmok Real Estate -- http://www.kenmok.com.pg
Tufi -- http://skerah.com/article.php?id=85
Madang languages -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madang_languages
PNG Images
Boats at Kokopo -- http://giaman.com/pg/?2e30c1
Rabaul Mask festival -- http://giaman.com/pg/?2103bb
Air Niugini Karawari -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YW0Gxt7ch4
Scuba Divers - Kimbe Bay -- http://giaman.com/pg/?31f7dd
Suzie's Bommie off Port Moresby -- http://giaman.com/pg/?44f365
Goroka -- http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/goroka/Interesting
News Items
Somare Unwell
It has been reported in The Australian newspaper that Grand Chief, Sir Michael Somare is to undergo surgery in Singapore for a pre-existing heart condition. Sir Michael, who collapsed at the recent Leadership Tribunal, has been in parliament for 42 years as the member for East Sepik including the past 10 years as Prime Minister.
Somare has telephoned the PNG National Broadcasting Corporation in his home province of East Sepik to tell the nation he was not gravely ill.
The prime minister is elected by parliament in PNG, rather than being the leader of the party that is best placed to win supply, as in Australia.
Kimbe Riots
The death of a man, believed to be in his late 30 and a father of four children while under arrest for infringing the "Kimbe Clean-up Campaign", has sparked a riot in Kimbe, the capital of West New Britain province. Two police men based in Kimbe have charged with the murder and remanded in custody at the Lakiamata jail.
The situation was so out of control that a riot squad had to be deployed from McGregor barracks in Port Moresby to help calm the tense situation in Kimbe town.
see - Kimbe burns -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/18352
also - Wagambie appeals for peace in Kimbe -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110412/news04.htm
Govt likely to order probe into death -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110412/news06.htm
Services in Kimbe back to normal, says chamber -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/18442
MV Albatross
The Cruise Ship MV Albatross recently paid a visit to Port Moresby with a total of 600 passengers on board.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?b1a702
Kokoda Murder
The murder of man along the Kokoda Track in February this year is under investigation by Port Moresby police. Two women who went missing at the time of the murder are believed to also have been murdered.
Boroko Cells
Magistrate Rossie Johnson from the Waigani committal court has described the Boroko police cells as a "very unhygienic, filthy and a bad place" to be in.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?a00466
Oceania U20 Football
Seven Pacific nations have been confirmed to do battle for a spot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia 2011. The battle will take place at the OFC U-20 Championship, to be held at Auckland's Centre Park in Mangere from the 21st to the 29th of April. The main group includes Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and American Samoa while the second group consists of Solomon Islands, New Zealand and New Caledonia. There will be three days of action in the group stages and each day will feature three games. The teams in both groups will play each other once, with those in Group B also having one bye.
High Coffee Price
Parchment coffee at the factory door has reached a high of K7 to K7.50/kg. According to the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), commonly cultivated Arabica was recently fetching between K7.50 and K7.60/kg for class one and K7 and K7.45/kg for class two beans in Goroka and Kundiawa.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/18456
Fuel Price Goes Up
The cost of fuel around PNG continues to increase due to world wide pressures and demands. The price of petrol has gone to K3.87/litre, 18 toea more than last month's K3.69/litre. Diesel is now selling for K3.52 a litre, up 26 toea on the K3.26/litre last month. Kerosene has increased to K3.41 from K3.19/litre. Some fuel experts are predicting prices in excess of K5.00 per litre for diesel and petrol in coming months.
Along with the increase in fuel the National Airline has announced an increase in the cost of travel.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/18473
Cricket
Playing in the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 2 Tournament in Dubai, PNG defeated Bermuda by 43 runs. Final score: PNG 231/9 Bermuda 188
-- http://bernews.com/2011/04/cricket-papua-new-guinea-beat-bermuda
2012 Elections
Illegal guns are seen as a major threat to the coming national elections expected to be held in June 2012. Police say they need K120 million - about US$40 million - to carry out a public awareness campaign to minimise security risks during the elections especially in the Highlands region of the country. Police and local leaders in the Highlands say the proliferation of guns and other weapons in rural communities is threatening the fabric of society.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?0d1e13
Ramu Sugar
Luther Wenge, the Governor of Morobe province has criticised the National Govt for selling its share in Ramu Sugar to New Britain Palm Oil. Governor Wenge said the government must tell the people the real story behind this sale when the Momase provinces were interested in buying them.
Meanwhile Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) - the producer of Ramu Sugar - have reported that a serious shortage in production was caused by raskals burning around 700 hectares of its sugar cane plantations in the Ramu Valley.
Thailand Sugar to meet consumer demands -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/18392
Ramu's bitter dose -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110414/news01.htm
DWU Offers PhD
Divine Word University (DWU) is offering a home-grown doctoral programme. The president of DWU, Fr Jan Czuba, said this had come about after careful preparation and piloting over the past several years in line with the university's second decade strategic plan that required the strengthening of research and higher degree scholarship.
The new doctoral programme began two weeks ago with the enrolment of 13 professionals from a range of fields including arts and humanities, education, health sciences, business management and information and communication technology (ICT).
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?fe1c4a
New Alotau Catholic Bishop
A Philippine-born prelate has been named as a Catholic Bishop in Milne Bay. Before his appointment as Bishop of Alotau-Sideia, Fr. Rolando Crisostomo Santos, served as the secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
The See of Alotau-Sideia has an area of 20,000 square miles, a population of 245,000, with 41,137 Catholics, 23 priests, and 43 religious men and women.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?18e4e6
Central Province Hydro
PNG Hydro Development ltd will build a hydro electricity power plant at the lower Brown River on the outskirt of Port Moresby after they have signed an agreement with the local villagers. The hydro plant will have an initial capacity of up to 9.8mW of electricity and will be commissioned in 2013. Residents and businesses in Port Moresby currently have to endure frequent blackouts due to a lack of power availability. Power demand is forever increasing in the National Capital.
Fuel Efficiency Help
The Asian Development Bank has provided a 12 million US dollar funding package to help cut fossil fuel use in the Pacific including PNG.
-- http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=59908
Port Moresby Accom
The NasFund has predicted rental rates in Port Moresby will decline over the next 18 months due to new rental stock coming onto the market. NasFund is of the view that even with an increase in demand for high covenant accommodation due to natural economic growth; we will see downward pressure on rentals due to the online of new constructions by end of second quarter 2012.
-- http://www.nasfund.com.pg
Most Peaceful Places to Live
PNG has ranked 95th in a list of the most peaceful places in the world to live. New Zealand was ranked the most peaceful place. The United States placed 85th in the 2010 study. The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) describe "peace" as the "absence of violence".
The full list can be found at -- http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi-data/#/2010/scor
Condom Distribution
The National Aids Council has resolved to outsource the nation wide distribution of condoms under their mandate to a new section within Business Coalition Against HIV & Aids (BAHA). BAHA will co-ordinate the supply of condoms by capitalising on methods and contacts that are already in place. This includes a hotline client service centre which will be devoted to the supply/distribution of condoms as well as monitoring supplies downstream to ensure that supplies remain constant.
-- http://www.baha.com.pg
Airservices Australia
Airservices Australia has formally handed over 11 surplus aviation rescue and fire fighting vehicles at a ceremony at Nadzab Airport. A new communications link has also been established between Port Moresby and Brisbane air traffic services centres. The link is used to transmit data relating to flights crossing the Flight Information Region (FIR) boundary shared by Australia and PNG. It replaces an ageing communication system which had limited capacity for expansion.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?47cfee
Walk Against Corruption
Transparency International (PNG) Inc (TIPNG) is hosting the annual Walk Against Corruption on Sunday the 12th of June 2011 at Jack Pidik Park, 5 Mile, Port Moresby. -- 5:00 am arrival for 6:00 am start
Contact Hane Toua, Events Coordinator on 320 2188 or email eventstipng@gmail.com
Coming Events
Note: please verify any date mentioned as dates do change and events can sometimes get cancelled.
World Amateur Radio Day - 17 April
National Softball Championships - Easter in Goroka
World Malaria Day - 25 April
Young Music 4 Young PNG - Port Moresby Country Club, Port Moresby - 30 April
Arafura Games - 7th to 14th of May -- http://www.arafuragames.nt.gov.au
Lik Lik Diwai Tourism Festival - 20th May
Wahgi Sing Sing - June
Walk Against Corruption -- Sunday 12th of June -- 5:00 am arrival for 6:00 am start
Warwin High School Cultural Day - 13th June
Kontu / Tembn Shark Calling, New Ireland - 29th June - 2nd July
Warwagira Cultural Show, Kokopo - 29th June - 5th July
National Mask Festival, 6th - 9th July
Birding in Paradise, 12th - 22nd July -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8b315c
Miss Melanesia Australia 2011 - The Irish Club, Brisbane, 16 July 2011
Malagan Show, New Ireland, 22nd - 24th July
Crocodile Festival, Ambunti - 9th & 10th August
Mount Hagen Cultural Show - 13th & 14th August
Goroka Show - 16th - 18th September
Morobe Show - 15th & 16th October
Canoe and Kundu Festival, Alotau - 4th - 6th November
Full Pacific Games - New Caledonia 2011
National Elections - Scheduled for June 2012
2012 PNG Games - Kokopo, East New Britain
Olympic boxing qualifying tournament - April 2012
Pacific Mini Games - Wallis and Futuna 2013
Full Pacific Games - PNG 2015 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?081f78
Do you have an event that you want advertised? - Use the submission form located at -- ../misc/ctc.html
PNG Media
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