Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the country's president, Isaac Herzog, for a pardon over corruption cases he has been battling. We speak to an opposition member of the Israeli Knesset who opposes a potential pardon for Mr Netanyahu.
Also on the programme: local media in Hong Kong report that police have arrested a university student who was part of a group petitioning for an independent inquiry into the huge, deadly fire at a housing complex; and the musical featuring Britain’s most beloved bear, Paddington.
(Photo: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, October 22, 2025. Credit: Reuters)
At the recent Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, summit - which was attended by the U.S. Secretary of Health and the Vice President - the agenda showed a shift toward alternative medicine, wellness and nutrition and away from conventional medication. Most of the speakers were not academic researchers or doctors. To discuss what happens when government guidance moves away from scientific consensus, Miles Parks speaks with Dr. Sandro Galea, a Distinguished Professor in Public Health, and Dean of the Washington University School of Public Health in St Louis, Missouri.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Avery Keatley and Jordan-Marie Smith. It was edited by Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
Michael Levin is a biologist at Tufts University working on novel ways to understand and control complex pattern formation in biological systems.
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OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Introduction
(00:29) – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections
(10:09) – Biological intelligence
(18:42) – Living vs non-living organisms
(23:55) – Origin of life
(27:40) – The search for alien life (on Earth)
(1:00:44) – Creating life in the lab – Xenobots and Anthrobots
(1:13:46) – Memories and ideas are living organisms
(1:27:26) – Reality is an illusion: The brain is an interface to a hidden reality
(2:13:13) – Unexpected Intelligence in sorting algorithms
(2:38:51) – Can aging be reversed?
(2:42:41) – Mind uploading
(3:01:22) – Alien intelligence
(3:16:17) – Advice for young people
(3:22:46) – Questions for AGI
Aerospace company Rocket Lab has produced big returns for long-term investors. Motley Fool co-founder and CEO Tom Gardner and analyst Seth Jason recently talked with Rocket Lab Founder and CEO Peter Beck about business, engineering, and entrepreneurship.
Host: Tom Gardner, Seth Jason
Guest: Peter Beck
Producer: Bart Shannon, Mac Greer
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Humanity has never seen anything like artificial intelligence. This new transformation technology is already changing the economy, And as Big Tech pushes for Super AI there are many calling for government oversight, regulation and protections for workers and the environment. But Big Tech is also spending big on politics to lobby so that its growth will remain unchecked.array(3) {
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The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been facing a long-running corruption trial, has submitted an official request to the country's president to pardon him. Mr Netanyahu, who denies wrongdoing, released a two and a half minute video saying that a presidential pardon would advance much needed national reconciliation, but he added that he'd be happy to continue with the trial.
Also in the programme: The extraordinary story of a woman who survived torture in Iraq; Nigerian troops have rescued twelve young women who were abducted from their homes in Borno State by suspected Islamic State fighters last week; and 'Paddington the musical' hits the stage in London's West End.
(Photo: Netanyahu said a pardon would lead to national reconciliation in Israel. Credit: EPA)
Miss Universe 2025 has been rocked by controversies and chaos, from stage falls and contestants storming out, to judges quitting and allegations of vote rigging – which the organisers deny.
The pageant – styled as a celebration of women of all backgrounds and nationalities – has suffered waning international attention in recent years, with many questioning the ideals of femininity it seems to espouse.
Could the drama of this year’s competition get people watching again?
BBC journalist and Miss Universe expert, William Lee Adams, joins us to discuss.
The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.
Producers: Xandra Ellin and Hannah Moore
Executive producer: James Shield
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
Photo: Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch is crowned as Miss Universe 2025. Rungroj Yongrit/EPA
Armed gangs now control much of Port-au-Prince and more than a million people have been forced from their homes. In this Global News Podcast special, Nick Miles and Nawal Al-Maghafi hear from Haitians on the front line, including a pro-democracy activist, a feminist campaigner supporting survivors of sexual violence, and a medic trying to keep emergency services going in a city under siege. They tell us how people are resisting, what real change would look like, and why so many people still believe Haiti has a future worth fighting for.
The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.
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