Nonstop flights are available from most major airports. More information for your vacation planning is available at aruba. Com. And now, bbc world news. Laura this is bbc world news america. Reporting from washington, i am laura trevelyan. Growing desperation in Eastern Ghouta. Intensified government airstrikes killed scores of civilians in this rebelheld area of syria. Hollywood turns the Golden Globe Awards into a night of action as stars come together and call for an end to Sexual Harassment. Oprah i want all the girls watching here and now that a new day is on the horizon laura and charting a Brighter Future for africa. Solar powermate be the key solar power may be the key, and panels are now seeing across the continent. Laura welcome to our viewers on Public Television in america and around the globe. Syrian Government Forces backed by russia have targeted 10 medical facilities in Northern Syria over the last 10 days. That is what sources on the ground told the bbc. For nearly four and a half years, the rebel stronghold in the suburbs of damascus has been under siege. The area has been bombed repeatedly and thousands are malnourished. Now the situation in Eastern Ghouta is ever more desperate. Our middle east correspondent Quentin Sommerville has this report, which includes distressing images. Quentin after almost seven years of war, the Syrian Regime knows how to break people. In rebelheld easter ghouta, regime bombs brought down this building. Child after child is brought out by the britishbacked rescuers, the white helmets. With bare hands, bloodied with effort, they crawl through the collapsed floors deep inside the building. I hand reaches out to the threeyearold. She is safe, but she has lost almost everything. Her parents and 4 brothers died here. These are regime airstrikes. Eastern ghouta is close enough for the rebels to harass the capital, damascus. For more than 1600 days, the regime has laid siege to them. One child in 10 here is malnourished. She is 13 months old and has known only hunger even before she was formed. She was born. She looked like this when she was born. I couldnt eat well when i was pregnant. She is malnourished. She has been crying for the entire day today. The doctor says she needs food. Quentin there is food in ghouta, but not on the shelves. Prices of sugar, rice, and other basics have more than quadruple. The people suffer because of the siege and rebel profiteering. This is the worst malnutrition that syria has seen since the war began. Theres little that the doctor and others can do. The u. N. Asked that 500 of the most Urgent Medical cases, including dozens of children, be freed from the siege, but only 29 were allowed out. While they are watching their child while he is suffering, and maybe he will die, we cant help them. They asked to help them, but we tell them to wait. They are awaiting evacuation, or they are waiting maybe they awaiting death will stop awaiting death. Quentin blockades and bombardment shatter resolve. The regime in syria uses them mercilessly. It wants the world to believe it is close to victory. But despite the suffering, Eastern Ghouta, at bashar alassads doorstep, is not yet broken. Quentin sommerville, bbc news. Laura the agony and the anguish there in Eastern Ghouta. The febrile mood in washington shows no signs of calling down as u. S. Media report that special counsel may seek to intervene the president. Interview the president. Robert mueller is investigating contacts between the Trump Campaign and russia. The president has been tweeting angrily since Michael Wolffs book painted a chaotic portrait of his white house. Mr. Trump declared himself a stable genius over the weekend. For more, our north america reporter Anthony Zurcher joined me a short time ago. U. S. Media are reporting that the president s lawyers are preparing for the actual possibility that the special counsel will seek to interview the president. How significant a development is this . Anthony i think it is very significant. It is not particularly surprising that an investigation into possible ties between the campaign and the russian government would want to talk to the candidate, and if Robert Mueller is looking at any possible obstruction of justice on the part of the administration, possibly the president himself, they want to get his account for this, how he handled reaction and what his thought process behind firing james comey, the fbi director, would be. Any time a president sits down to talk to the fbi or Law Enforcement officials, there is a fair amount of risk their to a certain amount of exposure. Im sure his lawyers will try to keep this is narrow and controlled as possible. Laura the president did say on saturday that there has been no collusion, no crime, and everybody tells me im not under investigation. That is his big obsession. Would it be special counsel interview him if that were the case . Anthony yeah, because he would be looking at possible influence trump may have with this subsidiaries. Even if donald trump is not the focus of the investigations, interactions he had with Michael Flynn or Paul Manafort during the campaign. All of those are possible without donald trump of being the center of the investigation. Laura the president s onetime guru steve bannon has been cast into the darkness after being a source for the dishing in the book on the trump presidency. Is there any return now . Anthony what we heard from the press secretary today, there is no pathway back. Once you go against Donald Trumps family, that is pretty much closed. He tried to walk back a little bit what he said about donald trump, jr. , calling it treason, saying that he was talking about Paul Manafort and not trump, jr. , but he did not say anything about calling ivanka trump dumb as a brick or talking about Jared Kushner and possible money laundering. Laura amid the palace intrigue, there is a bipartisan meeting on Immigration Reform tomorrow amid talks of keeping the government funded and open. There is a looming shutdown. Where do you see those negotiations, especially with the fate of dreamers thrown in . Anthony they want to pass some sort of legislative protection for the dreamers, and there is support on the right and republicans as well who see this as a Campaign Issue they want to take out of the equation. The problem is, there are other republicans and a donald trump himself wants to tie daca to , say, building a wall, or border security, and democrats at least so far dont want anything to do with that. As you mentioned, the budget is hanging over everyones head, a Government Shutdown in a couple of weeks. If they can try to type that, there is pressure on the democrats to tie daca to that as well. A lot on their plate and with this distraction the past week, there has not been a lot of progress made, unless it is behind the scenes. Laura Anthony Zurcher, thank you for joining us. Anthony my pleasure. Laura in other news, campaigners have staged a noisy demonstration in front of the white house in protest of the trump administrations latest move to crack down on immigrants. It announced that almost 200,000 people from el salvador will lose their right to live and work in the u. S. From 2019. The salvadorans were given temporary protected status in 2001 after 2 major earthquakes in the country. There are fears of an environmental disaster in the east china sea. A burning tanker continues to leak oil two days after colliding with a cargo ship. China says rescue workers trying to battle the blaze are being beaten back by toxic clouds. The tanker is believed to be at risk of exploding and sinking. Apple investors are urging the tech giant to develop software to enable parents to limit the time children can use it to smartphones. The call has come from the california teachers pension fund, which holds 2 billion with of apple stock between them. They are concerned about addiction and the impact on youngsters mental health. The hollywood awards season is underway following last nights Golden Globes. Stars of stage and screen showed solidarity with victims of Sexual Harassment while wearing black on the red carpet. Oprah winfrey made a rousing speech praising women who shared their stories of sexual abuse, declaring a new day is on the horizon. Our north america correspondent james cook sent this report from los angeles. James the bright lights of hollywood are shining into dark corners, exposing shameful secrets. At the Golden Globes, they turn the red carpet black to demonstrate a determination to force change. There is no way i am ever going to be in a room and be treated the way that people have been treated ever again and not stand up. The whole reason why that was able to take place, like anything with abuse of power, is that there is silence. James meryl streep was one of several actresses who arrived with an activist as her guest. We are standing up together, drawing a thick black line between yesterday and tomorrow, and the way things used to be done, used to be conducted. Not going to be that right that way anymore. It is important in our business and any business that people in power dont get to bully people and especially not in a sexual way and get away with it. James do you think the industry is changing . Yes. It will have to. There is no way it cannot now. Hurrah. James from the moment the ceremony began, the tone was set. Seth good evening, ladies and remaining gentleman. Natalie and here are the allmale nominees. James Natalie Portman highlighted the failure of the Golden Globes to recognize female directors. Star after star gave voice to a movement now known as times up. Oprah winfrey led the charge. Oprah for too long women have not been heard or believed if they dared speak truth to the power of those men. But their time is up. James the speech was so powerful, it has fueled media speculation of a run for president. Oprah their time is up james it began with the downfall of a mogul who abused his power. The spotlight is now on Harvey Weinsteins accusers, standing sidebyside. We have a little bit more of an opportunity to lead nationally and internationally so everyone can work safely and earn the same money for the same work and finally put Sexual Harassment in the way past where it should have been a long time ago. James is it happening . Is it happening . It is happening. 4 months ago you could not have dreamed of a night like this. James time and again on the red carpet, we have her to the same word, and that is change. The stars are insisting that this is not just a moment, this is a process that they say will continue. James cook, bbc news, the Golden Globes in hollywood. Laura another issue facing women in the workplace is that of equal pay. The bbcs china editor, Carrie Gracie, has resigned from the role because of what she called an indefensible pay gap between men and women. In an open letter, Carrie Gracie accused the corporation of breaking equality law. The bbc says it found no systemic discrimination against women. Our media editor reports. Carrie chinese once called chairman now the great helmsman. Reporter Carrie Gracie is one of the most respected International Editors of her generation. For more than 30 years, she has broadcast about other people. But this time she is the center of the story. Ms. Gracie resigned from her position as china editor because she is paid less than men who are also International Editors. Good morning, carrie. Reporter this morning she presented the today program on radio four. Carrie it has been very moving, actually. Reporter news of her resignation leaked out online last night. Six months after the bbc was forced to reveal the salaries a of some highly paid onair staff, ms. Gracie has been infuriated by the response to her grievance. She was offered a pay rise of 45,000 pounds, but declined, saying equality is what she wants. She would not be torn on whether to tell male colleagues to take a pay cut. Carrie when i started the china job, i said i would only do the job if i were paid equally, and in july 2017, i discovered the enormous gap that 2 men who were International Editors were earning 50 more at least than the 2 women who were International Editors. Reporter the bbc has completed 2 of the three pay audits in t announced last year and has found no evidence of discrimination. The corporation declined to put anyone up for an interview, but in a statement, they said, fairness in pay is vital. A significant number of organizations have published their gender pay figures showing that we are performing considerably better than many and are well below the national average. Carrie the bbc talks about the gender pay gap, but what i am talking about is not a gender pay gap, where sometimes men and women are in different roles which explain the differences in pay. What i am talking about is pay discrimination, which is when men are paid more for doing the same job or a job of equal value. Now, that is illegal. Reporter there is tremendous anger among many female staff at all levels of this corporation. Senior figures at the bbc say they take this issue very, very seriously, and many employees have found the process of fighting for equal pay completely unbearable. The salience of this story, however, arises from its implication beyond this place, because it is happening in a climate where women in several industries have said they suffer injustice and inequality for far too long. When pay is shrouded in secrecy or some complicated structure, it is inevitable it will be bound up with other types of decisions being made which cannot be properly analyzed or justified. Pay transparency is absolutely key, because it will set out clearly why an employer is choosing to pay certain types of people certain amounts of money. Reporter equal pay for equal work is a legal requirement. But who decides what equal work is . Ultimately it is the employer. Makes technique gender pay issues so difficult, because you want people to be treated equally and given opportunity in the workplace, but employers needed to have the capacity to offer people flexible payments or bonuses, that kind of thing, to reward and incentivize people to do well in their job and work hard. Reporter the bbcs Public Ownership and obligations means it has to set unique standards and face unique scrutiny. With 200 formal complaints and the possibility of legal action, this story will run and run. Laura you are watching bbc world news america. Still to come on tonights program, young men turn around Candace Young mayor turnaround one of americas most struggling cities . We meet the 27yearold trying to transform stockton, california. Today, january 8, is called divorce date by lawyers, based on the surgeon request of couples wanting to end marriages after the holidays. In india, divorce is becoming increasingly common, and one mumbai lawyer is trying to ease the breakups. When you have everything at the press of an app, why not a lawyer . I got married into a very wealthy indian family, and after a year and a half of the marriage, they decided to file for divorce. I had no idea how to go about my life, and that is when my journey started. Divorce rates in india are in recent increasing manifold. About to news ago, there were only 10 mentors in the family court in mumbai. Today when you go there, there are 60 to 70 on each floor. We have seven floors. Lawyers. Five or six for just the basic thing which is there divorce in india is so stigmatized that the vision has actually become like a human deciding every aspect of you. Socially you are ostracized. Financial you are broke. Divorce is definitely here to stay, and i think that after four or five years, it will wheree, and that is information, counseling, and others like mine will become very handy, because we will be ahead of the crowd. Laura stockton, california, once named the most miserable city in the u. S. , is making a comeback, thanks in no small part to its young mayor, Michael Tubbs. He was born in the city but moved away to stanford for college. He had a stint in the white house before tragedy brought him back home. He is working to turn around stockton. The bbc went to meet him. Very violent day in stockton. Five people are dead. One of stocktons deadliest days on record. Theres a lot of love. Theres also a lot of pain. Mayor tubbs especially when it comes to problem solving why are , we doing this, why are we doing that . Why dont you do it . You are the mayor. Growing up in stockton, i lived in 4 out of five areas that historically and currently have a lot of the Violent Crime issues. My father has been incarcerated my entire life. My mother had me as a teenager , so growing up in poverty. A lot of the things i work on my about our things i lived and felt very viscerally. I really had no intention of coming back to stockton when i graduated high school. I spent time in el salvador, i was in d. C. , working in the white house. There were a lot of options available, and stockton was in not one of them. One of my cousins was murdered in stockton, and that kind of shifted the whole paradigm on what it meant to be successful and what it is i wanted to do. What just happened today . Mayor tubbs today is an exciting day for the city. The work this church has done in replacing the back door that was vandalized a couple months ago. Great day in the city, showing how in stockton, it is regular people who are driving a lot of the change. A lot of times it is hard to convey the amount of work and discipline and sacrifice it takes to get into a position like this, especially if you are the first or the youngest. Even more so both. Stockton is a city on the rise. I think stockton is the allamerican city, place where you can make an impact. My grandma used to always tell me this scripture dont deride small beginnings, see the joint in single work begin. Im personally getting a lot of see the joy in seeing the work begin. Im personally getting a lot of attention, but i would be so upset if we cannot look back four years from now and cannot point to things that are better but for me and my team being there. Laura Michael Tubbs turning around stockton. Power revolution is underway in africa. Instead of using fossil fuels like coal, it is Renewable Energy that is slowly gaining steam. Solar and wind power devices are bringing power to rural communities, transforming the lives of millions. Reporter on a flooded path in rural zambia, africas past meets africas future. There is the bridge, a symbol of the creaking infrastructure Still Holding back development on this continent. On the head since the future. She is a solar power saleswoman on her way to a new client. She works for one of several Companies Making inroads. In the countryside here and across africa, almost no one is on the grid. The costs, the distances are just too big. But today, small solar panels are changing lives and saving a poor families a small fortune in kerosene and batteries. Inside, a box full of software allows the company to make its profit, charging a monthly fee for power the first year and a half. We dont really know when the electricity is going to come to our community, but if we have people with such technology, it is better for this community. Reporter you jump ahead, you leapfrog. Yeah. Reporter the idea of leapfrogging is not entirely new. The trail blazer is something you now find in almost every hound. The speed and the success of the mobile phone revolution in africa has been extraordinary. It has transformed this continent and it has made a lot of other businesses start to think, why dont we do the same . And so, across this sundrenched continent, poor countries are turning to the technology that could transform their economies. Financially, it makes a lot of sense. Economically it makes a lot of sense. And we believe that the situation will be totally different and Global Education will be a reality. Reporter and here it is in action, the brandnew solar panel has been charging the roof all day. And in a pitchdark farmhouse yay reporter the first taste of electric light. Light for homework, light for progress, as the continent seeks to leapfrog into the future. Andrew harding, bbc news, zambia. Laura inspiring to see the light in that farmhouse. I am laura trevelyan. Thanks so much for watching bbc world news america. With the bbc news app, our vertical videos are designed to work around your lifestyle, so you can swipe your way through the news of the day and stay up to date with the latest headlines you can trust. Download now from selected app stores. Funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, and kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for americas neglected needs. Planning a vacation escape that is relaxing, inviting, and exciting is a lot easier than you think. You can find it here in aruba. Families, couples, and friends can all find their escape on the island with warm, sunny days, cooling trade winds, and the crystal blue caribbean sea. Nonstop flights are available from most major airports. More information for your vacation planning is available at aruba. Com. Bbc world news was presented by kcet, los angeles. Captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc woodruff good evening, im judy woodruff. On the newshour tonight, inside the fire and fury i sit down with the author of the explosive new book about the inner workings of the trump white house. Then, forced to leave the federal government rescinds temporary protected status for more than 200,000 salvadoran immigrants in the largest reversal of immigration policy yet. And, rebuilding syria a look at the Monumental Task of reconstruction from across the border in lebanon. The Business Community here has had strong ties to syria for generations. But many in this largely sunni city backed the opposition whenever the war broke out in syria. That could mean they are shut