Martyn Namorong

Radio Australia

Forest clearance on disputed land-leases in Papua New Guinea is likely to continue at record levels for the next five to six years, according to the organisation which represents logging companies.

In 2011, logging on Special Agricultural and Business leases pushed Papua New Guinea's log exports to record highs - so much so that some commentators now place PNG as the second largest exporter of tropical logs in the world.

By Luana Paniu

The chairman of a landowner company has pledged that he and other dissatisfied landowners will not cease fighting against agriculture giant New Britain Palm Oil (NBPOL) until their terms and conditions are met.

Rigula Landowners Association chairman, David Kura said that he and landowners of the three land groups; Gule, Rikau and Meloks, were not happy with what they described as “standard” terms and conditions set by NBPOL under the Special Agriculture and Business Leases (SABL).

By Martyn Namorong

By Dorotea Saidor

A company is illegally logging on land on the Rai coast in Madang without the consent of local people and is exporting their logs.

The illegal logging is happening at Bongu Village, Block 1 Raicoast, Astrolabay, Madang Province (near the crash site for Airlines PNG, Madang)

The logging contractor, G&S Limited, is blatantly and openly logging and cutting logs without consent from the landowners.

"Five years after the Cyclone Guba disaster devastated the Oro Province, Many of the province's vital transport infrastructure remain in ruin. Many people continue to live in care centers and face water shortages and other difficulties 

Martyn Namorong

The Commission of inquiry into the Special Agriculture Business Leases in the East Sepik Province, is set to begin hearings tomorrow morning (Wednesday). The venue is the Council Chambers at Dagua.

DR Julia Stinshoff has worked for a year at a centre in Papua New Guinea that gives survivors of domestic and sexual violence psychosocial and medical support.

She talks about her work at the centre run by international medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Tari, Hela. The centre runs an operation theatre.

“We see a lot of fractures, lacerations, soft-tissue injuries as well as open wounds. These injuries are mostly the result of women being beaten by their husbands or immediate families,” Stinshoff said.

By Jo Chandler

About 1pm on Thursday, the ''Twitter'' drums started beating out news of the latest disaster to befall Papua New Guinea - reports that the passenger ferry MV Rabaul Queen had sunk early that morning in wild seas en route from the island of West New Britain to the mainland port of Lae.

By Allan Patience* 

Sydney Morning Herald  

THE primary cause of the recent ''mutiny'' by sections of the Papua New Guinea defence force is a mix of soldiers' anger overlow pay, their substandard living conditions, associated low morale, and grudges against some of their senior officers.

This has led some of them to back Sir Michael Somarein his quest for his reinstatement as prime minister, naively believing that the dishonoured promises of the past will somehow be honoured this time around.