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Global services slowly recovering after bug causes IT chaos
Businesses and services around the world are slowly recovering after a massive IT outage affected computer systems for hours on Thursday and Friday.
Businesses, banks, hospitals and airlines were among the worst-hit after cyber-security firm Crowdstrike issued a faulty software update which affected Microsoft Windows.
Crowdstrike’s CEO apologised for the disruption and said a fix had been issued, but admitted it could be “some time” before all systems were back up and running.
While some airline services are beginning to return to normal after thousands of flights were cancelled, operators expect some delays and cancellations to persist through the weekend.
Many businesses are now dealing with backlogs and missed orders that could take days to resolve.
Health services in Britain, Israel and Germany also suffered problems, with some operations cancelled.
The global chaos has sparked concern over the vulnerability of the world’s interconnected technologies, and the extent to which a single software glitch could have such widespread impact.
The issue began at 19:00 GMT on Thursday, affecting Windows users running cybersecurity software CrowdStrike Falcon, according to Microsoft, though the full extent of the problem only became clear by Friday morning.
But by Friday evening, the problems were easing in many parts of the globe, with many airports saying that while there were still issues with check-in and payment systems, most flights were now running. Hong Kong International Airport has resumed normal operations, according to Chinese state media.
Meanwhile, JP Morgan Chase, the biggest bank in the US, said it is working to restore service to ATM machines.
The website Downdetector, which detects sites which may be having tech issues, showed fewer sites in the UK which were experiencing problems by the end of the day.
Crowdstrike CEO George Kurtz said on X that a defect was found “in a single content update for Windows hosts”.
“We’re deeply sorry for the impact that we’ve caused to customers, to travellers, to anyone affected by this, including our company,” he told the NBC network.
“Many of the customers are rebooting the system and it’s coming up and it’ll be operational.
“It could be some time for some systems that just automatically won’t recover, but it is our mission… to make sure every customer is fully recovered.”
Microsoft has also said that several reboots may be required, with some users reporting that as many as 15 could be needed before the problem is fixed.
Also, tech experts say Crowdstrike’s fix will have to be applied separately to each and every device affected.
Questions are likely now to be raised about Crowdstrike’s influence as one of the largest operators in the cyber-security market and the wisdom of having such a crucial part of the industry controlled by just a small number of companies.
Crowdstrike’s shares fell by around 12% on Friday, at the expense of rivals SentinelOne and Palo Alto Networks.
The problems were first noticed in Australia, and possibly felt most severely in the air travel industry.
Airports saw delays, with long queues as flights were cancelled or delayed, aircraft grounded and passengers stranded.
Some saw extra staff drafted in to check in passengers manually.
By 18:00 GMT, aviation data from Cirium suggested that more than 4,000 flights – or 3.9% of the total – had been cancelled so far on Friday, though the figure may also include flights cancelled for other reasons.
Payment systems, banking and healthcare providers around the world were affected.
It is thought the outage may also have a longer term effect as companies struggle to pay wages to staff, particularly where payments are made on a weekly basis.
Some railway companies warned of delays, and broadcasters Sky News and ABC Australia both experienced outages.
(BBC)
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Munoz sends Colombia into World Cup knockouts with 1-0 win over DR Congo
Daniel Munoz has fired Colombia into the World Cup round of 32 with a 1-0 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Group K after goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi had threatened to turn the match into a night of frustration.
Munoz struck the winner from the right side of the penalty area in the 76th minute on Tuesday, finally beating Mpasi, who had repeatedly denied Colombia with an inspired performance.
Colombia, who opened their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, commanded possession and created numerous chances.

James Rodriguez, making his 10th World Cup appearance to equal the Colombian record jointly held by Freddy Rincon and Carlos Valderrama, forced Mpasi into action with a powerful strike in the 11th minute.
The goalkeeper stood firm, repelling efforts from Jhon Arias and winger Luis Diaz, who came close to breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute, controlling a chipped pass inside the penalty area, turning smartly, and firing a shot goal-wards, only for Mpasi to save it with his foot.
The African side, buoyed by their opening 1-1 deaw with Portugal, threatened sporadically through Edo Kayembe, Cedric Bakambu and Yoane Wissa, but lacked a clinical finish.
By half-time, Colombia had registered 15 shots, including six on target, with nine of their 10 outfield players attempting efforts.

In the stands, DR Congo had support from Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, the team’s famous “living statue” fan, who made his World Cup debut after missing the opener against Portugal because of Ebola quarantine requirements.
Colombia resumed on the front foot after the break, with Diaz forcing another fine save from Mpasi in the 51st minute before Arias dragged the rebound wide.
Wissa almost snatched the lead for DR Congo in the 73rd minute, when his shot from Simon Banza’s assist was blocked, but Colombia struck shortly after through Munoz.
Diaz later thought he had doubled the advantage with a finish into the top corner, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
Colombia moved to six points from two matches and guaranteed their progress to the knockout stage ahead of their final group game against Portugal, who beat Uzbekistan 5-0 earlier on Tuesday.
DR Congo remained on one point and will need a result against Uzbekistan to keep their qualification hopes alive.

[Aljazeera]
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July 6th declared as Sri Lanka National Legal Aid Day
The Legal Aid Commission of Sri Lanka was established under the Legal Aid Act No. 27 of 1978 with the objective of facilitating access to justice for all citizens, including vulnerable groups and marginalized persons.
The commission makes a significant contribution to the protection of fundamental rights through the provision of legal aid services promotion of legal awareness, strengthening the rule of law and promoting access to justice.
It has been identified the appropriateness of declaring a National Legal Aid Day to enhance the public awareness of legal rights and remedies, facilitate a national dialogue on law enforcement and enhance the public understanding of the importance of legal services.
Accordingly, having ratified the legal Aid Act No.27 of 1978, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Justice and National Integration to declare July 06th as the National Legal Aid Day.
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Appointment of a special Committee for protection of lands in Eastern Province
A series of political, economic, and administrative problems in the Eastern Province have arisen due to the misuse of government power and political patronage, as well as illegal land grabbing, unauthorized land grabbing, and unauthorized constructions along the coastline.
As a result, the natural ecosystem of the region has been severely endangered, and these informal and illegal human activities have also become a major factor in the rapid creation of severe soil erosion along the entire eastern coastal area.
Furthermore, despite 16 years having passed since the end of the civil war, the lack of a formal program to permanently resettle the displaced people and the deviation from common criteria in the formation of the administrative structure have had a direct impact on the development activities of the province, as well as national security.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the President to implement the following proposals and find prompt and permanent solutions to the aforementioned problems, take legal action and strengthen institutional coordination.
• Appointing a committee by the name of “Protecting Eastern Province Lands’ with the chairmanship of the former Land Commissioner of the Southern Province and current Local Government Commissioner of the Southern Province, Senaka Palliyaguruge, and comprising of representatives of relevant institutions.
• Establishing of a special unit headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police and granting of full powers to the security forces to stop unauthorized land acquisitions and land reclamations carried out using political power.
• Taking over the government lands that were provided by the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority 05 years ago, to the government where no project has been implemented so far.
• Handing over the acquired lands to the Divisional Secretaries to use for the development activities of the people under a formal program.
• Preparing of a formal plan to promote the tourism industry by utilizing the high potential of the eastern coastline while protecting the coastal system.
• Formulating a mechanism to ensure that the government officials implement the law impartially and transparently when operating hotels along the eastern coastal area.
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