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Season 2011
Activity from Friends
01/03/2011
S2011 E41 • Tuesday, Mar 1, 2011 • Mar 1
John Galliano's anti-Semitic remarks could have turned into a full scale diplomatic crisis. Why? Because, as any fashionista knows, Dior - who he designs for - is the label worn by one Mrs Sarkozy. Carla Bruni started life as a Dior model and has remained loyal to the house ever since. As things turned out, Dior was not prepared to see a YouTube video start a new war in the Middle East. They sacked Galliano earlier today. And the first lady of France is now free to wear Dior again. Anyway, I write that in passing because there are, as you know, currently more pressing diplomatic affairs at hand. Tonight, Niall Ferguson, author of Civilization, will help us examine the role of the West in the revolution in the Arab world - and explain what history can tell us about why certain cultures appear to dominate the world at certain times. We'll also be asking whether the government's done enough in its adjustment to the international development aid budget to allay criticism that we are funnelling money into dodgy dictatorships and into countries that are economically far more successful than we are. Plus, the European Court of Justice has declared it is discriminatory to charge women less than men for their car insurance. Women are better drivers. Men die younger. What's wrong with discrimination within the free market?
02/03/2011
S2011 E42 • Wednesday, Mar 2, 2011 • Mar 2
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi have moved into eastern areas for the first time since towns there fell to protesters two weeks ago, with reports of heavy fighting between them and anti-Gaddafi rebels in the oil town of Brega, 100 miles south of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. Earlier Col Gaddafi said on TV he would "fight until the last man and woman" and warned that thousands of Libyans would die if Western forces intervened. Tonight, as we will have the latest on the Gaddafi fight back from Lyse Doucet in Benghazi and Tim Whewell will be assessing whether there is any sign of a joined up global response to the crisis. Michael Crick is Barnsley ahead of tomorrow's by-election finding out what matters most to voters there. Also, more than 600 Oxbridge academics are demanding a halt to the £9,000 tuition fee rise, saying they have had no time to work out how it will be implemented. Universities Minister David Willetts and one of those critics will go head to head on the programme tonight.
03/03/2011
S2011 E43 • Thursday, Mar 3, 2011 • Mar 3
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has been given government approval for its controversial bid to take over BSkyB. The green light follows News Corp's offer to spin off Sky News as an independent company. Rival media groups dismissed News Corp's offer as a "whitewash" and said they would "vigorously contest" it. We will be examining the decision and speaking to the man who made it, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt. Lyse Doucet will bring us the latest on what is happening in Libya. Tim Whewell has a film on Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood - who they are and what they stand for. And we ask whether, despite all of the fanfare accompanying Saturday's World Book Night plan to give away one million books, there are any problems with a great book giveaway.
04/03/2011
S2011 E44 • Friday, Mar 4, 2011 • Mar 4
Mishal Husain is presenting tonight and she's been speaking exclusively to Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen about how his organisation plans to respond to events in Libya. Meanwhile Lyse Doucet - who is in the country - will be asking Libyans what intervention they expect from the West. Then we'll be hearing from our Political editor Michael Crick who has been meeting people living in rural areas to ask them how rising fuel prices are affecting their lives. And Liz Mackean has had exclusive access to a report which has found that many local authorities will not be guaranteeing funding and will be cutting services for victims of domestic violence from the end of this month. Should local authorities be the sole providers of these services? We'll debate.
07/03/2011
S2011 E45 • Monday, Mar 7, 2011 • Mar 7
Tonight we have an amazing film from Jackie Long about Sarah Palin. Jackie has been to Alaska and got more than just a quick doorstep interview with the woman herself. She tells us how she is weighing up whether the US is ready for an "unconventional" presidential candidate like her. We also talk to Sarah Palin's parents who are concerned their daughter might be assassinated. David Cameron promised "the most pro-growth budget this country has seen for a generation" in his speech at the weekend, but what are the prospects for the British economy and what are the chances of real growth? We'll be hearing from our economics editor Paul Mason. Read Paul's blog. And Prince Andrew remains under pressure over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier. Michael Crick has been following the Prince around today and will bring us up to date tonight.
08/03/2011
S2011 E46 • Tuesday, Mar 8, 2011 • Mar 8
What are the options for western intervention over Libya? Should we arm the rebels? The idea is being considered by the White House but how realistic is it and how tricky politically? Tonight we'll look at the options for western governments and their possible outcomes. We are hoping to speak to the former Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain to get his views. We will also consider what is behind these questions in the Middle East and North Africa with the American linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky. How do the recent events affect Chomsky's world view? You can see a preview of the interview here. The government has been criticised over its handling of the crisis in Libya, most notably over getting Briton's out. But there have been other perceived gaffes too raising questions over the government's competence. Remember the U turn over the sale of forests? We'll get the latest take on the how well the government is doing with its presentation skills from some politically savvy guests. And we'll be asking - why is sectarianism still so strong in Glasgow? A summit was held in Edinburgh today chaired by First Minister Alex Salmond following last week's Old Firm Scottish Cup replay which saw three red cards, several touch-line and tunnel confrontations and 34 arrests inside Celtic Park. Why has antipathy between Protestants and Catholics survived for so long in the city?
09/03/2011
S2011 E47 • Wednesday, Mar 9, 2011 • Mar 9
The big hitters in government have appeared before the Defence Select Committee today at a time when it is being asked whether defence cuts have left the military without the resources to be effective in Libya and in future crises. We will have some expert analysis from General Sir Richard Dannatt and a full report on what the Defence Secretary Liam Fox and Foreign Secretary William Hague told MPs. We'll also be asking whether growing backbench anger could lead to the defence review being reopened. We also have a report from DR Congo on the child sex trade. Reporter Sam Farmer joins members of the children's parliament in DR Congo as they try to help fellow children who are working in the sex trade. The film centres on the efforts of a 15-year-old boy in the children's parliament who is trying to advocate more rights for these youngsters. Closer to home the government has announced that displaying cigarettes is to be banned in England. But will it stop smoking? We'll look at the evidence and examine how the promotion of cigarettes has changed over the years. And Jeremy will be talking to Jim Davidson live about humour and bigotry. The comedian has written a play about an old racist comedian who is challenged by a young black performer.
10/03/2011
S2011 E48 • Thursday, Mar 10, 2011 • Mar 10
Unions have reacted angrily to a major report by Lord Hutton proposing a radical overhaul of public sector pensions which would see millions working for longer. David Grossman will be examining the fine print for us tonight. The former business secretary Lord Mandelson will be presenting an authored piece on economic globalisation and will join us live in the studio. Then, as Nato defence ministers meet in Brussels to discuss the possibility of a no-fly zone in Libya, our diplomatic editor Mark Urban will consider if military action of this nature could be considered war in all but name. And Sarfraz Manzoor meets the band Cornershop to talk about their new album - due out next week - which is heavily influenced by Punjabi folk music.
11/03/2011
S2011 E49 • Friday, Mar 11, 2011 • Mar 11
Japan's most powerful earthquake since records began has struck the north-east coast, triggering a massive tsunami. Tonight our Science editor Susan Watts will give her assessment of what has happened and why, and ask how well the warning systems worked. Mishal Husain will be speaking to the EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Kristalina Georgieva about what help we are offering. Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, hundreds of police were deployed in Riyadh, on the day anti-government rallies were planned. Our correspondent Sue Lloyd Roberts is there and sends us a compelling report on the day's events. Security forces blocked roads and set up checkpoints in an attempt to thwart protests. Protests are illegal in Saudi Arabia, which has had an absolute monarchy since its unification in the 1930s. Read more from Sue in Riyadh by clicking here. And Iain Watston is at the Liberal Democrat spring conference - which is getting under way in Nick Clegg's constituency, Sheffield, just a short distance from Barnsley where the party suffered the humiliation of coming sixth in the recent by-election. We'll be talking to the Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne about the state of morale in the party.
14/03/2011
S2011 E50 • Monday, Mar 14, 2011 • Mar 14
Engineers are racing to cool down a third reactor at a quake-stricken Japanese nuclear plant, after a second blast rocked the facility. Tonight, we ask how severe the nuclear emergency is, and what the implications are for the nuclear sector and energy mix worldwide. We are also examining the impact the earthquake and tsunami is likely to have on the Japanese economy and in turn on the worldwide recovery. Plus, with the pace of events on the ground in Libya outstripping any co-ordinated international response we ask whether this is a tipping point for the diplomatic community. And we have a report from Jeremy Bowen, filmed during his recent days in Tripoli, in which he draws his own conclusions about the uprising and subsequent civil war.
15/03/2011
S2011 E51 • Tuesday, Mar 15, 2011 • Mar 15
Tonight we're devoting much of the programme to examining the middle class under pressure. For the first time in years this group - who had assumed that if the economy grew their income would grow - are finding this is no longer true. Wages are frozen, and the cost of living is soaring. Tonight our Economics editor Paul Mason reports from Sandwich in Kent where he meets people seeing the value of their wages, homes and pensions eroding and their prospects disappearing. Stephen Smith considers why so many people describe themselves as middle class nowadays. And we'll be joined live by MPs David Willetts and John Denham, and by people from different parts of the income scale - including a single parent who is being made redundant and a couple with two kids who rent their home and live off overdrafts. Plus Susan Watts, our Science editor, will update us on the situation at the Japanese quake-stricken nuclear plant where radiation levels are now at a level harmful to human health.
16/03/2011
S2011 E52 • Wednesday, Mar 16, 2011 • Mar 16
The British Foreign Office is now "suggesting that British nationals currently in Tokyo and to the north of Tokyo should consider leaving the area" because of fears over radiation leaks from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant - where engineers are racing to avert a nuclear catastrophe. Matt Frei will be assessing the mood of the people in the Japanese capital for us tonight, and we'll be joined live by the concert pianist Noriko Ogawa and the actress Haruka Kuroda. Then our Diplomatic editor Mark Urban will be asking why President Barack Obama is taking a back seat over the Libya no-fly zone, and we'll debate with former UK ambassador to the US, Sir Christopher Meyer and former diplomat and journalist, Jamie Rubin. And Iain Watson will report for us on the political dividing lines ahead of the Budget. Gavin Esler will be asking the shadow chancellor Ed Balls if Labour has an alternative strategy.
17/03/2011
S2011 E53 • Thursday, Mar 17, 2011 • Mar 17
A draft United Nations Security Council resolution is to be put to a vote in New York tonight. If adopted it would authorise a no-fly zone over Libya and allow Arab states and others in co-operation with the UN to protect Libyan civilians, including in the rebel-held city of Benghazi. We will have the result of that vote and be getting reaction from a close Clinton ally in the US. Susan Watts will be reporting on efforts to deal with the crisis at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, assessing what is happening on the ground and also what measures are being taken around the world. And with the events in Japan causing countries to reassess the safety of their own nuclear energy programmes, David Grossman looks at what this means for the prospects of an energy gap in Britain as we aim to meet electricity demands while also meeting deadlines to cut carbon emissions. Plus, remember Citizen Smith? Well he's back - not in the form of Robert Lindsay this time, but our correspondent Stephen Smith. Stephen has been to Big Society boot camp, undergoing training as a Big Society organiser ahead of the government's planned roll out this summer.
18/03/2011
S2011 E54 • Friday, Mar 18, 2011 • Mar 18
The focus of the programme will be the Libya conflict. Events are moving fast following last night's UN Security Council resolution authorising all necessary measures to protect civilians from attacks by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces. In the face of Western powers discussing how to enforce the no-fly zone, Libya's government has declared an immediate ceasefire, with Foreign Minister Mussa Kussa saying that it was intended "to protect civilians". Tonight, Mark Urban will be bringing us up to date on the latest military plans, Michael Crick will be giving us political analysis of David Cameron's role in pushing for action and we will be discussing the crisis with guests in the studio.
21/03/2011
S2011 E55 • Monday, Mar 21, 2011 • Mar 21
Mark Urban reports on the strength of the coalition against Libya and who is doing what in the operation, and assesses whether Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is himself being targeted in the raids. We will be discussing the conflict with diplomat Sir Jeremy Greenstock and Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt. And Michael Crick will report on the Commons debate and vote on the UK's involvement in the military action. Tim Whewell has a report on the unrest and political turmoil in Yemen, and we will be speaking to the Yemeni ambassador to the UN who has resigned. Plus David Grossman has a report on energy costs, whether we are paying too much and Ofgem's proposals for shaking the industry up.
22/03/2011
S2011 E56 • Tuesday, Mar 22, 2011 • Mar 22
Tonight's programme will, unsurprisingly, focus on the conflict in Libya. We'll look at tensions within the hastily assembled multi-national coalition, and examine why this is one conflict that America is keen not to be seen to lead. Elsewhere, we'll try to find out what the real story behind the continuing protests in Bahrain is. And finally, ahead of tomorrow's budget, as the retail price index measure of inflation reaches its highest level in 20 years and with real wages similar to 2005 levels - the last time real wages fell over six years was in the 1920s - what does this mean for social aspirations?
23/03/2011
S2011 E57 • Wednesday, Mar 23, 2011 • Mar 23
Tonight's Newsnight will be on for a full hour - from 10.30pm to 11.30pm - as we pick over the details of what Chancellor George Osborne announced in today's Budget. Iain Watson and Michael Crick will be taking us through the key measures, the political calculations behind the figures and possible flashpoints. Paul Mason will be taking a wide view of the measures and giving us his analysis of whether it is as the chancellor claims a "Budget for growth". We will be speaking live in the studio to Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Angela Eagle, and the head of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) Robert Chote. We will be assessing what kind of chancellor Mr Osborne is with former chancellor Lord Lamont and economists Ann Pettifor and Irwin Stelzer. And our Political Panel - Danny Finkelstein, Olly Grender and Peter Hyman - will be here to debate all that we have learned. Plus, following the news that actress Elizabeth Taylor has died, Stephen Smith will be looking back across her life on and off screen and we will be talking to fellow Oscar winner Julian Fellowes.
24/03/2011
S2011 E58 • Thursday, Mar 24, 2011 • Mar 24
Portugal's parliament has rejected an austerity budget, prompting the resignation of Prime Minister Jose Socrates. An international bail-out, similar to those accepted by Greece and the Irish Republic last year, now looks far more likely. We'll be asking what Portugal can do without a prime minister, and what the implications might be for Euro-zone members, particularly Germany. As fighting in Libya continues in key cities, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's tanks and artillery forces seem unstoppable, despite air strikes by international forces. How effective have the coalition forces been and how long might it take to stop Col Gaddafi's forces? And Matt Prodger has a report on the US soldier Bradley Manning, who is being held in solitary confinement in a US military prison - accused of leaking confidential documents to the Wikileaks website.
25/03/2011
S2011 E59 • Friday, Mar 25, 2011 • Mar 25
We look at what the fresh unrest in Syria and Yemen and the ongoing conflict in Libya means for al-Qaeda and militant Islam, and what used to be called the war on terror, both in the short and long term. Will militant Islam be side-lined by the broadly secular nature of many of the North African and Middle East protests or will events like the bombing of Libya be a radicalising element which presents an opportunity to Islamists? Richard Watson will be reporting on this issue and in the studio we will be speaking to a senior ex-CIA adviser on al-Qaeda who knew Osama Bin Laden. Ahead of tomorrow's trades union anti-cuts march we have a report the policing of activists and on the plans of some protesters with no connections to the TUC. Plus Michael Crick will be reporting on why the rally could present a problem for Labour.
28/03/2011
S2011 E60 • Monday, Mar 28, 2011 • Mar 28
As the rebels continue advancing west in Libya, our Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban will bring us up to date on the latest Coalition air raids that have hit Gaddafi's birthplace of Sirte, the next target for taking by the rebels. Meanwhile, Tim Whewell has been in the small city of Derna, which Gaddafi claimed was infiltrated with terrorists. He will bring us a report on what life is now like there for the people - many of who are enjoying a new liberation. We also have a fascinating film from Sue Lloyd-Roberts on how women are treated in Saudi Arabia. Sue looks at how women's freedom is restricted and how some are now quietly rebelling. And our Economics Editor Paul Mason looks at the aftermath of Saturday's protests in London against public spending cuts. Have we seen the end of the peaceful protest?
29/03/2011
S2011 E61 • Tuesday, Mar 29, 2011 • Mar 29
Strikes on Libya will continue until Col Gaddafi meets UN terms, stops attacking civilians and pulls back his forces, the US's Hillary Clinton has told the London conference of allied leaders. Tonight we'll talk to the Foreign Secretary William Hague. The London conference was intended to be a demonstration of unity but just how solid in reality is the coalition? Our Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban will bring us up to date with the day's events while out in Libya Tim Whewell will bring us a report from Derna, a town in the east from where more fighters went to join al-Qaeda in Iraq than anywhere else in the world. It highlights how little we know about the rebels and what could replace the Gaddafi regime. And our Science Editor Susan Watts will report on the latest CJD scare. Two separate incidents have emerged in which patients have been told they were put at risk of contracting the brain wasting disease - 38 patients have been warned in Wales and 21 in Essex. In both cases the fatal disease could have been picked up during surgery. Susan speaks to one of the patients affected and medical experts about the risk of contracting CJD from surgical instruments.
30/03/2011
S2011 E62 • Wednesday, Mar 30, 2011 • Mar 30
Tim Whewell talks to General Suleiman Mahmoud of the Libyan rebel forces who tells him the rebels need weapons if they are to overthrow Colonel Gaddafi. He says with arms they could do the job in two weeks, but without it could take six months. The US President Barack Obama has said he does not rule out arming the rebels as government forces push them back. But any decision to supply arms to the rebels by the West would change the whole nature of the intervention. What would the implications be? We'll also be taking a close look at the arts and sciences. Which brings the most economic benefits to our society? We will have a film putting the case for each and a discussion with guests including Deborah Aydon, Executive Director of the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse theatres and Imran Khan, Director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering in the UK And Ed Miliband is to marry in May. Why has he decided to tie the knot now ? And why will there be no best man (i.e. David) at his wedding?
31/03/2011
S2011 E63 • Thursday, Mar 31, 2011 • Mar 31
We will take a closer look at Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa's decision to come to the UK - and at the man himself and role he played within the Gaddafi regime. Richard Watson will examine the possible benefits his defection will bring to the UK government and its allies, and the political and legal headaches too. Energy Secretary Chris Huhne and representatives of the oil and gas industry are meeting today to discuss the government's announcement in the Budget of a hike in taxes on the oil companies' windfall profits. Matt Prodger will report on that. Paul Mason will be taking us through the Irish bank stress test results, which will be released later today. And Stephen Smith's transformation into Big Society activist Citizen Smith finally begins today, having been pushed back in our schedule by the Libya conflict.
01/04/2011
S2011 E64 • Friday, Apr 1, 2011 • Apr 1
Tim Whewell has managed to secure a rare interview with the Libyan rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil. He says they'll accept a ceasefire if Colonel Gaddafi pulls his troops out of Libyan cities under rebel control. But they will not back down on their demand that Colonel Gaddafi must go. As officials in Japan say the evacuation of residents near the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant will be long-term, we ask what the catastrophe means for nuclear power. We'll have the pro-nuclear environmental writer George Monbiot and Jeremy Leggett who is founder and Executive Chairman of Solarcentury which seeks to harness the power of the sun. Plus we'll have our Political Editor Michael Crick who has been with the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg on the pro-AV campaign trail. How will the coalition cope with a referendum result going either way?
28/04/2011
S2011 E81 • Thursday, Apr 28, 2011 • Apr 28
Tonight as President Obama reshuffles his cabinet we look at the implications for the Arab Spring. A battle over defence cuts is expected but if the main Western powers pull back from the region, what does that mean for the Arab world and the rest of us? We'll be talking to PJ Crowley, the former US state department spokesman about how sustainable Western involvement is. We'll have other guests too. We also have a film about Yemen where President Ali Abdullah Saleh has agreed to step down within 30 days. The US, worried about terrorism, has poured military aid into the country but it is claimed that some has been used by the country's leadership to repress any opposition. And ahead of the Royal Wedding, the American TV networks are getting ready for wall to wall coverage. Why are Americans so fascinated by the Royals?
Royal Wedding Special
S2011 E82 • Friday, Apr 29, 2011 • Apr 29
Friday's nuptials may have meant an extra day off for many, but not for Kirsty Wark who will be presenting a royal wedding edition of Newsnight at our usual time of 10.30pm. Kirsty will be joined in the studio by guests Simon Schama, Will Self, Rowan Pelling, Plum Sykes and Nicky Haslam who will be discussing the events of the day and their impact. Does the wedding feel in tune with the current mood of the country, or hopelessly out of step? Has this been a welcome break from the atmosphere of austerity or an outrageous expense at a time of belt tightening? And what of the bride and groom? To what effect do William and Kate define Britishness today and what effect will they have on how the monarchy is viewed? All that and more will be up for debate. The programme kicks off with a report from Michael Crick who will have spent the day down at Buckingham Palace talking to the crowds who have gathered there. And Stephen Smith is heading to Gloucester to a neighbourhood which hosted a fantastic street party when Charles and Diana married in 1981, but which took some encouragement and help from Big Society organiser Citizen Smith to get in the party mood this time round.
03/05/2011
S2011 E83 • Tuesday, May 3, 2011 • May 3
Tonight our Diplomatic editor Mark Urban will be asking where the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden by US forces leaves the war on terror. We'll speak live to George W Bush's Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. We have the first in a series of films hearing testimony from people who were caught up in the 7/7 bombings in London in 2005, and we'll debate if there is now an increased risk of further terrorist attacks here in the UK following Bin Laden's death. Paul Mason is in Cairo and has been considering how the Arab Spring fits into the story. Where is the Arab world facing politically now and might a less brutal face of political Islam emerge? Read more on Paul's blog. Matt Frei is in Washington where he asks people how the extraordinary events of yesterday have changed the public perception of President Barack Obama and will it propel him to a second term? And Iain Watson reports on the confrontation between the energy secretary and the prime minister at a cabinet meeting over the No campaign's claims in the alternative vote referendum. George Osborne reportedly told Chris Huhne that the Cabinet was no place for a "Jeremy Paxman interview".
04/05/2011
S2011 E84 • Wednesday, May 4, 2011 • May 4
We have the second in our series of extraordinary films on the 7/7 terror attacks in London, in which people caught up in the 7/7 terror bombings in London recount how the attacks unfolded. If you missed Tuesday's film on the Circle Line attack you can watch it here. On the eve of elections around the country we look at what is at stake for our political parties and who the winners and losers are likely to be. We will be taking a close look at the Egyptian-mediated reconciliation pact between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas, asking what it means for the prospect of peace in the Middle East. Jeremy has an interview with new BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten. And with the debate about whether a picture of Osama Bin Laden's body should be released we ask why it is so important to see such pictures and look back at some of the famous images of fallen foes from Mussolini to Saddam Hussein.
05/05/2011
S2011 E85 • Thursday, May 5, 2011 • May 5
We have the third in our series of extraordinary films on the 7/7 terror attacks in London, in which people caught up in the bombings recount how the attacks unfolded and changed their lives forever. If you missed Wednesday's film on the Edgware Road attack you can watch it here. Newsnight has an exclusive interview with a former colleague of the 7/7 bombers' leader, Mohammed Sidique Khan, which sheds new light on the crucial years before the bombings when he was living in Leeds. We'll also be examining the legality of the US operation that killed al-Qaeda head Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. Could Britain have undertaken something similar? And voters across the UK are going to the polls in a series of national and local elections as well as a referendum to decide the way MPs are elected. We'll have a report from Scotland on the elections for the parliament and Michael Crick will take a look at the alternative vote referendum.
06/05/2011
S2011 E86 • Friday, May 6, 2011 • May 6
In a special hour-long programme at 10.30pm, we'll be analysing the results of the UK local, Welsh, Scottish and AV polls. Our political editor Michael Crick will bring us the latest on the AV result which is still coming in, and will be assessing where heavy losses for the Lib Dems in England, significant wins for the SNP in Scotland, and the Conservatives holding ground in England all leaves British politics. David Grossman is in Bristol asking Lib Dem grassroots supporters how their party blew their big chance to get electoral reform, and what they should do now in coalition. Iain Watson reports from Edinburgh on the SNP's surge to Holyrood victory. And we'll be joined by Danny Finkelstein, Olly Grender and Peter Hyman to chew over the events of the day.
09/05/2011
S2011 E87 • Monday, May 9, 2011 • May 9
Nick Clegg has said that protecting the NHS is now his number one priority, claiming that "no bill is better than a bad bill". Meanwhile, one of his own MPs says the whole NHS reform exercise ought to be "stopped rather than paused". Tonight Michael Crick will be examining the politics of this - one of the most radical plans in the history of the health service - and Paul Mason will be asking if the opportunity to really reform the NHS has been lost for this generation. Stephen Smith goes in search of the flat white drinking, Guardian reading, progressive North London "commentariat" who voted 'yes' in last week's referendum on the alternative vote. Jeremy will be asking the former US assistant secretary of defence Joseph Nye what power is. And Will Gompertz meets film maker Terry Gilliam - the man who ran away from Minnesota to join Monty Python's Flying Circus - to find out how he got on with his operatic directorial debut, The Damnation of Faust for the ENO.
10/05/2011
S2011 E88 • Tuesday, May 10, 2011 • May 10
Tomorrow marks the first anniversary since the UK coalition government came to power. Tonight, we look at how the relationship between the Conservative and Liberal Democrats is faring and what the strategy is for both parties now, one year on. Plus we'll be joined by some political elders in debate. Then we have a film from Finland where we've met Timo Soini, the leader of right-wing, anti-immigration, nationalist party the True Finns. Last month the party, which opposes EU bailouts, took nearly a fifth of votes in the country's general election. And we will be examining the impact of ex-motorsports boss Max Mosley's failed bid in the European Court of Human Rights to force newspapers to warn people before exposing their private lives, and Mr Mosley will be joining us on the programme.
11/05/2011
S2011 E89 • Wednesday, May 11, 2011 • May 11
If it ever came to fruition we are still a long way from Scottish Independence, but if it did happen what would an independent Scotland look like? Jackie Long is digging through what the SNP has said in the past and will be reporting from Edinburgh tonight. Lyse Doucet has a film on the ambivalent attitude of Pakistanis towards Bin Laden. And we look at the phenomenon of Slut Walks - is this a wise response to the offensive comments of a Canadian policeman, and can the word "slut" be reclaimed? We will be discussing.
12/05/2011
S2011 E90 • Thursday, May 12, 2011 • May 12
Tonight on Newsnight we will be joined live in the studio by UK Chancellor George Osborne and French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde as we focus on the problems at the heart of the Eurozone. Our Economics editor Paul Mason will present his thesis on why EU governments and bureaucracy have mishandled the sovereign debt crisis, imposing unrealistic penalties on the population to save the banks in their own heartlands. And Paul will be giving us his thoughts on what Mr Osborne and Ms Lagarde tell us. We also have an interview with Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter disappeared while on a family holiday in Portugal four years ago, about the book Mrs McCann has written on their ordeal and ongoing efforts to locate Madeleine. Then our Science editor Susan Watts has the story of the secret US embassy cables released by Wikileaks which show nations are racing to "carve up" Arctic resources - oil, gas and even rubies - as the ice retreats (read more here). And Iain Watson has the latest on the news that the Lib Dem MP David Laws is to be suspended from the Commons for seven days over his expenses claims, which he used to pay rent to his partner and for building work and telephone bills.
13/05/2011
S2011 E91 • Friday, May 13, 2011 • May 13
Every day this week there seems to have been a big story in the news about the relationship between openness and personal privacy. Tonight David Grossman will be investigating what we should be allowed to know, and we'll be joined by a panel of journalists, lawyers and others to debate privacy laws, super injunctions and Twitter revelations. Then historian and author of England's Mistress, Kate Williams will be doing an authored piece asking what all these sex scandals tell us about 21st Century sexual behaviour in Britain.
16/05/2011
S2011 E92 • Monday, May 16, 2011 • May 16
The head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, is appearing in court in New York to face charges of sexual assault. Mr Strauss-Kahn, who had been seen as a contender in France's 2012 presidential election, denies allegations that he tried to rape a hotel maid on Saturday. His appearance had been delayed for forensic tests to be carried out. Meanwhile, another allegation against Mr Strauss-Kahn has emerged. A French writer says she may file a complaint for an alleged sexual assault in 2002. Tonight Peter Marshall will consider what impact this news will have on the political and cultural life of France, and we'll be joined in debate by French commentators Esther Leneman and Agnes Poirier. Then Michael Crick will be asking if Lib Dem cabinet minister Chris Huhne is politically finished. A senior detective has been tasked with investigating claims he asked someone else to take his penalty points for a 2003 speeding offence, Essex Police say. And on the day when the first coded bomb threat warning outside Northern Ireland has been received in a decade, Liz Mackean reports on Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Dublin tomorrow, when she'll become the first monarch to set foot in the Republic since George V. We hope to be joined by Lord Major, the former prime minister credited with establishing the Northern Ireland Peace Process in the early 1990s.
17/05/2011
S2011 E93 • Tuesday, May 17, 2011 • May 17
What would have happened if Osama Bin Laden had been captured rather than killed? Tonight we'll hear the case against Bin Laden, and we'll explore the different legal scenarios that could have ensued if the Al-Qaeda leader had been taken alive. We'll hear from advocates of each of the three scenarios what the pros and cons of each would be. Then we'll be joined live from Islamabad by Lyse Doucet who'll be asking if the US and Pakistan can successfully work together when there's little trust left between them. And our Diplomatic editor Mark Urban will join us live from Washington from where he'll explain why the current crisis in relations between the two countries is the most difficult since 9/11. Tonight's guests include Judge Michael Mukasey, US attorney general under President George W Bush (2007-9), and Benjamin Ferencz, the 91-year-old former prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials.
18/05/2011
S2011 E94 • Wednesday, May 18, 2011 • May 18
Recent polling by Lord Ashcroft suggested that there is a growing rift between the Conservative party and the public on the issue of crime. Tonight we look at whether the outcry over Ken Clarke's comments about rape and the row over Theresa May's proposals to cut the police budget are the latest signs that the Conservatives are out of touch on law and order. Also, when David Cameron came into power he adopted a chairman style of leadership, giving his ministers a large dose of autonomy and not micro-managing every department - but is this approach now getting the coalition into difficulties and does he need to tighten his grip? Plus, we follow the story of a man who has voluntarily had an impaired hand amputated so he can be fitted with a bionic limb and we will be discussing elective amputations with a man who has been fitted with a similar prosthesis. And we speak to David Brooks, New York Times columnist and author of "The Social Animal", a current hot read in Whitehall.
19/05/2011
S2011 E95 • Thursday, May 19, 2011 • May 19
We learned today that the Coalition has decided against introducing a Privacy Act to address concerns about injunctions, and that hot topic of discussion, super injunctions. The decision became known on the day that an order granting anonymity to ex-Royal Bank of Scotland boss Sir Fred Goodwin was lifted at the High Court. The lifting was triggered by House of Lords member Lord Stoneham using parliamentary privilege to reveal details of the gag order to peers. Tonight will debate whether this is a good day for freedom of speech or a bad day for human rights with the man who forced the move, Lord Stoneham, with a former judge who has imposed injunctions and with Max Mosley who has been pushing for a tightening of the law to protect individuals' privacy. Mark Urban will be giving us his thoughts on President Barack Obama's speech on the Arab Spring and we will be hearing from Middle East Quartet representative Tony Blair. Tim Whewell reports from Cairo on how recent upheavals have upset all the old certainties in the region and how Egypt's approach to Israel, the peace process and regional alliances has changed. And following the row over Justice Secretary Ken Clark's remarks about rape yesterday, Liz MacKean will be considering if the law needs to take a completely different approach to the crime. And we will discuss whether Mr Clarke was right to say there are different types of rape with Deborah Orr who says there are and a rape victim counsellor who says he is wrong.
20/05/2011
S2011 E96 • Friday, May 20, 2011 • May 20
Tonight, we lead on the news that a professional footballer has obtained a disclosure order against the social networking site Twitter. The application seeks the disclosure of the identities of a number of Twitter users who had been responsible for the publication of confidential information about him. Then we'll be looking into the story that the Rwandan government is masterminding an alleged assassination plot in this country against dissidents critical of the Rwandan regime. And as Dominique Strauss-Kahn is granted bail by a judge in New York after being formally charged with trying to rape a hotel maid, we'll consider who might be in line for his former job heading up the IMF.
23/05/2011
S2011 E97 • Monday, May 23, 2011 • May 23
An MP has defied the judiciary today by naming Ryan Giggs as the married footballer at the centre of a media gagging order. David Cameron has said that banning newspapers from naming such stars while the information was widely available on the internet was both "unsustainable" and "unfair" - but what is the answer? Are new laws required? Or can the press be trusted to regulate itself? Tonight we hear from the head of the Press Complaints Commission, the MP at the centre of the row, and a lawyer who has secured injunctions in the past. Then Justin Rowlatt reports from China on the difficulties men there are having finding partners if they do not first own property. Justin finds the situation is significantly impacting on the economy as men choose to save rather than splurge. And our Science editor Susan Watts is keeping an eye on the ash cloud from the Grimsvotn volcano in Iceland, which is expected to reach the UK by the early hours of Tuesday morning, the Met Office has said.
24/05/2011
S2011 E98 • Tuesday, May 24, 2011 • May 24
President Barack Obama has met Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace at the start of his state visit to Britain. Later he will have a brief meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron, although their more substantive talks are scheduled for Wednesday. Tonight Mark Urban look at what will be topping the agenda at those talks and what both leaders will be hoping to achieve in them. Peter Marshall is focussed on Glencore which floated on the stock exchange today. He will be telling us more about this vast company - the world's largest diversified commodities trader - what it does and how it works. The ongoing fight by local communities to save their libraries will be shown in force tonight at Kensal Green, with writer Alan Bennett leading the charge. Stephen Smith is off to meet him. And we have an interview with porn baron Larry Flynt who will be talking about the connection between power and sex outlined in his new book One Nation Under Sex, a history of political sex scandals.
25/05/2011
S2011 E99 • Wednesday, May 25, 2011 • May 25
Barack Obama and David Cameron have said Colonel Gaddafi will ultimately be forced out of power and Libya's people allowed to "choose their own future". At a joint press conference in London, the UK prime minister vowed to "turn up the heat" on the regime in Tripoli amid suggestions of deadlock on the ground. Tonight Mark Urban considers what the diplomatic strategy for Libya is now. Jeremy has been to meet the former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. Jeremy asks him if he was surprised that the Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was found living inside Pakistan. See that interview in full later. As the coalition appoints pro-abstinence charity Life to an advisory group on sexual health, we'll debate if the government's Christian moral approach to sex education and abortion is a good thing or not. And Stephen Smith dons his scarlet matador's cape and travels to Spain where the Catalan parliament has banned the country's most emblematic pastime. Stephen finds that though the bullfighting ban has brought relief to animal rights activists, people are deeply concerned that an important part of the culture and tradition of Spain's nationalist heartland will be lost.
26/05/2011
S2011 E100 • Thursday, May 26, 2011 • May 26
Tonight we lead on the news that Ratko Mladic, wanted for genocide during the Bosnian war in the 1990s, has been arrested in Serbia and that moves to extradite him to The Hague tribunal have begun. Gen Mladic, the most prominent Bosnian war crimes suspect at large since the arrest of Radovan Karadzic in 2008, faces charges over the massacre of at least 7,500 Bosnian Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995. What will his arrest mean for reconciliation in the country and region? And does it open the door to membership of the European Union for Serbia? Tonight our guests to discuss the matter include Serbian ambassador to the UK, Dr Dejan Popovic, Bosnian writer Zlata Filipovic, whose book Zlata's Diary chronicled the horrors of war in Sarajevo where she lived, and International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) prosecutor Sir Geoffrey Nice. Also, we have a film from Catrin Nye who has been to the Greater Manchester town of Oldham 10 years after riots between white and Asian communities. Despite efforts to bring the two communities together over the last decade she finds that many are still leading parallel lives, and some are predicting more conflict ahead. Afterwards we will be joined in the studio by people from Oldham to discuss the film's findings and what needs to change.
27/05/2011
S2011 E101 • Friday, May 27, 2011 • May 27
Sharon Shoesmith, the former director of children's services for Haringey, North London, has won her Court of Appeal battle over her sacking following the Baby Peter tragedy. Judges said that the-then education secretary Ed Balls and her employers, Haringey Council, had been "procedurally unfair" when they sacked her three years ago. Baby Peter Connelly, who had been seen 60 times by social services, was found dead in 2007 with over 50 injuries. Tonight we will talk to Ed Balls, and will discuss whether in the rush to find a scapegoat for the Baby Peter tragedy opportunities to reform social services were lost. Also amid the news that Fifa President Sepp Blatter has been placed under investigation by the organisation's ethics committee over accusations he failed to report the payment of alleged bribes we ask if this is the moment football cleans up.
31/05/2011
S2011 E102 • Tuesday, May 31, 2011 • May 31
The Football Association and the Scottish Football Association have called for Fifa to postpone its presidential election. Current president Sepp Blatter is the only candidate for the 1 June election after Mohamed Bin Hammam's withdrawal. Peter Marshall will have the latest on the Fifa crisis for us tonight. Justin Rowlatt visits the world's biggest polluter, China, to find out if it really can boom without poisoning the planet. Then David Grossman considers Angela Merkel's decision to phase out nuclear power stations in Germany by 2022. And as increasing numbers of people decide that property is now so scarce and its cost so high that they may never own their own place, Jeremy is joined by property expert Kirstie Allsopp to discuss how that possibility might change us.
01/06/2011
S2011 E103 • Wednesday, Jun 1, 2011 • Jun 1
Nato's Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's departure from power is "only a matter of time". Tonight we hear from the BBC's Andrew North who has spent the past few weeks in Tripoli. We have a film from our correspondent Tim Whewell who is in Egypt - where a court has set a date for the trial of former President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons, Alaa and Gamal. Tim has travelled to the Sinai peninsula, the wilderness area that separates Africa and Asia, which he finds is awash with arms and increasingly unstable since the uprising which toppled Mr Mubarak in February. Read more about that here. And Jeremy will be speaking to Booker prize winning author turned political campaigner, Arundhati Roy.
02/06/2011
S2011 E104 • Thursday, Jun 2, 2011 • Jun 2
With more doubts raised today on the government's ability to control immigration, one group who are being targeted are students who wish to study here. But can the UK afford to turn many of them away? Tonight we will debate whether the crackdown on student visas keeps the best and the brightest out, or simply closes one big immigration loophole. As the E-Coli bug claims more victims Susan Watts reports on how worried should we be about this new and powerful strain, and we talk to Professor Hugh Pennington, who led inquiries into two E-Coli outbreaks in the UK. And 1980s architecture - iconic buildings like London's Broadgate Centre and the Law Courts in Truro - is starting to turn 30. Love them or loathe them, this means they can now apply for listed heritage status. But should they be saved? Tonight we have an authored film from Wayne Hemingway on the proposed listing of iconic and controversial early '80s developments. Before you see that film, check out this classic piece of BBC archive we've uncovered of Prince Charles talking about 1980s architecture.
03/06/2011
S2011 E105 • Friday, Jun 3, 2011 • Jun 3
Panorama's programme detailing the abuse of residents in a Bristol care home and the news that Southern Cross has slashed its rent payments in an effort to keep its 750 residential homes for the elderly running have this week thrown a new spotlight on the provision of care for vulnerable members of society. Tonight we focus on the kind of care which should be available and who should pay for it with a report from Peter Marshall and a discussion with guests including Joan Bakewell, John Redwood and Ray King from Bupa. We also focus on another of the stories of the week - morality in sport - following the news that the Bahrain Grand Prix has been reinstated. The race, originally due to be held on 13 March, was called off in February because of pro-democracy protests in which more than 20 people have died. Is it right that it will be back on the F1 calendar in October?
06/06/2011
S2011 E106 • Monday, Jun 6, 2011 • Jun 6
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has concluded that no changes are needed to UK economic policy. It said weak economic growth and rising inflation had been "unexpected", but said they were "largely temporary". It pointed to rising commodity prices and the increase in VAT as temporary problems for inflation. Our Economics editor Paul Mason has been blogging on this subject and you can watch more from him on tonight's programme, when we'll also have interviews with the interim boss of the IMF, John Lipsky (watch a clip here), and the shadow chancellor Ed Balls. Then, as Nintendo becomes the latest company to suffer an online security breach due to an attack by hackers, the BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones investigates how much we put our own personal data at risk by storing it on servers and hard drives that are not our own. Read more on the dot.Rory blog here. Ahead of the publication tomorrow of the government's revised Prevent counter-terrorism strategy, the Home Secretary Theresa May has accused universities of "complacency" in tackling Islamist extremism. Richard Watson is in Nottingham and has more on this story for us this evening.
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Season 2011
• 140 Episodes
Activity from Friends
01/03/2011
S2011 E41 • Tuesday, Mar 1, 2011 • Mar 1
John Galliano's anti-Semitic remarks could have turned into a full scale diplomatic crisis. Why? Because, as any fashionista knows, Dior - who he designs for - is the label worn by one Mrs Sarkozy. Carla Bruni started life as a Dior model and has remained loyal to the house ever since. As things turned out, Dior was not prepared to see a YouTube video start a new war in the Middle East. They sacked Galliano earlier today. And the first lady of France is now free to wear Dior again. Anyway, I write that in passing because there are, as you know, currently more pressing diplomatic affairs at hand. Tonight, Niall Ferguson, author of Civilization, will help us examine the role of the West in the revolution in the Arab world - and explain what history can tell us about why certain cultures appear to dominate the world at certain times. We'll also be asking whether the government's done enough in its adjustment to the international development aid budget to allay criticism that we are funnelling money into dodgy dictatorships and into countries that are economically far more successful than we are. Plus, the European Court of Justice has declared it is discriminatory to charge women less than men for their car insurance. Women are better drivers. Men die younger. What's wrong with discrimination within the free market?
02/03/2011
S2011 E42 • Wednesday, Mar 2, 2011 • Mar 2
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi have moved into eastern areas for the first time since towns there fell to protesters two weeks ago, with reports of heavy fighting between them and anti-Gaddafi rebels in the oil town of Brega, 100 miles south of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. Earlier Col Gaddafi said on TV he would "fight until the last man and woman" and warned that thousands of Libyans would die if Western forces intervened. Tonight, as we will have the latest on the Gaddafi fight back from Lyse Doucet in Benghazi and Tim Whewell will be assessing whether there is any sign of a joined up global response to the crisis. Michael Crick is Barnsley ahead of tomorrow's by-election finding out what matters most to voters there. Also, more than 600 Oxbridge academics are demanding a halt to the £9,000 tuition fee rise, saying they have had no time to work out how it will be implemented. Universities Minister David Willetts and one of those critics will go head to head on the programme tonight.
03/03/2011
S2011 E43 • Thursday, Mar 3, 2011 • Mar 3
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has been given government approval for its controversial bid to take over BSkyB. The green light follows News Corp's offer to spin off Sky News as an independent company. Rival media groups dismissed News Corp's offer as a "whitewash" and said they would "vigorously contest" it. We will be examining the decision and speaking to the man who made it, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt. Lyse Doucet will bring us the latest on what is happening in Libya. Tim Whewell has a film on Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood - who they are and what they stand for. And we ask whether, despite all of the fanfare accompanying Saturday's World Book Night plan to give away one million books, there are any problems with a great book giveaway.
04/03/2011
S2011 E44 • Friday, Mar 4, 2011 • Mar 4
Mishal Husain is presenting tonight and she's been speaking exclusively to Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen about how his organisation plans to respond to events in Libya. Meanwhile Lyse Doucet - who is in the country - will be asking Libyans what intervention they expect from the West. Then we'll be hearing from our Political editor Michael Crick who has been meeting people living in rural areas to ask them how rising fuel prices are affecting their lives. And Liz Mackean has had exclusive access to a report which has found that many local authorities will not be guaranteeing funding and will be cutting services for victims of domestic violence from the end of this month. Should local authorities be the sole providers of these services? We'll debate.
07/03/2011
S2011 E45 • Monday, Mar 7, 2011 • Mar 7
Tonight we have an amazing film from Jackie Long about Sarah Palin. Jackie has been to Alaska and got more than just a quick doorstep interview with the woman herself. She tells us how she is weighing up whether the US is ready for an "unconventional" presidential candidate like her. We also talk to Sarah Palin's parents who are concerned their daughter might be assassinated. David Cameron promised "the most pro-growth budget this country has seen for a generation" in his speech at the weekend, but what are the prospects for the British economy and what are the chances of real growth? We'll be hearing from our economics editor Paul Mason. Read Paul's blog. And Prince Andrew remains under pressure over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier. Michael Crick has been following the Prince around today and will bring us up to date tonight.
08/03/2011
S2011 E46 • Tuesday, Mar 8, 2011 • Mar 8
What are the options for western intervention over Libya? Should we arm the rebels? The idea is being considered by the White House but how realistic is it and how tricky politically? Tonight we'll look at the options for western governments and their possible outcomes. We are hoping to speak to the former Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain to get his views. We will also consider what is behind these questions in the Middle East and North Africa with the American linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky. How do the recent events affect Chomsky's world view? You can see a preview of the interview here. The government has been criticised over its handling of the crisis in Libya, most notably over getting Briton's out. But there have been other perceived gaffes too raising questions over the government's competence. Remember the U turn over the sale of forests? We'll get the latest take on the how well the government is doing with its presentation skills from some politically savvy guests. And we'll be asking - why is sectarianism still so strong in Glasgow? A summit was held in Edinburgh today chaired by First Minister Alex Salmond following last week's Old Firm Scottish Cup replay which saw three red cards, several touch-line and tunnel confrontations and 34 arrests inside Celtic Park. Why has antipathy between Protestants and Catholics survived for so long in the city?
09/03/2011
S2011 E47 • Wednesday, Mar 9, 2011 • Mar 9
The big hitters in government have appeared before the Defence Select Committee today at a time when it is being asked whether defence cuts have left the military without the resources to be effective in Libya and in future crises. We will have some expert analysis from General Sir Richard Dannatt and a full report on what the Defence Secretary Liam Fox and Foreign Secretary William Hague told MPs. We'll also be asking whether growing backbench anger could lead to the defence review being reopened. We also have a report from DR Congo on the child sex trade. Reporter Sam Farmer joins members of the children's parliament in DR Congo as they try to help fellow children who are working in the sex trade. The film centres on the efforts of a 15-year-old boy in the children's parliament who is trying to advocate more rights for these youngsters. Closer to home the government has announced that displaying cigarettes is to be banned in England. But will it stop smoking? We'll look at the evidence and examine how the promotion of cigarettes has changed over the years. And Jeremy will be talking to Jim Davidson live about humour and bigotry. The comedian has written a play about an old racist comedian who is challenged by a young black performer.
10/03/2011
S2011 E48 • Thursday, Mar 10, 2011 • Mar 10
Unions have reacted angrily to a major report by Lord Hutton proposing a radical overhaul of public sector pensions which would see millions working for longer. David Grossman will be examining the fine print for us tonight. The former business secretary Lord Mandelson will be presenting an authored piece on economic globalisation and will join us live in the studio. Then, as Nato defence ministers meet in Brussels to discuss the possibility of a no-fly zone in Libya, our diplomatic editor Mark Urban will consider if military action of this nature could be considered war in all but name. And Sarfraz Manzoor meets the band Cornershop to talk about their new album - due out next week - which is heavily influenced by Punjabi folk music.
11/03/2011
S2011 E49 • Friday, Mar 11, 2011 • Mar 11
Japan's most powerful earthquake since records began has struck the north-east coast, triggering a massive tsunami. Tonight our Science editor Susan Watts will give her assessment of what has happened and why, and ask how well the warning systems worked. Mishal Husain will be speaking to the EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Kristalina Georgieva about what help we are offering. Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, hundreds of police were deployed in Riyadh, on the day anti-government rallies were planned. Our correspondent Sue Lloyd Roberts is there and sends us a compelling report on the day's events. Security forces blocked roads and set up checkpoints in an attempt to thwart protests. Protests are illegal in Saudi Arabia, which has had an absolute monarchy since its unification in the 1930s. Read more from Sue in Riyadh by clicking here. And Iain Watston is at the Liberal Democrat spring conference - which is getting under way in Nick Clegg's constituency, Sheffield, just a short distance from Barnsley where the party suffered the humiliation of coming sixth in the recent by-election. We'll be talking to the Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne about the state of morale in the party.
14/03/2011
S2011 E50 • Monday, Mar 14, 2011 • Mar 14
Engineers are racing to cool down a third reactor at a quake-stricken Japanese nuclear plant, after a second blast rocked the facility. Tonight, we ask how severe the nuclear emergency is, and what the implications are for the nuclear sector and energy mix worldwide. We are also examining the impact the earthquake and tsunami is likely to have on the Japanese economy and in turn on the worldwide recovery. Plus, with the pace of events on the ground in Libya outstripping any co-ordinated international response we ask whether this is a tipping point for the diplomatic community. And we have a report from Jeremy Bowen, filmed during his recent days in Tripoli, in which he draws his own conclusions about the uprising and subsequent civil war.
15/03/2011
S2011 E51 • Tuesday, Mar 15, 2011 • Mar 15
Tonight we're devoting much of the programme to examining the middle class under pressure. For the first time in years this group - who had assumed that if the economy grew their income would grow - are finding this is no longer true. Wages are frozen, and the cost of living is soaring. Tonight our Economics editor Paul Mason reports from Sandwich in Kent where he meets people seeing the value of their wages, homes and pensions eroding and their prospects disappearing. Stephen Smith considers why so many people describe themselves as middle class nowadays. And we'll be joined live by MPs David Willetts and John Denham, and by people from different parts of the income scale - including a single parent who is being made redundant and a couple with two kids who rent their home and live off overdrafts. Plus Susan Watts, our Science editor, will update us on the situation at the Japanese quake-stricken nuclear plant where radiation levels are now at a level harmful to human health.
16/03/2011
S2011 E52 • Wednesday, Mar 16, 2011 • Mar 16
The British Foreign Office is now "suggesting that British nationals currently in Tokyo and to the north of Tokyo should consider leaving the area" because of fears over radiation leaks from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant - where engineers are racing to avert a nuclear catastrophe. Matt Frei will be assessing the mood of the people in the Japanese capital for us tonight, and we'll be joined live by the concert pianist Noriko Ogawa and the actress Haruka Kuroda. Then our Diplomatic editor Mark Urban will be asking why President Barack Obama is taking a back seat over the Libya no-fly zone, and we'll debate with former UK ambassador to the US, Sir Christopher Meyer and former diplomat and journalist, Jamie Rubin. And Iain Watson will report for us on the political dividing lines ahead of the Budget. Gavin Esler will be asking the shadow chancellor Ed Balls if Labour has an alternative strategy.
17/03/2011
S2011 E53 • Thursday, Mar 17, 2011 • Mar 17
A draft United Nations Security Council resolution is to be put to a vote in New York tonight. If adopted it would authorise a no-fly zone over Libya and allow Arab states and others in co-operation with the UN to protect Libyan civilians, including in the rebel-held city of Benghazi. We will have the result of that vote and be getting reaction from a close Clinton ally in the US. Susan Watts will be reporting on efforts to deal with the crisis at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, assessing what is happening on the ground and also what measures are being taken around the world. And with the events in Japan causing countries to reassess the safety of their own nuclear energy programmes, David Grossman looks at what this means for the prospects of an energy gap in Britain as we aim to meet electricity demands while also meeting deadlines to cut carbon emissions. Plus, remember Citizen Smith? Well he's back - not in the form of Robert Lindsay this time, but our correspondent Stephen Smith. Stephen has been to Big Society boot camp, undergoing training as a Big Society organiser ahead of the government's planned roll out this summer.
18/03/2011
S2011 E54 • Friday, Mar 18, 2011 • Mar 18
The focus of the programme will be the Libya conflict. Events are moving fast following last night's UN Security Council resolution authorising all necessary measures to protect civilians from attacks by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces. In the face of Western powers discussing how to enforce the no-fly zone, Libya's government has declared an immediate ceasefire, with Foreign Minister Mussa Kussa saying that it was intended "to protect civilians". Tonight, Mark Urban will be bringing us up to date on the latest military plans, Michael Crick will be giving us political analysis of David Cameron's role in pushing for action and we will be discussing the crisis with guests in the studio.
21/03/2011
S2011 E55 • Monday, Mar 21, 2011 • Mar 21
Mark Urban reports on the strength of the coalition against Libya and who is doing what in the operation, and assesses whether Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is himself being targeted in the raids. We will be discussing the conflict with diplomat Sir Jeremy Greenstock and Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt. And Michael Crick will report on the Commons debate and vote on the UK's involvement in the military action. Tim Whewell has a report on the unrest and political turmoil in Yemen, and we will be speaking to the Yemeni ambassador to the UN who has resigned. Plus David Grossman has a report on energy costs, whether we are paying too much and Ofgem's proposals for shaking the industry up.
22/03/2011
S2011 E56 • Tuesday, Mar 22, 2011 • Mar 22
Tonight's programme will, unsurprisingly, focus on the conflict in Libya. We'll look at tensions within the hastily assembled multi-national coalition, and examine why this is one conflict that America is keen not to be seen to lead. Elsewhere, we'll try to find out what the real story behind the continuing protests in Bahrain is. And finally, ahead of tomorrow's budget, as the retail price index measure of inflation reaches its highest level in 20 years and with real wages similar to 2005 levels - the last time real wages fell over six years was in the 1920s - what does this mean for social aspirations?
23/03/2011
S2011 E57 • Wednesday, Mar 23, 2011 • Mar 23
Tonight's Newsnight will be on for a full hour - from 10.30pm to 11.30pm - as we pick over the details of what Chancellor George Osborne announced in today's Budget. Iain Watson and Michael Crick will be taking us through the key measures, the political calculations behind the figures and possible flashpoints. Paul Mason will be taking a wide view of the measures and giving us his analysis of whether it is as the chancellor claims a "Budget for growth". We will be speaking live in the studio to Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Angela Eagle, and the head of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) Robert Chote. We will be assessing what kind of chancellor Mr Osborne is with former chancellor Lord Lamont and economists Ann Pettifor and Irwin Stelzer. And our Political Panel - Danny Finkelstein, Olly Grender and Peter Hyman - will be here to debate all that we have learned. Plus, following the news that actress Elizabeth Taylor has died, Stephen Smith will be looking back across her life on and off screen and we will be talking to fellow Oscar winner Julian Fellowes.
24/03/2011
S2011 E58 • Thursday, Mar 24, 2011 • Mar 24
Portugal's parliament has rejected an austerity budget, prompting the resignation of Prime Minister Jose Socrates. An international bail-out, similar to those accepted by Greece and the Irish Republic last year, now looks far more likely. We'll be asking what Portugal can do without a prime minister, and what the implications might be for Euro-zone members, particularly Germany. As fighting in Libya continues in key cities, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's tanks and artillery forces seem unstoppable, despite air strikes by international forces. How effective have the coalition forces been and how long might it take to stop Col Gaddafi's forces? And Matt Prodger has a report on the US soldier Bradley Manning, who is being held in solitary confinement in a US military prison - accused of leaking confidential documents to the Wikileaks website.
25/03/2011
S2011 E59 • Friday, Mar 25, 2011 • Mar 25
We look at what the fresh unrest in Syria and Yemen and the ongoing conflict in Libya means for al-Qaeda and militant Islam, and what used to be called the war on terror, both in the short and long term. Will militant Islam be side-lined by the broadly secular nature of many of the North African and Middle East protests or will events like the bombing of Libya be a radicalising element which presents an opportunity to Islamists? Richard Watson will be reporting on this issue and in the studio we will be speaking to a senior ex-CIA adviser on al-Qaeda who knew Osama Bin Laden. Ahead of tomorrow's trades union anti-cuts march we have a report the policing of activists and on the plans of some protesters with no connections to the TUC. Plus Michael Crick will be reporting on why the rally could present a problem for Labour.
28/03/2011
S2011 E60 • Monday, Mar 28, 2011 • Mar 28
As the rebels continue advancing west in Libya, our Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban will bring us up to date on the latest Coalition air raids that have hit Gaddafi's birthplace of Sirte, the next target for taking by the rebels. Meanwhile, Tim Whewell has been in the small city of Derna, which Gaddafi claimed was infiltrated with terrorists. He will bring us a report on what life is now like there for the people - many of who are enjoying a new liberation. We also have a fascinating film from Sue Lloyd-Roberts on how women are treated in Saudi Arabia. Sue looks at how women's freedom is restricted and how some are now quietly rebelling. And our Economics Editor Paul Mason looks at the aftermath of Saturday's protests in London against public spending cuts. Have we seen the end of the peaceful protest?
29/03/2011
S2011 E61 • Tuesday, Mar 29, 2011 • Mar 29
Strikes on Libya will continue until Col Gaddafi meets UN terms, stops attacking civilians and pulls back his forces, the US's Hillary Clinton has told the London conference of allied leaders. Tonight we'll talk to the Foreign Secretary William Hague. The London conference was intended to be a demonstration of unity but just how solid in reality is the coalition? Our Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban will bring us up to date with the day's events while out in Libya Tim Whewell will bring us a report from Derna, a town in the east from where more fighters went to join al-Qaeda in Iraq than anywhere else in the world. It highlights how little we know about the rebels and what could replace the Gaddafi regime. And our Science Editor Susan Watts will report on the latest CJD scare. Two separate incidents have emerged in which patients have been told they were put at risk of contracting the brain wasting disease - 38 patients have been warned in Wales and 21 in Essex. In both cases the fatal disease could have been picked up during surgery. Susan speaks to one of the patients affected and medical experts about the risk of contracting CJD from surgical instruments.
30/03/2011
S2011 E62 • Wednesday, Mar 30, 2011 • Mar 30
Tim Whewell talks to General Suleiman Mahmoud of the Libyan rebel forces who tells him the rebels need weapons if they are to overthrow Colonel Gaddafi. He says with arms they could do the job in two weeks, but without it could take six months. The US President Barack Obama has said he does not rule out arming the rebels as government forces push them back. But any decision to supply arms to the rebels by the West would change the whole nature of the intervention. What would the implications be? We'll also be taking a close look at the arts and sciences. Which brings the most economic benefits to our society? We will have a film putting the case for each and a discussion with guests including Deborah Aydon, Executive Director of the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse theatres and Imran Khan, Director of the Campaign for Science and Engineering in the UK And Ed Miliband is to marry in May. Why has he decided to tie the knot now ? And why will there be no best man (i.e. David) at his wedding?
31/03/2011
S2011 E63 • Thursday, Mar 31, 2011 • Mar 31
We will take a closer look at Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa's decision to come to the UK - and at the man himself and role he played within the Gaddafi regime. Richard Watson will examine the possible benefits his defection will bring to the UK government and its allies, and the political and legal headaches too. Energy Secretary Chris Huhne and representatives of the oil and gas industry are meeting today to discuss the government's announcement in the Budget of a hike in taxes on the oil companies' windfall profits. Matt Prodger will report on that. Paul Mason will be taking us through the Irish bank stress test results, which will be released later today. And Stephen Smith's transformation into Big Society activist Citizen Smith finally begins today, having been pushed back in our schedule by the Libya conflict.
01/04/2011
S2011 E64 • Friday, Apr 1, 2011 • Apr 1
Tim Whewell has managed to secure a rare interview with the Libyan rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil. He says they'll accept a ceasefire if Colonel Gaddafi pulls his troops out of Libyan cities under rebel control. But they will not back down on their demand that Colonel Gaddafi must go. As officials in Japan say the evacuation of residents near the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant will be long-term, we ask what the catastrophe means for nuclear power. We'll have the pro-nuclear environmental writer George Monbiot and Jeremy Leggett who is founder and Executive Chairman of Solarcentury which seeks to harness the power of the sun. Plus we'll have our Political Editor Michael Crick who has been with the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg on the pro-AV campaign trail. How will the coalition cope with a referendum result going either way?
28/04/2011
S2011 E81 • Thursday, Apr 28, 2011 • Apr 28
Tonight as President Obama reshuffles his cabinet we look at the implications for the Arab Spring. A battle over defence cuts is expected but if the main Western powers pull back from the region, what does that mean for the Arab world and the rest of us? We'll be talking to PJ Crowley, the former US state department spokesman about how sustainable Western involvement is. We'll have other guests too. We also have a film about Yemen where President Ali Abdullah Saleh has agreed to step down within 30 days. The US, worried about terrorism, has poured military aid into the country but it is claimed that some has been used by the country's leadership to repress any opposition. And ahead of the Royal Wedding, the American TV networks are getting ready for wall to wall coverage. Why are Americans so fascinated by the Royals?
Royal Wedding Special
S2011 E82 • Friday, Apr 29, 2011 • Apr 29
Friday's nuptials may have meant an extra day off for many, but not for Kirsty Wark who will be presenting a royal wedding edition of Newsnight at our usual time of 10.30pm. Kirsty will be joined in the studio by guests Simon Schama, Will Self, Rowan Pelling, Plum Sykes and Nicky Haslam who will be discussing the events of the day and their impact. Does the wedding feel in tune with the current mood of the country, or hopelessly out of step? Has this been a welcome break from the atmosphere of austerity or an outrageous expense at a time of belt tightening? And what of the bride and groom? To what effect do William and Kate define Britishness today and what effect will they have on how the monarchy is viewed? All that and more will be up for debate. The programme kicks off with a report from Michael Crick who will have spent the day down at Buckingham Palace talking to the crowds who have gathered there. And Stephen Smith is heading to Gloucester to a neighbourhood which hosted a fantastic street party when Charles and Diana married in 1981, but which took some encouragement and help from Big Society organiser Citizen Smith to get in the party mood this time round.
03/05/2011
S2011 E83 • Tuesday, May 3, 2011 • May 3
Tonight our Diplomatic editor Mark Urban will be asking where the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden by US forces leaves the war on terror. We'll speak live to George W Bush's Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. We have the first in a series of films hearing testimony from people who were caught up in the 7/7 bombings in London in 2005, and we'll debate if there is now an increased risk of further terrorist attacks here in the UK following Bin Laden's death. Paul Mason is in Cairo and has been considering how the Arab Spring fits into the story. Where is the Arab world facing politically now and might a less brutal face of political Islam emerge? Read more on Paul's blog. Matt Frei is in Washington where he asks people how the extraordinary events of yesterday have changed the public perception of President Barack Obama and will it propel him to a second term? And Iain Watson reports on the confrontation between the energy secretary and the prime minister at a cabinet meeting over the No campaign's claims in the alternative vote referendum. George Osborne reportedly told Chris Huhne that the Cabinet was no place for a "Jeremy Paxman interview".
04/05/2011
S2011 E84 • Wednesday, May 4, 2011 • May 4
We have the second in our series of extraordinary films on the 7/7 terror attacks in London, in which people caught up in the 7/7 terror bombings in London recount how the attacks unfolded. If you missed Tuesday's film on the Circle Line attack you can watch it here. On the eve of elections around the country we look at what is at stake for our political parties and who the winners and losers are likely to be. We will be taking a close look at the Egyptian-mediated reconciliation pact between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas, asking what it means for the prospect of peace in the Middle East. Jeremy has an interview with new BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten. And with the debate about whether a picture of Osama Bin Laden's body should be released we ask why it is so important to see such pictures and look back at some of the famous images of fallen foes from Mussolini to Saddam Hussein.
05/05/2011
S2011 E85 • Thursday, May 5, 2011 • May 5
We have the third in our series of extraordinary films on the 7/7 terror attacks in London, in which people caught up in the bombings recount how the attacks unfolded and changed their lives forever. If you missed Wednesday's film on the Edgware Road attack you can watch it here. Newsnight has an exclusive interview with a former colleague of the 7/7 bombers' leader, Mohammed Sidique Khan, which sheds new light on the crucial years before the bombings when he was living in Leeds. We'll also be examining the legality of the US operation that killed al-Qaeda head Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. Could Britain have undertaken something similar? And voters across the UK are going to the polls in a series of national and local elections as well as a referendum to decide the way MPs are elected. We'll have a report from Scotland on the elections for the parliament and Michael Crick will take a look at the alternative vote referendum.
06/05/2011
S2011 E86 • Friday, May 6, 2011 • May 6
In a special hour-long programme at 10.30pm, we'll be analysing the results of the UK local, Welsh, Scottish and AV polls. Our political editor Michael Crick will bring us the latest on the AV result which is still coming in, and will be assessing where heavy losses for the Lib Dems in England, significant wins for the SNP in Scotland, and the Conservatives holding ground in England all leaves British politics. David Grossman is in Bristol asking Lib Dem grassroots supporters how their party blew their big chance to get electoral reform, and what they should do now in coalition. Iain Watson reports from Edinburgh on the SNP's surge to Holyrood victory. And we'll be joined by Danny Finkelstein, Olly Grender and Peter Hyman to chew over the events of the day.
09/05/2011
S2011 E87 • Monday, May 9, 2011 • May 9
Nick Clegg has said that protecting the NHS is now his number one priority, claiming that "no bill is better than a bad bill". Meanwhile, one of his own MPs says the whole NHS reform exercise ought to be "stopped rather than paused". Tonight Michael Crick will be examining the politics of this - one of the most radical plans in the history of the health service - and Paul Mason will be asking if the opportunity to really reform the NHS has been lost for this generation. Stephen Smith goes in search of the flat white drinking, Guardian reading, progressive North London "commentariat" who voted 'yes' in last week's referendum on the alternative vote. Jeremy will be asking the former US assistant secretary of defence Joseph Nye what power is. And Will Gompertz meets film maker Terry Gilliam - the man who ran away from Minnesota to join Monty Python's Flying Circus - to find out how he got on with his operatic directorial debut, The Damnation of Faust for the ENO.
10/05/2011
S2011 E88 • Tuesday, May 10, 2011 • May 10
Tomorrow marks the first anniversary since the UK coalition government came to power. Tonight, we look at how the relationship between the Conservative and Liberal Democrats is faring and what the strategy is for both parties now, one year on. Plus we'll be joined by some political elders in debate. Then we have a film from Finland where we've met Timo Soini, the leader of right-wing, anti-immigration, nationalist party the True Finns. Last month the party, which opposes EU bailouts, took nearly a fifth of votes in the country's general election. And we will be examining the impact of ex-motorsports boss Max Mosley's failed bid in the European Court of Human Rights to force newspapers to warn people before exposing their private lives, and Mr Mosley will be joining us on the programme.
11/05/2011
S2011 E89 • Wednesday, May 11, 2011 • May 11
If it ever came to fruition we are still a long way from Scottish Independence, but if it did happen what would an independent Scotland look like? Jackie Long is digging through what the SNP has said in the past and will be reporting from Edinburgh tonight. Lyse Doucet has a film on the ambivalent attitude of Pakistanis towards Bin Laden. And we look at the phenomenon of Slut Walks - is this a wise response to the offensive comments of a Canadian policeman, and can the word "slut" be reclaimed? We will be discussing.
12/05/2011
S2011 E90 • Thursday, May 12, 2011 • May 12
Tonight on Newsnight we will be joined live in the studio by UK Chancellor George Osborne and French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde as we focus on the problems at the heart of the Eurozone. Our Economics editor Paul Mason will present his thesis on why EU governments and bureaucracy have mishandled the sovereign debt crisis, imposing unrealistic penalties on the population to save the banks in their own heartlands. And Paul will be giving us his thoughts on what Mr Osborne and Ms Lagarde tell us. We also have an interview with Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter disappeared while on a family holiday in Portugal four years ago, about the book Mrs McCann has written on their ordeal and ongoing efforts to locate Madeleine. Then our Science editor Susan Watts has the story of the secret US embassy cables released by Wikileaks which show nations are racing to "carve up" Arctic resources - oil, gas and even rubies - as the ice retreats (read more here). And Iain Watson has the latest on the news that the Lib Dem MP David Laws is to be suspended from the Commons for seven days over his expenses claims, which he used to pay rent to his partner and for building work and telephone bills.
13/05/2011
S2011 E91 • Friday, May 13, 2011 • May 13
Every day this week there seems to have been a big story in the news about the relationship between openness and personal privacy. Tonight David Grossman will be investigating what we should be allowed to know, and we'll be joined by a panel of journalists, lawyers and others to debate privacy laws, super injunctions and Twitter revelations. Then historian and author of England's Mistress, Kate Williams will be doing an authored piece asking what all these sex scandals tell us about 21st Century sexual behaviour in Britain.
16/05/2011
S2011 E92 • Monday, May 16, 2011 • May 16
The head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, is appearing in court in New York to face charges of sexual assault. Mr Strauss-Kahn, who had been seen as a contender in France's 2012 presidential election, denies allegations that he tried to rape a hotel maid on Saturday. His appearance had been delayed for forensic tests to be carried out. Meanwhile, another allegation against Mr Strauss-Kahn has emerged. A French writer says she may file a complaint for an alleged sexual assault in 2002. Tonight Peter Marshall will consider what impact this news will have on the political and cultural life of France, and we'll be joined in debate by French commentators Esther Leneman and Agnes Poirier. Then Michael Crick will be asking if Lib Dem cabinet minister Chris Huhne is politically finished. A senior detective has been tasked with investigating claims he asked someone else to take his penalty points for a 2003 speeding offence, Essex Police say. And on the day when the first coded bomb threat warning outside Northern Ireland has been received in a decade, Liz Mackean reports on Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Dublin tomorrow, when she'll become the first monarch to set foot in the Republic since George V. We hope to be joined by Lord Major, the former prime minister credited with establishing the Northern Ireland Peace Process in the early 1990s.
17/05/2011
S2011 E93 • Tuesday, May 17, 2011 • May 17
What would have happened if Osama Bin Laden had been captured rather than killed? Tonight we'll hear the case against Bin Laden, and we'll explore the different legal scenarios that could have ensued if the Al-Qaeda leader had been taken alive. We'll hear from advocates of each of the three scenarios what the pros and cons of each would be. Then we'll be joined live from Islamabad by Lyse Doucet who'll be asking if the US and Pakistan can successfully work together when there's little trust left between them. And our Diplomatic editor Mark Urban will join us live from Washington from where he'll explain why the current crisis in relations between the two countries is the most difficult since 9/11. Tonight's guests include Judge Michael Mukasey, US attorney general under President George W Bush (2007-9), and Benjamin Ferencz, the 91-year-old former prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials.
18/05/2011
S2011 E94 • Wednesday, May 18, 2011 • May 18
Recent polling by Lord Ashcroft suggested that there is a growing rift between the Conservative party and the public on the issue of crime. Tonight we look at whether the outcry over Ken Clarke's comments about rape and the row over Theresa May's proposals to cut the police budget are the latest signs that the Conservatives are out of touch on law and order. Also, when David Cameron came into power he adopted a chairman style of leadership, giving his ministers a large dose of autonomy and not micro-managing every department - but is this approach now getting the coalition into difficulties and does he need to tighten his grip? Plus, we follow the story of a man who has voluntarily had an impaired hand amputated so he can be fitted with a bionic limb and we will be discussing elective amputations with a man who has been fitted with a similar prosthesis. And we speak to David Brooks, New York Times columnist and author of "The Social Animal", a current hot read in Whitehall.
19/05/2011
S2011 E95 • Thursday, May 19, 2011 • May 19
We learned today that the Coalition has decided against introducing a Privacy Act to address concerns about injunctions, and that hot topic of discussion, super injunctions. The decision became known on the day that an order granting anonymity to ex-Royal Bank of Scotland boss Sir Fred Goodwin was lifted at the High Court. The lifting was triggered by House of Lords member Lord Stoneham using parliamentary privilege to reveal details of the gag order to peers. Tonight will debate whether this is a good day for freedom of speech or a bad day for human rights with the man who forced the move, Lord Stoneham, with a former judge who has imposed injunctions and with Max Mosley who has been pushing for a tightening of the law to protect individuals' privacy. Mark Urban will be giving us his thoughts on President Barack Obama's speech on the Arab Spring and we will be hearing from Middle East Quartet representative Tony Blair. Tim Whewell reports from Cairo on how recent upheavals have upset all the old certainties in the region and how Egypt's approach to Israel, the peace process and regional alliances has changed. And following the row over Justice Secretary Ken Clark's remarks about rape yesterday, Liz MacKean will be considering if the law needs to take a completely different approach to the crime. And we will discuss whether Mr Clarke was right to say there are different types of rape with Deborah Orr who says there are and a rape victim counsellor who says he is wrong.
20/05/2011
S2011 E96 • Friday, May 20, 2011 • May 20
Tonight, we lead on the news that a professional footballer has obtained a disclosure order against the social networking site Twitter. The application seeks the disclosure of the identities of a number of Twitter users who had been responsible for the publication of confidential information about him. Then we'll be looking into the story that the Rwandan government is masterminding an alleged assassination plot in this country against dissidents critical of the Rwandan regime. And as Dominique Strauss-Kahn is granted bail by a judge in New York after being formally charged with trying to rape a hotel maid, we'll consider who might be in line for his former job heading up the IMF.
23/05/2011
S2011 E97 • Monday, May 23, 2011 • May 23
An MP has defied the judiciary today by naming Ryan Giggs as the married footballer at the centre of a media gagging order. David Cameron has said that banning newspapers from naming such stars while the information was widely available on the internet was both "unsustainable" and "unfair" - but what is the answer? Are new laws required? Or can the press be trusted to regulate itself? Tonight we hear from the head of the Press Complaints Commission, the MP at the centre of the row, and a lawyer who has secured injunctions in the past. Then Justin Rowlatt reports from China on the difficulties men there are having finding partners if they do not first own property. Justin finds the situation is significantly impacting on the economy as men choose to save rather than splurge. And our Science editor Susan Watts is keeping an eye on the ash cloud from the Grimsvotn volcano in Iceland, which is expected to reach the UK by the early hours of Tuesday morning, the Met Office has said.
24/05/2011
S2011 E98 • Tuesday, May 24, 2011 • May 24
President Barack Obama has met Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace at the start of his state visit to Britain. Later he will have a brief meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron, although their more substantive talks are scheduled for Wednesday. Tonight Mark Urban look at what will be topping the agenda at those talks and what both leaders will be hoping to achieve in them. Peter Marshall is focussed on Glencore which floated on the stock exchange today. He will be telling us more about this vast company - the world's largest diversified commodities trader - what it does and how it works. The ongoing fight by local communities to save their libraries will be shown in force tonight at Kensal Green, with writer Alan Bennett leading the charge. Stephen Smith is off to meet him. And we have an interview with porn baron Larry Flynt who will be talking about the connection between power and sex outlined in his new book One Nation Under Sex, a history of political sex scandals.
25/05/2011
S2011 E99 • Wednesday, May 25, 2011 • May 25
Barack Obama and David Cameron have said Colonel Gaddafi will ultimately be forced out of power and Libya's people allowed to "choose their own future". At a joint press conference in London, the UK prime minister vowed to "turn up the heat" on the regime in Tripoli amid suggestions of deadlock on the ground. Tonight Mark Urban considers what the diplomatic strategy for Libya is now. Jeremy has been to meet the former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. Jeremy asks him if he was surprised that the Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was found living inside Pakistan. See that interview in full later. As the coalition appoints pro-abstinence charity Life to an advisory group on sexual health, we'll debate if the government's Christian moral approach to sex education and abortion is a good thing or not. And Stephen Smith dons his scarlet matador's cape and travels to Spain where the Catalan parliament has banned the country's most emblematic pastime. Stephen finds that though the bullfighting ban has brought relief to animal rights activists, people are deeply concerned that an important part of the culture and tradition of Spain's nationalist heartland will be lost.
26/05/2011
S2011 E100 • Thursday, May 26, 2011 • May 26
Tonight we lead on the news that Ratko Mladic, wanted for genocide during the Bosnian war in the 1990s, has been arrested in Serbia and that moves to extradite him to The Hague tribunal have begun. Gen Mladic, the most prominent Bosnian war crimes suspect at large since the arrest of Radovan Karadzic in 2008, faces charges over the massacre of at least 7,500 Bosnian Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995. What will his arrest mean for reconciliation in the country and region? And does it open the door to membership of the European Union for Serbia? Tonight our guests to discuss the matter include Serbian ambassador to the UK, Dr Dejan Popovic, Bosnian writer Zlata Filipovic, whose book Zlata's Diary chronicled the horrors of war in Sarajevo where she lived, and International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) prosecutor Sir Geoffrey Nice. Also, we have a film from Catrin Nye who has been to the Greater Manchester town of Oldham 10 years after riots between white and Asian communities. Despite efforts to bring the two communities together over the last decade she finds that many are still leading parallel lives, and some are predicting more conflict ahead. Afterwards we will be joined in the studio by people from Oldham to discuss the film's findings and what needs to change.
27/05/2011
S2011 E101 • Friday, May 27, 2011 • May 27
Sharon Shoesmith, the former director of children's services for Haringey, North London, has won her Court of Appeal battle over her sacking following the Baby Peter tragedy. Judges said that the-then education secretary Ed Balls and her employers, Haringey Council, had been "procedurally unfair" when they sacked her three years ago. Baby Peter Connelly, who had been seen 60 times by social services, was found dead in 2007 with over 50 injuries. Tonight we will talk to Ed Balls, and will discuss whether in the rush to find a scapegoat for the Baby Peter tragedy opportunities to reform social services were lost. Also amid the news that Fifa President Sepp Blatter has been placed under investigation by the organisation's ethics committee over accusations he failed to report the payment of alleged bribes we ask if this is the moment football cleans up.
31/05/2011
S2011 E102 • Tuesday, May 31, 2011 • May 31
The Football Association and the Scottish Football Association have called for Fifa to postpone its presidential election. Current president Sepp Blatter is the only candidate for the 1 June election after Mohamed Bin Hammam's withdrawal. Peter Marshall will have the latest on the Fifa crisis for us tonight. Justin Rowlatt visits the world's biggest polluter, China, to find out if it really can boom without poisoning the planet. Then David Grossman considers Angela Merkel's decision to phase out nuclear power stations in Germany by 2022. And as increasing numbers of people decide that property is now so scarce and its cost so high that they may never own their own place, Jeremy is joined by property expert Kirstie Allsopp to discuss how that possibility might change us.
01/06/2011
S2011 E103 • Wednesday, Jun 1, 2011 • Jun 1
Nato's Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's departure from power is "only a matter of time". Tonight we hear from the BBC's Andrew North who has spent the past few weeks in Tripoli. We have a film from our correspondent Tim Whewell who is in Egypt - where a court has set a date for the trial of former President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons, Alaa and Gamal. Tim has travelled to the Sinai peninsula, the wilderness area that separates Africa and Asia, which he finds is awash with arms and increasingly unstable since the uprising which toppled Mr Mubarak in February. Read more about that here. And Jeremy will be speaking to Booker prize winning author turned political campaigner, Arundhati Roy.
02/06/2011
S2011 E104 • Thursday, Jun 2, 2011 • Jun 2
With more doubts raised today on the government's ability to control immigration, one group who are being targeted are students who wish to study here. But can the UK afford to turn many of them away? Tonight we will debate whether the crackdown on student visas keeps the best and the brightest out, or simply closes one big immigration loophole. As the E-Coli bug claims more victims Susan Watts reports on how worried should we be about this new and powerful strain, and we talk to Professor Hugh Pennington, who led inquiries into two E-Coli outbreaks in the UK. And 1980s architecture - iconic buildings like London's Broadgate Centre and the Law Courts in Truro - is starting to turn 30. Love them or loathe them, this means they can now apply for listed heritage status. But should they be saved? Tonight we have an authored film from Wayne Hemingway on the proposed listing of iconic and controversial early '80s developments. Before you see that film, check out this classic piece of BBC archive we've uncovered of Prince Charles talking about 1980s architecture.
03/06/2011
S2011 E105 • Friday, Jun 3, 2011 • Jun 3
Panorama's programme detailing the abuse of residents in a Bristol care home and the news that Southern Cross has slashed its rent payments in an effort to keep its 750 residential homes for the elderly running have this week thrown a new spotlight on the provision of care for vulnerable members of society. Tonight we focus on the kind of care which should be available and who should pay for it with a report from Peter Marshall and a discussion with guests including Joan Bakewell, John Redwood and Ray King from Bupa. We also focus on another of the stories of the week - morality in sport - following the news that the Bahrain Grand Prix has been reinstated. The race, originally due to be held on 13 March, was called off in February because of pro-democracy protests in which more than 20 people have died. Is it right that it will be back on the F1 calendar in October?
06/06/2011
S2011 E106 • Monday, Jun 6, 2011 • Jun 6
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has concluded that no changes are needed to UK economic policy. It said weak economic growth and rising inflation had been "unexpected", but said they were "largely temporary". It pointed to rising commodity prices and the increase in VAT as temporary problems for inflation. Our Economics editor Paul Mason has been blogging on this subject and you can watch more from him on tonight's programme, when we'll also have interviews with the interim boss of the IMF, John Lipsky (watch a clip here), and the shadow chancellor Ed Balls. Then, as Nintendo becomes the latest company to suffer an online security breach due to an attack by hackers, the BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones investigates how much we put our own personal data at risk by storing it on servers and hard drives that are not our own. Read more on the dot.Rory blog here. Ahead of the publication tomorrow of the government's revised Prevent counter-terrorism strategy, the Home Secretary Theresa May has accused universities of "complacency" in tackling Islamist extremism. Richard Watson is in Nottingham and has more on this story for us this evening.
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