Newshour

Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has announced a snap election in November - saying he needs the support of the people to push through reforms. Also on the programme, Brazil's presidential election is going to a run-off in three weeks, with the challenger Flavio Bolsonaro leading President Lula; and the humble Australian phone box that's been granted heritage status.
(Photo: Spain's Prime Minister calls early elections for November 29, Madrid - 05 Oct 2026. Office of the Prime Minister of Spain/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock)

As voting ends in the first round of Brazil’s presidential election, we hear from supporters of the two main candidates, Flavio Bolsonaro and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Also in the programme: a resident of the Tigrayan regional capital, Mekelle, in northern Ethiopia describes the city now that pro-government forces have taken control; after the FlyDubai near-disaster, will pilots now face further vetting? And we hear from the Facebook whistleblower who inspired a film.
(IMAGE: People wait in line outside of a polling station to cast their votes during Brazil's general election, in Salvador, Brazil, October 4, 2026 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Antonello Veneri)

A woman who froze pieces of Ovarian tissue at the age of 19, after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, gave birth to a baby boy 25 years later. We speak with Kassandra Bacon, whose tissue was frozen for 23 years ago.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is in Ukraine today on a surprise visit. And we hear from Frances Haugen, who exposed how Facebook’s algorithms fostered hate and triggered depression and suicidal feelings among teenagers by leaking internal documents to the Wall Street Journal in 2021. Her testimony is the basis of an new movie by Aaron Sorkin called, The Social Reckoning.
(Photo: A doctor holds a stethoscope, August 15, 2014. CREDIT: Lynne Cameron/PA Wire)

The pilot of the FlyDubai plane has told Isareli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu how he was repeatedly hit on the back of the head by his co-pilot on Wednesday. We also hear a former pilot explain how disaster was averted after the plane went into a nosedive.
Also in the programme: TPLF rebel forces move out of Tigray's regional capital, Mekelle, as Ethiopian government troops move in. We ask what it means and how strong the TPLF is now; and a special report on how some traumatised children in Gaza are finding solace in swimming.

Demonstrations are taking place in Spain over the national housing crisis, after parliament rejected the government's proposals to protect tenants. Also on the programme, one scientific researcher has reportedly died of pneumonic plague in Siberia and hundreds are now being monitored there; and in Gaza, the story of one group that's offering a special experience to children that have been traumatised by war.
(Photo: Protesters hold placards as they demand political action to stop evictions and alleviate the housing crisis, in Madrid, Spain, October 3, 2026. REUTERS/Alejandro Martinez Velez)