Broadcast timeline
Channel 4 News
Sunday 4 October 2026 · 18:15 BST · 30m · 5 stories · 15 annotated moments · 26 of 30 min on news stories (86%)
Broadcast overview
An AI-generated overview based on this broadcast's transcript.
Plans to curb jury trials were scrapped, with Andy Burnham abandoning his predecessor's policy, while Justice Secretary Alex Norris said it was too soon to know how many prisoners released early since Thursday had been tagged but that the presumption would eventually be that all would be. The government dropped plans to cut jury trials in England and Wales and have many cases heard by a judge alone, though some reforms remain, including ending the right to elect for Crown Court trial and allowing fraud cases to be heard by a judge only. Critics said other measures to reduce a backlog of over 80,000 cases still risk limiting trial by jury, and magistrates said no single solution would fix a creaking system. This week 700 prisoners were released early, with more to follow; probation union NAPO warned of extreme pressure and possible dispute over pay and workloads, while Serco said it was tagging a record number and meeting contractual measures.
At the Conservative conference in Birmingham, Kemi Badenoch published a personal manifesto, said she was a classic old school Conservative and promised to turn Britain around like Thatcher. She said she had delivered on promises to transform the party and announced extending 30 hours a week free childcare to families earning over £100,000. Shadow Minister Joy Morrissey welcomed the jury-trial U-turn, said Conservatives would build more prison places and criticised early releases of domestic abuse perpetrators and stalkers. Asked about the £700 million cost and job cuts at the Arts Council and Environment Agency, she defended the policy as helping women's earnings and social mobility, and said politicians needed higher security after Badenoch spoke of death threats. The Green Party of England and Wales passed a controversial motion defining Zionism as racism, with over a thousand members voting in Brighton despite warnings from three former leaders; leader Zack Polanski did not vote and four of five MPs rejected it.
Russia continued attacks on Kiev as Germany's chancellor visited to view bomb damage, with the capital's northern bridge struck by a Russian drone for a second day. Ukraine vowed to escalate long-range strikes, and Chancellor Merz called on Putin to end the war and said attacks on civilians must stop. In Yemen, the Saudi-backed government announced a major military operation against the Iran-backed Houthis, who advanced on Taiz after gaining control of strategic shipping lanes at the Red Sea entrance and said they fired missiles and drones at Saudi oil infrastructure; Saudi-led strikes hit Houthi targets near Sana'a. A commentator said political resolution efforts were over and Yemen was back in civil war. Ethiopian government forces and allies retook Mekelle after the TPLF withdrew, with civilians looting government offices. Cornell University's president called an allegation by a female student in 2024 deeply disturbing as the case came under New York state criminal investigation. Brazilians voted in a neck-and-neck election between incumbent Lula and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, with Trump's endorsement and US tariffs part of the contest; polls had Lula narrowly ahead, with a runoff possible.
- 0:33
- 0:45
Charged quote Alex Norris scraps judge-only trials as court backlog set to keep rising
PM at the time, David Lammy, said the challenge to the court system could not be starker. Well, fast forward a year and the new justice secretary has chucked that unpopular plan out the door, even though the backlog still stands at over 80,000. At the other end of the justice system, the early release scheme is four days in.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 0:45-0:52
- 1:53
Claim Alex Norris scraps judge-only trials as court backlog set to keep rising
The government scrapped plans to allow some criminal trials in England and Wales to be heard without a jury.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 1:53-2:02
- 2:02
Charged quote Alex Norris scraps judge-only trials as court backlog set to keep rising
to slash the number of jury trials in England and Wales and have many cases heard by a judge alone. But critics say the government's plans to reduce the massive backlog of cases still risk limiting the right to trial by jury. Frances Reed reports. Andy Burnham scrapping his predecessor's plans today,
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 2:02-2:09
- 4:51
Charged quote Alex Norris scraps judge-only trials as court backlog set to keep rising
that a single solution will fix the system across the board. Channel 4 News spoke to a serving magistrate today. Everyone in the justice system is just so aware that the whole system is creaking at the seams, asking one part or another to take up the slack where money hasn't been spent. And a huge amount of what we do
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 4:51-4:54
- 10:10
- 12:46
Claim Kemi Badenoch plans to scrap £100,000 free childcare cap as Tory conference opens
Kemi Badenoch said she would scrap the cap on free childcare so families with someone earning over £100,000 a year can get it.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 12:46-12:53
- 12:54
Contested quote Kemi Badenoch plans to scrap £100,000 free childcare cap as Tory conference opens
will reward people for working harder. The policy to underline her point, extending access to 30 hours a week free childcare to families that earn more than £100,000 a year. This, say Tory Insiders, is once again the party of aspiration. The mood's really positive. As you can see, really, really busy conference, really exciting.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 12:54-12:59
- 17:11
Claim Kemi Badenoch plans to scrap £100,000 free childcare cap as Tory conference opens
Kemi Badenoch said she would scrap the cap on free childcare so families with someone earning over £100,000 a year can get it.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 17:11-17:17
- 17:11
Claim Kemi Badenoch plans to scrap £100,000 free childcare cap as Tory conference opens
The childcare policy was estimated to cost £700m and was criticised for spending money that could instead help poorer families access childcare.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 17:11-17:17
- 20:38
- 20:38
Claim Yemen government counter-offensive kills around 270 in Taiz
Yemeni government forces said they attacked Houthi positions across Yemen.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 20:38-20:46
- 20:56
Claim Yemen government counter-offensive kills around 270 in Taiz
The Houthis claimed they struck an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, a claim denied by Saudi or Saudi-led coalition officials.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 20:56-21:04
- 23:06
Claim Yemen government counter-offensive kills around 270 in Taiz
Iranian-backed Houthi fighters advanced on Taiz after capturing Mokha and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, with government forces attempting to halt the offensive.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 23:06-23:10
- 24:35
- 26:56
Contested quote Brazilians vote in first round of presidential election
Brazil will have to choose between them again in three weeks' time. And underneath the party atmosphere hangs the spectre of the failed coup of three years ago. Let's take a look at the sport now, and in Formula 1, Max Verstappen has won a chaotic Bahrain Grand Prix, while Kimi Antonelli has extended his lead
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 26:56-27:02
- 27:02
- 27:18
Claim Max Verstappen wins chaotic rain-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
The Bahrain Grand Prix was held in Malaysia because of ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 27:18-27:24
- 27:18
Claim Max Verstappen wins chaotic rain-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
The Bahrain Grand Prix was held in Malaysia because of ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 27:18-27:24
- 27:36
Claim Max Verstappen wins chaotic rain-delayed Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia
The race was delayed by heavy rain, with technical problems causing a further 90-minute delay.
Channel 4, Channel 4 News, 4 October 2026, 27:36-27:41
Source: Channel 4, "Channel 4 News", Sunday 4 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.