PORT MORESBY (The National/PINA) — Six people died instantly and nine others were seriously injured in a road accident at Port Moresby’s Tokarara Market.
A 15-seater minibus spun out of control and ploughed into the market after a 25-seater bus making a U-turn bumped into it.
Some members of the public tried to console the injured but others set the minibus on fire and assaulted the driver.
PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) — In Papua New Guinea, dismissed Southern Highlands Gov. Anderson Agiru has filed a major constitutional challenge, disputing the process of judicial review by the PNG courts.
Agiru’s latest action follows the quashing of his application by the Supreme Court, which automatically disqualifies him from contesting the general elections.
PORT MORESBY (The National/PINA) — Papua New Guinea’s tourism authority has hit out at the U.S. State Department for issuing a travel alert for this month’s election period in Papua New Guinea.
Tourist Promotion Authority chief executive John Kambowa said the Americans are being overly dramatic.
Kambowa said the warning to Americans should have been limited to volatile regions, and not the entire country.
WELLINGTON (RNZI/PINA) — A senior member of the Papua Presidium Council has spoken out against the dispatch of more elite Indonesian troops to Indonesian-ruled West Papua.
The Rev. Herman Awom said there is no valid reason for the military to send in such troops because no rebel stronghold exists to warrant using such a force.
He said the deployment is an act of intimidation following the Papuans’ public rejection of the results of an inquiry into last Novembers’ murder of the pro-independence leader and Presidium chairman, Theys Eluay.
