SEATTLE: Hackers took over the public address systems on Tuesday at four airports, three in Canada and one in the United States, to broadcast messages praising Hamas and criticizing President Donald Trump, according to officials and news reports.
An “advertisement streaming service” at the Kelowna International Airport in British Columbia “was briefly compromised and unauthorized content was shared,” according to the Kelowna Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The RCMP said it is investigating the hack with other agencies and declined to provide further details.
Hackers broadcast messages in a foreign language and music over the PA system at Victoria International Airport in British Columbia, according to an airport spokesperson.
The hackers breached third-party software to access the PA system, and the airport switched to an internal system to regain control, the spokesperson said.
The Canadian Center for Cyber Security is assisting the airport and the RCMP with the investigation.
Hackers similarly took control of the PA system at Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a social media post on Wednesday.
The US Federal Aviation Administration and airport officials are investigating the breach, he said.
The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hackers also breached the flight information display screens and public address system Tuesday evening at Windsor International Airport in Ontario, and displayed “unauthorized images and announcements,” according to airport officials.
The breach was to a “cloud-based software provider” used by the airport, and “our systems returned to normal shortly thereafter,” according to the airport’s statement.
The four locations are smaller, feeder airports. In 2024, the busiest, Kelowna, served just over 2 million passengers, compared to the more than 25 million travelers who passed through Vancouver International Airport — British Columbia’s largest airport.
Hackers use some Canada and US airport PA systems to praise Hamas, criticize Trump
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Hackers use some Canada and US airport PA systems to praise Hamas, criticize Trump
- Hackers broadcast messages in a foreign language and music over the PA system at Victoria International Airport in British Columbia, according to an airport spokesperson
Riot at Greek migrant detention center leaves 2 police injured, 30 migrants arrested
- The facility where the unrest erupted was holding about 750 migrants of various nationalities
- Arrivals from Libya to Crete have surged in recent months
THESSALONIKI, Greece: A riot broke out late Wednesday at a migrant detention center in northern Greece, leaving two police officers injured and 30 migrants arrested, authorities said.
The facility where the unrest erupted was holding about 750 migrants of various nationalities, police said. Two officers were treated for injuries after being hit by a rock and bitten on the hand.
Greece this summer introduced one of Europe’s toughest migration regimes, allowing detention for up to 24 months and imposing prison terms of two to five years for illegal entry or stay. Under the stricter laws, migrants denied asylum face mandatory jail sentences.
Wednesday’s clashes came a day after three migrants died and 55 were rescued near the southern island of Crete when a boat carrying them from Libya sank. Two of the rescued migrants, both from Sudan, were arrested on smuggling charges.
Arrivals from Libya to Crete have surged in recent months. But Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said earlier Wednesday that overall migrant arrivals had dropped compared with a year earlier.
He defended Greece’s tough migration laws and voiced support for proposals backed by other European Union members to establish dedicated deportation centers.
