RADIO 4- Today - January 2012
Monday 2nd January
David Cameron has predicted a difficult 2012, but says the Olympics and Queen's Diamond Jubilee will
give Britain a boost. And also on today's programme, an English football manager on why he thinks that
any Englishman, including him, would find it hard to turn down the job of managing the national team.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on what is in store for the year ahead.
0650
BBC economics editor Stephanie Flanders, business editor Robert Peston, and political editor Nick Robinson
give their views on what lies ahead for Europe in 2012.
0709
Rail commuters preparing to return to work after the Christmas break face fare rises of up to 11% from Monday,
watchdog Passenger Focus has said. Anthony Smith, CEO of Passenger Focus, and Michael Roberts, CEO of
ATOC, discuss the rising cost of rail travel.
0714
A 20-year-old man has been charged with murdering Anuj Bidve, the Indian student who was shot in the head in
Salford on Boxing day. BBC correspondent Nick Ravenscroft reports. Read the news story.
0717
Business news with Simon Jack.
0720
The 'apocalyptic' ending of the Mayan calendar in December is one notable example of doom predicted for 2012.
Art Lester, co-author of the Coffee Table Book of Doom, and Prof Chris French, who heads the anomalistic
psychology research unit at Goldsmiths College, University of London, discuss what drives the interest in
prophecies of doom.
0725
Sports news with Rob Bonnet
0732
Two think tanks are publishing pamphlets arguing that David Cameron would do well to revive the ideas behind
the Big Society. Professor Anthony Seldon, master of Wellington College, who wrote one pamphlet for Policy
Exchange, and Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the RSA, who wrote the other, discuss why they want the
prime minister to bring back the concept.
0739
The paper review.
0742
The government is publishing recipes for healthy meals that can be made relatively cheaply and is encouraging
three supermarket chains to offer discounts on some healthy foods. Public health minister Paul Burstow explains
why encouraging people to eat more healthily is one of the government's new year's resolutions.
0747
Thought for the day with Canon Dr Alan Billings.
0750
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has told Robert Peston that an Englishman should manage the England football
team after Fabio Capello steps down. Keir Radnedge of World Soccer magazine and sports writer Alyson Rudd
debate whether, in this globalised world, it is petty to insist national teams are managed by someone from the
home country.
0810
What lies in store for the UK in 2012? Home editor Mark Easton, economics editor Stephanie Flanders, business
editor Robert Peston and political editor Nick Robinson, give their analysis.
0820
The Korean peninsula is at a "turning point" and there are opportunities for change, South Korean President Lee
Myung-bak said in a new year speech. Aidan Foster-Carter, honorary senior research fellow in modern Korea at
Leeds University, analyses the shifting power in North and South Korea.
0824
Over the new year weekend, two robotic probes went into orbit around the moon in order to send information
back to earth which should help scientists establish what the moon is made of. John Zarnecki, professor of Space
Science at the Open University, explains the significance of any potential new findings.
0828
Sports news with Rob Bonnet
0835
Arab League observers in Syria have given apparently conflicting accounts of an incident said to have involved
government snipers in the restive city of Deraa. Hazhir Teimourian, veteran commentator on the Middle East,
and Nadim Shehadi, associate fellow of Chatham House's Middle East and north Africa programme, discuss
what impact the Arab League mission is having in Syria.
0840
Business news with Simon Jack.
0847
The BBC's Weather Test, designed to assess the accuracy of UK weather forecasters, has finally defined a
protocol by which the forecasters' results will be judged. BBC environment analyst Roger Harrabin, who devised
the Weather Test, explains the new rules.
Read more: BBC Weather Test: Nearly there
0850
People in New South Wales, the most populous state in Australia, are being warned of a possible outbreak of
potentially fatal virus transmitted by mosquitoes. Read the news story
0853
In his New Year message, the prime minister admitted that 2012 would be "difficult" as the economy struggles
and household finances are squeezed, but he insisted the coalition "got" the problems and would "do more" to
help people through them. Matthew d'Ancona of the Sunday Telegraph and Andrew Rawnsley of the Observer
discuss the challenges lying ahead for David Cameron in 2012.
Tuesday 3rd January
Seventy-two organisations and advisers have called on the government to work urgently with the other
parties to reform long-term social care for elderly and disabled people. Also on today's programme, the
Iowa caucuses, breast implants and Iran's missile tests.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on whether Britain is facing a so-called "lost decade".
0650
One of our guest editors from last week, Baroness Boothroyd, was concerned about the direction that South
Africa's leaders are taking their nation. So we asked Karen Allen, the BBC's Southern Africa correspondent, to
find out how young people in that country feel about their country's political leadership.
0709
Seventy-two signatories are calling on David Cameron to work with all parties to take urgent action and keep up
momentum on the issue of social care reform ahead of the planned white paper on the issue in the Spring. Nicola
Stanbridge looks back on how politicians have tried to address the problem of social care in the past.
0712
Business news with Simon Jack.
0715
The man who shot himself after killing three women in Horden, County Durham, at the weekend was a licensed
holder of six firearms. Jean White, chair of the Horden Parish council, gives her reaction.
0720
Tens of thousands of South Sudanese people are fleeing from their homes, after inter-ethnic clashes around the
town of Pibor. The United Nations is warning villagers to run for their lives ahead of advancing fighters from a
rival tribe. Parthrsary Rajendran, head of mission for Medecins Sans Frontieres in South Sudan, and Dr Sara
Pantuliano, Sudan Analyst at the Overseas Development Institute, give their reaction.
0726
Sport news with Rob Bonnet
0732
A leading surgeon and member of the Government-commissioned panel investigating the faulty breast implant
scandal, Tim Goodacre, says all faulty implants should be removed because of the uncertainty. Shadow health
secretary Andy Burnham gives his analysis of the issue.
0739
The paper review.
0742
Athletes all over the world are gearing up for the Olympic Games. The BBC's Pakistan Correspondent, Aleem
Maqbool, reports from a school which has, against a background of poverty, produced no less than 57
international hockey players, some of whom will be representing their country later this year in London.
0747
Thought for the day with Vishwapani.
0750
We will get the first indications later of who will challenge Barack Obama for the US presidency as Republican
caucuses take place in Iowa. Three contenders, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum, lead the pack ahead
of the vote. Jonny Dymond takes a look at the three candidates and Simon Conway, British journalist and Talk
Show Host on WHO Radio in Iowa shares his thoughts on the race.
0810
An open letter to David Cameron has called on him to work with rival politicians in order to reform social care
for older and disabled people in England. Richard Humphries, Senior Fellow Social Care at the health think tank
the King's Fund, former Conservative cabinet minister John Redwood and Lord Warner, former Labour health
minister, debate the issue.
0820
The man who police say killed three women in a house in County Durham before shooting himself was licensed
to own six firearms. Roger Gray, a former tactical adviser to the Metropolitan Police firearms unit, explains the
rules for firearms ownership.
0825
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0832
Iran has tested missiles near the Strait of Hormuz, as preparations are made to impose further economic
sanctions on Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme. James Reynolds has the latest and Mark Fitzpatrick, director
for non-proliferation programme at the International Institute for Security Studies, explains the dangers of Iran's
nuclear ambition.
0839
Business news with Simon Jack.
0842
Alesha Dixon is leaving her role as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing to join the panel on Britain's Got Talent.
Ann Widdecombe, who previously won Strictly Come Dancing, gives her reaction to the news.
0845
With less than two months to go to the start of a huge civil law action in the United States over the Gulf of
Mexico oil spill, BP lawyers are trying to reach a settlement out of court. Roger Harrabin, the BBC's
environment analyst, has the latest.
0847
Why are there so few female top surgeons? Helen Fernandes, a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Addenbrooke's
Hospital in Cambridge - where she was the first female to be appointed - shares her views.
0853
The Princes Trust youth charity says it has discovered that the wellbeing of many young people is diminished,
and their school grades affected, by a lack of "structure and direction" at home. Paul Brown of the Princes Trust
and Dr Pat Spungin, a family psychologist, discuss whether having a routine is important for school children.
Wednesday 4th January
The two men found guilty of murdering Stephen Lawrence are to be sentenced. The first results in the
race for the Republican US presidential nominee are in. And can sitting silently be good for your health?
0615
Business news with Simon Jack, on a big test for the bond markets as many of the debts taken up over the credit
boom come up for renewal.
0709
What is the official advice for women with breast implants from the French company PIP? Health Secretary
Andrew Lansley explains.
0714
One of the two men convicted of the murder of Stephen Lawrence - Gary Dobson - only appeared at the Old
Bailey because of the removal of the double jeopardy rule. Lord Goldsmith, who was Attorney General when the
change was made, and Paul Mendelle QC debate the importance of the change in the law.
0719
The business news with Simon Jack.
0722
Blizzards and strong winds have battered Scotland, where tens of thousands of households have lost electricity.
Read more: Scotland counting cost of storms
0726
The sport news with Garry Richardson.
0730
Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney have finished the Iowa caucuses in a virtual tie as the race for the Republican
nomination begins. North American editor Mark Mardell watched the results.
0737
The newspaper review.
0741
With special traffic lanes for competitors, VIPs and sponsors, rules to stop some traders cashing in, and
disruption across London, are the 2012 Olympics for everyone or just the privileged few? Former Olympics
minister Tessa Jowell and Matthew Beard, Olympics editor of the London Evening Standard, discuss.
0745
Thought for the day with Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James Piccadilly.
0750
The British Medical Journal has printed an editorial attacking the pharmaceutical and science community for the
long-existing habit of only selectively publishing the results of clinical trials. BMJ editor-in-chief Fiona Godlee
and neuroscientist Professor Colin Blakemore discuss whether a false picture is being put forward.
0810
The brutal murder of Stephen Lawrence has led to profound changes in law, policing and culture. Matthew
Ryder QC, who represented the Lawrence Family in its civil claim against the police, explains the legal
repercussions. Nicola Stanbridge reports from Brixton in South London about how the killing has affected their
lives. And Lord Blair, former commissioner of the Metropolitan Police who ordered a new inquiry into the case
in 2006, explains the change in policing.
0820
Can sitting silently be good for your health? Meditation was until recently viewed in the west as a religious
practice that had little to do with science. Culture correspondent David Sillito investigates why that has changed.
0825
The sport news with Garry Richardson.
0830
Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts is to set out a proposal for a new kind of university
institution for science. Mr Willetts explains why privately funded institutions, with a focus on post-graduates,
could help the field.
0837
Buying and selling the rights to use a song or picture is a complicated business and a process to make it easier
starts with a call for evidence for a feasibility study into whether there should be a Digital Copyright Exchange
for the UK. Richard Hooper, the former deputy chairman of Ofcom, is leading the feasibility study and speaks to
the Today programme's business presenter, Simon Jack, about what they are aiming to do.
0840
In Hungary, the New Year has begun with controversy, as tens of thousands protest against the new Hungarian
constitution, and the European Union contemplates sanctions against Budapest. But the government insists that it
risks falling victim to a political campaign. Nick Thorpe reports.
0846
What do you do if someone has a heart attack? Peter Hollins, chief executive of the British Heart foundation,
sets out the advice.
0852
How far has the aftermath of the murder of Stephen Lawrence changed British attitudes about race? Home editor
Mark Easton, former home secretary Jack Straw and Lord Ousley, former chairman of the Commission for
Racial Equality, debate our attitudes to racism.
Thursday 5th January
In the first of our New Year leader interviews, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg answers Sarah
Montague's questions. And also on Today's programme, should assisted suicide law be relaxed and a
government crackdown on scrap theft.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on the news that the government's changes to public sector pensions might not
be saving the country any money.
0709
Some independent research suggests the increase in retirement age from 60 to 67 for public sector workers might
not save much because the benefits eventually available are more valuable than they are now. The BBC's Robert
Peston has more details.
0713
A committee of MPs and peers examining the government's plans for reforming the House of Lords by cutting
the number of full-time members has rejected their proposals. Lord Tyler, a Liberal Democrat peer on the
committee, explains the reasons behind the rejection.
0717
Business news with Simon Jack.
0719
Foreign Secretary William Hague is visiting Burma, the latest in a recent series of high profile diplomatic visits
to the previously isolated country. The BBC's Southeast Asia correspondent Rachel Harvey reports from a film
festival in Burma, taking place without censorship and organised by Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters.
0722
The Commons International Development Committee has issued a report saying that it is right right to try to
spend increasing amounts of aid money in the world's most difficult and dangerous places, but that money
should be tied more clearly to political and social progress. The chairman of the committee, Malcolm Bruce,
explains the report in more detail.
0725
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0733
Hospitals, railway lines, utilities, sculptures, churches and even war memorials have all been targeted by metal
thieves in recent years, as metal prices continue to climb ever higher. Andrew Hosken reports on what may be
done to regulate the industry.
Read more: Scrap metal industry faces crackdown
0740
The paper review.
0743
The group of injured servicemen rowing the Atlantic to try to raise £1m for wounded soldiers has hit a series of
difficulties with the breakdown of their drinking water system and a string of physical ailments. Speaking from
the Atlantic, rower Alex McKenzie recounts the challenges his team have been facing.
0747
Thought for the day with the Right Reverend James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool.
0750
A new report from the Commission on Assisted Dying says assisted dying should be allowed if an adult has less
than a year to live. Commission chair Lord Falconer and Baroness Finlay, former president of the Royal College
of Medicine, debate the report.
0810
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has urged the UK to re-engage with Europe and called for more action on tax
avoidance in the first of the Today programme New Year leader interviews.
0822
Among the places counting the cost of the recent high winds is the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh where
hundreds of panels of glass have been smashed or blown away from greenhouses and dozens of trees have been
blown down. The BBC's Huw Williams has been taking a look.
0826
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0830
Scotland Yard is reviewing whether or not to maintain a dedicated team of detectives to investigate the murder
of Stephen Lawrence.. Danny Shaw has the latest and Cindy Butts, an independent member of the Metropolitan
Police Advisory Group, gives her reaction to the news.
0836
Business news with Simon Jack.
0840
The government says it is going to try to do something about the theft of metal by imposing a better registration
of scrap metal dealers and the possibility that a cashless system of paying for scrap could be introduced. Ian
Hetherington, Director General of the British Metal Recycling Association, outlines how the changes could
affect the industry.
0845
The head of the main Syrian opposition group has said the Arab League monitoring mission should prove itself,
or leave. Dr Burhan Ghalioun told reporter Paul Wood that the outcome would depend on the report due to be
presented by the head of the monitoring mission.
0850
The foreign affairs select committee has produced a report saying that although British ships have been allowed
to carry armed guards on board to protect against pirates since last October, the government must provide more
guidance on how force can be used against pirates. Peter Hinchcliffe, secretary general of the international
chamber of shipping, explains the problem.
0855
Should international aid be linked with political progress? Ruth Porter is from the Institute for Economic Affairs
and Max Lawson is head of advocacy for Oxfam discuss.
Friday 6th January
In the second of the Today programme's New Year leader interviews, Evan Davis is in Manchester to talk
to the Prime Minister David Cameron. Also on the programme, Professor Stephen Hawking answers the
questions you put to him.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on the Euro hitting a 16 month low against the pound and the dollar.
0709
The prime minister is to launch a drive to change the culture of nursing in England by saying in a speech that
nursing needs to be about patients not paperwork. Jo Webber, Deputy policy director of the NHS confederation,
outlines how the changes are likely to change the health service.
0713
The government's plan for the economy has two parts, shrinking the public sector and growing the private sector.
The problem is that so far the shrinking part has been easier than the growing part. Evan Davis spent yesterday
in and around Manchester to see how well the growing part is going.
0718
Business news with Simon Jack.
0721
MP Diane Abbott caused a storm on Twitter with her comments about a "white divide and rule agenda". Yasmin
Alibhai-Brown, columnist for the Independent, and Diran Adebayo, award winning novelist, discuss the
controversy.
0734
Shortly before Christmas we offered you the chance to put your questions to the celebrated physicist Stephen
Hawking as one way of marking his 70th birthday on Sunday. Hundreds of questions came in via Twitter, email
and on our Facebook page. Science correspondent Tom Feilden has selected a few and has been to Cambridge to
put them to the man himself.
Read more: Professor Stephen Hawking Q&A
0740
The paper review.
0743
David Cameron and Nick Clegg have raised the prospect of bringing in new powers to curb tax avoidance by
leading companies and wealthy individuals. Graham Aaronson QC, a barrister specialising in tax cases and
commissioned by the Treasury to lead a review of tax avoidance last year, explains whether there is a realistic
chance of the government legislating on this issue.
0748
Thought for the day with the Reverend Doctor Giles Fraser.
0751
The Chief Executive of a council in greater London has suggested that the legal limit for school class sizes
should be raised from 30 to 32. Lee Elliot Major, Head of Policy and Research at the Sutton Trust, and Christine
Blower, General secretary of the National Union of Teachers, debate whether class sizes are likely to expand in
the face of government cuts.
0810
Prime Minister David Cameron has said, in the second of our New Year leader interviews, that the government
will act on top pay levels, has called for politicians to "speak up" about nursing standards and has defended his
use of the EU summit veto.
0832
The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson gives his analysis of David Cameron's interview.
0836
Research published in the British Medical Journal suggests that brain function starts to decline from the age of
around 45 and, controversially, that action might be taken. Neuroscientist professor Steven Rose gives his view
on the research.
0840
Business news with Simon Jack.
0846
How excited are people outside London about the Olympic Games? The polling data shows there's not that much
of a London effect on enthusiasm or lack thereof. In Manchester, Evan Davis finds out how the people of
Manchester feel about the games.
0853
When he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone disease at the age of 21, doctors thought he would not live more
than another few years. But this Sunday Professor Stephen Hawking turns 70 and is celebrating a life of
outstanding achievement. His biographer Kitty Ferguson and Dr Harvey Reall, a reader in theoretical physics at
Cambridge and a former student of Professor Hawking, discuss his life and work.
Saturday 7th January
The Labour party are outlining how they would act to curb high pay. What next for the ANC, which turns
100 this weekend? And was the murder of Stephen Lawrence a turning point of British attitudes to race?
0709
Ed Miliband has given an interview to the Guardian defending his leadership as the Labour Party sets set out its
policy on high pay. The BBC's Susana Mendonca has more details.
0712
The ANC, the oldest liberation group in Africa, is celebrating its 100th birthday this weekend with festivities
including a massive golf tournament. Daryl Glaser, professor of politics at the University of Witswatersrand,
gives his analysis of the state of the party.
0716
A government-backed report has given the clearest signal yet that a new high-speed rail line between London
and Birmingham will be approved. Read more
0720
The Chinese authorities are to publish information about air pollution in the capital Beijing. The BBC's
correspondent in Beijing, Damian Grammaticas, has more details, and Isabel Hilton, a journalist and China
specialist, explains why this sheds some interesting light on the pressures China's leaders are under.
0726
Sports news with Rob Bonnet.
0732
The Syrian government says terrorists were responsible for the attack in the capital Damascus where 25 were
killed and many more were injured in a suicide bomb. However, the opposition believe the government itself
may be behind the killing and they have called for an independent investigation. Salman Shaikh, director of the
Brookings institute, gives his analysis of the situation.
0738
The paper review.
0741
Reporters are now allowed to tweet words from court giving minute by minute coverage. Until the Stephen
Lawrence case this week, there had never been quite such a moment of live coverage of a judge's words in a high
profile case. Philippa Thomas, the BBC correspondent sat at the Old Bailey this week, and Ian Kelcey, a council
member of the law society, reflect on the implications of a new era in court reporting.
0747
Thought for the day with Brian Draper, associate lecturer at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity.
0750
The pound has been strong against the euro in the last few days, with a pound now worth 1.21 euro. Tim Hair,
who runs runs an engineering company in the West Midlands, and David Green, an official for many years at the
Bank of England, discuss how a stronger pound is likely to affect manufacturers and exporters.
0810
High pay is one issue the politicians of all main parties have decided they need to deal with this year. Shadow
business secretary Chuka Umunna outlines Labour's thinking on high pay.
0817
Egypt's Coptic Christians celebrate their Christmas today and last night they held marathon services on
Christmas Eve, as is their tradition. But there has been heavy security, after recent attacks on churches. The
BBC's Jon Leyne reports from St Mary's Coptic church in Cairo where the Copts are feeling nervous about their
future in post-Mubarak Egypt.
0820
What should the relationship be between the police and journalists? Stewart Tendler, former crime
correspondent for the Times, and John O'Connor, former Commander and head of the flying squad at Scotland
yard, debate the issue.
0826
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0830
It has been suggested this week that the Stephen Lawrence case was a turning point in our attitudes towards race,
not only within the police but also in wider society. Nicola Stanbridge has been looking through the archives of
Mass Observation, which has been monitoring British attitudes to race amongst other things for the last 75 years.
Professor Tony Kushner, from Southampton University, and Arthur Torrington, from the Windrush Foundation,
discuss the history of race relations in the UK.
0840
Africa's oldest and most famous liberation party, the ANC, turns 100 this weekend - but should it be celebrating?
The BBC's Africa correspondent Andrew Harding reports from the small, struggling town of Ficksburg.
A government-backed report has given the clearest signal yet that a new high-speed rail line between London
and Birmingham will be approved. Martin Tett, chairman of Buckinghamshire county council and leader of antiHS2 group 51m, says that at a time of austerity, the new high-speed rail line represents a "poor investment".
0845
The paper review.
0852
Both Nick Clegg and David Cameron have talked about tackling Britain's 'crony capitalism', through legislation
against the very rich and those evading tax. Matthew Hancock, Conservative MP for West Suffolk, and Mike
O'Brien QC, former trade minister, discuss the practicalities of such legislation.
Monday 9th January
David Cameron has promised company shareholders a binding vote on executive pay, in an effort to deal
with excessive salaries. The UK government is considering how to give Scotland the legal power to hold a
referendum on independence. And also on the programme, actress Vanessa Redgrave on why politicians
still make her angry.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on the continuing row over executive pay.
0650
In Ipsos Mori's Captains of Industry survey, two-thirds of British business leaders agree that the UK economy
needs to be rebalanced towards manufacturing to decrease our dependence on service industries. Simon
Atkinson, assistant chief executive of Ipsos Mori, explains what is behind the findings and chief executive of
North East Chamber of Commerce, James Ramsbotham reflects on the implications for his region.
0709
The Cabinet is to discuss proposals to give the Scottish government the legal power to hold a binding
referendum on independence. Robert Hazell, professor of British politics and government and director of the
Constitution Unit at University College London, analyses the process if a referendum was to take place.
0712
David Cameron has promised company shareholders a binding vote on executive pay, in an effort to deal with
excessive salaries. Business editor Robert Peston analyses whether this measure will really work.
0717
Business news with Simon Jack.
0719
A report by Migration Watch UK suggests there is a link between rising levels of youth unemployment in Britain
and an increase in migration from eastern Europe. Sir Andrew Green, chair of MigrationWatch UK, outlines
their findings and Danny Sriskandarajah, director of the Royal Commonwealth Society, explains why he
disagrees with them.
0725
Sport news with Jonathan Legard.
0730
Recordings of admissions by members of the IRA about what they did and why during the troubles could be
handed over to the police in Northern Ireland, if a legal bid to stop it fails in a US court today. Ireland
correspondent Andy Martin reports.
0737
The paper review.
0741
MPs on the science and technology committee have called for alcohol guidelines to be changed to advise people
not to drink for at least two days a week. Sir Ian Gilmore, special adviser on alcohol and chair of Alcohol Health
Alliance at the Royal College of Physicians, outlines the health risks of drinking every day.
0748
Thought for the day with the Dr Alan Billings.
0750
Duwayne Brooks was with the teenager Stephen Lawrence when he was killed in a racist attack in 1993. In his
first broadcast interview since Gary Dobson and David Norris were convicted last week for the murder,
Duwayne reflects on the trial verdict and the 18-year wait for a conviction.
0810
The prime minister has said that excessive pay for company bosses will be a thing of the past with a legislation
change. Deborah Hargreaves, chair of High Pay Commission, and Stuart Fraser, policy chairman at the City of
London Corporation, discuss his proposals will work.
0818
David Cameron went on the offensive over Scottish independence over the weekend, pledging to publish legal
advice reported to show Westminster must give permission for a referendum. Ahead of the cabinet meeting to
discuss such a referendum, political editor Nick Robinson has the details and Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's deputy
First Minister, responds.
0826
Sport news with Jonathan Legard.
0832
The Belfast Project, conducted by Boston College in the United States, recorded secret interviews with IRA
members making frank admissions about their involvements in the troubles. Now lawyers want the college to
hand over the tapes to police in Northern Ireland. Baroness O'Loan, former Police Ombudsman for Northern
Ireland, and journalist Brian Rowan, who has written extensively on the troubles, discuss whether the tapes
should be handed over.
0838
Ahead of her appearance in a film adaptation of Shakespeare's Coriolanus, actress Vanessa Redgrave talks about
her busy year of campaigning, on issues such as Dale Farm, and why politicians still make her angry.
0843
Business news with Simon Jack.
0846
According to new research, global warming may have helped stave off the next ice age. Dr Luke Skinner of the
department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge explains why.
0850
The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is in Berlin for more talks with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel,
about the Eurozone crisis. Steve Evans reports on the power dynamic between the two European leaders.
0854
The New York Times has published its 45 places to go in 2012 which includes the Maldives, Malaysia, but also
Birmingham and Glasgow. Nick Bailey, professor of Urban Regeneration at the University of Westminster, and
Jon Bounds, writer and creator of a website about Birmingham, discuss what being a tourist destination says
about our former industrial cities.
Tuesday 10th January
In the third and final of the Today programme's New Year leader interviews, we speak to Labour leader
Ed Miliband. Also on the programme, high-speed rail, promoting good health and Universal Studios'
president, Ron Meyer.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on a mixed outlook for UK manufacturing this year according to a survey by the
British Chamber of Commerce.
0648
Hundreds of primary schools across England that are not doing as well as they should be are being put under
pressure to convert to academy status. The Department for Education says that is the best way to improve results
fast, but while many schools are reluctant, one has put its head above the parapet and said no publicly. Sanchia
Berg reports.
0655
The fastest growing prison population in England and Wales are the 50s, who make up nearly 10% of the total
prison population. Radio 4 documentary Dying Inside explores the experiences of elderly prisoners. Presenter
Rex Bloomstein, describes what they discovered.
0709
Scottish Secretary Michael Moore is to offer to lend the Scottish government the unambiguous power to hold a
legally binding referendum on Scottish independence, but only if there is a clear yes or no vote. Chief Secretary
to the Treasury and Scottish MP Danny Alexander gives his thoughts.
0712
The United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, is warning that Iran has moved closer to developing a nuclear
weapon. Security correspondent Gordon Correra has the details. Read the news story.
0717
Business news with Simon Jack.
0719
New research suggests that taking an aspirin every day, which is commonly thought to reduce the risk of heart
attacks, could be doing more harm than good. Kausik Ray, professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at St
George's, University of London, explains why.
0722
Republicans in New Hampshire go to the polls later in the second stage of their presidential candidate selection
process. North America correspondent Jonny Dymond reports on how winning the crucial "blue collar" vote will
be key to challenging Barack Obama.
0727
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0733
The controversial £32bn HS2 high-speed rail project is expected to be given the green light by the government.
Chief political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue reports on the political implications of the decision.
0740
The paper review.
0743
As the Consumer Electronics Show opens in Las Vegas, everyone is talking about connecting TV to the internet.
Technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones reports from Silicon Valley on the future of television.
0748
Thought for the day with the The Reverend Rob Marshall, an Anglican Priest.
0748
The NHS Future Forum says that health professionals in England should adapt their roles in order to promote
good health by talking to patients about diet, exercise, smoking and drinking habits. Steve Field, chair of the
NHS Future Forum, and Mima Cattan, professor of public health at Northumbria University, discuss whether
advice can really change people's lifestyles.
0810
Labour leader Ed Miliband has said he can win the next election, but that a future Labour government would be
different from the last, in the third of the New Year Today leader interviews
0826
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0830
Political editor Nick Robinson gives his analysis of John Humphrys' interview with Ed Miliband.
0835
The government is expected to give permission for a new high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham.
Mike Thomson reports on the economic arguments for and against high speed rail. And architect of the project,
Lord Adonis, responds.
0840
Most people would be glad of a mild winter, but it is causing problems for rhubarb growers. Rhubarb grower
Janet Oldroyd-Hulme explains why.
0843
Business news with Simon Jack.
0845
Universal Pictures will be marking its 100th anniversary this year and with the restoration of some of the studio's
most significant films, such as To Kill a Mockingbird and Jaws. The Today programme's Justin Webb talked to
Universal Studios' President, Ron Meyer, about the state of the film industry.
0849
The Hatchet Job of the Year award will honour the angriest, funniest and most trenchant book review of 2011.
DJ Taylor, author and Hatchet Job Award judge and Joanna Biggs, assistant editor at the London Review of
Books, discuss the evolution of book reviews, which now includes online criticism.
Wednesday 11th January
James Naughtie is in Edinburgh where the Scottish government has locked horns with David Cameron on
an independence referendum. Mitt Romney has won the New Hampshire Republican primary in the race
to challenge the US presidency. And also on the programme, director Ken Loach on funding the British
film industry.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on further developments in the eurozone, where leaders of Germany, Italy and
the IMF meet to discuss what to do about problems in Greece and Hungary.
0648
Nearly two years since the Greek crisis first blew up, the country is still on the verge of defaulting and needs the
latest bail-out from the EU, European Central Bank and IMF by March if it is to pay the interest on its loans. The
Today programme's Sarah Montague went to Brussels for BBC Hardtalk to speak to the the EU Commission's
vice-president on the euro, Olli Rehn.
0709
The Scottish Government plans to hold an independence referendum in the autumn of 2014, but the UK
government is insisting the vote would be unlawful without Westminster's approval. Sir Menzies Campbell,
former Liberal Democrat leader and MP for North-East Fife, gives his thoughts on the political dilemma.
0712
Education Secretary Michael Gove has said he wants to scrap the way information technology is taught in
schools in England because it's "dull and harmful". Ian Livingstone, of computer games company Eidos, details
a review he has authored for the government into how to make the UK a world leader in video games and visual
effects.
0716
Mitt Romney has won the New Hampshire Republican primary, bringing him one step closer to fighting
President Obama for the White house. North America editor Mark Mardell reports.
0719
Business news with Simon Jack.
0721
Some 63 wild flowers have been found in flower, much more than the normal average of 20 to 30 species,
because of the mild winter. The BBC's Sian Lloyd reports from Cardiff where the unseasonal find has been
made.
0725
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0732
The prime minister is to urge the British Film industry to concentrate on more mainstream productions, the
expected recommendation from a review by former Labour culture minister Lord Chris Smith on funding British
films. Arts editor Will Gompertz has the details and film director, Ken Loach, gives his response.
0738
The paper review.
0741
Health secretary Andrew Lansley is to make another statement in the Commons about what the NHS can do to
help women who had PIP breast implants and are worried about the risk of rupture. Dr Richard Horton, editor of
the Lancet medical journal, details an editorial in which concerns are raised over regulation of medical devices.
0748
Thought for the day with the Reverend Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James Piccadilly.
0750
Should Scotland have the right to call a referendum on whether to break away from the United Kingdom?
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond explains why he is planning a "public vote" in 2014 despite the UK
government insisting this would be unconstitutional without the backing of Westminster.
0810
A political battle is underway between Westminster and Holyrood over the nature and timing of a referendum on
Scottish independence. Scottish political editor Brian Taylor has the details. And former Labour chancellor and
Edinburgh MP, Alistair Darling, reflects on campaign ahead.
0818
A spate of film biopics have recently hit our cinema screens, from The Iron Lady to W.E, Madonna's film about
Wallis Simpson's life. Anne Sebba, journalist and author of That Woman, a biography of Wallis Simpson, and
Frank Cottrell Boyce, screenwriter of many biopic films, discuss whether some lives lend themselves more
readily than others to a biopic treatment.
0824
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0830
A political debate has begun between Westminster and Holyrood over the nature and timing of a referendum on
Scottish independence. Political editor Nick Robinson analyses the implications of the political wrangling.
0833
Hungary is the latest European country to face a potential economic storm. Professor Ngaire Woods, of Oxford
University's Blavatnik School of Government and member of the IMF European Regional Advisory Group,
gives her analysis on what is likely to happen next.
0842
The prototype of an electric racing car, as fast as an F1 car, is being unveiled. Lord Paul Drayson, former science
minister and head of Drayson Racing Technologies LLP which have developed the technology, reflects on this
contribution to high tech manufacturing.
0845
Business news with Simon Jack.
0848
The prime minister says the 50p top rate of tax is "temporary" but has refused to be drawn on when it will be
abolished. Camilla Cavendish, associate editor and columnist for The Times, and Melissa Kite, contributing
editor at The Spectator, discuss whether there is another way to raise money.
0854
The argument is raging over who has the constitutional right to call a referendum on independence for Scotland.
Magnus Linklater, Scotland editor of The Times, and Ewan Crawford, former SNP strategist and now at the
University of the West of Scotland, discuss how the debate and referendum process will play out.
Thursday 12th January
Insurance companies are being urged to take a tougher line on whiplash claims. The government says it
will go ahead with plans to cut spending on welfare, despite a series of defeats in the House of Lords. And
also on the programme, why supporters of nuclear power are blaming James Bond for fears about the
industry's safety.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on the future of Royal Bank of Scotland in the face of thousands of job cuts.
0650
A new study in Nature suggests that habitable planets may orbit billions of stars in the Milky Way. The six year
study used the technique of gravitational microlensing to measure how common planets are in the Milky Way
and concluded that planets around stars are the rule rather than the exception. Keith Horne, professor of
Astronomy at St Andrews University, explains what they found.
0657
Has the ransom money from piracy benefited the coastal communities in Somalia? Dr Anja Shortland, of Brunel
University, explains her analysis of the industry of piracy.
0709
It is the second anniversary of the earthquake which devastated Haiti, killing more than 200,000 people and
leaving 1.5 million homeless. The BBC's Laura Trevelyan reports from Haiti where 500,000 people are still
living in tents.
0712
A "higher threshold" for whiplash claims and more transparency for referral fees are the main recommendations
from the Commons transport select committee's examination of the motor insurance industry. Louise Ellman
chairs the select committee and outlines their proposals.
0715
Tesco results are out for the last quarter, covering Christmas, and are expected to be weak. Chief executive of
Tesco Philip Clarke outlines why the supermarket has lost market share.
0719
Business news with Simon Jack.
0722
Scotland Yard and the Director of Public Prosecutions are to issue a joint statement about the alleged
involvement of the security and intelligence services in the ill-treatment of British detainees abroad. Read the
news report.
0724
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0732
The government has lost three votes in the House of Lords over its plans to cut spending on welfare, which
would affect disabled young people and cancer sufferers. Baroness Meacher, crossbench peer who tabled the
amendment, outlines her argument against the cuts and Employment Minister, Chris Grayling, responds.
0739
The paper review.
0742
Seventy years ago the French Resistance hero, Jean Moulin, was sent from London to unite the rival factions
within the Resistance. But he was betrayed when Resistance leaders met secretly, which lead him to be tortured
by Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie. Raymond Aubrac is the last survivor from the senior ranks of the Resistance and
described his experience of that meeting to the BBC's Hugh Schofield.
0747
Thought for the day with the Right Reverend Graham James, Bishop of Norwich.
0750
The charity sector is calling on MPs to investigate the operation of the Health Lottery, run by media owner
Richard Desmond. Sir Stephen Bubb, of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations,
outlines their concerns. And Jeremy Muller, one of the three directors of the Community Interest Companies
which manage the health lottery gives his response.
0810
The Commons transport select committee is calling for urgent action to cut the amount of compensation paid to
people who claim they suffered whiplash in car accidents. Former justice secretary Jack Straw and Nick Starling
from the Association of British Insurers discuss whether action is needed.
0818
The Royal Bank of Scotland is expected to cut thousand of investment banking jobs and sell or shut part of the
business. Business editor Robert Peston has the details.
0821
A new portrait the great enlightenment scientist Robert Hooke will be hung at the Institute of Physics in London
today, a recreated likeness after the only portrait of his was destroyed in a fire, some say at the hands of his rival
Isaac Newton. Rita Greer, painter of the Hooke portrait, and Dr Allan Chapman, historian of science at Oxford
University and Hooke biographer, discuss the new painting.
0827
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0833
Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, is launching a Childrens' Society report into childhood and happiness. He
outlines what he believes is the key to content kids.
0837
Business news with Simon Jack.
0840
According to a new scientific paper, Chinese researchers found that teenagers who use the internet for prolonged
periods of time affect the make-up of their brains. Colin Drummond, professor of addiction psychiatry at King's
College London, explains whether people can be addicted to the internet.
0848
Two years ago, more than 200,000 people lost their lives in the catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti. The
Today programme's Mike Thomson visited an emergency hospital in Port-au-Prince just after the earthquake,
where he met a mother who has already lost her three young daughters. Two years on, he reports on what has
happened since.
0852
A graduate made to work for free in Poundland in order to keep her unemployment benefit is taking legal action
against the government, arguing that a government scheme designed to get the jobless back to work amounts to
forced labour. Jim Duffy, of public interest lawyers, outlines the case.
0855
Fifty years ago filming began on James Bond movie Dr No, and the Royal Society of Chemistry reckon that the
film ensured that hundreds of millions of viewers over the years have been subjected to a representation of
nuclear power as a barely-controllable force for evil. Professor David Phillips of the Royal Society of Chemistry
and Tom Burke, visiting professor at Imperial and University College London, discuss Bond's responsibility for
our nuclear fears.
Friday 13th January
London police are being ordered to use fewer stop and searches to improve relations between the police
and ethnic minorities. Schools in England will be given new powers from September to sack bad teachers.
And also on the programme, director Steve McQueen on why he decided to make a movie about sex
addiction.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on Wall Street's earning season in the US in which banks begin reporting their
latest results. And the Friday boss is chief executive of BAA, Colin Matthews.
0650
A year ago this weekend Tunisians overthrew the dictatorship of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in the first popular
revolution of the Arab Spring. The BBC's Wyre Davis reports from Tunis, where there have since been elections
and there's a new interim government, but has the situation improved?
0709
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has ordered police in London to dramatically reduce
the number of random stop and searches to improve relations with black and ethnic minority communities. Lord
Victor Adebowale, former chair of the Home Office's Stop and Search Community panel, and Peter Smythe,
chairman of the London branch of the Metropolitan Police Federation, give their analysis of the move.
0715
Business news with Simon Jack.
0717
The largest textiles in the world created from the silk extracted from spiders goes on display at the Victoria and
Albert Museum in London later this month. Arts correspondent Rebecca Jones has been to meet the people
behind it.
In pictures: Spider web threads
0721
In Pakistan, tensions continue to rise between the Pakistan People's Party government and the military over the
so-called "memogate" scandal in which a former ambassador to the US is accused of asking for US help to
restrain the military. The BBC's Aleem Maqbool has the details and General Talat Masood, formerly of the
Pakistan army, reflects on whether a military coup is on the cards.
0725
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0732
David Cameron is making his first visit to Saudi Arabia since becoming prime minister and with the aim of
deepening the UK-Saudi relationship. Security correspondent Frank Gardner reports.
0735
Head teachers in England will soon be able to sack under-performing teachers much more quickly under new
rules being introduced by ministers. Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, and
Chris Harrison, president of the National Association of Head Teachers, discuss whether the move is a good
idea.
0741
The paper review.
0744
The British video artist and director Steve McQueen's latest release Shame tackles the subject of sex addiction.
He spoke the the Today programme's Sarah Montague ahead of it's UK release.
0747
Thought for the day with the Rev'd Dr Giles Fraser.
0752
On the Today programme yesterday, former Justice Secretary Jack Straw accused the credit hire industry of
conspiring against motorists whose cars are off the road after an accident by employing tactics which force them
to extend the length of courtesy car hire. Martin Andrews, director general of the Credit Hire Organisation
(CHO), gives his response.
0810
The Met Police Commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, is ordering police in London to use fewer stop and
searches as a way of improving relations between police and ethnic minorities. Ken Hinds, chair of Haringey
Stop and Search Monitoring Group, and Commander Tony Eastaugh, who is in charge of the new approach to
stop and search, discuss the implications.
0818
The Pakistani parliament is to hold a vote of confidence in the prime minister, Yousuf Gilani. Aleem Maqbool
reports from Islamabad.
0821
The Today programme has been the exclusive premiere of a rediscovered piece by the composer Johannes
Brahms which was discovered in a library in the US. Arts editor Will Gompertz has the details of the piece and
Tom Service, presenter of Radio 3's Music Matters, explains how the BBC got access.
0824
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0832
From the start of the next school year in England, head teachers will find it easier to remove under-performing
teachers. Education Secretary Michael Gove explains why he wants to streamline the process.
0839
The Burmese government has continued its apparent policy of reform, with the release of high profile political
prisoners. Wai Hnin, daughter of Burma political activist Mya Aye, who was released from prison today,
explains her hopes for the country.
0843
Business news with Simon Jack.
0846
As part of the Welfare Reform Bill, the government wants to replace the Disability Living Allowance with a
Personal Independence Payment - which is a lot lower. The BBC's Richard Steade spoke to James Wesson, who
has learning difficulties, about how the change will effect him. And the BBC's disability affairs specialist, Peter
White, has the details on how it will work.
0850
David Cameron has begun a visit to Saudi Arabia for talks with the King and the Crown Prince. Conservative
MP Daniel Kawczynski discusses how the UK should engage with the kingdom.
0855
The Odeon at Whiteleys shopping centre in Queensway is launching a cinema called The Lounge which gives
customers the option of ordering and eating a meal while watching a film. Rowley Leigh, the chef tasked with
coming up with the menu, and food critic Jay Rayner discuss this new dining experience.
Saturday 14th January
At least three people have died after a cruise ship carrying 4,000 people ran aground off Tuscany. Fears
about the stability of the eurozone have re-surfaced after a rating agency stripped France and Austria of
their triple-A status. And also on today's programme, the ethics - or the absence of them - in tabloid
journalism.
0709
More than 4,000 people, including several dozen British passengers, have now been taken from the Costa
Concordia off the western coast of Tuscany after it ran aground. The BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome has the
latest.
0712
Talks between the Greek government and banks that have lent to it, over how much its debts they are prepared to
write off, broke down yesterday. Christopher Pissarides, professor of economics at the LSE and a Nobel Prize
winner, explains why reaching a deal is vital to ensure Greece gets a bail out from the EU and IMF.
0714
The paper review.
0717
Tesco says its chief operating officer, Noel Robbins, did nothing wrong when he sold 50,000 of his own shares
in the company a few days before the company announced results that wiped billions of its value of the stock
exchange. Business Correspondent Joe Lynam has more details.
0719
The Leveson Inquiry returned this week after the Christmas break and its been the turn of the tabloids and the
broadsheets to defend their trade. The BBC's Peter Hunt attended the hearings and reviews the week's highlights.
0724
Pakistan is again standing "between democracy and dictatorship", according to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza
Gilani, who faces a vote of confidence in the parliament on Monday. The BBC's correspondent in Islamabad,
Aleem Maqbool, examines the Pakistani people's perspective on all the turmoil.
0726
Sports news with Rob Bonnet.
0734
The squeeze is back on the eurozone as one of the ratings agencies has downgraded the status of nine countries notably France which has lost its triple A rating from the agency, Standard and Poor's. The BBC's Europe editor,
Gavin Hewitt has the latest from Paris.
0740
The paper review.
0742
Michelle Obama has said she is tired of being labelled an angry black woman. She was reacting to comments in
a new book The Obamas by Jodi Kantor. Catherine Mayer, the London bureau chief for Time Magazine, and
Bim Adewunmi, journalist and blogger, discuss whether the comments about the First Lady are any worse than a
white woman in the public eye would get.
0748
Thought for the Day with Brian Draper - associate lecturer at the London Institute for Contemporary
Christianity.
0751
The proprietor of the Daily Express, Richard Desmond, told the Leveson inquiry this week that he didn't really
know what the word "ethics" meant. Trevor Kavanagh, associate editor of the Sun, and Chris Blackhurst, editor
of the Independent, debate whether tabloids care about right or wrong and if the broadsheets are any different.
0810
The shadow chancellor Ed Balls says he backs an extension of the 1% pay cap in the public sector until 2015. In
the Autumn Statement the government introduced a limit of one per cent for pay awards over the next two years
- now Ed Balls will say in a speech to the Fabian Society today that he wants to extend the cap until the next
election. Mr Balls explains his proposals to Jim Naughtie.
0820
There has been so much talk this week about a referendum on Scottish independence that it's worth asking how it
will work - because it is clear that sometime in the next couple of years it will happen. John Curtice, professor of
politics at Strathclyde University, explains the mechanics of a Scottish referendum.
0822
How often do you think something is a coincidence? Professor David Spiegelhalter of Cambridge University is
collecting examples for a study he is carrying out.
0826
Sports news with Rob Bonnet
0831
The French Finance minister Francois Baroin said the country would not allow the agencies to dictate its policies
after the ratings agency Standard & Poors downgraded France's triple-A rating. Gillian Tett, assistant editor of
the Financial Times, and Jim O'Neill, chairman of Goldman Sachs assets management, reflect on the move.
0840
More than 4000 people -- including dozens of Britons, the Foreign Office believes -- were on board the Costa
Concordia when the ship hit a sandbar off the island of Giglio, off the coast of Tuscany last night. Fabio Costa,
who worked in a shop on the stricken cruise ship, said a lot of people were falling around on the deck as the boat
was sinking and a number were jumping into the sea to try to swim to shore.
0847
David Hockney says British art is being diminished because the art establishment is ignoring the image by
focussing too much on conceptual art. The BBC's art editor Will Gompertz has been talking to the artist.
0851
The chief operating officer of Tesco's share dealing in the first week of the New Year was, according to the
company, quite within the rules that govern insider trading. Michael Ashe QC, a company and commercial
lawyer, says that in PR terms it is not very good for Tesco but actually it "isn't as bad as it looks".
0854
An Iranian nuclear physicist was assassinated this week - the fourth time in two years that one of their scientists
has been attacked. If he worked on the country's nuclear programme could he be considered a legitimate target?
Colin Blakemore, professor of neuroscience from the University of Oxford, believes that the ethics and integrity
of what scientists do is "crucially important". You have to distinguish between deliberate amoral acts by
scientists, he says, and the discoveries that are thrown up by science which will have evidence of ethical
consequences.
Monday 16th January
The owners of the liner which sank off the coast of Italy say it was sailing too close to shore and have
accused the captain of errors of judgment. An economic think tank is predicting the UK economy is
slipping back into recession. And also on the programme, who won what at the Golden Globe Awards.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on a report from a leading think tank which says that the UK is likely to already
be in a "technical recession" as developments in the eurozone paralyse the country's recovery.
0653
Front-line cuts are leaving parents of children with speech and language problems struggling to get assistance.
That's according to the report published by Jean Gross at the end of her time as Communication Champion for
Children, who outlines her concerns.
0709
As the investigation into the continues into the cruiser accident off Tuscany on Friday continues, survivors'
stories paint a picture of panic in the moments after the Costa Concordia started to sink. Rose Metcalf from
Bournemouth, a dancer who was working on the ship, describes her experience.
0712
New polling from the think tank IPPR and Cardiff and Edinburgh Universities, finds that 79% of English voters
want Scottish MPs barred from votes on English only laws. Co-author of the report, Professor Richard Wyn
Jones of Cardiff University outlines the main findings.
0717
Business news with Simon Jack.
0720
With the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War a few weeks away, a veteran from Leeds has completed an
extraordinary journey to meet the Argentine pilot he thought he had killed in 1982. The BBC's Nicola Rees
spoke to Neil Wilkinson who was serving on board HMS Intrepid when he shot down a Skyhawk fighter jet
during a bloody battle in San Carlos Bay.
0724
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0730
Israel is calling on Europe and the United States to intensify sanctions against Iran. Middle East editor Jeremy
Bowen gives his analyses while Danny Ayalon, Israel's deputy Foreign Minister responds.
0739
The paper review.
0742
A rescue mission continues off the coast of Tuscany where a cruise liner ran aground resulting in the deaths of at
least six people. The BBC's Matthew Price reports from the scene.
0747
Thought for the day with the Rev Professor David Wilkinson, Principal of St John's College, Durham University.
0751
The Chancellor will outline how London can become a new global hub for trading in the Renminbi, the Chinese
currency. George Osborne, who is visiting Hong Kong, outlines his ambitions for The City.
0810
The owners of the cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of Tuscany have suggested there may have been
"significant human error" on the part of the ship's captain. Alan Johnston reports from the scene on the progress
of the rescue mission. While Allan Graveson of Nautilus International and Robert Ashdown, technical,
environment and operations director for the European Cruise Council, discuss the implications the accident may
have on the cruise industry.
0819
The UK is likely to already be in recession, according to two economic forecasters, as developments in the
eurozone paralyse the country's recovery. Business editor Robert Peston analyses the implications of the forecast
from the Ernst & Young ITEM Club and the Centre for Economics and Business Research.
0824
Meryl Streep has been named best actress at the Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in
the film The Iron Lady. Alistair Leithead reflects on a night of glitz, glamour and speechifying in Hollywood.
0827
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0834
Pakistan's Supreme Court has issued a contempt order against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, raising the
prospect of his prosecution. Aleem Maqbool reports.
0837
Business news with Simon Jack.
0840
A senior British aid official has been banned from visiting Darfuri refugee camps in Chad and expelled from the
country. International development correspondent David Loyn has the details while Dr Mukesh Kapila, former
head of the UN mission in Sudan when the Darfur conflict began almost ten years ago, describes the ongoing
violence in South Sudan.
0847
The Sutton Trust is calling on support for a programme in which state money is used to open up private schools
to the brightest pupils, regardless of their economic background. Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust,
describes why it thinks such a scheme is necessary.
0851
The Guardian has a leaked letter this morning from Education Secretary Michael Gove proposing that the British
public should donate a new Royal Yacht to the Queen to mark this year's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The
writer and royal observer Robert Hardman explains the idea of using private donations to fund a new "national
flagship" which could also serve as a floating university.
0854
Today is "Blue Monday", supposedly the most miserable day of the year, and a report from the Institute of
Economic Affairs (IEA), argues that the government's strategy of measuring and explicitly promoting happiness
over other objectives is counter-productive and a waste of money. The IEA's Professor Philip Booth and Lord
Layard of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics debate the relationship
between wellbeing and government policy.
Tuesday 17th January
Government plans to change Disability Living Allowance are to be challenged in the House of Lords. The
head of Britain's biggest union says Ed Miliband has undermined his position as Labour leader by going
too far in supporting coalition cuts. And also on today's programme, can you ever have fun with Nazis?
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on news that the the ratings agency Standards & Poor has downgraded the EU
bailout fund.
0648
According to campaign group Human Rights Watch, the Department for International Development is indirectly
funding the forced relocation of farmers in Ethiopia. The Today programme's Mike Thomson reports.
0709
A coalition of major charities is calling on the government to pause the Welfare Reform Bill and carefully
consider its reform of Disability Living Allowance. Neil Coyle, director of policy and campaigns at Disability
Rights UK, outlines his concerns.
0712
The ratings agency Standard & Poor's, which downgraded nine eurozone economies last week, has now also
formally removed its triple-A rating from the eurozone's bailout fund. Business editor Robert Peston explains the
significance of the move.
0716
The leader of Britain's biggest union, Unite, has said shadow chancellor Ed Balls' announcement that Labour
accepts the government's public sector wage freeze puts the party into conflict with millions of poorly paid
public sector workers. Mehdi Hasan, the New Statesman's senior editor, reflects on the politics of Labour
spending policy.
0719
Business news with Simon Jack.
0722
Ofsted, the schools inspectorate in England, is going to remove the "satisfactory" classification for schools
because it says it can allow weak schools to continue to coast along. Instead it is proposing that schools should
be labelled as "requiring improvement" if that is' what the inspectors think. Ofsted's head Sir Michael Wilshaw
explains the reasons behind the move.
0725
In the race to become Republican candidate for the White House, Newt Gingrich has been running personal
attack adverts against his political rival, Mitt Romney, which takes a swipe at the French.
0726
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0733
In the aftermath of the revolution in Libya, how is reconciliation brought about while there are still concerns
over the treatment of imprisoned Gaddafi loyalists? Mark Lowen reports from Tripoli.
0738
The paper review.
0741
What happens psychologically when people are faced with a disaster like the sinking Costa Concordia cruise
ship? Professor Ed Galea, director of the Fire Safety Engineering Group at the University of Greenwich, and Dr
John Drury, a specialist in crowd psychology at the University of Sussex, discuss how people behave during
emergencies.
0747
Thought for the day with Vishvapani, who is an ordained Buddhist.
0750
The Supreme Court will today begin hearing a test case on age discrimination which centres on the case of
Leslie Seldon, a solicitor who was forced to retire at 65 because his partnership agreement stated that partners
should retire at that age. Clive Howard, employment lawyer at Russell Jones and Walker, and Adam Marshall,
director of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, examine the current state of employment law.
0810
Len McCluskey, the leader of Britain's biggest union Unite, has accused Ed Miliband of undermining his own
leadership and disenfranchising the Labour Party's core supporters. His criticism, made in The Guardian, follows
shadow chancellor Ed Balls' decision to accept the public sector pay freeze. The BBC's Nick Robinson
comments.
0814
The Bafta nominations have just been announced with the silent film, The Artist, picking up a total of 12
nominations and British spy film based on the novel of John Le Carre's novel, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
picking up 11.
0816
The government's Welfare Reform Bill faces pressure as it comes before the House of Lords, where peers will
debate the replacement of the Disability Living Allowance with the Personal Independence Payment. Home
Affair editor Mark Easton gives his analysis of the proposed system. And the minister for Disabled People Maria
Miller and Lord Colin Low, president of the Disability Alliance, debate the working of, and thinking behind, the
bill.
0829
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0835
The leader of Britain's biggest union Unite has criticised Labour leader Ed Miliband for supporting a cap on
public sector pay. Labour's Deputy Leader Harriet Harman defends her party's policies.
0839
The actions of the captain of the sunken Costa Concordia cruise ship are still under scrutiny, with some reports
suggesting he abandoned his vessel as passengers were still being rescued, breaking a golden nautical rule. Lord
West, former First Sea Lord, who was forced to abandon his ship during the Falklands War, explains the
etiquette behind a ship's captain leaving his vessel.
0843
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali is celebrating his 70th birthday. Sports editor David Bond reflects on the
highlights of The Greatest's career.
0847
Business news with Simon Jack. Anders Dahlvig, former chief executive of Ikea, explains the philosophy of the
Scandanavian company.
0851
George Osborne has said the UK will partner with Hong Kong to develop the City of London as a major offshore
centre of trade in China's currency, the yuan. Linda Yueh, Bloomberg economics correspondent and economics
fellow at the University of Oxford, analyses the possible effects of the proposed move.
0854
A recent poll suggests that 43% of English voters want an independent Scotland, while only 32% are in favour of
continuing the existing union between the two countries. Chief political commentator of the Daily Telegraph,
Peter Oborne, and the writer Neal Ascherson debate the nature of national identity.
Wednesday 18th January
There is to be new guidance on the "joint enterprise" law which allows gang members not directly
involved in a killing to be accused of murder. A damning report on the famine in East Africa says
thousands died needlessly because of the slow response of the international community. And also on
today's programme, should there be a minimum age to hold a shotgun licence?
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on the possible outcome of fresh negotiations between the Greek government
and the country's many creditors after the collapse of previous talks.
0653
The public is being urged to take part in a survey of hedgehogs to see if climate change is having an impact on
their hibernation and survival. Dr Pat Morris, mammal expert from London University explains that there has
been a population drop over the last decade.
0709
New guidelines are to be produced by the Crown Prosecution Service to simplify the law on gang murders,
which will allow every member of a gang to be charged with murder even if only one of them carried out the
killing. Gloria Morrison of Joint Enterprise Not Guilty by Association (JENGbA) explains her view that the socalled "joint enterprise" law is "complex and antiquated" and is responsible for the convictions of hundreds of
innocent people.
0714
The latest figures on unemployment are about to be released. Colin Blane in Scotland, Jim Fitzpatrick in
Northern Ireland and Nick Servini in Wales outline the state of the labour market in their respective nations.
0718
Business news with Simon Jack.
0721
Wikipedia has limited access to the English language version of its website for 24 hours in protest at proposed
legal changes to stop online piracy in the United States. Technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones has the
details.
0723
As part of the BBC's series 'Stargazing Live', the Somerset town of Dulverton is planning to turn off all of its
lights at the same time in order to observe the night sky with as little light pollution as possible. Councillor Chris
Nelder, mayor of Dulverton, outlines tonight's plans and Douglas Rice, chair of the nearby Tiverton Astronomy
Society, explains what he will be looking out for.
0728
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0733
At the moment, there is no minimum age for a gun licence in the UK. Labour MP Thomas Docherty describes
why he wants to introduce a minimum age of 10 while David Taylor of the Countryside Alliance explains why
he believes this move is unnecessary.
0739
The paper review.
0742
France has just been marking the 600th anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc, the country's patron saint, who
was burned at the stake by the English in 1431. Hugh Schofield reports on how her image, largely appropriated
in France by the far-right, may be changing.
0748
Thought for the day with John Bell of the Iona Community.
0750
An article in a medical journal, Lancet Online, says that the regulation of medical devices including surgical
instruments and surgical implants in this country is not fit for purpose. The Today programme's Tom Feilden
explains why criticism is being aimed at the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHPRA)
and Brian Toft, emeritus professor of patient safety at Coventry University, outlines his view that EU regulation
is at fault.
0810
BAA's chief executive Colin Matthews and the Mayor of London Boris Johnson react to the news that the
government is to open a formal consultation on plans to build an airport in the Thames Estuary.
0821
The Crown Prosecution Service is to issue new guidelines in England and Wales on "joint enterprise" cases that
allow every member of a gang to be charged with murder even if only one of them carried out the killing.
Lorraine Fraser, whose son Tyrone Clarke was stabbed to death in 2004, describes how current joint enterprise
law was used in her sons case and Lord Ken Macdonald, former director of Public Prosecutions for England and
Wales, outlines the complexities of the law.
0830
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0836
Save the Children and Oxfam are issuing a joint report saying that, if the world is to learn a lesson from so-called
failings in the response to the Horn of Africa emergency, it has to act fast to advert a dangerous food crisis in the
Sahel region of West Africa. World Affairs correspondent Mike Wooldridge reports from Niger. And Save the
Children's chief executive, Justin Forsyth, outlines their fears.
0845
The prospect of a new airport being built out in the Thames Estuary was given a fresh boost today after it was
announced that a formal consultation on it will take place. Chief political correspondent Norman Smith analyses
what this may mean for the Liberal Democrats within the coalition partnership who have vigorously opposed the
project.
0848
Business news with Simon Jack. Tim Martin, founder and chairman of JD Wetherspoon, reflects on the latest
rise in its sales figures and explains why he believes the euro "should go".
0851
The Dickens House and Museum in London, which holds so much Dickensian material, celebrates the
bicentenary of the author's birth but is causing uproar among enthusiasts by closing from April to December this
year for building work. Dr Florian Schweizer, the museum's director, explains why and the great-great-great
granddaughter of Dickens and patron of the House and Museum, Lucinda Hawksley, expresses her anger at the
move.
0855
Websites such as Wikipedia are shutting down for 24 hours in protest at changes to US legislation to end online
piracy. Telegraph columnist Harry Mount and Olivia Solon, associate editor of Wired.co.uk, discuss what life
would be like without the internet.
Thursday 19th January
Unions representing nurses and midwives have declared their outright opposition to the government's
proposed changes to the NHS in England. Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf talks about his
plans for a comeback. And Leonard Cohen's reasons to be cheerful.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on Ireland's progress in its austerity programme ahead of a report on whether the
country will need another bailout.
0650
Nasa hopes to have finished building a 12-tonne chamber, designed to simulate conditions on the surface of the
planet Venus, by May this year. Dr Rodger Dyson, Nasa engineer and leader of the Extreme Environment Test
Chamber, explains what they aim to achieve.
0709
The Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives have decided to oppose outright the
government's Health and Social Care Bill. Peter Carter, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing,
outlines their concerns.
0713
A report by a group of MPs has said a lack of supervision and failures in communication led to the UK's border
checks being relaxed too frequently. Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, explains their
findings.
0717
Business news with Simon Jack.
0719
A new study looking at the commonly held belief that more men than women tend to study maths has cast doubt
on whether there is a gender gap at all. Dr Gijsbert Stoet, a psychologist at Leeds University who led the
research, and Kate Bellingham, former government careers champion in the area of maths and science, discuss
the findings.
0725
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0732
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond says he will hold an independence referendum in the autumn of 2014,
despite a lag in support for the nationalists. Scotland correspondent Colin Blane gauges the public mood and
examines if the ruling Scottish National Party can win the nation around.
0739
The paper review.
0742
Tony Blair's former chief-of-staff, Jonathan Powell, says Britain really did use a plastic rock in a park to spy on
Russia in 2006, despite attempts by the government to dismiss the story at the time. Sir Tony Brenton, a former
ambassador to Russia, reacts to the allegation.
0745
Thought for the day with the Right Reverend Graham James, Bishop of Norwich.
0748
At the end of this month, former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf will return to Pakistan in an attempt to
resurrect his political career. Mr Musharraf told the Today programme's Justin Webb about his hopes for the
future amid extreme instability in his country.
0810
Both David Cameron and Ed Miliband are making speeches today on what can be broadly called the morality of
capitalism. Former RBS chairman Sir George Mathewson and the BBC's Nick Robinson and Robert Peston
analyse just how far public opinion and the government should, and can, influence executive pay and bonuses.
0822
Leonard Cohen is set to release his first studio album in eight years. Musician and broadcaster Jarvis Cocker had
an exclusive interview with the singer and describes what we can expect from the album.
0828
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0834
Arab League monitors are to issue their report on Syria, after a one-month deployment of around 100 monitors.
The Today programme's Zubeida Malik spoke to one monitor, Anwer Malek, who resigned mid-way through the
mission. And Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen gauges the mood in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
0839
Business news with Simon Jack.
0845
The Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives are calling on the government to scrap its
planned changes to the NHS in England as part of the Health and Social Care Bill. Chris Ham, chief executive of
the King's Fund, analyses the bill and Health Secretary Andrew Lansley responds to opposition to it.
0849
It is 30 years to the day since the publication of the first Adrian Mole novel. Author Sue Townsend reflects on
the life of the UK's most angsty teenager.
0854
The Prime Minister David Cameron is to set out his vision for "moral capitalism" in a major speech on the
economy and the leader of the opposition, Ed Miliband, is calling for tighter regulation on takeovers to protect
the to protect the long-term interests of British business. Mary Ann Sieghart, columnist for the Independent and
Dan Hodges, commentator for the Telegraph, discuss the future of capitalism and how politics can influence it.
Friday 20th January
The government says 370,000 foreign migrants are in Britain claiming out of work benefits. How
committed is the government to holding US style open primaries for Westminster seats? And also on the
programme, the lead singer of the band Elbow on the campaign to keep live music in pubs.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on a week of disappointing results for US banks. The Friday boss is chief
executive of Merlin Entertainment Nick Varney.
0650
An Oxford academic has uncovered letters by Voltaire which reveal how much this icon of French writing
profited financially and intellectually from a stay in England. Professor Nicholas Cronk, director of Oxford
University's Voltaire foundation, described how he came across the letters.
0709
More than 370,000 migrants who were admitted to Britain to work, study or go on holiday are now claiming outof-work benefits according to figures compiled by Department for Work and Pensions. Sir Andrew Green,
director of the pressure group Migration Watch, and Dr Matt Cavanagh, associate director of the think tank the
IPPR, discuss the figures.
0714
MPs are looking to scrap a law which makes it illegal for small music venues to put on gigs without seeking
local authority permission. Guy Garvey, lead singer for the band Elbow, explains the campaign to reinvigorate
live music.
0717
Business news with Simon Jack.
0719
Is Scotland a drain on the UK economy or would Scots be better off on their own? Scotland correspondent Colin
Blane has been looking at the economic landscape of the region to see if the SNP's argument, that independence
would make Scotland more prosperous, has any weight.
0725
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0732
How committed is the government to holding US-style open primaries for Westminster seats? The residents of
Totnes in Devon made a piece of political history in 2009 when they held an "open primary" vote to choose a
Conservative candidate for the 2010 general election. The Today programme's Justin Webb returned to Totnes to
find out how it worked out.
0738
The paper review.
0741
A cyber war has erupted between the authorities in the US and hackers in retaliation to the US government
shutting down file-sharing site Megaupload. Technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones has the details and
Graham Cluley, computer security expert at Sophos, analyses the implications.
0747
Thought for the day with Anne Atkins - novelist and columnist.
0751
An NHS Trust in Mid Yorkshire is so short of doctors it is thinking of asking the army to provide medical staff
to help out. Dr Taj Hassan, consultant at Leeds General Infirmary and vice president of the College of
Emergency Medicine, outlines his concerns.
0810
According to government figures just over 370,000 people claiming benefits are migrants who came to the UK
as foreign nationals. Employment Minister Chris Grayling explains the government commitment to bringing the
number down.
0817
It is just over a decade since the author WG Sebald was killed in a car crash at the age of 57. He is now being
recognised as one the most important contemporary authors, as a new film documenting one his books reveals.
Tom Bateman reports on the life of the author.
0822
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0828
During the revolution in Egypt, the head of news at Egyptian state TV and radio was driven out and attacked by
his own staff. Now Abdel Latif El-Menawy has written a book about his relationship with the former regime and
reflects on the tumultuous time during the Arab Spring uprising.
0834
Business news with Simon Jack.
0837
The government's commitment to holding US-style primaries, as seen in Totnes, Devon, before the last general
election, seems to have been watered down. Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan and former Labour cabinet
minister Margaret Beckett debate the pros and cons of these types of elections.
0842
The 2012 Republican primary contest has had many twists and turns this month, with some surprise winners and
predictable dropouts in recent days. But one steady yet surprising candidate is Ron Paul, a Texas Congressman,
medical doctor and libertarian. Mark Mardell reports on his rise, and the youth movement responsible for his
success.
0852
As part of our series on Scottish independence, Dr Peter Hughes, chief executive of Scottish Engineering and
Dan Macdonald of Macdonald Estates, a property development company, discuss whether Scotland's economy
would be better or worse off under independence.
0856
The government is to hold a public consultation on whether a controversial form of IVF should be legalised,
which would help couples with potentially fatal genetic disorders to conceive. Professor Lisa Jardine, chair of
the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), explains how the process would work.
Saturday 21st January
The widow of a British hostage whose body has been returned five years after he was kidnapped says his
family can now grieve properly. Thousands of former Woolworths employees have been awarded
compensation totalling nearly 70-million pounds. And also on Today's programme, why are so many
people going to Accident and Emergency?
0711
The shopworkers' union Usdaw says it has won £67m in compensation for former employees of Woolworths
who lost their jobs when the firm collapsed. The BBC's Joe Lynam reports.
0713
A Conservative backbencher has put forward legislation that would have paved the way for the UK to go on
Central European Time for a three-year experiment. But the Daylight Saving Bill was talked out of time in the
Commons by a small group of MPs as Parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy reports.
0717
The biggest event in African football, the African Cup of Nations, kicks off today. Jonathan Wilson, editor of the
football quarterly The Blizzard and Musa Okwonga, a poet and sports writer, discuss the importance of the event
for the continent.
0722
At the Leveson Inquiry this week, editors of national and regional newspapers continued to give evidence and
Lord Justice Leveson was also given an insight into the world of celebrity journalism. The BBC's Peter Hunt
reviews the week's hearings.
0733
This week the International Monetary Fund said it will seek to increase its resources by $500 billion to help
stabilise the global economy. The extra money could be used to help countries in the eurozone struggling to pay
their debts. Douglas Carswell MP - one of the Conservatives who rebelled against the extra contribution Britain
made to the fund last year - and Ngaire Woods, a member of the IMF European Advisory Group, debate if the
IMF is on the right path or whether it is exceeding its remit.
0740
The paper review
0743
Police stations and other government buildings have been attacked in the big northern Nigerian city of Kano. At
least six people have been killed following the growing tensions between Muslims and Christians. The BBC's
Mark Doyle is in Nigeria and he examines why so many people are turning to violence.
0747
Thought for the day with Brian Draper - associate lecturer at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity.
0751
Arab foreign ministers will meet at the Arab League's headquarters in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the report into
their recent mission in Syria and a decision will be made on whether to extend the mission for another month.
Jon Leyne reports on the latest developments and Salman Shaikh, the director of the Brookings Institute in Doha,
outlines how the wider Arab world is responding to events in Syria.
0810
David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have all delivered speeches this week on their visions for a more
ethical capitalism in the UK. Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at the Financial Times and Michael
Portillo, former Conservative cabinet minister, analyse if politicians are anywhere near to offering a viable
solution.
0816
During Wednesday's session of the Leveson Inquiry, the idea was raised that celebrities might be able to opt in
or opt out of a register which determined the level of media scrutiny they received. Alan Edwards who runs an
entertainment PR company called Outside, gives his thoughts on whether this could work in practice.
0821
Since devolution in 1999 Scotland has changed and some Scots like to claim it's not just policies which mark
Scotland apart from England, as they make the claim that their society is fairer, more democratic and more
tolerant. The BBC's Scotland correspondent Colin Blane has been investigating how much Scotland has already
moved away from the rest of the United Kingdom.
0827
Sports news with Rob Bonnet.
0833
Admissions to A&E in England have increased dramatically over the last decade from 12 million to 21 million.
Nigel Edwards of the King's Fund and David Stout, deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation, discuss
how the system, with ever-more stretched budgets and increasing patient demand, can cope.
0841
Press TV, the Iranian state broadcaster's English-language outlet, has been forced off the air in the UK after
Ofcom revoked its licence for breaching the broadcasting code. The BBC's Torin Douglas reports and Yvonne
Ridley, a former war correspondent who works for Press TV, reacts to Ofcom's move.
0846
The paper review.
0849
A British security guard, Alan McMenemy, was kidnapped in Iraq five years ago and murdered. Yesterday his
body was handed over to the British embassy in Baghdad. The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner
explains how this brings to a "sad and tragic" end years of waiting for Alan McMenemy's widow.
0854
Italy has been utterly gripped by the drama of the past week: the sinking of the Costa Concordia, the great
bravery of some of the passengers and the extraordinary behaviour of its captain. Beppe Severgnini, Italian
writer and political commentator, and Annalisa Piras, London correspondent of the Italian news magazine,
L'espresso, discuss how much soul-searching this incident has prompted in the land of the dolce vita.
Monday 23rd January
Opponents of a cap on welfare benefits are to try to get the plans changed when they are debated in the
House of Lords. The Arab League has called on President Assad to hand over power to his deputy to
organise multi-party elections in Syria. And also on today's programme, the differing fortunes of British
towns and cities, coping with harsh economic times.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on the forecast for growth in the UK and the global economy.
0650
According to a new report by think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Cardiff and
Edinburgh Universities, voters living in England place more emphasis on their English, rather than British,
identity. Nick Pearce, director of the IPPR, has the details.
0709
The Children's Society says thousands of children will be disproportionately affected by proposed changes to the
Welfare Reform Bill and are supporting an amendment to the bill which would exclude child benefit from the
cap. Enver Solomon, policy director at the Children's Society, outlines their fears.
0713
Business news with Simon Jack.
0716
A study by think tank the Centre for Cities says that the gap between the economic performance of cities across
the UK is widening. The Today programme's Sanchia Berg reports from two cities at either end of the scale:
Milton Keynes and Newport, South Wales.
0721
The Arab League mission to Syria appears to be in disarray after its list of demands for a new government was
rejected by President Assad. Read more
0726
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0733
The northern Nigerian city of Kano is under curfew following multiple attacks by Islamist militants on police
stations, which are believed to have killed at least 150 people. World affairs correspondent Mark Doyle gauges
the mood of people there.
0738
The US ambassador to Nato is in London to talk about how Europe will deal with future security issues. Ahead
of the event, Ivo Daalder tells the Today programme's Justin Webb about the challenges facing the organisation.
0743
The paper review.
0746
A select group of MPs is to meet to consider the state of the Palace of Westminster, including what to do about
the clock tower containing Big Ben, which experts say has a slight tilt to the north. John Burland, emeritus
professor at Imperial College, who was responsible for coming up with a solution for stabilising the leaning
tower of Pisa, analyses how serious the problem is.
0748
Thought for the day with the Reverend Professor David Wilkinson, Principal of St John's College, Durham
University.
0752
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) is calling for an outright ban on the advertising
of all cosmetic surgery. Fazel Fatah, president of BAAPS, and Sally Taber, director of the Independent
Healthcare Advisory Services, which represents the cosmetic surgery industry, discuss the necessity of such a
ban.
0810
The government is to come up against strong opposition in the House of Lords over its plans to cap benefits
payments to £26,000 per household per year in England, Scotland and Wales. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain
Duncan Smith defends the proposals.
0825
Britain's wounded service men and women are all too familiar with the theatre of war. Last night 30 of them
joined professional actors on stage at the Haymarket Theatre to perform a play examining what it is like to be
wounded and fight your way back to a full life. Defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt went along to see it.
0829
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0835
The president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, arrived in the city of Kano on Sunday to inspect sites hit in the
deadly wave of attacks in the Muslim north of the country. The Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Justin
Welby, has just returned from the country and reflects on the situation there.
0840
A new study suggests there's a growing gap between cities in the UK which are doing well economically, and
those which are struggling. The think tank Centre for Cities has published its annual index which shows that the
best performing places include Edinburgh, Cambridge and London while more vulnerable cities include Hull,
Doncaster and Newport and are more reliant on the public sector. Alexandra Jones, Centre for Cities' chief
executive, outlines the findings.
0844
Business news with Simon Jack.
0847
Are school breakfast clubs an important service for malnourished children or do they let those children's families
off the hook with regard to their parental duties? Carmel McConnell, of charity Magic Breakfast, and Jill Kirby,
a commentator on social issues for the Conservative Home website, debate whose responsibility it should be.
0853
Controversial proposals to introduce a £26,000 cap on household benefits as part of the Welfare Reform Bill will
be debated in the Lords later amid speculation that ministers may face a rebellion from Liberal Democrat peers
who are unhappy at the potential impact of the cap on disadvantaged families. Shadow employment minister
Stephen Timms outlines the Labour Party's view of the proposed changes.
0856
According to a new book, the most important thing to make a person successful is willpower and not self-esteem
as is traditionally thought. Roy Baumeister, author of Willpower: Rediscovering Our Greatest Strength, explains
his formula for success
Tuesday 24th January
A committee of MPs says the government's planned reform of the NHS in England is disrupting efforts to
improve efficiency. New guidelines will cut sentences for drug mules and increase penalties for gang
leaders. And also on today's programme, have new fossil fuels shattered the dreams of the green lobby?
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on a rejection by European finance ministers of an offer from private creditors
to restructure Greece's debt.
0652
Proposals to try to curb executive pay and to encourage shareholders to exercise more power in companies have
stirred up anger among some Conservative MPs. Peter Bone MP explains why he thinks the proposals are
"claptrap".
0709
A group of MPs have warned that the government's controversial plans to reorganise the NHS in England are
hindering efforts to cut costs by "salami-slicing" services for short-term savings. Conservative MP and chair of
the health select committee Stephen Dorrell outlines its concerns.
0714
Until recently, fossil fuels have widely been seen among scientists and environmental campaigners as a
diminishing resource. Science correspondent Tom Feilden reports on how the discovery of new techniques to
extract shale gas has rapidly changed the world of energy generation.
0719
A controversial trial treatment for vision loss using human embryonic stem cells has produced "groundbreaking"
early results. Daniel Brison, professor of Clinical Embryology and Stem Cell Biology at the University of
Manchester, discusses his cautious optimism about the outcome.
0723
Business news with Simon Jack.
0726
The European Union has approved tough sanctions against Iran, in an attempt to stop Tehran's alleged nuclear
weapons programme. Suzanne Maloney, an Iran expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington and a former
State Department policy adviser, analyses the reaction of the United States.
0730
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0737
Business Secretary Vince Cable has said the government wants shareholders to hold binding votes over
executive pay. CEO of Bramdean Asset Management Nicola Horlick explains why she is sceptical about
whether the measures will work to curb excessive pay.
0745
The paper review.
0747
A new book that claims to throw light on the marriage of Barack and Michelle Obama has been making waves in
the United States. Jodi Kantor, author of The Obamas: A Mission, a Marriage, outlines her impressions of the
personalities of the First Couple.
0750
Thought for the day with Vishvapani, an ordained Buddhist.
0753
New legal guidelines are being published on making sentences more lenient for people used by criminal gangs to
smuggle drugs into the country. Judge Henry Globe, a member of the Sentencing Council which issued the
guidelines, outlines the changes.
0810
The health select committee has said health trusts in England are resorting to short-term salami-slicing of
services to meet the government's efficiency targets instead of looking for long-term reforms to practices. Health
Secretary Andrew Lansley responds to the report's findings.
0821
Plans to create what is being billed as the world's leading design museum in London will be unveiled today.
Fashion designer Paul Smith reflects on the place of design in the UK.
0826
In the Syrian city of Douma, more that 150,000 anti-government mourners have gathered for the funerals of 12
people killed in the last three days. Middle east editor Jeremy Bowen has just visited the city of Homs, which is
partially under rebel control, and describes what he saw.
0830
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0835
A US Marine accused of killing unarmed Iraqi women and children has pleaded guilty to dereliction of duty,
ending the largest and longest-running criminal case against US troops to emerge from the Iraq war. Utah
University law professor Amos Guiora reflects on the outcome of the trial and the Nick Broomfield, who made
the documentary Battle for Haditha, outlines his views.
0842
With the discovery of techniques to extract shale gas, the narrative of the future of energy has changed. Tony
Juniper, freelance writer and green campaigner, and Lord Lawson, chairman and founder of Global Warming
Policy Foundation, discuss if these new ways of extracting fossil fuel have thrown a spanner into the works of
green campaigners.
0849
Business news with Simon Jack.
0852
There are worrying signs that political chaos in Yemen is allowing the militant jihadi group Al Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsular to spread its influence in one of the most strategically vital corners of the Middle East.
Fighters loyal to Ansar al Sharia, an offshoot of Al Qaeda have seized a swathe of territory in south east Yemen
and have forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee to the southern port city of Aden, from where HARDtalk's
Stephen Sackur has sent this special report.
0856
Lord Coe has said that parents should be given time off work to watch their children play sport as a way of
encouraging Britons to become more active. Lucy Cavendish, journalist, novelist and mother of four, and Tim
Dowling, Guardian journalist and father, discuss if children actually want their parents shouting on the sidelines
in the first place.
David Cameron is to tell the European Court of Human Rights it should leave most decisions to national
courts, and stick to the most serious cases. Have we become more dishonest as a society? And also on the
programme, Bill Gates on his vision for capitalism.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on the start of the annual world economic forum in Davos.
0650
Millions of people every year from around the world make the pilgrimage to Mecca for the Hajj, one of the five
pillars of Islam, and tomorrow the first ever exhibition on this journey opens at the British Museum. The Today
programme's Zubeida Malik went to take a look.
0709
David Cameron is to address the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and will call for a change in the way the
European Court of Human Rights filters cases to ensure fewer and more important cases are heard. Conservative
MP Martin Vickers and human rights lawyer and Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy QC debate the need for
reforming the system.
0712
Angela Merkel is to address the World Economic Forum in Davos as Germany continues to come under pressure
to increase its contributions to EU bailout funds. Business editor Robert Peston previews her speech, as well as
the news that the Royal Bank of Scotland's chief executive Stephen Hester is under increasing pressure to
receive a significantly reduced bonus.
0719
Business news with Simon Jack.
0722
US President Barack Obama has delivered his annual State of the Union address setting out his political vision
for the year ahead. North America editor Mark Mardell reflects on one of the opening shots in Obama's reelection campaign.
0725
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0733
Bill Gates is one of those heading to the World Economic Forum in Davos. Mr Gates tells the Today
programme's Evan Davis about the message he is taking with him.
0742
The paper review.
0745
The Socialist candidate in the French general election this year is Francois Hollande, who is well ahead of
President Sarkozy in the polls. Paris correspondent Christian Fraser spoke to Mr Hollande about his election
campaign.
0750
Thought for the day with Reverend Joel Edwards - International Director of Micah Challenge.
0752
According to new research by the University of Essex, the public is now more tolerant towards a range of
misdemeanours such as having an extramarital affair and drink driving. Professor Paul Whiteley, director of the
new Essex Centre for the Study of Integrity and author of the study, outlines their findings.
0810
David Cameron is to address the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and is expected to call for a filtering system to
make sure only the most important cases reach the European Court of Human Rights. Sanchia Berg reports on
some of the more memorable decisions of recent years, chief political correspondent James Landale analyses
whether the prime minister's speech will have any impact and Attorney General Dominic Grieve shares his
thoughts on the legal implications of any changes.
0819
As part of the 2012 World Shakespeare Festival and the Cultural Olympiad, this summer the Royal Shakespeare
Company will give up their stage to a select few amateur productions. The Today programme's Nicola
Stanbridge reports on the quintessentially British pursuit of amateur dramatics.
0824
New research into how the brain works examines why some people may have a mediocre IQ but might be very
good at certain subjects, like maths for example. Professor Nancy Kanwisher, of the McGovern Institute for
Brain Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is leading the research and outlines her findings.
0828
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0832
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said yesterday in the Commons that an escalation of a dispute with Iran
could see Britain sending military reinforcements to the Gulf. Former defence secretary Liam Fox gives his
thoughts on relations with the Middle East.
0838
US President Barack Obama used his annual State of the Union address to lay out his political vision as he faces
a challenge to his presidency in this years elections. US ambassador to London, Louis Susman, reflects on the
president's words.
0844
Business news with Simon Jack.
0847
After losing their first game to Equatorial Guinea, Libya play Zambia in the Orange African Cup of Nations
today. Jo Glanville, editor of the Index on Censorship, and her father Brian Glanville, football writer, discuss
who we should support for sporting reasons and who for political reasons.
0851
With just over five weeks to go before Russia's presidential election, authorities have begun installing web
cameras at polling stations across the country as a way of preventing election fraud. Moscow correspondent
Steve Rosenberg reports from Veliky Novgorod, where the first webcams have been installed.
0855
According to new research published today by the University of Essex, the public are now more tolerant towards
dishonest actions such as having an extramarital affair or drink driving. Angie Hobbs, professor of philosophy at
Warwick University, and Anastasia De Waal, head of family and education at the think tank Civitas, discuss
what the findings say about the morality of modern society.
Thursday 26th January
Lord Mandelson on globalisation and inequality. Is there a link between Vitamin D deficiency and sudden
infant death syndrome? And also on the programme, the US presidential candidate who wants to establish
a permanent base on the moon.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on further negotiations to try and avoid a Greek default.
0652
The number of people dying from heart attacks has halved in just under a decade according to a new study.
Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation which funded the study, outlines the
reasons behind the fall in numbers.
0709
The UK Border Agency has been criticised by the Home Affairs Select Committee for the way it manages the
forced removal of failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants from the UK. Emma Ginn, co-ordinator of the
charity Medical Justice, outlines their concerns over inappropriate behaviour towards detainees.
0712
The anger at bankers' bonuses which erupted at the beginning of the financial crisis, seems to have grown into a
more general malaise about the pay gap between the richest and the rest of society. Business editor Robert
Peston has been testing the mood at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where some of the world's richest
people have gathered.
0717
The Chief Constable of Gloucestershire Police, Tony Melville, says his force is heading towards a "cliff edge"
because of budget cuts and a freeze in the amount raised for policing through council tax. He tells the Today
programme's Evan Davis about his concerns.
0721
Business news with Simon Jack.
0724
Police in Suffolk are searching for a prisoner who escaped after two guards escorting him to hospital in Bury St
Edmonds were threatened at gunpoint by another man. The BBC's Lisa Hampele reports.
0726
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0732
Vitamin D deficiency, which causes childhood rickets, is a growing problem in Britain. But a new theory
suggests a lack of the vitamin could also be behind the phenomenon of Sudden Infant Death and possibly
miscarriages of justice involving allegations of child abuse. The Today programme's Andrew Hosken has been
investigating.
0740
The paper review.
0743
Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich called on Wednesday for a base on the moon and an expanded
federal purse for prize money to stimulate private-sector space projects. Andrew Coates, professor of physics at
UCL's Mullard Space Science Laboratory, explains if this is a realistic goal.
0746
Thought for the day with the novelist and columnist Anne Atkins.
0750
Scientists at Oxford have developed a brain stimulation technique that improves academic performance by
zapping the brain with an electric current. The Today programme's Tom Feilden reports and Barbara Sahakian, a
professor at Cambridge University specialising in neuroscience and neuroethics, explains why she is cautious
about the findings.
0810
In a report for the Institute for Public Policy Research being launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos,
former EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson argues for the need to re-evaluate the rules governing
globalisation. Business editor Robert Peston reports from Davos while Lord Mandelson outlines his concerns
about global inequality.
0823
The people of Douma were among the first to join the uprising after it started in Syria in March last year and
since then many have been killed, including 12 last weekend. It is also where the so-called Free Syrian Army,
made up mainly of defectors from President Assad's forces, has been established. Middle east editor Jeremy
Bowen managed to gain access to the area.
0830
Sport news with Garry Richardson.
0837
In less than a decade the number of people in the UK dying from heart attacks has halved. Dr Charles Knight of
the British Cardiovascular Society is a consultant cardiologist at the London Chest Hospital and analyses the
factors that have contributed to what he calls "excellent news".
0841
Business news. Subway's founder and president, Fred De Luca, talks with the Today programme's Simon Jack
about the success of franchising, signposting calories and the inequalities of the tax system.
0845
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is to publish its climate change risk analysis
for the UK , looking at the dangers to crops, flooding, health and water resources. Science editor David Shukman
has the details.
0848
The UK gives Pakistan about £200m in aid each year and the Department for International Development has told
the BBC that women and girls will be the focus of "everything it does" in the country as the country introduces
new laws aimed at helping protect women. Aleem Maqbool reports from Punjab province where cases of
brutality against women are commonplace.
0852
The Scottish government has proposed that the question it puts to Scots in the independence referendum is this:
"Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?" Professor Robert Cialdini, author of Influence:
Science and Practice, analyses if the wording of the question is fair.
0856
Have the constraints forced on the world by the dire economic circumstances of the last few years proved an
incentive to designers and architects? Paola Antonelli, senior curator of art and design at the Museum of Modern
Art in New York, examines if this is the case.
----------------------Friday 27th January
A government minister has called on the chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland to turn down his share
bonus of nearly a million pounds. Doctors say they may be able to detect autism in young children at a
much earlier age. Also on the programme, what lies behind the vinyl revival?
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on the decision to award the boss of Royal Bank of Scotland, Stephen Hester, a
bonus of £963,000 on top of his £1.2m salary. And the Friday boss is Stephen Collier, CEO General Healthcare
Group.
0650
A medical kit used by British Army medic Major John Russell Grice during the liberation of British troops at
Belsen in 1945 has been given to the National Army museum by his family to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
Defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt went along to see it.
0655
Ahead of a meeting of Sudan and South Sudan's presidents, Dr Sara Pantuliano, of the Overseas Development
Institute - who has worked on Sudan for 20 years - gives her analysis of the current situation in the region.
0709
The Royal Bank of Scotland boss Stephen Hester is going to get a bonus just short of £1m. Dr Ruth Bender of
the Cranfield School of Management reflects on whether the bonus is fair.
0712
Police have seized about 16 kg of cocaine that were sent, apparently by mistake, to the United Nations'
headquarters in New York. UN correspondent Barbara Plett has the details. Read the news story.
0715
Accommodation is to be built, on the site of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, to allow the families
of wounded service men and women to stay close to where their relatives are being treated. It is being done in
partnership with a US charity. Steve Kingstone reports from Washington to find out how it works.
0720
Business news with Simon Jack.
0726
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0730
Official figures show that the number of police officers in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest level for a
decade. Police minister Nick Herbert and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper debate the state of the police
force.
0737
Several of today's national newspapers are reporting that Mark Thompson, the BBC's director general, has
signalled to senior colleagues that he is ready to step down. Presenter of BBC Radio 4's The Media Show, Steve
Hewlett, looks behind the story.
0742
The paper review.
0746
Thought for the day with Lord Harries of Pentregarth, Gresham Professor of Divinity.
0752
Scientists have shown for the first time that measuring brain activity in infants as young as six months may help
to predict the future development of autism. Tony Charman, professor in autism education at the Institute of
Education, is co-lead on the study and outlines the details.
0810
The boss of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Stephen Hester, is to receive a £963,000 bonus. Business editor Robert
Peston and deputy political editor James Landale analyse the economic and political implications. Shadow
business secretary Chuka Umunna gives his reaction.
0822
Vinyl record sales have reached a six-year high, according to the Official Charts Company. BBC 6Music
presenter Liz Kershaw and Will Page of the Performing Rights Society for Music (PRS) discuss the secret of
vinyl's success.
0827
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0833
The success of the Large Hadron Collidor at Cern has opened the door to many more questions and theories
about physics. Rolf-Dieter Heuer, director general of Cern, and Geoff Forshaw, co-author of The Quantum
Universe: Everything that Can Happen Does Happen, discuss the future of physics research.
0838
Lubomyr Melnyk is a Ukrainian pianist who has developed what he says is a new approach to the piano which
he calls "continuous music". The speed at which he plays is at the heart of the technique and at times there are 19
notes being played every second. Arts correspondent David Sillito went to meet him as he prepared for his debut
concert.
0841
Business news with Simon Jack.
0844
Iraq continues to be plagued by wave after wave of violence, with an increase in attacks since US troops left last
month. Mithal al-Alusi, leader of Iraq's Democratic Party, explains what he thinks is next for the country.
0848
Savage austerity cuts coupled with a massive EU bail out were supposed to save the Greek economy and hold
the eurozone together, but the single currency is still in danger of unravelling. Allan Little has been investigating
how the EU got into this mess for a BBC Radio 4 series.
0852
The commonly held perception of the WWI British commander Douglas Haig, as seen in the likes of
Blackadder, was as an inarticulate, upper-class, charmless Scot whose sole military strategy was to attack the
strongly defended German trenches with massed waves of unprotected British infantry. The University of
Birmingham's Professor Gary Sheffield, author of The Chief, examines whether this is a fair representation.
Saturday 28th January
David Cameron is to discuss Britain's future role in Afghanistan during talks with President Karzai
today. The United Nations is discussing a resolution on Syria that would call for President Assad to hand
his power to a deputy. And also on Today's programme, do London's Secondary schools have lessons for
those in the rest of England?
0712
President Karzai of Afghanistan is in Britain today for a meeting with David Cameron. The BBC's World Affairs
correspondent David Loyn reports.
0714
The House of Lords has voted for a new law designed to help protect children and vulnerable adults from cruelty
and physical harm. The BBC's Parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy was in the press gallery.
0719
It's the RSPB's annual Birdwatch this weekend but are the birds confused with the seasons after the recent spell
of warm weather and if they are what effect is it having on them? Victoria Gill is in Lancashire this morning to
find out.
0722
The Leveson Inquiry has been hearing evidence this week from the likes of Google and Facebook and from
broadcasters including the former Conservative politician, Lord Patten, who is now Chairman of the BBC Trust.
The BBC's Peter Hunt was at the hearings this week.
0726
Sport news with Rob Bonnet
0733
The diplomatic pressure is being ratcheted up against President Assad of Syria and so is the pressure inside the
country, as the head of an Arab League monitoring mission said unrest had soared this week "in a significant
way". Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen has been in Syria for the past ten days, and Rusi's Shashank Joshi
analyses what lies ahead for the troubled country.
0741
The paper review.
0744
Chelsea play Queens Park Rangers for the first time since John Terry allegedly racially abused QPR defender
Anton Ferdinand. The latest news in the build-up to today's game is a report that Anton Ferdinand was sent some
kind of letter containing a bullet or shotgun cartridge. The BBC's Tim Franks has more details.
0747
Thought for the day with the writer Rhidian Brook.
0750
The prevailing mood at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week has been one of measured optimism, but
there are still questions over whether EU leaders will agree the terms of a new fiscal pact and bail-out fund when
they meet in Brussels on Monday. Stephanie Flanders has been in Davos to find out whether we are getting any
closer to a solution to the eurozone crisis.
0810
President Karzai will be in London today meeting David Cameron as the ten-year mission in Afghanistan is
drawing to an end. Robert Fox, defence correspondent of the Evening Standard, and Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles,
former British ambassador to Afghanistan, discuss what Hamid Karzai and David Cameron are likely to talk
about.
0817
The build-up to a big FA Cup match, a London derby between Chelsea and QPR, is dominated by antagonism
over an alleged racist incident last time the teams played. Olivier Bernard, former Newcastle United player and
anti-racism campaigner, gives his thoughts on whether the two players will shake hands and how the fans will
react.
0821
As the sporting world begins to countdown to the start of the London Olympics in the summer the tiny Gulf
Emirate of Qatar is already preparing to host the World Cup in 2022. Kevin Connolly went to find out more
about Qatar's plans for the World Cup in a country where temperatures soar to 45 degrees Celsius in the summer.
0826
Sports news with Rob Bonnet
0832
EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Monday as talks about reducing Greek debt remain unresolved, with fears
that a disorderly default could happen in March. Former chancellor Lord Lamont and Baroness Vadera, who
worked for Gordon Brown at the Treasury, discuss the future of the eurozone.
0840
League tables of more than 3,300 secondary schools published by the Department for Education on Thursday
show that London's education system outshone the rest of the country with only three secondary schools of 427
deemed to be failing, compared with four out of 14 in Hull and nine of 100 in Kent. Isobel Cattermole, who
works for the Tower Hamlets borough council and Vivienne Porritt, from London University's institute of
education, debate why the capital is outstripping the rest of the country.
0846
The paper review
0849
Privacy on the internet has been a hot topic this week with the European Commission publishing plans to give
people the power to delete personal data they might not want to see online. Technology correspondent Rory
Cellan-Jones reports on whether there is a need for more regulation.
0853
The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games has been given the title Isles of Wonder by Danny Boyle, the
ceremony's director. Jude Kelly, artistic director of the South Bank Centre and Janie Hampton, an Olympic
historian, discuss what the opening ceremony means for the UK as a nation.
0712
Police have seized about 16 kg of cocaine that were sent, apparently by mistake, to the United Nations'
headquarters in New York. UN correspondent Barbara Plett has the details. Read the news story.
0715
Accommodation is to be built, on the site of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, to allow the families
of wounded service men and women to stay close to where their relatives are being treated. It is being done in
partnership with a US charity. Steve Kingstone reports from Washington to find out how it works.
0720
Business news with Simon Jack.
0726
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0730
Official figures show that the number of police officers in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest level for a
decade. Police minister Nick Herbert and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper debate the state of the police
force.
0737
Several of today's national newspapers are reporting that Mark Thompson, the BBC's director general, has
signalled to senior colleagues that he is ready to step down. Presenter of BBC Radio 4's The Media Show, Steve
Hewlett, looks behind the story.
0742
The paper review.
0746
Thought for the day with Lord Harries of Pentregarth, Gresham Professor of Divinity.
0752
Scientists have shown for the first time that measuring brain activity in infants as young as six months may help
to predict the future development of autism. Tony Charman, professor in autism education at the Institute of
Education, is co-lead on the study and outlines the details.
0810
The boss of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Stephen Hester, is to receive a £963,000 bonus. Business editor Robert
Peston and deputy political editor James Landale analyse the economic and political implications. Shadow
business secretary Chuka Umunna gives his reaction.
0822
Vinyl record sales have reached a six-year high, according to the Official Charts Company. BBC 6Music
presenter Liz Kershaw and Will Page of the Performing Rights Society for Music (PRS) discuss the secret of
vinyl's success.
0827
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0833
The success of the Large Hadron Collidor at Cern has opened the door to many more questions and theories
about physics. Rolf-Dieter Heuer, director general of Cern, and Geoff Forshaw, co-author of The Quantum
Universe: Everything that Can Happen Does Happen, discuss the future of physics research.
0838
Lubomyr Melnyk is a Ukrainian pianist who has developed what he says is a new approach to the piano which
he calls "continuous music". The speed at which he plays is at the heart of the technique and at times there are 19
notes being played every second. Arts correspondent David Sillito went to meet him as he prepared for his debut
concert.
0841
Business news with Simon Jack.
0844
Iraq continues to be plagued by wave after wave of violence, with an increase in attacks since US troops left last
month. Mithal al-Alusi, leader of Iraq's Democratic Party, explains what he thinks is next for the country.
0848
Savage austerity cuts coupled with a massive EU bail out were supposed to save the Greek economy and hold
the eurozone together, but the single currency is still in danger of unravelling. Allan Little has been investigating
how the EU got into this mess for a BBC Radio 4 series.
0852
The commonly held perception of the WWI British commander Douglas Haig, as seen in the likes of
Blackadder, was as an inarticulate, upper-class, charmless Scot whose sole military strategy was to attack the
strongly defended German trenches with massed waves of unprotected British infantry. The University of
Birmingham's Professor Gary Sheffield, author of The Chief, examines whether this is a fair representation.
Monday 30th January
The chief executive of RBS, Stephen Hester, is to waive his bonus of nearly a million pounds. European
leaders are meeting for the first time since David Cameron vetoed a new EU treaty. And also on today's
programme, a hundred years after it was first performed, how a late night drinking session and a 5shilling wager resulted in the British war song, A Long Way to Tipperary.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on news that the boss of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Stephen Hester, won't be
taking his controversial near-million pound bonus.
0650
In New York, a public awareness campaign by the subway transport workers' union is offering a free monthly
travel card to the rider who snaps the most lurid photo of the rats infest the lines. The BBC's Matt Wells reports
from the platforms of Manhattan.
Rat Free Subways campaign
0653
Libya's National Transitional Council passed a new law this weekend, enabling elections for a national assembly
to take place this summer. Gabriel Gatehouse reports from Colonel Gaddafi's former compound in Tripoli on
how, after 42 years of dictatorship, a sense of civic activism is emerging.
0709
The chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Stephen Hester, has decided not to take his £1m bonus.
Labour's business spokesman Chuka Umunna reflects on the decision.
0712
At an informal summit in Brussels today, EU leaders will be considering whether there is too much focus on
austerity and not enough on job creation. Europe correspondent Chris Morris reports.
0718
Business news with Simon Jack.
0721
The Metropolitan Police has been accused of putting itself up for hire after Sir Richard Branson's company
Virgin Media paid police overtime costs as part of a fraud investigation. Peter Neyroud, former head of the
National Police Improvement Agency and a former chief constable, gives his thoughts on the questions it raises.
0725
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0730
Justice Secretary Ken Clarke is to announce plans to reform the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to
reserve compensation for "blameless" victims of crime and stop people with a criminal record from getting a
payout. Criminal defence lawyer Greg Foxsmith and Conservative MP Ben Gummer discuss whether the move
is fair.
0737
The paper review.
0740
A medieval barn described by the poet John Betjeman as the "cathedral of Middlesex" has been rescued from
decay and neglect for the nation. Arts correspondent Rebecca Jones reports from Harmondsworth Barn in west
London, which is now under the guardianship of English Heritage.
0743
The British war song It's a Long Way to Tipperary was written and first performed 100 years ago today. Nick
Ravenscroft has been finding out what makes the tune so memorable.
0747
Thought for the day with Reverend Professor David Wilkinson, Principal of St John's College, Durham
University.
0751
Germany's vice chancellor and economy minister has said Greece must surrender control of its budget policy to
outside institutions if it cannot implement reforms attached to eurozone rescue measures. Michael Fuchs, deputy
parliamentary leader from the governing CDU party in Germany, and Yanis Varoufakis, economist at the
University of Athens, discuss the viability of the plan.
0810
The Royal Bank of Scotland has announced that its chief executive, Stephen Hester, will not take his bonus of
shares worth almost £1m. The BBC's Robert Peston and Nick Robinson explain why the decision was made and
outline the potential political impact. And Sir Philip Augur, who worked in the City for more than 20 years and
was group managing director at Schroders, outlines his views.
0818
Europe's leaders meet in Brussels for the latest summit on the debt crisis - the first meeting since David Cameron
used his veto last year. Foreign Secretary William Hague discusses where the UK now stands in the EU and
reflects on executive pay.
0826
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0834
As Egypt and Tunisia mark the first anniversary of the Arab Spring, the powerful role of the tiny Gulf Emirate of
Qatar has gone largely unnoticed. Middle East correspondent Kevin Connolly reports from Doha on how one of
the richest countries on earth is determined to have the political influence to match.
0841
Business news with Simon Jack.
0845
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, will announce what changes she intends to make to the pay of police officers
in England and Wales. Home Affair editor Mark Easton has the details.
0848
RBS boss Stephen Hester has bowed to pressure to refuse his bonus of shares worth almost a £1m. The bank's
chairman, Sir Philip Hampton, has said he would not take up his payout of £1.4m. City AM editor Allister Heath
and Deborah Hargreaves, chair of the High Pay Commission, debate the future of executive pay.
0855
David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham and former minister, sparked controversy over the weekend when
he said parents in his constituency were confused about the law on smacking. Cindy Butts, adviser on the
Metropolitan Police's Operation Trident, and Sunny Hundal, Guardian writer and editor of left wing blog Liberal
Conspiracy, discuss if working class parents are more reluctant to smack their children than middle class parents.
Tuesday 31st January
Thousands of vocational courses are to be excluded from school league tables in England. Insurance
companies say thousands of people will struggle to find cover because their homes are in areas at high risk
of flooding. And also on the programme, the art of storytelling from the children's laureate, Julia
Donaldson.
0615
Business news with Simon Jack on a new EU treaty signed by 25 member states that aims to enforce budget
discipline and why Portugal's borrowing costs have soared.
0650
A new report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says that the government's public sector pension reforms
are unlikely to save money in the long term. The IFS's director, Paul Johnson, explains why.
0709
The editors of three leading health care journals believe the government's plans for NHS reforms in England
have destabilised and damaged services. Dr Fiona Godlee, editor of the British Medical Journal, and Dr Charles
Alessi, chair of the National Association of Primary Care, discuss whether their criticism is fair.
0715
Prince Harry has said the Queen is only able to carry out the public duties she does because she has her husband
the Duke of Edinburgh at her side. Royal correspondent Peter Hunt has the details.
0718
Business news with Simon Jack.
0721
The government is to reduce the number of qualifications included in school league tables in England, saying too
many weaker schools teach subjects of little academic worth to boost their position in performance tables. The
Today programme's Sanchia Berg visited one further education college to find out more.
0726
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0733
A delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency is due to end its three-day visit to Iran. Iran's foreign
minister has offered to extend the UN nuclear inspectors' visit, hoping its findings would help ease tensions,
despite international claims that Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons. Conservative MP John Baron and Mark
Fitzpatrick, director of the non-proliferation programme at the the International Institute for Strategic Studies,
discuss what should happen next.
0739
The paper review.
0742
Republicans in the state of Florida will vote later on who should be their party's candidate to face Barack Obama
in the US presidential election. North America correspondent Jonny Dymond reports on how the winning
nominee will struggle to win support amongst Hispanics, the fastest-growing part of the US population.
0746
Thought for the day with Lord Singh, director of the network of Sikh organisations.
0749
Insurers are to list the areas in England and Wales where they believe tens of thousands of homes are at high risk
of flooding. MPs are warning that there is not enough money to maintain and improve necessary flood defences.
Councillor Derek Cotty, chair of the local flood forum in Runnymede, which was identified as an area at risk,
outlines his concerns, while Environment minister Richard Benyon responds.
0810
Thousands of vocational courses are to be excluded from school league tables in England because the
government says under-performing schools are relying on subjects of "little academic worth". Christopher
McShane, head teacher of Winton School in Hampshire, explains why vocational qualifications should have
equivalent value to academic ones. David Blunkett, former education secretary, and Professor Alison Wolf,
author of the government's review into vocational education, discuss the measures.
0820
The rock band AC/DC are celebrating their 40th anniversary next year and this week sees the release of an
unusual tribute album. The BBC's Mark Coles discovers how the hugely popular heavy rock band has attracted
musical tributes from across the spectrum.
0825
Sport news with Rob Bonnet.
0835
A joint investigation by the BBC and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has found that the number of people
who have died after being restrained by the police is higher than official figures suggest. Angus Stickler reports.
0843
Business news with Simon Jack.
0846
Britain has called for a stronger international approach to tackle the root causes of the problems in Somalia
ahead of a conference on the country hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron aimed at kick-starting a process
to stabilise the country. East Africa correspondent Will Ross reports from the region of Puntland, where the
announcement was made.
0849
The Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari was imprisoned for five months by the Iranian regime during the
protests of 2009, during which Iranian television broadcast a "confession" by Mr Bahari, which his family and
supporters dismissed as being obtained under duress. He describes his experiences.
0853
As part of World Book Day 2012, a competition is being launched to find the UK's "Storytelling Superstar".
Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo, reflects on what makes a good storyteller.