News
Global Travel and Banking Disrupted by Major Cybersecurity Incident
A massive cybersecurity incident has disrupted travel and banking services worldwide, causing chaos and delays. Approximately 110,000 commercial flights were scheduled globally today, but as of 11:00 BST, 1,390 flights have been cancelled, according to aviation analytics company Cirium. Here is the current breakdown of flight cancellations by country:
- United States: 512 flights
- Germany: 92 flights
- India: 56 flights
- Italy: 45 flights
- Canada: 21 flights
Cybersecurity experts have identified the source of the problem as a faulty update from Crowdstrike, a well-known cybersecurity vendor. The update has caused systems to “blue screen” and crash, preventing computers from restarting and receiving the necessary fix.
Kevin Beaumont, a cybersecurity researcher, explained the complexity of resolving the issue: “As systems no longer start, impacted systems will need to be started in ‘Safe Mode’ to remove the faulty update. This is incredibly time-consuming and will take organisations days to do at scale. Essentially, we have one of the world’s highest impact IT incidents caused by a cybersecurity vendor.”
Microsoft has acknowledged the widespread impact of the incident, stating that while the “underlying cause” of the mass IT outage has been fixed for its apps, there is still “residual impact” affecting some services. The issue was initially attributed to “an update from a third-party software platform,” which has now been confirmed to be Crowdstrike.
As organizations worldwide work to restore their systems, the ripple effects of the disruption continue to affect various sectors. The process of restarting systems in Safe Mode and removing the faulty update is expected to take several days, emphasizing the scale and severity of the incident.
Travelers and banking customers are advised to stay informed through official channels and prepare for potential delays and disruptions as efforts to resolve the issue continue.
In a devastating incident in eastern India, at least 46 people, including 37 children and seven women, have drowned while celebrating the Hindu Jivitputrika festival. The fatalities, which occurred across 15 districts within the past 24 hours, resulted from victims ritually bathing in rivers and ponds swollen by recent flooding.
The three-day festival, which honors children’s wellbeing, is traditionally marked by mothers fasting and families participating in ritual baths. This year, the swollen water bodies, exacerbated by recent floods, have turned the celebratory ritual into a deadly disaster.
Local disaster management officials have expressed fears that the death toll could rise further. State authorities have promised compensation for the families and relatives of the victims.
Fatal accidents during religious festivals are not uncommon in India, where large gatherings often take place with insufficient safety measures. This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by such gatherings, especially during adverse weather conditions.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have conducted airstrikes in Beirut, reportedly killing Mohammad Hussein Surur, a senior Hezbollah air unit leader. The Lebanese health ministry confirmed two deaths and 15 injuries from the attack. The strikes come amid escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah, with both sides exchanging fire throughout the night and into the morning.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the IDF would continue to fight “with full force” against Hezbollah, aiming to dismantle the Iran-backed militant group. This marks a significant intensification of hostilities between the two sides, which have been exchanging rockets and airstrikes for days. The Lebanese health ministry also reported that 28 people were killed today by Israeli airstrikes.
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched 80 missiles targeting northern Israeli cities, including Safed. Israeli authorities have reported no casualties but noted significant property damage in Safed and Rosh Pina.
Amid the intensifying conflict, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin renewed calls for a diplomatic solution. The U.S., along with 11 other allied nations, has urged both Israel and Hezbollah to agree to a ceasefire to prevent further escalation and civilian casualties.
Ferry travel between the Isle of Man and Lancashire continues to face disruption due to strong winds over the Irish Sea. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has cancelled Thursday’s 08:45 BST sailing of the Manxman to Heysham and its scheduled 14:15 return journey. This follows the cancellation of the vessel’s return trip from the Lancashire port on Wednesday evening.
The disruptions have affected postal services, with the Isle of Man Post Office reporting delays in deliveries from the UK. While local deliveries within the island remain unaffected, items posted on Wednesday for UK delivery may not reach Royal Mail’s network in time for Friday delivery.
Additionally, the ferry cancellations have caused a delay in newspaper deliveries, with no papers available on the island on Thursday, as confirmed by the island’s wholesale distributor.
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