Sanjana Rishi says she wore a vintage, powder-blue pantsuit to her traditional Indian wedding recently "simply because I love suits". But, with her choice of wedding outfit, she also delivered a bold fashion statement - that made many wonder whether more brides would ditch traditional clothing in favour of the power suit. In the West, bridal pantsuits have caught on in the past few years. Designers are promoting trousers in their wedding collections, and they've received celebrity endorsement too. Last year, Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner wore a pair of white trousers when she married musician Joe Jonas in Las Vegas. But, Ms Rishi's outfit was highly unusual for India - where brides usually dress up in silk saris or elaborate lehengas (long skirt-blouse-scarf combos). The preferred colour is red and many are embroidered with expensive gold or silver thread. "I've never come across an Indian bride dressed like this," says Nupur Mehta Puri, former editor of a bridal magazine. "Brides usually like to wear Indian attire along with the traditional jewellery from their mothers and grandmothers. "This was something very new. And she really stood out." An Indian-American entrepreneur, Ms Rishi, 29, married Delhi businessman Dhruv Mahajan, 33, on 20 September in the capital, Delhi. She had worked as a corporate lawyer in the US before returning to India last year and the couple were living together for close to a year. They had planned a wedding in September in the US - where the bride's brother and most of her friends live - and a second traditional Indian wedding in Delhi in November. But then Covid happened and their plans "got completely derailed". Source: BBC

East Street Fitness (EFS) clients can now shop and pay online for all ESF personal, group and offsite training packages and the ‘East Street Fitwear’ line, thanks to Bank South Pacific’s internet payment gateway. Since beginning its operations in 2018, ESF has aimed to deliver a one-stop fitness training and expertise shop for individual and corporate clients eager to embark on a fit and healthy journey. With its recent facility expansion at 7mile in Port Moresby, it now operates as a 24-hour studio gym with a customer base of over 50 clients, providing 24/7 professional services that are affordable, convenient, safe and easy to access. East Street Fitness Director William Moaina said, “ESF’s promise to customers is to be with you every step of the way of your fit and health journey, fighting for you, with you and alongside you, to look and feel your ultimate best.” “We are specialised in personal training using boxercise, weight training, TRX and circuit training as well as diet and nutrimental aid.” “We also provide certified personal trainers, physiotherapists and sports massage professionals”, said William. With a recently revamped website, ESF reached out to BSP to offer alternative online payments for their loyal customers for convenient and safe contactless banking. “Our customers pay for services via EFTPOS, direct deposit and sometimes cash. Online payment brings convenience to the table. Everything is online nowadays especially marketing. Having the ease of transitioning our client from an online ad, straight to our own checkout counter for one of our packages or products, is the greatest thing!” said Florence Daple Director of  East Street Fitness. Driving fitness and digital innovation, ESF is the first fitness company to join the BSP e-Commerce ecosystem, a network of service providers driving the adoption of online payments in PNG and promoting safe contactless payments through the ‘new normal’. William also added that, “We highly recommend businesses incorporate online payments onto their websites because it is a fast, easy, a safe way in tracking their payments and there is ease from e- advertising to payment transition. For us, it has taken so many failed attempts in order for us to discover the BSP online payment gateway and we are certain it will be the added bonus we need for our business”. Businesses interested in setting up a payments page on their website can contact BSP through email servicebsp@bsp.com.pg and call BSP 3201212 or 70301212.

US household spending rose more than expected in October while incomes declined, indicating consumers may have less wherewithal to keep driving the economy amid a surging coronavirus and lack of fresh government aid. Purchases increased 0.5 percent from the prior month, following a 1.2 percent gain in September, a Commerce Department report showed Wednesday. That compared with estimates for a 0.4 percent increase. Personal incomes dropped 0.7 percent, a larger decrease than forecast, owing in large part to a decline in government supplemental jobless benefits. The report follows data earlier Wednesday showing applications for US state unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose for a second straight week in the first back-to-back increase since July. The personal savings rate, which had surged to a record in April as a result of the rise in government social benefits, fell for a sixth month to 13.6 percent, though it remains elevated compared with pre-virus levels. While large parts of the economy remain handcuffed by Covid-19 and Congress has been deadlocked for months on providing more aid to businesses and jobless Americans, savings and a recovering job market have helped support a rebound in spending, which makes up two-thirds of the economy. But the recent surge in coronavirus cases could deter purchases, especially of services, while renewed restrictions on businesses in some states may spur job losses. Also, without congressional action, two pandemic jobless benefit programs are set to expire at the end of December, affecting an estimated 12 million people. The latest report reflected the winding-down of a separate stopgap program authorized by President Donald Trump in August. The October income data “reflected a decrease in Lost Wages Supplemental Payments, a Federal Emergency Management Agency program that provides wage assistance to individuals impacted by the pandemic,” according to the Commerce Department. Adjusted for inflation, real consumer spending rose 0.5 percent in October following a 1.1 percent increase in September. The increase included gains in a category that spans computers and software, while spending on health care -- particularly at hospitals — helped boost outlays on services. The report showed wages and salaries rose 0.7 percent in October, reflecting stronger-than-expected hiring in the month. While the Federal Reserve will seek inflation that averages 2 percent over time, current gauges of consumer prices are well below that 2 percent target and decelerated for the first time in six months. The index of consumer prices that the Fed officially uses for its target rose 1.2 percent in October from a year earlier. The core price index, which excludes more-volatile food and energy costs, increased 1.4 percent. Source: businessoffashion.com

Stocks in Asia jumped on Wednesday, following Wall Street's rally that saw the Dow pass the 30,000 milestone for the first time, as investors cheered positive vaccine news and signs that a formal transition of power is finally underway in the United States. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (HSI) rose 1.3%, China's Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP) was up 0.1% and South Korea's Kospi (KOSPI) rose 0.7%. Japan's Nikkei (N225) led the region's gains, rising around 2% to its highest level since early 1991. Shares in the country's flagship carrier ANA jumped nearly 3%, after Japan and China announced on Tuesday that they had agreed to resume business travel by end of month. US stock futures were also slightly up. Dow (INDU) futures rose 100 points, or 0.4%. S&P (SPX) futures were up 0.4% and Nasdaq (COMP) futures were up 0.6%. The spate of promising coronavirus vaccine developments in recent weeks is driving the global stocks surge, according to Stephen Innes, chief global market strategist at Axi. "Global investors are elated by the vaccine news," Innes wrote in a note on Wednesday. Investors are also relieved to see that a formal transition from US President Donald Trump to President-elect Joe Biden is finally underway, Innes said. The US General Services Administration is starting the so-called ascertainment process, which allows Trump administration officials to coordinate with the Biden team. Sources confirmed to CNN that former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen will be Biden's nominee for Treasury Secretary. Source: Hong Kong (CNN Business)

Fiji has recorded three new Covid-19 cases, all in border quarantine. The Health Ministry said the trio arrived on a repatriation flight from Auckland on 19 November. The ministry's Sunil Chandra said two of them were Fiji citizens returning from Mali while the third was a foreign national . Chandra said the pair had started their journey from Mali while the third patient had transited through New Zealand from Germany. He said the man worked in Fiji and was returning to the country with his family. "The first two cases are Fijian citizens, both in their 40s, and worked at a mining company in Mali. "The third case is a 51-year-old non-Fiji citizen who arrived in Fiji on 19th of November on the same New Zealand flight." Chandra said as standard procedure for confirmed cases, all three patients had been isolated in hospital. He said the three patients returned positive results for the coronavirus during tests conducted on day two of their 14-day quarantine. The number of active cases in the country is now three after an earlier case, a 53-year-old man from a 5 November repatriation flight, was discharged from hospital today. People returning to Fiji go into quarantine for 14 days at a government designated facility supervised by the military. Fiji has had 38 cases of Covid-19. Source: rnz.co.nz

US President-elect Joe Biden has unveiled officials for six important posts, as he prepares to take office. "America is back", he said, and "ready to lead the world, not retreat from it". If confirmed, Avril Haines will be the first female director of national intelligence and Alejandro Mayorkas the first Latino homeland security boss. Donald Trump has agreed transition moves must start and Mr Biden will now get a top-secret intelligence brief. However, the sitting president still refuses to admit defeat, repeating unsubstantiated claims that the 3 November vote was "rigged". As well as getting the Presidential Daily Brief- an update on international threats and developments - Mr Biden can now access key government officials and millions of dollars in funds as he prepares to take over on 20 January. What Biden's new foreign policy team tells us What is the presidential transition? On Tuesday, Governor Tom Wolf said he had certified Mr Biden's victory in Pennsylvania, a key swing state. Another, Michigan, certified the same outcome on Monday. What did Biden say? Speaking in Wilmington, Delaware, the president-elect highlighted the need to rebuild alliances, as well as tackling coronavirus and climate change. World leaders, he suggested, were "looking forward to the United States reasserting its historic role as a global leader over the Pacific, as well as the Atlantic, all across the world". Speaking to NBC News, he said: "This president, President Trump, has changed the landscape. It's become America first, America alone. We find ourselves in a position where our alliances are being frayed." Mr Biden also told reporters he had discussed the Irish border issue with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other leaders. US doesn't want guarded border on Ireland - Biden The 310-mile border at the heart of Brexit Mr Biden, who has Irish heritage, said he was against a guarded border, arguing it must be kept open: "The idea of having the border north and south once again being closed, it's just not right." Source: BBC

West New Britain (WNB) has recorded 18 new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, bringing the province’s total confirmed cases to 31 and Papua New Guinea’s total to 630. The new cases in WNB are all from Talasea District with youngest being 4 years old and the oldest at 70 years of age. There are 14 females and four males. Five of the new cases have symptoms such as fever, cough, headache, chills and sore throat at the time of testing whilst 13 do not have COVID-19 symptoms. Ten had contact with previously-identified positive cases. The rapid response team continues with contract tracing. To date, 16 of the 22 provinces in the country have confirmed cases of COVID-19.  The distribution of the cases is as follows: ProvincesConfirmed CasesNCD353Western Province204West New Britain31Eastern Highlands13Central7Morobe6East Sepik3Enga2East New Britain2Milne Bay2New Ireland2West Sepik1Southern Highlands1AROB1Hela Province1Western Highlands1TOTAL630Source: National Control Centre Globally, the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 has reached 57,882,018, including 604,943 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The death toll is 1,377,395; of which 9,237 were reported in the last 24 hours.

For the first time ever, this year’s 16th YUMI FM PNG MUSIK AWARDS will be a radio broadcast event and its only five days away now. In a significant first, and despite the cancellation of the usual event, an on-air radio show of the YUMI FM PNG MUSIK AWARDS 2020 will be held on 93 YUMI FM. Winner’s announcements will be made on Saturday November 28th 2020 from 6-8PM on 93 YUMI FM. In its 16th year, this is the only event that recognizes the efforts of artists in the country. We are pleased to announce that there are 8 categories this year. Best New Artist Artist of the Year Song of the Year Male Artist of the Year Female Artist of the Year International Artist of the Year (APRA) Best Duo/Group of the Year Producer of the Year Notable mention in this year’s 16th Yumi FM PNG Musik Awards is last year’s new kid on the block Archie Tarzy who has been nominated in three separate categories. The mangi Kerema with the voice to break a thousand hearts, Archie Tarzy; has been nominated in the Artist of the Year category, Male Artist of the Year category and International Artist of the Year (APRA) category for his song “Asiovai”. Only 4 more days to go and counting! Keep following the YUMI FM PNG MUSIK Awards page on Facebook for more of the first ever radio broadcast of the YUMI FM PNG MUSIK AWARDS 2020.