Broadcast timeline
BBC News
Sunday 18 October 2026 · 05:00 BST · 30m · 7 stories · 15 annotated moments · 24 of 30 min on news stories (80%)
Broadcast overview
An AI-generated overview based on this broadcast's transcript.
France saw a day of violent nationwide protests, with more than half a million people taking to the streets and at least 1,200 arrested. President Emmanuel Macron vowed to punish those responsible, while officials reported running battles, arson, looting and attacks on public buildings in Paris, Lyon and Marseille, and scores of police officers injured. The CGT union condemned the violence but said anger over the cost of living and low wages remained strong, and it criticised the government's budget choices.
In Albania, riot police and protesters clashed in Tirana for a fifth consecutive day of student-led demonstrations over poor education facilities, the cost of living and alleged corruption; 35 people were hurt and more than 160 arrested. In the US, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended President Trump's decision to waive sanctions on Russia, saying a 60-day period was needed to assess sanctions, tariffs and global energy pressures. In the occupied West Bank, a delegation of European diplomats observing the olive harvest was targeted by masked Israeli settlers; France demanded a crackdown and Belgium condemned the assault, while the US ambassador called a separate attack on a Washington Post photographer a despicable act of terror. Pope Leo was due to give the traditional blessing in St Peter's Square a day after being discharged following surgery to remove part of a lung including a cancerous growth.
The organisers of the anti-Trump No Kings protest movement said Meta suspended their primary Instagram account as demonstrations were held across the US; Meta apologised and said access was disabled in error. BBC-analyzed satellite images showed increased activity by a large luxury vessel believed to be used by North Korea's Kim Jong-un near Wonsan. Turkish pop group Manifest, facing a turbulent year after being prosecuted over their outfits and dance moves at an Istanbul concert, were preparing for their first UK concert at Wembley Arena.
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.
- 4:14
Agathe Laburda, deputy general secretary of the CGT union
- 9:55
Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State
- 13:31
Stephen Zunes, professor of politics and director of Middle East studies at the University of San Francisco
- 0:58
- 2:15
Charged quote Macron calls for calm amid nationwide French protests
about the cost of living. Here's Simon Jones. A symbol of how protests descended into destruction. Part of the 19th century city hall in Le Monge collapses after the building was targeted by what officials described as masked hooligans. On the streets of Paris, fires burned into the night. Nationwide protests against the
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 2:15-2:23
- 2:51
Charged quote Macron calls for calm amid nationwide French protests
authorities, leading to shops being looted and businesses targeted. The French government promised that anyone who carried out the vandalism would be prosecuted and punished. These rioters then were extremely violent. Most were hooded and armed with mortar shells. They attacked law enforcement and, for the most part, caused extensive damage to public
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 2:51-2:56
- 9:11
Claim Tirana protests enter sixth day as PM Rama vows tougher police response
Protests in Tirana continued for a third day.
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 9:11-9:27
- 9:16
- 9:55
- 10:00
Claim Trump stands by blocking Russia sanctions as Zelensky urges pressure
Trump paused or blocked new sanctions on Russia, citing national interest; the measures targeted energy and defence sectors, Putin and other senior officials and were due to take effect after being signed into law to pressure Moscow over the Ukraine war.
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 10:00-10:11
- 10:16
Claim Trump stands by blocking Russia sanctions as Zelensky urges pressure
The Lindsey Graham sanctions act would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil and gas.
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 10:16-10:22
- 10:22
Claim Trump stands by blocking Russia sanctions as Zelensky urges pressure
Rubio said the 60-day period would allow assessment of how sanctions and tariffs affect the US and global economies.
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 10:22-10:32
- 10:32
Contested quote Trump stands by blocking Russia sanctions as Zelensky urges pressure
what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the US economy. I think when the bill was passed one of the reasons the waivers were put in there is understanding that they would need some period of time to study this given all the different things that are going on in the world right now including the pressure on global energy supplies that are
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 10:32-10:44
- 10:39
Contested quote Trump stands by blocking Russia sanctions as Zelensky urges pressure
are going on in the world right now including the pressure on global energy supplies that are happening not just because of Iran and not just because of the straits of Hormuz but increasingly because of the Houthis attacking Saudi Arabia and because of the war with Ukraine and Russia where energy infrastructure is being hit and so that's having an impact on
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 10:39-10:58
- 11:23
Contested quote Trump stands by blocking Russia sanctions as Zelensky urges pressure
was our White House reporter Bernd Debusmann. Well they're very much justifying this as something that could be economically beneficial to the United States by kind of opening the flow potentially of Russian energy into the United States at a time when many Americans are concerned about energy prices but also allied countries but of course this doesn't directly
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 11:23-11:44
- 12:34
- 12:34
Claim European diplomats attacked by Israeli settlers as West Bank violence surges
France, Belgium and Poland condemned an attack on European diplomats.
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 12:34-12:51
- 12:44
Claim European diplomats attacked by Israeli settlers as West Bank violence surges
Belgium's consul general was among a group confronted by masked settlers.
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 12:44-12:57
- 13:02
Claim European diplomats attacked by Israeli settlers as West Bank violence surges
Around 80 masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers and set fire to olive trees near Abu Fala, north of Ramallah, injuring at least two people including a Washington Post photographer.
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 13:02-13:20
- 13:25
Claim European diplomats attacked by Israeli settlers as West Bank violence surges
Around 80 masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers and set fire to olive trees near Abu Fala, north of Ramallah, injuring at least two people including a Washington Post photographer.
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 13:25-13:36
- 17:04
- 17:25
Charged quote Pope Leo thanks well-wishers after discharge from lung cancer surgery
where the Pope will lead prayers. A day after leaving hospital where he had a cancerous growth removed from his lung he underwent the procedure on Tuesday. Sarah Rainsford reports now from the Vatican. These were tears of relief as well as support from a crowd that gathered to see Pope Leo leave hospital just four days after he was admitted here for surgery. He walked unaided
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 17:25-17:34
- 18:02
Charged quote Pope Leo thanks well-wishers after discharge from lung cancer surgery
then confirmed was cancerous. Here to see him a teenager who is also being treated for cancer. There is no word yet on tests to see if the Pope's cancer might have spread. All week there have been prayers from Catholics shaken by this news. It's just one and a half years since Leo was elected the first American Pope. On Friday the Vatican released these images from mass inside
BBC News, 18 October 2026, 18:02-18:08
- 20:01
- 24:00 Story begins The Traitors: inside the music and the 'bram' sound
- 26:04 ~4 min without annotations
Source: BBC NEWS, "BBC News", Sunday 18 October 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.