China has taken down more than 1,000 social media accounts – some with millions of followers – that criticised the government’s Covid policies. Social media platform Weibo said it had suspended or banned accounts for what it described as personal attacks against Chinese Covid specialists. Weibo did not specify which posts had prompted the action. China scrapped its strict zero-Covid policy in December and has seen a rapid surge of infections and deaths. Online criticism has until recently largely focused on the strict enforcement of Covid regulations, including lockdowns that required people to stay at home in isolation for weeks.…
Author: PNG Haus Bung
China has reopened its borders to international visitors for the first time since it imposed travel restrictions in March 2020. Incoming travelers will no longer need to quarantine – marking a significant change in the country’s Covid policy as it battles a surge in cases. They will still require proof of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of travelling. The move has been welcomed by many eager to reunite with family. In Hong Kong, 400,000 people are expected to travel into mainland China in the coming weeks with long queues for flights into cities including Beijing and Xiamen.…
The East New Britain provincial administration has received K43, 875 as their 2022 dividend payment today from Gazelle International Hotel (GI). The cheque was presented to Governor Michael Marum and East New Britain acting provincial administrator Levi Mano by the Hotel Manager Luis Gomes and chairman of the hotel Professor David Kavanamur. The dividend following an 8.75 share own by the provincial government and the hotel management has been paying dividend since 2014 which is a total of K15 million has been paid over the period of years to all the shareholders. According to Mr Mano he thanked GI hotel…
Vanuatu residents have been left rattled following Sunday night’s magnitude-7 earthquake. Five aftershocks followed the first long and strong jolt that struck 23 kilometres west-north-west of Port Olry at a depth of about 28 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said. Tsunami alerts had been issued but were lifted soon after. Property owner in Sanma Province, Lily Lui said she could barely stand when she was trying to escape. “It was 11:40 and I was fast asleep. I just fell from my room,” she said. “It’s like somebody digging out the house and trying to move the house from where it…
Men can have an important role to play in ending violence, particularly Family and Sexual Violence and Sorcery accusation related violence. However, this requires respect for human rights for both men and women and challenge to the gender and social norms that lead to violence, discrimination, and injustice. After witnessing an increase in the rates of family and sexual violence (FSV) in his community, Alphonse Pemuko took it upon himself to educate and counsel the mostly male perpetrators. Pemuko credits the training he received through the PNG-Australia Partnership, including an intensive Learning to Lead course, that empowered him to develop…
Shocking news out of New Ireland!! An elderly man was speared to death by one of his tribesman after he attempted to murder a lady with a bush knife a week ago, this is according to outgoing New Ireland Provincial Police Commander Felix Nebanat. According to Nebanat, the incident occurred in Lamusmus Village along the West Coast of New Ireland Province where the deceased had an ongoing argument with a lady from the same village, to which he had intended to hurt on several occasions but failed to do so. The situation became more tense and escalated when the man…
Prime Minister James Marape left for Singapore yesterday Saturday, January 7, 2023 to meet with Puma Energy executives on the ongoing saga with Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG) which continues to threaten the country with energy insecurities. He was accompanied by Minister for Petroleum and Energy Kerenga Kua and the State Solicitor to discuss this issue which resulted in all Air Niugini flights being cancelled on Thursday last week. Puma Energy is a Swiss multinational mid- and downstream oil company, majority-owned by Singapore-based Swiss company Trafigura. Its operations span around 40 countries across five continents and encompass the supply,…
A six-year-old boy has been detained by police after shooting a teacher in the US state of Virginia, officers say. The shooting happened shortly after 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) at Richneck Elementary School in the city of Newport News, Chief Steve Drew said. It is unclear how the child obtained the gun, but Mr Drew said the incident was not “an accidental shooting”. The teacher – who has not been named and is said to be in her 30s – was left with life-threatening injuries. She was taken to a local hospital and is being closely monitored by doctors.…
A new coach and a host of big-name recruits signal the start of a new era for the Wests Tigers in 2023, coming after a horror past season which ended in them collecting the wooden spoon. Believing the answer to the future sits with figures from the past, the Wests Tigers have brought back their premiership-winning coach from 2005, Tim Sheens, with club legends Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah as his assistants. The signing of six new players, five of whom have played in NRL Grand Finals previously, is a good start as they seek to bounce back from last…
Tobacco companies will now be charged to clean up cigarette butts off the streets and beaches of Spain, according to new environmental regulations. Millions of butts are thrown away each year – releasing toxic plastic waste which can take decades to break down. Figures from 2020 show around a fifth of adult Spaniards smoke everyday. The rules came into force on Friday, but it remains unclear how they will be implemented and whether costs are likely to be passed on to consumers. A report by the Catalan Rezero Foundation estimated that local authorities in Catalonia were paying between €12-21 (£11-19;…