Global IT outage hits transport, banks and media

Airlines, banks, TV channels and other businesses across the world have been left scrambling by one of the biggest IT crashes in recent years, all caused by an update to an antivirus program.

A combination of glitches affecting Microsoft Windows and cybersecurity company CrowdStrike caused aviation officials in the US to temporarily ground all flights and the UK government to convene its emergency COBRA committee.

The CEO of CrowdStrike said on X that the event was "not a security incident or cyberattack. "The disruption has impacted hospitals, grounded flights and locked millions of people out of the electronic devices they rely on.