02/04/2015

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After all the to-ing and fro-ing over whether TV election debates would happen and what format they would take, tonight the only genuine debate the prime minister will take part in will be broadcast. The two hour seven-way debate will pit the leaders of the Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, UKIP, the SNP, the Greens and Plaid Cymru against each other. They’ll take questions from a studio audience and clash over the key topics in the election campaign in a seven way free-for-all. Political correspondent Sean Curran reports TV election debates in countries where they are already part of the political fabric. 

0650

Nuisance calls are a constant irritation, and sometimes worse, for many elderly people. When 23-year-old Hugo Sykes’s grandparents were targeted by phone fraudsters, he decided to try and do something about it. He invented Community CallBLOCKER, a device that filters nuisance calls and helps detect and record possible fraudulent activities. Hugo Sykes is the 23-year-old founder of Community CallBLOCKER and Catherine Warner is Hugo’s grandmother and victim of a fraud.

0655

A drugs company is being accused of trying to block access to what NHS doctors believe is a cheap, safe and effective drug that can treat a common eye condition. The British Medical Journal claims it has revealed a campaign to derail research into the cancer drug Avastin, which many doctors use as a cheaper but unlicensed alternative to treat wet age-related macular degeneration. The allegations have been denied. Tom Feilden, our science correspondent spoke to whistle blower Dr Alex Foss, a consultant ophthalmologist at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham & Principal investigator, of TANDEM clinical trial of Avastin – who alleges that a Novartis representative offered him paid incentives not to do the trial.

0710

The Turkish authorities say they have detained nine Britons who were trying to cross the border into Syria. The military said they picked up the three men, two women and four children for trying to enter Syria illegally. They are now in police custody. The case is the latest in a series involving Britons trying to cross the border. Earlier this year three schoolgirls disappeared after leaving their homes in London and travelling to Syria via Turkey to join Islamic State militants. Fadi Hakura is a Turkey specialist from the Chatham House think tank.

0715

The latest Ashcroft poll suggests UKIP’s popularity has fallen two percentage points to 10%. Does this indicate the start of a squeeze in the party’s popularity? Matthew Goodwin is Associate Professor of Politics at Nottingham University and co-author of 'Revolt on the Right' about the rise of UKIP as a political force.

0720

The first journalist to be found guilty of paying a public official in the wake of the high-profile Operation Elveden investigation will not face a retrial after the conviction was quashed, it emerged this week. At the same time, the CPS asked for an adjournment in another Operation Elveden trial, which was due to start on Tuesday, in order to consider the wider implications of a judgement last week in which the News of the World reporter’s conviction – for paying a prison officer for information – was quashed. Trevor Kavanagh is The Sun's associate editor.

0725

One of the UK's most threatened butterflies has recorded its best year for a decade following 2014's warm spring weather, conservationists said. The critically endangered High Brown Fritillary saw numbers increase last year by 180% compared to 2013, making it the best year for the butterfly since 2004, figures from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme showed. Dr Tom Brereton is head of monitoring at Butterfly Conservation.

0730

A drugs company is being accused of trying to block access to what NHS doctors believe is a cheap, safe and effective drug that can treat a common eye condition (see 0650). Deborah Cohen is the Investigations Editor at the BMJ.

0740

What would our coastline look like if oil refineries and holiday parks had been allowed to boom unchecked? In a new book titled Coastlines - The Story of our Shore, journalist Patrick Barkham spent 18 months exploring the coast and the people who live and work on it. It coincides with the 50th anniversary of the National Trust's Neptune Coastline Campaign - which has been working to save Britain's threatened coastlines. Patrick Barkham is the author of Coastlines – The Story of Our Shore and David Ford is a South Devon National Trust representative who was involved in the acquisition of Wembury Point coastline.

0750

It’s been eight months since charges were dropped against a group of British sailors in India and they are still not allowed to leave the country. The six men were amongst an international crew of 34 men arrested in October 2013 on weapons charges, after their commercial anti-piracy vessel the MV Seaman Guard Ohio docked in Chennai. The ordeal included nine months in prison. In the past few days they've finally been given a court date for the next stage of the legal process – next Friday – which could finally see them secure their freedom, although that's far from certain. Paul Towers from Pocklington, East Yorkshire was the Tactical Deployment Officer on board the MV Seaman Guard Ohio – he led the team of guards on board ship. He is at a guest house in Chennai, still unable to leave India.

0810

Nigel Farage the UKIP leader speaks to the programme ahead of his appearance tonight in the 7-way leaders debate tonight.

0820                                                            

Rhino horn is the world's most expensive commodity. Gram for gram it fetches more than diamonds and gold because of demand in Asia, where it's wrongly believed to cure cancer. Last year a record number of Rhinos were killed in South Africa, 1200, despite the authorities killing 42 poachers. Most poachers come from over the border in neighbouring Mozambique, one of the world's poorest countries. Leana Hosea journeyed from South Africa to Mozambique to speak to those protecting the rhino and those poaching them.

0830

Islamic State militants in Syria have entered and taken control of part of the large Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus. The camp - home to some eighteen thousand people - has long been caught up in the battle for control of the suburbs of Damascus between government forces and rebel groups that also oppose IS.  There are reports from inside the camp that fighting is continuing between IS fighters and rival factions. Lina Sinjab is the BBC correspondent in Beirut and Chris Gunness is a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which runs the camp.

0840

Tonight will see the leaders of seven political parties going head-to-head in a TV election debate. The Greens will be hoping it will give their leader - Natalie Bennett - a platform to promote their policies. The Greens won their first parliamentary seat in Brighton at the last general election - and they are hoping to add more seats this time. Among their key targets is the constituency of Bristol West, from where Jon Kay reports.

0845

Yemen's Foreign Minister Riyad Yasin has appealed to the Saudi-led Arab coalition to save Aden from attacks from Houthi rebels, as reports emerge of rebel tanks entering the centre of the seaport city. Capturing the city would complete the grip of the rebels on the most important parts of Yemen. Frank Gardner the BBC security correspondent is in Riyadh.

0850

Following high profile cases of sexual misconduct by footballers, Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club has become the first football club in the country to give its young players, male and female, training and counselling in the law surrounding sexual consent. Players at the club's training ground have been taking part in the so-called Prevent Inform Protect, or PIP, programme led by psychotherapist Maggie Ellis.

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After all the to-ing and fro-ing over whether TV election debates would happen and what format they would take, tonight the only genuine debate the prime minister will take part in will be broadcast (see 0650). Andrew Caesar-Gordon is managing director of media training company Electric Airwaves, one of their trainers advised Nick Clegg before the last debates in 2010  and Diana Mather, etiquette and media coach.

All subject to change.