At least one person was killed, and multiple people are missing after tornadoes hit Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas late Friday, damaging homes and knocking out power for thousands as officials launch search and rescue efforts. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt issued an emergency declaration on Saturday for Bryan, Choctaw, LeFlore and McCurtain Counties after damaging tornadoes blew through the state. On Saturday morning, Stitt toured the city of Idabel in McCurtain County, in southeastern Oklahoma, which suffered significant storm damage. The governor said more than 100 homes and businesses were destroyed due to the tornado and called the situation “heartbreaking” in a tweet. “I will declare a state of emergency in affected counties to ensure these communities have support and resources from the state. Pray for all those affected,” Stitt said in a tweet. The string of tornadoes has killed at least one person, and the governor identified him as a 90-year-old man in Idabel. “What I saw was Oklahomans coming together. The storm went through last night, but they were already out, helping each other. We’re clearing limbs and debris,” Stitt said in a video message. In southeastern Oklahoma, ‘not good’ McCurtain County emergency manager Cody McDaniel said on Friday there were “multiple missing people.” Late Friday, authorities were trying to determine the extent of damages and injuries, McDaniel said, adding, “It’s not good.” Gov. Stitt said search and rescue teams, along with generators, had been forwarded to the Idabel area, and he added there was “additional flash flooding in some areas.” In Texas, near the state’s border with Oklahoma, at least 50 homes were damaged or destroyed in Lamar County as of Friday evening, the sheriff’s office said. Plus, more than 24,000 homes and businesses were without power across Arkansas, Louisiana, southeastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas as of Saturday afternoon, according to Poweroutage.us Tornado warnings had been in effect in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri Friday night, meaning tornadoes were reported to be on the ground or indicated by weather radar. The weather service recommends residents in warning areas to move to a safe place like a basement or interior room. A preliminary accounting Friday evening from the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center shows nine tornadoes formed in Texas, four in Arkansas and one in Oklahoma. Overnight tornadoes can be particularly dangerous because they can be hard to see as they move quickly through an area, and it’s also more challenging to ensure residents are warned during those hours. Most of the reported Texas tornadoes occurred along the Red River border with Oklahoma, with widespread damage reported in two counties. The National Weather Service confirmed late Friday a tornado moving 45 mph was detected over the city of Wrightsville in Pulaski County, Arkansas, just south of Little Rock. The number of tornadoes recorded will likely increase Saturday, and the intensity of each one will not be known until local National Weather Service offices conduct damage surveys, which may take several days. Tornado and severe thunderstorm watches for the region lasted until early Saturday morning. Texas county declares disaster Lamar County officials declared a disaster after at least 10 people were injured when a tornado tore through the area, according to a news release from the county’s sheriff’s office. No deaths have been reported. Two of those injured suffered critical injuries, the sheriff’s office said. Earlier Friday, a first responder was injured during the storms in the county and underwent surgery, County Constable Steven Hill told CNN. “There has been quite a bit of damage and some injuries,” Lamar County Constable Travis Rhodes told CNN Friday night. In nearby Hopkins County, at least four houses were damaged Friday, according to the county’s sheriff’s office. Meanwhile, back in Oklahoma, a Choctaw County woman was injured by a falling tree as she was trying to get to a storm shelter, Lewis Collins, a volunteer at the Choctaw Office of Emergency Management, told CNN. It’s unclear whether a tornado had occurred in the area. The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is urging residents to report storm to help damage online their response. Source: CNN

Papua New Guinea are through to the Women's World Cup knockout stage for the first time in history, after a commanding second-half performance saw them down Brazil 70-0. Powerhouse centre Belinda Gwasamun was in devastating form for the Orchids, running in four tries on a night in which she broke 18 tackles and clocked 282 metres in yardage gained. While Brazil did themselves no favours with their expansive style of play in torrid conditions in Hull, they stuck with the Orchids in the first half to trail just 18-0, but had no answer for what happened over the ensuing 40 minutes. The Orchids crossed for 10 tries in the second half resulting in 52 points, with their powerful running through the middle proving far too much for Brazil to handle. With their passage to the knockout stages secure, the Orchids will now close out group play with a clash against England, which will decide who claims top spot out of Group A. Source: NRL.com

The charred remnants of a rocket booster plunged uncontrolled back to Earth Friday morning, an event decried in the West as an irresponsibly risky move by the China National Space Administration. The rocket reentered the atmosphere over the south-central Pacific Ocean just after 6 a.m. ET, according to the US space command, which is part of the Department of Defense. “Once again, the People’s Republic of China is taking unnecessary risks with the uncontrolled rocket stage reentry of their Long March 5B rocket stage. They did not share specific trajectory information which is needed to predict landing zones and reduce risk,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a statement released Friday morning. “It is critical that all spacefaring nations are responsible and transparent in their space activities and follow established best practices, especially, for the uncontrolled reentry of a large rocket body debris – debris that could very well result in major damage or loss of life.” This hazardous situation marked the fourth uncontrolled reentry for a Long March 5B rocket since China’s space agency started flying it two years ago, as the vehicle was designed without the necessary equipment to steer itself to a safe landing. That fact has repeatedly stirred up controversy and been criticized by space policy experts who say it poses an unnecessary risk. “I want to point out that the lower the acceptable risk is, the more expensive it is to design to that risk. But it’s something that must be done,” said Dr. Lael Woods, a space traffic management expert with the Space Safety Institute, during a news conference hosted by The Aerospace Corporation, a federally funded research center. “Imagine the roads today are completely empty,” she continued. “There’s really not much need to have rules or stoplights and so on. But we absolutely — with our population that we have driving around on the roads today — we must have stoplights and traffic signs and rules.” The rocket booster is 108 feet (33 meters) end to end, noted Ted Muelhaupt, a space traffic expert and Aerospace Corporation consultant. Much of the hardware will burn up during the fiery reentry process as the 22-metric-ton rocket plunges back into Earth’s thick atmosphere, but about 10% to 40% is expected to survive. That’s how much debris can make it back into the atmosphere and pose a threat, Muelhaupt said. A Long March 5B rocket has yet to pose a threat to people. Debris has, however, been found on land. Muelhaupt noted that after one of the boosters crash-landed in 2022, debris was found in Malaysia and the Philippines. This specific rocket booster was used on an October 31 mission that carried another piece of China’s new space station, called Tiangong, to orbit. Most rockets flying today are built with a means to ensure that rocket boosters are safely discarded. Some companies ensure rockets are steered back toward the ocean. US rocket company SpaceX even manages to guide its first-stage rocket boosters — the largest, bottommost portion of a rocket that gives the initial thrust at liftoff — back to a controlled, pinpoint landing so they can be refurbished and used again. Muelhaupt noted, however, that equipping a rocket to make such a maneuver is far from trivial. It costs time and development money. The extra equipment also adds mass, and when it comes to trying to escape the crushing pull of gravity and putting precious cargo into space, every pound counts. Muelhaupt added that he doesn’t foresee China attempting to redesign its rocket to add safer landing capabilities, as making that type of adjustment is not trivial. “it can be really difficult to bring together an entire global community, or even segments of the global community to come to an agreement on what those norms should be and for standards like things like acceptable risk,” Woods said. “But while it’s really difficult, we believe that establishing international consensus on these norms for behavior involving space is absolutely a worthy and important endeavor.” In a Friday tweet, US Space Command referred questions about the rocket reentry to the government of China, which did not respond to a request for comment from CNN. At a briefing with China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), however, spokesperson Zhao Lijian referred questions to the department in charge of the rocket booster. “As a matter of principle, I would like to emphasize that China has always carried out activities for the peaceful use of outer space in accordance with international law and international practice, and it is internationally accepted practice for the upper stages of rockets to re-enter the atmosphere,” Zhao said. “The Chinese authorities have been closely monitoring the relevant rocket wreckage orbital parameters. We will release information to the international community in an open and transparent manner and in a timely manner.” Source: CNN

A new study by UNICEF has revealed that child food poverty is increasing in the Pacific. The highest rate has been recorded in Kiribati with 91 percent of children living in food poverty. This is followed by Samoa at 80 percent, Tuvalu at 71 percent, and Tonga at 47 percent. Fiji follows with 45 percent of children living in food poverty. Child food poverty is a state where young children are not fed the bare minimum number of food groups they need in early childhood. UNICEF defines children living in food poverty as the percentage of children under five years of age consuming foods and beverages from four or fewer of the eight defined food groups. Pacific nutrition specialist Pradiumna Dahal said the remedy lies in teaching children good eating habits from birth, ensuring healthy food is affordable, and in restricting the marketing of unhealthy food in the Pacific. He said the imbalance in intake of healthy food contributed to the triple burden of malnutrition in the Pacific with high levels of under nutrition, high rates of anaemia, and increasing overweight and obesity levels. Every child has the right to food and nutrition," UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell said. "Especially now, with so many millions of children at risk, it is up to all of us to help realise that right for every child - and prevent food poverty from casting a shadow over the futures of yet another generation of children."   Source: Radio New Zealand

The East New Britain provincial fisheries sector has been commended for partnering with the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) to deliver vital training to empower and equip its human resources for the marine industry. NFA provincial support manager Bolton Towok highlighted this during the graduation of 20 young men and women from a 10 weeks Competency Fishing Operations Level One training at Rabaul Hotel on Friday (Nov 4). The training was conducted by the National Fisheries College. He said as ENB prepares for the upcoming Rabaul Tuna Terminal project which will have ripple effects, it will need a skilled workforce in the marine industry. He applauded the sector’s vision to strategize and partner with NFA to train skilled people thus providing job opportunities. Mr Towok said NFA has not delivered similar trainings in the other provinces due to capacity issues and this is the hindrance they face when trying to implement the MOA for fisheries development with provinces. “But I would like to thank ENB Fisheries because they have the drive to facilitate and create these initiatives. They are already knocking at our door with their initiatives.” “NFA is ready to partner with provinces, we have an obligation to the MOA but we need provinces to go one step further with their performance and initiatives, we cannot wait for anybody,” Mr Towok said. “When provinces take ownership and partner with NFA, they are serious about developing human resources or any other projects that can be implemented as they are part of NFA’s Fisheries Strategic Plan (FSP) 2021-2030.” When congratulating the graduates, he said they were fortunate to receive such training as it is a first for PNG and is part of the capacity building program as per NFA’s refocus on provincial support The trainees from two TVET institutions- Milamila and Woolnough Vocational schools are eligible to attend the next level of trainings to further enhance their skills.

EU-STREIT PNG equips 307 local fish farmers including youths and women in the rural Sepik River community of Papua New Guinea with knowledge and skills in riverine fishing and agribusiness as well as addressing gender-based violence. To build and enhance the capacity of fisher groups, including youths and women folks with necessary skills in riverine fishing as well as to run an agribusiness, the FAO-led EU-STREIT PNG Programme conducted 15 days of intensive training in three separate locations of East Sepik Province which brought together 307 fish farmers inclusion of youths and women. The trainings which comprised many theory and practical sessions to ensure participants are well equipped with technical know-how and skills started in Chambri Lakes area of Wosera-Gawi District with fishers from 10 wards and continued onto Murik Lakes and Angriman areas in Angoram District. To ensure gender and youth participation as an important focus of this rural agriculture development programme, the villagers were also sensitised on the importance of mainstreaming gender perspectives in value chains, particularly the critical roles, responsibilities and untapped potentials of women in agri-rural communities and also on root causes of gender-based violence and its mitigation through inclusion at all nodes. The sessions on riverine fishing covered the biology and life cycle of fish (Tilapia as a case study), gillnet application and maintenance, net mending, rope works for different knots for different riverine activities applications, general maintenance of boat engines and processing of fresh fish on-boat. Job Opu, the Programme’s National Fisheries Officer who facilitated the training said: “The people are very happy with the training because according to their testimonies, they have learned many skills and acquired knowledge to improve fish production. The turnout was equally impressive.” To support and strengthen Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the fisheries value chain, the executives of Chambri Lake Fisheries Cooperative were also sensitised on the need for youth and women to engage in business group management. The villagers were explained the importance of women's participation in group decision-making and also advised to organise into cohesive community such as youth councils and women’s groups, thereby enabling women and youth to engage and benefit equally from fisheries activities supported under the Programme. The chairperson of Chambri Lake Fishing Cooperative, Andrew Pekul extended his appreciation of the support extended by the EU-STREIT PNG Programme and said: “Rural people are looking for new information and ideas and this is the first learning opportunity where villagers, including youths and women, have been given the opportunity to speak out and be heard on how they can undertake fishing business and improve their fishing practices. Riverine fishing is the lifeline of the Sepik River communities.” The sessions on Mainstreaming Gender Perspectives and Youth Inclusion in the fisheries value chain ensured that every member in a family unit or household is sensitised properly on cultural gender norms and practices that lead to equality. The particiapnts were sensitised on the gender roles and responsibilities that encourage equal gender and youth participation in agribusinesses along the fisheries value chain. Commonly, women and girls play a dominant role in riverine fishing, including processing and marketing of fish. With this insight, a rights-based approach was applied to brainstorm on family units and gender-based constraints with a focus on individual roles and responsibilities. This was done to ensure that training participants understood their roles and responsibilities within a family unit and how they could support each other. Fish is an essential part of the daily diet of the riverine communities in the Greater Sepik Region in Papua New Guinea. It is also a reliable source of regular income for smallholders in the area. In the low-altitude communities in the region, fish consumption is the most important source of protein, comprising around 40% of all food from animal sources. The FAO-led EU-STREIT Programme in Papua New Guinea, in collaboration with the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) and provincial divisions of Fisheries & Agriculture, provides support to sustainably increase productivity and profitability of fish while also contributing significantly to food security and nutrition at the household level. The support includes strong investment in developing the capacity as well as the introduction of improved practices, techniques, equipment and facilities for better production, processing, and marketing of fish among fishing communities, fisheries enterprises, and relevant government institutions. The Programme is also committed to facilitating the access of fisheries communities to the markets and assisting them in improving existing transport safety and equipment. The EU-STREIT PNG, being implemented as a United Nations Joint Programme (FAO as the leading agency, and ILO, ITU, UNCDF and UNDP as implementing partners), is the largest grant-funded Programme of the European Union in the country and the Pacific region. The Programme focuses on increasing sustainable and inclusive economic development of rural areas through increasing the economic returns and opportunities from cocoa, vanilla and fishery value chains and strengthening and improving the efficiency of value chain enablers including the business environment and supporting sustainable, climate-resilient transport and energy infrastructure development.

The body of the late policeman Senior Constable Nelson Kalimda will be repatriated to Port Moresby on Sunday November 6, says the outgoing Hela Provincial Police Commander Senior Inspector Robin Bore. Mr Bore said the body would be repatriated to Port Moresby as the Tari Hospital Morgue was not working. He said the body would not be buried nor repatriated back to East Sepik Province until the suspects involved in the killing are captured or voluntarily surrender to police. He said they closed their funeral service in Hela yesterday with the contributions from the general public and the Hela provincial government. “The police investigation is continuing. Suspects are still at large. We only have two suspects in the Tari Police Cell who were arrested previously. “We call out publicly for the suspects involved in the killing to surrender to the police. We asked their families, relatives, friends, tribesmen, and leaders of the surrounding communities to bring the suspects to police. “The police personnel are still in Tari but only the body will be transported to Port Moresby by a few members of the Mobile Squad four (MS4). The other members including the Director Special Services Division (SSD) Chief Superintendent Julius Tasion are still in Tari to ensure the suspects are captured and face the law,” Mr Bore said. Mr Bore however said that the four suspects arrested on Thursday (04/11/22) in the Western Highlands Province are yet to be confirmed. Those suspects have not yet been identified as they are still in the Mt Hagen Police Cell. He said the suspects will be transported to Tari for identification and questioning. “We have yet to establish whether they were involved in the killing of the policeman. There is also an ongoing tribal fight at Upper Wage in Magarima where one of the main Warlords in that fight was captured in Mt Hagen with three others. “Police investigation will continue until we capture the suspects and others involved in the killing. Police believe that there were many suspects involved but of the six main suspects, two are already in police custody but four are at large,” Mr Bore said. Mr Bore has appealed to the general public, especially the people of Tigibi, Lomea, Dauli, Wabia, Ambua, and surrounding areas in the Hulia Local Level Government area and Magarima where the body was dumped to assist police with information to capture the suspects. Mr Bore said the people need to cooperate and assist police with information. He said If the suspects are not arrested, they will continue to roam around freely and do more damage to the community.

A TikTok star is now facing serious charges after her latest viral stunt. Charges against Katie Sigmond, 19, are pending following a video of her hitting a golf ball into the Grand Canyon, the national park said in a statement alongside a screengrab of the clip on Facebook. "Do we really need to say, 'don't hit golf balls into the Grand Canyon?' " its statement began. It explained that on Oct. 26, a TikToker shared a video "showing her hitting a golf ball and throwing a golf club into the canyon near Mather Point." It added that the community helped confirm the social media celebrity's identity. The next day, Grand Canyon Law Enforcement found the TikTok star, the park said. "Charges and a court appearance for the individual are pending. Throwing objects over the rim of the canyon is not only illegal but can also endanger hikers and wildlife who may be below," it added. A spokesperson for the park, Joelle Baird, told The Washington Post that Sigmond could be charged for hitting an object over the canyon and causing a dangerous situation, as well as littering. It's not clear if Sigmond has a lawyer to comment on her behalf. Sigmond did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. The national park did not identify Sigmond as the TikToker, however, a screen recording shared on Reddit shows the full video being posted from her account. In the clip, Sigmond, who has 6.9 million followers on TikTok and more than 2 million on Instagram, is seen hitting the golf ball before being shocked by her swing. "how did that happen" Sigmond, who is known for sharing videos of her golf swings as well as pranks, wrote over the video. Baird also confirmed Sigmond's identity to The Washington Post, noting that she could get up to six months in jail and be ordered to pay $1,000 in fines. The date of her upcoming court appearance was not provided. In its statement, the Grand Canyon National Park encouraged those who have details on any illegal or concerning activity to call or text the ISB at 888-653-0009, submit an online form at www.nps.gov/ISB, or email nps_isb@nps.gov. The Grand Canyon National Park did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Source: People.com

Thousands of Australians have turned out for vigils in towns and cities across the country to mourn the death of Noongar-Yamatji schoolboy Cassius Turvey. A 21-year-old man has been charged with murder after the alleged attack when Cassius and his friends were walking home from school in Middle Swan on 13 October. He died from injuries sustained during the attack 10 days later. Dozens of vigils and rallies in his memory were held around the country on Wednesday with an estimated 3,000 people turning out to show their support in Sydney at the Town Hall. In Perth, his mother led the vigil in centre of the city as thousands gathered to grieve and mourn the loss of the teen. Mechelle Turvey gave a powerful statement, speaking of her pain and anguish and thanking the country for their support. [caption id="attachment_29672" align="alignnone" width="694"] Thousands attend vigils across the country for Noongar schoolboy[/caption] “The love, the generosity, the kindness, and the outpouring of tributes across the nation has been so appreciated,” Turvey said in a statement. The year 9 student was known for his love of basketball, running a lawn-mowing business and helping his mates with their schoolwork. “He was the heart and soul of the community,” Turvey said. She urged the community to come together as they mourn but warned against any forms of violence in the wake of her son’s death. In Sydney an estimated 3,000 paid their respects to Cassius and the family with a smoking ceremony, speakers and a moment’s silence. Yamatji actor and performer Ernie Dingo urged the community to come together and tackle racism. Many attendees carried candles, wore black T-shirts bearing the teenager’s face with “forever 15” and “Kids matter” on the back, while others wore the black, yellow and red colours of the Aboriginal flag or carried signs and placards in memory of Cassius for justice. Cassius’s cousin Leon Turvey, who attended the vigil in Sydney with his teenage sons, told Guardian Australia he was overcome by the support shown by ordinary people from across the country. “We have all the other Aboriginal mob, Koori mob and the Wadjallas [white people in Noongar] supporting us here and showing us their love and kindness and respect to us and all the family back home.” [caption id="attachment_29674" align="alignnone" width="776"] Ernie Dingo speaking during a candlelight vigil for Cassius Turvey at Town Hall in Sydney. Photograph: Jane Dempster/AAP[/caption] He said Cassius’s death had reverberated across the country with many Aboriginal parents having to have difficult conversations. “This triggers a lot of emotions inside of us, it’s not easy to handle and deal with and a lot of our people I’ve been talking to their own children about this and what’s happened,” Leon Turvey said. Lizzie Jarrett, one of the speakers at the Sydney rally, criticised comments made by Western Australia’s police commissioner suggesting Cassius had died because he had been in the “wrong place”. “No Black child is ever in the wrong place, at the wrong time, on their own land,” she said to loud clapping. Amongst the thousands of attendees in Sydney, Abby Lee Lewis and Jayla Memarloo comforted each other through tears; they never knew Cassius but his death had hit them hard. “I grew up in WA, and spent more than 17 years there and I’m here because my heart goes out to the Noongar community. We’re here in support and solidarity,” Lewis, 33, said At the end of the Naarm/Melbourne vigil held at the Aboriginal Advancement League in Thornbury, a group of 15- and 16-year-old Indigenous boys from Crow Youth boxing club spoke of how Cassius’s death had made them fearful to go out. “I’m a 15-year-old boy just like Cassius,” one said. “I’m in my school uniform and I deserve to get home safe.”\ [caption id="attachment_29675" align="alignnone" width="774"] Jayla Memarloo, left, and Abby Lee Lewis at the Cassius Turvey vigil in Sydney. Photograph: Sarah Collard/Guardian Australia[/caption] A few thousand gathered outside on the hill surrounding the hall. Among those paying their respects to Cassius included the federal Greens leader, Adam Bandt, and Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe. For the adults who spoke, there was a collective pain and grief that it could happen “anywhere, anytime, on our country”. “We know that Cassius had a big heart, he was generous, he was proud of his culture,” one speaker said. Rallies and vigils in Cassius’s honour were also held in Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Alice Springs, Darwin, Adelaide and many regional towns and remote communities around the country. Megan Krakouer, of the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project, who has helped with planning and organising many of the vigils, said there were 44 confirmed rallies across Australia with events also being held in the US and New Zealand. “That just goes to show how far and wide the impact of his death and his life has gone, it’s reverberating around the country and the world,” Krakouer told Guardian Australia. She thanked attendees but also urged the country to come together and acknowledge the harm racism and violence can have on children. “This is impacting our kids, black, brown and white and especially the most marginalised and vulnerable communities. We all have a right to feel safe.” WA police have said they are investigating allegations of racial slurs being used but have made clear they are not speculating about possible reasons for the alleged murder. They have said they believe a metal pole was used in the assault. Source: theguardian.com

A rightwing French lawmaker has caused uproar by shouting “Go back to Africa” during a Black lawmaker’s comments at a parliamentary session broadcast to the public on Thursday. Grégoire de Fournas, parliamentary representative from the National Rally (RN) party, interrupted Carlos Martens Bilongo, a representative from the far-left party France Unbowed (LFI) during a session of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament. Bilongo was calling on the French government to cooperate with EU counties – notably Italy and its newly-elected far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – to assist several hundred African migrants rescued from the Mediterranean sea. De Fournas interrupted, shouting “go back to Africa.” Chaos immediately ensued in the chamber, leading Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly, to temporarily suspend the session. Bilongo and his party have described the shout as a racist personal attack, though de Fournas’ party has argued that the interjection was actually intended for the migrants under discussion. [caption id="attachment_29685" align="alignnone" width="906"] MP NUPES Carlos Martens Bilongo speaks to the journalist at the exit of questions to the government at the National Assembly in Paris, France on November 3, 2022[/caption] Today, some people once again put my skin color at the center of a debate. I’m born in France and I am a French lawmaker and I didn’t think that today I will be insulted [like this] at the National Assembly,” Bilongo told reporters after the incident. Mathilde Panot, leader of the far-left France Unbowed group at the National Assembly, has demanded that de Fournas face the toughest punishment for a French lawmaker — expulsion. “Racists like him have no place in our parliament,” Panot tweeted. De Fournas said that he was referring to migrants, tweeting that the France Unbowed had “hijacked” his words in a “disgraceful manipulation.” “My answer concerned the boat and the migrants, obviously not my colleague,” he tweeted. According to French phonetic rules, there is little audible difference between the sentences, “He should go back to Africa” and “They should go back to Africa” as de Fournas expressed them. Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right RN’s party group at the French lower house, voiced support for de Fournas in a tweet. “Grégoire de Fournas obviously spoke about the migrants transported in boats by the NGOs that our colleague mentioned in his question to the government. The polemic created by our political opponents is crude and will not deceive the French,” she wrote. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne told journalists after the session that “racism has no place in our democracy.” The parliament will hold a meeting Friday to decide on a punishment for de Fournas. Expulsion, the toughest punishment given to a lawmaker from the parliament, was only handed down once during the French Fifth Republic, to a communist lawmaker Maxime Gremetz for disrupting a parliamentary session in 2011, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV. Source: CNN News

Pacificana a Local MSME has partnered with BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) through registering as a BSP Mobile Merchant. Customers can now order and pay using Pacificana’s BSP Merchant Code 56997. Pacificana, a well-established local micro-SME has taken a positive step to diversifying their payment options by now becoming a Mobile Merchant. Located in the heart of Gordons, Spoonbill, this local SME is a home-based business with a customer reach stretching across PNG and abroad. They offer a variety of products ranging from clothing and accessories such as hair flowers, coconut earrings, pacific designed shirts, tops and polarized sunglasses under their Tropikool brand. With a customer, reach stretching across PNG and abroad, Business owner Ms. Amanda Kanasa states, “now with the added payment option it will help our business grow its customer base as BSP Mobile Merchant is convenient, safe, secure and cheaper payment option, which benefits both business and customers with payments that can be done from the safety of your home using any mobile phone.” She further stated, “apart from the benefits, it gives them credibility that we are a genuine business, and customers will trust that their orders will be delivered to them.’ Ms. Amanda Kanasa highly recommends that other Micro-SMEs & Sole Traders who have an account with BSP Financial Group Limited should look at signing up as BSP MB Merchant and not only limit your options to receiving payments through an eftpos machine. She further stated, “there is a lot of trust issues between customers and small business owners especially on social media (which is their main platform for sales), and being recognised as a BSP Mobile Merchant gives customers that security of knowing that your business is genuine. Almost everyone has a mobile phone and mobile banking is the way forward and convenient method of cashless payment.” Visit any BSP branches and sign up now. BSP is enabling local business to access digital payments platforms making it convenient for customers to pay anytime anywhere with a convenient and secure online experience and enjoy doorstep delivery

Prime Minister James Marape says the Government is investing in key infrastructure development such as the K125.7 million Kavieng Airport Development. He said this on Thursday, November 3, 2022, when opening the project which he launched in June 2020, built through the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded Civil Aviation Development Investment Programme (CADIP) and Government counterpart funding, in front of a massive crowd in the New Ireland capital. The project covered pavement strengthening and 500m runway extension to achieve a total length of 2200m; construction of the new terminal building; construction of the new airport market facility; construction of the powerhouse and installation of standby power supply; installation of an airfield lighting system; installation of water supply; and a new carpark. PM Marape thanked ADB for its support of CADIP since 2009 which will continue through CADIP II. He also announced: • K10 million for expansion of Kavieng Town and urged local landowners to free up land for this purpose; and • That a new port would be built in Kavieng through Australia-PNG partnership. The Prime Minister and a large delegation from Port Moresby arrived in an Air Niugini Boeing 737 aircraft to demonstrate that Kavieng Airport can now handle international flights. He was accompanied by Civil Aviation Minister and Namatanai MP Hon. Walter Schnaubelt, Treasurer and Kavieng MP Hon. Ian Ling-Stuckey, Finance Minister Hon. Rainbo Paita, ADB Country Director David Hill, management of major airlines Air Niugini and PNG Air, department heads, provincial administration representatives, local leaders and the New Ireland people. Meantime, across the Bismark Sea in Manus, Deputy Prime Minister Hon. John Rosso opened the East-West Coast Highway Redevelopment. “This indicates that the Government of today is willing to invest in key economic infrastructure to carry the economy of the country forward,” PM Marape said. “This sort of infrastructure has a return on investment. “This airport in Kavieng has a return of 16 per cent-plus. “This is economic-enabling infrastructure to anchor New Ireland and this part of the country so that you are not just a contributor from Lihir (mine), but can now go the next mile in as far as the economy is concerned.” PM Marape challenged the people of New Ireland to break away from the status quo and work with Government in developing the economy. “The Government is investing and focusing on going back to agriculture, fisheries, tourism and sustainable forestry and wants to work with provincial government in this space,” he said. PM Marape cited the case of the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu which had a population of only 300,000 people but attracted 88,000 tourists in 2020. “If 50,000 tourists come to Kavieng, and each of them spends K1000, that is K50 million for the New Ireland economy,” he said. “This is more money than from the Lihir mine. “In a place like New Ireland, where law-and-order is not a major issue, we are willing to invest more. “I want to talk about opening up Kavieng Town; opening up tourism, agriculture, fisheries in New Ireland. “I want to talk about power-generation for reliable power in this province. “I want New Ireland, over the next 10 years, to become a strong economic contributor through not only agriculture, but especially tourism and fisheries.” PC: Rolland Banaba