Today: Thursday 8th April

Labour and the Tories are to step up the fight over their tax plans as economic disagreements continue to dominate the election campaign. And MPs have warned that lives could be lost unless urgent changes are made to the system of vetting foreign doctors offering out-of-hours GP care.

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0709
MPs have warned that lives could be lost unless urgent changes are made to the system of vetting foreign doctors offering out-of-hours GP services. The Commons Health Select Committee warned that NHS trusts were not doing enough to test doctors on their English and competence after a German doctor, Dr Daniel Ubani, killed a patient in the UK. Dr Stuart Gray, a GP and whose father died after being treated by Dr Ubani, outlines the changes he thinks should be made to rules governing the hiring of foreign doctors.

0713
A British-led satellite mission is to be launched today to try to answer one of the most challenging environmental questions - how rapidly are the polar ice-sheets changing. The satellite, CryoSat, will scan the Arctic and Antarctic with a radar system. From mission control David Shukman reports.

0716
Marks and Spencer is due to replace chief executive Sir Stuart Rose with the former Morrison's chief Marc Bolland on 1 May. Sir Stuart has complained along with other business leaders about the government's planned rise in National Insurance contributions. Sir Stuart comments on the parties' economic policies.

0719
The business news with Adam Shaw.

0723
Violent unrest in the central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan has left 50 people dead after demonstrators attacked official buildings in protest at rising prices and corruption. The opposition says it is setting up a "people's government" headed by a former foreign minister, Roza Otunbayeva. Dr Shirin Akiner, a fellow at the Cambridge University Central Asia Research Forum, describes the political turmoil in the country.

0727
Sports news with Rob Bonnet.

0733
David Cameron must secure a national swing of 6.9 percent from Labour to the Conservatives to win the election with an outright majority, a feat no party has achieved since 1945. In the general election of 2005 the Conservatives won a quarter of a million more votes than Labour, but had 92 fewer MPs in England. Radio 4's More or Less presenter Tim Harford and Lord Patten, former chairman of the Conservative Party, examine whether the electoral system is biased against the Tories.

0740
The paper review.

0743
Do you listen to sport on the radio? As 3D steadily takes over our cinematic experiences, 25 of the football World Cup games are to be filmed in the viewing format this summer. Football commentator Stuart Hall gives his opinion on the future of sport radio.

0747
Thought for the day with Reverend Joel Edwards, international director of Micah Challenge.

0751
Russia and the United States are to sign a new Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty in the Czech capital Prague today, committing both countries to cutting their arsenals of deployed weapons by up to 30% over seven years. James Robbins reports from Prague and Hans Blix, former head of the International Atomic Energy and former head of UN Inspectors in Iraq, comments on the change in nuclear weapons policy.

0810
The future of the economy is dominating the battleground of the election campaign, with Gordon Brown defending his economic credentials as the best person to nurture the country's prosperity. In the second of our leader interviews, Gordon Brown outlines his party's policies.

0832
Sports news with Rob Bonnet.

0837
MPs are calling for changes to the EU laws governing the employment of European doctors, warning that lives could be lost unless the vetting of doctors offering out-of-hours GP care is improved. Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, comments on what changes should be made to the employment of European doctors in the UK.

0842
The future of the economy is dominating the battleground of the election campaign, with Gordon Brown defending his economic credentials as the best person to nurture the country's prosperity. Deputy political editor James Landale analyses Gordon Brown's interview on the Today programme.

0846
The business news with Adam Shaw.

0849
Music journalist Nick Kent has depicted his life as a rock critic in the 1970s in his new book, Apathy for the Devil. Mr Kent describes how music journalism has changed over the decades.

0854
Yesterday Gordon Brown outlined how a future Labour government would reform the political system, reinforcing his commitment to fixed-term parliaments of four years. Such constitutional changes would put the UK in line with the United States and some other European countries. Historian and journalist Anthony Howard comments on how previous parliaments would have differed if restricted to four years in power.

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PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to offer transcripts for our programme interviews. Today is broadcast live and the running order is subject to change.