Snowmail: getting past Burma generals

Last Modified: 08 May 2008
By: Jon Snow

In tonight's programme...

Burma's still very much the top of the news agenda tonight. Still a tremendous diplomatic battle to get aid and aid workers into the country. The generals are paranoid about allowing something which hasn't happened during all the years since they came to power.

The US is best placed to provide helicopter lift. Needless to say they have a fleet nearby with an aircraft carrier and a lot of helicopter capacity.

It's very difficult at this stage to be certain of what, if any, deal has been done. But John Holmes, who's in charge of humanitarian assistance at the UN, is holding a news conference as I write, and he will be live with us at seven. We should get a pretty good idea of the new magnitude of the disaster and what is being done to combat it.

China's ambassador interviewed

Burma's closest ally is China. And by chance tonight we have Fu Ying, the Chinese ambassador to London, live in the studio. We'll obviously ask her about Burma, but much more particularly we'll be focusing on the disintegration of relations that has surrounded the Olympics and its torch.

Bouncy castle tragedy

Feels a bit strange to contrast the terrible loss of life above with one very personal tragedy in Britain: a child brain-damaged by an accident on a bouncy castle at a birthday party. The father sued the people who held the party, and compensation of £1 million has been adjudged the consequence. It is a development with pretty considerable consequences.

Last post for disabled people?

Interesting story about the Post Office. A couple, one of whom is disabled, are seeking judicial review after the government removed an obligation upon the Post Office to take consideration of the needs of disabled people.

This is a decision which predated the recent closure programme. And the suspicion is that the government removed this obligation so that closures could go ahead. Obviously if you're disabled, the need for a local post office is greater than if you're not.

To boldy go where no Briton has gone

Finally, although Britain has wound up its manned space programme, the search is on for British astronauts. We talk to some of the hopefuls and muse on whether the decision was right - or whether in the end technology has effectively done away with the need for a human being in space.

We shall be very much on the ground, at seven, on 4.