Woman Lashed to Pole Dies

A young woman has reportedly been lashed naked to a pole and burnt to death in what authorities fear may be another sorcery killing in the Western Highlands.

Black magic is still practiced in the highlands of the country and women are often killed for having extra marital affairs, accused of sorcery or blamed for spreading HIV/AIDS.

The Post Courier reports that more than 50 people have been wilfully murdered, some in gruesome fashion, for allegedly practising sorcery in two Highlands provinces last year.

see -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20090108/news01.htm

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