Today - 19/10/2009

Presented by James Naughtie and Evan Davis. The Commons Education Select Committee are at odds with the government over the appointment of a new Children's Commissioner for England. Maggie Atkinson, head of children's services in Gateshead, is not favoured by the committee, who doubt her ability to champion children's rights. The committee's chairman, Labour MP Barry Sheerman, discusses its concerns over her appointment. Iranian diplomats go to Vienna today for the latest six-nation talks on its nuclear programme. It comes after a suicide bomber targeted Iran, killing five senior commanders of the powerful Revolutionary Guard and at least 26 others near the Pakistani border. Former British Ambassador to Iran, Sir Richard Dalton, discusses what impact this may have on the talks. The Conservatives have promised to encourage the repeal of the fox hunting ban. The shadow environment secretary, Nick Herbert, is putting the issue on the same level as civil liberties issues like 42-day detention and the removal of trial by jury for some fraud cases; he explains the party's proposals. The family who said they feared their son had blown away in a balloon could face prosecution after police say it was a hoax. Kevin Connolly went to the Heenes' home in Fort Collins, Colorado to see what the neighbours were making of it all. It is the second day of Pakistan's offensive against the Taliban in which 30,000 troops have been deployed in South Waziristan. Pakistani army spokesman Major General Athar Abbass discusses the offensive. There is a level of desperation at the slow progress of talks in the run-up to the climate conference to be held in Copenhagen in December. One of the key issues is the relationship between the USA and China. Earlier in the year our environment analyst Roger Harrabin charted the political difficulties facing President Obama in getting a climate bill through Congress. He now reports from China on how far its policies are shifting. Thought for the Day with Clifford Longley, religious commentator. Royal Mail are in last-ditch talks aimed at preventing postal strikes that have been planned for later in the week. Union leaders are considering a legal challenge to the recruitment of up to 30,000 temporary staff by Royal Mail. Mark Higson, managing director of Royal Mail letters, discusses the company's position and if the strikes can be avoided. New rules to ensure that mortgages are only given to people who can afford the repayments are due to be announced by the banking regulator the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Economics editor Stephanie Flanders discusses the implications of the announcement and Hector Sants, chief executive of the FSA, outlines their findings. Pakistan's army is engaged in fierce fighting for the third consecutive day as it continues its drive against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in South Waziristan. Correspondent Aleem Maqbool analyses the available information on the offensive. The Department for Transport has started consulting on whether dual metric and imperial signage should now be used in the UK to mirror signs on European roads. Robin Paice of the UK Metric Association and Derek Clarke, UKIP MEP for the East Midlands, discuss whether using metric signage will decrease the risk of accidents on Britain's roads. The Commons education committee has refused to endorse the new Children's Commissioner, Maggie Atkinson, who is expected to take up her job next year. The committee said they didn't think Ms Atkinson would do enough to champion children's rights. Sir Paul Ennals, chief executive of the National Children's Bureau and an independent member of the government-appointed panel that recommended Ms Atkinson's appointment, defends the decision. US forces officially withdrew from urban areas in Iraq at the end of June, but there is one city where they have been quietly continuing operations. Gabriel Gatehouse reports from Kirkuk, which is divided between Arabs and Kurds. Neither can agree on who should be in control or how to share the area's vast oil wealth. The post-election demonstrations in Tehran have stopped but does that mean President Ahamadinejad has won? Presenter of a recent edition of Radio 4 Analysis programme about Iran, Edward Stourton, discusses how the opposition to Ahamadinejad is now coming from the most unexpected source. Jenson Button sealed the F1 drivers' championship with a sublime recovery drive at a dramatic Brazilian Grand Prix, which was won by Red Bull's Mark Webber. Commentator Murray Walker discusses Button's championship victory. The latest round in the battle for the electronic book opens with Amazon launching its reader, the Kindle, in the UK. Robert Topping, an independent bookseller, and Peter Florence, director of the Hay Festival, discuss whether or not this will spell the end of the good old-fashioned book.