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. 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 21w. 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 child ren‘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 0peration 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 herjack. 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. 0ne one of the big problems, though, 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 com pletely lasting impact. sometimes things get completely out of control as we saw with claire and her paul and her jack, tragic circumstances. so there isa jack, tragic circumstances. so there is a problem there. what can be done? well we saw 0peration 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 wa nts to 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 wa nts 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 injeremy‘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. 0ur 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 injerusalem. 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 tojordan 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 injerusalem 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.

0ur 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 ina tight 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 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 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. evenif 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. 0ur 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 seejust 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 dayjust changed my life. it is more than a year ago, but for

taiye the memories are fresh. ijust 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 cornerjust 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. i20% more than four years earlier. by comparison, the number of visits has only risen byjust over 7%, to just under 27 million. hayley, from south wales, endured a lengthy wait for treatment afterfainting 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, borisjohnson, 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. borisjohnson has called her case a mockery ofjustice 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 hertemperand 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. 0ur 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 thatjourney. 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 notjust 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... cove ntry. 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. thejudges 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