>> this is "bbc world news 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." katty: this is "bbc world news america." reporting from washington, i am katty kay. rebel forces suffer a setback in the city of aleppo. civilians flee as government troops capture more territory. in havana, thousands pay tribute respects to fidel castro in a week of ceremonies to mark his death. >> ♪ when a girl can be herself no more ♪ katty: and the soulful sound of alicia keys. she talks and sings to the bbc and about growing up in a rough part of new york.

katty: welcome to our viewers on public television in america and around the globe. president assad may be on the verge of securing his biggest victory of the syrian conflict. his troops and their allies have advanced a deep into eastern aleppo, splitting the rebel forces in their last major stronghold. since the weekend, the rebels have lost more than one third of their territory, and the humanitarian crisis has now deepened. our chief international correspondent lyse doucet reports from damascus. lyse: as syrian forces advance, people flee in the thousands, escaping a new and ferocious assault on the streets in eastern aleppo. fear hurries them. so does hunger. no matter their size, no matter their strength. they turn every which way, some to areas controlled by kurdish fighters.

others to rebel-health territory. and some board government buses to head to western aleppo, and blame rebels for their plight. >> we were suffering. they did not allow us to leave. when we wanted to leave, they said we were assad supporters. >> we thank the syrian army and our president, bashar al-assad. lyse: some hold their tongue, desperate for safety wherever they find it now. there is nothing left of the lives they knew. aleppo has endured war for the past four years, but not like this. this latest offensivby syria's military, backed by its friends. militias from iraq, iran, lebanon. >> the situation has become worse than ever. since 15 days, i've been under

heaviest bombing ever. we haven't seen this before. lyse: in the past few days alone, they captured one , andict, then another almost 40% of rebel territory for east aleppo is back in government hands. president assad's supporters sense victory. on social media, an aleppo mp denounces the rebels as terrorists. a well-known nun rejoices, saying aleppo and its families will be united again. "time to regret, but also to build a better future." but for many in east aleppo, hope, life, has been ripped away. >> there is so many, many casualties here. some people have died.

people in the streets are talking to themselves. they are going to be crazy. >> we will not accept going back to the regime. this is a favor from god to us. lyse: that is what it has come to. years of war, months of siege, and an offensive many see as a turning point. aleppo is the last big prize in this war, but it is also a symbol of its terrible price. katty: spare a thought for the civilians still trapped in the awful ruins of aleppo. lyse doucet reporting from damascus. there was a chaotic scene on the college campus of ohio state university today when a student club his car into pedestrians and began stabbing them with a butcher's knife. nine people were hurt, one critically, before police shot and killed the attacker. reporter: it was at 10 to 10:00

that the attacker drove his car straight into a crowd of pedestrians, and then he went out of the car and started stabbing people with a butcher's knife. 9 were injured overall. luckily there was a campus police officer very nearby and he was on the scene in less than a minute and whole incident was over less than a minute after that. two minutes in total before the officer shot the attacker dead. katty: it clearly could have been a lot worse. what we know about the attacker? reporter: an 18-year-old student at the university, abdul razak ali artan. he was originally a refugee from somalia but was a legal permanent resident of the united states. he posted on facebook that he was upset about the treatment of muslims around the world and that he couldn't take it anymore. the columbus police chief was asked this afternoon at a press conference did she think this , was an act of terrorism. she said "i think we have to consider that it is." we know that federal authorities have been concerned about extremists encouraging people to use cars and knives because it

is easier than a bomb. katty: what more do we expect from the police? are they going to confirm they think it was terrorism? reporter: they will start investigating his social media contacts to see if he had extremist group links. katty: thanks very much for coming in. thousands of cubans have been waiting in line in havana to pay respects to former leader fidel castro, who died on friday. the memorial service will be held tomorrow. the white house said president obama will not attend the funeral, but defended the decision to improve relations between the two countries. our correspondent nick bryant is in havana and he joined me a short time ago. it is clear from international response that reaction to fidel castro is mixed around the world. how are cubans remembering him? nick: the focus of grieving right now is revolution square, where he delivered so many of his fiery speeches. this is not just a moment of national mourning, it is a moment of national uncertainty. not least because donald trump

tweeted earlier today that he would terminate the historic agreement reached between the obama administration and the cuban government if he didn't get a better deal. many cubans regard that as an unwelcome intrusion on a solemn day. as a gun salute echoed around havana, the tears began to flow. this grand memorial beginning with moments of individual grief. mourners were brought to revolution square by the power of a personality that dominated their lives for decades and the power of a state that still tells them what to do. but the emotion here was genuine. fidel castro inspired a cult-like devotion among his followers. "he is our leader, our guide, our inspiration," she says. "he made us what we are." "the man who won the respect of the whole world," said this

former soldier. in this line, you saw his legacy, the veterans who fought alongside el comandante. the schoolchildren grateful for the quality of their education. >> fidel is like a father for all children. he is like -- he is real nice, he really cares about us. nick: what we didn't see were any signs of dissent or reminders of the stench of political persecution that was also a hallmark of his reign. instead, cubans came here to pay homage and recommit themselves to the revolution. "until victory always" was the chant. "he is alive, he will live forever," says this woman. to outside eyes, cuba without fidel castro doesn't feel like cuba, but the truth is his era ended long before his death. where the booming voice that you

heard out here in revolution square was reduced to a whisper. when as former president he could influence events but no longer dictate them. the old havana hilton, castro's temporary headquarters when he first sees power, today a fashionable boutique hotel. for foreign tourists, cuba has become a communist themepark, country where you can turn back time. but it is the recent history that donald trump is threatening to roll back, the detente with the obama administration that has fueled this tourist boom. the focus here today wasn't on an arch american capitalist, but a communist ideologue who was a constant thorn in washington's side. "i am fidel castro," they shouted. children of his revolution, traveling the road without him. nick bryant, bbc news, havana. katty: remembering the past in

cuba and of course worrying about the future and whether donald trump will rip up that detente with america and the communist island. in germany, the federal court of justice has upheld the conviction of a former ss sergeant for being accessory to mass murder at the auschwitz death camp. he was a bookkeeper and had no direct part in the murder of jews and others. the court ruled that he was an accessory. nowruling sets a precedent for similar prosecution. in france, former prime minister francois fillon has been chosen to represent the center-right party in next year's presidential election. he will face the socialist candidate and marine le pen of the far-right national front. there are concerns among the socialists after prime minister manuel valls has suggested he would stand against francois hollande in the party primary. pope francis has met physicist stephen hawking at the vatican.

the meeting took place during a conference at the vatican on science and the environment and sustainability. during his speech to the scientist, the pope stressed a lack of political determination in protecting the environment. you are watching "bbc world news america." come, three weeks after the presidential election, it is the talk of recounts and voter fraud that dominates the scene. all the latest from trump world. in india, thousands of people have joined what is called a day of rage to protest against the sudden dan of 2 major currency notes earlier this month and the chaos that followed. the prime minister says he made the right decision to help fight corruption. our correspondent is in calcutta for us. reporter: more than one billion indians a few weeks ago found that most of their currency was worthless. it was not a dream, but a

nightmare. and many here are angry. thousands of people have gathered here to protest against the prime minister's de-monetization plan. they say there is no money for farmers to buy feet and then to buy anything. they want the prime minister to roll back the monetization plan. since prime minister laurent lamothe he -- narendra modi announced his plan, people of spent days queuing for cash and not receiving it. >> everyone is looking for money everywhere. where do we get money from? how do we buy food? no one is taking the notes, all we have. where do we get change from? >> the prime minister should have set up proper system and learned that these things would happen. reporter: the opposition has

called today a day of rage. more than 90% of transactions in the country are made in cash. protests have been held in the lhi, and the financial capital of mumbai. but many indians chose not to join them. plan toport modi's clean up the black economy. but if they don't get cash soon, one of the world's fastest-growing economies will grind to a halt. katty: the u.s. presidential election is over but the drama is not. green party candidate jill stein is seeking a recount of the vote in wisconsin, michigan, and pennsylvania, places that donald trump beat hillary clinton. it is a move that has not sat very well with the president-elect, who has tweeted his discontent.

i'm joined by north america reporter anthony zurcher. for thein has asked recount and the hillary campaign says they will go a long with it. anthony: if all three states tilted clinton's way it would put her over the top, but we are talking a most 100,000 votes between the three states. the 2000 recount in florida, we were talking maybe 1000 votes. it would be unprecedented for this much to swing could there have been people who said that this is a chance to look and see if there is any evidence of outside hacking. even if it doesn't change the outcome, it is important to put people's mind at rest and see that the results -- katty: during the debates, hillary clinton suggested it would be outrageous if donald trump did not accept the outcome of the vote if he lost the election. doesn't this look hypocritical now? anthony: donald trump certainly thinks so.

this is within the balance of the law. you have the right to request a recount if you paid the money. this isn't alleging widespread voter fraud, something donald trump did in his tweet, saying millions of votes were illegally cast. this is we will take a close look at the results, do the legal recount, see where the chips fall. mind you, it is dragging the process on a bit, and i think that is why donald trump was upset. campaign saidn's they are just making sure everything goes smoothly. they are not the ones who instigated this. they are just following along and making sure that any lawsuits that arise from the have a say as well. katty: let's talk about the other drama, because we have a drama-filled day. i thought we were done. transition moves at trump tower. directorraeus, former of the cia, general in iraq, went and saw donald trump.

serious contender for the secretary of state position? anthony: he would be a wildcard. he is a man who resigned the job of cia director because he was under investigation and eventually pled guilty to mishandling classified information. when you think about how this campaign unfolded, with all the attacks donald trump launched on hillary clinton for her e-mail server, classified information that might have been on that, for him to turn around and say that david petraeus might be my secretary of state would be astounding. there are some other names bounced around. is coming back for dinner tomorrow night, we have heard. he could be an establishment choice for secretary of state. and rudy giuliani, an early and outspoken advocate for donald trump, also having his name kicked around. katty: anthony zurcher, still a lot to keep us busy.

a new book looks at the accelerating world in which we live. it is "thank you for being late." "new york times" columnist thomas friedman says the speed of daily life has led to the need to pause and take stock of the world around us. i spoke to tom friedman earlier. tom friedman, we seem to be at a time not just in the united states but the rest of the world where politics is in turmoil. why? thomas: i would argue it is because the three largest forces on the planet, the market, mother nature, and moore's law, are in simultaneous acceleration. moore's law -- the power of chips will double every 24 months. the market is digital globalization. not your grandfather's globalization, containers on ships, but facebook, twitter, paypal. all these things are being digitized and globalized. including this show and our

business. last thing is climate change, population., we are in the middle of three simultaneous accelerations at the same time and they are interacting. more technology means more globalization. more globalization leads to more climate change. and they aren't just changing things. i argue they are reshaping the workplace, reshaping geopolitics, politics, community, and ethics. katty: but couldn't that mean that people would opt for more stability and not more change? thomas: absolutely, and part of what you are seeing -- my book , i always tell people, has a theme song, by brandi carlisle. god, i wish i could buy it so that when you open it and plays the song like a hallmark card plays "happy birthday." the main nine refrain is "you wrap your love around me like a chain but i never was afraid it would die.

you can dance in a hurricane but only if you are standing in the eye." i think these accelerations are like a hurricane and what trump and others are selling is a wall. what i'm selling is an eye. the storm draws energy from it but creates a platform of dynamic stability in it. to me, that eye is a healthy community. katty: so these forces will accelerate notwithstanding, whoever is elected. thomas: absolutely. i have a friend, great environmental scientist. he likes to say about mother whether donald trump accepts climate change or not, mother nature is chemistry, biology, physics. that is all she is. you cannot say to mother nature, i think you are a hoax. she will do whatever chemistry, biology, and physics dictate. mother nature always bats last. katty: you call yourself an optimist but the situation you describe is alarming. thomas: the optimism comes from -- what i learned troubling this country is if you want to be an optimist, stand on your head.

our country looks so much better from the bottom-up than the top down. i visited amazing communities, healthy communities around this country. like where i grew up, and that is when i profile in the book, minneapolis, small town outside their where i grew up. there are many around the country, raleigh, durham, boise, these communities are not waiting for washington. yeah, the election was interesting, what you and i do, but basically, very little politics. left and right work together. no democratic sewers and republican highways. what i found is amazing innovation at the community level. i have a quotation in the book from a friend of mine who says you don't need to invent anything today. whatever you can imagine, some community is already doing it. you just need to scale it. katty: tom friedman, thank you for coming in. the book is "thank you for being late." thomas: appreciate it. katty: that is what we need more of, optimists. alicia keys is one of the most

famous musicians on the planet and one of the best selling artists of her generation. her music is infused with the soul and sounds of her native new york, where she grew up witnessing the best and worst of humanity. as part of our "100 women" series, we spoke to her about her upbringing and how it affected her music and her life. alicia: i didn't grow up with trees and fences and houses that were pretty with nice neighbors. i grew up amongst the harshest of the harsh. i saw women being exploited because i live on 42nd street, in the middle of the highest prostitution that existed in new york city. i lived there, walked there, walked past, forward left, , right. that was my neighborhood. and so i saw women who had to live that life because that is what they had to do, or because that is what they were forced to do or because they did not have any choice or other options or because they had children they had to support or because they were drug addicts or because because because.

i saw that so clearly and i saw that it was so evident from such a young age that i knew forever that it is very important that i was able to uphold a certain type of women. all women are incredible, because we have our different challenges and roles we are meant to take. that is no judgment to anybody's role. for me, because i saw that and witnessed that, it was important for me. it is not a play. for some people it is an act, performance. for me it is life. it was very important and still is for me to reflect life. reporter: what do you think hip-hop portrays women in a certain way that has become acceptable? alicia: such a big question, you know what i mean? such a huge question that i'm

trying to find my way to answer that won't take 1000 years. why do i think that hip-hop -- some hip-hop, by the way, not all hip-hop. reporter: sure. alicia: some hip-hop has created a certain stereotype for women, and also for the men. i think that when you grow up and you grow up in america, you grow up in black america, it is very, very hard. it is very emasculating, it is very -- it is a difficult life. it is survival. when you finally made even the smallest anything, you know, you really want to be respected and you really want to have power and you really want to show everybody that you have achieved and what you have achieved.

i think america tells us that success is ownership. we own houses and we own cars and we own -- reporter: women? alicia: items and we own women and that is what makes you successful. you win things and you capture things. that is what -- the whole world is built on capturing and dividing and conquering. i think in a way, that was a very brief answer to a very large topic, but in a way, that is the reason why it has been a way to almost be a man, to be a respected man. it is an illusion, but i get it, i get it. there.alicia keys you can find out more about the "100 women" series on a website, along with the rest of the day's

news, aleppo. you can reach us on twitter. i am @kattykaybbc. i will see you back here tomorrow. >> 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.

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