this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the world shuts its doors on the uk — more than a0 countries ban arrivals amid fears of the new variant of covid. the eu tries to work out a joint strategy as some freight across the channel to france and into the uk remains blocked. the and into the uk remains blocked. vast majority ofl medicines the vast majority of foods, medicines and other supplies are coming and going as normal. we'll have more details on that new variant of covid, thought to be up to 70 % more infectious. president—electjoe biden and incoming first ladyjill biden both publicly receive their first doses of the covid—19 vaccine. plus, how the biggest planets in our solar system — jupiter and saturn — crossed paths to create a christmas star in the night sky.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. food banks across the us are warning of shortages as congress agrees a new $900 billion coronavirus relief package. hello and welcome if you're watching vaccinations across the european union will begin in the uk or around the world. from sunday after its regulator i'mjames reynolds in london. in some ways, the uk has been put approves the pfizer—biontech jab. into self—isolation. meanwhile, the us hasjust started over a0 countries have now banned using its second vaccine, with health care workers travellers from the uk in connecticut the first to receive the moderna one. to prevent a mutated variant of covid—19 from spreading. the new variant, which has been nothing beats having detected in london and south—east your children hug you. england over the past weeks, i'm sorry. is believed to be up to 70% more transmissible than other variations. and how millions of people up in response, a majority of european and down the uk try to come countries have banned to terms with not being able air travel from the uk. to see their loved france's decision to close ones this christmas. its border to arrivals of trucks has ground to a halt one of the most important trade arteries in europe. speaking this evening, prime minister boris johnson said his government is working to unblock the border as quickly as possible. hello, and welcome if you're

watching in the uk we, in the uk, fully understand the or around the world. the congressional agreement on a $900 billion relief package could be the medicine anxieties of our friends about that the the us needs so that millions more americans do not slip covid. their anxieties about the new into a winter of poverty. variant. but it's also true that we but for many, the delay in waiting believe the risks of transmission by a solitary driver, sitting alone in for a coronavirus relief package has forced people to seek greater help. the camp, are really very low. so we food banks across the us have been straining to meet a large spike in demand. hope to make progress as fast as we can. iwant a recent survey showed nearly 26 million adults reported that they'd had food shortages that week, hope to make progress as fast as we can. i want to repeat that these and the country's largest hunger delays only applied to a very small charity, feeding america, has had concerns that possibly as many as 50 million people faced percentage of food entering the uk, food insecurity this past year. and as british supermarkets have said, their supply chains are strong larry madowo reports. and robust, so everyone can continue it's too cold and too miserable to be waiting in the rain this to shop normally. early in the morning, as the year nears its end, we had thought we'd be looking at the port of dover because of warnings of potential unless you have to. no—deal brexit chaos. it turns out that coronavirus beat brexit to it. currently hundreds of lorries are waiting to get into dover. no lorries, vans or passengers are being permitted to sail from dover, and flights and eurostar trains have been suspended, there is a strain of hunger running although other non accompanied

through this country. freight is still travelling these are the people cast in and out of the uk as usual. aside by coronavirus and capitalism in arlington, virginia, one of america's our transport correspondent wealthiest counties. caroline davies has juan lost his job as a waiter. this report from dover. like millions of other workers uprooted by the pandemic. his frustration, confusion and anger. savings from 40 years in the us dried up and he is being forced here not everyone at dover this morning for free food. had heard that lorries from the uk did you ever imagine were not allowed you would need this sort of help? to cross into france. believe me, at the beginning it was kind of embarrassing, he wasn't the only angry driver. but you have to do what you have to do, you know? why was it embarrassing? this man arrived in his van last night. i have a ticket at 11 o'clock. my situation was not really, at seven o'clock, you know, that bad, but you know i have a normal type of living. the french say they close. i can't afford my groceries and my payments and all that. it's not one day two this food pantry has seen a 45% increase in traffic days ago, they said since the pandemic. tomorrow, 11 o'clock, saying i come quickly now. they give a week's worth of food, it's not very good. and with more people either having lost jobs, furloughed, or having reduced hours, for days, waiting queues of lorries for many of them it's the only way stretching back from dover. as businesses prepare both for christmas they can feed their families. but also for the end of the transition period. just take a look at dover this morning. this service is amazing. especially completely empty. in the holidays and people are the port of dover usually trying to make more money during

these times to have a good holiday handles 9000 lorries a day, season. food lines are getting longer while goods are allowed from coast to coast. an extra 17 million people have been in from france, that number has been substantially reduced today. struggling to get food in 2020, according to feeding america — the nation's largest hunger relief organisation. it's a pretty significant event, yes. we would certainly be encouraging governments on both sides of the channel to do what it takes to allow a quarter of all children in these guys to get moving again. the united states are facing hunger. how much food do you go if this goes on for through every week? a period of time, we go through well this will have an economic impact on both sides of the channel. over 100,000 pounds. while the port stayed close, many waited. this man had been food banks and pantries were already in his van for over 14 dealing with a surge in demand hours. before the rush of the holidays. he was heading home to france with his sister. half of our families where did you sleep? are the working poor, in the van. and what we've seen is more of those there is no facilitation. working poor are coming to us, and they are coming more often. donations are barely satisfying 0ne car park in dover began to fill up. america's huge hunger problem. dover is just a two minute drive over that way, but the think tank food research and action center says only here, is where many expanding federal food aid people are parked up. programmes can take care i spoke to people who have had of everyone in need. to spend the night here in their cars and vans. you can see there are registration plates from across the eu. this man isn't a commercial driver. the people that are hardest hit our he's just trying to get communities a cover and households

home to his family in lithuania for christmas. with children. we are not all my kids are waiting sharing this burden equally. what do for the christmas presents and i'm stuck here in you worry about most when you see the uk and, i don't know. what is happening with food insecurity in this country? that we at christmas time... don't learn our lesson. we had a problem in this country before covid started. hopefully at christmas time covid has really shone a light very people will get out. brightly on a lot of these problems but for now, he is in terms of income inequality, stranded in a car park. structural racism, inadequate wages, and unsteady employment. hopefully they will manage to fix that situation. we will wait. we can wait. a little bit, but not too much. we are seeing families of ten, 11, christmas is coming. in drizzly and mist 12 having to stretch without food. covered dover, many would like to know when the way america's income inequality ahead will be clear. and unemployment crisis is especially acute caroline davies, bbc news. in south—east washington, dc. this is where the city's most disadvantaged live. let's speak now to lorenzo zaccheo, it's truly heartbreaking, whose trucking company alcaline uk knowing that we are living currently has 120 loaded trailers unable to cross the border. in the political epicentre he joins us from kent. of the world, and that three miles away from the white house, on capitol hill, are people truly in pain. people powerless in the most powerful city in the country. a volunteer with a local

we hear the figures, but a general community group is dropping off some groceries. question, how are you getting on? it's a nightmare. it's the perfect if you don't have the money, you storm. we are coming from a very bad don't have it. wanda is looking after her 11—day—old grandson because her year, obviously the first break—out daughter is in hospital with covid. of coronavirus. we burned quite a she still shares a little food that lot of money, almost £2 million at she receives. one point, in those moments because that day that that one person walked by, didn't have nothing to eat, obviously, we carry car parts, 75% but you had a pocket full of money and you didn't help that person? of our business is that and also we you will be held accountable for it. carry jet of our business is that and also we carryjet engines as well around even if it was a dollar europe, so you can understand, those that you gave. the pandemic drags on, pushing more americans to the brink months there, the automotive and air of hunger and homelessness. very good, thank you! business, came to a complete standstill will stop so we had to in the richest country in the world many of the poorest will start the reinvent ourselves. we carry all year with nothing to eat and nowhere kinds of commodities. we had to to go. spend a lot of cash buying larry madowo, bbc news, washington. refrigerator units and other kind of let's get more on the $900 billion equipment. and now this is coronavirus relief package agreed by lawmakers in the us. our business correspondent basically... because obviously, i samira hussain is in new york. was expecting it because after the is this package what america needed? comment that was made by my —— matt

it is certainly what america needed but it is certainly not going to be enough. there is no question that millions of americans were waiting to see that congress, the lawmakers hancock, that it was out of control, i knew it was going to be a actually pass a pandemic relief disaster. because if you are a minister, you should know what is bill. and what this does is it allows millions of americans not to going on under your watch. if you just basically fall off a cliff in just tell the world that it's out of terms of losing their unemployment control, that means that everybody benefits like so many were going to else starts panicking. that's what if congress did not take some happened. are you panicking? i am, action. also included in the bill is action. also included in the bill is a $600 that would be going in as of course i'm panicking. because obviously now everything. basically, stimulus checks to individual americans and those with children. and this was really important we have vehicle stranded in europe, because remember the last time the on the way back from the continent us passed any sort of stimulus bill into the uk, but we can't send was back in march at the beginning anybody out. we have some drivers of this pandemic. so it was that live in italy that can't get certainly desperately needed but it back. that would have been —— loads is definitely not enough. how might it change the lives of those who are running businesses? that is a very of been cancelled. there is no point good point. it does put more money getting it loaded it calais dover, into the hands of small businesses

so through the ppp come of the loan arm getting it loaded it calais dover, so there is a massive disaster for the government set up at the ourselves. because we are burning, beginning of the pandemic. but as important as it is for congress to on average, anything between £55,000 actually pass these kinds of legislations, what is really important to know is that it is not going to help the millions of a day. what information are you businesses, small businesses that getting from the authorities? have already had to close because they did not get the help they absolute rubbish. i've heard tonight needed when they needed it. how my that basically 10 downing street, they are talking about 175 vehicles. all this policy change underjoe i don't know what they're talking biden? i think the calculus by about. they are on my back because i live at the other side of ashford democrats is let's pass this skinny and the q live at the other side of ashford and the 0 were starting from version of the bill. remember that junction 11 and it just and the 0 were starting from junction 11 and itjust stretches during a lot of negotiations between all the way up to junction ten. republicans and democrats, they were looking at a bill of another 1— to, double parked on the motorway. so u nless double parked on the motorway. so unless they got the dimension wrong, $3 trillion but they encountered a because an articulated vehicle goes lot of pushback from republicans who did not want to spend that kind of roughly anything between 15 to 18 money. so i think what democrats are metres, the q standing at 170 should feeling right now is that let's pass only be about three miles long. but the smaller bill and then he will it's actually 20 odd miles. not to try to get a much bigger stimulus

mention all the others. the under a newjoe biden administration in january. thank you so much. truckstop, you've got vehicles president—electjoe biden and incoming first ladyjill biden parked on roundabouts, our national have both publicly received their first doses of a covid—19 vaccine. roads, on the a 20, built up a joe and jill biden join a growing list of political leaders sharing videos or photos of themselves getting vaccinated in an effort volley areas. it's a nightmare, they to boost public trust haven't seen what the situation is down in kent. they are getting the in the efficacy and safety of the vaccines that have been wrong information. itell you down in kent. they are getting the wrong information. i tell you that authorised for emergency use. now, we can prove that they are the president—elect has set a goal actually wrong. 175, unless i've got of distributing 100 million vaccine shots in the first 100 days that wrong, but that in my eyes tells me that there are thousands of his administration. and thousands of vehicles queueing up and thousands of vehicles queueing up there. thank you forjoining us. let's speak now to the conservative mp chris loder, who sits the pfizer—biontech vaccine on the transport select committe. was developed in europe. he joins us from london. now, after several countries outside europe got there first, the european union's medicine thanks so much. i know you are able regulator, the ema, now has approved its use. to hear that interview. there is the bbc‘s anna holligan has more. confusion about how many trucks are they've been very determined in this queue. grant shapps said to focus on safety and the need to reassure the public as this earlier 174. you heard the previous is rolled out across the continent.

what's crucial is people caller say there are many more and report on social media say there are actually take the vaccine. hundreds and hundreds. what's the so the next step is the european truth? yes, i think there are commission has to approve it, hundreds backed up on the m25 stop and that was exspected to take a few days under a fast track. but the key point here to make is actually it seems it will be that this is a 48—hour ban from the going ahead with that tonight, so that means the first citizens in eu states on the continent french government about travelling could be vaccinated into france. it's clearly affected in fact before christmas. the united states has just started freight, although i should say it is using its second vaccine. health care workers in connecticut were the first to receive company freights, not unaccompanied the moderna vaccine, which along with the one made rates. so that effects rail service by pfizer and biontech, makes america the first country is going through the channel tunnel to grant emergency—use as well. but from a call earlier authorisation for two vaccines. authorities are hoping it will help today that i had with ministers in contain the widespread the department for transport, it is of the coronavirus. in texas, there are currently 9856 people currenlty being treated for covid in hospital, clear that they are taking these and right now the state has issues extremely seriously, the 748 available icu beds. department for transport are working around the clock to find a solution to this matter. of course, it's an i'm joined now by cedric dark, international solution that is an emergency medicine required. i have every confidence physician in houston, texas. that the government will find that

solution with the french government thank you so much forjoining us. but also wishes to find a solution. hospital space is running out. what is it like to be on the front line? it is still strange, you say hundreds and hundreds in the it depends on where you are. here in transport secretary says 174. if houston where i work, we are doing this country doesn't sort this out, 0k houston where i work, we are doing ok but in other places like the the effects will be felt notjust by panhandle and north texas, out in those hauliers, but by people on the the west where el paso is, situation go to the shops, finding that there is much more dire there. america has isa go to the shops, finding that there is a lack of fresh produce. citrus, fresh salad, the healthiest of foods two working vaccines now. i understand you have had a dose and supermarkets warned they may be yourself. do you feel that the gaps. is it acceptable? i'm not sure cou nteroffe nsive yourself. do you feel that the counteroffensive against the virus is now under way? the first day that's absolutely the case. the food supply chain here for christmas, after the vaccine i woke up the next which i think it's probably... day and the sun was shining and i specifically fresh food. not the kind of felt like i was invincible rest of the food, we understand and felt reinvigorated. actually had there is no problem with other to pause myself and think this fight supply lines, we've reported that the prime said that. i'm talking is not yet over. we still have a about specifically fresh foods that long way to go with people still need to be out there wearing their supermarkets have warned about, that supplies will not last forever. of masks when they do go about town, course they won't last forever, but even the vaccine and the science we are talking about 48—hour is. if, behind the vaccine has been terrific and it shows that for either one is as you are suggesting, a lettuce isn't going to survive an extra 48

either 90 or 95% effective at hours, then that may well indeed be preventing contract in the case of covid—19 so it's a great thing, the the case, but 48 hours for the food light at the end of the tunnel. but supply chain, there is not an we still have a long way to go until enormous concern here. that's not we still have a long way to go until we get out of the tunnel. after you top of my priorities at the moment. get your second dose be fine. would i believe, from everything i've you then carry on wearing a mask seen, from the government and the inside and outside? 10096. i think we department for transport that there is no risk at all to the food supply chain for christmas at all. when still have to wear masks. we do not yet know whether the vaccine simply will the border be reopened? prime prevents the individual from contracting the illness, whether or minister said he had spoken to the french president who said he was not it allows them to still transmit keen to sort it out in the next few hours. sorting it out is different the virus, so it's important that from saying, it's open again. i'm people remember that we still need not sure it is. it's very clear that to exercise mask wearing and social the prime minister has, top of his distancing until we have more data priorities, to sort this out. and on those effects from the vaccine. indeed to allow traffic through america is unusual in the west in dover and indeed through the channel the fact that it has two major tunnel. we've already started to see holidays almost back to back with movements from france over to the thanksgiving and christmas. i understand you are meant to make a family visit at thanksgiving and united kingdom. ithink that was called off. tell me about movements from france over to the united kingdom. i think there is already 304 eurostar trains planned that was called off. tell me about that and about christmas for you.|j tomorrow to come from france back to had

that and about christmas for you.” had intended to go to north carolina london. so it's clear to me that and visit my parents there. we have not seen them and probably a year or progress is being made and i have so not seen them and probably a year or so especially with a pandemic. and every confidence that the prime minister and other members of the as cases started to rise prior to cabinet will indeed find a solution thanksgiving, they started to get extraordinarily worried and so we with their french counterparts. decided to not go up there. and it's thank you forjoining us, chris something that of people have loder. let's look at the new variant, sacrificed, not seeing their loved ones for a long period of time, which, as yet, does not have a memorable name. something that for those that have it was first detected in october and some scientists have suggested made the sacrifices come i want to it could be up to 70 thank them as a health care worker % more infectious. for doing their part to keep this 0ur science editor david shukman has pandemic under control. 0ne been looking at the research. the virus may be changing but it's for doing their part to keep this pandemic under control. one of the things that is very dangerous is still spreading from the same ways. young people like myself go and either someone infected contaminates an object that someone else touches, travel and visit their parents and or a cough sprays out droplets my parents made me say i cannot say containing the virus that reach people nearby. ugly my parents made me say i cannot say on my parents made me say i cannot say ugly on tv and they are older parents or they are seasoned 0r tiny virus particles emitted just parents, isa by talking linger in the air parents or they are seasoned parents, is a good thing they have and get breathed in. travel. —— i cannot say elderly. my the result is that infections happen family will be getting together in most easily indoors. texas within our household bubble. we've known that for a while, my mother and sister—in—law because and scientists say that even they are already essentially part of original forms of the virus can reach further and

faster than expected. our internal households we will get together over christmas but for one study shows the critical those individuals who are outside of importance of timing. your household or outside of your in many countries the guidance bubble, it is important that if you is to limit close contacts to 15 wa nt bubble, it is important that if you want to see them, you still need to minutes, to reduce the risks do it outdoors, wave to them from of becoming infected. well, a guard in vermont afar and was in charge of six do it outdoors, wave to them from afarand keep your do it outdoors, wave to them from afar and keep your mascot because being in an environment, a close prisoners who had the virus, environment where you are breathing and during the course of the day the same air, that can spread this he met each of them repeatedly, but never for more than one minute disease especially if someone at a time. happens to carry it. seasoned is a even so, he became infected, and as a result the us authorities great word. at the end of a long have changed their advice to warn day's work, is or anything of it this pandemic the keeps you awake at that even very short periods of exposure when you are close night? i think at this point in to someone can be risky. time, i'm doing a lot better and a things like this that we didn't know lot of my colleagues are doing a lot could happen before is really better than we were doing months ago important to document and share when we kept hearing stories of with others, so, you know, patients dying, even our colleagues others can learn from it. dying. however it's one of those so that's kind of been — the theme of this pandemic is, is just new and surprising. things that it's still something that occurs even today. there is a and what was discovered in a restaurant in south korea is revealing. physician that i know in texas named someone who was infected juan pitts who recently died from

was finishing a meal when a student this disease. it's a real thing that sat down more than six metres away. is happening and it is still impacting health care workers and and another person found a place other essential workers and even more than four metres away. though it does not keep me up at scientists later established that both became infected night, especially knowing now that in a matter of minutes. we have therapies that work and knowing that a vaccine could they say the air conditioning must have spread the virus, pushing it around even over those hopefully stop this or blunt this long distances, something many disease, it is something that from thought wasn't possible. time to time does make us worry. always a pleasure to speak to you, and on top of that, there is now concern about one of many thank you so much, doctor. new variants of the virus. stay with us on bbc news. it has 17 key differences still to come, 32 years after the lockerbie disaster, in its genetic make up, the us charges a libyan man with making the bomb the result of random mutations. which blew up pam am 103. and roughly half of those changes are in the spike protein — that's the part that binds to human cells, possibly doing that more effectively. retailers have played down fears it is likely to be more transmissable because it's of food shortages as a knock—on a dominant strainjust now, effect of the ban on lorries leaving but that is not only dover, although sainsbury‘s have dependent on the virus, flagged up that they may start it is also dependent on people's seeing "gaps" over the coming days. behaviour, and so we need to see theo leggett reports. whether it is the behaviour that is accounting for all of these empty shelves and new infections now, or whether it's really the strain that's easier

to transmit from person—to—person. chaos in the aisles. 0ne worry about the new variant earlier this year, supermarkets here in the uk is that it may found themselves under siege. panic buyers fought replicate more quickly, to stock up on essentials as lockdown was looming. which means more of it can be released to reach other people. now there are fears that travel restrictions and border closures could trigger a similar situation with imports of fresh food unable to get through. all this means that social distancing, wearing masks, hand hygiene and fresh air are more important than ever. they're simple measures, but they remain the best defence supermarkets say they are reasonably until most of us get the vaccines. well stocked at the moment, david shukman, bbc news. as you'd expect in the run—up to christmas, but if freight cannot get across the channel, i'm joined now by dr deepti gurdasai there could be problems after christmas with supplies of some fruit and vegetables in particular becoming difficult to get hold of. an epidemiologist at sainsbury‘s has warned that if nothing changes, we could see shortages of things like lettuce, salad leaves, cauliflowers, broccoli and citrus fruit, all of which come from abroad, but others within the food this variant was detected in the uk. industry say there is no need to panicjust yet. might it be spreading in other countries that don't have the same most of the fresh food we would want surveillance? that's very possible. over the next week is already either it's already been detected in australia, denmark and the in the country in the distribution netherlands. likely to be exported centres, on the shelves or on its from the uk, but we will find out way and that is continuing to move.

it's over time, so we're thinking more when countries start testing for this variant. it is quite about this time next week possible that it spread wide and and beyond, probably even later, 10—15 days. then we think. viruses mutate. is supermarkets and other food shops are at least able to open but nonessential retailers this mutation within the range that across london and much you might have expected? this of the south east have been forced particular strain is unusual because of the number of mutations that to close their doors. appear to have accumulated in what we estimate that the lost sales looks like a short period of time. for those stores that have been forced to close could be anything so, 17 mutations, many of which is from £1 billion to £2 billion a week across the country. in the spike protein. that's 2020 has been a deeply painful concerning, because usually we have year for the nation's a predictable rate at which viruses shopkeepers, and the combination mutate and this one appears to be a of new restrictions and possible disruption to supplies means it's now likely to end on a thoroughly bleak note. jump mutate and this one appears to be a jump above the normal mutation rate which is what has raised a lot of theo leggett, bbc news. concerns about it. what's the best way to contain it? the best way to contain it is, what we already know. social distancing measures, masks. this is bbc news. the latest headlines — more than 40 countries have now whatever way we can keep cases down. banned flights from the uk, and freight deliveries but these sort of strains bring home across the channel to france are blocked after a new variant of coronavirus is found in britain.

the risks of unmitigated transmission at high levels, because the more the virus replicates, the 0n the 32nd anniversary more likely such strains will of the lockerbie bombing, emerge. so i think we need to the usjustice depatment has charged consider very strongly an a man with making the bomb which blew up pan am flight 103, killing 270 people. abu agila masud is injail in libya, elimination strategy in co—operation with europe to prevent such events and prosecutors claim he has from happening in the future. what would that look like? it has to be confessed to his role in the bombing. coordinated, it has to be clear, they are hopeful libya will allow articulated support for a zero covid his extradition to face trial. from washington aleem maqbool reports. strategy which means publicly communicating to the public is a the images will be seared long—term strategy. it may mean on the minds of those who saw news of the atrocity unfolding. things like stronger restrictions over a short period of time, but the massive scar on the earth support for the most vulnerable members of society and then good where homes had been. 11 people on the ground and all 259 surveillance systems that pick up on board pan am 103 flying clusters and outbreaks and quickly from london to new york were killed. stamp them out. much like in new zealand, and parts of australia. the worst terrorist attack in british history, though one doctor, we appreciate speaking for that was seen as libyan revenge epidemiologist for their honesty. at the same time, it is a dark time for against the united states. people. i wonder, the only man ever convicted the same time, it is a dark time for people. iwonder, what of involvement was an alleged libyan

the same time, it is a dark time for people. i wonder, what is the most reassuring thing, that he was a intelligence officer, scientist can tell our viewers? abdel baset almegrahi, that's a tough one. i think what i though he was released by scottish officials on compassionate grounds can say for sure is that there are because of the cancer that countries across the world that i ultimately killed him. but now the us says it's charging have a normal christmases and don't this man, abu agila masud, have a normal christmases and don't have to contend with new strains. for making the bomb that was detonated over lockerbie, countries like new zealand, taiwan and we can learn from them and get alleging he confessed in an interview in libya there. it does require political after the fall of the regime of colonel gaddafi. will, commitment and support from the public. so there is certainly the affidavit also alleges hopein the public. so there is certainly hope in the future, but the rapid that the operation had been ordered advance of the science around this, by the leadership of libyan intelligence, and that that has allowed us to detect such after the downing of the aircraft, gaddafi had personally thanked masud strains and greater vaccine, all of for the successful attack thatis strains and greater vaccine, all of that is helpful for us. thank you so on the united states. relatives of some of the 189 american victims welcomed the news. much. we feel very vindicated, stay with us on bbc a sense ofjustice that there world news, still to come. is another co—conspirator that has follow that star — been named and will be hopefully brought to prosecution. or rather two planets — as jupiter and saturn align, in the night sky, for the first

time 4 centuries. the eu is to announce a plan on tuesday to allow trade routes to the uk to resume but others say they're highly sceptical of such an announcement as soon as possible. here's gavin lee in brussels. on the 32nd anniversary what the french officials are saying of the tragedy. very thoughtless, very ill—conceived. is, they will wait till tomorrow's we have become extremely cynical and suspicious of those in authority, suspicious of their integrity. these people are not ambassador‘s meeting that's when the decision will be taken to be trusted in general. by all member states. if they can agree to one set and that's been the frustration of travel restrictions for the uk. that's meant many feel there is no chance, at the moment, they can't fully move on — that the 48—hour rule will change. the lack of answers about what could a decision will take place off the back of that. have been done to stop the attack. aleem maqbool, bbc briefly were saying that there is a hodgepodge of news, in washington. different rules and regulations now, the dutch saying that a passenger travel let's get some of ban is in place until the new year. the day's other news. the germans and the italians saying russian opposition leader similar things, you have countries alexei navalny says he tricked like portugal saying only a security agent into giving details portuguese residents can fly. others will be stopped of a failed assassination attempt. at british airports. he says he impersonated and you have the swiss a senior security offical saying that if you and spoke with the man, have arrived in the country in the past week from the uk, who said the intelligence agency put poison in his underwear. you will have to self—isolate for ten days. mr navalny challenged president 10,000 people arrived in geneva alone from the uk, so all of these things putin to investigate the recording of his phone conversation. are trying to slim down to one decision and one set of rules the kremlin critic had to be which we are airlifted to germany expecting tomorrow. for medical treatment this year

after he was poisoned with novichok. this is bbc world news, the european union is calling on bosnia to find alternative the latest headlines. accomodation for more than 3000 migrants facing eviction more than 40 nations have now banned from a refugee camp near bihac. flights from the uk, the international 0rganisation and freight deliveries for migration said at the weekend it across the channel to france are blocked, after a new variant may have to close the centre because authorities haven't provided of coronavirus is found in britain. water and electricity. two men have been found guilty of the manslaughter it's now hoping the eu's last—minute of 39 vietnamese men, women and children who suffocated intervention will persuade local officials to rehouse residents inside a lorry trailer as they were smuggled of the lipa camp. into britain last october. the jury at the old bailey a german court has sentenced a far—right extremist to life in prison for killing two people and attempting to murder more than 50. also found george neeka the jury at the old bailey stephan balliet targetted worshippers at a synagoge also found george nica in halle last year. and eamonn harrison guilty after failing to get past a locked of conspiracy to assist illegal immigration. door, he killed a woman passing here's our home affairs by and a man in a shop. correspondent, daniel sandford. the vatican says it's "morally hello caller, is the acceptable" for catholics to receive patient breathing? coronavirus vaccines based hello, no, i'm a lorry driver, and ijust lifted on research using aborted foetuses. a trailer from the port. the statement by the congregation one of the people smugglers for the doctrine of the faith on the phone to the 999 operator. was approved by pope francis. there's immigrants in the back it said that all vaccines recognised but they're all lying on the ground. as clinically safe could be tell me how many approximately used in good conscience. how many patients.

er, 25. but mo robinson was lying. police officers found the bodies millions of people in the uk found of 39 vietnamese people. out this weekend that plans robinson pleaded guilty for christmas have to change. to manslaughter, as did household mixing has his boss ronan hughes. been scaled back to just christmas day across the uk, today, another ringleader, and those in the newly created tier 4 will only be allowed to celebrate gheorghe nica, and another lorry with members of their own household and support bubbles. driver, eamonn harrison, jayne mccubbin has been finding out were also found guilty. how people are reacting. the criminals involved in this case this will be a christmas made their money from misery. like no other. they knew what they were i live here alone, and i've doing was dangerous, but they did it any way. been looking forward to seeing my children for such a long time and planning it for such a long time. i've been buying their christmas their 39 victims had presents since september boarded what they had been and it's heart—wrenching. promised was a vip service — among them two cousins, nguyen van hung and 18—year—old hoang van tiep. so many people like tricia had hoped christmas would be a tiny reprieve in what has been the hardest in vietnam, the teenager's father of years, but her children still prays for him daily. are in tier 4 london, his mother told us they thought they were paying £10,000 so they have to stay home by law for a safe route to england.

and they cannot meet indoors translation: nobody knew with anyone outside their household. that the journey to the uk was going to be like that. you've been really lonely this year. oh, yes. if they had known, nobody would have we're in contact a lot, let their children risk their lives but there's nothing beats on such a dangerous journey. having your children hug you. the older cousin's father thinks he was tricked. oh, i'm sorry! translation: i don't know what happened. and there are millions of people but something must have changed in their plan. either that, or he was scammed. worse off than me, and ifeel bad. sue has terminal cancer. pham thi tra my died trying repeatedly to call her family. her daughter has already she had only left vietnam a few days travelled from sussex to pembrokeshire to be with her. earlier, travelling via china. 0thers came through countries her son—in—lanonathan was due as diverse as russia, germany and portugal. to follow this week. for most, the last stage purely based on covid rules, of theirjourney began in paris. first, a taxi ride the only day i can be in wales to northern france. is on christmas day, so it's then but there they were transferred a case of trying to find other ways into an airtight trailer of doing it, which you can towed by eamonn harrison, on compassionate grounds, but it's who took them to zeebrugge to travel not so much a legal dilemma unaccompanied to essex. as a moral dilemma. but there were too many migrants in the airtight box, i've wanted to do the right thing and slowly the oxygen ran out. the whole time through lockdown.

for sisters katie and samantha, christmas day would normally involve nguyen tho tuan left four generations from five households from across a message for his children. the ukjoining up and staying over in wales. this year, for the first year, police found dents on the ceiling of the trailer left by those they are going solo. inside trying desperately to escape. mo robinson, who collected it literally, it will be our from purfleet docks, normal christmas dinner, had received an urgent message but with a computer from his boss, ronan hughes. instead of a plate that i have to wash. "give them air quickly, # so i'm singing this to say don't let them out." # i wish i could see but when he opened the doors, there was a puff of vapour you on christmas day...# and a trailer full of bodies. the vip service had this song was written and performed been a death trap. by children from the ls18 music school in leeds to raise money ronan hughes and gheorghe nica, seen here handing over to tackle loneliness. a large bag of money, we originally wrote the song before led the people smuggling gang, and there had been the start of the second lockdown, an opportunity to stop them. and thought it would be a cool idea to get grandparents a previous run on the same route involved in making the video. just days before was caught on cctv and reported to the police. you guys made this decision before borisjohnson made it for you. a couple whose home overlooks we decided some while ago the site saw around 15 people we wouldn't mingle at christmas, getting out of the truck because we didn't think the risks and into a group of waiting cars.

they called the police, really were worth taking. but the people smuggling gang wasn't identified until after the 39 deaths obviously we would have wanted to spend it with our grandparents. 12 days later. are you going to miss them? the bodies of those who died yeah. yeah, i already do. on the fatal run were flown home to vietnam, and the two cousins were buried side by side. daniel sandford, bbc news. i will miss giving you cuddles on christmas eve. love you, kiddo. love you. don't make me cry on telly! the date is december 21, 2020, the shortest day of a very long year, you are allowed to cry on tv especially this year. the date is december 21, 2020, the shortest day of a very long year, which means from now on, which means from now on, in the northern hemisphere at least, every day we get a few minutes more of sun. that means from now on in this hemisphere, every day we get a few more minutes of sun. here is stonehenge in south west england, where druids would normally be astronomers have calculated that the celebrating winter solstice. one thing to celebrate! phenomenon, jupiter and saturn merging, hasn't been seen so brightly for hundreds of years. it do you stay with bbc news. is property speculation is that it may have been the source of light

2000 years ago that, in the bible, led the three wise men to see the newly born jesus. led the three wise men to see the newly bornjesus. do stay with bbc good evening. news. hello there. monday was a day of mixed blessings in terms of the weather for most of us. it was a miserable start with some good evening. warm and wet, cold and heavy rain easing away, dry, something for everyone in the and it led to some muddy walks through the middle of the afternoon. forecast but today, it has been a rather grey and wet story with one but at least in the south, it was mild with it. speu rather grey and wet story with one spell of wet weather edging its way temperatures mildly 13—14 degrees. into scotland this afternoon, and also know that mild air is going to stay across central another another spell of rain and southern england for another day pushing its way into south—west england and wales. it meant many at least, but northerly winds starting to dive in across scotland. it means some clear skies others, scenes like this, with some here and the best of the sunshine pretty soggy looking fields at the for scotland, northern ireland and northern england, moment. in some pretty leaden whereas further south, it stays rather grey with some looking skies. as we go through the outbreaks of rain into the south night tonight, we will see clear west by the end of the afternoon. here, milder. skies developing across scotland, we are looking at around 8—13 northern england and northern degrees, but across much of scotland ireland, but further south, that and northern ireland, rain moving through wales at the will see top temperatures through the middle of moment, that has got to slip its way the afternoon of 5—7 celsius. now as we move out of tuesday into wednesday, we'll see another into south—east england. it means a area of low pressure pushing mile to tuesday morning here with into the south west, and that is going to bring double digits, but further north, a spell of wet weather. clear skies, temperatures down to again the wind direction

freezing. at least here, there can still coming from a south—westerly, or warmer source. be sunshine in the morning. so that's the dividing line scattered showers driven on by a still between the milder air across central and southern england cool northerly wind, the sunshine and the northerly winds still producing that colder extends in scotland, northern feel across scotland. ireland and northern england, but it means further showers here, for much of wales, central and particularly on those exposed north—facing coasts. southern england, overcast, showery for scotland, northern ireland, outbreaks of rain pushing into the northern england, still south—west by the end of the largely dry and fine. then in the south west, afternoon. mild noticeably cooler we could have a pulse of heavier further north. still low pressure rain, which may well lead to a spell dominates across england and wales of localised flooding and weather for wednesday and some of that rain warnings have been issued. could be quite heavy. this low is it's certainly worth still the dividing line between this bearing that in mind. milderair that low pressure will start still the dividing line between this milder air with this south—westerly flow, for one more day at least. but to drift away, and as we head towards christmas eve, high pressure is then setting northerly winds still dominate in from the atlantic, across the far north, that means and that will quiet things down. that's where the best of the sunshine is likely to be yet again, now the isobars almost coming from a vertical, but it's a colder story and any so a northerly wind really showers across the mountains in descending right across the country. scotla nd showers across the mountains in scotland could turn wintry. some of could drive some showers on those exposed east coasts, that rain, as it moves its way through south—west england and but christmas eve, largely fine, wales, could be heavy enough to some sunshine coming through and quieter but colder produce localised flooding, so we need to keep an eye on that. but than of late with temperatures around 4—8 degrees. that low pressure is gradually drifting its way off into the near now that will continue to be continent. it does mean that for the theme as we head

christmas eve, the weather story towards christmas day. will start to change. high pressure the high pressure staying with us, builds in from the atlantic and the isobars though open up a little, so lighter winds, a quieter story quite in sinks down nicely. the but with clear skies, that northerly wind starts to kick it could lead to a localised frost. across the country, it will kick in across the country, it will kick in so i'm not sure it's going to be a few isolated showers down through the east coast, but there will be a white christmas by any means, some spells of sunshine around as but it could be a white christmas in terms of frost first thing well. a quieter story, a colder on christmas morning. there will be some sunshine story, 47 degrees as the hive. to go with it, though. christmas day it looks largely fine moving out of christmas eve and christmas day, we could start off and quiet, and we can see that in the city forecast. with a touch of frost under clear skies, dry and relatively quiet but but still on the cool side, cold, something wetter is set to 00:28:33,574 --> 4294966103:13:29,430 return for boxing day. 6—8 degrees at the very best. we'll start to see signs of a change into boxing day, so it's pretty short—lived, that quiet spell of weather. as we see some wet and windy weather, the isobars squeezing together once again, and as that bumps into some colder air, there will be some snow chiefly to higher ground, maybe some at lower levels for a time as that rain continues to push its way south. so central and southern england will be overcast on saturday, but should stay dry during daylight hours, wetter the further north and west you are, with highs of 6—9 degrees.

now as we move out of saturday into sunday, it looks likely that low pressure is going to dominate. plenty of isobars on the charts, the winds will remain a feature, and always going to be coming from a northerly direction, so it stays unsettled but noticeably colder. that is worth bearing in mind, so as we close out the year of 2020, it does look likely that it is going to stay unsettled. there will be some heavy rain at times, accompanied by strong winds, and because it stays pretty cold, it could get quite interesting. take care.