• NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Monday, March 24
    www.digitaltrends.com
    Love crossword puzzles but dont have all day to sit and solve a full-sized puzzle in your daily newspaper? Thats what The Mini is for!A bite-sized version of the New York Times well-known crossword puzzle, The Mini is a quick and easy way to test your crossword skills daily in a lot less time (the average puzzle takes most players just over a minute to solve). While The Mini is smaller and simpler than a normal crossword, it isnt always easy. Tripping up on one clue can be the difference between a personal best completion time and an embarrassing solve attempt.Recommended VideosJust like ourWordle hints and Connections hints, were here to help with The Mini today if youre stuck and need a little help.Please enable Javascript to view this contentBelow are the answers for the NYT Mini crossword today.New York TimesAcrossHey wanna hear a secret? PSSTSpooky story? ATTICBaby grand, for one PIANOPerfectly behaved child ANGELSomething to cram for TESTDownLetter between Oscar and Quebec in the NATO alphabet PAPAPeriod of work STINTAll the world, per a famous line from Shakespeare STAGEPointy parts of a fork TINESIndianapolis football player COLTEditors Recommendations
    0 Comments ·0 Shares ·69 Views
  • NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Monday, March 24
    www.digitaltrends.com
    Table of ContentsTable of ContentsHow to play StrandsHint for todays Strands puzzleTodays Strand answersStrands is a brand new daily puzzle from the New York Times. A trickier take on the classic word search, youll need a keen eye to solve this puzzle.Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be a bit difficult to solve some days. Theres no shame in needing a little help from time to time. If youre stuck and need to know the answers to todays Strands puzzle, check out the solved puzzle below.Recommended VideosHow to play StrandsYou start every Strands puzzle with the goal of finding the theme words hidden in the grid of letters. Manipulate letters by dragging or tapping to craft words; double-tap the final letter to confirm. If you find the correct word, the letters will be highlighted blue and will no longer be selectable.RelatedIf you find a word that isnt a theme word, it still helps! For every three non-theme words you find that are at least four letters long, youll get a hint the letters of one of the theme words will be revealed and youll just have to unscramble it.Every single letter on the grid is used to spell out the theme words and there is no overlap. Every letter will be used once, and only once.Each puzzle contains one spangram, a special theme word (or words) that describe the puzzles theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. When you find the spangram, it will be highlighted yellow.The goal should be to complete the puzzle quickly without using too many hints.Todays theme is Yes, QueenHeres a hint that might help you: classic groups.Todays Strand answersNYTTodays spanagramWell start by giving you the spangram, which might help you figure out the theme and solve the rest of the puzzle on your own:ROCKBANDTodays Strands answersBLONDIEHEARTGENESISKISSJOURNEYEAGLESRUSHEditors Recommendations
    0 Comments ·0 Shares ·69 Views
  • AI-Powered Databases Boost the Alzheimers Drug Discovery Process
    www.wsj.com
    Researchers studying Alzheimers disease are using artificial intelligence-powered databases to accelerate the drug discovery process by making it easier to sift through vast amounts of biomedical data.
    0 Comments ·0 Shares ·63 Views
  • Bayer Shares Plunge After U.S. Court Defeat in Roundup Case
    www.wsj.com
    Bayer said it was ordered to pay $2.1 billion in a case about its Roundup weedkiller after a jury in a Georgia state court reached a verdict in favor of the plaintiff.
    0 Comments ·0 Shares ·58 Views
  • Gemma Chan Is Ready for the Crazy Rich Asians TV Show
    www.wsj.com
    The English actress talks about Marvel workouts, her beloved rescue cat and starting the day with Yorkshire Tea.
    0 Comments ·0 Shares ·61 Views
  • The 2025 Cadillac Optiq: Sensibly sized and improves on the Equinox EV
    arstechnica.com
    babby caddy The 2025 Cadillac Optiq: Sensibly sized and improves on the Equinox EV The AWD Optiq is quite competitive in the sub-$60,000 EV crossover segment. Michael Teo Van Runkle Mar 24, 2025 8:00 am | 5 We've previously tested Cadillac's mid-sized and supersized electric cars, now it's time for the smallest one, the Optiq. Credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle We've previously tested Cadillac's mid-sized and supersized electric cars, now it's time for the smallest one, the Optiq. Credit: Michael Teo Van Runkle Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreCadillac provided flights from Los Angeles to San Fransisco and accommodation so Ars could drive the Optiq. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.Badging on the rear of the new Cadillac Optiq may confuse some American buyers. This crossover is fully electric, so the alphanumeric nomenclature can't refer to engine displacementand not horsepower, either. Instead, 500E4 refers to 500 Newton-meters of torque, the metric units for more familiar pound-feet, plus dual-motor all-wheel drive. Rating the Optiq's output in kilowatts might have at least rendered something at least somewhat more comprehensible, but the designation hints at the Optiq's intended global market, which in turn reveals just how important this crossover EV is for Cadillac's future.The Equinox slots in as an upmarket variant of the Chevrolet Equinox EV, featuring a suite of enhancements unveiled at a Downtown Los Angeles preview last spring. With the exterior design, interior materials, and tech features all known quantities, I arrived to a drive program held in the San Francisco Bay Areaconcurrently with the Escalade IQmore curious to experience how much the Optiq's additional power and refinement can possibly improve on the already solid Equinox.On paper, the Caddy bests its Chevy counterpart despite using much of the same hardware. In this case, an 85-kilowatt-hour battery allows for an EPA-estimated range of 302 miles (486 km) despite output from dual motors matching the AWD Equinox at 300 hp (223 kW), just with a bit more in the torque department at 354 lb-ft (almost, but not quite, that 500Nm figure). Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle Michael Teo Van Runkle The Optiq also weighs 5,192 pounds (2,355 kg) despite a diminutive footprint, proportions which a low and raked windshield angle only help to emphasize (in addition to improving aerodynamic drag). But in practice, the major mechanical difference between the Equinox and Optiq comes down to suspension tuning. Cadillac's marketing materials highlight both the luxury and sporty spirit of this crossover, and the shock dampers needed to live up to those somewhat divergent goals.On the rough roads of San Francisco, and then up to the headlands of Marin County, the Optiq first rode with more supple compliance, drowning out speed bumps and streetcar tracks with ease. Then, when the roads started winding, the adjustable drive modes let me switch up the character, as I set the steering to the lightest mode to avoid torque steer and ramp up feedback from the front tires. Of course, I also selected the maximum acceleration and brake responsiveness, then started hustling through a long series of corners.Almost more impressive than the suspension improvement versus the Equinox, which I drove in Michigan, the Optiq's lack of noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) stood out throughout the drive. This in turn highlighted the Dolby Atmos-enabled sound system, made up of 19 AKG speakers controlled via a 33-inch touchscreen. Though the Escalade IQ absolutely blew the smaller Optiq out of the water, despite lacking Atmos for model-year 2025 due to development timelines, I still wanted to test everything from Pink Floyd's tripped-out Comfortably Numb to the peculiar pitches of Animal Collective, the electro bass of Major Lazer, and some shriller dance pop by Lady Gaga. The 33-inch display is common across most new Cadillacs. CarPlay is absent, but the Google Maps integration is very good. Michael Teo Van Runkle The 33-inch display is common across most new Cadillacs. CarPlay is absent, but the Google Maps integration is very good. Michael Teo Van Runkle There's physical controls for the infotainment if you don't want to use the touchscreen. Michael Teo Van Runkle There's physical controls for the infotainment if you don't want to use the touchscreen. Michael Teo Van Runkle The speakers were let down by the lack of options available via the online streaming we tried during our test drive. Michael Teo Van Runkle The speakers were let down by the lack of options available via the online streaming we tried during our test drive. Michael Teo Van Runkle There's physical controls for the infotainment if you don't want to use the touchscreen. Michael Teo Van Runkle The speakers were let down by the lack of options available via the online streaming we tried during our test drive. Michael Teo Van Runkle Searching through the Amazon Music app hoping to find songs optimized for Dolby Atmos surround sound proved nearly impossible, though. If I owned an Optiq, I'd need to create playlists in advance rather than just aimlessly scrolling (or relying on curated options from Cadillac and Dolby). That type of mindset shift applies to much of EV life, in the end, similar to how Optiq's total range dropping about 5 percent versus the Equinox FWD's 319 miles (513 km) should matter less than many urban buyers may imagine.For the additional torque and dual-motor AWD, the Optiq starts at $55,595 (or $61,695 for this loaded Optiq Sport 2). Compare that to the AWD Equinox with 285 miles of range (459 km) and a starting sticker of $49,400which represents a big jump up from the FWD at $34,995. The Optiq includes far more standard features, especially Super Cruise hands-free driving, which I thoroughly enjoyed activating on the 101 freeway crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.I also experienced zero screen glitches or blackouts, so hopefully the Optiq's additional development time solved some of the struggles seen on the Equinox and its other General Motors (ne Ultium) EVs. Yet similarly to the Equinox and Blazer EVs, and even the Acura ZDX, the Optiq's driving dynamics overall can easily fall onto the more anaesthetized side of the luxury-sporty divide. Sluggish initial responsiveness to the accelerator pedal emphasizes that impression, though the Optiq can sprint about quite quickly once underway. Certainly don't expect the instant torque punch of other EVs, even ones with similar total power output ratings, though. The Super Cruise hands-free driver assist is quite mature now. Michael Teo Van Runkle The Super Cruise hands-free driver assist is quite mature now. Michael Teo Van Runkle The 2025 Optiq is still a CCS1 EV, not NACS. Michael Teo Van Runkle The 2025 Optiq is still a CCS1 EV, not NACS. Michael Teo Van Runkle Will this badging make sense to anyone? Does it matter? Michael Teo Van Runkle Will this badging make sense to anyone? Does it matter? Michael Teo Van Runkle The 2025 Optiq is still a CCS1 EV, not NACS. Michael Teo Van Runkle Will this badging make sense to anyone? Does it matter? Michael Teo Van Runkle To me, that personality works best for a Cadillacjust climb in and experience the glidepath of electric luxury. And all without needing to make serious sacrifices to the laws of physics, versus an Escalade IQ that weighs just about twice as much. The back seats fit my 6-foot-1-inch (1.85 m) frame with plenty of leg and headroom, while the rear trunk allows for plenty of storage, including two plastic recesses behind each wheelwell that a Caddy rep certainly didn't describe as perfect for bringing melons home from the grocery store. As with those other GM EVs, though, the Optiq does lack CarPlay. But that controversial decision seems less and less important to me every time I drive a Chevy, GMC, or now Cadillac EV, since the onboard Google software actually does a remarkably accurate job of predicting range and finding charge stations. The lack of CarPlay may turn off some buyers, but compared to more typical Cadillac prices, this crossover looks downright reasonablenot to mention when compared to the rest of the industry, including the now pass Tesla Model Y, the lackluster Audi Q4, and more conceptual Genesis GV60. 5 Comments
    0 Comments ·0 Shares ·70 Views
  • Are CIO Plans for AI and the Cloud Permanently Joined Together?
    www.informationweek.com
    TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Are CIO Plans for AI and the Cloud Permanently Joined Together?Are CIO Plans for AI and the Cloud Permanently Joined Together?Will the development of these resources proceed in tandem at enterprises, or must CIOs evolve these technologies with separate strategies?Joao-Pierre S. Ruth, Senior EditorMarch 24, 2025As substantial plans to invest in AI and the cloud take shape, do CIOs at enterprises want to develop both resources together to maximize the potential they offer? Is it necessary for them to operate on dual or shared paths of evolution for these technologies to deliver? Should they favor one technologys use and deployment over the other?Leadership at enterprises may have hard choices to make on the resources they put toward their technology implementations. What if a CIO is caught in a circumstance where they only have the means -- whether it is a constraint on personnel, time, or money -- to truly invest in cloud or AI, but not both? Where should they put in their energies?Luiz Domingos, CTO for Mitel; Jon Kuhn, senior vice president of product for Delinea; Anshu Jain, co-founder and CTO with Outmarket AI; and Steve Williams, CISO, NTT DATA, tackled that and other questions in this episode of DOS Wont Hunt.Where does the conversation start in the C-suite on how to balance the development and investment into the cloud and AI? What is at stake if CIOs cannot steer the IT strategy to support cloud and AI? How far behind could a company fall if they dont pursue both technologies vigorously?Listen to the full episode here.About the AuthorJoao-Pierre S. RuthSenior EditorJoao-Pierre S. Ruth covers tech policy, including ethics, privacy, legislation, and risk; fintech; code strategy; and cloud & edge computing for InformationWeek. He has been a journalist for more than 25 years, reporting on business and technology first in New Jersey, then covering the New York tech startup community, and later as a freelancer for such outlets as TheStreet, Investopedia, and Street Fight.See more from Joao-Pierre S. RuthReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like
    0 Comments ·0 Shares ·79 Views
  • Five Years of Cloud Innovation: 2020 to 2025
    www.informationweek.com
    John Edwards, Technology Journalist & AuthorMarch 24, 20255 Min ReadTetra Images, LLC via Alamy Stock PhotoThe cloud has come a long way over the past five years. The technology has undergone a succession of radical upgrades and transformations that have surprised even many of the technology's strongest advocates.As cloud service providers and adopters move into the next half-decade, here's a look at five important ways that the cloud has advanced since 2020.1. Zero-trust architecture emergesAs organizations move more workloads to the cloud, often in response to the existential demands of a high-velocity digital economy, traditional perimeter-based security models have failed to keep pace with the dynamic, distributed nature of traditional digital architectures, says Nigel Gibbons, a director and senior advisor at cybersecurity services firm NCC Group, in an email interview. "Amid these challenges, the concept of zero trust emerged alongside the secure by design cornerstone principle, fundamentally reappraising identity, access and trust within cloud environments."Previously, security strategies relied on guarding a static network perimeter. Once inside the corporate network, users, devices, and services were often trusted by default. Zero trust, by contrast, assumes no inherent trust and evaluates each request as if it comes from an untrusted network. "In cloud settings, where applications, data, and users reside across numerous remote endpoints, zero trust ensures that each interaction is strictly verified, regardless of location or prior access," states Gibbons.Related:Gibbons observes that zero trust has also accelerated improvements in identity and access management solutions, such as multifactor authentication, single sign-on, and just-in-time access, with adaptive access policies built on continuous adaptive risk and trust assessment principles becoming standard practice.2. FinOps standardizes cloud spendingThe FinOps organization and the implementation of FinOps standards across cloud providers has been the most impactful development over the last five years, states Allen Brokken, head of customer engineering at Google, in an online interview. This has fundamentally transformed how organizations understand the business value of their cloud deployments, he states. "Standardization has enabled better comparisons between cloud providers and created a common language for technical teams, business unit owners, and CFOs to discuss cloud operations."The FinOps framework helps organizations understand exactly what they're spending, how they're spending it, and where they're spending it. "This enables better demand shaping, whether through moving workloads to spot instances or improving committed use management," Brokken says.Related:3. Public cloud adoption democratizes accessWidespread adoption of public cloud architecture has been one of the most important developments of the past five years, says Lloyd Adams, president of enterprise application software firm SAP North America.The public cloud has democratized access to technology and increased accessibility for organizations across industries that have faced intense volatility and change in the past five years, Adams observes via email. "This innovation has facilitated a new level of co-innovation and enabled new business models that allow companies to realize future opportunities with ease."Public cloud platforms offer adopters immense benefits, Adams says. "With the public cloud, businesses can scale IT infrastructure on-demand without significant upfront investment." This flexibility comes with a reduced total cost of ownership, since public cloud solutions often lead to lower costs for hardware, software and maintenance.Public cloud adopters also reap the benefit of immediate access to cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics. "The cloud's flexibility and speed have enhanced agility and innovation, enabling companies to experiment with new ideas and bring products to market faster," Adams says.Related:4. Security as code arrivesSecurity as code, in the form of DevSecOps, leverages a collection of cloud native technologies and methods. "This has not only shifted security into the delivery team, it allowed security to scale as an embedded consideration, rather than an external force that development and infrastructure teams feel like they need to resist or operate around/within," says Travis Runty, CTO of public cloud at Rackspace Technology, in an online interview.Security as code is an example of hyper-converging skillsets and teams, further enabling natural awareness and ownership, Runty states. "It's a great example of a technology creating velocity, changing the way teams are structured, and ultimately reducing overall business risk".Having the ability to incorporate security into core and real-time infrastructure deployments has allowed teams to leverage security as a strength, and enforce it without fail, Runty says. "This enforcement can include general security best practices, compliance considerations, protecting credentials, or other sensitive information -- even managing internal design and architectural standards."5. Serverless computing arrivesServerless computing has emerged as a key cloud innovation, helping organizations become more agile while accelerating time-to-market, minimizing infrastructure overhead, and optimizing cloud costs, says Farid Roshan, global head of AI at data and digital engineering solutions firm Altimetrik.In response to specific events, serverless platforms work to execute small, stateless code segments known as functions. "These functions simplify scaling and reduce the complexity of computing resources, which are allocated only for the functions execution duration, eliminating the need for pre-provisioned infrastructure," Roshan says in an email interview.With serverless computing, engineering teams are freed from managing servers, operating environments, and scaling mechanisms. "This allows engineers to focus on innovation, building scalable, cost-efficient applications by shifting operational overhead to cloud providers," Roshan concludes.About the AuthorJohn EdwardsTechnology Journalist & AuthorJohn Edwards is a veteran business technology journalist. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and numerous business and technology publications, including Computerworld, CFO Magazine, IBM Data Management Magazine, RFID Journal, and Electronic Design. He has also written columns for The Economist's Business Intelligence Unit and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Communications Direct. John has authored several books on business technology topics. His work began appearing online as early as 1983. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he wrote daily news and feature articles for both the CompuServe and Prodigy online services. His "Behind the Screens" commentaries made him the world's first known professional blogger.See more from John EdwardsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like
    0 Comments ·0 Shares ·84 Views
  • Why handing over total control to AI agents would be a huge mistake
    www.technologyreview.com
    AI agents have set the tech industry abuzz. Unlike chatbots, these groundbreaking new systems operate outside of a chat window, navigating multiple applications to execute complex tasks, like scheduling meetings or shopping online, in response to simple user commands. As agents are developed to become more capable, a crucial question emerges: How much control are we willing to surrender, and at what cost? New frameworks and functionalities for AI agents are announced almost weekly, and companies promote the technology as a way to make our lives easier by completing tasks we cant do or dont want to do. Prominent examples include computer use, a function that enables Anthropics Claude system to act directly on your computer screen, and the general AI agent Manus, which can use online tools for a variety of tasks, like scouting out customers or planning trips. These developments mark a major advance in artificial intelligence: systems designed to operate in the digital world without direct human oversight. The promise is compelling. Who doesnt want assistance with cumbersome work or tasks theres no time for? Agent assistance could soon take many different forms, such as reminding you to ask a colleague about their kids basketball tournament or finding images for your next presentation. Within a few weeks, theyll probably be able to make presentations for you. Theres also clear potential for deeply meaningful differences in peoples lives. For people with hand mobility issues or low vision, agents could complete tasks online in response to simple language commands. Agents could also coordinate simultaneous assistance across large groups of people in critical situations, such as by routing traffic to help drivers flee an area en masse as quickly as possible when disaster strikes. But this vision for AI agents brings significant risks that might be overlooked in the rush toward greater autonomy. Our research team at Hugging Face has spent years implementing and investigating these systems, and our recent findings suggest that agent development could be on the cusp of a very serious misstep. Giving up control, bit by bit This core issue lies at the heart of whats most exciting about AI agents: The more autonomous an AI system is, the more we cede human control. AI agents are developed to be flexible, capable of completing a diverse array of tasks that dont have to be directly programmed. For many systems, this flexibility is made possible because theyre built on large language models, which are unpredictable and prone to significant (and sometimes comical) errors. When an LLM generates text in a chat interface, any errors stay confined to that conversation. But when a system can act independently and with access to multiple applications, it may perform actions we didnt intend, such as manipulating files, impersonating users, or making unauthorized transactions. The very feature being soldreduced human oversightis the primary vulnerability. To understand the overall risk-benefit landscape, its useful to characterize AI agent systems on a spectrum of autonomy. The lowest level consists of simple processors that have no impact on program flow, like chatbots that greet you on a company website. The highest level, fully autonomous agents, can write and execute new code without human constraints or oversightthey can take action (moving around files, changing records, communicating in email, etc.) without your asking for anything. Intermediate levels include routers, which decide which human-provided steps to take; tool callers, which run human-written functions using agent-suggested tools; and multistep agents that determine which functions to do when and how. Each represents an incremental removal of human control. Its clear that AI agents can be extraordinarily helpful for what we do every day. But this brings clear privacy, safety, and security concerns. Agents that help bring you up to speed on someone would require that individuals personal information and extensive surveillance over your previous interactions, which could result in serious privacy breaches. Agents that create directions from building plans could be used by malicious actors to gain access to unauthorized areas. And when systems can control multiple information sources simultaneously, potential for harm explodes. For example, an agent with access to both private communications and public platforms could share personal information on social media. That information might not be true, but it would fly under the radar of traditional fact-checking mechanisms and could be amplified with further sharing to create serious reputational damage. We imagine that It wasnt meit was my agent!! will soon be a common refrain to excuse bad outcomes. Keep the human in the loop Historical precedent demonstrates why maintaining human oversight is critical. In 1980, computer systems falsely indicated that over 2,000 Soviet missiles were heading toward North America. This error triggered emergency procedures that brought us perilously close to catastrophe. What averted disaster was human cross-verification between different warning systems. Had decision-making been fully delegated to autonomous systems prioritizing speed over certainty, the outcome might have been catastrophic. Some will counter that the benefits are worth the risks, but wed argue that realizing those benefits doesnt require surrendering complete human control. Instead, the development of AI agents must occur alongside the development of guaranteed human oversight in a way that limits the scope of what AI agents can do. Open-source agent systems are one way to address risks, since these systems allow for greater human oversight of what systems can and cannot do. At Hugging Face were developing smolagents, a framework that provides sandboxed secure environments and allows developers to build agents with transparency at their core so that any independent group can verify whether there is appropriate human control. This approach stands in stark contrast to the prevailing trend toward increasingly complex, opaque AI systems that obscure their decision-making processes behind layers of proprietary technology, making it impossible to guarantee safety. As we navigate the development of increasingly sophisticated AI agents, we must recognize that the most important feature of any technology isnt increasing efficiency but fostering human well-being. This means creating systems that remain tools rather than decision-makers, assistants rather than replacements. Human judgment, with all its imperfections, remains the essential component in ensuring that these systems serve rather than subvert our interests. Margaret Mitchell, Avijit Ghosh, Sasha Luccioni, Giada Pistilli all work for Hugging Face, a global startup in responsible open-source AI. Dr. Margaret Mitchell is a researcher and Chief Ethics Scientist at Hugging Face. Dr. Sasha Luccioni is Climate Lead at Hugging Face, where she spearheads research, consulting and capacity-building to elevate the sustainability of AI systems. Dr. Avijit Ghosh is an Applied Policy Researcher at Hugging Face working at the intersection of responsible AI and policy. His research and engagement with policymakers has helped shape AI regulation and industry practices. Dr. Giada Pistilli is a philosophy researcher working as Principal Ethicist at Hugging Face.
    0 Comments ·0 Shares ·90 Views
  • Fighter jets were alerted to intercept a plane when it stopped communicating — and the pilot got fined over $5,000
    www.businessinsider.com
    2025-03-24T12:25:40Z Read in app After the incident in 2024, the Scandinavian Airlines plane was met by armed police. JazzIRT/Getty Images This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? A pilot has been fined for losing contact with air traffic control.Britain's Royal Air Force then scrambled to intercept the plane due to hijacking concerns.Pilots in UK air space can face two years in prison if they don't maintain radio communication.A pilot has been fined after failing to maintain communication with air traffic control, which led to a flight being intercepted by Britain's Royal Air Force.An investigation by the UK Civil Aviation Authority found that Captain Christopher Hollands did not appropriately communicate via radio with air traffic control during an SAS flight from Oslo to the English city of Manchester in February last year.This is against British law per the Air Navigation Order of 2016.Hollands was sentenced to pay 4,511 ($5,849) on March 20 at Manchester Magistrates' Court.According to the CAA, communication was lost for more than 30 minutes during the flight. This led to air traffic control alerting the RAF over fears that the lack of communication could be a sign of a hijacking.Two Typhoon fighter jets intercepted the Airbus A320 aircraft, which was carrying 58 passengers. When the plane landed in Manchester, it was sent to an isolated part of the airport and boarded by armed police.Glenn Bradley, the head of flight operations at the CAA, said in a statement that incidents of lost communication like this "are a matter of great concern both for us as the aviation regulator, and for the Government.""Aviation is one of the safest methods of transportation, and it relies on pilots maintaining radio communication with air traffic control through the standard channels during flight," Bradley said."We continue to work with pilots, airlines, and the Government to reduce similar incidents, including by prosecuting offenders when appropriate to maintain confidence in UK aviation's safety and security."Hollands is the first pilot to ever be prosecuted under this law in the UK. The CAA is now warning other pilots that if an incident of lost communication is deemed serious enough, they could face up to two years imprisonment.
    0 Comments ·0 Shares ·63 Views