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04/12/2014

Morning news and current affairs. Including Sports Desk, Yesterday in Parliament, Weather and Thought for the Day.

3 hours

Last on

Thu 4 Dec 2014 06:00

Today's running order

0650

Facebook have just updated their terms of service to make them ‘easier to understand’. They make clear that Facebook will collect and keep a vast range of your information, including your location, if you don’t opt out. The terms of service come into force in January and you accept them by continuing to use the app. If you don’t like the sound of it, the only alternative is to deactivate or delete your account. Maninder Gill is an expert in privacy law.

0710

George Osborne’s Autumn Statement yesterday, and the Office for Budget Responsibility report that accompanied it, have set out the terrain for the political battle ahead. The economy is growing faster than any G7 nation, but deep cuts in public spending are just around the corner, potentially redefining the relationship between the state and the people. Robert Peston is the 91Èȱ¬â€™s economics editor.

0715

America's return to putting people in space takes a big step forward today when the Orion Crew Capsule - the spacecraft that will carry astronauts beyond earth orbit and, maybe, one day to Mars - makes its maiden test flight. Science editor Tom Feilden reports.

0720

Another grand jury decision in the United States is producing protests on the street. Video footage showing the confrontation between a police officer and Eric Garner in Staten Island in New York City show the man being held in a chokehold on the ground. Mr Garner, who was asthmatic, died. He was unarmed, and being challenged for selling cigarettes illegally on the street. Correspondent Nick Bryant reports.

0730

In his response to the Autumn Statement, Ed Balls said George Osborne's promise to balance the nation's books in this parliament is now "in tatters". "Every target missed, every test failed, every promise broken," he said. But how does the economic situation look now, compared to Labour’s own dire predictions in 2010? And if he thinks the government plan to get back into surplus by 2020 is too harsh, how long would he be willing to accept a deficit for? Ed Balls joins us.

0745

91Èȱ¬ 4 is broadcasting a film about the famous and controversial Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan on Friday evening, he died a quarter of a century ago. Even now his legacy is hotly disputed - was he a serious artist or was he more interest in making money? John Bridcut is the film maker behind the programme.

0750

The Rosetta space craft landed its tiny module on a comet last month after a journey of ten years. Today the NASA is carrying out a test launch for a new rocket system that's being developed to send astronauts to Mars.Ìý Which raises the big question: do we need to send people into space given what robots can do? Dr David Parker is chief executive at the UK Space Agency and Dr Maggie Aderin Pocock is managing director at Science Innovation Limited.

0810

The Conservatives have made two big promises since they've been in government, one on immigration and the other on government borrowing. It is now clear that neither of them will be met. Mr Cameron said if he didn't deliver on those promises we should vote him out. We speak to the chancellor George Osborne.

0820

Radio 4 broadcaster Michael Buerk has been evicted from the jungle on ‘I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here’. We speak to him on Thursday.

0830

What's the future for Afghanistan? David Cameron and the Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, are chairing a conference in London on Thursday looking at the prospects after foreign combat troops are gone. A huge load will fall on aid agencies who'll continue to work there. David Haines is director for Mercorps in Afghanistan and Rachel Noble is women's policy rights advisor at ActionAid.

0840

The Court of Appeal is due to pass judgement in a landmark case of a 7 year old girl born with serious developmental problems associated with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. The condition can cause facial deformities, retarded growth, and brain damage. Lawyers acting for the council seek to prove that the child’s birth mother’s excessive drinking was a violent crime that should be recognised under the Government’s Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme, which awards compensation to people hurt by a violent crime. Neil Sugarman is solicitor at GLP Solicitors, acting on behalf of the local authority, and Rebecca Schiller is spokesperson for the organisation ‘Birthrights’.

0845

The American comedian Bill Cosby has been accused of sexual assault by three more women - the latest in a series of public claims he drugged and attacked women over a period of decades. He's not spoken out against the accusations, but his lawyer recently called a spate of accusations "ridiculous." The womens' lawyer said too much time had passed for them to sue, but urged Bill Cosby to answer the allegations in court. Alastair Leithead reports from Los Angeles.

0850

The Autumn Statement has seen the Chancellor take his position centre-stage: but is George Osborne a great political strategist? Can he make it to becoming the next leader by hedging his beliefs or is he too much of an open liberal for some of the more hawkish Tories to stomach? Does he have the courage of his convictions in the current climate to shout positively about immigration and Europe?Ìý And what about his public appeal (or lack of)? Rafael Behr is a political columnist for the Guardian and Jenni Russell is a columnist at the Times.

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All subject to change.

Broadcast

  • Thu 4 Dec 2014 06:00