Best of Today: Recent Episodes
BBC Radio 4
Insight, analysis and expert debate as key policy makers are challenged on the latest news stories. From BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Vogue has given unparalleled access to the Lightroom at Kings Cross for a brand-new exhibition examining the history of the runway and invited Today for an exclusive preview. Emma Barnett sits down with the exhibition curator David Sable, and British Vogue’s Chioma Nnadi, the first black woman to take up the mantle of Head of Editorial Content. Chioma discusses her concerns around weight loss drugs, women of colour breaking the glass ceiling, and whether the fashion industry is doing enough for sustainability. Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday, and 7-9am on Saturdays.
Buffer zones will come into force around abortion clinics in England and Wales from 31 October. It will make it illegal to hand out anti-abortion leaflets within 150m of a clinic or obstruct anyone using or working at an abortion clinic. It will also be illegal to stand and silently pray within the same zone. Emma Barnett reported for Today from an abortion clinic in South London. She spoke to protesters outside and staff at the clinic about the law change. She also spoke to the Labour MP Stella Creasy who has long campaigned for protection zones. The change in the law follows similar bans in Northern Ireland in 2023 and in Scotland in September earlier this year.
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday, and 7-9am on Saturdays.
A former colleague of the firearms officer who fatally shot Chris Kaba told Today that he should not have been put on trial for his murder. Metropolitan Police Officer Martyn Blake, shot and killed Mr Kaba – who was unarmed – during a vehicle stop in South London in September 2022. Mr Blake denied killing the 24 year old.
The unnamed colleague, who was at the scene immediately after the shots were fired, said: "At no point was there any evidence that Martyn Blake had done anything wrong or at least deviated from his training or indeed the law."
Mr Kaba’s family have said they are "devastated" by the outcome. "The acquittal of Martyn Blake isn't just a failure for our family but for all those affected by police violence," his cousin said. "Despite the verdict, we won't be silenced."
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday, and 7-9am on Saturdays.
After serving as foreign secretary in the Conservative government until July, Lord Cameron has a new role at the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre, which aims to find cures for rare, genetic conditions like the one his son Ivan was born with.
In his first interview with Today since the election, Lord Cameron also urged the government to consider sanctioning two Israeli ministers as a way of "putting pressure" on the country to act within international law.
He said the Foreign Office, when he was in charge, had been "working up" plans to put sanctions on Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The BBC has contacted Smotrich and Ben-Gvir for a response.
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday, and 7-9am on Saturdays.
The government has started a major review of the curriculum and assessment in England's schools, chaired by education policy expert Becky Francis. But how could we rethink England's curriculum and assessment?
Today hears from schools across the country trying new ways of doing things from using AI in classrooms to a more skills based approach and looking at why the 'exam season' might cease to exist.
The series hears from: former Conservative Schools Minister Nick Gibb; Jill Duffy from the OCR exam board; Jason Arday, former guest editor of the Today Programme and professor of the sociology of education at Cambridge University; Sir Ian Livingstone, a giant of modern British business and the man behind the Livingstone Academy; and Claire Heald, CEO of the Cam Academy Trust.
Producer: Sareen Bains
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday, and 7-9am on Saturdays.
The outcome of the US presidential election will have repercussions beyond America, says ex-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Rodham Clinton - who lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump - speaks to Today's Amol Rajan about Joe Biden's decision to step down as candidate.
And Amol asks her whether she gives any credence to Trump's claims that he articulated sooner and better than some others the legitimate grievances of many Americans about globalisation.
Rodham Clinton was speaking as she publishes her new book - Something Lost, Something Gained - reflections on life, love and liberty.
(Photo: Hillary Rodham Clinton. Credit: Reuters)
Earlier this year, the Today programme gave our listeners the chance to look at an issue that matters to them.
Herbie and Ayesha both voted for the first time this year.
They wanted to look at the disconnect they believe exists between young people and politicians.
Listen to the other stories explored by our listeners this week on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds between 6am-9am.
All this week we've been hearing stories brought to us by Today listeners.
Dr Lisa Wright and Dr Mark Walton are both clinical psychologists, who work on Merseyside in the only NHS unit of its kind - where they are trying to cut criminal offending rates using therapy.
It's not an alternative to prison - the NHS Forensic Psychology centre in Liverpool works with people who have served custodial sentences who might be at risk of re-offending.
Listen to the other stories explored by our listeners this week on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds between 6am-9am.
Earlier this year, the Today programme gave our listeners the chance to look at an issue that matters to them.Anna and Chloe - along with Chloe's 19 year-old daughter Pearl - wanted to ask "University: Is it worth it?" and interrogate the value of a university education in 2024.As part of our coverage, Today has exclusively seen a blueprint for the future of universities in England. Universities UK, which represents 142 universities, is calling for a rise in tuition fees linked to inflation and more government support for students.Listen to the other stories explored by our listeners this week on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds between 6am-9am.
Earlier this year we gave listeners the chance to ask us to look at an issue for them. Martin and Sandra from Macclesfield, in East Cheshire called their application Where’s my bus? They both rely on the buses to get around and met on a Facebook group dedicated to their local bus service.
The new government has plans to give local authorities more power to take control over bus services, for example through a ‘franchising’ arrangement.
Our Transport Corr Katy Austin took a look at whether this plan will help listeners like Martin and Sandra and Today presenter Nick Robinson spoke to Graham Vidler, Chief Executive, Confederation of Passenger Transport.
All this week the Today programme is looking at stories that have been brought to us by our listeners. Vanessa and Toby are parent governors at a secondary school in South London. They have noticed far fewer children and families where they live, and primary schools closing down as a result. Exclusive research for Today has shown that primary school numbers have fallen by 5% in London in the last five years. And they are projected to continue falling at double the rate of the rest of England. Listen to the other stories explored by our listeners this week on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds between 6am-9am.
In Kate Winslet's new film, she plays Lee Miller, the famed model-turned-photographer who acted as Vogue's war correspondent in the 1940s.
Speaking to Today's Emma Barnett about making the film, Kate said that the photographer "was born with her eyes wide open".
"She can really step into the same world as that person to really immerse herself. Lee was Lee and she saw things and did things her own way."
Kate also produced the film and worked closely with Miller's only son, Antony Penrose.
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.
Photo credit: Kimberley French © Sky UK Ltd
A Beginner's Guide to Death, a book by aid worker Simon Boas whose essays about his feelings towards death went viral, is being published posthumously.
In her first broadcast interview, his wife Aurelie says he knew he "wouldn't see the book" but that he knew he had "done his part".
Speaking to Today's Emma Barnett, she said: "It's a bit unusual to grieve this way.
"It's a great responsibility for me. But it's quite wonderful."
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.
Photo credit: David Ferguson
Garry Richardson has finished his last sports bulletin on Radio 4's Today programme - 50 years to the day since he started at the BBC.
Garry is best known for his sporting interviews, but his career has ranged from climbing towers for Radio Oxford to singing with the great Buddy Greco.
James Naughtie picks some of the highlights from Garry's half century.
Sir Ian McKellen talks to Amol Rajan after he took a break from acting following a fall off stage in London's West End. The 85 year-old, who suffered a broken wrist and chipped vertebrae, describes the emotional 'residue' of the accident.
He’s back on screen playing a gay theatre critic in The Critic, set in the 1930s before homosexuality was legalised in the UK.
The Today programme is on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds every weekday 6-9am and on Saturdays 7-9am.
This week a new report into the care of Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane identified 'errors, omissions and misjudgements' by Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust.
The situation was all too familiar for Kathleen Barnard, whose son William, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, killed her father John McGrath in 2009. He too was under the care of the same trust.
Speaking to Today's Emma Barnett, Kathleen says Calocane's situation "seems the same again" to what happened to her family, and that it's "more than disappointing".
After being approached for comment, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said it accepted the CQC report into Valdo Calocane's treatment and has "significantly improved processes and standards" since the review.
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.
James Coates's father, Ian Coates, was one of three people stabbed by Valdo Calocane, who was suffering from paranoid delusions last June.
Yesterday a report published by the Care Quality Commission said it found a series of errors, omissions and misjudgements by mental health services in Nottingham when it came to Calocane's care.
Speaking to Today's Emma Barnett, James said he is positive that a public inquiry will be held into what happened, and he's hopeful of changes to mental health care to improve public safeguarding.
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.
(Image: Huntingdon Academy/BBC)
Victims of historic miscarriages of justice have been told by the government they must have 'bed and board' costs for the time they spent in prison deducted from their compensation payments.
Today's Mishal Husain speaks to Paul Blackburn, who was wrongly convicted and spent 25 years in prison. He says he's owed hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Mishal also speaks to Lord Falconer, former Labour justice secretary who’s calling for the new government to change its position; and puts their criticism to Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Paymaster General.
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.
BBC presenter Kirsty Young presented Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs for 12 years, before stepping down to receive treatment for fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.
Speaking to Today’s Emma Barnett, Kirsty Young says her chronic pain made her feel “incapable” and that she “lost her sense of self”.
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.
Hundreds of people gathered in Southport on Tuesday evening to remember one of the three little girls who died in the Southport knife attack. John Hayes was working in the same building as the summer dance class and was stabbed while attempting to defend others. He tells Today's Emma Barnett it will take 'a while' to process and recover from what he saw at the scene.
After a week of violent riots around the country, what has it been like for some of those on the receiving end of the disorder?
Over the weekend, an angry mob terrorised Middlesbrough. Businesses were forced to board up their shops as cars were set alight and missiles chucked at the police - 35 arrests were made in what the police called staggering levels of violence.
Today's Emma Barnett speaks to Aneeqa and Kashif, who have both been targeted by the rioters, and Anne, who is concerned about the future for her grandchildren.
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.
Radio 4 is marking Friday 12th as “Just One Thing Day” in celebration of Dr Michael Mosley’s life and legacy. Throughout the week, we’ve asked his friends and colleagues to tell us what change they might have made that was down to him. Speaking to Today’s Justin Webb, Dr Clare Bailey Mosley shares touching tributes, and reflects on his work, influence, and legacy. Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.
Sir Tony Blair agrees that the new Labour government face the prospect of ever-rising taxes alongside under-performing public services.
However, the former Prime Minister says embracing the latest technological revolution could slash the cost of government and improve Britain's productivity and growth.
Speaking to Today's Nick Robinson, Sir Tony suggests AI could provide solutions for key issues such as industrial policy, public sector efficiency and improved health care.
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.
Former aid worker Simon Boas was told he had terminal throat cancer last year and only had months to live. He began writing about his feelings towards life and death in his local newspaper, the Jersey Evening Post. This inspired readers across the country.
Now he has pulled his thoughts together into a book called A Beginner's Guide to Dying, which comes out in September. It will be a posthumous publication.
Simon speaks to Emma Barnett on Radio 4's Today programme ahead of being moved to a hospice for his final days.
Norfolk is not usually an exciting place to watch during election night but could this time there be change?
The county is facing some pretty tight contests. Eight out of nine seats were Conservative last time, mainly with huge majorities. But the polls suggest that they could be slashed.
Martha Kearney has gone on a road trip through some of those constituencies, starting in Waveney Valley, where there is attention on the co-leader of the Greens being one of the candidates.
A full list of candidates in all the seats is on the BBC News website.
Today listeners put their questions to would-be MPs in the Bolton West constituency.
The hustings is chaired by Nick Robinson.
Today held similar sessions in two other seats - Wells & Mendip Hills and Motherwell, Wishaw & Carluke.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has left the UK after agreeing a US plea deal that will see him plead guilty to criminal charges and go free.
Speaking exclusively to Today's Mishal Husain, Stella Assange says her children have never seen their father outside of prison and she's "not used to talking about Julian free in the present tense".
Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.
On 7 October last year, Ada Sagi's life changed forever. The 75-year-old grandmother of six - who has spent most of her life working towards peace between Israelis and Palestinians - was having a morning coffee at home on the Nir Oz Kibbutz, on the border with Gaza, when suddenly several men working for Hamas burst into her home and forced her barefoot by gunpoint onto a motorbike and took her hostage, alongside scores of others.
The Arabic and Hebrew teacher who still supports students through her work, was imprisoned for 53 days at an apartment in Khan Younis until she was freed as part of a deal between the Israeli Government and Hamas.
In her first UK interview, Today's Emma Barnett speaks to Ada, six months on from her release. She shares the details of her ordeal; her thoughts about those who captured her, the global reaction and the actions of the Israeli government since last October. As a lifelong peace activist, right at the end of the conversation, she shares a stark view of the future as she sees it.
But Ada Sagi began by speaking about hearing security alarms going off in the kibbutz on the morning of 7 October, alerting her and the other hundreds of other residents they were under attack and then about the moment, men armed with Kalashnikovs, entered her home.
Today listeners in North Lanarkshire put their questions to would-be MPs in the Scottish constituency of Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke.
The hustings is chaired by Mishal Husain.
A similar session will be held next week in the Bolton West seat also adopted by Today for the election.
Today listeners in Somerset put their questions to would-be MPs in the Wells and Mendip Hills constituency.
The hustings is chaired by Justin Webb.
Similar sessions are to be held in two other seats adopted by Today for the election - Bolton West and Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke.
(Photo: The hustings session. Credit: Oscar Pearson/BBC
Co-leader Adrian Ramsay speaks to Justin Webb on the Green Party's manifesto launch.
They're promising to tax top earners more and spend the money on public services.
The party is also dealing with a row about anti-Semitism among what the party calls 'a small number of candidates.'
The Today programme will hear from all the major parties throughout the election campaign.
Nigel Farage speaks to Today's Mishal Husain after becoming leader of Reform UK, formerly the Brexit Party.
The party has announced it would freeze non-essential migration, as it seeks to win voters from the Conservatives and Labour.
The Today programme will hear from all the major parties throughout the election campaign.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey speaks to Today's Nick Robinson about pledging free personal care for adults in need, including the elderly and disabled.
Sir Ed is a carer for his disabled son, and also cared for his ill mother when he was younger.
The Today programme will hear from all the major parties throughout the election campaign.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks to Today’s Mishal Husain about the beliefs that will guide him if the party wins the election.
The Today programme will hear from all the major parties throughout the election campaign.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to Today’s Nick Robinson about calling an election for July 4.
The Today programme will hear from all the major parties throughout the election campaign.
On Radio 4's Today programme this week we’re looking at housing - the barriers to young people buying a home and their experience of renting.
Izzy, a 25-year-old from North Shields, moved back to the family home after living down south for work. Since opening a Help to Buy ISA when she was 14, Izzy hopes moving home will allow her to get on the property ladder.
Listen to Today on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am weekdays and 7-9am on Saturdays.
The search for a new First Minister of Scotland has started - the third in three years - after Humza Yousaf announced his resignation yesterday in an emotional speech.
Yousaf says he "underestimated" the hurt caused by his decision to scrap the SNP's power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens - a move that prompted two no-confidence votes.
The polls suggest there is something more fundamental going on - a belief that ministers here in Edinburgh are simply not delivering the basics, like a health service that works and schools with high standards, even though it is they and not ministers in Westminster, who are in charge of those policies.
Today's Nick Robinson spends the day in Holyrood reflecting on the fall out of another emotional resignation by another Scottish first minister.
Listen to Today on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am weekdays and 7-9am on Saturdays.
Shops are reporting a rise in abusive behaviour towards staff, and thieves ‘clearing shelves’ in what has now turned into ‘organised crime’.
Reporting for the Today programme, Jim Connolly meets shop workers in Halifax and Leeds to see how they are coping with an increase in shoplifting.
This week’s Today Debate looked at the issue of anti-social behaviour. You can listen back on BBC Sounds.
The Today Debate is about taking a subject and pulling it apart with more time than we ever could have during the morning.
Mishal Husain looks at how lives can be blighted by anti-social behaviour and asks if victims are being failed?
Joining Mishal are Emma Dell, a victim of anti-social behaviour; Neil Basu, former Assistant Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police; Ndidi Okezie, CEO of charity UK youth, Paul Gerrard, Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns at the Co-op and Katie Kempen, CEO of Victim Support.
Share your experiences of anti-social behaviour with Today. Get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to 0330 123 4346 or email us Today@bbc.co.uk
The Today Debate was produced by David Pittam, Sinead Heekin and Louisa Lewis. The editor is Owenna Griffiths. The technical team was led by Clive Painter and Jon Boland. Digital Production from Maisie Smith-Walters.
A Victims and Prisoners Bill is currently being debated in Parliament and tonight's Today Debate on Radio 4 at 8PM will consider one aspect of it.
The legislation largely applies to England and Wales but the issue is one that can disrupt lives everywhere. Campaigners say that anti-social behaviour should not be treated as neighbourly nuisance because it can mean people live in fear in their own homes.
It's a reality the Victims' Commissioner Helen Newlove knows all too well. Her husband, Garry, was attacked by a group of teenagers outside his home when he confronted them over vandalising cars. He died of his injuries. Today's Mishal Husain speaks to Baroness Newlove about what she wants to see happen.
Listen to Today on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am weekdays and 7-9am on Saturdays.
County cricket is back, and Surrey are looking to win the championship for the third year in succession. It would be a fitting send off for their director of cricket, Alec Stewart, who's retiring at the end of the season after 11 years. Today sports presenter Garry Richardson has been to the Oval -- the home of Surrey cricket -- to meet the former England captain and reflect on his long career.
The award-winning actor Andrew Scott talks to Today about playing the character of Tom Ripley.
There have been many screen adaptations of The Talented Mr Ripley over the years - the most famous with Matt Damon and Jude Law.
The new Netflix drama Ripley, based on the novels of Patricia Highsmith, starts this week.
The Today Debate is about taking a subject and pulling it apart with more time than we have in the morning.
Amid a significant backlog in crown courts in England and Wales and related problems in the system in Scotland and Northern Ireland, Today presenter Mishal Husain asks if justice delayed is justice denied?
Joining Mishal on the Today debate panel are Claire Waxman, the Independent Victims' Commissioner for London; Charlie Taylor; His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales; Joanna Hardy-Susskind, a barrister at Red Lion Chambers; Lord Falconer, Labour Peer and former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and Sir Max Hill, who was the director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales until October last year.
When Theresa May was diagnosed with type 1 in her 50s, she told the consultant: "I'm too old. I can't be”. Lady May says she would also eat Jelly Babies when her blood sugar dropped during meetings.
The former Prime Minister has now chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the life-threatening consequences of having both type 1 diabetes and an eating disorder.
She speaks to Today's Justin Webb why a joined-up approach by the NHS is needed so that healthcare professionals are aware of the 'conflicting pressures' on people with type 1 and an eating disorder. She also discusses her experience while in government of managing her blood sugar levels.
The last of our Christmas guest editors is the CEO of the global biopharma company GSK, Dame Emma Walmsley.
She wanted her programme to look to the year ahead with optimism. In these highlights from her programme hear Dame Emma in conversation with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who urges politicians not to treat their opponents as enemies but as fellow human beings.
Dame Emma also speaks to the Health Minister for Singapore; visits Kew Gardens and she asks former guest editor and Nobel Laureate Sir Paul Nurse to discuss with a group of students, the scientific and technological advances they are most excited for in 2024.
Simon Jack interviews Dame Emma to end her programme and she chooses a special piece of music.
Professor Jason Arday is our latest Christmas guest editor.
This year he was appointed as one of Cambridge’s youngest ever professors. A significant accolade by any measure but even more so when you consider that Professor Arday was diagnosed with autism and global developmental delay aged just three and didn't learn to speak until he was eleven or read and write until he was eighteen.
He uses his programme to look at improving adult literacy and he speaks to the head of Universal Music UK about championing neurodiversity in the workplace.
Professor Arday also indulges his passion for 90s music with a discussion including Blur drummer Dave Rowntree and as a fan of a sharp suit, he champions the tailoring industry.
Andrew Malkinson is Today's latest Christmas guest editor. He spent 17 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit before being cleared in July.
He uses his programme to look at justice and how one can cope with being locked up unjustly. He speaks to John McCarthy, who was held hostage for more than five years in the 1980s.
While in prison, the world of astronomy and space offered Andrew a sense of release and sanctuary from the immediate confines of his daily experience and a way to expand his world. So as part of his guest edit, he visits Jodrell Bank observatory.
And he tells Today's Justin Webb about the months since his conviction was overturned and how he still feels anger.
The singer and UN environment ambassador Ellie Goulding is the latest Today programme Christmas guest editor.
Ellie uses her programme to explore her twin passions of music and nature, including looking at rewilding projects
She tells Today's Martha Kearney that nature has helped her through difficult times in her life, including postnatal depression.
Ellie interviews fellow musicians Brian Eno and Chris Martin about the music industry's environmental impact.
And she goes back to her sixth form college in Hereford and answers students questions, including about whether the music industry has changed for the better since the Me Too movement began.
James May, The Grand Tour and former Top Gear presenter, is Today’s latest Christmas guest editor.
He looks at the future of driverless cars and why a culture change may be needed to end conflict between cyclists and motorists.
James believes hobbies are good for people’s wellbeing so the Today team assembled a get together with hobby-mad listeners, including comedian Al Murray.
He also looks at whether coffee culture is eroding the place of tea and gets a poetry lesson from Succession star Dame Harriet Walter.
Here James shares highlights from his programme.
The writer Hanif Kureishi - who is our second Christmas guest editor this year - had a life changing accident which paralysed him on Boxing Day 2022.
He uses his programme to explore his adjustment to becoming disabled, including its impact on his family and his friendships.
Hanif first enjoyed professional success as a writer 1985 with My Beautiful Laundrette, which was Oscar nominated, and he later wrote the novel the Buddha of Suburbia - which became a BBC series - and My Son The Fanatic.
In his programme, he speaks about how he has developed with his son Carlo a new way of producing and publishing his work. He also has a long conversation with Today presenter Mishal Husain just before he returns home from hospital.
Dr Nicola Fox, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate NASA is the first of our Christmas guest editors this year.
Her programme looks ahead to the launch of the Peregrine Lunar Lander next year which will start the ground work for sending a crewed mission back to the Moon.
Dr Fox, who revealed she was a fan of Duran Duran on her recent Desert Island Discs, talks to band member Nick Rhodes about the influence of space on music. She talks to her counterpart at the European Space Agency, Carole Mundell, about her path into a top space job and she confronts the writers of the last Bond film.
Dr Fox also speaks to Today Presenter Nick Robinson about why her father's interest in space inspired her and why she cries every time a space mission launches.
The daughter of Yocheved Lifschitz, one of the hostages freed last night, has visited her mother in hospital in Israel and has told Today she "seems OK".
In an interview with Today presenter Mishal Husain, Sharone Lifschitz said: "The nurses are just having a chat, they say she is very sharp and is very keen to share the information, pass on the information to families of other hostages that she was with."
Yocheved Lifschitz was held for 16 days after being abducted from her home in a kibbutz in southern Israel amid scenes of death and destruction.
Today's Nick Robinson also spoke to BBC Correspondent in Gaza Rushdi Abualouf.
And Noam Sagi joined Nick and Mishal in the studio. His mother, Ada Sagi, was taken hostage in the kibbutz of Nir Oz, near Israel's border with Gaza.
Emma Raducanu burst onto the world stage back in 2021 when she went from being an almost unknown 18 year old tennis player to winning the US Open. She became the first British woman to secure a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade at the 1977 Wimbledon Championships.
The media interest in Emma has been huge worldwide due to her stratospheric rise, but her tennis career has been put on hold after three procedures on both wrists and an ankle left her on the side-lines for the past six months.
Today's sport presenter Karthi Gnanasegaram speaks to former British number one Emma Raducanu about her much anticipated return to competitive action.
(Photo: Robert Prange/Getty Images)
At least 5,300 people are dead in the Libyan city of Derna after Storm Daniel on Sunday, which resulted in a dam bursting and a river of floodwater sweeping through the streets.
With 10,000 people reported missing, the death toll is expected to rise.
Today's Martha Kearney spoke to Libyan journalist Johr Ali about his friend, whose entire family was taken by the storm.
Justin Webb also spoke to the BBC's International Editor Jeremy Bowen, who said getting aid to the people in need is made harder by the political tensions in the north African country, and to Dr Anas Barghathy, who travelled to the Derna region to volunteer.
Merope Mills says she will meet Health Secretary Steve Barclay this week to discuss her calls for new patient rights.
In an exclusive interview with the Today programme earlier this month, Merope Mills advocated for the NHS to adopt the patient rights policy Martha's Rule, following the preventable death of her 13-year-old daughter Martha from sepsis in 2021.
Speaking to the programme on 11 September, NHS England's Medical Director Sir Stephen Powis said he supports the policy, which would allow a patient or their family a statutory right to get a second opinion if they have concerns about care.
But speaking to Today’s Mishal Husain about the reaction to her call, Merope says she worries the NHS is looking at things from the perspective of hospitals rather than the view of patients.
Martha Mills was 13 years old when she died in hospital two years ago, after failures by doctors to spot and treat her sepsis.Her mother Merope previously spoke to Today and called for hospitals to implement 'Martha's Rule', where patients and their families would be given the right to an urgent second opinion, if they feel their concerns are not being taken seriously by medical staff. The Health Secretary Steve Barclay then said in the House of Commons that he was looking at introducing a Martha's Rule to the NHS. Labour responded to our interview by saying if the government doesn't act, they will write the rule into the NHS constitution.Today's Mishal Husain speaks to NHS England's National Medical Director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, responds to that interview by Merope Mills and her call for 'Martha's Rule'.
Adrian Edmondson and Nigel Planer, two of the cast from the 1980s sitcom The Young Ones, have reunited to write a new play. ‘It's Headed Straight Towards Us’ follows two bickering actors and the hapless runner on the film they’re shooting in Iceland, as a volcanic eruption causes their trailer to subside and cuts off the only route of escape.Today’s Martha Kearney speaks to Adrian and Nigel about the idea behind their new play and their experiences on The Young Ones.Credit: GettyImages
In June a vessel carrying hundreds of migrants sank 50 miles off the Greek coast. It is thought as many as 600 people drowned as the over-crowded ship sank in the deepest part of the Mediterranean Sea. However questions have been raised about the involvement of the Greek Coast Guard about their involvement in the tragedy. As part of a Radio 4 documentary, BBC Europe correspondent Nick Beake has been trying to find out more about those who managed to escape death on the fatal voyage.Today’s Katya Adler spoke to Nick Beake and to Gillian Triggs, Assistant High Commissioner with the UN refugee agency the UNHCR.(Image, Migrants on board ship, Credit, Hellenic Coast Guard/ Reuters)
Martha Mills died after failures in her treatment at King's College Hospital.Martha’s mother, Merope, is calling for hospitals around the country to bring in "Martha's rule", which would give parents, carers and patients the right to call for an urgent second clinical opinion from other experts at the same hospital if they have concerns about their current care.The government has said it will explore the introduction of Martha's rule in UK hospitals.Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to Dr Sanjiv Sharma, Medical Director at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Matthew Taylor, Chief executive of the NHS Confederation. Nick Robinson also spoke to Sir Robert Francis, chair of the Francis Report and chair of the Freedom to Speak Up Review, published in 2015.(Image, Merope and Martha Mills, Credit Merope Mills)
Thirteen-year-old Martha Mills died after failures by doctors to spot sepsis, and her mother Merope told Today on Monday about her call for hospitals around the country to bring in "Martha's rule". This would give parents, carers and patients the right to call for an urgent second clinical opinion from other experts at the same hospital if they have concerns about their current care. The government said yesterday that it would explore the introduction of "Martha's rule" in UK hospitals. Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to Wes Streeting, Labour's Shadow Health Secretary and Rob Behrens, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. (Image, Merope Mills, Credit BBC)
More than 150 schools in England have been identified as having a type of potentially dangerous concrete – RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) – with many now closing buildings or classrooms to make them safe.The government has not yet published a list of which schools are affected as it says it wants parents to hear from headteachers and principals about closures first.The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said the government "will spend what it takes" to make schools safe from RAAC. Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to Peter Smith, head teacher at Farlingaye High School in Suffolk and Jonathan Slater, who was Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education until the summer of 2020. Nick Robinson also spoke to Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary. (Image, Parks Primary School, Leicester, Credit Jacob King/ PA)
Martha Mills was 13 years old when she died in hospital two years ago, after failures by doctors to spot and treat her sepsis.Her parents are calling for hospitals to implement 'Martha's Rule', where patients and their families would be given the right to an urgent second opinion, if they feel their concerns are not being taken seriously by medical staff.Today's Mishal Husain speaks to Martha's mother Merope Mills.(Photo: Martha Mills, Credit: Merope Mills)
Back in March, to mark 20 years of the Today guest editors we gave people the chance to apply in teams to make a programme with us.
Thousands of you applied and this summer we have been featuring programmes guest edited by those successful teams of listeners.
In the last in the series Vince, Fiona, Derek and Lucas invited us to Tenby in West Wales. For their programme they wanted us to look at what happens when the tourists go home from towns like theirs. They don’t think we spend enough time thinking about the challenges that face coastal communities, not just in Tenby, but across the UK.
Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid lost his brother Tariq to suicide in 2018. It is the number one cause of death for young people and biggest killer of men under 50. In a personal report for the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Sajid speaks to people in Bristol, where he grew up, whose lives have been affected by suicide and also speaks to the chief exec of the Samaritans and other mental health campaigners. He then tells Today's Martha Kearney what he thinks the government should be doing to help with suicide prevention. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call for free to hear recorded information on 0800 066 066
After Lucy Letby, the UK's most prolific baby murderer, was sentenced earlier this month, there has been a lot of discussion about what form the public inquiry should take.
The government has now decided that it should be led by a judge with full powers to force people to give evidence. That's what the families have been asking for and Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said he has listened to them - but that kind of inquiry is likely to take more time.
Today's Martha Kearney first speaks to Dr Stephen Brearey, who is the lead consultant at the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital and who originally raised concerns about Lucy Letby in 2015.
She also speaks to to Sir Robert Francis, who was chair of the inquiry which looked into the failings into care in mid-Staffordshire.
Monday’s air traffic control problems have led to thousands of passengers being left stranded abroad and in the UK. Many are having to find and pay for alternative routes.
Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to Willie Walsh, a former boss of British Airways and now Director General of IATA, The International Air Transport Association about scale of the disruption and Martin Rolfe, the CEO of the National Air Traffic Services.
Photo by ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (14072150f)
Today’s Mishal Husain discusses the arguments for and against the implementation of low emission zones for vehicles.
London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, Ulez, has now expanded to cover all of Greater London, with owners of the most polluting cars now facing a £12.50 daily charge to drive in the capital.
Whilst these changes have been carried out in at least seven areas in England, the expansion today of London makes it the biggest, affecting nearly 9m people.
Mishal first speaks to Irene Bacon, a care worker, who tells us the impact these changes will have on her.
She then speaks to Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, who explains why they have decided to expand Ulez to cover all of London. He labels it as a ‘difficult’ but ‘vital’ decision and summarises the implications it will have.
He also responds to Irene’s fears by outlining the different schemes available to help solve financial issues.
Aaron Chown/PA Wire
Today’s Mishal Husain speaks to the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, who states that Police must investigate every theft and follow all reasonable leads to catch offenders. Braverman says that it must change that Police deem some crimes as ‘minor’, effectively allowing criminals to break certain laws. She explains how Police can use evidence from smart doorbells and dashcams to prevent these crimes. Braverman also faces questions on the safety of the Bibby Stockholm, the barge which housed asylum seekers. All residents were moved out after the Legionella bacteria, which can cause serious illness, was detected. She explains that people would go back on the barge “as soon as we have completed the relevant checks” and that she’s been ‘frustrated’ with the recent events. She also explains why she doesn’t rule out the GPS tagging of Channel migrants, and discusses parts of the Illegal Migration Act.
Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
Back in March, to mark 20 years of the Today guest editors we gave people the chance to apply in teams to make a programme with us.
Thousands of you applied and every Saturday through August we’ll be featuring programmes guest edited by those successful teams of listeners.
Today it was the turn of ‘Friendly Neighbours’. Sudi, Mike, Pol and Sophie are four friends and neighbours from the Kingsdown area of Bristol.
At the heart of their community is the Dove Street Estate, a modernist high rise development built in the 1960s.
They want to look at how we make sure that, when we are planning housing developments, we really think about the people and communities who will live there.
Chair of Trustees at the British Museum, George Osborne has told Today around 2,000 items have gone missing from the institution but adds they have started to recover some of them.
Yesterday, the British Museum director Hartwig Fischer said he will step down from his role, after treasures were stolen from the London institution.
In a statement, he said it was evident the museum "did not respond as comprehensively as it should have" when it was told about the thefts in 2021.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a failed mutiny against Vladimir Putin, was on a plane that crashed in western Russia, according to aviation officials.
Authorities say all 10 people on board were killed after the private aircraft came down near the village of Kuzhenkino.
Russian authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, amid heavy speculation.
Today’s Nick Robinson and Martha Kearney speaks to Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of international affairs at the New School University in New York, who joins us from Moscow, and Sergei Markov, Putin's former spokesperson. Later in the programme, we were joined by Timothy Snyder, Professor of History at Yale University, and Sir John Sawers, former Chief of MI6 and British Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Photo credit: Courtesy PMC Wagner via Telegram via REUTERS
John Kerry, Joe Biden's climate envoy, is in Edinburgh launching a new forum for ideas and international cooperation called Scottish Global Dialogues.
Today's Special Correspondent James Naughtie asked Mr Kerry about the failure of the effort to keep global warming to an increase of 1.5 degrees on pre-industrial levels.
Mr Kerry has said he's deliberately staying out of domestic politics in the US and the UK - Jim asked him about the challenges that could cause in the run up to the next climate talks in the Middle East in November.
Surgeons in Oxford have carried out the first womb transplant in the UK.
The recipient was a 34-year-old woman, and the donor her 40-year-old sister, both of whom wish to remain anonymous.
Doctors say both recovered well from surgery and the younger sister plans to have IVF this autumn, using embryos that she and her husband have in storage.
A team of around 20 carried out the procedures, lasting around 17 hours, in adjoining operating theatres at the Churchill hospital in February.
Today's Justin Webb speaks to the Chairman of Womb Transplant UK, who was the lead surgeon who retrieved the womb, Professor Richard Smith, and the surgeon who transplanted the womb, Isabel Quiroga.
Photo Credit: Womb Transplant UK/PA Wire
Serial killer Lucy Letby was handed a whole life sentence on Monday at Manchester Crown Court for the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of six others at the neonatal care unit where she was a nurse.
Today's Justin Webb speaks to Dr Stephen Brearey, who was the lead consultant on the unit where Letby worked and raised the alarm in October 2015.
Dr Brearey claimed senior staff at the Countess of Chester Hospital were worried about reputational damage to the organisation, and that instead of acting on his warnings, he and his colleagues' lives were made 'very difficult'. He claimed his experience was not uncommon in the NHS.
Nurse Lucy Letby is due to be sentenced later after being found guilty of murdering seven babies, making her the UK's most prolific child serial killer in modern times.
The trial lasted for more than 10 months and is believed to be the longest murder trial in the UK. She has indicated she will not be in court for the hearing.
The government has ordered an independent inquiry into the circumstances behind serial killer Lucy Letby's baby murders.
Detectives are reviewing the care of all babies admitted to hospital while Letby was working as a neonatal nurse. The review includes her work placements at Liverpool Women's Hospital in 2012 and 2015, although police say this did not involve any deaths.
The Department of Health said it would look at how clinicians' concerns were handled, as a BBC investigation found hospital bosses ignored doctors' warnings about Letby. There are also calls for the inquiry the government has announced to be upgraded into a statutory public inquiry.
Today's Mishal Husain speaks to Dame Christine Beasley, former Chief Nursing Officer for England 2004-2012 and current non-Executive director with Kings College NHS Trust, and the Health minister, Claire Coutinho.
Back in March, to mark 20 years of the Today guest editors we gave people the chance to apply in teams to make a programme with us.
Thousands of you applied and every Saturday through August we’ll be featuring programmes guest edited by those successful teams of listeners.
Today it was the turn of Anne, Moyra, Alan and Andrew who are all members of the Dunbartonshire Concert Band. They wanted to use their guest edit to explore the benefits of community music. They commissioned a special report on music education and they asked us to look at whether playing an instrument help keep your brain “fit” as you get older?
Their programme features the violinist Nicola Benedetti.
Our programme is guest edited by Moyra, Anne, Alan and Andrew, four members of the Dunbartonshire Concert Band.
For their programme they wanted to look at the contribution community music makes to society. The were very keen to hear from the violinist Nicola Benedetti. Not only is she a world acclaimed violinist, but she has campaigned for years for better music provision – especially for children from underprivileged backgrounds.
Nicola Benedetti is also “Big Sister” to a social change and music education programme called "The Big Noise" that provides free music tuition alongside free childcare and healthy food. The charity supports 3,500 children across Scotland.
Nicola spoke to Today's Simon Jack for this special edition of Today.
Sir Michael Parkinson has died at the age of 88.
Nick Robinson is joined by Jamie Cullum to discuss the illustrious career of the late British broadcaster.
Cullum describes how Parkinson’s ‘genuine fascination’ for his guests brought joy to millions and simultaneously helped launch the careers of several young stars.
Together, Nick and Cullum recollect their experiences with the chat show host and reflect on his magical career.
The first Lioness to score in the 3-1 victory against Australia in the Women's World Cup semi-final was Ella Toone from Tyldesley in Greater Manchester.
In keeping with a promise to her best friends, she celebrated her goal by kissing her wrist and forming a heart symbol above her head.
Today’s Nick Robinson speaks to Ella’s best friends, Sheona Woodward and Morgan Paddock.
The Lionesses are through to the World Cup Final against Spain on Sunday.
Image credit: Reuters
DNA evidence found on the victim's clothes indicated another man had been involved, yet Mr Malkinson remained imprisoned for another 13 years after a wrongful conviction.
Today’s Mishal Husain speaks to Dominic Casciani, the BBC’s Home Affairs Correspondent, about how the evidence was uncovered.
Mishal also speaks to James Burley, an investigator at Appeal, a legal charity, who worked on Andy Malkinson’s case.
She speaks to Lord Garnier KC, former Solicitor General and co-chair of the 2021 Westminster Commission on Miscarriages of Justice who calls for a public inquiry into the Malkinson case.
Image credit: PA
Two-thirds of NHS cancer waiting time targets are expected to be dropped in England, in a move the health service says aims to catch cancers earlier.
NHS bosses want to reduce the number of targets, most of which have been routinely missed in recent years, down to three.
They say the plan is backed by leading cancer experts and will simplify the "outdated" standards.
The changes have been under consultation since last year, and an outcome is expected within days. NHS leaders are understood to be keen to press on with the plan as first announced - but it is still subject to final approval by Health Secretary Steve Barclay.
Today's Justin Webb speaks to Dr Tom Roques, Vice President of Clinical Oncology at the Royal College of Radiologists and a consultant oncologist, Professor Pat Price, visiting Oncology Professor at Imperial College, and co-founder of the 'catchup with cancer' campaign – which is focused on getting cancer waiting lists down, and to Steve Barclay, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Back in March, to mark 20 years of the Today guest editors we gave people the chance to apply in teams to make a programme with us.
Thousands of you applied and every Saturday through August we’ll be featuring programmes guest edited by those successful teams of listeners.
Today it was the turn of Hannah, Cenya and Huzaifah. They are three friends who have all experienced the loss of someone close to them and want to talk about what good grief looks like.
Their programme features the former England Cricket Captain Andrew Strauss who set up a foundation in memory of his wife, Ruth, who died of cancer. The Ruth Strauss Foundation supports families facing the death of a parent.
If you need support with any of the issues raised in this podcast you can find organisations that can help at www.bbc.co.uk/actionline
This guest edit of Today was produced by Laura Cooper, Hazel Morgan and Louisa Lewis.
Junior doctors are striking due to concerns over the conditions of their job, including overcrowded corridors and long waiting lists.
Today’s Justin Webb speaks to Dr. Lucy Cocker and Dr. Adam Collins on why they chose to leave the NHS and move to Australia, where they say offers better prospects.
Today’s Martha Kearney speaks to John Glen, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on how he aims to address morale in the NHS and resolving the strikes.
Image credit: PA
Labour's '5 point plan' to reform the asylum system aims to end the use of hotels and set up new agreements with France and other countries to return failed asylum seekers.
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper about the party's plans and the government’s recent announcements on migration.
(Photo credit: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)
A controversial rule which deducted living costs from compensation paid to wrongly imprisoned people was been scrapped by the government on Sunday. The change came after the case of Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in jail for a rape he did not commit, prompted calls for it to be overhauled.
A charity called Appeal fought to clear Mr Malkinson after the official body which investigates miscarriages of justice, the Criminal Cases Review Commission, refused twice to investigate his case.
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to the Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, who acted to make the reform with support from the Prime Minister.
(Photo credit: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
The BBC has been told that the first asylum seekers will be moved on to an accommodation barge moored in Portland in Dorset later today. The Bibby Stockholm will house up to 500 men over the next 18 months while their claims are assessed. Ministers say it will be cheaper than putting migrants in hotels but campaigners have described the conditions onboard as "inhumane". The plan has been delayed a number of times because of safety concerns.
Today's Mishal Husain speaks to Sarah Dines, Safeguarding Minister in the Home Office.
(Photo by REUTERS/Toby Melville)
Back in March, to mark 20 years of the Today guest editors we gave people the chance to apply in teams to make a programme with us.
Thousands of you applied and every Saturday through August we’ll be featuring programmes guest edited by those successful teams of listeners.
Today it was the turn of Amy, Jo and Gig. They've called their team, Messy Fostering. Amy who’s now 23-years-old was fostered at 14 by Gig and ended up spending her summers with her teacher Jo.
For them, it worked. But sometimes it doesn't and they wanted to use their guest edit to look at how we can stop foster placements breaking down and recruit and retain more foster families.
Their programme features the poet and broadcaster Lemn Sissay, the Children's Minister Claire Coutinho and other young people who have been fostered.
If you need support with any of the issues raised in this podcast you can find organisations that can help at www.bbc.co.uk/actionline
This guest edit of Today was produced by Laura Cooper, Hazel Morgan and Louisa Lewis.
Despite Donald Trump being charged with conspiring to overturn the US election result in 2020, he is currently ahead of candidates for the Republican nomination for president.
On Thursday, former US President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in a Washington DC court to conspiring to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
But, in the latest nationwide poll, he was on level pegging with Joe Biden. He could win the presidential election.
Can anti-Trump Republicans turn this around?
Today's Justin Webb heard from John Fredericks, a radio talk show host whose show is syndicated nationally across America, and speaks to Scott Jennings, a former Republican special assistant to President George W. Bush and to Will Hurd, former Texas GOP Congressman & Republican candidate for the presidential nomination.
Photo credit: REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
Donald Trump has been charged with conspiring to overturn the US election result in 2020.
The four counts include an attempt to defraud the 2020 election through dishonesty, fraud, and deceit. The charges follow an inquiry into the riots in Washington DC on 6 January 2021. Trump is accused of "spreading lies" about election fraud for more than two months.
In total, Trump has now been charged in three criminal cases - but experts say the latest could be the most serious. The other cases relate to the mishandling of secret documents, and payments to Stormy Daniels, a former porn star.
Despite the criminal cases, Trump is the favourite to be the Republican candidate in the 2024 election.
Today's Chris Mason speaks to Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor, Sebastian Gorka, a former strategist to President Trump and host of the US radio programme America First, and Joe Walsh, who's a former Republican Congressman, and who broke rank with his party over Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
There is pressure on both the Conservatives and Labour to review their climate commitments following the Conservative win in the Uxbridge by-election - where the upcoming extension of London's Ultra Low Emission Zone was one of the big issues. But the government is currently sticking to its plan, supported by Labour, to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, with the sales of hybrid cars to be stopped from 2035. So, can we meet the target in time?
In a letter to the prime minister, a group of 43 Conservative MPs wrote the policy was 'unnecessary and unworkable'. They asked him to re-think the 2030 deadline, which comes five years before the EU ban, and warned it risked doing harm to the economy.
Fans of EVs have also raised concerns over the ban - are there enough charging points, and enough energy for those charging points, and if the government says goodbye to fuel tax, then how does it make up for it?
Today's Justin Webb speaks to Stuart Adam, senior economist at the IFS, Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Ken McMeikan, CEO of Moto Services, and Richard Holden, the Transport Minister. They spoke to Justin about whether EVs are accessible to everybody, if the national grid can support the change to EVs, and the price disparity between charging a car at home and at public charging points.
Photo credit: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Today’s Chris Mason is joined by Rachel Aldred, a Professor of Transport at Westminster University, to discuss the overall success of ‘low traffic neighbourhoods’ and whether they’re here to stay.
He then speaks to Linda Taylor, a Transport spokesman for the Local Government Association, who explains the importance of engaging with residents to help find solutions to environmental damage.
Steve Berry, a Motoring journalist and former Top Gear presenter, outlines the problem he finds with ‘low traffic neighbourhoods’.
Together, the guests look to the future, to discuss the need for better schemes, to provide benefits to future generations.
The rape conviction of Andrew Malkinson has been overturned after serving 17 years in prison for a crime he had always said he did not commit.
The exoneration has sparked questions about the criminal justice system and how the wrongfully convicted are treated after they have been found innocent.
Today's Justin Webb speaks to former Attorney General Dominic Grieve and Gareth Peirce, defence solicitor who worked on high profile miscarriages of justice including the Birmingham Six.
(Image credit: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
On the Best of Today podcast, Felicity Hannah talks with Debbie Weinstein, the UK and Ireland Managing Director of Google.
Debbie talks about Google’s new Artificial Intelligence training programme and explains why she thinks the UK needs a national skills service.
They discuss the problems Bard, Google’s AI-powered chatbot, experiences with false information, known as “hallucinations".
They also talk about the Online Safety Bill, which could have big implications for tech companies, particularly with regards to how they stop images of child abuse being shared.
Andy Malkinson won his fight yesterday to clear his name after 20 years protesting his innocence. 17 of those years he spent in prison after being convicted of rape.
The Court of Appeal's decision came after DNA evidence implicated another man in the crime. No forensic evidence linked Mr Malkinson to the attack in 2003.
He spoke to Today’s Justin Webb and explained that he no longer wants to live in the UK and wants to begin the process of healing.
Photo credit: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
NatWest boss Dame Alison Rose has resigned hours after admitting she had made a mistake in speaking about the end of Nigel Farage's relationship with the bank.
Today’s Nick Robinson speaks with Nigel Farage who says “the first rule of banking is client confidentiality and she broke that”.
Nick also speaks to Sir Philip Augar, a former banker who was a member of the cross-party Future of Banking Commission.
He also discusses the market response to Dame Alison’s resignation with Angela Knight, the former Chief Executive of the British Banking Association.
Anneliese Dodds has shared Labour's new plans to "modernise, simplify, and reform" the 'Gender Recognition Act'. Writing in The Guardian, the shadow women and equalities secretary added Labour's reform would keep "medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria", officially confirming the party no longer supports self-ID.
Labour's new reforms have received a mix reception from both sides of the debate, with criticisms from LGBTQ+ activists and the public for Labour's ever changing stance on the issue.
Anneliese Dodds was not available to discuss the reforms with the Today programme.
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Rosie Duffield, Labour MP for Canterbury and gender critical feminist, and Helen Belcher, a Lib Dem councillor, trans woman, and the chair of TransActual UK.
We'll talk about a different theme each week....and this week we are taking a look at history books.
Today's Chris Mason is joined by special guest Greg Jenner, a historian and historical consultant to CBBC show Horrible Histories, and is the author of four books, including ‘You Are History: From the Alarm Clock to the Toilet, the Amazing History of the Things You Use Every Day’.
We will be joined every week of the school summer holidays by the author Frank Cottrell Boyce and librarian Jennifer Horan.
Join us next week for books about nature and climate.
You can find all of our recommendations on our Twitter @bbcR4Today and Instagram and Threads - both @bbctodayprogramme.
The Conservatives have suffered two heavy defeats by Labour and the Lib Dems, but have narrowly held on to former PM Boris Johnson's old Uxbridge seat, after a night of three dramatic by-election results.
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Labour's Deputy Leader Angela Rayner, Conservative Chairman Greg Hands and Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper.
There's also analysis from polling expert Prof Sir John Curtice and the BBC's Political Editor Chris Mason.
Parts of the world are currently experiencing record-breaking temperatures - this weekend, Death Valley in California reached 53.9 degrees centigrade, and Xinjiang in China recorded the country's hottest ever temperature at 52.2 degrees.
But how much of the recent heat can be attributed to climate change? What can and should we do about it? And where does it leave the target of limiting temperature rises to 1.5 degrees, agreed in Paris in 2015 at the climate change summit Cop 21.
Professor Sir Robert Watson, Director of Strategic Development for the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia, and former Chair of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, tells Today's Amol Rajan that current pledges from global governments aren't going far enough and suggests 'we're on a pathway of at least 2.5 degrees'.
Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, is launching an 'open-source' AI to rival ChatGPT. Llama 2, is described as the next generation of their open source large language model which can mimic human creativity and expertise.
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Baroness Kidron, Crossbench Peer in the UK House of Lords and Chair of the 5Rights Foundation, which works to put children’s needs and rights at the heart of digital design.
He also speaks to former Deputy Prime Minister and Meta's president of global affairs Sir Nick Clegg.
(Photo By Kenzo Tribouillard/afp Via Getty Images)
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has been speaking to Today’s Martha Kearney about efforts to transform the Met's culture, including the removal of more officers.
It follows a review earlier this year by Baroness Louise Casey on the force’s culture and standards after the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens, in 2021. During the course of her review, another Met officer, David Carrick, was convicted of a series of rapes, sexual offences and torture of women. Baroness Casey found the force was institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic.
The Met Commissioner also revealed the force is in talks regarding a pay-out to the family of murdered private detective Daniel Morgan. Mr Morgan was found with an axe in his head in the car park of a pub in Sydenham, south-east London, in 1987. No-one has been convicted over the father of two's killing, since which there have been five inquiries and an inquest, at an estimated cost of more than £40m.The Met has previously admitted corruption hampered the original murder investigation and apologised to Mr Morgan's family. A panel found in 2021 that the Met repeatedly covered up its failings.
Photo Credit: Carl De Souza/Pool via REUTERS
US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly will unveil the full results of its trials of the drug 'donanemab' - which is the second shown to slow progression of dementia.
The results of the donanemab trial will be revealed at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam, and the drug could be licenced as safe in the UK in as little as a year to 18 months.
The NHS would then have to weigh up the cost effectiveness when it comes to who it can give the drug to.
Today's Mishal Husain speaks to Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer's Research UK and Co-Chair of UK Government Dementia Mission, and Professor Sir John Hardy, Professor of Neurodegenerative Disease at UCL - who advised the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly during the development of donanemab.
Photo credit: Denis Balibouse, Reuters
In recent years, Germany has twice opened its doors to a significant influx of individuals escaping war, establishing itself as the top destination for refugees in Europe.
However, the politics of migration remains divisive, with the far-right AFD gaining ground.
Today’s Nick Robinson reports from the city in Bavaria where many migrants first set foot on German soil and he examines the debate over the UK Government’s migration policies with Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick and Labour shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper.
Credit: EPA/ARMIN WEIGEL
The Today programme has been looking at the debate about how to handle the mass movement of people around the world.
Sicily is the region where the majority of African migrants to Italy arrive. Migrants make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean in crowded boats that often sink or capsize.
Search and rescue ships crewed by volunteers make it their mission to save the lives of migrants who make the crossing looking for new lives.
However the Italian government's approach to the boats has got much tougher since the election of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to Enrico Trantino, the Mayor of Catania – the port city of Catania in Sicily, where many migrants to Italy first land – and Laurence Hart, Director for Italy at the UN’s International Organisation for Migration. First Nick reports from the streets of Catania.
(Image, Enrico Trantino, Mayor of Catania, Credit, BBC)
G7 members are expected to ratify a wide-ranging security pact with Ukraine at the Nato summit in Vilnius on Wednesday.
However there is frustration in Kyiv about the perceived slow progress to full membership of NATO.
US President Joe Biden earlier suggested a model for Ukraine similar to his country's agreement with Israel. Under that deal, Washington has committed to providing $3.8bn (£2.9bn) in military aid per year over a decade.
But unlike Nato membership this does not include a clause to come to the target nation's aid during a time of attack.
Today’s Justin Webb spoke to Lord Peter Ricketts former UK permanent representative to Nato and Radek Sikorski, former Polish foreign minister. The BBC’s Europe editor, Katya Adler, reports from Vilnius.
(Image, Nato Ukraine flag, Credit, Valentyn Ogirenko, Reuters)
More than 1,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel in two days, according to government figures.
Today's Nick Robinson reports on the journeys many migrants take before that - from North Africa to Europe.
He starts in Tunisia, which is now the biggest departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe across the Mediterranean.
(Image credit: BBC)
Following the murder of Elle Edwards, Today’s Amol Rajan discusses solutions to the problem of gang violence in Merseyside.
Amol is joined by Emily Spurrell, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside, to examine what can be done to cut down on gun violence and organised crime.
He then speaks to Sicarius McGrath, who runs a violence reduction consultancy, and was previously involved in gang related crime in Liverpool. Sicarius, who now advocates for gang violence reduction and offender rehabilitation, explains how he believes this sort of crime can be prevented.
Today’s Justin Webb is joined by Sir Keir, to discuss Labour’s plans on education and ultimately ‘break the class ceiling.’
The Labour leader outlines his pledge to revamp education, by creating a new focus on oracy skills in schools. He says that this, along with other plans, will enable half a million more children to reach their early learning targets by 2030.
He discusses the strikes by University lecturers and explains that he is “uncomfortable” with students going to their graduations with a “blank piece of paper.”
(Image credit: ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
On its 75th anniversary, Today’s Justin Webb explores the challenges faced by the NHS and considers its future.
Justin speaks to Lesley Watts, the chief executive of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, and Robert Bleasdale, the hospital’s chief nurse. They discuss how the NHS has evolved over the years, and whether we should be optimistic about its future.
Justin then speaks to Amanda Pritchard, the Chief Executive of NHS England, who discusses the future challenges, and how the government can help reduce pressure on the NHS.
Back in March we asked you, our listeners, if you would like to have a go at making your own edition of the Today programme, to mark 20 years of our guest editors. We asked you to get into teams of three to six people and send us your ideas - and thousands of you did.
Our team have spent the last few months going through all your applications, and we called on the help of some former guest editors to make the decision.
Today's Amol Rajan reveals who we'll be making the programmes with.
The Today Debate is about taking a subject and pulling it apart with more time than we could ever have during the programme in the morning.
Today presenter Mishal Husain is joined by a panel of guests in the BBC's Radio Theatre, where in front of a live audience, they discuss the current state of the housing market.
On the panel are George Clarke, architect and broadcaster; David Simmonds the Conservative MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Planning; David O'Leary from the Home Builders Federation, which represents housebuilders in England and Wales; Claer Barrett, Consumer Editor for the Financial Times and Richard Fearon, Chief Executive of the Leeds Building Society.
Rachel Eliza Griffiths' first novel 'Promise' is published a year after her husband, the author Sir Salman Rushdie, was nearly killed in a knife attack.
The novel is a story of hope and resistance set during the early phase of the US civil rights movement.
Today’s Mishal Husain interviewed Rachel Eliza Griffiths to explore the influence of her mother, who was born during the period in which the novel takes place.
Rachel also reflected on the trauma of the near-fatal attack on her husband and said they had both been “very, very grateful and appreciative for the compassion and kindness on an international level” which had been shown to them in its aftermath.
Image credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
The UK's hottest June on record caused unprecedented deaths of fish in rivers and disturbed insects and plants, environment groups have warned.
The BBC’s Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, was at Knowle Locks in Solihull looking at some of the effects of this heatwave on fisheries.
Today’s Mishal Husain spoke to John Ellis, the national fisheries manager at the Canal & River Trust. He explained that when it’s warmer fish need more oxygen, but as the temperatures rise water holds less of it.
Mishal also spoke to Emily Shuckburgh, the Director of Cambridge Zero, who emphasised the need for action on climate change.
Image credit: Getty Images
A long-awaited report into English and Welsh cricket finds that racism, sexism, and class bias are "widespread".
The chair of the report, Cindy Butts, spoke to Today's Nick Robinson about how the sport has 'institutional and structural discrimination'.
Martha Kearney put the report to the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, who accepted all the findings and promised action on equal pay for female cricketers.
(Image credit: Cricket bat and ball, Getty Images)
The Prince of Wales's charitable foundation is putting in £3m of start-up funding to help make homelessness "rare, brief and unrepeated".
Six locations across the UK will be used to test ideas to cut homelessness.
"Everyone should have a safe and secure home and be treated with dignity," says Prince William.
But Prince William will also face challenges about how someone with such wealth and extensive property holdings can make such calls over homelessness.
Mishal Husain was joined in the studio by Lord William Hague, who chairs the prince's Royal Foundation and the footballer Tyrone Mings, a supporter of the plan after experiencing homelessness as a child.
The Prime Minister has raised concerns over the price of weekly shopping bills for average consumers.
On Thursday Rishi Sunak said: ‘We are looking at the supermarkets, making sure they are behaving responsibly and fairly.’
Latest figures released on Wednesday showed that the inflation figure has remained much higher than expected, for the fourth month in a row. The Bank of England has raised interest rates for the 13th consecutive time – from 4.5% to 5% – to try to stop such rapid price rises.
Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to Andy Clarke, who is now Chairman of operational improvement company Newton Europe and to Kathleen Kerridge, anti-food poverty campaigner and Chair of the Lived Experience Panel at the Food Foundation.
(Image, Customer in supermarket aisle, Credit, Yui Mok PA)
The Bank of England is expected to raise interest rates for a 13th consecutive time on Thursday as it tries to stop prices rising so quickly.
On Wednesday it was revealed that UK inflation had remained much higher than expected for the fourth month in a row and Karen Ward, a member of chancellor Jeremy Hunt's economic advisory council, told Today that the Bank had "been too hesitant" in its interest rate rises so far and called on it to "create a recession" to curb soaring prices.
Today’s Amol Rajan spoke to the Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, about what the governments immediate plans were to tackle inflation. Nick Robinson spoke to the Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, about what approach a Labour government would take to slowing the rapid rise in prices.
(Image, Bank of England, Credit Yui Mok PA)
The UK's inflation rate stayed at 8.7% in May despite hopes of a fall. BBC Economics editor Faisal Islam joined Nick Robinson and Mishal Husain in the studio to breakdown the inflation figures.
Core inflation – which strips out energy and food costs - is at its highest level in the UK for more than 30 years, increasing the likelihood that the Bank of England will raise rates on Thursday.
The Office for National Statistics’ chief economist explained what’s behind the rise. Karen Ward, from JP Morgan Asset Management, told Mishal Husain there are signs that a wage-price spiral is emerging, which the Bank "has to nip in the bud".
On the 50th anniversary of the Women's Tennis Association, its founder Billie Jean King speaks to Today sports presenter Karthi Gnanasegaram.
The tennis champion discussed the voice of women in tennis at the time of the formation of the WTA and what the future holds for women in the sport.
(Image credit: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images for LTA)
Planes and ships from the US and Canada are searching a remote area of the North Atlantic for a submersible that went missing during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic, more than 24 hours ago.
The US Coast Guard said last night that the sub could have around seventy hours of oxygen left, and that officials were doing everything they could to rescue those missing.
A pilot and four passengers - one of them the founder of Ocean Gate Stockton Rush - are on board the vessel, which can reach depths of 13-thousand feet.
Mishal heard from Dr Robert Blasiak an ocean researcher at Stockholm Resilience Centre about the Titan submersible craft and from Simon Platts who journeyed in the craft while directing an episode of the BBC's 'Travel Show' last year.
Photo credit: American Photo Archive/Alamy/PA Wire
Sir Keir Starmer says it is 'inappropriate' for individuals in recent Partygate footage to be receiving honours.
Speaking from Edinburgh, the Labour leader said: "I think Rishi Sunak should have said no, but he didn't, he waved [Boris Johnson's honours list] through."
When asked if he would have a resignation honours list, Sir Keir said: " No... Tony Blair didn't have a resignation list, its very hard to justify."
He also spoke with Mishal Husain about Labour's new energy policy, their approach to wind farms and the future with oil and gas if elected to government.
At least 78 people have died after a boat sank off the coast of Greece in what is being called 'one of Europe's worst migrant disasters'.
The coastguard has been criticised for not intervening earlier but authorities say their offers of aid were refused. With reports suggesting that up to 750 people were aboard the vessel, it’s thought many more people could still be missing at sea.
Today's Mishal Husain spoke to BBC correspondent Nick Beake in Kalamata, and Dr Giorgos Vasilagkos, an Hellenic Red Cross volunteer rescue doctor working at the scene.
She also spoke to Vincent Cochetel, the UNHCR's special envoy for the Mediterranean and journalist Matina Stevis-Gridneff, who heads up the Brussels bureau for the New York Times.
Famed biologist and conservationist Roger Payne, who first discovered whale song in 1967, has died aged 88.
Nature filmmaker Tom Mustill worked with Mr Payne up until his death, and told Today's Amol Rajan: "He totally changed our perception of these animals that we were just slaughtering.
"It's not data that drives change in people, it's emotion and connection."
We also hear some of the whale song that Mr Payne was so famous for.
Sir Paul McCartney has unearthed never before seen photographs that chronicle the Beatles at the height of their fame.
They were taken by him, across an intense three month period in cities like Paris and New York, and are due to go on display at a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from the end of June. An accompanying book, 1964: Eyes of the Storm, goes on sale 13th June.
Sir Paul showed Today's Martha Kearney around the exhibition, telling her how he felt after rediscovering the photos decades after taking them.
The Commons privileges committee meets on Monday to finalise its report on whether Boris Johnson misled the House over Downing Street parties during lockdown.
Ahead of the publication of the report, Today’s Justin Webb and Mishal Husain unpick partygate inquiries and Boris Johnson’s resignation, hearing first from the BBC’s political editor, Chris Mason, and then cabinet minister Michael Gove.
Mishal asks: Why publish Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list before the conclusion of the partygate inquiry?
The Labour Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has said that "financial stability has to come first" and that the party would not be able to invest a pledged £28bn a year in green industries straightaway if it wins power at the next election.
Instead Labour plans to raise investment on an annual basis, reaching £28bn a year by 2027.
The war in Ukraine has seen inflation soar and the Bank of England has increased interest rates, making borrowing more expensive, in an attempt to tame rising prices.
Today’s Justin Webb spoke to Rachel Reeves about the Green Prosperity Plan and the future of the UK economy.
(Image Rachel Reeves, Credit, Henry Nicholls/ Reuters)
The UK is to host a global summit in London in the autumn to try and coordinate a common global response to the rise of AI technology.
Concerns about the risks posed by AI have increased recently with a group of Silicon Valley executives issuing a statement arguing that artificial intelligence could even lead to the extinction of humanity.
Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to Palentir's CEO Alex Karp about the summit and asked him how he reacted to calls by Elon Musk and others for a pause in AI research...
(Image, Security conference, Credit, Florence Lo/ Reuters)
The international golfing circuits – the PGA Tour and DP World Tour – have agreed to merge with Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Golf, giving Saudi Arabia control of the world golf tour.
The comes after a year of disruption in the men's game following the launch of LIV.
Litigation between the separate tours will cease and they will move forward as part of the same enterprise.
Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to Ben Rhodes, former speech writer and deputy national security advisor to President Obama about the deal – and asked why anyone should care who owns a golf tour?
(Image, Brooks Koepka, during the first round of the LIV Golf DC 2023 tournament, Credit, Geoff Burke, USA Today Sports)
Sir Keir Starmer addresses the GMB union, amid criticism of the party’s plans to end new licences for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. The union and the Labour leader are in conflict over the policy.Today’s Justin Webb spoke to GMB General Secretary says he hopes Sir Keir will listen to the concerns, because "we need a managed decline and not a cliff edge". He put the GMB’s concerns to Jonathan Ashworth, Shadow Secretary for Work & Pensions.Image Credit: Reuters/Henry Nicholls
Russia’s defence ministry says it's thwarted several Ukrainian attacks in occupied parts of the Donetsk region, and inflicted reverses on mechanised units in a forested area of Luhansk. Kyiv hasn’t responded directly to the claims, saying only that there had been almost thirty combat clashes in Donetsk and Luhansk.
The defence analyst professor Michael Clarke told Today’s Mishal Husain the activity suggests Ukraine's counter-offensive is now underway with ground operations. She also spoke to Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s International Editor, about the pluses and minuses facing the counter-offensive. And she received further analysis from General Sir Richard Barrons, a Former Commander of British Joint Forces Command; and Alina Frolova, a former deputy Defence minister of Ukraine.
Image credit: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
Dozens of experts - including the heads of OpenAI and Google Deepmind - have supported a statement published on the webpage of the Centre for AI Safety, suggesting it could be an existential threat to humanity. On Wednesday night, the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken & EU Tech Commissioner Margarethe Vestager met and spoke of their hopes of agreeing a new global code of conduct for AI.Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to Nate Sharadin, Research fellow at the Center for AI Safety, and Dame Wendy Hall, the Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton. She also co-chaired the UK government’s AI Review in 2017, and she's a member of the government's AI Council.
Shadow minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said Dale Vince, a green energy entrepreneur, was a "legitimate person" to take money from. Tory ministers have called for the donations to be returned, arguing it legitimises Just Stop Oil's tactics. Protests by the environmental group, which wants the government to halt new licences for the exploration of oil and other fossil fuels in the UK, include blocking roads and disrupting sporting events. Shadow international trade secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said Labour had been "extremely clear on our views on Just Stop Oil". "What they are doing is entirely counterproductive and the only debate it's provoking is about our public order laws," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.We spoke to Dale Vince about his support for Labour and the campaign group Just Stop OilCredit: Just Stop Oil/PA Wire
The Today Debate is about taking a subject and pulling it apart with more time than we could ever have during the programme in the morning.Mishal Husain is joined by politicians, campaigners, food retailers and manufacturers in front of a live audience in the BBC's Radio Theatre to ask whether greed is part of the reason food prices remain so high.
A recent BBC investigation found that illegal vapes confiscated from school pupils contained far higher levels of lead, nickel and chromium than deemed safe. The prime minister Rishi Sunak said he was shocked by this finding and a new crackdown on vape marketing would prevent the "unacceptable" targeting of children and teens.There will also be a review into the rules around the sale of "nicotine-free" products to under-18s.Labour called the announcement a "baby step" and said urgent action was needed. There is now a fast-moving debate on how to tackle vaping by children.We spoke to two headteachers of secondary schools in England and Kate Pike, the Lead Officer for Vaping at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, about whether these were the right measures.(Photo credit: Getty Images)
From September, officers will only attend mental health 999 calls where there is an "immediate threat to life". The Met argues the move will free up officer resources after a significant rise in the number of mental health incidents being dealt with by its officers in the past five years.
Some police chiefs believe this is down to the service increasingly being seen as the first resort for people in a crisis, as well as a lack of capacity in the NHS and social services to deal with growing mental health demands.
Sarah Hughes, chief executive of Mind, has warned there is not enough capacity in other public services to replace the work police officers currently do.
Zoe Billingham, who was previously Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue, said the proposals could create a "vacuum". Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she warned there is "simply no other agency to call" other than the police for people in crisis.
Ken Marsh, chairman of the Met Police Federation - which represent officers up to the rank of inspector - broadly welcomed the announcement. He said police officers can be required to wait in hospital for up to 12 hours with people suffering from mental health problems or dementia.
The parents who murdered their 10 month old baby, Finley Boden, will be sentenced on Friday. Key documents which led to a court agreeing to return Finley to his parents in 2020, who then murdered him 39 days later, have been obtained by the BBC. One of the journalists that pushed for access to the court, and obtained transcripts of the case, is BBC Correspondent Sanchia Berg. Today’s Amol Rajan then spoke to Josh MacAlister, the Chair of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care, and to Toby Perkins, the Labour MP for Chesterfield, where Finely Boden spent his brief life. They discussed whether greater transparency is something family courts should strive towards, and what went so badly wrong in this case?Image Credit: Derbyshire Police
Tina Turner, the soul star behind hits like The Best and What's Love Got to Do With It, has died aged 83. She overcame abuse by her first husband and her decision to speak out about that violent marriage still inspires other women today. The singer went on to become a global star with her combination of R&B, funk, rock and pop. Today's Amol Rajan speaks to Spice Girl and Women's Aid patron Mel B, and the singer and actress Mica Paris. Nick Robinson speaks to Liz Mitchell, lead singer of Boney M.(Image credit: REUTERS/Rose Prouser)
Inflation has fallen below 10 per cent for the first time since August - but the speed at which prices are rising has slowed less than expected. The Office for National Statistics says the annual rate at which the cost of living is rising fell to 8.7% in April, from 10.1% in March. A slower rate of inflation does not mean prices are coming down, rather that they are not going up so quickly, and food costs are still 19.1% higher than a year ago, according to the Office for National Statistics. Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Dr Sushil Wadhwani, a former member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee who sits on the Chancellor’s Economy Advisory Council, and to Karen Betts, Chief Executive of the Food and Drink Federation.(Image credit: Andy Rain/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Vapes confiscated from school pupils contain high levels of lead, nickel and chromium, an investigation by BBC News finds. NHS data from September 2022 shows that vape usage among 15-year-olds has risen to 18%.We hear from listeners concerned about their children vaping and the easy accessibility of vape products.Today's Justin Webb also speaks to John Dunne, Director General of the UK Vaping Industry Association, and Alice Wiseman, Addiction Policy Lead for Association of Directors of Public Health.(Image credit: Getty Images)
Martin Amis, one of the most celebrated British authors of his generation, has died aged 73.He died of oesophageal cancer at his Florida home, the New York Times said, quoting his wife, the writer Isabel Fonseca.Amis is best known for his 1984 novel Money, the 1989 work London Fields and 1995's The Information, and authored 14 novels, several non-fiction books and a memoir in a career spanning 50 years.Speaking to Today's Justin Webb, author Ian McEwan and longtime friend of Mr Amis reflects on the life and legacy of the celebrated novelist.
An anti-monarchy protester detained during the Coronation says he believes the police had "every intention" of arresting him before the event. Chief executive of the anti-monarchy group Republic, Graham Smith, was one of 64 people arrested by the Metropolitan Police in London on Saturday.The Met said it had "a duty to intervene when protest becomes criminal and may cause serious disruption".Justin Webb spoke to Graham Smith of Republic, but first Mishal Husain spoke to Caroline Russell, a Green Party member of the London assembly who chairs the Police, Crime Committee.(Image, Republican protestors, Credit, Antonio Zazueta Olmos, Reuters)
For the first time, the public are being given an active role in a Coronation as they are invited to swear allegiance to the King at the ceremony on Saturday. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has reiterated that the oath is voluntary.Today's Justin Webb speaks to broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby, a close friend of the King, about what he believes the King thinks of the homage.He also spoke to Samuel Kasumu, former No.10 special adviser for civil society and communities, and Helen Lewis, staff writer at the Atlantic magazine, about the controversial invitation.
Missy Elliott is considered one of the most important rappers of all time, who changed the landscape of hip-hop with her eccentric beats and innovative rhymes, with hits like Get Ur Freak On and Lose Control. She's also produced and written songs for other artists including Aaliyah, Destiny's Child and Ciara.It's been announced that she will be the first female hip-hop artist to be chosen to join the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.Today's Sean Farrington speaks to music journalist Jacqueline Springer and writer Christine Ochefu about the rapper's induction to the roll of honour in her first year of eligibility.(Image credit: John Shearer/Getty Images)
Should the police see indecent exposure as a red flag - a signal that the man who exposes himself could be on the path to committing violent sexual offences?The case of Wayne Couzens, the police officer who murdered Sarah Everard, has persuaded the College of Policing - which sets standards for forces in England and Wales - to re-examine the evidence. He pleaded guilty to three cases of indecent exposure before Sarah's murder.Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Lisa Squire, whose daughter Libby was murdered after being a victim of indecent exposure and now campaigns for change, and Zoe Billingham, former Inspector of Constabulary.
Betty Webb is one of the last surviving women to have worked on cracking both the German and Japanese codes at Bletchley Park during World War 2. She attended Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation in 1953 - and has been invited to this weekend’s coronation of King Charles III. A week later she will celebrate her 100th Birthday with a party at Bletchley park. Her new book 'No More Secrets' tells the story of her childhood, recruitment to Bletchley and then the pentagon, her vital wartime role deciphering enemy communications, and how it felt to eventually be able to talk about her experiences which she had to keep secret for years. Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Betty Webb about the memoir and her invite to the coronation.
In December, Today’s Mishal Husain spoke to Frank Cottrell-Boyce, author of children’s books including ‘Millions’ and ‘The Forgotten Coat’. After hearing the interview, Nadia Shireen, children’s author and illustrator, reached out to Frank with the idea of starting a podcast discussing children’s literature.
Now, five months later, Today’s Justin Webb heard about their new podcast, ‘Island of Brilliant’, where Frank and Nadia imagine themselves marooned on an island with nothing but children’s books to keep them company.
Aimed at adults, it’s both funny and imaginative: as Frank says, “boredom is the compost of imagination”.
Nurses will walk out in an ongoing row over pay starting on Sunday and finishing on Bank Holiday Monday. Today’s Mishal Husain spoke to the General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing and asked her about the decision to include A&E shifts in the strike.Mishal also spoke to Nick Hulme, Chief Executive of Colchester and Ipswich hospitals, to ask him how the strike is going to affect his hospitals.And with two of the biggest health unions now having voted to accept the government’s pay offer, BBC Health Editor Hugh Pym looks at the prospect of whether this could avert more nursing strikes.Photo by ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
The Met may be failing to identify serial killers because it is not properly investigating unexpected deaths, the police watchdog says.It identified five key failings at the Metropolitan Police in a report: a lack of training, poor supervision, "unacceptable" record-keeping, confusing policies and "inadequate" intelligence procedures.Today’s Mishal Husain spoke with Matt Parr, HM Inspector of the Constabulary, about the report.Mishal also spoke to Donna Taylor, the sister of Jack Taylor who was the last victim of Stephen Port, about her experiences dealing with the police following her brother’s death. Finally, Mishal talked to Assistant Commissioner of the Met Police, Louisa Rolfe, regarding the dangers of poor police practices allowing history to ‘repeat itself’.
Chimpanzee expert and animal rights campaigner, Dame Jane Goodall, is passionate about saving animals and the environment, but says she does not believe in direct action that disrupts people’s everyday lives. Today’s Martha Kearney talked with Dr Goodall about the impact her campaigns have had across generations, ahead of a new TV series called Jane's Animal Adventures, about a young girl inspired by Goodall's passion. Martha also discussed environmental protests like blocking traffic, which Goodall claims are ‘counterproductive’ and don’t encourage positive change. (Ian West/PA Wire)
One of Microsoft's senior leaders has hit out after the software giant's deal to buy US video game company Activision Blizzard was blocked by UK regulators.Brad Smith, who is Microsoft's vice chair and president, tells Today's business presenter Sean Farrington of his disappointment at the Competition and Markets Authority's decision to block the proposed $68.7bn (£55bn) takeover which would see Microsoft get hold of massively popular games titles such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and World of Warcraft.(Image credit: Reuters/Dado Ruvic)
The Today Debate is about taking a subject and pulling it apart with more time than we could ever have during the Today programme in the morning.Today presenter Mishal Husain was joined by a panel of guests in the BBC's Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House to look at the future of the Royal Family in 'The Today Debate: Do we need a Monarchy?'Joining her were Billy Bragg, the singer and songwriter; Juliet Samuel, a columnist for the Times; Polly Toynbee, a columnist at the Guardian; Charles Moore, former editor of the Telegraph and the Spectator, biographer of Margaret Thatcher and Jason Arday, an academic who works on inequality, race and education.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has announced that the RAF will begin evacuating British nationals from Sudan.
Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to Osman, a British doctor who has been in Khartoum for the past week visiting family. He had decided to try and leave the country by road and said he would have found it difficult to get to an airfield.
Martha then heard from General Sir Richard Barrons, Former Commander of Joint Forces Command, on the logistical complexities of the evacuation and to Dr Atia Abdalla Atia, the secretary general of Sudan Doctors Union and a doctor based in Khartoum, about the conflict and the deteriorating situation in his hospital.
Image credit: Bundeswehr Handout, 23.04.23
UK diplomats and their families were evacuated from Khartoum on Sunday after fighting escalated. However, potentially thousands of British citizens remain stuck in warzones in Sudan, with many seeking help from the UK government. The BBC’s West Africa correspondent Mayeni Jones spoke to some of those British citizens grappling with whether to flee Sudan or stay put and wait for help. Today’s Mishal Husain put these stories to Andrew Mitchell, Minister for Development and Africa, to see what help the British government is able to provide.
With the last series of hit TV show Succession on our screens, Today’s Justin Webb speaks to one of its writers and producers, Lucy Prebble, about what’s behind its success.Succession follows the fictional, ultra-wealthy Roy family. The British playwright talks about why she’s proud the US series satirises the lives of the very rich, and discusses the changing nature of television, female characters and comedy writing.(Image Credit: Ian West / PA)
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab hit out at “activist civil servants” as he resigned over bullying claims yesterday. Lord McDonald, the top civil servant at the Foreign Office when Mr Raab was Foreign Secretary, rejects those criticisms in an exclusive interview with Today’s Justin Webb.(Image Credit: James Manning / PA)
British Vogue editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful, says the latest issue with five disabled cover stars is one of his “proudest moments”. Today’s Mishal Husain spoke with Mr Enninful about why he decided to work with disability activist Sinéad Burke to create the series and how she taught him ‘that a whole group of people are being ignored’.And away from fashion, Martha Kearney looked at jogging. Specifically, the growing trend of running without headphones or other tech. She spoke with Julia Oosthuizen, Founder of Queen's Running Club, and Jimmy Watkins, co-founder of Running Punks about so-called ‘naked running’.
The former director general of the business lobbying group CBI says his reputation has been ‘totally destroyed’ after being fired over complaints about his behaviour.Simon Jack, business editor for the BBC, spoke with Tony Danker, who says his name has been wrongly associated with separate claims of rape at the CBI. Today’s Mishal Husain spoke with Brian McBride, President of the CBI, about the grounds for which Mr Danker was sacked, and questions of whether the CBI is fit to represent its nearly 200,000 members.
In 2021, an Oxford University analysis of maternal deaths in the UK found that black women were almost four times as likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth as white women - Asian and mixed ethnicity women were twice as likely. The data is part of a report published by the Women and Equalities Committee, which concluded that the role of racism in maternal deaths may have been underestimated by the government and the NHS – and that the "appalling disparity" is still not "fully understood".
Today’s Mishal Husain spoke to Professor Marian Knight, who leads a team that investigates every maternal death in the UK. Mishal then talked to mother and co-founder of organisation ‘Five X More’ - Tinuke Awe – who works on improving maternal mortality rates and health outcomes for black women. Finally Mishal heard from Donna Ockenden, a senior midwife who has been conducting independent reviews, who argued for “better, inclusive care”.
This month Easter, Ramadan and Passover have all fallen at the same time. The three religious festivals have coincided with heightened tensions in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as ongoing protests against the Jewish nationalist government of Benjamin Netanyahu. As Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter in the city of Jerusalem, the BBC’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen has been speaking to residents from across the religious and political divides.
A 21-year-old US airman will appear in court on Friday in connection with a leak of highly classified military documents about the Ukraine war and other national security issues. Jack Teixeira was arrested by the FBI at his family home in rural Massachusetts on Thursday.Today’s Justin Webb spoke with Barbara Plett-Usher, correspondent in Washington, about Jack Teixeira and the role his involvement with online messaging platform, Discord, played in leaking confidential US intelligence. A representative of the Visual Investigation Team at the New York TImes, Christiaan Triebert, also explains how they successfully tracked down the suspect, after discovering 27 new leaked documents. Then Justin looked at the future of US intelligence with Jim Jeffrey, former US Ambassador to Iraq, and Kurt Volker, former US Special Representative to Ukraine. Ambassador Jeffrey started by answering the question of how someone so young had access to such important material.
Today’s Martha Kearney, presenting from Belfast, spoke to journalist Lyra McKee’s sister, Nichola Corner, and her friend, Alison Miller, about her tragic death four years ago on Easter Monday. Lyra was known as ‘the voice of a generation’, growing up after the Good Friday Agreement yet still surrounded by echoes of violence and division. Alison Miller directed the new documentary about her life and work – ‘Lyra’- which is airing Saturday 15th April.Martha spoke to Ambassador Philip Reeker, former interim US Ambassador to the UK, about the preparation needed for a presidential visit, and Martin Mulholland, Chief Concierge who has worked for 40 years at the Europa - one of the most bombed hotels in Europe - where President Biden has been staying.
Today’s Martha Kearney, presenting from Belfast, spoke to former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair, who helped negotiate the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. He shared mistakes he thought he had made under his administration, but also how the agreement has succeeded to this day, 25 years on. Sir Tony Blair shared what he would do if he was faced with today’s current struggles with devolution.
Martha Kearney then spoke to Tim McGarry, one of the writers of TV sitcom ‘Give My Head Peace’, and starring as the role Da. ‘Give My Head Peace’ hit the screens not long after the Good Friday Agreement and broke many taboos about The Troubles - it was based on two families - one Republican, one Loyalist. Even in the darkest of days, people often find a way of cracking a joke to ease the tension…
Today’s Mishal Husain spoke to the founder of the humanitarian organisation ‘Save Ukraine’, Mykola Kuleba, who is also the Ukraine’s former children’s ombudsman. Kuleba explained how the charity ‘Save Ukraine’ returned Ukrainian children home after they had been taken from Russian occupied areas. Children were visiting what they had been told was a two week summer camp, and have only now been reunited with their parents six months later. Some children, as young as eleven, spoke of being made to sing the Russian national anthem-- or write notes explaining why they hadn't. Thousands of Ukrainian families still have children in Russia.Image credit: Valentyn Ogirenko, 07.04.23
A series of events are taking place to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.The Good Friday Agreement ended 30 years of violent conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles, which cost the lives of more than 3,500 people.However divisions still persist. Police in Northern Ireland believe dissident republicans will use the anniversary to spark violence and attack officers.The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is currently blocking the formation of an executive as part of the party's protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements between the UK and EU.The BBC’s Martha Kearney spoke to four people who have grown up since the peace agreement. (Image: Aerial view over City Hall, Belfast, Credit: BBC)
Housing Secretary Michael Gove has admitted that the government has made mistakes in the social housing sector.His admission comes following our series on the death of 58-year-old Sheila Seleaone in Peckham, which went unnoticed by her housing association Peabody for more than two years.Sheila's neighbours first alerted the housing association to maggots and 'the smell of death' in 2019 - it wasn't until February 2023 that Sheila's body was found in her flat.Mr Gove told Today's Nick Robinson that some housing associations have a culture where monetary figures have been put 'ahead of the heart and soul engagement with the residents'.(Photo Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
After former police officer David Carrick was convicted for offences, including dozens of rapes, the Metropolitan Police began a review in January to root out unsuitable staff.
It has found that hundreds of officer cases need further checking - the Met Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley says the force can not succeed in its policing mission until changes are made.
Today's Mishal Husain talks with Sir Mark regarding the investigation of officer criminal convictions.
(Photo Credit: CARL DE SOUZA/Pool via REUTERS)
Sheila Seleoane lay dead for two and a half years before her body was found - despite repeated efforts to raise the alarm. Sheila was a 58-year-old medical secretary who died in her South London flat in August 2019.In a final report by the BBC's Harry Farley, he goes back to speak to her neighbours.Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Ian McDermott, chief executive of Peabody, the housing association which was Sheila’s landlord.
Sheila Seleoane was found in her Peckham flat in February 2023 and had to be identified by dental records.Her neighbours initially made complains to their housing association, Peabody, about a foul stench and maggots in 2019 – but the housing association only made one “proactive attempt” to contact the tenant and cut off her gas.Miss Seleoane’s last known contact was with her GP in August 2019, and when her body was found, the cause of her death was unascertained due to the advanced state of composition of her body.But what was she like and who was she? In the second in a series of three, Harry Farley talks to Today’s Justin Webb about loneliness and isolation while living in an urban area.
Residents in a south London block of flats are considering legal action against a housing association, after their neighbour lay dead for two and a half years before her body was found, despite their efforts to raise the alarm. 58-year-old Sheila Seleoane, was a medical secretary, who was found in her flat in Peckham last year. For Sheila's neighbours though it had been obvious for a long time that something was wrong.This week we’re looking more closely at Shelia's story, to explore what happened and what it tells us about modern Britain. Harry Farley speaks to Today's Mishal Husain, and in the first of three reports, he asks why it took so long before Sheila was discovered?
Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to Christopher Eccleston following the closure of the Oldham Coliseum due to a loss of funding from Arts Council England. They are giving money to build a new theatre in Oldham instead. The closing night saw an emotional Christopher Eccleston and Maxine Peake perform excerpts from a new adaptation of Ken Loach's film I, Daniel Blake - which was due to have been on the Coliseum stage this summer. Eccleston talked about his frustration at the lack of funding, which he felt especially targets arts in the North West. The actor discussed growing up in a working class background and the ever-growing elitism of the arts: ‘you’ve got to be Oxbridge otherwise you can’t act’, he says. He says he became an actor not for money, but for his own self-expression and ‘pursuit of the heart’, and that he couldn’t do so without the support of his wonderful family.
It was twelve years ago that the actor Jason Watkins and his wife Clara Francis lost their two year old daughter to sepsis. Now, the couple have made a documentary for ITV called "Jason and Clara: in memory of Maudie" - to raise awareness of the dangers of the condition. Today's Martha Kearney spoke to them about why they decided to make the documentary.(IMAGE CREDIT: David M. Bennett / Getty Images)
Are you satisfied with the performance of the NHS? Fewer people than ever now answer yes to that question. Just 29% say they are satisfied with the health service in the latest British Social Attitudes Survey - that's the lowest level since the survey began 40 years ago. Today's Nick Robinson spoke to Rachel Power, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, and to Chris Hopson, Chief Strategy Officer of NHS England, about why satisfaction is so low and what NHS bosses plan to do about it.(IMAGE CREDIT: ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (13802777b))
The Today Debate is about taking a subject and pulling it apart with more time than we could ever have during the Today programme in the morning.Today presenter Mishal Husain is joined by an expert panel in the BBC's Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House to look at the future of policing in 'The Today Debate: Policing and us - how can we fix it?'Her guests include Baroness Louise Casey, whose year long review into the Metropolitan Police found the force suffers from "institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia". The Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. Mina Smallman, whose daughters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry were murdered in London in June 2020. Two Met officers were subsequently jailed for sharing images of their bodies in a WhatsApp group.Steve Hartshorn, National Chair for the Police Federation of England and Wales, one of the largest police staff associations in the UK representing more than 130,000 rank and file officers.And Sir Peter Fahy, former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.
Three gambling firms owned by William Hill are to pay penalties of £19.2m – the biggest ever UK gambling fine. In one case, a customer was allowed to open a new account and spend £23,000 in 20 minutes without any checks. Today's Nick Robinson spoke to the chief executive of the Gambling Commission, Andrew Rhodes, about the company’s failure to protect consumers and evidence of weak anti-money laundering controls. William Hill says it’s now under new ownership and management.(IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS/Phil Noble)
The winner of the contest to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader is to be announced later. The winner will face a vote at Holyrood on Tuesday before also being confirmed as Scotland's new first minister. Regardless of who wins, their in tray is considerable. Today's Mishal Husain spoke to Carolyn Currie, Scotland chair of the Productivity Institute, Jeanne Freeman, former Scottish Health Secretary, and to Professor Lindsay Patterson, Professor of Education policy at the University of Edinburgh, about what the new SNP leader will face.(IMAGE CREDIT: Ken Jack/Getty Images)
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse started out as a few comforting drawings for friends, and eventually became a book which sold 8 million copies. It was then then turned into an animated film with a star studded voice cast which won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Creator Charles Macksey speaks to Today’s Simon Jack about the meteoric rise of the project.(IMAGE CREDIT: ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (13814888eb))
The Bank of England has raised interest rates again after inflation rose unexpectedly this week. Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England, told Today’s Sean Farrington that companies who raised prices risked driving up the cost of living, hurting those that can least afford it. Sean also discusses with Mr Bailey the health of the UK economy and how to guard against a run on the banks in an age of social media and online banking.(Image Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Nicola Sturgeon issued a "sincere, heartfelt and unreserved" apology on Tuesday to people affected by the practice of forced adoption in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. It is estimated 60,000 women in Scotland had babies adopted because they were unmarried. This apology follows others around the world including Australia and Ireland. The UK government has previously stated that an official state apology was not appropriate.Today's Justin Webb speaks to Jill Killington who had a forced adoption of her son in 1960.(Image credit: Liudmila_Fadzeyev/ Getty Images)
The inflation rate rose unexpectedly to 10.4% in February, up from 10.1% in January. The Office for National Statistics says the Consumer Prices Index rate has been pushed up by higher prices in cafes, pubs and restaurants and the cost of food and clothing.The BBC's Business Editor Simon Jack speaks to Minette Batters, President of National Farmers Union, and Karen Ward, Chief Market Strategist EMEA at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.Today's Amol Rajan also speaks to Simon about the figures which measure how quickly prices go up.(Image Credit: SolStock/ Getty Images)
A highly critical report on Britain's biggest police force has found it to be "institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic". Baroness Louise Casey's review says the Metropolitan Police has failed to protect the public from staff who abuse women, and that female officers and staff routinely experienced sexism. Mishal Husain speaks to the report's author Baroness Casey, as well as Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley about the findings. Mishal also spoke to the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan who, with the Home Secretary, is responsible for overseeing the Met.(Image: Baroness Casey, Credit: Kirsty O'Connor/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The businessman Henry Dimbleby who co-founded Leon has announced he is stepping down as a government adviser on food policy.Today's Mishal Husain speaks to Henry Dimbleby about food policy and his new book 'Ravenous: How to get ourselves and Our Planet into Shape'.(Image credit: RichLegg/ Getty Images)
It has been two decades since the ground invasion of Iraq began. British and US forces led the attack which led to the toppling of Saddam Hussain's regime. The instability that followed led to brutal sectarian conflict, and eventually the rise of the Islamic State.The BBC's International Editor Jeremy Bowen has travelled through Iraq and reports on the legacy and consequences of the invasion in 2003. Today's Justin Webb also speaks to Sir Jeremy Greenstock, UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 1998 and 2003 and the UK's Special Representative for Iraq. (Image credit: REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani)
Following on from the government’s announcement on better pay for health workers, Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to Sir Derek Jacobi who plays Ambrose in ‘Allelujah’, a new film which shows the pressures on the NHS. ‘Allelujah’ is based on the play by Alan Bennet, and set in a small Yorkshire hospital where most of the patients are elderly. The cast is drawn from some of the best known actors in the country including Jennifer Saunders, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Derek Jacobi. Sir Derek told Martha about his bumptious character, Ambrose; and the joyful nature of an older ensemble cast – ‘we sit there… and travel back in time’. He spoke about his positive experiences at the NHS and the rejuvenating pleasure of being an actor for over sixty years.IMAGE CREDIT: Eamonn M. McCormack and Stringer - Getty Images.jpg
The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered his first Budget speech on Wednesday. It includes policies directed at getting people into work, and keeping them there, which are central to the Budget and will lead to key changes on childcare and pensions.
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to the Chancellor about his new economic measures and Today's Amol Rajan speaks to the Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
(Image credit: Jeff Overs/BBC)
Lisa Squire, whose daughter Libby was killed in 2019, says indecent exposure and other “non contact sexual offences” need to be taken a lot more seriously.
She tells Mishal Husain she suspects the man who murdered Libby may have been the same man who had earlier exposed himself to her before her death.
(IMAGE CREDIT: Family Handout/PA Wire)
The BBC's flagship football show is facing a crisis after its stars, pundits and commentators all boycott the show in solidarity with Gary Lineker. Today’s Amol Rajan spoke to former Director General of the BBC, Greg Dyke, who said he thinks the BBC was “mistaken.” (IMAGE CREDIT: Ian Walton/PA Wire)
Judgements made in the family courts can affect families forever, including placing children in care or for adoption. After decades of calls for greater scrutiny of the family courts, at the end of January journalists gained access to report proceedings, in a landmark pilot scheme. Three court centres in Leeds, Carlisle and Cardiff allowed accredited journalists to report cases for the first time, providing the families involved remained anonymous. Our Correspondent Sanchia Berg spent several weeks in Leeds Family Court attending hearings. This week Today has featured a series of her reports, highlighting some of the issues that are usually hidden, including a mother's 'remarkable turnaround' to win back her baby. Today presenter Martha Kearney, also spoke to the judge who spearheaded the pilot, Justice Lieven.
Trading Standards officers say one in three vaping products may fall foul of regulations - breaking the rules on nicotine strength and health warnings. They have also raised concerns about sales to children and want higher fines for shops. Today's Justin Webb spoke to a mother and her 15 year-old daughter about her vaping addiction, and to Kate Pike, Lead Officer for Vaping at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, about what can be done about it.(IMAGE CREDIT: Nicholas.T.Ansell/PA Wire)
The home secretary has acknowledged 80,000 people could cross the channel on small boats this year.Suella Braverman was defending new proposals for anyone found to have entered the UK illegally to be removed from the country within 28 days, but also be blocked from returning or claiming British citizenship in future.The United Nations Refugee Agency has accused the government of violating the Refugee Convention introduced after the Second World War through its proposals to tackle small boats.The BBC’s Nick Robinson spoke to the home secretary and then to Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford.(Image, Migrants disembark border vessel, Credit, Gareth Fuller PA)
Wayne Couzens, the ex-police officer who murdered Sarah Everard was given a rare whole life sentence, meaning he will never be released from prison.However he has now also pleaded guilty to three incidents of indecent exposure. That means questions are now being asked as to whether his earlier offences could have identified him as a violent threat to women – and what his case tells us about so-called ‘flashers’ going on to commit far more serious sexual offences.The BBC’s Justin Webb spoke to three women in their 20s who have all been subjected to indecent exposure, and to Dame Diana Johnson, Chair of the Home Affairs select committee.(Image, young woman with head in hands, Credit Getty Images)
BBC Radio 2's Ken Bruce presents his final show on Friday as he leaves the station after 31 years hosting its weekday mid-morning show.His slot is the most listened-to show on British radio, and he will now join rival commercial station Greatest Hits Radio.Bruce was originally due to complete his Radio 2 contract on 24 March, but tweeted last week that the BBC had asked him to host the last edition of his weekday mid-morning show on 3 March instead.Today's Garry Richardson speaks to Ken Bruce about his career at the BBC and quizzes him in a mini Today version of Popmaster.(Photo credit: Pete Dadds/ BBC)
Today’s Nick Robinson speaks to Isabel Oakeshott, the British political journalist who handed thousands of Matt Hancock’s private WhatsApps to the Daily Telegraph. She was given copies of the texts while helping the former Health Secretary write his book, ‘Pandemic Diaries’. Today’s Amol Rajan then speaks to Anne Longfield, the Children's Commissioner during the pandemic, asking her whether closing schools was a good decision for the wellbeing of children. Nick Robinson picked up with Education Minister Nick Gibb, who told the programme he was awaiting the outcome of the Covid enquiry.Image: BBC Images November 2022
Today’s Amol Rajan speaks to the historian Lord Hennessy about the changing nature of British politics before and after Covid-19. His latest book ‘A Duty of Care’ argues the pandemic can provide Britain with a moment to forge a better future.“There are so many crucial clocks ticking… we can’t waste another decade,” he argues. He reveals his concerns about Britain’s ageing population, the more “fragmented” nature of society, and the rise of scandals. But he also shares his optimism for what the future holds for Britain.
An Irish Goodbye is the story of two brothers, one with Down’s syndrome, who lose their mother. The dark comedy has already won a BAFTA and an Oscar nomination.Today's Martha Kearney spoke to one of the film’s stars, James Martin, who has Down’s syndrome like the character he plays in the film. At his home in Belfast, they discussed his acting career, the film’s critical acclaim and its chances at next week’s Oscars.CREDIT: BBC
Martha Kearney has been reporting from Belfast this week, looking at the impact on Northern Ireland from a lack of functioning government.Martha spoke to Adele Johnstone, who is waiting for an inquiry to start after she – along with thousands of other mothers - was made to put her son up for adoption when she gave birth as an unmarried 17 year-old. A public inquiry into the scandal was put on hold after the power sharing government collapsed. Martha also reported from the Thales plant, which makes the NLAW system distributed across Ukraine to help fight Russian tanks. She is the first journalist to visit the plant, which employs 800 people across Northern Ireland, since the war started.Credit : BBC
Matt Hancock, the former Health Secretary, has disputed claims he rejected expert advice on Covid tests for people going into care homes at the start of the pandemic.The Daily Telegraph newspaper has printed WhatsApp messages which suggest Mr Hancock was told in April 2020 that "testing of all going into care homes" was recommended. A spokesperson for Mr Hancock said the messages have been doctored to create a false story.Today's Nick Robinson spoke to Lord Bethell, a health minister under Matt Hancock during the pandemic, about why these decisions were taken.Credit:ReutersLocation: Oxford, United Kingdom
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gives an exclusive interview to Today's Martha Kearney about his Northern Ireland Brexit deal with the European Union. He says the new Brexit framework is a "huge step forward" for Northern Ireland, addressing key “challenges” with the original Brexit deal. The Democratic Unionist Party are considering whether to back the deal and re-enter power sharing government at Stormont. Mr Sunak says he understands parties need "time and space" to consider the details but argues: "The people of Northern Ireland need and deserve their government to be up and running."(Photo: Rishi Sunak. Credit: Dan Kitwood/PA Wire)
Blake Morrison is the last of 3 siblings, having lost both a sister and a half sister in recent years, he decided to go in search for the answers as to why the outcomes of their lives had been so different. Blake spoke with Today's Justin Webb and Mishal Husain about his new memoir, Two sisters, in which he takes a look back at their lives and what led them down such different and difficult paths. He discusses the ethics of writing a memoir.
The shooting of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in Omagh stirred painful memories - not just of The Troubles but more recent violence. The young journalist Lyra McKee was fatally shot while covering rioting in Londonderry in 2019. Police have investigated links with dissident Republicans with both the attacks. Father Martin Magill, a Catholic priest from the Falls Road in Belfast, gave a powerful speech at Lyra McKee's funeral. He spoke to Today's Martha Kearney about this latest violence. Photo: Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell. Credit: Pacemaker
To mark exactly one year since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet presents from Kyiv.She speaks to Ukraine’s Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko about how things have changed in the country. Lyse also speaks to three Ukrainian women who are leading the fight against Russia.The BBC's International Editor Jeremy Bowen reports on the current situation in the war, and has been catching up with Ukrainians previously heard in his reporting over last twelve months.(Photo: Ukraine flag, Credit: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Nick Robinson reports from Berlin, examining the dramatic turnaround in German attitudes to peace and war since the invasion of Ukraine and the angst that has produced. We hear from the former bishop of Hanover on a 'Manifesto for Peace', deputy economy minister Niels Annen on whether we're at the start of a new Cold War - and Nick speaks to Timothy Garton Ash, historian and Professor of European Studies at Oxford University on how Russia's war in Ukraine has changed the politics of Europe.(Credit: Getty Images)
Sir Keir Starmer launches what he calls five national "missions" - outlining his plans for the UK if Labour wins the next general election. They include delivering the highest growth in the G7. The others are being a clean energy superpower, securing the NHS for the future, making streets safe and breaking down barriers to opportunity by reforming childcare and education.He spoke to the Today programme's Amol Rajan. (Credit: Getty Images / Location: Manchester, United Kingdom / Copyright: Getty, Dominic Lipinski, Stringer)
Former Labour PM Sir Tony Blair and ex-Conservative leader Lord William Hague discuss their joint plan for a "technological revolution" with Today's Justin Webb.
If companies know they inappropriately installed a prepayment meter, then they should fix it now’ was the message today from the CEO of the energy regulator OFGEM. The forced installation of prepayment meters was suspended after an investigation by The Times into British Gas contractors breaking into the homes of vulnerable customers to force-fit meters. OFGEM will investigate British Gas and will also review regulations on the installation of prepayment meters, which have increased sharply over the last year. Credit: ReutersLocation: Cardiff, United KingdomCopyright: Reuters/Natasha Hirst
As the one year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches, President Joe Biden is to address world leaders in Poland. Today’s Nick Robinson visited Narva in Estonia, close to the Russian border, to see the impact of the war in Ukraine. He also spoke to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and asked what her message would be for President Biden.
London's mayor Sadiq Khan has announced he is launching a £130m scheme to give every primary school pupil free school meals in the capital for the next academic year. The scheme will reach 270,000 more children and will start in September and follows similar decisions by London councils in Newham, Islington, Southwark and Tower Hamlets to offer their own universal free school meals to primary children. Last month, Westminster City Council also began providing free school meals for primary pupils in a scheme set to run for at least 18 months. Today’s Justin Webb spoke first to Henry Dimbleby, former head of the government’s National Food Strategy, who welcomed the move and the Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Nicola Sturgeon called a surprise press conference and announced on Wednesday to announce that she was resigning as Scotland's first minister after eight years in the job. The SNP's national executive will meet on Thursday to decide the timetable for a leadership race.The Today programme’s Nick Robinson presented the programme from Edinburgh. He spoke to Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s leader in Westminster and he was joined by the BBC’s Scotland Editor James Cook to examine the challenges that lie ahead for the next leader of the party. (Image, Nicola Sturgeon, Credit, EPA-EFEREXShutterstock)
Writer and scholar Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, best-known for writing about literary giants such as Lewis Carroll and Charles Dickens, has turned his attention to his own life. The academic, who discovered six years ago that he had multiple sclerosis, wanted to examine how he had entered ‘a new kingdom, a new country’ with his diagnosis. Martha Kearney spoke to Professor Douglas-Fairhurst at Magdalen College, Oxford where he teaches English Literature about his new book Metamorphosis: A Life in Pieces.(Image, Martha Kearney and Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Credit, BBC)
It's Valentine’s Day and if you haven't quite got round to penning a poem for the one you love - fear not. Help is at hand. The AI chatbot has had its own stab at writing a romantic Shakespearean sonnet. Actor Charles Dance reads it for us – as well as Shakespeare’s famous Sonnet 18 - and discusses them alongside Oxford University’s Professor Laurie Maguire.
(IMAGE CREDIT: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
The US has shot down different sorts of flying objects detected over North America. The sensors of the first object have been retrieved, and John Kirby, spokesman for President Biden’s National Security Council, confirmed it was a Chinese balloon. What is going on? Today’s Justin Webb spoke to Admiral Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and to Sir Alex Younger, the former head of MI6.
(IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS/Randall Hill/File Photo/File Photo)
The poet and author Michael Rosen spent 40 days on a ventilator in a medically induced coma after falling ill during the pandemic. Doctors dubbed him “Resurrection of the Year”. His new memoir, Getting Better, reflects not just on that experience but the immense grief that followed the death of his dear son Eddie, at the age of 18, from meningitis.(IMAGE CREDIT: David Levenson/Getty Images)
One week on from the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, the death toll has passed 33,000. Rescue attempts continue, and survivors are living in tents for fear their homes may still collapse. In Syria, there are serious difficulties in getting aid convoys through the single official border crossing point that is open. Today's Mishal Husain hears from BBC correspondents in both countries to learn about the ongoing humanitarian effort.(IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS/Sertac Kayar)
More than 24,000 people are now known to have died after Monday's earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Millions of people are thought to be homeless in the northern region of Syria which was hit.The BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet is in Turkey and reports from Gaziantep where the search for survivors is continuing. Today's Amol Rajan speaks to Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General António Guterre, about the scale of the challenge of delivering aid in Syria. He also speaks to Wisam Afisa, a British-Syrian national in Aleppo who is part of the humanitarian effort to help people there.(Image: Aftermath of the earthquake in Aleppo, Credit: Firas Makdesi/ Reuters)
New figures from the Office of National Statistics show that the UK has managed to avoid a recession. Inflation is slowing, but the UK has not managed to reach the levels of growth needed for pay increases. On Thursday, as AstraZeneca announced it had opted to build a new factory in Dublin rather than in Macclesfield, its CEO said '"you need an environment that gives you good returns and incentive to invest".Today's Nick Robinson spoke to Dame Deanne Julius, former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, and Julian Metcalfe, CEO of Itsu, about what the UK government needs to do to increase economic growth. Martha Kearney spoke to the BBC’s Business Editor Simon Jack and Richard Torbett, CEO of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, about why AstraZeneca chose to invest outside the UK and what the government can do to make the UK more attractive to investors.Image Credit : By: Neil HallCredit :EPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockLocation :London, United KingdomCopyright: Copyright (c) 2023 Shutterstock. No use without permission.
Michelle Yeoh is nominated for her starring role in Everything Everywhere All At Once at the Oscars, which has already earned her a Golden Globes win in January. She will become the first Asian woman to triumph in the Best Actress category if she wins the Academy Award.
Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Michelle Yeoh.
(Image: Michelle Yeogh, Credit: Ian West/ PA)
Irish actor Paul Mescal, known for his role in Normal People, is nominated for Best Actor at this year's Oscars for his role in Aftersun, which is streaming on MUBI.He is currently starring as Stanley Kowalski in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire in the West End. Speaking with the Today programme - in his first interview since being nominated for the Best Actor Oscar - the Irish actor told Martha Kearney about the challenges he, and his family, have been going through.(Image, Paul Mescal, Credit, BBC)
The earthquake is bringing stories of terrible tragedy but also survival. The Today programme heard Nesli Akarsu, who lived in the worst hit Turkish province, tell her UK-based brother-in-law Cengiz Akarsu how her family escaped.
In an emotional interview with Today’s Nick Robinson, she describes receiving messages from friends and students at her school telling her they too have survived.
(Image, Kahramanmaras, Turkey Credit Stoyan Nenov, Reuters)
Rescuers are raising concerns that freezing conditions could delay efforts to find survivors across Syria and Turkey. Agencies and rescue workers are racing to save people trapped beneath the rubble after thousands of buildings collapsed in both countries.More than 11,000 people are now known to have been killed, and in freezing temperatures, the death toll will continue to rise. The first 7.8 magnitude quake struck near Gaziantep in the early hours of Monday morning, while people were asleep, and was followed by a 7.5 magnitude tremor hours later.The Today programme’s Mishal Husain and Nick Robinson spoke to reporter Anna Foster, who is in Kahramanmaras, the epicentre of the earthquake and Salah Aboulgasem from Islamic Relief. The BBC’s Middle East Correspondent, Tom Bateman, reports from Adana in southern Turkey.
An international aid effort is being stepped up in southern Turkey and northern Syria following a huge earthquake that has killed more than 5,000 people. Rescuers are racing to save people trapped beneath the rubble after thousands of buildings collapsed in both countries. The 7.8 magnitude quake struck near Gaziantep in the early hours of Monday while people were asleep. The Today programme’s Justin Webb spoke to Sherine Ibrahim, the Turkey Country Director for CARE International who is in Gaziantep and Andrew Mitchell, Minister for Development. The BBC’s Middle East Correspondent, Tom Bateman, reports from south East Turkey, near the epicentre. (Image Hatay, Turkey, Credit, Erdem Şahin EPA-EFEREXShutterstock)
The prospect of fully self-driving cars is still some way off, but are we thinking enough about whether it should happen? Today’s Justin Webb spoke to American philosopher Matthew Crawford - author of 'Why we drive' - about the impact that driverless cars could have on humanity and society. They explore questions like: Are we becoming too dependent on technology? Is 'agency' a key part of what it means to be human? And how does driving a car reflect the way people interact with others? (Image: Self-driving car; Credit: Getty Images)
A major earthquake has struck south-eastern Turkey, near the city of Gaziantep.The quake measured 7.8 magnitude on the US Geological Survey and occurred around a region of instability called the East Anatolian fault, which runs close to the border.A rescue operation is underway across much of southern Turkey and northern Syria following amid concerns that 1,000 people have died. The Today programme’s Mishal Husain spoke to Ismail Al Abdullah, from the White Helmets civil defence organisation, and Ibrahim Ozer Director General for Disaster Management at the Turkish Red Crescent.(Image, Turkey earthquake, Credit Deniz Tekin EPA EFEREXShutterstock)
The US Secretary of state's trip to China was cancelled over the Chinese spy balloon incident, creating tensions between the US and China.
Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state under Donald Trump and former director of the CIA, spoke with Today's Nick Robinson.
(Image Credit:Chase Doak/Reuters)
Comedian and broadcaster Griff Rhys Jones, who is president of the Victorian Society, helping to spearhead a new campaign to stop development plans for Grade II listed Liverpool Street Station in London. He spoke to Today’s Amol Rajan about protecting the nation’s heritage – and Justin Webb reveals how Griff encouraged his teenage attempts at comedy back in 1980.(Image Credit: Alex Segre/BBC)
British Gas has suspended the forced installation of pre-payment meters following a report that debt collectors employed by the company have been fitting them in the homes of vulnerable customers. Energy regulator Ofgem has begun an investigation. Companies can apply to the courts for a warrant, authorising the fitting of a pre-payment meter if a customer hasn't paid their bills. Today's Mishal Husain spoke to Chris O'Shea, Chief Executive of Centrica which owns British Gas, and Paul Morgan-Bently, Head of Investigations at The Times who went undercover for the investigation. Today's Nick Robinson also spoke to Labour shadow minister Ed Miliband. (Image: Smart Meter with prepayment tariff, Credit: DANIEL LEAL/ AFP/ Getty Images)
Hundreds of thousands of workers are taking part in what unions say is the largest day of industrial action for more than a decade. School teachers, university staff, train drivers and civil servants are taking coordinated action in their disputes over pay and conditions. It is expected to be the biggest day of industrial action in a decade.
Today's Justin Webb spoke to Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, and Nick Robinson spoke to Gillian Keegan, Education Secretary. They also heard from two head teachers.
(Image: Striking teachers on the Tube in London, Credit: Kevin Coombs/ Reuters)
Everyone will live within 15 minutes' walk of a green space or water under new government plans to restore nature. The "blueprint" sets out how ministers intend to clean up air and water, boost nature and reduce waste over the next five years in England. Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to Joan Edwards, director of policy at the Wildlife Trust, and Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, about how it’ll work and what more could be done.(Image: Hedgehog, Credit: Ola Jennersten /WWF-Sweden/ PA)
Rishi Sunak is facing questions over his sacking of Nadhim Zahawi. An inquiry found the Conservative chairman had failed to disclose a tax investigation, and this was a "serious" breach of the code of conduct for ministers. Today's Martha Kearney spoke to the BBC’s Political Editor Chris Mason, while Mishal Husain examined the government's defence with Health Minister Helen Whately. (Image credit: PA)
Bodycam footage released last night shows Tyre Nichols, a 29 year black man being repeatedly kicked, punched and pepper sprayed by police officers while lying on the ground. Five officers, themselves black, have been fired from the force. The BBC’s Barbara Plett-Usher speaks to the mother of Tyre Nichols and Today’s Martha Kearney interviews local politician Steve Cohen about what he felt watching the video(IMAGE CREDIT: Facebook/Deandre Nichols/via REUTERS)
In his first full length interview since Pinocchio was nominated for an Oscar, Guillermo Del Toro and his co-director Mark Gustafson came into the Today Programme studio - bringing in two of the puppets. They discussed with Martha Kearney the painstaking process of using stop motion animation which uses physical puppets, as well as the film's setting in Mussolini's fascist Italy.(IMAGE CREDIT: Roy Rochlin / Stringer / Getty Images)
America's 30 tanks, Britain's 14, and Germany's pledge of another 14 in addition to commitments from Poland and possibly from France still leave Ukraine well short of the 300 it asked for. Today's Mishal Husain and Nick Robinson spoke to the NATO Secretary General and former Norwegian prime minister Jens Stollenberg and advisor to Ukranie's defence minister Yuri Sak about what difference the tanks would make to the war.
(IMAGE CREDIT: Photo by Sgt Anthony Prater/DVIDS/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (13741081a))
Here on Today we have heard from a variety of Oscar nominees over the last few weeks. They include: Cate Blanchett on her role in Tár; Brendan Fraser on his role in The Whale; Tony Kushner on co-writing The Fabelmans; novelist Sir Kazuo Ishiguro on Living; John Landau who produced Avatar: The Way of Water; and Angie Marchese who advised on Elvis. Hear all of those interviews in full.(Image: Oscar statue, Credit: CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Five days ago the Prime minister said the issues around Nadhim Zahawi “had been addressed in full” but has now called an his ethics advisor to look into the former chancellor and current Conservative chairman. There are also questions about BBC Chairman Richard Sharp’s links with former PM Boris Johnson prior to his appointment. Today's Mishal Husain spoke to to Policing Minister Chris Philp about both issues. Amol Rajan spoke to former acting chair of the BBC Trust, Professor Diane Coyle & former Culture Minister Lord Vaizey.(By:Peter Nicholls - Credit : Reuters)
The NHS is under great pressure, with record waiting times, ambulances queuing outside crowded hospitals and more nurse and paramedic strikes to come. Today's Martha Kearney went with Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, to an NHS hospital in Warwick to see efforts to stop patients being in hospital unnecessarily. (Photo: Martha Kearney and Amanda Pritchard. Credit: BBC)
The Bank of England Governor says there are early signs “a corner has been turned on inflation". However, there was negative economic news as new figures showed retail sales fell by 1% in December - a really crucial month for shops. Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to John Allan, chairman of the supermarket chain Tesco, about food prices, which are still rising sharply; and the need for a long-term growth strategy.
Public Enemy frontman, Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, better known as Chuck D, spoke to Today's Amol Rajan about his new documentary “Fight the Power” explores the relationship between the Hip-hop movement, US politics and the struggles of black people in America. Chuck D also gave his take on the controversial rapper Kanye West. He talked about what motivated him to become an artist and what music means to black history.
There were no train strikes today, but all over the North of England people were wondering whether the train they rely on to go to work, get to school or college would run at all. A quarter of services were cancelled on Wednesday on TransPennine Express, the rail company which runs inter-city services between Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Hull.In the past, train companies relied on drivers working overtime on their rest days, but a breakdown in goodwill between management and the unions has meant there is now no agreement to do this.Today’s Nick Robinson has been in Manchester looking at the disruption and he speaks to the head of Aslef, the train drivers’ union, Mick Whelan.
The Metropolitan Police is investigating 1,000 sexual and domestic abuse claims involving about 800 of its officers. Its Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley made the announcement after PC David Carrick pleaded guilty to 49 offences, including dozens of rapes. Today's Mishal Husain spoke to Sir Mark who apologised to Carrick's victims for the force's failings. She also spoke to former Superintendent Del Babu and the former Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales Dame Vera Baird. Justin Webb also discussed the case with criminologist Professor Betsy Stanko.(IMAGE CREDIT: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire)
In the 1990s Bret Easton Ellis shot to fame after the release of his novel American Psycho but has not released a book in more than a decade. His new book Shards is a mix of autobiography and imaginings set in the Los Angeles of Easton Ellis's youth. He spoke to Today’s Justin Webb about free speech and how the literary industry has changed over his time writing.
Credit :GettyImages/NurPhoto
Under new government plans, the police will have the right to stop a protest before they can cause serious disruption.
Today's Mishal Husain spoke to Conservative MP and former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, along with Labour peer and former director of the civil liberties organisation Liberty Baroness Chakrabarti about the potential damage to protest rights and whether these powers are proportional to the problem.
By: Henry NichollsCredit: Reuters Location :London, United Kingdom
How does masculinity turn toxic? What does it actually mean to be a man? Is the remarkable appeal of a figure like Andrew Tate - the social media influencer - the product of a male malaise in liberal democracies? His TikTok videos have been condemned as deeply misogynistic but have been viewed billions of times. He has tens of millions of followers globally - most of them male, many of them very young. The Today programme’s Amol Rajan spoke to Mike Thompson, a former English teacher who now runs workshops about masculinity in Lancashire and Richard Reeves, the author of Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What To Do About It.. (Image, boy and shadow, Credit Getty Images)
Is football in danger of losing its soul to commerce? Former Manchester United footballer Eric Cantona says he would rather watch a second division team today than follow a Premier League side. He says, “I think we live in a big circus. Everybody knows that.” The Today programme’s Nick Robinson spoke to Eric Cantona and the fine artist Michael Browne about how both art and football can reflect and change society. (Image, Eric Cantona and Nick Robinson, Credit, BBC)
Cate Blanchett has just won a Golden Globe for her role as a virtuoso conductor in new film Tar. The fictional musician, who runs a major German orchestra, faces accusations of bullying and predatory behaviour. But Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Blanchett about playing a character corrupted by power, and what acting awards mean to her.(IMAGE CREDIT: BBC)
The scale of raw sewage discharges into rivers by England's biggest privatised water company has been revealed in a new interactive map that shows discharges in real time. It comes from Thames Water, which says it has voluntarily published the data ahead of companies having to do so under law.
(IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS/Yann Tessier)
The government is to introduce legislation which would ensure public sector services maintain minimum service levels during strike action.Under the proposals some trade union members would be required to continue working during a strike. Unions have condemned the proposals, while the Labour party says the plans "won't work".The move comes amid a wave of industrial action across the public sector as workers seek pay rises in the face of the rising cost of living.The Today programme’s Mishal Husain spoke to Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy about the proposed legislation. (Image, striking ambulance workers, Credit, Henry Nicholls/ Reuters)
Hundreds of rioters have been arrested after supporters of former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro invaded key democratic institutions. The security breach at the heart of Brazilian democracy has drawn comparison with the 6th January 2021 attack on the US Capitol by followers of Donald Trump.There has been international condemnation of the scenes in Brasilia.The Today programme’s Justin Webb spoke to Oliver Stuenkel who teaches international relations at the Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo, the BBC’s international editor Jeremey Bowen and Marianna Spring, the BBC’s disinformation & social media correspondent.(Image, Brasilia riot, Credit, Adriano Machado/ Reuters)
Amid the current extreme pressure on hospitals -another ambulance strike in England is due next week followed by a further one later in the month and another two nurses strikes. How do we make the NHS better is a question we are going to try and answer - both with listener and expert contributions. The aim is to identify some immediate achievable changes that can make a difference. Today's Mishal Husain and Martha Kearney hear from a medical company has designed technology to create a virtual ward, allowing hospitals to discharge some patients but still monitor their condition while they are recovering at home, and from Richard Murray, Chief Executive of the health think tank the King’s Fund.(IMAGE CREDIT: James Manning/PA Wire)
The National Association of Funeral Directors, which says its members often have to act as counsellors, is organising a petition to get the matter debated in Parliament. It wants one age-appropriate lesson taught to children during PSHE - that's Personal, Social, Health and Economic - classes. Today's Amol Rajan spoke to children's author Michael Rosen and Head of Development and Education at Child Bereavement UK Tracey Boseley about the support available for children.
(IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images / Mark Gibson)
Rishi Sunak has been criticised for dropping Liz Truss’s plans to expand and deregulate childcare. Today's Nick Robinson discusses how childcare can be made more affordable with Christine Farquharson, Senior Research Economist at the IFS, Justine Roberts, founder and chief executive of Mumsnet, and Robin Walker, MP, Chair of the Education Select Committee.
(IMAGE CREDIT: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
Steven Moffat joined Today's Nick Robinson to talk about his new play, the Unfriend, and the differences between writing for stage and screen. They also discuss the futures of his most recent TV offering, Inside Man, the and hit show Sherlock.(Image: Steven Moffat, Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett/BBC)
Today’s final Christmas guest editor this year is Dame Sharon White, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership and former head of telecoms regulator Ofcom. She was named as the most powerful black person in the country in the 2023 Power List. One of the key issues for her programme is how society can help more people who have been in care get into employment – and includes a report from the BBC’s Ashley John-Baptiste, who grew up in care. She also speaks to world renown choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne about how to attract a wider audience to ballet, and she interviews England rugby star Maro Itoje about his activism off the field.
Today’s sixth Christmas guest editor is Anne-Marie Imafidon – computer scientist, CEO and co-presenter of Countdown.
Hear highlights of her programme, whose central theme is opportunity. She looks at how we work, how we fund science, and how we recognise the achievements of women which have been lost to history, such as Dr Gladys Mae West, whose maths work paved the way for GPS navigation.
We also explore two of Anne-Marie’s big passions – Nigerian food and trainers.
Björn Ulvaeus has guest edited BBC Radio 4's Today and his programme included a lot of insights and encounters about Eurovision. Hear him talk to one of the British jurors who in 1974 gave ABBA's Waterloo "nul points" - and doesn't regret it! He also discusses with Erasure's Andy Bell, Radio 1's Adele Roberts and UK Eurovision presenter Rylan Clark the appeal of the contest and ABBA itself to the LGBT+ community. Bjorn also speaks to Martin Österdahl, executive supervisor of Eurovision, about whether it can move to be a fully global competition. (Photo: ABBA triumph at 1974 Eurovision. Credit: BBC)
Today's fifth Christmas guest editor is Björn Ulvaeus from ABBA.Hear highlights from his programme, which looks at the impact of Artificial Intelligence and technology on music, the future of democracy and of course Eurovision - the contest which launched Abba's global success nearly 50 years ago. Guests include Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics, the historian Noah Yuval Harari, Andy Bell from Erasure, the boss of Eurovision, as well as its UK presenter Rylan Clark, and former culture minister Lord Vaizey.
Today's fourth Christmas guest editor this year is Sir Jeremy Fleming, director of GCHQ, the UK's largest but probably least known intelligence agency. Hear highlights from his programme which centres on the theme of data and trust, including how we all share our own personal information and how intelligence agencies across the world handle that data. Guests include Avril Haines, the United States director of national intelligence, Vint Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the internet, and multiple Olympic champion Sir Ben Ainslie, who discusses the use of data in his sport of sailing.
Today's third guest editor this Christmas is Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was detained for six years in Iran - before being freed and coming home nine months ago. Hear highlights from her programme including the voices of families of current political prisoners in Iran and Nazanin speaking to chef Yotam Ottolenghi about why one of his recipes has a special resonance for her - and about the solidarity that can be found in food and cooking. Nazanin also has an emotional encounter with tennis ace Andy Murray - she tells him how, while in solitary confinement, she was able to watch him win Wimbledon in 2016 and the joy that brought her. With her husband Richard, she also reflects on trying to get back to normal life against the backdrop of the current uprising and arrests in Iran.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been in solitary confinement for months, separated from her husband and daughter, when her Iranian jailors provided a rare glimmer of joy.In July 2016, after months without books or newspapers, she was granted access to a TV with two channels - one showing Iranian soaps, the other Wimbledon tennis matches.She watched as Andy Murray secured his second Wimbledon title on Centre Court - more than 3,000 miles from her prison cell, but just a little over an hour on the Tube from her home in north London.Earlier this month the pair met at the National Tennis Centre.
Today's second guest editor this Christmas is Jamie Oliver, the chef, entrepreneur and campaigner. Hear highlights from his programme in our Best of Today podcast, including interviews with former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and former Conservative Chancellor George Osborne about expanding free lunches in schools and providing a healthy array of options for students.
Jamie Oliver has been open about his struggles in school with dyslexia. He says he was told he was taught alongside those with special needs. Jamie wanted to speak to the rapper Loyle Carner, who has ADHD about his struggles at school and what food means to him.
Our first guest editor this Christmas is Lord Botham, Ian "Beefy" Botham, former England all-rounder, crossbench peer and UK Trade Envoy to Australia.Hear highlights from his programme in our Best of Today podcast, including an interview with the current England Cricket captain Ben Stokes, about the future of the test game. It was a chance meeting after a freak injury in 1977 which first put the sportsman on the path to nearly four decades of fundraising. Lord Botham reflects on that moment and looks at advances in the treatment of childhood leukaemia, a cause for which he has raised millions of pounds, with the BBC's medical editor Fergus Walsh.
Most mornings on the programme this year we’ve been talking to our correspondents in Ukraine about the progress of the war- about cities being pummelled by Russian artillery, war crimes, people driven from their homes, and military stalemate in a conflict which has lasted far longer than Vladimir Putin anticipated in February. Today's Martha Kearney spoke to Fiona Hill, one of the world's leading experts on Russia, about what Putin might do next in the Russia-Ukraine War.(IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed US lawmakers on his first foreign trip since Russia's invasion. Mr Zelensky said US military aid to Ukraine was not charity, but an investment in security for the future. His appeal comes amid signs US support is likely to face greater scrutiny by Republican lawmakers in Congress. But President Joe Biden vowed to stick by Ukraine. Today's Martha Kearney spoke to Ben Rhodes, Former US Deputy National Security Adviser under President Obama, and Alexander Rodnyansky, Adviser to President Zelensky.(Image: President Volodymyr Zelensky, Image Credit: Shutterstock, Michael Reynolds)
In his first interview since being sacked as England rugby coach, Eddie Jones tells the Today programme he wouldn’t have done anything differently. Speaking to Today's Garry Richardson, Jones says he sensed his sacking by England was imminent. Jones, who led England to the rugby World Cup final in 2019, was dismissed earlier this month after a poor run of form. Jones also spoke to Garry about the messages he’s received from players and who he might coach next.(Image: Eddie Jones, Image Credit: EPA, Andy Rain)
The Liberty Choir sees volunteers go into prisons for weekly singing sessions with inmates, aiming to teach confidence skills and stay in touch once they’re out. Covid brought all such contact to an end. Now the choir has re-started, Today's Mishal Husain went to see it again and speak to a prison governor about its work – this time at HMP Coldingley in Surrey.
(Image: Singer with choir book; Credit: Getty Images/Sonja Filitz)
Terry Hall, the frontman of socially conscious ska band The Specials, has died at the age of 63. Known for his dour image and sharp wit, the singer found fame in the 1970s and 80s with hits like Ghost Town, Gangsters and Too Much Too Young. Today's Nick Robinson spoke to Frank Turner, singer-songwriter, and Paul Willo, the official biographer of the Specials, about what the late Terry Hall meant to them.(IMAGE CREDIT: Isabel Infantes/PA Wire)
Nurses and paramedics will walk out this week in different parts of the UK, apart from Scotland. The Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said he is open to further talks with unions – but they say he won’t engage on the key issue of pay. Today's Justin Webb spoke to Christina McAnea, General Secretary of Unison – the biggest ambulance union - about what they want from the government, and how strikes could affect life-threatening 999 calls. (IMAGE CREDIT: ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (13654910e))
Protests in Iran are now into their fourth month with many people on the streets yesterday to mark three months since the death of Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by the religious police. Two people have now been executed for taking part in the protests. As many as 26 others could face the same fate - 11 already sentenced to death and 15 more on trial or charged with capital offences. Among them is a 26 year old footballer called Amir Nasr-Azadani. Today’s Mishal Husain spoke to Finnish footballer Sebastian Strandvall, who got to know him when he went to play for an Iranian club in 2015, as well as a woman who has taken part in the protests and Azadeh Moaveni, professor of journalism at New York University who has covered Iran for over 20 years. (IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya)
As part of the Today Programme’s regular broadcasts from around the UK, Martha Kearney presented the show from Nottingham. Martha went to the Himmah food bank, which is seeing more people needing support in the run-up to Christmas. She also visited Nottingham Castle where there are ambitious plans to create a profitable tourist attraction, talking to Penny Poyser from Open the Gates and Sharon Heal from the Museum Association.(IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images)
Where do you go after being the world's most idolised secret agent? That was the dilemma for Daniel Craig after playing James Bond for five films. He’s on screens again now with his detective Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion. Martha Kearney spoke to him about the burgeoning detective franchise and the end of his time as Bond.(IMAGE CREDIT: Matt Crossick/PA Wire)
In the coming weeks and months, the Today programme is trying to do its bit to highlight some of the great children's writing - and we want your help. There was a massive response to that interview with Frank Cottrell Boyce, the author of Millions, on Tuesday, and some of you were in touch to tell us about the Carnegie Medal for Writing. There is also a Carnegie Medal for Illustration. Today's Amol Rajan spoke to Katya Balan, the winner of the 2022 Carnegie medal for children's writing for her book "October, October"(IMAGE CREDIT: Laurence Coss / BBC)
This morning, nurses throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland did something few thought they'd ever do. They walked off hospital wards, clinics and operating theatres to go on strike. Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to the nurses’ union leader, Pat Cullen, and the Health Minister Maria Caulfield, as well as hearing about a patients whose appointment has been rescheduled. (IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS/Henry Nicholls)
Researchers have confirmed they have overcome a major barrier - producing more energy from a fusion experiment than was put in. The hope is one day this generates electricity on a commercial basis but the team involved are the first to caution that is a way off. Today's Mishal Husain spoke to Dr Andrew Mackinnon, who is part of the diagnostics team at the US government's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Professor Jim Al-Khalili, theoretical physicist, author and presenter of the Life Scientific on Radio 4, about what this development means for the future of clean energy.(IMAGE CREDIT: Philip Saltonstall/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY/File Photo)
With Christmas fast approaching, many people will be scouring book shops hunting for the perfect gift. However finding a book for a young person may be more of a challenge than people think. This is because of the lack of media attention given to children's books in comparison to books for adults. Todays Mishal Husain spoke to Frank Cottrell Boyce, the author of Millions, along with Robin Stevens, who previously worked in publishing before writing the Murder Most Unladylike children's series.By:Coss, LaurenceCredit :BBCLocation :GBCopyright : BBC
With a nurses' strike scheduled later this week, the RCN has called for the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, to negotiate "seriously" over pay and working conditions in England. Today's Justin Webb spoke with the Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee, Steve Brine, and BBC's political editor, Chris Mason.CreditEPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockLocationLondon , United Kingdom
Fifteen children have died after contracting Strep A in the last three months, a higher number than is normal at this time of year. Normally, mild strep A infections cause symptoms like a sore throat or skin infections. GPs have been told to use a lower threshold now when prescribing antibiotics. Justin Webb spoke to Dawn Burns, grandmother of Camila Burns, who has been in intensive care with Strep A, alongside Professor Sir Andrew Pollard and Dr Kamila Hawthorne, who spent some time answering your questions.Photo credits: Reuters
The Today programme has asked some well-known faces to talk about the walks they do and why they’re so important to them at this time of year. Author Joanne Harris, best known for her novel Chocolat, describes her favourite walk from Almondbury, near Huddersfield, and up to Castle Hill. (Image credit: Simone Padovani/Awakening/Getty Images)
The Today programme gained access to a major hospital in Somerset and to social care in the county. Amid looming nurse and ambulance strikes and new data from the NHS on hospital wait times, Today's Mishal Husain visited Musgrove park in Taunton and spoke to A&E consultant James Gagg about their new ‘Ready to Go’ ward. She also spoke to GP Dr Matthew Booker who visits patients with a mobile medical unit, and to Jonathan Higman, Chief Executive of NHS Somerset.(IMAGE CREDIT: BBC)
Paramedics will join nurses in striking before Christmas, at a time when the NHS is grappling with long ambulance waits, growing pressures in A&E, and a lack of social care beds. Today's Mishal Husain spoke to Anne, whose husband has advanced Parkinson's and has been waiting in hospital for over a month to be discharged into care. She also spoke to an NHS paediatric consultant, who contacted the programme, about the "unprecedented levels" of patients she’s seeing at her hospital. She put these mounting challenges to Health Secretary Steve Barclay, and asked: Is the NHS in crisis?(IMAGE CREDIT: ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (13644899f))
More workers are expected to walk out as demands grow for better working conditions and pay increases to keep up with inflation. Today's Justin Webb spoke to the General Secretary of the RMT, Mick Lynch, who has advised members to vote no to the Network Rail's ballot ahead of the planned two 48 hours strikes next week - the busiest week for hospitality in the UK.
(IMAGE CREDIT: James Manning/PA Wire)
Today Labour is unveiling a report that includes recommending the House of Lords is replaced with an elected chamber if his party wins the next election. Today's Mishal Husain spoke to Opposition Leader Keir Starmer about those plans, private schools and whether rejoining the European single market would boost economic growth.
(IMAGE CREDIT: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA Wire)
The health care system has been in the news all week. Particularly the long ambulance waits outside A&E departments and delays releasing patients into social care.The President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Andrew Boyle, told the Today programme: “These problems we’re seeing with hospitals and ambulance emergency services are markers of a whole system problem.”The GP is often a patient’s first contact with the health care system - how are these issues affecting one of the key front lines in NHS?The Today programme’s Justin Webb spoke to Dr Rachel Warrington, a GP in Knowle in Bristol and Dr Kamilla Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs – herself a GP in South Wales(Image, GP surgery, Credit, Jeff Overs/ BBC)
The Today programme has asked some well-known voices to tell us about their favourite walks at this time of year.Stephen Moss, naturalist, author and birdwatcher, describes his 'walk with a difference' along the Somerset coast since suffering a stroke three weeks earlier.(Image credit: Stephen Moss)
For many years Leicester has been upheld as an example of social cohesion and tolerance. However this year there has been large scale unrest, with clashes breaking out between sections of the Hindu and Muslim communities. Dozens of people were arrested and several police officers hurt in September. And what can the police and community leaders do to stop the escalation? But what's really behind the violence and why is it happening now?The Today programme’s Mishal Husain spoke to the mayor of Leicester Sir Peter Soulsby and, first, from police and local community activists in Leicester.(Image, Leicester, Credit Bill Allsopp/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Ngozi Fulani, who founded domestic violence charity Sistah Space, was questioned about her background by Lady Susan Hussey, Prince William's godmother, at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. Ms Fulani was at the reception representing her London-based charity, which supports women of African and Caribbean heritage across the UK who have faced domestic and sexual abuse. The late Queen's lady-in-waiting has since resigned.
The palace described the remarks as unacceptable and deeply regrettable, and a spokesperson for Prince William said racism has no place in our society. Lady Hussey was a key figure in the Royal Household for many decades, having started working for the Royal Family in the same year the Queen gave birth to Prince Andrew, eventually becoming her longest-serving lady-in-waiting.
Buckingham Palace announced last week that Lady Hussey and the other former ladies-in-waiting would subsequently be known as "ladies of the household" - a role which involves helping to host occasions at the palace.
Today’s Mishal Husain spoke to Ngozi Fulani about the incident.
(Image: Ngozi Fulani, Credit: PA)
Amid the immense strain on the NHS today, with nurses going on strike, and more than 7 million people waiting for routine hospital operations, there is a paradox of sorts.
Even as we face severe staff shortages, we have a lot more students wanting to be doctors than medical school places to accommodate them.
According to the Medical Schools Council, last year there were over three times more applications than places available.
The University of Newcastle has one of the top medical schools in the country.
The Today programme’s Amol Rajan spoke first to Professor Steve Jones of the University of Newcastle, one of the top medical schools in the country, and then to two of his students.
(Image, Hospital ward, Credit, Peter Byrne/ PA)
A major trial of an experimental dementia drug has shown - for the first time - that the progression of early stage Alzheimer’s disease can be slowed down.
Nearly two thousand patients took part in the study, including some in the UK.
The effects of the treatment – called lecanemab – were small, but the Alzheimer's Society said they had the potential to be game-changing.
The Today programme’s Amol Rajan spoke to Professor Sir John Hardy, who is credited with creating the major theory of the disease we have today, the so-called amyloid cascade hypothesis.
(Image, Brain scan, Credit, Getty Images)
Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, has urged people in the UK not to "get used to" the tragedy of what is happening in her country, saying she hoped Britain would continue to offer political, financial and humanitarian help. On a visit to London, where she will meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and MPs, Ms Zelenska spoke to Today’s Mishal Husain through an interpreter.
(Image: Olena Zelenska in the Radio 4 Today Programme studio, Image credit: Anton Kulakovskyi)
Today the government published the latest version of the Online Harms Bill. Companies could face huge fines if they don't ban under age children, but ministers have dropped plans for restrictions on content described as legal but harmful. Instead, because of concerns about freedom of speech, people can filter out that kind of content for themselves. Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to Molly Russell’s father, Ian Russell, and Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan about the changes.
(IMAGE CREDIT: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
Today has announced this year’s Guest Editors, with seven taking over the programme during the festive period, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus and Jamie Oliver.
For the past 19 years, the programme has handed over the editorial reins to high-profile public figures during the week between Christmas and New Year. This year’s line-up includes:
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe – British-Iranian national who was detained in Iran Björn Ulvaeus – ABBA legend Jamie Oliver – Chef and campaigner Sir Jeremy Fleming – Director of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) Dame Sharon White – Chairman of John Lewis Partnership Lord Botham – Crossbench Peer, UK Trade Envoy to Australia and former cricketer Anne-Marie Imafidon – Technologist, CEO and author
They will each guest edit Today between 26 December and 2 January and each programme will include an interview with the Guest Editor. All of our guest editors have started working on their programmes and shared some messages. Today's Martha Kearney also spoke to Björn Ulveaus about why he wanted to guest edit the programme.
The London Fire Brigade is "institutionally” misogynist and racist, according a report into its culture.
The review, conducted by the former Chief Crown Prosecutor for north-west England, Nazir Afzal, concludes that unless the "toxic culture" is tackled other firefighters will take their own lives. The independent review was established by the London Fire Commissioner after a trainee firefighter took his own life in August 2020.
Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to Mr Afzal, who told her that he believed the issues he uncovered are common in other fire services. He added he was approached by other fire brigades and organisations as he undertook the review.
Martha also spoke to the Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade Andy Roe, who said there was no place for discrimination, harassment and bullying in the brigade.
The Today programme has asked some well-known faces to talk about the walks they do and why they’re so important to them as part of a winter walks series. Author Hunter Davies, best known for the only authorised biography of the Beatles, describes his favourite walk along Ryde Sands on the Isle of Wight.
(Image Credit: Laura Palmer/BBC)
The Royal College of Nursing has announced strikes on 15 and 20 December in its pay dispute with the government. Nurses will still provide emergency care, but routine services will be hit. It is set to be the biggest walkout by nurses in the NHS's history and will take place in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Today's Mishal Husain speaks to Pat Cullen, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, and Nick Hulme, CEO of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust. Today's Martha Kearney also speaks to Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
How does this happen? That was the question asked by the coroner investigating the death of 2 year old Awaab Ishak who died from exposure to mould on the walls of his parents’ one bed flat. The government has now stripped the association involved, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), of £1m in expected funding. Housing charity Shelter says there’s “absolutely no excuse” for housing associations to be failing tenants. Today's Nick Robinson spoke to Shelter’s chief executive Polly Neate, as well as Steve Macrae whose privately rented flat in Brighton has serious damp and mould. And he put their concerns to Housing Secretary Michael Gove.
(Image Credit :Rochdale Coroners office)
Delays in the time taken to process asylum claims have been compounded as inexperienced and low-paid staff have been hired to handle applications, several insiders have told BBC Two's Newsnight.
Local councils are complaining about the number of asylum seekers - 37,000 - they’re having to house in hotels, and most recent figure for the backlog of people waiting for decisions, from June, came to 122,000.
Home Office staff told Newsnight’s UK Editor, Sima Kotecha, that this was slowing down decisions, leading to long, expensive hotel stays for asylum seekers.
Today’s Justin Webb spoke to Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, on these delays at the Home Office and what needs to change.
Joining Mishal for the Today Debate were the Conservative Leader of Kent County Council, Roger Gough; the Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the Bishop of Dover; the Daily Telegraph Columnist, Sherelle Jacobs; former head of the UK Border Force, Tony Smith and the Labour Peer and former Director of the human rights organisation Liberty, Baroness Shami Chakrabati.
Nasa's Artemis spacecraft has arrived at the Moon – sending back selfies as it orbited the lunar surface. It marks a crucial milestone in Nasa’s first crew-capable moon mission for 50 years. The space agency hopes it will eventually lead to the Moon becoming a base for long-term space exploration. Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to Catherine Heyman, Scotland’s Astronomer Royal, and Sian Cleaver, who’s worked on a key component of the Artemis Orion spacecraft for Airbus.
(Image, Artemis' Orion space craft, Credit, NASA, 21/11/2022)
The Today programme has asked some well-known voices to tell us about their favourite walks at this time of year.
Novelist and journalist Jojo Moyes - best known for 'Me Before You' - describes a walk where she is often accompanied by her dogs in Essex, and how it’s helped her when life is challenging.
(Image Credit: Jojo Moyes)
The promised change to social care in England - billed as fixing the system by capping people's costs - has been delayed by the government for a further two years - until October 2025. Today's Mishal Husain spoke to Anne, whose husband has Parkinson's and dementia. He’s been in hospital for two weeks, because they are struggling to find him a place at a nursing home with the suitable level of care. Anne says their savings have 'got a limited life span' as they’re facing potential costs of £60,000 a year for his care.
(credit- By OVERS, Jeff. Credit BBC, Location, GB ,Copyright BBC)
A new film portrays swimmer Yusra Mardini’s journey out of Syria. Yusra and her sister Sarah swam for over three hours in the Aegean Sea, pulling a dinghy with 20 fellow refugees to safety when the engine cut out. She went on to compete for the Refugee Olympic Athletes Team at Rio 2016. Yusra, and Nathalie Issa, the actor who played her, spoke to Today about the new film ‘The Swimmers’ that tells her story.
(IMAGE CREDIT: THE SWIMMERS is in select UK cinemas now and on Netflix globally from November 23rd )
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt acknowledged that there were "very difficult times ahead" for people, but said his plans gave people "certainty" on how the government would help them through the recession. This comes after he outlined his plan for stabilising the UK economy in Thursday's Autumn Statement. He spoke to Today's Mishal Husain.
(IMAGE CREDIT: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
Today's Garry Richardson goes behind the scenes with Eddie Jones at a training session with the England men’s rugby union squad, including Owen Farrell who will be making his 100th appearance against New Zealand on Saturday.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is to announce on Thursday his plan for stabilising the UK economy and also reducing inflation. This will include an announcement of around £30bn in spending cuts and £24bn in tax rises. Today’s Mishal Husain looks ahead to the statement with the BBC's Political Editor Chris Mason, Economics Editor Faisal Islam and Business Editor Simon Jack.
CREDIT: ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
The Today programme has asked some well-known faces to talk about the walks they do and why they’re so important to them as part of a winter walks series.
Author Michelle Gallen, who wrote 'Big Girl, Small Town' and 'Factory Girls', describes her favourite walk near her childhood home in Castlederg, West Tyrone.
(Image Credit: Deci Gallen)
Over the weekend, the Antrim Area hospital in Northern Ireland had to close its emergency department, after it had reached capacity.
A major incident was declared in the Northern Health Trust at the weekend because the situation was "unsafe," says Jennifer Welsh, the chief executive of the trust.
A major incident means there are too many patients for staff to deal with safely and ambulances were turned away.
Today’s Martha Kearney was granted exclusive access to the emergency department at the Antrim Area hospital.
(Image, Martha Kearney with Jennifer Welsh, Credit, BBC)
Artist David Hockney is to unveil an exhibition at a new London venue, Lightroom, from January 2023.
David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller and further away) will allow visitors to walk through a large scale digital art experience.
The painter is best known for famous images such as The Splash and Woldgate Woods.
He has been telling the Today programme’s Nicola Stanbridge what the audience can expect to experience at the exhibition.
(Image, David Hockney, Credit, Andrew Winning/ Reuters)
The British Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah has been on hunger strike in a prison in Cairo for seven months. And despite an appeal by the new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to the Egyptian President, he has had no visit from the British embassy or access to a lawyer.
Today's Martha Kearney spoke to Alaa Abdel Fattah's Mother Laila about what her son has been going through, and how he is being treated by the Egyptian government. She also spoke to John Casson, Former British Ambassador to Egypt, who warned ministers not to lose interest in the case.
(Credit: FREE ALAA CAMPAIGN)
Russian Forces have fled the region southern region of Ukraine, Kherson. This has been a real step forward for the Ukrainian forces, however they have caused real destruction to Ukrainian infrastructure, including water gas and electricity supplies, which are causing power outages across the country, including in Kyiv. The BBC'S International Editor Jeremy Bowen reports from Kherson and Today’s Mishal Hussain speaks to Volodymyr Kudrytski, chief executive of the company which runs the power grid, about the impact the damage will have on the people living there. Mandatory Credit: Photo by HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
“When he reads your books, I see my boy in his true, pure form.”
That’s an extract from an email Debs Butler sent to the comedian David Baddiel. She wrote to him after her autistic son Freddie found joy and relief in David’s children’s books. Today's Nick Robinson speaks to them both.
(Photo: Debs Butler with her son Freddie. Credit: Butler family)
In Norfolk, one of the county's largest hospitals is literally at risk of falling down. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn was built with a kind of reinforced concrete - RACK - which has an expiry date. So the roof is being held up by more than three thousand wooden props.
Like many areas around England, they are waiting to hear if Kings Lynn will be picked as one of eight sites for a brand new hospital. Today's Martha Kearney reports
(Photo: Martha Kearney with hospital interim chief executive Alice Webster. Credit: BBC)
It looks like being a long hard winter for the health service and those waiting to be treated by it.
Record numbers are waiting in all parts of the NHS - in accident and emergency departments, for operations and for cancer treatment.
Nick Robinson hears the experiences of Today listeners and speaks to two doctors who have worked in the NHS about their experiences.
(Photo: Hospital corridor. Credit: Getty Images)
The Today programme has asked some well-known faces to talk about about the walks they do and why they’re so important to them as part of a winter walks series.
Author Michael Morpurgo, best known for children's novel War Horse, describes his favourite stroll near his home in Devon.
There has been a sharp rise in long waits for cancer therapy in the past four years, and experts warn the delays could be putting patients at risk. Today's Amol Rajan spoke to Jules Fielder, a stage 4 lung cancer patient, and Dr Tom Roques, the Vice President of Clinical Oncology at Royal College of Radiologists, about what is driving the delay and the effects on patients.
(IMAGE CREDIT: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
The Today programme has asked some well-known faces to talk about the walks they do and why they’re so important to them as part of a winter walks series.
The poet, who was National Poet of Wales from 2008 to 2016, Gillian Clarke has chosen a path close to her home in Ceredigion.
The Today programme invites some well known faces to speak about their favourite winter walk.
Novelist and history writer Kate Mosse describes her walk through Fishbourne Marshes, near Chichester in West Sussex, from the old duck pond round to Bosham and back again.
(Image credit: James Watkins/ BBC)
The Today programme is inviting some famous faces to speak about their favourite winter walk.
Poet Laureate Simon Armitage describes his walks up Pule Hill, the high point above Marsden and an exposed look-out post over Yorkshire, Lancashire and a high corner of Derbyshire.
(Image, Simon Armistage, Credit, Emma Gibbs, BBC)
The Today programme is inviting some famous faces to describe their favourite winter walk.
Actor Rory Kinnear lovingly tells of walking his son and daughter to school.
(Image, Rory Kinnear, Credit, Sarah Jeynes, BBC)
A survey has found that 46% of workers have faced jibes about their accents, with 25% reporting jokes at work. Academics from the social mobility charity, The Sutton Trust, carried out detailed interviews with students and professionals. Some described being mocked for their accents. They said those with northern English or Midlands accents were more likely to worry about the way they spoke.
Today's Amol Rajan speaks to Labour MP Jess Phillips and the broadcaster Adrian Chiles.
(Image: Getty Images)
Figures from the British Retail Consortium show that food inflation soared to a record 11.6% last month. They come from a survey which suggests that, overall, shop prices were 6.6% higher in October than the same time last year.
Today's Amol Rajan speaks to Richard Walker, Managing Director of Iceland Foods. He is on the candidates list for the Conservative Party, and is supporting a campaign to extend free school meals to all children whose parents are on Universal Credit.
(Image credit: David Parry/PA Wire)
Nobel Prize winning novelist, Kazuo Ishiguro, has written the screen play for a remake of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece 1953 'Ikiru'. The film, called 'Living', moves the story to 1950s London and the stultifying existence of a civil servant played by Bill Nighy. It is directed by Oliver Hermanus and will hit cinemas on 4th November.
Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Kazuo Ishiguro about the inspiration for the film.
(Image credit: Jeff Overs / BBC)
Robert Jenrick, the minister of immigration, told Today that politicians should be careful with their words after the home secretary called the illegal immigration in southern England an "invasion”.
Today’s Justin Webb speaks to Mr Jenrick, as well as a local doctor who has assisted patients at the Manston centre and Madeleine Sumption, the Director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University.
(Image Credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire )
From the battlefields of the Donbas in the east to the area around the southern city of Kherson, where some of Russia’s best troops are concentrated to try to stop a Ukrainian offensive, the BBC's international editor Jeremy Bowen has been travelling through Ukraine.
Jeremy and his team were with a Ukrainian artillery unit, not far from the heavily shelled eastern town of Bakhmut, when it came under attack from the Russians.
(Image: Ukrainian soldiers search for explosives at a recaptured area in the north of Kherson, Credit: Photo by HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Twitter and the other platforms matter so much because they allow huge numbers of people to speak and be spoken to: Elon Musk is saying now that he intends to change Twitter but not yet. Today's Justin Webb spoke to Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman about Musk’s takeover and to former Tech Minister Damian Collins about what has happened to UK planned online safety laws.
(IMAGE CREDIT: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
The inquest into Molly Russell’s death delivered its judgement yesterday. The coroner Andrew Walker said the images of self-harm and suicide she viewed online "shouldn't have been available for a child to see". Today’s Justin Webb spoke to BBC Correspondent Angus Crawford and Lord Richard Allan, who was a Liberal Democrat MP and VP of Policy for Facebook in Europe, about how these companies should act moving forward.
(IMAGE CREDIT: Family handout/PA Wire)
Prime Minister Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng are set to meet with the head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, known as the OBR and the country's independent forecaster, to discuss the situation. One of the reasons the markets reacted so badly to the chancellor's tax cutting plans released a week ago is that there was no accompanying economic forecast from the Office for Budget responsibility. Last night, the OBR confirmed that it was ready to produce an updated assessment of public finances to be published with the mini-budget a week ago, as is usual practice, but the offer was rejected. Today’s Mishal Husain and Justin Webb spoke to Mel Stride, Conservative MP and Chair of the Treasury Select Committee and Andrew Griffith, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
(IMAGE CREDIT: Chris Radburn/PA Wire)
Prime Minister Liz Truss says she has the right plan for the economy a day after the Bank of England made a major intervention in the financial markets in the aftermath of last week’s mini-Budget. Today’s Nick Robinson speaks to Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank, while Mishal Husain asks the Chancellor’s deputy whether things are really going to plan.
(IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado)
The International Monetary fund (IMF) has openly criticised the UK's plans for tax cuts, warning the measures were likely to fuel the cost-of-living crisis.
In a speech on Tuesday at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Sir Keir Starmer promised a "fresh start" for the UK pledging to invest in the NHS, green energy and "spread opportunity to all."
Today's Martha Kearney discusses new government plans with the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on the last day of the party's annual conference.
(Image Credit: REUTERS/Phil Noble)
Some mortgage deals have been withdrawn by banks and building societies after a fall in the pound fuelled forecasts of a sharp rise in interest rates.
The pound plunged against the dollar on Monday. It has since stabilised but there are fears about the increased costs of borrowing the UK now faces.
Today's Nick Robinson spoke to Professor Sir Charlie Bean the former deputy governor for monetary policy at the bank of England and the president of queens' college, Cambridge, Mohamed Elerain.
(Image Credit: Yui Mok/PA Wire )
Nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was shot and killed in her home in August, shocking Liverpool and the whole country. Olivia's killer still hasn't been found but there have been strenuous efforts to support the community to give information.
Today's Martha Kearney reports from Liverpool where she has been find out about schemes in the community which are successfully stopping young people getting caught up in a life of crime in the first place.
The Metropolitan Police was placed into special measures in June by the police watchdog for the way it carries out core functions. The force has failed to record crimes, allowed delays in answering 999 calls. It has also faced a series of scandals with officers swapping racist and misogynist text messages: others photographing and swapping images of the bodies of two murdered sisters and an off duty PC abducting, raping and murdering Sarah Everard by using his police powers illegally.
Today's Nick Robinson spoke to Sir Mark Rowley, who replaced Dame Cressida Dick as Met Police Commissioner in September.
(Image credit: CARL DE SOUZA/Pool via REUTERS)
The pound fell to a record low against the dollar overnight as markets reacted to the UK's biggest tax cuts in 50 years. In early Asia trade, sterling fell close to $1.03 before regaining some ground to stand at about $1.07 on Monday morning, UK time. Today's Nick Robinson spoke to Mohamed El-Erian, chief economics advisor to Allianz, and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England and on the Monetary Policy Committee, Sir John Gieve.
(Image credit: ARSHAD ARBAB/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The results for the Conservative Ballot, voting for our new Prime Minister is to be announced at midday. With Liz Truss expected to win the vote, there have been talks of a new ‘support package’, to help with the rising energy costs. Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to Gus O’Donnell, Cabinet Secretary from 2005-11, as well as Paul Johnson, the Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and Shanker Singham, who was trade advisor to Liz Truss when she was UK trade secretary, and a fellow of the free market the Institute of Economic Affairs & is CEO of Competere.
(Image, Conservative leadership candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss appear on BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show in London, Britain, September 4, 2022. Credit: Jeff Overs/BBC/Handout via REUTERS)
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not attending the funeral of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader who brought the Cold War to a peaceful end. But Putin could not stop it resonating in the wider world, says former BBC Moscow correspondent Kevin Connolly. Simon Jack explains.
(Image Credit:REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool)
NASA will attempt again today to launch its most powerful rocket in 50 years after the space agency delayed take-off earlier this week. Simon Jack speaks to the head of NASA, Bill Nelson, about the Artemis 1 moon mission.
(Image Credit:REUTERS/Joe Skipper)
How on earth can we pay our bills? That is a question being asked with increasing urgency, not just by people worrying about whether they can afford to heat their homes or by those who run small businesses, but by headteachers wondering how to make their school budgets add up. Soaring energy bills are only one of the pressures they face. Teachers pay is going up with no increase in school budgets to pay for it. So too are other costs. All this comes as schools are dealing with the costs of helping a generation of children catch up with the schooling they lost during the pandemic.
Today’s Nick Robinson speaks to Nick Hudson, the Chief Executive of Ormiston Academies Trust and Rachael Warwick the Executive Headteacher of the Ridgeway Education Trust in Oxfordshire. He was also joined by Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP and Chair of the Education Select Committee. (IMAGE CREDIT: REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge)
The report by Michelle Bachelet, the former Chilean leader who is the UN's outgoing High Commissioner for Human Rights accused China of using vague national security laws to clamp down on the rights of minorities and establishing "systems of arbitrary detention".
It said prisoners had been subjected to "patterns of ill-treatment" which included "incidents of sexual and gender-based violence". Others, they said, faced forced medical treatment and "discriminatory enforcement of family planning and birth control policies".
All this confirms reporting by many international observers, including reporting by BBC News.
Today's Amol Rajan spoke to the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat MP as well as International Human rights barrister Philippe Sands QC and the Journalist and China expert Isobel Hilton.
(Image: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Credit: Reuters, Pierre Albouy)
The father of a girl who was raped aged 13 and has been waiting two years for her case to be heard, has spoken about the devastating impact of court delays. In a moving interview with Mishal Husain, the father described the trauma of the initial attack and the subsequent court delays. It was the summer of 2020 - when Covid lockdown had been lifted enough to allow visits to parks. One afternoon, the man's daughter, who was 13 at the time, took a bus to meet some friends in a neighbouring village. When she began her journey home she was attacked in broad daylight.
Mishal also spoke to BBC's Home Affairs correspondent, Dominic Casciani and former Old Bailey judge Wendy Joseph QC.
(Image: Lady Justice, Old Bailey, Credit: BBC, PERKINS, Barnaby)
Tova Friedman was only a child when she was taken to Auschwitz. Originally from central Poland, she lived in a ghetto with her family before being transported to the concentration camp. Now, as a holocaust survivor, she shares her experiences with the younger generation on TikTok where her videos have attracted more than 45 million views.
Her memoir, The Daughter of Auschwitz, written with British journalist, Malcolm Brabant, has now been published. Tova spoke with Today’s Martha Kearney about her experiences.
(Image: Railway track which leads to Auschwitz, Credit: Kacper Pempel, Reuters)
Yesterday, the Artemis One Rocket, the biggest rocket ever developed by Nasa was meant to be launched. However, the launch had to be postponed due to a technical issue. Today’s Martha Kearney speaks to Lord Martin Rees, the Astronomer royal and former president of the Royal Society, about the rocket's mission and the future of space travel.
(Image: Artemis One in front of a full moon, REUTERS/Joe Skipper TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Sewage issues and storm overflows have been thrown into sharp focus once again with the heavy rain that followed this summer’s heatwave. Today’s Mishal Husain speaks to Juliette Wills and Matt Staniek about how this has been affecting their local areas, and then to Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice about what the government is doing to try to solve the problem. (Image Credit: JEREMY WALKER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)
Families in the UK will see further increases in their cost of living as Ofgem announces a price cap increase of £3549 for a typical household. Today’s Mishal Husain and Katya Adler speak to Ofgem's chief executive Jonathan Brearley, Money Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis and people who say they are already struggling with their bills.
In the midst of a difficult economic climate and a war in Europe, consumers are feeling the effects on their food bills. Today teams up with Farming Today’s Charlotte Smith and the Food Programme’s Dan Saladino to investigate the production challenges facing farmers and the realities for shoppers at the tills.
(Image Credit: James Manning/PA Wire)
Many in the UK are struggling with rising prices and with the energy price cap to be announced on Friday there are concerns over people’s ability to pay for basic utilities.
The Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the energy industry itself have come up with plans to help households as winter approaches.
Is it time for either government or industry to take more action? Perhaps the energy price cap should be frozen?
Today’s Amol Rajan spoke to Iain Conn, former chief executive of Centrica and also to the former Chancellor and Conservative Party leadership candidate Rishi Sunak.
(Image, kitchen hob gas burner, Credit, PA/ John Stillwell)
The England test cricket captain, Ben Stokes, took a break from cricket last summer to prioritise his mental wellbeing. He became captain in April this year after Joe Root stepped down from the role. Today’s Mishal Husain spoke to Ben Stokes ahead of the release of his new documentary 'Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes’.
(Image credit: Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra)
How can Britain get out of its current economic slump? In the first of a mini-series focusing on three principal issues facing Britain’s economy, Today’s Amol Rajan quizzes a panel of experts about how to inspire economic growth.
Amol is joined by investor and entrepreneur Luke Johnson, editor of the Economist magazine Zanny Minton Beddoes, and former leader of the Liberal Democrats and economics writer Sir Vince Cable.
(Image: Shoppers on Regent Street, Credit: Jeff Overs, BBC)
Actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds speak to Today’s Simon Jack about their acquisition of non-league side Wrexham AFC, a takeover that has had fans dreaming big since the pair took over in February 2021.
With new sponsors such as TikTok and Reynolds’ gin brand Aviation American Gin, the club look to be on the up, though they missed out on promotion to the EFL last season after losing a play-off semi-final to Grimsby Town.
A new documentary – Welcome to Wrexham – that charts the club’s journey with Reynolds and McElhenney at the helm, premieres this week on Disney+.
(Image: Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Credit: Reuters/ Andrew Boyers)
The co-creator and writer of Alan Partridge and The Thick of It, Armando Iannucci, speaks to Katie Razzall at the Edinburgh Festival about classical music, modern politics, and free speech.
(Image Credit/: Loftus)
A new report on self-driving cars is warning that many drivers may not accept they're safe, even if they are. The research, from the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation seeks to address questions about the possible moral and legal framework around autonomous vehicles. It comes as the government sets out its plans for laws governing the technology. Today's Justin Webb talks to Professor Jack Stilgoe, who was an advisor on the report, and Paul Newman, founder and chief technology officer for an autonomous vehicle software company.
(IMAGES CREDIT: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
One of the British members of a terror group known as the 'Beatles' linked to so-called Islamic State is to be sentenced in an American court tomorrow. El Shafee Elsheikh was linked to the abduction, torture and beheading of several IS hostages in Syria, including journalists and aid workers.
On the eve of the sentencing, Today's Justin Webb spoke to Diane Foley, whose son James, an American journalist, was murdered by IS in 2014.
(Image: James Foley, Image Credit: AP)
The head of the UK Health Security Agency says there are early signs that the monkeypox outbreak in the UK has plateaued. Speaking to Today’s Mishal Husain, Dame Jenny Harries said cases over the past four weeks had started to steadily decrease, but officials were staying vigilant. However, she added vaccines may run out in some areas for a short period. Officials previously estimated that some 40,000 people in at-risk groups would require the jab, but Harries told Today this may have been an "under-estimate".
(IMAGE CREDIT:REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
The head of the water regulator, Ofwat, has insisted the watchdog is committed to holding water companies to account.
David Black told this programme he would not hesitate to take enforcement action if providers failed to fix leaks.
He added that some companies needed to 'up their game'.
Water companies have faced mounting anger over failure to keep up with demand during the recent heatwave. Today’s Mishal Husain spoke to David Black and asked him if the targets set for water companies are tough enough.
(Image, Dried up river bed, Credit, PA/ Andrew Matthews)
Sir Keir Starmer has said families would "not pay a penny more" on their energy bills this winter under Labour's plans to tackle rising living costs.
The Labour leader claimed his proposals would save the average household £1,000 a year.
The package would be paid for, in part, by a big increase in tax on oil and gas company profits.
But critics said the plan would cost as much as the Covid furlough scheme and was not a long-term solution.
Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to Sir Keir Starmer about the plans.
(Image, Keir Starmer, Credit, Henry Nicholls, Reuters)
It is one year since Taliban fighters swept into the Afghan capital Kabul.
Of all the issues which symbolise Taliban rule it is the treatment of Afghan women and girls. The Taliban has said it's trying to find a solution to the issue of girls attending secondary school.
The Today programme’s Lyse Doucet reflects on how life has changed here, especially for women living with rules about where they can’t work, what they must wear…
(Image, Taliban fighters with flag, Reuters, Ali Khara)
It has been 33 years since the fatwa from Iran that meant author, Salman Rushdie, had to go into hiding. In recent years, be began resuming his life but, as we saw in a violent demonstration in New York state yesterday, the threat never went away. Today’s Mishal Husain spoke with crossbench peer and close friend of Salman Rushdie, Baroness Frances D’Souza, who led his defence after the Fatwa in 1989, working with the Human Rights group ‘Article 19’ at the time. Mishal also spoke with writer and close friend, Lisa Appignanesi, who is the former president of English PEN which supports writers at risk and freedom of expression.
(Image: Salman Rushdie court case, Credit: Lewis Whyld)
Why on earth are we in such a mess over water supply?
A new hosepipe ban begins today in some parts of the UK, with some complaining that the bans are an outrage given the level of wastage from the companies but others suggesting that there ought to be wider bans to protect our rivers which they say are dying as we drain them dry. There's also going to be a meeting of the water firms and Natural England and the Environment Agency to discuss declaring a drought in some parts of England -- the National Drought Group as they are known could seize some control over the short term response.
Today's Justin Webb spoke with the chair of Natural England, Tony Juniper, and Labour peer and former chief executive of the Environment Agency, Baroness Barbara Young about the possible short and long term solutions.
(Image: UK drought threat real, Credit: Tolga Akmen)
Given the amount of crises facing us at the moment with the horrors war and threat of war from Russia and China, climate change, political dysfunction, even the news that polio is back, we thought it was about time we speak with someone who has a very positive outlook in these circumstances. Cognitive Psychologist Professor Steven Pinker, author of ‘Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters’, writes optimistically about the world, human beings and our capacity for improvement progress. Professor Pinker spoke to Today's Justin Webb about why we should ignore the newspaper headlines and look at the opportunities that can be found in the chaos of today's world.
(Image: Steven Pinker, Credit: Jeff Overs BBC)
Michael O’Leary has been Chief Executive of Ryanair since 1994, and was appointed CEO of Ryanair Holdings, Europe’s largest airline group, in 2019.
He’s been speaking to Today’s business presenter Sean Farrington about his unhappiness with post-Brexit Britain, the impact of inflation on his business, and why we’ve probably seen the last of the €10 flight.
(Image, Michael O'Leary; Credit, Getty Images)
The author and illustrator of the classic children’s book The Snowman, Raymond Briggs, has died at the age of 88.
The wordless children's picture book published in 1978 has gone on to sell more than 5.5m copies in various formats around the world.
The Snowman was turned into a Bafta TV Award-winning animated TV film in 1982.
Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to author and former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen and Raymond Briggs’ publisher at Penguin Random House Francesca Dow.
(Image, Raymond Briggs, Credit, Alamy)
Established in 2016, Octopus Energy has grown to become the UK’s fourth largest energy retailer, with more than three million customers.
Its CEO, Greg Jackson, has been speaking to Today’s business presenter Sean Farrington about the challenge facing customers this winter, and why he feels the government needs to act urgently to help.
(Image, Greg Jackson, Credit, Octopus Energy)
Dame Sharon White is the Chairman of John Lewis Partnership.
Overseeing a team of 80,000 partners working at branches and offices of supermarket Waitrose and department store John Lewis around the country, White took over the retailer in February 2020.
She talks to Today’s business presenter Sean Farrington about the number of people who have left the labour market since covid and the impact she believes it could have on the economy.
(Image, Dame Sharon White, Credit, John Lewis Partnership)
Sir Nigel Wilson is the chief executive of Legal and General.
He oversees £1.3 trillion worth of investments it manages, the biggest asset manager in the UK.
Sir Nigel has been speaking to Today’s business presenter Sean Farrington about the cost of living crisis and inequality across the UK.
(Image, pounds & pence, PA/ Dominic Lipinski)
June Spencer, the last original cast member of The Archers, has retired from the BBC Radio 4 drama aged 103.
The actress has played matriarch Peggy Woolley (formerly Archer) since 1951.
Her last appearance was aired during the omnibus edition on Sunday, when she discussed getting a stained glass window commissioned of her two great-grandchildren.
In 2019 Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to June Spencer as she celebrated her 100th birthday. They talked about the highlights of her long career – and life.
(Image, June Spencer and Martha Kearney, Credit, BBC)
Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, spoke to Today's Justin Webb about the economic downturn, rising interest rates, and the political and social consequences of it all (Image Credit:Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERS)
The price cap on household energy bills in England, Scotland and Wales is to be adjusted every three months from October. The industry regulator, Ofgem, confirmed the change which means that prices will rise every quarter, rather than every six months, if wholesale costs increase.
Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Jonathan Brearley, Chief Executive of Ofgem, with analysis from Today's business presenter Sean Farrington.
(Image credit: EPA/ANDY RAIN)
Plants are not the first pieces of evidence one thinks of when thinking about forensic science. But one botanist used pollen and nettles to help place a murderer at the scene of a crime. Today's Martha Kearney speaks to forensic botanist Patricia Wiltshire about her contribution to solving the murders of 10-year-old Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman 20 years ago. (Image Credit: PA Photo)
Tory leadership candidate Liz Truss has dropped a plan to link public sector pay to local living costs, just hours after it was announced. Her campaign team announced a proposal for regional pay boards, saying this could save nearly £9 billion a year. The idea attracted criticism from unions, Labour and some Tories. But now, Ms Truss says she “never had any intention of changing the terms and conditions of teachers and nurses” and that she “will not be going ahead with the regional pay boards.” Speaking to Today’s Mishal Husain, Conservative former Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis defended Truss’s civil service pay U-turn by suggesting it was “never the case” that the Tory leadership contender had planned to cut public sector pay.
(Image Credit: EPA/PETER POWELL)
This year's Edinburgh Festival sees celebrated actor Sir Ian McKellen make his return as Hamlet – a part he first performed in 1971 – for the third time in his colourful 60-year-career. But in a break from tradition, this production of Shakespeare's tragedy will see Sir Ian sharing the starring role with ballet dancer Johan Christiansen under the direction of choreographer Peter Schaufuss. Speaking to Today’s Nick Robinson, the 83-year-old actor explains that this latest performance is an experiment in various ways of telling a story, not just using words, but also “through movement, dance and music.”
(Image Credit: BBC/Jeff Overs)
England have been singing the lament about football coming home for an age, but after the barren years of misery, it finally came through the door into the welcoming arms of an exultant Wembley as the Lionesses were crowned European champions. Today’s Nick Robinson presented from Trafalgar Square in Central London, where thousands cheered the Lionesses on during Sunday night’s match which saw England beat eight-time European champions Germany 2-1 after extra time. Nick spoke to the former England men's captain and Match of the Day host Gary Lineker, the former sports minister Tracey Crouch, and the head of the Football Association Mark Bullingham. He was also joined by the comedian David Baddiel, who along with Frank Skinner and Ian Brodie, wrote Three Lions which has become the definitive England anthem.
(Image Credit: REUTERS/Molly Darlington)
In Berlin monuments will no longer be lit up at night and, in Hanover, showers at public pools and sports centres will be cold with no hot water being provided. This is in the hope of saving gas for the cold months. What action will the UK take to ensure households don't go cold this winter?
Today's Mishal Husain spoke to our Berlin correspondent, Jenny Hill about Germany's striking energy reducing measures. Mishal also spoke with chairman of energy supplier, Utilita's Derek Lickorish and chair of the committee on Fuel Poverty which advises government, Caroline Flint about how the UK should be responding to the energy crisis.
(Image, Steve Parsons, Credit, PA)
The Commonwealth baton arrived in Birmingham city centre after a ninety thousand mile journey around the world.
Over 12 days, Birmingham will welcome 72 teams and about 6,500 athletes and officials to compete in the biggest sporting programme in Commonwealth Games' history.
The event is expected to the best-attended Games with 1.2 million tickets already sold.
Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to Olympian Tom Daley, one of Birmingham’s most famous sons – Sir Lenny Henry – and two of the prime organisers behind the event; Steven Knight and Iqbal Khan.
(Image, Birmingham city centre, Credit, PA)
The period between January and June this year was the driest in England since 1976, the Met Office has said.
The hottest ever temperature in the UK was recorded last Tuesday, with thermometers hitting 40.3C in Lincolnshire and more than 30 places reaching temperatures above the previous record.
Months of below-average rainfall has also led to low groundwater levels, dry soils and low reservoir levels – and there are warnings that if rain does not come soon there may have to be restrictions on the water we use.
Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to one East Anglian arable farmer, who described the difficulties of farming in such dry conditions. Nick also spoke to Regan Harris, of Anglia Water, how prepared the company was for future extreme temperatures.
(Image, Empty reservoir tributary, Credit, PA)
Leadership hopeful Rishi Sunak was 10-years-old when Margaret Thatcher was ejected from Downing Street. Liz Truss was just 15-years-old.
Although her name was not mentioned in last night's TV debate memories of Margaret Thatcher hang over the choice the Conservative Party now has to make. Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are not just both children of the Thatcher age, they are both self-avowed Thatcherites and both claim that their economic visions take us back to the future. Today’s Nick Robinson looks at the enduring power of the Thatcher legacy and why the question of what the Lady would do has real currency in today’s debate between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. (Image Credit: Jeff Overs/ BBC)
The House select committee looking into the Jan. 6 insurrection has wrapped its hearing, with the panel presenting new evidence suggesting former American President Donald Trump not only failed to act, but chose not to as he watched the riot unfold on television. Today’s Justin Webb hears from a Trump supporter and a Democratic Party politician, and gets an assessment of a dramatic set of hearings from the BBC’s North America Correspondent Barbara Plett Usher.
(Image Credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
Today’s Nick Robinson hears from one of the two remaining Conservative leadership candidates – Foreign Secretary Liz Truss – about how she plans to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and what scares her most about the job of Prime Minister.
(Image Credit: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)
We are used to watching images of wild fires abroad but not here in the UK. Yesterday as temperatures in England reached record highs of 40 degrees, wildfires hit parts of the country and devastated people’s homes and belongings. On the programme today speaking to Nick Robinson was Tim Stock, his home in Wennington in Havering was destroyed by a fire that started next door. Also on the programme was London Mayor Sadiq Khan who said yesterday was the city’s fire service’s busiest day since World War Two. Katya Adler also spoke with Phil Garrigan who’s the chief fire officer for Merseyside and is leading the National Fire Chief Council's national resilience group for major incidents.
(Image Credit: Press Association)
As the UK sees record breaking temperatures, the government is having to respond to both the immediate effects of the heat and prepare for the future effects of climate change. Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to BBC’s Climate and Environment Editor Justin Rowlatt, Labour's Ed Milliband, and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. (Image Credit: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
The cancer campaigner, blogger, broadcaster and former teacher, Dame Deborah James, has died aged 40. She had been receiving end-of-life care for bowel cancer at home and had raised millions for cancer research. She hosted the BBC podcast 'You, Me and the Big C' and was given a damehood in May in recognition of her fundraising. Today's Amol Rajan speaks to BBC News presenter George Alagiah, who is living with bowel cancer, about Dame Deborah.
(Image: Dame Deborah James, Credit: Getty Images)
Charge more, offer less or replace workers with machines. That is the unpalatable choice facing many businesses who like their customers are facing soaring prices caused by shortages created by the war in Ukraine and the aftermath of the pandemic.
One of the key drivers of inflation at the moment is the increasing price of food. Greenhalgh's Craft Bakery in Bolton which makes bread, cakes, biscuits and its famous pies to sell in its own shops in the North West. Like so many businesses it's facing uncomfortable choices. Today’s Nick Robinson was shown round by David Smart, whose father founded the bakery, and his son Stephen.
(Image Credit:BBC)
There has been strong international condemnation of the Russian attack on a popular Ukrainian shopping centre in Kremenchuk.
President Zelensky said there had been a thousand people inside the complex when the attack took place.
Today’s Katie Razzall spoke to Alexander Rodnyansky, an adviser to President Zelensky who gave his assessment of the current situation. Whilst Sir Richard Shirreff, former Deputy Supreme Commander NATO Europe, told Mishal Husain Ukraine needed more weapons.
(Image, Kremenchuk attack, Credit, Telegram/ Volodymyr Zelensky)
What’s your favourite beach in the UK and what makes it special?
We are inviting Today listeners to nominate their favourite beaches in the UK.
Today’s Simon Jack spoke to Simon Barnes, author of Rewild Yourself, about his favourite spot on the coast of Suffolk and Anita Sethi, author of I Belong Here, takes us on a walk along Chesil Beach.
(Image, Chesil Beach, Credit, Getty Images)
The Prime Minister has told BBC Radio 4’s Today a ‘psychological transformation’ in his character ‘is not going to happen.’
Speaking from the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kigali in Rwanda, Boris Johnson told Mishal Husain he had to distinguish between what he described as ‘criticism that matters and what doesn’t’ after the resignation of his party chairman yesterday and the loss of two by-elections.
The only example of a matter of principle over which he’d consider resigning, Mr Johnson said, was if he were asked to give up supporting Ukraine.
(Photo: Boris Johnson. Credit: Reuters)
The rates of Covid are growing rapidly once more. But is it too early to confirm if it is the beginning of a new wave? Mishal Husain spoke to Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, former Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England.
(Image, Covid test kit, Credit, Getty)
This week Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone turns 25. It has sold 120 million copies and is the first of 7 books in the bestselling series which also came to life on screen with a string of hit movies.
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Lindsey Fraser, former critic and literary agent at Fraser Ross Associates, and Nigel Newton, Chief Executive of Bloomsbury Publishing who published the book.
(Image, Harry Potter first edition, Credit, Reuters Henry Nicholls)
The international swimming federation, FINA, have voted to stop transgender athletes from competing in women's races if they have gone through any part of male puberty. The new policy means that transgender women who want to compete as women will now be required to have completed transition by the age of 12, making the vast majority of them ineligible to compete in female categories.
Former British swimmer Sharon Davis says she's proud of FINA, while some trans groups and trans athletes criticise the decision.
We spoke to the American trans athlete Fallon Fox who is a mixed martial arts fighter, and Karen Pickering, former swimming world champion.
Breast cancer is the biggest killer for women, yet since the pandemic many cases are going either undiagnosed or with a long waiting time for treatment due to the Covid backlog. The cancer charity Macmillan state that it could take more than five years to clear this waiting list, in which many people could unnecessarily die. The government last year said people should be either diagnosed with the disease or have it ruled out within 28 days of an urgent referral by their GP. Yet another leading charity, Cancer Research, believe this isn’t good enough. What changes need to be made – and how quickly can they be implemented? Today’s Nick Robinson hears from deputy opinion editor at the Financial Times Miranda Green and Conservative MP Tracey Crouch, both of whom have direct experience of cancer during the pandemic – as well as a good sense of how the political system works.
(Image Credit: Miranda Green/Tracey Crouch)
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Sian Phillips and Paul Sherwood, the sister and brother-in-law of murdered journalist Dom Phillips.
(Image Credit: REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino)
Economic forecasts and abstract percentages don't mean a great deal to most people. What they notice is how much - or how little - money is left at the end of the week. An average family of four faces an increase in their spending on food and groceries from £396 to £439 per month, according to the Institute of Grocery Distribution which provides analysis to major grocers.
Nick Robinson reports from Holy Family Catholic Primary school in Armley, Leeds which is one of the poorest parts of the city, on how this is that shaping the choices parents have to make. Also on the programme was Saleem Shafi, the deputy chief executive of 'MoneyBuddies' an independent financial advice service based in West Yorkshire.
(Image Credit: Press Association)
It has been a traumatic wait for news for the family and friends of the missing journalist Dom Phillips and the indigenous expert Bruno Perira. The search for them in the Amazon has ended after Brazilian police said a suspect had confessed to shooting them and led them to a site where human remains were found.
Dom Phillips was from the UK but had been living in Brazil for more than a decade and was a long-time contributor to the Guardian newspaper. He was working on a book about the Amazon. Mr Pereira, a Brazilian who was on leave from his post with the government's indigenous affairs agency, was an expert on isolated tribes.
Today’s Mishal Husain spoke to the BBC’s correspondent in South America Katy Watson and Jonathan Watts - the Guardian's global environment editor who knew Dom Phillips.
(Image Credit: Reuters)
The first deportation flight from the UK to Rwanda was cancelled minutes before take-off after legal rulings on Tuesday evening. Today's Katya Adler spoke to Geoffrey Robertson QC who represented the lead case before the European Court of Human Rights and Today's Amol Rajan spoke to Cabinet Secretary Thérèse Coffey.
(Image Credits:EPA/ANDY RAIN)
Patrice Evra, the former Manchester United, and France Captain has opened up about the abuse he suffered as a child. Speaking to Today’s Amol Rajan, Evra said it made him feel “guilty” and “scared about what people would think”. The “shame” he felt meant some years later when he was approached by police, he lied about what had happened to him. Evra has joined the campaign group Together to End Violence, which aims to raise awareness and end child abuse. He has also called for smacking to be banned.
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Today's Mishal Husain is in Exeter where the musician Emma Welton is on a mission to make us all absorb and appreciate the audible world. Her 'Sound Walks' encourage people to make a conscious effort to listen more and better to the sounds of the world around us. Mishal joined her on a walk, close to the River Exe.
(Image: Emma Welton and Mishal Husain, Credit: BBC)
Boris Johnson has won 59% of the vote which leaves 148 MP’s who voted against him. Under Conservative Party rules, the Prime Minister now cannot face another confidence vote for a year.
Today's Nick Robinson watched as the result of the confidence vote in committee room 14 of the house of Commons came in.
(Image Credit: PA Wire)
Conservative MPs will hold a confidence vote in Boris Johnson's leadership on Monday night, amid a backlash to the Partygate scandal. The vote was triggered after at least 54 Conservative MPs asked for it and now at least 180 Tory MPs need to vote against Mr Johnson to remove him as Prime Minister.
Today's Justin Webb speaks to former minister Jesse Norman, MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire. He has previously been a long-standing supporter of Boris Johnson, but withdrew his support in a letter which was shared on Twitter on Monday morning.
(Image Credit: EPA/ANDY RAIN)
This weekend sees street parties across the UK, a special concert outside Buckingham Palace and on Sunday a pageant on The Mall in London. Justin Webb speaks to some of those organising street parties and discusses our relationship with the monarchy with Adrian Evans, master of Sunday’s pageant, historian Andrew Roberts and author Tina Brown.
(Image Credit: BBC News/Annabel Tiffin)
Robbie Williams is back on home turf this weekend, performing at Vale Park in Stoke-on-Trent, where he used to watching football. He tells Today’s Amol Rajan he’s still “Rob from Stoke” and explains the pitfalls of fame.
(Image Credit: BBC/Guy Levy)
The Platinum Jubilee celebrations continue with a national service of thanksgiving from St Paul’s Cathedral. Speaking with Today’s Mishal Husain, broadcaster and presenter David Dimbleby reflects on his father Richard’s coverage of the Coronation of Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey in 1953. Mishal also hears from Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, asking him how he feels stepping in for Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby after the latter fell ill last Thursday.
(Image Credit: REUTERS/Phil Noble)
The Queen has thanked all those involved in her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, as four days of events get underway across the UK and the Commonwealth to mark her 70 years on the throne.
Today's Nick Robinson reports from outside Buckingham Palace where he speaks to crowds on the Mall, event organisers, and former Prime Minister Sir John Major.
(Photo Credit: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)
It is almost 100 days since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The war appears to have entered a new phase as both Russia and Ukraine dig in for a conflict that looks to be more bloody and protracted than perhaps either side expected. Meanwhile, the west continues to send arms and imposes sanctions targeting the Russian economy. Today’s Simon Jack spoke to Jeremy Bowen in Ukraine and Steve Rosenberg in Moscow about what we have learnt and what the future might look like for the two sides.
Photo credit: Reuters, Carlos Barria
Teaching unions have called on the government to urgently expand the free school meals programme in England to include all families who receive Universal Credit. In a letter to ministers, they warn that more than two-and-a-half million children live in households that miss meals or struggle to access healthy food and insist now is the "right moment" to act to mitigate the rising cost of living. The Department for Education says it's expanded access to free school meals more than any other government in recent decades.
Today's Mishal Husain speaks to Emma who is mother of three living in Kent. She and her husband both work and are on Universal Credit but are outside the free school meals provision. Mishal also speaks Steve Chalke, founder of the Oasis Trust which consists of more than 50 primary and secondary schools and Justine Greening, former Education Secretary.
(Image Credit: The School Food Plan)
Dame Sheila Hancock has written a memoir about her life not just as an actor but as a sister, mother and widow. It's called Old Rage and she spoke to Today's Nick Robinson about why she finds herself getting angrier as she gets older.
Photo credit: BBC, Matt Squire.
The jubilation among Ukrainians and their allies that marked Russia's defeat and their withdrawal from areas surrounding Kyiv has faded. In Donbas, eastern Ukraine, Russian forces are advancing and are close to surrounding the city of Severodonetsk. Jeremy Bowen who spent two weeks in Donbas has been speaking to student-turned-soldier, Maxsym Lutsyk, who last week made a difficult journey from the frontline there. Today’s Justin Webb also spoke to Yuriy Sak, advisor to Ukraine's Minister of Defence, who explained why further heavy weapons are needed by forces in the country.
Photo credit: U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Austin Fraley/Handout via REUTERS
Former President Donald Trump spoke at a National Rifle Association event in Houston after a gunman killed 21 people at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. One of the dead was 10-year-old Alexandria Rubio, whose great grandfather is Ruben Mata Montemayor. Today’s Mishal Husain speaks to former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Border, Immigration and Trade Policy Seth Stodder.
(Credit: EPA/AARON M. SPRECHER)
The fine margins between success and disappointment can be extremely unforgiving at the highest level of competitive sport. A man who has experienced this on both sides is former England rugby coach Stuart Lancaster.
His Leinster side plays in the European Champions Cup this weekend. Reflecting on both his time with England and more recent successes at Leinster, with whom he has won five trophies, he speaks to Today’s Garry Richardson.
(Image Credit: Niall Carson/PA Wire/Press Association)
Short-term pain relief for the British economy, which some fear will send us back to the 1970s, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a £400 discount on all energy bills as a temporary fix to help measure the cost of living, while also stating that we will get through it.
Labour's shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has stated that second homeowners should not receive additional benefits from the energy bill discount, she suggested a longer-term plan was needed to keep household energy costs down.
Today's Nick Robinson was joined in the Westminster studio by shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and he also spoke with Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak.
(Image Credit: Daniel Leal/Pool via REUTERS)
After 19 children and two teachers were tragically killed by a gunman in Uvalde, Texas America’s gun laws are once again under scrutiny. President Biden has called for gun reform in the wake of the attack but many Republicans stand firm against any restrictions. Texas has also recently passed several laws which make it easier to access guns.
The BBC’s Barbara Plett Usher reports from a vigil in Uvalde for those killed in the shooting. Also on the programme speaking to Mishal Husain was Republican Congressman Pete Sessions who is also a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.
(Image Credit: EPA)
What would you write about your life if you could be entirely frank and you didn't have that much longer on earth?
Inspired by the Hospice Biographers project, which is an initiative to record the stories of people's lives in their final months, we asked listeners of the Today Programme to contact us with their life stories in 400 words. Amol Rajan introduces a collection of what people told us.
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The Norfolk countryside may be blossoming in the sunshine this weekend but like many rural areas, it is feeling the impact of the rising cost of living.
Today's Martha Kearney meets some of those Norfolk residents worrying about their bills and also examines another big issue in eastern England - planned new electricity pylons.
(Photo: Martha Kearney with livery manager Harley Moon. Credit: Joel Moors/BBC)
The government wants to cut up to 91,000 civil service jobs to save money. Today’s Justin Webb speaks to the head of the civil service union and to Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency.
(Image Credit: Oli Scarff/PA Wire)
Apple announced it was going to discontinue the iPod after 21 years which brings an end to the device widely praised for revolutionising how people listen to music. Amol Rajan spoke to its inventor Tony Fadell about the iPod’s legacy, recent technological developments and his new book ‘Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making things worth Making.’
(Image Credit: Press Association)
At the BAFTAS last weekend another hit from Jimmy McGovern was honoured. The prison drama Time won best mini-series and best actor for Sean Bean. For the programme which was broadcast from Liverpool, Mishal Husain speaks to screenwriter Jimmy McGovern about his work and how the city’s changed over his life.
(Image Credit: BBC)
Throughout the pandemic ‘Today’ followed Wales High School near Rotherham, as they struggled with remote learning, Covid absences and teacher assessed grades. As students there prepare to take the first public exams for two years, Mishal Husain went back to the school to meet with headteacher Pepe Di'Lasio. This summer will be the first exam experience for 17 and 18-year-olds as their GCSEs and National 5s were affected in 2020. Grades are being awarded in the usual way using external marking but the grade boundaries will be more lenient. Mishal also spoke to Ian Bauckham the Chair of Ofqual, England's exam regulator.
(Image Credits: BBC)
Today's Lyse Doucet reports from Dnipro in the east of central Ukraine on the families sheltering from the war, and reaction to Vladimir Putin’s speech at the annual Victory Day parade to celebrate the Soviet Union’s part in World War Two.
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Gregory Doran is stepping down as Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company after a decade. He is completing his final production, Richard III, starring disabled actor Arthur Hughes - a first for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
During his time at the RSC, Gregory has worked with everyone from Patrick Stewart and Harriet Walter to David Tennant, as well as his late husband Sir Anthony Sher, who died last year of terminal cancer. Gregory sat down with Today's Mishal Husain to talk about loss, Shakespeare, and the prospect of retiring.
(Image Credit: Press Association)
Have you ever thought about writing a brief autobiography? The Hospice Biographers is a charity which sends specialist volunteers into hospices to record the life stories of those in their final days.
Amol Rajan sits down with the founder and trustee of The Hospice Biographers Barbara Altounyan and supporter of the charity Robert Peston to talk about how such life reports can offer an opportunity to remember, reflect, and leave some wisdom for relatives and friends.
We want to hear from you. Send in your 400 word life report by emailing today@bbc.co.uk and put Life Report in the subject line to have the chance to record your own life report for the Today programme.
(Image Credit: GETTY images)
Seven years ago Bill Gates gave a TED talk in which he warned of a supervirus and three years ago he said the thought of a pandemic was what kept him awake at night. He is also the man who more than 20 years ago decided with his then wife Melinda to put global health and vaccination at the heart of his philanthropy. His book 'How to Prevent the Next Pandemic' has just been published.
Today's Mishal Husain speaks to Microsoft founder Bill Gates on pandemic and the conspiracy theories about him. In this interview, Gates also reflects on his meetings with Jeffrey Epstein and talks about Elon Musk's recent public criticism of him.
Mariupol has been one of Russia’s key targets for bombardment and we’ve heard a lot about the besieged Azovstal steel plant over the last few weeks. It’s the site that has been the base for Ukrainians defending the city. Today’s Mishal Husain spoke to Mykhailo Vershynin who has been in the plant for nearly 70 days.
Also on the programme was the BBC’s Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg. He reported on the impact constant pro-war messaging on Russian TV was having on opinion polls.
(Image Credit: Reuters)
Millions of women across the US could soon lose their legal right to abortion, according to a leaked Supreme Court document. The document, published by Politico, suggests the country's top court is poised to overturn the 1973 decision that legalised abortion nationwide. If the Supreme Court strikes down the Roe v Wade ruling, then abortion could be banned in almost half of US states. Its justices are expected to issue a ruling in late June or early July.
Today's Justin Webb speaks to the BBC's North America editor Sarah Smith and Professor Mary Zeigler from the University of Florida.
(Image Credit: NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES)
It's 50 years since Charlie Duke, the pilot of the Apollo 16 mission, became the youngest man at 36-years-old to walk on the Moon. Apollo 16 landed at Descartes Highlands on April 20th 1972. That landmark moment is being celebrated in the first 'Aim Higher Gala' tonight at the Science Museum in London. The awards aim to highlight the importance of investment in space to benefit life on Earth.
Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Christina Korp, organiser and founder of Space for a Better World and Nicole Stott, a former astronaut who spent over 100 days in space.
(Image Credit: Getty Creative Stock)
The latest figures from NHS England suggest that 2.7 million people, a record number, have been referred for cancer checks in the twelve months up to February this year. The pre-pandemic figure was 2.4 million so that feels to some like progress or at least a sign that we are catching up with some of the cases missed during the pandemic. However, at least 30,000 people are still waiting to start treatment. Justin Webb spoke to NHS England's National Clinical Director for Cancer, Professor Peter Johnson.
(Image Credit:Getty Creative / fotosr)
Getting through to a GP in England is becoming increasingly difficult. Demand has bounced back since the pandemic, and it’s getting harder to recruit new doctors. Staff in Bristol say they have never seen pressure like this before. Doctor Rachel Warrington is based at a surgery in the south of Bristol – a surgery where they have had one vacancy for a GP that's been open for five months without a single applicant. Speaking to Today’s Justin Webb, she says she can spend up to five hours a day doing paperwork for the 18,000 patients she looks after.
(Image: Somerset Gardens Family Health Care Centre in North London, Credit: BBC/JEFF OVERS)
A Ukrainian professor at the University of Cambridge has described how his mother Svetlana was found dead by a neighbour in the besieged city of Mariupol. Andrei Kirilenko told Today’s Justin Webb that because of the danger from Russian shelling, it was too dangerous for the neighbour to bury her. He had not been able to speak to his mother since early March – he believes she died on 11 March. The last time the two spoke, they had been ‘saying goodbye’.
(Image: Andrei's mother Svetlana, Credit: Andrei Kirilenko)
Rob Key says that it is an “absolute honour” to take up the role of managing director of the men’s team at the ECB. He was hired in mid-April and has now made his first big appointment in the role: Ben Stokes as the new captain.
The England test team have won once in their last 17 games. They play their first game under Key’s management against New Zealand in June and he is hopeful he can be the man to turn the team’s fortunes around.
He speaks to Today’s Jacqui Oatley.
Speaking to Today’s Mishal Husain, Red Cross Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart – who was in Ukraine last week – says it’s ‘absolutely urgent’ that humanitarian aid is delivered to Mariupol and that civilians are evacuated. The city is effectively sealed off from the world, and information about what is happening inside is difficult to confirm independently. Nick Osychenko is one of the few people who has managed to get out of Mariupol over the past few weeks. He tells Mishal that, despite having fled to Zaporizhzhia in mid-March with his family, the war is not far away.
(Image: Evacuees from Mariupol after their arrival on an evacuation, Credit: EPA/ROMAN PILIPEY)
The Russian energy giant, Gazprom, says it has completely stopped gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland after they failed to meet a deadline to start paying in roubles. The two NATO countries get most of their gas from Russia which provides a major source of income for the Kremlin. Bulgaria and Poland are the first in the EU to have their Russian gas supplies cut off but are not the only countries to have refused Moscow's demand that deliveries be paid for in roubles.
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Marcin Przydacz, Polish Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Nils Schmid, German MP and Social Democratic Party spokesperson on foreign affairs.
(Image: The Yamal-Europe gas pipeline in Poland, which supplies the affected gas, Credit: Getty Images)
Today's Martha Kearney visits Holkham on the North Norfolk coast where she meets Jake Fiennes, director of conservation and author of Land Healer, to discuss the return of the Spoonbills which were once extinct in the UK.
Photo credit: Andy Bloomfield
The board of Twitter has agreed to a $44bn (£34.5bn) takeover offer from Elon Musk. The billionaire has promised to reduce censorship on the platform, raising questions about what his approach will mean for the "digital town square". On Monday he tweeted that he hoped his worst critics would remain on Twitter "because that is what free speech means".
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Vivian Schiller, former head of global news at Twitter who is now executive director at the Aspen Institute, and Ross Gerber, friend of Elon Musk and founder of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth Management.
(Image credit: Patrick Pleul/Pool via REUTERS)
Emmanuel Macron has vowed to unite France and be a ‘President for all’ after his re-election as the country's leader. His rival, Marine Le Pen, secured the far-right's highest share of the vote yet but was unable to stop Mr Macron becoming the first French President in 20 years to win a second term in office.
Today’s Nick Robinson reports from Paris and speaks to Agnes Pannier-Runacher, French Industry Minister, as well as Bruno Gollnisch, board member of Le Pen’s National Rally party.
(Image Credit: REUTERS/Benoit Tessie)
Recent cases involving serious sexual offences have taken the longest time on record to go through Crown Courts in England and Wales. Exclusive data compiled by the BBC found such cases took an average of nine months to complete in 2021, with huge variations between regions. Criminal barristers say the delays are due to funding cuts and a decision to reduce how many days judges could sit but Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said they were caused by the pandemic. Campaigners have warned the delays can result in victims abandoning the process.
Today's Mishal Husain speaks to a 19 year old woman who has spent the last four years, since she reported suffering a sexual assault, seeing its slow progress through the criminal justice system. The BBC's Home Affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani gives analysis on her story and the wider data that has been found.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
This year's Northern Ireland assembly election is seen as one of the most important ever - with the possibility that Sinn Fein could emerge as largest party for the first time.
Martha Kearney speaks to younger voters on a Derry Girls tour, and to the sister of Lyra McKee, the journalist shot dead during Republican rioting in Londonderry three years ago.
(Photo: Martha Kearney and a Derry Girls mural. Credit: Tom Smithard/BBC)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has put the whole idea of nuclear non-proliferation out of the window, says former US security official Fiona Hill.
Dr Hill, former Senior Director for Europe and Russia at the U.S. National Security Council, discusses the dangers facing the world in her new book: There is nothing for you here, Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century.
She discusses with nuclear threat with Today's Justin Webb.
(Photo: Fiona Hill. Credit EPA)
A Russian deadline for the surrender of Ukrainian forces has passed with no sign that the troops have complied. The last holdouts are sheltering in the city's steel plant, reportedly with 1,000 civilians. Kyiv said there was a tentative deal to rescue some civilians from the city.
Today’s Justin Webb speaks to New York Times Reporter Michael Schwertz who’s been hearing from those inside the plant.
(Image credit:REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)
In 2016, Arbroath FC were 9th in the Scottish Second Division and at very real risk of being relegated to non-league football. In April 2022, they are two wins away from being the first part-time team to play in the Scottish Premiership.
Today’s Garry Richardson speaks to Dick Campbell, the manager who has taken them on this journey.
Afghanistan has been through many decades of civil war and hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in those years of conflict. Now much of the population is facing extreme hunger. The World Bank has warned that more than a third of Afghans no longer have enough money to feed themselves. The country’s economy was dependent on foreign grants that were cut off after the Taliban takeover and there are rising concern over their policies on women and girls. The BBC’s Afghanistan correspondent Secunder Kermani also reports from Kabul and Today’s Martha Kearney speaks to Afghanistan’s former president Hamid Karzai.
(Image Credits:EPA/JALIL REZAYEE)
Military officials in Ukraine say their troops have so far 'held the line' against the Russian offensive in the east of the country. President Zelensky says Russian forces have significantly increased the intensity of their assault and he appealed again for more weapons.
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Margaret MacMillan, emeritus professor of international history at Oxford University, and Major General Tim Cross, retired British Army officer who served in Iraq and lead a NATO response for the humanitarian and refugee crisis in the Balkans.
(Image: NATO flag flies in front of the Independence Monument in Kyiv, Credit: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)
Today's Mishal Husain speaks with author Zadie Smith about her upcoming performance with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at London's Barbican Centre on Friday, April 22nd, an evening of reading and music inspired by her work.
(Image Credit: Roderick Field/Penguin Books/BBC Newsgathering)
The alarming increase in energy prices has impacted direct debit customers; bills are raising unnecessarily placing customers on tariffs that are not in their best interests. The regulator of OFGEM are investigating, Today's Nick Robison speaks with OFGEM’s chief executive, Jonathan Brearley.
(Image Credit:Getty Creative / Alex Biasiato / EyeEm)
Russian soldiers have attacked many Ukrainian cities, and for the first time since the war began, people have crossed the border between Poland and Ukraine to return home rather than flee, believing their cities were safer. However, this morning, Lviv, and other cities across Ukraine have experienced missile strikes and rocket attacks, updates from BBC journalists located in several Ukrainian cities. Today's Nick Robinson spoke with BBC's Dan Johnson, Yuri Sak, Ukraine's defence minister, Jonathan Beale, BBC Defence correspondent in Dnipro, and Sir Simon Mayall, former deputy chief of the defence staff.
(Image Credit:REUTERS/Roman Baluk)
As Ukraine’s military efforts have pushed Russians out of the area surround Kyiv, the BBC's Jeremy Bowen has been to see the grim aftermath of their short-lived occupation. Evidence found so far could amount to war crimes where it appears civilians trying to flee have been killed. Some listeners may find this content distressing.
(Image Credit: Reuters)
To mark the 100 year anniversary of ‘The Wasteland’ by T.S Eliot, a festival - Fragments - has been created in 22 of London’s most beautiful churches reflecting some of the geography of the poem but also Eliot’s own religious convictions. Today’s Martha Kearney went to a preview of the festival.
(Image Credit: Martha Kearney)
In Hungary, voters will go to the polls on Sunday to decide whether to Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán gets a fourth consecutive term in office. It will be Europe’s first parliamentary election since Russia invaded Ukraine and Mr Orbán has often been criticised for his close links to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Justin Webb reports from Budapest on how the war has overshadowed the election.
Also on the programme was Zoltan Kovac, the Secretary of State for International Communications in the Orbán government. Justin also looked back at the history of Russia’s relationship with Hungary and how the Soviet Union crushed an uprising in 1956. He spoke with poet and refugee George Szirtes who was forced to flee.
(Image Credit: Tom Smithard)
Despite increasing coronavirus cases and hospitalisations, today marks the last day you can access lateral flow tests for free in England. The change comes amidst a surge in cases, with approximately 1 in every 16 people in England and Wales having the virus, 1 in every 11 in Scotland and 1 in every 17 in Northern Ireland. Today’s Mishal Husain spoke to Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK’s Health Security Agency on the programme.
(Image Credit: Press Association)
BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet reports from the city centre in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv. She meets Ukrainians whose lives have been upended by Russia’s invasion, as well as speaking to political leaders, Ukrainian journalists and military figures.
(Photo: Lyse Doucet, right, with producer Anna Chornous)
Chernihiv in northern Ukraine is now almost completely surrounded by Russian forces as the city is left without electricity, gas, or running water. Some citizens have managed to get out but the lack of safe humanitarian corridors has trapped tens of thousands of others.
Today's Mishal Husain speaks to Olexandr Lomako, secretary of Chernihiv City Council, and Jeremy Bowen, BBC Correspondent in Kyiv.
(Image Credits: EPA/SERGIY STARODAVNIY)
US President Joe Biden has made a series of unscripted remarks that have upped the temperature of US-Russia relations to near boiling point. Today's Nick Robinson spoke with Michael McFaul former US Ambassador to Russia under President Obama and Wladimir Klitschko, former professional boxer and brother of the Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko.
(Image Credits: REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel)
At just after 1 am on Thursday, a plane touched down at RAF Brize Norton – on board were some very special passengers: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe back on UK soil after six years detention in Iran. Also on board was Anoosheh Ashoori who was detained for five years.
There were tears of joy from Nazanin as she was reunited with her daughter. For family, friends and those who have campaigned for Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release it is a hugely emotional release after six years.
The Today programme heard from Foreign Office minister James Cleverly, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s sister-in-law Rebecca Ratcliffe and first Tulip Siddiq, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn where the Ratcliffes live.
(Image, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with daughter Gabriella and husband Richard, Credit EPA/Simon Dawson / No10 Downing Street.)
Presenting from Berlin, Today’s Nick Robinson explores how the city is responding to the refugee crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. He reports from the Hauptbahnhof – usually a bustling train station – which has been converted into a refugee transfer camp.
Nick also spoke to Walter Momper, who became the first mayor of a reunited Berlin after the collapse of the Berlin Wall to see how he viewed today’s events.
(Image Credit: Reuters)
The war in Ukraine is re-shaping the way Germany sees itself and its role in the world.
The German government published its draft defence budget yesterday which will take defence spending to a record high and put the country on course to be the biggest military power in Europe – and perhaps the third biggest in the world.
Nick Robinson in Berlin has been hearing from people across the German political divide on how the country should respond to this new era - and what those responses will mean for Europe.
(Photo, Demonstrators at Brandenburg Gage, Credit, EPA)
In a wide ranging interview the cookbook writer and football club owner asks us to step back and think more deeply about ourselves: about our own existence, the meaning of our humanity, and the importance of unity in uncertain times.
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Wilson
Perhaps only President Putin and his senior generals know Russia's battle plan for Kyiv.
Is the current fighting in its north-western and eastern suburbs an attempt to encircle it, or break into its historic centre?
Could it be a prelude to the kind of bombardment that Putin has ordered elsewhere in Ukraine - as well as Syria, and against Chechen separatists in Grozny when he first came to power.
What is like to live with those questions, and the anxiety they must cause?
The Podil district is one of the oldest in Kyiv, and before the war was a hip inner city neighbourhood, famous for its nightlife. The BBC’s Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen has been there and told Amol Rajan about life there now.
(Image, People, in Kyiv, inside underground station used as bomb shelter, Credit EPA.)
Martha Kearney discusses 'Dance for Ukraine,' a special benefit gala at the London Coliseum to raise funds for people in need in Ukraine, with former Royal Ballet stars and impresarios Ivan Putrov and Alina Cojocaru.
The Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage, reads his poem to commemorate the plight of Ukraine.
(Photo credit: Press Association)
Tanya Mulesa describes trying to get her Ukranian grandmother a visa to Today's Mishal Husain.
As bloodshed inside Ukraine continues, Today hears from Tanya Mulesa, who is trying to get her Ukranian grandmother a visa to come to the UK, and to the BBC's Clive Myrie, who has now left Kyiv and explains the determinations of the Ukrainians there.
(Photo credit: Tanya Mulesa)
Long Synopsis CIA director Bill Burns has delivered a sobering assessment of Vladimir Putin's mood, saying the Russian President is angry & frustrated and is likely to double down with no regard for civilian casualties". Putin has "no sustainable political endgame, Mr Burns concluded. Today’s Nick Robinson asked Putin loyalist Maria Butina. She is a member of the State Duma who is making social media propaganda videos backing the war. She was jailed in the United States for conspiring to infiltrate political organizations including the National Rifle Association
(Photo credit: European Photopress Agency)
More than a million refugees from Ukraine crossed borders into other countries. The EU has warned there could soon be five million refugees if the war continues.
Today's Mishal Husain reports from Poland where she has been speaking to doctors about the refugees needing hospital treatment as they cross the border. She also spoke to Sergei Orlov, the deputy mayor of Mariupol.
(Image; Ukrainian refugees in Przemysl. Photo credit: Mishal Husain)
Refugees from across Ukraine are being welcomed as they arrive in the Polish border town of Przemysl, but there are concerns about how the relief effort can be maintained if the war goes on, Over one million refugees have now fled to Poland according to the UN. Today's Mishal Husain reports from a packed train station in Przemysl, eight miles from the Ukrainian border. She also spoke to Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
(Image - Sign at the Polish reception centre, Credit - Mishal Husain)
Western countries hope to confront Russian ambitions in Ukraine through sanctions rather than by force, but questions are being raised about their effectiveness. Targets so far have included Russian oligarchs, the banking system and aviation sector, with European airspace closed to Russian planes. In the UK the government has been accused of not going far enough, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer pointing to Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, who has announced plans to sell the club. Mr Abramovich strongly denies doing anything to merit sanctions being imposed on him.
Today’s business presenter, Sean Farrington, spoke with Nigel Kushner, chief executive of law firm W Legal, who advises people and companies targeted by international sanctions. Today’s Simon Jack then spoke with Frans Timmermans, First Vice President of the European Commission, about reliance on Russian energy. Also on the programme was Damian Hinds, Minister for Security and Borders.
(Image Credit: Reuters)
In September 1941, the Nazis slaughtered nearly 34,000 Jews over a day and a half on the site of Babyn Yar in Kyiv. A memorial to those killed was erected in a park underneath Kyiv’s TV Tower. Yesterday, the memorial was destroyed by Russian bombing. With parallels being drawn between the events taking place in Ukraine today and what was happening in Europe in the 1930s, Today’s Amol Rajan speaks to Ruslan Kavatsiuk, Deputy CEO at Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center. Also on the programme, speaking to Martha Kearney, was Margaret Macmillan, Emeritus Professor of history at the University of Toronto.
(Image Credit: Reuters)
Satellite images show that a huge Russian military convoy around 40 miles long is advancing on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.
The Today programme heard the latest from Kyiv, Kharkiv and around Ukraine
Amol Rajan and Martha Kearney also spoke to US charge d'affaires Philip Reeker, UK deputy prime minister Dominic Raab and exiled Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
(Image: People walk past a burnt vehicle in Kyiv, Credit: Reuters)
Today’s Nick Robinson has spent much of the last week in Ukraine. He was working alongside Sofia Koczmar, a Ukrainian journalist, who helped him and the team with him, leave Ukraine and cross the border into Poland.
She then made the decision to leave herself, taking her four year old daughter Anna with her. Nick spoke to Sofia about how she made that decision to leave her country.
Russia is continuing its invasion of Ukrainian. Over the last two mornings, air raid sirens and explosions could be heard as Today’s Nick Robinson presented from Kyiv. He spoke to Ukrainians preparing to fight, politicians and citizens sheltering in the subways for safety. Hear highlights from those programmes as the world watched in horror. Produced by Ed Prendeville.
(Image credit: Reuters)
A state of emergency has been declared in Ukraine. But while the country’s crisis dominates world headlines, Nick Robinson finds Kyiv residents trying to forget the crisis at a comedy club – and he visits memorials to those already killed in Ukraine’s border conflict with Russia. We also hear from Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Paul Massaro, an adviser to the US Congress on sanctions.
(Image Credit: Nick Robinson)
President Putin has ordered Russian forces into two areas of Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed rebels - in a significant escalation of the Ukraine crisis. He signed a decree saying the troops would "keep the peace" in Donetsk and Luhansk - which he'd earlier recognised as independent territories. Hours after the order, reports from Donetsk said convoys of tanks had entered the main city. Western nations have been quick to condemn the latest developments.
Today's Justin Webb speaks to General Sir Richard Shirreff, Former Deputy Supreme Commander of NATO, as well as Sajid Javid, Health Secretary. Today's Simon Jack speaks to Kurt Volker, former United States Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations and US Ambassador to NATO. The BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet also gives analysis of the current situation.
(Image: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko)
Boris Johnson is due to set out his plans to scrap all remaining Covid legal restrictions in England, including the requirement to isolate. The Prime Minister will meet Cabinet on Monday morning before updating MPs in the Commons. No 10 said the success of the Covid vaccination programme had put England in a "strong position to consider lifting the remaining legal restrictions".
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Sir Andrew Pollard, Head of Oxford Vaccine Group, and Jim McManus, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health.
(Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)
Chanz Maximen has been sentenced to a minimum of 12 years imprisonment after being found guilty of dragging doctor Adam Towler out of his house and stabbing him nine times.
However in his victim impact statement which he read out in court – and which was addressed to his attacker, who was 17 at the time of the incident – Dr Towler says he wishes him well and feels bad that he is in prison.
Today's Nick Robinson spoke to to Dr Towler about that night.
(Image Credit: Press Association)
Andrew Garfield has received an Oscar nomination for his role as Jonathan Larsen in Tick, Tick... Boom! which is based on the stage musical of the same name and written by Larsen about his early struggle as a composer. Jonathan Larsen is best known for Rent, one of Broadway's longest running shows. This autobiographical musical drama film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda in his feature directorial debut.
In the role, Andrew Garfield sings and dances despite having never been in a musical before and speaks to Today's Martha Kearney about what it was like taking on the role.
(Image credit: Netflix)
In an address to the American people last night, President Biden said that a Russian attack on Ukraine is "still very much a possibility" and the human cost would be "immense". He concluded “If we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we’ll surely pay a steeper price tomorrow”. This is despite Russia saying it’s pulling back some of its troops from the Ukrainian border. Today’s Justin Webb speaks to Sir John Sawers, the former head of MI6. After that, Martha Kearney spoke to the BBC’s Special Correspondent Fergal Keane and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace ahead of NATO talks in Brussels.
(Image Credit: Reuters)
UK wage growth continued to lag behind the rising cost of living between October and December, figures show. Wages rose, but when taking inflation into account, pay showed a 0.8% fall from a year earlier, says the Office for National Statistics. Latest figures also show that the unemployment rate fell to 4.1% while job vacancies hit a fresh record high.
Today's Justin Webb met employers in Derby trying to get back on their feet after Covid but also struggling with keeping people on.
(Image: Getty Creative Stock)
Yesterday the Prime Minister signalled his determination to lift all remaining COVID rules in England two weeks from today on February 24th. It would mean people wouldn't have to isolate if they have covid, even though that would still be recommended. Today’s Nick Robinson spoke to Professor Melinda Mills, Head of the Department of Sociology at Oxford University and member of the sub-group of SAGE, SPI-B. Also on the programme was Jonathan Neame, Chief Executive of Shepherds Neame pub chain. While the proposed changes would only apply to England, the programme heard from BBC Wales correspondent Hywel Griffith and BBC Scotland correspondent Jamie McIver about the potential for easing restrictions there. Finally, Today’s Martha Kearney spoke to Humza Yousaf, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care in the Scottish Government, after the SNP called the PM’s proposal to end self-isolation ‘bizarre’.
(Image Credit: Press Association)
"Disgraceful" misogyny, discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment have been discovered within the ranks of the Met Police by the police watchdog. Officers were found to have joked about rape and exchanged offensive social media messages, leading to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to make 15 recommendations. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick has been put "on notice" by the Mayor of London after "shocking" behaviour by some officers was found.
Today's Mishal Husain speaks to London Mayor Sadiq Khan about what the commissioner must do now to tackle these issues.
(Image credit: EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA)
Boris Johnson is facing fresh calls from Tory MPs to say sorry for his comments about Sir Keir Starmer's failure to prosecute Jimmy Savile, after the Labour leader was targeted by protestors near Parliament on Monday. In footage posted online, demonstrators can be heard shouting "paedophile protector". The false claim about Jimmy Savile was made last week by Boris Johnson as he responded to the initial findings of an inquiry into lockdown parties in Downing Street. The Prime Minister said the behaviour directed at Sir Keir last night was "absolutely disgraceful".
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Brendan Cox, co-founder of Survivors Against Terror whose wife Jo Cox was murdered in her constituency of Batley and Spen in 2016. He also speaks to Conservative minister Chris Philp MP and Philip Grindell, the police officer who set up the team responsible for MPs security following the Labour MP Jo Cox’s murder.
(Image credit: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)
6 million people in England are on waiting lists for non-urgent operations and procedures. It is an all-time high with 1 in 20 of those having waited over a year for treatment, while eighteen and a half thousand people have been waiting more than two years. On Monday the government was expected to unveil its National Recovery Plan for the NHS. However, the plan is on hold amid reports of a disagreement about the cost within Whitehall. Only one part of it, a new online platform called My Planned Care, is now being unveiled. This will allow people needing non-urgent surgery to get information about waiting times.
Today's Nick Robinson speaks to Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, as well as Sajid Javid, Health Secretary.
(Image credit: CAIA IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)
To mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, the Queen’s Green Canopy has invited people to "Plant a Tree for the Jubilee". The aim is to create a network of individual trees, avenues, copses and whole woodlands in honour of The Queen's service, and the legacy she has built. Actor and National Treasure Dame Judi Dench is a Queen's Green Canopy Ambassador and has planted a Himalayan birch tree in her garden as part of the initiative, she has been speaking to Martha Kearney on the Today Programme about her love of trees and explains why each tree planted in her garden has a very personal memory or connection.
Today's Martha Kearney discusses the resignations of a string of the prime minister's aides with senior Conservative MP Huw Merriman, Nikki da Costa, former Director Of Legislative Affairs and ex-No 10 chief of staff Gavin Barwell. Today’s Mishal Husain puts the problems - and rising energy costs - to Greg Hands, the Minister of Energy.
(Image Credits: Andrew Parsons / No10 Downing St)
The Comedian David Baddiel, has shared the eulogy he gave at his father Colin's funeral, praising his ability to retain his true character, in spite of dementia. It has struck a chord with those who read it in the papers this week, and he has recorded a version of it for the Today programme.
(Image credit: BBC/Wall to Wall/Saskia Rusher)
Nick reports from Wakefield to see what 'levelling up' means to the community there. We also hear from Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, about the government's long-promised plans to close the gap between rich and poor areas of the country.
Today's Nick Robinson reports on the fallout to Sue Gray’s report criticising the culture in Downing Street. Leading Conservative critic Andrew Mitchell says the parties have been corrosive. Nick questions Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab about the damage caused.
(Image Credit: BBC)
It was two years ago on Sunday that a 50 year old woman and her 23 year old son were admitted to the Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary with symptoms of Covid. Two years and 691,000 hospitalisations later, and sadly 156,000 deaths, there are 16,000 people currently being treated in hospital. A further 62,000 cases were recorded on Sunday. A lot has been learnt since the beginning of the pandemic about coronavirus, its treatment and the resilience or otherwise of our health services.
Today's Simon Jack speaks to Dame Jackie Daniel, Chief Executive of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust and also to Dr Ashley Price, Consultant in infectious diseases who treated the very first patients who were critically ill.
(Image Credit: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)
The world's largest garden wildlife survey returns today and runs until Sunday. The Big Garden Birdwatch involves people birdwatching in their garden and counting the number of different species they see for one hour. The BBC's Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt reported from Sherwood Forest where he spoke to Becky Speight, Chief Executive of the RSPB. Also featuring Simon Jack.
(Image Credit: Press Association)
Covid restrictions on adult social care will be eased in England from Monday, the government has announced. There will be no limit on the number of visitors allowed at care homes, self-isolation periods will be cut and care homes will only have to follow outbreak management rules for 14 days, not 28. Today’s Nick Robinson speaks to Suzy MacPherson, a listener who hasn’t been able to see her mum who’s in a care home since before Christmas. Also on the programme was Mike Padgham, Chair of the Independent Care Group, which represents independent care providers in York and North Yorkshire.
(Image Credit: Press Association)
The official inquiry into gatherings at Downing Street and in Whitehall during lockdown is believed to be complete. It's understood the senior civil servant, Sue Gray, has evidence including photographs and Whatsapp messages, and is keen for the report to be published in full. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister spoke about the Metropolitan Police’s decision to investigate whether any coronavirus restrictions were breached, whilst he was in the commons making a statement on the growing crisis in Ukraine.
Advisors from Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France are meeting in Paris on Wednesday as tensions continue to rise over fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia has reacted angrily to warnings from Washington of personal sanctions on Mr Putin, saying the US and NATO had flooded Ukraine with weapons and western advisors.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is due to visit Ukraine next week. She speaks to Today’s Martha Kearney.
Western allies have warned that Russia will be hit with an "unprecedented package of sanctions" if it invades Ukraine. Speaking last night after a virtual meeting between President Biden and European leaders including Boris Johnson, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said any further aggression by Moscow would have "severe costs". 8,500 US troops have been put on a heightened state of alert for a possible deployment to eastern Europe to boost NATO's presence.
Today’s Mishal Husain gets the latest from BBC correspondents Steve Rosenberg and Gabriel Gatehouse, and speaks to Sir Alex Younger, former Head of the UK’s secret intelligence service MI6.
Boris Johnson has ordered the Cabinet Office to investigate a claim by a Conservative MP that she was sacked as a minister, in part, because she's a Muslim. A Downing Street spokesperson said the Prime Minister took Nusrat Ghani's allegation very seriously.
This comes at the beginning of what could prove to be a pivotal week for the Prime Minister, as the government awaits the publication of a report into a series of gatherings at Number 10 during lockdown.
Today’s Justin Webb hears the analysis of the BBC’s Political Editor, Laura Kuenssberg.
Today’s Mishal Husain speaks to the Baroness Warsi, the first Muslim appointed to a cabinet position in the UK, before questioning the Education Minister, Nadhim Zahawi.
Blyth Valley in Northumberland was the first Labour ‘red wall’ seat to go to the Conservatives as results came in on election night in 2019. Ian Levy overturned an 8000 Labour majority to win by 712 votes. Today's Mishal Husain visits the Blyth Valley constituency to speak to residents and business owners about what levelling up is delivering in the area and tries to gauge the chances of the Conservatives retaining the seat.
Mishal also speaks to the Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng about investment in the north east and making levelling up a reality.
(Image: Blyth beach, Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
Tory MP Christian Wakeford has defected to the Labour Party and called on Boris Johnson to quit as Prime Minister. The MP for Bury South has described the defection as "the most difficult decision of my life".
Today's Martha Kearney speaks to two people who have defected about what it's like; Baroness Nicholson, former Conservative MP who defected to the Liberal Democrats in 1995, before switching back in 2016 and Shaun Woodward, former Conservative MP who defected to the Labour Party in 1999 before going on to be the Northern Ireland Secretary.
The cost of living rose at its fastest pace in nearly 30 years in the 12 months to December, driven mainly by higher food and energy bills. The UK's Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation rose to 5.4% from 5.1% in November, the Office for National Statistics said. The BBC’s Consumer Affairs Correspondent Colletta Smith visited the Crescent Hotel in Scarborough and spoke to the owner, Sadie Shard about the rise in running costs.
Today’s Martha Kearney speaks to Richard Walker, the managing director of Iceland, and Sir Charlie Bean, the former deputy governor of the Bank of England.
(Image Credit: Press Association)
BBC services and shows will have to be cut as a result of a funding gap arising from the latest licence fee deal, its director general has said.
Tim Davie was speaking to Nick Robinson on Today after the licence was frozen for two years.
(Photo: Tim Davie. Credit: BBC)
The Lords will debate the crime and police bill that among other things makes protesting more difficult and in some cases gives the home secretary the right to ban more protests and creates a new offence of blocking roads and railways with a prison sentence attached.
Crossbench peer Baroness Cavendish, who worked for David Cameron, fears the new law means the UK is "sleep walking into a police state" with the plans. We also hear from Labour's Baroness Chakrabarti and Conservative former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland.
(Photo: 'Kill The Bill' protestors march last weekend in London. Credit: BBC)
The government should limit public funding for cricket unless there is "continuous, demonstrable progress" on eradicating "deep-seated racism", a parliamentary report has recommended. The report by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee also praises the former Yorkshire player Azeem Rafiq, who spoke about the abuse he suffered in November. Today’s Martha Kearney speaks to Julian Knight, a Conservative MP who chairs the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, and Richard Thompson, chairman of Surrey Cricket. Also reflecting on the report is Azeem Rafiq himself.
Jacky Wright is the Chief Digital Officer and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft US. For her Today guest edit, she asked whether young people are being taught the skills they need for the workplaces and jobs of the future.
She grew up in Tottenham, North London, and went back for the programme, asking A level students at a school there what they thought would make them employable.
She also used the programme to explore what everyday life was like for the generation of multiracial children born during World War Two.
Jacky spoke about the importance of role models with one of her own: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and the first elected female head of state in Africa.
And there was also time for her to talk about her love of CSI with the show’s creator Anthony Zuiker.
Mina Smallman, guest edited our first Today programme of 2022. Mina is a former Church of England archdeacon and school principal, who began campaigning on violence against women and equity in how victims are seen after two of her daughters were murdered. Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry were murdered in a London park in 2020.
For her programme Mina invited Mishal Husain to accompany her and her family and friends on a difficult visit back to the place where Nicole and Bibaa died, where a tree was being planted in their memory.
Mina also used her programme to highlight the work of Victim Support and chaplains working in prisons, hospitals and rural communities.
Photo: PA
Dr Jane Goodall is a primatologist, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a UN Messenger of Peace. She is best known for revolutionising the world's understanding of chimpanzees.
She used her Today guest edit to explore some of the ways we can inspire change to protect animals and our environment. She asked the BBC’s Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, to look at the links between poverty and climate change. The programme featured reporting from Tanzania where 30 years ago Jane challenged a group of students to take action to protect the wildlife in their towns and villages. Martha Kearney interviewed the Environment Minister Zac Goldsmith on Jane’s behalf, asking him about COP 26 and trophy hunting. There’s music from Notre Dame and Jane reflects on the reaction to her work and image in the 1960s. With Martha Kearney and Mishal Husain.
General Sir Nick Carter is a retired senior army officer who served as the UK’s Chief of Defence Staff until November this year. He used his Today guest edit to focus on the fallout from the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan. He spoke to former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, the man in charge of the country before the Taliban takeover.
He also chatted with retired racing legend AP McCoy about what his own retirement might have in store for him.
Finally, Sir Nick explored his deep love of whiskey with an international blind tasting.
The England and Manchester City footballer, Raheem Sterling used his Today programme guest edit to look at the issue of social mobility, after launching his own foundation earlier this year. His programme featured reporting from Jamaica where he was born and North London where he grew up.
For his programme he also sat down with England manager, Gareth Southgate, the man he credits for his transition from being a target for a hostile press to a young man now trying to be the role model which so many call on footballers to become.
It also featured interviews with his mum Nadine and his sporting hero Usain Bolt. With Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson.
Today programme guest editor, the England and Manchester City player, Raheem Sterling wanted discuss what he, his team mates and the country had learned following the Euros this summer.
For his programme he sat down with England manager, Gareth Southgate, the man he credits for his transition from being a target for a hostile press to a young man now trying to be the role model which so many call on footballers to become. Nick Robinson travelled to St George’s Park to meet them both.
James Rebanks is a Cumbrian sheep farmer and bestselling author. He used his Today programme guest edit to focus on the government's changes to farm subsidies and to look at whether urban farms can create healthy and happy communities. He discussed whether the British countryside is diverse enough and asked how it can attract a workforce that better reflects modern Britain.
Finally, indoctrinated by his father who took him to his first game at Anfield when he was ten, James Rebanks wanted us to talk about Jurgen Klopp and his why he’s popular not only among Liverpool fans, but beyond. With Nick Robinson and Mishal Husain.
Lord Dobbs, Michael Dobbs, is a Conservative Peer and author. He has written more than 20 books, but is best known for his political thriller House of Cards. He used his Today Programme guest edit to look at prostate cancer, after his diagnosis earlier this year. It’s a disease which killed his father and brother. His programme also featured a conversation with the Duchess of Cornwall about the importance of reading and a special retelling of the Christmas story from Joseph’s perspective, written and read by Marcus Brigstocke. Featuring Nick Robinson and Justin Webb.
Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the Bishop of Dover, presents the highlights from her guest edit of Today. The South African concept ‘Ubuntu’ or “I am because you are” is at the heart of her programme, reflecting on our common humanity. She hears from students at a pupil referrals unit, the charity Justice Defenders who work to improve access to justice, and also a Uighur child refugee exiled in Turkey. Including Mishal Husain and Martha Kearney.
(Image: Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, credit: Jim Drew)
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel presents all the highlights from his guest edit for Today, on the theme of the future of the USA. He looks at what big ideas have shaped modern America and what will continue to define it, including justice reform, how society can make wiser investments and the balance of power between tech companies and government. Including Mishal Husain and Simon Jack.
(Image: Evan Spiegel, credit: Snap Inc)
Twice Booker Prize-winning author Margaret Atwood guest edits Today, looking at the theme of change. She interviews climate activist (and 2019 Today guest editor) Greta Thunberg and speaks to The Prince of Wales about campaigning for the environment over several decades. Also, Margaret’s Booker Prize co-winner Bernardine Evaristo speaks to gal-dem founder Liv Little and birdwatcher extraordinaire Mya-Rose Craig, aka Birdgirl. Hosted by Margaret Atwood - including Martha Kearney and Mishal Husain.
(Image: Margaret Atwood, credit: Luis Mora)
Record-breaking Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton guest edits Today, looking at black British history, the environment, and the power of sport. Lewis speaks to historian Professor David Olusoga about the Black Lives Matter movement and black British historical figures who deserve more attention. We also hear from conservationist Dame Jane Goodall on animal extinction, and find out how motor racing is trying to become more environmentally friendly. Presented by Nick Robinson and Justin Webb.
(Image: Lewis Hamilton)
Sir Jeremy Farrar, the director of the health research foundation Wellcome Trust, guest edits Today along the theme of uncertainty and clarity in complex times. Sir Jeremy speaks to Dr Anthony Fauci about mixing politics and science, and we hear from Erna Solberg, the Prime Minister of Norway, on leading in uncertain times. Author Elif Shafak gives a more literary take on uncertainty, and England cricketers Sir Andrew Strauss and Nat Sciver discuss how elite sport has adapted in 2020. Also, a special performance from the Wellcome Voices choir. With Nick Robinson and Simon Jack.
(Image: Sir Jeremy Farrar, credit: Dave Guttridge, Francis Crick Institute)
Highlights from Prue Leith's guest edit, presented by Prue herself. Including... a discussion of the issue of assisted dying and how hospitals are trying to improve their food. Also - two cherries on top of an already lovely cake - Prue having a singing lesson... and Olympic diver Tom Daley discussing craft and the new swimming trunks he has crocheted! Also featuring Justin Webb and Mishal Husain. Enjoy.
(Image: Prue Leith Credit: Clive Holmes Agency)
All the highlights from podcaster and spoken word artist George the Poet's guest edited programme, including a reflection of identity in Uganda, DJ Target on the development of grime music, Ziggy Marley on legalising marijuana, economist Mariana Mazzucato on how society thinks about value, and are video games good for your brain? Presented by Martha Kearney and Sarah Smith, and additional sound design by Benbrick.
(Image: George the Poet, credit: BBC)
All the highlights from climate activist Greta Thunberg's guest edited programme, including Mishal Husain interviewing her father Svante Thunberg and Greta speaking to Sir David Attenborough for the first time. Also, outgoing Bank of England chief Mark Carney on how the financial sector can tackle climate change, Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja on reducing the music industry’s carbon blueprint, and Shell’s Maarten Wetselaar on big energy’s environmental impact. Presented by Mishal Husain and Sarah Smith.
(Image: Greta Thunberg, credit: BBC)
All the highlights from Margaret Thatcher biographer and former Telegraph editor Charles Moore's guest edited programme. It includes US Special Representative on Iran Brian Hook on violent protests in the country, Charles' nephew Felix on being autistic and transgender, former Conservative leader Lord Michael Howard on why the judiciary needs to change, and Charles sets out the case against the BBC's funding model. Presented by Justin Webb and Nick Robinson.
(Image: Charles Moore, credit: The Telegraph)
All the highlights from Supreme Court President Baroness Hale's guest edited programme, including Baroness Hale in conversation with US Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Clive Coleman going on a tour of the Supreme Court, a report on coercive control, a discussion about justice in opera with Sir Simon Keenlyside and Ian Bostridge and a Vogue editor on what your jewellery says about you. Presented by Nick Robinson and Justin Webb.
(Image: Baroness Hale. Credit: BBC)
All the highlights from artist Grayson Perry's guest edited programme, including the former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams on faith and political myths, how tinnitus affects singer-songwriter KT Tunstall's life and work, political satire with Guardian columnist Marina Hyde, and if there's a link between sexual fantasies and how you vote with Joe Twyman from Deltapoll. Presented by Justin Webb and Nick Robinson.
(Image: Grayson Perry, credit: BBC)