the european union and united kingdom have reached a post—brexit trade deal. it follows months of tough and often cumbersome negotiations. both sides have described the treaty as a success. much of the fine detail of what was agreed is still to be made public. the european commission president ursula von der leyen hailed it as a "good, fair and balanced deal". she said she hoped for a continued close relationship in the years to come. the treaty is set to come into force in january when the transition phase ends. borisjohnson said the uk had "completed the biggest trade deal yet". the prime minister said britain was taking back control of its money, borders and, laws. the main opposition labour party says it will support the deal when it comes before parliament.

so, what's the reaction to the deal been across the uk? we'll be hearing from our scotland correspondent james cook in glasgow, our wales correspondent tomos morgan in cardiff, but first, here's our ireland correspondent emma va rdy from stormont. just think back, the brexit process was so seismic for the island of ireland, because it threw up all those questions over what to do about the irish land border and it reminded everyone of the troubled history of this place. but now many of the issues which once seemed unresolvable, there are now agreements on. and northern ireland enters this new era where doing trade here will be different from the rest of the uk, those special arrangements in order to keep the irish land border invisible. now, the trade deal has been welcomed here, it is likely to make some of those special arrangements for northern ireland easier to carry out in future and it will bring great relief in the irish republic, where many people's livelihoods, particularly in the food industry, depended on there being a deal

for the future of trade between our two islands. well, most of the reaction in scotland so far has focused on fish and chips — or, to be precise, seed potatoes. that's the type that farmers grow, not the type that you and i will hopefully roast tomorrow. this deal appears to prohibit their export from great britain into northern ireland or the european union. scottish farmers say that's a blow, although they say that avoiding a no—deal has been good news. the first minister of scotland says that the deal is disastrous and that brexit itself is disastrous. the prime minister, though, when it comes to fishing, insists that this is a great deal. now, many people in scotland's coastal communities voted for brexit because they thought it would mean them taking back control of their waters. if they feel that hasn't happened, though, this could damage the conservatives here. and overall, this isn't just about food, it's not just about trade, it's about politics. a significant percentage of people in scotland, a big majority, voted against brexit —

and there's no doubt that it's breathed life into the campaign for independence. "any deal was better than no—deal, but this will still be a difficult deal for wales, a thin deal, and not the deal we were promised. "those were the words of the first minister, mark drakeford, in response to this afternoon's announcement. now, one of the reasons it was so important that wales and the uk got this trade deal was because a higher percentage of wales‘s exports goes to the eu compared to the uk average, 10% more. and when it comes to things like welsh lamb and fish, they top around 90% going to countries within the eu. the first minister has written to the presiding officer, calling for the welsh parliament to be recalled next week so they can scrutinise this new trade deal. that will hopefully be done around wednesday, so even though there is some concern around the specifics of this deal, it's still a better deal, mark drakeford said,

than the no—deal scenario. now on bbc news, one of the highlights of the year from our world. anna holligan travels across europe to see how people are getting on their bikes and asks if the surge in cycling is the start of a much bigger change in the way we travel. from the bubonic plague to tuberculosis, pandemics have historically changed the way our cities are designed, and the coronavirus has been no different. coronavirus is a moment in which every policymaker can make a u—turn. lockdown made our capitals quieter, greener, and we've seen wildlife blossoming like never before. it's like a paradise for me now. you can see maybe tens of thousands of bicycles everywhere. we are travelling around europe, meeting the people who are trying to implement the biggest changes in cities we've seen in decades. three months ago, here, you had a lot of cars

in this path, 0k? now it's for bicycles. but this rapid shift towards pedal power has created a problem. i just went there and it was empty, you know. there were no bikes. could the pandemic see a shift to more environmentally friendly modes of transport? or will we simply return to the way we were? dutch bike lanes are the envy of the world. it's so much part of us. it is as if we are all born with a bike. like you take a shopping bag, you take your bike.

but it wasn't always this way. maatje van putten was a dutch politician. this is me and my son, 1976. "the netherlands‘ traffic is in europe the most dangerous for children." maatje was a key player in the movement that transformed dutch cities in the 1960s and ‘70s. the start was there in the ‘70s when people got alarmed about the figures of children on the way to school. the accidents — the numbers were so high that we had to do something, and that's how it begun. here, the action groups — and this is us — "we want a car—free sunday at least once a month" — that was in the oil crisis... in 1973, maatje launched a campaign called stop the child murder.

we sat together and said that this can't go on. and so more and more actions were taken. we were blocking roads in the rush—hour — people on their way home — drivers totally overtaken and surprised about mothers in a circle on the corner of the road, blocking it. and there you were, right at the front? maybe, yeah. me and this... maatje's efforts have been immortalised as the heroine of a new children's book. here we went through the tunnel, under the water, here in the — and then, on the other side, the police was there. the amount of space by the car traffic was so enormous that that was, well, eating up the space for cyclists and also pedestrians. the whole infrastructure of the netherlands was totally focused on — on, yeah, let's say, priority of cars. bikes was not an issue.

today, amsterdam has 767 kilometres of cycle lanes and more bikes than people. but even here, the pandemic is changing the way people get about. because of covid—i9, it didn't feel right to go by tram any more, so it was actually the right time to now get a bakfiets cargo bike. judith and johan hartog bought an electric cargo bike at the start of lockdown. we're not really going on a — on a vacation now, so, like a staycation, we stay in holland and we do a lot by bike now, so it's — you can put a lot of things in,

you can get the bags and go out, like here in the park or maybe — and we're going to the beach by bike so it's easy for days — days off. could you have imagined having this, being this dutch mum, six months ago? no, we would never have thought. so, yeah, it's fun. it's — it's different and it's also a bit cliched, but yeah, we like it — we love it. the pandemic has been a catalyst for many people here to invest savings they wouldn't otherwise have had. it's not only mobility anymore, you know, because it's also fun. they're singing in the bike and they have fun, you're in nature — it's a whole different way of going out. the netherlands already had world—renowned infrastructure but the coronavirus has still significantly shifted behaviour. cargo bike sales have gone up by 53% this year and the e—bike is now the most commonly sold type of bicycle. brussels, the capital of belgium. since march, it's built a0

kilometres of new cycle paths. i've been here for two weeks and then, all of a sudden, the world changed, so of course i decided that i want to, you know, take all the measures that i can to stay healthy. when brussels went into lockd own, vesseli na foteva decided cycling was the fastest, safest way to travel, and went out to buy a bike. ijust entered the bike shop and had an image of myself, you know, buying a beautiful bike and matching with the nice helmet. but i just went there, and it was empty, you know? there were no bikes. i wanted to order one, but they said that i need

to wait at least two months to get the bike. so i said, "ok. no way. i cannot wait so much because, you know, the whole summer will be gone." a friend of mine, really by accident, told me that she heard about this subscription—based service, where you can pay a monthly fee and get the bike at your home. so i told her that that's really cool. commuters make up the majority of those who've subscribed to this particular scheme, swapfiets. the dutch company is expanding into three new cities to capitalise on a spike in demand that came with covid. when it was already official that we are living in a global pandemic, i decided that i will avoid as much as possible public transport. so this is probably the main reason to decide to have a bike. but it's notjust commuters who are switching to two wheels.

cycling traffic surged in brussels during the first week of the return to school, with a 75% increase compared to last year. milan was one of the first cities to embrace cycling as a way to get its residents moving around again. this is one of italy's most polluted cities, and it's also in the heart of the region that was the epicentre of the outbreak in europe. pepino drali is one of italy's most famous bike manufacturers. now, at 92, pepino has been

building bikes for more than 80 years. and the crisis has meant an unparalleled pressure on pepino and his apprentice, alessandro... ..as the demand for their handmade bikes has soared. but pepino isn't convinced the boost in their sales is reflected in the number of actual cyclists

on the streets. are you hopeful that in the future, it will again be like it was when you were a boy? and there are many who hope pepino is right, that the surge in cycling is just a phase. claudio severgnini is slipping back into his old routine. he's been driving passengers around milan for more than two decades.

that's incredible, so you have to cross the cycle lane to go into your taxi rank here? but the roads he knows like the back of his hand are being altered and he is worried about cars being pushed out. claudio is concerned these bike lanes through the heart of his city have appeared too fast without enough consideration for cars. no? chuckles.

it's already caused a lot of conflict. transforming the roads, making room for cyclists, involves taking sections away from the drivers. and this side is also new? yes, that side is correct. the parking over side. on the pavement? oh, so now they park...? so not space. wow.

but there is an urgency in this part of italy, as everyone we meet has been touched by the pandemic. this time has forced reflection. for some, the changes are not going far or fast enough. most of milan's new bike routes

are only temporary paintjobs. environmentalists are using the current situation to push for permanent infrastructure. coronavirus is a moment in which, you know, every policymaker can make a u—turn, completely, and change their own cities. anna gerometta is an environmentalist and activist. she believes curtailing car use and backing bikes is an investment for a healthierfuture. climate groups have warned people living in polluted cities are more at risk of contract and lung infections like covid—i9. the failure to have the courage to change now, in a situation in which you have some time to prepare the people, can be really disastrous.

this is a major concern for the people gathered here tonight. they are the critical mass and they are, you know, a movement that has been going on for years. they ride every thursday night and they want to show our policymakers that citizens of milan really want a different kind of city. there are a few lanes that have been built but compared to the need and the necessity of this city and the will of people and the wish of the population of milan to have a different mobility and way to go around, they are really a drop in the ocean. it's a matter of a completely different quality of life. if you have a city where you — your air is so polluted that you get sick and your children get sick, that is an important topic that you, as a public,

policymaker, you should be addressing. the regional government has so far spent 115 million euros to stimulate cycling, but milan's urban planner told us many italians just aren't ready to get on the saddle. it's absolutely not true. probably the mentality of the politicians is too old and they are not seeing what the people really want, and their capacity of their own population and citizens to accept large changes with a very happy heart. the french capital is spending record amounts transforming the streets to try and make cycling a viable option for everyone. it's going to be so interesting

to see how this massive investment in cycling is actually changing the way people are moving around the city. it is like a revolution, you know, because before, we had a city with cars, only cars, and now we have a city with bicycles, with walking, with public transportation, but it is good for ecology. i know we have some problems but it is a priority for the next month to solve this problem, and i'm sure we can solve this. here, it's before. now, it's a new world. 0k! the most iconic change is here on the notoriously petrol—filled rue de rivoli. sections are now completely car—free. david belliard is the deputy mayor of paris. he's a green politician who has

been pushing for these measures for years. three months ago, here, you had a lot of cars in this path, 0k? now, it's for bicycles. the more you give space for bicycles, the more they use it. yeah, build and they will come, they say. yeah, look at that. it's like — it's a big traffic jam, you know? people here have been telling me how they went into lockdown and then came out to this — a whole new world. these types of changes normally take decades. because of the pandemic, there was an urgency, which meant they happened here overnight. cycling levels after the lockdown increased by 27% compared to last year.

paris is in a big transformation, a big bang of mobility, but a big bang with public space. we will organise city to allow you to take your bicycle safely and we will change rules and we will make you more bicycle path and we need to give back some space to parisians. it's a profound culture shift that's taking some adjusting. we saw cyclists being pulled overfor running red lights and cycling with headphones on. it's clearly not clear to everyone who has the right of way. which means for some people, it's time to go back to school. speaks french. this isjoel sick. he's an instructor at maison du velo cycling school.

since the coronavirus struck, the french government has invested 20 million euros in a push to get more parisians using bikes. these classes are now free to anyone in the city who wants to learn to ride. it's like a paradise for me now. you can see maybe tens

of thousands of bicycles everywhere, so it is very becoming so popular. remy dunoyer is a bike mechanic. his repair shop in downtown paris stayed open through lockdown. in response to the pandemic, the french government started contributing to the cost of bike repairs. we have a name for a new service which is out of the basement service. with dusty bicycles, like this one, or any other one, so we have a special service for this use in which we include help from the government — they have 50 euros to help people to fix those bicycles. sometimes they are very, very rusty and hard to fix so it is cheaper for the people to reuse this one than to buy a new one. while other businesses have been shedding staff or cutting

down, remy has been hiring and opening new stores through the country. it was an opportunity for us to open a new city which is in strasbourg. we open a second one in bordeaux, so two shops in bordeaux, one in paris and maybe soon a second one in paris and in strasbourg too. across europe, more than a billion euros has been spent and 2300 kilometres of bike lanes created since the pandemic began. reduced car use has seen pollution fall by 50% in some of europe's biggest cities. but whether this covid—related trend continues depends on the scale of the continued investment and how many of us are committed to keep cycling, changing cities possibly forever.

hello. the weather is giving us a calm and mostly dry interlude for christmas day, a very chilly start with a touch of frost in places, but a fine day for the most part, with some spells of sunshine. where we have had some showers, particularly across eastern scotland and eastern england, there is the potentialfor some ice on untreated surfaces through the first part of the morning. certainly a chilly start, with temperatures well below freezing, so a frost in many places, but that means a fine and a sunny start for most. still, some of the showers just draped across the eastern side of england, a fairly brisk wind here, and one or two showers, too, for parts of pembrokeshire and the west of cornwall. but for much of england and wales, we will see some spells of sunshine through the day. just a bit more cloud into the north west later. certainly for northern ireland and scotland, things

will be clouding over, and we'll see some rain into western scotland. the winds strengthening here. but that's where we will see the highest temperatures. 9 degrees in stornoway. pretty chilly day elsewhere. and then as we head through christmas day night, into the early hours of boxing day, you can see generally more in the way of cloud. some outbreaks of rain, more of a breeze, so not such a cold start to the day on boxing day, most places well above freezing. but boxing day will generally be a cloudier day. there will be some bits and pieces of rain around and some quite heavy and persistent rain getting going across parts of western scotland, into northern ireland later as well, the winds really starting to pick up here. it is going to be a milder day for most, but this will be taking us into actually quite a rough spell of weather through saturday night. it comes courtesy of this area of low pressure. it has been named by the met office, it has been named storm bella. it is going some really heavy rain, which could cause some flooding but also some really strong winds. a met office amber warning is in force already for parts of southern england and south wales, gusts of 70 to possibly 80 miles an hour, but more generally across england, wales and the far south of scotland,

we'll see wind gusts of 60 miles an hour in many spots. a lot of rain through saturday night into the early part of sunday morning. that could cause some flooding. most of that rain will clear during sunday morning, to leave brighter skies behind, but some showers too. and with some colder air digging in, some of those showers will turn wintry, top temperatures between two and 7 degrees. that's all from me. happy christmas.

this is bbc news. i'm freya cole with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk, pbs in america and around the world. a deal is done — the european union and united kingdom finally reach a post—brexit trade deal — after heated negotiations. both sides hail the agreement a big success. we have completed the biggest trade deal yet, worth £660 billion a year. a comprehensive ca nada—style free trade deal. it is fair, it is a balanced deal, and it is the right and responsible thing to do for both sides. stalled over christmas. a covid stimulus package, designed to revive the us