Broadcast timeline
BBC News Now
Friday 25 September 2026 · 12:00 BST · 30m · 5 stories · 15 annotated moments · 24 of 30 min on news stories (79%)
Broadcast overview
An AI-generated overview based on this broadcast's transcript.
In Washington, President Trump welcomed China's President Xi Jinping for a state visit, with more talks over tea in the Red Room after a lavish state dinner. Trump said they had made tremendous strides and forged a truly great friendship, while Xi said the US and China should strengthen communication and that their interests were deeply intertwined. Coverage of the banquet was affected by a row over Trump's attempts to ban three media outlets from the White House, so networks relied on transcripts. A correspondent said Trump lavished praise on Xi but little was known about the substance of talks on AI, foreign policy, China's support for Russia and Iran, Taiwan and trade. An expert said there had been steady progress but no major breakthrough, with friction continuing over tariffs and technology restrictions.
At the UN General Assembly in New York, dozens of delegates walked out as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke. He called them moral cowards and defended Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, refused a US visa, said via video link that Israel was threatening the existence of his people. A correspondent said Netanyahu railed against critics, called joint US strikes on Iran a battle against barbarians, and criticised New York's mayor, while Abbas accused Israel of a genocidal war and Netanyahu called that a lie. American efforts on Hamas disarmament and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza remained stalled. In Paris, President Macron welcomed Pope Leo to the Elysée Palace, calling his four-day visit an honour that inspired hope. The Pope was due to visit UNESCO and hold a mass expected to draw about 600,000 people at Place de la Concorde, and Macron called for greater religious tolerance. The Pope warned of the ethical risks of artificial intelligence, saying human dignity must be respected. An expert said the visit reflected mutual interest, the Pope's French roots and his AI encyclical, and that he was staying at arm's length from politics ahead of a French election.
In the UK, the NHS is trialling a rapid test for brain tumours that can shorten an accurate diagnosis from eight weeks to two hours. The test analyses the tumour's genetic code so surgeons get results while they are still operating. A report followed Steve Palmer, 55, having surgery at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre, where a definitive diagnosis was reached in two hours while he was still in theatre; he was told he had a grade four tumour, meaning chemotherapy and radiotherapy could start sooner. Four neurosurgery units in London, Birmingham and Newcastle are also piloting the tests. Separately, the top football leagues of England, Germany, Italy and Spain called for sweeping reforms at FIFA. They said world football's governing body needs stronger checks and balances, clear constitutional boundaries and greater separation between regulatory and commercial functions, after Gianni Infantino abandoned an attempt to push through outside investment following a backlash. A journalist said this was part of Europe's attempt to unseat Infantino, but no rival candidate had emerged before a mid-November deadline.
On air
People and organisations this broadcast put on air during its news coverage. The channel's own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed.
- 4:09
Ja Ian Chong, US-China relations expert, associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore
“let's bring in the US-China relations expert Ja Ian Chong”
- 8:56
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister
“If there are any other moral cowards who haven't yet left this hall, please do so now.”
- 10:54
Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian President
“Our people are being subjected at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces to killing, destruction, starvation and attempts at displacement as well as a genocidal war that has created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.”
- 12:52
Pope Leo XIV, Pope
“It was indispensable for me to talk about artificial intelligence very early on in my pontificate”
- 13:43
Sébastien Maillard, former Vatican correspondent for the French newspaper La Croix, and currently a special adviser at the European think tank the Jacques Delors Institute
“Let's bring in Sébastien Maillard”
- 21:35
“Hopefully all of it removed and would be great”
- 23:12
Stuart Smith, Neurosurgeon
“It's almost magical that you can do things that quickly.”
- 24:55
Tim Vickery, football journalist and South American football expert
“This whole thing was about Europe's attempt to get rid of Gianni Infantino,”
- 1:03 Story begins Xi Jinping to meet Trump at White House
- 8:11
- 11:31 Story begins Pope Leo begins four-day visit to France
- 11:31
Claim Pope Leo begins four-day visit to France
President Macron described the Pope's four-day visit to France as an honour that inspired hope.
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 11:31-11:47
- 11:59
Claim Pope Leo begins four-day visit to France
Around 600,000 people were reported as registered or expected to attend an outdoor mass in central Paris.
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 11:59-12:10
- 12:30
Claim Pope Leo begins four-day visit to France
Pope Leo delivered a speech at the Elysee Palace warning about the ethical risks of artificial intelligence, including the potential loss of humanity and a machine-dominated future.
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 12:30-12:42
- 14:45
Charged quote Pope Leo begins four-day visit to France
right after the encyclical on AI also raises interest in France's way beyond Catholic believers about his ethical role in the way we can govern AI in a proper way. After the fact that he sort of embodies as an American pope an alternative to Trump's America I think raises lots of interest again throughout France. So I think it's a landmark visit
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 14:45-14:51
- 15:06
Contested quote Pope Leo begins four-day visit to France
that is starting really well in the fact that he's coming to a country that clings to its laicite, to the separation between the church and the state. But between Macron and the Pope there seems to be a very high level deep quality conversation on matters for both sides. Sébastien, you talk about the secularism there. I mean there is a growing secularisation
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 15:06-15:20
- 18:48
Charged quote Pope Leo begins four-day visit to France
the fact that he doesn't want Catholicism to be instrumentalized in a political fashion as J.D. Vance did. It's important also in France where the far right tends to identify itself to Catholicism and he tries to put them back where they belong and saying that Catholicism doesn't belong to any political party and the fact that he doesn't want
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 18:48-19:00
- 21:05
- 21:05
Claim NHS trial cuts brain tumour diagnosis to two hours during surgery
An NHS rapid test can shorten accurate brain tumour diagnosis from eight weeks to two hours.
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 21:05-21:15
- 21:05
Claim NHS trial cuts brain tumour diagnosis to two hours during surgery
An NHS rapid test can shorten accurate brain tumour diagnosis from eight weeks to two hours.
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 21:05-21:15
- 21:15
Claim NHS trial cuts brain tumour diagnosis to two hours during surgery
The rapid test analyses a brain tumour's genetic code to provide surgeons with results during surgery.
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 21:15-21:28
- 21:15
Claim NHS trial cuts brain tumour diagnosis to two hours during surgery
The rapid test analyses a brain tumour's genetic code to provide surgeons with results during surgery.
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 21:15-21:28
- 21:57
Claim NHS trial cuts brain tumour diagnosis to two hours during surgery
More than 12,000 people a year in the UK are diagnosed with a brain tumour, of which there are around 150 different types.
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 21:57-22:16
- 23:12
Charged quote NHS trial cuts brain tumour diagnosis to two hours during surgery
of Nottingham in partnership with hospital clinicians. The results are fed back to the operating theatre. A definitive diagnosis has taken just two hours while Steve is still in theatre. It's almost magical that you can do things that quickly. I think this adds a whole new level of information that will guide the surgeon, allow us to make more accurate decisions
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 23:12-23:17
- 24:00
Claim NHS trial cuts brain tumour diagnosis to two hours during surgery
Four neurosurgery units in London, Birmingham and Newcastle are piloting the rapid genomic tests.
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 24:00-24:13
- 24:00
Claim NHS trial cuts brain tumour diagnosis to two hours during surgery
Four neurosurgery units in London, Birmingham and Newcastle are piloting the rapid genomic tests.
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 24:00-24:13
- 24:13
- 24:13
Claim Four European leagues urge sweeping FIFA governance reforms
The top football leagues of England, Germany, Italy and Spain called for FIFA governance reforms, including stronger checks and balances and a clearer separation of FIFA's regulatory and commercial roles, and for increased pressure on Gianni Infantino.
BBC News, BBC News Now, 25 September 2026, 24:13-24:23
- 25:58 ~4 min without annotations
Source: BBC NEWS, "BBC News Now", Friday 25 September 2026. Transcript excerpts and stills are shown only to support the analysis annotated alongside them. Search-result excerpts are distinct from the editorial annotations — see our copyright basis. The full broadcast is not reproduced.