Ontelly

Today - 26/10/2009

Logo for Today - 26/10/2009

Presented by Justin Webb and Evan Davis. US president Barack Obama has led international condemnation of Sunday's double suicide bomb attack in Baghdad that killed at least 132 people. Patrick Coburn, Iraq correspondent for the Independent, explains the significance of the attacks. A think-tank is urging the government to shift the tax burden by 150 billion pounds onto environmentally damaging behaviour in a new report. The chairman of the Green Fiscal Commission, Robert Napier, outlines the report's proposals. The trial of Radovan Karadzic for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity is to start at The Hague. Correspondent Allan Little, who reported on the Bosnian War from its start in 1992, gives his recollections of the former Bosnian Serb leader. Four white students expelled from university in South Africa after making an allegedly racist video that was posted on the internet are to appear in court in Bloemfontein in a case brought by the the country's unions. But the first black vice-chancellor of the University of the Free State says it has dropped its case against them and invited the students back. South Africa correspondent Karen Allen reports on the case. The head of the Pakistani Taliban is threatening attacks across the country if the army does not stop military action in the tribal region of South Waziristan. There is an effort to get some normality back to life in Pakistan's big cities with the reopening of schools and colleges closed after an attack. Andrew Hosken reports from Lahore, one of the cities in the firing line. Novelist and critic Jessica Mann says she is no longer going to review 'sadistic misogyny that passes for modern crime' writing. Ms Mann and Selina Walker from publishers Transworld evaluate the state of the genre. Thought for the Day with Rev Dr Giles Fraser, Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral. According to the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), a quarter of school staff say they have had a false accusation made against them. The union says that the hysterical atmosphere around child protection has left teachers vulnerable and unable to exert authority. Former teacher Matthew Wren recalls his experience and Mary Bousted, general secretary of the ATL explains their concerns. A double suicide bomb attack in Baghdad has killed at least 132 people. Gabriel Gatehouse reports on the aftermath of the attacks and Saad Yussuf al Mutalibi, international affairs director at Iraq's Ministry of Dialogue and Reconciliation, reflects on whether the attacks will lead to a change in the US military's withdrawal strategy. Warren Buffett is the world's most successful investor. He was the richest man on the planet last year, and is number two this. Evan Davis met Warren Buffett and discussed the investor's success and the role the rich play in society. The trial of the former Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic has been adjourned after he boycotted the opening session. He faces 11 war crimes charges arising from the Bosnian War including genocide at Srebrenica. Correspondent Peter Biles and former foreign secretary Lord Owen evaluate the trial. In 1978 Lord Owen was foreign secretary and the government undertook the last thorough assessment of Britain's nuclear deterrent. In a new book, Lord Owen picks over that review and discusses how influential that report remains for today's nuclear assessment. On certain days in October and November, Cairo experiences what locals call a 'black cloud' that envelopes the city in a visible toxic soup. It has been happening for 10 years and has dramatic effects on people's health. No-one knows precisely what the causes are, but, as Middle East correspondent Christian Fraser reports, many believe it originates in the fields of the Nile Delta, north of the city. A South Korean scientist who became a national hero when he claimed to have made important breakthroughs in cloning stem cells has been found guilty of fraud. Hwang Woo-Suk was given a suspended prison sentence for accepting money under false pretences after his research was declared bogus. The BBC's John Sudworth reports from Seoul. A new book about Saudi Arabia, Inside the Kingdom, gives an outsider's analysis of the complex and contradictory country. Author of the book, Robert Lacey, explains what he found after spending years in the country.