i'm james menendez with "bbc world news." our top stories. the u.s. secretary of state john kerry arrives in kiev to discuss the escalating fighting in eastern ukraine. the french and german leaders will join him later to put forward a new peace plan. king abdullah of jordan is expected to meet the family ott of the captured pilot who was put to death. 400 days in an egyptian jail, the journalist peter greste, says he's delighted to be back in australia, but in big trouble with his parents. >> mum smacked me over the ear and told me not to do it again

and gave me a huge hug, you know? >> and would you care to watch someone else eat? we'll find out what's behind the latest internet craze in south korea. a very warm welcome to the program. we're going to start in ukraine, where every day brings news of more death of those caught in the middle of the fighting between the russian-backed separatists and the ukrainian army. more than 5,000 people have died in the conflict since april last year. on wednesday, three people were killed and many more wounded after a shell hit a hospital in the rebel-held city of donetsk. this week rebels have been trying to capture the town of debaltseve, a crucial rail junction between donetsk and

luhansk. u.s. secretary of state john kerry has arrived in the ukrainian capital for talks. i asked our correspondent, david stern, what the government there is hoping for from america. >> reporter: ukrainian officials exactly what their wish list is. and they don't really give a detail but it's assumed that what they want is anti-tank weapons, the javelin, which is apparently very effective, and what they describe as anti-battery weapons. these are systems that allow them to pinpoint strikes that have already been firing on them. of course, ukrainians will be welcoming anything. they've been calling for a long time, four defensive weapons. they think this is absolutely crucial in stopping this rebel offensive and what they say is a russian-backed invasion or a russian invasion of eastern ukraine. >> that is kiev. well, in brussels today, nato defense ministers are meeting to firm up details of the biggest reinforcement of nato's collective defense since the end

of the cold war. it's planning to establish a network of small command centers in three baltic republics. poland romania, and bulgaria. it will have what's being called a spearhead force, up to 5,000 troops. they'll be ready to deploy within a few days. well nato's secretary general says this is a critical time for security in europe and that russia continues to violate international law in ukraine. >> we have all of the increase of military presence in the east on part of the alliance. today, we will take further steps to make our forces more ready and more responsive. we will decide on the size and the composition of the new speed of the force and assure that it can be deployed in a matter of days. we will strengthen our existing nato response force, and we will decide on establishing commands and control units in six of our

eastern allied countries. these units will make it easier to deploy nato forces rapidly. they will support collective defense and help coordinate multinational exercises. our decision made clear that nato is determined to defend all allies against any threat from from any direction. >> the nato secretary general there in brussels. let's take a look at some of the other news this hour. the chief medical officer has blamed the rise in ebola cases on unsafe burials. increases in all three worst-affected countries in west africa for the first time this year. the british governor has been urged to get more involved in the fight against islamic state. a group of british m.p.s says

there should be more air strike and official operations. they say they've made progress battling the extremists and military action is only one part of their approach. meanwhile, supporters of islamic state has published a document which sets out the group's attitude towards women. it argues that the western model of equality has failed and women should be educated, especially in religious matters, from the ages of 7 to 17. and after that the document says they should be married and hidden from view. and the occupy minister has ordered an end to a nighttime curfew in the capital of baghdad. the restrictions, which has been in place for many years, are ending this saturday. now, king abdullah of jordan says he's launch a harsh war against extremists of islamic state who burns a pilot to death. they're on the way to meet the parents of mu'ath al kaseasbeh.

thank you very much for joining us here doctor. can you tell us what the king is planning to do today? >> reporter: well, the king gives his way to the funeral house of the late pilot, kaseasbeh opened. in jordanian traditions when we lose someone, someone passes we open a funeral house for three days and it's the custom in jordan that people go there to the family to give condolences. so his majesty, along with the prime minister and other officials, are going there today to offer their condolences. >> so with us looking at some pictures, people waiting for the king's arrival. how worried are you that popular angry is spiraling. people demanding revenge. how are you going to respond to that? >> i don't think there is a

disagreement over that. everybody would like to see decisive action against that terrorist group and against what they did to our pilot. >> sorry to interrupt you, but what does that mean in concrete terms? >> well in concrete terms, means that our relevant in the situation, the security institutions as well as the military, will be developing options in order to undertake specific steps to make them pay for what they did to our pilot. and that's the feeling of everybody, there is great sense of national unity in jordan that we are all rallying around our men in uniform and our king in order to support them in this war, and in order to make sure that we are all united against this evil.

>> we'll have to leave it there, but thank you very much for joining us. that was jordan minister dr. ahamd al amani. and crews are still looking for passengers when a plane crashed into the river. 15 survivors were pulled from the wreckage including a 2-year-old boy. the plane had been in the air just four minutes when the pilot raised the alarm. a short time ago, our correspondent, cindy sue, gave us an update on the recovery operation. >> well, all day long in fact for the past more than 24 hours, since the plane crashed yesterday morning, rescue crews have been searching for the passengers. there are still 12 passengers who are missing, and today, many of the firefighters and divers have been going underwater, to try to find them. now, there's really little hope that they're alive, because they would have been in the water for so long. so mainly it's a recovery effort, trying to find the bodies now. but it's a very difficult

process, because the water is very murky and there's no visibility underwater. so even with life the divers cannot see where they're going. they're simply going by touch. so they're searching practically in the dark with their hands and feet. at the same time we're seeing that the authorities have worked quickly to remove the wreckage from the crash site. they've lifted the main part of the wreckage on to a truck, and they will transport that to an airport nearby for analysis. >> that was cindy sue in taipei at the crash scene. peter greste the australian journalist, who was freed from an egyptian daily after 400 days has given his first news conference. it took place shortly after he arrived in his hometown of brisbane. the bbc's andrew harding was at that news conference in the city and sat down with peter afterwards to talk about his experiences. >> peter greste, in a fantastic mood very good shape, emotionally and physically on

his arrival back here in brisbane, australia. lots of hugs but at the same time also i think a key sense of a man here who's been allowed out of jail, but very aware that his two other colleagues mohamed baher and fahmy mohammad still remain in prison. he's very aware it's a delicate diplomatic situation that's going on right now in cairo and he doesn't want to pit the boat and prejudice things against him. i sat down a short while ago with peter greste about what it was like to leave his two friends behind. >> obviously, i feel quite concerned. you know, it's tough leaving them behind. and there's a part of me that feels that maybe i should have stayed in a move of solidarity but it would have been the wrong choice. >> was there any explanation

given as to -- >> no. no i don't know what was involved in the negotiations or the discussions. i don't know. all i was told is it's time to go. that's it. >> and at what point did it sink in? >> i think when we got out at the airport. we were given an armed escort all the way to the airport, although that's not quite the way these things usually work. and at the airport they said good-bye! you're on your own. you know shook my hand. there were embassy officials who were with us and took me from there and that was it. and when i left i kind of thought, hmm, maybe this really is happening. we made a very conscious effort to look after ourselves, you know physically intellectually spiritually. and i tried very hard to keep fit. we set up a fitness program for ourselves. >> you're looking good.

>> thanks very much. i'm actually feeling pretty good. you know, we did the sorts of things everybody said they were going to do every new year's eve, but we stuck it out because we knew our lives depended on it and our sanity depended on it. and it really wasn't until i walked through that door and saw this massive throng this massive, unimaginable gaggle of this mass of cameras and lights and photographers and people and crowds all cheering me on it just blew my mind. and that was the moment that i've been really craving. that was the moment where i really kind of had my emotional freedom. it was just extraordinary. i knew that obviously, this was getting some attention, but i had no idea whatsoever, that it was this big. that people were taking -- that people were reacting to it as massively as they had done. >> what did your parents say? >> oh, when i saw them mum

smacked me over the ear and told me not to do it again and gave me a huge hug, you know? >> reporter: peter said that it was clear to him that he was not going to give up journalism. that although he takes some time off now, he would continue his job back in africa. >> andrew harding talking to peter greste. do stay with us here on "bbc world news." still to come the fighting in ukraine is stretching medical resources to breaking points. that is the warning from the charity med sans france.

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go national. go like a pro. you're with "bbc world news." our headlines, so far. u.s. secretary of state john kerry arrives in ukraine to discuss the worsening conflict with pro-russian rebels. the leaders of france and germany are expected to join him later. meanwhile, later, leaders

are meeting in brussels to finalize details of a new rapid reaction force. it will be 5,000 strong and based in central europe. let's get more now on our top story. as the fighting in eastern ukraine continues. medecins sans frontieres working on the front lines says the fighting has reached levels not seen since last august and it's stretching their efforts to breaking point. let's talk to msf deputy head of mission in ukraine, which joins us now via a web cam. thanks very much indeed for taking the time to speak to us. what is the biggest problem from your point of view? is it a shortage of drugs? >> yeah. the main problem we face is shortage of drugs, but since a few weeks now with the fighting getting worse and worse, the population being dropped along the front line the situation is catastrophic. and in many places we cannot even access them anymore.

>> right, so there are people who have been denied medical care because the fighting's just too serious? >> right, people have been denied medical care for a few months now, because medical supplies have completely stopped on the rebel side and medical side is not enough on the other side. right now, it's getting worse because of the fighting and because of -- even for us to intervene, and provide drugs, even for us it's getting -- >> what are the conditions like in the local hospitals, in some of the areas worst hit by the fighting? can you describe that for us? >> i must say that the commitment of the medical staff is quite amazing here. doctors all over the country, on the other side doctors working without being paid for six months. but now, along the front lines,

the site of the hospital have been damaged and two weeks, three of them to stop the activities and guys can work without salary but not every day. >> what about behind rebel lines, behind the rebel-held areas. do you have any idea what conditions are like there? >> yeah we have two teams on this side working there since last year so yes, we have a quite continuous vision of the situation in lieu ganks, supplies in the market is getting down getting low. people are out there, worried about the next weeks and if no more help gets in if no more money, foreign aid gets in in

the next weeks, we're also very worried about the situation. >> thanks very much for joining us. that was msf deputy head of mission in ukraine. >> thanks a lot. now, in the past hour the french president, francois hollande has been giving his twice-yearly briefing in paris. mr. hollande said that he and the german chancellor would travel to ukraine for talks on resolving the ukraine crisis. they will then travel to moscow on friday to meet the russian president, vladimir putin. >> translator: we'll go to kiev this afternoon and we'll be putting forward a new settlement proposal pertaining to the conflict itself and the territory integrity of ukraine. and we will discuss this with poroshenko today, and on friday with the russian president, because time is at a premium. it cannot be said that france and german together did not try everything, attempt everything, in order to preserve peace.

>> that was the french president, francois hollande there. it is time for the business news. aaron's here. hi, there. >> hey. greece? >> the charm offensive continues, and all this week we're sending greek leaders all over. >> it's getting tense? >> indeed. let me explain. thursday, today, a critical day for the greek finance minister, who is in berlin meeting his german counterpart. on wednesday, this is what happened. the european central bank unexpectedly toughened its stance on greece, saying from the 11th of this month, it would no longer accept greek bonds, greek debt as collateral against loans to greek banks. it basically said it cited doubts about greece's commitment to its bailout. up until this point, greek commercial banks have been able to borrow money at a very low interest rate of just 0.05%, but

now they'll be forced to borrow billions of euros directly from the greek central bank. why is that a problem? greek banks will now have to pay this in a an interest rate 1.55% to borrow the same amount of money from the central bank. obviously, significantly more expensive to raise that cash. and all of this puts more pressure on greece's current bailout agreement that expires february the 28th. if it is not extended well the european central bank the ecb, could stop lending greek banks money. that's creating more of a headache, of course for greece's new liquid government who basically want to scrap those austerity measures that were agreed in exchange for this this 240 billion euros it has borrowed from the eu and international monetary fund. we'll be keeping across that very intense meeting in berlin. the business social networking site linkedin is becoming a key tool for working professionals around the world. the online firm's fourth quarter

numbers are out later today and expected to reflect its popularity. in fact, goldman sachs says the firm could have made as much as $634 million in that three-month period. we know it was launched in 2003. linkedin has now over 330 million users worldwide, and its success is credited to its improved jobs listings. traffic on mobile devices has also risen, with an introduction of stand-alone jobs for jobs searched and connected. although it's one of the oldest social networks it's continuing to expand into new regions of the world, with the u.s. contributing to 60% of total revenues there. we're going to keep across those numbers and have more of all of that on gnt coming up in over an hour's time. tweet me and i'll tweet you back. you can get me @bbcaaron. >> thank you so much. how do you fancy eating your dinner at home in front of a web cam and letting thousands of people watch? if they like the way you eat, they will pay you money, and you might make a few hundred dollars

a night. this is happening now in south korea, believe it or not. and it's also said what happens in korean tech will happen with you tomorrow. and here's our seoul correspondent, steve evans. >> reporter: eating for money. it's an online mass phenomenon. ordinary people eat at home in front of the web cam and thousands watch remotely from their own computers. if they like the way the person's eating, they pay money. >> lee chang hu is a star of this entertainment. tonight on the menu is spicy raw squid and conversation cast from his own living room in his seventh floor apartment. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: most of hi audience are girl teenagers and

women up to their 30s. i think they like to watch me because not only am i a good eater, i sometimes act as their counselor, listening to their grievances. >> this is a very old-fashioned way of eating isn't it? in a restaurant with people all around. but south korea is very teched up, and it's also very atomized. people live separate lives. a quarter of south koreans live on their own. so remote companionship via the web cam is the coming thing here. and it's the coming thing here today in south korea, it's the coming thing where you are tomorrow. but why would anyone pay to watch someone else eating? she is a video blogger herself, but she also tunes in to watch others eat. she has a theory. >> you know a lot of people diet in korea, and in the middle of the night, when you can't go

out and get yourself chicken or whatever, they watch people eat it and satisfy their hunger. that's weird, but, yeah that's where it started. sometimes people seek companionship in eating like that. they're communicating with you, so they stuff like you should definitely try the salt and some people sit down and eat while watching those videos. >> reporter: people who eat for pay on the web can earn hundreds of dollars an hour but eating is not the only performance. there are now students who turn the camera on themselves while they study, and people watch them and pay. remote companionship can take strange forms. stephen evans, bbc news seoul. >> and we're putting watching paint dry on our web cam next. fortunately for you, i just have a glass of water here on the desk. one of america's most famous news presenters apologized after it emerged that a story he told

about coming under fire in iraq was untrue. brian williams said he made a mistake when he talked about being in a helicopter that was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, and that he was in a helicopter, but behind the one that was targeted. that's it for me for now. thanks for being with us. see you soon.

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hello. i'm james menendez with "bbc world news." our top stories. the u.s. secretary of state john kerry arrives in kiev to discuss the escalating fighting in eastern ukraine. the french and german leaders will join him later to put forward a new peace plan. king abdullah of jordan is expected to meet the family of muath al kaseasbeh, the captured pilot who was put to death by islamic state militants. back home after 400 days in an egyptian jail. the journalist peter greste says he's delighted to be back in australia, but his priority now is to get his colleagues out too. and his party's called the

common man, but will it have the common touch? we'll be on the campaign trail with the anti-corruption movement in delhi. a very warm welcome to the program. we're going to start with ukraine, where every day brings news of more death of those caught in the middle of the fighting, between the russian-backed separatists and the ukrainian army. france's president and angela merkel, out joining the u.s. secretary of state john kerry in kiev to try to put forward a new peace plan. >> translator: we'll go to kiev this afternoon and be putting forward a new settlement program, and we will discuss this with poroshenko today and on friday with the russian president, because time is at a

premium. it cannot be said that france and germany together did not try everything, attempt everything in order to preserve peace. >> the latest figures say the conflict has killed more than 5,000 people since april last year. on wednesday three people were killed and many more wounded when a shell hit a hospital in the rebel-held city of donetsk. and this week rebels have been trying to capture the town of debaltseve. that's a crucial rail junction linking donetsk and luhansk, those are the two main rebel-held cities. while leaders meet in kiev nato defense leaders are meeting in brussels today, to form up details of the biggest reenforcement of nato's collective defense since the end of the cold war. the plannings have established a network of small command centers in three baltic republics, as well as in poland romania, and bulgaria. it will have what's being called a spearhead force of up to 5,000 troops. they'll be ready to deploy within just a few days. nato's secretary general says this is a critical time for

security in europe and that russia continues to violate international law in ukraine. >> we have all of the increase of military presence in the eastern part of the alliance. today, we will take further steps to make our forces more ready and more responsive. we will decide on the composition andof the new force and ensure it can be deployed in a few days. we will strengthen our current nato response force and we will decide on establishing command and control units in six of our eastern allied countries. these units will make it easier to deploy nato forces rapidly. they will support collective defense planning and help coordinate multi-national

exercises. our decision made clear that nato is determined to defend our allies against any threat from any direction. >> that was the nato secretary. now, also today, king abdullah of jordan says he's launch a harsh war against extremists of islamic state who burned a jordanian pilot to death. the king is now meeting the family of the pilot, muath al kaseasbeh. there have been protests in the city, with local people demanding revenge. crews in taiwan are searching for 12 people still missing after a plane crashed in the the key long river. british government has been urged to get more involved in the fight against islamic state. a group of british mps says there should be more air strikes and special forces operations. government officials say they've made progress battling the extremist and that military

action is only one part of their approach. meanwhile, supporters of islamic state have published a document which sets out the group's attitudes towards women. it argues that the western model of equality has failed and that women should be educated particularly in religious matters, from the ages of 7 to 15. after that it says they should be married and remain hidden from view. now, the greek government is under pressure today after the european central bank says it was cutting off the supply of cheap money to the country's commercial banks. it comes against the backdrop of negotiations between greece and its creditors, to renegotiate the terms of its huge bailout loan. the new fn minister, yanis varoufakis is in berlin meeting his counterpart. jenny hill has more. >> reporter: every day, they dish up greek food for hungry journalists. this appetite here for austerity. theodore is greek. what our country needs now, she

tells me, is a new start. the greeks don't want to beg for help, she says they want help that comes voluntarily and in friendship. they don't want to be blackmailed. they want help so they can grow. she'd get on well with dennis. >> it's important they get time to get feedback again, so we can prolong the debt to repay. i think there should be no cut. because they must become economically healthy and then they can pay in the longer time. >> but the mood in germany is pretty unrelenting. senior politicians and economists are clear, we've bent over backwards for greece already, they argue. there'll be no debt relief. officially, the line from angela merkel is, let's wait and see what greece really wants. but today's meeting is likely to be kept if only because here in

the euro zone what germany says really matters. >> greek went to the polls and they voted for a new government which is their right. we call it democracy. but what is not right is that now the new government runs around in europe and says okay we need some people to pay for the promises we gave the people. >> reporter: what if greece says you know this is unacceptable? we're going to leave the euro zone? >> this would be the best thing for both sides. >> reporter: for now, they wait to see what greece wants, what german will give and what kind of concessions it will demand in return. jenny hill, bbc news berlin. peter greste the australian journalist, who was freed from an egyptian jail after 400 days behind bars has been giving his first news conference. it took place shortly after he arrived in his hometown of brisbane. the bbc's andrew harding was at that news conference in the city and sat down afterwards with peter to talk about his experiences.

>> peter greste in a fantastic mood, in very good shape, emotionally and physically on his arrival back here in brisbane, australia. lots of hugs. but at the same time, also i think, a key sense of a man here who's been allowed out of jail but very aware that his two other colleagues, mohamed fahmy and baher mohamed still stuck in prison. and while peter greste made it clear he wants to continue campaigning for their release, he's also very aware that it's a can delicate diplomatic negotiation that's going on right now in cairo and he doesn't want to tip the boat and prejudice things against him. and as you say, i sat down a short while ago with peter greste about what it was like to leave his two friends behind. >> obviously, i feel quite concerned. you know, it's tough leaving them behind. and there's a part of me that

feels that maybe i should have dug my heels in out of solidarity you know, but it would have been the wrong choice. >> was there any explanation given as to what -- >> no. no i don't know what was involved in the negotiations or the discussions. so i don't know. all i was told is it's time to go. that's it. >> and at what point did it sink in? >> i think when we got out at the airport, we were given an armed escort all the way to the airport, although that wasn't quite the way these things usually work, and at the airport they said, good-bye. you're on your own, you know shook my hand. there were some australian embassy officials who were with us, they took me from there and that was it. and when they left i kind of thought, hmm, maybe this really is happening. we made a very conscious effort to look after ourselves, physically, intellectually

spiritually. and i tried very hard to keep fit. you know, we set up a fitness program for ourselves >> yeah you're looking good. >> thanks very much. i'm actually feeling pretty good. you know, we did the sort of things that everyone promises they're going to do every new year's eve but we kind of stuck it out, but we knew that actually our lives depended on it, our sanity depended on it. and it really wasn't until i walked through that door and saw this throng, this massive, unimaginable gaggle of this mass of cameras and lights and photographers and people and crowds, all cheering me on it just blew my mind. and that was the moment that i'd been really craving. that was the moment when i really kind of had my emotional freedom. it was just extraordinary. i knew that obviously, this was getting some attention, but i had no idea whatsoever, that it was this big. that people were taking -- that

people were reacting to it as massively as they had been. >> what did your parents say? >> oh, when i saw them mum smacked me over the ear and told me not to do it again and gave me a huge hug, you know? >> reporter: but peter said that it was clear to him that he was not going to give up journalism. that although he would take some time off now, he would continue his job back in africa. >> andrew harding talking to peter greste. do stay with us here on "bbc world news." still to come, the biggest building project in palestinian history takes shape on the west bank, but who will live in these 25,000 homes built by an american palestinian multi-millionaire?

you're with w "bbc world news."

our hnz so far. john kerry arrives in ukraine to discuss the worsening conflicts with rebels. meanwhile, later, there's a meeting in brussels to finaltize details of a new rapid reaction force. it will be 5,000 strong and based in central europe. let's get more now on our top story and the crisis in ukraine. the u.s. secretary of state john kerry has arrived in kiev for talks on the escalating situation. the french president, francois hollande, and the german chancellor angela merkel have announced they'll join later to put forth a new peace plan. they will end travel on friday to moscow to meet with the russian president, vladimir putin. with me now in the studio is alexi olshenny. what's the deal? quef we have the americans saying they want to arm them with

weapons and the francois and angela merkel saying we want to try peace. >> they want not part of the minsk agreements the previous attempt to resolve the crisis through diplomatic meanings, but france and germany certainly were very strongly enrolled in that. they were helping in drafting it through the european union. but, that plan didn't work. so now the appeal for the ukrainian president to the u.s. is to supply lethal weapons along with nonlethal weapons that were supplied before. german and france are not even back from chancellor merkel saying she only sees a diplomatic solution. what they will be able to achieve, according to president hollande they'll come up with gnaw text that's acceptable to all within the framework of ukrainian. this is something that the rebel elitists will certainly not be very happy, and whether they will repeat what they've done to

the minsk accord basically to throw it away, is something to be seen. >> and those rebel leaders, are they in the mood for compromise or do they feel that things are going their way? >> i think they're feeling very much that things are going their way. they don't seem to have any lack of equipment, of armor, of missiles, of shells. they are on the offensive. they're proudly saying and reporting today, for instance that they are in control of yet another town. that they're advancing against the ukrainian troops. so they are certainly in the mood and they feel that they're encouraged by russia they're supported by russia. russia is firmly on the side of the rebels in whatever happens on the ground. there are some tragic things happening on the ground, the shelling of things criminal shelling the killing of civilians. however, the blame simply by the rebels and by russians are placed firmly on the ukrainian side. so we know where russia stands. we know where rebels stands. we know where ukraine stands. we don't know whether the position of russia will be

changed, because tomorrow, president holland and chancellor merkel are going to moscow to talk to president putin. >> but as you say, all the time it's civilians in these areas that are being caught in the middle. >> it is civilians. we're talking about more than 5,000, according to official estimates by the united nations. but the real figure is much higher. plus the infrastructure, the horrible scenes that we've seen in the area very peaceful and rather prosperous life because there was money in that part of the country. not just for the donetsk airport or for the state or for the europe 2012 football cup, but also for the infrastructure, which is now being destroyed, by this indiscriminate shelling by the complete collapse of gas supply, of roads, of bridges. it will take god knows how much time to actually rebuild it all pb and where to get the money for it after the war is ended. it's a very very difficult question. and certainly for ukraine in this economic state now, it's a

question of survival. >> olexy, many thanks for your analysis. now, the indian capital delhi is voting on saturday to elect a new city government. opinion polls have places the anti-corruption party, the common man party, ahead of the ruling bjp. >> he's the political upstarter creating a wave and turning delhi's election on its head. arvind kejriwal with his ordinary man next door look is drawing massive crowds. in the city's poor areas, they see him as one of their own, as he pledges to sweep out corruption and throws a direct challenge to prime minister

narendra modi. >> translator: they promised to reduce inflation. have the prices come down? they lied. they deceived you. >> reporter: this is predominantly a working class neighborhood in delhi, and most of the people have gathered are workers, taxi drivers, even some shopkeepers. people among whom arvind kejriwal's common man party and message has the right feel. a former highly decorated police officer, with the reputation of being tough. eight months ago, the party won a landslide victory in national elections, on the back of a modi wave and his promise of economic prosperity. he's hoping to repeat the magic with a similar pitch.

>> translator: we are going to cut red tape and attract greater investment and business. we want you to earn a lot more money, so you can save more and become richer. >> it's a clash between david and goliath. the former narendra modi and his low-key challenger. but it's also a backer between middle class aspirations and the concerns of the underprivileged. >> modi's charismatic. he has the support of america and others. and he wants to build our infrastructure. >> we want a person who'll stand be us think of our needs, such as water, electricity, kejriwal is our brother, our son. we are with him. >> reporter: the stakes are high. it's not just about who governs the capital, but also about the political reputation of india's

powerful leader. now, the first new palestinian city is being built in israeli-occupied west bank. it's a billion-dollar gamble by a palestinian american multi-millionaire. his palestinian critics say he's doing deals with israel to make money. his supporters say he's finding a new way to start building a palestinian state. and others worry about his plans. >> reporter: it's the biggest building project in palestinian history. rowabi, the first new palestinian city in the west bank, complete with football stadiums and roman amphitheater. >> this fits 10,000 people. this stage is on top, you can see the roman columns can being placed. >> roman columns? >> it's part of our history. >> reporter: it's the dream of palestinian multi-millionaire, bashar masri. he's building homes for 25,000

people on israeli-occupied land. >> i'm going to sell you an apartment. so this is a three-bedroom apartment. >> three bedroom. >> what does this sell for? >> this sells for about $110 $112,000, i think. >> magnets from paris. what a view! >> reporter: but you know what they say about real estate. location, location, location. >> this is an israeli settlement. this has been a source of big trouble for us from day one. >> what do they say about this? >> they did not like the project from day one. >> reporter: people who are going to live here if there's going to be open hostility with people on the next hill -- >> no we're not promising people here heaven. we're not promising people here anything less than that we are still under occupation. this is not normalizing and accepting the occupation and looking the other way.

this is defying the occupation. >> reporter: just down the road from rowabi palestinian youth clash with troops at an israeli check post. for them this is the only way to fight the occupation. we've been following this project over the past turbulent year. after seven long years, rowabi is almost ready, but there's still a major hurdle. there's no water. the joint israeli palestinian water committee has to sign off the water supply but it hasn't met for years. the problem is political. palestinian officials suspect if they agree to water for rowabi they'll have to agree for water for jewish settlements too. >> we cannot as a palestinian authority, deal with settlements. settlements are illegal. rowabi will be part of the palestinian affair not the

settlement. >> this is the separate pipeline. >> for the water? >> reporter: israel denies rowabi is a bargaining chip. >> i believe that rowabi is a symbol, that israel will support any investment in the west bank. >> masri tells us for the last year in every meeting, you say, two more weeks, two more weeks. and now people are pulling out of rowabi because they don't think it will happen. >> this is a way to look at the empty half glass, i prefer to look at the full half okay? what did we do? a lot. and we have a little bit more to do. we are leaving a process to make sure that in the coming few days or few weeks, the water supply to rowabi would be authorized and agreed by both sides. >> but does that mean the palestinians have to agree that the water should go to the settlements? that's the condition for water going to rowabi? >> there are no conditions. >> reporter: a lot of well-connected figures are

trying to ensure rowabi succeeds. >> we need to go back to the very basic principle that this stuff on the ground matters as much as the politics. now, we haven't succeeded in relation to rowabi i hope we are, but this is something even president obama has faced. >> reporter: without water, without israeli/palestinian cooperation, rowabu's future is at risk. >> we are reaching a point where we are seeing a lot of the buyers are ready to question. and the word's out on the street that we are in financial trouble. well guess what? we are in financial trouble. >> reporter: are there ever moments when bashar al masri regrets he ever started this? >> not a single moment. never, ever. i know i already achieved a lot in this project. we would like to achieve more. we're not there yet. >> and you can watch the full program "our world: the billion

dollar gamble" on friday at 2030 gmt. ecuador has announced a state of emergency in the galapagos islands a week after a cargo ship ran aground. the ship was also carrying 45,000 liters of fuel. booms have been used to contain a fall spill. it is the third such incident in the galapagos in the past year. one of america's most famous news presenters has apologized after it emerged that a story he told about coming under fire in iraq was untrue. brian williams said he made a mistake when he recalled being in a helicopter that was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. instead, he acknowledged that he was in a helicopter but behind the one that was targeted. now let's take you to japan and the annual snow sculpture festival. they come in all shapes and sizes. they are highly detailed as you can see, ranging from old buildings to popular cartoon and film characters. more than 200 different sculptures in all, to view.

this year's biggest sculpture is from "star wars." you can probably guess who it is. it was built with 850 truckloads of snow. that's it for me for now. bye-bye. ♪♪ the adventures you've been imagining. the heroes you've been admiring. the worlds you've been dreaming of. ♪ the thrills you've been craving.

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hello. you're watching "gmt" on "bbc world news." i'm lucy hockings. our top stories, nato plans the biggest reenforcement of its collective excess since the end of the cold war. the 5,000 strong force is supposed to send a clear signal to russia. we speak to estonia's defense minister about his concerns about moscow's ambitions. the pilot who faced taipei as rescuers scour the river for 12 people still missing from the transasia plane crash, praise for the pilot, who apparently steered the plane away from high-rise