Newshour

There have been violent scenes outside schools across France as a dispute over learning conditions continues. The French government has accused left-wing party La France Insoumise of stoking up the disturbances. One of the party's MPs tells us that the accusation is “absurd” and reflects the government's disdain for young people. Also on the programme: we hear from the lawyer of Renee Good's family as they file a lawsuit against the Trump administration over her killing during a Minneapolis immigration crackdown; and the Beatles album Rubber Soul is re-released with previously unheard studio tracks.(Picture: A protest over conditions in the education system in Montpellier, 02 October 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

More colleges have been damaged by fire in France as student protests continue, demanding more investment in education. Hundreds of high schools and colleges are closed. The French government has condemned what it called urban violence.Also, the hero Fly-Dubai pilot - who survived being stabbed by his colleague - describes how he fought to save the lives of all on board.And will Europe release diesel reserves as requested by the US? And what are the possible consequences?(Photo: French CRS riot police apprehend a protester during clashes outside the Lycee Deodat-de-Severac high school as part of nationwide protests by high school students to demand the hiring of substitute teachers, increased resources and better learning conditions, in Toulouse as more than 400 schools remain closed following days of student protests that have escalated into violence in some places, France, October 2, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike is 'receiving life-saving care' in hospital, after surviving two lethal injection attempts, leading the state's governor to halt all executions for the year. So how common is it for the procedure to go wrong?Also in the programme: Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says the co-pilot responsible for the attack on board a plane bound for Israel had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination", though he has said it is too early to say if Iran was involved; and what elephants' low-frequency rumbles reveal about their lives.(Photo shows WPLN reporter Catherine Sweeney recounting the planned execution of Christa Pike at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville on September 30, 2026. Credit: Denny Simmons/The Tennessean/USA TODAY NETWORK)

An investigation is underway by Israel into the apparent attempt by the co-pilot of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv to bring it down. The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it's too early to say if Iran is involved in the attackWe'll speak to one of the passengers, Adam Polovincik, about what happened, when the plane suddenly lost height.Also in the programme: Tennessee has called a temporary halt to executions after a female convict survives two doses of lethal injection; thousnads of French high school students are taking part in protests which are becoming increasingly unrul; and why do many Russians seem to want to pretend that the war in Ukraine isn't happening?(Photo shows a FlyDubai plane in the air near Tel Aviv on 30 September 2026. Credit: Ammar Awad/Reuters)

The Israeli prime minister says the co-pilot attacked his the pilot of an on board an Israel-bound flight from Dubai and attempted to deliberately crash the plane. Passengers are believed to have helped overpower and restrain the attacker. There were jubilant scenes at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport as passengers landed safely.Also in the programme: Britain's Prime Minister says there are "strong indications" that Iran played a part in the security incident at Fairford airbase. Plus a last-minute stay of execution for Christa Pike in Tennessee - but what next?And would Greta Garbo really want to be re-animated by AI?(Picture: FlyDubai passengers are greeted by their friends and family at the Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, September 30, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)

A passenger plane flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv had to land in Saudi Arabia after a fight reportedly broke out between the pilots. Two Israeli officials have said the co-pilot is believed to have stabbed the captain of the plane. Both pilots are being treated in hospital. Israeli and Saudi jets were scrambled after the FlyDubai flight transmitted a code used to report a hijacking.Also, a BBC investigation tracks how children in Gaza are still falling victim to the conflict there. And researchers convinced a Chinese AI tool to tell them how to make biological weapons and carry out assassinations. What went wrong?(Photo: A Flydubai plane waiting at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on 30 September. Credit: EPA)

Spain's coalition government has approved new housing measures following protests over the country's housing crisis, sparked by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home in Madrid last week. Also on the programme, a man held on death row for 41 years in Utah finally gets a retrial; and the 'fat dogs of Delhi' have gone viral - but can they become the 'fit dogs of Delhi'?(Photo: Madrid housing protesters camp at Puerta del Sol, Spain - 29 Sep 2026. Rodrigo Jimenez EPA/Shutterstock)

Malaysia starts sending thousands of refugees back to war-torn Myanmar. Human rights groups say it risks returning Rohingya muslims to danger. We hear from a fearful refugee. Also in the programme: Israel's military says more than a hundred settlers have attacked a village in the occupied West Bank; we hear from Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich who was held in a Russian prison for more than 400 days; and how the youngest ever female chess grandmaster learnt to play.(IMAGE: Myanmar nationals due to be repatriated from Malaysia sit inside a bus at Lumut, Malaysia September 29, 2026 / REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain)

The men were arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. The base has been used by the US Air Force to attack Iran.Also on the programme: our reporter is on the front line in Yemen as government forces take on the Houthis. And 100 years of stories as we celebrate the centenary of Route 66.(Picture: Police at RAF Fairford Air Base, England. Credit: Getty Images)

In Yemen, fighting is intensifying around the Yemeni city of Taiz, where government forces are trying to halt a new advance by Houthi fighters closing in on the city. We have a frontline report from the BBC's international investigations correspondent. Also on the programme: investigations continue into a suspected terror plot at an air force base in southern England; and a potential breakthrough in the storage of mRNA vaccines, which could revolutionise rural healthcare.(Photo: A displaced Yemeni woman, Fatma Mohammed Saleh, speaks to the BBC. Credit: Liam Weir/BBC)

Counter terrorism police in Britain are investigating a major incident near a Royal Air Force base that's used by the United States as a forward operating location - including to launch strikes on Iran. Five men have been arrested on explosives and terror charges. We ask why the base might be a target. Also on the programme: who's really in charge in Uganda after the head of the armed forces tells a minister he can't leave the country? and is panda diplomacy effective at selling China's image abroad? (Photo: B‑1B Lancer bomber parked at the RAF Fairford airbase which hosts United States Air Force personnel. Credit: Reuters/Toby Shepheard)

In Northern Ireland, Roman Catholic protesters have blocked a road in the town of Portadown along which members of the pro-British Orange Order were planning to march. It's the first time they've been granted permission to go ahead with the march along the Garvaghy Road for nearly 30 years. But Roman Catholic residents oppose it and have refused police orders to disperse. The road was a major flashpoint of the conflict between largely Catholic, pro-Irish republicans and Protestant, pro-UK unionists in the late 1990s. Also in the programme: British police declare a major incident near an air base used by the US air force; and how trees shaped Russian history and people. (Photo: A member of the Portadown District Loyal Orange Lodge No 1 outside Drumcree Church ahead of the planned march. Picture date: Sunday September 27, 2026. Credit: Peter Morrison/PA Wire)

Police in South Africa say that they have discovered another body in a Johannesburg suburb, bringing the number of women found dead there in recent months to ten. The deaths have increased pressure on the national government less than a year after ministers declared gender-based violence a national disaster.Also in the programme: President Trump reject's Iran's offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; and has the Pope with a grandfather born in France mastered the French accent?(Photo: Residents of Cape Town in an awareness walk denouncing gender-based violence. Credit: Reuters)

The US artificial intelligence giant OpenAI says it has alerted governments, universities and other global institutions that their websites may have been accessed improperly by rogue autonomous models. We hear from the head of a group called METR, which checks AI for threats. Also in the programme: How are Manchester City fans reacting to the news that their football club has been found guilty of more than 100 financial misdemeanours? Plus- from schoolboy band to rock super-stardom: the band U2 at 50. (Photo: An OpenAI logo. Credit: Reuters/Carlos Barria)

As fighting escalates between federal government forces and an alliance of armed groups including the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front, we ask what's behind it and hear from a former TPLF spokesperson.Also in the programme: as the Pope warns we are in danger of “losing our humanity” to AI machines, how can we make AI safe? Could President Xi's wife Peng Liyuan be China's "soft power super-weapon"? And Manchester City football club is found guilty of breaking financial rules.(IMAGE: TPLF forces sit along a street in Mekelle, capital of Tigray Region, Ethiopia, September 24, 2026 / CREDIT: Obtained by REUTERS)

US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping have exchanged warm words at a lavish White House state dinner but gave little indication of progress on pressing issues. Xi stressed that they should ensure artificial intelligence remains "under human control", while Trump toasted a future of "harmony, peace and success" for both nations.Also in the programme: As the Tigrayans go on the offensive in Ethiopia, where is that conflict headed? And a new test for brain tumours that can slash diagnosis time to just two hours.(Photo: Presidents Xi and Trump in Washington DC. Credit: Reuters)

Xi Jinping -- on a visit to Washington -- has called for China and the United States to cooperate despite their differences, and to ensure AI remains under human control. Newshour hears from Republican Congressman Michael Baumgartner.Also in the programme: the FBI investigates a major cyber hack; and a new study on the origin of bats.(Picture: US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk back to the White House in Washington, D.C., US, September 24, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

A OpenAI agent has hacked an Australian government website, its prime minister Anthony Albanese said.The agent hacked a statistics portal containing private data from Australia's universal healthcare scheme, Medicare. We'll be looking at why OpenAI took so long to notice. The Australian government has launched an urgent review into the situationAlso in the programme: A US judge has overturned a White house ban on several media organisation by the Trump administration; today sees the launch of a new version of Meta's controversial glasses - this time, they're audio-only; and a veteran of Poland's jazz scene on emerging from behind the "Iron Curtain".(Photo shows the OpenAI logo at the Dreamforce 2026 technology summit in San Francisco, California, US on 17 September 2026. Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Could there be a return to full-scale civil war in the Horn of Africa, where fresh fighting has broken out in Ethiopia?Also in the programme: President Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza announces a $2.45bn recovery plan for the territory. We speak to one of the board's members and get the view of a Palestinian; and French archaeologists find new evidence of the origins of the city of Paris.(Picture: Rickshaw taxis and motorists drive along the street near the Tigray Martyrs monument in Mekelle, Tigray Region, Ethiopia, September 23, 2026. Credit: REUTERS/Stringer)

The White House is rolling out the red carpet for a rare state visit by the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping. The two leaders are expected to discuss a number of issues, including the development of artificial intelligence.Also in the programme: President Trump has signed a new defence agreement with Denmark and Greenland after months of crisis; the rare first edition that turned up at a charity shop in London; and we'll hear from the tennis champion Andre Agassi on getting to the top, despite hating the sport. [Photo shows US president Donald Trump at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on 22 September 2026. Credit: Kylie Cooper/Reuters]

Donald Trump says his officials have had a long meeting with senior Iranians on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, while in his speech the US president threatened Iran with "annihilation".Also in the programme: Mahmoud Khalil, the Syrian-Palestinian graduate student detained by ICE agents at Columbia University for leading pro-Palestinian protests on campus, speaks to Newshour; and a 6-year-old Chinese girl has broken the women's world record for solving a Rubik's cube - does the skill come from innate genius or practice?(Photo: US President Donald Trump addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, 22 September 2026. Credit: Reuters/Mike Segar)

A report from the UN's Independent International Scientific Panel AI on says the developments are now outpacing safety - and that it's vital that we slow down.Also on the programme: What do the Saudis want from their allies in their fight against the Houthis? A major report on the crimes of the Nicaraguan regime - and did the Dutch invent golf?(Photo shows a logo of Ai at a conference in Taipei, Taiwan on 2 September 2026. Credit: Ritchie B Tongo/EPA)

American television networks have stopped providing joint coverage of Donald Trump's official events, after the president banned some news organisations from the White House. Also in the programme: the Yemeni refugees seeking refuge in Djibouti; and Star Wars creator George Lucas is about to open a new art gallery to house his huge art collection.(Photo: Poster of solidarity with the US networks barred from the White House outside AP's White House booth. Credit: Reuters)

Fighting on Yemen's west coast has prompted thousands of people to flee by boat across the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Djibouti over the last ten days.The crossings were sparked by an offensive by the Iran-backed Houthi movement to take control of a key island and seize the strategically important port of Mokha. We have a report from a refugee camp in a small port town where officials are preparing for the arrival of up to 10,000 refugees.Also in the programme: Germany's chancellor admits the latest elections were a disaster for his party; artificial intelligence expected to be a core part of talks at Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States later this week: and a raft of potential medical breakthroughs for Alzheimer's disease.(Photo shows Yemeni people fleeing clashes in their country gather to receive supplies from the International Organization for Migration at the Markazi refugee camp after arriving in Djibouti on 18 September 2026. Abdourahim Arteh/Reuters)

In the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the party was initially projected to only just scrape through, with its worst ever election result. A few hours later, however, it had dipped below the 5% threshold needed to stay in parliament. Meanwhile, the far-right AfD was on track to win the most votes in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, but it is unlikely to govern as other parties refuse to work with it.Also on the programme: Ukraine fires a new weapon for the first time, in a major assault on Moscow; and President Trump's plans for a triumphal arch filled with munitions. (Photo: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gives a statement at the CDU headquarters in Berlin Credit: Reuters/Christian Mang)

Germans vote in two state elections that could see further gains for the far-right AfD party and weaken Chancellor Friedrich Merz's hold on power.Also in the programme: we hear from Scotland, which has Europe's highest rate of drug-related deaths, about the growing dangers from synthetic drugs; and the singer Ed Sheeran apologises to fans at his first concert since the rapper, Macklemore, was dropped from his US tour over pro-Palestinian comments: we hear from someone who was at the show.(IMAGE: A woman votes at a polling station in a traditional pub, Xantener Eck, during the state election in Berlin, Germany, September 20, 2026 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch)

NATO has welcomed a deal between the US and Denmark over the semi-autonomous territory of Greenland. Leaders of both Denmark and Greenland have said that the unpublished deal recognises their sovereignty and territorial integrity, while President Trump has said the agreement gives Washington "permanent control over security and all other needs" in Greenland. We hear from an MP in Greenland.Also in the programme: after advancing in Yemen, the Iran-backed Houthis have carried out attacks on infrastructure in Saudi Arabia; and pop star Ed Sheeran's first concert in Philadelphia kicks off after a row over Gaza and free speech. (Photo: the American Consulate in Nuuk, Greenland. Credit: PA)

US President Donald Trump says the US, Denmark, and Greenland have made a deal that will give America permanent control over security and other needs in Greenland. We'll have reaction from Denmark and a Nato perspective.Also on the programme: demonstrations are taking place in South Africa to honour nine women recently found murdered in eastern Johannesburg; and the rotating wax cylinders that were used to record sound before vinyl.(Photo: People attend a protest against President Trump's demand that the Arctic island be ceded to the US in front of the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland on January 17, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that the threat of hybrid attacks by Russia against Europe and France has intensified. At a news conference at the Elysee Palace, Macron said he had ordered a plan to protect critical infrastructure and defence industry sites in the face of this threat. Also in the programme: Nigeria's president promises a full investigation into the deaths in detention of dozens of suspected illegal miners; and in the UK, after King Charles disputes a startling claim from Princess Diana's brother about how the King reacted to news of her death...Earl Spencer insists he's telling the truth. (Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron. Credit: Getty)

Is the South African government doing enough to address the scourge of femicide? We ask the country's minister for women.Also in the programme: Russia's parliamentary election begins. The result's not in doubt - so what can we learn? A deadly mosque attack hits Friday prayers in Pakistan; and how autonomous drones are being upgraded - with whiskers.(IMAGE: Participants carry placards during a memorial run held in honour of Elizabeth Tsontso Moselakgomo, one of several women killed in a series of murders near Johannesburg, in Pretoria, South Africa, September 17, 2026 / CREDIT: Reuters / Alet Pretorius)

Fear and rage over femicide in South Africa after the body of a ninth woman was found in Ekurhuleni in east Johannesburg since July. Also in the programme: A prized artwork, drawn by Aztecs, goes back home to Mexico. It's a rare critique of the Spanish conquerors, and King Charles and his former brother-in-law go head-to-head over what's alleged to have been said about the death of Princess Diana.(Photograph: Police officers at the site of the ninth woman murdered in Ekurhuleni, east Johannesburg. Credit: Shutterstock)

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney has told the European Parliament he welcomes ambitions for associate EU membership, in a speech containing thinly veiled criticism of Donald Trump's America. He proposed deep cooperation in areas including trade, defence and technology, adding that Canada could help meet Europe's energy needs. We speak to Canada's Federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly. Also in the programme: The head of Microsoft's artificial intelligence division has told the BBC that everyone working in the field should make a public commitment to only developing systems that humans can control; and a river in Australia that's home to crocodiles has been approved as the rowing and canoeing venue for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. (Picture: Mark Carney speaks to the members of the Parliament at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Credit: Ronald Wittek/EPA/Shuttershock)

The European Commission president has announced proposals for Canada to become an associate EU member as the country's rift with the United States deepens.Also on the programme: The US federal reserve's just put up interest rates for the first time in three years; are the warnings about AI posing an existential threat a deliberate distraction?And we'll confront the really big issues with the owner of the pizzeria just voted the best in the world.(Photo: European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President, Roberta Matsola welcome Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Credit; EPA/Shutterstock).

One of the world's biggest music stars - Ed Sheeran faces the biggest controversy of his career, as his support acts on his tour quit when fellow musician Macklemore was dropped from the line up following his speech in support of a 'Free Palestine'. The speech drew controversy when his comments led to a petition from the Israeli American Council demanding his removal from the tour. It was successful, and other musicians dropped out in solidarity.Also on the programme: Ursula von der Leyen has backed a proposal for Canada to become the European Union's first associate member, as the country's rift with the United States deepens and the Natural History Museum opens a gallery sealed off to the public for more than 80 years.(Photo: Ed Sheeran gig Credit: Jon Wright, BBC)(Photo: Credit:)

As Lithuania investigates a drone incursion, the country's defence minister tells us Nato is effectively at war with Russia.Also in the programme: President Trump lashes out at the judges he appointed to the US Supreme Court; the renewed civil war in Yemen causes huge numbers to flee, including over the sea to north Africa; and how an actor from Wales conquered US TV.(IMAGE: An Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet of the kind that shot down a drone that crossed the border from Belarus into Lithuania, at the Siauliai air base in Siauliai, Lithuania on September 15, 2026 / CREDIT: Reuters)

China has urged the United States to "stop preparing for war" in space. Beijing's reaction came hours after the US confirmed it had deployed a space weapon in Earth's orbit which is the first such public acknowledgement from Washington. Also in the programme: President Trump's son confirms part of his wedding in May was paid for by a Russian oligarch with close ties to President Putin; and why the British musician Johnny Marr is selling most of his guitars.(Photo: The US Space Command Joint Operations Centre at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado taken, 27 January, 2023. Credit: US Space Command/Reuters)

As Donald Trump hits out again at tech leaders calling for caution over the pace of AI development, we hear from Jack Clark, a co-founder of Anthropic, calling for just that.Also in the programme: should Nato be trying to shoot down Russian drones inside Ukraine? Africa's biggest ever share sale launches in Nigeria, as billionaire owner Aliko Dangote invites ordinary people to invest in his huge oil refinery; and we hear about medicine's great advances against breast cancer, from an oncologist with fifty years' experience in the field.(Image: Anthropic logo is seen in this illustration taken June 11, 2026. Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Former UK PM Boris Johnson and former US General David Petraeus were onboard an earlier train on the same route. Ukraine's state railway company believes the target of this drone could have been a diplomatic train.Also on the programme: billionaire art collector Leon Black denies allegations that he operated as a fixer for Jeffry Epstein. Nobel prize winning economist Daron Acemoglu explores why the working classes have fallen out of love with ideas of liberal democracy. And has a Hollywood actress sexualised female athletes in her latest advert? (Photo: Firemen attend to the aftermath of a Russian Attack Credit: Reuters)

US President Donald Trump has said ‘negative forces' are ‘bringing up things that won't happen' in the context of AI risks. It follows a former Anthropic researcher saying ‘there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future' due to the current speed of development. We hear from US congresswoman Lori Trahan about her push for AI regulation.Also in the programme: Exit polls suggest a neck-and-neck race in Sweden's election; and a look at how Celine Dion's first full concert in six years went, following years of the singer battling a neurological disorder.(Photo: US President Donald Trump. Credit: Liam McBurney/PA

An artificial intelligence researcher who recently quit a leading AI firm has told the BBC that people working on the technology were "genuinely frightened" about its advancements and what it could mean for humanity.We'll look at whether there are increasingly urgent problems ahead for the roll-out of the technology.Also in the programme: EU leaders gather to discuss policy towards the Arctic; the Democratic Republic of Congo's government says it might have turned a corner with its Ebola epidemic; and we cover Celine Dion's comeback concert In Paris after a debilitating illness.(Photo shows a screen showing the Anthropic logo. Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

The CEO of Anthropic says AI projects should look at slowing down amid internet security concerns. Open AI's Sam Altman, as well as Elon Musk, have agreed that companies like theirs need to pace themselves. We hear analysis from a technology professor.Also in the programme: US President Donald Trump's support for a united Ireland prompts a mixed political reaction; and following years of battling a neurological disorder, singer Celine Dion takes to the stage once again.(Photo: Dario Amodei. Credits: Denis Balibouse/Reuters)

US president Donald Trump has said a united Ireland would be a 'great thing' on two-day visit to Dublin and the west of Ireland - a comment likely to inflame tensions over the status of Northern Ireland.The British government responded by saying there was no majority support for a referendum on unification, which is what is outlined in a 1998 peace deal.Also in the programme: Saudi Arabia has shut a key oil pipeline after a drone attack launched from Iraq; we will hear from Ukrainian's oldest literary festival, as questions remain on the use of Russian language in Ukraine; and why Wembley Stadium in London will tonight be filled with music-loving Punjabis.(Photo shows US president Donald Trump in Dublin during his trip to the Republic of Ireland on 12 September 2026. Credit: James Manning/PA)