Hot curry

Curry powder sparks fire alert on Air India plane
Article from: AAP
From correspondents in Mumbai

June 13, 2009 08:28pm

AN Air India passenger jet heading to Frankfurt was forced to return to Mumbai after a bag of curry powder set off smoke and fire alarms, according to reports.
Pilots on the Boeing 747-400 plane activated fire extinguishers after receiving a cockpit warning about a fire in the cargo hold early Friday morning, the Mumbai Mirror newspaper said.
But on the plane's return to India's financial and entertainment capital, engineers said the alert had been triggered by the escape of particles from a bag containing up to 3kg of curry powder.
The bag, belonging to a passenger from the western Indian state of Gujarat, was removed before the plane took off again after a 12-hour delay.
"On taking off for the second time, the pilot apologised for the delay and announced that a bag containing curry powder had caused the problem," Air India spokesman Jitendra Bhargava was quoted as saying.
Mangoes and meat products that generate heat have been suspected of causing similar incidents on Air India flights in the past, the newspaper said.

Local Papua New Guinea beauty

Picture of a local beauty at the Kerevat National High School singsing day outside Rabaul, East New Britain province, last weekend. Picture by JOHN PANGKATANA

 

7 quarantined for suspected swine flu in Papua New Guinea

Swine flu test samples sent to Brisbane

 

By KESSIE TADAP in The National, Papua New Guinea’s leading daily newspaper

 

THE Pacific International Hospital (PIH) in Port Moresby has reported that it has clinically quarantined seven people suspected of carrying the influenza A (H1N1) or swine flu virus.

However, the hospital is yet to confirm the cases as swine flu because tests have to be done in Brisbane, Australia as facilities to carry out the tests are not available in the country.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) late last night declared that the outbreak has reached the level of a full-blown pandemic, raising its alert level on the pandemic alert scale to phase six.

It is the first official pandemic to be declared in 40 years. Worldwide, more than 27,000 people in 74 countries have been sickened by the virus, with 141 deaths (see reports on Page 15).

PIH deputy chairman, Dr Mathias Sapuri, said yesterday that the hospital should receive the test results from

Brisbane by tomorrow.

The hospital screened patients over the last four weeks and tested 20 people for the swine flu virus. Of these, seven have been quarantined.

Dr Sapuri said the suspected cases had been quarantined, meaning that they have been cautioned to stay at home and keep to themselves, wash their hands, wear masks as much as possible, and also to keep away from others, including their family members.

Dr Sapuri said these suspected cases had also been given Tamiflu vaccine, the medicine supplied by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Their swabs have been collected and sent to Australia for confirmation and tests.

“We have done the clinical diagnosis but their blood tests, which we are waiting for, will tell us whether they have the virus or not,” Dr Sapuri said.

He said the seven people had flu-like symptoms and had also passed through Australia, where an influenza A (H1N1) epidemic has been declared.

Dr Sapuri also said that if anyone was experiencing flu-like symptoms, they must go to PIH where swine flu tests could be done and free Tamiflu medicines could be provided to those confirmed to be carrying the virus.

He said this was important, so that any cases of the virus could be quarantined and treated early before a pandemic broke out in PNG.

He said all suspected cases must be tested because if there was an outbreak, many of the vulnerable population which includes children, the elderly, those malnourished and sick, would not be able to resist and fight many diseases such as pneumonia.

Dr Sapuri said PIH was in the process of introducing a much quicker swine flu testing kit, which will take only 15 minutes to give a reading.

He said PIH would continue to conduct free swine flu tests for the public including providing free Tamiflu vaccine and would also continue to follow the guidelines set by the WHO to combat the virus.

Health Minister Sasa Zibe warned earlier this week that it was only a matter of time before the epidemic arrived in PNG.

 

Irregular carbon credits cause upheaval in the government of Papua New Guinea

From Economist.com

AT THE United Nations climate change conference in Bali two years ago, the head of the delegation from Papua New Guinea, Kevin Conrad, became a celebrity of sorts. He challenged America to lead the world on climate change or “get out of the way”. America, which had been insisting that poorer countries make more promises on fighting climate change, backed down. That allowed delegates to agree on a road map for setting up an international treaty to replace the existing Kyoto protocol.

Mr Conrad directs an organisation called the Coalition for Rainforest Nations, an alliance of 33 countries that promotes “avoided deforestation”—which means taking measures to prevent trees being chopped down. Deforestation accounts for about a fifth of the world’s emissions of greenhouse gases. The coalition argues that poor countries urgently need the revenue logging can bring. If rich countries want them to preserve their forests to keep the planet cool, they should provide some compensation for the forgone logging revenue. In other words, rich countries that are obliged to make reductions in carbon emissions under a new climate treaty could pay owners of forests to stop deforesting as a way of reducing carbon emissions.

The World Bank, the UN and various donor countries such as Norway are enthusiastic about the approach—partly after prodding by Papua New Guinea.

The proposed process for formalising such trading is known as REDD, which stands for reduction of emissions from deforestation and degradation. International talks are under way in Bonn as part of an attempt to decide how REDD would work. But for now the UN does not endorse any offsets based on avoided deforestation. Nor do rules apply to voluntary credits, such as those bought by airline passengers to offset the carbon emissions of their flights.

Even before agreement on which projects might qualify, a REDD market has emerged on the basis of promises to deliver carbon credits from pilot REDD projects. Some traders are willing to buy and sell on the assumption that real credits will be delivered one day. In 2008, REDD projects made up 14% of forest carbon “credits” traded on the voluntary credit market.

Such trading may be speculative, but it is legitimate. Yet no government is able to issue any legal REDD credit, as no framework exists for doing so. Indeed, even if REDD is formalised later this year, some expect that credits would be issued by third parties not governments. Nonetheless, the government of Papua New Guinea has apparently been issuing credits. For example, documents obtained by The Economist suggest that, on November 3rd 2008, the country’s Office of Climate Change (OCC), a part of the executive branch, issued REDD credits for 1m tonnes of carbon, supposedly under the proposed REDD mechanism.

Betha Somare, press secretary for the prime minister, said in a formal statement “the OCC has no legal mandate to issue any forest carbon credits, other than afforestation and reforestation through the Clean Development Mechanism, nor is there currently any REDD asset in existence due to a lack of a regulatory framework for forest carbon in Papua New Guinea”. Officials are now looking in to how REDD credits came to be issued.

Further investigation suggests that at least 39 more such REDD “credits”, which apparently each denote 1m tonnes of carbon, have been issued by the OCC for projects across the country in pilot projects of up to a dozen forests. One of the companies involved in the development of these forests as future REDD credits said a number of certificates had been issued by the OCC. These, it added, were “not real” but rather “symbolic” certificates.

One of these REDD carbon “credits” has caused particular outrage in the country. The area of forest is given as the “Kamula Duso REDD Project”. Yet the 800,000 hectares of virgin rainforest in Kamula Duso are at the heart of a long-running legal dispute over ownership, and the land is now the subject of a court injunction. Until the courts settle the legality of an agreement with the Forest Authority to permit logging, nobody is supposed to touch it.

The emergence of the Kamula Duso credit was one of the reasons for a crisis meeting of the country’s governors in May. All of the governors asked for the OCC to be referred to a public-accounts committee, and to undergo an audit. They also demanded that the office should be restrained from issuing any carbon credits or approving any carbon trade project. At the same time the governors also wrote to the Norwegian and Australian governments, the UNDP and the EU asking for aid funding to be suspended pending these inquiries.

The Economist has also obtained credits that were signed by a government minister in 2005 and that denote ownership in carbon sinks in relation to the Clean Development Mechanism. These credits are also now the subject of investigation by officials. As too is a financial arrangement that would have seen brokers provide money for running the OCC, should REDD be agreed.

Upon receiving a copy of the Kamula Duso credit last week, Ms Somare said, “very recently apparent irregularities within the OCC have come to our attention. As a result the prime minister has asked for a review to be carried out and a report to be made to his office. Other prudential measures are being taken within the OCC until the results of the review are available.” She added that the government could not say more at this stage while it was taking legal advice.

Kevin Conrad, interviewed last week, said it was too early to conclude what went wrong but said an “independent review” was under way. He added that “carbon speculators” were putting pressures on landowners in many countries to sell large tracts of forest ahead of a possible deal on avoided deforestation in Copenhagen later this year.

The broader issue with any kind of carbon credit, however, is ensuring that governments of poor countries behave impeccably. Indeed, if problems like this can happen in Mr Conrad’s own back yard, it suggests that the challenges ahead for REDD are tough ones.

Avoided deforestation is a big deal for climate-change policy. It is also a prize worth fighting for, even if it is hard to achieve. Poor governance, on top of poorly defined and defended forest property rights, mean that without proper care REDD could become a recipe for disaster rather than part of a solution the world needs.

 

Papua New Guinea carbon racket dupes landowners

Landowners in Papua New Guinea are being cheated by conmen offering fake carbon trading deals and promising big returns.

AAP reports the carbon trading racket has duped at least 500 villagers since late last year around Popondetta in Oro province.

Some people have paid 400 US dollars to register as shareholders in a carbon trading company after being promised big dividends from the millions of dollars expected to be made from carbon trading in the country.

The villagers receive a receipt from an agent but never see their money again.

The conservation organisation, WWF says there is confusion in Papua New Guinea about how to make best use of its lucrative rainforests

WWF spokesperson Dave Melick, says people are calling it ’sky money’ or ’selling the air’.

This month, Reuters and The Economist magazine reported a litany of anomalies with PNG’s Office of Climate Change.

It appears the office has been offering millions of dollars worth of carbon credits while no legislation or policy exists in the country or under United Nations guidelines.

The Prime Minister’s spokesperson says a review is being conducted into the apparent irregularities.

Government sources say the Climate Change Office director Dr Theo Yasause could soon be sacked.

 

Law and Justice Sector exhibition launched at University of Goroka

On the 9th June 2009, an awareness exhibition from the Law and Justice Sector Secretariat was officially launched at the University of Goroka.

The ceremony, held on campus at the Mark Solon Auditorium, was attended by students, UOG staff, local stakeholders of the Law and Justice Sector, its NGO partners and local dignitaries from the provincial administration. 

The university showed its support for the Law and Justice Sector by agreeing to co-host the exhibition on campus.

Acting Vice Chancellor of UOG, Associate Professor Michael Mel stated that the University has always supported the Law and Justice Sector and “recognises it as significant within the community”.

 In his official speech for the event, he pointed out that “justice remains within us..and it is our own responsibility to protect our rights and to recognise our responsibilities in the community”. 

Associate Professor Mel also stated that UOG was happy and proud to have the exhibition on campus and available to the community.

Associate Professor Mel officially opened the exhibition with Law and Justice Sector on the day with the Easter Highlands Province Deputy Administrator Mr John Gimeseve. 

Aimed at students and the general public, the exhibition will help to inform the community of their rights when it comes to the law. 

It will also highlight the assistance available for the solving of law and order disputes, and inform the public of the various departments involved in law and justice issues.

The exhibition entitled Respect for Law, Respect for Property and Respect for One Another is currently being held in the ground floor of the Steven Eka Library at UOG until the 19th June 2009. 

Geoff Baskett and the land of ‘Islands and Mountains’

Kristen Redio carved gift

Holding carving are Kristen Redio founder Geofrey Baskett, chairman Len Valu (right), and manager Robin Steven in Lae in 1991

Geoff Baskett singing at Lae celebrations to mark Kristen Redio's 25th aniversary in 1991

Geoff Baskett (left) at the presentation of an MBE at Government House in Sydney in 1990 for 56 years of dedicated service to Paoua New Guinea

Captain Geoff Baskett (third from left) during WW11

Last week, after years of not knowing where or how he was, I finally heard from a great icon of Papua New Guinea, Geoff Baskett.
In a life of achievements, he is most famously known in PNG for being the composer of well-know songs such as ‘Papua New Guinea’ (which might have become our national anthem), ‘Islands and Mountains (known internationally as The Song of Kwaro)’ and ‘We Are Free’.
I basically lost touch with Mr Baskett in 1995 and, after a brief stint with Kristen Redio in Lae, and since then, trying to locate him has been like searching for a needle in a haystack.
I finally hit the jackpot a couple of weeks ago when my good mate, veteran journalist and Post-Courier features writer Newman Cuthbert, asked me if I had a copy of Mr Baskett’s acclaimed autobiography Islands and Mountains.
Indeed I had, and I willingly lent it to Newman, who reciprocated by providing me with Mr Baskett’s contact details.
Receiving an email from this great man, now aged 93, was a very emotional experience for me.
“Now, at the age of 93, my next New Home is based on the Lord’s promise of eternal life with Him,” he wrote.
“Quoting from the Bible: ‘My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’.
“My prayer is that many who read these words will join me in the beauty, joy and peace of a Christian’s life here on earth. May all who claim Him as their Lord and Saviour now, come in the future to live with Him in the place He has prepared for us.”
Baskett was born at Kohat in the high Himalayan Mountains of India and lived a fascinating life, one which every schoolboy dreams of.
As a teenager, he left Sydney for a six-week visit to Kwato, an island off the southeast coast of Papua.
That visit turned into nearly 60 years of service to the nation of PNG.

Baskett first came to PNG in 1933 and worked day and night shifts on tractors and a gold dredge on the Bulolo gold fields, served on the islands and mainland with Australia New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) during World War 11 when he rose through the ranks from private to captain.
He also worked in various capacities on the staff of the well-known Kwato Mission and founded a complex for the production of Christian radio programs for 19 radio stations before his “retirement” to Australia.
“When I finally retired in 1990, I went to live in Australia and at the very kind invitation of retired missionaries from Papua New Guinea, Mr Alan Nutt and his wife Elaine,” Mr Baskett wrote.
“I stayed with them at their home in Castle Hill, Sydney, New South Wales.
“I was able to help Elaine who was teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) at the Redeemer Baptist School.
“Elaine looked after the younger Asian children from the kindergarten stage and higher classes while I taught the Asian students from Form 9 to Form 12.
“ This suited me very well as I had found it hard to hear the voices of the younger generation and when I did, I found it even harder to understand what they were saying!
“I thoroughly enjoyed teaching the students as I found them all keen to learn English and very appreciative of the help I was giving them on a voluntary basis.
“The students were from South Korea, Taiwan and China and I understood from them that all Asian students were keen to learn English as it made it possible for them to read books printed in that language.
“It also meant that there were many more opportunities for them to find employment in Australia and in their home countries after leaving school.
“In 1997, Alan and Elaine Nutt decided to leave Castle Hill and live at Port Macquarie, some 390km north of Sydney.
“Once again they very kindly invited me to stay with them and as a result we moved into a double-storied home at Amaroo Parade close to the ocean at Port Macquarie.
“Port Macquarie is a most delightful city.
“It boasts eight beautiful surfing beaches, modern shops and, according to a recent newspaper report, the best climate in the world!
“In July this year Alan and Elaine Nutt and I moved into a new home in an area known as ‘Sanctuary Springs’ in Port Macquarie.
“It’s in a very pleasant open area, close to four lakes surrounded by gum trees and with a wide variety of birds and even the occasional kangaroo!”
Baskett tells of the songs he wrote, and his love for PNG, in his autobiography Islands and Mountains.
“Four songs I have written are now printed in a hymn book that is in wide use in Papua New Guinea, and I have often thought that these songs have contributed more to this nation than any book I could have written,” he writes in the book.
“After all, a book once it has been read is usually put away on a shelf for a very long time before it is read again, whereas a song, usually a hymn, is used time and time again, often long after the death of the composer.
“So, as I said, I think there is more value in composing a song that is known to many thousands of people than in writing a book that is read by relatively few.”

Papua New Guinea

Our land is the island of high mountains,

Of sunlit palms and coral sea,

Where our people sing while the drums are beating,

For our land is strong and free.

Papua……….New Guinea……….

Papua New Guinea our Motherland

Every tribe and race, let us work together,

United we shall stand

There’s a bright new day dawning for our land

As every tribe and race unite

Sons and daughters arise, we’ll advance together

With God to guide us in the right.

Papua……….New Guinea……….

Papua New Guinea our Motherland

Every tribe and race, let us work together

United we shall stand.

Islands and Mountains

Islands and mountains, and sunshine and breeze,

Flowers and moonlight, swaying palm trees,

Jungles and rivers, white coral sand,

This is my country, this is my land.

Dark were the days when men lived in fear,

Fear of the arrow, stone club and spear,

Fighting and hatred filled every land,

That was my country, that was my land

Then came the change that brought peaceful days,

News of our Saviour, learning his ways,

Darkness is fading out of our land,

We know the peace of His guiding hand.

What of the future? Soon we shall be,

Teachers and leaders of our country,

We’ll build our nation as God had planned,

Make this His country, make this His land.

Then shall our country be free and strong,

Homes will be filled with laughter and song,

Peace in our hearts and work for our hands,

Unite our nation with other lands,

Unite our nation with other lands.

We Are Free

Like the birds as they fly over high mountains,

Like the fish as they swim in the sea,

Like the clouds as they float in the clear blue sky,

We are free! We are free! We are free!

Like the songs of a bird at the break of day,

Like the wind in the leaves of a tree,

Like the waves as they break on a coral shore,

We are free! We are free! We are free!

Independence has come, now we all must work

To unite Papua New Guinea,

We shall build our new nation in peace and love,

We are free! We are free! We are free!

We are free! We are free! We are free!

Geoff Baskett can be contacted on email anu16734@bigpond.net.au or write to him at 27 Serene Circuit, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444, Australia.