Moldova's pro-EU president, Maia Sandu, has cast her ballot in the country’s parliamentary election, urging voters to join her because the country’s future is "in danger". Ms Sandu, police, and prosecutors say vote buying and disinformation are unprecedented in scale and linked directly to Russia. Moscow denies accusations of interference. Pro-Kremlin opposition parties have also dismissed talk of Russian meddling; they claim the government is making the case in advance for annulling the vote, should the liberal governing party (the PAS) lose its majority.
Also in the programme: With drones increasingly used in offensive military operations, how can you defend against them? Also today, the cricket clash between India and Pakistan; and why Elvis Presley is big in South Wales.
(Photo: Moldovan President Maia Sandu votes at a polling station during the country's parliamentary election in Chisinau, Moldova, September 28, 2025. Reuters/Vladislav Culiomza)
On Monday President Trump and the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a press conference in which they made extraordinary new claims about autism. They suggested a potential link between the use of Tylenol during pregnancy and the development of autism. They also advocated spacing out childhood vaccinations.
The two men's interest in the link between vaccines and autism goes back decades but these claims did not originate in the US. They trace back to the UK in 1998, when disgraced former doctor Andrew Wakefield first published his now-debunked theory linking MMR vaccines to autism cases in children.
Today on the Global Story science journalist Adam Rutherford explains how the Wakefield vaccine conspiracy became the biggest medical disinformation disaster in recent history, and how these ideas found fertile ground in the Trump administration.
Every weekday, this is The Global Story. The world is changing. Decisions made in the US and by the second Trump administration are accelerating that change. But they are also a symptom of it. With Asma Khalid in DC, Tristan Redman in London, and the backing of the BBC’s international newsroom, 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.
Extending his controversial use of the military in Democrat-led major US cities, Donald Trump says he's authorised soldiers who will be deployed to Portland to use "full force" if needed. He described the city in Oregon as "war-ravaged". Also: nearly 40 people are killed in a crush at a political campaign event in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the people of Moldova vote in a parliamentary election that will help determine if the country moves closer to the EU or Russia, and scientists say the tiny particles that help form stars and planets are much spongier than previously thought.
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.
Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.
Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Germany says it's considering the use of military force to protect its territory against drone incursions. Earlier, police in Denmark said several unidentified drones had been spotted flying close to military bases, including Denmark's biggest military site, the Karup Air Base.
Also in the programme: The International Paralympic Committee has voted to lift bans imposed on Russia and Belarus over Moscow's aggression in Ukraine; UN sanctions against Iran to resume over banned nuclear activity; and the mother of a British dual national killed while fighting for Ukraine on her fight to get his body back - and how she found out her son was dead.
(Photo: A mobile radar installation on the coast of Oresund in the aftermath of drone sightings, Dragoer, Denmark - 26 Sep 2025. Credit: EPA)
The US says it will revoke the visa of Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of inciting violence by encouraging American soldiers to disobey orders. When addressing a pro-Palestinian protest in New York, he suggested they should ignore the orders of Donald Trump, and obey the orders of humanity instead. Mr Petro was returning to Bogota when the move was announced. On arrival, he tweeted that he no longer had a US visa and did not care - adding that he considers himself a "free person in the world." The State Department described his actions as reckless.
Also in the programme: The International Paralympic Committee lifts its ban on Russia and Belarus; and as England's women take on Canada in the rugby world cup final - we hear from one former international in a house with divided loyalties.
(Photo: Colombian President Gustavo Petro addresses pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside UN headquarters in New York, September 26, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Bing Guan)
For the first time ever, a successful treatment has been found for the devastating brain disease, Huntington's. The inherited condition, which resembles a combination of dementia, Parkinson's and motor neurone disease, affects hundreds of thousands of people in the US and Europe. The scientists who developed the new gene therapy, and people who have the disease, say its a huge breakthrough that could give people a better quality of life for decades.
Also: we meet the teacher who's launched a Happiness Project to help her pupils learn about what really matters, and is encouraging others to do the same.
We find out about the small actions that have transformed how people feel about a living in a huge public housing complex in Mumbai, bringing a true sense of community.
It's Fat Bear Week in Alaska - a time to celebrate weight gain as the beautiful inhabitants of Katmai National Park prepare to hibernate.
Plus a new way to bring more poetry into your life; the dogs getting to swim in German public pools; and the man cycling hundreds of miles dressed as a paramedic gorilla.
Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.
Presenter: Oliver Conway. Music composed by Iona Hampson
United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme look set to be reintroduced after the failure of a last-ditch diplomatic push to delay them. Iran's president has strongly criticised the US and other UN Security Council members for blocking Russia and China's efforts. Also: Democrats have released a new batch of files relating to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, human rights experts warn that Russia's strategy of repression is spreading to other countries, and the passenger train celebrates its 200th birthday.
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.
Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.
Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
US President Donald Trump denies he's out for revenge, after the former FBI director James Comey is charged with lying to the US Congress. The president says he wants more prosecutions.
Also on the programme: Israel's prime minister tells the UN General Assembly that he's fighting Hamas on their behalf; and two centuries of passenger travel on the train - still going strong.
(Photo: The former FBI director posted a video to Instagram asserting that he is innocent and comparing Trump to a "tyrant". Credit: James Comey Instagram)
Sometimes in science, when you try to answer one question it sparks even more questions.
The CrowdScience inbox is a bulging example of that. We get tons of new questions every week and many of those are following up on episodes we’ve made. Sometimes you want us to go deeper into part of the answer, or sometimes a subject intrigues you so much that it inspires further questions about it.
In this episode presenter Caroline Steel is on a mission to answer some of those questions.
The CrowdScience episode How do fish survive in the deep ocean? led listener Ivor to wonder what sort of vision deep sea fish might have. On hand to answer that is Professor Lars Schmitz, Kravis Professor of Integrated Sciences: Biology, at Claremont McKenna College in the USA
Sticking with vision, we also tackle a question inspired by the CrowdScience episode Do we all see the same colour? For years listener Catarina has wondered why her eyes appear to change colour. Professor Pirro Hysi, ophthalmologist at the University of Pittsburgh, sheds some light on that subject.
In India, Rakesh listened to the CrowdScience episode Will the Earth ever lose its moon? and wondered about Jupiter’s many moons. The European Space Agency’s Ines Belgacem is working on a new mission to study Jupiter’s moons. She explains which of the giant planet’s ninety seven moons are ones for Rakesh to watch.
We also hear how the episode Why can’t my dog live as long as me? caught the attention of listener Lisa... and her cat. She had us falling in love with the long history of falling cats and the scientists who study them. Caroline is joined by Professor Greg Gbur, physicist at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte in the USA and author of Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics.
Could this episode of follow up questions lead to an episode investigating the follow up questions to these follow up questions? Have a listen and, who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself inspired to email crowdscience@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Caroline Steel
Producer: Tom Bonnett
Editor: Ben Motley
(Photo: Innovation and new ideas lightbulb concept with Question Mark - stock photo Credit: Olemedia via Getty Images)
In his address to the UN, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and calls Palestinian recognition 'disgraceful'. Dozens of delegates walk out of his speech. Also: more than 200 suspected cyber scammers in Africa are arrested; young Ukrainian soldiers learn leadership skills at a British university; and 66 years after they were first produced in the Soviet Union, India finally pensions off its remaining fleet of Mig 21 fighter jets.
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. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
