10.2 | The only thing to fear

Lindsay Mast (0:05)

Good morning. A teaching tool aimed at helping kids understand worldview, why it matters, and why Christianity holds up to questions.

Nick Eicher (0:13)

Katie McCoy is standing by, standing in for John Stone Street. She joins us for Culture Friday. Also today, a review of a documentary that evaluates the race toward artificial super intelligence and whether we are right to worry.

SPEAKER_3 (0:27)

It's a general question of how do we build a society that can deal with powerful technology.

Nick Eicher (0:33)

And WORLD Music reviewer Arsenio Orteza on the comeback of Tree63.

Lindsay Mast (0:47)

It's Friday, October 2nd. This is The World and Everything In It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I'm Lindsay Mast.

Nick Eicher (0:53)

And I'm Nick Eicher. Good morning.

Lindsay Mast (0:57)

Up next, Kent Covington with Today's News.

Kent Covington (1:01)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says authorities now have more information about a co-pilot who tried to hijack a commercial airliner on its way to Israel.

SPEAKER_5 (1:11)

We know that he underwent Islamist radical indoctrination.

Kent Covington (1:18)

He was reportedly an Omani national. Israel's initial assessment is that he likely acted alone.

Authorities arrested him in Saudi Arabia and then sent him to Abu Dhabi, where the UAE is investigating the incident. The still unnamed suspect is accused of stabbing the flight's captain and trying to crash the plane.

Passengers managed to overpower him and regain control of the aircraft.

SPEAKER_5 (1:41)

These guys are regular civilians and they did a job. I'm not sure that my team could have done any better. I'm not sure they could have done what they did. They're superheroes and they saved the day.

Kent Covington (1:52)

Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen says his department is keeping a close eye on American flights.

Mark Wayne Mullen (1:58)

We see no credible threat to the United States. However, all of DHS, including our air marshals, TSA, we're always at a heighten alert for this kind of stuff.

Kent Covington (2:10)

And in an unrelated case, police on Thursday made a sixth arrest in connection with a suspected terror plot targeting a US-run military base in England. Police arrested the 27-year-old suspect in London. He's been identified as a dual citizen of the UK and Iran.

The Pentagon is rolling out details on new projects unveiled this week during what Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called his State of the Force address. World's Harrison Waters has more now from Washington.

Harrison Waters (2:40)

Pete Hegseth said the Department of War is commissioning a task force to consider the future of war in space with a team of civilians at the wheel.

SPEAKER_8 (2:48)

Project Meridian will be co-led by three of our nation's best minds, Elon Musk, Palmer Lucky and Newt Gingrich.

Harrison Waters (2:57)

Lucky is least well known of those three names. He's a 34-year-old tech and defense industry leader. The trio has until late January to recommend new weapons and technologies for future battlefields.

Hegseth also announced a new department at the Pentagon, the Office of Religious Affairs, reporting directly to him.

SPEAKER_8 (3:16)

We're placing spiritual health at the same level as physical health. Our department is, you might say, putting on the full armor of God.

Harrison Waters (3:24)

Other new projects include scaling up drone capabilities and building a new American military base. The expansions come as Hegseth acknowledges he has authorized 20% cuts in the top ranks of generals and admirals.

While critics warn the cuts could drain experience, Hegseth says they'll make the military leaner and more accountable. Reporting for World, I'm Harrison Waters in Washington.

Kent Covington (3:48)

Four astronauts woke up on the International Space Station this morning after launching from Cape Canaveral Thursday on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

SPEAKER_3 (3:59)

3, 2, 1, ignition and liftoff.

Mark Wayne Mullen (4:06)

Go Falcon, go Dragon and go crew 13

Kent Covington (4:11)

NASA says the nearly eight hour trip was the fastest ever by an American spacecraft to the station. Commander Jessica Watkins is leading the crew on a six month mission, replacing a crew that arrived in February. NASA says their work includes growing human tissue from stem cells and testing new ways to grow crops in space.

Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan have killed at least 10 civilians, most of them children, not according to the United Nations. World's Kristen Flavin has that story.

Kristen Flavin (4:42)

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers say the bombs fell early Thursday morning, destroying homes in two provinces. Pakistan says it targeted hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatists and that early reports show 22 militants killed. On Thursday, Pakistan's army spokesman said the country will do whatever it must to protect its people. Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry accused the Taliban governor of Kandahar of hosting militant leaders in August, including Baloch separatists and al-Qaeda members, to discuss attacks against Pakistan. The Taliban dismisses the claims as propaganda.