Thursday 22nd April

Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are set for the second prime ministerial TV debate, focused on global affairs. And thousands of air passengers return to the UK after a six-day flight ban caused by volcanic ash is lifted.

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0709
As European skies fully re-open, passengers and airlines are counting the cost of the travel chaos caused by the volcanic ash cloud. Airline company Easyjet is seeking compensation from the UK government and the European Commission for its losses which it says leave it £50m out of pocket. Rochelle Turner, from Which? Holiday, outlines the rules for air passenger compensation, and Oliver Aust Easyjet's head of communications, comments on his airline's decision to resist paying compensation.n,

0715
Business news with Adam Shaw.

0718
After six months on the front line in Afghanistan the soldiers of 4 Rifles are this week preparing to hand over to their replacements and come home. The Today programme has been receiving regular reports form Major Richard Streatfeild, who has been commanding A company from its forward operating base in the Sangin valley. In his latest dispatch, Major Streatfeild describes one of the toughest decisions he has had to make so far during his Afghan deployment.

0720
The Today programme is travelling around the UK as part of its election campaign coverage. John Humphrys, who has reported on many industrial disputes, visited the West Midlands, an area known for its rich industry, and observes how its industrial culture has changed.

0727
Sports news with Garry Richardson.

0735
The first live televised prime ministerial debate last Thursday has changed the fortunes of the Liberal Democrats, who have overtaken Labour and the Conservatives according to opinion polls. Political editor Nick Robinson reflects on the Lib Dems' changing fortunes. Former Tory MP Michael Portillo and director of think tank Demos Richard Reeves examine how the two main parties should react to Nick Clegg's surging popularity.

0743
The paper review.

0745
Over the past week, the Today programme has been hearing stories of stranded air passengers making incredible journeys home, while some have stayed put by the sun and sea, waiting for the chaos to subside. To help explain the different reactions, David Bills, general manager of the Royal Pigeon Racing Association, explains why some pigeons fly straight home while others stay away.

0748
Thought for the day with The Reverend Angela Tilby, Vicar of St Bene't's Church in Cambridge.

0752
It is exactly 100 days since a devastating earthquake struck the Caribbean island of Haiti. One of the first people the Today programme spoke to was Carel Pedre, a radio DJ from Petionville, on the edge of the capital, Port au Prince. We got back in touch with him to see what life was like now for the people of Haiti. And Nigel Fisher, the UN's humanitarian co-ordinator in Haiti, comments on what progress aid is making in the country.

0810
Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are set for their second live TV prime ministerial debate. Since the first debate last week, opinion pools have indicated a surge in popularity for Nick Clegg, and put the Lib Dems ahead in the election race. Chris Huhne, the Lib Dem's home affairs spokesman, outlines the party's leadership credentials.

0822
The chaos caused by the volcanic ash cloud has seen stranded Britons zipping around the globe like atomic particles trying to find a way back home. But while some embarked on long and torturous journeys, others took a deep breath, and stayed on holiday until the chaos had averted. Psychologist Ben Williams and the explorer Robin Hanbury-Tenison examine why humans feel the urge to be constantly be on the move.

0827
Sports news with Garry Richardson.

0833
The three main parties have pledged to create jobs and re-build British manufacturing which has decayed over recent decades. Business secretary Lord Mandelson, his Conservative shadow Ken Clarke, and the Liberal Democrats' business spokesman John Thurso, outline their policies for industry.

0840
The funeral of former Sex Pistols manager and punk impresario Malcolm McLaren takes place today. He is to be buried in a private ceremony at Highgate cemetery following a public procession through London. MacLaren's son Joseph Corre has urged people to observe a "minute of mayhem" in his father's honour at noon. Music journalist Jon Savage, author of England's Dreaming: Sex Pistols and Punk Rock, has selected his minute of mayhem for the today programme as a tribute to McLaren.

0843
Business news with Adam Shaw.

0846
There have been many bold claims about the importance of the internet in this election campaign, and the political parties are investing a huge amount of effort into trying to reach their supporters and undecided voters through social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4's Media Show, has taken a trawl through cyberspace to see how decisive the web could be to the election outcome.

0852
The possibility of a hung parliament has loomed ever larger as this election campaign has taken shape, but the phrase is rejected by nationalists and the Liberal Democrats for being too negative a word for an outcome that they say will be positive. Simon Hoggart, parliamentary sketch writer for the Guardian, and Dr Stuart Wilks-Heeg, a senior lecturer in social policy at the University of Liverpool and director of the Democratic Audit, examine the term "hung parliament".

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