大象传媒

We mentioned the Torbay mayoral election contest on the programme this morning. The prospective candidates who have said they plan to stand in that election on 7 May are: <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

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Dennis Brewer, Liberal Democrat

Darren Cowell, Labour

Susie Colley, Independent

Gordon Oliver, Conservative

Julian Parrott, UKIP

0650

Labour says that if it wins the general election it will give the energy regulator, Ofgem, the legal powers to force energy suppliers to cut their bills in time for next winter. Labour has already said it would freeze prices for 20 months while the energy market is reset, but the new legislative plans set a timetable for changes. In one of the first Bills of the new Parliament, Labour would give Ofgem a legal duty to review prices by the autumn - and the power to order price reductions in time for the winter. Norman Smith is our Assistant Political Editor and David Hunter is an energy analyst at Schneider Electric, a consultancy which advises businesses on energy supply.

0655

Talks about Stormont's welfare reform crisis, chaired by Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers, ended in deadlock last night.听 The discussions at Stormont House were the first involving the five Executive parties since Sinn Fein's shock decision to withdraw support from welfare legislation just hours before a final Assembly debate on Monday. It is understood the parties have agreed to meet again for further talks. One source said the parties had set out their differing positions on welfare but there had been nothing of substance agreed. In addition, thousands of public sector workers are taking strike action in Northern Ireland today, in protest at budget cuts proposed by Stormont. Jeffrey Donaldson is a Democratic Unionist Party MP and senior negotiator.

0710

MiHomeCare - one of the biggest care providers in Britain - is paying its workers below the minimum wage.听 In an internal company document, leaked to the organisation Corporate Watch, and seen by the 大象传媒, MiHomeCare estimates that it 'likely' owes 44 of its workers as much as 拢80,000.听 The company which provides care for 10,000 elderly and disabled people across England and Wales is being investigated by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. Reporter Zoe Conway.

0715

The White House accused the UK on Thursday of a 鈥渃onstant accommodation鈥� of China after the British government decided to join a new China-led financial institution that could become a rival to the World Bank. The rare rebuke of one of the US鈥檚 closest allies comes as Britain prepares to announce it will become a founding member of the $50bn Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, making it the first G7 country to join an institution launched by China last October. Lionel Barber is Editor of the Financial Times.

0720

Greater Manchester Police has said none of the police officers involved in the investigation of child sex grooming allegations in Rochdale will face further misconduct proceedings.听 The internal investigation was ordered after nine men were jailed in 2012 for abusing girls as young as 13. Its report concludes that officers placed too much emphasis on the credibility of the victims, and not enough on the crime. Thirteen police officers were interviewed, their ranks ranging from constable to the divisional commander. The force found that one of them had a case to answer -- a detective inspector who has since retired from the force. Margaret Oliver is a former detective and family liaison officer for Greater Manchester Police, who worked on child sex grooming cases in Rochdale and resigned from the force over its treatment of victims.

0725

Sir Terry Pratchett, fantasy author and creator of the Discworld series, has died aged 66, eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. How will he be remembered? Sir Terry spoke to Sarah Montague on the programme in October 2008.

0730

A year ago this weekend, people in Crimea voted overwhelmingly to join Russia again, after six decades of being part of Ukraine. What is life like there now? Do the people who live in Crimea think they made the right decision and about the political machinations that led to their re-incorporation into Russia? John Simpson reports.听

0740

England are playing Afghanistan in the Cricket World Cup. It is the first time Afghanistan has competed in the tournament and while they beat Scotland, they are unlikely to progress any further. England have already been knocked out having lost to Bangladesh this week. Afghan cricket is an extraordinary success story- why has it become so popular? Dr Sarah Fane is president & director of charity Afghan Connection, which funds and supports schools and sports in Afghanistan and Emal Pasarly is a 大象传媒 Pashto multi-media editor who knows most of the Afghanistan team and has been covering the rise of Afghan cricket since the late 1990s and has just returned from the World Cup in Australia.

0750

Labour says that if it wins the general election it will give the energy regulator, Ofgem, the legal powers to force energy suppliers to cut their bills in time for next winter (see 0650). Caroline Flint is the Shadow Energy Secretary.

0810

A service to commemorate the end of British military operations in Afghanistan will take place in London later this morning. The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, David Cameron, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are expected to attend the service at St Paul's Cathedral. After the service, a parade made up of personnel who served in Afghanistan will take place. We speak to two parents of soldiers killed in Afghanistan who will be at the service. Sarah Adams, from Newport in South Wales, son Private James Prosser was killed in Afghanistan in 2009 and Duane Ashworth, from the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, son James was killed in Afghanistan in 2012.

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Sir Terry Pratchett, fantasy author and creator of the Discworld series, has died aged 66, eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (see 0720). Professor Ian Stewart of the University of Warwick was one of Terry Pratchett鈥檚 co-authors on The Science of Discworld.

0830

Italy is calling for a system of migrant reception centres to be set up in the Sahara and North Africa, which would vet refugees and asylum seekers trying to reach Europe 鈥� aiming to distinguish between economic migrants and those legitimately trying to flee wars, conflict or persecution. The Italians say they can't cope with the number of migrants with over 165,000 in the past year coming in. UN estimates show 3,000 are thought to have died trying to reach Italy in the last 12 months. Meanwhile, the UN has drawn up radical plans for an 'orderly relocation' of thousands of Syrian refugees from southern Europe to richer countries in the north. Nils Muiznieks is Human Rights Commissioner at the Council of Europe.

0840

Five years ago world leaders arrived in Copenhagen aiming to solve climate change, but the conference descended into pandemonium. This year, world leaders meet again with the same object - this time in Paris in December - and can't afford another shambles. So the big three polluters the USA, China and Europe have agreed to lay out their negotiating positions way in advance -by the end of March. America's chief negotiator has told 大象传媒 News not to expect the final deal to solve climate change - but a deal to put us on the right path towards solving the problem. Our environment analyst Roger Harrabin reports.

0850

A statue of Mahatma Gandhi will be unveiled in Parliament Square tomorrow. The sculpture is inspired by photographs of the Indian independence leader outside 10 Downing Street in 1931. It's been funded by the Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust (donations passed 拢1 million). Gandhi will be the first Indian and the only person never to have been in public office to be honoured with a statue in the square. His memorial will stand alongside those of Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela opposite the Houses of Parliament. Patrick French is author of "India: A Portrait".

0855

Disney has announced it is to make a sequel to Frozen, but have parents had enough?

All subject to change.