Moldova's president warns of Russian interference as country goes to the polls

As she cast her ballot in Moldova's critical parliamentary election, President Sandu has warned its future is in danger, calling on Moldovans to vote because “tomorrow would be too late.” BBC’s Sarah Rainsford reports from the ground with the latest.

Also on today’s programme: Tensions escalate in the U.S. as Donald Trump orders troops into Portland, Oregon, vowing to use "full force" if necessary to quell protests at immigration detention centres. We speak to a senior Ukrainian politician targeted in a Russian assassination plot. And British novelist Jeremy Cooper joins us to discuss Brian - his novel published in 2023 - about a lonely man whose life revolves around a near-obsessive love for cinema.

Presenter Rebecca Kesby is joined by Stephanie Baker, a senior writer and investigative journalist at Bloomberg News in London, and Joseph Torigan, Associate Professor at the American University's School of International Service in Washington and an expert on China and Russia.

Photo:People vote at a polling station during Moldova's parliamentary elections in Chisinau, Moldova September 28, 2025. Reuters/Vladislav Culiomza