04/02/2018 BBC Weekend News

Good afternoon.

The Home Secretary Amber Rudd has

insisted that differences

-- says the UK will continue to seek

a bespoke deal on leaving the

European Union. And she has insisted

that differences over Brexit policy

between Cabinet ministers have been

exaggerated.

A Cabinet committee will meet this

week to discuss the Government's

approach to negotiations.

Here's our political

correspondent, Susana Mendonca.

Watching the Dragons in action on a

trade trip to China last week, the

Prime Minister was all too aware

that her backbenchers at home were

fanning the flames of division over

Brexit.

Centauri Brexiteers have painted a

picture of disunity on the

Government's front bench over the

direction Britain's negotiations

with the EU should take, but now one

leading Cabinet member has pushed

back.

I have a surprise that the

Brexiteers, the committee that beats

in order to make these decisions,

meeting twice this week, as you

rightly say, is more united than you

think.

We beat in the committee and also

privately for discussions, I think

we will arrive at something that

suits us all.

Assessments this week

which had suggested the options for

a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU

would leave Britain where staff have

been at the heart of an argument in

the Conservative Party. Brexiteers

have direct criticism at Chancellor

Philip Hammond on the Treasury, with

one accusing civil servants of

fiddling the figures. The Home

Secretary said all departments use

forecasts to defend decision -- to

make their decision making and she

defended civil servants.

They are

important to us, we respect them and

they are internationally admired. We

need to continue to attract the best

into the civil service.

Amber Rudd said the Government

wanted a bespoke trade deal with the

EU and said it would probably

involve some form of customs

arrangements or partnership. This

leading Brexiteers says it does not

mean the customs union.

Since the

Lancaster house and the Florence

speech, the premise has been clear

we are leaving the customs union.

There is a good reason for that. We

would not have been able to

negotiate free-trade deals with the

likes of China or South America.

The EU chief negotiator will come

here tomorrow to start the next

phase of Brexit negotiations.

And Susana is with me now.

An important week ahead for the

Prime Minister on Brexit? The goal

very much so. The chief negotiator

for the EU, Michel Barnier,

is

coming to the EU to speak to Theresa

May David Davies, who is negotiating

on the part of Britain. It will be

the first and they have met this

year for those key negotiations.

They will be talking about Britain's

future relationship with the EU.

Very important meetings. In addition

there will be technical discussions

during the week as well. Brexiteers

will

will want some answers, whether or

not they will get them this week is

unclear. In addition, there will be

a Cabinet committee meeting this

week to discuss the Government's

approach. There have been lots of

questions about whether or not the

Cabinet is singing from the same

hymn sheet, whether they have the

same direction on what they want

Brexit negotiations to look like, so

people would be keen to see them

speaking with one voice. Amber Rudd

speaking about a united Cabinet,

people will want to see whether that

is really the case.

Thank you.

MPs have warned against cutting

the number of Royal

Marines to save money.

Reports have suggested

that the government has been

considering axing up to 2000

Marines, as well as the Royal Navy's

two amphibious assault ships,

as part of a review.

Daniela Relph has this report.

It is a warning to government over

the future of the Royal Marines.

They are amongst Britain's

elite fighting forces.

6,500 of them, versatile

and quick to respond.

They also provide up

to half the personnel

for the UK's special forces.

The Defence Select Committee report

says that further cuts

to the Marines would damage

their ability to be a high-readiness

unit and warns plans to end the use

of HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark,

ships from which beach assaults

are made, would be military

illiterate at this time.

Since 2010, our military has been

cut by a third in its capability.

If this new round of cuts come,

it will have been cut by a half.

Can you imagine if we had half

the number of hospitals?

Can you imagine the outcry?

Spending on defence has

fluctuated over decades,

rising when British forces

are involved in a live conflict.

But since 2010, the figures show

a consistent decrease.

Defence is now more complex

and sophisticated than ever before.

A report by the International

Institute for Strategic Studies

suggests Britain spends more

on defence than any other country

in the European Union.

But as well as traditional battles,

there is now a technological fight

that also needs money and resources.

We need to define what our security

needs to look like.

Do we want to be global?

Do we want to be outward looking?

Post-Brexit, can we just shrink back

to a little homeland

and try to protect ourselves?

Or do we walk on the front foot

and try to deter people from taking

a more offensive stance against us?

The committee's report praises

the Defence Secretary,

Gavin Williamson, for taking control

of the defence review,

but again says he will not be able

to prevent harsh cuts without extra

funding from the Treasury.

The Ministry of Defence says

protecting the UK is its priority

and stress the Royal Marines play

a vital role in

defending the country.

Daniela Relph, BBC News.

Sinn Fein has confirmed that one

of its Stormont members removed

a clamp from the front wheel

of his car in Belfast.

Video footage of Gerry Kelly taking

the clamp off and driving away has

been posted on social media.

Live now to our correspondent,

John Campbell in Belfast.

John, what more can you tell us?

Gerry Kelly is a former senior IRA

man who has been a leading Sinn Fein

politician for many years. He came

out of his gym on Friday morning to

find his car had been clamped. He

was parked in a clearly marked

restricted area. What happened next

unfolded on these videos posted on

social media. They show Mr Kerry on

his knees next to the car, putting

up the chain is attaching the clamp.

Next to him on the ground were a

pair of bolt cutters which he

apparently used to cut through the

chains.

chains. He removed the clamp and the

issue is in the hands of his

solicitors. They criminal damage

complaint has been made to the

police and he faces criticism from

political opponents, who say nobody

should be above the law in these

matters. One Unionist leader has

said he should now consider his

position as a public representative.

Thank you, John Campbell.

At least two people have been killed

and 70 injured in a rail crash

in the US state of South Carolina.

A passenger train travelling

between New York and Miami collided

with a freight train and derailed.

An elderly resident has

died after an explosion

and a fire at a care home

at Stevenage in Hertfordshire.

Six other people were taken

to hospital - one is said to be

in a critical condition.

The incident occurred at Woodlands

View car home.

An investigation is under way

into the cause of the explosion.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel

is holding a final day of talks

in an attempt to form a governing

coalition with the opposition

Social Democrats.

Four months after the general

election, Germany has a caretaker

Government at the country remains in

political limbo.

Our correspondent Damien

McGuiness is in Berlin.

And, Damien, there's

a great deal at stake

for Angela Merkel in these talks?

Absolutely. As you say, it has been

four months since the election. She

has already tried wants to form a

Government with the Liberals and the

Green Party. Those talks collapsed

in November. Talks with the social

Democrats are their only chance. If

they failed, it would seriously

undermine her credibility, the most

likely outcome then would be another

election. That would lead to a long

period of instability in Germany and

the potential of no new Government

until the autumn. And also we might

find ourselves in this position we

are in now, with a potential

Chancellor finding it hard to cobble

together a coalition. There is a

caretaker government here, no sense

of crisis, the economy is going

well. Things are ticking along

nicely in the short term with the

caretaker government, but it means

there is no ability for the

temporary government to take

long-term decisions like reform,

particularly when it comes to

Europe. This is a problem for the

whole EU. President Macron has

waited for a long time to push

through an ambitious period of

reform. If a government is not in

place, France cannot do that,

Germany cannot support France, it

could impact Brexit because it means

a disunited and insert any Ruud

Brood be less inclined or able to

strike a good deal with Britain on

Brexit. -- a disunited Europe may be

less inclined to label.

A joint North and South Korean

women's ice hockey team has played

in an international practise match

ahead of the Winter Olympics

which start on Friday.

Despite being beaten 3-1 by Sweden,

the crowd appeared delighted -

although there was a small protest

outside the arena against

the fielding of a joint team.

You can see more on all of today's

stories on the BBC News Channel.

The next news on BBC

One is at 6:05pm.

Bye for now.