BRISBANE - On this day of tragedy for PNG, Keith was discharged from Wesley Hospital this afternoon.  Keith asked readers to be told that his eighth spinal surgery has been a complete success but that he is distressed by the extent of the killings in Enga.  “This one can be laid at the feet of the politicians, “ he said. 

I'm in hospital in Brisbane for further surgery on my spine - operation number eight, which I am told is a lucky number.  PNG Attitude has been ailing for some time now but manages a presence. I'm aware of the blog's continuing importance both for the great reservoir of information it has stored over 18 years and also for its useful function as a place where people can regain contacts long lost.  You needn't expect more much from me in this space until near the end of the month. Bai mi lukim yu - KJ

GOVERNOR ALLAN BIRD
| Thanks to Academia Nomad

Timely reminder to the Australian people about where their aid money goes: PNG prime minister James Marape addresses the Australian parliament this week sporting a K340,000 ($US90,000) Audemarc Piguet wristwatch

WEWAK - I will not be the lookout, standing guard while the riches of Papua New Guinea are plundered. My conscience will not allow it.

I remained in government hoping that this government would solve our cost of living crisis, our power crisis, our FX [foreign exchange] crisis, our law and order crisis and our employment crisis.

MICHAEL KABUNI
| Academia Nomad

Miss Pacific Islands contestants turn up at lotu. With one million social media users, PNG should be a shoo-in for the People's Choice

PORT MORESBY - The Miss Pacific Islands Pageant is underway.  But the dynamics, particularly the People’s Choice Award, appear to be lopsided.

That is, despite the title, the People’s Choice seems to favour Papua New Guinea.

A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL *

Village in Aoke-Langalanga electorate, Malaita

MALAITA, SOLOMONS – An official in the office of the Deputy Provincial Secretary of Malaita Province has expressed great concern to me that an announced candidate for the 2024 Solomons election, Mathew Wala MP, is trying to force other highly ranked candidates not to stand for election.

Wala has announced he will contest the seat of Aoke-Langalanga and last month he invited other prospective candidates David Filia, Vincent Anisi and David Faradalolo to a meeting.

MEDIA RELEASE
| Bougainville Copper Limited

Bougainville president Ishmael Toroama and BCL chairman Sir Melchior Tomot (centre) hold the ELO1 exploration licence extension in the presence of government and company officials

BUKA - Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) yesterday confirmed that the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) has taken a decision to award a five-year extension of the company’s exploration licence for the Panguna project in Central Bougainville.

At a ceremony in Buka to mark the granting of the extension, Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama said Panguna was a high impact project for Bougainville and that the licence would pave the way for redevelopment of the mine.

NEWS DESK
| Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Taloi Havini (ABC)

BRISBANE - Brisbane-based artist Taloi Havini, originally from Buka Island in Bougainville, has won one of the UK's most important contemporary arts awards.

For her work, an ongoing exploration into the legacy of resource extraction and Australia’s fraught relationship in the Pacific, Havini collected the £40,000 (K190,000) prize at a ceremony last week in Cardiff, Wales, the home of the Artes Mundi prize.