An Irish Goodbye is the story of two brothers, one with Down’s syndrome, who lose their mother. The dark comedy has already won a BAFTA and an Oscar nomination.

Today's Martha Kearney spoke to one of the film’s stars, James Martin, who has Down’s syndrome like the character he plays in the film. At his home in Belfast, they discussed his acting career, the film’s critical acclaim and its chances at next week’s Oscars.

CREDIT: BBC

Martha Kearney has been reporting from Belfast this week, looking at the impact on Northern Ireland from a lack of functioning government.

Martha spoke to Adele Johnstone, who is waiting for an inquiry to start after she – along with thousands of other mothers - was made to put her son up for adoption when she gave birth as an unmarried 17 year-old. A public inquiry into the scandal was put on hold after the power sharing government collapsed.

Martha also reported from the Thales plant, which makes the NLAW system distributed across Ukraine to help fight Russian tanks. She is the first journalist to visit the plant, which employs 800 people across Northern Ireland, since the war started.

Credit : BBC

Matt Hancock, the former Health Secretary, has disputed claims he rejected expert advice on Covid tests for people going into care homes at the start of the pandemic.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper has printed WhatsApp messages which suggest Mr Hancock was told in April 2020 that "testing of all going into care homes" was recommended. A spokesperson for Mr Hancock said the messages have been doctored to create a false story.

Today's Nick Robinson spoke to Lord Bethell, a health minister under Matt Hancock during the pandemic, about why these decisions were taken.

Credit:Reuters

Location: Oxford, United Kingdom

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gives an exclusive interview to Today's Martha Kearney about his Northern Ireland Brexit deal with the European Union.

He says the new Brexit framework is a "huge step forward" for Northern Ireland, addressing key “challenges” with the original Brexit deal.

The Democratic Unionist Party are considering whether to back the deal and re-enter power sharing government at Stormont.

Mr Sunak says he understands parties need "time and space" to consider the details but argues: "The people of Northern Ireland need and deserve their government to be up and running."

(Photo: Rishi Sunak. Credit: Dan Kitwood/PA Wire)

Blake Morrison is the last of 3 siblings, having lost both a sister and a half sister in recent years, he decided to go in search for the answers as to why the outcomes of their lives had been so different.

Blake spoke with Today's Justin Webb and Mishal Husain about his new memoir, Two sisters, in which he takes a look back at their lives and what led them down such different and difficult paths. He discusses the ethics of writing a memoir.

The shooting of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in Omagh stirred painful memories - not just of The Troubles but more recent violence. The young journalist Lyra McKee was fatally shot while covering rioting in Londonderry in 2019. Police have investigated links with dissident Republicans with both the attacks.

Father Martin Magill, a Catholic priest from the Falls Road in Belfast, gave a powerful speech at Lyra McKee's funeral. He spoke to Today's Martha Kearney about this latest violence.

Photo: Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell. Credit: Pacemaker

To mark exactly one year since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the BBC's Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet presents from Kyiv.

She speaks to Ukraine’s Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko about how things have changed in the country. Lyse also speaks to three Ukrainian women who are leading the fight against Russia.

The BBC's International Editor Jeremy Bowen reports on the current situation in the war, and has been catching up with Ukrainians previously heard in his reporting over last twelve months.

(Photo: Ukraine flag, Credit: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

Nick Robinson reports from Berlin, examining the dramatic turnaround in German attitudes to peace and war since the invasion of Ukraine and the angst that has produced.

We hear from the former bishop of Hanover on a 'Manifesto for Peace', deputy economy minister Niels Annen on whether we're at the start of a new Cold War - and Nick speaks to Timothy Garton Ash, historian and Professor of European Studies at Oxford University on how Russia's war in Ukraine has changed the politics of Europe.

(Credit: Getty Images)

Sir Keir Starmer launches what he calls five national "missions" - outlining his plans for the UK if Labour wins the next general election. They include delivering the highest growth in the G7. The others are being a clean energy superpower, securing the NHS for the future, making streets safe and breaking down barriers to opportunity by reforming childcare and education.

He spoke to the Today programme's Amol Rajan.

(Credit: Getty Images / Location: Manchester, United Kingdom / Copyright: Getty, Dominic Lipinski, Stringer)

Former Labour PM Sir Tony Blair and ex-Conservative leader Lord William Hague discuss their joint plan for a "technological revolution" with Today's Justin Webb.

(Photo Credit: ADRIAN DENNIS/POOL WPA/AFP via Getty Images)