18/02/2017 BBC Weekend News

US vice-president Mike Pence has reaffirmed America's support

for Nato, but says European countries need to pay more.

In his first major foreign policy speech, Mr Pence told a conference

of European leaders in Munich that the US would "stand with Europe

He also promised to hold Russia accountable

From Munich, Jonathan Marcus sent this report.

Nato forces exercising to counter what many see as a resurgent Russian

threat. The military alliance has been the bedrock of transatlantic

security for a generation. The arrival of Donald Trump in the White

House is causing alarm in many European capitals.

The new American Vice-President came to Munich with a message of

reassurance. In the first major policy statement of the Trump era,

he said the commitment to Nato was unwavering, he had a warning too.

The president of the United States expects our allies to keep their

word. To fulfil this commitment and for most that means the time has

come to do more. APPLAUSE

The hesitant applause an indication that many Europeans don't want to be

bullied by the Trump White House. The Russians have almost been

bystanders in Munich, watching the internal Nato debate. The Russian

Foreign Minister returned to a familiar theme, the idea that Nato

was essentially an institution of the past.

TRANSLATION: The period which can be called the post-Cold War order has

now come to an end. The main result in our view is the failure of new

institutions to adapt. APPLAUSE

He said expanding the alliance led to an unprecedented level of chance,

so there seems little chance of Mr Trump's fresh understanding with

Moscow. The EU Competition Commissioner

is considering a Treasury plan to free Royal Bank of Scotland

from an obligation to sell 300 of its branches

by the end of the year. The EU demanded the sale when RBS

was bailed out by the government in 2009 but the bank hasn't been

able to find a buyer. Amid the financial crisis

eight-and-a-half years ago, RBS was the world's biggest bank

but about to collapse taking the UK The ?45 billion bail out prevented

that, but broke EU state aid rules. The trade-off - RBS had

to sell 314 of its branches to create more competition,

but commercial and IT issues hindered that and now the Government

is looking at a clever solution. RBS is to create a new ?750 million

fund to assist newer rival banks. It will even provide a dowry

for the small banks to help them Not being able to sell the 314

branches, collectively known as Williams and Glyn,

is not RBS' biggest single issue, but it has been hindering

the Government's hopes to sell its 70% stake in the bank,

even if the European Commission accepts this innovative plan,

the RBS share price still has to Next week RBS is expected

to post its ninth year It also faces huge

multi-billion pound fines So helping much smaller

and newer rivals maybe Two motorists had a lucky escape

when their vehicles fell Firefighters managed to rescue one

driver from inside the hole, while the other got out

of the second car before it fell. A major storm has hit the south

and centre of the state, The police in Malaysia say they've

arrested a North Korean man in connection with the death

of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of the North Korean

leader, Kim Jong Un. He died on Monday after

apparently being poisoned The man is the fourth

suspect to be detained. The Government is to propose

a new law aimed at tackling domestic Victims will get greater support,

under legislation that will be There were weapons involved

in terms of a knife. Sticking my head under water

until I was unconscious. A survivor of domestic abuse,

who we're calling Ivy, tells her story to the BBC's

Victoria Derbyshire programme. Experiences like this

are shattering, abhorrent according Her review will ask Government

departments, experts, campaigners and victims to suggest

ways to clarify laws that are applied unevenly

across England and Wales. My reaction to the PM is fantastic

because this is a really, really needed issue to have more

clarity and better understanding and I think this will be very

welcome for victims who don't feel It's estimated there

are 1.3 million female victims With around 600,000 men

being affected too. Very few come forward

and there were just 75,000 convictions in 2016,

although that's more It's something Theresa May tried

to grapple with during her six years in charge here at the Home Office,

introducing legislation which criminalised emotional abuse

and giving people the right to find out if their new partners had

been violent before. But, as Prime Minister,

she has decided the whole of the Government needs to look

at the whole issue. She has pointed out that there

are big inconsistencies in the police response and that

will be covered through the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice,

but four out of five victims of domestic abuse don't go

to the police so we need the Health Service and schools

and others to really take this I'm going to take back

control over my life. This process is likely

to end in new legislation, but Labour warned that services

for survivors like Ivy need to be A group of scientists say they have

extracted and revived microbes which could be up to 50,000 years

old from crystals in a cave The team, led by NASA's

Astrobiology Institute, said the microbes were genetically

10% different from their nearest relative or as far away

as humans are from mushrooms. With all the sport, here's Mike

at the BBC Sport Centre. Lincoln City are trying to become

the first non-league team in over a century to reach

the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. They're currently playing

Premier League side Lincoln maybe 81

places below Burnley. They have been holding their own so

far. They caused the manager something to

think about there! He might have to re-think his plans for the second

half. They aren't the only

non-league side left in. Sutton United will have

to wait until Monday night One of the big talking points this

season has been whether top flight managers are taking

the FA cup seriously. Tomorrow Manchester United play

Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, and their manager Jose Mourinho says

that foreign managers need to learn Maybe we do not have as many English

managers as we should? Maybe we, foreign managers,

not everybody studies and understands the culture

of this country. I like Wembley and the FA

Cup, so I have to try Several Olympic track

champions, including Mo Farah, will be in action

at the Birmingham Grand Prix today. But another name to watch

out for is Laura Muir. She'll be aiming to break

the UK 1000 metres record, just one of several she's already

claimed over the last year, as she prepares for the European

Indoor Championship in Belgrade. A day on the ward for one of

Britain's brightest track stars. Just having a wee look at his teeth.

Who juggles both vet studies and top level at lettics.

And Laura Muir, as a massive performance. Running can be quite

intense and r pressure. You've got to train so hard every day and have

veterinary alongside it, it is a good distraction and veterinary came

first. That's what I wanted to do when I was younger. Learning to mend

an maltion and to break records. COMMENTATOR: Oh my word she smashed

the record. Last summer the 1500 meters record, already this year she

has UK 5,000 and European 3,000 marks. Today, she goes for another

distance at 1,000 meters. I hit 2017 and thought right, let's do this

thing. I'm in great shape. I have a home crowd and a quick track. Yeah,

hopefully fingers crossed it will go well. The 23-year-old was only

discovered as a raw talent three years ago. I have got an under 23

bronze. So to get my first senior medal is a big stepping stone. It

hasn't come together at the championships. I'm one package.

Hopefully come Belgrade I can get one medal.

I'm beating the Olympic medallists. I should be up with the medals and

there is no reason why I can't be on the podium. Hopefully this year will

be my year. Along with the stethoscope hopefully sporting some

medals too. You can watch Laura Muir go for that

record and the rest of the day's action live on BBC One very shortly,

and there'll be a full round-up of all the day's sport in Sportsday

at 6.30pm on the BBC News Channel. It is still Burnley nil, Lincoln nil

in the FA Cup fifth round match. Back to Maxine.

You can see more on all of today's stories on the BBC News Channel.

The next news on BBC One is at 5.10pm.