Today - 13/11/2009

Presented by Sarah Montague and Evan Davis. Eight people have been killed and at least 35 injured by two suicide bomb attacks in Pakistan. Correspondent Aleem Maqbool reports on the latest from Islamabad. Labour have won the Glasgow North-East by-election with a reduced majority of 8,000. The SNP finished second, and the Conservative party were third. Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University analyses the results. A security strategy for the 2012 London Olympics has been established. A conference at Royal United Services Institute will hear from all the major players involved. Security minister Lord West and his shadow, Baroness Neville-Jones, discuss the project. Six thousand people will take part in the procession at the Lord Mayor's Show in the City of London marking the change from one Lord Mayor to another. Correspondent Sanchia Berg reports on the history of the procession. The rising death toll in Afghanistan and the release of a private telephone conversation have sparked much media comment about the prime minister. Political editor Nick Robinson reflects on the aftermath of a challenging week on Gordon Brown's leadership. A memo seen by the BBC reveals that the British are considering a settlement with the government of President Karzai and the Taliban's governing body. Security correspondent Gordon Correra comments on the prospects of reconciliation. Gardeners at a National Trust property are encouraging their male staff to urinate on the compost, to assist the composting process. A "pee bale" has been installed in the grounds of Wimpole Hall, Cambridge. Head gardener Philip Whaites comments on the initiative. It is uncertain whether the Palestinian presidential election will take place. The country's Election Commission announced that a vote should not occur if the Islamist Hamas movement in Gaza refused to take part. The political disarray has undermined the credibility of the Palestinian Authority and the prospects of peace with Israel. Correspondent Tim Franks reports from Ramallah. Thought for the day with the Reverend Rosemary Lain-Priestley, Dean of Women's Ministry in central London. The family of a boy of three have won the right to claim compensation for injuries he suffered when he was allegedly hit over the head by another toddler. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority had refused to make an award, saying the alleged assailant, also aged three, was too young to be held responsible. Simon Gibson, partner at Kirwan's who are representing the Jay family, and Richard Garside, director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at Kings College London, discuss the precedent set by the case for children injured in fights. Gordon Brown's leadership has been dictated by the war in Afghanistan. Two hundred and thirty-two British lives have been lost, the majority under his government. Public opinion is mounting against continued British presence in Afghanistan, and the Obama administration's position on the war is undecided. Gordon Brown discusses the future of his Afghanistan policy. The Today programme has recently reported from Bosnia on the disputes and tensions among the country's politicians threatening to take it into a new crisis. Disenchanted voters are now turning to history for a model of leadership they can admire. Edward Stourton reports from Bosnia. Are young people turning to Islamic, Pakistani, Middle Eastern channels in Britain for news on their loved ones and events in Pakistan? Zubeida Malik spoke to British Pakistanis. There has been a shake-up of England's World Cup 2018 bidding team. Five of the twelve members on the board have been removed, focussing more on football instead of politics. Jim White, columnist for the Daily Telegraph, and Alec McGivan, who led England's last bid to host the World Cup, discuss the change in tactic.