Plus: Evan Gershkovich sentencing, and a rare whale sighting ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. If you're wondering what is going on with the IT outage that's affected payment and other kinds of digital services across the world, the good news is - there's a fix. The bad news is that it will take time. Joe Tidy has the details. In Russia, a court has sentenced US reporter Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison. Steve Rosenberg was in the courtroom when the verdict was read. We also bring you our top features of the week, but first - try the weekly news quiz. | |
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED | Global IT outage's knock-on effects |
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| | United Airlines was one of the carriers that grounded flights on Friday morning due to the outage. Credit: Reuters | Even in the face of the global outage caused by Crowdstrike's antivirus software update on Windows systems, Microsoft resorted to the classic mantra of IT support: "Try turning it off and on again" - up to 15 times. If that didn't work, Crowdstrike has released a fix, but it requires manual intervention. |
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| | Joe Tidy, cyber correspondent |
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| What happened exactly? | An update from cyber-security company CrowdStrike caused Microsoft systems to "blue screen" and crash. The problem piece of software was sent out automatically to the firm's customers overnight, which is why so many were affected when they came into work this morning. It meant their computers couldn’t be restarted. | Can the problem be fixed? | Although there is now a software fix for the issue, the manual process required will take a huge amount of work to get computers back up and running, experts said. The fix will not be automatic, but what the industry calls a "fingers on keyboards" solution. Technical staff will need to go and reboot each and every computer affected, which could be a monumental task. | How might that work in practice? | One struggling IT manager told me the process to get computers back up and running is quick once an IT person is at the machine, but the problem is getting them to the machines. The person, who wants to remain anonymous, is responsible for 4,000 computers in an education company and says they are working flat out. | | | Blue Screen of Death: Technology editor Zoe Kleinman explains how a single update caused chaos across the world. Watch: With digital systems down, good old pen and paper are coming to the rescue, as Samira Hussain experienced at Delhi's Gandhi International Airport.
Get the latest: From doctor's surgeries to F1 teams, follow the impact of the IT outage. | |
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| US journalist jailed for 16 years | | Evan Gershkovich is the first Western journalist convicted for spying in Russia since the Cold War. Credit: Reuters | A Russian court has found Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, guilty of espionage. He was sentenced to 16 years in a high-security penal colony after a secretive trial, decried as a "sham" by his employer, his family and the White House. |
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| | Steve Rosenberg, Russia editor |
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| | What happened in this courtroom is unprecedented in the history of modern Russia - an American journalist convicted of espionage without any evidence being made public. The trial was behind closed doors. For the verdict, we were allowed in.
Evan Gershkovich stood almost hidden from the cameras, in the far corner of the glass cage that is the dock in a Russian courtroom. He looked like he lost weight. As he was led away after the verdict was read, someone cried: "We love you Evan". All he can do now is wait. |
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| Fall of a pro-Trump tycoon | Exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui has been found guilty of charges including fraud. He made billions, built an online following, befriended Steve Bannon, and then lost it all. | Here's how > |
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| When sport defied Nazism | The friendship between German long-jump champion Luz Long and US track and field record-setter Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Games is one of the most enduring Olympic stories. | Read all about it > |
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| Blood, sweat and cheer | The lives and sacrifices of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are put under the spotlight in a new documentary that has been climbing the Netflix charts since its release last month. | Read more > |
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| Your weekend listening | Caitríona Perry and Kayla Epstein discuss a busy week in US politics, from the Republican National Convention to the pressures facing the Biden campaign. Plus, more analysis of Donald Trump's speech. | Listen now > |
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FOR YOUR DOWNTIME | Bad trippers | Stories of poorly behaved tourists seem to multiply. | |
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And finally... in Ireland | A rare whale has been spotted off the County Donegal coast, according to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. The organisation has asked wildlife enthusiasts to avoid the North Atlantic right whale, and to only observe it from shore using optics. For those too far away, they kindly shared a picture of the sighting. | |
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Medal Moments | Your daily newsletter guide to the Paris Olympics, from global highlights to heroic stories, throughout the Games. | |
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MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS | | The Essential List: The week's best stories, handpicked by BBC editors, in your inbox twice a week. Subscribe. | | In History: The past comes to life through the BBC's unique audio, video and written archive, each Thursday. Subscribe. | | US Election Unspun: Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday. Subscribe. | |
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