5 Live News Specials

The health secretary Matt Hancock has said he is "looking very seriously" at making vaccinations compulsory for all children going to school in England. Some experts have suggested it may be necessary to address falling rates of immunisation and a surge in diseases like measles. 5 Live's Rachel Burden speaks to experts to answer questions about vaccinations and hear views from callers.

Theresa May’s former right-hand man, her Chief of Staff Gavin Barwell, tells Emma Barnett why he thinks she failed to deliver Brexit.

Travel expert Simon Calder and personal finance expert Martin Lewis take questions from 5 Live listeners about the collapse of Thomas Cook, in a special Your Call hosted by Nicky Campbell. What should you do if you’re on holiday at the moment, if you have a wedding planned, and what to do if you’re employed by the company? The tour operator has ceased trading with immediate effect, triggering the...

This week former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas revealed he was HIV positive, saying he wanted to ‘break the stigma’ around it. However he said he wouldn’t have done it, if a tabloid had not made threats to publish the information. In an emotional interview with 5 Live Breakfast presenter Nicky Campbell, Thomas criticised the fact a reporter approached his parents before the family had discusse...

The Supreme Court is hearing two appeals to decide whether the Prime Minister's decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks during the run-up to Brexit was lawful. Overseeing proceedings is Baroness Hale, the President of the Supreme Court and one of the 11 justices hearing the case. Sitting judges do not speak very often, but back in June she gave 5 Live's Emma Barnett a rare glimpse inside the...

What is it like to be separated from someone you love? Nihal Arthanayake speaks to three people forced to be apart: Danielle whose husband is in prison, Lisa Jones whose husband serves abroad in the military, and filmmaker Jeff Togman who was separated from his birth mother by adoption.

In his first Prime Minister's Questions, Boris Johnson clashes with Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit and the possibility of a snap election. Listen back to the first 40 minutes of debate, plus analysis and reaction from 5 Live's Adrian Chiles, BBC Deputy Political Editor John Pienaar, Guardian political correspondent Jessica Elgot and assistant editor of The Spectator, Isabel Hardman.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked the Queen to suspend Parliament days after MPs return to work. It means MPs are unlikely to have time to pass laws that could stop the UK leaving the European Union (EU) without a deal on 31 October. That exit date is written into law, so if nothing changes the UK will leave automatically - whether or not a deal has been reached. 5 Live's Nicky Campbell asked...

As Bury Football Club are ejected from the English Football League, Sarah Brett hears immediate reaction from fans and local MPs.

It’s been 50 years since the start of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, when serious violence broke out in 1969. Over 30 years, more than 3,500 people died, communities became divided and there was murder on both sides. These are the Children of the Troubles, their young lives changed forever. Pictured: Danny Toland is in the middle between the mum and dad, and his sister Majella is directly in fr...

Stephen Nolan investigates after homes, businesses, hospitals and travel networks were hit by a massive power cut across large areas of England and Wales. He also hears from an energy analyst about what lay behind the outage, after National Grid said it was caused by issues with two power generators but the problem was now resolved.

Nihal Arthanayake spoke to the players and organisers of the annual Homeless World Cup. The 2019 event is the 17th time the football tournament, which aims to improve the lives of rough sleepers and those without a home, has been held. It featured around 500 homeless players from more than 40 countries. The BAFTA nominated actor Michael Sheen, who helped campaign to bring the World Cup to Wales, e...

Adrian Chiles welcomes journalist and political activist Ash Sarkar and comedian Geoff Norcott to chew over one of the most dramatic and significant political weeks in recent memory as Boris Johnson became the UK's new prime minister. They replay the best moments from the week and take a sideways look at some of the funnier moments too.

Listen back to the moment Boris Johnson made his first speech as prime minister in the House of Commons. You will also hear the response from MPs, including Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn and newly elected Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson. Following the debates, 5 Live's Emma Barnett and BBC Deputy Political Editor John Pienaar give their analysis.

Relive the moment Theresa May gave her last speech as prime minister and Boris Johnson gave his first. 5 Live's Anna Foster was outside Downing Street with political correspondent Nick Eardley.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson: How does that make you feel? Are you energised? Are the guy ropes off? Is he the man to get the job done? 5 Live's Nicky Campbell hears from callers.

As the country sizzled on one of the hottest days of the year – the heat was turned up on Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt. The pair had been battling it out to win the Conservative leadership contest, and ultimately, become the UK’s next prime minister. Mr Johnson beat Jeremy Hunt comfortably, winning 92,153 votes to his rival's 46,656. On College Green outside the Houses of Parliament, 5 Live’s Emm...

5 Live's Laura Whitmore meets Melinda Gates - one of the world’s most powerful women. She’s a former general manager at Microsoft, co chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a philanthropist who has helped award grants worth more than 50 billion US dollars to organisations and individuals in 139 countries. We invited an audience of women along to speak to her - all with their own inspirati...

In the autumn of 1962, US president John F Kennedy laid out his ambition for the USA to put the first man on the moon. At the time, it seems, Kennedy already had in mind one particular individual who he wanted to be involved in what he described as "the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked". His administration had handpicked a young aeronautical engine...

Andy Woodward was a promising young footballer at Crewe Alexandra when he was groomed and sexually abused from the age of 10 to 16 by the club's youth coach Barry Bennell. In 2016 Andy Woodward decided to go public with his story and in February last year Bennell was jailed for 31 years - but the effect on Andy's life and his family has been profound. He tells his story to 5 Live's Nihal Arthanaya...

To mark D-Day, BBC Radio 5 Live honours some of Britain’s Homefront heroes – the people who made the invasion possible without being on the front line. Chris Warburton has been finding out about the young Bletchley Park code-breaker Mavis Batey, the weather forecaster Group Captain James Stagg and the extraordinary Spanish double agent known to his handlers as Garbo. The podcast is introduced by 5...

Nihal Arthanayake gets rare behind the scenes access to one of the most secretive establishments in the UK - the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory - which many of us know as Porton Down. It was here that the nerve agent that poisoned Russians Sergei and Yulia Skripal last year was identified as Novichok. He looks at the extraordinary range of things that happen at the DSTL - everything fr...

What can be done to stop young people from being stabbed on our streets? We tried to get some answers to that question by focusing on one particular story, that of Quamari Serenkuma Barnes, who was stabbed to death outside his school gates in London when he was 15. Quamari had never been involved in gangs or violence. His family and friends share their thoughts on how we can combat the growing pro...

Vicky McClure’s grandmother, Iris, lived with dementia. Now Vicky wants to break myths around the condition and she’s been part of an incredible BBC documentary called 'Our Dementia Choir' that looks at how powerful music can be to help people with the condition, and their families. She and Nihal are joined by some experts, Chris, who has dementia, and his wife Jane. It's a condition that already...

The latest after more than 200 people were killed and 450 injured in co-ordinated Easter day attacks on churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka.