28/02/2015

0710

A prominent Russian opposition politician, Boris Nemtsov, has been shot dead in Moscow.  He is reported to have been killed by a number of shots fired from a car close to the Kremlin.  Mr Nemtsov, who served as deputy prime minister under President Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s, became an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin. We hear from our Moscow correspondent, Sarah Rainsford. 

0713

The British offshoot of the German anti-immigration movement known as PEGIDA is holding a march in Newcastle today. Police will be out in force and elsewhere in the city there will be a counter-demonstration under the banner ‘Newcastle Unites’. It's expected to be addressed by the Respect MP George Galloway. Our reporter Zoe Conway is there.

0715

Today Narendra Modi's government will set out its first full budget (at approx. 0430). After an interim budget in July was widely deemed a flop, there could be measures to increase investment in the country including a change to the tax regime. Our correspondent Sanjoy Majumder joins us from Delhi.

0718

How much should Britain spend on international aid -- and should that budget be protected by law? A Bill aimed at doing just that is nearing the end of its journey through Westminster, in spite of some strong opposition. Our Parliamentary correspondent, Mark Darcy reports.

0722

The debate over fracking has become highly polarized both in the United Kingdom and abroad, with strong opinions on both sides. But what’s the state of the science behind the headlines? This week, decision-makers and leading geoscientists will be gathering in London for a major fracking conference in London. One of those experts, Prof Mike Stephenson, Director of Science and Technology at the British Geological Survey is attempting to set out the facts in a new book (out on Monday) called Shale Gas and Fracking: The Science Behind the Controversy.

0734

Until a few months ago Sir John Sawers was the chief of the Secret Intelligence Service MI6 - he led it for five years - a period which included the beginning of the war in Syria -- a conflict that thousands of fighters from western Europe are thought to have joined. Sir John is now chairman of Macro Advisory Partners - and has been speaking to this programme in his first interview since leaving office.

0740

Researchers investigating the history of child sex abuse in Britain have discovered a disturbing parallel with recent revelations about Jimmy Saville and Stoke Mandeville Hospital.  In 1925, a 60 year old businessman was convicted of indecently assaulting a 15 year old girl.  'Mr G' used his connections as a prominent member of society who raised vast sums for St Thomas Hospital in London to get access to teenage girls. The conviction came just after an inquiry into child sex abuse which was ordered by the Home Secretary in response to pressure from the press and newly elected female MPs. Dr Lucy Delap of Cambridge University is part of an academic team looking at historical child abuse.

0751

A committee of MPs says that companies that help consumers change their energy providers websites should pay compensation if they haven’t helped them switch to the cheapest deal. The Energy and Climate Change Committee is calling on Ofgem to consider requiring price comparison websites and other third party intermediaries to disclose - at the point of sale - the amount of commission received for each switch. The MPs are also calling for sites to use clearer language and show all deals to consumers by default. We are joined by Tim Yeo Chair of the Energy and Climate Change Committee, and Mark Todd, co-founder of Energy Helpline, a price comparison service.

0810

A prominent Russian opposition politician, Boris Nemtsov, has been shot dead in Moscow.  He is reported to have been killed by a number of shots fired from a car close to the Kremlin.  Mr Nemtsov, who served as deputy prime minister under President Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s, became an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin.  His last blog post urged opponents of what he called Russia's war in Ukraine to attend a rally on Sunday. We are joined by Edward Lucas from the Economist, who was the Moscow bureau chief from 1998 to 2002, and our Diplomatic Correspondent, Bridget Kendall.

0817

Bob Mankoff, the cartoon editor of the New Yorker, is speaking at Jewish Book Week in London on 1st March. He will give an illustrated talk to demonstrate what makes The New Yorker cartoon a unique and distinctive art form. Mankoff thinks humour is a way of coping with anxiety. Cartoons in The New Yorker often satirise topics such as death, work, and relationships. He says he is disturbed and horrified by the recent rise in anti-Semitism.

0821

Leonard Nimoy who played Mr Spock in Star Trek, has died at the age of 83. We've spoken to Wil Wheaton, who got to know him through his role as Wesley Crusher on the television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation":

0830

There are 'several thousand' individuals in the UK of concern to the security services - that is the assessment of the former chief of the Secret Intelligence Service Sir John Sawers - now Chairman of Macro Advisory Partners - in an interview with this programme. The number raises questions about the tactics used to identify and monitor such individuals. The Conservative MP David Davis is calling today for the emphasis to be on prosecuting rather than disrupting the lives of suspects. We hear again from Sir John Sawers.

0847

The results of China's fourth national giant panda survey, released once every ten years, are announced overnight UK time (0200gmt). The survey, by the State Forestry Administration, will calculate the giant panda population in the wild - no small ask considering their reputation for being shy, elusive (and difficult to count). We expect them to tell us whether conservation efforts are helping to increase their numbers. We are joined by Glyn Davies, WWF’s Director of Conservation.

0851

Leonard Nimoy who played Mr Spock in Star Trek, has died at the age of 83. We're joined by the Guardian's film critic, Peter Bradshaw, and by Star Trek fan Neil Armstrong.