Oil Search Ltd. (OSH.AU) said Thursday it has struck more gas in Papua New Guinea, firming up the potential of its recent P'nyang discovery to support an expansion of its US$15.7 billion gas-export joint venture with ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM).

Oil Search said a sidetrack well to its recent P'nyang South-1 well has found the original gas zone extends about 200 meters deeper than the lowest known gas in P'nyang South-1, indicating an increase in the total gas column to about 380 meters.

A new species of gecko with black and gold bands like a bumblebee and slender toes termed a "striking surprise" has been discovered deep in the tropical forests of Papua New Guinea, the U.S. Geological survey said.

The lizard, which measures about 13 cm (5 inches) from head to tail and is covered with rows of skin nodules that make it easier for it to conceal itself on the forest floor, was collected on Manus Island in March, 2010 and described in a report published in the journal "Zootaxa" in April.

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the north coast of Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The quake struck at a depth of 125.5 miles (202 km) and was centred 137 km north of Lae, Papua New Guinea's second-largest city,

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no destructive Pacific-wide tsunami was expected.

Papua New Guinea is on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire and suffers many earthquakes but often avoids major damage and casualties because most of its people live in light and flexible housing.

Pacific island nations and conservation groups have failed to persuade the body that oversees tuna fishing in the Pacific to introduce more stringent measures to protect tuna supply.

Negotiations broke down at a meeting in Guam last month (March 26-30) of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), as Pacific island nations — backed by Australia — failed to reach agreement with the United States, European Union, China and Japan on ways to conserve big-eye tuna and protect other species.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said that people in Pakistan are likely to be particularly vulnerable to water shortages due to leakage, inefficient domestic water use, or underinvestment in providing access, especially in rural and slum areas.

The Bank in its recent report titled 'Green Growth, Resources and Resilience: Environmental Sustainability in Asia and the Pacific' has said that the availability of water is a major factor in food security, as nearly 70 percent of freshwater withdrawals are for agriculture, mainly for irrigation.

A landslide swept through two villages in Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, covering much of the settlements in mud and leaving up to 40 people missing, officials and residents told Australian media. The accident, which occurred in the island state's Southern Highlands on Tuesday morning, prompted U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil to stop work at its nearby $15.7 billion liquefied natural gas (PNG LNG) project.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said it was unclear how many people had been affected by the landslide due to conflicting local reports.

The reported crash of wildlife populations in the Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya is the most well-publicised example of a crisis that’s unfolding throughout East Africa.

The region's 'Big Five' species and other wildlife are currently facing their most serious crisis in modern times. Significant populations of elephants, lions, rhinoceros and other species are on the decline, threatening not only the regions fragile ecosystems but also economic livelihoods that depend on ecotourism revenue. Elephant populations are particularly vulnerable.

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked Papua New Guinea's remote New Britain region on Tuesday, but was unlikely to cause a tsunami, Australian seismologists said.

The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres (6 miles), about 163 kilometres east-northeast of Kandrian, New Britain and some 576 kilometres from the capital Port Moresby.

The Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea was jolted by a 6.7-magnitude earthquake today, but no tsunami warning was issued. Geoscience Australia, which measured the quake at 6.5 magnitude, said it was so close to the coast it was unable to say whether the epicentre was under sea or land.

The Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea was jolted by a 6.7-magnitude earthquake today, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at a depth of 45 kilometres, 103 kilometres east of the mountain city of Lae and 326 kilometres north of the capital Port Moresby.

Geoscience Australia, which measured the quake at 6.5 magnitude, said that since it was so close to the coast it was unable to say whether the epicentre was under sea or land.