from THE islands press

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby Meat company James Barnes Limited is considering pulling out of its K8 million investment in a Madang cannery.

Prime Minister Mr Wingti has reacted strongly, saying: “The company was unable to grasp the fact that it was not dealing with a banana republic run by some King Bong-Bong.”

The company wants to pull out because of Government refusal to grant it a canned meat monopoly.

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby A Lae gang operating in the Three-Mile area has claimed responsibility for the robbery of the PNG Banking Corporation market sub-branch.

In a letter to the Post-Courier office in Lae, a member of the “Itninin Force 585” said the gang was a highly organised one, with branches in Port Moresby, Wau, Bulolo and Mumeng.

From notes in the PNG University of Technology newsletter The Reporter on a talk on “Explosion of metals in water-a study”.

Can metal explode in water? The answer is yes, if the metal is molten and if the water is in a liquid state.

From a letter in The Fiji Times by D. Pratap, Korolevu, on the taking of park land for a TV tower site.

To the powers that be, to them I say you are right, let us give all our playgrounds and parks for TV towers. A generation of zombies is an internationally recognised sign of a developed country. If we could model our zombies on the American model rather than on the Australian, we would be so far out that we would be really IN.

From the Solomon Nius, Honiara A sanitation project providing 133 latrines for six villages in New Tanabuti, north-east Guadalcanal, was officially opened by the Minister of Health for Guadalcanal Province, Mr Samuel Topilu, at New Tanabuti last Thursday.

During the opening ceremony, which was attended by nearly 200 people, the Director of Peace Corps volunteers in Solomon Islands,Mr Duane Beard said that finance and Peace Corps assistance was available, but without co-operation there would not be any projects.

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby.

The Defence Force should play an active part in the United Nations peace-keeping missions, Primary Industry Minister Sir lambakey Okuk has said.

Sir lambakey said in Lae PNG should help maintain world peace by sending the Defence Force to trouble spots.

It was a “poor excuse that we cannot afford the expense”, he said.

From an advertisement in The Fiji Times, Suva A very rich young Asian man, permanent resident in New Zealand, educated in Britain, a graduate, currently studying for a higher degree, and also working in an secure extremely well paid job, seeks a young wife from the Fijian Asian Community, Hindu, Muslim or Christian. Beauty is the only requirement.

From a letter by Bernard Claudel, Hongkong, in The Fiji Times, Suva.

This is my first visit to Fiji and I want to publicly say how impressed I have been with the friendly attitude of the people of this country.

I arrived on an Air Pacific flight from Sydney. The flight attendants were cheerful, friendly and helpful and then the smiling immigration officials and a most helpful, courteous Customs officer who, after asking me a few questions, directed me out of the Customs hall ... I will go back to Hong Kong and France and rave about Fiji and its wonderful attributes.

From the students’ newspaper Uni Tavur of the University of Papua New Guinea.

Luavi House is to be opened to visitors all day until midnight on a trial basis for a month next semester. A security committee has been set up, comprising of some female students, to keep a record of things that happen during the trial period.

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby A fight over a pig has left a village councillor dead and 16 men injured in the Chauve area of the Chimbu province.

Police said the fight broke out betwen the Nogefaro and Agorigo clans of Chauve because a man from the Agorigo clan allegedly killed a pig belonging to a man from the Nogefaro clan.

From the Reporter of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology, Lae.

Compared to previous years, 1985 was relatively incident free with respect to Security on Campus. The average was about two break and enters per month, but these were principally in the Staff Amenities Centre, Haus Kopi and Academic Buildings.

There were 7 attempted car thefts during the year, but each case was unsuccessful, or the vehicle was recovered. Reported petty theft averaged about three per month involving clothes, bicycles left outside at night and plundering of garden plots.

There were a couple of hold-ups, several cases of assault and one attempted rape.

The PNG Post-Courier’s Grass Roots prepares for Port Moresby show.