PNG's Worst City

Where is PNG's worst city? The National Capital of Port Moresby has long had a reputation as being one of the most unlivable cities for expatriates in the world or so it seems if you believe an annual survey conducted and published by The Economist. The last survey rated it as 137 out of 140 cities. However citizens of Lae claim criminals have better weapons and ammunition than the police and security companies. They even have better police uniforms than the police! Goroka along with other major towns has recently suffered days of rioting mainly targeted at Asian operated shops. Even far flung Porgera has been hit by troubles. No town is immune a little over a year ago the only bank in Kerema town was robbed. It was reported as an inside job organised by the entire senior staff together with local criminals. It might just be that every town can claim the prize of being the worst at one time or another.

Baha'i Gathering

A regional conference of 1500 participants recently in Lae made this the biggest gathering of Baha'is in PNG. The conference was one of 41 being held in cities around the world by the Baha'i. Read about the challenges of attending the conference -- http://news.bahai.org/story/689 -- in fact this story would be fairly typical for people attending any conference in PNG.

Airline Security Scare

Radio Australia's Firmin Nanol reports that police in PNG's Western Highlands province found a rocket launcher and nine grenades in a traveller's baggage. The passenger arrived at Mt Hagen's Kagamuga airport via a light plane from Kikori in the Gulf province recently.

In another incident Air Niugini management confirmed that a grenade had been found in a passenger seat pocket on a flight between Buka, Rabaul, Lae and Port Moresby. The national airline has immediately taken steps to boost the checking of planes and luggage in the interests of passenger safety, including sending marshals on every flight to and from Buka.

see -- http://malumnalu.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-terrible-way-for-papua-new-guinea_05.html
see also -- http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/200901/2459446.htm -- and -- http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/programguide/stories/200901/s2459473.htm

Road Maintenance

The National Roads Authority (NRA) will soon take over the maintenance of all national roads in the country. There is over 9,000km of national roads that the NRA would become responsible for. The NRA currently is responsible for a 40km section of road from Lae to the turn off to Nadzab airport.

Four men to stand trial for death of student

The Lae District Court has sent four men, charged with the murder of a student from the University of Technology to appear before the National Court in the new year. The four men, who are remanded in custody at the Buimo Jail, will appear before the national court in February.

Fire at Best Buy Lae

A fire has destroyed the Best Buy supermarket in Lae, Morobe provonce. This was the site of the historical Burns Philip store - an icon of Lae for many years. The liquor store was one of the last sections to go up in flames so many onlookers took advanatge of the situation to loot the store. It didn't matter if the beer was not cold and some of the bottles were hot from the flames.