Widespread technology outage disrupts flights, banks, media outlets and companies around the world
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — A global technology outage grounded flights, knocked banks and hospital systems offline and media outlets off air in a massive disruption that affected companies and services around the world and highlighted dependence on software from a handful of providers. Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said Friday that the issue believed to be behind the outage was not a security incident or cyberattack. It said a fix was on the way. But hours after the problem was first detected, the disarray continued and escalated. Long lines formed at airports in the U.S., Europe and Asia as airlines lost access to check-in and booking services. News outlets in Australia were pushed off air and hospitals and doctor’s offices had problems with their appointment systems.
Internet outage latest | Airlines, businesses hit by global technology disruption
A major internet outage affecting Microsoft is disrupting flights, banks, media outlets and companies across the world. Problems are continuing hours after the technology company said it was gradually fixing an issue affecting access to Microsoft 365 apps and services. Airlines in the United States, Europe, Australia and India were reporting problems with some flights grounded. Retail outlets, banks, railway companies and hospitals in several parts of the world were also affected in what appeared to be an unprecedented internet disruption.
Some GOP voters welcome Trump’s somewhat softened tone at Republican National Convention
MILWAUKEE (AP) — For those conservative voters long turned off by former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric, his somewhat softened tone in accepting the Republican nomination is a welcome relief. Iowa farmer Dave Struthers calls Trump’s delivery “much improved.” Trump has a long history of divisive commentary. But on Thursday night in Milwaukee, he spoke in a quieter, more relaxed tone for at least the first part of the speech. He called for an end to discord in national politics. But his remarks became more ascerbic as the night wore on. He said Democrats are destroying the country and claimed without evidence that Central and South American countries are sending their muderers to the U.S.
Biden’s campaign faces critical moment, as Democrats encourage him to consider exiting 2024 race
WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a critical weekend ahead for President Joe Biden. Isolated as he battles a COVID infection at his beach house in Delaware, he is confronting the stark reality that many Democrats at the highest levels want him to consider how stepping aside from the 2024 election could be the party’s best chance of preventing widespread losses in November. Biden’s small circle of advisers has grown smaller as he weighs whether to stay in the race. His campaign is calling an all-staff meeting for Friday. And the Democratic National Committee is pressing ahead Friday with planning for a virtual roll call to nominate the president ahead of the party convention in August.
Trump urges unity after assassination attempt while proposing sweeping populist agenda in RNC finale
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Donald Trump, somber and bandaged, has accepted his party’s presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention. His speech described in detail the assassination attempt that could have ended his life just five days earlier before laying out a sweeping populist agenda, particularly on immigration. The 78-year-old former president says: ““If I had not moved my head at that very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark. And I would not be here tonight.” Trump’s address, among the longest convention speeches in modern history, marked the climax and conclusion of a massive four-day Republican pep rally as voters weigh an election that currently features two deeply unpopular candidates.
Drone strike by Yemen’s Houthi rebels kills 1 person and wounds at least 10 in Tel Aviv
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Iranian-made drone sent by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck Israel on Friday, leaving one person dead and at least 10 wounded. The strike rumbled through central Tel Aviv, causing shrapnel to rain down and spreading shards of glass. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, which was their first lethal strike in Israel. The Iran-backed Houthis have launched drones and missiles toward Israel throughout the war but until Friday all were intercepted. The Houthis claimed their newest drones are capable of permeating Israel’s aerial defense system. Israel’s military said it believed the drone originated in Yemen but attributed the hit to human error.
Russia convicts US reporter of espionage after a trial widely seen as politically motivated
YEKATERINBURG, Russia (AP) — Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been convicted of espionage charges that his employer and the U.S. vehemently reject. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison after a secretive and rapid trial in the country’s highly politicized legal system. The conclusion of the trial could potentially clear the way for a prisoner swap between Moscow and Washington. The publisher of the Journal called it a “disgraceful, sham conviction.” Gershkovich, his head shaved, looked calm as he stood in a defendants’ cage in the Sverdlovsk Regional Court and listened impassively to the verdict. When the judge asked if he understood it, the journalist replied yes. After the verdict was read, someone in court shouted, “Evan, we love you!”
Obama’s dilemma: Balancing Democrats’ worry about Biden and maintaining influence with president
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Barack Obama has found himself in a vexing position as his old running mate Joe Biden negotiates one of the most sensitive political moments for the Democratic Party in decades. Obama in recent days has taken calls from congressional leaders, Democratic governors and key donors in which he has shared their uneasiness about the prospect of Biden’s campaign following his calamitous June 27 debate performance against Donald Trump. But even as Obama has listened to Democrats’ concerns, he has insisted in those conversations that the decision whether to remain in the race is only for Biden to make. That’s according to several people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the private discussions.
Majority of Democrats think Kamala Harris would make a good president, AP-NORC poll shows
WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Joe Biden faces a growing drumbeat of pressure to drop his reelection bid, most Democrats think his vice president would make a good president herself. The new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 Democrats believe Kamala Harris would do a good job in the top slot. About 2 in 10 Democrats don’t believe she would, and another 2 in 10 say they don’t know enough to say. Since Biden’s massive debate debacle on June 27, many Democrats have privately and even openly looked to Harris to step in and succeed Biden as the party’s presidential nominee.
Vietnam Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, the country’s most powerful leader, dies at age 80
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party and the country’s most powerful politician, has died following months of ill health. He was 80. The Nhan Dan newspaper says Trong died Friday “due to old age and serious illness.” Trong had dominated Vietnamese politics since 2011, when he was elected party chief. During his tenure, he worked to consolidate the Communist Party’s power in Vietnam’s single-party political system. Born in 1944 in Hanoi, Trong was a Marxist-Leninist ideologue who earned a degree in philosophy before becoming a member of the Communist Party at the age of 22. He viewed corruption as the single gravest threat in maintaining the party’s legitimacy.
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