Oil Search Ltd apoints Bart Philemon as director

Oil Search today announced the appointment of  Bart Philemon as a non-executive cirector of the company, effective immediately.

Bart Philemon

With distinguished careers in both business and public service, Philemon is acknowledged as one of Papua New Guinea's most influential leaders.
Philemon's career highlights include serving as chairman of Air Niugini and holding a number of ministerial posts in the PNG Government, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for Finance and Treasury.
Philemon served with distinction as the member for Lae Open in Government from 1992 until the recent elections and was appointed as a director of Highlands Pacific Ltd after leaving office.
Commenting on the appointment of  Philemon to the Oil Search board, chairman Brian Horwood said:"Oil Search is fortunate to secure someone of Bart Philemon's stature and experience in Papua New Guinea to serve on the Oil Search board, particularly at a time when the company is actively pursuing many growth opportunities within the country.
"The board looks forward to working with Bart in the realisation of those opportunities.
I would a"lso like to formally acknowledge the valuable service Robert Igara gave to the board and our shareholders over a 10-year period, prior to his resignation from the board in June this year to stand in the PNG elections.
"Robert's wise counsel was greatly appreciated by his board colleagues and we wish Robert well in his future pursuits."
Shareholder approval for Philemon's appointment to the board will be sought at the 2013 annual meeting.

Papua New Guinea welcomes the 'Queen's pikinini'

By Helen Lawson of Mail Online


The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were greeted by dancers and dignitaries in Papua New Guinea last night as the royal couple began their Diamond Jubilee tour on behalf of the Queen.
Charles and Camilla were draped with garlands of flowers and cheered by waiting crowds when they arrived in the capital Port Moresby after flying from the UK via Singapore.
As the Queen's son, Charles is known as her 'pikinini' in the pidgin English spoken in the Pacific nation.
The royal couple are touring Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand over the next two weeks in celebration of the Queen's historic milestone.

Prince Charles and Camilla arrived in Papua New Guinea today on the first leg of their Diamond Jubilee Tour on behalf of the Queen

The royal couple looked relaxed after their long flight from the UK via Singapore and smiled after being presented with colourful garlands

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall arrived on a Royal Australian Air Force plane at Jackson's International Airport in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea last night on the first leg of their Diamond Jubilee tour.

At one end of the red carpet Charles and Camilla met Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, his wife Lynda Babao and other senior dignitaries.
At the other end, local schoolchildren in tribal dress performed a hiri dance - used to welcome traders to a village.
Jessie David, a 15-year-old wearing a pandanas leaf skirt, body paint and a headdress made of bird of paradise feathers, was given the honour of placing the orchid flowers on the shoulders of the royals.
Citizens of Papua New Guinea speak more than 800 languages between them, with everyday communication conducted through English and Tok Pisin - a form of Melanesan Pidgin English. The Queen is known as 'Missis Kwin' and 'Mama belong big family'.

 After the greetings on the red carpet the Prince stood to attention for the British and Papua New Guinea national anthems, played by a military band, as 2,000 well wishers on a nearby hill watched proceedings at Jacksons International Airport.

Two rows of soldiers from the Papua New Guinea defence force lined up in front of the royals to form a guard of honour.
Their commander Brigadier General Francis Agwi escorted the Prince as he passed down the ranks inspecting the servicemen, stopping briefly to chat to some of them.
The Brigadier General was placed under house arrest by soldiers under his command earlier this year during an abortive coup that attempted to return former prime minister Sir Michael Somare back to power.

Charles and Camilla were presented with garlands at the bottom of the aeroplane steps by Jessie David, part of a group of local schoolchildren performing a hiri dance in traditional dress;

Prince Charles inspects the honour guard after arriving in Port Moresby on a three-day tour of Papua New Guinea.

Prince Charles is greeted by Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and his wife Lynda May Babao at Jackson's International Airport.

Later Charles was invested with the insignia of a Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu - an honour which carries the title of chief - by Governor General Sir Michael Ogio at the Airways Hotel.
The Order of Logohu - the Motuan tribe's word for the bird of paradise - is part of a new honours system introduced in 2005, the nation's 30th anniversary year, which recognises the high achievement of individuals.
Camilla was presented with the insignia of a Companion of the Order of the Star of Melanesia and the royal couple also received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee commemorative medal.

Papua New Guinea's Governor General Sir Michael Ogio presents Charles with the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu medal

Camilla also received an honour, being presented with the Grand Companion of the Order of the Star of Melanesia by Governor General Sir Michael Ogio.

Charles joked to the Governor General that it was 'very nice arriving when it wasn't too hot, there was a nice breeze'.
The Governor General's wife Esmie is a former hotel housekeeping maid from the Solomon Islands who married the Queen's representative last year in what was billed as the first state wedding in Papua New Guinea's history.
The couples posed together for a picture before retiring for the night.
The Prince and Duchess's itinerary begins tomorrow with them attending a traditional Sunday church service in a sports stadium with a congregation of hundreds.
Charles is colonel-in-chief of the Royal Pacific Islands Regiment and will present the unit with new colours before the royals watch a cultural performance in the arena.

Charles and Camilla posed with Papua New Guinea's Governor General, Sir Michael Ogio and Lady Ogio after receiving their honours,

.

Later in the day the Prince and Duchess will travel to the village of Boera where they will be shown elements of rural life including the products of traditional arts and crafts before meeting elders from local communities.
In the evening a state dinner will be staged in their honour hosted by the Governor General and his wife.

Diamond Jubilee: Charles and Camilla on Papua New Guinea tour

BBC News UK

The couple are visiting Papua New Guinea as part of their Diamond Jubilee tour

 

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have been welcomed to Papua New Guinea as they begin their tour to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Prince Charles and Camilla were draped with garlands of flowers and cheered by crowds when they stepped off their plane in the capital, Port Moresby.
The royal couple were also welcomed by the prime minister and schoolchildren.
They are touring the country, as well as Australia and New Zealand, in honour of the Queen's 60-year reign.
The prince and his wife met Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, his wife Lynda Babao and other senior dignitaries when they stepped on to the red carpet at Jacksons International Airport.
They were also greeted by local schoolchildren in tribal dress who performed a hiri dance, usually employed to welcome traders to a village.
Order of Logohu Jessie David, a 15-year-old wearing a pandanas leaf skirt, body paint and a headdress made of bird of paradise feathers, was given the honour of placing orchid flowers on the shoulders of the royals.
After the greetings, the formal welcome began and the British and Papua New Guinea national anthems were played by a military band as 2,000 well-wishers on a nearby hill watched proceedings.
Two rows of soldiers from the Papua New Guinea defence force formed a guard of honour for the couple.

Their commander, Brigadier General Francis Agwi, escorted the prince as he passed down the ranks inspecting the servicemen, stopping briefly to talk to some of them.
Later, Prince Charles was invested with the insignia of a Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu - an honour which carries the title of chief - by governor general Sir Michael Ogio.
The Order of Logohu, the Motuan tribe's word for the bird of paradise, is part of a new honours system introduced in 2005, the nation's 30th anniversary year, which recognises the high achievement of individuals.
Camilla was presented with the insignia of a Companion of the Order of the Star of Melanesia and the royal couple also received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee commemorative medal.
'Pikinini' Papua New Guinea is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and, linguistically, it is the world's most diverse country, with more than 700 native tongues.
Many of its inhabitants live in rural areas with few or no facilities of modern life.
Tribes in the isolated mountainous environment have little contact with one another, let alone with the outside world.
Communication is conducted through English and Tok Pisin, a form of Melanesian Pidgin English. In Pidgin, the prince is known as "pikinini", while the Queen is known as "Missis Kwin".
On Sunday, Charles and Camilla are expected to attend a traditional Sunday church service in a sports stadium and later they will attend a state dinner.
The Queen began festivities to mark her Diamond Jubilee in June with four days of public celebrations.

PNG crowd welcomes royals

By Eoin Blackwell,
AAP Papua New Guinea Correspondent


A crowd of several thousand has turned up at Port Moresby's Jackson's
Airport to witness the arrival of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess
of Cornwall in Papua New Guinea.
Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, have just landed on a Royal
Australian Air Force plane to begin a 13-day tour of the Southern
Hemisphere to mark Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.
The royals are to be met with a 21 gun salute and will be greeted by
200 school children dressed in traditional PNG attire.
The children, or pikinis in pidgin, will be greeting nambawan pikini
bilong misis kwin (number one child of the Queen) with a Hiri dance -
a traditional dance performed as part of a trading ritual by coastal
peoples who live near Port Moresby.
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Outside the official welcoming area, the crowd let off a cheer as
members of the defence force entered the grounds.
Prince Charles and the Duchess are expected to be cheered by 550
school children from around Port Moresby as they travel to meet
Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio on Saturday evening.
The royal duo will spend the next three days touring in and around the
capital, visiting a nearby village and participating in an ecumenical
church service and cultural display in Port Moresby.
It will be Prince Charles's fourth visit to the Pacific island nation
since he was a schoolboy in 1966.
It will be the Duchess of Cornwall's first trip to PNG.
The Prince and the Duchess leave PNG on Monday for Australia.
Prince Charles is expected to celebrate his 64th birthday in New
Zealand on November 14.

PNG readies for Charles and Camilla tour

AAP

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will kick off a 13-day tour of the southern hemisphere to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee with a visit to Papua New Guinea today.

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla are scheduled to touch down at PNG's capital Port Moresby this evening, to be greeted by traditional dancers and a 21-gun salute.

The pair will spend the next three days touring in and around the capital, visiting a nearby village and participating in an ecumenical church service and cultural display in Port Moresby.

It will be Charles' fourth visit to the Pacific island nation since his first trip there as a schoolboy in 1966.

It will be the Duchess of Cornwall's first visit to PNG.

The royal couple leave PNG on Monday for Australia.

Charles is expected to celebrate his 64th birthday in New Zealand on November 14.

 

Malarial disease threat on Australia's doorstep

By Rick Morton  from The Australian

  

THE deadly, mosquito-borne disease malaria remains a potent threat on Australia's doorstep where countries like Indonesia and Papua New Guinea need extra help to fight it, a report has found.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) founded the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership to take on the global fight and authored a report studying the effects of the disease battle outside of Africa, where it has long been at its most destructive.

Australia has pledged $100 million over the next four years to fight malaria in the Asia-Pacific, part of a bid to save 70,000 lives by 2015.

The funding includes $14.5 million to combat drug-resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong region of Asia, which threatens to drastically increase the disease's annual global death toll of at least 650,000.

A further $20 million will go specifically to three Pacific nations most affected by malaria - the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

Another $10 million has been earmarked for research under Australia's aid program.

The move was announced by Foreign Minister Bob Carr at a malaria conference in Sydney.

It's part of collaborative efforts to provide 276 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets, two billion rapid diagnostic tests and 47 million quality malaria drug treatments.

The Asia-Pacific is the second worst-hit part of the world, recording 30 million cases of malaria and 42,000 deaths in 2010.

Africa suffers the most, and experts at the conference have warned of a 25 per cent jump in mortality rates if drug-resistant malaria reaches the continent from Asia.

Drug resistance is caused by wrong treatments, patients not completing their treatments and the use of sub-standard and counterfeit drugs.

RBM Executive Director, Dr. Fatoumata Nafo-Traor, said the burden of malaria was significant and needed political action immediately.

"In the face of persistent economic uncertainty and profound changes in the landscape of global development aid, the region needs strong political leadership," he said.

"It also needs to develop financing strategies that include substantive and sustained domestic investment, traditional multilateral and bilateral aid and truly innovative sources of funding."

Millennium Development Goals, agreed to in principle by the Australian government, hope to reduce the "burden" of malaria by three-quarters by 2015.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr, in Sydney for the final day of the Malaria 2012: Saving Lives in the Asia Pacific conference, said action was needed in the region.

"We're pursuing the target of a 75 per cent reduction in malaria cases and deaths in the Asia-Pacific by 2015," he said.

"Malaria does not respect borders. Our focus must be on cross-regional action alongside traditional single-country strategies."

"Today's meeting is an opportunity for Asia-Pacific leaders to coordinate efforts in controlling or eliminating the spread of malaria."

Malaria persists in poor, often regional areas, and is usually easily preventable, though resistance to malarial drugs is building.

"Antimalarial drug resistance is one of the greatest challenges to continued success in controlling and eliminating malaria in the Asia-Pacific," said Dr. Robert Newman, Director of the WHO's Global Malaria Programme

"There is an urgent need for coordinated action against this public health threat. It will be critical to galvanise political action and secure investments to implement an emergency response plan for the Greater Mekong Subregion."

 

Additional reporting: AAP

Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall prepare to embark on Southern Hemisphere tour

By Lucy Kinder of The Telegraph

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will begin their 13 day tour of the Southern Hemisphere today to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.

The Prince and the Duchess will visit Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand in the latest trip to the Commonwealth by senior royals.

The trip will see the Prince return to Papua New Guinea for the fourth time. He first visited in 1966 aged 17 while studying at Geelong Grammar School in Australia.

But it will be a first visit for the Duchess who also revealed earlier this month that she had never been to Australia.

She made the admission at a St James's Palace reception to mark their tour.

One of the performers at the event, Kylie Minogue, jokingly ticked-off the Duchess, branding her 'naughty' for not visiting Australia before now.

Clarence House has said that the Prince would “renew old friendships and form new ties” during the two-week trip

But the Royal couple may have some trouble landing at their first tour destination as landowners in Papua New Guinea have threatened to shut down the national airport ahead of their visit.

The residents are claiming 4.5 million kina (£1.4 million) in compensation for land they lost when the airport in the capital, Port Moresby, was built.

The Prince and Duchess are due to land in Port Moresby on Saturday night as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. They will tour Port Moresby and the village of Boera, where locals are restoring coastal mangroves.

The Prince and the Duchess will be greeted by traditional sing-sings, in which tribes or villages gather to show off their distinct culture, dance and music, dressing in elaborate costumes and war paint.

They will leave Papua New Guinea on Monday for a six-day visit to Australia where they will tour the outback town of Longreach and the cities of Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, Sydney and Canberra.

The royal couple will end their tour in New Zealand, where Prince Charles will celebrate his 64th birthday on November 14 in Wellington.

The Duchess of Cornwall has been taking a break at a holistic Indian retreat before the start of the tour.

She has been staying at the Soukya health centre in Bangalore, an ayurvedic “wellness centre” offering rejuvenation and detoxification programmes.