And, america remembers the thousands of people who died in the September 11th Terror attacks 22 years ago today. Hello, im rich preston, youre watching verified live three hours of breaking stories, and the truth behind them. Rescue teams in morocco are battling to reach people still trapped under rubble following the earthquake that struck the country on friday night. Nearly 2,500 people are now known to have died, but many remote areas remain hard to reach and cut off to rescuers. Four countries the uk, spain, qatar and the uae are now sending aid. The epicentre was to the south of marrakesh, along the high atlas mountain range. The struggle to get through roads blocked by boulders has led some villagers to dig by hand. Tom bateman reports. Dawn lights up the destruction in this village. Moroccos most remote hillsides have become encampments for the survivors. This lady has lost contact with her son who fled the village to get help. She was already grieving, her husband had been sick and died before the earthquake came. Translation we are staying in the street, i feel bad for my son, his dad passed away and i have to take care of him. People are here to help each other. The mosque is Still Standing and becomes a makeshift refuge. In the morning there were no signs of official aid response. Hussain survived when his son freed him from the wreckage of their home. But his wife was killed. My wife stayed in the house, the feeling came down and struck her. This comes from god, but thankfully my son is safe, he tells me. This is where homes once stood, now people walk through a cascade of ruins, recovery attempts across this region have been painfully slow. So far this clear up is people having to do it by themselves. One of their neighbours, the house was struck, a family of six was in it and five have been killed. Only the father survived. It feels like people barely have time to grieve, you can see the humanitarian challenge that remains. In another village, locals pull a body from the rubble, spanish rescuers are on the ground saying the destruction is absolute. Meanwhile, british rescue gear has arrived with a team of 60 specialists from the uk. People are retrieving what they can from homes too damaged to live in, the survivors are now on the land with all they have left. Joining me now is mina metioui, a Committee Member of the British Moroccan Society who was visiting the country when the Earthquake Hit and joins us from just outside marrakesh. Good to talk to you, thank you for being with us. Where were you when the Earthquake Hit . I being with us. Where were you when the Earthquake Hit . The Earthquake Hit . I was in the centre when the Earthquake Hit . I was in the centre when it the Earthquake Hit . I was in the centre when it hit the Earthquake Hit . I was in the centre when it hit on the Earthquake Hit . I was in the centre when it hit on friday the Earthquake Hit . I was in the l centre when it hit on friday night. I went to bed early because i was preparing for a flight back to london, i was here for a short visit, only two days. When it happened. Visit, only two days. When it happened visit, only two days. When it ha ened. ~. ,. ,. , visit, only two days. When it ha ened. ~. ,. ,. , happened. We have heard from teams on the ground happened. We have heard from teams on the ground who happened. We have heard from teams on the ground who have happened. We have heard from teams on the ground who have been happened. We have heard from teams on the ground who have been able happened. We have heard from teams on the ground who have been able to l on the ground who have been able to get to some of the worst affected areas, what is the picture like where you are . I areas, what is the picture like where you are . Areas, what is the picture like where you are . I am ust outside marrakesh. Where you are . I am ust outside marrakesh, we where you are . I am ust outside marrakesh, we go where you are . I am ust outside marrakesh, we go to where you are . I am just outside marrakesh, we go to the where you are . I am just outside| marrakesh, we go to the villagers every day with support, with food, with tents. The British Moroccan Society, we started a earthquake fundraiser straightaway and we are out there every day with lorries and i have two of them wetting up the road for me right now to the head to two villages. Then we have another two, we have more we have about 50 villagers on the list, there are villagers on the list, there are villagers we are not able to get to because there are no roads. The rocks have fallen off the side of the road, they were hard enough to get through before this happened and this is even worse. It really is a disaster, it is heartbreaking, we are mentally and physically exhausted but we have to keep going because what we see makes us very emotional. It is very upsetting. It emotional. It is very upsetting. It is coming on for three days since the Earthquake Hit, some of these villages you cant easily forget to yet, talk to us about the sense of urgency to reach these villages and try and dig through the rubble in search of survivors. I try and dig through the rubble in search of survivors. Search of survivors. I doubt if there are search of survivors. I doubt if there are any search of survivors. I doubt if there are any survivors, search of survivors. I doubt if there are any survivors, i search of survivors. I doubt if. There are any survivors, i hope there are any survivors, i hope there is, but people are not even able to get to the dead, let alone the survivors. As the British Moroccan Society, we are getting thousands of messages from villagers who have nothing, absolutely nothing and no one has got to them. I personally with my team got to a village yesterday for the first time, they have had nothing and no one visiting them, we sent two lorries full of food but there are villages who have had no visitors and we havent been able to get them because we cant drive on the roads, we can walk on the rocks which is not safe, but we cant drive up to them and if you cant drive you cant take Essential Items that they need. We are trying our best, it is very urgent to get the roads open. We can do the work, we can provide essential is that they need, we have an amazing fundraiser and people are donating but we need the roads to be professionally opened so we can get out there and help people. From the british moroccan out there and help people. From the British Moroccan Society, out there and help people. From the British Moroccan Society, a out there and help people. From the British Moroccan Society, a deeply. British moroccan society, a deeply distressing picture. Thank you for being with us. You can keep up to date with the story from the bbc news website. A researcher in Britains Parliament has said hes Completely Innocent of claims he was spying for china. He was arrested under anti espionage laws. In a Statement Released through his lawyers, the man said he felt forced to respond to accusations in the media. The researcher was one of two men arrested in march under the Official Secrets Act. The deputy Prime Minister told the House Of Commons that protecting the uk from chinese interference remains an absolute priority. These are serious allegations and it is right that they are thoroughly investigated by the police and relevant agencies. We must not hamper their work or prejudice any future legal processes by what we say today, as mr speaker said earlier. 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 the house to what the metropolitan police said in its own statement, namely, the investigation is being carried out by the met� s Counter Terrorism command which has Response Motif Investigations relating to allegations of Official Secrets Act and espionage related offences. Any decision as to whether to proceed with the prosecution under the Official Secrets Act would be a 0fficial Secrets Act would be a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service. That was the uk deputy Prime Minister speaking in the House Of Commons. Lets talk now to rana mitter, professor of Us Asia Relations at Harvard Kennedy school. Good to have you on the programme, does this story about potential chinese spies at the heart of british democracy surprise you . I dont know anything about the details of the story, as the dip to crohns to said, it is currently under Police Investigation but it sounds familiar in a broad sense, other countries are having similar conversations. Im speaking from new york where there is huge controversy in congress and there has been for over a year about the question of whether or not collaboration and cooperation with chinese businesses or institutions is possible where there may be industrial espionage or subversion of democracy going on. Australia and canada are two other countries which are having similar conversations and debates. It is not surprising that the uk is now joining that list. Im surprising that the uk is now joining that list. Surprising that the uk is now joining that list. Surprising that the uk is now oininr that list. �. ,. ,. , joining that list. Im glad that you brina u joining that list. Im glad that you bring up the joining that list. Im glad that you bring up the us joining that list. Im glad that you bring up the us angle joining that list. Im glad that you bring up the us angle because. Joining that list. Im glad that you bring up the us angle because in| joining that list. Im glad that you i bring up the us angle because in the Us National Security strategy, America Places Russia and china on a fairly level playing field, listing them both as countries that do not respect democratic norms. Where is the british Integrated Review describes russia as a threat but china merely as a challenge. Do british politicians need to up their rhetoric when it comes to china . I think the United States is playing rhetoric when it comes to china . I think the United States is playing a more subtle game than that because although it is fair to say that the feeling about china and the relationship with china is a High Temperature in the us then it is in the uk, it is fair to say that different aspects of the american political system take different views. Congress, the elected House Of Representatives has got some extremely harsh language that it uses for what it considers dangerous chinese involvement in american life. Cooperation on science and technology would be obvious areas where they feel there is a problem. Joe Bidens Administration is fair to say, trying to reach out in ways that bring the temperature down as well as making the American People clear that they consider there are dangers. That is closer to the uk government position and not surprising because one of the things we do know is that Security Cooperation on china and russia between the us and uk is very close indeed. I think it is fair to say that any position put forward by the uk is one that the us knows about and is happy to approve. Is uk is one that the us knows about and is happy to approve. Uk is one that the us knows about and is happy to approve. Is there a articular and is happy to approve. Is there a particular aspeet and is happy to approve. Is there a particular aspect of and is happy to approve. Is there a particular aspect of chinese particular aspect of chinese interference in britain that the uk should be concerned about . I interference in britain that the uk should be concerned about . I think the area that should be concerned about . I think the area that most should be concerned about . I think the area that most people should be concerned about . I think the area that most people are the area that most people are getting concerned about in recent years is the question of scientific cooperation. It is a complex question, there are areas to do with high tech weapons where it is obvious on both sides that cooperation is extremely unlikely and will be banned legally. The chinese would not permit british scientists to be involved in secret, High Tech Labs in china, so it is not surprising the western countries take the same attitude. Areas like biological and Life Sciences are more complex. Large british Pharmaceutical Companies and some universities have major field Pharmaceutical Companies and some universities have majorfield trials for medical science in china. There arent many places where you can do big fuel trials on a Million People and in areas to do with vaccine production, it is essential that biologist from both countries work together. Talking about science being a dangerous area isnt enough, you have to differentiate which bits of science and have a more subtle and detailed consideration of which projects are problematic and which are probably beneficial to both sides. ,. , are probably beneficial to both sides. ~ ,. , are probably beneficial to both sides. ,. ,. , are probably beneficial to both sides. ,. ,. , are probably beneficial to both sides. , ~ ,. ,. ,. , a breaking update to bring you from morocco. This is coming from the news agency, the death toll following friday night earthquake has now risen to 2681. That is coming from the afp news agency, citing moroccan officials. The Earthquake Hit around 11 p m local time on friday in the foothills of the atlas mountains. That was the epicentre but it was felt as far away as the capital and tourist hotspots like marrakesh. That death toll in morocco has now risen to 2681. Around the world and across the uk. This is bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making news. The nhs is rolling out Booster Shots of covid and flu vaccines to older People Living in care homes in england. The roll out begins today for those at most risk. Concerns are growing over the spread of a new covid variant. There have been 3a confirmed cases of ba. 2. 86 so far 28 of them in one care home. The german Car Giant Bmw will invest hundreds of millions of pounds in its mini factory near 0xford to build a new generation of electric cars. Production of two new Electric Mini models is due to begin at the plant in cowley in 2026. More than 4,000 people work across two british sites. A Peace Funding Announcement of £858 million for Northern Ireland will be officially launched in belfast today. It is for a scheme known as peace plus, a successor to programmes which have run since 1995 in Northern Ireland and the border counties in the republic of ireland. The uk government is contributing 730 Million Pounds to the total allocation. Youre live with bbc news. The us president , joe biden, flew to vietnam from the g20 summit to sign a historic trade deal bringing the formerfoes closer than ever before. Along with the Vietnamese Communist Party leader, Nguyen Phu Trong , mr biden issued a joint statement warning against the threat or use of force in the disputed south china sea. The comprehensive Strategic Partnership with vietnam is a major Relationship Upgrade for the us. Its the Culmination Of A Push by washington over the past two years to strengthen ties with vietnam which it sees as key to counter chinas influence in asia. Lien hang when is the professor of us east asian relations at Columbia University in new york. She gave us her assessment of the two countries closer relationship. Iama i am a historian and i dont use this word often but it is historic. This was an elevation of thai is a long time coming. This was an elevation of thai is a long time coming. What does vietnam aet out of long time coming. What does vietnam get out of this . Long time coming. What does vietnam get out of this . We long time coming. What does vietnam get out of this . We can long time coming. What does vietnam get out of this . We can see long time coming. What does vietnam get out of this . We can see why l