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A pregnant woman who is clinically brain-dead is being kept on a life support machine in hospital to keep her baby alive, against the wishes of her parents.. The mother of  two in her 20's is around 17 weeks pregnant and the baby is still alive.  We look at the case and its possible impact on abortion laws in the Ireland which are among the strictest in the world and where the the rights of a foetus are given equal weight with the rights of the woman. 

The award winning radio presenter, songwriter, and former singer with Catatonia, , believes everyone can enjoy making their own music regardless of how they sound, by singing along to familiar tunes. There is, she says, a song for every occasion and all ages. She joins Jane Garvey to talk about her book ‘Hook Line and Singer, 125 songs to song out loud’ which is the result of more than thirty years of singing, travelling and collecting song and their stories. She will be singing a couple of her favourite tunes and inviting us to rediscover the lost art of one of life’s great pleasures, a grand old sing-a-long. 

Hook Line and Singer, 125 songs to sing out loud by Cerys Mathews is published by Penguin

Dr Jude Browne says applying a blanket quota for getting more women on boards is an effective but blunt tool when it comes to dealing with inequality in the workplace. She joins Jane Garvey to explain why all organisations should have to analyse their staffing for gender segregation that create bottlenecks of women. Recognising these ‘critical mass markers’ would  unblock the pipeline of talent to the more senior roles. 

, Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences, on an important year for space exploration and getting a step closer to answering the question she has spent much of her scientific career exploring: are we alone in the universe? Monica is a member of the mission’s scientific team, which was responsible for landing a small probe on the comet 67P in November.

Jenni and Jane will be with you on Christmas morning for a hour and a half long programme where we gather some Radio 4 luminaries, including writer and broadcaster Adil Ray, better known as Citizen Kahn. And we’ll also be mixing some cocktails and cooking up some last minute accompaniments to go with your Christmas staples.  for Diana Henry's Fennel and Apple Relish and Star Topped Mince Pies, and Kay Plunkett Hogge's cocktails.