World at One

It is 23 years since the birth of South Africa's Rainbow Nation and it stands at a watershed. Its President, Jacob Zuma, is facing a vote of no confidence in parliament next week, which could see him kicked out of office in a country increasingly angry at his conspicuous enrichment, while the poorest get poorer.

At issue is the President's relationship with one of South Africa's richest families, the Gupta brothers.

In the second of her four part investigative series, Manveen Rana, looks into the allegation that the British PR firm, Bell Pottinger, was hired, in part, to inflame racial tensions on behalf of the Guptas, in order to distract from a massive financial scandal at the heart of Government - an allegation that Bell Pottinger deny.

The PR firm Bell Pottinger has often courted controversy with its choice of clients; they represented the Paralympian Oscar Pistorius after he was charged with murder, Asma al-Assad the Syrian first lady, and the Pinochet Foundation, whilst the former Chilean dictator was being detained in Britain.

But the latest crisis the company faces could be the most challenging yet - they stand charged of fomenting racial tensions in the tinderbox of post-apartheid South Africa. In his first broadcast interview following the scandal, the CEO of Bell Pottinger is adamant that this was never their intention.

Manveen Rana has the first of four special investigative reports across the week.

(Photo: Demonstrators protesting against the South African president. Credit: Getty Images)

Despite decades of research, 99% of clinical trials on new drugs for Alzheimer's disease have failed, meaning there is still no cure. But scientists believe it is not the drugs which do not work, it is the trials.

To test the theory, work is about to begin on the world's biggest and most in-depth study to find the earliest signs of Alzheimer's in people.

Scientists believe that if the drugs were used earlier, before the clinical symptoms of memory loss, they could slow the onset of the disease or even stop it entirely.

Andrew Bomford takes a closer look at the research.

(Photo: Brain scans. Credit: BBC)

Sir John Major has said he is "wary" and "dubious" about Theresa May striking a deal with the DUP to give her government a majority.

The former Conservative prime minister, who was one of the architects of the peace process in Northern Ireland, told the World at One the peace process in Northern Ireland was "fragile" and "under stress" and said there was a danger the UK government wouldn't be seen as impartial if it was "locked into a parliamentary deal at Westminster with one of the Northern Ireland parties".

Sir John said he had sympathy with Theresa May trying to shore up her parliamentary position but that she could carry on without a deal, an option he said would be without "baggage".

(Photo: Sir John Major. Credit: PA)

With polling day less than a week away, heated arguments are bound to be happening in homes around the country.

Our election family are used to that. They are the Groves and are from Rowley Regis, near Dudley in the Midlands, and their cousins, the Stevens live nearby.

In the third episode of her series, our reporter Becky Milligan has joined the family for a night out playing bingo at the local social club. It's also the first time

As a foreign correspondent Hugh Sykes usually reports from abroad, from Iraq, Turkey, Germany, Pakistan.

But ahead of the general election on June 8th, he was given an interesting assignment - to visit three former industrial areas in the UK, to find out how they are changing and what undercurrents may be at play in the lead up to polling day.

John Sutherland was a high flier who joined the police in the early 1980s.

At the height of his career he was appointed borough commander in Southwark in London, with its share of murders and violence. He was also a trained hostage negotiator.

In 2013 he realised he could not cope anymore and has now written a memoir called Blue detailing his experience.

He spoke to our reporter Becky Milligan.

(Photo: John Sutherland. Credit: Zac Crawley)

Over the coming weeks our reporter Becky Milligan will be talking to The World at One family from the Midlands about the issues affecting them which have been raised in the general election campaign.

Some families vote the same way, this family doesn't.

In this second report Becky meets Imogen's boyfriend Kierten, who like her is a first time voter. She also meets Imogen's cousin Ashley, who is a long distance lorry driver, and will be voting Conservative.

Over the coming weeks our reporter Becky Milligan will be talking to The World at One family from the Midlands about the issues affecting them which have been raised in the general election campaign.

Some families vote the same way, this family doesn't.

In our first report Becky meets some of them in a local pub.

It is 50 years since the law that decriminalised homosexuality was passed.

(Photo: Lord Browne, credit: Getty Images)