20/10/2012

Morning news and current affairs presented by Evan Davis and Justin Webb, including:

0750
The Pakistani teenager, Malala Yusufzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban after campaigning for education for girls, is making signs of recovery in a Birmingham Hospital. Dr Farzana Shaikh, associate Fellow at Chatham House, and Wajid Shamsul Hasan, the Pakistan High Commissioner in London examine the political impact of the shooting by the Taliban.

0810
The TUC is holding a mass demonstration today entitled "A Future That Works'" to protest against the government's austerity policies but the demonstration comes in a week when official figures show that the number of people in work has hit a record high and unemployment has fallen more sharply than expected. Professor Len Shackleton, labour market expert from the Institute of Economic Affairs, explains what is happening with the job market and Brendan Barber general Secretary of the TUC outlines the reasons for the demonstration.

0821
A new edition of Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms has been published, including for the first time the many alternative endings the author originally considered. The Today programme's Evan Davis spoke to Sean Hemingway to find out what was the purpose of this new edition.

0831
The government's Chief Whip, Andrew Mitchell, has resigned after he had been under mounting pressure since it was alleged he called police officers "plebs". Inspector Ken Mackaill chairman of the West Mercia Police Federation, and Crispin Blunt MP, former prisons minister and a friend of Andrew Mitchell discuss whether Mr Mitchell was right to resign.