Germans vote in state elections

Germans vote in two state elections that could see further gains for the far-right AfD party and weaken Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s hold on power.

Also in the programme: we hear from Scotland, which has Europe's highest rate of drug-related deaths, about the growing dangers from synthetic drugs; and the singer Ed Sheeran apologises to fans at his first concert since the rapper, Macklemore, was dropped from his US tour over pro-Palestinian comments: we hear from someone who was at the show.

(IMAGE: A woman votes at a polling station in a traditional pub, Xantener Eck, during the state election in Berlin, Germany, September 20, 2026 / CREDIT: REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch)