Vacation planning is available at aruba. Com. And now, bbc world ns. Jane this is bbc world newsam ica. Reporting from washington, i am jane obrien. Hundreds are killed as fighting escalates in Syria Government forces close in on the last rebel areas. Not your ordinary school run. Survivors of the florida shoong board a bus to the state capital to talk about gun control with lawmakers. And missing a y ingredient how kfc in the u. K. Is coping without chickens. Jane welcome to our viewers on Public Television and around the globe. The rebel territory that once spanned syria has shrunk to small pockets under siege from government forces. More than 200 people, many of them children, have been killed since sunday in Eastern Ghouta near damascus in the deadliest fighting in three years. Today the United Nations called for an immediate ceasefire. Our middle eas editor jeremy bowen reports, and some of the images are disturbing. Jeremy this could be the beginning of the e of the rebellion in Eastern Ghouta that began in 2012. All theer othmaller rebelheld enclaves around damascus have beenom starved andbed into submission. Now it looks to be Eastern Ghoutas turn, as the regime pushes for decisive ory gound the capital. Activists in eashouta say this is as bad as it been. Yut cant hear the shond crying of women and children through the windows of their homes and the missiles and mortars, bombing on us like rain. There is no way to hide from this nightmare. Jeremy a generation has been born into the war. Dozens have been killed by it in e last few hours in Eastern Ghouta. He overears of siege, they have set up a network of underground hospitals. This girl, named in arabic angel, escaped the worst, but will have to get back to the streets to get home. And this is her area. With a regime plane dropping what appears to be a barrel bomb, unguided, an indiscriminate killer. The syan regime denies killing civilians. It says it is trying to liberate easterghouta from terrorists. Eastern ghouta is a sprawling mix of concrete suburbs and farmland. Starting about nine miles east of damcity center. The Syrian Rebels who controlled it since 2012 include several islamist militias, including one with roots in al qaeda. Eastern ghouta is surrounded by Syrian Government forces. Ar before theit was a short drive from the syrian president ial palace. Officially it has been designated a deescalaone. That is an empty phrase. Force decides what happens in syria. After seven years, syrias war isit ending, but is cha president assad, with the help of russia and iran, is secure, but syria is linked into a web of war and power politics, guarantees more bloodshed. How many times in the last sevee ye syrians dug through the rubble for survivors . There is talk of safe corridors, out for civili but based oneg host form, theime wants victory in easteuta and the surrender of the rebels. Jeremy bowen, bbc news jane for more on the situation on the ground, i spoke earlier with the former u. S. Ambassador to syria from 2001 to 2003. Ambassador, thank you very much for coming in. This is thought tot e the deadlighting for the last three years. What do you read into the timing of it . Why would the syrian governm take this sort of action now . The Syrian Government with the russian allies got these deescalation zones in Eastern Ghouta because they are short on manpower. G they want east of the Euphrates River and confront isis before the u. S. And its allies moved too far down the valley. Now that that has been stabilized on that side of the euphrates, they see an ocportunity to clean the pts around damascus and elsewhere, and they are using tactics every bit as brutal as we saw in easteraleppo. Jane as you saywith russian support. Presumably the russians could stop it. Two they have that do they have that kind of leverage with the assad regime . If they were determined to stop it, perhaps, but they hav own no inclination to do so. We see this medieval siege going on in places like ghouta, butwe noill probably see the collapse of the resistance in Eastern Ghouta. Al we will see where we may say we may e e a deal wherrviving fighters are allowed to go to another province such as idlib in the north, and family relief gets to civilians who have not h y much in sevears. Ne what should the u. S. Policy be in syria now . Wt it should be and what is maybe our are two Different Things the u. S. Is playing a very weak hand. The u. S. Has 2000 troops training the Kurdish Forces and some arab tribal forces called the Syrian Democratic forces, but the main u. S. Goal has beene minate isis and see that they dont come back. Whether the u. S. Will stand byis its kuallies is an open question. The other thing i think the u. S. May be willing to sit down in geneva with the russians a others and basically cede syria as a russianiranian, if you will maybe not iranian, tha is going too far russian zone of influence. We will no longer call for asttds ouster, we will for cosmetic constitutional s that will leave assad power, elections, some devolution of power to local government. Jane very briefly, hundreds of thousands dead, a sevenyear wa ow long is this going to continue . Now we have turkey, we have h iran, e israel getting increasingly concerned, u. S. And russian forces. On this could gor quite a while longer. , jane ambassadank you for joining me. My pleasure. Jane dozens of survivors of last weeks Florida School shooting are heading t state capital, tallahassee, to speak wi lawmakers about reining in gun violence. The students started their sevenhour bus journey from parkland on tuesday and plan to hold a rally to urge lawmakers to consider changing the states gulaws. Before she left, one told us what they are planning. E we ing with proposals that we are going to discuss during the bus rig there bus ride there. Everyone is going to be together. We want to have all of us and see what we are going to demand. We are not going there just to talk. Ng we are ghere to talk, for them to listen, and for them to make action. Jane alstoday, President Trump said he has signed a thmemorandum that addresse use of socalled bump stocks, like the one by the las vegas shooter who killed 58 people and wounded hundreds more. President trump ust a few moments ago, i signed a memorandum directing the attorney general to propose regulationto ban all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns. I expect that these critical regulations will be filized, jeff, very soon. Rene the mention of jeff the the president looking over to his ey general, jeff sessions. For more on this i spoke with ou anthony zurcher. Porter what will this memo actually do . Anthony it will start theup process to comith some sort of regulation, according to donald trump, to ban bump stocks. There was a debate before over whether executive agencies even have this authority. Donald trump is saying they should do it. But the devil is in the details. We will have to see wh language is. It could be a long process. They are already open to comment on the idea of regulations, but executive agencies move slowly. Got to remember, congress could have passed a bump stock ban anytime over the last five l months since t vegas shooting. Ne the group that does not seem happy to wait for anything the survivors themselves. They are heading to tallahassee. How are they changing the debate . Anthony theyre providingicn authentic people directly affected by school gun violence. Particularly in the time of social media, you aring directly from these people. If you look on the twitter feed, they are replying tod trump, they are replying to nra advocates who are criticizing them. And the fact that they are gettg pushback from some people, saying why do they have this much time to advocate for gun control,re they just a front for liberal groups that shows that they e having an impact. Then again, they did have a frontrow seat in tallahassee, florida, to the state house voting down by a 21argin taking down the assault weapon ban. While they have a voble, the roadocks are still there even at the state level. Jane as you say, nothing can be doneer without congress, the polarized congress. Are there signs that theyak are ready toaction . Anthony there seems to be some movement for Bipartisan Legislation that would streamline the backgroundcheck ryocess, sharing information between the milind the backgroundcheck database, between states and the backgroundcheck database. That is something floating ound for a while now. We will have to see if they make real progress. Like you said, this is a congress that does not want to act on gun control, and im not sure a of that will change. It will have to wait and see. The nra does not want any sort of coalition or compromise, bipartisan consensus forming on guncontrol proposal because you can pass a background check or conceivably do it down e line on something bigger. Ne of course, we still have trumps listening tour next week. T anthonnk you very much indeed. Ntwell, as his father conf the gun debate at home, donald trump, jr. , is making waves on a alsit to india. He is on a promotiour to sell trump brand apartments to wealthy indian customers. The visit is raising questions about the Family Business and lines between personal profit and politics. Rajini vaidyanathan reports from new delhi. Rajini trump has arrived, have you that is what these front page ads are asking as they promote Donald Trumps visit to india this week. Nald trump, jr. india is incredibly important to our brand. Rajini the president s son is here to sell some of the trump cooorations apartments india, including a number of flats built here in a suburb of delhi an hour from the city. When they are finished, there will be a 47storyhigh luxury aparent building here with a price tag of over 1 million. Anyone who pays a deposit for a flat this week also gets an invite to dinner and a conversaon with the man himself. There are concerns that even if he is not a politician, this amounts to selling access to the president s son. That said, the buzz around this visit is attracting potential buyers. A criminal lawyer is considering a purchase. We are more attracted to this project. Rajini do you like the trump family . Yes, of course. I think in india, i think a majority of the people likely like the trump family. Rajini what do you like about them . The way they carry themselves , the way they protect themselves. Asnald trump, jr. this project is going to be arpiece not just for the city, but for the trump portfolio. Rajini we dont know what is on the menu for the dinner, but indi media reports he has a particular liking for marsala. Will bdelivering a speech on into Pacific Indo Pacific relations at a ence where prime Ministe Narendra modi will be speaking, and that raises questions why is donald, jr. , a nonpolitical member of the family who is not part of the administra delivering what seems to be a foreignpolicy speech when he is here in india to sell flats . Jane Rajini Vaidyanathan reporting. Quick look at the days other news. Oupalestinian president ma abbas is calling for an International Middle east peace conference to bring an end to the conflict in the region. In an address to the u. N. , he emphasized his commitment to a twostate solution. A court in bangkok has awarded a japanese man full paity rights to 13 babies. He became the focus of a socalled baby factory scandal in 2014 when it was revealed that he had fathered multiple infantsou t thai surrogates. The case led to thailand banning commercial surrogacy for foreigners. Escientists h discovered the cause of a rare blood vessel disorder that can cause serious facial disfigurement and fethreatening bleeding children. The new Research Pinpoints the genes responsible for the condition and for the first time identifies existing drugs that could treat it. Fergus walsh has met one of e patients involved in the groundbreaking research. Fergus this 13yearold never knows whener face will start to bleed. She has a rare disorder which means highpressure riood in her ar seeps directly into her veins. It causes swelling, faci disfigurement, and lifethreatening bleeds from her nose and even her tear ducts. It is very scary because you dont really know if it is going to stop, how much blood you are losing, and if it is really bad, i can become very lightheaded and things like that. When these bleeds happen, you just know that it is time f an ambulance. Fergus she has not let her condition hold her back. The winner is nikki. Fergus as well as winning junior keoff in 2016, she has interviewed the prime minister. What were you like as a teenager . Prime minister may oh gosh. Fergus nikki has had hundreds of appointments at the hos and 30 operations. And is now part of groundbreaking research which is led by her consultant. The team at ucls institute of child health sequenced the dna fo more than 150 children with her condition and it could be triggered by four full teachings. Faulty genes. This is an enorus step for us having discovered the genetic causes in individual patients. We are now able to suggest treatments would could h,potentially slow the gro stop the growth, or perhaps reverse the growth of the condition in the longer term. Fergus those drug treatments come from an unlikely urce. The gene mutations discovered in this lab, which are responsible for the faulty blood vesse also play a key role in the growth of some cancers. The good news is there are several cancer drugs which inhibit these faulty genes whico can be repd to treat nikkis condition. Thiis your right eye. Fergus nikki is tse of two patiaking the targeted cancer drugs. Today she is finding out the result of some of the scans. It looks exciting, but after six months it seems to be halting the growth. Thank you. Fergus it will be at least a year before doctors know for sure whether the cancer drugs nikki is taking are workin but the discovery of the faulty genes has given hope to patienti a debilitating condition. Fergus walsh, bbc news. Jane the potential of Genetic Research there. Atching bbc world news americamerica. Still to come on tonigh s progra next tiny objects heading for space. How these schoolchildren are working on a project destined for the heavens. Is making up for lost time at the Winter Olympics in pyeongchang. This native of california was overlooked for the United States team despite finishing third at the u. S. Trials. But this time, as well as aiming for a medal, the 24yearold is trying out korean cuisine. Being aican is everything to me. I am all about team usa. I think america loves me, and i want to show t world that im a proud american. Love being japaneseamerican. I love my culture. I love americaculture, because o doesnt love pizza, burgers, and fries . But also i love sushi. My parents own a sushi restaurant, so it is in my genetics. Im excited to eat korean food in korea. I am thoroughly f exhaurom crying. What a way to come back from 2014. From four difficulty years ago is insanely more difficult. That is more girly here is doing. Our goal and. Ccomplish it, i soak in relish figure skating is a very difficult sport. We have to be so fit but also autiful and graceful and athletic. Most people are like a comet, flashcross the sky. I am so lucky to be here. I hope people follow me as i fopresent team usa, i skat my country. I wanted to share my journey with me. I want them to share my journey with me. Jane british schoolchildren have been busy on a project that is going to do far more than adorn their classroom walls. They have made tiny sculptures that wl be launched into space on a nasa rocket in april. Richard wescott has been to meet them. D chard when i made something in school, it en on my parents shelf. These children have loftier plans. Their work is going on a real nasa rocket. Hundreds of these sculptures are sgoing to be blasted intopace 200 miles up, where it will float around in microgravity for bat he seconds before the rocket comk down to earth again. Ofthe school is on dozens sending their work to theou sta. They have made anything. They decided to crack tiny cfcraft tiny cows. I was just screaming. I could not believe my cow would for my cow to go into space where people have plored. I feel very special. Richard why to you via special . Fl special . Because it is a onceinalifetime opportunity. Richard it is not just the children pinching themselves. I researched it a bit further, and yeah, it is unbelievable. Your cows are going to go into space. Company behind the project wants to fill the isculptures floating aroua small box. They are trying to camera that could entually be used to explore the moon for water. Launch date is now t minus 6 weeks and counting. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 go Richard Richard wescott, bbc news, milton teams. Jane good luck to them. Many Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets across the u. K. Remained closed because of an ongoing lack of a key ingredient, yep, thats chicken. The fastfood chain blames delivery problems and is encouraging staff to take time off while restaurants are close but jority are franchises, which means many workers could be hit hard. Rsreporter for chicken lond fastfood fans, it is another day of sadness. Hundreds of kfc Stores Closed across the country because of a shortage of britains most popular bird meat. Absolutely unbelievable. How could you run out of chicken at kfc . Reporter while this kfc is in the center of birmingham is open, it has a limited menu. It serves chicken popcorn only. The chain says almost 600 remain closed around e country and it not clear when they will be back open. Kfc says it haened because it changed distributors. It used to use a south africanowned company. But it recently changed to dhl, d that is why, it says, theyve been having some problems. We saw this three weeks ago. People last week were earning money and working on a good product and providing Good Customer Service today they are struggling to put food on the table for the families next week. When you look at the people working at kfc, they have all been sent home with no pay. Reporter dhl said that due to beoperational reasons, a nof deliveries in recent days have been incomplete. They have moved what looks like a relatively uncomplicated supply chain to a more complicated one, and they have not pressuretested it at all. For any organization to have done that seems bizarre at best. Reporter customers have taken to social media to complain. The chain says some of its staff will be paid, but 80 of its outlets are franchises, ly it is lihey will be making big losses. Fried chicken isnt everybodys vorite, but for those who love it, patience is wearing thin. C kfid more deliveries are being made each day. However, it expects disruption at some restaurants for the rest of the week. Jane couldnt they find a substute . Tofu, maybe . I am jane obrien. Thanks for watching world news america. With the bbc news, 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 adth the latest lines you can trust. Download now from selected app stores. Sentationg of this p is made possible by the freeman foundation, and kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america 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, a 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 sponeored by hour productions, llc woodruff good evening. Im judy woodruff. On the newshour tonight fo a th guilty plea in the mueller investigation, as a clearer picture emerges of russias attempts to deceive americans and sow divisions. Sen, donald trump jr. Kicks off a tour in india l luxury apartments, but a planned speech sparks questions over mixing business with politics. And, while the debate over Climate Change plays out in the political sphere, a look at how science classrooms in idaho are feeling the heat. When a legislative body decides to recommend against science content, we undergo a great risk in denying our children really Important Information that they will need. Woodruff all that and more,