Newsnight 12 January 2005

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Wednesday's programme, presented by Jeremy Paxman, covers the following stories:

Thatcher plea

We investigate reports that Sir Mark Thatcher is to plead guilty over his part in an alleged coup plot in Equatorial Guinea.

WMD hunt ends

US intelligence officials confirm they have abandoned the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, without any arms stockpiles found. We'll be speaking live to the former UK foreign secretary, Robin Cook and ex-head of the Iraq Survey Group, David Kay.

Intruder laws

The Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, has announced the law concerning the rights of householders to defend themselves against burglars with the use of "reasonable force" will not be changed. But it was only a couple of months ago that the Prime Minister endorsed a review of the law looking into the level of appropriate force.

Environment

Some five million people in the country are living in homes at risk of flooding and the number is set to increase with rising sea levels, changes to the environment and the continued development of floodplains. Following severe flooding over the last few days we ask whether we could ever make the country water tight and if so - at what cost? We'll be speaking to Environment Minister Elliot Morley.

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