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Teenage mums
PNG has the third highest teenage birth rate in the Pacific – behind the Solomon Islands and Marshall Islands. According to the World Bank, the Solomon Islands recorded 79 births per 1,000 teenaged women, Marshall Islands has 60 births per 1,000 in 2021, and PNG with 51 births per 1,000 girls.
Record flash
A SINGLE flash of lightning in the United States nearly two years ago cut across the sky for nearly 770km, setting a new world record, the United Nations said. The new record for the longest detected megaflash, measured in the southern US last April 29, stretched a full 768km across Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
Magnet muddle
STILL in the US, a man and his grandson who went magnet fishing to try and scour the South Miami-Dade canal for treasure came back with a haul that the police were very interested in – two .50-caliber Barrett sniper rifles. Not to worry though, the guns were not loaded.
Message in a bottle
A MESSAGE in a bottle launched by a young girl in Scotland in the 1990s was found 25 years later by a woman walking on a Norwegian beach with her young son. The letter, written as part of a school project, featured the author’s opinions on school, her dog, teddy bears, her “rather big house” and other subjects.
Thought for today
Never forget three kinds of people in your life: 1) Those who help you when you are in trouble; 2) Those who ignore you when you are in trouble; and, 3) Those who put you in trouble.
Top quote
“AN average PNG citizen would struggle to make ends meet, let alone think about savings. Every part of the chain in the day-to-day lives of people has seen increases in costs and lack of job creation which has added a big burden on the lives of people nationwide.” – City Pharmacy Ltd founder Sir Mahesh Patel.

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