Bono for Radio 4's 'Today'

U2 frontman and international humanitarian campaigner, Bono, is among five public figures who will edit BBC Radio 4's flagship news show, the Today programme, over Christmas.

As guest editor, Bono will set the agenda for one edition of the show between December 27th and New Year's Eve.

The Duchess of York, Ms Sarah Ferguson, film director Anthony Minghella, businessman Sir Richard Branson and philosopher Baroness Onora O'Neill will also get a turn at the helm of the programme.

Bono, who campaigns on a wide range of humanitarian issues, including AIDS and the cancellation of Third World debt, is to use his slot to draw attention to world poverty, at a time when Britain is preparing to take over the presidencies of the European Union and the G8 group of nations in 2005.

"I want to start the countdown to next year, when Britain can change the world for the poorest people on the planet," he said.

Speaking on the BBC 1 television programme, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Bono said earlier this month that he plans to dedicate the rest of his life to eradicating "extreme poverty".

Ms Ferguson, who has chosen to highlight motor neurone disease, said: "Today is the most important news programme in Britain, so I couldn't resist the chance to use it to highlight serious issues like the terribly debilitating motor neurone disease."

The guest editor's week follows a similar scheme last year when Radiohead singer Thom Yorke, novelist Monica Ali and Professor Stephen Hawking were put in charge. The editors will work with the usual Today team, the BBC said.

The programme could help restore Bono's profile after recently losing the competition for the "Ireland's Top Party Person" title to television presenter Ms Caroline Morahan in a Social & Personal magazine vote.