add guests from all sides of the debate and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get the inside story. these are straight forward conversations. no agenda, just hard hitting debate on the issues that matter to you. >> ray suarez hosts "inside story". peter greste freed but two other al jazeera journalists remain behind bars in egypt. ♪ legal 0 there t you are watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up on the program, nigerian security forces say they have rep pled a boka haram attack on the capitol of borno state. shua malitias drove is ill from this village in the proof incident but massacre civilians. umbrella movement hong kong's proceed democracy protesters take to the streets once again.

arizona journalist peter greste is free. he was reece released from an egyptian prison a few hours ago and deported. he flew to cyprus from where he is expected to continue to australia. he is said to be in good health. his colleagues mohammed fahmy and behar havebeled held for 400 days. they said campaign to free campaign in journalists will not end until all three have been released. gerald tan reports. >> reporter: this was the most rebate protest against the detension of al jazeera staff, marking a year since their arrest journalists rallied in london and around the world, sydney the hague, sarajevo. it had been a year of agony for the families of the men.

australian peter greste's parents were in cairo hoping for his release by christmas. giving him a hug at the end was quite difficult. just to say good buy and to leave him for the rest of the day knowing that it's not the best place to be. >> no one expected it to go on this long. >> i believe there is a misunderstanding and it needs to be corrected. so, i am still hopeful and still fighting with mohammed for his freedom. >> the arrest of peter greste mohammed familiarhmy were initially assumed to be short-lived, a mistake over media accreditation. as time passed t became clear that the egyptian authorities under the new government of general abdulel he will sisi had

other intentions is. >> those who know greste an african specialist with little it experience with egypt could make little of what the government described as terrorists. the same could be said of his colleagues. buyer mid january much of the international media was demanding their release. the hash tag freeajstaff went viral. respected journalists said the treatment of access employees was a threat to the entire journalistic community reporting from egypt. the trial failed to produce any credible evidence against the three. there was footage found on their laptops including a video of sheep herding, some of greste's work in kenya and clips from a different channel entirely adjournment after adjournment followed. then in june, the men were convicted and jailed the lowest point of a desperate year for all involved. world leaders includingpresident obama

it. they stood it. they stood behind it will not end until all three have been released. peter greste is on his way out of the country after 400 days in detention. the other two remain behind bars. the network says that all three have to be exonerated and the convictions against the other journalists tried in absentia have to be lifted.

earlier, we spoke to the managing director of al jazeera english. here is what he had to say. >> we are immensely relieved immensely relieved peter is out of detention, that peter is on his way with hers brother home to be reunited with his family. i would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to peter and his family and our colleagues and their families for the strength and the resilience they have demonstrated for the extraordinary amount of time against this extraordinary injustice that was meted out to him. there is an irony. there is no no celebration in the release of an innocent man. peter, a wonderful journalist carrying out the best journalism in the world and yet has spent 400 days behind bars. immense lee relieved. the other thing we have to focus on is that behar and mohammed are 'til still behind bars the same injustice being the world's best journalists, and yet 400

days they are still behind bars. and seven other of our colleagues who were sentenced to 10 years in abstentia outside of egypt, still sentenced todd. the solidarity the support demonstrated on behalf of peter, baher and mohammed has been i am mention from politicians, from the media right around the globe, and from hundreds of thousands of people who care about their right to be informed, who care about the freedom of speech and they care about the fact that they have a right to be heard that solidarity and support has been i am mention. we are extremely, extremely grateful for it. in a way, we cannot rest until the injustice is brought to an ends. but we are immensely relieved today. >> joining us now is nicholas psesur we human rights group amnesty international. thank you for the joining us here on al jazeera. first of all, your reaction to this release or deportation.

you have been fighting the case? >> it's fant austic news for peter greste. we are looking forward to pictures of him being united with his family. we are concerned about his two colleagues languishing in jail and calling on egypt's authorities to bring this as far as to an end. he script today freed peter greste. what it can't give back are the 400 days he has wasted in prison for a crime he didn't commit. >> he was reported but freed. january 1st, the con vince of the three men were overturned by the court of casatian. they were waiting for a refree trial. is he a freeman or a convicted man who has guaranteed? >> the bottom line is he shouldn't go to egypt any time soon. the court of cassation over turned it on a legal technicality. it didn't look at the facts of the case the. in egyptian law, he should be retried as should the other journalists but they shouldn't have to do that. the trial has been a farce. it's time for these men to go free meal an unconditionally.

>> it leaves two other colleagues. now they both have slightly different cases because mohammed fahmy is canadian egyptian. and the other egyptian national nationalalty. how might that impact the various outcomes for their situation? >> it may be light at the ends of the table for mohammed fahtmy. he may face giving up his citizenship and i think the concern is for baher mohammed who may be left to rot in jail while the international spotlight turns on to other situations. >> let's focus on the international spotlight. at al jazeera, we are grateful to everyone who held this campaign whether it's journalists or government or anyone that just, for example, followed the freeaj hash tag on twitter. the reality, often the western journalist gets more attention, especially when he worked for

the bbc, say mohammed fahmy worked for cnn. once that is taken away what will be the difficulty in trying to maintain the spotlight on this campaign internationally? >> well, i think what we really need from the international community is leadership. we have seen lots of statements condemning what's happened in egypt. we have see hand wringing but what we haven't seen is a way to hold egypt to account there has been little mention. he script's deepening human rights crisis. the case is the tip of the iceberg. there are thousands of people today in egypt just for criticizing the authorities or taking part in peaceful protests against them. we need for the case to be sort of a symbol for all of those people unjustly detained in egypt. >> how much of an impact do you think that international pressure did have on this case and perhaps the situation in general in egypt? >> it's had a tremendous impact. i think it's been enormously em bearing. it's shown up just how far out of control egypt's criminal justice system has spiraled something which has really been

of fundamental importance to highlighting human rights crisis in egypt. i think the bottom line is it goes beyond these three men these award-winning journalists. it's the thousands of ordinary egyptians suffering at the hands of the authorities. >> nick accumulation psour, thank you for having joined us. >> thank you. nk you. boka haram fighters have launch add string of deadly attacks across northeastern nigeria. fight something underway in the town of mafa but the nigerian army says its driven fighters out of the key city ofmaiduguri. two blasts in northern nigeria's city killed five people. one attack targeted a military checkpoint. a suicide bomber targeting a political meeting nigeria killed

seven people two weeks before the national elections. the attacks come a day after the african union announced that it would sends in a regional force to fight the armed group. let's go back to the nigerian capital, abuja. the international condemnation and the unity we are seeing from some of the neighboring countries, those really there is no stopping i guess, the add vance much boka haram. >> well boka haram, itself boka haram is in a tight situation now. the camroonians and forces from niger are bearing down from the chad border and the nigerian security forces are also trying to mop up some elements of boka haram from the towns and villages they occupy in northeastern nigeria. the group is in a tight spot now. it is able to launch coordinated attacks. look at the attack this morning.

it was launched on four different fronts on the city of maidguri. they have coveted the city. it's important and strategic for them as well as for the military. so, if they were able to take over maiduguri, they would have declared victory. they have been chased out. what's significant in today's incident is that use who have never had any training any military training supported vig lints as well as the military to chase out boka haram. what we are hearing now is is that the military is trying to mop up its operations mafa because they feel they have defeated boka haram. >> we were talking there about the announcement, the creation of a regional force to fight back against boka haram what kind of impact do you think that that would have? >> well with 7,500 member task

force, neighboring countries who actually know the terrain, know the operational system or style of boka haram as well as how people cross overboarders without much problems, it's significant. this could help to a very large extent to further defeat boka haram or drive it underground. we have seen initially when it all started they were fighting a guerilla warfare, hidden and running away. now, they are trying to capture as many -- as much territory as thing. so for the 7,500 member task force that they were trying to establish, if it's on the ground with the proper equipment and training definitely they will make some very very important headway in the fight to crush boka haram in west africa. >> joining us from the capital of abjua, ahmed, thank you.

still ahead on al >> because i was african american i was trying to fit in >> misty copleland's journey wasn't easy >> dancing gave me the opportunity to grow into the person... i don't think i could be without it >> now, this trailblazer

. >> a refinaleder the top stories on al jazeera. al jazeera journalist peter greft has been released from an

egyptian prison and is on his way home. he flew to cyprus from where he is expected to continue on to australia. peter greste colleagues remain in jail in egypt where they have been held for 400 days. al jazeera says campaign to free its journalists in egypt will not end until all have been release did. boka haram fighters have launched a string of deadly attacks across northeastern nigeria. the group launched an attack on four fronts but were driven out by the army. there have been bombings which have killed 12 people. >> japan has ordered heighten security free cautions after the release of a video appearing to show the murder of japanese journalist kenji goto t the prime primary has condemned the killing calling it heinous and despicable. caroline malone reports. >> shock, sadness and sympathy

for kenji goto's family expressed by people in tokyo. crowds gathered outside the prime minister's office after they found out the veteran reporter had most likely been murdered in syria by the islamic state of iraq in the levant. >> he always hoped to make the world a place without any wars and to save children from war and poverty. i promise here to carry out his legacy. >> earlier prime minister shinzo abe said a video was most likely real. >> we are deeply saddened by this despicable and horrendous act of terrorism. we dean denounce it in the strongest terms. to the terrorists we will never, never forgive you for this act. >> kenji goto had gone to syria last year partly to help rescue another japanese national taken by isil. >> person has since also likely been killed. before going, he made a video

making it clear he knew the risks. >> some people feel the killing of two japanese people by isil in a week will change perceptions in japan. >> unfortunately, i think this incident will further degrade the islamic image in japan, and this is a tragedy because the hostage crisis in and the terrorism going on northern iraq and syria has little to do with islam and much more to do with extremism, social yes economic disempowerment and marginalization. >> some people in the islamic community are worried about a backlash but say it's unlikely given minorities are well treated in japan. >> i hope there will be no misunderstanding because what happened what we heard this morning, the news it has nothing to do with islam.

>> but the news of the death of two japanese nationals within two weeks has made an impact. it's already greatly affected some people here caroline malone al jazeera. >> in syria, meanwhile, the he will nusra front has claimed responsibility for a bombing close to a shia holy site. reports say the bomb was placed on a bus transporting legal knees pilgrims in damascus at least seven people were killed he will. least week the iraqi prove province of diala was declared free of is ill. but jane a araff has more. some viewers might find her report accident disturbing. boys of some on the ground after a raid. these men weren't killed in fighting. they were shot in the head in close range. some had their hands tied.

families frantic searched for husbands, sons and brothers. >> hassan where are you, a man cried? and then he tells his mother he has found him. human rights watch says it's unclear how many were killed but says it appears to have been a massacre. survivors say it started when iraqi security forces told villagers to come to the mosque to get food. from there, they say, groups of men were taken away and shot by militia members. the survivor now in a nearby city tells us the men went willingly at first. >> the army took our identification and then gathered us together and we saw the other forces all dressed in black, and they opened fire. >> there are few prisoners in this fight against is ill. in diala, shia militias believe sunni iraqis here have supported the group in the village of

smyra, houses and the mosque were left in ruins after fighting last week between iraqi forces and is ill. shia militia leaders said after the battle they had liberated the remainder of diala held by the group. >> once survivor told us by phone he and the others ran to the fields and hid in the mud all night after they opened fire. he said the village still surrounded and running out of food. iraqi's prime minister is trying to contain the fallout. he told the national conference that those responsible would be punished. >> those who are conducting killings and assaults on property in areas liberated from is ill are no less dangerous than terrorists. >> the government is under pressure to prove its control and not its shia militia partners. >> iraqi government forces along with the kurds and shia malitias have taken back a lot of territory from is ill over the last few months. some of the fiercest fight something in the most volatile

areas of iraq along those fault lines of ethnic rivalry and sectarian ambition. it left the iraqi government grappling with how to win a war against is ill and keep the country intact. jane ar. raff baghdad. >> up to 10,000 people have rallied in hong kong in the first didp major demonstration since mass protests last year. they want free elections to choose the lead evership in the 2017 election. sarah clark reports from hong kong. >> unlike the last protests this rally wasn't just for students. this was a civil movement united under the symbol the umbrella. >> because freedom of speech in hong kong is slurping i will do whatever i can. >> the rally started in the business shopping district of causeway bay before people marched five kilometers back to where last year's protest began. traffic was stopped and police

were on stand by with up to 10,000 people reclaiming the streets in the heart of hong kong's city center. >> occupy hong kong ended a while ago. so this is a chance to reunite the people. >> organizers say this demonstration shows there is still support for their campaign for greater voting rights in the 2017 e sglefrnings the people are involved in the demonstration to show our persistence and cohesion to urge the government to solve the argument in society. >> china is standing by its plan to screen all candidates for the chief executive election. >> decision triggered two and a half months of protests last year. this really avoided a repeat of those violent confrontations but the complaint remains the same. >> so we are telling the hong kong government and the hong kong people that we need to change the current constitution constitutional reform plan.

>> this is the first real of the new year. after two rounds of public consultation failed to find common ground protesters say demonstrations like this one may now be the only way to put pressure on the city's government. sarah clark, al jazeera, hong kong. >> the greek and french finance ministers have met in paris say it's their self first meeting since the left wing syriza took place last month. they said they will help greece find a solution to woes. he said the new greek government had concerns over the sides of its debt. the new minister has called for a pressure approach to debt repayment. at least 13 ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the past 24 hours in fighting with pro- russian spraftits. charles stratford has more from eastern ukraine. >> they rung for cover,

clutching shopping bags. >> what sound like artillery and mortars are landing cross by. it was unclear whether the separatists orred ukrainian military fired first. >> we are in the town of yonakava. there has been a lot of incoming shelling over the last few minutes still going on sporadically. the streets are virtually deserted and those people who can are hiding in basements. under this block of flats, we find alexander had and his young family. cold and damp and the sound of the shelling reverb rates through the cement walls. >> we constantly have to come down here because of what's going on. you can see what's happening now. how can we stay in our apartment? during a lull in the firing, we head further into town where we had heard the shells landing.

relatives have just pulled 86-year-old yedorkia from her basement only minutes before. her house is destroyed. they lead her to a neighbor's home and medics arrive to treat her. >> translator: i was trembling. i live alone. i was sitting in the corner and i only just survived. >> the force of the blast has smashed the windows of this home happennell is imbedded in the walls above the bed. >> why do i have to live like this? why are they killing us? why? outside, another neighbor appears from her damaged house. how can they possibly do this? what am i to do now? i don't know what to do. i think i just saw my own death. >> the repeated for sale of truce negotiations means this

community and many others are crossing ukrainian army controlled territory will have to continue to live in fear. as we drive out of town separatists' heavy weapons pass us heading towards the front line. charles stratford, al jazeera, yanakuva eastern ukraine. >> hi tides in venice have not damp ended the spirits of this year's canrnival famous for costumes and masks. claudio is there and he sent us this report. >> reporter: high spirits and high water on the day carnivale and flooding came together. the car bomb vale of venice kick started on the city's canals. carnival goers were caught by surprise by another venetian spectacle. >> there is one other event typically venitian high tide.

on sunday venice got both. it flooded saint marks square. it's not a little bit of water that is stopping venetians from partying. sunday's show started with a pianist flying over the lagun, a grand piano for a grand opening. >> nothing can stop us. water, air, from enjoying life. >> tens of typical venetian boats took part in the parade. the main attractions were as always, the great masks and the lavish costumes. food is like carnival. it's a celebration of life. the first carnivale in venice was held in the 13th century as a street party for the lower classes hidden behind the masks, rich and poor laud looked equal

even if just for a few days. for the next two weeks, it will be less about hiding behind the mask and more about dressing to impress. claudio lunga, venice. >> find much more on the website, aljazeera.com. >> the rwandan genocide began twenty years ago. in 100 days, almost one million people were killed. today, rwanda is thriving. as the president credited with stoping the slaughter and putting the country back together, paul kagame is also accused of brutally suppressing dissent. so i