Government
- Tony Blair's plan to pave the way for a new generation of nuclear power stations by the time he leaves office was in disarray yesterday after the high court ruled the government had carried out a "misleading" and "seriously flawed" consultation on its energy review. Mr Justice Sullivan's judgment forces the government to canvass public opinion once again and is likely to force a delay of several months in the publication of the energy white paper, which had been expected in March. http://www.guardian.co.uk/nuclear/article/0,,2014491,00.html
- Home secretary John Reid is set to announce that two new prisons will be built by 2010. In a bid to ease overcrowding one will be located on in Liverpool and one in south London. Meanwhile Reid welcomed an EU decision that allows Europeans imprisoned abroad to be sent to their home country to serve their sentence. The deal, agreed by EU justice and home affairs ministers, means that for the first time nations will be able to transfer convicted criminals without their consent. http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,2014546,00.html; http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6367013.stm
- Gordon Brown is set to hold talks next week with some of Britain's biggest shopping centre landlords in a bid to get the sector - seen by some as environmentally objectionable - to help in tackling global warming. The chancellor will meet executives from big companies including the the Duke of Westminster's Grosvenor and the FTSE-100 companies Liberty International, Land Securities and Hammerson.The talks are likely to lead to a string of exhibitions across the nation's shopping centres that will encourage consumers to think more about the environment. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/861aa28c-bd5e-11db-b5bd-0000779e2340.html
- Thousands of council staff are being trained to impose £50 on-the-spot fines on those who breach the smoking ban, when it comes into force on July 1, it emerged yesterday. Town halls have been given £29.5 million to hire new staff, or train existing officers, to police 3.7 million restaurants, bars, shops and workplaces in England. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1392633.ece
- Hazel Blears, the Labour chairman, is expected to launch her attempt to become the party\u2019s deputy leader this weekend. She will be the sixth candidate, and fourth Cabinet minister, seeking to replace John Prescott. Her declaration has been long expected, and may further weaken the chances of Harriet Harman, the only other woman in the race. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1392668.ece
- Britain's finest hopes for the Oscars - Dames Helen Mirren and Judi Dench, director Stephen Frears and writer Patrick Marber - are calling on the government to continue its support for British theatre. Their extraordinary success in cinema would never have been possible, they say, without the training ground and support of publicly subsidised theatre, which could be under threat if arts funding is frozen or reduced this summer, as feared. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/news/story/0,,2014499,00.html