15 October 2004

Click here to sign up for our free, daily e-letter from the Newsnight presenters.

Friday's programme, presented by Gavin Esler, covers the following stories:

Fallujah

US ground forces launched their largest offensive in Falluhah since last April when US marines took on local Sunni insurgents. Then the battles left hundreds dead, though the American campaign fizzled out.

ABU MUSAB AL-ZARQAWI Profile

We ask whether this really is a big American and Iraqi government push to take control of one of the most notorious trouble spots in the Sunni triangle, and perhaps root out the Zarqawi terrorist group and its supporters.

AIDS breakthrough

The latest on potentially a very important AIDS breakthrough, with the successful testing of microcidal creams, which may make it possible to block the transmission of the Aids virus from men to women. Susan Watts explains how the treatment works. And we talk to Clare Short, the former secretary of state for International Development, who pushed research in this area while she was in the government.

Liverpool

And Spectator Editor, Boris Johnson - who's also the Conservative arts spokesman - will not be a favourite in Liverpool after his magazine accused Liverpudlians of "wallowing" in their victim status over the murder of Kenneth Bigley in Iraq. Mr Johnson insists no offence was meant, saying "The Spectator loves Liverpool". Liverpudlians are not convinced.

Plus Newsnight Review

Click here for details

---

Newsnight is broadcast every weekday on BBC Two at 2230 in the UK.

You can also watch the show from this website, either live or on demand for 24 hours after originally broadcast, by clicking on the latest programme button.

---