The 27-minute Tech Life episode examines a crisis involving PHP after vulnerabilities were discovered in the widely used programming language. It also reports on a comedian whose jokes were reused by an AI avatar that gained millions of online views, and answers listener questions with the director of the UK’s national supercomputer centre.
Key Facts
The episode was published on 27 October 2026 by the World Service.
The programme tells the story of the PHP crisis with help from people familiar with it.
The episode says PHP vulnerabilities were discovered about a week before publication.
A comedian’s jokes were taken and retold by an AI avatar.
The AI avatar’s videos gained millions of views online.
The centre director answers questions about the UK’s national supercomputer.
Chris Vallance presents the episode, produced by Imran Rahman-Jones.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Donald Trump renewed calls for Venezuela to become the 51st U.S. state. He linked the idea to oil coming from the South American country and said it could become prosperous.
Key Facts
Trump described Venezuela as a possible future 51st U.S. state.
He called for making Venezuela the 51st state.
Trump said Venezuela could become prosperous.
He referred to barrels of oil coming from Venezuela.
Venezuela is a country in South America.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Multiple outlets reported that Brazilian Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro traveled to the United States after losing the presidential runoff election. The report said Brazil’s Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender his passports in connection with alleged financial crimes.
Key Facts
Multiple outlets reported Bolsonaro traveled from Brazil to the United States.
The reported move followed his loss in the presidential runoff election.
Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his passports.
The passport order concerned alleged financial crimes.
The U.S. State Department had not immediately responded to The Hill’s request for comment.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The Supreme Court declined an emergency appeal by three cities and an advocacy group seeking to defend a Biden-era immigration policy. The decision leaves in place a court order blocking the policy, which let immigration judges pause some deportation cases.
Key Facts
The policy was known as administrative closure.
Baltimore, Columbus, New Haven, and Centro Legal de la Raza sought to intervene in the case.
The groups said the policy helped crime victims and neglected juveniles.
Texas sued to block the policy, arguing it let some immigrants remain in the United States indefinitely.
Texas and the Trump administration agreed to a court order blocking the regulation.
A judge rejected the cities’ and advocacy group’s request to intervene before they appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Justice Department argued that the groups lacked legal standing and had not shown immediate harm.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A memory-corruption flaw in the open-source TianoCore EDK II code can let attackers execute code during the UEFI boot process, before protections such as Secure Boot take effect. The flaw affects firmware built from the code, and public patch details may help attackers develop exploits while updates reach affected devices.
Key Facts
The vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2026-97631 and has a reported severity score of 9.5 out of 10.
The flaw is a 16-year-old buffer overflow in EDK II’s PXE Base Code driver, which supports network booting.
The vulnerable ICMP message-handling code does not limit a memory copy to 504 bytes, according to the article.
An attacker with access to a local network could send a crafted ICMP error message to corrupt memory and execute code during boot.
EDK II is used by major UEFI suppliers, including AMI, Insyde, and Phoenix, and by Microsoft’s Project Mu.
The article says attackers could use access during boot to target sensitive components such as the Trusted Platform Module.
AMI published a pull request containing vulnerability details and a code fix before the planned coordinated disclosure.
The article says patching firmware across devices from many hardware makers and cloud providers can be difficult and time-consuming.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Olivia Chow won a second term as Toronto mayor, receiving 54% of the vote to Brad Bradford’s 41%. She campaigned on expanding rental housing, offering free school lunches and lowering fares for frequent transit riders, while affordability remains a major challenge for the city.
Key Facts
Chow received more than 532,000 votes, nearly twice her total in the 2023 election.
The article reports record turnout in the mayoral election.
Bradford called for more police and pledged to cut taxes and city spending.
The article says auto theft and high-value property crime have risen, while homicides, firearm-related violence and assault have fallen in recent years.
Chow expanded the police department’s hate crimes unit and supported a bylaw restricting protests within 50 meters of certain institutions.
Bradford conceded and said he wanted Chow to succeed.
Progressive candidates won or retained multiple council seats, including Diana McNally Chan, who the article says will be the first renter on city council.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
An eight-bedroom estate in San Francisco’s Presidio Wall neighborhood sold for $28.5 million on October 22, $10 million above its $18.5 million asking price. The sale comes amid rising housing costs and increased competition in the city’s property market, which reports have linked to the AI industry’s growth.
Key Facts
The Cherry Street estate was listed on October 2 for $18.5 million and sold on October 22 for $28.5 million.
The sale set a new record for the city, according to the article.
The home has eight bedrooms, a private garden and a three-car garage.
The house was built in 1966 and designed by San Francisco firm Whisler-Patri.
More than 140 San Francisco homes sold for at least $1 million above asking in the first half of the year, compared with eight in the same period a year earlier, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing Compass data.
Almost 92% of single-family homes sold above asking in September, the Chronicle reported.
The home had been owned by one family for more than 40 years and was sold by the Janice R. Lurie Trust and Robert A. Lurie Trust.
Robert Lurie previously owned the San Francisco Giants.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A ceasefire that began to allow aid into Russian-occupied Oleshky has been extended across the wider Kherson region, officials said. The truce is intended to allow humanitarian deliveries and a planned evacuation on Friday, as thousands of residents face severe shortages and dangerous routes out.
Key Facts
The ceasefire began early Tuesday and no breaches had been reported at the time of publication.
Melania Trump said the ceasefire area had expanded beyond Oleshky to provide safe passage for humanitarian convoys.
Ukrainian and Russian officials said the truce was being observed.
About 1,700 to 2,000 people remain in Oleshky, with a few thousand more in nearby areas.
The plan calls for humanitarian aid deliveries followed by evacuations on Friday for residents who want to leave.
David Arakhamia said the ceasefire would continue until 22:59 Ukrainian time on Sunday, 1 November.
Oleshky has had no electricity, gas or water since the Kakhovka Dam was destroyed in 2023, and roads out are dangerous because of mines and drone attacks.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Exit polls from Israel’s election project Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc with 50 seats and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc with 52 or 53. Neither projection reaches the 61 seats needed for a majority, while Arab parties are projected to win 18 seats combined.
Key Facts
Polling stations closed at 10 p.m. local time.
Preliminary results are expected Wednesday, with a final tally expected Friday.
The official results are due to be published on November 4.
Turnout reached 74.3 percent by 8 p.m., according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee.
Turnout in the 2022 election was 70.63 percent.
The Central Elections Committee rejected Likud’s request to extend voting hours.
The election is the first since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Vice President JD Vance called an independent candidate in Alaska’s Senate race a case of “electoral fraud” while responding to a question about the Trump administration’s lawsuit over the race. The question raised whether the lawsuit suggested Alaska voters could not distinguish the candidate from Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Key Facts
Vance spoke on Tuesday about the administration’s lawsuit over Alaska’s Senate race.
He accused an independent candidate with a name similar to Sen. Dan Sullivan of committing “electoral fraud.”
The article’s question asked whether Alaskans might find the lawsuit insulting.
Dan Sullivan is a Republican senator from Alaska.
The article text provided ends mid-sentence and does not include further details about the lawsuit.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
King Charles has begun a nine-day visit to the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda, his first trip to the Caribbean as monarch. The palace says the tour will address the region’s history of slavery and colonialism, while focusing mainly on current partnerships, climate change, and opportunities for future generations.
Key Facts
The King’s first stop is the Bahamas, where he is scheduled to attend a youth rally at Clifford Park.
The King attended the Bahamas’ independence celebrations in 1973 as Prince of Wales.
Buckingham Palace says the King will not apologize for Britain’s role in the slave trade or offer reparations.
The King is expected to discuss climate change and the challenges faced by low-lying Caribbean islands.
The tour includes visits to memorials and other places of remembrance related to the legacy of the slave trade.
The King will travel to Guyana later in the week for engagements focused on the environment and biodiversity.
Queen Camilla will join him in Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The biennial Commonwealth summit brings together leaders of 56 countries.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Iowa LGBTQ+ group One Iowa Action condemned Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek’s campaign ad, saying it marked a policy shift and conflicted with assurances he had previously given the group. In the ad, Turek said he opposes males competing in women’s sports and taxpayer funding for gender-affirming care; the article describes his race against Republican Ashley Hinson as highly competitive.
Key Facts
Turek’s ad said he opposes males competing in female sports and taxpayer payment for what he called “sex changes.”
Turek said Iowa already bans males from competing in female sports.
One Iowa Action said it “unequivocally” condemned the ad and the policy shift it represented.
The group said Turek had previously assured it that his personal views on transgender athletes would not become policy.
One Iowa Action said it was concerned the ad implied Turek would support barring Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care.
President Donald Trump accused Turek of supporting policies related to transgender students, surgeries, and bathrooms during a campaign visit with Hinson.
The article described the Iowa Senate race between Turek and Hinson as one of the cycle’s closest contests.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Australian Greens leader David Shoebridge plans to propose raising the tax-free income threshold and increasing annual payments for people on income support. The proposal would cost about A$22 billion a year, with the party suggesting higher taxes on gas exports and resource companies to fund it. Separately, Australia’s eSafety commissioner says investigations into social media platforms are underway, while a report says the country had the highest additional diesel import costs during the global fuel crisis.
Key Facts
The Greens propose raising the tax-free threshold from A$18,200 to A$26,000.
Shoebridge says the tax change would save the average working Australian more than A$1,000 a year.
The Greens propose an annual A$1,000 increase for people receiving income support, including pensioners, carers, students and job seekers.
Parliamentary Budget Office costings put the plan at about A$22 billion a year; the Greens propose funding it with higher taxes on gas exports and resource companies.
Greens senator Jordon Steele-John is on leave during an investigation into allegations about his conduct toward women; he denies the allegations.
Australia incurred an estimated A$9 billion in additional diesel import costs over six months, more than any other country, according to figures released by the Climate Council.
The eSafety commissioner says investigations into five social media platforms are underway and will not provide updated account deactivation figures while they continue.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said more than five million under-16 accounts were deactivated across the ten platforms covered by the social media ban.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Exit polls from Israel’s election indicate that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor rival Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc won the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. The result could leave the country without a clear governing majority while officials count ballots and await final results.
Key Facts
Israel held its first national election since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
The election focused in part on Netanyahu’s wartime leadership.
Major Israeli television stations’ exit polls showed no bloc reaching 61 seats.
Exit polls can be inaccurate, and the article says the results were preliminary.
Preliminary results were expected in the hours after voting ended.
Final results were expected in the coming days and could differ from the exit polls.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Israeli exit polls project that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition will lose its parliamentary majority. Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc is projected to win 52 to 53 seats, short of the 61 needed for a majority, and may need support from Arab parties to form a government.
Key Facts
Exit polls project 50 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc.
The polls project 17 to 18 seats for Arab parties.
Netanyahu’s coalition won 64 seats in the 2022 election, 14 more than its projected total in these exit polls.
Voter turnout reached a four-decade high, according to the article.
Eisenkot is a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces.
Eisenkot said he would maintain a hawkish approach to security.
Exit polls gave Netanyahu’s Likud Party one to two more seats than Eisenkot’s Yashar party.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Former Metropolitan Police officer Mark Tyrrell was found guilty of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of perverting the course of justice. He was cleared of other rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault charges, and will be sentenced on 16 December.
Key Facts
Tyrrell, 57, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court.
Jurors heard that the woman repeatedly said no before Tyrrell had sex with her.
The perverting-the-course-of-justice conviction involved trying to delete messages he had sent the woman.
Tyrrell had served in the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command.
Wayne Couzens and David Carrick, both convicted rapists, also served in that command.
Tyrrell had admitted misconduct in public office and a separate count of perverting the course of justice.
He resigned from the Metropolitan Police in September 2023 after his arrest and suspension.
The court is due to sentence him on 16 December.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Israeli voters cast ballots in an election widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his administration. Voting closed at 10 p.m. local time, with turnout reported at a record level; the result could threaten Netanyahu’s nearly 19 years in power.
Key Facts
Israeli voters went to the polls on Tuesday.
The election was widely regarded as a referendum on Netanyahu and his administration.
The election could end Netanyahu’s nearly 19 years leading Israel.
Turnout reached a record level, according to the article.
Voting closed at 10 p.m. local time, or 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Authorities said DNA evidence links Ted Bundy to the 1974 killing of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith in Utah. Investigators connected evidence from Smith’s case to a DNA profile associated with Bundy and said the case also matched his known pattern of crimes.
Key Facts
Smith’s body was found in the woods in 1974.
Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson said investigators are satisfied Bundy killed Smith.
Investigators linked Smith’s case to that of Laura Aime, another Bundy victim whose case was resolved in Utah County last April.
A highly similar DNA profile associated with Bundy was found in evidence from Smith’s autopsy, Utah County Sgt. Mike Reynolds said.
Authorities said preserving evidence helped investigators solve the cold case.
Bundy died in 1989 after Florida executed him for the 1978 murders of two women at Florida State University’s Chi Omega sorority house.
Authorities said they are still working to solve the 1974 disappearance and death of 16-year-old Nancy Wilcox, whom they described as a likely Bundy victim.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu ended a brief hunger strike after prison authorities allowed him to meet privately with his lawyers, according to his lawyer. Lissu is jailed on treason charges that he denies, while his detention and reports of abductions of government critics have drawn scrutiny of Tanzania’s human rights record.
Key Facts
Lissu leads the opposition Party for Democracy and Progress, known as CHADEMA.
His lawyer said Lissu began refusing food after lawyers were unable to meet him in prison and ended the strike after a private meeting.
Accounts differed on whether the hunger strike began Monday or Tuesday.
Tanzania’s prisons service denied reports that Lissu was on hunger strike and said he was safe.
Authorities arrested Lissu in April 2025 after he addressed a rally calling for electoral reforms and charged him with treason.
Lissu has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers say the charges are politically motivated; a judgment is due November 6.
A government-appointed inquiry found at least 518 people were killed in violence after the 2025 election; CHADEMA estimates about 2,000 deaths, a figure the United Nations said it could not verify.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A PBS News politics team plans a live preview of the 2026 midterm elections and will answer viewers’ voting questions. The article says control of Congress is at stake and that the elections could shape the final two years of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Key Facts
The live conversation is scheduled for Thursday at noon EDT.
The 2026 midterm elections will decide control of Congress.
The article says the elections could shape the final two years of Trump’s second term.
The article says Trump’s disapproval rating among registered voters is among the lowest of either of his terms.
The article says Trump urged voters to act as if he were on the ballot.
The article says Trump promised payouts tied to Republican election wins.
The article says Trump has continued to challenge the integrity of U.S. election procedures.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
