Today - 30/04/2008

Presented by John Humphrys and Sarah Montague. Including: Political correspondent Norman Smith reports on the main rival mayoral candidates. Why has Britain had to pull out of some of the world's biggest and most important scientific projects? With Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis. An investigation by Human Rights Watch into the increase in violence in Zimbabwe. The Black Grouse could become a more common sight in Britain's skies once again. What are the benefits, not only financial, of a career in the City of London? A report from the tunnels of Arras, scene of one of the bloodiest campaigns of WWI. The government has dropped a promise to give thousands of prisoners in England and Wales a pay rise. Thought for the Day with Professor Mona Siddiqui. The last pre-election leader interview features Gordon Brown. Business Editor Robert Peston talks to Robert Wardle, outgoing director of the Serious Fraud Office. The British journalist held hostage in Iraq tells us about his dramatic rescue and how he plans to return to the country. How significant will the result in the London mayoral election be in reflecting a national picture? We speak to Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University and our political editor Nick Robinson. The Olympic flame returns to China after its protest-hit global relay. Why truth is increasingly stranger than fiction and what it means for sci-fi writers.