Tech glitch causes mass shutdowns at airports, companies worldwide

Manual flight announcements and check-ins at HK Airport (RTHK photo)

Online operations of big companies, including airlines and airports all over the world, ground to a halt, or at least went back to manual, today after an update on security software that protects their Windows-based computers from cyber attacks caused widespread shutdowns.

A live blog by the New York Times noted that the shutdowns was “a stunning example of the fragile dependence the global economy has on certain software and the cascading effect it can have when things go wrong.”

“This is not a security incident or cyberattack,” the Times quoted George Kurtz, chief executive of CrowdStrike. “The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed.”

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But experts said going back to normal could take time.

The first indications of the crisis – caused by a malfunctioning update in the CrowdStrike cybersecurity software -- were felt by the public at airports, where most flights were delayed and many passengers were unable to board their planes on schedule.

Hong Kong International Airport, Sydney Airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Denver International Airport, and Manchester Airport in Britain saw long lines in their departure areas.

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In the Philippines, Cebu Pacific said in an advisory that it was experiencing technical issues, which “requires us to handle affected processes manually, potentially causing delays.”

“This is a developing situation,” it said.

Chaos at NAIA: Cebu Pacific and AirAsia say they were affected

In contrast, Philippine Airlines appeared unaffected as its website was left untouched by the tech glitch. 

In its website, AirAsia said it was affected by the global IT issue, “affecting reservations for AirAsia and other airlines’ flights on our platform.”

It added: “Other services such as flight check-in, Flight + Hotel bookings, AirAsia Points issuance and redemption and duty-free are unavailable at the moment. We appreciate your patience as we work to resolve this issue promptly.”

The worldwide glitch was caused by a failed security update for Windows-based computers

The disruption was not limited to airlines, with news reports citing banks, supermarkets and media companies as among the businesses reporting the outages. Even emergency 911 lines in multiple states in the US were affected.

The Times also reported that at least three major U.S. airlines -- American, United and Delta -- grounded all flights, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

In Japan, even McDonald’s temporarily closed 30 percent of its stores and limited operations at others because of malfunctioning cash registers. 

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Macau policewoman and boyfriend arrested over death of FDH

Macau police lead suspects away (Macau Daily Times photo)

Macau police have disclosed the arrest of a female police officer and her boyfriend, for allegedly detaining their foreign domestic helper and tormenting her for hours, forcing her to jump from a bathroom window on April 29.

A report in the Macau Daily Times earlier Friday, July 12, said the 36-year-old policewoman and her 34-year-old boyfriend who works as a tour guide, were being held on charges of unlawful detention, grave coercion and improper confiscation of documents.

Police investigators said the officer has been suspended from duty and a criminal investigation and disciplinary procedures have been initiated.

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The police said the incident which took place in the Areia Preta area started when the couple suspected that their helper had stolen MOP60,000 in red packets from them. When the helper returned home, the two interrogated her from 11pm to 2am the next day.

Under hours of relentless questioning the helper admitted the alleged theft. The couple then confiscated the helper’s passport and mobile phone to prevent her from leaving. They also tied up her hands with transparent tape and resumed their interrogation for three more hours, demanding she tell them how to solve the issue.

The victim managed to take refuge in the bathroom where she attempted to cut herself free with scissors but she was restrained.

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At around 8am, the maid once again fled to the bathroom, locked the door and jumped off the window.

A forensic examination did not find any signs of assault on the deceased, and the couple told investigators the maid had jumped to her death after her theft of the $60,000 in lai see money was uncovered.

But further investigation revealed what had really taken place before the helper jumped to her death.

The chief investigator said at a news conference that the hours of interrogation and other means used by the couple to put pressure on the helper had forced her to commit suicide.

Under Article 238 of Macau’s Criminal Procedure Act, private individuals are prohibited from taking the law into their hands and unlawfully detaining suspects.  

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Internet voting by Filipinos overseas almost done deal, says Comelec

Lines like this will be a thing of the past once overseas voting via internet is allowed next year

The Commission on Elections has taken a step closer to allowing millions of Filipinos abroad to cast their ballots through the internet for next year’s mid-term election in the Philippines, with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with various agencies to boost voter registration and turnout.

Comelec Chairman George M. Garcia said he signed the MOA Monday, along with representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), Rotary International District 3810, and the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (Amosup).

Part of the agreement is based on the expectation that internet voting, which was approved by the Comelec en banc last year, will not be opposed by lawmakers who may have reservations about a system that could lead to massive fraud, and endanger the sanctity of the ballot

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Comelec maintains that it has the power to implement internet voting under Republic Act (RA) 9369 or the Automated Election System Act, but some Senators have argued that an enabling act is necessary to get it done.

Garcia said they agreed to implement internet voting next year as the third mode of overseas voting, apart from in-person or by mail, to make it more convenient for Filipinos abroad, especially the seafarers, to cast their votes.

Under the plan, registered Filipino voters may register their digital devices such as their mobile phones, tablet, or laptops so they can cast their votes through a Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) or touch screen scheme.

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This was also announced by Undersecretary Jesus Gary Domingo during his recent briefing to the Filipino community in Hong Kong on Mar. 17, as head of the Overseas Voting Secretariat at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

“We’re almost there,” said USec Domingo, but cautioned that the measure could still face opposition from lawmakers.

He said OFW Party List Rep. Marissa del Mar-Magsino who authored the bill expanding the modes of voting for overseas Filipinos, has assured them of her support, but overseas Filipinos could help by urging their local leaders to also give it a push.

“Our target is to have it in place by the 2025 election,” said Domingo, who added that internet voting will make things a lot easier and more convenient for overseas voters.

“Internet voting will make whatever limitations you have a thing of  the past,” he added.

USec Domingo (in black barong) with Filcom leaders during the OV briefing on Mar 17

In Hong Kong, that includes waiting in line for hours to get to the voting precincts at Bayanihan Centre, especially during Sundays, when about 4,000 people cast their votes.

Domingo also said that the technology that will allow internet voting is still being developed, but the ultimate goal is to allow voters to use not just computer laptops and tablets, but also their mobile phones.

Meanwhile, Garcia said that with the landmark shift to internet voting, they hope to boost the number of Filipino voters abroad to three million, which is still just a fraction of the number of those eligible to vote.

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“There are about 10 to 15 million Filipinos abroad, but we are sad that only 1.697 million of them have registered to vote for the 2022 elections,” Garcia said.

Of the registered voters abroad, 600,000 have already been deactivated, and only another 600,000 or 40.5 percent of the remaining active voters have cast their ballots.

“Now that we announced the internet voting with your help, we hope to increase the number of voters abroad,” he said.

Comelec plans to step up its information campaign to get more overseas Filipinos to register and vote before the Sept 30, 2024 deadline for voter registration.

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Filipina linked to love scam jailed 8 months

 

A Filipina domestic helper was sent to jail for eight months after pleading guilty to money laundering of proceeds from a love scam, while her four co-defendants denied the charges, setting the stage for a four-day trial at the Eastern Court.

Magistrate Minnie Wat handed the sentence to Maila Samson, 50 years old, after setting aside her lawyer’s plea for a light sentence and giving her credit only for her guilty plea with a 1/3 discount on the usual punishment of 12 months in prison.

Samson was immediately ushered into the detention area to start her prison term.

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The hearing, held on Friday Oct. 20, continued with the co-defendants -- Wong Siu-uen, Marife Dionson, Geraldine Tolentino and Ires Calinawagan – pleading not guilty, and the prosecutors’ discussing their plan to rely mostly on video-recorded interviews the four gave to police.

But Magistrate Wat had to hand the case over to Principal Magistrate Ivy Chui to schedule the trial.

In a separate hearing, Magistrate Chui set the trial for Jan 23-26 next year.

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Samson was charged with dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable crime, which is punishable under the Organized Serious Crimes Ordinance.

Her Hang Seng Bank account was linkled to an online love scam in which a Hong Kong woman was swindled of several millions of Hong Kong dollars.

A total of HK$571,850 and US$4,501.61 – part of which was believed to have been proceeds of the love scam -- were deposited and withdrawn in her account between July 15, 2020 and Aug. 7, 2020. In HKD, the total amount was about $607,000.

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During police investigation, Samson claimed that she had earlier lost the ATM card for this account along with her wallet and passport, but admitted she did not report the loss to the bank or applied for a new card, which could have prevented the misuse of her account.

The four co-defendants face similar charges. Wong was freed on $2,000 bail while the other Filipinos posted bail of $1,000 each.

Wong, 53, together with another person with a name written in Chinese, had the biggest amount deposited and withdrawn in her Hang Seng Bank account, at a total of $776,460 between June 15, 2020 and Aug. 20, 2020.

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The HSBC account of Dionson, 43, saw the inflow and outflow of a total of $358,300 within two days --on July 8 and 9, 2020.

Tolentino, 38, together with a person named “Wai”, had her HSBC receive $566,438 in deposits that were withdrawn within five days, on July 15-20, 2020.

The HSBC account of Calinawagan, 49, was used as temporary depository for $714,406 on July 10 to 23, 2020.

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Police hunt for missing Filipina

Gonayon was last seen on Tuesday

Police appealed to the public last night, Sept 13, for information on a Filipina domestic helper who went missing in Aberdeen.

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Police said Georgia Mer Walis Gonayon, 49, went missing after she left her employer’s residence on Pok Fu Lam Road Tuesday afternoon. Her employer made a report to Police on the same day.

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She is about 1.6 metres tall, 59 kilograms in weight and of medium build. She has a square face with black complexion and long black hair. She was last seen wearing a white jacket, blue trousers, white and purple shoes and carrying a black bag.

Anyone who knows her whereabouts or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Hong Kong Island on 2860 1040 or 9886 0034 or email to rmpu-hki@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station. 

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$2.37M na kasong pagnanakaw laban sa 2 Pinay, iaakyat sa District Court

 

Lampas sa sakop ng Magistracy ang krimen

Iaakyat sa District Court ang kaso ng dalawang Pilipinang akusado sa pagnanakaw ng $2.37 million na kabuuang halaga ng relo at alahas sa kanilang amo na taga Kowloon City.

Sa isang pagdinig kanina sa Kowloon City Magistracy, sinabi ng taga-usig na tapos na ang imbestigasyon ng pulis at handa na rin ang kaso laban kina Bernadette Paranas at Gina Quinones, 39 at 33 taong gulang.

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Humingi rin ito ng isa pang pagdinig upang pormal na ilipat ang kaso sa mas mataas na hukuman.

Itinakda ni Acting Principal Magistrate Peony Wong sa July 19 ang susunod na pagdinig bilang pag-lilipat ng kaso sa District Court, dahil ang parusa sa krimeng ito ay mas mataas sa pwede niyang ipataw, na dalawang taong pagkabilanggo o multang $100,000.

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EXTENDED TO JUNE 30!!

At dahil hindi humiling ang dalawa na payagan silang mag piyansa, ibinalik sila sa kulungan.

Sina Paranas at Quinones ay inakusahang nagnakaw ng walong mamahaling relo, isang bracelet at isang gintong singsing na may kabuuang halagang $2.37 million.

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Naganap diumano ang pagnanakaw sa pagitan ng May 2021 at Nov. 26, 2022 sa isang flat sa Sheung Shing Court sa Kowloon City.

Sinampahan sila ng Kowloon City Police ng paglabag sa Section 9 ng Theft Ordinance, na nagpapataw ng hanggang 10 taong pagkabilanggo sa ganitong klase ng krimen.

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Epekto ng sunog sa Manila Post Office ramdam pa rin sa HK

 

Kuha ng Rappler habang nasusunog ang Central Post Office sa Maynila

Nag-anunsyo ngayon ang Hongkong Post na maaantala ang mga sulat at iba pang padala papunta at galing sa Maynila.

Ito ay isa sa epekto ng sunog noong May 22 na tumupok sa Central Post Office sa gitna ng Plaza Lawton sa Maynila. Ayon sa report nagsimula ang sunog matapos pumutok ang isang baterya sa basement ng gusali.

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Ang epekto ng sunog ay nararamdaman na rin ng ilang Pilipina sa Hong Kong.

Noong April 30 at May 1 at nagkaroon ng libreng eye check up ang Facebok chat group na Social Justice for Migrant Workers.

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May 40 na kasapi ang umorder ng salamin sa mata pagkatapos ng check-up na ginawa ng grupo sa Bayanihan Center noong April 30 at sa Ramada Hotel in Sai Ying Pun noong May 1. May apat na kasapi na nakikipaglaban sa cancer ang binigyan din ng libreng salamin.

Ayon sa lider ng grupo na si Marites Palma, ika-limang taon na nila itong ginagawa sa pakikipagtulungan ni Dr. Maria Monica Cagatao Visaya ng Visaya Optical na naka base sa Santiago, Isabela.

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Ang mga salamin na ito, na ginawa sa Pilipinas at nagkakahalaga ng $1,000 bawa’t isa, ay dapat nasa kamay na ng mga OFW mga 10 araw matapos ilagak sa post office ng Santiago, base sa nakasanayan na ng grupo.

Pero dahil sa sunog sa Manila, nasira ang tracking system ng Philpost kaya hindi pa malaman kung saaan na ang mga salamin na noong May 19 pa ipinadala mula sa Santiago.

EXTENDED TO JUNE 30!!

Siniguro naman ng grupo na hindi nasama sa sunog ang mga salamin dahil mula sa Santiago ay diretso itong dinala sa Central Mail Exchange sa tabi ng Domestic Airport sa Pasay City, bago ikarga sa eroplano pauntang Hing Kong.

Ayon sa tracking system, nasa Hong Kong na ang parcel pero hindi pa nai-deliver sa addressee.

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“Sana dumating na ang parcel at masagot ang dumaraming tanong sa FB page namin kung ano ang nangyari sa kanilang salamin.,” ika ni Palma.

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