07/12/2017 BBC News at Ten

Tonight at 10.00pm: a rise in cases

of domestic violence prompts calls

for more to be done to protect

the children caught up in it.

Her ex-partner threatened to beat

her and her 12-year-old child up.

The Children's Commissioner calls

on the Prime Minister to introduce

introduce greater protection to deal

with the growing problem.

You'd be in the middle

of having this fight,

and you'd be looking at your kids

and you'd have eye contact

with your kids, and you'd see

the fear and look at them crying

and stuff and you wouldn't know

what to do because you can't get

out of the situation.

The BBC has been following

Northumbria Police as officers

try to deal with more

and more cases.

We have a special report.

Also tonight:

Palestinians clash with Israeli

forces in protest at

President Trump's decision

to recognise Jerusalem

as Israel's capital.

Stretched to the limit before

winter has really set in -

warnings about the huge pressure

on the NHS.

Hip hip.

Hooray.

Hip hip.

Hooray.

The Queen officially commissions

into service the Royal Navy's

largest and most expensive warship -

HMS Queen Elizabeth.

And celebrations in the West

Midlands, as the title of UK City

of Culture 2021 is sent

to Coventry.

Coming up on Sportsday on BBC News,

the best player in the world,

Cristiano Ronaldo, is named

the winner of the Ballon D'or

for the fifth time.

Good evening.

The number of cases of domestic

violence reported to police

in England and Wales is on the rise.

Now the Children's Commissioner

for England has called

on the Prime Minister to put

in place greater protection

for children who are exposed

to the problem, at home.

The latest figures show an increase

in the number of cases police

in England and Wales are involved

in almost 650,000

in the year to March.

It's estimated that one in seven

children and young people under

the age of 18 will have

lived with domestic abuse

at home at some point.

And it's when children

are involved that there's added

pressure on the police

to respond quickly.

Jeremy Cooke has

this special report.

It starts with Claire's

story, which I should

warn you is upsetting.

Jack was the eldest, he was 12.

He was a musician.

He was just a lovely,

quiet, gentle boy.

Paul was cheeky, full of confidence.

A good sportsman, he was a runner.

Personal best was

always in his mind.

Claire, proud mother.

Domestic abuse survivor.

She left the man who had controlled

and bullied her and her

children for years.

But the abuse continued.

It escalated, with the two boys

caught up in a world of fear.

They were frightened of their dad

and they were frightened for me

and they were very protective

of me and worried.

Despite everything, the boy's father

had a right to see them.

Claire sensed the growing danger

but was powerless to stop.

What happened next?

There was a policeman

stood at the door.

I said, "What's he done?

He's done it, hasn't he?

He's done something to them."

Domestic abuse is a reality in every

part of the country.

POLICE RADIO: There's a domestic.

Someone has been stabbed

with a screwdriver.

Northumbria Police are dealing

with calls for help 24/7.

POLICE RADIO: Are there any

children at the address?

And they often involve children.

Her ex-partner threatened

to beat her and the

12-year-old child up.

So, we're going to get somebody

up there straightaway.

Children can, and do,

suffer direct abuse.

But they also witness violence.

It has a terrible

impact on children.

We know those children

are often going to find it

difficult to build relationships,

may have difficulty holding

down work.

I've had black eyes.

I've had elbows and knees

and my head would be

bashed off something.

Jane finally fled after

she and her kids endured

almost five years of domestic abuse.

We've changed her name to protect

her and to protect the children.

I see the massive effect

it has had on them.

We'd be in the middle of having this

fight and you'd be looking

at your kids, you'd have eye contact

with your kids, and you could just

see the fear with them crying and

stuff and you wouldn't know what to

do because you can't get

out of the situation.

POLICE RADIO: Taken hold

of the female's arm

and hit her on the back.

After the 999 calls, the response.

Northumbria Police on the case.

Every year across the country, the

number of recorded domestic abuse

incidents is rising.

We're on our way to

a domestic violence case.

Every incident like this

is treated very seriously

but when there are children

involved, it all takes on an even

greater sense of urgency.

And there are also routine checks.

Tonight, the police are visiting

Melissa, along with a specialist

from Wearside Women In Need.

We'll give you a call...

There are no kids here.

Melissa felt she had no

choice but to give up her

newborn baby for adoption because

she was trapped in an abusive,

controlling relationship.

Domestic abuse, breaking the bond

between mother and child.

It has cost you your baby and it has

cost your baby his mum.

I'll never see my baby again.

I'm in so much pain.

It's ruined my life, basically.

Is there anything you need

for your flat I can help you with?

No.

Melissa is trying to

turn things around.

She's got a job and wants

to look to the future,

with the ongoing support

of Wearside Women In Need.

For kids caught up in domestic

abuse, there's always damage.

But for Claire, as she was rushed

to Sheffield Children's

Hospital, it became

a matter of life and death.

I walked up to the bed

and they stopped the CPR and I held

him in my arms, held him so tight,

and my tears were in his hair, and

then his eyes closed.

Paul was gone and Claire became

aware of another bed, doctors

fighting to save Jack.

Their abusive, violent

father, had also died in a

fire he had deliberately set after

trapping the boys in the attic.

The boys couldn't get out but Jack

tried and he had managed to get Paul

to the edge of the attic but he'd

fallen through

into the flames below.

When the fireman picked him up,

he said, "My dad did this and he

did it on purpose."

A family destroyed.

But still more agony to come.

I went with Jack to

Manchester Burns Unit

and he went straight into theatre.

Jack fell asleep in my arms

after a five-day battle

in Manchester Children's Hospital.

Early intervention can help

children and save lives.

Here, a Northumbria Police team

scans the overnight reports of

domestic abuse for cases

involving children.

Its Operation Encompass and is now

rolling out across much

of the country.

It means the school is called early

morning so that they

can support that child.

The first thing we will do

is we would make sure we greet

that child with a smile.

If they've not got school

uniform on, we can offer

them school uniform.

We check they have had breakfast.

We just check they are all right.

The national statistics are bleak.

One in seven children

experiences domestic violence

and there are calls for a more

consistent, multi-agency

response, nationwide,

driven from the top.

I would like the Prime

Minister to make this a

priority for the whole of government

and actually send out strong

messages and a framework

for government and public

services throughout

the land that children need the help

now - they can't wait

for that support.

Claire now campaigns

with Women's Aid.

Their Child First

project has recorded 20

cases since 2005, where children

have been killed by fathers who are

known perpetrators of domestic abuse

but still had access to

their children.

Domestic abuse and coercive

control is a silent killer.

It needs to be

recognised and stopped.

Claire demands that family

courts put child safety

at the heart of every decision,

a demand she makes in

the name of her Paul, and

her Jack.

I promise no other parent would have

to do what I did and hold

their child in their arms

as they died, knowing

it is at the hands of somebody

who should love them

and protect them the most.

Jeremy is here with me.

Claire's story is tragic.

One of the big problems, though,

with domestic abuse is often it is a

hidden problem

with domestic abuse is often it is a

hidden problem. What more can be

done to protect children in

particular?

We are learning more

that this is a nationwide problem

and children can be affected in many

ways, sometimes witnessing domestic

violence can leave a profound and

lasting impact. Sometimes things get

completely out of control as we saw

with Claire and her Paul and her

Jack, tragic circumstances. So there

is a problem there. What can be

done? Well we saw Operation

Encompass there in my report. That's

when the police are immediately

informed by school when a child is

caught up in a domestic abuse

incident so help can be put in

place. That's rolled out in more

than half of the police forces

across the UK. And that's exactly

what the Children's Commissioner

wants to see a more joined up

approach. Yes involving police and

schools but also social workers and

the NHS as well. The Government says

it is on this, it was certainly

mentioned in the Queen's Speech. But

Claire wants to see much more being

done. For her a crucial issue is

that child welfare should be put at

the very centre of the Family Court

system.

Thank you Jeremy.

If you or someone you know is

affected by the issues in Jeremy's

report you can call the BBC

actionline:

The leader of Hamas,

the Palestinian Islamist group,

has called for a new popular

uprising, or Intifada,

following President Trump's

recognition of Jerusalem

as the capital of Israel.

Traditional allies of the US,

including Saudi Arabia and France,

condemned President Trump's decision

but Israel said it was

a welcome step forward.

Our Middle East Editor, Jeremy

Bowen, reports from Jerusalem.

This report contains some flash

photography.

Over the years, Palestinians have

burned many American flags.

The question is

whether something fresh

is happening.

Whether this old conflict has

entered a new stage.

Volleys of tear gas were directed

at Palestinian demonstrators

by Israeli security forces

in towns around Jerusalem.

Many Palestinians have serious

doubts whether these street

clashes change anything.

Jerusalem, though,

is as special for Palestinians

as it is for Israelis.

And Trump's decision to ignore

Palestinian claims to the city has

caused real anger.

Israel's Prime Minister,

Benjamin Netanyahu, is

jubilant.

He posted this video, saying,

these are great days in

Zionism's history.

But these are not great days

for Israel's foreign

relations.

Many countries feel

they have a stake in Jerusalem.

Turkey's President

Erdogan on a visit to

Greece said the US and Israel were

trampling over international law,

rejecting a UN resolution.

Mahmoud Abbas, the

Palestinian president, on

the right, travel to Jordan for

emergency talks with King Abdullah,

whose warnings of danger ahead

were ignored by President Trump.

Afterwards, President Abbas said

America no longer had a political

role in the Middle East.

In Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh,

the leader of Hamas,

called for drastic action.

"It's time", he said,

"for a third Palestinian

uprising.

Another intifada."

Uprisings carried a heavy price

and didn't get them independence.

An intifada is a

dangerous option which

many Palestinians

don't want to repeat.

But their anger is real.

This was a demonstration tonight

in a Palestinian refugee camp in

Jordan.

And they have international support.

The Americans are preparing

a new peace plan.

It will need something

very special to succeed.

It's important to realise there is

no peace process, and there hasn't

been for a few years.

But back when they used

to have serious peace

talks, the negotiators steered well

clear of the issue of the future of

Jerusalem.

That's because all sides realise

that it can unleash some

really powerful and potentially

destructive forces.

They treated it as a politically

radioactive issue.

It was tense tonight

at Damascus Gate in the old city.

Sometimes in Jerusalem

nationalism and religious

difference are overwhelming.

Perhaps it's too much

to hope for a peace

deal.

Jeremy Bowen, BBC News, Jerusalem.

Theresa May has been

speaking to the President

of the European Commission

and the Irish Prime Minister this

evening, amid signs of possible

progress in efforts to restart

the Brexit negotiations.

The talks stalled on Monday,

after Northern Ireland's Democratic

Unionist Party objected to the draft

plans because of their concern over

the status of the border

with the Irish Republic.

Our political editor

Laura Kuenssberg is in Westminster.

From what you understand,

are they getting closer to a deal?

Well, it seems that way, Sophie.

After the in-person collapse of the

whole thing on Monday when Theresa

May had gone to Brussels and had to

then come back without a deal,

things have been kept pretty close

in a tight circle here in

Westminster. We know there have been

lots of phone calls tonight, lots of

talks. But both sides have been

pretty tight-lipped. And when we saw

the Westminster leader of the DUP,

the Northern Irish party, Nigel

Dodds, emerged from talks at

Whitehall this afternoon, he very,

very much avoided answering any

questions or giving anything away.

However, tonight, there certainly

have been signs that we're moving

towards some potential conclusion.

We know Theresa May has spoken to

the Irish leader and also to the

president of the European

Commission. There have been some

quite positive noises coming out of

Europe. I've told by other sources

there are serious proposals now on

the table, that in London, Brussels

and Westminster most people are

pretty content with. The question

is, however, what will the DUP make

of this? Are they ready to say, yes.

I understand there are plans in

place for them if it all works, for

the Prime Minister to fly to

Brussels very, very early tomorrow

morning to be able to sign on the

dotted line, to dot the eyes,

crossed the Tees and get this

agreement going. -- .de Nazanin.

They are very much using this moment

to get the maximum leveraged they

can. There certainly is progress.

Even if there isn't a deal tomorrow

things are closer than they were 48

hours or so ago.

Laura Kuenssberg,

thank you.

The investigation into a tram crash

in South London last year has found

that the driver probably fell asleep

before the accident.

The tram went around a tight bend

in Croydon three times faster

than the speed limit.

Seven people died and more

than 60 were injured.

Investigators have made

a number of recommendations,

including introducing automatic

braking systems and putting

in tougher windows and doors.

Our transport correspondent,

Richard Westcott, reports.

Going three times the speed limit

around a 90 degree bend,

costing seven people their lives.

Today the final report

into the Croydon tram crash found

that the driver probably dozed

off at the controls.

Well, you can see just

how tight this bend is.

The tram was meant to be going

around it at 13 miles an hour -

one three, a snail's pace,

like we are now.

It actually went around the bend

at nearer 45 miles an hour,

and one of the survivors

was standing exactly

where I am standing now,

just checking his phone.

The injury I sustained on the tram

that day just changed my life.

It is more than a year ago, but for

Taiye the memories are fresh.

I just put my phone away,

and I held onto the pole

in front of me and I said,

God, please save my life.

And I closed my eyes.

There were some people

still screaming and

shouting under the tram

because they were trapped.

"Please don't step on me -

I am still alive."

Investigators found

other worrying facts.

Another tram nearly derailed

on the same corner just

nine days before, but it

wasn't investigated properly.

In fact nine drivers admitted

they had used emergency or heavy

braking on the same bend

but were worried about

reporting near-misses.

It also talks of

inadequate speed signs.

Half of the passengers

were thrown out of the tram

through smashed windows and doors -

it was the main cause

of injuries and deaths.

Investigators say tougher glass

could save lives in future.

Since the accident,

new speed signs have gone up

and there is a new system that

vibrates the seat if the driver

closes their eyes for more

than a second or so.

Marilyn Logan lost her husband

Philip in the accident.

She is furious at the failure to act

on previous speeding problems.

Very, very angry because these

procedures should be

there to protect the public,

and that is not

protecting the public.

The company controlling the trams

says it's putting things right.

There's a number of lessons learned

that we immediately put

in place after the events,

and that is better monitoring

of our drivers, greater education

of our drivers in terms

of well-being, and working

with Transport for London to make

sure that the network is safer.

The Croydon driver is

still being investigated

by police.

Richard Westcott, BBC News, Croydon.

Accident and emergency departments

across the UK are already stretched

to their very limits and it's only

the start of winter.

That's the warning from the Royal

College of Emergency Medicine,

which says there's more pressure

than ever on hospitals.

BBC research has found

that the number of patients waiting

more than four hours -

the official target -

has more than doubled in the last

four years across the UK.

Our Health Editor,

Hugh Pym, has this report.

Many hospitals are struggling

to cope with the A&E

workload but this one,

Luton and Dunstable has consistently

hit its four-hour waiting time

target for five years.

So, what's the secret?

It is about getting the whole health

economy involved and that

includes primary care...

A senior consultant told me

it was all about managing patients

as they moved from A&E

into the hospital

and freeing up beds.

We have a team of people

who are dedicated to this

process and serve only this

Emergency Department,

to get them through the hospital

and the system and back out,

so we can see new arrivals

and new emergencies.

It sounds simple but it's taken this

hospital time and a lot of hard work

and with the right leadership,

to ensure that patients are brought

into the hospital and through it

and then back home again,

as efficiently as possible.

But across the UK, it's been

a lot more challenging.

Over 3 million patients who visited

UK A&Es waited over four hours

in the last 12 months,

according to BBC research.

120% more than four years earlier.

By comparison, the number of visits

has only risen by just over 7%,

to just under 27 million.

Hayley, from South Wales,

endured a lengthy wait for treatment

after fainting and banging her head.

She felt unwell and

was advised to go A&E.

I phoned 111 first,

just for some advice

and they were like -

no, you need to go to A&E.

I headed down.

Waited about an hour.

Then there was a tannoy to say

a seven-hour waiting time.

I got checked over and I

was able to go home.

About five-and-a-half hours,

six hours in total.

Scotland has the best A&E

performance in the UK.

England is behind, followed by Wales

and then Northern Ireland.

The Department of Health covering

England said more money had been

allocated for social care

and the NHS this year.

Are you ready to leave?

Back in Luton they work hard to get

patients home when safe to do so,

freeing up beds for new arrivals,

with senior social care

experts in the hospital

assessing their needs.

For Den they've made sure his home

he has been prepared

so he's ready to go.

All the facilities that

I need for the toilet,

for my mobility and everything

you can think of.

Chair raisers, you name it,

they've provided it and I can't

praise them enough for it.

Local health managers visit

the hospital to discuss whether any

patients who've been admitted

could have been treated

closer to home.

They've prepared for winter.

They know it could be even

tougher than what they have

seen before.

Hugh Pym BBC News Luton.

The Foreign Secretary,

Boris Johnson, says he will travel

to Iran in the next few

days to urge the release

on humanitarian grounds of dual

nationals who

are being held there.

They include the British Iranian

mother, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe,

who has been imprisoned since last

April on charges of trying

to overthrow the regime,

which she denies.

Her husband, who's been

campaigning for her release,

has welcomed the news.

He's been speaking to our

correspondent, Caroline Hawley.

This was Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe,

with her daughter, Gabriella,

just a week before her arrest.

She has been behind bars now

for 19 months, held first

in solitary confinement

and now in a communal

cell, accused of spying.

On Sunday she has been told

she will be back in court

to face additional charges

of spreading propaganda.

Boris Johnson has called her case

a mockery of justice but he has been

accused of complicating her ordeal

when he said last month

that he was training journalists

when she was in Iran

with her daughter on holiday.

He had to apologise.

It was my mistake.

I should have been clearer.

I apologise for the distress

and anguish that has been caused

to Mrs Zaghari Ratcliffe

and her family.

This is Gabriella drawing mummy.

She's always got very long hair.

She will normally ask

to see which colour...

Tonight, her husband, Richard,

showed me a picture that Gabriella

drew in the last few days

of her mother.

He's campaigned for the Foreign

Secretary to go to Iran

to push for her release.

I'm not sure he's going to bring her

home on the plane but the fact

of him going there can make

such a big difference.

How is Nazanin and what is

she expecting from the visit?

Emotionally, she feels like she is

at the end of her tether.

She talks about having lost control

of her temper and getting

really angry about tiny things.

Talks about having flashbacks

and worries and clearly not looking

forward at all to the court

case on Sunday.

Family and friends hope to have

the family reunited for Christmas.

Boris Johnson will appeal for her

release on humanitarian grounds.

But Iran and Britain have a fraught

relationship and no-one knows

when Nazanin Zaghari

Ratcliffe will be home.

Caroline Hawley, BBC News.

A British man, whose name

was included on a leaked

registration document for so-called

Islamic State, has been convicted

of terrorism offences.

26-year-old Mohammed Abdallah

from Manchester was found

guilty of IS membership,

possession of a gun and receiving

money for terrorism.

The Old Bailey trial heard how

he travelled to Syria

where the leaked document listed him

as a "specialist sniper".

Several new wildfires have broken

out in Southern California and are

threatening hundreds of properties.

200,000 people have been moved

to safety and more than 1000

firefighters are tackling the blaze.

The governor of California has

declared a state of emergency.

It's the the largest and most

expensive warship ever built

for the Royal Navy and today

the Queen commissioned

HMS Queen Elizabeth

at a ceremony in Portsmouth.

The ship, which won't take part

in military operations until 2021 ,

cost more than £3 billion

and has become the

flagship of the fleet.

Our defence correspondent

Jonathan Beale has more

A day of pride for the Royal Navy

and for the nation.

The Queen has already named her.

Today she made her first visit

on board to commission

HMS Queen Elizabeth into service.

Almost lost in the cavernous hangar,

still waiting for aircraft.

As the daughter, wife

and mother of naval officers,

I recognise the unique

demands our nation asks of you,

and I will always value my special

link with HMS Queen Elizabeth,

her ship's company

and their families.

The raising of the White Ensign

means she's now legally recognised

as a Royal Navy warship.

Over the past few months,

HMS Queen Elizabeth and her 700 crew

have been testing her at sea.

She's the first of two new carriers.

Russia has already described her

as a large convenient target,

but the Government insists

she will be a potent

weapon and symbol of

British military power.

This isn't just the largest warship

ever built for the Royal Navy,

it's also the most expensive,

costing more than £3 billion.

The F-35 jets that will eventually

fly off her will cost billions more

and this at a time when the defence

budget is under severe pressure,

with the prospect of further cuts.

Today the only cuts being made

were to the elaborate cake,

made to mark the occasion,

but the Navy is having to consider

axing other ships in the fleet.

They still believe it's worth it.

We knew this ship was coming

and her sister ship,

Prince of Wales, and the F-35s

they will operate

so we have been on a long,

complicated, but committed journey

to get to this point

and the commissioning of the ship

is a key milestone in that journey.

Work on the ship began

before the youngest crew

member was even born.

But, like the Queen,

she'll be expected to offer

decades of loyal service.

Built for the next 50 years.

Jonathan Beale, BBC

News, Portsmouth.

Coventry has been named the next

City of Culture for 2021 -

beating Paisley, Stoke-on-Trent,

Sunderland and Swansea to the title.

The people leading Coventry's bid

say winning will have a huge

economic impact not just on the city

but also on the West Midlands.

Colleen Harris reports.

This is a huge moment for Coventry

tonight. The city's rich heritage

will be under the spotlight for a

year. It's the birthplace of Philip

Larkin the poet. And of the two tone

ska movement. This is its chance to

show the world everything it has to

offer in culture.

And the winner is...

Coventry.

Its rise from ghost town to host

town has been sealed.

It was youth at the heart

of its bid and that clinched

it for Coventry, named tonight

the UK City of Culture 2021.

That's fantastic news for the city.

Such a huge opportunity to make such

a massive difference.

It's amazing.

I'm so excited.

All that work we put

in has really paid off.

It's amazing.

I'm so happy.

I'm a product of Coventry.

I love the city and I'm

so happy we did it.

Once the celebrations die down then

the hard work will start.

Country will have until 2021

to prepare a host of

events in the city that will help

boost its economy and tourism

and its long-term legacy.

It is 40 million people

within two hours' drive time.

We're looking at visitors of two

and a half million in 2021.

We're going to do something

incredibly special.

We're going to give

something special to the UK.

The city was bombed

in the Blitz and was once

the heart of the British car

industry - transformed over

the decades by immigration.

The judges said

it was a city that

constantly reinvented itself.

Now, a £3 million

Heritage Lottery Fund will

kick-start its year

of art and performance.

I think it is about more

investment, I think it's about

retaining people here

after they've done their studies.

I think it's about potential

jobs and employment.

Culture is about a celebration

of our lives and this is just a

fantastic journey now.

As the people of Coventry

have been saying

tonight, you won't be sent

to Coventry, you'll come here

by choice.