Live to westminster, and our Political CorrespondentDamian Grammaticas as the budget gets of a closer, what more are you hearing . Just as the budget gets of a closer, what more are you hearing . More are you hearing . Just hours awa and more are you hearing . Just hours away and lunchtime more are you hearing . Just hours away and lunchtime tomorrow more are you hearing . Just hours| away and lunchtime tomorrow and more are you hearing . Just hours away and lunchtime tomorrow and they will be on their feet in parliament laying out the budget and it is a pretty important moment an important moment in any normal year in the political Financial Calendar but this one particularly because it is the last budget before we have to have an election, everyone is passing every word and looking at this and pretty much saying there that the indication is that we know the Prime Minister and the chancellor have said they want to cut personal taxes and the court taxes and individuals pay and within that, they basically have a choice of income tax or national insurance. Income taxes more broad and raised on any income from your if your average pensioner, if you have property income, national insurance, paid by employees and workers and it seems the government is not denying reports that that is what it will target by reducing that to penns reduction and that is similar to what was announced back in the autumn which came into effect in january and right in an average worker and £10 billion overall is the cost of the government. The advantage of that is it is likely cheaper one but many conservative mps would rather see income tax because they think people identify with that more and feel that more personally. At the minute, indicate his art could be national insurance. And you may have to take that money somewhere else back and wear hearing reports that councils in england will be told to cut spending on diversity schemes, do we know about that . ,. , � � , that . This is what the bbc is understood that . This is what the bbc is understood to that . This is what the bbc is understood to be that . This is what the bbc is understood to be in that . This is what the bbc is understood to be in the that . This is what the bbc is understood to be in the measures tomorrow and being talked about and by the chancellor before and it is kind of going over the same ground but the focus is telling local councils not want to spend less on these diversity and inclusion schemes and consultants. The problem is that is only a tiny amount of money that they are spending and councils themselves have huge problems of the moment the funding and paying for the services and having it and they have to provide social care for elderly and other areas may seem to raise some money and looking at things like tax on Business Class flights that could go up Business Class flights that could go up and tax breaks and you have a second home and get some income and holiday outlets, that may change as well and she mentioned fuel duty and ill be at the cost of the government and numbers of ways including a general squeeze on public spending intuitive after the election in the duke de theres that many Government Departments renders such pressure financially and more squeezes and theyre saying it could well be very difficult for those departments to manage. Thank you very much so, lets take a closer at the crucial spending figures, and the challenge facing the uk chancellor, as he tries to deliver a boost to the uk economy and millions of families. Heres robert cuffe from bbc verify 0ne one key number measured will set the path for Public Services over the next few years. The Departments Budgets will determine how much to your local library and last november, the chancellor says that funding for Public Services will go faster than that and in real terms by 1 a year for each of the next few years. It did much more details and Spending Plans after the election but an increase in spending more than 1 of the nhs and defence. And 1 might be divided on that comes from the independent institute for physical studies. In 1 over all might look like this. And nhs funding will need to be more than 2 a year and promises on defence on foreign aid and stair both going up by this and childcare entitlement will be more and more families and the increase will be way off and spending more on these commitments means there is less to go around for the departments and they reckon that could mean spending cuts to just over 3 in the departments and you dont cut the schools budget. Whatever is in charge after two sticks to these plans, there will be cuts somewhere and tax cuts including spending further it will make this picture look a little bit worse. 0verall, lifting spending by 1 me and some departments consider funding fall by more than three. How does that compare to any cuts in the 2010 is . Well, the conservative lib dem government of 2010 and Coalition Plans will cut spending overall by a number of 2 a year in the conservative Government Plans for 2015 were for smaller cuts and because the settlements were more generous to the nhs and defence, the cuts fell harder on the departments and the value of funding for the services excluding social care or Children Services and libraries and Load Maintenance fell by more than a third of 2010 and 2022. If you move forward to 2019, one of thejohnson government funding starts to increase and it will be increasing but only by 1 . After 2025. On the Headline Numbers alone, we are not looking at a repeat of 2010 at 2015 but experts do warn that having trained for a decade already further cuts will feel pretty sharp. And labour have already signalled some tax changes on private schools that could cover a small part of any gap and public spending are they different. Labour leader has warned people not for the incoming government to quickly turn on the Spending Caps and difficult choices are ahead. During the budget and after the election. Now to the United States where polls have opened for whats known as Super Tuesday voters in more than a dozen states are deciding which candidates they want to represent their party in this years president ial race. Will it be a Biden V Trump Contest come november . The republican primary contest will be in all of these 15 states on the map while the democrats will vote in the same states except alaska. They will hold caucuses, too, in american samoa. Well also get the results of the democratic contest in iowa, which has been ongoing by post for several weeks. As is expected for a sitting President Joe Biden faces little opposition on the democratic side and is all but guaranteed the partys nomination. While on the republican side, donald trump is inching ever closer to becoming his partys candidate once again with another predicted win over his only remaining rival, nikki haley. Lets speak to our North America correspondent, nomia iqbal. I think it is fair to say that donald trump after the results of come out of this primary has also sealed the deal. But come out of this primary has also sealed the deal. Sealed the deal. But the official announcement sealed the deal. But the official announcement isnt sealed the deal. But the official announcement isnt until sealed the deal. But the official announcement isnt until the i sealed the deal. But the official announcement isnt until the summer the Party Convention but mr trump has basically had a clean sweep of the party starting in iowa back in january and the only election he did not win was in washington, dc which haley won and she is the first to win a republican primary, the first female to win. Its very thrilling and exciting and there is a sense of predictability this time around and it is seen as more of a coronation, i think unless the competition. Band i think unless the competition. And when will she i think unless the competition. And when will she lay her hat down and quit the race . She when will she lay her hat down and quit the race . Quit the race . She will wait until su er quit the race . She will wait until Super Tuesday quit the race . She will wait until Super Tuesday is quit the race . She will wait until Super Tuesday is concluded quit the race . She will wait until Super Tuesday is concluded but l quit the race . She will wait until Super Tuesday is concluded but well have to see if that happens. Shes very adamant that she will stay hanging on in this race despite the fact that she has collected huge losses to donald trump and there are still some donors backing her and she is not likely to win any of the republican primaries Super Tuesday look, it would be a surprise if she did but she has said that she will keep going but the moment but i think if it does turn out as expected that donald trump will sweep the primaries and will be very difficult to see how she can justify hanging on. Difficult to see how she can ustify hanging on. Difficult to see how she can Ustify Hanuain on. ,. ,. , hanging on. Involving over this main president ial hanging on. Involving over this main president ial candidate hanging on. Involving over this main president ial candidate is, hanging on. Involving over this main president ial candidate is, it hanging on. Involving over this main president ial candidate is, it will president ial candidate is, it will be who will be the running mate which is very likely that Vice President , leigh harris will run again for the Vice President s position Alongsidejoe Biden but who will run alongside donald trump if he secures the nomination . There is lots of peeple he secures the nomination . There is lots of people lining he secures the nomination . There is lots of people lining up he secures the nomination . There is lots of people lining up to he secures the nomination . There is lots of people lining up to try he secures the nomination . There is lots of people lining up to try to lots of people lining up to try to make their pitch to donald trump. You have the entrepreneur in the South Carolina governor tim scott ran against donald trump for the president ial nomination for the Republican Party but both men throughout their campaign were very loyal to donald trump and refusing to really criticise in. There are very pro trump republicans and you have carrie lake and there are some questions about whether nikki haley may be a running mate if she drops out, will she strike a deal with donald trump . She has ruled that out and potential some Florida Governor ron desantis, he dropped out of the president ial race to the Republican Party nomination and remember he was seen as the big thing that would challenge donald trump in the big rival to donald trump and there was a lot of bad blood on the Campaign Trail but ron desantis did back donald trump in the end and he is still very popular with republicans. Who knows . He might see potential ron desantis as a name that could run alongside donald trump but will have to see. Donald trump is going to have to enjoy having people speculate about who will be his running mate. Bud speculate about who will be his running mate. Speculate about who will be his running mate. Speculate about who will be his runnina mate. � ,. ,. ,. , running mate. And you mentioned a coule of running mate. And you mentioned a couple of hours running mate. And you mentioned a couple of hours ago, running mate. And you mentioned a couple of hours ago, taylor running mate. And you mentioned a couple of hours ago, taylor swift i couple of hours ago, taylor swift has made a bit of an intervention in the Super Tuesday primary and if you go back 30 seconds, tell us what she has been saying. She go back 30 seconds, tell us what she has been saying go back 30 seconds, tell us what she has been saying. She has been under instaaram has been saying. She has been under instagram and has been saying. She has been under instagram and encouraging has been saying. She has been under instagram and encouraging people i has been saying. She has been under instagram and encouraging people to go out and vote and the new stick in tennessee and encouraging people to go out and vote there in other states and she had 282 million followers which is more than donald trump and joe biden put together and taylor swift continues to be a pretty dominating force and he will see voters take the message and go out and vote. See voters take the message and go out and vote well have coverage from across the states through today and tomorrow, and if you want to find out more about Super Tuesday and why it is so important in the race for the white house then head to the bbc news website or app where we have a special guide to the day along with more articles in the run up to the president ial election. The us Secretary Of State has called on israel to maximise every possible means of getting aid into gaza. Speaking before talks with qatars Prime Minister, Antony Blinken said conditions in the territory were unacceptable and unsustainable. Mr blinken has also stressed that there is an opportunity for an immediate ceasefire in gaza. His comments come as leaders of hamas are expected to hold more talks in cairo with mediators although israel says it will not directly attend until hamas provides a list of hostages it is still holding. Hamas has been running gaza but is also considered a Terrorist Organisation by a number of countries including the uk. Heres what mr blinken had to say a short while ago. Its also urgent, irrespective of a cease fire, to dramatically increase the humanitarian assistance thats getting in to people inside of gaza. The situation for children, for women, for men who are caught in this Crossfire Hamas is making inside of gaza, it is unacceptable and unsustainable. Israel has to maximise every possible means, every possible method of getting assistance to people who need it. Meanwhile on the ground in gaza, the war continues. There have been more air strikes in the south of the territory, including here, in the Southern City of rafah. The World Health Organization says some 8,000 patients in gaza, many of them badly injured in israels bombardment, urgently need to be moved out of the territory. One other line to bring you from the middle east a un team of experts has concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe Sexual Violence, including rape and gang rape, took place in at least three locations during the hamas attacks on israel on the seventh of october. They also said there was convincing information that some hostages could still be being subjected to Sexual Violence in gaza. Hamas has rejected the accusations. Around the world and across the uk. This is bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making news here in the uk. Unions representing senior doctors in england have given their backing to an improved pay offer. The deal includes an extra 3000 pounds for those a few years into their consultant careers. The proposals will now be put to Union Members to see if theyre willing to accept. Consultants have staged four strikes in their pay dispute so far. A toxic environment in Swimming Clubs in england has enabled abusive Training Practices and bullying to exist for years a review has found. It says extreme Competitiveness Led to an ongoing and systemic� Culture Of Fear at all levels of Aquatic Sports and was a major threat to its future. The Governing Body has apologised. New rules are being introduced in Northern Ireland to restrict the ownership of xl bully dogs. The animals will have to be muzzled and on a lead in public. New legislation will also require owners to get an Exemption Certificate for their xl bully. The breeding and selling of the dogs will be banned. Youre live with bbc news. Later this week, a Police Inquiry known as 0peration Kenova Will Reveal the secret war between the British State and the Irish Republican Army or ira. Over the last seven years it has examined crimes such as murder and torture linked to the agent known as stakeknife, and the role played by the British SecurityServices Including m15. 0peration Kenova has now linked the agent to the murder of 17 alleged informers. Some of them were