February 14, 2017

Alert – Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Cleared to Sail from Port Canaveral After Experiencing Safety Delay

The U.S. Coast Guard says Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas has now been cleared to embark from Port

Canaveral after a day-long delay due to a series of safety violations.

The ship was scheduled for a four-night sailing, with stops in CocoCay and Nassau in the Bahamas. It’s unclear

how the schedule will be altered to accommodate the overnight stay in Port Canaveral.

According to Florida Today:

Travel plans for more than 2,000 people were stymied since Monday evening after the

Majesty of the Seas cruise ship failed a Coast Guard safety inspection before its

scheduled departure from Port Canaveral.

The cruise ship was being held from leaving Port Canaveral following a safety inspection

Monday, partly because of the condition of some of its life jackets.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Dickinson, a public affairs specialist, said

Coast Guard inspectors just before 4 p.m. cleared the ship to sail after “they fixed all

their discrepancies.”

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February 13, 2017

Half Dozen People Treated for Smoke Inhalation from Fire at Disneyland’s Main Parking Garage

According to ABC News:

Several cars caught fire in the main parking structure Monday at Disneyland, and about a half-dozen people are being treated for smoke inhalation, authorities said.

The fires that broke out at the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure were extinguished about 30 minutes after they were reported, and firefighters were working to clear smoke. The structure had been evacuated and shut down, but five to seven people are being treated for smoke inhalation, police said.

Gray smoke could be seen pouring out of the structure when the blazes were first reported on the level 3 “Mickey” section, but it was slowly starting to dissipate.

There was no immediate word on a cause.

The Mickey & Friends Structure, with sections named for Disney characters and trams that take visitors to the entrance to the Disney Resort’s two theme parks, is a familiar spot for millions of visitors who pay $18 to park then return to their cars exhausted after long days.

“A lot of people are just tired, they’ve been here all day. It’s more of a nuisance than anything,” Darren Clark, whose family of four couldn’t get to their car because of the shutdown, told KNBC-TV. “I’m kind of hoping it’s not my vehicle.”

The Disney parks themselves remain open. Disney representatives referred questions about the blaze to fire officials.

 

February 13, 2017

Alert – French Alps: Avalanche Causes at Least Four Deaths

An avalanche hit the French Alps resort town of Tignes today, leaving at least four people dead. Tignes is located

in eastern France and is close to the Italian border.

According to The New York Times:

“The avalanche — about 100 meters (330 feet) wide and 400 meters (1,300 feet) long —

struck the mountain about 2,100 meters (6,900 feet) in altitude in an off-piste sector

known as Toviere. The area is popular for its extensive slopes and stunning views.”

BBC News reports:

“The group was buried after the wall of snow swept through an off-piste area, police say.

Some reports say there were nine in the group, including a guide, and that the other five

remain missing, trapped in the snow.

However, local police have told the BBC that the other five may have failed to show up

for the session.

The 400-metre (1,300ft) wide avalanche occurred at an altitude of 2,100 metres, and

struck at a particularly busy time during half-term holidays.

The resort is popular with British holidaymakers, but local police said the four dead

skiers were all French nationals.

The avalanche appeared to have been set off by a group of skiers higher up, the ski

station said in a statement.”

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February 11, 2017

Thessaloniki Evacuated after Unexploded World War II Bomb Found

According to BBC:

Greek WW2 bomb forces huge Thessaloniki evacuation

At least 70,000 people in the Greek city of Thessaloniki are being evacuated so that a 500lb World War Two bomb can be defused, officials say.

It is thought to be one of the largest wartime bombs to be found in urban Greece in addition to being one of the largest mass evacuations. The bomb was discovered during road works last week and is due to be disposed of on Sunday.

Officials say it is too degraded to tell if it is German or an Allied bomb.

Residents within a radius of about 2km (1.2 miles) of the bomb will be compelled to evacuate the area between now and Sunday morning, security officials have said.

The operation has been described by one blog as the biggest evacuation of Greek civilians in peacetime. However, it is not possible to verify such a claim.

The military says an operation of this size and complexity is the first of its kind in a densely populated area of Greece and the disposal operation should take about eight hours – but may take as long as two days.

About 1,000 police officers and 300 volunteers will be deployed ahead of the disposal operation. People in the city were warned to vacate their homes several days in advance.

The evacuation is expected to cause considerable disruption in Thessaloniki, with about 450 residents of a refugee camp due to be among thousands of others being evacuated to schools, sports halls and cultural centres.

The bomb was discovered last week near a petrol station during work to expand fuel storage tanks.

A state of emergency has been declared in the three municipalities affected by the defusion operation, Thessaloniki’s Deputy Governor Voula Patoulidou told the Associated Press. news agency.

“It is the first time something like this is happening in Greece,” he said. “The transfer of all residents is mandatory and we will go door-to-door to make sure everyone leaves.”

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February 10, 2017

Alert – Hong Kong: Subway Fire Injures Over a Dozen

On Friday evening in Hong Kong, 17 people were injured after a man threw a Molotov cocktail onto a crowded subway train en route to the Kowloon peninsula’s busy Tsim Sha Tsui station. According to police, there is no evidence to suggest it was terrorism.

According to The New York Times:

Seventeen people were injured when a man believed to be mentally disturbed started a fire on a crowded subway train during the Friday evening rush in Hong Kong, according to the police.

The police said in a post on Facebook that one man had been detained in connection with the episode. The fire occurred at 7:14 p.m., according to Kwok Pak-chung, a police district commander.

One of the injured, a 60-year-old man with the surname Cheung, claimed while in an ambulance en route to the hospital that he had started the fire. He was arrested on suspicion of arson.

“The suspect was believed to be speaking nonsense,” Mr. Kwok said, explaining that the man was mentally ill. “What he said didn’t make a lot of sense.”

Local television stations reported that the suspect was carrying a document identifying him as a psychiatric patient, though officials did not confirm that account.

Mr. Kwok added, “At this stage, we’re certain that there’s no evidence suggesting it was terrorism or an attack targeting mass transit system.”

The Fire Department said an initial investigation suggested that the fire was caused by the ignition of a combustible material. Employees and commuters helped put out the flames after the train arrived at Tsim Sha Tsui.

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February 9, 2017

Alert – American Airlines Flight 534 (CMH to PHX) Diverted to St. Louis after an Unspecified “Security Issue”

American Airlines flight 534 was diverted in St. Louis after an unspecified “security issue.” The flight’s original

route was from Columbus, Ohio, to Phoenix, Arizona.

According to WHIO:

Flight 534, headed to Phoenix from Columbus, Ohio, was diverted to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

around 8:15 a.m. CST due to an unspecified “security issue,” according to multiple reports. Officials said at

10:30 a.m. that a security sweep of the plane turned up no evidence of a credible threat.

A spokeswoman for the FBI’s St. Louis Division told WCMH that “some kind of threat” led to the stop,

although she did not elaborate.

Airport operations were not affected. The plane had five crew members and 113 passengers on board.

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February 9, 2017

Alert – Israel: ISIS Claims Responsibility for Eilat Attack/Attack Near Tel Aviv Considered Act of Terror

On Wednesday, Israel shot down three missiles from the Sinai peninsula that were targeting Eilat, a popular resort

and port city on the Gulf of Aqaba immediately adjacent to Egypt and Jordan. ISIS has now claimed responsibility

for the attempted attack. Then today, a shooting and stabbing incident in Petah Tikva just outside of Tel Aviv is

being treated as an act of terror; four were hurt.

Regarding the failed missile attack, the UK’s Independent reports:

Isis has claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the southern Israeli port town of

Eilat. Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system shot down three missiles fired from

neighbouring Sinai late on Wednesday, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) said. Up to seven

are thought to have been launched during the attack – in which no one was hurt – in

total.

Gazan media reported that Isis, rather than Hamas, was responsible. Isis’ official media

channels confirmed the group was behind the attack later on Thursday. The branch of

the jihadist group based in restive Sinai province in Egypt is believed to have attacked

Israeli targets multiple times in the past.

As well as the Sinai rockets, Israel has been hit by projectiles launched from Gaza this

week, and in what the IDF described as not unusual “spillover” from the Syrian civil war,

several rockets landed in the Golan Heights.

The IDF struck a target in the Syrian Golan in response.

The incident in Eilat marks the first time the Iron Dome has intercepted rockets aimed

at the city since the 2014 war against Hamas.

As of Thursday morning, police had lowered Eilat’s threat level back to normal.

Also on Thursday, Palestinian officials said that two people had been killed in a predawn

airstrike whilst smuggling goods through a tunnel linking Gaza to the Egyptian

Sinai.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the claims.

Regarding the failed missile attack, the Jerusalem Post reports:

Travel Leaders • 3033 Campus Drive Ste W320 • Plymouth, MN 55441

At least four people were wounded in what police were treating as a terrorist attack at a

market in the central Israeli town of Petah Tikva on Thursday afternoon. Magen David

Adom said its emergency responders have evacuated three adults with gunshot wounds

and one adult male with stab wounds to a nearby hospital.

Police said that the suspect, who was arrested at the scene, is likely from the West Bank.

Authorities were investigating the motives surrounding the incident.

Several shots were fired during the shooting, police added. It was not initially clear if

more people were wounded in the incident.

 

February 8, 2017

France: Paris Metro Evacuated after Electrical Explosion

In Paris this evening, a reported electrical explosion occurred at a Metro Station, injuring at least eight from smoke inhalation. The incident occurred at the Metro’s Line 6 Place d’Italie stop. Police were quick to say that it was not a terror attack.

According to news.com.au (Australia):

A JITTERY France already on high terror alert has been set on edge after an electrical explosion at a metro train station which has left eight people with injuries. Dozens of passengers were evacuated from the Paris train station after a ‘huge explosion’.

Police moved quickly to dampen fears of a fresh terror attack.

The incident, on Line 6 in or near to the Place d’Italie subway stop, was due to a technical fault, police say. “This was not a (terrorist) attack,” the spokesman said. A spokesperson for the Paris metro operator RATP added: “There was a release of smoke. Maintenance workers are on the spot. Traffic has been interrupted on part of the line.”

It is unclear at this time exactly what caused the explosion, but security personnel have sealed off the area.

Early reports are that eight people have been injured, some suffering smoke inhalation.

France has been on high alert since the shooting of a knife-wielding attacker outside the Louvre museum at the weekend. A 29-year-old Egyptian, identified as Abdullah Reda al-Hamamy, was shot several times on Friday after he set upon soldiers with a pair of machetes in what French President Francois Hollande described as a terrorist attack.

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February 8, 2017

Alert – Computer Issues Delaying Flights for United Airlines

 

United Airlines flights continue to be delayed, at various airports around the country, due to a computer issue affecting flight plans.

 

According to the Chicago Tribune:

 

United Airlines is experiencing delays at airports across the country Wednesday because of a systemwide computer problem affecting flight plans.

 

“The system that creates these flight plans for our crews and employees is experiencing a delay,” United Airlines spokeswoman Erin Benson said.

 

Benson said the problem arose early Wednesday morning, and she gave no timetable for resolution. She said there are a “small number of delays,” but the airline has not canceled any flights.

 

At Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the totals continue to climb, with 80 United flights listed as delayed as of 11 a.m., according to the live flight-tracking website FlightAware.

 

Similar delays are reported at airports across the country, with 87 United flights delayed at Newark Liberty International; 75 at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental; and 37 at Washington’s Dulles International, among others.

 

“We are working as quickly as we can to resolve it,” Benson said.

 

The flight plan delay is the latest computer issue to affect United and its passengers. On Jan. 22, the airline was forced to ground all domestic flights for 2½ hours because of a problem with the system used to send pilots technical information needed before flights can depart.

 

KMGH-TV in Denver is reporting:

 

Computer issues caused nationwide delays for United Airlines flights Wednesday, including several at Denver International Airport.

 

The airline says a software program used to create flight plans went down and has led to the delays. Issues have been ongoing since around 8 a.m. Mountain Time, the airline said, however they appeared to be resolved just after noon.

 

Many of the major airports across the country, including DIA and airports in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington and San Francisco, experienced delays, and the ripple effect is likely to be seen the rest of the day.

 

As of 11 a.m., no cancelations were reported in Denver.

 

 

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Monday, February 06, 2017

Alert – InterContinental Hotels Group confirms a credit card breach at 12 of its U.S. hotels.

According to Fortune.com (via Reuters):

InterContinental Hotels Group said on Friday that a malware in the servers at 12 of its hotels in the United States tracked payment card data if the card was used at the hotels’ restaurants and bars between August and December last year.

The company said that the malware searched for track data—the cardholder’s name, card number, expiration date, and the verification code—read from the magnetic stripe of a card as it was being routed through the affected server.

InterContinental said payment cards used at the front desk of the 12 hotels were not affected and that it was still conducting an investigating on its other hotels in the Americas region.

Business Travel News lists the 12 properties, along with the restaurants and bars identified in the breach:

InterContinental Hotels Group has discovered malware on point-of-sale systems at 12 of its U.S. hotels. IHG first began investigating its systems in late December after reports of suspicious activity on cards used at IHG properties. The malware targeted payment cards between August and December and collected information including cardholder name, card number, expiration date and CVV number. In August, multiple IHG properties were similarly targeted as part of a broader malware attack on POS systems at HEI Hotels & Resorts.

Atlanta – InterContinental Buckhead (Aug. 1–Nov. 9)

Bourbon Bar and Southern Art Restaurant

Chicago – InterContinental Magnificent Mile (Aug. 1–Dec. 15)

Center Court, Eno, and Michael Jordan’s Steak House

Los Angeles – InterContinental Century City (Aug. 1–Dec. 11)

Copper Lounge and Mari Los Angeles

Nashville – Former Holiday Inn Nashville Airport (Aug. 1–Sept. 1)

(Restaurant)

San Francisco –

Holiday Inn-Fisherman’s Wharf (Aug. 1–Dec. 11)

Bristol Bar & Grille

InterContinental Mark Hopkins (Aug. 17–Dec. 15)

Nob Hill Club and Top of the Mark

InterContinental (Aug. 18–Dec. 15)

Bar 888 and Luce

Silicon Valley – Crowne Plaza San Jose (Aug. 1–Dec. 20)

Sevens Bar & Grill

Toronto – InterContinental Yorkville (Aug. 1–Nov. 28)

Proof Vodka Bar, Signatures Restaurant, and SkyLounge

Washington, D.C. – The Willard InterContinental (Aug. 1–Dec. 2)

Cafe du Park and Round Robin

Aruba – Holiday Inn Resort (Aug. 1–Nov. 28)

Corals Restaurant, Da Vinci Ristorante, Oceanside Bar & Grill, Palm Bar, Pizza Now, and Sea Breeze Restaurant & Bar

San Juan, Puerto Rico – InterContinental (Aug. 1-Nov. 28)

Akua Bar, Ciao Mediterranean Café, La Bodeguita Café & Wine Bar, Ottanta Bar, Q-Bar, Trattoria Italiana, and Sak-i

 

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