this is bbc news. the headlines at 11.00: the top civil servant in the home office, sir philip rutnam, resigns and says he'll sue the government for constructive dismissal after a public dispute with home secretary priti patel. i have been the target of a vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign. it has been alleged that i have briefed the media against the home secretary. this, along with many other claims, is completely false. the uk's 20th coronavirus case is the first to catch it here, not abroad. a gp surgery the man visited is closed for deep cleaning. a surge in south korea, with nearly 600 new cases ——800 reported on saturday, bringing the total to more than

3,000, the largest outside china. more than 80 flood warnings in place across england and wales, as many already struggling communities brace themselves for storm jorge sweeping in from the west. and in half an hour, dateline london compares different countries‘ response to coronavirus and the science behind tackling covid—i9. that's at 11.30. the most senior civil servant at the home office, sir philip rutnam, has resigned after what he describes as a vicious, orchestrated campaign against him. sir philip says he intends to sue the government for constructive dismissal. his decision follows reports of tensions between him and the home secretary priti patel, over allegations she mistreated officials.

she's denied those claims. sir philip explained his decision to reporters in london this morning. i have this morning resigned as permanent secretary of the home office. i take this decision with great regret after a career of 33 years. i am making this statement now because i will be issuing a claim against the home office for constructive dismissal. in the last ten days, i have been the target of a vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign. a it has been alleged that i briefed the media against the home secretary. this, along with many other claims, is completely false. the home secretary categorically denied any involvement in this campaign to the cabinet office. i regret i do not believe her. she has not made the

effort i would expect to dissociate herself from the comments. even despite this campaign, i was willing to effect a reconciliation with the home secretary, as requested by the cabinet secretary on behalf of the prime minister. but despite my efforts to engage with her, priti patel has made no effort to engage with me to discuss this. i believe that these events give me very strong grounds to claim constructive, unfair dismissal and i will be pursuing that claim in the courts. my experience has been extreme. but i consider there is evidence that it was part of a wider pattern of behaviour. one of my duties, as permanent secretary, was to protect the health, safety and well—being

of our 35,000 people. this created tension with the home secretary and i have encouraged her to change her behaviours. i have received allegations that her conduct has included shouting and swearing, belittling people, unreasonable and repeated demands, behaviour that created fear and needed some bravery to call out. i know that resigning in this way will have very serious implications for me personally. the cabinet office offered me a financial would have avoided this outcome. i am also aware that there will continue to be briefing against me, now that i have made this decision. but i am hopeful that at least it may not now be directed towards my colleagues or the department. this has been a very

difficult decision. but i hope that my stand may help in maintaining the quality of government in our country, which includes hundreds of thousands of civil servants loyally dedicated to delivering this government's agenda. i will make no further comment at this stage. sir philip rutnam speaking a short time ago and of course he has just resigned his position. our political editor, laura kuenssberg, explained the background to sir philip's resignation. the context of this, of course, is that we have a government that do want to make big changes, they do want to make change in whitehall, they do want to run a government more effectively, they do have frustrations sometimes with how

things have been done over the last years and decades. and they are certainly willing to go ruthlessly after the kind of changes that they want to make. that said, actually enforcing the departure of a permanent secretary, which he clearly believes he has been forced to take the step, and i'm sure through the day, the government will be denying that, and i'm sure that priti patel will again deny allegations made about her own behaviour. he talked about shouting and swearing at officials, and he talked about a climate in the home office which has emerged during the time in which she has been in charge. i'm sure that the government will deny those kinds of allegations. but it is no secret that we have a government that is ruthlessly willing to pursue their own agenda, and if that means making big changes in whitehall, well, so be it. but, of course, there is a difference between that, between a determinedly focused government that is willing to rattle a few cages here and there and a government that is actually doing things that people believe are unpleasant and crossed the line in terms of the kinds of behaviour and the kind of standards that traditionally have been upheld

in governement in this country. laura kane spoke there. —— the latest person diagnosed with the coronavirus in england is the first to catch it on uk soil. the man from surrey hadn't been abroad recently. public health officials are now trying to track down anyone who came into contact with him. it came as another patient, who'd been quarantined on a cruise ship injapan, became the first briton to die from the illness. the respiratory disease, which causes pneumonia—like symptoms, has now infected nearly 84,000 people in more than 50 countries. and although the vast majority of cases remain in china, the virus is now spreading faster outside the country. the world health organization says most, if not all countries, should expect outbreaks. here in the uk, 20 people now have the coronavirus, with wales reporting its first patient. meanwhile, the government is expected to publish emergency legislation next week in response to this outbreak. charlotte rose has this report. one month on from the first confirmed cases of coronavirus in the uk, we have now seen the first person contract the illness on uk soil. the man from surrey went to his gp

surgery in haslemere which was later closed for deep cleaning. he is now being treated at a specialist infection centre in london, while public health officials tried to trace his recent contacts. it brings the total number of confirmed cases to 20 with the first diagnosis in wales. the virus has also claimed its first british death, a man in his 70s who caught the illness aboard the diamond princess cruise ship in japan. overnight, chinese health officials confirmed the total number of cases has now risen to over 79,000. in the us, california reported its second case. and it is notjust the human health cost. at the close of markets yesterday, £200 million had been ——£200 billion wiped off the value of britain's biggest companies, the worst trading week since the financial crash in 2008. the government is expected to publish emergency legislation next week, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

last night, a health minister wouldn't rule out the government taking emergency action, like banning mass gatherings of people, as has been seen in other countries with an epidemic. what we are doing is looking at beyond containment, which, as i say, the chief medical officer is clear. he believes it is working and it will continue to work, but we are planning for other eventualities. what we would need to do, assessing what powers we might need to delay and further contain this outbreak if it went beyond that phase. i'm very clear it is not going beyond that phase at the moment. this is contingency planning about how we might deal with a greater degree of transmission. anyone who thinks they are at risk of having coronavirus is advised not to go to a gp surgery or hospital. instead, the nhs says to call 111, which operates in england, scotland and parts of wales. for those in northern ireland, the advice is to self—isolate and call your gp. charlotte rose, bbc news. south korea has reported its biggest surge in new coronavirus cases.

the country reported another 219 cases, bringing the country's total infections to 3,150. our seoul correspondent laura bicker told me more about the situation in the country. well, it's believed that the outbreak began within the shincheonji church ofjesus, this is a religious sect which has around 220,000 members right across south korea. now every single one of them are being interviewed to find out if they have symptoms of the virus. so far, over 3,000 say they do. and one of the reasons why officials are warning that there will be a further spike in cases is, as they test more and more of these church members, more are testing positive. so far, around 80% of those that they have tasted in the daegu area have tested positive for the virus. that is how they are trying to track the spread of wear , where the infected

patients are, and patients are, and where they have been — to try to isolate those and contain the spread. but it's becoming increasingly obvious that that is getting more and more difficult. doctors in daegu say they are overwhelmed by the number of patients coming forward to be treated. they are urging those with mild symptoms, now, to stay at home. over 1,000 patients are currently in quarantine in the daegu area, asking for hospital beds. and now doctors are saying, "look, it's time that we treat the most critical of cases." british tourists held in quarantine in a tenerife hotel have received a letter from the foreign office saying they're to be tested for covid—19. the holiday companyjet2 has warned it would not fly travellers home unless they took the test, or completed two weeks of quarantine at the hotel. fiona trott has the latest from tenerife. i spoke to one of the guests 18 months ago and they told me they believe is already in reception

there are some british travellers with suitcases who may be getting ready to leave. we know from officials here that 48 people were considered to be low risk, that they arrived after the affected italian people left, and they would be able to leave today. like you say, there isa to leave today. like you say, there is a little more optimism today, following that letter from the foreign office and also a message on the president at the canary islands, who has reinforced this message that as far as authorities here are concerned, british nationals could leave before the two—week quarantine period. this is what he had to say. translation: the majority who arrived before the 24th will be able to leave if britain has vigilance and the plane is chartered to take them home during the 1a day period. but if that is not possible, they will have to remain in a hotel until the 10th of march. so presumably, people feeling a bit more optimistic in there now? that is right, yes.

and this letter funny foreign office said this, to provide reassurance to you and the flight carrier, you will be asked to have a covid—19 test. if the result is negative and doing well and don't show any symptoms at the airport, you will be able to fly home and on your return, you will be asked to self—isolate, even if you don't have symptoms, until the 10th of march. this is good because we know that one holiday company, for example, said that for the spanish authorities here, the president has said you can leave. we can't take you home and that you have had two weeks of quarantine here or had this covid-19 test, weeks of quarantine here or had this covid—19 test, so getting this news after a public health england official has assessed the situation here is hopeful for the official has assessed the situation here is hopefulfor the remaining guests, and they are just waiting 110w guests, and they are just waiting now to find out when that has to can be taken.

we have a special programme at 7:30pm on monday on the coronavirus. an agreement is to be signed today to set out a timetable for a phased withdrawal of us troops from afghanistan — in return for security guarantees from the taliban. the us secretary of state, mike pompeo, will be in qatar today for the signing of the document. the taliban is reported to have ordered all its fighters to ‘refrain of winning the war. our correspondent lyse doucet sent this update. in this serene setting, history is being made. it would be wrong to call this agreement between the united states and the afghan taliban a peace deal, but it is truly significant. marking the end of what has been more than a year of difficult negotiations here in qatar over a phased and conditional pull—out of us troops in exchange for taliban's security guarantees.

most of all, a promise that afghanistan will not be used again as a haven for extremist groups. but where there is a possibility of peace is when, if all goes as planned, two afghan delegations sit down and talk, one from the islamic republic of afghanistan, the other the afghan taliban. it is a test of taliban commitments to move away from war to seek political solutions, but it is also a test of afghan leaders, now bitterly divided. will they be able to stand together to protect what have been the real gains in afghanistan since the fall of the taliban in 2001? but most of all, this agreement is a rare glimpse of hope in nearly... more than four decades of war, so for most afghans, it is a risk worth taking. let's get more now on our top story on the news that has emerged and the last hour or so that sir philip rutnam has resigned as permanent secretary in the home office. we can

speak now to the former head of the civil service, lord bob kerslake. your reaction. quite extraordinary and unprecedented and i think it will send shock waves through the service. in my view, said philip was one of the most able civil servants i came across. he speaks his mind and was a determined civil servant, a career civil servant who has i think all the attributes you would expect in terms of the abilities needed to do thejob, so for him to have done this, he must have been pushed to the limit and beyond. and he says he doesn't quite believe it home secretary when she says she hasn't been part of the briefings, and i'm afraid i don't believe her either on theirs. i think there has been everything and it has gone on too long. do you know what specifically

the differences were between them? he has obviously talked about behavioural patterns, but was then specifically a policy, or over the delivery of a policy? no, i don't. and ina delivery of a policy? no, i don't. and in a sense, number that's truly do know what went on in those meetings because they are meant to be private meetings. what i do believe is that sir philip would have given robust advice, but if the minister said we want to do x and x was lawful, and appropriate and financial and other terms, he would ta ke financial and other terms, he would take that advice and get back to them. what it feels like, funny stories in the media, is something i have to say, that looks very close to... behaviour. that is unacceptable from any minister in any shape or size. how damaging is this to the government? because it is facing a number of acute

situations, not least coronavirus, and needs the civil service fully on board to deal with that, doesn't it? and of course, brexit delivery for this year. yes, they have got some big challenges ahead. the response to climate change, response to the coronavirus, the financial pressures we are likely to face in the year ahead. and they absolutely need civil service that is onside and working with them collaboratively. and i suspect there are a lot of ministers who were working very well together at the moment, but this toxic behaviour at the top is really doing damage. they have got to find a way through it, sooner rather than later. it will damage the civil service, but it will damage the government's delivery as well. we have seen, of course, numerous reports about mr cummings and his attitude towards the civil service and how he wants a radical shake—up within government, a different way of governing. if a few senior names

90. of governing. if a few senior names go, if ministers like sajid javid 90. go, if ministers like sajid javid go, people are not fully signed up to this government, is it a great loss ? to this government, is it a great loss? they have got a big decent majority when with the public. they have got a big majority, but if they wa nt to have got a big majority, but if they want to make things happen and keep the confidence that the british people, they will need an effective civil service. you don't improve the civil service. you don't improve the civil service. you don't improve the civil service by going to war with it, it is a simple as that. there are of course things that the civil service can and should do better. it would be amazing at their word. but the way you can deliver that is to recognise their strengths, and they are internationally recognised as one of the strongest civil services in the world, and then work on the weaknesses. that is the way forward here. this recent period has been very unhelpful for everyone and i am sure so very unhelpful for everyone and i am sure so mark will want to have a very strong conversations with the prime minister to bring it to a close. in terms of this particular

minister, priti patel, there's been so minister, priti patel, there's been so much free thing obviously in the last few days. whoever comes in next will have to have a strong working relationship with her. do think there is likely to be any change in behaviour from the minister? on what we hear, there are some changes needed. there has been some breathing against her, which i think has been unhelpful as well, particularly references to access to m15 particularly references to access to mi5 advice. that wasn't good. so i sincerely hope so, but i think she's going to have to get some advice for more experienced ministers about how to get the best out of her private officer and the people who work with her. ok, so bob kerslake, many thanks indeed and from the head of the civil service. thanks for joining us. sport and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre, here's our reporter. good morning. norwich city have been bottom of the premier league

since boxing day but they got a much needed victory, beating leicester by 1—0. jamal lewis was the unlikely hero, this is his first ever league goal. quite a time to score it. that win puts norwich just three points behind watford. watford play liverpool today, who are all but assured of of the premier league title, but today they could equal the longest winning league run, in the history of the top five european leagues. victory against watford would be their 19th in a row, set by bayern munich back in 2014. but, their boss is taking nothing for granted. this game will be tough. i don't wa nt to this game will be tough. i don't want to say and then, otherwise people will have hope. we just have to fight for each inch of grass, in that game again and if we do that, we are difficult to play and if we are difficult to play, we had a chance to win. if we have a chance to win, we should use it. hibernian are into the semi

finals of the scottish cup after beating inverness caledonian thistle in a seven goal thriller last night. the visitors had pulled a goal back to make it 3—1, before stephane ome—onga scored a fourth for hibs. it finished 5 — 2. rangers play hearts this evening and holders celtic take on stjohnstone tomorrow. great britain's laura kenny says she was determined not to give up after crashing at the track cycling world championships. kenny — seen here in white in the middle of your screen — was taking part in the opening race. she was one of five riders to crash, with just over a lap to go. she was able to walk off the track with a cut near her right eye. she had to have stitches and a concussion check but was allowed to carry on. the two—time olympic and world onmium champion finished 12th. kenny broke her shoulder in the omnium at the world cup in canada only last month, and says she has to carry on, for her son...albie. when i came down, to be honest i knew straightaway that at least my shoulder was ok and that was all i was worried about. and then all the blood started gushing from my place andi blood started gushing from my place

and i thought, oh no, what else have i done? but i wasn't going to give up. icame i done? but i wasn't going to give up. i came to raise and i'm glad i carried on because i need to do the races at this level. it was the last timei races at this level. it was the last time i will get to do that before the olympics, so i thought, you know what? it doesn't matter that i haven't got a medal because i need to get back in the race because otherwise in six months‘ time i will be in others again. danish cyclist michael morkov, has been cleared to compete in berlin after 3a hours in isolation, after suspisions that he might have contracted coronavirus. morkov was taking part in the u.a.e tour before it was cancelled due to two suspected cases of coronavirus. second—placed sale have moved to within 4 points of leaders exeter, with a win over gloucester. the gloucester players paid tribute to caroline flack during the match. the team ran out with the words "be kind" printed across the back of their shirts, as part of the club‘s campaign to raise mental health awareness. gloucester fly half danny cipriani — who dated flack — has spoken about his own troubles, in the wake of the death, of the love island host, who took her own life

earlier this month. heather watson is one win away from her first wta title in almost four years after reaching the mexican open final. she won in straight sets against china‘s wang xiyu. watson — the british number two — has not won a singles tournament since march 2016. if she wins later today she will break into the top 50 world rankings for the first time since that win. that‘s all the sport for now. now for the weather, let's get the weather. storms seem to be something of a trend for the weekend weather now, this is the third main storm we had had now after on kero, storm dennis, donjorge threatens to bring some heavy weather for this weekend. heavy rain threatens this morning and some strong winds for the afternoon. this is the band of rain

that brought the heavy rain across the country and we will see cold showers and swathes of damaging winds affecting ireland first and northern ireland, and then spreading across the irish sea later in the day. but it will be brighter in the afternoon, certainly compared to the start of the day, plenty of sunshine around and blustery showers, heavy and some hail, wintry and cold. snow may fall over scotland, temperatures for — may fall over scotland, temperatures for—7 may fall over scotland, temperatures for — 7 degrees. add on the strength of the wind, which made will be quite a feature of all, particularly in the north—west, it will feel much colder than that. we have concerns initially in northern ireland, this afternoon gusts of 60—70 mph may be and then they will transfer across the irish sea and hit north—west wales and anglesey, and also north—west england, on the coast there will be some huge waves crashing on the shore. these are damaging gusts of wind, certainly for the evening and into the first pa rt for the evening and into the first part of the night. lots of showers and longer spells of rain across the

north, settling snow across the pennines and in scotland. blustery, not quite as windy as it is that the north. it will be a chilly night, temperatures ranging from 3—4d. a bit quiet on sunday, still storm jorge, that weakening and fewer isobars on the charts. just running to the south of the uk could bring some rain for the channel islands for sunday morning, and mayjust crazy of england. most of that rain will stay away though. the rest of us will stay away though. the rest of us will have a much brighter day, lighter winds with plenty of sunshine around, staying dry overall with some further wintry showers in scotland, some snow settling. temperatures up to 10 degrees in the south, it should feel a bit better. into next week, the early part of much is looking colder, but a bit, with quite a bit of sunshine around and also one or two wintry showers.

hello, and welcome to dateline london. i‘m carrie gracie. this week: wake up, get ready, coronavirus is coming — the message from the world

health organization to governments everywhere. hopes of stopping the new virus at national borders all but vanished over the past week — and global financial markets reacted accordingly. but if we can‘t stop this coronavirus, can we slow it down? my guests today: stefanie bolzen of die welt. american journalist, henry chu. iain martin of the london times. mina al—oraibi, editor of the national — a news service for the middle east. i want to start by looking at how different countries and different regions are handling so far to stop me now, let‘s start with iran and the middle east. iran, marks out of ten? two at best. there really concerning that the comment has not been thread about how far it has spread. creases have come to iraq throughout lebanon and iran because people were not tested properly.

this hiding of the scale of the problem, bbc persia for example has been able to verify deaths of about 210 people, where is the government has been insisting it is only 3a and dismissing media reports that say otherwise. it is indicative of a country not playing eight straight, therefore, the ability to spread to other countries. cases have cropped up other countries. cases have cropped up in afghanistan also originated in iran. these are vulnerable countries, huge numbers of displaced people, if it catches on there, it will be incredibly difficult to try and help these people and stop the spread. unfortunately, the reigning government not being straight about things. —— reigning government. they have to be working with governments in the region and also globally. you can‘t these figures. i for east

asia. we‘ll come back to china