I have seen this drug on the battlefields of iraq, syria, libya, but i have never seen it in these quantities before. Were with italys drugs squad as they burn a record haul of an amphetamine from syria. Hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. Were covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. First a growing number of countries are imposing travel bans on britain, where a new, fast spreading variant of coronavirus has been detected. Flights have been cancelled by a number of countries while eurotunnel and ferry crossings from British Ports to france are also being suspended. Eu ambassadors are to meet for emergency talks, also on monday, to work out a common strategy. Our berlin correspondent, Damien Mcguinness has this report. The netherlands was one of the first country to act. On sunday morning, passenger flights to and from the uk were banned. Belgium came next, announcing borders would be closed to all travellers from the uk for 2h hours. Meaning notjust a ban on flights, but also on train and car travel. Germany has followed suit, announcing a ban on uk flights until the end of the month. Other countries including ireland, france and italy have also quickly announced their own individual uk travel restrictions. Pressure is now growing for an eu wide response. On monday morning, european government representatives will meet to come up with a plan. The travel bans came after British Health secretary, matt hancock, warned that the new strain of virus was out of control. In the uk, the move has sparked a scramble among International Travellers wanting to get back home before the borders close. Coming home for christmas, the most important thing is being with family. So i think ijustjumped the gun and went in. That was the idea. I paid about £250 for a flight last night, but i was meant to on wednesday. To come on wednesday. The lockdown already meant that this will be a quiet christmas. Travel bans mean that an even more people will be spending it at home. Damien mcguinness, bbc news, berlin. These latest developments have sparked bans on travel from the uk into several countries including france which is barring arrivals by air, sea, rail or road including freight. Germany, italy, the netherlands and ireland are also restricting travel. Heres our transport correspondent caroline davies. This weekend has already seen queues of lorries waiting at dover. Todays news that france has banned all forms of transport from the uk for 48 hours from midnight, including goods being transported as freight, has many worried this this is an absolute hammer blow after all the queues weve had at ports in the last week caused by brexit stockpiling and, of course, the christmas rush. So, theres real confusion, real uncertainty in the industry tonight. Obviously, the ban is into france, are there other routes that these goods could be taken into in a different part of europe instead . There are other routes, other sea routes, other ports to other parts of europe that can be used. But they are a very long way round compared to the short straits of dover calais. And really, its not a great alternative from where we are now, withjust a few days to christmas. The Prime Minister will chair a cobra meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation. The eurotunnel closed its folkestone terminal at 10pm this evening. The port of dover has closed to all traffic leaving the uk. While france is currently the only country to have imposed restrictions on freight, many other European Countries have placed bans on british passengers coming into the uk including italy, ireland, the netherlands and belgium concerned about spreading the new strain of the virus. In the uk, some passengers were still boarding trains from london to manchester this afternoon. Despite the fact that rules against leaving tier 4 came in last night, other than for legally permitted reasons. The British Transport Police have said that there will be more officers at major transport hubs and the officers will only use enforcement if absolutely necessary. In scotland, the police have said they will double their presence in the border areas, but that it wasnt appropriate for officers to establish checkpoints or roadblocks. Yesterdays announcement has resulted in Christmas Plans being upended across the country, not least those of businesses thrown into doubt at the uks border in the final few days before christmas. Caroline davies, bbc news. Italys Health Ministry has said a person arriving in rome from the uk in recent days has tested positive with the new, more infectious, covid strain. The patient and their partner arrived at romes fiumicino airport a few days ago and the couple are in isolation together with other family members and close contacts. The italian Health Ministry says all established procedures are being followed. We will be talking to a scientist about that new strain a little later in the programme. After months of wrangling, republicans and democrats in the us congress have reached agreement on a 900 billion Coronavirus Relief package. The deal includes increased Unemployment Benefits and stimulus payments for millions of workers who lost their jobs because of the pandemic. Announcing the agreement the republican leader in the us senate, mitch mcconnell, said the American People should know they would not now be battling the crisis alone. We can finally report what our nation has needed to hearfor a very long time. More help is on the way. Moments ago in consultation with our committees of the four leaders of the senate and the house finalised an agreement. It would be another major rescue package for the American People. Chuck schumer who leads the democrats in the senate said this was a start but only a start. This bill is a good bill, tonight is a good night, but it is not the end of the story, it is not the end of the job. Anyone who thinks this bill is enough does not know whats going on in america, does not look into the eyes of a Small Business owner who is losing his business. Al correspondent peter bowes joins us. Correspondent peter bowes joins us. This last similar s package was back in march, how badly it is new one atley needed . Our correspondence. It is the second one to what you just mentioned which passed in march which was eventually worth more than 200 2 trillion so not quite as much money involved this time but it does mean there will be extra payments to the unemployed, there will be fixed sums are sent out to many, Many Americans were stopped there will be helpful students who cant pay their loans will stop systems for farmers and for schools and the list goes on. It really is quite wide in terms of the institutions, the Small Businesses and of course individuals that this is designed to help. This comes after weeks and months of back and forth. What is the rollout pattern for this stimulus package . It could be very quick. Initially, of course, this is a bill and has to be passed in the house under the senate. That could happen in the next 2a hours. It has to be signed by the president and we know that donald trump had been urging congress to reach an agreement so there is no indication that he would hold up indication that he would hold up things as far as assigning the bill is concerned. And once it comes into law, it could just be a matter of days, perhaps as early as next week, before the sum of those payments actually go out to people who really desperately need them and of course were going through christmas, we are going through christmas, we are going to a very difficult time as far as the pandemic is concerned, right across the country it is getting worse and iam in country it is getting worse and i am in los angeles in california where some hospitals are reporting that they have no intensive care beds available. So problems on many fronts for americans but this is some positive news. And peter, this comes as the news that president Electjoe Biden and doctorjoe president Electjoe Biden and doctor joe doctor president Electjoe Biden and doctorjoe doctorjill biden, his wife, due to receive the Coronavirus Vaccine on monday. We have seen in the number of days a number of high profile politicians, we had mike pence on friday and as you said, joe biden and his wife will have it this monday. There is still a significant number of americans who are sceptical and nervous about taking the vaccine, having the vaccine. Many on principle. They oppose all vaccines, and many people, including mr biden, trying to get the message out that this is absolutely essential. If america can reach what is known as herd immunity were enough people are immune to the virus to eventually stop it. The italian authorities have destroyed hundreds of millions of pounds worth of the amphetamine captagon, seized when shipments from syria were intercepted. It was part of a coordinated effort against a trade in lucrative narcotics likely to be run by the Syrian Regime and its allies. Captagon is used recreationally across the middle east but is also taken by militants fighting on the frontlines. Our correspondent quentin sommerville, gained exclusive access to the operation in naples. Syrias walkin feel i syrias walkin feel 1 million miles away in europe but tonight in naples it intrudes once again. Italys Financial Crimes Police are on a night time mission that has been months in the making. Earlier this summer, they seized 1 billion euros of amphetamines. Initially, they thought they came from the Islamic State group. Well, they werent right about that. But tonight, theyre taking those drugs to be incinerated. The drugs, which came from the syrian port of latakia, are under heavy guard, on a nine hour journey to destruction. Inside, an unprecedented haul 85 million pills. Syrias criminal regime, and its ally, hezbollah, are deep in the drugs trade. But these drugs werent meant for european streets. Italy was only a stopover on the pills long journey to libya. Captagon, the amphetamine, is wildly popular in the arab world. Its used recreationally and by fighters too. Colonel danilo tommo tells me, this is the biggest haul weve ever found. The biggest in the world of captagon. Looking at the amount, we think it would have flooded the entire market. Ive seen this drug on the battlefields of iraq, syria, libya, but ive never seen it in these quantities before. Captagon is produced in Syrian Regime and here, in rebel held areas. Abu abdu, a fighter turned smuggler, explains the drugs effects. Translation fighters use it. If you have doubts, it brings courage and helps detach you from reality. The pills give you power, make you feel like a hero, so you can enter battle and fight, and not be scared. Its been a bad year for syrias drug smugglers. Theres been a succession of seizures of their cargo. Millions of pills in the last month alone. These pictures are from egypt. There, they were hidden in waterfilters. Captagon fuels conflict, but it also fills the coffers of Bashar Al Assads heavily sanctioned state. The growing number of seizures from the narcos of the middle east is another front in an effort to stop the flow of illegal riches reaching the Syrian Regime. Quentin somerville, bbc news, naples. Us republican senator mitch romney has accused President Trump of having a blind spot about russia. Mr trump on saturday ignored the conclusions of his top spies and even his secretary of state and even his secretary of state and suggested that china, not russia, sought was behind an attack on Us Government agencies. Read mick romney said it was extremely damaging and demanded a response. Authorities even afghanistan say at least eight people have been killed and 16 injured in a car bombing in carpal. The interior Ministry Says women and children were among the victims. It targeted a member of the afghan element who survived. The explosion was so powerful it caused significant damage in nearby building stood several rockets have been fired into the heavy fortified green zonein into the heavy fortified green zone in baghdad where several embassies and government buildings located, causing minor damage to residential buildings in the us military force of the Iraqi Military has blamed what they call an outlaw group and said one iraqi soldier was injured. Pope francis has claimed that consumerism has kidnapped christmas. In his last sunday blessing before the 20th of december, he told a ground in st Peters Square that there was no consumerism in bethlehem, only reality, poverty and lover. Love. Stay with us on bbc news, still to come Lewis Hamilton named bbc sport personality of the year. Music and chanting. Saddam hussein is finished because he killed our people, our women, our children. The signatures took only a few minutes but they brought a formal end to 3. 5 years of conflict conflict that has claimed more than 200,000 lives. Before an audience of world leaders, the president s of bosnia, serbia and croatia put their names to the peace agreement. The romanian border was sealed and silent today. Romania has cut itself off from the outside world in order to prevent the details of the presumed massacre in timisoara from leaking out. From sex at the white house to a trial for his political life, the lewinsky affair tonight guaranteed bill clinton his place in history as only the second president ever to be impeached. This is bbc news, the latest headlines dozens the latest headlines of governments around the dozens of governments around the globe and travel to and from the uk after the country announced cases of a new, more infectious variant of coronavirus. In the us, republicans and democrats agree ona republicans and democrats agree on a 900 billion Financial Relief package for those hit ha rd est by relief package for those hit hardest by the pandemic. Concerns over the new variant have led to travel restrictions. The pandemic started, we have learned a lot about coronavirus, but it had been learning about us, too. It has had practice that dealing with our immune systems and has developed an extra way of fighting us, this new variant. It has changed 23 times stopping many differences are linked to the all important spike protein. The part of the virus that lets it bind onto human cells, so the worry is that this mutation could make it easierfor the virus that this mutation could make it easier for the virus to infect us. Doctors think this new variant could spread up to 70 faster, although that figure isjust 70 faster, although that figure is just an estimate. Scientists are advising the government also say it could increase the our number which shows how the virus can spread by between 0. 4 0. 9. Shows how the virus can spread by between 0. 4 0. 9. When we fight the virus, we are finding the virus in the nose and throat but the higher amount of virus means that people are likely to be more infectious than we would otherwise be and that means that we need to reiterate the social distancing measures, keep your distance, reduce your contact. One key question is will vaccines still work against that . The vaccine trains our immune systems to recognise and react to the spike protein in the virus and it has changed, but we are talking about weeks rather than huge differences. It is early days but scientists think the vaccines are days but scientists think the vaccines are now, more days but scientists think the vaccines are now, more than ever, the key to getting this under control. Another question is, our people more likely to become very sick or even die if they get infect that with this . So far there is no evidence to show that this variant causes more severe illness and any one Single Person but is there somewhere between one and 100 1 and 150 people will die from it, and if this variant is more infectious, it could cause more cases and so, more deaths. We have already seen ambulances queueing outside of hospitals, and some trust cancelling routine surgery as they struggle to cope with the pandemic and winter pressures. Now, this too yellow we are 11,000 beds fewer than we were last year because of Infection Control and because of the remaining beds, 16,000 of them are occupied by covid 19 patients. That is 2000 more than eight days ago is a white chief executive nothing to us is that it is going to be a nailbiting week for them while they see whether these new measures will have the desired impact. Until enough of us have been vaccinated, the best way to stop the virus spreading is to stop the virus spreading is to act to social distancing, where our masks, wash our hands and cut contact with other people. Lets speak to dr william hanage, associate professor of epidemiology, at the Harvard Th Chan School of public health. Took us through the biology basics. What is this variant, why is it such a concern . The major reason its a concern is because it is quite evidently causing a lot of infections in the south east of england and other parts of the country. The thing which is really striking about it which really leaps out is that it has not one but many are something that happens all the time. Most mutations dont really m ea n the time. Most mutations dont really mean anything. If anything, they make the virus less fit but those that do make it more fit, more able to transmit or invade cells will tend to become more common in the population and this one has a lot of them, including several which had previously been noticed and indicated as being those which we want to be keeping a very close eye on. So the interaction between the large number of cases caused by the fact that it has a lot of mutations already primed it to be concerned about is the reason why we be concerned about is the reason why we are be concerned about is the reason why we are worried. One of the questions on many peoples mines will be around vaccinations. Will this make the vaccines less effective . The moment there is no reason to think that it is going to render the vaccines completely and affect, and i think that is com pletely and affect, and i think that is completely correct that the vaccines are still by far the most important weapon that we have in our arsenal and to be able to deploy them quickly as the best thing we can do. Whether or not there is going to bea whether or not there is going to be a little diminished efficacy is going to be an empirical question will need to be looking at very closely, but for now, yes, you should be getting vaccinated, if you can. Iimagine getting vaccinated, if you can. I imagine this is going to continue mutating, does this make this harder to control, harder to predict . In general, those of us who study Infectious Disease in the way that it evolves are prepared for this to be evolving and mutating. Indeed we can expect that there are going to be changes that are going to be happening and were going to monitor them and keep very, very close eye on that to figure out what the best way to intervene as so what were hearing, it is really more of what we have been doing for quite some time but if you are getting comfortable with a particular level of risk, please think again. Consider reducing your risk still more because this is something which is pretty, it is really quite likely that this is able to transmit more than the variant that was present beforehand. Transmit more than the variant that was present beforehandm there a way to stop or slow down the mutation of a virus . People have thought about ways of trying to do that. In fact, if you think about sars, it is not a rapidly mutating virus, it isa not a rapidly mutating virus, it is a slow mutating virus and thatis it is a slow mutating virus and that is one of the reasons why we wa nt that is one of the reasons why we want to look at is really carefully a nd we want to look at is really carefully and understand how it is that this particular variant came to have a many mutations appearing, comparatively, almost overnight. The first time this was noticed was in the middle of september and it is already causing a very high proportion of cases in the south east of england. Proportion of cases in the southeast of england. Thank you very much for being with us. Lewis hamilton has won the prestigious bbc sport personality of the. His win was announced at the bbc headquarters in salford. He beatjordan henderson to win the award. Hes no stranger to winning and ina hes no stranger to winning and in a season after which he became formula onemost successful driver, for Lewis Hamilton, one final victory six yea rs hamilton, one final victory six years after he first lifted that famous trophy, hed done it again. Please, everyone out there, go out and follow your dreams. Please, never give up on yourself, continue to believe in yourself, because you have what it takes to be great. Inevitably, it was a very different show to normal stopping the only crowd in the studio was a virtual one, after a year in which sport has battled covid19 but a year in which sport has battled covid 19 but also brought inspiration. Sir tom moore both receiving an award and presenting one to nine year old Tobias Weller who has the regional palsy and walked two marathons for charity stopping another of tonights winners is the man behind me. In this challenging year, you have made such a difference as Marcus Rushford stopping the Manchester United striker received a special award for raising awareness of childhood poverty after his campaignfor childhood poverty after his campaign for free school meals. Otherwise just had this thing of, make sure you make a difference for the next generation and i think is a country we should always protect them as much as we can, and give them the best chance at life and becoming whatever it is that they want to become. It was a good night for liveable as they won team of the year and Juergen Klopp coach of the year. For sport, a celebratory end to one of its most difficult years. A reminder of our top story stopping more and more countries including france, germany, belgium, the netherlands and turkey are imposing travel bands to and from britain where a new fast spreading variant of coronavirus has led to the highest daily number of recorded infections. A french 48 hour and recorded infections. A french 48 hourand on recorded infections. A french 48 hour and on freight and passengers has left the euro train operator to suspend journeys. Thats it for me for the time being. You can reach me on twitter and of course you can keep up with the latest headlines at the bbc news website. I will be back in 30 minutes, please dojoin me then. Until then, take care of yourselves and stay safe. Hello. For most of us, the chances of a White Christmas look pretty slim, but its probably not going to be a particularly wet christmas either. Drier, Colder Weather on the way by the end of this week. There is some more rain to get out of the way first, and on the earlier satellite picture, you can see this big hook of cloud. This is really going to provide wet weather across southern areas, particularly through the first half of this week. This first frontal system bringing rain, particularly across england and wales, up into Northern Ireland as well. Something a little bit clearer but still with some showers further north. Chilly air across Northern Areas with a wedge of really mild air working in towards the south. A very, very mild start to wednesday in southern areas, but a cloudy, wet start with outbreaks of rain pushing northwards across england, wales. Some heavy rain moving through Northern Ireland, getting into southern scotland for a time as well. Something a little bit drier following on behind, but probably still quite cloudy. Some further rain into southern counties of england. Northern scotland will see some sunny spells, yes, but some showers, too, and some of these will be turning wintry at times over high ground through the afternoon. A rather chilly day in Northern Areas, a very mild one in the south with highs perhaps 15 degrees. As we go through monday night, you can see further pulses of rain pushing across southern areas up into wales, the midlands. Further north, clear spells, still a few showers into northwest scotland. Pretty mild down towards the south, a much colder night for the north there could even be a touch of frost here and there. Then into tuesday, cloudy, damp weather will continue across southern counties of england, maybe into south wales at times. Further north, well see more in the way of sunshine, but again, a scattering of showers, especially across the northwest of scotland, some of these showers wintry over the hills and the mountains. Temperatures, again, six or 7 degrees in the north, 12, maybe 13 down towards the south. Now, an area of low pressure is set to bring more rain on wednesday, especially across southern areas, but as we head towards the end of the week, this area of High Pressure is going to start to build its way in. So, through Christmas Eve and into christmas day, High Pressure will take charge, but with that, some colder air working its way southwards. So, yes, temperatures dropping away by thursday and friday, Christmas Eve and christmas day, but by this stage, it should be mostly dry with just a few showers. This is bbc news, the headlines. Dozens of countries are imposing travel bands to and from britain where a new fast present spreading variant of coronavirus has led to the countrys highest daily number of recorded cases. After months of wrangling, republicans and democrats in the us congress have reached an agreement on a 900 billion Coronavirus Relief package. The measuring includes Unemployment Benefits and stimulus payments from millions of workers who lost their jobs because of the pandemic. It will also provide funding for the Mass Vaccination Campaign and to help schools reopen. Still caught up on fish, uk and eu negotiators are trying to agree the terms of a free trade deal between the two say they are still stuck on access to the uk public fishing waters. Sources close say it is too ha rd to sources close say it is too hard to say whether deal or no deal can be expected before christmas