Leak before the fix

The flaws were in PHP, a programming language estimated to run on some 70pc of the web. They had been found using AI tools, through a months-long effort coordinated by OpenAI. Under the long-standing practice of coordinated disclosure, details were meant to stay private until a fix was ready. On Wednesday, though, cybersecurity firm Chainguard released the information early. Its CEO Dan Lorenc later apologised, but argued the flaw was already being exploited, a claim others disputed. The early release set off a 72-hour scramble. Cyber agencies in Europe, the US, the UK, Australia and Canada issued urgent warnings, and several governments took websites offline as a precaution. Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince said the company had seen millions of attempts to exploit the flaw, up from thousands in the 10 hours before it was announced. Amazon’s cloud division also said it was being widely exploited. No major damage was immediately apparent, and Germany’s cyber agency said it had seen no successful attacks. But OpenAI warned that similar findings would rise sharply in the coming months. For now, agencies are urging organisations to install the fix released by the PHP Foundation. The head of the Dutch cyber agency summed it up as “patch, patch, and patch.”

(Adapted from ‘Inside the cyber flaw scramble that brought the AI threat to life’, by Sam Clark, published on October 24, 2026 by POLITICO)

A gift you can’t refuse

Elon Musk said on October 19 that he would give one SpaceX share to every child in America, a gift worth $10.66 billion. President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have indicated the shares will go into Trump accounts, tax-advantaged investment accounts that now cover close to 70 million American children. The gift comes with strings. Account holders may have to keep donated shares for five years, or until the end of the year the child turns 17 if that comes sooner. In most cases they cannot sell, even if the price falls. Families also cannot choose or turn down stocks like SpaceX, and cannot leave the programme once enrolled. Donors may gain too. Giving through a vehicle such as a foundation can bring charitable tax deductions.

--Adapted from ‘Elon Musk’s $10.5B SpaceX gift to kids has a catch: Families can’t refuse it — and may need to wait 5 years to cash out’, by Becky Robertson, published on October 22, 2026 by Moneywise/Yahoo Finance

Hi-tech park, low on gas

When Bangladesh opened its hi-tech park in Sylhet in December 2021, the 171-acre site was meant to industrialise the region, create jobs for young people and tap markets in India’s seven northeastern states. Nearly five years later, the park has created around 400 jobs against a target of 20,000. It has drawn about $24.25 million in investment, a fraction of the $121.38m it was meant to attract. Only two of the 14 companies allotted land or space at the park are operational. Investors point to gas shortages, frequent power cuts and promised incentives that never arrived, such as one-stop government services and rent-free construction periods. Rangs Electronics, the park’s flagship tenant, has been unable to secure an industrial gas connection since applying in 2022. It is running at just 30 per cent of capacity.

Adapted from ‘Five years on, Bangladesh’s Sylhet hi-tech park struggles to take off’, by Dwaipayan Barua, published on October 22, 2026 by The Daily Star/Asia News Network

Beauty Boost

Popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are driving new trends in skincare. Because rapid weight loss often causes loose, sagging skin, beauty giant L’Oréal is seizing the opportunity. Chief Executive Nicolas Hieronimus highlighted this shift, noting that brands like SkinCeuticals and Kiehl’s offer products to counter these effects. Furthermore, L’Oréal holds a 20pc stake in dermatology firm Galderma. Both companies are now conducting clinical trials on GLP-1 users, following surveys showing noticeable facial changes among patients.

(Published on October 22, 2026 by the BBC)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, October 26th, 2026