On August 6, Italy’s Defense Ministry reported that Eurofighter Typhoons were dispatched to intercept unidentified aircraft flying in the Baltic region. The jets took off from the Siauliai airbase in northern Lithuania following directives from a NATO surveillance center located in Germany. While the ministry did not disclose details regarding the aircraft’s identity, the incident underscores the heightened vigilance in the area.

Baltic Airspace

The Baltic states—Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—are part of the NATO alliance and have been vocal critics of Russia, especially since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This geopolitical tension has led to increased surveillance and readiness along the eastern borders of the NATO alliance.

Italy assumed leadership of the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission at the beginning of August. This mission is part of NATO’s efforts to ensure the security and integrity of the airspace over the Baltic nations, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict and heightened tensions with Russia. The interception by Italian fighters reflects the alliance’s commitment to maintaining a robust defensive posture in the region.

NATO’s air policing missions, including those over the Baltic states, are a routine part of its collective defense strategy. These missions involve monitoring and intercepting unauthorized or suspicious aircraft to prevent potential threats to the airspace of member countries. With Italy now at the helm, the mission continues to play a crucial role in maintaining stability and security in a region that remains on edge.

As the geopolitical landscape in Eastern Europe remains tense, NATO’s vigilance and rapid response capabilities are more crucial than ever in ensuring the safety and sovereignty of its member nations.

Read the article on Reuters.com

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italy-scrambles-fighter-jets-intercept-aircraft-over-baltic-2024-08-06

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In a troubling turn of events early Friday morning, a massive global computer outage wreaked havoc across various sectors, including the Valley’s own Sky Harbor International Airport and the Phoenix Police Department. However, as the day progressed, many services began to return to normal, much to the relief of travelers and residents alike.

Airport Chaos

Sky Harbor International Airport was one of the first institutions to report issues, posting an alert on X (formerly Twitter) about significant delays and cancellations. By mid-morning, over 50 flights had been affected, although it remained unclear how many were directly related to the outage versus other operational challenges. FlightAware, a flight tracking service, indicated that thousands of flights were experiencing delays and cancellations nationwide.

Sky Harbor urged passengers to check directly with their airlines for the most accurate information regarding their flights. They warned travelers to expect longer lines as airline staff worked diligently to check in passengers amidst the confusion. By around 11:45 a.m., the airport announced that operations had returned to normal, though the ordeal had left many travelers frustrated. One traveler recounted waiting for hours and fearing he would miss an important graduation ceremony.

Mesa Gateway Airport also felt the impact of the outage, with all flights in and out of the airport canceled until at least 11 a.m. on Friday.

Impact on Public Safety

The ramifications of the outage extended beyond air travel, affecting public safety communications as well. Early reports indicated that numerous police departments across the U.S. experienced disruptions in their 911 services. In Phoenix, the Police Department confirmed that their 911 call center systems were restored after the widespread outage began late Thursday night. They encouraged the public to use non-emergency lines during the disruption, highlighting the importance of patience as they addressed the backlog of calls.

The Phoenix Fire Department also faced challenges, having to revert to manual processes to manage calls due to impacts on their computerized dispatch center. Thankfully, technology professionals were able to restore their systems swiftly.

Healthcare Sector Strain

The healthcare sector was not spared from the disruptions. Valleywise Health reported that some of its IT systems were impacted, necessitating a return to paper for certain patient charting processes. However, the emergency departments and the Level I Trauma Center remained operational, and scheduled surgeries continued as planned.

Banner Health, on the other hand, communicated to its employees that most ambulatory services would be closing for the day to focus on acute care facilities. Their official statement confirmed that while hospitals were open for inpatient care and emergencies, many other locations would remain closed due to the outage.

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A Broader Impact

The ripple effects of this global computer outage reached beyond airports and emergency services. Gas stations, retailers, and shipping companies also reported disruptions, leading to inconvenience for consumers during their daily errands.

Fortunately, as the day unfolded, Microsoft 365 announced that services were beginning to return to normal, though residual impacts continued to affect some applications. According to tech expert Ken Colburn, the underlying issue had been identified, but required technical expertise to resolve for those affected.

Protecting Personal Data

While the CEO of Crowdstrike reassured the public that this incident was not a security breach or cyberattack, it did raise concerns about personal data safety. Here are some proactive measures consumers can take to protect themselves:

• Enhance Password Protection: Regularly change passwords, avoid reuse, and enable two-factor authentication where possible.
• Monitor Credit: Take advantage of free annual credit reports from major bureaus to keep an eye on your credit health.
• Consider a Credit Freeze: This adds an extra layer of security, preventing new accounts from being opened without your knowledge.
• Be Cautious with Links: Avoid clicking on unknown links or downloading attachments unless you are expecting them.
• Use Secure Payment Methods: Exercise caution with peer-to-peer payment platforms that may lack consumer protections.

As Valley residents and travelers breathe a sigh of relief with services returning to normal, this incident serves as a reminder of our growing dependence on technology and the importance of being prepared for unexpected disruptions. Stay informed, stay safe, and always protect your personal information.

For detailed information on this unfolding event, visit ABC News 15 Arizona’s website: https://www.abc15.com/news/local-news/sky-harbor-airport-impacted-by-global-internet-outage.

STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.

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evels of widespread extreme fire risk which used to occur once every 100 years will now occur every 5

MONTREAL /PRNewswire/ — Deep Sky, the Canadian carbon removal project developer, has published original research on wildfire risk in the United States. A new report shares findings from Deep Sky Research and its Wildfire Risk Model on how wildfire risk is changing due to climate change. The model unveiled four key findings:

1. Maximum Fire Risk Has Grown Approximately 15X Across North America
   1. The model shows that Extreme Fire Weather conditions previously seen once every 100 years will now happen on average every 7 years. 
2. Frequency of Extreme Fire Risk has Grown 20X
   1. The frequency of Extreme Fire Weather – exceeding the 95th percentile in that area – has grown even more sharply than severity. Levels of widespread extreme fire risk which used to occur once every 100 years will now occur every 5.  
3. Some Regions Face Even Faster Growing Risks
   1. Central Colorado and Northern New Mexico are seeing much more extreme fire weather today than in previous years, and Central California is facing staggering increases in extreme fire weather, for example.
4. The Increase is Accelerating
   1. One startling finding from the Wildfire Risk Model is that the increases in Extreme Fire Weather are not linear. These risks are not only growing but have begun accelerating.

One way to understand the increase in wildfire destruction is to look at the underlying conditions that lead to wildfires. Fire Weather Index (FWI) is a measure developed by the Canadian Forestry Service but used globally to assess fire risk. It combines temperature, humidity, wind speed, and precipitation to give a holistic view of landscape flammability.

Climate change, which directly impacts each of these inputs, is causing more frequent and more destructive wildfires. Deep Sky Research analyzed trends in fire weather across North America and found sharp increases in the probability of extreme conditions.

“Deep Sky Research uses a novel approach for predicting the impact of climate change,” said Max Dugan-Knight, Deep Sky Climate Data Scientist. “A risk assessment approach, just like the insurance industry uses, can help us predict disasters ahead of time. In the case of wildfires, an increase in frequency and severity is being driven by changes in extreme fire weather.”

Deep Sky Research developed a map to show how fire weather is changing in each county of the continental US. It shows how Extreme Fire Weather is becoming more frequent and more severe. The darker red the county, the greater the increase in fire weather. The few blue counties are actually seeing decreases in risk.

This is what climate scientists refer to as a “vicious cycle.” Climate change is causing worse fire weather conditions, which cause larger, more destructive wildfires, which cause huge carbon emissions, which themselves contribute to more climate change. If the death and destruction caused by wildfires is not reason enough to act on climate change, avoiding vicious cycles and tipping points surely is.

To read the full report, visit Where Will the Next Extreme Wildfire Be? on deepskyclimate.com/research.

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About Deep Sky:
Montreal-based Deep Sky is the world’s first IP agnostic carbon removal project developer aiming to remove gigatons of carbon from the atmosphere and permanently store it underground. As a project developer, Deep Sky brings together the most promising direct air and ocean carbon capture companies under one roof to bring the largest supply of high quality carbon credits to the market and commercialize carbon removal and storage solutions like never before. With $75M in funding, Deep Sky is backed by world class investors including Investissement Québec, Brightspark Ventures, Whitecap Venture Partners, OMERS Ventures, BDC Climate Fund, and more. For more information, visit deepskyclimate.com.

SOURCE Deep Sky