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Tenth woman's body found in South Africa suburb as police probe killings Sep 26, 2026

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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)

AI bots meddle with US government agencies Sep 26, 2026

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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)

Ethiopia returns to the brink of civil war Sep 25, 2026

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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)

Where do Presidents Trump and Xi stand on AI? Sep 25, 2026

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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 calls for China and US to cooperate despite differences Sep 24, 2026

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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)

OpenAI agent hacks Australian government site Sep 24, 2026

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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 situation

Also 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)

Fears of a return to civil war in Northern Ethiopia Sep 23, 2026

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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)

Trump prepares to host Xi in Washington Sep 23, 2026

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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]

Trump's 'big decision' on Iran Sep 22, 2026

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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)

Expert panel calls for global action to control AI Sep 22, 2026

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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)

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