Friday 19 December 2008
Here's Kirsty with details of tonight's programme.
The Pound
We begin tonight with money, money, money. The euro has just about achieved parity with the pound. Why is this happening? And what's the best way to halt the slide? Or rather, is there any way to halt the slide? Our Economics Editor Paul Mason reports.
US power on the wane?
The fragility of sterling is also an indication of the way that the power of the pound has collapsed as China and the Gulf states buy up stronger currencies - the dollar and the euro - and sideline sterling. In his survey of the year tonight our Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban revisits some of the key moments of 2008 - some of which reinforce the idea that America's position as a superpower is on the wane and the East is on the rise.
Lewis Hamilton
And in the last of our end of year interviews I'll be speaking to the youngest ever Formula One champion, the all-star Lewis Hamilton. We recorded the interview on a double-decker bus in Central London because it was the only time he had in the middle of his "Safe Driving" campaign. As he looked out of the window a crocodile of little children spotted him and started shouting his name and waving. He was so thrilled - he took photos of them and waved back. Throughout the interview he was very relaxed and open - talking about risk taking and the way he's going to approach the championship in the coming year. I asked him about his French motorway speeding offence - 122mph in his Mercedes - and suggested he put a pinger in his car like mine to stop him going too fast.
That's tonight but you can watch the online now.
While you're there, read our editor's end-of-year blog entry which is also his first for Newsnight - and tell us what your cultural highlights of the year have been.
Kirsty