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Good morning from the Financial Times. Today is Thursday, February 15th, and this is your

F-T-Nees briefing. UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is ready to make some big cuts to public spending and Germany is trying to beef up its military.

Plus the F.T.'s Madison marriage discusses the dangers of some meditation retreats.

My sources would say that they seem to kind of maximize psychological disruption,

so sleep deprivation, limited calorie intake, limited physical movement.

I'm Mark Filipino and here's the news you need to start your day. Sources tell the FT that Jeremy Hunt is considering cutting billions of pounds in public spending.

And the reason that's even on the table is that he wants to make tax cuts.

These tax cuts are really important to hunt because his

Conservative Party is doing poorly in the polls. In the run-up to the UK's general

election, Conservatives are behind the Labour Party by nearly 20 points.

The problem is that Hunt can't turn to borrowing money to finance these tax cuts.

Interest rates are so high that it would be just too expensive. So he's considering cutting public spending instead.

Hunt is expected to say more about the UK's budget plans on March 6th. NATO Defence Ministers are meeting in Brussels today and recent comments from former US President Donald Trump

will loom over that gathering. The presidential candidate said he would

support Russia attacking NATO allies if they didn't contribute enough money to the defense fund.

No I would not protect you in fact I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.

You got to pay. You got to pay your bills. It's a warning that American support for Europe might just depend on who wins the

November election in the US and this increases the already intense pressure on

Germany to step up its military capabilities.

Here to talk to us about this is the F.T. Berlin Bureau Chief Guy Chisanne.

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