Today: Thursday 19th July

Rebel groups in Syria say they believe the killing of three members of President Assad's high command in Damascus is the beginning of the end for his regime. Inspectors say about a third of sex offenders are being released from prison without having treatment to change their behaviour. And also on today's programme, the Cultural Olympiad tries to capture the sound of peace and harmony.

We are no longer providing clips of every part of the programme but you will be able to listen via the BBC iPlayer .

0615
Business news with Simon Jack on what can be done to change the banking culture in the City of London.

0709

According to the inspectors of probation and prisons, not enough is being done in England and Wales to prevent prisoners re-offending, and not enough effort in prison to change behaviour. Liz Calderbank, the chief inspector of probation, shares her thoughts on what needs to be done.

0713
A joint investigation by the British Medical Journal and BBC Panorama has found a "striking lack of evidence" to back up claims made by popular sports brands that sports products such as drinks, trainers and protein shakes improve performance and recovery. Dr Carl Heneghan, Director of the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, shares his thoughts.

0716

More than 300m people in China are now signed up to Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter, and the service is heralding a new wave of self expression. Duncan Hewitt travelled around China to meet the people using social media.

0720
Business news with Simon Jack.

0725
Sports news with Garry Richardson.

0732
The BBC's Mike Thomson visits an emergency food bank in Salisbury to find out more about charity Netmums' claim that a million children in Britain are going hungry.

0740
The paper review.

0743
One of the art works commissioned for the Cultural Olympiad opens tonight simultaneously at eight rugged coastal locations called "Peace camp", which the artists say will capture in sound the spirit of peace and harmony inspired by the original Olympic Truce. The BBC's Rob Broomby went to one of the installations on the Sussex cliffs.

0747
Thought for the day with Mona Siddiqui, Professor of Islamic Studies.

0750
The BBC has learned that about £100m of Syrian money has been found in the UK in various accounts and frozen. The BBC's Frank Gardner has more details.

0810

Rebel groups in Syria say they believe the killing of three members of President Assad's high command in Damascus is the beginning of the end for his regime. The BBC's Jonathan Marcus has the latest, and Dore Gold, former Israeli ambassador to the UN, and Nadim Shehadi, associate fellow at Chatham House, give their analysis of the news.

0821
The editor and founder of Oldie magazine Richard Ingrams and Scott Wilkinson, founder of Bordello Advertising, discuss the success of the magazine.

0827
Sport news with Garry Richardson.

0833
Dr Simon Abrams, a GP at Great Homer St Medical Surgery in Everton in Liverpool which is, according to the department of Health, the most deprived population in England, shares his thoughts on why so many children in the UK are not getting enough to eat, according to the charity Netmums.

0838
An auction house is about to sell a Victoria Cross which was awarded to Private Sidney Godley for holding off a German attack single-handedly for two hours, saving his comrades' lives, while badly wounded himself. The BBC's Caroline Wyatt went to see the medal and spoke to Oliver Pepys from the auction house Spinks about the story behind it.

0842
Business news with Simon Jack.

0845

Inspectors say about a third of sex offenders are being released from prison without having treatment to change their behaviour. Michael Spurr, chief executive officer of the National Offender Management Service, shares his thoughts on the issue.

0850
China is preparing for a major change in its political leadership, with President Hu Jintao and other senior leaders stepping down in the autumn after ten years in charge. The BBC's John Simpson reflects on the the highs and lows of the past decade in China.

0855
Andrew Copson of the British Humanist Association and Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain debate the ban on circumcision for religious reasons in Germany.

---

Get in touch with Today via email , Twitter or Facebook or text us on 84844.