Brown says troops will stay in Afghanistan

Last Modified: 12 Dec 2007
By: Jon Snow

Gordon Brown says Britain's 7,500 troops will stay in Afghanistan.

He's adding another £450m for redevelopment and upgrading military equipment. He's made a major statement on Afghanistan declaring that the Taliban are being driven back and beaten.

It's intriguing that he's much more vociferous about what's happening in Afghanistan than he has been about Britain manipulating its way out of Iraq. The end of offensive activity there occurs within the next few days. And then 2,500 troops sit there training Iraqis. One wonders for how much longer? It might be cheaper to pay South African mercenaries to go and do it.

We shall be exploring the options at 7.

Police to vote on strike option over pay

The police are clearly fed up at not getting their pay rise backdated. They've called on Jacqui Smith to resign as Home Secretary and they are to meet to determine whether it might be possible to strike. We'll be talking to the head of the police federation at 7. And Ms Smith is welcome to join us.

Steven Gerrad's home burgled

Talking of police, rather sad to discover that the Liverpool team whenever they play away from home tend to get burgled and last night as no exception - Stevan Gerrard's house was entered by four hooded and masked men, but fled after Gerrad's partner who was home at the time disturbed them, in what police are calling a 'confrontational burglary'.

Seeing eye to eye over climate change?

We're reporting on the climate talks in Bali tonight where the EU shows every sign of rolling over to satisfy the US. There's a desperate bid to get the world's worst polluter into talks on the 'Son of Kyoto'.

The Americans don't like the fact that China and India are signed up to a process post-Kyoto which would set negotiations of targets of between 25 - 40 per cent cuts in carbon emissions. The Americans say if that happens they won't join the talks. It's a Mexican standoff - there's two days to go and a clearly frustrated Hilary Benn will be talking to us tonight from Bali.

Just the job for Capello?

Finally, will Capello be England's manager? The redoubtable Lindsay Taylor is on the case.