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Martha Kearney takes a trip through the past, present and future of mining in Cornwall, finding out how it has shaped the landscape. After crouching in an old tunnel at Geevor Tin Mine with the miners who used to work in it, she journeys into the future at a new lithium mine based in an old china clay pit in St Austell.Producer: Beth O'Dea
As the news spreads about access to BBC Sounds being blocked outside the UK, we hear more of your comments on the issue. Andrea Catherwood speaks to Radio Cymru reporter Alun Thomas about what these changes will mean for Welsh speakers living abroad. A recent episode of Radio 4's Inside Health about hearing loss intrigued listeners - and then baffled those experiencing hearing loss themselves by including a section that was particularly difficult to hear.After listeners criticised a recent Archers storyline about Linda Snell fasting for Ramadan, we hear from the people who found it enlightening and uplifting.And what did Martha Kearney do after Today? Well, she's been talking to more public figures - but this time, it's all about their personal connections to nature. Two listeners, Christine and Kate, review her series This Natural Life for our VoxBox. Martha joins Andrea to respond to their thoughts.Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie Executive Producer: David PrestA Whistledown Scotland production for Radio 4
The American President Donald Trump wants farmers in the US to produce more for the domestic market as the rows over import tariffs continue. So what might this all this mean for them, for us and for global trade? For This Natural Life, this week on on BBC Radio 4, Martha Kearney visited Sir James Dyson on his farm in Somerset to hear what the natural world means to him, and how that is being reflected in his approach to farming.Bird flu continues to hit poultry farms across the country. Last week we heard from Jerry Saunders, from Orchard Organic Farm in South Devon, about the emotional toll of having all 5000 of his birds culled after getting bird flu. We hear how the financial impact can be severe, too. Broadband speeds in rural areas are 26% slower than they are in urban areas - that's according to the Government, and there are still parts of the country that have no mobile phone access at all. We speak to Chris Bryant, the minister with responsibility for digital inclusion, about the Government's Digital Inclusion Action Plan.New rules for the pig supply chain are due to be introduced this spring to help even up what Defra describes as a 'power imbalance' between farmers and processors.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
American farmers are being urged to produce more by their president. Mr Trump has imposed 25% tariffs on goods, including agricultural produce, from Canada and Mexico, and both countries are imposing retaliatory tariffs on American goods. As is China, which is the biggest market for US agriculture products. So what might this all this mean for them, for us and for global trade? For This Natural Life on BBC Radio 4, Martha Kearney visits Sir James Dyson on his farm in Somerset to hear what the natural world means to him, and how that is being reflected in his approach to farming.Continuing our topic this week: supply chains, the many hands food goes through on its way from farm to fork. Controlling what happens at every stage can be a challenge, but that's what one Welsh producer is trying to do so they can make the supply chain more sustainable. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
Martha Kearney follows the River Ouse, from the High Weald to the Sussex coast and - finally - into the sea itself. Along the way, she discovers how one of the UK's largest nature recovery projects is taking root. The project is called 'Weald to Waves' - it's a wildlife corridor that has been mapped out over more than 100 miles of Sussex landscape and coastline, to encourage biodiversity on a huge scale, connecting food, farming, nature and people. Encompassing more than 20,000 hectares of contiguous habitat, it is a huge coming-together of farmers, land managers, councils, utility companies, wildlife charities, schools, gardeners and community groups. Martha meets some of the people who have pledged to be a part of this huge collaborative effort.Producer: Becky Ripley
Norfolk is not usually an exciting place to watch during election night but could this time there be change? The county is facing some pretty tight contests. Eight out of nine seats were Conservative last time, mainly with huge majorities. But the polls suggest that they could be slashed. Martha Kearney has gone on a road trip through some of those constituencies, starting in Waveney Valley, where there is attention on the co-leader of the Greens being one of the candidates. A full list of candidates in all the seats is on the BBC News website.
Today's Martha Kearney reports on how the election race looks in Northern Ireland
Martha Kearney visits Whitstable to discover the fascinating and mysterious story behind Guy Maunsell's sea forts at Shivering Sands. Built in the second world war as air defences, these towers can still be seen from the shoreline, although they are now in a state of disrepair. Martha discovers their incredible and strange history. Once home to up to 265 soldiers, these huge metal boxes on stilts later became the base for a broadcasting revolution. In the 1960s, pirate stations such as Radio City, Invicta and the short-lived Radio Sutch (run by the musician and parliamentary candidate Screaming Lord Sutch), broadcast from the sea forts to huge audiences who wanted to hear the latest pop and rock records.Tom Edwards and Bob Leroi are two of the DJs with fond memories of their time aboard the sea forts at Shivering Sands, but there is also a darker history. David Featherbe's father was lost at sea after visiting the Red Sands fort and foul play was suspected. These mysteries and the forts imposing physical architecture fascinate historian Flo McEwan and many artists such as Stephen Turner and Sue Carfrae. Today the forts lie empty and are slowly being lost to the sea, but they remain a source of inspiration to artists and photographers, as Martha discovers.Produced by Helen Lennard
Martha Kearney is in Cambridge to explore wildlife at night. She takes an evening trip on a punt to see and hear the creatures which come out after the tourists have gone to home bed. She learns about the bats which at this time of year are just emerging from hibernation - hungry and on the hunt for insects. They swoop low over the waters of the Cam, their echo-location picked up and relayed for human ears by the clicking of a bat detector. A bat enthusiast from the Wildlife Trust tells Martha about bats' habits and identifies the species flitting through the trees around them.Punts have not always been used in this benign way around wildlife. At the Museum of Cambridge, Martha is shown a punt gun - a huge weapon which was widely used in the 19th and early 20th century. It would have been mounted on a punt, with the huntsman paddling into a flock of wildfowl in order to shoot them in large numbers for food.Martha also visits Cambridge University Botanic Garden, where a long-running moth research project is in progress. She watches as a moth trap is set out in the evening, and then returns early the next morning as a team of volunteers checks which moths have turned up in the trap, before releasing them back into the wild. She learns about the importance of these nocturnal species, and asks why night-time creatures like bats and moths always seem to get such a bad press.Produced by Emma Campbell
Martha Kearney explores the shifting sands of Gibraltar Point on the Lincolnshire coast, to witness the effects of beach erosion on both birds and people.At Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve, wardens go to extraordinary lengths to protect shore-nesting birds from habitat loss caused by beach erosion. They build wooden platforms for the nests of little terns and cages to protect the nests of ringed plover, as well as mounting overnight patrols to keep predators away. In 2023 they tried the platform technique with oystercatchers for the first time, meticulously moving the nests in stages so as not to spook the birds. The shingle where these striking birds prefer to nest is threatened with inundation from high tides, as well as from foxes, sparrowhawks and curious humans with dogs. The birds raised a successful brood and now the wardens are preparing for another season, hoping for more fledgling oystercatchers.Reserve wardens aren't the only people to take extraordinary measures to deal with beach erosion. The sand on Lincolnshire's beaches has to be replenished every year to protect the coastal population from flooding. Like sandcastles on an enormous scale, 400,000 cubic metres of sand are pumped onto the beaches from offshore dredgers and a sand profile created, in what's known as 'beach nourishment'. It's become a tourist attraction in its own right. The sand works its way a few miles down the coast to Gibraltar Point with the tides, literally shoring up the sea defences. And then there are the inland pumping stations at every seaside town, which 'evacuate' water from low-lying areas, of which there are many in Lincolnshire: one third of the county is below sea level. Without them, this landscape would be marshland. Martha compares the historic diesel pumps (made in Lincoln) with the automated electric pumps (from Holland).Producer: Mary Ward-Lowery
Martha Kearney hears stories of recovery from the Firth of Forth. First, she takes to the water with guide Maggie Sheddan and skipper John McCarter to explore the iconic Bass Rock, a volcanic island just beyond the shores of North Berwick in East Lothian. A decade ago, Bass Rock became the world's largest colony of Northern gannets, home to over 75,000 breeding sites. Then, in 2022, Avian Flu hit the colony at the height of the breeding season. By 2023, the total population was estimated at just under 52,000 breeding sites, a decrease of over 30% from the count in 2014. But now, at the beginning of a new breeding season, hope is in the air as the gannets return to the rock. Meanwhile, back on dry land, another story of recovery unfolds. Over the winter months, North Berwick was hit by huge storms. Four-metre waves, in combination with spring tides, left behind a huge hole in the harbour wall. Martha speaks to Andrew Duns from the North Berwick Harbour Trust and harbour master Ricky Martin about the repairs that are now underway. The storms also shifted the sand dunes on the beaches around North Berwick. Emma Marriott, Conservation Assistant at the Scottish Seabird Centre, tells Martha about the post-storm beach cleans which unearthed ancient litter from the 1960s. Presented by Martha Kearney Produced by Becky Ripley
NHS England will roll out Martha's Rule from April to give patients and families access to a rapid review if they are worried about a condition getting worse.Merope Mills spoke to Today in September about her daughter Martha, who died just before her 14th birthday from sepsis following an abdominal injury. In the inquest after her death, the coroner ruled that Martha could have survived if she'd received better care.Now Martha's Rule is coming into force. Merope Mills speaks to Today's Martha Kearney about plans for it come into effect in at least 100 hospitals in England.
After numerous roles in high-profile televsion programmes like HBO's House of the Dragon and Netflix's The Crown, Matt Smith is returning to the West End in Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People.Speaking to Today's Martha Kearney, the actor says he found the prospect of being on stage "frightening" at first, but wanted to work with German director Thomas Ostermeier.Martha also spoke to Thomas, who said the production of the play is about "becoming as attractive as a rock concert".Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.
The first female Radio 1 DJ Annie Nightingale has died at the age of 83. She was a huge trailblazer when it came to breaking down barriers for women in radio. To mark her death, we hear a clip from 2007 when Annie spoke to Martha Kearney on Woman's Hour.Two female journalists who spent over a year in prison for covering the death of Mahsa Amini have been released on bail by Iranian authorities. Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi are appealing against their jail sentences and will remain out of prison until a decision is made. Emma Barnett is joined by Women's Affairs Journalist for the BBC World Service Ferenak Amidi to hear more.From Kourtney Kardashian to Sienna Miller, there's been lots of recent examples of women who have kids early on in life, and then try to conceive with a new partner in their 40s and beyond. Journalist Grace Ackroyd has written candidly about her experience of this – she talks to Emma about having children again at a new stage in life, and the challenges she's faced.Gladiators is back on our TV screens. The BBC's reboot of the super popular 90s series was launched this weekend, with new games added to the show. We'll hear the first impressions from one of the original Gladiators – Diane Youdale, better known as ‘Jet', who joins Emma to talk about her own experience and advice she would give to the new female gladiators.Ahead of the US election this year, one woman has begun to challenge Donald Trump in the polls for who will be the Republican representative. To find out more about Nikki Haley, Emma is joined by Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Director of the US and Americas programme at Chatham House, and Julia Manchester, national political reporter at The Hill who is reporting live from this week's Iowa caucuses. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Lottie Garton
The singer and UN environment ambassador Ellie Goulding is the latest Today programme Christmas guest editor. Ellie uses her programme to explore her twin passions of music and nature, including looking at rewilding projectsShe tells Today's Martha Kearney that nature has helped her through difficult times in her life, including postnatal depression. Ellie interviews fellow musicians Brian Eno and Chris Martin about the music industry's environmental impact. And she goes back to her sixth form college in Hereford and answers students questions, including about whether the music industry has changed for the better since the Me Too movement began.
Amol and Nick review the year in news, featuring the biggest moments and their favourite interviews from the Today programme in 2023. They're joined by some familiar voices including Chris Mason, Martha Kearney and friend of the pod, statistician Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter. With Gabby Logan on the Lionesses, Andy Zaltzman on The Ashes and Paddy O'Connell on Eurovision. Episodes of The Today Podcast land every Thursday and watch out for bonus episodes. Subscribe on BBC Sounds to get Amol and Nick's take on the biggest stories of the week, with insights from behind the scenes at the UK's most influential radio news programme. If you would like a question answering, get in touch by sending us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 4346 or email us Today@bbc.co.uk The Today Podcast is hosted by Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson, both presenters of BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the UK's most influential radio news programme. Amol was the BBC's media editor for six years and is the former editor of the Independent, he's also the current presenter of University Challenge. Nick has presented the Today programme since 2015, he was the BBC's political editor for ten years before that and also previously worked as ITV's political editor. The senior producer is Tom Smithard, the producers are Joe Wilkinson and Rufus Gray. Technical production from Mike Regaard and Emma Crowe. The editors are Jonathan Aspinwall and Louisa Lewis. The executive producer is Owenna Griffiths.
Grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & Arthur Parkinson
Pollinators' role in our gardens is a vital one, and the work being done by Bees for Development is making a global impact for these essential species, and the countries in which they work.Martha Kearney and Nicola Bradbear play a huge role in Bees for Development's work, and join Sarah on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange' to share the extent of their involvement, and how we can all aid the plight of pollinators in our own gardens.In this episode, discover:The origins of Martha and Nicola's care for pollinatorsTips for gardeners to care for bees and other pollinators The importance of experiencing nature from an early ageBees for Development's remarkable work, and how to support the charityGet in touch: info@sarahraven.comShop on the Sarah Raven Website: http://bit.ly/3jvbaeuFollow Sarah: https://bit.ly/3jDTvBp
The Aviva studios, the biggest cultural investment in the UK since Tate Modern open today in Manchester. Speaking to Today's Martha Kearney, director Danny Boyle who's been working on a show at the venue says: "The very famous son of Manchester Tony Wilson said that his fatal flaw was an excess of civic pride. And I feel a bit of that this morning." Martha also spoke to John McGrath who is Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the centre, which was originally called Factory International.
In the summer of 2014, Bernard Jordan made global headlines. He had staged a “great escape” from his care home to join fellow war veterans on a beach in Normandy, commemorating their fallen comrades at the D-Day Landings 70th anniversary. It was a story that captured the imagination of the world as Bernie embodied the defiant, “can-do” spirit of a generation that was fast disappearing. But of course, it wasn't the whole story. It was an inspirational but sanitised retelling of one man's need to come to terms with the lasting trauma of war. That story is now in the cinemas in The Great Escaper, starring Sir Michael Caine and the late Glenda Jackson Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Sir Michael and the film's director Oliver Parker. Photo: Martha Kearney and Michael Caine)
Today's Martha Kearney broadcasts from Jerusalem as the conflict in Israel and Gaza continues. She speaks to Yossi Schnaider who has had six family members - including two young children - taken hostage by Hamas; and Najla Shawa from Oxfam, who had to evacuate her home in Gaza with her family overnight. Also on Today, Martha spoke to former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin and Rushdi Abualouf, a BBC reporter in Gaza.
Regulators have given the go-ahead to develop the UK's largest untapped oil and gas field in the North Sea. Rosebank, located 80 miles west of Shetland, is estimated to contain 500 million barrels of oil. Last month a cross-party group of 50 MPs and peers wrote to the energy secretary arguing it would be "deeply irresponsible" to back the scheme when the government should be driving down carbon emissions. Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, who opposes Rosebank, and Gilad Myerson, executive chairman of Ithaca Energy which has a 20 per cent stake in the project. (Image credit: Andrew Perry/PA Wire)
Irvine Welsh's TV series Crime is returning for a second series, based on his books ‘Crime' and ‘Night of the Long Knives'. The best-selling author speaks to Today's Martha Kearney about writing for TV, 30 years of Trainspotting and his thoughts about the relationship Scotland has with drugs.
At least 5,300 people are dead in the Libyan city of Derna after Storm Daniel on Sunday, which resulted in a dam bursting and a river of floodwater sweeping through the streets. With 10,000 people reported missing, the death toll is expected to rise. Today's Martha Kearney spoke to Libyan journalist Johr Ali about his friend, whose entire family was taken by the storm. Justin Webb also spoke to the BBC's International Editor Jeremy Bowen, who said getting aid to the people in need is made harder by the political tensions in the north African country, and to Dr Anas Barghathy, who travelled to the Derna region to volunteer.
Adrian Edmondson and Nigel Planer, two of the cast from the 1980s sitcom The Young Ones, have reunited to write a new play. ‘It's Headed Straight Towards Us' follows two bickering actors and the hapless runner on the film they're shooting in Iceland, as a volcanic eruption causes their trailer to subside and cuts off the only route of escape. Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Adrian and Nigel about the idea behind their new play and their experiences on The Young Ones. Credit: GettyImages
Thirteen-year-old Martha Mills died after failures by doctors to spot sepsis, and her mother Merope told Today on Monday about her call for hospitals around the country to bring in "Martha's rule". This would give parents, carers and patients the right to call for an urgent second clinical opinion from other experts at the same hospital if they have concerns about their current care. The government said yesterday that it would explore the introduction of "Martha's rule" in UK hospitals. Today's Martha Kearney spoke to Wes Streeting, Labour's Shadow Health Secretary and Rob Behrens, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. (Image, Merope Mills, Credit BBC)
Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid lost his brother Tariq to suicide in 2018. It is the number one cause of death for young people and biggest killer of men under 50. In a personal report for the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Sajid speaks to people in Bristol, where he grew up, whose lives have been affected by suicide and also speaks to the chief exec of the Samaritans and other mental health campaigners. He then tells Today's Martha Kearney what he thinks the government should be doing to help with suicide prevention. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call for free to hear recorded information on 0800 066 066
After Lucy Letby, the UK's most prolific baby murderer, was sentenced earlier this month, there has been a lot of discussion about what form the public inquiry should take. The government has now decided that it should be led by a judge with full powers to force people to give evidence. That's what the families have been asking for and Health Secretary Steve Barclay has said he has listened to them - but that kind of inquiry is likely to take more time. Today's Martha Kearney first speaks to Dr Stephen Brearey, who is the lead consultant at the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital and who originally raised concerns about Lucy Letby in 2015. She also speaks to Sir Robert Francis, who was chair of the inquiry which looked into the failings into care in mid-Staffordshire.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a failed mutiny against Vladimir Putin, was on a plane that crashed in western Russia, according to aviation officials. Authorities say all 10 people on board were killed after the private aircraft came down near the village of Kuzhenkino. Russian authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, amid heavy speculation. Today's Nick Robinson and Martha Kearney speaks to Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of international affairs at the New School University in New York, who joins us from Moscow, and Sergei Markov, Putin's former spokesperson. Later in the programme, we were joined by Timothy Snyder, Professor of History at Yale University, and Sir John Sawers, former Chief of MI6 and British Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Photo credit: Courtesy PMC Wagner via Telegram via REUTERS
Junior doctors are striking due to concerns over the conditions of their job, including overcrowded corridors and long waiting lists. Today's Justin Webb speaks to Dr. Lucy Cocker and Dr. Adam Collins on why they chose to leave the NHS and move to Australia, where they say offers better prospects. Today's Martha Kearney speaks to John Glen, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on how he aims to address morale in the NHS and resolving the strikes. Image credit: PA
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has been speaking to Today's Martha Kearney about efforts to transform the Met's culture, including the removal of more officers. It follows a review earlier this year by Baroness Louise Casey on the force's culture and standards after the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving police officer Wayne Couzens, in 2021. During the course of her review, another Met officer, David Carrick, was convicted of a series of rapes, sexual offences and torture of women. Baroness Casey found the force was institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic. The Met Commissioner also revealed the force is in talks regarding a pay-out to the family of murdered private detective Daniel Morgan. Mr Morgan was found with an axe in his head in the car park of a pub in Sydenham, south-east London, in 1987. No-one has been convicted over the father of two's killing, since which there have been five inquiries and an inquest, at an estimated cost of more than £40m.The Met has previously admitted corruption hampered the original murder investigation and apologised to Mr Morgan's family. A panel found in 2021 that the Met repeatedly covered up its failings. Photo Credit: Carl De Souza/Pool via REUTERS
A long-awaited report into English and Welsh cricket finds that racism, sexism, and class bias are "widespread". The chair of the report, Cindy Butts, spoke to Today's Nick Robinson about how the sport has 'institutional and structural discrimination'. Martha Kearney put the report to the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, who accepted all the findings and promised action on equal pay for female cricketers. (Image credit: Cricket bat and ball, Getty Images)
What exactly is a portrait? As the National Portrait Gallery re-opens and Sheffield Documentary Festival begins, Shahidha Bari talks to the gallery's Chief Curator Alison Smith, film-makers Kim Longinotto and Franky Murray Brown about their film Dalton's Dream, photographer Johny Pitts, whose project Home is Not a Place moves to the Photographers' Gallery in London and New Generation Thinker Ana Baeza Ruiz about an oral history project with 1970s feminist artists. Producer: Sofie Vilcins You can hear music relating to an image held in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery every day on BBC Radio 3's Breakfast programme next week and an episode of the weekly curation of Words and Music inspired by portraits is broadcast on Sunday June 18th and then available on BBC Sounds for a month. On BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds a series called Close Encounters presented by Martha Kearney invites ten leading figures of today to the newly refurbished National Portrait Gallery to champion a favourite picture from the Gallery's collection. The NPG re-opens after refurbishment on June 22nd 2023. The NPG has linked up with Creative Southampton to open a show at Southampton City Art Gallery and Museums: which is a follow up to a project run by the NPG with Sheffield Galleries. Joshua Reynolds' birth on July 16th 1723 is being marked by an exhibition in the city of his birth at the Box Plymouth which runs until October 29th Johny Pitts' work has been on show in Sheffield, Edinburgh and is now opening at the Photographers Gallery London this June. The Sheffield Doc Festival runs June 14th to 19th premiering a host of films, tv and podcasts which will be coming your way soon. The screenings include Dalton's Dream on 15th June, by Kim Longinotto and Franky Murray Brown, which tracks the journey of the first non-British and Black man to win X-Factor UK and the new life which follows Blood & Fire: Our Journey Through Vanley Burke's History runs at Soho House in Birmingham until Nov 4th 2023
Sir Paul McCartney has unearthed never before seen photographs that chronicle the Beatles at the height of their fame. They were taken by him, across an intense three month period in cities like Paris and New York, and are due to go on display at a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from the end of June. An accompanying book, 1964: Eyes of the Storm, goes on sale 13th June. Sir Paul showed Today's Martha Kearney around the exhibition, telling her how he felt after rediscovering the photos decades after taking them.
Passengers have been warned to expect significant disruption from the latest train strikes on Friday. Members of the Aslef train drivers' union are walking out at 16 companies including TransPennine Express, Northern, Avanti, East Midlands Railway, Thameslink and Southern. Separately, the RMT union is striking on Saturday 13 May - the day of the Eurovision final in Liverpool. Nick Robinson spoke to Mick Whelan, General Secretary of Aslef, about the disruption to the public caused by the strikes. Martha Kearney spoke to Huw Merriman, Minister for Rail and HS2 about the government's approach to solving the dispute. (Image, Trains at Victoria Station, Credit, Kirsty O'Connor, PA)
Betty Webb is one of the last surviving women to have worked on cracking both the German and Japanese codes at Bletchley Park during World War 2. She attended Queen Elizabeth's Coronation in 1953 - and has been invited to this weekend's coronation of King Charles III. A week later she will celebrate her 100th Birthday with a party at Bletchley park. Her new book 'No More Secrets' tells the story of her childhood, recruitment to Bletchley and then the pentagon, her vital wartime role deciphering enemy communications, and how it felt to eventually be able to talk about her experiences which she had to keep secret for years. Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Betty Webb about the memoir and her invite to the coronation.
Chimpanzee expert and animal rights campaigner, Dame Jane Goodall, is passionate about saving animals and the environment, but says she does not believe in direct action that disrupts people's everyday lives. Today's Martha Kearney talked with Dr Goodall about the impact her campaigns have had across generations, ahead of a new TV series called Jane's Animal Adventures, about a young girl inspired by Goodall's passion. Martha also discussed environmental protests like blocking traffic, which Goodall claims are ‘counterproductive' and don't encourage positive change. (Ian West/PA Wire)
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has announced that the RAF will begin evacuating British nationals from Sudan. Today's Martha Kearney spoke to Osman, a British doctor who has been in Khartoum for the past week visiting family. He had decided to try and leave the country by road and said he would have found it difficult to get to an airfield. Martha then heard from General Sir Richard Barrons, Former Commander of Joint Forces Command, on the logistical complexities of the evacuation and to Dr Atia Abdalla Atia, the secretary general of Sudan Doctors Union and a doctor based in Khartoum, about the conflict and the deteriorating situation in his hospital. Image credit: Bundeswehr Handout, 23.04.23
British Vogue editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful, says the latest issue with five disabled cover stars is one of his “proudest moments”. Today's Mishal Husain spoke with Mr Enninful about why he decided to work with disability activist Sinéad Burke to create the series and how she taught him ‘that a whole group of people are being ignored'. And away from fashion, Martha Kearney looked at jogging. Specifically, the growing trend of running without headphones or other tech. She spoke with Julia Oosthuizen, Founder of Queen's Running Club, and Jimmy Watkins, co-founder of Running Punks about so-called ‘naked running'.
A series of events are taking place to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. The Good Friday Agreement ended 30 years of violent conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles, which cost the lives of more than 3,500 people. However divisions still persist. Police in Northern Ireland believe dissident republicans will use the anniversary to spark violence and attack officers. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is currently blocking the formation of an executive as part of the party's protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements between the UK and EU. The BBC's Martha Kearney spoke to four people who have grown up since the peace agreement. (Image: Aerial view over City Hall, Belfast, Credit: BBC)
Sheila Seleoane lay dead for two and a half years before her body was found - despite repeated efforts to raise the alarm. Sheila was a 58-year-old medical secretary who died in her South London flat in August 2019. In a final report by the BBC's Harry Farley, he goes back to speak to her neighbours. Today's Martha Kearney speaks to Ian McDermott, chief executive of Peabody, the housing association which was Sheila's landlord.
Today's Martha Kearney spoke to Christopher Eccleston following the closure of the Oldham Coliseum due to a loss of funding from Arts Council England. They are giving money to build a new theatre in Oldham instead. The closing night saw an emotional Christopher Eccleston and Maxine Peake perform excerpts from a new adaptation of Ken Loach's film I, Daniel Blake - which was due to have been on the Coliseum stage this summer. Eccleston talked about his frustration at the lack of funding, which he felt especially targets arts in the North West. The actor discussed growing up in a working class background and the ever-growing elitism of the arts: ‘you've got to be Oxbridge otherwise you can't act', he says. He says he became an actor not for money, but for his own self-expression and ‘pursuit of the heart', and that he couldn't do so without the support of his wonderful family.
It was twelve years ago that the actor Jason Watkins and his wife Clara Francis lost their two year old daughter to sepsis. Now, the couple have made a documentary for ITV called "Jason and Clara: in memory of Maudie" - to raise awareness of the dangers of the condition. Today's Martha Kearney spoke to them about why they decided to make the documentary. (IMAGE CREDIT: David M. Bennett / Getty Images)
Following on from the government's announcement on better pay for health workers, Today's Martha Kearney spoke to Sir Derek Jacobi who plays Ambrose in ‘Allelujah', a new film which shows the pressures on the NHS. ‘Allelujah' is based on the play by Alan Bennet, and set in a small Yorkshire hospital where most of the patients are elderly. The cast is drawn from some of the best known actors in the country including Jennifer Saunders, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Derek Jacobi. Sir Derek told Martha about his bumptious character, Ambrose; and the joyful nature of an older ensemble cast – ‘we sit there… and travel back in time'. He spoke about his positive experiences at the NHS and the rejuvenating pleasure of being an actor for over sixty years. IMAGE CREDIT: Eamonn M. McCormack and Stringer - Getty Images.jpg
Judgements made in the family courts can affect families forever, including placing children in care or for adoption. After decades of calls for greater scrutiny of the family courts, at the end of January journalists gained access to report proceedings, in a landmark pilot scheme. Three court centres in Leeds, Carlisle and Cardiff allowed accredited journalists to report cases for the first time, providing the families involved remained anonymous. Our Correspondent Sanchia Berg spent several weeks in Leeds Family Court attending hearings. This week Today has featured a series of her reports, highlighting some of the issues that are usually hidden, including a mother's 'remarkable turnaround' to win back her baby. Today presenter Martha Kearney, also spoke to the judge who spearheaded the pilot, Justice Lieven.
Martha Kearney has been reporting from Belfast this week, looking at the impact on Northern Ireland from a lack of functioning government. Martha spoke to Adele Johnstone, who is waiting for an inquiry to start after she – along with thousands of other mothers - was made to put her son up for adoption when she gave birth as an unmarried 17 year-old. A public inquiry into the scandal was put on hold after the power sharing government collapsed. Martha also reported from the Thales plant, which makes the NLAW system distributed across Ukraine to help fight Russian tanks. She is the first journalist to visit the plant, which employs 800 people across Northern Ireland, since the war started. Credit : BBC
An Irish Goodbye is the story of two brothers, one with Down's syndrome, who lose their mother. The dark comedy has already won a BAFTA and an Oscar nomination. Today's Martha Kearney spoke to one of the film's stars, James Martin, who has Down's syndrome like the character he plays in the film. At his home in Belfast, they discussed his acting career, the film's critical acclaim and its chances at next week's Oscars. CREDIT: BBC
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gives an exclusive interview to Today's Martha Kearney about his Northern Ireland Brexit deal with the European Union. He says the new Brexit framework is a "huge step forward" for Northern Ireland, addressing key “challenges” with the original Brexit deal. The Democratic Unionist Party are considering whether to back the deal and re-enter power sharing government at Stormont. Mr Sunak says he understands parties need "time and space" to consider the details but argues: "The people of Northern Ireland need and deserve their government to be up and running." (Photo: Rishi Sunak. Credit: Dan Kitwood/PA Wire)
The shooting of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in Omagh stirred painful memories - not just of The Troubles but more recent violence. The young journalist Lyra McKee was fatally shot while covering rioting in Londonderry in 2019. Police have investigated links with dissident Republicans with both the attacks. Father Martin Magill, a Catholic priest from the Falls Road in Belfast, gave a powerful speech at Lyra McKee's funeral. He spoke to Today's Martha Kearney about this latest violence. Photo: Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell. Credit: Pacemaker
New figures from the Office of National Statistics show that the UK has managed to avoid a recession. Inflation is slowing, but the UK has not managed to reach the levels of growth needed for pay increases. On Thursday, as AstraZeneca announced it had opted to build a new factory in Dublin rather than in Macclesfield, its CEO said '"you need an environment that gives you good returns and incentive to invest". Today's Nick Robinson spoke to Dame Deanne Julius, former member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, and Julian Metcalfe, CEO of Itsu, about what the UK government needs to do to increase economic growth. Martha Kearney spoke to the BBC's Business Editor Simon Jack and Richard Torbett, CEO of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, about why AstraZeneca chose to invest outside the UK and what the government can do to make the UK more attractive to investors. Image Credit : By: Neil Hall Credit :EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock Location :London, United Kingdom Copyright: Copyright (c) 2023 Shutterstock. No use without permission.
Why is UK inflation dropping... while some food prices are still rising? Newsnight's Sima Kotecha is in the hotseat for today's episode, and she's joined by the BBC's Evan Davis and Claer Barrett from the FT, to chew over the latest economic trends. Also, after the head of the food watchdog suggested that it's unwise to bring cake into the office, The Great British Bake Off winner and Today programme host, Martha Kearney, tells us whether she'll be taking on that advice. Today's episode was presented by Sima Kotecha and made by Tim Walklate with Chris Flynn, Dany Wittenberg, and Rufus Gray. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The senior news editor was Sam Bonham.