news,s is "bbc world america." funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits from newman's own to charity and pursuing the common good. kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. and aruba tourism authority. >> 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. >> and now, "bbc world news america." host: this is bbc world news america. reporting from washington. as the transition begins, donald trump huddles with his advisers to chart the way forward. protesters show their to the president is lacked. ♪ with nothing on my tongue but hallelujah ♪ his melancholy music touched the lives of millions.

we remember the life of leonard cohen. ♪ int: welcome to our viewers america and around the globe. today, president obama used veterans day as a chance to call for calm and unity just days after donald trump was voted his successor. in some cities, that choice has been a met with protests. but the trump team is now in the transition process. who will feel -- fill key posts in his cabinet? today, mr. trump said he might consider keeping parts of obamacare in place. nick bryant starts our coverage. >> at the end of this momentous week, joyous for so many, traumatic for others, america remembered the fallen heroes of war.

president obama led this national ceremony for those who died to preserve the countries freedoms and fought to uphold its democratic ideals. in a plea for unity, he called for people to respect that tradition. obama: veterans day often follows a hard-fought political campaign, exercising the free speech and self-governance that you fought for. it often lays bare disagreements across our nation, but the american instinct has never been to find isolation in opposite corners, it has been to find strength in our common creed, to forge unity. >> many veterans in the parade voted for donald trump. many who didn't were still prepared to salute the incoming commander in chief. >> he is not just talking the talk. he is walking in the walk, and we are very happy about that. >> do you think he is fit to be commander in chief? >> absolutely. >> did you vote for donald

trump? >> no. >> how do you feel about him becoming president-elect? >> he has the right to be there. anybody has the right to be there. let's see what he will do with it. this election has revealed different divisions between people of different classes and who live in different cities. the united states of america, the very name of this country seems at odds with the mood of this country. fires of fury on the streets of portland, oregon. a west coast city where you would not ordinarily expect to see trouble. there have been nightly protests in major cities across the country. young people especially outraged at the election of donald trump. he took to twitter to give his first response to the contest. -- protests. andust had a very open successful presidential

election, now professional protesters incited by the media are protesting. very unfair. nine hours later, he sounded more conciliatory. love the group that these -- love the fact that these small groups of protesters have a passion for our country. we will all come together and be proud. at his home on 5th avenue, the president-elect is being shielded. the gold of trump tower is now protected with iron railings and heavy firepower. inside, he is deciding who to hire rather than fire. rudy giuliani could be attorney general. newt gingrich may be secretary state. chris christie was demoted from his position as chairman of the trump transition team, his place taken by mike pence, the incoming vice president. outside, the demonstrations on a dayo continue that marks an armistice. the political hostilities in

america are far from over. four more, i spoke a brief time ago to the former communications director for paul ryan. donald trump's relations with the republican party were a bit tense, to put it mildly, during the campaign. but now we see that mike pence is heading his transition team. what is your reaction? >> i think it is a good sign. mike pence has establishment credibility. he has a foot in the republican camp and trump trusts him. he knows paul ryan well. he understands policy. he is a good conservative. i think it is a good sign. everybody is adjusting to the idea that we now have all three branches of government. holy cow, we can now get something done. let's map out the first one hundred days. mike pence is at the center of that discussion with paul ryan

and president-elect trump about what they want to get done first, and second, and third. >> talking of what they want to get done, the president-elect signaled clearly to the wall street journal that he would consider keeping parts of obamacare, theal form of health insurance. what do you think republicans in congress will think of that? >> i think there are negotiations to be had on what parts of obamacare need to stay, what parts need to go, and how we can get people covered and do it in an affordable way. right now, premiums have skyrocketed. that was a big part of this election. deductibles are through the roof as well. it is hardly affordable health care and there are still millions of people without coverage, so he is going to have to come in and decide what parts of paul ryan's plan he wants to adopt. host: but having claimed he would repeal it and now saying

he will keep bits of it, doesn't that look like he is backing down? reg's repeal in a general sense and keep some of it. i don't think he has ever been very clear on what he wants to do. that republicans have long said that obamacare as structured doesn't work. it was jammed through, and now we have all three branches of government. we will do our own thing. host: let's talk about his cabinet. what signal wouldn't send if he -- would it send if he had rudy giuliani as attorney general? >> i think a number of people are going to get serious looks and he can pick anyone. he is beholden to no one. he has his pick of anyone inside the republican party or outside the republican party because he ran his own race. host: given the decisive election, should he think about bringing some democrats in. >> i would not be surprised if he picked a democrat for one of the cabinet spots. presidents frequently do that and that would he a good sign to bring about unity.

and donald trump used to be a democrat, so you never know. he could do anything. we just don't know. host: i was there at his victory speech. he talked about the infrastructure bill. that would be popular with democrats. what about republicans? if he is going to slash taxes, how can they get the hind it? how would they pay for it? >> this would not get done in a divided congress. well, with a democrat president, but if we could reform corporate tax -- do corporate tax reform, get the money from overseas back, and pay for the trillion dollar spending on infrastructure, there is a way to do that. we just have to see if we can come to some sort of agreement to do that. there is no support for massively spending and not paying for it. paul ryan has a plan and i assume they will be part of the discussion right away.

host: thanks so much for joining us. well, one of the better-known promises made by donald trump during his campaign was his pledge to build a wall with mexico. today, the two countries play in a world cup qualifier. we have been asking fans from both sides of the border what they think of the new man in the white house. >> in the heartland of america, they are preparing for an epic battle. >> i love mexico. >> one of the fiercest rivalries in football. the significance of this game in a state that voted for donald trump is not lost on these fans. >> at 3:00 a.m. when i heard that donald trump became president, i cried. >> jeanette was born here. her husband has lived here for 14 years but is not a u.s. citizen. she fears he will be deported under president donald trump. >> it is kind of emotional for me. sorry, i am getting emotional.

sorry. it's just, i have a lot of friends and family, and it is scary to think that he can do that and that he has the support of a lot of citizens to back them up. >> amidst the revelry, there is more than a hint of stealing cash steely -- steely mexican determination. they have lost 2-0 in the last four games. this week of all weeks, they want to win. >> half of my heart is painted with a mexican flag and the other half is painted with the united states flag. you asked me if there could be some understanding. could, but not with that policy, not with that hate. >> but those who voted for the president-elect welcome his plan to build a wall. do you think he can build the wall? >> he will find a way. he will make them pay for it, too. >> i think he had a point and i

think it struck on with a lot of -- home with a lot of people. he may have been able to say it in a more politically correct way. >> this is always an emotionally charged game, but the election has turned that sporting passion into cultural tension. laura becker, bbc news, columbus , ohio. host: strong feelings they are about donald trump. we will have more on that later in the program. from around the world, north korea has warned the incoming trump administration that will -- it will have to acknowledge the nation as a nuclear state. donald trump has pledged to protect south korea. a car bomb attack on the german consulate in the northern afghan killed six people and wounded more than 100. a nato spokesman says at least one vehicle packed with

explosives was driven into the perimeter wall. the german foreign ministry says its commitment to afghanistan remains unchanged. the taliban and say they carried out the attack. the people in india are struggling to cope with the sudden withdrawal of high-value banknotes. .any atm have run out of cash the government decided to withdrawal all 500 and 1000 rupee notes in an attempt to and illegalvasion activity. residents are suffering from malnutrition and last week, the only remaining hospital was closed, leading some to consider suicide. >> this is the slow death of peoplea, a town and its

breaking under a year and a half of siege. his kidneys are failing because he is malnourished and finding it difficult to walk. he is just six years old. few weekscuated a ago. his mother had to stay behind. for others, the torment isn't physical. omar is 15. earlier this year, he tried to end his life. we spoke to him on skype. >> there is nothing left for me here, and i thought the easiest thing to do was kill myself. i tried to throw myself from a building, but it wasn't high enough. >> omar's father is in jail. his mother left a year ago. she left him behind with his older sister to avoid him being

recruited to government forces. he hasn't seen his mom in over a year. >> we have nothing to eat, no rice, no chocolate, nothing. we are being strangled here. it is like i'm in prison. mom waking me up in the morning, coming home from school and being with her here. >> people exist here. they don't live. according to one doctor, 1300 people need to be evacuated. all of the aid that has gotten in is strife is, wheat, rice, beans, which means children -- beans,food, wheat, rice, which means children are not getting the protein that they need. the targets under siege when

talking about malnutrition our kids because they need protein. with a lack of protein, we start facing all these issues. >> with no end in site, omar told me he would try to end his life because death was better than a life here. bbc news, beirut. you are watching bbc world news america. still to come on tonight's program, looking back on the legendary career of leonard cohen. for the pour in musician. heavy rains and flash flooding have left a trail of devastation in south africa. people have been reported missing and the weather is likely to get worse. our correspondent reports. >> damage caused by flash

sinceng and thunderstorms wednesday. hundreds of vehicle submerged in rain water. after a severe drought in the region, the heavens finally opened, but with devastating effect. several people have already died, and close to 200 people have already lost their home. those on the banks of the river have been the hardest hit. >> my home was stripped away by the heavy rain. i couldn't save anything. the only thing i have are the clothes on my back. >> i think i will be all right, but i am not alright. my kids, i don't know where they are. >> emergency services are still searching for the body of a three-year-old who was swept

away by the force of the water in alexandra township. >> my wife climbed on the tree, and i handed over the child to her. when all three of us were up in the tree, a branch broke off, and my baby fell in the water. >> >> mop up operations have started, but with more rains predicted, the water level will rise, and there are fears that more homes will be swept away. bbc news, johannesburg. host: fellow musicians, celebrities, and fans have all been paying tribute to the late

canadian singer and songwriter leonard cohen, affectionately called the godfather of blues. music wasn't his only talent. he was also a poet and novelist. our correspondent looks back at his unique life. ♪ yes, suzanne takes you down to her place near the river ♪ >> leonard cohen was unusual. he stood apart. with an approach that sat somewhere between tom waits and william butler yeats. he alone in a fast and furious world of rock 'n roll owned a mood. with music he heard, he aimed at lovers in all degrees of anguish. >> i would like to do many other

kinds, but with the limits of my talent, i am obliged to do my own kind of songs. ♪ i remember you well in the chelsea hotel. >> he was the master of the melancholic lament. he wrote songs rich with romanticism and metaphor, all delivered with sincerity in a growly baritone at a grave tempo. ♪ and those were the reasons, and that was new york. we were running for the money and the flesh ♪ >> he was born in montreal into a jewish, middle-class family. he wanted to be a writer or a poet. pooler, soected, but

it his early 30's, he decided on a change of course. sold 400 books of poetry in canada and considered ourselves to be well on our way to immortality. but i couldn't pay my rent. in hindsight, it seems like a mad decision that i was going to rectify an economic situation by becoming a singer. >> the plan worked. but then he lost his savings, time ofs manager at the defrauding him from millions of dollars. he had to revise his plan of retiring to a life of zen buddhism, and in his 70's, went back on the road. >> i think his level of honesty, his genius with lyrics and melody, and having such great compassion for human condition, i suppose all of us have a

relationship with his songs, and that is what makes his music so important. ♪ hallelujah, hallelujah >> this became his most famous, most covered song which, like its creator, started out being largely ignored before becoming universally adored. host: remembering leonard cohen and his genius. american actor robert devonte has died after a short illness at the age of 83. he had been suffering from leukemia. he was famous for his role in the man from uncle. he also played in the magnificent seven and earned an oscar nomination for his role in the young philadelphians.

returning to our top story and the one that has dominated this of donaldelection trump is the 45th president of the united states. most of the attention is now focused on what comes next and the tone he will set in washington. katty kay has been giving this some thought. >> it is a jaded truism that americans are divided. in the days after donald trump engineered the biggest upset in political history, they are even divided on how he won. that does not bode well for the wistful promises of reconciliation. if you can't agree on the problem, how can you agree on a solution? the selection revealed just how much this city is loathed by people feel the governing class has protected its own interests and ignored the livelihoods of ordinary americans. trump supporters believe that political and economic corruption is the reason for his success.

this is, they feel, the story of trade deals that benefited wealthy corporations, big banks that enriched the 1% while crippling the middle class. and economic policies that fail to provide new jobs in a new world. they chose trump because he promised them a better deal. trump's opponents have a very different understanding. they blame a campaign that deliberately unleashed the dark forces of racism and sexism. talk to those voters, especially african-americans, muslims, and hispanics and women, and quite quickly you hear a note of fear that they will be second-class citizens in mr. trump's america. so, when he takes a resident in -- takes up residence in the white house, can donald j. trump deliver on his promise to be a president for all americans? that probably depends on which

percent he decides to embody. will he be the dealmaker who negotiates a better standard of living for all working americans, or the divider his campaign rhetoric sometimes suggested? the clue to that may lie in who he chooses to govern alongside him. examine the people he picks for key cabinet positions for an early indication of what america is going to look like in the next four years. it is in no one's interest that donald trump fails as president. for the millions of americans who voted for him and the even larger number who voted against him, we must all hope that he succeeds. that will depend on compromise. it is not a common commodity here but it is needed now more perhaps than ever before. katty kay on whatever comes next. that brings today's broadcast to a close, but you can find more news on our website.

worldll of us here at news america, thank you for watching and have a great weekend. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits from newman's own to charity and pursuing the common good. kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. and aruba tourism authority. >> 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. i'm judy woodruff. on the newshour tonight: the nation reacts to a new president-elect; we hear from voices across generations and zip codes on the future of the free world. and it's friday. mark shields and david brooks give their take on a momentous week, the start of a new chapter in american political life. plus, paris one year later. as the bataclan club reopens for the first time since the terrorism attacks, a look at how the city is coping. >> i think that the most beautiful response we can give the terrorists is love, joy, happiness, culture, music. so, we need to keep this going, as loud as possible. >> woodruff: all that and more