Samoa captain Junior Paulo has been cleared to play in next weekend's World Cup final against Australia after receiving a caution for a lifting tackle on England prop Tom Burgess. Paulo, who successfully challenged a striking charge after last weekend’s historic defeat of Tonga, was sin-binned for the 13th minute incident but returned to lead Samoa to the biggest win by any Pacific nation after downing England 27-26 in golden point. Fellow Samoa prop Royce Hunt also received a caution for his involvement in the tackle, while England forward Morgan Knowles received a one-match ban for dangerous contact and John Bateman was cautioned for contrary behaviour. England coach Shaun Wane and Burgess had called for Paulo to be allowed to play in November 19 final at Old Trafford. [caption id="attachment_30271" align="alignnone" width="906"] Match Highlights: England v Samoa[/caption] A shattered Wane was in tears as he addressed the media after the match but the England coach threw his support behind Paulo and said he believed Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga would also want the Samoa captain to play. “The way this World Cup has been refereed has been fantastic,’ Wane said. “They’ve let the players play. I’m glad he didn’t get sent off. “I don’t think Mal [Meninga] would want him missing the game, that’s not the way this World Cup has been and everyone wants to see a strong Australia and a strong Samoa. I don’t think he should be [suspended].” Burgess also backed Paulo to play, saying: “He should definitely play the final, there was nothing in it. “It was just the way the tackle went,” Burgess told Fox Sports. “He should not miss a week for that, no way. I was fine”. Samoa coach Matt Parish expects Sea Eagles prop Martin Taupau to be available for the World Cup final but hooker Fa’amanu Brown is set to be ruled out due to England's 11-day stand down rule for players suffering a head knock. After losing backs Tyrone May, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Izack Tago to injury in the opening match against England, Samoa were also without hooker Danny Levi due to family reasons. Source: NRL.Com

NAC CEO Rex Kiponge has slammed statements released by Minister for Civil Aviation & Transport Walter Schnaulbelt and CASA Director Benedict Oroko saying they " are identical, bias and self serving". "Both have gone to public claiming that NOTAM issued by National Airports Corporation Limited (NAC) for half day Saturday 12/11/2022 from 3am-12pm was a direct result of my arrest on Friday 11th November 2022 which is from the truth". In their statements, they both claimed that 17 Policemen who stormed into sterilized and highly restricted areas of the airside through the Arrivals Gate at the Domestic Terminal without going through the proper security screening process is a normal police work. This is baseless to the CCTV, untrue and to cover up their actions are now a Significant Security Concern (SSC) when both Minister and Director allowed 17 unauthorized Policemen to forcefully enter the Port Moresby International Airport by-passing all Security Screening check-points at the Domestic Terminal. According to the CCTV Footage, Policemen gained entry into the airside using Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC) or Red-Passes illegally issued by CASA Director. ASIC are issued by NAC and a person with ASIC who wish to enter Airside for operational requirements must be accompanied by a safety Officer. Any other entry is highly restricted and that is the rule. The question then is, does the policemen who forcefully gained into the sterilized and highly restricted area unlawfully is a "normal police duty" as claimed by the Minister and the Director? Full investigations will detail out the point of entry and whether or not proper security protocols were complied or breached. The actions of the State Minister and CASA Regulations is a serious security breach under the CA Act at our only International Airport: that cannot be over looked and demands full investigations. The NOTAM issued by NAC was imperative and lawful to carry our security risks assessment at the contaminated are from Landside to Airside  to give clearance for normal operations to resume. The NOTAM issued by NAC on Saturday 12th November 3am- 12pm was direct consequence of the security breach by the agents of the Director CASA and the Minister and has NOTHING TO DO WITH MY ARREST! Read the NOTAM carefully. On my part on falling to turn up at CASA Office for interview is totally baseless. On numerous occasions, I have written between the two sister agencies arricably and insisted on an unlawful interview which led to my arrest which has no merit and basis in law, It is obvious that the Minister for Civil Aviation has catalogued with the CASA Director to attack NAC without cause and it is sad to see NAC has not been accorded its rightful place in the Civil Aviation Ministry representation for fair hearing in such cases since Walter Schnaulbelt took over as the Minister for Civil Aviation and Transport Ministry. And again, I stress that the NOTAM issued half day on Saturday 12th November 2022 has nothing to do with my arrest. I was Arrested and charged by CASA Director Mr. Benedict Oraka which the Court will determine whether he has the powers to arrest the incumbent Managing Director & CEO of NAC with the use of excessive force compromising Safety of the travelling public, the airline operators and staff of port Moresby International Airport. The CASA Director as the Regulator and State Minister responsible for safety and security of the Civil Aviation Sector has now set a dangerous precedent and is sad to see both defending their actions with impurity. On that note, I welcome the Prime Minister's directive to conduct a full investigation of the Minister of Civil Aviation & Transport .CASA Director and members of the Police Force's involvement in the incident relating to the safety and security breach and the insurance of the NOTAM for half day on Saturday 12th November 2022. The NOTAM was required by the law to sweep the entire contaminated area to restore integrity and safety and give confidence to the travelling public, airline operators and staff relating to Safety and Security concerns after the incident. NAC will release a full report after the completion of internal investigations.

Last time the Orchids played in a Rugby League World Cup in 2017, Shellie Long was lining up against them (for the Far North Queensland All Stars in a pre-tournament warm-up match). Despite being born in Port Moresby, the 22-year-old moved to Australia as a young child and did not grow up with PNG influences, so it had not crossed her mind that by the time of the next RLWC she could be playing for the Orchids. But it was a conversation with NRLW St George Illawarra Dragons teammate Elsie Albert (Shellie was in the Dragons NRLW squad for the 2021 season) that persuaded her to explore representing her birthplace. Shellie explains: “Elsie came up to me and said, ‘I heard you were born in PNG, perhaps you could be a future Orchid?’. We went out for dinner, she told me about PNG and what it’s like to play for the Orchids, and she spent the rest of the Dragons season telling everyone that I’d play for the Orchids one day!” Despite not debuting for the Dragons, Shellie moved back to Brisbane to continue playing in the QRLW, alongside work and studying criminology and criminal justice. A few months later, Santos PNG Orchids coach Ben Jeffries got in touch, by which time Shellie had decided that she wanted to follow Elsie’s advice and represent PNG. “It feels right to reconnect with my PNG heritage in this way,” she reflects. “There’s a lot to learn because I never grew up around my PNG heritage (Western Province) and I don’t have any contact with the PNG side of my family. But I’m keen to go there now – hearing all the positive stories from the girls, I’m keen to go and see PNG. “It has been so cool learning Tok Pisin during this RLWC campaign. I’ve realised that PNG is a very modest and humble country that is very proud of its people. The amount of support we have had is amazing.” Credit: Santos PNG Orchids

Prime Minister James Marape, MP has strongly condemned the National Airport Corporation (NAC) saga and has directed a full investigation into the sabotaging of Jacksons International Airport operations. The airport came to a complete stop in the morning of Saturday, November 12, 2022, when the airport security blocked off the airport - affecting daily operations of international and domestic flights. PM Marape directed the National Security Advisory Committee, in a National Security Council meeting the same day, to: • Take full carriage of the incident; • institute an independent investigation to ascertain exactly what had happened; and • Charge those involved in this incident. In a brief presented at the meeting, the incident had everything to do with the arrest of National Airport Corporation Managing-Director, Rex Kiponge. PM Marape directed a full investigation into the mayhem and wants those involved to be charged forthwith. “I want a complete report on this gross negligence, sabotage and abuse of due process by those who are discharged with authority," he said. “In the context of national security, you cannot stop airport and flights, as this is sabotaging our freedom of movement. “My appeal to National Airport Corporation staff, and all instrumentalities who support air transport, is not to personalize things. “National airports and public institutions facilitate our economy and well-being of our people and country. “Our international reputation continues to be dented with people playing hide-and-seek with law and abuse of processes.”

Trip Valigorsky’s beachfront home in a tight-knit community in Volusia County, Florida had been in his family for nearly 15 years before it was washed away this week, as the dangerous storm surge and powerful winds caused by Hurricane Nicole swept across Florida. “This home was my grandma’s favorite place,” Valigorsky told CNN. “Some of the best memories with her were here.” Valigorksy is just one of many residents in the beachfront neighborhood of Wilbur-By-The-Sea whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the storm. In Volusia County, at least 49 beachfront properties, including hotels and condos, have been deemed “unsafe” in the aftermath of Nicole, which hit Florida’s eastern coast south of Vero Beach as a Category 1 hurricane early Thursday before weakening into a tropical storm and eventually becoming a post-tropical cyclone Friday afternoon. Video from the county shows homes crumbling, reduced to wreckage, as Nicole’s waves erode the coastline. Separate video shows the county’s beach safety office collapsing into the rising water. Sea level in this part of Florida has risen more than a foot in the past 100 years, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and most of that rise has occurred in the past three decades. Scientists and researchers have long warned that sea level rise is leading to more erosion and high-tide flooding — particularly during extreme coastal storms. This has put even more stress on seawalls that are meant to protect coastal communities from high waves and water levels, many of which were destroyed this week by the storm surge. One seawall that was put up on Tuesday, which Valigorsky and his neighbors had hoped would protect their properties from damage, crumbled into the ocean by Wednesday, he said. “It was stressful wondering if it would fall, and here we are,” Valigorsky said. On Wednesday morning, Valigorsky decided to grab his essential belongings and his dog to evacuate the area as he watched the storm become even more severe. By the time he returned, all that remained of his home was the garage and the front foyer. As his community begins to rebuild their neighborhood in the aftermath of Nicole, Valigorsky said he plans to reconstruct his home alongside his neighbors who also lost theirs. ‘People can’t prepare for it,’ resident says Another resident, Phil Martin, lost his entire home during the hurricane this week. “It was the most devastating thing to see,” Martin said. “We didn’t think it would be this bad.” Martin said he has lived in the area for two years and the home was his permanent residence where he spent time with his children and grandchildren, playing soccer in the backyard or walking down to the beach. “There’s no politics at the beach, everyone gets along,” Martin said, adding that his community and those surrounding Wilbur-By-The-Sea are keeping his spirits high. “Everything happened very fast with this one,” he said. “But we’re going to rebuild, we’ve got this.” Just six weeks ago, Hurricane Ian’s storm surge eroded parts of Florida’s eastern coast, hitting the area where a seawall was built behind Martin’s home as well as his neighbors’. Now, he said, that seawall is gone. The back-to-back nature of storms is making seawalls – which are already aging – more vulnerable, Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the University of Miami’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, previously told CNN. “It doesn’t really take a strong storm – you just need high tides or storm-agitated tides to wash away or put extra stress on the walls,” he said. “Having these two storms six weeks apart, if you don’t give places any time to repair or replenish, each storm definitely leaves its mark.” Arlisa Payne, who has been a resident of the beachfront community for most of her life, told CNN affiliate Spectrum News 13 that she’s “never seen anything like this” after assessing the damage caused by Hurricane Nicole. Although her home survived the storm, Payne said that she is concerned the seawall in front of her house is at risk of collapsing. The mother of four children said many of her neighbor’s homes were not damaged by Hurricane Ian but they were hit hard by Nicole, making it difficult for the community to prepare for such storms. “I think this caught a lot of people off guard,” she said. “How do you prepare for this? People can’t prepare for it.” Source: CNN

Trukai Industries Limited has strengthened its commitment to developing sports in PNG by sponsoring this year’s Trukai National Weightlifting Championship at the Southside Fitness Centre, Port Moresby. Following a sponsorship of K50,000 donated to the PNG Weightlifting Federation (PNGWF) earlier this year, Trukai has cemented its support for the sport by donating an additional K8,000 to support athletes competing in this year’s championship. The Trukai National Weightlifting Championship is a qualifying event for the 2023 South Pacific Games, and it will include returning athletes such as Dika Toua and Morea Baru who will be attempting to qualify for the pacific games next year. Trukai is the official sponsor of the PNGWF for 22 years. It is through Trukai’s support that athletes such as Dika Toua, Steven Kari, and Morea Baru have achieved excellence by winning medals at international events such as the Oceania Championships, Commonwealth Games, and the Pacific Games. The President of the PNGWF) Sir John Dawanicura thanked Trukai Industries for their continuous support in developing weightlifting in PNG. “Trukai has been with us for a long time and it is through our long relationship with Trukai that the federation can successfully facilitate weightlifting championships in PNG and also support our athletes,” said Sir John. Trukai Industries’ Marketing Manager Maryanne Tom echoed Sir John’s sentiments adding that the company will continue to support the health and wellbeing of all Papua New Guineans through its commitment to supporting sports in the country. “Trukai continues to promote a healthy and active lifestyle. This is why we partner with organizations such as PNGWF. We’re proud to be a sponsor of this qualifying event and I’m looking forward to seeing some new and upcoming weightlifters that have been inspired by Dika and Morea’s achievements,” said Tom.

There was no immediate word about casualties after the crash, which involved two World War II-era planes at an air show in Dallas on Saturday. Two World War II-era airplanes collided in midair at an air show in Dallas on Saturday, the authorities said, turning the commemorative Veterans Day weekend event into a scene of horror. It was not immediately clear how many people were aboard when the planes — a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra — crashed at about 1:20 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The crash happened at the Wings Over Dallas air show at Dallas Executive Airport, which is about 10 miles south of downtown Dallas. Videos posted online appeared to show a fast and agile airplane slamming into a larger aircraft as horrified onlookers watched. Paul Martin, a member of the Army Air Forces Historical Association, said that the Flying Fortress was a bomber airplane that was lumbering and like a “tractor-trailer truck,” big enough to carry a crew of 10 or 11 people, while the Kingcobra was a single-pilot fighter plane. To have either aircraft in flying condition is a rare occurrence, he said. There are fewer than a handful of either in that condition, he said. “It’s heartbreaking for me to hear this, both on a human level and a historical level,” he said. The F.A.A. and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, the F.A.A. said. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said on social media on Saturday that there were no reports of injuries to spectators or those on the ground. He said that much about the crash remained unknown or unconfirmed. “The videos are heartbreaking,” he said. “Please, say a prayer for the souls who took to the sky to entertain and educate our families today.” In 2019, another B-17 bomber was destroyed in a deadly crash. Seven people were killed in after a Flying Fortress that took off from Bradley International Airport, near Hartford, Conn., crashed into a de-icing facility shortly after takeoff, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The agency found that pilot error and inadequate maintenance contributed to the crash. Christopher Kratovil, a lawyer in Dallas, took his 12-year-old daughter, Kelsey, a history buff like himself, to the air show on Saturday. Mr. Kratovil said his father used to take him to air shows when he was a child. “It’s just an amazing thing to see these aircraft that you read about in the pages of a history book, there and tangible, and you see them flying and operating,” he said. He said there were several aircraft flying at the same time, perhaps about eight, a mix of bombers like the Flying Fortress and fighters like the Kingcobra. The event included a narrator describing the significance of the aircraft, with patriotic music playing in the background. Mr. Kratovil said the Flying Fortress appeared to be doing a flyby near the crowd, a common move meant for attendees to get a good look. Then he saw the explosion. His first thought was it could be pyrotechnics, but he quickly realized there was no way to do midair pyrotechnics. He then saw a wing come off the B-17 and then the fuselage of the plane fall to the ground, followed by fireballs and a loud crash. “It hit me all of a sudden: This is real. You’re watching a B-17 crash,” he said. “It was just a horrific thing to see and a horrific thing to witness with one of my children.”     Source: New York Times

Kevin Conroy, who is best known for voicing Batman, has died aged 66. He first played Bruce Wayne 30 years ago in Batman: The Animated Series and went on to appear in a number of TV shows, feature films and video games. He also voiced the superhero in the video games Arkham Knight and Arkham City and also appeared in a 2019 episode of Batwoman. His agent Steven Neibert told the BBC: "The voiceover community lost one of the greats. "I am completely devastated as I worked with him for over 25 years." Conroy was described as a "dear friend" by casting director Andrea Romano. She added that: "Kevin's warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever." DC Comics said they were "deeply saddened" by the news. Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who played Batman's nemesis The Joker in Batman animations and video games, said Conroy was "one of my favourite people on the planet" in his statement, adding he "loved him like a brother". In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Conroy said he had got his inspiration for the voice of Batman from the 1930s film The Scarlet Pimpernel. "I played Bruce Wayne as sort of a humorous playboy to counteract the brooding nature of Batman," he said.   Source: BBC

Australia have advanced to the World Cup Final with a 16-14 win over Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in an epic semi-final in Leeds on Saturday morning (AEDT). After trailing 14-10 at the break the Kangaroos took the lead through Cameron Murray in the 53rd minute and then kept the Kiwis at bay in a pulsating second half that featured brutal defence, flare-ups and close calls. An early mistake by Peta Hiku handed Australia field position but the Kiwis defence held firm before Ben Hunt kicked out on the full in the eighth minute and the Kangaroos were forced to defend their line. Come the 11th minute and the Kiwis struck first when a pinpoint kick by Dylan Brown was caught by Joey Manu who produced a brilliant offload to Jahrome Hughes for the try. The Kangaroos returned serve five minutes later with a memorabe four-pointer through Josh Addo-Carr, who showed dazzling speed to chase Hunt's crossfield kick and take the ball on the full for his 12th try of the tournament. An offside penalty against Cameron Munster handed Rapana the chance to slot a penalty goal in the 26th minute and the Kiwis had the lead 8-6. A right side raid by the Kangaroos led to their second try when Jack Wighton left Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad in his wake with a brilliant step, rode a Manu tackle and offloaded for Valentine Holmes to dot down in the corner. Three minutes before the break the Kiwis were back in front after Ronaldo Mulitalo exploded down the left wing and sent a perfectly timed pass back inside for Brown to cap a brilliant opening half with a try. Rapana converted for 14-10. New Zealand looked to have extended their lead early in the second half when Peta Hiku crossed after Addo-Carr had put down a bomb but the video referee ruled that Rapana had been marginally in front of the kicker. A penalty against Brandon Smith for ruck interference in the 53rd minute gave the Kangaroos a tap kick 10 metres out and Cameron Murray powered through some soft defence to grab his fourth try of the tournament. Nathan Cleary's conversion gave the Kangaroos a 16-14 lead. With 15 minutes to play and the game in the balance, a mistake by Rapana gave Australia a chance to take the upper hand by Mulitalo was on hand to clean up an Angus Crichton grubber and the Kiwis hung on. Hiku went within inches of scoring in the corner in the 73rd minute as a gripping contest went up another gear. The Kiwis then launched one final raid but Latrell Mitchell produced a spectacular take to difuse a Hughes bomb and the defending champions were through to the decider. Source: NRL.com

A deadly outbreak of listeria in six states has been linked to contaminated deli meat and cheese, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced. But what can you do reduce your risk of becoming infected? What to know Listeria is a hardy germ, so determined to stick around that it can continue to grow while refrigerated, which even fellow bacterial villains salmonella and E. coli cannot do. In the United States, listeria is the third leading cause of death from foodborne illness, killing about 260 a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Even with adequate antibiotic treatment, the disease has a high mortality rate” of 20% to 30%, the US Food and Drug Administration said. Pregnant people are about 10 times more likely to become sick from listeria, and the illness can be fatal to the fetus. Pregnant Hispanics are at highest risk, likely due to eating traditional soft cheeses such as queso fresco and other foods made with milk that is unpasteurized, the FDA said. Foods made with raw milk are 50 to 160 times more likely to contain listeria, the agency said. Adults and children with healthy immune systems may simply develop a mild or unpleasant illness that will not require hospitalization or antibiotics. However, anyone immunocompromised, such as older adults, organ transplant patents, those with cancer or kidney disease, diabetes or people with HIV/AIDS, can become seriously ill and die. The latest outbreak, which caused a pregnancy loss and the death of an adult in Maryland, has been linked to the sale of deli meats and cheeses. To date, 16 people have been infected, and 13 have been hospitalized, but “the true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC said Wednesday. Deli meat and hot dogs were a common source of listeria outbreaks in the 1990s, according to the CDC, likely because of the difficulty in cleaning the resistant bacteria from every nook and cranny in deli food preparation devices. However, listeria outbreaks have been linked to cantaloupe, celery, ice cream, leafy greens such as spinach, soft cheeses and sprouts, the agency said. How to protect yourself Keep the kitchen clean: Clean your refrigerator regularly with hot water and liquid soap. Prepare meats and vegetables separately and be sure to sanitize food preparation areas, the CDC said. Keep the fridge cool: Because listeria can easily grow in cool temperatures, keep your refrigerator at 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) or lower. The freezer should be at zero Fahrenheit (minus 18 degrees Celsius) or lower. Raw milk: Eating foods made from raw milk is “one of the riskiest” ways to become infected with listeria and other harmful germs, the CDC said. Soft cheese: If you are pregnant or at high risk, don’t eat soft cheeses, “such as queso fresco, queso blanco, panela (queso panela), brie, Camembert, blue-veined, or feta, unless it is labeled as made with pasteurized milk,” the CDC said. However, know that some soft cheeses have been contaminated during cheese making, the agency said. Sprouts: You can’t just rinse bacteria off alfalfa, clover, radish, mung bean or any type of sprout, the CDC said. High-risk individuals should not eat raw or even lightly cooked sprouts. Always thoroughly heat sprouts first — even homegrown versions can harbor bacteria, the CDC said. When eating out, be sure to ask that no raw spouts be added to your food. Leafy greens: Certain leafy greens such as kale, spinach, lettuces and wild rocket grow lower to the ground and are more likely to become contaminated by listeria in the soil. Always thoroughly wash any greens to be safe, the CDC said. Use these steps: Wash up for 20 seconds with soapy water both before and after handling any leafy greens. Don’t soak greens in the sink — that just spreads any bacteria on one leaf to all the leaves. Remove any torn, bruised or outer leaves. Under running water, scrub each leaf gently and then dry the leaves with a clean cloth. Melons: Melons are another source of listeria infection. Eat cut melon right away and throw away any unrefrigerated for four or more hours, the CDC said. Refrigerate cut melons at 41 F (5 C) or colder for no more than seven days. Deli meats and hot dogs: If you are pregnant or at high risk, don’t eat cold cuts such as bologna, hot dogs, lunch meats, fermented or dry sausages or any other deli meats unless they are heated to steaming hot (165 F or 74 C) just before serving, the agency said. “Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads from a deli or meat counter or from the refrigerated section of a store,” the CDC said. “Meat spreads and pâté that do not need refrigeration before opening, such as products in cans, jars, or sealed pouches, are a safer choice. Refrigerate these foods after opening.” Anyone eating these foods at home should be careful not to allow juice from hot dog and lunch meat packages to get on other foods or food preparation surfaces, plates and utensils. Always carefully wash your hands after touching any type of hot dog, lunch or deli meat, the agency said. Be aware of how long you store such foods in your home. Factory-sealed unopened packages of hot dogs, lunch and deli meats should be thrown away after two weeks in the fridge, the CDC said. Toss opened packages of deli meats or any sliced by a deli after three to five days, and hot dogs after one week. Cold smoked fish: Don’t eat cold smoked fish “unless it is canned or shelf-stable or it is in a cooked dish, such as a casserole” if you are at high risk, the CDC said. Shelf-stable foods, such as canned tuna, sardines and salmon, will not increase the risk of listeria. But not all canned foods are shelf-stable, the CDC said. “Some canned foods are labeled ‘Keep Refrigerated.’ Examples of such items include cold smoked fish, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, and mackerel,” the CDC said. “Cold smoked fish items are often labeled as ‘nova-style,’ ‘lox,’ ‘kippered,’ ‘smoked,’ or ‘jerky’ and typically found at seafood or deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens.” Source: CNN News

Twitter appears to be battling a wave of celebrity and corporate impersonators on its platform who have quickly gamed the company’s new paid verification system, hours after its launch. CNN has confirmed multiple verified Twitter accounts have been suspended by the platform after other users posted screenshots showing misleading content from the accounts. The fake verified accounts had posed as former President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Nintendo of America, the basketball player LeBron James, the software company Valve and others. Before being suspended, the impostor Nintendo account tweeted an image of the video game character Mario giving the viewer the middle finger. The LeBron James account falsely claimed the athlete had requested a trade. The fake Trump account tweeted, “This is why Elon Musk’s plan doesn’t work.” Multiple Twitter users on Wednesday reported having easily created verified impostor accounts, though CNN was unable to independently confirm their responsibility in all cases. CNN did speak to the user behind the fake Trump account, Brian Whelan, whose Twitter bio and LinkedIn identify him as head of video and social at London-based Times Radio. On Twitter, Whelan claimed he created a fake Trump account “within two beers” and after spending £6, and tweeted a screenshot of the fake account attempting — but failing — to follow former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after the fake account had been suspended. In an interview with CNN, Whelan said he managed to impersonate Trump by repurposing an old, spare account. He purchased Twitter Blue for the old account using a prepaid card tied to his real name, and “immediately [had] a fake Trump with a blue tick for two hours.” Rachel Tobac, a cybersecurity expert, noted the trend and said it could quickly spread to bad actors impersonating first responders or other government accounts. “This verification roll out is causing huge trust issues across the platform already,” Tobac tweeted. New Twitter owner Elon Musk has said the feature is aimed at raising spammers’ costs, and that accounts abusing the new verification system to impersonate others would be permanently banned, despite his earlier promises that such bans would be “extremely rare” under his ownership of the platform. The wave of impersonations comes as Twitter enabled the ability for any user to purchase a blue check mark for their profiles without providing identity verification — a feature that information security experts warned would lead to widespread fakes and deceptive behavior. Musk argued during a Twitter Spaces event with advertisers Wednesday that even wealthy bad actors such as state-sponsored disinformation agents would eventually be deterred because they may run out of credit card and phone numbers. Asked by CNN to respond to that claim, Chris Krebs, the former director of the US government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, tweeted a GIF from the cartoon “Futurama” showing the character Fry narrowing his eyes in skepticism. Source: CNN News

Hurricane Nicole has made landfall on Florida’s Atlantic coast just south of Vero Beach as a Category 1 hurricane early Thursday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center, sending rising ocean water onshore and lashing the state with damaging winds and heavy rainfall. The hurricane -- packing maximum sustained winds of up to 75 mph -- has arrived in the Sunshine State as some cities are still recovering from Hurricane Ian, which hit Florida as a Category 4 storm just weeks ago. Nicole is the first hurricane to make landfall in the US in November in nearly 40 years. The last hurricane to do so was Hurricane Kate in 1985. The storm system should weaken to a depression early Friday and become a post-tropical cyclone over the Southeast. Source: CNN News