morocco's worst earthquake for more than half a century is now known to have killed nearly two and a half thousand people. rescuers are still scrambling to find survivors in the rubble. china says claims that a british parliamentary researcher spied on its behalf are "completely fabricated". the uk deputy prime minister will make a statement in the house of commons shortly. the terror suspect who allegedly escaped from a london prison is remanded in custody and charged with absconding. he's been sent to belmarsh prison. a union says all 400 stores of uk retail chain wilko will close by next month. up to 12,500 jobs could go because no buyers were found.

the deputy prime minister is expected to make a house of commons shortly. we will bring that when it happens but first sport. there are european football qualifiers this evening... more on those in a moment... but first — the hosts for next year's euros — germany — are going through some managerial strife. hansi flick was sacked after germany lost 4—1 at home to japan in a friendly — they qualify automatically next year as hosts... but the pressure�*s on to find a new manager to lead the side, at their home tournament in nine months time. germany have only had two managers in the last 17 years, and their fa is stepping up the search, with several big names in the frame... they will approach the former bayern coach who is out of a job and someone who has not had a full—time coaching

position in 15 years but was a sporting director of the fa. whether they are interested we do not know, coaching a team at the euros and leaving again because he wants to pursue a career at club level. that is up and the air. so five matches later on in euro 2024 qualifying — croatia can go top of group g with a win over armenia, who level on points in third. after that, the spotlight turns on wales — and their under pressure manager rob page. it's a must—win match for the welsh against latvia, if they're to have any chance of automatic qualification from the group. luis rubiales resigned from his role as the president of the spanish football federation — saying he hoped his departure would boost spain's joint bid with morocco and portugal to host the 2030 world cup. it comes after weeks of criticism and possible criminal charges against rubiales following the kiss on world cup winnerjenni hermoso on the lips after her side had won the womens

world cup final against england. rubiales said he submitted his resignation to federation acting president pedro rocha. he also resigned from his position as vice—president of uefa's executive committee. it is not the fact he believes he has done something wrong, he said he has talked to his family and the pressure was huge, not only from the state prosecutor from the moment the player that had the non consensual kiss went to the prosecutor and said i feel it has been an abuse of power, there was that investigation, fifa has suspended him, the government was trying to find any possible way to get rid of him and even the federation by thinking it was not great, let's see if we can get rid of him. it was just one possible way out of this which is resigning. meanwhile, mexican club pachuca paid tribute to hermoso on sunday in herfirst game since the world cup final. she unveiled a mural in the hallways of the 30,000—seat hidalgo stadium ..

and the spain forward was given a guard of honourfrom her pachuca team—mates and opponents pumas before receiving a framed jersey with her number 10 on it. novak djokovic says he feels in good enough shape to add further grand slams to his collection — after equalling margaret court's all—time record of 24. the serb beat daniil medvedev in the final of the us 0pen...djokovic made the most of his experience in a gruelling encounter — outlasting medvedev in a second set that lasted an hour and three quarters before completing a straight sets victory to win a fourth us open, his third grand slam of the year... and equalling court's 50—year record in the process. so today's new rankings for men and women both show changes at the top. novak djokovic back at the summit, a place he's so used to occupying... jumping back above carlos alcaraz.. he picks up the maximum additional two thousand points, on his return to the major... and despite losing in the women's final, aryna sabalenka takes top

spot from iga swiatek. coco gauff�*s first grand slam title takes her up to third. and that's all the sport for now. live now to westminster and our political correspondent we come to the statement. with your ermission we come to the statement. with your permission i — we come to the statement. with your permission i would _ we come to the statement. with your permission i would like _ we come to the statement. with your permission i would like to _ we come to the statement. with your permission i would like to make - we come to the statement. with your permission i would like to make a - permission i would like to make a statement on claims relating to an ongoing encounter tennyson police investigation that was reported in the sunday times. the story alleged that two individuals including a parliamentary researcher have been arrested on charges of conducting

espionage on behalf of china. these are serious allegations and it is right that they are being thoroughly investigated by the police and relevant agencies. we must not hamper their work or prejudice any future legal processes by what we see today as i believe you said at the beginning of the proceedings. as you would expect me to say it would therefore be inappropriate for me to comment on any specific aspect of this active investigation itself. i would however appoint to the house to what the metropolitan police has said in its own statement, namely the investigation is being carried out by officers from the counterterrorism command which has responsibility for investigation relating to allegations of official sickness act and espionage —related offences. —— 0fficial secrets act.

whether to proceed with the prosecution would be a matter for the crown prosecution service. it remains an absolute priority for the government to take all necessary steps to protect the united kingdom from any foreign state activity which seeks to undermine our national security, prosperity and democratic values. the government has been clear that china represents a systemic challenge to the united kingdom and to our values. this has been evidenced in china was my continued disregard for human rights and international commitments, there arrays of dissenting voices and stifling of opposition under the national security law in hong kong and disturbing reports of chinese coercion and intimidation in the

south china sea. we are clear eyed about the challenge and we must be able to look at the chinese ndi and call out unacceptable behaviour directly just as our call out unacceptable behaviour directlyjust as our prime minister was able to do with premier and new delhi this weekend, an approach that has also been taken consistently by our allies. has also been taken consistently by ourallies. but has also been taken consistently by our allies. but actions speak louder than words and that is why i took the decision to instruct departments to seize deployment of all surveillance equipment some to chinese national intelligence and law from sensitive government sites and november last year, one of the reasons i banned tick—tock from government devices, why the government devices, why the government has investigated and called out so—called chinese

overseas police service stations and as the security ministers set out in as the security ministers set out in a statement injune, have instructed the chinese embassy to close them. it ascribed have significantly reduced chinese involvement in the uk several nuclear sector including taking ownership of the chain at stake and sizewell nuclear power and why i took the decision to ban huawei from 5g networks and the procurement bill being debated and the other place will include provisions that will enable us to act very see malign influence and public procurement. in taking this approach we are aligned with our allies and other g7 partners and every single g7 partner. so the united kingdom will deploy again and aircraft carrier to the indo—pacific

in 2025, we have announced a new security partnership that will promote free and open indo—pacific thatis promote free and open indo—pacific that is secure and stable and be more work with italy and japan through the global combat programme to adapt and respond to security threats of the future through an unprecedented international in a space coalition. these houses of parliament stand as a monument to the freedoms of expression and belief that underpin our values. but just as these institutions have provided the paradigms for so many modern democracies there are still those who fear such freedoms and seek to undermine them and interfere an hour society. we maintain constant vigilance in our efforts to understand and root out the interference and we will always take

action to address it whatever it source. the government established last year the defending democracy task force which works to coordinate across government to protect the integrity of democracy from threats of foreign interference. it is engaging across government with parliament, the uk intelligence community, the devolved administrations, local authorities, the private sector and civil society on the full range of threats facing our democratic institutions. these threats do include foreign interference in the electoral process, disinformation physical cyber threats to democratic institutions and to those who represent them, foreign interference in public office, political parties and universities add transnational repression in the uk. earlier this year the government also passed

national security act which has overhauled legislation applicable to espionage, sabotage and any persons acting forforeign espionage, sabotage and any persons acting for foreign powers against the safety and interests of the united kingdom. the measures in the act will enable our law enforcement and intelligence agencies to deter, detect and disrupt the full range of modern—day threats including from china. new offences will enable the disruption of illegitimate influence conducted for or on behalf of foreign states whether it decides to advance their interests or to harm the united kingdom. the united kingdom government will do whatever it takes to protect our national security and this nation's democratic institutions which have stood for centuries as a beacon of liberty from wherever that fate may

come. i commend the statement to the house. i come. i commend the statement to the house. u, come. i commend the statement to the house. ,, ., ., ., house. i call the shadow home secretary- _ house. i call the shadow home secretary- i _ house. i call the shadow home secretary. i thank— house. i call the shadow home secretary. i thank the - house. i call the shadow home secretary. i thank the deputy l house. i call the shadow home - secretary. i thank the deputy prime ministerfor— secretary. i thank the deputy prime minister for his _ secretary. i thank the deputy prime minister for his statement - secretary. i thank the deputy prime minister for his statement and - minister for his statement and advanced sight of it, maintaining national security in the face of threats to our values and democracy as the first duty of any government and one where labour stands ready always to work on a cross—party basis to keep our country safe. i want to pay tribute to all those in our intelligence and security services, police and across government and beyond who work to protect our national security on the anniversary of the awful attacks of 9/11 as we remember those lost we are no doubt of the seriousness of the work they do. we recognise the seriousness of the allegations involving espionage on behalf of china at the heart of our democracy,

it is essential that the police intelligence agencies and justice system are able to do theirjobs and we must support them and doing so. but we need to know more about what action the government is taking against attempts by other states to interfere in our democracy and undermine our security. m15 issued in interference and that about chinese communist party attempting to influence parliament. the security services have raised way that concerns, the minister referred to the prime minister raising strong concerns about unacceptable interference with china. can i ask that the prime minister destroyed the time of the arrests on has she only done so now since they have been made public. the government also set up the task. a platform interference but what has actually done, as the minister on it, has produced a report for the national security council as was promised, hasn't looked activated levels and

delays. the government has opposed the amendment that was put forward to introduce stronger checks on donations to political parties to ensure no foreign influence and oppose the labour proposal to close the loophole on shell companies, has the loophole on shell companies, has the task force looked at those measures and why are they not acting in that idiot. and what is being done about national security prisoners. it beggars belief that a personal charged with national security offences was able to escape and of a van so can he confirm this individual had already evaded arrest for three weeks when the police force tried to apprehend tim yeti ended up in a category be pleasant and reports that an 2019 another prisoner was able to escape from one swath also by hiding underneath a van. has delivery been completed of all national security prisoners both on remand and those convicted to see what level of pleasant security is in place and if not why not. i ask

about the way that issue of risk to national security, rightly has been action on sensitive surveillance equipment but i am glad that they have accepted the labour proposal on procurement. the minister rightly talks about the systemic challenge of china including human rights but the statement says nothing about the work of ian vestment security unit, what is it doing doesn't say anything about the comprehensive approach to risks to infrastructure when the head of m15 has given a series of warnings and when the ise has been extreme critical in its report injuly one of the like of proper strategy on china and shot termism. we need to engage with china on climate change and global issues but also be very robust about defending our national security, it is why the shadow foreign secretary has called for a full audit of the

china relationship and vibe you have supported the national security act but have also raised concerns about iran pursuing kidnapped and munger threats and russia cyber attacks and recognising appalling tell attacks that the country came together. the then labour government what on cross government strategy, police and intelligence agencies to draw up the contest strategy which has endured and strong cross—party support. the government has been want now for years about rising state challenges so where is the contest strategy for street threats. we will support the government and producing one, you labour government would work cross—party to produce one but will is that, beneath the strategy on estate risks and challenges and threats to protect our national security. national security is too important to ignore warnings, we

need absent action to defend our national security. need absent action to defend our nationalsecurity. —— need absent action to defend our national security. —— we need urgent action. i national security. -- we need urgent action. . ~ national security. -- we need urgent action. ., ~ ., ., ., action. i thank for her overall constructive _ action. i thank for her overall constructive approach - action. i thank for her overall constructive approach with i action. i thank for her overall- constructive approach with which she has approached this issue, it is important to be treated on a cross—party basis in defence of our democratic institutions and it is very timely that the statement should be made on the anniversary of 9/11. i won devon to address the points she raised and will write on any points i missed. both the prime minister and the foreign secretary regularly raise with the chinese opposite numbers chinese interference in democratic institutions, this is an ongoing approach that has been going on for some time, secondly in relation to the democracy task force led by the

security minister that report into the national security committee on which i sit and we deceive regular updates of the work he is doing working with the departments across government not least that responsible for large elements of electrical integrity and devolved administrations and local authorities, the purpose of the task force as to bring those elements to pursue a whole of government and society approach when addressing those threats. in relation to the point raised in the investment security unit, the principal purpose is to provide advice to me as the quasi—traditional decision—maker in respect of acquisitions that evoke national security questions, i take advice as to whether the government should intervene or not, it has been

in the case in the past we have issued 15 directions in respect of acquisitions, that is to see we are asking companies to take actions or some remedial action and respect of chinese companies so she is entirely right to raise the question of critical national infrastructure. i want cross—party head of m15 and respective it but it is the case that around the world are looking at the national infrastructure and relation to the threat of cybercrime and a lot of cybercrime often has a blurred link with hostile states, something i take very seriously and i cheered regular meetings on it and we are constantly upping the work we do. that is against the backdrop of the external threat continues to rise as well. she raised the point about the isc report, the government

will respond shortly to that, the draft is with ministers, it is about to be signed and i hope appleby with a view house this week. she rightly raises the points... let's leave westminster just raises the points... let's leave westminsterjust know but we are joined by our westminster correspondence. what do you make of that in the house of commons. irate correspondence. what do you make of that in the house of commons. we got a lot in terms — that in the house of commons. we got a lot in terms of— that in the house of commons. we got a lot in terms of background _ that in the house of commons. we got a lot in terms of background but - a lot in terms of background but nothing more in terms of the specifics of the case. 0liver dowden was quick to point to the elise statement saying it would be inappropriate to comment further echoing what the speaker said that they did not want to get into the specifics, they are very keen not to have the specifics discussed in parliament, they say they worry about prejudicing any potential case. we then got a lot from oliver dowden about what the government has been doing in its approach to china, he talked about needing to be clear

eyed about challenging china over some of the things it has been doing. as we have heard from the government so far that was in line with what other allies of the uk were doing on their way of approaching china, he also mentioned specific things the department had done and terms of banning tiktok on government funds. a bit of reassurance he is trying to give to some mps about what the government has been doing and how he has been approaching how it treats china. yvette cooper the shadow home secretary raising the questions about when did the prime minister actually raise concerns about this case with china, to that he'd applied they are regularly raising theissue applied they are regularly raising the issue of chinese interference, he did not specifically again refer to the case. yvette cooper also questioning what the government has actually done... we

questioning what the government has actually done- - -_ actually done... we may have lost helen. actually done... we may have lost helen- we — actually done... we may have lost helen. we are _ actually done... we may have lost helen. we are going _ actually done... we may have lost helen. we are going to _ actually done. .. we may have lost helen. we are going to hear- actually done... we may have lost helen. we are going to hear from| helen. we are going to hearfrom julian lewis. the helen. we are going to hear from julian lewis-— julian lewis. the response does exact that _ julian lewis. the response does exact that and _ julian lewis. the response does exact that and will _ julian lewis. the response does exact that and will be _ julian lewis. the response does exact that and will be with - exact that and will be with him shortly. to exact that and will be with him shortl . ., , ., . . exact that and will be with him shortl. ., , ., ., ., ., ., exact that and will be with him shortl. ., . , shortly. to stomata have a security u date shortly. to stomata have a security update and — shortly. to stomata have a security update and my _ shortly. to stomata have a security update and my thoughts _ shortly. to stomata have a security update and my thoughts and - shortly. to stomata have a security update and my thoughts and in - shortly. to stomata have a security| update and my thoughts and in with those impacted on the anniversary of 9/11. i am glad the minister mentioned annoy should you sensitive government sites and is the case members had to as the case for let’s members had to as the case for let's come back out _ members had to as the case for let's come back out of _ members had to as the case for let�*s come back out of the commons. a small but significant detail and what the deputy minister was saying about describing china as a challenge and petitions have been careful about using the word threat, the unhappy to describe russia as a threat but not china. some mps want

the government to go further and want to designate china a threat. ministers have been locked in to do that, cabinet minister this morning was saying we need to be careful about the use of once and i think it goes back to the point i was talking about that 0liver dowden was making about that 0liver dowden was making about a fuel the better approach is to be able to have with china to say be clear eyed and challenge them face—to—face and call out the things china should not be doing that they believe is a better approach, china is such a major player in terms of the global issues the world is facing but it does not believe that withdrawing engagement as the way for months for that is why you will hear ministers talking about a challenge rather than a threat but there are certainly voices within there are certainly voices within the commons who really want the government to go further and designate china a threat and another

thing you heard their envy speech the isc report because it has released a report in which it said it thought the government was being too slow and dealing with the challenges or threats posed by beijing and we heard 0liver known suggest they make at the government response to that this week. thank ou. the response to that this week. thank you- the deputy _ response to that this week. thank you. the deputy prime _ response to that this week. thank you. the deputy prime minister. you. the deputy prime minister addressing the arrest of two individuals who have been arrested on suspicion of spying. more on that story on the website. stay with us here on bbc news. hello there. temperatures are going to continue

to drift a bit low over the next couple of days, following our heatwave. it was a record—breaking heatwave, in terms of seven consecutive days over the 30 degrees mark. that had never happened before. but, as we look at the forecast of the next few days, this forecast is very slowly going to push its way southwards and this front is very slowly going to push its way southwards and eastwards, across the uk, bringing a bit of rain at times, and then we get to fresher and cooler air. i say cooler, but actually, those temps are set to drift down a bit closer to average the time of year by the middle of the week. today, weather—wise, we do have quite a mixture of weather across parts of eastern england, hazy sunshine, still warm if not hot, the north—west of the uk, seeing that cool air arrive, along with cloudier skies and a bit of rain as well. the rain has been quite patchy so far today, across northern england and wales, but i think it's going to get a bit more widespread, as we head into the afternoon. one or two showers, possible across parts of the midlands, east anglia and south—east, still pretty hot and humid — scotland and northern ireland into fresh air. there should be some

sunshine this afternoon, but there will be some showers working into the hebrides and the highlands, in particular. 0vernight tonight, our weather front grinds to a halt across england and wales, there will be some areas that stay quite wet. quite muggy and warm still over the south—east, much fresher, more pleasant airfor sleeping in, heading into scotland and northern ireland, and the far north of england. tuesday, england and wales has the rain, could be quite slow to clear off, and probably heavy even into the afternoon across the eastern areas — scotland, northern ireland, the far north of england, has the best chance of some sunshine. temperatures will range about 15 in aberdeen, and 22 in london. those temperatures are set to drop a little bit for some of us into tomorrow. wednesday, we get an area of high pressure moving in for a time, some sunshine to start the day, some fair weather cloud bubbling up for a time, but then we'll see some rain heading into west scotland, probably western counties of northern ireland, areas of low pressure that is just offshore. that low pressure is then set to move in as we go through wednesday night into thursday, could

bring some strong winds across the far north—west of the uk, and rain extends southwards and eastwards. rain at times on thursday, showers for the rest of the week and into the weekend.

live from london. this is bbc news.

morocco's worst earthquake for more than half a century is now known to have killed nearly 2,500 people. china says claims that two people, including a british parliamentary researcher allegedly spied on its behalf are "completely fabricated". the uk's deputy prime minister says china remains a �*systemic�* challenge. the united kingdom government will do whatever it takes to protect our national security and this nation's democratic institutions, which have stood for centuries as a beacon of liberty from wherever that threat may come. the terror suspect who escaped from a london prison is remanded in custody and charged with absconding. he's been sent to belmarsh prison. american national anthem

and, america remembers the thousands