Today - 15/12/2008

Presented by Evan Davis and James Naughtie. Chief exec of Network Rail Ian Coucher discusses the West Coast rail improvements. Jeremy Bowen analyses whether Gordon Brown can help Israeli-Palestinian relations. Mark Wright of the WWF explains why the discoveries of new species in Asia could not be collated earlier. Mike Thomson reports from the Central African Republic, where thousands of families are still camped in the bush after their villages were ransacked by government forces nearly two years ago. Aleem Maqbool reports on his journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem with a donkey. Thought for the day with John Bell. Dr Humayra Abedin has returned to Britain after she was granted an injunction by the UK's High Court under the Forced Marriages Act. Anne-Marie Hutchinson, Abedin's solicitor, and 'Sophia', a victim of forced marriage, discuss the case. Robert Peston analyses the dilemma being faced by the government over the future of the postal service. John Cridland and Mark Serwotka debate whether the current pension system is fair. Rebecca Jones speaks to director Stephen Daldry and writer Sir David Hare about their collaboration on The Reader. Jane Corbin reports from one of Pakistan's most inhospitable tribal areas. Pakistani journalist and author Ahmed Rashid says that Gordon Brown's comments on Pakistan have been helpful. The withdrawal of all benefits from failed asylum seekers is inhumane and inefficient, according to former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith. Jon Leyne explains the power of the Iranian blogosphere from an internet café in Tehran. Fraser Nelson, political editor of the Spectator, and John Rentoul, columnist with the Independent on Sunday, debate whether politicians exploit economic crises.