Reports from the papers. Compiled by John Carter.

The Islands Press

MEDICAL statistics reveal that Papua New Guinea experiences more than 1000 new cancer cases each year. And the trend, according to the PNG Cancer Relief Society, may continue to rise, if preventive measures were not taken at an earlier stage.

The types of cancer already diagnosed in the country which were on the in crease, had all been attributed to the ex cessive drinking of alcohol, smoking and

chewing betelnut.

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby AFTER a couple of weeks of several in cidences of violence and some very se rious strained relationships between stu dents (and some supporters) of Tupou College (Toloa) and Liahona High School, the two schools seems to have reached a peace accord.

Things came to a head when students of Toloa and Liahona attacked each other at Tupou High School after a vol leyball game. The fight resulted in a couple of students being rushed to hos

pital due to injuries.

From the Times of Tonga, Nukualofa POLICE yesterday arrested 10 people as part of a crackdown on beer drinking in

public places.

“We have been warning people for a long time, but they do not seem to take

these warnings seriously,” police spokes

man ASP Romanu Tikotikoca said.

“We are now beginning to crack down on the culprits.” So far all the arrests have been made in Suva.

From the Fiji Times, Suva THE idyllic islands of Micronesia are some of the final frontiers for Australian tourists.

Fewer than 500 Australians visited the region last year, but the introduction of

direct flights (Continental Airlines) three times a week from Sydney and Brisbane to Guam has sparked interest in the re gion on which hoteliers and resort oper ators are keen to cash in.

One of the biggest problems facing

tourism in Guam and the other islands of the region is that many Australians have no idea where Micronesia is.

From the Fiji Times, Suva PNG’S population is predicted to hit the 9 million mark in only 45 years if effec

tive family planning is ignored.

This prediction is by the Health De partment which also warns that this un controlled high growth could lead to drastic social" and economic problems.

But the department suggests that while the population increase is inevit able, an effective control program now would limit the growth to only 7 million in 40 years.

More startling is the fact that more than 40 per cent of the present popula tion is children under the age of 15 years, whose dependency hinges on the wellbeing of the adult population.

From the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, Port Moresby SPECTACULAR bush clad mountains,

rugged natural beauty & villages and

tribesman uninfluenced by 20th century life; the Morobe Highlands has it all! . . .

The most unique of the many attractions can be viewed at Angibena, Aseki & Oiwa. Mummified bodies, preserved by the traditional method of “smoking” are a spectacular sight in itself. These once ferocious Tribesmen are set to rest on platforms, sheltered from the elements under overhanging rocks. There is no where else in PNG where Tourists have access to visit similar sacred cities.

From The Reporter, Papua New Guinea University of Technology

“EARTHMOVERS logging operation

has ruined the water on the other side of Olive, our village. The mangroves and reefs don’t have shellfish and other marine products any more before it was a rich area. The government doesn’t

supervise the logging operation enough

Earthmovers (plus Pacific Timbers and KTC) dump gallons of old engine oil into the ground of rivers, which causes terrible pollution. Red ground only remains after the logs have been taken. People cannot use that land after wards for gardening as it is infertile.

Loya cane and bush material for house building has disappeared. And the money paid to people who are not the rightful landowners has never been used for the community.”

This moving testimony from Gilbert

Murray, acting village organiser of Olive,

Roviana lagoon, Western Province, is echoed by many people in this area who are fighting hard to stop Earthmovers from moving further into their land.

They have just won a court case to stop the company from logging Dora Island,

opposite Olive village.

From Link, publication of the Solomon Islands Development Trust, Honiara DO you live anywhere near the corner of Fly/Mumeng? Have you found any

dog bowls in your garden recently?

Some of our local canine population are definitely rascals. We have lost at least 5 bowls from our balcony since March.

Some are only ice-cream cartons but two are more substantial plastic bowls. We cannot consume enough ice-cream to keep up so we’d appreciate having the bowls returned if you find them.

Steve & Ann Bedding From The Reporter, Papua New Guinea University of Technology