´óÏó´«Ã½

UPDATE - MORE DETAIL ON TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME

Tony Blair, the prime minister who took Britain to war in Iraq in 2003, has today faced six hours of questioning about his role - questions about the build-up to the invasion, the conduct of the war and the planning for its aftermath.

He told the Chilcot Inquiry:

"This isn't about a lie or a conspiracy or a deceit or a deception. It's a decision. And the decision I had to take was, given Saddam's history, given his use of chemical weapons, given the over one million people whose deaths he had caused, given 10 years of breaking UN resolutions, could we take the risk of this man reconstituting his weapons programmes or is that a risk that it would be irresponsible to take?"

Tonight, we are dedicating the whole programme to this unprecedented event.

David Grossman, who has had a ringside seat at the proceedings, will take a forensic look at Mr Blair's evidence - what questions were answered, and indeed, what questions were not.

We will be discussing his testimony with a panel including a member of the Cabinet at the time of the invasion, a former US envoy to the UN, a prominent opponent of the war and a relative of a serviceman killed in the war.

And we'll be assessing Mr Blair's performance on the day with leading political commentators.

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ENTRY FROM 1213GMT

Tonight's Newsnight is a special on former Prime Minister Tony Blair's much-anticipated appearance at the Chilcot Inquiry.

David Grossman is at the Inquiry and will be reporting tonight.

And we will be discussing Mr Blair's evidence live on the programme with politicians and relatives of servicemen re killed in the war.

More details later.

UPDATE - MORE DETAIL ON TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME

Politicians from some 70 countries have been taking part in a summit on the future of Afghanistan in London today.

The conference is aimed at setting a new course for Afghanistan in the wake of escalating violence and a deeply divisive election.

Tonight, our Diplomatic editor Mark Urban, who was at the talks, will report on what the summit has achieved.

We have an interview with UK Foreign Minister David Miliband, who co-chaired the meeting with his Afghan counterpart Rangin Spanta, and UN Special Representative to Afghanistan, Kai Eide.

We have a fascinating film about LA gang culture, from the Los Angeles Times, following the work of gang intervention organisation LA Homeboy Industries, which for the past three years has sent members to work with impoverished youngsters in Alabama.

And Sir Martin Gilbert, a distinguished historian and one of the Chilcot Inquiry panellists, has claimed in an interview in Israel that his appointment to the Iraq Inquiry panel was met with anti-Semitism.

He cited two articles in two UK national newspapers. Tonight, Oliver Miles - author of one of those articles appears live on the programme to discuss the claim.

And we will be examining the work and legacy of The Catcher in the Rye author JD Salinger who has died at the age of 91.

Do join Gavin at 10.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two.

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ENTRY FROM 1337GMT

Here is what we are looking at for tonight's programme:

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has opened an international summit on the future of Afghanistan, describing the country as vital to global security.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are among dozens of politicians attending the talks in London.

Our Diplomatic editor Mark Urban is also there and will be reporting tonight on the talks, which will include discussions on a process which could see Taliban leaders playing a part in the Afghan government.

We also have a fascinating film about LA gang culture, from the Los Angeles Times, following the work of gang intervention organisation LA Homeboy Industries, which for the past three years has sent members to work with impoverished youngsters in Alabama.

More details later.

UPDATE - MORE DETAILS ON TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME:

Fascinating evidence from the ex-attorney general Lord Goldsmith today on why he gave the "green light" for the invasion of Iraq, just weeks after expressing serious reservations about the legality of military action. David Grossman will report on one of the Iraq inquiry's most important sessions.

Gordon Brown and President Hamid Karzai will take part in a unique TV debate for ´óÏó´«Ã½ World and Newsnight from Number 10 Downing Street. Forty British and Afghan students will ask questions about the future of the conflict in Afghanistan just hours ahead of tomorrow's London conference. Jeremy, meanwhile, has just returned from a revealing interview with the US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke.

And could Apple's new "tablet" creation, due to be launched tonight in San Francisco do for books and newspapers what the iPod did for music downloads? Or will the whole venture fall flat on its i-face?

Plus, on our website, as a UK government ban on the export of "magic wand" bomb detectors to Iraq and Afghanistan becomes effective, we reveal further shocking evidence of the shortcomings of the devices. .

Do join Jeremy at 10.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two.
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FROM EARLIER TODAY:

Tonight Peter Marshall is in the US for us examining Barack Obama's foreign policy a year into his presidency.

David Grossman is at the Iraq inquiry again, where Lord Goldsmith is appearing today.

And is it a tablet computer? An interactive magazine? An e-book reader? Speculation is rife about what tech giants Apple will reveal at a new product launch, happening later in San Francisco. We'll be doing something on that too.

More details later.

UPDATE - MORE DETAILS ON TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME:

The UK economy has emerged from recession after the longest period of contraction since World War II.

However, the recovery is weaker than expected, just 0.1% of growth in the last three months of 2009.

Paul Mason has been taking the economic temperature in Yorkshire.

Among the people he has been talking to is a man who used to make Pic 'n' Mix sweets for Woolies - one of the most high profile casualties of the economic downturn. Tonight, we find out how he is faring now.

Jeremy will be asking the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, why Britain was the last major economy to come out of recession.

And we'll try to forecast the shape of the recovery with business and finance experts.

David Grossman will be reporting on the Chilcot Inquiry where arguments about the legality of the Iraq war have been taking centre stage ahead of Attorney General Lord Goldsmith appearance tomorrow.

Among those giving evidence today was Elizabeth Wilmshurst, a Foreign Office lawyer who resigned because she thought the invasion was illegal.

She said that the manner in which ministers considered the legal arguments for and against war was "lamentable".

And we'll bring you the latest from Hillsborough Castle where a second day of crisis talks aimed at averting the collapse of devolved government in Northern Ireland have been taking place.

Join Jeremy at 10.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two.

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ENTRY FROM 11.47GMT

The UK economy has come out of recession, after figures showed it had grown by a weaker-than-expected 0.1% in the last three months of 2009.

Paul Mason has been taking the economic temperature in Yorkshire and has visited a man who used to make Pic n' Mix for Woolies - how is he getting on now? We'll also be asking why Britain is the last major economy to come out of recession and trying to forecast the shape of the recovery with business and finance experts.

David Grossman is keeping a close eye on the Iraq inquiry where former government advisers are appearing today.

And we'll bring you any major developments from the power sharing talks which are still ongoing in a bid to save the crisis-hit government of Northern Ireland.

More details later.

Artist Michael Landy is no stranger to the power of creative destruction, in 2001 his installation Break Down saw him trash all of his possessions.

He's back with a new project called Art Bin.

The idea is that artists and members of the public offer up pieces of art they deem worthless to be dumped in a massive bin at the South London Gallery.

Landy will select which pieces end up in the bin - his "monument to creative failure".

We will be discussing the merit of his plan on tonight's programme. But what do you think? What piece of art that you would like to see in Art Bin?

Let us know.

UPDATE - MORE DETAILS ON TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME:

Is modern art rubbish? In a new project this week artist Michael Landy, whose 2001 installation Break Down saw him destroy all of his possessions, is placing a huge industrial skip in the South London Gallery and inviting artists to fill it with what they deem their worst work.

Tonight, we ask what will end up in his "a monument to creative failure" and be discussing why he is doing it?

But what do you think? What piece of art that you would like to see in Art Bin? Let us know here.

Also, tonight Justin Rowlatt reports on whether Britain is to join US President Barack Obama in limiting the size of banks and forcing them out of a series of activities which he regards as too risky and speculative.

The UK's City Minister Lord Myners has said that if banks fail in the future then their owners should pay the price.

Today, he has been chairing a meeting of officials from financial institutions and the world's richest countries on ways to prevent taxpayers from ever having to bail out banks again.

One of the items on the agenda will be whether banks or insurance companies should pay an insurance levy to cover the cost of any future bail-out.

Will there be a renewed push for a Tobin tax, which Gordon Brown floated at last autumn's G20 meeting, or living wills for banks so they can be broken up quickly if they collapse?

In a separate development, the ´óÏó´«Ã½ has learned that UK-based partners at Goldman Sachs are capping their 2009 pay and bonuses at £1m each.

Tonight, Paul Mason will be taking a closer look at the plan and asking what the Goldmans high earners do for their money.

And, when Labour came to power Tony Blair said his party would be judged by how it dealt with the poorest people in Britain.

Newsnight adopted two estates in Salford and through the lives of those living there tried to follow the successes and failures of government initiatives on a range of issues from encouraging single parents to work, to improving educational standards and dealing with juvenile crime.

Tonight, we return to Salford to see how its people have fared since we first visited over 11 years ago.

Join Jeremy at 10.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two.

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ENTRY FROM 1143 GMT

Goldman Sachs' 100 UK-based partners are capping their 2009 pay and bonuses at £1m each, the ´óÏó´«Ã½ has learned.

Tonight we'll consider if time should be called on greed culture across the board in banking.

We'll be keeping an eye on the power sharing talks between Sinn Fein and the DUP taking place at Stormont at noon.

There might be some new lines in our astonishing investigation from last week which found that so-called "bomb detectors" made by a British company cannot work.

And Peter Marshall has an report into the world of football finance.

More details later.

UPDATE - MORE DETAILS ON TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME:
Here in the Newsnight office we are busily preparing to mark our 30th anniversary with a special programme on Saturday evening at 8pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two - .

But before then we have a programme tonight and here is what we have planned.

First up we have Caroline Hawley and Meirion Jones' startling investigation into a so-called "bomb detector", thousands of which have been sold to Iraq by a British company. The devices simply do not work. There are concerns that the detectors have failed to stop bomb attacks that have killed hundreds of people.

The government has just announced a ban on the export of this equipment to Iraq and Afghanistan following our investigation. .

Liz MacKean is in Doncaster to bring us the latest on the story of the two brothers who tortured two boys in a "sadistic" attack in Edlington. They were sentenced today at Sheffield Crown Court to an indefinite period of detention, and told that they will serve a minimum of five years.

Gavin Esler will be speaking to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls.

And though Newsnight Review is no more, Kirsty Wark has sent this message about a new cultural offering whose first programme broadcasts tonight at 11pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two:

"Hello from the set of the all-new Review Show, where we are putting the final editorial, pictorial and design pieces in place for tonight's first show - an hour long special looking at the cultural impact on the US of Barack Obama's first year in The White House.

He won on the prospectus of closing the old divides and fostering a new spirit. "The time has come to put away childish things" he said. But how has the self-styled "skinny kid with the funny name" fared?

Live in the studio will be four people who collectively have thought and written a lot about Obama - novelist Hari Kunzru who lives in New York and whose latest subject is Middle America, the youngest ever NY Times op-ed writer, and film critic, Ross Douthat who has called the president an "ideologue and pragmatist all at once", Bonnie Greer, who wrote Obama Music, and American academic, Sarah Churchwell. We are delighted too that Natalie Merchant will also be on set, singing for us live."

Click here for more details on The Review Show.

Join Gavin Esler at 10.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two for Newsnight.

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ENTRY FROM 12:57 GMT
Two brothers who tortured two young boys in an attack in South Yorkshire have been detained indefinitely.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how the pair, then aged 10 and 11, threatened to kill their nine-year-old and 11-year-old victims in Edlington.

The brothers, who admitted causing grievous bodily harm, were told they would serve a minimum five years.

Liz MacKean, who had an exclusive report on Monday into failings and missed opportunities behind the case, is in Doncaster for Newsnight.

More details later.

UPDATE - MORE DETAILS ON TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME:

The former foreign secretary Jack Straw told the Iraq Inquiry that the decision to back the Iraq invasion was "the most difficult decision" he had ever taken and that he could have stopped Britain joining the invasion of Iraq if he had refused to back Tony Blair's decision to go to war in support of the United States.

As the first serving cabinet minister gives evidence to the Inquiry, Newsnight takes a close look at the evidence heard so far. We will debate what has been unearthed with people both for and against the war, and ask whether, based on what we have seen so far, Chilcot is proving a worthwhile exercise.

A parliamentary commission in France is to recommend that wearing of the burka be banned in public places. President Sarkozy has made no secret of his dislike for the full-face veils, calling them "a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement". We'll be debating whether the same could ever happen here.

As Labour's Deputy Labour Harriet Harman reopens the class debate by insisting that it remains the single biggest factor in determining individual achievement, Michael Crick will look at the issue of class in Britain.

And Paul Mason will have details of President Obama's plans to limit the size and trading practices of large banks.

Join Gavin at 10.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two.

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ENTRY FROM 1209GMT

Here's what we are focussing on for tonight's programme:

Jack Straw appears before the Iraq Inquiry today - the first member of the current cabinet to give evidence.

Leaked documents suggest he may have had private doubts about military action. Will he express them publicly? David Grossman will be in place to find out.

And amid news that China's economy grew by 8.7% in 2009, setting it on course to become the world's second-largest, behind that of the US, we will be looking at what this means for the global economy and particularly for Japan.

More details later.

UPDATE - MORE DETAILS ON TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME:

"The ´óÏó´«Ã½, who have seen the report, they say the summary and the full report don't match up. Aren't we in danger of having a cover-up if we don't publish it in full?"
David Cameron challenging Gordon Brown in prime minister's question time today over a decision to publish a summary of a report into a brutal attack on two boys in Edlington rather than the full report.

On Monday's Newsnight, our reporter Liz MacKean revealed how the full report into the incident showed a catalogue of missed opportunities and mistakes by nine agencies, including social services, in Doncaster over 14 years ().

It spelled out how the assault was not only predictable, it was entirely preventable.

Tonight, we return to that story and the question of whether the results of the serious case review should be published in full, or whether, as the prime minister claims it would jeopardise the anonymity of the children involved in the case and their freedom to speak freely to the inquiry.

And we look at the major political setback suffered by Barack Obama following the election of a Republican senator, Scott Brown, to replace the late Ted Kennedy, who had held the seat for 47 years.

What are the implications for Obama's healthcare legislation and his presidency?

We will be speaking to former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean.

Also, the governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, has again warned the government about the need to cut the public deficit.

And this morning Fitch - one of the three agencies that assess the government's credit-worthiness - said that the government's current plan to halve the deficit by 2014 "is too slow".

Tonight, Paul Mason will be assessing those warnings and asking who we should believe.

Join Jeremy at 10.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two.
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ENTRY FROM 12:47

Tonight's programme is in a state of flux at the moment because Tory leader David Cameron just clashed with Gordon Brown in this week's PMQs with a series of questions .

The Tory leader is calling for the full inquiry into the brutal attack on two boys by two young brothers to be published and demanded to know why the government had taken so long to intervene.

We are intending to lead on the story tonight and also look at the major political setback suffered by Barack Obama following the election of a Republican senator, Scott Brown, to replace the late Ted Kennedy, who had held the seat for 47 years.

What are the implications for Obama's healthcare legislation and his presidency?

Also, Paul Mason has a report linked to credit rating agencies.

More details later.

PS If you watched the programme last night you will have seen that one item failed to broadcast, one of the treasures from our archive dug out as we approach our 30th anniversary. That clip is now on our site and .

UPDATE - MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME:

Quaker John Cadbury began the Cadbury's confectionery empire when he opened a shop in Birmingham in 1824, selling tea, coffee and hot chocolate as an alternative to alcohol.

Today the Cadbury's board backed a £11.5bn takeover bid from US company Kraft Foods.

Few would argue that Britain's economic future depends on whether we make our own chocolates. But are concerns about losing Cadbury to a foreign buyer just sentimentality or are there real grounds for concern?

Tonight, we will be discussing the wider impacts of this deal and Justin Rowlatt reports from York, where he has been gauging firsthand the effects of Nestle's takeover of Rowntree and Kraft's takeover of Terry's chocolates.

Plus, just over a year on from Israeli offensive in Gaza, Colonel Tim Collins, who hit the headlines when he made an impassioned speech to his troops as he led them into battle in Iraq, has been to meet the people of Sderot and Gaza.

And Mark Urban will be reporting on Britain's defence spending, as the heads of the Army and the Royal Navy have been setting out their priorities for the future, ahead of what are widely expected to be painful cuts after the general election and the defence review.

Plus, Labour and the Conservatives have both been outlining measures to clamp down on binge drink Britain - a move which John Cadbury would surely have approved of.

Clarissa Dickson Wright and Michael Winner will be joining us in the studio to debate the rights and wrongs of the nanny state.

Do join Jeremy on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two at 10.30pm.

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ENTRY FROM 1153GMT

Here's what we are lining up for Tuesday's programme:

Tonight we intend to run the Gaza film which got bumped yesterday when we found out that we had got Doncaster Council's injunction on our Edlington film overturned and were able to run .

On the anniversary of the Israeli offensive in Gaza reporter Tim Collins meets the people of Sderot and Gaza.

Also, our Political correspondent David Grossman is across Geoff Hoon's appearance at the Iraq Inquiry - the first member of Tony Blair's cabinet to appear before the inquiry.

And we are looking at the Cadbury/Kraft deal.

Are concerns about losing Cadbury to a foreign buyer just sentimentality or are there real grounds for concern?

Why have so many British firms gone the way of Cadbury and does it matter?

Tell us what you think here.

UPDATE - MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME:

Following the lifting of an injunction in the High Court today, we can tonight bring you an exclusive report on how multiple failures in social services failed to prevent a brutal attack last year on two boys by two brothers aged just 10 and 11.

Liz MacKean has seen a report from Doncaster's Children's Safety Board, which represents the agencies involved, details of which are to be published this week.

The report, which was ordered after the attack on an 11-year-old and nine-year-old boy, is the latest serious case review centred around Doncaster, where seven children have died since 2004, despite being on the at risk register.

It spells out how the assault was not only predictable, it was entirely preventable.

And it identifies multiple failings by nine different agencies and says 31 chances to intervene were missed over 14 years.

Also tonight - Matt Frei will bring us the latest on the rescue efforts in Haiti and we will be hearing from our correspondents in Indonesia, Pakistan and Italy about how those regions, which also suffered natural disasters in recent years, have recovered and what lessons for Haiti can be drawn from the experiences there.

Do join Jeremy on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two at 10.30pm.

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ENTRY FROM 1153GMT

Here is what we are lining up for tonight's programme:

At the moment, we are planning to lead with Haiti - looking at the latest situation on the ground and how the aid effort can be managed long term.

We've got a film on the anniversary of the Israeli offensive in Gaza in which reporter Tim Collins meets the people of Sderot and Gaza.

Also, Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair's former chief of staff, gives evidence to the Iraq inquiry this afternoon.

More details later.

UPDATE - HERE'S A BIT MORE DETAIL ON TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME:

"We hear on the radio that rescue teams are coming from the outside, but nothing is coming," - Haiti earthquake survivor Jean-Baptiste Lafontin Wilfried.

In a special programme we focus on the aftermath of the devastating Haiti earthquake, which has killed an estimated 45,000-50,000 people.

Correspondents on the ground say there is little immediate sign of a co-ordinated relief effort and that there is growing anger among survivors, many of whom are spending another day without food and shelter in the ruined capital.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the Haiti relief effort was the main US priority in the western hemisphere, as its aircraft carrier, Carl Vinson, arrived off the coast.

More troops, helicopters and a hospital ship will be sent in the coming days.

Tonight, we will be asking how much of a difference the US can make. We hope to be speaking to the US State department, a senior Haitian diplomat, and the UN's emergency relief co-ordinator.

We will also be looking at the lessons learned from previous earthquakes and natural disasters in Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, and elsewhere, and debating the best ways to respond to such events.

Do join Gavin on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two at 10.30pm.

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Entry from 1216GMT

Here is what we are planning for tonight's programme:

There is growing anger and frustration from survivors of the earthquake in Haiti over the speed at which aid is being delivered to them. Flights have been arriving in Port au Prince, but there are few signs on the ground of the people most at need getting help.

Tonight, we will be devoting the whole programme to the Haiti quake - looking at the logistical problems on the ground and the lessons learned from previous disasters in Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, and elsewhere.

Here's Emily with news of what's coming up in tonight's programme:

President Obama has called Haiti a tragedy 'that calls out for American leadership'. And in thus doing he has reported to have put two former presidents in charge of the operation. Clinton and Bush make unlikely bedfellows. (No one, it seems, is mentioning Katrina). But Haiti is a country that barely functions at the best of times. And these are the worst. Haitians - suffering their most lethal earthquake for two centuries - are digging for survivors with their bare hands. And in such an inaccessible country, the death toll can only be guessed at. Obama has pledged a hundred million dollars - but warned it will take time to get the rescue effort through. Time is already running out. We hope to be speaking to Bill Clinton on the programme tonight.

Did we overreact to the swine flu threat - and how much did it cost us if we did? Some put the price at a fairly massive £1.5 billion - the amount the government paid to pharmaceutical companies for vaccines and drugs that are now stockpiling without use. As the government begins to wind down its response to the virus, our Science editor asks if the pharma companies marketed their wares just a little too keenly to a government desperate to avoid being caught out.

And then we have the last in our series of films on the infamous detention centre at Guantanamo. Tonight's is the extraordinary story of Uighur inmates from China who were picked up on the Afghan-Pakistan border, sent to Gitmo and have now been exiled to a remote pacific island. .

Why has it proved so difficult to close Guantanamo? And are some in America already mourning its demise? We'll debate that and more this evening.

Do join us on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two at 10.30pm.

Haiti awaits the arrival of a global rescue effort in the wake of the devastating earthquake that may have killed tens of thousands. We'll consider if a natural disaster like this could actually galvanise internal change in one of the poorest countries in the world.

Plus the last in our series of films about Guantanamo. Tonight it's the story of a Uighur man from China who was picked up on the Afghanistan Pakistan border and sent to the prison camp. He has now been exiled to a remote Pacific island.

More later.

Here's what is coming up on tonight's programme:

How did an EU law designed to facilitate the free movement of hairdressers and electricians contribute to the death of a man in Cambridgeshire at the hands of an incompetent foreign doctor?

David Gray was killed by an overdose of painkiller by an out-of-hours doctor in 2008 - a basic error a trainee nurse would not have been expected to make.

As his inquest gets underway, Newsnight uncovers fresh evidence of the systemic failures that caused his death and produces new, unpublished data which shows wide variations in the quality of out-of-hours care across England.

Matt Prodger reports and we'll be asking the Health Minister Mike O'Brien whether he can reassure patients that the problems highlighted by this case have been resolved.

Also, the chief executives of four top US banks are appearing before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in Washington today. The panel was set up by Congress to examine the causes of the financial crisis.

The series of public hearings began amid news that Mr Obama plans to announce a new levy on the country's biggest financial firms to recover up to $120 billion in taxpayers' money used to prop up corporations during the economic crisis.

Tonight, our Economics editor Paul Mason will be reporting on both stories and asking whether the levy - a massive unilateral shift - is the right approach.

And we have a film by global terror expert Peter Taylor looking at the Saudi rehabilitation programme for ex-Guantanamo prisoners.

He speaks to one man who went through the programme, only to abscond to Yemen and become a founding member of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the group responsible for the Christmas day bomb plot.

Here is what we are currently planning for tonight's programme:

We will have the latest on the huge earthquake which has caused death and devastation across Haiti.

Also, the inquest opens tomorrow into the death of David Gray in 2008 after treatment by the German doctor Daniel Ubani. Matt Prodger will report on the case and the wide variations in the quality of out-of-hours care across the UK.

And Peter Taylor, who has been examining the al-Qaeda threat in Yemen as part of his upcoming ´óÏó´«Ã½ series Generation Jihad, has a film looking at the Saudi rehabilitation programme for ex-Guantanamo prisoners. He speaks to one man who joined al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the group responsible for the Christmas Day bomb plot.

More details later.

Tony Blair's former director of communications has told the Iraq war inquiry that any allegation that he distorted intelligence was 'simply untrue' and that he "defends every single word" of the 2002 dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Alastair Campbell also told the inquiry that Tony Blair was a man of "really deep conviction and integrity" making the "most difficult decision of his premiership", but called former ambassador Christopher Meyer "glib" in his assessment of the impact of the war decision on the US/UK relationship.

David Grossman has been watching Alastair Campbell's performance and will be considering if the Chilcot inquiry will ever deliver any real answers. And we will be speaking to Lord Falconer, who was one of Tony Blair's closest allies in government.

Meanwhile Peter Marshall has been following proceedings at an inquiry into the Netherlands' support for the invasion of Iraq. The Dutch Committee of Inquiry on Iraq said UN Security Council resolutions did not "constitute a mandate for... intervention in 2003". The inquiry was launched after foreign ministry memos were leaked that cast doubt on the legal basis for the war.

Richard Watson will be explaining why a radical Islamist group that planned to march through Wootton Bassett is to be banned under counter-terrorism laws.

And then we have part two of Tales from Guantanamo. Former prison guard Brandon Neely flies in from the US to be reunited with two former prisoners from the UK who he contacted on Facebook because he wanted to apologise to them for his part in their imprisonment. .

Do join Jeremy Paxman for all that and more at 10.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two.

Tony Blair's ex-spokesman Alastair Campbell is facing the Iraq war inquiry - David Grossman is there for us.

Meanwhile Peter Marshall is at the Hague where the Dutch government has commissioned its own inquiry into the Iraq war.

Also, the radical Islamist group that planned to march through Wootton Bassett will be banned under counter-terrorism laws, and we'll be investigating why.

And we have part two of Tales from Guantanamo. Tonight former guard Brandon Neely is reunited with two former prisoners. .

More later.

DUP leader Peter Robinson has announced he is to step aside for six weeks as First Minister amid the storm over his wife's private life and finances. Mr Robinson has designated Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster to take charge in the interim.

If Sinn Fein refuse to accept the situation Martin McGuinness would have to resign as Deputy First Minister, and his party would be seen as having brought down the devolved government. So what next for the power-sharing Executive?

Tonight we hope to speak to some of the leading players at Stormont.

Elsewhere, Gordon Brown is set to issue a rallying call to MPs at the PLP meeting tonight by setting out his election strategy and telling MPs they can defeat the Conservatives. Our Political editor Michael Crick will be considering what has changed since the failed coup to bring down the PM.

And it is eight years to the day since the first prisoners arrived at Guantanamo Bay. All this week on Newsnight we will be running a series of special films on the detention centre's legacy. Tonight we have the remarkable story of two men from Britain who were incarcerated there who have recently been contacted on Facebook by a former prison guard wanting to express remorse for his part in their imprisonment. An unlikely friendship.

And Jeremy Paxman will be asking Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Smile or Die, why blind optimism is so deeply ingrained in the American psyche.

Do join him at 10.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is set to issue a rallying call to Labour MPs at the PLP meeting tonight by setting out his election strategy and telling MPs they can defeat the Conservatives.

Our Political editor Michael Crick will be assessing the internal dynamics of the Cabinet and considering what has changed since the coup.

Plus we have the story of the former Guantanamo inmates who have been reunited with their detention centre guard who contacted them on Facebook.

And we have an interview with Barbara Ehrereich, whose latest book investigates that all-American notion that positive thinking is beneficial to health and wealth.

More later.

Here's Emily Maitlis with what is coming up on tonight's programme:

Peter Robinson:

As I write we are waiting to see if the scandal that has rocked the very top of Northern Ireland politics will end in a resignation from the First Minister.

Late last night, it was revealed that Peter Robinson's wife Iris had broken the law. She solicited and accepted undeclared gifts - to the tune of £50,000 - from property developers to help her 19-year-old lover.

Peter Robinson, insists HE has done nothing wrong. He has said he's asked for a senior lawyer to examine the claims and that he will answer any questions put to him by the lawyer, adding that he has acted properly at all times.

Can the First Minister survive this? And what will happen to the intensely delicate business of power sharing in Northern Ireland at such a critical time if he goes?
We'll have the latest reaction from the parties in Northern Ireland as we ask what the long term political fallout will be.

Snow:

South Pole temperatures, a record demand for gas and a reduction in gritting to stop the salt running out. The Conservatives are beginning to mutter that the government has failed its test. And the sub-arctic freeze looks set to continue for another two weeks. Fine if you're out sledging. Not so great if you're elderly and freezing to death. Tonight we ask if the NHS will cope.

Brown:

Gordon Brown joked yesterday "I didn't expect to be here today". He quickly clarified he was talking about the snow, but for a brief and frantic moment this week it did seem anything was possible.

Tonight, after the first Cabinet meeting since the Hoon-Hewitt attempted coup we will bring you our understanding of exactly what happened in those critical hours of Tuesday afternoon. What deals were done? Who has come out on top? And is Mr Brown looking stronger or weaker than he was seven days ago.

Join us tonight 10:30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½2

Emily

Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson is coming under increased political pressure over allegations about his wife's financial affairs. Tonight we'll consider if Iris Robinson - who obtained £50,000 from two property developers to help her young lover start a business - should resign, and if she might bring down the political career of her husband with her. We'll be seeking out opinion from Northern Ireland and from Westminster, and examining whether it is vital for the power-sharing Executive that Mr Robinson survives.

And at the end of an eventful week Michael Crick will be assessing where Gordon Brown stands after the failed coup. Incidentally Michael was blogging yesterday about whether Mr Brown was now safe and reports that Justice Secretary Jack Straw was enraged by Nick Robinson's report on the plot - you can read that here.

More later.

The mercury fell to -18C overnight in parts of Britain and temperatures were typically between -8C and 0C at lunchtime today.

As a result the National Grid has been forced to issue its second gas alert in three days and gas demand is expected to hit a record 454 million cubic metres today - higher than the all-time record of 449 million in January 2003.

There is chaos on the transport network, hundreds of schools are closed, communities are cut off and businesses suffering - and the Arctic conditions are expected to continue for up to a week.

Tonight, as we dig in for the long haul, Justin Rowlatt will be reporting on the human and economic cost of the crisis.

And Susan Watts will be examining the science of forecasting and just how difficult - or easy - it is to foresee and prepare for this kind of weather event.

We have an extraordinary film about child sacrifice in Uganda from Tim Whewell.

He has heard first-hand accounts which suggest ritual killings of children may be more common than authorities have acknowledged, and far from being a throw back to the past, are actually a modern phenomenon tied to the pursuit of wealth.

Stephen Smith will be reporting on what really lies behind Jonathan Ross' decision to leave the ´óÏó´«Ã½, and we will be talking to Alan Yentob about what it means for the corporation's future relations with celebrities.

And David Grossman will have the latest the from Westminster, the day after a Labour leadership challenge which Prime Minister Gordon Brown has today dismissed as a "storm in a teacup".

Join Gavin at 10.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two for all that and more.

Here is what we are lining up for tonight:

We have an extraordinary film about child sacrifice in Uganda from Tim Whewell.

Tim has heard first-hand accounts which suggest ritual killings of children may be more common than authorities have acknowledged.

He has written a feature to accompany his film, which you can , and we also have a gallery of pictures taken by the producer and cameraman which you can .

We will be looking at the ongoing problems caused by the cold weather and have the latest on yesterday's attempt to force a vote on Gordon Brown's leadership.

And Stephen Smith will be reporting on Jonathan Ross' decision to leave the ´óÏó´«Ã½ after 13 years.

More details later.

Two senior Labour backbenchers are calling for a secret ballot on Gordon Brown's leadership. Ex-cabinet ministers Patricia Hewitt and Geoff Hoon have emailed Labour MPs calling for the leadership issue to be sorted out "once and for all".

So will the challenge succeed or fail? Would the successful removal of Brown help Labour? Tonight we'll be trying to answer the questions behind the plot against the PM.

We're also hoping to speak to the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, and then we have the first UK TV interview with Iceland's President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson who yesterday vetoed a bill that would reimburse the UK and Netherlands for bailing out depositors of a failing Icelandic bank.

Mr Grimsson's parliament are due to meet on Friday to plan a referendum on the controversial Icesave bill.

Do join Jeremy at 10.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two for all that and more.

Lord Mandelson will try to reassure the markets ministers are not divided over cutting the UK's £178bn budget deficit.

He is expected to say in a speech that the government recognises there are limits to how high taxes on firms and top earners can go. Jeremy Paxman will be speaking to the business secretary later.

As snowfall causes more disruption across the country, our Science editor Susan Watts is working on a piece about weather modelling.

And we have a Peter Marshall investigation into fundamental doubts about the key piece of evidence which convicted the Lockerbie bomber.

More later.

US President Barack Obama is due to meet high-ranking security officials later tonight to discuss the botched attempt by Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day.

The US has been criticised over the intelligence failing which allowed a man, whose own father had flagged up concerns about his behaviour to US officials, to board a US bound plane with a bomb.

Downing Street has today been seeking to quash suggestions of a rift with the White House over intelligence-sharing about the Detroit plane bomb suspect. Home Secretary Alan Johnson is also currently making a statement to parliament about tightening security.

Tonight, our Diplomatic editor Mark Urban will have the latest on this story and will also report on the scathing attack on US intelligence gathering in Afghanistan launched by Major General Michael Flynn, the US' military intelligence chief there.

Major General Flynn said US forces were "starved" of information which could help wage a successful war against insurgents and called for a radical overhaul.

Also tonight, our Economics editor Paul Mason will be giving us his predictions on how UK and global finances will fare in 2010 and what the chances are of a double dip recession here in Britain. Our economic panel will also give us their views.

And, as heavy snow hits large parts of Britain once more we take a look at the cultural effects of snow. As the flakes come down do the social barriers come down too - with communities pulling together, the frenetic pace of modern life slowing down and people taking joy from simple pleasures?

Join Jeremy at 10.30pm as we find out.

Here's what we are planning for tonight's programme:

Last night our Political editor Michael Crick ran through some of the predictions for the political year ahead and tonight it is the turn of our Economics editor Paul Mason.

Paul will be giving us his take on how UK and global finances will fare in 2010 and what the chances are of a double dip recession here in Britain.

We are also assembling a panel of economists to tell us their views.

Other stories currently in the frame are the Afghanistan intelligence report, Detroit plane bomb intelligence failings and the snow - all still yet to be pinned down.

More details later.

Tightened security measures have come into force for all travellers flying into the United States, following a failed attempt to blow up an American airliner on Christmas Day.

Under the new guidelines, airport staff are carrying out full body-checks on passengers travelling from countries which the US considers a security risk - including Pakistan, Iran, Yemen and Nigeria.

Here Prime Minister Gordon Brown says full body scanners will be introduced at British airports as they are "essential" to tackle the terror threat. But questions have been raised about their cost and effectiveness.

Tonight, Richard Watson will be reporting on the controversial targeting of specific groups of passengers, known as profiling, outlining what measures are already being taken and what are likely to be introduced in the future. We will be discussing the merits and pitfalls of profiling.

Also tonight, the main parties have been stepping up their pre-election campaigning.
The Chancellor Alistair Darling joined the fray this morning publishing a report claiming a £34bn credibility gap in the Conservatives' spending plans. Tory leader David Cameron, dubbed the report "junk" saying he'd spotted £11bn of errors in eleven seconds. He also unveiled the first part of a draft manifesto, which he says puts the NHS at the heart of Tory plans.

Tonight David Grossman will report on how the run up to the election is already hotting up and we'll be speaking to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and his Conservative shadow. Michael Crick will also be looking at the political year ahead and we will be joined in the studio by the Newsnight political panel - Peter Hyman, Olly Grender, and Danny Finkelstein.

Join Jeremy at 10.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Two.

The new year brings with it the promise of an election which must be held by the start of June, but which is being widely tipped to happen on 6 May. Conservative and Labour pre-election campaigning is already under way. Draft election manifestos have been published, a massive billboard campaign is being unveiled, and at a news conference earlier today the chancellor, Alistair Darling, pointed out a £34bn credibility gap in the opposition's policies.

Tonight David Grossman will be bringing us the latest on the election campaigning kick off.

Plus our Political editor Michael Crick will be looking ahead to what else lies in store for politics in 2010.

And following the Christmas Day bomb plot, Richard Watson is investigating if the bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was radicalised in the UK.

More later.