| THURSDAY 4TH DECEMBER FROM KIRSTY WARK Hello, Economic Rescue Plans Another day, another big lever is pulled to try to kick-start business investment, consumer spending and the housing market. The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee today reduced the official bank rate one percentage point to 2% - its lowest for more than half a century. The cost of borrowing has been more than halved since early October, but will the rate cut be passed on by the banks and how can the government enforce lending. Britain's biggest mortgage lender The Halifax has already said it will limit its cut to 1/4%. Tonight with guests including Barack Obama's adviser (who was Bill Clinton's Secretary of Labour) Robert Reich, the chief executive of the advertising agency WPP, Sir Martin Sorrell, and the economist Noreena Hertz , we'll be asking if we are taking the right steps to reverse the slowdown, how long will it take and if neither fiscal or monetary measures work, what then? Shannon Matthews " Pure evil" is how the police officer who led the case of the disappearance of Shannon Matthews - described her mother, Karen Matthews, today found guilty of kidnapping her own daughter, of false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice. " It is difficult to understand what type of mother would subject her own daughter to such a wicked and evil crime." Karen Matthews partner's uncle Michael Donovan was also convicted by a unanimous jury. It is believed that both of them gave nine-year old Karen the drug Temazepam and the travel sickness medication Melocozine for as many as 20 months before her abduction. How did such behaviour go on undetected and are there people living so far beyond the boundaries of human decency that other children like Shannon are suffering in silence too? Does this case tell us anything about Britain today? Lebanon And more on the economy - how the Lebanese banking system is shielding the country's economy from the global financial crisis. Do join us at 1030pm. Missed Newsnight? Click here to watch the latest programme online Newsnight Blog Add your comments to our correspondents' blogs: CLICK HERE | 
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