Broadcast timeline
Channel 4 News
Sunday 20 September 2026 · 18:15 BST · 30m · 6 stories · 15 annotated moments · 26 of 30 min on news stories (87%)
Broadcast overview
An AI-generated overview based on this broadcast's transcript.
Ukraine launched more than a thousand drones at Russia on the final day of its parliamentary elections, with officials saying a key Russian oil refinery near Moscow was put out of action and Moscow's mayor calling it the biggest drone attack yet on the city and surrounding region. Three people were reported killed and residential buildings near the refinery were hit, while Russia said over a thousand drones were shot down overnight. Russia continued attacks on Ukraine, killing eight people and injuring dozens, and Kyiv later came under further drone attack. Polls closed in Russia's parliamentary election, where the anti-war Yabloko party was banned and only pro-war parties were on the ballot; Yabloko leader Nikolai Rybakov spoiled his ballot with calls for a ceasefire and peace, and his colleague Maxim Kruglov had been sentenced to seven years in a penal colony.
In German state elections, exit polls showed heavy losses for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU. The far-right AfD was projected to win the most votes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with 37 percent, while the CDU was on 5.5 percent, its worst state election result since 1949. In the Berlin region, the far-left Die Linke was projected to be the largest party with 24.5 percent, ahead of the CDU on 20 percent and the AfD on 16 percent. Merz described the results as a disaster but vowed to stay on as chancellor and cancelled a trip to the UN General Assembly. Iran warned the US of painful retaliation if it renewed hostilities, saying intelligence reports suggested Washington was planning more aggressive actions and that US allies in the region would be considered complicit; Donald Trump cut short a trip to Camp David and the State Department urged Americans to reconsider travel to the region. The head of the Electoral Commission said he was considering cutting limits on political party spending during elections, which could make it harder for Reform UK to spend the £72 million it was given by two crypto-billionaires.
The Liberal Democrat Conference in Brighton heard a council leader warn the party was sleepwalking into irrelevance. The Lib Dems recorded their best ever general election result but their support had stagnated, leaving them trailing as low as fifth in the polls. Ed Davey led a litter pick and announced a three-month cut in fuel duty of 12p a litre, while Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper backed him and pointed to local election gains and ground campaigning. Ed Sheeran apologised on stage in Philadelphia at his first show since the Macklemore-Palestine controversy, saying he had made mistakes, that October 7 was horrific, and that what was happening in Gaza was catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate. He said he was presented with an ultimatum by promoter and pro-Israel billionaire stadium owner Robert Kraft to drop Macklemore or lose tour dates; protests took place outside, Robert Kraft said he was preventing hate speech, and Sheeran's backing band left in solidarity with Macklemore. A musical adaptation of Thelma and Louise opened at the Young Vic, with creator Callie Khouri and stars Amy Lennox and Rachel Tucker discussing its themes of domestic violence, murder, female rebellion and control over women's bodies.
- 1:34 Story begins Drone strikes on Moscow kill two and close airports
- 1:34
Claim Drone strikes on Moscow kill two and close airports
The drone attack on Moscow was described as the largest ever, with over 1,000 drones launched and hundreds downed.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 1:34-1:47
- 1:34
Claim Drone strikes on Moscow kill two and close airports
The attacks hit a key Russian oil facility and a logistics site.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 1:34-1:47
- 1:34
Claim Drone strikes on Moscow kill two and close airports
The attacks hit a key Russian oil facility and a logistics site.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 1:34-1:47
- 2:25
Claim Drone strikes on Moscow kill two and close airports
The drone attack on Moscow was described as the largest ever, with over 1,000 drones launched and hundreds downed.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 2:25-2:40
- 2:32
Claim Drone strikes on Moscow kill two and close airports
The attacks hit a key Russian oil facility and a logistics site.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 2:32-2:40
- 5:18
- 5:27
Claim German state elections held in two states as Merz faces pressure
Merz said he would carry on and planned to meet senior party figures.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 5:27-5:35
- 5:35
Claim German state elections held in two states as Merz faces pressure
Exit polls and projections reported heavy CDU losses in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with the AfD strong in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Die Linke projected first in Berlin.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 5:35-5:46
- 5:35
Claim German state elections held in two states as Merz faces pressure
Exit polls and projections reported heavy CDU losses in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with the AfD strong in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Die Linke projected first in Berlin.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 5:35-5:46
- 5:46
Claim German state elections held in two states as Merz faces pressure
Exit polls and projections reported heavy CDU losses in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with the AfD strong in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Die Linke projected first in Berlin.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 5:46-5:50
- 5:50
Claim German state elections held in two states as Merz faces pressure
Exit polls and projections reported heavy CDU losses in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with the AfD strong in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Die Linke projected first in Berlin.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 5:50-6:02
- 5:50
Claim German state elections held in two states as Merz faces pressure
The CDU is at risk of losing power in Berlin.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 5:50-6:02
- 11:23 Story begins Ed Davey sets out Lib Dem conference ambitions
- 11:23
Claim Ed Davey sets out Lib Dem conference ambitions
The Liberal Democrats opened their annual conference in Brighton.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 11:23-11:32
- 11:32
Claim Ed Davey sets out Lib Dem conference ambitions
The Liberal Democrats' poll ratings have remained stagnant.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 11:32-11:41
- 16:44
Claim Ed Davey sets out Lib Dem conference ambitions
Ed Davey says he will be the most experienced leader in a likely hung parliament.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 16:44-16:49
- 19:38
- 22:14
- 22:22
Claim Rangers win at Celtic to cut Premiership lead to two points
Manchester City are top of the Premier League after five wins from five, with a three-point lead.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 20 September 2026, 22:22-22:26
- 23:29
Source: Channel 4, "Channel 4 News", Sunday 20 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.