GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Rescuers were reporting 219 saved at 08:00 Swiss time but another 350 are missing after a boat disaster in Papua New Guinea. The MV Rabaul Queen, operated by Star Ships, which is one of the country’s largest ferry operators, sank between Lae and Kimbe West after being reported missing at about 08:30 local time Thursday 2 February, but the reason for the boat going down is not yet known. Australian News.com reports that six merchant vessels are in the area, helping search for survivors and that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has “arranged ships in the area to conduct rescues and for aircraft to fly over the area”.
The owners issued a statement, according to Reuters, that the boat sank quickly, without sending a distress signal.
New Britain Island is a hugely popular diving area that pulls in international tourists.
Links to other sites: Herald Sun, Australia, Reuters
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The cognitive benefits of multilingualism may include increased resistance to degenerative diseases like Alzheimers, according to Jared Diamond, writing in Science Magazine. Speaking more than one language will not delay the onset of brain deterioration, but multilingual speakers seem to have the ability to deal with the consequences better and can delay the symptoms by up to four years, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The mental agility required of young people, especially between the ages of 1 and 5, who are learning and practicing more than one language builds up what scientists call “cognitive reserve”. This reserve can be used when the brain is damaged. Speakers of more than one language have developed a mental agility, known as cognitive control that allows them to focus instantly on something else.
Diamond says that on one of his field trips in Papua New Guinea, none of his companions spoke fewer than five languages. One spoke 15 languages. More languages are spoken in the remote, inaccessible valleys of Papua New Guinea than anywhere else on Earth.
Links to other sites: El Castellano (Spa), Science Magazine, Wall Street Journal
Sinopec, one of China’s largest oil companies, has signed a 20-year agreement with Exxon Mobil for liquefied gas supplies from Papua New Guinea, for an undisclosed sum. The move is the latest in a string of energy agreements and follows a major deal signed some weeks ago by competitor PetroChina and Australia. China’s energy needs are expected to grow by 8 percent this year, according to the Chinese government.
Links to other sites: BBC, Chicago Tribune, Xinhua
