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 News Links
PNG implicated in UN torture report -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/84108
Indonesia lobbies MSG members as membership bid looms -- http://giaman.com/pg/?344a31
Oil Search fails to hit gas at Hides -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a962ba
More powers soon for police to combat porn -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/83999
Man found guilty of sexual penetration of minor -- http://giaman.com/pg/?f9e851
Flights off as rains continue -- http://giaman.com/pg/?5cecc2
Looter dies under tyres of truck -- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/84094
UN Report Criticizes Australia's 'Inhuman' Asylum Policies -- http://giaman.com/pg/?61f7e4
Bowling's First Gold Medallists Join 2015 Pacific Games -- http://giaman.com/pg/?03d014
PNG defines marriage age -- http://giaman.com/pg/?911c89
Beware potholes and waiting thieves: Police http://t.co/XqIDXxlEV4
Misc. Links
PNG Olympic Website -- http://www.pngolympic.org
Tok Piksa - Episode 10, 2015 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?3793fa
Kokoda Trail / Kokoda Track Adventure -- http://www.kokodatrekking.com.au
PNG software engineer takes on the world from Japan -- http://giaman.com/pg/?c272ed
Satellite - Port Moresby Weather -- http://giaman.com/pg/?4643b2
Airline agreement connects Melanesia -- http://giaman.com/pg/?cbe147
PNG Hunters -- https://www.facebook.com/pnghunters
Mine Reps Check Madang Sites for 2015 National Mining Emergency Response Challenge -- http://giaman.com/pg/?09b988
Are We Over Glorifying Female Abuse? -- http://giaman.com/pg/?422026
PNG Images
Goroka Show -- http://www.gorokashow.com/gallery.html
Rabaul -- http://rabauldailyphoto-jules.blogspot.com.au
Wonenara Images -- http://giaman.com/pg/?1096bd
Two different Girls -- http://giaman.com/pg/?30c1c3
Dei Dei hot springs on Fergusson Island, Milne Bay province -- http://giaman.com/pg/?2c9e34 -- and -- http://giaman.com/pg/?3d1f70
News Items
Roads & Bridges Gone
Heavy rain has washed away roads and bridges in a two metre monsoonal rainfall in East New Britain. West New Britain does not appear to have fared any better. The National Capital also reports heavy rainfall.
East New Britain Governor, Sasindran Muthuvel, has appealed to the national government for help to deal with the disaster.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?8ec048
In West New Britain - two permanent bridges funded by AUSAID along the Kimbe-Bialla highway have been washed away by floods including some small bridges.
Millions in damage -- http://giaman.com/pg/?306482
Current State of the Weather -- http://giaman.com/pg/?210511
Air Niugini
Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill has announced the government's 50 percent equity stake in the national airline will be up for sale by the end of the year. Mr O'Neill says the preference will be first given to PNG-owned entities but will be available to other investors if those entities do not take up all the options.
-- hhttp://giaman.com/pg/?5c36f8
Bank South Pacific
The Bank South Pacific will remove the K3.50 service fee charged on the deposit and processing of cheques. This follows on from the introduction of the Kina Automated Transfer System (KATS) by the Bank of Papua New Guinea.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?cc62c1
Australia Benefits From PNG Corruption
A director of an independent monitor of Australia's aid and trade policy says the Australian Government must do more to combat corruption in Papua New Guinea, including bringing to account Australian companies involved in fraudulent land and business leases in the Pacific nation.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?8531a3
More Rice
An attempt to grow rice in the East Sepik is underway. The hybrid SL-8H rice variety comes from the Philippines
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?7dcbb0
National Research Institute
Dr Thomas Webster, Director of the National Research Institute, will retire soon and be replaced by Dr Charles Yala. Dr Yala will commence work as Director on the 1st of June 2015.
Dr Webster served as director for eleven years.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?3df7ea
Prisoners Graduate
A total of 60 detainees at Bomana prison have graduated after undergoing a two week training in entrepreneurial skills under the sponsorship of the Papa SAM Foundation.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?d6d4ca
Lae Evictions
Illegal settlers in Lae from Kabwum residing on a portion of land that is not legally their own are now subject to an eviction exercise currently being carried near the Speedway in Lae.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?c2998d
Concerns Over Logging Funds
The PNG Eco-Forestry Forum believes the PNG government has stripped some 130 million kina ($AUD60 million dollars) out of the Log Export Development Levy and used it to plug holes in its budget.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?fc1517
Cricket Star Returns
21 year old PNG Cricket, Lega Siaka quietly returned to the country recently, returning from his Cricket scholarship stint in Melbourne, Australia and will undergo training with the Digicel PNG Barramundis team.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?f798bb
Writers Association
Twenty-one Port Moresby writers have recently held a meeting in the Kuri Dom Building at the Waigani campus of the University of PNG. Part of the meeting discussed forming an entity for writers in Port Moresby.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?ab32d1?
Cricket Selection Explained
Cricket PNG has advised that the name of the finalised women's and men's team will be ready for the PNG Olympic Committee's deadline of 17th of April this year.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?2494a1
Cricket PNG Announces Squads for the National Regional Men's Championships in Lae -- http://giaman.com/pg/?64a807
Fuel Prices
An increase in international crude oil prices has seen fuel prices rice in the country.
For this month, the retail fuel prices for Port Moresby will increase as follows:
Petrol will increase by 24.30 toea per litre; Diesel will increase by 17.00 toea per litre; and Kerosene will increase by 19.13 toea per litre
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?14efbb
Bita Paka Centenary
On the 11th of September 1914, the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force captured the German wireless station at Bita Paka, near Rabaul in East New Britain, then part of German New Guinea.
Read more -- http://giaman.com/pg/?3d5181
Cheshire Homes
Cheshire Homes now known as Cheshire disAbility Services has received a helping hand from congregation members of the PNG Methodist Church. The church members recently dropped in with over K13,000 worth of food, blankets, bed sheets, pillow cases and other items.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/84010
Court Workload
The Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea says if it was not for poor or bad lawyering, the courts' workload would be reduced by 30 per cent. He says the courts have a backlog of more than 21,000 cases dating back 32 years because of what he calls "bad lawyering".
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?aa8a6c
City Clean Up
K1 million has been set up to clean-up Port Moresby before the Pacific Games begins in July this year. The clean-up campaign will be launched this month.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/83941
PNG Fishing Praised
The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) has commended two fisheries project planned for Rabaul, in East New Britain, saying they will have vast economic benefits.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?15f3e6
Rabaul Queen Trial
Three years after the ferry sank off Papua New Guinea's north coast on 2 February 2012 with the loss of more than 173 lives, a Commission of Inquiry, a police investigation, and the subsequent arrests, the trials are yet to begin.
On 19 March 2015, the Kokopo District Court is to establish if a prima facie case has been established by the police prosecution.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?e15e0c
Power Board Suspended
Public Enterprises Minister Ben Micah has suspended the board of directors and the chairman of PNG Power Ltd.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/84109
Divine Word University
Over 750 students were expected to graduate from Divine Word University (DWU) over the weekend. The graduation featured students passing out of the full-time programs, part-time flexible learning programs and new nursing officers from the Lutheran School of Nursing in Madang, which is an affiliate of DWU.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?c2db7e
PNG Ports Donate
PNG Ports Limited has thrown in its financial support to assist EM TV in bringing the Games to the people. In ensuring live broadcasts are transmitted, PNG Ports has come on board with K66,000 in assistance to EM TV.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?76d840
POM PMV Fares
People using Public Motor Vehicles (PMVs) in Port Moresby continue to complain about high fares charged by operators despite warnings.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/84101
Lamington Rescuer Honoured
A man who led the first crew to the site of the 1951 Mount Lamington volcano eruption, which killed an estimated 3000 people, has been honoured by the PNG Government. Des Martin, a Kiap in 1951, has received the Order of Logohu medal.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?3e09fa
Red Cross Health Post
The International Committee of the Red Cross has reached an agreement with PNG authorities to establish a community health post in Southern Highlands.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?22ddf8
National Broadcasting Commission
Fifteen workers at the National Broadcasting Commission have been made redundant. A farewell dinner was held recently for seven of them who have at least 280 years of radio experience between them.
-- http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/84001
Hunter's CEO Resigns
Brad Tassell, CEO of the PNG Hunters, has resigned citing pressure from "rivals". He says that he has been the target of a constant and malicious campaign against him since he took on the position and his health and his family have suffered because of it.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?b1e92a
Minister Condemns Campaign
The PNG Minister for Sport has condemned faceless individuals who hide behind social media for driving out the Chief Executive of the PNG Rugby Football League and the PNG Hunters.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?754371
Fears that resignation of top official will send PNG rugby league backwards -- http://giaman.com/pg/?93fa18
Mioks
The first four players scouted in the Coca Cola Ipatas Cup-Southern Leg Challenge were today officially welcomed by Patron of Enga Mioks and Enga Governor Peter Ipatas and Coach Timothy Lepa in Port Moresby.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?d1969a
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.
MV Ammari to visit PNG in 2015 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?b0355c
Pacific Games - PNG 4 to 18 July 2015 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?081f78
Remembrance Day, 23 July 2015
National Day of Repentance, 26 August 2015
PNG Medical Symposium, usually September 2015
Goroka Show, September 2015
PNG Independence Day, 16 September 2015
Morobe Show, October 2015
Alotau Canoe and Kundu Festival, November 2015
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November 2015
Christmas Day - 25 December 2015
Boxing Day - 26 December 2015
Trade Pasifika - 2016 in Port Moresby
Pacific Mini Games - Vanuatu 2017
2018 - APEC summit to be held in Port Moresby.
Do you have an event that you want advertised? - Use the submission form located at -- http://www.pnggossip.com/misc/ctc.html
PNG Media
Interested in having your own Web Site? Worried about the cost? It may be cheaper than you think. Take a look at pricing at the PNG Web Hosting site. Sites with space for unlimited data storage and data transfer per month start from less than US$5.00 per month. -- DOT COM Domains from US$9.00 per year. All plans come with 24 hour a day / 7 day a week ticket / phone support
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 -- http://www.pnggossip.com/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.