Today - 20/10/2009

Presented by James Naughtie and Evan Davis. Five senior prison managers are expected to be charged with serious disciplinary offences for moving problematic inmates during inspections to create a good impression. A report published by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Dame Anne Owers, shows that some prisoners had been transferred between Pentonville and Wandsworth prisons in order to mislead inspectors. Dame Anne explains the findings of her report and the charges facing the managers. The battle between the Taliban and Pakistan army is continuing in South Waziristan. Masud Shah, former Inspector General of police in the north-west frontier province, examines the strategic and political importance of the outcome of the fighting. China has been experiencing a green revolution. The country, which is normally associated with pollution and dirty coal-fired power stations, has become the world's biggest producer of solar water heaters. In one key technology, electric batteries, it is attempting to become an international leader. Environment analyst Roger Harrabin reports on China's green tech boom. Ambassadors have an important role maintaining diplomacy, calm, and sharing respectful views at all times. But they do have one chance to tell their superiors at home what they really do think about the country in which they serve, in the valedictory dispatch as they leave their post. Matthew Parris, presenter of Parting Shots, a new series for Radio 4, reveals some of the poignant, mischievous or on occasion downright rude, valedictory dispatches of former ambassadors. Many banks have announced that they will be paying bonuses to their employees. This is despite being bailed out with billions of pounds of taxpayers money, and the Bank of England cutting interest rates to extraordinarily low levels to make it easier to be a borrow money. The government has responded by saying it will impose a windfall tax on bank profits. At the 1981 Budget, the then chancellor Geoffrey Howe introduced a windfall tax. Chairman of the Treasury Select Committee John McFall and the former Royal Bank of Scotland chairman Sir George Matthewson discuss how a windfall tax would work and the effect it might have. People have been remembering Sir Ludovic Kennedy, who died yesterday at the age of 89. Sir Ludovic was a pillar of broadcasting at the BBC and ITN from the 1950s onwards. A former BBC Panorama journalist, Sir Ludovic spent decades investigating miscarriages of justice, including the case of the Birmingham Six. His book on the Rillington Place murders was an important element in the eventual posthumous pardon for Timothy Evans and the abolition of capital punishment. Michael Cockerell, who worked with Ludovic Kennedy for many years, remembers his colleague and friend. Thought for the day with The Right Reverend James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool. The Independent Electoral Commission in Afghanistan is deciding whether to hold a presidential run-off. Investigations into fraud in Afghanistan's elections cut President Karzai's share of the vote from about 55 per cent to 48 per cent, below the threshold for an outright win. Peter Galbraith, former UN deputy special envoy to Afghanistan, discusses whether the Karzai government will accept a run-off and be prepared to share power. Five senior prison managers are facing serious disciplinary charges after vulnerable inmates were transferred between two jails in London to manipulate inspections. The inmates were transferred between Pentonville and Wandsworth prisons for the duration of the inspections. Two prisoners at Wandsworth prison self-harmed as a consequence of the move. Phil Wheatley, Director-General of the National Offender Management Service, examines the report's impact on the reputation of England's prisons. Freddie Spencer Chapman is one of the greatest unknown war heroes. Mr Chapman spent three years of World War II living behind enemy lines in Malaya, attacking Japanese soldiers. He also took field notes on birds and picked up seeds to send to Kew Gardens. Lord Mountbatten recommended Mr Chapman for a Victoria Cross, but without success. Brian Moynahan, former Sunday Times correspondent and author of Jungle Soldier: The True Story of Freddie Spencer Chapman, and the principal historian at the Imperial War Museum, Nigel Steel, detail Mr Chapman's extraordinary life and just what it takes to win a VC. In Afghanistan, President Karzai is expected to accept a second round of elections. Correspondent Andrew North discusses the latest developments. A group of former generals has warned that the reputation of Britain's armed forces is being tarnished by political extremists. Their comments are published today by a group campaigning against the BNP. The campaign, Nothing British, has the support of several distinguished generals who have penned an open letter condemning what they describe as an attempt to hijack the good name of the army. Former head of the army Gener