:00:08. > :00:10.A call from the Defence Secretary for the Government to cut welfare
:00:10. > :00:14.benefits, rather than the armed forces.
:00:14. > :00:21.Philip Hammond says Britain's ability to respond to future
:00:21. > :00:25.dangers could be seriously affected. We will not be able to deliver big
:00:25. > :00:31.further savings without eroding military cape yaipblts.
:00:31. > :00:35.Barack Obama signs into law, sweeping budget cuts while warning
:00:35. > :00:40.it will inflict pain on businesses and workers across America.
:00:40. > :00:50.And a dramatic victory in the pole vault, secures Holly Bleasdale's
:00:50. > :01:00.
:01:00. > :01:08.first medal of the European Indoor Good evening. The, Philip Hammond,
:01:08. > :01:13.has warned that further significant cuts to the armed forces could
:01:13. > :01:20.undermine Britain's capability. He said that the forthcoming
:01:20. > :01:25.sprenspren, should look at maybe saving from the welfare budget.
:01:25. > :01:31.The's drawn a line in the snow. This week, he travelled to Norway
:01:31. > :01:36.to see the Royal Marines hone their skills in Arctic survival.
:01:36. > :01:40.But his mind is as much focused on his own department's survival in
:01:40. > :01:44.the tough economic times, with the threat of yet more defence cuts.
:01:44. > :01:50.The Government has to make savings and the MoD is once again in the
:01:50. > :01:55.line of fire, but he's unwilling to contemplate more large-scale cuts.
:01:55. > :02:00.There maybe some modest further reductions we can make through
:02:00. > :02:04.efficiency, we will look for those, but we cannot make significant
:02:04. > :02:07.further cuts without eroding military capability. We are taught.
:02:07. > :02:11.We have challenging targets ahead of us to deliver the outcome of the
:02:11. > :02:16.last Spending Review. I am clear that we will not be able to deliver
:02:17. > :02:20.big further savings without eroding our military capabilities.
:02:20. > :02:26.Defence cuts have left tens of thousands of military personnel
:02:26. > :02:31.redundant and led to the scrapping of prize military assets, including
:02:31. > :02:36.warships and fast jets. Now defence experts have one think-tank
:02:36. > :02:38.forecasting that the MoD could lose another �1 about the come 2015, in
:02:38. > :02:41.the drive to bring Government spending down.
:02:41. > :02:46.This public intervention by the Defence Secretary, comes as the
:02:46. > :02:50.ministers haggle in private over where the next round of cuts should
:02:50. > :02:55.fall. Philip Hammond is not alone in defending his department. Nor is
:02:55. > :02:58.his the only Conservative Cabinet Minister, who believes that savings
:02:58. > :03:01.should be made in the welfare budget instead, but that is
:03:01. > :03:05.something opposed by the Liberal Democrats. Among the Liberal
:03:05. > :03:08.Democrats, there is still strong support for those who volunteer to
:03:08. > :03:12.fight for their country but also the question of whether defence
:03:12. > :03:16.deserves special treatment. We have asked some of the poorest
:03:16. > :03:20.people in the country to take a substantial hit.
:03:20. > :03:25.If we are looking for further cuts, then I think we have to take that
:03:25. > :03:31.firmly into account. It is not to say that the welfare
:03:31. > :03:34.budget is totally inviolate. Philip Hammond's fight to avoid
:03:34. > :03:41.another round of brutal cuts is a political gamble.
:03:41. > :03:45.There is no guarantees that it will pay off.
:03:45. > :03:51.Our Political Correspondent Chris Mason is in Westminster for us now.
:03:51. > :03:56.Chris, Philip Hammond raising the issue now, why this timing? Yes, no
:03:56. > :04:02.sooner has the tussle between the coalition parties finished on the
:04:02. > :04:06.streets of Eastleigh and Hampshire with the by-election battle, than
:04:07. > :04:11.it resumes in Westminster. Money is tight it will be for the
:04:11. > :04:16.foreseeable future, so there is a battle for spending between the
:04:16. > :04:23.Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. A key problem is expend
:04:23. > :04:30.tower. Many saying look at the welfare budget, it swallows up much
:04:30. > :04:35.money. There is a suggestion of a poll for the spending, but Danny
:04:35. > :04:38.Alexander says that there should not be further cuts with the
:04:38. > :04:42.Conservative arguing that there must be cuts to welfare to allow
:04:42. > :04:45.other budgets to work, the Liberal Democrats less sure. What we are
:04:45. > :04:49.getting is a glimpse inside Whitehall to the battles that are
:04:49. > :04:54.going on to shape the spending priorities for scarce money, where
:04:54. > :04:58.it should be spent and there where it should not in 2015. A key year,
:04:58. > :05:02.the year of the expected next general election. So lots at stake.
:05:02. > :05:06.Chris Mason, thank you very much. President Obama has warned that
:05:06. > :05:10.hundreds of thousands of Americans risk losing their jobs after he
:05:10. > :05:14.signed an order triggering $85 billion of cuts in government
:05:14. > :05:19.spending. It came after talks between the White House and the
:05:19. > :05:23.Republicans to agree less severe cutbacks ended in bitter
:05:23. > :05:29.disagreement. From Washington, Ben Wright reports.
:05:29. > :05:36.Good morning America, this morning, America under the knife at midnight,
:05:36. > :05:40.$858 billion in budget cuts, kicking in... Waking up this
:05:40. > :05:46.morning, many Americans may have despaired. The cuts were never
:05:46. > :05:52.meant to happen. The swinging aside, the spending was designed to force
:05:52. > :05:57.a budget deal, but it did not. The deadlined passed. This morning
:05:57. > :06:02.he warned of the consequences. The cuts are not smart. They ril
:06:02. > :06:08.hurt our economy and hurt jobs. Congress can turn them off at any
:06:09. > :06:12.time. The cuts were triggered to spending programme as cross the
:06:12. > :06:17.Federal Government. As the education is cut, the affects will
:06:17. > :06:23.be felt in classrooms, less money for airport security and Air
:06:23. > :06:26.Traffic Control and half of the squeeze to fall on defence.
:06:26. > :06:30.It affected immediately, the air force will be cutting back. This
:06:30. > :06:34.will have impact on training and readyiness. The army curtailing
:06:34. > :06:39.training for units to all other than those deploying to Afghanistan.
:06:39. > :06:45.Democrats and the Republicans agree that America must balance the books
:06:45. > :06:49.and recover spending, but they are at loggerheads as to how.
:06:49. > :06:53.Republicans are adamant, that there should be no new taxes.
:06:53. > :06:57.Taxes on the richest Americans went up in January. The Republicans say
:06:57. > :07:02.that is enough. Let's make it clear, the President
:07:02. > :07:07.has his tax axe out on January the 1st. The discussion about revenue,
:07:07. > :07:10.in my view is over. It is about taking on the spending
:07:10. > :07:16.problem in Washington. These cuts may harm the American
:07:16. > :07:22.economy in a way that is felt by us all. Nobody is sure but politicians
:07:22. > :07:27.do agree that this is a budget debacle of their own making.
:07:27. > :07:36.One person has been killed and dozens injured in a wave of unrest
:07:36. > :07:39.in Egyptian cities. In Port Said demonstrators set fire to a police
:07:39. > :07:43.station. A anti-government protestor was crushed to death by a
:07:44. > :07:49.police truck. A number of British people have been injured in a coach
:07:49. > :07:53.crash in Kenya. The bus rolled down an embankment on the opposite
:07:53. > :07:57.carriageway. The Foreign Office say that three passengers are being
:07:57. > :08:00.treated at a local hospital. The Queen was forced to cancel a
:08:00. > :08:03.visit to Wales because of illness. Buckingham Palace said she was
:08:04. > :08:08.suffering from symptoms of gastroenteritis and will spend the
:08:08. > :08:12.weekend at Windsor Csatle. Simon Clemison is in Windsor for us
:08:12. > :08:17.now. Well, what are the Royal circles
:08:17. > :08:23.saying about this? Well, no updates today, Nick, from Buckingham Palace
:08:23. > :08:26.on this. Nor are there likely to be any for a little time yet while
:08:26. > :08:31.doctors assess the Queen. In many respects in Windsor it has been a
:08:31. > :08:37.Saturday like any other. The Queen has been at home. This is where she
:08:37. > :08:41.usually spends the weekend. She was meant to be in Wales, in Swansea,
:08:41. > :08:47.celebrating St David's Day. She has symptoms of gastroenteritis a
:08:47. > :08:51.miserable, unpleasant stomach and bowel bug. Not uncommon but the
:08:51. > :08:57.decision was made for her to stay here and rest, but for the Queen to
:08:57. > :09:02.pull out of an event is unusual. Made all the more remarkable by the
:09:02. > :09:06.fact she is 86 and leads a busy programme. Made possible by the
:09:06. > :09:13.fact she is normally always in such good health, but the question is
:09:13. > :09:18.now, what impact does the illness have on her, and what it mean force
:09:18. > :09:21.the engagements in the coming days? She is meant to be going to Rome
:09:21. > :09:24.shortly. Now, time for the sports news.
:09:24. > :09:30.Manchester United have moved 15 points clear at the top of the
:09:30. > :09:34.Premier League after beating Norwich 4-0 at Old Trafford.
:09:34. > :09:38.The Japanese midfielder became the first Asian player to score a
:09:38. > :09:44.Premier League hat-trick. Wayne Rooney rounded off a good afternoon
:09:44. > :09:49.for the side. Following his mid- week rant at the fans, there were
:09:49. > :09:53.many anti-Rafael Benitez banners at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea
:09:53. > :09:59.claiming third spot. Queens Park Rangers got a win at Southampton.
:09:59. > :10:06.That draws them closer to second- bottom Reading. Swansea beat
:10:06. > :10:11.Newcastle, Liverpool are currently beating Wigan 2-0 in the first half.
:10:11. > :10:18.Celtic are through to the semi- finals of the Scottish Cup. Anthony
:10:18. > :10:24.Strokes scored the winning goal. They are on course for a league and
:10:24. > :10:29.cup double. Also through are Falkirk who beat Hamilton 2-1.
:10:29. > :10:33.A gold and is silver medal for Great Britain in the Indoor
:10:33. > :10:35.European Championships at Gothenburg. Holly Bleasdale winning
:10:35. > :10:41.a nail-baiting pole vaulting competition.
:10:41. > :10:46.She may have struggled at London 2012 but Holly Bleasdale bounced,
:10:46. > :10:51.or vaulted back in style in Sweden it took the athletic's version of a
:10:51. > :10:56.penalty shoot-out to do it. Holly Bleasdale and her opponent
:10:56. > :11:00.could not be separated, so a jump- off ensued. Then the 21-year-old
:11:00. > :11:05.from Preston showed no fear. COMMENTATOR: It is all or nothing
:11:05. > :11:11.for Holly Bleasdale. She's got it! It's gold for Great Britain! Holly
:11:11. > :11:16.Bleasdale is the champion! I've never experienced anything like
:11:16. > :11:22.that before. The jump-off was weird. I have never done one before. So I
:11:22. > :11:28.was happy to clear the 67. I wanted to run around everywhere. I was so
:11:28. > :11:38.happy. That gold seemed to inspire James James. He took an unlikely
:11:38. > :11:42.
:11:43. > :11:47.medal in the men's 60 metres final. And the European outdoor champion
:11:47. > :11:52.and Olympic Bronze Medallist will leave without a medal.
:11:52. > :11:56.And Sharia Proctor missed out on a medal in the long jump on her last
:11:56. > :12:00.jump. Heartache for Proctor, delight for