Monday, 12 December, 2005

Details of tonight's programme
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DETAILS OF TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME

From programme producer Robbie Gibb

HEMEL BLAST

It's been described as "the largest such incident in peacetime Europe" - and we're faced with the menacing sight of clouds of black smoke spreading over southern England after yesterday's blast at Hemel Hempstead. John Prescott has told the Commons that the cause of the explosion is still not yet known, while paying 'fulsome' tribute to the fire and emergency services.

According to an old pedant on the programme, the dictionary definition of fulsome is 'sickeningly obsequious; nauseatingly affectionate, admiring or praiseful'. But aside from the Deputy PM's linguistic tics, what exactly do we know about the blast - its causes, consequences and the potential environmental fallout? Our Science Editor Susan Watts reports.

IRAQ WITHDRAWAL

With Iraqi elections due on Thursday, how do the people of the country view their future? A BBC poll of Iraqi public opinion reveals they now hold a more downbeat assessment of the country's future than this time last year - but would things improve if British and American troops left? We have an exclusive report about the British timetable for withdrawal from Mark Urban, who has spent time with the forces in Basra.

US PRESIDENT CONTENDER

And as George Bush delivers yet another speech on the future of Iraq, we'll hear from the man some are calling the next American President - likely Democrat contender for the 2008 elections, Virginia Governor Mark Warner.

END OF YEAR INTERVIEW

And continuing our series of Newsnight end of year interviews, we hear from the man caught up not only in the 7/7 bomb attacks, but the subsequent row over the government's anti-terror proposals. John Tulloch was sitting three feet away from Mohammed Siddique Khan when his tube carriage blew up, and when his bloodied face appeared on the front of The Sun under a headline urging people to back 90 day detention, the media professor spoke out. We hear his tale.

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