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Latest episodes from The Report

Psychedelic Science

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2016 28:10


Jamie Bartlett asks if new research into psychedelic drugs will lead to them being accepted as mainstream medical treatment - or whether their controversial history will prove insuperable. After lying dormant for decades, scientific research into psychedelics is experiencing a renaissance. Academics at some of the world's leading institutions are exploring the potential of these drugs to treat a variety of medical conditions, from addiction to anxiety and depression. The findings so far are astonishing. Admittedly the sample sizes are small and there are methodological problems, yet it appears that psychedelics can help where other treatments before them have failed. So is there any chance that substances like LSD and psilocybin – the psychedelic ingredient in magic mushrooms – will ever become accepted medical treatments? We have been here before. In the 1960s, researchers published thousands of scientific papers on the potential medical benefits of psychedelics and there were four international conferences on the subject. Within the space of just a few years these efforts came shuddering to a halt, as the recreational use of the drugs ballooned and stories of ‘bad trips' hit the headlines, leading to strict legal restrictions, which still remain in force. Jamie examines the latest scientific findings and asks whether the drugs' cultural stigma can ever be overcome. Producer: Hannah Barnes

Dublin's Gangs

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2016 28:00


Extra armed police have been put on the streets of Dublin after two murders within just four days of each other. It's being blamed on a flare up of gang wars more akin to Sicily. The first involved gunmen carrying Ak47s disguised as police who burst into a respectable hotel packed with people. The next was assumed to be a swift reprisal: a man was shot several times in his own home. Melanie Abbott travels to Dublin to find out the background to this bitter gang feud and talk to the community caught in the middle. Producer: Anna Meisel.

Jimmy Savile and the BBC

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2016 28:15


How did Jimmy Savile get away with it when so many people appear to have known so much? Media and Arts Correspondent David Sillito tracks down former presenters, producers and BBC executives who worked with Savile. On the day that the Dame Janet Smith Review is published, some speak publicly for the first time and reveal a shocking list of missed warning signs. Producers: Steven Wright Researcher: Kirsteen Knight You can find details of organisations which offer advice and support with sexual abuse by visiting bbc.co.uk/actionline.

7-Day NHS

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2016 28:08


This drive for changing the way the NHS operates has been frequently used by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt as the reason why a change to junior doctor and consultant contracts is needed. But what does it actually mean? John Ware explores what a seven-day NHS would look like, what evidence there is that it's needed, and, crucially, whether we can afford it. Reporter: John Ware Producer: Hannah Barnes Researcher: Kirsteen Knight.

Trump v the Republicans in New Hampshire: PJ O'Rourke on the campaign trail

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2016 27:52


The New Hampshire primary is the first proper vote of the American Presidential election. Finally, after all the debates, polls and bluster, voters get to choose their preferred candidate for president. This year, New Hampshire is seen by many as the moment of truth for the Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. The polls say he is on his way to the nomination, but the pundits are almost universally sceptical. Conservative satirical journalist PJ O'Rourke is a long time watcher of the Republican Party and a veteran at covering elections. He is also a long term resident of New Hampshire, a state so small where you do not have to go looking for the candidates - they will find you. In the last week of the New Hampshire primary, PJ O'Rourke goes on the campaign trail to discover whether voters will really choose a candidate who breaks all the rules of US politics.

Lord Bramall: A Failure to Investigate?

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2016 28:06


Lord Bramall, a former head of the British army, has now been told he will face no further action by the Metropolitan Police following thirteen months of investigation into allegations of paedophilia. The Met has so far refused to apologise for the way its inquiry, "Operation Midland", was handled. In his first broadcast interview, Lord Bramall speaks to BBC journalist Alistair Jackson. The programme also hears from Met insiders and other key witnesses. Their accounts raise serious questions about how the investigation was run and why the allegations against Lord Bramall were not dismissed earlier. Reporter: Alistair Jackson Producer: Anna Meisel Researcher: Kirsteen Knight.

Tommy Robinson's Pegida Ambition

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2016 28:03


Tommy Robinson was the most high profile figure in the English Defence League. Then he apparently abandoned his hostility towards Islam and aligned himself with the counter extremism think tank Quilliam. Now he is back on the anti-Islam beat, helping to launch the UK branch of the German pressure group Pegida, with the first rally planned to take place in Birmingham. Reporter and Birmingham resident Adrian Goldberg spends time with Robinson and gets him to meet some of his fiercest foes in the city. Producer: Smita Patel Researcher: Holly Topham Editor: Innes Bowen.

Litvinenko: The Miniature Nuclear Attack

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2016 28:22


It was a death in Britain like no other seen in living memory. The gaunt and agonised face of the former Russian security service officer, Alexander Litvinenko, stared out of television screens and newspaper front pages in November 2006 as his painful end approached in London's University College Hospital. His poisoning by a radioactive isotope was a bizarre death. It baffled the experts and transfixed a horrified nation. As the public inquiry into this mysterious death got under way in 2014, reporter Peter Marshall investigated the evidence suggesting that the Russian state might have been behind the fatal poisoning. Eighteen months later, as the inquiry publishes its findings, The Report returns to the story. This is an updated version of a programme first broadcast on 7 August 2014. Reporter: Peter Marshall Producer: Simon Coates.

Momentum

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2016 27:55


Should Labour MPs be scared of Jeremy Corbyn-supporting movement Momentum? The group says it is attempting to build on the the groundswell of support for Jeremy Corbyn. Still in its infancy it has already drawn the ire of Labour MPs and activists and sections of the press. They've been compared to the Militant Tendency that took over Liverpool Council in the early 1980's. They've been accused of aspiring to deselect disloyal MPs and have been described as a hard left rabble. Some Labour MPs are worried about their rise, but what is Momentum and what do they want? Stephen Bush of the New Statesman has been to Walthamstow, home of just one of these new groups, to find out.

Afghanistan: Time for Truth?

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2016 28:09


In 2014 the prime minister said that Afghan security forces were now ready to take over from NATO to secure Afghanistan. Yet 2015 was the most violent in the 14 year conflict with record numbers of civilian and Afghan security force casualties. With the official end of NATO led combat operations, the Taliban have resorted to a new tactic of mass attacks. A US Department of Defence report acknowledges that despite being less well armed or trained, the Taliban have outmanoeuvred the Afghan security forces, recapturing several districts in Helmand province once held by the British and Americans at such a high cost in blood and treasure. The Taliban even captured the country's fifth largest city, Kunduz, for a while last autumn. Meanwhile Al Qaeda re-established training camps, and ISIS now has a foothold in the country. Denying Afghanistan to jihadists targeting the West has always been the bottom line justification for expending so much blood and treasure. In The Report this week John Ware asks if Mr Cameron spoke too soon, and poses this question to Western leaders: are they still up for the wars of 9/11? Reporter: John Ware Producer: Tim Mansel Researcher: Holly Topham.

Changing Jihadi Minds

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2016 27:18


How do you go about trying to change a person's fundamental beliefs? And how do you decide who is in need of state intervention to do so? Public sector workers now have a legal obligation to refer suspected Islamist and far right extremists to a local body known as a Channel panel. Referees deemed to hold extremist views are offered ideological mentoring, usually on a voluntary basis. The government says its Channel deradicalisation programme is a success, helping prevent vulnerable people from being drawn into terrorism. But some British Muslims see it as a Big Brotherish state spying operation, wreathed in secrecy and suspicion. John Ware enters the "pre-criminal space" to find out - from the inside - how Channel works. Producer: Simon Maybin Researcher: Kirsteen Knight.

A not so merry migrant Christmas in Vienna

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2015 28:23


Thousands of migrants are stuck in Vienna, their journey to Germany cut short. Will they ever realise their European dreams? Frances Stonor Saunders reports. Producer: Lucy Proctor.

Al Qaeda in Syria

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2015 28:01


Peter Oborne investigates claims that Britain and the West embarked on an unspoken alliance of convenience with militant jihadi groups in an attempt to bring down the Assad regime. He hears how equipment supplied by the West to so called Syrian moderates has ended up in the hands of jihadis, and that Western sponsored rebels have fought alongside Al Qaeda. But what does this really tell us about the conflict in Syria? This edition of The Report also examines the astonishing attempt to re brand Al Nusra, Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, as an organisation with which we can do business. Producer: Joe Kent.

Young, Tory and Bullied

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2015 28:02


In September, Elliot Johnson, a 21 year old member of the youth wing of the Conservative Party took his own life. He left behind a note saying that he'd been bullied by a 38 year-old Tory activist called Mark Clarke. Since then there have been almost daily reports of allegations of bullying, harassment and intimidation at the hands of Mr Clarke, all of which he denies. Accusations that a toxic environment had developed in the Conservative youth wing - Conservative Future - have also emerged. The Conservative Party is currently investigating what went wrong, but the ensuing scandal has already forced the ministerial resignation of former party chairman Grant Schapps. More may well follow. In this edition of The Report Jon Manel investigates what's become the murky, often nasty world of some young Conservatives. He explores the culture of two organisations thrown into the spotlight by this story - Conservative Future and the Young Britons' Foundation - and, in a rare media appearance, speaks to YBF's founder Donal Blaney. Producer: Hannah Barnes Researcher: Kirsteen Knight.

Paris: Could it Happen Here?

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2015 28:09


David Cameron says seven terrorist plots have been thwarted in the UK this year alone. Mass casualty attacks, like those seen in Paris, are on the agenda too according to the head of MI5. What is going on in the communities from which this largely "homegrown" threat has emerged? In an attempt to understand, Edward Stourton gathers a group of Muslim journalists with grassroots knowledge of the British Muslim community. Contributors: Sabbiyyah Pervez Mobeen Azhar Fayaz Rizvi Secunder Kermani Producer: Sally Abrahams

Peter Oborne's Chilcot Report

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2015 28:22


The inquiry into the UK's involvement in the Iraq war started 6 years ago - and there's still no sign of a report. Political columnist Peter Oborne can't understand why: "Come on Sir John! It's not that difficult. I reckon I could get something together in 3 weeks." To prove his point, Peter Oborne attempts to put together a definitive 30 minute audio report into Britain's involvement in the Iraq war... within budget and on time. Using evidence provided to the Iraq Inquiry and that already publicly available Oborne delivers his verdict on the key questions relating to the British Government's decision to go to war with Iraq. The programme hears from those in key positions in the lead up to the conflict, including: Dr Hans Blix, Chairman of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), 2000 - 2003 Sir Christopher Meyer, British Ambassador to the United States, 1997 - 2003 Sir Stephen Wall - European Adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair and head of the Cabinet Office's European Secretariat, 2000 - 2004 Carne Ross - First Secretary, United Kingdom Mission to New York, 1998 - 2002 Producer: Hannah Barnes Researcher: Phoebe Keane.

Salad v Surgery: Treating Type 2 Diabetes

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2015 28:14


In June of this year, presenter of Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Jenni Murray, underwent an operation which removed 75 per cent of her stomach. A few months later, she has lost over 4 stones in weight and her symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes have gone into remission. Once a purely cosmetic procedure, bariatric surgery procedures like this have been described as the greatest advance in the history of treatment of Type 2 diabetes - so why aren't more patients being treated in this way? The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), which provides guidance and advice to the NHS, has said obese patients with diabetes should be rapidly assessed for surgery - but that's yet to happen. The treatment has been met with fierce criticism, especially from the tabloid press, which declared it undeserved: fat people should just stop eating instead of using up valuable resources to pay for vanity operations. Furthermore, Britain's leading diabetes charity, Diabetes UK, has also warned of the 'serious risks' posed by the procedure - even though the NHS has itself stated it is not more risky than a routine gall bladder operation. The irony here is that increasing the number of bariatric procedures could actually save the NHS millions of pounds, as patients are weaned off costly diabetes drugs - the NHS currently spends around £12bn a year treating the disease. With round 700 people diagnosed with diabetes in Britain every day, are we letting misguided morality get in the way of an opportunity to save money - and lives? CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE: Jenni Murray, presenter Radio 4's Woman's Hour Simon O'Neill - Director of Health Intelligence, Diabetes UK Prof Roy Taylor, Professor of Medicine and Metabolism, Newcastle University Prof Francesco Rubino, Professor of Metabolic Surgery, King's College Hospital Prof Mark Baker, Director of the Centre for Clinical Practice, NICE Mr Andrew Mitchell, Consultant General Surgeon, Darlington Memorial Hospital Presenter: Adrian Goldberg Producer: Richard Fenton-Smith Note: A version of this programme was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June, 2014.

The 'Pink Pill': The Female Viagra?

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2015 28:09


The 'pink pill' flibanserin has been called 'the female Viagra', but critics argue its benefits are few and side effects many. Melanie Abbott investigates how the failed anti-depressant came to be licensed in the USA, and what the future plans are to bring the drug to Europe. Presenter: Melanie Abbott Producer: James Melley Researcher: Phoebe Keane.

My Big Fat Greek Crisis

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2015 28:17


Greece's future in Europe dominated headlines throughout the summer, but can the country turn its fortunes around? While it's true that the country owes hundreds of billions of euros and is facing austerity for years to come, Frances Stonor Saunders finds that Greece has plenty going for it - and not just its idyllic islands where Brits like to holiday. Frances takes a trip to picturesque Skiathos, with its sandy beaches and boutique hotels, before exploring the 'real' Greece on the mainland of Volos. Along the way she discovers that, contrary to the popular narrative, the Greek people are accepting responsibility for the crisis that now engulfs them, and are coming up with innovative solutions to fix the future. Presenter: Frances Stonor Saunders Producer: Ben Crighton.

The Hollywood Spy

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2015 28:26


British writer, Cedric Belfrage, avoided prosecution after passing top secret documents to Russia in World War Two. But was he acting under orders or was he a Soviet spy? Gordon Corera examines new evidence from recently declassified MI5 files, which help explain how Belfrage went from being a Hollywood film critic in the 1930s to having access to highly confidential British and US intelligence material in the 1940s which he later admitted passing to Russia. After being named as a Soviet spy in 1945, Belfrage appeared before The House Un-American Activities Committee and was later deported from the US for having been a member of the Communist Party. We talk to some of those who met him after he later settled in Mexico, including the son of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed by the US in 1953 for being Soviet spies. And we explore why MI5 was anxious to avoid prosecuting Belfrage in case it proved embarrassing for the British security service. Producer: Sally Abrahams.

The Ambridge Price of Milk

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2015 27:57


What has The Archers got to do with the price of milk? Lesley Curwen looks at the present crisis in dairy farming through the prism of the long-running Radio 4 soap opera, "The Archers" and talks to the man behind the agricultural storyline, Graham Harvey. Along with archive from the drama and interviews with today's farmers, she looks at the milk industry and its increasing exposure to volatile global markets. Producer: Smita Patel.

The IRA and Sexual Abuse

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2015 28:02


Máiría Cahill was Irish republican royalty. So it sent shockwaves through the republican movement when she spoke out last year about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of a senior IRA operative. Cahill tells her story to BBC Northern Ireland's Jennifer O'Leary. Presenter: Jennifer O'Leary Producer: Ben Crighton.

E-Cigarettes: Another Puff

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2015 28:23


More than two million people in Britain are thought to have used electronic cigarettes. Whitehall civil servants think that e-cigarettes are one of the most significant public health success stories of our generation. Just last week Public Health England published an update on the best evidence available. It found that e-cigarettes have become the number one quitting aid used by smokers. The report said the health risks of using e-cigarettes are minimal when compared to the harm associated with smoking cigarettes. Yet nearly half of all adults perceive e-cigarettes to be at least as harmful as traditional tobacco. Why? In Wales, the principality's government plans to ban their use in public places and hopes that a new law will be passed within the next 12 months. Wesley Stephenson asks why the two governments have such different approaches, and who's right? Presenter: Wesley Stephenson Producer: Smita Patel A version of this programme was first broadcast on 3rd July, 2014.

Tunisia on the Fault Line

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2015 27:55


The gun attack on the beach resort of Sousse that killed 38 tourists in June deterred many holidaymakers from travelling to Tunisia. But not journalist Frances Stonor Saunders. She set off for an all-inclusive holiday package to Hammamet, a nearby seaside resort. As well as deserted beaches and eerily empty hotels, Frances has a chance encounter with a man who helped foil a previous terror attack at a popular tourist site. And she hears why Tunisians are refusing to go to local hotels, despite desperate pleas from hotel owners. Producer: Ben Crighton. (Image credit: European Photopress Agency)

The Corbyn Effect

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2015 28:07


Left winger Jeremy Corbyn is tipped to win Labour's leadership contest. How has he garnered so much support in a party which has spent the last two decades shaking off the vestiges of socialism? Corbyn's detractors blame far left entryism. But the far left in Britain is too small to account for the tens of thousands of Labour party members estimated to be supporting Corbyn. Reporter Mobeen Azhar talks to party members old and new in an attempt to find out what is behind the popular movement to return Labour to its socialist roots. Reporter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Anna Meisel.

Kids Company: What's Going On?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2015 27:59


The charity Kids Company and its charismatic founder Camila Batmanghelidjh have endured weeks of negative headlines. Reporter Simon Cox investigates the accusations of mismanagement. Kids Company was founded in 1996 by Camila Batmanghelidjh and has aimed to deliver practical and emotional support for vulnerable children and young people. The charity has attracted support from celebrities, investment banks and successive governments. But last month, it was revealed that an intended £3 million of government funding would not be released unless Ms Batmanghelidjh relinquished her role as chief executive. In documentation released by the Government, the Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office voiced his concern that money given to Kids Company would not be wisely spent. Camila Batmanghelidjh has since announced that the search for her successor has begun she and that she will move into a new role focusing on the clinical side of the charity's work. In the meantime, further concerns about the charity have emerged in the media. Simon Cox investigates the truth behind the headlines: Do the charity's claims of positive outcomes and helping tens of thousands of vulnerable young people stand up to scrutiny? Are the accusations of mismanagement justified? Or is the government's change of attitude to Kids Company politically motivated? Reporter: Simon Cox Producer: Hannah Barnes.

Radicals, Rights and Hunting - The Battle for the RSPCA

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2015 27:58


Peter Marshall uncovers the real story about the fight for control of the RSPCA. This summer the charity elected its new ruling council. As members prepared to vote, stories in the national press warned that animal rights activists were fighting to gain control of the animal welfare charity and use it to pursue their radical agenda. But are these stories true? Peter talks to the men and women at the front line of this battle for influence at one of the best known, best funded and best loved charities in England and Wales. He meets the so-called radicals to discuss their views, and finds out why their enemies have left the RSPCA in protest. It's a tale of dirty tricks and sometimes vicious skirmishes. As he delves deeper into the politics and history of the charity, Peter discovers an old feud at the heart of this story, one that has dominated life at the RSPCA for decades and confounds politicians to this day - the thorny issue of fox hunting. Producer: Lucy Proctor.

Jehovah's Witnesses and Child Sexual Abuse

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2015 28:09


In June, the High Court ruled that the Jehovah's Witnesses organisation was liable for sexual abuse committed by one of its members. The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain - to give the group its official name - had failed to take adequate safeguarding steps when senior members of the organisation were aware that a fellow Witness was a known paedophile. It was the first civil case in the UK of historical sexual abuse brought against the Christian-based religious movement. The BBC's Religious Affairs Correspondent, Caroline Wyatt, explores the implications of the Court's decision and investigates the Jehovah's Witnesses explicit policy of attempting to deal with all allegations of sexual abuse in-house. The Report has gained access to confidential internal documents, sent out only to those who are senior in the Jehovah's Witnesses. These reveal the organisation's reluctance to involve the secular authorities in cases where a crime has been committed by one Witness against another. Caroline Wyatt hears from former Witnesses who have suffered abuse and who claim that the organisation's doctrine and procedures have allowed offenders within the congregation to avoid prosecution. Presenter: Caroline Wyatt Producer: Hannah Barnes.

Chemsex

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2015 28:14


Crystal Meth, GHB/GBL and Mephedrone form what some health workers call an 'un-holy trinity' of drugs that together can heighten arousal and strip away inhibitions. They've become increasingly popular on London's gay scene, and the effects can see some users taking part in weekend-long sex parties, involving multiple partners. For Radio 4's The Report, Mobeen Azhar speaks to men entrenched in this lifestyle and explores the impact the so-called 'chemsex' scene is having on public health services. It's a scene where unsafe sex is common and has been cited as a contributing factor in the rising number of HIV infections in London, posing new challenges to those trying to promote the safe sex message. Such parties are fuelled by technology and smartphone dating apps, which have triggered a social shift where men have moved out of bars and clubs and into private homes - out of reach to sexual health and drug advice services. A potential solution to help protect those involved in the scene is Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) - the practice of issuing men with HIV medication before they become HIV positive, which studies have shown as an effective means to reduce HIV infection. PrEp has been championed by the World Health Organisation, saying it could prevent 1 million new HIV infections around the world. Its advocates in Britain suggest it should be made available on-demand as soon as possible - but how affordable is it? And will fears that it will only encourage more unsafe sex prove true? Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Richard Fenton-Smith.

Aid to Nepal

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2015 28:02


Aid is pouring in to Nepal in the wake of the earthquake. But in a country where corruption is endemic, will the money go where it is meant to? Simon Cox investigates. Producer: Ben Crighton Researcher: Aurelia Allen.

Drug Resistance

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2015 27:58


Why drug resistance is now regarded by the UK government as one of the most severe threats to public safety. Peter Marshall reports. Producer: Lucy Proctor Researcher: James Melley.

Sexism in the City

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2015 28:23


City banker, Svetlana Lokhova, is awarded a £3 million payout for sexual harassment at work. Her former employer, Sberbank CIB (UK), is appealing the amount it has to pay. An employment tribunal ordered the compensation after finding that Svetlana's line manager at the bank spread vicious lies to colleagues and clients that she was a Class A drug user, ruining her career in finance and causing her extreme mental illness. The bank says the incidents against Svetlana were isolated and unrepresentative of its working environment. It insists they are an equal opportunities employer and have taken steps to ensure it doesn't happen again. In her first interview since the judgment, Svetlana tells Simon Cox how she discovered the extent of her line manager's campaign against her, her efforts to resolve the problem and explains why, despite the huge compensation, there are no winners in this case. Talking to others whose claims have reached an employment tribunal, Simon investigates how common such cases are and why they continue to happen, despite laws and policies designed to prevent it. Producer: Sally Abrahams Researcher: James Melley

The Satanic Cult That Wasn't

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2015 28:18


How Satanic abuse accusations in a North London suburb went global, but turned out to be untrue. Melanie Abbott investigates. It's members are, it's claimed, drawn mainly from a school and church in Hampstead. They are said to wear shoes made of baby skin, to dance with the skulls of dead babies and to sexually abuse young children. But the cult doesn't exist. The claims are, according to a High Court Judge, 'baseless' and those who have sought to perpetrate them are 'evil'. The Report investigates why, after a police inquiry and a family court judgement which unequivocally rubbished the notion of Satanic abuse in Hampstead, the allegations are proliferating on the internet and being spread all over the world? We hear from the supposed cult members who have had their personal details and photographs published online and received death threats. And we ask about the welfare of the two children at the centre of it all who were coerced into fabricating the fantastical story. Producer: Joe Kent.

Sharia Law in Britain

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2015 28:24


Britain's sharia councils are to be reviewed by the government. Reporter Jenny Chryss investigates Islamic law in the UK and asks if sharia councils should be under any greater scrutiny than other religious tribunals. Producer: Chloe Hadjimatheou Reporter: Jenny Chryss.

Are Russian sanctions dangerous for Britain?

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2015 27:53


EU sanctions against Russia over the crisis in Ukraine expire in September. Sharmini Selvarajah looks at whether it is in Britain's security and business interests to see them extended, and whether they go far enough to curb Russian aggression.

The Murder of Meredith Kercher

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2015 28:17


Amanda Knox has been cleared for a second time of murdering British student Meredith Kercher at the cottage they shared in Italy in November 2007. The decision handed down by Italy's highest court puts an end to seven years of legal wrangling. Knox, together with her former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, were originally convicted of the murder in 2009. They were acquitted on appeal two years later because of doubts over the forensic evidence, but their convictions were reinstated in January 2014. Ruth Alexander asks what might have influenced the Italian Supreme Court's decision as she returns to interviews gathered last year with some of the key players in the case. The programme features contributions from: Rafaelle Sollecito Francesco Maresca - Kercher family solicitor Giancarlo Costagliola - Prosecutor in the case The original version of this programme was broadcast 20 February 2014. Reporter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Helen Grady Update Producer: Hannah Barnes Translation by Santo Cullura and Helen Grady The readers were: Matthew Watson (reading the words of Francesca Maresca) Clive Hayward (reading the words of Valter Biscotti) David Cann (reading the words of Giancarlo Costagliola) Wilf Scolding (reading the words of Antioco Fois).

Tony Blair: Farewell to the Quartet

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2015 28:07


Tony Blair was appointed Special Representative to the Middle East peace Quartet just hours after leaving Downing Street in June 2007. The grouping, made up of the UN, the European Union, Russia and the Unites States, tasked the former Prime Minister with trying to help the economic plight of Palestinians. The idea was that improving conditions on the ground for Palestinians would help any future political negotiations towards a two-state solution with Israel. After nearly eight years in the role it's widely believed that Tony Blair will soon step down. In this edition of The Report, Simon Cox speaks to those who have worked closely with Mr Blair to gauge what has been achieved during that time and what he intends to do next. The programme hears from critics who claim that Tony Blair's contracts with the Kazakhstan and Kuwaiti governments and a Saudi oil company have given the perception at least that he is not an impartial player in the Middle East. Others claim that this is a red herring. More significant is the former Prime Minister's increasingly robust stance on what he sees as the threat posed by radical Islam. How will both these factors impact on any future role Mr Blair may wish to play in the region? Presenter: Simon Cox Producer: Hannah Barnes.

Trouble at the Telegraph

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2015 28:02


The Daily Telegraph's political commentator Peter Oborne resigned in February 2015, accusing the paper of shying away from stories that might upset its advertisers. Reporter Robin Aitken asks whether the accusation is fair and traces the Telegraph's evolution from a broadsheet newspaper designed to appeal to middle England to a multimedia "news content provider". Reporter: Robin Aitken Producer: Tom Randall.

The Truth About Fat

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2015 28:01


There is no link between saturated fat and heart disease, according to a recent report in a respected scientific journal. So why has official public health advice for the past decades recommended a low fat diet? Adrian Goldberg investigates. Producer: Gemma Newby Reporter: Adrian Goldberg.

Anti-Semitism in the UK: Is It Growing?

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2015 27:48


Anti-Semitism in the UK: Simon Cox investigates the changing face of prejudice against Jewish people after recent lethal attacks in Paris, Copenhagen and Brussels. With the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for European Jews to move to Israel, we look at whether there is more dangerous anti-Semitism online and on the streets of the UK. Producer: James Melley Researcher: Kirsteen Knight.

French, Republican and Muslim, Insha'Allah?

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2015 27:53


Ahmed Merabet was one of three police officers killed in the recent terrorist attacks in France. All were honoured as heroes, but it was Ahmed's story which captured France, and the world's attention. As a Muslim who died responding to an attack on a publication which satirised the prophet Muhammed, many saw him as the perfect embodiment of the values of the French Republic and its hopes for the integration of its substantial Muslim population. As France now struggles to figure out how to combat radicalism and promote integration, politicians have called for France's muslims to "choose the Republic", in essence to be more like Ahmed Merabet. At his memorial service, Helen Grady meets Muslims who have come to pay their respects, and follows their lives in the aftermath of the attacks to find out whether they need to do more to be French, or whether the Republic's strong insistence on secularism leaves little place for French Muslims.

Germany, Islam and the New Right

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2015 28:07


Germany's new anti-Islamisation movement, Pegida, is attracting a middle-aged, middle class following to its weekly marches around the country. The founder, Lutz Bachmann, has criminal convictions for burglary and assault. He rarely gives interviews to the media. However in this edition of The Report he talks to our reporter Catrin Nye. Producer: Smita Patel Researcher: James Melley.

CIA Torture: What Did Britain Know?

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2015 28:00


Shortly before Christmas the Intelligence Committee of the United States Senate published an extraordinary and explosive document, universally referred to as the Torture Report, accusing the CIA of brutality in its treatment of prisoners detained in what George W. Bush had called the "War on Terror". The report debunks the CIA's claims that its "enhanced interrogation techniques" produced important intelligence. These techniques include practices such as waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and sexual humiliation. The simple message for many who've read the report: torture doesn't work. What was published represents a fraction of the Senate's findings after an investigation lasting more than five years. The 600 or so pages now available online are merely a summary of the full 6,700 page report that remains classified. And much of the 600 pages is illegible, because of redactions in the form of thick, black lines, some of which were demanded by Britain's intelligence services. In The Report this week Simon Cox asks to what extent Britain's intelligence services were complicit in the mistreatment of prisoners; and why Britain has been dragging its heels in carrying out its own investigation into allegations of mistreatment. He traces the history of British investigations: a discredited investigation by the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC) in 2007 on extraordinary rendition from which it was later discovered that the intelligence services withheld information; the promise by David Cameron of a judge-led inquiry in 2010, which was subsequently scrapped; and handing back of the torture enquiry to the ISC, which Mr Cameron himself had said was not the appropriate body to carry out this investigation. Simon will also look what appears to be a consistent tactic of successive British governments to avoid embarrassing details coming to light by claiming that publication would damage relations with the United States, or damage national security. It's a claim rejected by human rights agencies who defend alleged victims of torture, as well as by senior politicians. "National security often just means national embarrassment," says one. Contributors to the programme include a man who claims he was illegally rendered with British complicity; a member of the judge-led inquiry into torture that was subsequently scrapped; and members of the ISC, now charged with carrying out an investigation. The alleged abuse is historical. But it acquired contemporary resonance last week when it was reported that one of the alleged perpetrators of the Paris murders had been radicalised by the images of detainees being tortured by US operatives at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Producer: Tim Mansell.

Islamic State

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2015 28:02


Former jihadi Aimen Dean gives a unique insight into the workings of Islamic State. Dean left school in Saudi Arabia to fight jihad in Bosnia in the 1990s. But with the rise of al Qaeda he became disillusioned with his comrades' drift towards terrorism. He joined al Qaeda - but working undercover for the British government. Dean has recently spoken publicly against the jihadist movement but he retains a deep network of contacts within it. Despite Dean's defection, IS supporters still debate with him. Through those discussions, Dean has gained a profound understanding of the ideology and organisational networks behind IS. Reporter: Peter Marshall Editor: Innes Bowen.

Rape: Prosecuting Accusers

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2014 27:49


A feminist campaign group has criticised the Crown Prosecution Service for prosecuting women suspected of making false accusations of rape. Do cases like this deter women from reporting rape, or is it the best way to get justice for men who go through the ordeal of clearing their name? In this week's edition we hear the story of Paul Fensome, who was investigated and jailed after a false rape claim. After he cleared his name, his accuser was convicted of perverting the course of justice. Reporter Melanie Abbott asks whether the police are properly investigating accusations and whether the Crown Prosecution Service has got the balance right. Producer: India Rakusen Researcher: Kirsteen Knight.

Private schools and public benefit

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2014 27:53


Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt has caused controversy by arguing that private schools that don't have partnerships with their state counterparts should lose their business rates relief. But how easy is it to discover what partnerships are happening? And do they do any good? Simon Cox investigates.

Derby Jihadist

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2014 27:54


Suspected suicide bomber Kabir Ahmed left Derby to fight for IS. He is the second Islamist extremist in a decade to travel from the small suburb of Normanton to die abroad. Simon Cox looks at the sinister networks connecting the two men and investigates whether their leaders are still active in Derby. Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane Researcher: James Melley Additional reporting: Sajid Iqbal.

Virgin Galactic

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2014 27:54


The fatal explosion of a Virgin Galactic space plane at the end of October 2014 was a major set-back to Sir Richard Branson's dream of a flourishing space tourism venture. Lesley Curwen tells the story behind the crash and asks whether the highly lucrative Virgin brand will survive the tragedy. Producer: Simon Coates Researcher: Kirsteen Knight.

Right to Buy

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2014 28:05


In the 1980s, Right to Buy was one of the landmark successes of Margaret Thatcher's government, enabling millions of council tenants to buy their own home at a discounted price. The policy changed the financial fortunes of a generation. Since coming to power in 2010, David Cameron's government has reinvigorated the totemic Tory policy, by reinstating big discounts previously withdrawn under Labour - today, some tenants can get over £100,000 off the price of their home. There are some changes to the policy, too: for the first time, the government has pledged to replace homes sold under Right to Buy on a one-for-one basis - but is this target being met? Councils and housing associations tell The Report they don't have the funds to replace homes quickly enough. The programme also hears allegations that opportunist investors are taking advantage of the big discounts now on offer. Not everyone is happy with the revival of Right to Buy - in Scotland, MSPs have voted in favour of bringing Right to Buy to an end, and in North London, Enfield Council has devised a scheme to opt out of selling its newly-acquired housing stock. Meanwhile, the government has plans to make it even easier for tenants to buy their home, adamant that the policy is a vital tool in enabling low-income families to to fulfil their economic aspirations - but with 1.8m households on the social housing waiting list, can the UK afford to keep selling off valuable social housing stock off on the cheap? CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE: Brandon Lewis MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning Julian Fulbrook, Labour Councillor, Camden Council Catherine Ryder, Head of Policy, The National Housing Federation Dr Peter King, Reader in Social Thought, De Montfort University Nick Atkin, Chief Executive, Halton Housing Trust Andrew Stafford, Labour Councillor, Enfield Council & Chair, Housing Gateway Reporter: Peter Marshall Producer: Richard Fenton-Smith.

Tesco: Trouble at the Top

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2014 27:58


Tesco is under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office over an alleged black hole in its accounts. Simon Cox tells the story of Tesco's biggest crisis to date. Reporter: Simon Cox Producer: Mark Turner Researcher: James Melley.

Paramedics Under Pressure

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2014 27:59


Medical emergency 999 calls are at an all-time high, with around 9 million calls a year, creating an unprecedented workload for ambulance paramedics around the UK. As a result, many are quitting their job in increasing numbers, burnt out and unable to keep up with the pace of work now demanded of them. Adrian Goldberg investigates what's behind this growing demand for emergency medical assistance, and asks why the recruitment of emergency paramedics has not kept pace with pressure on the service. Serving staff as well as those who have quit their job reveal a target-driven culture which sees them sent from job to job to job, where a lunch break is seen as a luxury. The finger is also pointed at some members of the public, who dial 999 to demand an ambulance for trivial injuries and illnesses. Senior managers working for ambulance service trusts around the country say there is no quick fix for this rising exodus of staff - especially now paramedic training requires a university degree course. This has led some trusts to look as far afield as Australia and New Zealand for new recruits to plug the gap. The NHS is planning an enhanced role for paramedics where they will be required to treat more patients in the field, to ease the pressure on over-stretched A&E departments. But with staff retention and recruitment an on-going issue for several ambulance services around the country, will they be able to meet these new expectations and will new recruits burn out too? Researcher: James Melley Producer: Richard Fenton-Smith.

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