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PNG News Links
Confederation for Indian Industries Delegation to visit PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?813de6
Measuring the cost of gender-based violence -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a5fd9f
Murder Suspects Appear for Mention -- http://giaman.com/pg/?dbc0df
Department of Provincial and Local Government Affairs Dedication Service -- http://giaman.com/pg/?54964f
Australia supports Young Women's Leadership Project in Bougainville -- http://giaman.com/pg/?7b170f
Australia slammed over PNG refugee situation -- http://giaman.com/pg/?0b4447
Baki Calls on Expat Driver Who Filmed Rogue Traffic Officer to Come Forward -- http://giaman.com/pg/?b6c852
PNG stuns Ireland in T20 thriller -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a203d2
PNG to take a more low-key approach at Rio Olympics, with focus on Tokyo in 2020 -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8012ae
Woman to Face Sentence for Forgery -- http://giaman.com/pg/?718432
Lae Nursing College Prime Suspects Caught -- http://giaman.com/pg/?d549d2
Misc. Links
Niugini Black Bass Research -- http://giaman.com/pg/?df6a46
World Adventure - PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?fd8840
Who reads books in PNG? -- http://giaman.com/pg/?f57078
Dancing on the Weekend -- http://giaman.com/pg/?04183a
Pictures from PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?e09003
Dogura re-visited -- http://giaman.com/pg/?519145
Robert Oeka - Kerema Mori -- http://giaman.com/pg/?28fa5f
Daru Airport -- http://giaman.com/pg/?e02164
P2-ANZ at Bulolo -- http://giaman.com/pg/?46bbd4
Kavieng Queen -- http://giaman.com/pg/?4257f5
Morobe Miner -- http://www.morobeminer.com
Our first to PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?cc9f02
Kokoda Historical -- http://giaman.com/pg/?3aeba7
News Items
New Deputy Police Commissioners
The Papua New Guinea Government has appointed former Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner, Alan Scott as one of the deputy commissioners in the Papua New Guinea Royal Constabulary. Prime Minister Peter O'Neill announced this while welcoming the appointment by National Executive Council (NEC) of three Deputy Commissioners in the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC).
PM O'Neill said the people of the nation have made their opinions clear that they expect better from police and the appointment of the three Deputy Commissioners is another step in instituting reform.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?4edfd8
Oil Search Loan
Six banks are pitching to refinance a $1 billion loan underpinning Papua New Guinea's 10 per cent stake in ASX-listed Oil Search. PNG acquired the shares at $8.20 each, while the stock closed recently at $6.90.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?a968b0
Language Hunt
Environmentalists, biologists and insect experts shake the world when a plant or animal species is endangered or prone to extinction, but who does it for the one thing that carries culture and identity - language.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?d6e2bf
YWAM Returns
Medical ship, the MV YWAM PNG, has returned to PNG waters for another medical mission, but this time in the form of a bigger and newly refitted shipping vessel. The 60 metre long and five storey vessel is complete with a dentistry and a day procedure unit for cataracts surgeries, while additional mobile teams will run primary health care and optometry clinics ashore.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?f0bbc9
Momis Told To Be More Conciliatory
Veteran Bougainville politician, Sam Akoitai calls for a more conciliatory approach from Bougainville's ABG over funding row with Port Moresby.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?3dbdd6
Momis: No More Excuses -- http://giaman.com/pg/?eb02b3
Secondary Students Suspended
Several Grade 10 students at Kila Kila Secondary School, in Port Moresby, have been suspended for two days due to fighting with the new grade 9 students.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?da33f0
Health Worker Despair
Papua New Guinea's Catholic Health Services is facing difficulty in accessing drugs to cope with serious TB and malaria problems in Western Province as the government cuts funding.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?3523a6
Police Commander to Visit Malalaua
The head of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, Gari Baki, has responded to the lack of transport concerns raised by Malalaua Police in Gulf. Commissioner Baki told EMTV News that he will direct the Southern Divisional Commander to visit the rural command and assess the situation.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?5595cb
Social Issues Affect PNG Economy
Social issues are affecting PNG's Economy and there remains a need for a holistic approach to be given in addressing social security of individuals to promote economic sustainability within households in communities and the country as a whole.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?f6c7e7
Fraudulent Accident Claims
Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) is teaming up with the Police and Port Moresby General Hospital to address fraudulent claims. According to MVIL's investigation into 135 claims in Central province in 2015, 60 claims were confirmed to be potential fraudulent.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?df3eae
Drought Affects 2 Million
The PNG National Disaster Centre estimates the severe El Nino-driven drought currently affects 2 million people around the country. In a population of 7.3 million, 87 per cent live outside urban centres; most are subsistence farmers.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?a8004c
Food distribution to frantic PNG communities 'patchy' -- http://giaman.com/pg/?496fcc
See also - El Niño takes its toll on agricultural output -- http://giaman.com/pg/?e6e4b6
Operation Open Heart
Operation Open Heart (OOH) is held annually and for this year there will be two scheduled visits. The first is currently underway and the next will be held in July. A total of 19 Australian medical professionals have been in Port Moresby since Sunday February 7th. Six Papua New Guinean specialists including Noah Tapaua, Dr Elisabeth Alok, Dr Cornelia Kilalang, Professor Nakapi Tefuarani, Professor Sir Isi Kevau and Dr Jack Amina.
BSP has made a donation of K100,000 to OOH.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?6076be
Forces Re-Furbish College
Members of the three disciplined forces will use the re-furbished Joint Services College in Lae for cadet training.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?68842f
Black Bass Could Help PNG
Scientists say sport fishing for the Niugini black bass could benefit the people of PNG but only if biologists learn more about the species first.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?1e43c2
Police Hunt Chinese National
Police in Port Moresby say they are on the hunt for a Chinese national who is implicated in a massive fraud investigation. Police say Zhou Qianbin has failed to appear in court for the last two weeks. Mr Zhou is alleged to have stolen over a million kina from his employer, along with his wife, Ge Jiao Jiao who police believe has fled the country.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?784210
ICRC Signs Agreement
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the PNG Government have signed a Headquarters Agreement. ICRC Head of Mission Mr Lefevre says that ICRC had been in operation in the country without this formal agreement and now that it has been formally sign it will boost ICRCs work in PNG to go a step further in helping the people of PNG.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?30b89b
Rethink Tertiary Requirements
The opposition leader, Don Polye, says the government needs to re-think its tough new tertiary entry requirements. He said the government raised the grade point average required, but he asked if this was because it was running out of money.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?483bea
School Baptises 97 Students
Ninety-seven students from the Kama Adventist Primary School have been baptised after their school offered a year of Bible studies, the South Pacific Adventist Record reported recently. The school is located in Goroka the capital of the Eastern Highlands province.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?fe1b5b
Manus Refugee Update
All asylum seekers on Manus who are determined not to be refugees will have to leave the country, according to foreign minister Rimbink Pato. He confirmed that 514 of the asylum seekers on Manus Island have had their refugee status determined, more than half of those at the Regional Processing Centre.
In a press release, Mr Pato said 472 of those processed had been determined to be refugees and were "free to depart from the processing centre and commence settling in PNG". Rimbink Pato added that the government is working to resolve the status of West Papuan refugees who he said comprised more than 90% of refugees in PNG.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?f9f10d
Questions over refugee resettlement efforts in PNG -- http://giaman.com/pg/?8ca7a9
New US Ambassador Arrives
U.S. Ambassador-designate Catherine Ebert-Gray has arrived in Port Moresby following her 9th of December 2015 confirmation by the United States Senate and her swearing-in as the U.S. Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands on the 22nd of January 2016.
The ambassador-designate is scheduled to present her credentials to the Governor General of Papua New Guinea, Grand Chief Sir Michael Ogio at Government House in Konedobu on the 23rd of February.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?68a0e1
From PNG to Poland
Brisbane teacher and missionary Sarah Bunting believes her love of the Church and the words of Pope Francis are guiding her next big challenge. She has started raising money to send 15 youths from Alotau, Milne Bay province to World Youth Day in Poland in July.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?dcb1ad
Correctional Service Commissioner
The Correctional Service Commissioner, Michael Waipo, is adamant that he has not been removed from his position. Commissioner Wapio made this remarks following unrest between members of the Correctional Service, on the recent appointment of an acting commissioner.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?0b578d
SP Sports Awards
SP Brewery has once again maintained its support of sport in the country by recently launching the 2016 SP Sports Awards witnessed by respective representatives from various sporting codes and the PNG Sports Foundation including the Olympic Committee.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?3adc7a
Hunters Rugby League
The Hunters are looking forward to bigger crowds when the new Queensland Cup rugby league season kicks off next month. After two years in Kokopo, the Hunters have shifted their home-base to Port Moresby.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?74daf7
Public Servant Housing
Land along the newly constructed Gerehu to Nine-Mile road has been made available as 1,734 blocks of land for public servants. The land will be given to qualified public servants through a raffle system. The scheme will be paired with the first home ownership scheme that the government has with the BSP Bank where K200 million has been given to the bank by the government for Papua New Guineans to access housing loans at a lower rate of interest.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?cfa672
Popondetta Updates
Link PNG has resumed flights to Girua airport, Popondetta. The airline added additional services to cater for the backlog of passengers.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?ff3b23
Workers from Queensland Civil Engineering Company Canstruct have been helping in the province. As many as 75 workers from the Brisbane-based developer have downed tools and are currently helping the relief effort by constructing makeshift wet crossings and temporary roadworks in the province.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?a7b250
Japanese Ambassador Visits Lae
The Japanese Ambassador to PNG his Excellency, Morio Matsumoto, has visited Lae for two days to inspect projects that involved the Japanese Government.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?f97cb2
Death Sentence
A man from the Gulf province has been sentenced to death by hanging for the "unnecessary cold blooded murder" of four Chinese nationals in Port Moresby. The National Court sentenced Keith Lasi-Aira of Ihu village to death by hanging after he viciously attacked and chopped three men and a woman to death with a bush knife in the early hours of the 24th of June 2013.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?538c86
PX Boeing 757-200
A Boeing 757-200 Loftleidir-Icelandic jet will be based in the capital Port Moresby for the next 12 months and will be operated by Icelandic pilots om behalf of Air Niugini. The plane will be used to service Nadi, Fiji.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?4956cd
Oceania Cruises
Oceania Cruises has announced several new additions to its line-up of dessert offerings including fine chocolates from Papua New Guinea.
-- http://giaman.com/pg/?f2985c
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.
3rd Trade Pasifika - 2016 in Port Moresby
12th Festival of Pacific Arts 22 May to 4 June 2016 (Hagatna, Guam)
2016 8th FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup tournament (November, Port Moresby) -- http://giaman.com/pg/?18525e
Christmas Day - 25 December 2016
Boxing Day - 26 December 2016
New Year's Day - 1st January 2017
Surfing Association PNG - World Surf League tour championship in January 2017
Pacific Mini Games - Vanuatu 2017
2018 - APEC summit to be held in Port Moresby -- http://giaman.com/pg/?a3e64e
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
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