e in paris. a lifeline for the kurds of kobane. turkey changes tack and says it is helping iraqi kurdish fighters into turkey. screening passengers from the worst-affected nations. ministers are debating how to get more --

a government rocked by two high-level resignations. two rising figures. controversial reopening of the nuclear reactor. coming up in the next hour -- france's budget hits the road. tw ministerso are on the road to discuss. you take a closer look at the reasons why nigeria -- we will take a will salute at the reasons why --

u.s. transport planes airdropped weapons, ammunition, and medical supplies to the kurdish forces as they hold off the latest islamist offensive. the iraqi kurds had been appealing to be allowed to aid their brethren. the total in and around kobane in recent weeks is 135. >> explosions in kobane. u.s. bombers have been carrying out raids on the syrian border town since the end of september, attacks that could have turned the tide against the islamic state group. u.s. central command announced three planes have dropped 27 bombs -- turkey has been under pressure to provide similar items. turkish authorities have refused

to answer. they say the workers of the pkk -- before the u.s. carried out its airdrops, the turkish president warned such an action would not be welcomed by his government. >> the kurdish democratic union party is for us equal to the pkk. it is a terror organization. it would be wrong for the united states, with homes -- with whom we are friends and allies, to talk openly, and for us to say yes to supplying arms to a terrorist organization. >> the pkk and other affiliated terror groups are on the u.s. authorities' lists. >> now as we've seen, aiding the kurds of kobane is a sensitive subject for turkey. barack obama informed the turkish president, recep tayyip erdogan, in advance of the

weapons drop. in a sign of some compromise turkey announced they would send facilitating actors. we are joined by our international affairs editor. turkey is increasingly isolated in recent weeks. perhaps that explains why they did not get that seat on the united nations security council last week. it is all the pressure from the u.s. and the global world putting pressure on ankara. does that explain this about-face? >> they have the barrel of the gun when it at them, so to speak, from washington, notably -- there'll of a gun pointed at them, so to speak -- the barrel of a gun pointed at them, so to speak, from washington, notably. turkey has been standing on the sidelines while coping -- kobane has been besieged.

let's make a distinction here. from turkey's perspective, not all kurds are created equal. what i mean by that is kurdish groups have very different divisions. there are kurdish groups that turkey considers terrorists,. the iraqi kurds are a different territory. turkey has had relatively decent relations with them in recent years. they've bought oil from the kurds in iraqi kurdistan. these are the kurds they can have at least a relationship with. the fact that they are helping the peshmerga fighters does not mean turkey is about to turn around and let the kurdistan workers party, the so-called pkk also cross the border, but they've also been wanting to do so, and that is not about to happen. turkeys made it very clear that is a different group of kurds in its mind, terrorists, as opposed to the iraqi kurds, with

whom turkey can do business and have relations. >> pertaining to the situation in kobane, they just received these weapons drops provided by the united states. the move by turkey to allow fighters from iraq into the serious -- into the kurdish enclave in syria -- what kind of impact will this have? is it the turning point? >> the u.s. itself has said it will help. they have been grateful for the medical supplies provided by the drops. the was -- u.s. said they don't think one drop will change the entire dynamic of the campaign. with a few ups and downs, a few advantages in recent days for the herders fighters on the ground -- the kurdish fighters on the ground, it has been a steady advance street-by-streetfighting by the islamic state group. -- street-by-street fighting by

the islamic state group. they are saying we are going to have to wait and see how this changes the dynamic. turkey still standing on the sidelines, despite what we said about the peshmergas. they are not letting anything go through. my guess is they are not too happy with the delivery by the united states, even if they are not saying that publicly. >> thank you very much for that analysis. moving on, the islamic state is not the only crisis top the agenda of an e.u. foreign ministers summit later this monday. the outbreak in west africa and how to contain it. a spanish nurse was the first to contract the disease. she is now testing negative. there are calls from the president of liberia for every nation to help fight ebola. the eu is considering how to respond to the ebola crisis. >> new measures at the brussels

airport in the fight to contain ebola. passengers arriving from guinea, liberia, or sierra leone will have their temperatures taken. the french foreign, laurent fabius says focusing on transport is key to stopping the spread of the disease. >> it would be a grave error to prevent communication between airports because that's the point where people escape from. but what's uncontrollable is, that's where you get the biggest risk of contagion. >> european foreign ministers meeting in luxembourg on monday agreed the ebola epidemic is the biggest crisis facing the western world. they have sent over half a million euros to the west african space. those in luxembourg want that

amount increase, plus the ability to put more medical personnel on the ground. >> ebola crisis calls for a comprehensive approach and all the instruments of our common, foreign, and security policy. we should consider spending -- sending our own civilians. even those member states which don't have national arrangements on the ground would have a platform for sending medical personnel. >> u.k. are among the strongest voices calling for more resources. prime minister david cameron told world leaders to wake up, after an appeal to raise $1 billion only raised -- >> ebola has claimed the lives of more than 4000 pieces -- people. a ray of hope that the disease can be halted. the world health organization declaring nigeria is ebola-free after no new cases have been

reported there over the past six weeks. to hong kong where the civil unrest continues and intensifies. dozens of police and protesters injured in clashes over the weekend. it is the fourth week that demonstrators are calling for more democracy. more talks between protesters and the authorities are set for tuesday. the chief executive of hong kong accused foreign forces of "fueling the movement." the situation in hong kong is said to intrude on the gathering of china's top leaders in beijing that start this monday. it isn't meant to address the hong kong unrest, but the biggest civil protest since tiananmen square is hard to avoid. they will discuss the implementation of the "rule of law." little is expected to emerge

publicly as the proceedings are all behind closed doors. to japan, where the government of shinzo abe has been rocked by a state of unauthorized funding and pending allegations --forced a pair recently promoted to resign. it could hamstring prime minister ab'ee's efforts to revitalize the nation's economy and reopen the controversial nuclear power stations. >> leaving her post just weeks after taking office. the economy and trade minister said she could not let her personal scandal stand in the way as they try to restart the economy and the nuclear power system. >> as a prime -- member of the cabinet, i was tasked to put the economy back on track, promoting women's role in society, as well as addressing many other issues. i'm deeply sorry that i did not make any contribution at all. >> picked as a future contender

for japan's first female prime minister, she has been in -- over allegations that her groups misused funds.another cabinet member with her post -- member quit her post accused of handing out freebies during her election campaign, in violation of the law. the twin resignations are a blow to shinzo abe. during last month's cabinet reshuffle, they appointed a historic five female ministers. >> as the prime minister who appointed them, either the responsibility -- i bear the responsibility. i offer my profound apology to the nation for what has happened. >> three of the women are considered ultraconservative with links to nationalist groups. they caused a stir last week, playing -- paying tribute at a

controversial shrine. >> to indonesia, where the new president was sworn in on monday. he narrowly won the vote in july. he is the first leader from outside the ruling elite. the 53-year-old former entrepreneur and governor faces challenges. critics point to his lack of experience. john kerry calling for help from the world's most populous muslim nation in the fight against the islamic state organization. >> ♪ >> it's a moment full of promise for indonesia. since the end of the 30th dictatorship in 1998, the nation has been governed by an elite group of political figures. now there is someone new at the helm. joko widodo was sworn in as president of the world's most

populous muslim country on mende -- monday. he worked his way to the top job, a job that will surely test the new president. already criticized for his lack of experience. >> they're calling it a bureaucratic -- the bureaucratic level at the national level is completely new to him. the euphoric expectations versus the reality will be important. >> he faces a battle against extremism at home, where 250 million strong of the population are muslim. indonesia is seen as a hotbed for a new generation of radical islamists, like this group. u.s. secretary of state john kerry came to jakarta to enlist their support. he will be meeting with other heads of state, including australia, philippines, and malaysia.

the indonesian president is expected to announce his new cabinet later this week. >> staying in indonesia, where two french journalists face up to five years in prison. they are appearing before a tribunal on monday, charged that misusing a tourist visa that work as journalists and failing to get the proper authorization. they were arrested in august as they worked on an investigation into the separatist on rising on an island in the far east of the country. we will have the latest from our correspondent in indonesia in about 20 minutes. stay tuned. military supplies from the skies -- u.s. planes airdropped guns and ammunition to the kurds. turkey changes tack saying it is helping iraqi kurds in the battle for kobane. europe steps up its response to ebola.

brussels airport is joining paris to screen passengers from the worst-affected nations as eu ministers debate how to get more aide to these -- more aid to the areas stricken by the disease. the spanish nurse has been cleared of the disease. japan loses two keythis is the prime minister pushes economic reform and reopening of the nuclear power plants. we saw volatility last week in the global markets. how are things shaping up this monday? >> shares onare lower, in contrast we saw earlier in asia. european investors are watching closely. the dax, ftse, and cac 40 all down.

the dax down 1.14%. investors are paying attention to the french budget and whether it will get approved by the european commission. >> that budget has been a hot topic here in france for some time. brussels is problematic. two french ministers are heading to berlin to discuss that. >> we can think of that like a minisummit. the french finance minister and the economy minister are meeting their german counterparts in berlin. the two countries are reportedly repairing a pact that could keep find -- that could keep france from fines over the budget. a recent report said reforms could go a long way. it could lead to a 1.6% boost in the gdp over five years, more

than twice that over the next 10 years. that might not sound like much, but france is forecast to grow just 0.4% this year. it could be quite appealing. tom waterhouse has more. >> boosting investments and triggering growth in the euro zone -- that's the official is in the -- official agenda as they meet in berlin. there will no doubt be serious discussions about france's own finances as well as it seeks crucial german backing for its 2015 budget plans. paris had difficulty getting its finances in order and keeping promises over deficit reduction. now the clock is ticking. the european commission, with new powers to enforce deficit limits, is said to give it answer by the end of the month -- is set to give its answer by the end of the month. >> i'm sure there will be no negative response from the european commission, because we

won't put ourselves in that position. france is a great country. this is a debate were having with all of our partners. >> there could be a freshly brokered secret deal between france and germany. berlin would oppose any sanctions brussels throws at paris. at a time of economic stagnation across the eurozone, there is growing pressure on merkel's administration to take a less austere approach. as paris commits to reducing its public spending by 50 billion euros across the next three years, it also wants germany to help out in committing 50 billion euros of investments as well. >> let's take a quick look at some of the other top business stories. russia has widened its crackdown on mcdonald's. now more than 200 separate investigations against the american fast food chain.

the initial probe was launched in august over concerns of hygiene violations. many thought at the time moscow was fighting back against sanctions imposed by the u.s. and eu for the ukrainian crisis. german pilots are set for their eighth straight since april. they want to stop plans to alter pensions among them raising the retirement age from 55 to 60 years old. the toss a has canceled nearly 1500 flights over monday and tuesday -- lufthansa has canceled nearly five1500 flights over monday and tuesday. lauren fabius met with the founder of alibaba, jack ma. france wants to be alibaba's european hub. they're hoping to build upon an earlier agreement that allows small and medium-sized european countries to use the alibaba platform at a discount rate.

time for one last story. a famous motorcycle being auctioned. the customized harley-davidson from the 1969 movie, "he's he -- "easy rider," was sold for one million euros, despite concerns over its authenticity. it's that the previous 12 years on the national motorcycle museum in iowa -- it spent the previous 12 years on the national -- in the national motorcycle museum in iowa. >> if you have one million euros going towards a motorcycle, we will join you in your desire to be very certain that it was peter fonda's motorcycle. >> thanks for that business update. you are watching "france 24." time for our press review.

we are joined by nicholas rushworth. are you going to start with a look at what is happening in the united states in "usa today"? >> it is one of the main papers in the country. the front page of the international addition -- ed ition, "from jfk to ebola." focusing on dallas texas saying the city has not seen so much attention since 1963. this is gob smacking stuff. the fear and panic we've seen in recent days -- president obama saying very clearly, americans, don't panic don't go into a state of hysteria. this whole question is taking place amid a lot of criticism for obama especially about his handling of the crisis.

is he behind the curve on this one? >> a bit of a dallas-centric, u.s.-centric perspective. another publication focusing on a different aspect, nigeria, a slight bit of good news. >> another u.s. obligation taking an upbeat tack -- u.s. publication taking an upbeat tack. nigeria today is going to be ruled by the world health organization as ebola-free after 42 days with no cases. what we've got in that is a recommendation about what did nigeria get right. they go from training doctors early, knowing there could be an outbreak, to getting their hands on social media, the contact in terms of pure management is good. also -- of fear management is good. also with what nigeria did not do as far as closing borders.

recommendations perhaps the state should pick up on. let's go to a nigerian paper "the nigerian bulletin." is concentrating on a really moving letter -- it is concentrating on a really moving letter written by the nigerian president -- the liberian president, ellen johnson sirleaf , talking about the plight of her country. more than 2000 people have died of ebola in liberia. she says the time for talking is well over. we need action. she quotes at the end of the piece the norwegian playwright, henrik edson -- it's in -- henrik ibsen, screaming for help from the international community. >> moving onto one of the other big stories we covered over the past week, the ongoing tension in hong kong. students still confronting the chief executive there calling on him to quit. >> we've seen clashes foru not

-- four night in a row in hong kongs. the tension does not seem to be abating. the students want him to go. they want 2017 to be the opportunity for election of the old democratic leader -- of a fu ll democratic leader in the city. there will be talk and tv debate and discussion in hong kong between he and the students. that comment piece peacemaking a plea for some harmony -- that comment piece making a plea for some harmony. the chinese press is attacking the wall street journal, which has given advice to students in hong kong. we can go to that editorial in "the wall street journal." it says they need to limit the

turf battles, play the long game, broaden the coalition. very much hands-on manual about how to defeat beijing, so, of course, beijing reacting very negatively to that. >> perhaps justifying some of the accusations that foreign powers are involved. moving to the domestic situation in france, what, beyond politics, is on the front pages? >> woe for hollande, of course. and this new museum opening in paris, an opportunity for "le parisien" to talk to tourists on the streets. is paris the capital of culture and art? the one at the end is a hungarian woman.

a take on paris life. >> nicholas rushworth, thank you for that look at all of the

'been more than 3 decades since the discovery of aids. the world has seen medical breakthroughs and a cultural shift in the perception of hiv and aids. but, is the epidemic on the verge of spiraling out of control once again? i'm mike walter in los angeles. let's take it full frame. kenneth cole runs a fashion