this is bbc america. now live from london. "bbc world news".news.." >> hello. i'm david eaves with "bbc world news." our top story. the new greek prime minister says his country won't default on his debt but the bailout will be renegotiated. an anti-tank shell apparently hits an israeli vehicle. vigils for two hostages from japan and jordan being held by islamic state. the mother of one of them pleads for his release. >> dear mr. prime minister shin doe abe. please save the life of kenji.

i call on you to work with all your strength and negotiations with the jordanian government until the very end. >> also in the program, that is one big apple. the l giant makes the biggest quarterly profit of any public company ever. >> hello. thanks for joining us here on "bbc world news." greece's new prime minister, alexis alexis alexis has promised to negotiate with greece's creditors. he has been given 2 billion funds by the european community

to shore up the bailout but itthe terms are not popular in greece. there had been thoughts he would bailout on the money, he said there will not be any irresponsible actions. what that is we will speak to our correspond damien. stay tuned for that. and clashes on the border between israel and lebanon. israel says one of its tanks have been hit. silver has fired across the border and the situation is said to be ongoing. in the meantime, we can join our

correspond. damian grammaticas. it feels like the lines are being join ded mr. tsipras saying we won't default but will not negotiate. >> reporter: yes. the sides sizing up taking gentle steps towards each other before they engage. there will be positive steps taken with greece saying it won't default on its debt. that will be very very welcome. at the same time saying greece will -- he wants to restore national sovereignty and saying greece will negotiate responsibly, that will be very welcome here. but it doesn't want a mutually destructive clash. that was his other comment. those all sound good and the

detail matters. the finance minister from the netherlands is heading to athens on friday for talks with mr. tsipras. what he has said is if you tell us you want our cooperation but not our conditions that won't wash. wash. >> damien there is a question of another 7 billion euros in the pipeline at the end of february. can that all be pushed back or is it a pretty fixed deadline? >> no. there's a pretty fixed deadline when the current bailout deal will start running out. that's coming pretty soon. there's that trench of money and followed a little bit later by some repayments greece will have to make on its debts. the clock is ticking there. i think what's likely when you hear both sides saying they want to cooperate and don't want a

mutually destructive clash, what that may well mean is they will seek to push back those deadlines to try and sort of ease the immediate pressure if you like. then, the key thing will be from the european side will be one thing to see that greece will stick to commitments. particularly there, actually what they're talking about are the reforms that they want to see in greece. reform packages to see greece stays on a sustainable path as the lenders agree. on the greek side what is difficult if mr. tsipras is trying to write off some of those debts. that's what european leaders say they won't countenance, but might countenance giving him easier terms and breathing space and cash in his day-to-day pocket to run things. >> so the shadowboxing has

started. thanks damien. now to libya, for the huge optimism that sprung up 3 1/2 years ago now at the end of gadhafi. one indication was 24 hours ago, a luxury hotel in tripoli, attacked by a group of gunmen. officials say 10 people died in the process. five were foreign national ss, also also killed. it could have been carried out by any number of foreign extremist groups. civil war forced extremists to flee the eastern city of tobruk no longer in tripoli itself partly because it is controlled by multiple coalitions.

>> reporter: gadhafi vowed to hunt enemies alley by alley and house by house. four years later, he is dead and the streets have a feeling of normality of once again living under suspicion and fear. welcome to what remains of tripoli international airport. rivalry between the so-called guardians of the revolution turned to hostility here. this wasn't just a fight for control but a deliberate attempt to raise to raze to it the ground. by the time the fight inging ended libya had two governments in parliament each backed by militias. by the time the fighting erupted, it was the militias of

the revolution who turned their guns on each other and the fighting continues to this day. as the destruction at the airport shows this was less about ideology than power and the spoils of war. most of the battles are localized over land transport and above all, oil. the instability has allowed islamists to prosper. these men supreme court the rival governments in tripoli led by a veteran of the afghan war whose group used to work alongside al qaeda. the internationally recognized government says they're terrorists. >> translator: we fight for sharia law. we need to build and islamic state. we need to build for our people religion and land. we're not terrorists not in love for blood or killing. we're calling for a state of justice and law and islam and

everyone equal in the eyes of the law. >> reporter: but many fear the self-appointed militias who enforce that law. opposition voices have been silenced journalists threatened politicians kidnapped. the brigade patrols the streets of tripoli, accused of using force. they're trying to recast themselves as moderates. now, helping to catch drug dealers, drunk drivers and thieves. their spokesman denies they're hard liners allied with islamic militants. he says they're simply helping a weak plibsolice force impose security. but at what cost? freedom has become a relative

concept in this new libya. we got access to the prison home to nearly 700 inmates. most here are accused of crimes like robbery, drugs and murder. but some cells are reserved for so-called political crimes. >> translator: i'm here because i was accused of being against the revolution and we support gadhafi. when we were first brought here we were tortured. no freedom of speech. even talking to you, god knows what will happen to me but i have to tell the truth. >> reporter: once again, public dissent is being silenced in libya. once again, martyr square is being used to parade the power of tripoli's masters. this doesn't feel like a

takeover by islamist radicals or complex battles over competing interests. libya's revolution hasn't stopped turning. the longer it spins, the more it risks dragging the country into greater violence and chaos leaving those who risked everything for a better future with songs and slogans and unfulfilled dreams. "bbc news," tripoli. >> william is with me now. the words you used at the end suggests you expect it to get worse before it gets better. >> that's certainly what the people expect. you have two broad coalitions and parliaments backed by a loose alliance of militiaed. within each movement there are divisions, alliances of convenience, not conviction. there's no real cohesive unity there. what you hear in the west it's the rival governments that control most of the country. based in tripoli now, the

divisions within that alliance are in danger of spilling out into the open. it's the air of it looks normal but the air of unpredictability that can burst out into violence at any time. >> what should we make of the peace talks in geneva and there for a start? >> i think that's a key question. you have to start off with the political leadership of course but the political leadership of the rival governments in tripoli has not taken part. i interviewed the prime minister, the nominal prime minister of libya in the west and said he hadn't even been invited to this. you have a problem not all political parties are represented. the main problem, i think, the militias, the men who really hold power in libya, are also not represented. there is plan to try to bring

them on board. without feeling they have a shared interest in coming together working together in some kind of peace process and they'll all get something from it crucially, it's hard to be optimistic. >> that's quite difficult to see at the moment. that's the first time you've been back since gadhafi's demise. what's it like in terms of getting around? you said it's not syria. what's it like? >> no. the news is covered by attacks like yesterday and reports like aleppo. it isn't going to be like that. there is a large degree of norm normality there. we were out on friday night, kids bouncing around on the sea front, restaurants full and shots shops are busy. it looks normal. you speak to any in tripoli, by 9:00 at night they're going home worried about the people who take control of the streets and the course of events because

things have been so unpredictable. even getting into the country, all international carriers have stopped flying into libya. you have this idea when you land there, it's going to be chaos and madness on the ground. the worst thing that happens is you get stuck in traffic. as of yesterday with the attack that can change rapidly and that creates a sense of anxiety for many libyans. >> thank you very much. the mother of the japanese hostage, kenji goto held by islamic militants has made a tear ful tearful plea for her son to be saved and shin doe abe-shinzo abe calls despicable the possible killing of two other hostages. and they want release of a woman woman. and a jordanian air force pilot,

being held the deadline runs out in a few hours. here is what his mother has to say. >> translator: deer mr. prime minister shinzo abe, please save the life of kenji. i plead for you to work with the jordanian government until the very end. when i see your kind face i don't remember what was said. my mind goes blank and all i can do is cry. i beg you mr. prime minister abe. >> just a while ago the deputy foreign minister spoke outside jordan saying everything was being done to save mr. do toe. >> we will never give up until the japanese hostage comes back to our nation and we pray for him and we never give up.

>> of course japan's concerns predominantly about kenji goto. he's not the only hostage whose life is in threat and the jordanian air force pilot we mentioned, he's believed to have been captured when his aircraft came down. there have been demonstrations supporting him as well in jordan overnight. islamic state message, it will kill him unless they release an iraqi woman on death row in jordan. that's for her role in a series of hotel bombings in 2005 which killed about 60 people. the father led the cause for his government to meet the demands. >> translator: from now on our country should know in the eyes of our jordanian people we are not as important as this woman.

why not let her go. when there is a hostage crisis it would generally be a solution. he is a treasure for our country and our country should make the effort to save him. >> that's the father of the jordanian pilot whose life is at threat and negotiations carry on for the hostage ss and we will bring you everything else on "bbc world news." stay with us. plenty more to stay with on this program. it's the biggest profit of any corporate company ever. mmm, a perfect 177-degrees. and that's why this road warrior rents from national. i can bypass the counter and go straight to my car. and i don't have to talk to any humans, unless i want to. and i don't. and national lets me choose any car in the aisle. control. it's so, what's the word?...

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we love... love... love... chocolaty, creamy... with a little something extra. mmm deliciousness. cookies or almonds. yumminess. hershey's is mine, yours, our chocolate. you're watching "bbc world news." i'm david eaves. the headline. the greek minister says his country will not default on its

debt but the terms of the bailout will be renegotiated. an anti-tank shell apparently hit an israeli vehicle. that blizzard which so narrowly missed new york on tuesday has instead dumped up a meter of snow on new england. winds more than 100 kilometers per hour to boot and sometimes caused flooding in some areas of the east coast u.s. and blizzard warnings remain from the coast of long island to maine. our correspondent has this report from massachusetts. >> reporter: two different cities, two different stories. for new york a snowy winter's day. for boston a whiteout and 2 feet of snow. when it became obvious the apocolypse hadn't arrived in new york everyone was asking how could they have got it so long. the city's mayor was on the defensive.

>> would you rather be prepared or unprepared. would you rather be safe or unsafe. my job as leader is to make decisions and i will ailsaire on err on the side of safety and precaution. >> reporter: in massachusetts, a deficit story a travel ban staying throughout boston and different areas. flooded communities and people who lost power and they had to take some in their care from flooded communities. it fell at such a rate in this northern eastern state it was hard to keep up with. city officials in boston were clear it would take some time for the cleanup to take place. >> we're still very much in the middle of this storm in this city of boston and safety concerns remain a serious concern. it's not easy to stay ahead of a storm this size but we've been able to use all city resources and workers to do the best we can. >> reporter: most of the snow

has already fallen in this snow but the consequences will be felt for days to come. temperatures set to plummet and flooding could be a real problem. people are also wondering can they get their children back to school? can they get to work? gary donahue, "bbc news," massachusetts. i want to bring you the latest situation regard inging israel's border with lebanon. four israeli soldiers wounded and firing back. our correspondent, jim muir is there. can you just explain what's happened there? >> what they're saying is it fighters carried out a big and complicated operation clearly in revenge for an attack 10 days ago for silver jets syria and half a dozen israelis were killed along with an operation general and this operation was revenge for that. they said they rocketed silver

position inside lebanese territory which is right on the border between israel and lebanon but also adjacent to syria and some argument it's actually part of syria. it's disputed territory and said they hit nine vehicles. they're talking about 15 israelis killed or wounded. a very big casualty toll reported by hezbollah and israel giving different figures and not anybody killed. the question whether this willingwill escalate out of control. israelis always feeling it needs to hit back very strongly and hezbollah taking on the attack for the israelis but will they let it lie there for go further? hard to tell. >> in terms of tensions in the area, have they been ratcheting up the last few weeks?

>> reporter: very definitely especially after the raid killing fighters and killing the son of an even more famous and prominent leader of hezbollah assassinated a few years ago. that requires some type of retaliation because also an silver israelian general was killed and we saw them hitting positions on the golan heights and israelis hitting back after that. that tension very close to lebanon has now spread along the border. the question is whether they want to carry it further j they have the pretext if they want to, whether both sides feel honor has been satisfied and let it rest there. my sense is neither side wants a major escalation between hezbollah and israel at this time. it may come eventually but they all remember 2006 the huge war

that lasted a month and caused a lot of damage and disruption on both sides. the feeling is neither side wants that certainly now. let's wait and see. sometimes things can go in a spiral and get out of control. >> jim, thanks very much indeed jim muir with all the latest on the situation at the israel-lebanon border there. i want to bring you one other story related to apple because the technology company has just announced pretty extraordinary figures. the quarterly profit they made in the last quarter, the biggest ever made by a public company. apple says its $18 billion profit in the last quarter is the result above all, of record breaking sales of the iphone 6 and iphone 6 plus the two mobile phones they've got out mostly due to breaking into the chinese market where they sold pretty

much the same they sold across the whole of europe. there'll be more on this on gmt with aaron in just a half hour's time. that is "bbc world news." thanks for watching. you pay your auto insurance premium every month on the dot. you're like the poster child for paying on time. and then one day you tap the bumper of a station wagon. no big deal... until your insurance company jacks up your rates. you freak out. what good is having insurance if you get punished for using it? hey insurance companies, news flash. nobody's perfect. for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise your rates due to your first accident. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. ♪ ♪ ♪ break the ice, with breath freshening cooling crystals.

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the shingles rash can last up to 30 days. it hurts. it's hard. don't wait until you or someone you love develops shingles. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your risk. i'm david eaves with "bbc world news." our top stories. clashes on the lebanon israeli border after a tank shell hits a leader. the greek prime minister says his country wouldn't default on its debt but the terms will be renegotiated. a vigil for two hostages being held by the islamic state, the mother pleads for his release. >> translator: dear mr. prime minister abe, pleasei call on you

for the renegotiations with the jordanian government until the very end. and reductionspredictions of a giant snowstorm. >> hello. thanks for joining us. we are going to start with news with regard to the hostages being held by i.s. just in the last few minutes we're hearing jordan is ready to trade a prisoner for their pilot held by islamic state. let's get more on it from the bbc tv service. fill us in on what detail we have for the moment. >> it seems so far the

jordanians is ready to swap which has confirmed reports unconfirmed previously the jordans were in negotiations for their pilot prisoner held as well as the japanese journalist. i.s. i.s.iez iezyesterday released a recording they will be swapping the suicide bomber in 2005 with the japanese journalist however they threaten to kill the yard day innian if the swap doesn't happen. however now the jordanians put the ball in the yard of the i.s. by offering to release the pilot for her. it seems very dramatic hours ongoing and that is a concern there is a sort of channel open there. >> we are getting down to the last minute let alone hours in terms of the time frame we've been given. for it. s. nonetheless, to release an

air force pilot, enemy soldier, that's a pretty big step. >> it will be the biggest challenge for their supporters many of them saying a pilot enemy is something you can't trade in. there are many supporters saying you can't trade and swap the pilot. however, they might come out with a narrative about releasing a female prisoner they considered a priority all of jihadis for the last decade calling to release these prisoners supposedly in the united states consider this a priority. it goes in that area but challenge challenging for both areas, even the jordanians pushing for the pilot's release and it's very tense until we have a conclusion of that. >> whatever that conclusion is. we have to be realistic here.

the conditions have changed time and time again, haven't they with regard to this particular hostage situation. until there is a resolution one way or the other, this is another development of this. >> indeed. it will be coming and unfolding today. all scenarios looking very significant. if this swap happens it will be a sort of open channel between i.s. and nation state with japan or jordan. if there are other scenarios, that means negotiations failed in all cases a significant unfolding piece of news. >> thanks very much for bringing us the latest on that. now to greece where the new prime minister alexis tsipras has chaired the first meeting of his cabinet and done so with a promise, as he put it to negotiate responsibly with his creditors. grief has been given 270$270 billion of funds by the european

union to help shore up its economy in recent years. the terms of the bailout are hugely unpopular in greece. mr. tsipras' anti-austerity message is the message that got him in power. there had been concerns he was simply refusing to repay the money or default on its debt. he toldsaid while he would not act on the policies of subservients subservients, -- i asked him where the battle line had been drawn between the two sides. >> reporter: you're right. it sounds like it's two sides in the ring taking gentle steps towards each other before they wait to engage. what we -- i think there will be some positives taken from this that statement saying greece won't default on its debts.

that will be very very welcome. at the same time the idea as you said that greece will -- he wants to restore national sovereignty. greece he said will negotiate responsibly, that will be very welcome here but that it wants -- it doesn't want a mutually destructive clash. that was his other comment. those all sound good. the detail is what matters. we know the finance minister from the netherlands, he is heading to athens on friday for talks with mr. tsipras. what he has said if you tell us you want our cooperation but not our conditions that won't wash. >> damien there is also the question of another 7 billion euros in the pipeline isn't there, at the end of february. can that all be pushed back for is it a pretty fixed deadline?

>> no. there's a pretty fixed deadline when the current bailout deal will start running out. that's coming pretty soon. there's that trench of money and followed a little bit later by some repayments greece will have to make on its debts. the clock is ticking there. i think what's likely, when you hear both sides saying they want to cooperate and don't want a mutually destructive clash, what that may well mean is they will seek to push back those deadlines to try and sort of ease the immediate pressure, if you like. then, the key thing will be from the two sides, i think, the european side will be one thing to see that greece will stick to commitments. particularly there i think, actually what they're talking about are the reforms that they want to see in greece. reform packages to see greece stays on a sustainable path as

they see it the lenders to greece. on the greek side what is difficult if mr. tsipras is trying to write off some of those debts. that's what european leaders have already been saying. they won't countenance, but might countenance giving him easier terms and breathing space and cash in his day-to-day pocket to help run things. >> david grammaticas. we're getting reports of clashes on the border force between israel and lebanon. the israel army says one of its vehicles was hit by apparently an anti-tank missile in the shabaa farms area. and firing back across the border. the situation is ongoing. in the last hour prime minister benjamin netanyahu warns israel is ready to act with all force, as he put it. more on the latest.

>> reporter: what hezbollah says its fighters carried out what it calls a big and complicated operation clearly in revenge for attack 10 days ago for israel jets inside syria whereabouts a half a dozen israel fighters were killed along with an ireanian operation general. it's revenge for that. they say they rocketed position inside disputed lebanese territory territory, right on the border between israel and lebanon and adjacent to syria and some argument it's part of syria. disputed territory. they hit nine vehicles. they're talking about 15 israelis killed or wounded. a very big casualty toll reported by hezbollah and israel giving much lower figures, not talking about anybody kills. the question whether this will escalate out of control.

israelis always feeling it needs to hit back very strongly and hezbollah taking its retaliation for the attack for the israelis. but will they let it lie there for go further? hard to tell. >> in terms of tensions in the area, have they been ratcheting up the last few weeks? >> reporter: very definitely especially after that israeli raid that killed the hezbollah fighters including killing the son of an even more famous and prominent leader of hezbollah assassinated a few years ago. that requires some type of retaliation because also an israelian general was killed and yesterday for example we saw syrian artillery hitting position s positions on the golan heights and israelis hitting back after that. that tension very close to lebanon has now spread along the border.

the question as i say, whether they want to carry it further. they have the pretext, if they want to whether both sides feel both israel and hezbollah, whether both sides feel honor has been satisfied and let it rest there. my sense is neither side wants a major escalation between hezbollah and israel at this time. it may come eventually but they all remember 2006, the huge war that lasted a month and caused a lot of damage and disruption on both sides. the feeling is neither side really wants that, certainly now. let's wait and see. sometimes things can go in a spiral and get out of control. >> jim muir in beirut for us. do stay with us on "bbc" world news. still to come on the program. >> and plenty of it too. new york gets off lightly. we find out why the forecasters got it wrong.

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buraq "bbc world news," i'm david eaves. the latest headlines. the new greek prime minister says his country won't default on its debt but the terms of the bailout will be renegotiated. clashes on the lebanon-silver border after a tank was hit. libya government that sprang up after the killing of its leader gadhafi 3 1/2 years ago does seem a distant memory. they were attacked by gunmen and 10 people killed including a foreign national. antalysts will tell you the raid could have been carried out by any number of armed extremist

groups. civil war has forced the nationally recognized parliament to flee the capital and head to the eastern city of tobruk. tripoli is crawled by a rival power base. and it is from there that we were sent this report. >> reporter: gadhafi vowed to hunt enemies alley by alley, house by house. four years on the dictator dead and the streets of tripoli have a veneer of normality. many once again living with suspicion and fear. welcome to what remains of tripoli international airport. rivalry between the so-called guardians of the revolution turned to hostility here. this wasn't just a fight for control but a deliberate attempt

to raze it to the ground part of a battle for key resources. by the time the fighting ended libya had two governments in parliament each backed by a loose alliance of militias. when the second battle for the future of libya erupted, it was the militias of the revolution who turned their guns on each other and the fighting continues to this day. as the destruction at the airport shows this was less about ideology than power and the spoils of war. most of the battles are localized over land, transport and above all, oil. the instability has allowed islamists to prosper. these men support the rival governments in tripoli led by a veteran of the afghan war whose group used to work alongside al qaeda. the internationally recognized government says they're terrorists.

>> translator: we fight for sharia law. we need to build an islamic state. we defend our people our religion and our land. we're not terrorists, not in love for blood or killing. we're calling for a state of justice and law and islam and everyone equal in the eyes of the law. >> reporter: but many fear the self-appointed militias who enforce that law. opposition voices have been silenced, journalists threatened, politicians kidnapped. the brigade controls the midnight streets of tripoli, accused of using force. they're trying to recast themselves as moderates. now, helping to catch drug dealers, drunk drivers and thieves.

their spokesman denies they're hard liners, allied with islamic militants. he says they're simply helping a weak police force impose security. but at what cost? freedom has become a relative concept in the new libya. we got access to the prison, home to nearly 700 inmates. most here are accused of crimes like robbery, drugs and murder. but some cells are reserved for so-called political crimes. >> translator: i'm here because i was accused of being against the revolution and we support gadhafi. when we were first brought here, we were tortured. no freedom of speech. even talking to you, god knows what will happen to me, but i have to tell the truth.

>> reporter: once again, public dissent is being silenced in of tripoli's masters. this doesn't feel like a takeover by islamist radicals or complex battles between competing interests. libya's revolution hasn't stopped turning. the longer it spins, the more it risks dragging the country into greater violence and chaos leaving those who risked everything for a better future with songs and slogans and unfulfilled dreams. "bbc news," tripoli. >> pretty grim picture on the ground. earlier, william joined me and suggested things may get worse before it gets better.

>> you have two government ss backed by allyiance s alliances. there there's no conviction and there's no real cohesive unity there. what you hear in the west, it's the rival governments that control most of the country. based in tripoli now, the divisions within that alliance are in danger of spilling out into the open. it's the air of it looks normal but the air of unpredictability that can burst out into violence at any time. >> what should we make of the efforts of peace talks in geneva and are the right people there for a start? >> i think that's a key question. you have to start off with the political leadership of course, but the political leadership of the rival governments in tripoli has not taken part. i interviewed the prime minister, the nominal prime minister of libya in the west

and said he hadn't even been invited to this. you have a problem not all political parties are represented. the main problem, i think, the militia militias, the men with guns who really hold power in libya, are really not represented. there is plan to try to bring them on board. without feeling they have a shared interest in coming together, working together in some kind of peace process and they'll all get something from it crucially, it's hard to be optimistic. >> that's quite difficult to see at the moment. that's the first time you've been back since gadhafi's demise. what's it like, in terms of getting around? you said it's not syria. what's it like? >> no. the news is dominated by attacks like yesterday and you have this idea that it's going to be like iraq and parts of -- like aleppo. it isn't like that. there is a large degree of normality there. we were out on friday night,

kids are bouncing on fun fairs on the sea front. restaurants are full shops are busy. it looks normal. you speak to any who lives in tripoli, they tell you they're going home. by 9:00 at night, they're going home, worried about the people who take control of the streets and the course of events because things have been so unpredictable. even getting into the country, all international carriers have stopped flying into libya. you have this idea when you land there, it's going to be chaos and madness on the ground. the worst thing that happens is you get stuck in traffic. as of yesterday with the attack that can change rapidly and that creates a sense of anxiety for many libyans. >> now, the blizzard predicted for new york have dumped a meter of snow and now reports of what

was thought have been an historic snow. >> reporter: two different cities, two different stories. for new york a snowy winter's day. for boston a whiteout and winter snow. when it became obvious the apocalypse hadn't arrived for new york everyone was asking how would they have got it so wrong, the city's mayor was on the defensive. >> would you rather be prepared or unprepared. would you rather be safe or unsafe. my job as leader is to make decisions and i will always err on the side of safety and precaution. >> reporter: in massachusetts, a deficit story a travel ban staying throughout boston and different areas. flooded communities and people who lost power and they had to take some in their care from flooded communities. it fell at such a rate in this northern eastern state it was hard to keep up with.

city officials in boston were clear it would take some time for the cleanup to take place. >> we're still very much in the middle of this storm here in the city of boston. safety concerns remain a serious concern of all of ours. it's not easy to stay ahead of a storm this size but we've been able to use all city resources and workers to do the best we can. >> reporter: most of the snow has already fallen in this storm but the consequences will be felt for days to come. temperatures set to plummet and flooding could be a real problem. people are also wondering can they get their children back to school? can they get to work? gary donahue, "bbc news," massachusetts. >> i don't envy gary one jot. from the bbc weather center it's interesting how much flak the forecasters have come in for this forecast. did they get it wrong? >> yes and no. for the vast majority they got

it absolutely spot on. you saw parts of massachusetts under 2 to 3 feet of snow. >> unbelievable. >> it absolutely is. and the storm surge was all well predicted. the eastern part of long island got 20 inches of snow. new york 6-8 inches all because the storm stayed a little further east it was slightly smaller. that pulled the edge of the really heavy snow far enough away from new york they saw an ordinary snowfall instead of something exceptional. >> the talk about the forecast model has been upgraded and that created some quirks that impacted getting it right or wrong. >> something interesting to me as a professional weather forecaster, we're constantly improving and upgrading our forecast s forecast models. and they had just upgraded recently and they're getting used to it getting to know the quirks that have come in as a result of the upgrade and

looking at canadian examples and the european model produced in the uk. that one did very well for hurricane sandy for the east coast. this time that was going for snow heavy across new york. the other models were going something a bit less. you have that quandary of forecasts, every one is saying a different story. which one do you go through. >> there seems to be some problem with the term "historic." >> yes. it seemed that that upped the ante ante. >> thank you very much. i just want to remind you of the main news in the last half hour that the jordanian information minister says jordan is prepared to hand over an alleged female jihadist if the islamic state releases their captured firefighter pilot un unharmed. and in the news they threatened

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m so glad we could be here for larry.

hello. you're watching gmt on "bbc world news." i'm lucy hockings. jordan says that will negotiate with the islamic state. and an israel convoy targeted. and prepared to act with force. >>