Show Notes
As fuel prices continue to put pressure on the global economy, we ask which has the greatest impact: the conflict in the Middle East or Russia's invasion of Ukraine? Hundreds of supermarkets across France were hit by a cyber-attack that has left supermarkets empty. We're joined by a journalist in Paris who tells us how shoppers have reacted. And why are so many of us watching horror movies? What does the genre's popularity say about the world today? A critic helps us understand. (Photo credit: Reuters)
More from World Business Report
Technology stocks face renewed pressure across US and Asian markets as investors grow increasingly concerned about the huge sums being poured into artificial intelligence. Luke Wilson examines what's driving the uncertainty. Also, Greece becomes the latest country to introduce a social media ban for children. And Volvo announces 2,000 job cuts after reporting a quarterly loss of more than $560 million.
A New Mexico judge has fined Meta $25 billion for its handling of user data. It is the latest large legal payout for the tech firm, following an $18 billion settlement reached with California over child safety, and comes as it releases its latest financial results. Vulnerabilities in the PHP programming language have led to websites being down in several countries, including Japan, Finland and the UK. Around seven in 10 of the world's websites use PHP. Is this a new era of cyber insecurity and instability? And a BBC investigation finds that employees from Google have resigned due to the use of AI for military technologies. We hear from one former employee. (Photo: Meta logo and a keyboard in this illustration taken 18 October, 2026. Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters) Presenter: Luke Wilson Producer: Neil Morrow and Neggeen Sadid
For the second day, many websites around the world — including those of government agencies and banks — are down. These are due to vulnerabilities in PHP — a programming language that much of the internet relies on. One government cyber security official in Finland tells us how his government is preparing for cyber-attacks. We go to Virginia to speak to a housing realtor about the housing market. Have interest rates made home ownership unaffordable? And we ask the co-founder of France's first literary AI prize if it sets a dangerous precedent for authors. Presenter: Leanne Byrne Producers: Neil Morrow & Neggeen Sadid (Photo: "Cyber Attack" phrase and PHP code appears in this illustration taken October 22, 2026. Credit: REUTERS / Dado Ruvic / Illustration)
Millions of hacking attempts have been detected after a major security flaw was discovered in PHP. We hear from the cybersecurity firm behind the discovery and a business whose website remains offline. Also, Electronic Arts shuts down BioWare after 31 years, cutting 400 jobs. And Airbnb is banning lengthy checkout chores for guests. Presenter: Luke Wilson Producer: Bisi Adebayo
A New Mexico judge has fined Meta for its handling of user data. It's the latest large legal payout for the tech firm, following an $18 billion settlement reached with California over child safety, and comes as it releases its latest financial results. Vulnerabilities in the PHP programming language have led to websites being down in several countries, including Japan, Finland and the UK. Around seven in 10 of the world's websites use PHP. Is this a new era of cyber insecurity and instability? And a BBC investigation finds that employees from Google have resigned due to the use of AI for military technologies. We hear from one former employee. Presenter: Luke Wilson Producers: Neil Morrow & Neggeen Sadid (Photo: Meta logo and a keyboard in this illustration taken October 19, 2026. Credit: REUTERS / Dado Ruvic)