g freed. he has renounced his egyptian citizenship. that could help in the deported. defendants take the stand in a trial of dominique strauss-kahn when a 14 accused of involvement in a prostitution ring. the new prime minister head to rome. looking to renegotiate greece's massive bailout.

we'll take a more in-depth look in business. details in about 15 minutes. french film sweeps the awards, france's answers to the golden globes. that film has also been nominated for an oscar. but first our top stories. two days after a reporter was released from an egyptian jail, his colleague now also is set to be freed. he has been kind bars for over 400 days. he was sentenced to seven years in prison on terrorism charges

in a trial largely slammed as a farce. he is a foreigner. the same rule could apply but it means giving up his egyptian citizenship, something his family says he has already done. >> freedom has a high price. he says he must forgo his egyptian citizenship in order to regain his freedom. a very difficult decision. he said he is proud and comes from a patriotic family that have defended his country and fought ittss wars. some were offended he was willing to give up his egyptian citizenship. >> he cannot be compromising here. the origins of your existence --

back to his country. >> he was released on sunday, alongside a fellow journalist. they had been imprisoned since 2013. >> 400 days in such close rocks and many with people. you get to know them very well. it was a difficult moment, saying goodbye to those guys, not knowing how much longer they'll have to put up with this . >> for now it is not clear what will happen to him. he is still in jail. journalists were charged with spreading lies. they insist they were doing their job. a power structure between egypt and qatar, which funds al

jazeera. >> there has been a series of long threats and blasts in egypt. a bomb targeting a police checkpoint wounded a 12-year-old boy. another bomb exploded in the heart of cairo, but without any casualties. two more bombs were defused overnight at cairo international airport. >> the head of security at the airport has said that he believes both of these devices were found at terminal three outside the terminal three holding. the road to the airport is still open. it is heavily monitored by police. the airport is functioning as normal. they are heightening security.

the bomb that was found and defused came with it a small note, which said, simply, wait for us in march. >> any confirmation these incidents could be related and who might be behind these attacks? >> no formal claim of responsibility. the vast majority of attacks has happened are from one or two groups. when is now pledged allegiance to the islamic state. most of their attacks take place in the sinai peninsula. there is one other group soldiers of egypt, responsible for the majority of the attacks like these in cairo. we haven't had any claim of responsibility yet. >> tom stephenson reporting from

cairo. the tunisian prime minister has presented a new coalition cabinet, which could be the first government since they held their first free elections last year. it did not represent the nation will enough. this time the party is in. >> anti-islamist party promises it's voters it would never work with tunisia's leading party. now it may have to go back on its word. the prime minister presented a government which includes both parties. >> we have made changes to widen the composition of the government. >> the first one he presented to parliament failed to pass. they may have a hard time

cooperating with its rival. the prime minister said there is no other choice. they need a government to tackle their security problems. >> we have no more time to lose. we are in a race against the clock to find solutions to urgent matters. >> if validated, the government would be the first formed after free elections. it has been held up as an example of democratic transition. >> here in france, setting aside political difference to keep the far right party out of power has become a hot topic. the center-right ump party is

divided and what stand to take in the runoff vote now that it has been knocked out. >> all rights on the far right candidate as she makes it to the second round of elections held in eastern france. the center-right ump is in a tough ridiculous. openly announced he would vote for the socialist candidate who came in second. he said the national front was clearly his main party's main opponent. not all are in favor of setting aside political differences. telling voters to abstain rather than back a socialist. nicolas sarkozy is set to formally announce the decision later on tuesday. he is likely to take a neither/nor strategy.

the party's dismal -- sarkozy announced that they should have awaited the party's decision. a reminder of the discord among the ump. >> the former president, nicolas sarkozy at the head of the ump party said voters should say no to the national front. also saying it is the voters' choice. the first three defendants have taken the stand in the sex trial of dominique strauss-kahn. he is one of 14 men on trial in involvement in a prostitution ring. the faces up to 10 years in

prison. we're covering the story at the courthouse. what has been happening so far? >> well, you saw the first group of the 14 defendants at the stand. they involve the owner of the hotel and two other hotels as well as the manager at the time and the head of public relations for those hotels. much of tuesday morning was spent going through the character profiles of these three men previous employment. one issue that did come up was the discussion about it carlton apartment, owned by the same man who owned the carlton hotel at the time. it was just adjacent to it. the owner said it was used, free

of use for any friends who needed it if the hotel was full. it was here that the sexual soirees took place. we heard from one of the prostitutes. she confirmed it was in the apartment and she was never brought directly to the hotel. she was brought three or four times from the club in brussels. she didn't have any particular gripe about the three men. she said she did not choose to go into products -- prostitution. >> what about dominique strauss-kahn? lessee in court today -- was he in court today? >> dominique strauss-kahn is not expected back in court until next tuesday, when he will give his side of the story.

he was present on monday, when all of the codefendants were presented. he will be back to the stand next tuesday. that's when he will give his defense. he admits he took part in sexual evenings with a number of women. he never paid a penny for their services and believed it was consenting adults. they said he never set foot in the carlton hotel. it remains to be seen if he was in this carlton apartment. >> thank you. greece's new left this prime minister has swept to power on a pledge to end be painful austerity measures in greece. they had been touring europe to build support for renegotiation

of their massive bailout. we have more on the latest stop today in rome. >> a more sympathetic ears. the prime minister has been calling for change to help employment for the past year. the latest step on the tour of europe oscar capital. a bid to convince their european counterparts that a renegotiation of greek debt is necessary. once again he blasted the system to oversee greek finances on the half of its creditors. >> nearly all institutions in europe have admitted they do not have democratic status at a

european level. >> meanwhile he has been in paris and london. his counterpart drew a harder line on the greek debt. levelheaded reaction from both sides. >> we have to make sure we choose constants over chaos. i said all sides have to act responsibly. we need a better plan for jobs and growth. >> germany is ruled out in rego shading -- renegotiating greek debt. >> a second al jazeera reporter held in egypt could be close to being freed. he has reportedly renounced his egyptian citizenship, and move that could help in the deported as a foreigner.

ukraine says at least 16 civilians have been killed in the past 24 hours of fighting. over 5350 killed since april. the situation in greece is a top story on "france 24." we have a bit more about that. the prime minister on a charm offensive. give us some details on the proposal. >> we have gotten some details of what they want to do with that massive debt burden. he laid out what he would call a menu of debt swap for the country. it does change how it would be paid back. the debts totaling more than three injured 15 billion euros -- totaling 315 billion euros.

>> a new debt plan for greece. the finance minister laid out his proposal. he wants to swap the debt for growth linked bonds. prepayments on loans would then be tied to economic growth. he would want to replace the dead owed to the central bank with perpetual bonds, meaning greece would pay back the interest but never the principal on the bonds. in an attempt to call investors economic reforms in greece remain part of the agenda. >> give us some fiscal space to do this. otherwise we shall become a deformed rather than a formed

greece. >> it remains how the latest proposals will be received. the government is set to unveil its plan at the end of the month. >> to go to london and speak to simon smith, a chief economist. thank you for joining us on "france 24." do think it is a realistic plan for greece? >> it might be a realistic plan for greece. i am not sure it is realistic for others. the perpetual bonds, that is not something they are going to stomach. it is something they are not allowed to do. other aspects, i have to think creatively. you have to put new solutions down. the striker --it would take a

lot more rigid approach. you have to remember the burden of greece's debt is being pushed into the future. it is more like 16 years. compare that to italy, seven years. we're not talking to write down anymore. something a lot more flexible pushing the boundaries. they are probably further than the troika and ecb want to push them. >> do you think we will get the restored confidence in greece as a result? >> it is too early for that. you are seeing the 10 year bond down in greece. the five-year is down. we are saying the reaction.

a slight sign in the peripheral markets. yields down about 5 10 basis points. once the talk of the write-down has been removed what then come this is how you restructure that. the proposals put together are more flexible. you have to think creatively if you want to reduce the burden. link it to growth. austerity usually doesn't order well for gross. the options for the central bank are not there or devaluation of your currency. you have to think creatively from other sides of the troika. four you get signs of more relief in the markets.

you see some mending from the troika, some sort of openness and wanted to receive it. >> have to see how that develops. >> how are the markets trading? >> taking some solace from those proposals from the greek finance minister. up over 8% in trading. the banks getting most of the boost. they suffered heavy losses last week. still not back at an equivalent level, but close enough. across the rest of the european markets, some optimism on the greek front. bp is up over 2% after they beat expectations, despite reporting a fall in profits, because of the falling price of oil.

>> belgium is in trouble. >> over special tax deals they have agreed with. reductions in the corporate tax rate. authorities had offered to some companies to offset the disadvantage. the country argues the deals are aligned with principles. there were similar inquiries into tax arrangement in ireland and the netherlands. >> time now for the press review. lots of papers are focusing on the situation in eastern ukraine. >> let's take a look at "the kie v post." they are throwing reinforcements as separatists are vow to escalate the war. the hold is looking increasingly

precarious. the situation is getting a lot of attention in other papers. focusing on eastern ukraine and how rebels are upping the ante, especially after the leader announced a general mobilization to create an army of 100,000 soldiers. this leaves civilians stuck in a nightmare of two different cap showing -- of tit-for-tat shelling. the reporting from a city and more than half of the residents have fled. there is incoming fire, tanks on the streets. at the opera house, the show must go on. the four conductors have fled.

it is the unpaid singers who are doing everything they can to bring music to people. they say it is worth the risk. even if people do not come, they know the theater is open and so it makes things seem more normal. when you are surrounded by so much ugliness, duty become something you cherish even -- beauty becomes something you cherish even more. >> the journalist who was freed after over 400 days. >> just how he feels after being released. he feels a mix of relief but concern for his colleagues, still left behind. he was one of three al jazeera journalist imprisoned. they were imprisoned over farcical charges after a

kangaroo court trial. a lot of criticism coming from "the independent." they call on egypt to free the other journalists. with this show of clemency, they hope to white the slate free. the release should not distract western powers from the president us ongoing abuses. >> let's come back to france with this second round of a by election in eastern france. >> it is a small election but symbolically very important. it is taking place in doubs. it is a significant test of the mood following last month's attack. surprisingly this means the center-right candidate was knocked out of the first round. this is a major blow for former

president nicolas sarkozy who was aj the front page of a left-leaning paper today. he could give voting direction to ump voters. he has not done that yet. they are saying, "alors.' what is a going to be, sarkozy? by dragging his feet, he is hammering in his last now of the coffin of a french thing a traditional alliance that has been around for decades between the ump an socialist party. they lash out against sarkozy and say it is hypocritical of him not to tell ump voters to vote for the socialist candidate in the second round.

this is a dangers development in french politics. nicolas sarkozy is getting some support, especially from people in the right wing. a supporter says he is right to avoid falling into this trap. she says it is a well oiled act. it pulls out this ethical card. it is intimidation, a trick toqú

d perhaps even shock you. not so long ago, in many of the world's poorer countries, hunger was the headline health concern. estimates put the number of malnourished at 700 million, and obese mainly in rich countries at 100 million.