me of the worst violence since the pro-democracy protests began. police moved in with peppers gray and batons overnight, arresting some fording students -- 40 students who were trying to storm headquarters. a further police option could be on the way.

it was the strongest comments in weeks. >> protesters watch as police clear away tens in the park near hong kong's government headquarters. others rebuild their barricades after a night of unrest. many remained defiant, saying they will not budge until the government drops plans to elect candidates before the elections of 2014. >> [indiscernible] >> with batons and pepper spray, police pushed back row testers who tried to surround government headquarters early monday morning. police say they made around 40 arrests and dozens of officers were injured. the number of protesters that were hurt in the clashes is unclear. this video shows first day --

first aid volunteers helping those who were fired on by pepper spray. craig if anyone abstracts police in the execution of our duty charge the police line violently or attempt to block the central government office, police will take necessary enforcement actions. corrects many demonstrators used umbrellas to protect themselves. at -- >> many demonstrators used umbrellas to berdych themselves, and item that has become symbolic throughout the protests. the government wants to choose the next leaders from a pool of vetted candidates. demonstrators say it is a far cry from the democracy when britain handed over hong kong to china. more than 36 million have been

killed by aides to date, but an estimated 35 million today are living with the disease. here is a report on advances made. >> it started 20 years ago with one doctor room and one ngo. this clinic specializes in the treatment of hiv and aids and receives more than 200 patients a day. people from the committee do not hesitate anymore about coming in for treatment. south africans know that life-saving medication is available. access to enter a retroviral's has revolutionized people's attitude to treatment. >> first of all, the pills are free. they don't pay for it am a that is one. and number two, they get the best available. >> more than 2.5 million arv's

are distributed every day. the treatment is almost entirely financed by the state. as government picks up the tab donors are aggressively withdrawing and the people here are suffering. funding is still needed. >> we cannot afford to neglect this disease in africa. because if you don't treat it in africa, it'll migrate to europe where the treatment is available. >> donors are retreating, but providing lifelong treatment from a 7 million patients is the greatest challenge facing south africa's health minister. greg i would say we need as much money as we've ever needed. -- >> i would say we need as much money as we've ever needed. it will always be needed. but we need to make sure that the program is funded so that if donors are having their own problems, then we are not

stranded and the treatment program still goes on. >> in the clinic, new patients arrive every day. ngos have to that'll with gunmen to cope with south africa's hiv pandemic. -- cap -- ngos have to battle with gunmen to cope with a south africa's hiv pandemic. >> they really lower the amount of virus that circulates in a patient and that is why the virus is difficult to be transmitted onward. these transmission routes, as we know are well-documented. for example, sexual transmission rate, but also for mother to baby. and because you have far less virus, you don't see transmission. eventually what you will do is hopefully eradicate the virus that way.

drexler's turn our attention to turkey where russian president vladimir putin is in a top-level meeting with the president. he is there to discuss economic ties between the two countries and the crisis between syria and iraq. putin enter goes -- and turkey's president are expected to downplay their differences today to concentrate on trade time. let's now go to columbia where the peace talks could be back on track after rebels released a top general kidnapped two weeks ago. the objection of that general and to other military commanders push the president to -- the abduction of that general and two other military commanders push the president to shut down negotiations.

>> helicopter touches down, and inside, the release of three rebels after the -- among them was the general, the highest raking army member -- the highest-ranking army member ever kidnapped. his release opens the way for them to resume with p talks -- peace talks on monday. >> the delegation will travel to havana cuba to have a two-day meeting. the fark delegation will do the same. >> but there is a sticking point. the government has rejected the rebel calls for a bilateral cease-fire. on the ground, they continue to call for fighting and regroup and rearm.

>> we are absolutely willing to remain at the negotiating table. we have not left it, nor are we going to leave it until we reach a final agreement. but to continue the dialogue or not also depends on our counterpart. >> now free, he will have to explain why he apparently violated military protocol by going upstream in a rebel dominated area dressed as a civilian and without his normal security backup. >> back in france, the presidential election is over two years away, but opposition parties are already gathering steam. the head of the far right party the national front, has just real -- as just one reelection for her job. she got 100% of party backing and will reach a second-round runoff in the 2017 presidential

election. and nicholas sarkozy continued his climb back to power by winning the top spot in his conservative party, the unp. sexy want to the job, and he won the job, and now it's time to get to work. -- >> he wanted the job, and he won the job, and now it's time to get to work. he wants to rebrand the party by changing its name. but it's not just the outside that will see renovation. the very foundation needs to be overhauled, too. as of june, the unp -- ump was in need of being overhauled. there have been divisions within. sarkozy wants to get rid of the lines that have been drawn and unifying -- unify the party.

meanwhile, the man that served as his foreign minister said it is up to the party president to make it all work. flex he has to bring everyone together. but first, he must get rid of the tension. there is undeniable tension and it we cannot move forward until it is taking care of. collects easier said than done. some of the party's most prominent figures are said to have their eye on winning the nomination from 2017 election including the former president himself. crack there was defiant in new delhi as hundreds of gays lesbians, and supporters of gay rights marched through the streets sunday, celebrating the first gay pride parade since the supreme court reinstated a colonial era ban on gay sacks. -- on gay saex.

>> india's courts we criminalized homosexual activity last december, all the more reason for some to take to the streets. >> we don't want to be second class anymore. we are here to tell everybody we exist, we have a right to exist, and give us our rights and omega's criminals. >> -- don't make us criminals. >> we are not abnormal. we are not aliens. >> the supreme court to and over aim 2009 -- turned over a 2009 ruling and reinstated a ban on gay sacks going back to the colonial era. judges have been petitioned by coalition of religious groups that sale was a toilet he is a western inspired phenomenon, affecting only a small minority.

>> it is against the heritage of the country. it is a certain segment of the people beyond the normal process. it is like a disease. >> our organization has mounted the initial challenge, a case they won in 2009 when the ban was seen as incompatible with india's constitution. collects we need to keep the pressure on. -- >> we need to keep the pressure on. i also think people change the way the -- they think about this issue, and we cannot give up, clearly. >> in the meantime, they want to

show they are still brilliant despite the long fight ahead. greg hong kong is hit with some of the worst violence in -- since the pro-democracy protests began. police hit students with pepper spray as they try to storm the government headquarters. >> great gains in the fight against the aids virus. the u.n. says it helps to eradicated globally by 2030. and this year is wrapping up as the warmest in recorded history. the u.n. is kicking into high gear reuniting 200 nations in peru to lock in a flame work -- a framework to stop global warming.

let's look at what the french papers say today. we have all of her fairy with us. lots of focus on the -- we have all over --oliver with us. lots of focus on the former president. >> a victory, but not a resounding affirmation of support for the president referring to the 64% of votes that he gained, which was well below the 85% he got in the same election 10 years ago. he is now being forced to strike a political settlement with his rival, something he's not always been comfortable with. one headline is calling them the hyper president. it doesn't translate that well into english but he does use the name of a much loved hollywood film to describe the u mp at the moment, to say that the same words resound within

the unp saying "honey, i shrunk sarkozy." the campaign was in rather swampy territory and ended with an underwhelming score. the battle could tear the right apart. if the ipo president plans to gain in aggressiveness, then he could be a killer for his party rather than a rally her. if he surrounds himself with good advisors, members could include one man dead sarkozy has said hey has already accepted, which is strange considering the

rivalry between them in the past. >> is the press convinced this will work echoplex not entirely. one -- will that work? >> not entirely. he is only dreaming of a french start for himself, says les echos. these is perhaps the way that french public opinion has hardened against politicians might have speared him. in short, less goes -- les echos since the challenge it remains. in the approach of election and a clear result among the challenges he faces.

being upon to the government without being a caricature of himself. >> what have papers in the international press had to say? >> the financial times also covers it and they are not terribly convinced either. they say the former president's reelection should not be a platform for another run at the presidency. while the clearly begin -- continues to be a rallying force, you should realize he is not respond -- not respected by his party as he once was. there are other more serious candidates. he did not implement any revolutionary economic reforms in his time in office. this was a president remembered for bling.

but there are other candidates to his liking. corrects nicolas sarkozy was not convincing about his economic record in the past. >> that is true, but to be fair, the economic press isn't -- is really -- is an truly impressed by the france economic situation. one economics lawyer had something nicer to say in the new york times. he looks at europe's dire straits and compares them unfavorably to the u.s. and says it is the result of irresponsibility. he says the culprit is not greece, not france, but germany. he also says that france contrary to what is often portrayed them is actually fiscally responsible. that is inflation is kept in

line with european central bank targets and it is running fairly small trade deficits. germany is exporting deflation to its neighbors, and that is "an immense -- "an example of the immensely power -- the immense power of bad ideas." >> a new leader of francophone nations. >> she has not been dominating headlines in her native canada but it has been greeted well in french-speaking montreal in the gazette. it also quoted site -- stephen harper, who says canada is the second-biggest contributor to the international organization of fraga phone countries. the french-speaking press says

it can only be good for quebec. ms. jean, says the mayor, i'm certain she's behind us. in her home country, reports of pride in the caribbean country. a remarkable woman who has already -- always shown her solidarity with the haitian people. you might think that the newly elected leader being from canada might be a fairly uncontroversial's choice, but she has been marked by controversy in the past. a haitian born miss jean took part in a trip to canada's arctic region and helped to skin a seal, prompting condemnation from the european union. >> thank you for watching france 24. time now for business.

we got stephen carroll with us on said. let's start with this strike by the german airline. >> that is right, more than 1300 flights canceled by today and tomorrow, many pilots will of walked off the job. this will affect long-haul flights on monday and tuesday. it is a series of strikes over proposed changes in their early retirement provisions. lufthansa says they have made concessions in previous talks including a 5% pay rise, but the pilots do not believe that is enough to >> left onto is -- lufthansa is demanding massive congestions from us. they are saying, either accept we are presenting or we will look for ways to handle it. we do not agree with this kind of partnership. >> a situation -- a solution must be found in the package.

a solution must be found for the salary and for the transition supply. we believe we are close, but the talks must be resumed and completed. >> speaking of strikes, an unusual one going on today here in france. >> yes, small businesses are starting a week of demonstrations against what they say is the unsustainable burden of taxes and regulations here. constraints facing companies are something regularly highlighted by international bodies by -- like the european commission and the imf. >> they may not be used to taking to the streets, placards in hand, but these french business owners are doing just that. one explain to his employees why he is protesting. he has been making state glass windows in this workshops and's 1973, but keeping the business afloat has become more and more

difficult. >> we have come to the point of no return. we need to stop this, because we cannot take it anymore. so as not to fire people, we are keeping workers in deplorable conditions. >> they believe that tax rises and increasing regulations in last three decades have heard the economy and suffocated businesses. >> in 2015, tax will of risen by 42 billion euros. 21 billion under sarkozy, 21 billion under hollande. >> they are protesting working in difficult conditions and the ban on hiring staff for less than 24 hours per week. the unions are wary of antagonizing the government. >> will be speaking to those

chief executives in about 30 minutes time here on france 24. first, let's move on to what is happening in the market. we will get the price of oil which has continued his fault in trading. trading under $70 per barrel. it has been even lower in trading earlier, falling after the decision by opec last week to not cut oil production. that not helping the stock market either. oil and gas companies unsurprisingly among the big followers, total in france is one example, down by .8%. the ruble has fallen to a new record low against the dollar. it is dan -- down by around 8% in trading to almost 53 rubles to the dollar. that is the worst single day fall since 1998.

it is lost 40% of its value since the start of 2014. let's look onto other business stories. moody's has downgraded japan's over the prime ministers decision to delay an increase in sales tax. moody's is calling it a heightened uncertainty over the country's future. hong kong has seen a slowdown in retail sales as a result of the ongoing protests. the biggest falls was sales of luxury items. clothing sales also dropped by almost 9%. strong sales on electrical goods, driven by sales like smart phones have helped drive overall sales. will buy the company from

uman brain, despite all our scientific breakthroughs, there is still much we don't know about how our brains function or why at times they have trouble functioning. this week--new and innovative approaches to harnessing the power of the human brain. i'm mike walter in los angeles. let's take it "full frame."