But a special Newsnight report from Louisiana suggests the oil giant could be about to face an even bigger reckoning - billions in compensation payouts and a criminal investigation.

Peter Marshall is in Louisiana where he's been meeting people affected by the devastating oil spill and the sky-diving lawyer trying to help them get decent payouts from BP.

Justin Rowlatt will be explaining the argument that is raging around the rights and wrongs of the WikiLeaks release of over 75,000 secret US military reports covering the war in Afghanistan.

He'll be profiling the whistle blowing website and the man behind it.

Our Science editor Susan Watts will be watching Energy Secretary Chris Huhne's keynote Commons statement on Britain's energy shortfall in which he'll announce help for renewables but no public subsidy for new nuclear plants. So how are we going to plug the energy gap?

And we'll be joined by poet and modern day troubadour, Simon Armitage, who yesterday completed a 264-mile walk along the Pennine Way funded entirely by donations, food and accommodation given in return for nightly poetry readings in the village halls, homes and pubs he passed along the way.

We'll be asking him if poetry really does pay.

It's an Olympics free zone tonight - join Kirsty at 10.30pm on BBC Two.
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From earlier today:

Tonight Peter Marshall will be reporting on the problems BP are facing in Louisiana.

We'll be looking at the release by WikiLeaks of over 75,000 secret US military reports covering the war in Afghanistan. They say it is the most significant archive about the reality of war ever to have been released during the course of a war.

And we'll be across Energy Secretary Chris Huhne's keynote Commons statement on renewables.

In a bid to avert a future power crisis, Mr Huhne is expected to say that while nuclear power will remain a part of the UK's energy portfolio there will be no government money to subsidise new plants. So how does he propose to plug this energy gap?

More details later.

With Parliament rising for the summer break tomorrow, we will be assessing the performance of the new government in "Coalition Britain - a Newsnight Special".

Live from a forge in the city of steel - Sheffield, we will have the results of a poll on public attitudes to the coalition and public service cuts, as well as reaction from a live studio audience.

Kirsty Wark will be joined by a panel of politicians: cabinet minister David Willetts, newly-elected Lib Dem MP Gordon Birtwistle and Labour's business spokesman Pat McFadden to discuss the government's record so far and its prospects for the future.

Former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown and one-time Tory chairman Lord Tebbit will be offering their advice on the state of the coalition, while Newsnight political editor Michael Crick will provide his analysis.

Do join Kirsty at 10.30pm on BBC Two.

From earlier today:

Tonight we'll be hosting a Coalition Special live from the city of steel - Sheffield.

We will have the results of a poll on public attitudes to the coalition and public service cuts, as well as reaction from a live studio audience.

Kirsty Wark will also be joined by a panel of politicians - and former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown and former Tory chairman Lord Tebbit will be offering their own takes on the state of the current government.

What do people make of the coalition's record so far and how will it survive the future?

More details later.

The health of Europe's banks will come under scrutiny again later, when the results of EU-wide bank stress tests are published.

Results for a total of 91 banks across Europe will be made public, in a move designed to reassure investors over the health of Europe's financial sectors. The tests assess whether banks will be able to survive future economic shocks.

Economics editor Paul Mason will be asking what wider impact the results will have and we will be reflecting on the validity of the tests.

Liz Mackean will be reporting on the results of a court case involving multinational firm Trafigura, found guilty of illegally exporting toxic waste from the European Union to Ivory Coast.

And we will be looking ahead to the latest version of Sherlock Holmes - BBC One's Sherlock, to be broadcast on Sunday.

We speak to the writer of the modern-day adaptation, Steven Moffat, about the enduring popularity of the fictional detective.

Do join Gavin at 10.30pm on BBC Two.

Science editor Susan Watts will be reporting from the 35th International Conference on High Energy Physics in Paris where rival teams from US and Europe have been revealing their progress in finding the elusive Higgs-Boson - or "God particle".

We will be discussing funding such science projects in an age of austerity.

The government's new National Citizenship Service, which will see 16-year-olds volunteering with charities and social enterprises from next summer, was launched today. David Cameron says it will encourage people from different social backgrounds to mix and help address the "tragic waste of potential in this country".

Stephen Smith will be looking back at National Service of the past, and asking what contribution it could make today.

Do join Gavin at 10.30pm on BBC Two.

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From earlier today:

As Lord Carlile publishes his annual review of terror laws, Richard Watson will be looking at the government's approach to security.

Susan Watts is heading to Paris to report from the 35th International Conference on High Energy Physics - and we will be discussing science funding in an age of austerity.

We will also be looking at the government's new National Citizenship Service, which will see 16-year-olds volunteering from next summer for seven to eight weeks.

Former Daily Telegraph owner and Peer of the Realm Conrad Black is to be released on bail from a US jail pending an appeal against his fraud conviction. Inmate 18330-424 has served more than two years of his 78-month sentence and is being freed on a $2m (£1.3m) bond. Our correspondent Glenn Campbell will bring us the latest on what could be an extraordinary comeback from a man who at one time dazzled the British establishment.

Ahead of stress tests on Europe's banks this Friday, our Economics Editor Paul Mason has been to Spain to assess how vulnerable their economy and banks are - watch a preview clip here.

We'll have the latest on David Cameron's trip to the US.

And we'll be marking the landmark of Facebook hitting 500 million users worldwide - a reach of about eight per cent of the world's total population.

The social networking juggernaut - dreamt up in a Harvard University dorm and only six years old - has transformed the way that millions of us interact and form relationships, but how robust is Facebook as a business model?

Do join Gavin at 10.30pm on BBC Two.

All eyes will be on the body language in Washington tonight between two new leaders. Ten weeks after taking office, David Cameron is there for his first White House visit as UK prime minister.

Although the agenda was meant to centre on the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the global economy and the UK government's proposed Afghan withdrawal date of 2015, the reignited row over the free-ing of the Lockerbie bomber is now dominating the visit. Having initially refused, David Cameron will be meeting four US senators to discuss allegations BP lobbied for the release of the Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.

Peter Marshall is in Washington for Newsnight tonight and we hope to be speaking to Mike Hammer from Obama's National Security Council.

We'll also be asking Simon Schama what he thinks will define Cameron and Obama's 'special relationship'.

Then Jackie Long will be asking why the UK government has decided to simplify the UK tax law.

And, in his first broadcast interview, we'll be asking the Cardiff councillor John Dixon about the tweet which has resulted in him facing a disciplinary hearing for calling the Church of Scientology "stupid".

Do join Kirsty at 10.30pm on BBC Two.

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From earlier today:
Ahead of his first White House visit as UK prime minister, David Cameron has told a US newspaper that he will be "hard headed and realistic" about UK-US relations.

"We are the junior partner," he writes.

The 'special relationship' aside, it is expected that the BP oil leak, Afghanistan and the global economy will all be on the agenda for today's talks with President Barack Obama. Mr Cameron has also agreed to meet four US senators about the Lockerbie bomber's release.

Peter Marshall is in Washington for Newsnight tonight.

More details later.

And at 10.30pm we'll be joined by Green Howards soldiers and their families to debate some of the issues raised in the film.

Conservative MP Philip Hollobone has introduced a private members' bill - the Face Coverings (Regulation) Bill - which would make it illegal for people to cover their faces in public.

Tonight Glenn Campbell will be in east London with Mr Hollobone to meet women who wear the niqab and the burqa to find out what they think of his proposed bill. And as Syria bans the face-covering Islamic veil from the country's universities, we'll be examining what the issue tells us about relations between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Justin Rowlatt will be examining the details of the trade which saw a Mayfair-based hedge fund acquire ownership of £658m worth of cocoa beans - around 7% of global production. He will be asking if there are ever good economic reasons to speculate on commodities like food stuffs.

And as safe deposit boxes believed to contain manuscripts and drawings by the late author Franz Kafka are due to be opened at a bank in Zurich, our Culture correspondent Stephen Smith will be considering if it is ever right for works to be published posthumously. Kafka died in 1924 and, if his own last wishes had been followed, novels such as The Trial and The Castle would never have seen the light of day.

The author had asked his friend and fellow writer, Max Brod, to burn his manuscripts after his death, but Brod refused. So what should happen to these newly uncovered works?

It's Kirsty in the presenting seat tonight - so do join her at 10.30pm on BBC Two.
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From earlier today...

The war in Afghanistan has cost more than 300 British soldiers' lives, billions of pounds and left thousands wounded. The effects on those who serve are profound, just as they are for the loved ones who wait at home.

Newsnight's Defence editor Mark Urban has spent one year following A Company, 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment; before, during, and after their tour in Sangin, in Afghanistan's Helmand province. Tonight in a special edition of Newsnight at 2100 BST on BBC Two we will be broadcasting a searing and intimate portrait of the regiment at war in Afghanistan and at home.

Later on the programme at 2230 BST we will be debating the issues raised by the film with some of the soldiers and their families.

We will also be discussing political biographies, following the publication of Peter Mandelson's memoirs The Third Man.

And we will be asking why a Mayfair-based hedge fund, Armajaro, has taken delivery of £658m worth of cocoa beans - equal to about 7% of global production. 

More details later.

How safe are European banks? Over the last two days, they've borrowed 243 billion euros from the European Central Bank. That's less than some expected but a couple of hundred banks are still on life support.

Our Economics Editor Paul Mason is in Frankfurt to assess how healthy the European banking system is and what the consequences are for the future of the euro and the world economy.

Our Science editor Susan Watts is taking a look at the independent review into the UK's strategic response to last year's swine flu pandemic. The review's author, Dame Deirdre Hine, has outlined 28 recommendations that aim to enhance the proportionality of a future response, strengthen the development and handling of scientific advice, and improve how the government communicates with the public.

We'll be joined live by the Health Secretary at the time of the pandemic, Andy Burnham.

The Foreign Secretary, William Hague says the government wants to increase the country's influence in the European Union and strengthen ties with developing countries like Brazil, India and China. He said the UK must extend its "global reach and influence" or face decline in a fast-changing world.

Our Diplomatic editor Mark Urban will be considering how we re-assert ourselves as a foreign power and we'll discuss Britain's role in the world with the former Foreign Office Minister, Mark Malloch Brown and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma.

And on the day that the government set up a new website asking the public to suggest laws and regulations they would like to see abolished we'll be talking to some early contributors to the debate and ask whether such efforts at public engagement achieve anything.

Do join Gavin at 10.30pm.

Earlier today

Here's what we are looking at for tonight's Newsnight:

Foreign Secretary William Hague is setting out how he intends to make British foreign policy more "clear, focused and effective". In his first major speech in the role, he said the UK must extend its "global reach and influence" or face decline in a fast-changing world. Our Diplomatic editor Mark Urban will be considering how we re-assert ourselves as a foreign power.

Meanwhile, Paul Mason, our Economics editor, is in Frankfurt to assess what shape Europe's banks are in. If Europe's banking system is in trouble what impact might it have on ours?

Our Science editor Susan Watts is taking a look at the independent review into the UK's strategic response to last year's swine flu pandemic which has just been published. The review's author, Dame Deirdre Hine, has outlined 28 recommendations that aim to enhance the proportionality of a future response, strengthen the development and handling of scientific advice, and improve how the government communicates with the public.

And we're juggling lots more ideas and possible guests - we'll bring you more details later.

Can the private sector really provide 2.5 million new jobs within the next five years to save Britain from mass unemployment? It is an extraordinarily ambitious target by a government whose own independent forecasters predicted today that over 600,000 jobs will be lost in the public sector over the next six years.

Tonight, as Labour accuses the coalition of forcing the 'abject misery of unemployment' on the country, we ask leading figures from the world of business - as well as the politicians themselves - whether it is realistic to assume that they can provide the jobs.

The one phrase from the Tory handbook on crime-fighting that no-one ever forgets is, arguably, Michael Howard's mantra that 'prison works'.

But that was old Tory, it seems, and today Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has torn up the handbook and called short term sentences an expensive failure. He accuses previous Labour home secretaries of building up the prison population with ' a chequebook and a copy of the Daily Mail'.

How will that go down with the country at large? We'll be hearing the views of former inmate and Tory minister Jonathan Aitken, and Richard Watson has been speaking with some victims of crime to get their views.

Also tonight, award winning Tim Whewell has an extraordinary film on the children of Rwanda. Read more on that story here.

And we'll be asking whether the true star of the 2010 World Cup is a man who hasn't even set foot on the pitch - Maradona. Peter Marshall examines Diego's power and influence in Latin America.

Join me at 10.30pm on BBC Two.

Emily

Earlier today

A newspaper has claimed cuts announced in the Budget could lead to the loss of up to 1.3 million jobs by 2015.

We're heading to Leeds to ask what the coalition government's plans mean for people working in the public and private sectors.

Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke is outlining measures to tackle the growth in the prison population - such as paying private firms and voluntary groups according to how many prisoners they rehabilitate. He argues vast sums are being spent "warehousing" people in outdated prisons without any proof it protects the public.

We'll be looking at the alternatives to prison - and questioning the apparent U-turn in Tory policy.

We also have a special film from Rwanda, with interviews with women raped during the 1994 genocide. They describe how the horrors of that year continue to affect their lives and those of their children.

And finally, we will be profiling Argentina coach and footballing hero Diego Maradona.

More details later.

The government has introduced the UK's first cap on immigration. From next April there'll be an annual limit on the number of skilled workers from outside the European Union allowed into the UK. In the meantime, to avoid a rush of applications, an interim cap of 24,100 will be imposed.

There are reports of division within the coalition with David Willetts, Michael Gove and Vince Cable said to be worried about the impact of the policy on business and universities. But with just one in seven potential migrants subject to the cap, how much of a difference will it make? Richard Watson will investigate and we hope to discuss the issues with the Immigration Minister Damian Green, Labour's Mayoral hopeful Oona King and Lord Pearson, the Leader of the UK Independence Party.

Could the imposition of unilateral targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions damage our economy? That's the fear of the former Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King. Our Science editor Susan Watts is at the World Forum on Enterprise and the Environment in Oxford where the T.25 car was launched today. It produces about 40% fewer emissions over its lifecycle than the average car. Are such technological innovations the answer as we move towards a low-carbon economy?

Our Economics Editor Paul Mason will examine why the England team were so poor in their World Cup match against Germany. Have we seen the first real triumph of the economics of modern football over skill and organisation: the triumph of a club-first, nation-last mentality and individualism over teamwork? Read Paul's blog.

And our Culture correspondent Stephen Smith will be meeting the legend of jazz and popular music, the 15 Grammy award winning Tony Bennett. Watch a sneak preview here.

Do join Gavin at 10.30pm on BBC Two.

From earlier today

The number of skilled workers allowed into the UK from outside the EU is to be cut, Home Secretary Theresa May has said. Numbers will go down to 24,100 between now and April 2011, 5% less than last year.

We've asked Richard Watson to investigate what difference this is really going to make, and why this immigration cap will work when others haven't.

Our Science editor Susan Watts is at the World Forum of Enterprise and Environment in Oxford, where the T.25 car is to be launched which produces about 40% fewer emissions over its lifecycle than the average car. She'll be considering if imposing unrealistic targets in an attempt to curb climate change could put economic growth at serious risk.

Paul Mason will be presenting his thesis on why England were so poor in their World Cup match against Germany yesterday.

And our Culture correspondent Stephen Smith will be meeting the legend of jazz and popular music, Tony Bennett.

Prince Charles's opposition to modernist architecture is well known, but did he overstep his constitutional position when he lobbied the Qatari royal family - behind the scenes - to express his passionate opposition to a multi-billion pound property contract in London which was later cancelled?

Does he, as his supporters claim, simply give voice to the views of local residents who feel ignored by the planning system? Or is his clout increasingly making it impossible for new exciting architecture to find favour?

Today Judge Geoffrey Vos ruled that CPC group, a developer whose Chelsea Barracks property scheme in London was cancelled following opposition from Prince Charles, is entitled to damages.

In June last year the Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment withdrew its planning application for the Chelsea Barracks development masterminded by Richard Rogers for CPC.

It followed a letter Prince Charles had written to Qatar's prime minister and the head of Qatari Diar expressing his opposition to the design.

Judge Vos said, both the developers, the Candy Brothers, and Qatari Diar "were faced with a very difficult position once the Prince of Wales intervened in the planning process" in March last year. "His intervention was, no doubt, unexpected and unwelcome," he said.

Live on Newsnight one of the Prince of Wales advocates faces a leading architect.

As world leaders jet into Toronto for the start of the G20 we have a live interview with the head of the OECD about the dangers of a double dip recession, as European nations tighten their belts in concert. Plus, when he described George Osborne's budget as "courageous," what exactly did he mean?

And, on the subject of these straightened times, our Science editor Susan Watts has a special report from the See Further festival on London's South Bank which opens today, timed to coincide with the 350th anniversary of the Royal Society.

It is a celebration of science that also heralds a big warning - spending cuts for short term savings in the area of science and innovation, engineering and design could have disastrous, long term consequences for Britain's prosperity.

Could we risk losing our place as one of the world's leading scientific nations?

Sir James Dyson tells Susan about the dangers of neglecting science, in particular in our education system.

Do join me at 10.30pm on BBC Two.

Kirsty

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From earlier today:

David Cameron has urged a "tight focus" on priorities at the G8 and G20 summits - his first as UK PM - to make sure they "deliver for people".

The leaders of the G8 industrialised nations are meeting in Muskoka, Ontario to discuss help for poor countries.

Tonight we'll be speaking to the head of the OECD, Angel Gurría.

Then Richard Watson will be examining the curious world of planning and property development in Britain.

A high-profile court case has blamed Prince Charles for the demise of a scheme for luxury apartments in one of the country's wealthiest areas.

The case saw property developers the Candy brothers accuse the Qatari royal family of dropping the £3bn development plans for Chelsea Barracks in London after the prince's intervention. They sued the developers, state-backed Qatari Diar, for £81m compensation.

So is Prince Charles overstepping his constitutional role? Is his influence in affecting the landscape of our cities benign or otherwise? And does it lead to an inherent conservatism in British architecture?

And our Science editor Susan Watts will be reporting from the South Bank's celebration of science which coincides with the 350th anniversary of the Royal Society. She'll be considering if cuts in Science and university budgets could undermine Britain's position as one of the world's leading scientific nations, and affect our long term growth prospects. Read more about that story on Susan's blog.

More details later.

Also - Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed that he will give the Bank of England the key role in regulating the UK financial sector. Mr Osborne is due to give more details of his plans in a speech tonight at Mansion House - one of the set piece occasions in the chancellor's calendar, and an opportunity to update the City on the state of the economy.

Our Economics editor Paul Mason will be bringing us the latest on that story tonight and we'll be discussing whether the reforms go far enough.

And, it's payback time, boys... or so says the website for a new first-person shooter game for woman called Hey Baby.

The controversial web games allows the player to extract their vengeance on men in the street who catcall and leer by shooting and killing them.

We hope to be speaking to the game's creator Suyin Looui who says she designed Hey Baby to spark discussion about women's experiences of public space.

And we'll be asking if we're seeing a rise in female violent retribution in popular culture.

Join Gavin at 10.30pm on BBC Two.

Diane Abbott, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham, David Miliband and Ed Miliband will all take part in the first televised hustings of the contest in front of an audience.

Our political editor Michael Crick will be live blogging throughout the event from 10.30pm on the Newsnight website. And you can click here to get more information on how you can contribute.

And Jackie Long is in Londonderry again for us where the families of those killed and injured on Bloody Sunday and the soldiers involved are studying Lord Saville's report on the events.

The outcome of the Bloody Sunday inquiry, the longest and most expensive public inquiry in UK legal history, is due to be made public later.

Jackie will be explaining exactly what the report says, getting reaction from the families, considering what the political fallout might be and asking, what next?

Do join Jeremy Paxman at 10.30pm tonight on BBC Two.

The race is on to succeed Gordon Brown after he stood down as Labour Party leader, and on Tuesday 15 June 2010 at 10.30pm on BBC Two Jeremy Paxman will be cross examining the five candidates who have put themselves forward - and crucially have won enough backing from fellow MPs - to stand in the leadership contest.

Diane Abbott, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham, David Miliband and Ed Miliband will all take part in the first televised hustings of the contest.

What questions would you like Jeremy to put to them? Post your thoughts below or email them to newsnight@bbc.co.uk with the subject heading LABOUR and we'll arm Paxman with the best for the programme.

Estimates of the scale of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have been constantly changing. The US Geological Survey says twice as much oil as previously thought - 40,000 barrels (1.7 million gallons) per day - might have been gushing out since the explosion in April. That's equivalent to an Exxon Valdez type spill every week.

Sharp criticism from the US about the way the company is handling the disaster has been described by some UK politicians as anti-British rhetoric. But should we bother defending the company after the devastating environmental damage they have unleashed? We'll be debating that question in the studio.

And it can't have escaped your notice that the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is now under way. The spectacular opening ceremony took place earlier at the 94,000-capacity Soccer City in Johannesburg, followed by the first game of the tournament which resulted in a draw between the hosts and Group A rivals Mexico.

Tonight Gavin will be joined by the former French international David Ginola and advertising executive Martin Sorrell to ask whether marketing and money are now overshadowing the simplicity of the beautiful game.

Do join us for this evening's Newsnight at 10.30pm on BBC Two.
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As many as 40,000 barrels (1.7 million gallons) of oil a day may have been gushing out from a blown-out Gulf of Mexico well, doubling many estimates.

The US Geological Survey says that flow rate could have been reached before a cap was put on the well on 3 June.

Sharp criticism from the US about the way the company is handling the disaster has been described by some UK politicians as anti-British rhetoric.

But should we bother defending the company after the environmental damage they have unleashed?

A host of celebrities from the world of politics, business and sport will attend the opening ceremony of the World Cup at Soweto's Soccer City stadium later today, before the competition's opening game between South Africa and Mexico.

We'll be joined by the former French international David Ginola and English businessman Martin Sorrell to debate if marketing and money are now overshadowing the simplicity of the beautiful game.

It's Gavin presenting tonight and we'll bring you more details later.