Best of Today

Former aid worker Simon Boas, whose essays about his feelings towards life and death went viral, died in July aged 47.

He was told he had terminal throat cancer in 2023 and began writing about his experiences in his local newspaper, the Jersey Evening Post. This inspired readers across the country.

His book, A Beginner's Guide to Dying, will be posthumously published in September.

If one of his final interviews before his death, Simon spoke to Emma Barnett on Radio 4's Today programme in June 2024 ahead of being moved to a hospice.

Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.

The government has started a major review of the curriculum and assessment in England's schools, chaired by education policy expert Becky Francis. But how could we rethink England's curriculum and assessment?

Today hears from schools across the country trying new ways of doing things from using AI in classrooms to a more skills based approach and looking at why the 'exam season' might cease to exist.

The series hears from: former Conservative Schools Minister Nick Gibb; Jill Duffy from the OCR exam board; Jason Arday, former guest editor of the Today Programme and professor of the sociology of education at Cambridge University; Sir Ian Livingstone, a giant of modern British business and the man behind the Livingstone Academy; and Claire Heald, CEO of the Cam Academy Trust.

Producer: Sareen Bains

Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday, and 7-9am on Saturdays.

Earlier this year, the Today programme gave our listeners the chance to look at an issue that matters to them.

Earlier this year we gave listeners the chance to ask us to look at an issue for them. Martin and Sandra from Macclesfield, in East Cheshire called their application Where’s my bus? They both rely on the buses to get around and met on a Facebook group dedicated to their local bus service.

The new government has plans to give local authorities more power to take control over bus services, for example through a ‘franchising’ arrangement.

Our Transport Corr Katy Austin took a look at whether this plan will help listeners like Martin and Sandra and Today presenter Nick Robinson spoke to Graham Vidler, Chief Executive, Confederation of Passenger Transport.

All this week the Today programme is looking at stories that have been brought to us by our listeners.

Garry Richardson has finished his last sports bulletin on Radio 4's Today programme - 50 years to the day since he started at the BBC.

Garry is best known for his sporting interviews, but his career has ranged from climbing towers for Radio Oxford to singing with the great Buddy Greco.

James Naughtie picks some of the highlights from Garry's half century.

Radio 4 is marking Friday 12th as “Just One Thing Day” in celebration of Dr Michael Mosley’s life and legacy. Throughout the week, we’ve asked his friends and colleagues to tell us what change they might have made that was down to him.

Norfolk is not usually an exciting place to watch during election night but could this time there be change?

The county is facing some pretty tight contests. Eight out of nine seats were Conservative last time, mainly with huge majorities. But the polls suggest that they could be slashed.

Martha Kearney has gone on a road trip through some of those constituencies, starting in Waveney Valley, where there is attention on the co-leader of the Greens being one of the candidates.

A full list of candidates in all the seats is on the BBC News website.

Today listeners put their questions to would-be MPs in the Bolton West constituency.

The hustings is chaired by Nick Robinson.

Today held similar sessions in two other seats - Wells & Mendip Hills and Motherwell, Wishaw & Carluke.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has left the UK after agreeing a US plea deal that will see him plead guilty to criminal charges and go free.

Speaking to Today's Mishal Husain, Stella Assange says her children have never seen their father outside of prison and she's "not used to talking about Julian free in the present tense".

Listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds: 6-9am Monday-Friday; and 7-9am on Saturdays.