Today - 09/06/2008

Presented by Sarah Montague and Edward Stourton. Director of the United Services Institute Prof Michael Clarke says the military has succeeded in establishing a stalemate with the Taleban in Afghanistan. And commander of the task force in Helmand province Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith gives his analysis of the situation on the ground. A joint report by the UK's four children's commissioners claims children are being demonised by society. Children's Commissioner for England Sir Al Aynsley-Green explains why he thinks millions of children are being denied their rights. Head of energy markets at the Energy Information Centre Dr Craig Lowrey explains the causes of energy price increases. GMB general secretary Paul Kenny explains why his union is likely to cut funding to the Labour Party. Herpetologist Mark O'Shea gives advice on what to do if we should encounter a carnivorous dragon. Thought for the Day with the Rev Dr Alan Billings, director of the Centre for Ethics and Religion at Lancaster University. We ask Defence Secretary Des Browne if he sees our commitment in Afghanistan extending. As a stage version of the classic 1960s TV series The Likely Lads opens in Durham, we speak to the writers of the original series Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. The UK's children's commissioners have condemned the government's youth justice system as punitive. We put their criticisms to Children's Minister Beverley Hughes. What are the social and ethical challenges we face when using synthetic biology? Prof Paul Martin raises his concerns that the technology could be abused. We talk to young author Sasa Stanisic who survived the war in Bosnia and has written his debut novel based on his experiences there in the early 1990s.