Hello there. France has reopened its borders to traffic from britain. They had been closed for 48 hours leaving thousands of trucks stranded in south east england. Since midnight in france, European Union citizens and residents, freight drivers and others have been allowed in provided they have a recent negative coronavirus test. Some of those stuck are members of the european road hauliers association. Joining me now is marco digioia, the secretary general of european road haulers association. Very good to have yous. This development the reopening of the order must be a huge relief to your drivers, your members . Yes, good morning. Indeed, the situation is very serious. People, human beings, they have been stuck in their vehicles in total uncertainty. France has reopened its borders this morning but this backlog could ta ke morning but this backlog could take some time to shift, especially with drivers to be tested before crossing the channel. We have been reported huge problems in terms of a lack of adequate parking areas, lack of adequate parking areas, lack of adequate parking areas, lack of access to food, even to water, to toilets. They are worried and they are desperate. They have even been reports that the lorry drivers have been given parking fines in kent and this is unacceptable. From a business perspective, we estimate once thousand euros per day in terms of cost, cost for the company, no delivery is made, no loss, loss in turnover possible drivers penalise for no delivery. So hopefully they will be able to be get back to their home but looking very unlikely and not for christmastime. It sounds like it has been a horrendous situation for those caught up in it, but in terms of the solution to this and the idea of these tests being done in him having to test negative in the day or two before they crossed the border, what do you make about . Do you think that is going work . Well, certainly this spread of the new covid variant is a problem but our position is that we fully support and fully support the recommendation made by the European Commission a couple of days ago that essential workers and transport workers should be exempted from any testing and any quarantine. This is absolutely the position we follow and we understand this will not be the case that this will not be the case that this will take quite some time before these people will prove cover negative within 72 hours. So we expect transport interruptions for sure. And just briefly, how long until the backlog is cleared and things are back to normal . Even with the borders just reopening today, we have already had thousands and thousands of truck in line waiting to pass, it will be difficult to get back to normal in a few days time. By the way, what is normal . Normal, what will be very likely, what we will see before this crisis came up. Several kilometres long years waiting to cross from france to the uk. So this will be a very challenging time in the next weeks, and very likely in the next months. So these drivers and holders are men and women who deliver and the society is the betting on them. I bought christmas presents online from my son and i got them online and on time. There was a driver, a Delivery Driver and hall who delivered it. Marco, im delighted that your presence arrived on time. I wish we had more times to speak about this but we will have to leave it there. Thank you very much marco from the european road all the years association. Haulier. For consumers, the main impact of the blockages is the availability of Fresh Produce like salad, vegetables and fresh fruit. The uk imports most of those at this time of year from the eu. The British Retail Consortium estimates around 40 of all the food that supermarkets import comes across the channel via dover the proportion of Fresh Produce is even higher. Lets talk to Philippe Binard from freshfel europe, the Fresh Produce association. How much fresh fruit and veg is caught up in the closure . Well, good morning. Yes, there has been a lot of disruption in the overall supply chain in the last few days. There has been a lot of trucks that have been blocked and most of the Fresh Produce comes with trucks that we re produce comes with trucks that were in transportation. All of the trucks entered into the long queues, not return and couldnt bring back the Fresh Produce needed for the supplier to the supermarket. I we work in the sector with very limited stock so these are direct supply to the supermarket and that could not be done. There area that could not be done. There are a lot of trucks that are blocked which have not returned in time and i think to get that fixed, i think it will still ta ke fixed, i think it will still take a few days. And that will also affect the christmas situation. So i think there has been a lot of disruption in the overall supply chain. 0k, and that food, that Fresh Produce sitting there are those trucks, is there much of it that is likely to spoil, go rotten or cannot stay four in those chilled trucks . I think most of, in ourcase, chilled trucks . I think most of, in our case, most of the trucks are returning empty and going back to load again products in the netherlands, belgium, france, spain, italy, to supply the supermarket. So i dont think there is any major issue with rotten vegetables coming in from the uk to europe. The problem is more the lack of return and there will be further difficulties in the coming days convincing drivers to go back into these conditions if there is still uncertainty, long delays, and all of that is leading to additional costs, additional difficulties in organising the logistics. 0k, uk supermarkets have been warning in the days after christmas they could be a shortage of produce on their shelves, obviously that is a concern in the uk but how important is that access to the ukfor important is that access to the uk for the producers of this produce in europe . Well, you have given the figures. I think 40 of the supply of the uk supermarkets come from european Fresh Produce and i think, i dont know whether this is in anticipation of the exit situation but we are in a situation but we are in a situation where we have extremely uncertain situation. There has been the covid situation in general which are slow down the process. We have got a number of anticipation of the brexit with additional volume coming to the uk, leading to more difficulties in finding trucks to move goods and now we have this situation which will take for sure a few days before being settled. 0k for leave, thank you very much. Across the uk and europe people have had to rip up Christmas Plans this year due to the latest lockdown measures. The Restrictions Mean many could be dealing with large food orders that might go to waste as theyll no longer be seeing family or friends. Many others simply wont have enough food during this season. Unicef is helping children in the uk for the first time and it estimates there are children going hungry in a fifth of households. So can sharing out the unwanted food help . Joining me now is tessa clarke, co founder of olio, food waste sharing app. Tessa, very good to have you with us. How would food sharing work ina with us. How would food sharing work in a covid safe way . With us. How would food sharing work in a covidsafe way . So its really important that all sharing takes place in a covid safe sharing takes place in a covid safe way and we do that what we call a no contact pickup which means that you pop up pickup which means that you pop up the items outside just a few moments before the person due to pick them up arrives. And how do you go about getting the food from those who have got access to those who dont have enough . Youre absolutely right, this is an enormous problem, especially this time of year. In a regular christmas, uk households throw 4 million festive dinners, the equivalent of, and 70 million inspires. And this isnt a normal christmas. We have got millions of people with far too much food and other People Living in food positive. So the olio living in food positive. So the 0lio app is a really similar two simple way to connect people together. It takes 10 seconds to add your neighbours living nearby get an alert, can browse the listings, pick what they want and come around and pick it up. Are you expecting there will be an excess of food because i know people have had to cancel plans but on the other side of it, some people finding themselves unable to go to the place where they were expecting to have their christmas lunch and buy anyway. I popped into a couple of supermarkets in london yesterday, the shelves cleared com pletely yesterday, the shelves cleared completely out of any fresh fruit and vegetable. Couldnt get parsnips of carrots, it was quite stark, so ijust wonder whether there might be fewer people with access food to give this year . Due to the cancellation of plans, we know that we have millions of people who are swimming in a festive food and we have that coming into the 0lio app. So within 2a hours of the announcement of christmas essentially being cancelled for many people, we saw massive leaps of 35 in terms of food coming onto the app and since then it is doubled. So each month on a regular month, we have a million items of food. In the past three days, we have seen lots of turkeys, brussels sprouts, mince pies, christmas puddings, as people give away their spares because they know that there are people in the community struggling right now struggling to put food on the table. 0k, struggling to put food on the table. Ok, im glad youre getting donations of food from people. You have created a food poverty map for the uk. Tell us what you have learnt from doing and what looks like. We have partnered with the university of nottingham to build a world first with g is a real time dynamic food poverty map and essentially what it shows is visually how food poverty exists down to a street level in the uk. And in a nutshell, it will be no great surprise for you to hear that we have seen a for you to hear that we have seen a significant worsening of food poverty in the uk since covid has hit. Prior to that, we had 8. 4 Million People in oui we had 8. 4 Million People in our Country Living in food poverty and sadly that has only gotten worse. Yes, indeed. Tessa, thank you very much for speaking to us. Tessa clark. Lets get some of the days other news. Lufthansa will airlift Fresh Produce to britain later amid fears of shortages over the festive season, even as france has reopened the main truck ferry route with the uk. The German Airline will fly 80 metric tons of food to Doncaster Sheffield airport in Northern England using a boeing 777f freighter. Deutsche bank says rosemary vrablic, president trumps long standing private banker has resigned. She helped manage mr trumps relationship with the german bank as it lent hundreds of millions of dollars to his company over a number of years. The Usjustice Department is suing walmart. Its accusing the Worlds Largest retailer of fuelling the Opioid Crisis in the united states. The dept says the firm ignored warnings from its pharmacists and filled thousands of invalid prescriptions. According to the lawsuit walmart created a system that turned its 5,000 in store pharmacies into suppliers of highly addictive painkillers, from as early as 2013. Walmart called the charges baseless. President donald trump has threatened not to sign an 900 billion Coronavirus Relief bill. It includes money thats desperately needed by americans hit by the pandemic and unable to pay forfood or bills. He says it should be amended to increase the amount in the stimulus checks from 600 to 2,000. Joining me now is james hughes. Chief market analyst at scope markets. Good to see you james. So this will come as a real blow, not just so this will come as a real blow, notjust individuals but also to businesses in the us who after months of wrangling in congress thought, right, we got over the line and the relief is on its way. It seems perhaps not . Yes, notjust a blow to those businesses but a shock to the market as well because of course, donald trump has been the market as well because of course, donald trump has been anyone pushing for this big push through and even though he has taken no part in the discussion since the election because he has been true busy trying to keep him staying in the white house. The fa ct we staying in the white house. The fact we have got to a situation where we have actually seen this after months of political wrangling and political point scoring, we have seen something be agreed to but now donald trump is worsening to veto the bill and what is amazing about this is the fact that he is threatening to veto the bill on actually a stipulation that the democrats want to put in there. Of course, donald trump not a democrat and it shows that infighting with republicans. What donald trump wants to do is have the 600 cheques, which is have the 600 cheques, which is giving 600 to every man, woman and child in the us, giving them 600, he wants to increase that to 2,000. That is something that nancy pelosi only democrats have been pushing forfor a long only democrats have been pushing for for a long time. Only democrats have been pushing forfor a long time. So the democrats are actually quite happy this has happened but if the vote being pushed so quickly yesterday, it has now got to a situation where eve ryo ne got to a situation where everyone is pretty surprised about this but the democrats are to take the change to the floor and get more money to the american people. 0k, james, we dont have to leave it there by thank you very much for the ta ke thank you very much for the take on it. James hughes there from scope markets. Pandemic restrictions worldwide have hit Many Industries hard especially restaurants and bars. Many had to temporarily close during lockdown. To stay in business, several operators had to come up with new ways to reach out to their customers. Sharanjit leyl went to find out how some chefs and bars in singapore are adapting to the new economy. Caviar, foie gras, and other expensive items. There frequently on the menu at this restau ra nt. Frequently on the menu at this restaurant. But this meal has a twist. Ready to go its going toa twist. Ready to go its going to a customer who is encouraging at a hotel, after arriving to singapore. And what the chef calls his bento box experience. Your expectations will be realised. Its not that we make money out of it, but it is secure, there were no workers to be retrenched. The bento box doesnt come cheap, costing up to 160, but customers dont just costing up to 160, but customers dontjust get to enjoy it alone. They also get a phone call from chef emanuel explaining the dishes. We lose deutsch the teriyaki and brush it. Deutsch the teriyaki and brush it. Blowtorch. Deutsch the teriyaki and brush it. Blowtorch. Another miscible in style chef another missive and starred chef also uses video calls to reach out to his customers. Jeff kirk is teaching me and some of his customers how to cook this dinner. Lets see if ican do cook this dinner. Lets see if i can do it chef. I think i did it . Chef, has this changed the way you are reaching out to your customers . It has. Chefs in singapore and around the world a re in singapore and around the world are working extremely ha rd world are working extremely hard in their kitchens stop were getting attention from around the world. And its not just that found ways to innovate, you can now enjoy the famous cocktails of this recently ranked top bar in asia in the comfort of your own home. It owners were among the first to invest in specially conditioned bottles with distinctive labels and brand names. Its one way to make ends meet while pandemic restrictions remain. At the end of the lockdown we were up to 30 of our normal revenues. But right now we are in what we call phase two. So, restaurants are back, gaza back open, bars are back open, and we think we on a good path to recovery. And its that recovery. And its that recovery after the pandemic that customers of the adjustments and bars are pinning their hopes on, so they can keep coming back to raise a toast to better times ahead. Sharanjit leyl, bbc news, singapore. Stay with us on bbc news, still to come why the Animation Industry is booming during the pandemic. Hello, im ben. This is bbc news. The latest headlines. If its declare thousands of trucks from around the english port of dover after france lifted a 48 hour ban on entry from britain. President trump describes a 900 billion Coronavirus Relief package agreed by congress as a disgrace and demands changes. Anna chapman started ava made Hannah Chapman started ava may aromas from her familys kitchen, making Scented Candles and wax melts. Soon, she was inundated with orders. To keep up with demand, she had to start producing on an industrial scale. But taking on new staff, machinery and factory premises created big cashflow problems. Her advice to other entrepreneurs is to plan ahead for the growth of their companies. Plan for every six months, i wish i had done that. I literally couldnt produce enough. We would have to shut the website down for two weeks ata the website down for two weeks at a time. There was a holding page that said, you know, really, apologies to anyone wishing to order, but we are unable to take any orders at this time. It did cause huge concern that we were potentially going to lose customers as fast as we were gaining them because of having to shut down every so frequently the cash flow was one of the biggest issues. It was really, really difficult. It was a case of managing money to the penny. 0ne it was a case of managing money to the penny. One of the biggest reasons that businesses go bust in the first 12 months is cash flow and they are managing our every day, every week managing that. I had zero plan beyond my parents proposed kitchen, and if i had planned 12 months ahead, that would have been a great thing and would have changed