safeguarding cases. syria's new government says they'll suspend the constitution and parliament while g7 nations call on them, to respect women's rights. will get the latest from lyse doucet. the first payouts in the uk's infected blood scandal, some victims could receive compensation in days — totalling over 13 million pounds. and a ringing endorsement for donald trump — time magazine's person of the year — as he opens trading on the new york stock exchange. welcome to bbc news. the prime minister says questions need to be answered over the murder of 10—year—old sara sharif as ministers say they're preparing "stronger safeguards" for children

being taught at home. sara's father and stepmother were found guilty of her murder yesterday. keir starmer says he shares the publix horror at what happened. jessica lane has this report. she sings happily. sara sharif loved to sing. a little girl whose favourite colour was pink. her favourite food was chicken biryani. yesterday, herfather and stepmother were found guilty of her murder and her uncle, who lived with the family, guilty of causing or allowing it to happen. sara was murdered last august after years of neglect and abuse. and today the accusation that she was failed... the safety net that should have supported her, the services working together for her, have failed her. and there needs to be... every time this happens we talk about reviews and move on, look to the future. no. we need change. the children's commissioner

says those things which must be changed immediately are... and the stark fact is that sara is not the only child suffering from safeguarding failures. a report from an independent panel shows that five panel shows that a85 were affected in one year between april 2023, and march, 202a. to try and bring this number down, new child protection teams are being set up. you would have one single team or point where child protection concerns would be investigated and addressed. it will represent and reflect a sea change in how we deliver together our very clear responsibilities to protect children. it is all too late to help sara, who was found abandoned and alone on a bunk bed

with bruises, burns and bite marks. but the government says it will do more to help other children. obviously there are going to be questions that need to be answered in relation to this case. i don't think that we should allow ourselves to think that whatever the rules on smacking are has got anything to do with this case. this is about violence, abuse, it is about making sure there are protection safeguards for children, particularly those being home—schooled. it is hoped that at last real changes will be made to protect other children like sara from being beaten, abused and murdered by the people who should love and care for them most. jessica lane, bbc news. let's speak to gladys rhodes white — she's an improvement adviser at the department for education who has worked on some of the country's most high—profile safeguarding cases. thank you so much for being here life with us on the programme. this is an absolutely perfect case. when

you heard that sara sharif had been taken out of school, what did you think?— did you think? obviously, hu:el did you think? obviously, hugely distressing - did you think? obviously, hugely distressing to - did you think? obviously, | hugely distressing to hear about her suffering, and, yes, there is a concern that is something we have been aware of before where children who had been elected home educated, removed from school by the parents as a way of concealing the abuse and harm that their children are suffering at the parents hands.— children are suffering at the parents hands. the advantage, we all know. — parents hands. the advantage, we all know, about _ parents hands. the advantage, we all know, about being - parents hands. the advantage, we all know, about being in - we all know, about being in school, is that you can see and hear a child, that is why the teacher is in this case had originally noticed the bruising. are there any sort of checks that are done in person if someone is being home—schooled? if someone is being home-schooled? , ., , home-schooled? generally, there is not a requirement _ home-schooled? generally, there is not a requirement for— is not a requirement for children to be seen and spoken

to when they are home educated. the focus is very much on ensuring that the parents are providing an appropriate curriculum. and certainly, and serious reviews that i have carried out in wales in relation to this, i strongly recommended that these children, where they meet be known vulnerabilities, actually need to be seen and spoken to, and there needs to be some way of giving them an opportunity to tell if things are not ok. that is not always easy because children are not so often —— are so often very scared to tell about what is going on. in terms of safeguarding, what you are describing seems absolutely obvious, is there a need for

just an immediate change of law? . . ., , ., law? there are changes in vote, we know the _ law? there are changes in vote, we know the government - law? there are changes in vote, we know the government are i we know the government are looking at introducing different regulations around on medication, and i really hope that the learning from this scenario and the previous cases across england and wales bring about some really impactful changes, including, for me, children being seen and spoken to and consideration given to where we know that there are children who are vulnerable, home education is not approved, that there is a way of saying, no, these children need to be in school because there are some added vulnerabilities, and it is worth saying that most parents who will medicate do not harm their children. we are

talking about having to take measures to prevent a small number of people who clearly are not safe to be able to hold medicate. are not safe to be able to hold medicate-— medicate. and in another area where there — medicate. and in another area where there is _ medicate. and in another area where there is a _ medicate. and in another area where there is a lots - medicate. and in another area where there is a lots of - medicate. and in another area where there is a lots of talk i where there is a lots of talk about change in the law is actually having one team a month so all the agencies, health and education and police and social workers, a lots of people watching this will assume that already is what is happening, but it is not, is it? ., 4' happening, but it is not, is it? ., ~ ., it? the working together guidance _ it? the working together guidance it _ it? the working together guidance it does - it? the working together guidance it does ask - it? the working togetherj guidance it does ask that it? the working together. guidance it does ask that all partners work together to safeguard children. that has just been updated and revised to be much stronger. the introduction of the new legislation in their children and families build will really bring forward that concept of joint teams, multi—agency, that

sharing of critical pieces of the jigsaw, sharing of critical pieces of thejigsaw, information held by individual agencies that, unless it is seen together, does not give a full enough or clear enough picture of what might be happening behind closed doors.— might be happening behind closed doors. gladys rhodes white, we — closed doors. gladys rhodes white, we have _ closed doors. gladys rhodes white, we have to _ closed doors. gladys rhodes white, we have to leave - closed doors. gladys rhodes white, we have to leave it i white, we have to leave it there, but thank you for taking time to speak to us on our programme. time to speak to us on our programme-— time to speak to us on our rouramme. ., ., _, the leader of the rebel group — hts — which overthrew the assad regime, says the new government will suspend syria's constitution and parliament. abu mohammed al—jolani says a new committee will be established to make amendments to how the country is run over a three—month transition period. let's go to lyse doucet there in damascus for us, and over to you. in damascus for us, and over to ou. ., in damascus for us, and over to oh. ., ., ,

you. you 'oin us here in the evening. — you. you join us here in the evening. the _ you. you join us here in the evening, the middle - you. you join us here in the evening, the middle of- you. you join us here in the evening, the middle of the | evening, the middle of the evening, the middle of the evening here in damascus and the traffic is not flown here, the traffic is not flown here, the curfew lifted, and the last few minutes i've heard persistence of cars going by, beeping their horns and shouting slogans, a sense of the celebration which still continues here even as what is emerging in terms of the new chapter in syria still remains uncertain. you heard in the headlines about how the constitution is suspended and the parliament suspended, and interim character —— caretaker government dominated by the islamists, but at the same time there are steps by this new authority to try to put the building blocks into place, they have welcomed the move by a number of arab states, as well as italy, to reopen their missions here. have welcomed assurances from got to —— missions here. have welcomed assurances from got to -- qatar and turkey, which has close ties to the rebels, to open missions here. the new

authorities, which of course is dominated by hts, a prescribed terrorist organisation for many western governing —— governments including the un, seen as a show of support. but there is concern about the security situation and the continuing air strikes by israel. there were a number of strikes very close to damascus today, including onejust to tend the mentors south of here. these are moves the united nations called on israel to stop, so i have all of syria's neighbours, but we heard from us national security adviser at jake sullivan —— jake sullivan, the us was trying to not to buy possible threats and neutralise them. so this is the picture here in damascus and far beyond. it is notjust here that a new order is taking shape. this lightning events, which ended in the spectacular overthrow of president assad's andy —— regime began in the

city of aleppo and economic heartland, and rr correspondent hugo bachega is there now and i asked him how things are looking there now.- asked him how things are looking there now. lots of --eole looking there now. lots of peeple are _ looking there now. lots of people are watching - looking there now. lots of| people are watching events looking there now. lots of. people are watching events in aleppo. — people are watching events in aleppo, paying attention to what — aleppo, paying attention to what happened, because this is the first— what happened, because this is the first major city to be captured by rebels in the astonishing offensive against the regime of bashar al assad earlier— the regime of bashar al assad earlier this month. so the streets _ earlier this month. so the streets have been busy, public squares— streets have been busy, public squares bustling with people. i spent — squares bustling with people. i spent the day today in the main square — spent the day today in the main square here in central aleppo, and people still celebrating this new era in the country, people _ this new era in the country, people coming to us to talk about— people coming to us to talk about how they are happy to see the fall— about how they are happy to see the fall of— about how they are happy to see the fall of bashar al assad, and — the fall of bashar al assad, and how— the fall of bashar al assad, and how they are hopeful for the future, and i think we are seeing — the future, and i think we are seeing the first indications of this new_ seeing the first indications of this new authority, and they are trying to say that they are very— are trying to say that they are very much_ are trying to say that they are very much in power here. we have — very much in power here. we have seen_ very much in power here. we have seen banners and posters

across — have seen banners and posters across aleppo. there is a banner— across aleppo. there is a banner with a across aleppo. there is a bannerwith a qr across aleppo. there is a banner with a qr code, and people _ banner with a qr code, and people can scan these banner to guess— people can scan these banner to guess -- — people can scan these banner to guess —— get access to information about public services, basic services across the city — services, basic services across the city. there's also a billboard here in the city telling _ billboard here in the city telling people that freeing detainees is him moral obligation, sol detainees is him moral obligation, so i think there has — obligation, so i think there has been the focus of this new administration, to try to reassure _ administration, to try to reassure people that there'll some — reassure people that there'll some sort ofjustice, and it this— some sort ofjustice, and it this is— some sort ofjustice, and it this is a _ some sort ofjustice, and it this is a new phase, so they're trying — this is a new phase, so they're trying to— this is a new phase, so they're trying to dismantle the security system that was in place — security system that was in place in _ security system that was in place in the press or ridging. today— place in the press or ridging. today they announced the closure _ today they announced the closure of prisons, places that were _ closure of prisons, places that were known for extreme brutality and violence, people were — brutality and violence, people were tortured and killed in those _ were tortured and killed in those prisons run by the assad regime — those prisons run by the assad regime. and here, what we are seeing — regime. and here, what we are seeing today is that in the main _ seeing today is that in the main square, the regime flag

was _ main square, the regime flag was being raised, the syrian flags— was being raised, the syrian flags are _ was being raised, the syrian flags are gone, also the billboards with the face of bashar— billboards with the face of bashar al assad have been removed and destroyed, so it is a new_ removed and destroyed, so it is a new era — removed and destroyed, so it is a new era here for the people in aleppo— a new era here for the people in aleppo and also the people of this— in aleppo and also the people of this country, but there is still— of this country, but there is still very— of this country, but there is still very much in the shadow of the — still very much in the shadow of the old _ still very much in the shadow of the old regime.— of the old regime. here in damascus _ of the old regime. here in damascus today, - of the old regime. here in damascus today, some i of the old regime. here in - damascus today, some streets were filled with sad and defiant protesters for the funeral of a permanent syrian opposition whose brutal —— bullet riddled tortured body was found in a prison when the rebels broke it open on sunday. he had been first arrested in 2011, raped and abused, and then freed, went to europe, where he was granted asylum, but promised amnesty here, he came back and met a grisly end.

they are chancing for freedom. there is a huge sense of anger amongst the people here. we need accountability. mazen is believed to have died in the notorious saydaya prison due to torture, but he is not one—of—a—kind. there are many syrians who are widely believed to have faced the same fate. there is a huge sense of anger here among mazen al—hamada's family members. we spoke to them before he was laid to rest and they told us they need all of those involved in the killing of mazen al—hamada to be brought to court. for them, the downfall of president assad's regime is not enough. on our way here, we have seen dozens of families looking for their loved ones in hospitals, those who have

disappeared in the last decade. they don't know whether they are alive or dead or still in prison. so many syrians, the pain of the decades of the rule of the assad family it would end until they find out what's happened to their loved ones. tens of thousands of syrians disappeared into black holes, thrown into notorious prisons never to emerge again. there have been absolutely heartbreaking scenes of thousands of families descending on prisons and others across damascus and beyond, looking for evidence, it was their loved they still there? 0r it was their loved they still there? or are their bodies to be retrieved? people also going to the morgues. we spoke today to the morgues. we spoke today to the morgues. we spoke today to the head of the syrian civil defence organisation, known as the

defence organisati