anchor: warm welcome. i am rochelllle fererguson. these are your top stories. in serious rebel held enclave of gupta, -- to -- ghouta, fighting and shelling continued. a bloody campaign against rebels in yemen looks to enter a fourth year. police and slovakia launched a

mumurder inquiry following contract killings of a journalist and his partner at their home east of the capital, bratislava. promising as are battle against the government plan to transform the national real company. that is coming up in our business update. , a widely used weed killer has been at the center of environmental concerns lately. we take an in-depth look at the debate here in france. stay tuned. you are watching "france 24." first, to our top story. a humanitarian cause has come into effect in syria's rebell held enclalave of eastern go to- eastern ghouta, but fighting and

shelling continued. there are international calls for russia to convince its ally .yria to halt a momonths truce was passed on saturday. i spoke to a correspondent in beirut. what we are getting out is t the five-hour truce imposed by the russians is not playing out very well. the idea toave the fifighting ststopped from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. . in order to set of huhumanitarian c corridors thaht would alallow some aidid in ande cicivilians toto get out of easn ghouta -- but that is nott working g out. in fact, the violence continues in the rebelel enclave. state media r reports thehe humanitarianan corridors arere n place, that some tents have been set up outside with medical supplies, and there are even buses w waiting to tatake the

civilians toward temporary housing. fired seveveral rockets at the cororridors, jeopardizing the whole operation. 's s version.egime on the otherer hand, we have ben in contact w with peoplele insie eaststern ghouta f f the pastt k , , including somemeoctors, anad what they sasay is thahat the shelelling is now sporadic compared to what it was a few regime's but that the claims are still flying over eastern ghouta and still throwing bombs that the people. essentially, there is no cease-fire. of ongoingmidst news violence in syria, the french foreign minister in moscow this tuesday to talk about -- talk with his russian counterpart, sergey lavrov. the pair are due to hold a press conference a little later today. we are waiting for those talks to come in.

we'll will certainly bring you when it does. state media -- turkey's media has taken control of the outer , deployingin region police special forces. they say that have pushed some fightersers -- ypd back from the northern border. turkey says it has captured 115 strategic points and 87 villages. czech court has released a prominent muslim leader, wanted by turkey on terrorism charges. to lawyer says he has vowed participate in all extradition proceedings requested by turkey. the former leader of the political party remains a figurehead for kurds in syria.

in a military shakeup, saudi arabia has replaced several top army officials, including its chief of staff. theeason was given for series of decrees, but they come as a campaign against the rebels in yemen threatens to enter a fourth year. mariust explainins in -- explains in this report. reporter: as serious intervention in yemen enters its third year, a member overhaul -- major overhaul has seen a change in defenses. the military shakeup comes as saudi king solomon's son, conference mohammed, looks to strengthen his influence over the army, while piling on extensive social and economic reforms in saudi arabia. one of his first moves as launch minister was to this campaign against who the lead -- with the rebels -- .outhi rebels the conflict has been described by the u.n. as the world's worst

humanitarian crisis. thousands of been killed in the fighting, with saudi-led airstrikes being the main cause of civilian casualties. eight groups have demand's the ongoing saudi-led blockade of yemen, sayining it has taken one of the poorest countries to the point of famine. military shakeup follows the so-called anticorruption drive by the c crown prince, each begn in novemberr 2017, when several princes, ministers, and tycoons were detained in the ritz carlton hohotel in riyadh. an unprecedented move at the time, butt one which many now se as mohammad bin salman's desire to consolidate his power. in burkina faso's capital, more than 80 people on trial for their alleged role in a failed coup d'etat. among those appearing in court are the top generals accused of masterminding the plot. the pair were allies of the ex-president. he was ousted from power in

octotober 2014. human rights groups see this trial as a litmus test for justice in the west african nation. have korean prosecutors called for a 30 year prison term for the former president. bribery and over abuse of power. in today's court hearing, prosecutors demanded she pay a $110 million fine. if the court finds her guilty, park will be the third south korean president convicted of crimes. earlier this month, the seoul central district sent her longtime friend to 20 years for high and bars for corruption. u.s. president donald trump has reiterated his criticism of the armed school officer who stayed outside during the recent deadly shooting at a florida school. addressing state governors at the white house, trump said he would have rushed inside the murder he government -- inside the high school and fought off

the attacker. come declared he is willing to take on the national rifle the national- rifle association. pres. trump: half of you are so afraid of the nra. there is nothing to be afraid of. we have to fight them every once in a while. that is ok. they are doing what they think is right. i will tell you they are doing what they think is right. sometimes, we are going to have to be tough and fight them. we need strong background checks. for a long time, people resisted that. for more, philip crowther is in washington, where he said trump's stance on guns remains ambiguous. almost two weeks on from the mass shooting at the high school in florida, it is still not entirely clear with u.s. president stands when it comes to changing the gun laws here in the united states. donald trump again o omonday criticized thehe law enforcement

response, saying he in fact would have rushed in unanarmed into that school. we now know the immediate response from the local sheriff's department, from those present, was not to enter the school while shots were ringing out. the u.s. president meanwhile seems to have been clarifying some of his stances when it comes to changing gun laws here in the united states. first of all, he says he does not want to arm all teachers. he also wants to arm those who are very well-qualified. this being a very controversial view taken by the u.s. president. he has also in the past said he wants stricter background checks. ththat is something prpretty muh everybody who wants stricter gun laws is on board with. this president and this white house want to insist on more stringent mental health checks, rather than anything else. then there is maybe the most controversial part of what the president might in the end

propose, and he in fact says he is willing to go up against the nra on this front, potentially -- the nra being the national rifle association, the very powerful pro-gun lobby here in the united states. we don't know exactly where the president stands on this, but in the past he said he might want to increase the age limit to buy a semi-automatic rifle. that is something the nra are preciselyhose the types of guns that have been used in mass shootings in the united states over the last two decades. police in slovakia have launched a murder inquiry following the suspected contract killings of a journalist and his heart. they were shot dead in their homes east of the capital, bratislava, sparking anger across the country. the reporter had previously investigated high-profile attacks. more on this report. reporter: candles i in the cold night air, lighting up the face

of a young man, a leading slovakian journalist found murdered on sunday evening, together with his girlfriend. friends s d colleagues heldld a vigil in their memorory. he had been writing articles about tax fraud, looking to the highest levelsls of slovak politics. that does not mean his murder is connected to that. oforter: the bodies 27-year-old journalist and his girlfriend were found in their house, east of the capital. he had been shot in the chest, and his partner in the head. the police said the killings were likely linked to his investigative work into tax evasion and fraud, concerning high-ranking officials and tycoons. his last story was a report on a businessman who was six -- suspected of selling flats to his own companies to innovate tax. the slovakian government is offering one million euros for

information leading to the killer's capture. >> we cannotot be a country whwe joururnalists are killed. i consider every murder a huge tragedy at both the human level and for r society. to reportersording without borders, he is the second journalist to be killed in the european union in five months, following the high-profile assassination of a maltese anticorruption blogger. is --le: glad phosphate lyphoshpate's weedkiller authorization will be renewed for five years. that goes against french wishes to b free of t the criminal in five years, with emmanuel macron vowing to final turn lives to the pesticide. -- find alternatives to the

pesticide. reporter: apples are about to undergo a testing process. there passed through a checkbox. this left has taken a sample to measure possible traces of test decides in the batch. an analysis of about 400 pesticide residues, and there is greater potential risk for some products. we can assume a lettuce is at greater risk than an apple. reporter: while it is not a compulsory test, this wholesaler has it carried out more than 40 times a year anyway. according to him, it is expensive but necessary. of products has never been as good as it is today, but our consumers are anxious, sewing want to prove that what we sell is healthy and good. the samples tested by exceededry last year authorized limits of pesticide traces, but according to the french confederation of small

farmers, the steps are not enough. the union is campaigning for the total ban of pesticides. disruptors aree far too higigh. there are negative effects on human health that sometimes a thousand times lower than the maximum allowed limit. reporter: a total ban would upset agricultural practices as they stand now, but this farmer chose the middle ground. since 2011, he joins a network of farms committed to reducing pesticides, and has diversified his crops. >> sunflowers are broad beans require fewer fungicides, so it helps lower traces of pesticides. however, he cannot see a future with no pesticides at all. to get rid of the weeds on his crops, he has no choice but to use a substance called glyphosate. >> organic farming is another way of working. we have a neighbor not far from

here who has organic crops. i know how it works, but i am not ready to do that. i have already used less pesticides. to go to organic would be another step. ministersagriculture agreed in november to follow germany's lead them in doing the authorization of glyphosate another five years. trans1's to be rid of glyphosate in three years time. france wants to be ridid of glyphosate in three years' time rochelle: a unitarian pause comes into effect in the rebel heheld enclave o of eastern gho, but the u.s. saysys that fightig and shshelling continued. military shakeup, saudi arabia replaces several of the kingdom's top army officials, as a bloody campaign against who the rebels in yemen threatens to enter a fourth year. lisa and slovakia launch a murder inquiry, following the suspected contract killings of a journalist and his partner at

their home east of the capital, bratislava. let's change the pace. time for business. me in thetz joins studio. we are starting with major back last from french unions in reaction to propose reforms of the national rail company. brian: the french government has promised to transform, saying big changes are urgent for the money-losing public rail company as new e.u. rules will introduce foreign competition starting in 2020. even moderate labor unions are staunchly opposed to the government proposal, calling for a month of strikes. a reporter looks at what is at stake. reporter: for the french prime minister, the end justifies the means. debtsre struggling under of more than 46 billion euros, and need reform urgently. >> the situation is alarming and indefensible.

take the train or not, the french people are paying more and more for a service that works less and less well. on the program is amended to the special rail worker status. at the moment, employees of the huge state rail operator have a job for life, automatically promoted every three years, and can retire in their 50's. under the reforms, current staff will keep these rights, but new recruits will not. unions are calling it an attack on workers and the spirit of public service. toa real worker didn't use have to worry about job security. that is no longer the case. he is under pressure, and he can be told, if you don't do what i say, i will fire you. reporter: the government is also considering turning the state operator into a company backed by public funds, although it insists it would never be privatized. unions have vowed to fight the plans, which the union said could push through by government decree.

they have warned of a month of strikes, and have already called one for march 22. rochelle: how are the markets shaping up? analyst: the european indexes opened in positive territory, but backed off in midday trading. investigators looking forward to testimony from the u.s. fed chair jerome powell later today. the -- the cac 40 in paris as flatline. u.s. cable giant comcast has submitted a 22.1 billion pound bid for u.k. broadcaster sky. threatens the planned takeover by rupert murdoch's tot century fox, who wants acquire the 21% of sky he does not already own, delayed by u.k. regulators. sky shares jumped 20% on the bidding. a german court really has paved the way for diesel driving bands

in the country. judges at the federal administered court in life sick have ruled that local authorities can prevent diesel cars in some areas, with attempts to shakeup transit policy. the effort by singapore-based chipmaker brought onto takeover d drawinglcomm is scrutiny. the committee on foreign investment in the united states has the power to stop what is broadcom had planned to move its borders to the u.s., but that may not be enough to satisfy regulators. rochelle: the cuban economy may be struggling, but one sector is red-hot. analyst: cuban cigar sales are breaeaking records. a surge in demand from china has helped global revenue r rise of percent last year. chinese seals up 33% in 2017, andwing havanas to bring

500 million dollars for the first time ever, despite the fact an ongoing embargo prevents export to the largest cigar market, the u.s. china is developing a taste for handrolled cigars, but they are three on the export list for cubans, behind spain and france. , cigardid not know lovers in france began to smell it in the air. out --e: thank you for thank you for -- i was going to say our cigar roundup. the business roundup. time now for our press review. we look at the main stories around the world. it is good to have you. the murder of a journalist and slovakia really sent shockwaves throughout the country. analyst: the 27-year-old was an investigative journalist for the slovakck website " -- "actuality."

he and his partner were shot dead, targeted possibly because of investigative work for that website. you see here they are leading with a picture of him on their defiantge, with a message, saying they are going to continue the work he started. the prime minister, for his part, has announced a one million euro reward for any leads -- for any information leading to those responsible. rochelle: this would be the first such murder of a journalist in slovakia. analyst: at least in modern times, and not just the first in slovakia, the second in europe in just six months. remember the maltese journalist was killed last year in a car bomb, reportedly in connection to her investigative work. had beennalist investigating tax fraud connected to the five-star resident block of flats linked to a shady businessman who is a

crony of top politicians in slovakia. another paper from slovakia, calls it an attack on democracy. they say the only way to protect democracy is to investigate and bring to justice those responsible. rochelle: in syria, there is not much optimism after russia create anit would evacuation corridor and impose a five hour daily truce. analyst: it is making the rounds in the illustrated arab press. there is a lot of criticism of russia. this shows moscow imposing its power in whatever way it can, through its u.n. veto right -- whether it is a peace treaty or de-escalation zones. moscow always finds a loophole to get its own way, is what this cartoonist says. another cartoonist has a more literal illustration. shows a doubt, representing the peace process in syria, they really on life

support, more or less hanging in the balance now. press,e: in the written there has also been a lot of condemnation. analyst: let's show you this article. in this article, there is a sense of condemnation. there is also a sense of resignation. they say it is no suppressed the u.n. cease-fire was violated once again, because we have been here so many times before. the war is nearly ending its seventh year now. we have seen this time and time again. as we follow the tragedy of syria and the failure of the human security council, more children are dying, and with them, the [indiscernible] is continuing. rochelle: this s marks international polar bear day, a day to raise awareness about the plight of the furry white creatures. analyst: they're ever more in danger. we have heard this time and time again. they are evermore in danger due to melting ice caps, changing

ecosystems. this interesting article from the american broadcaster nbc is revive theways to species, who are reproducing today at a fifth of the rate they were 20 years ago. in one of what is expected to be their last bastions in the archipelago, there are plans to helicopter drop bear food, to feed them. this is a big issue facing polar bears -- they do not have enough to eat. many are dying of hunger. they suggest relocating the existing polar bears, to help protect genetic diversity. in one of the more radical solutions, they have suggested possibly freezing polar bear sperm and eggs, and using female grizzly bears as surrogates to help repopulate polar bears. rochelle: that is one thing that could be looked at. you saw an article in "the figaro," looking at how elite french universities are seducing

more and more students from the african continent. analyst: an interesting article from the right-leaning paper. with a booming population and a growing middle class, africa is the new holy grail, not least of all for prestigious engineering, political science, and business colleges in france. ro" explained the number of university-going students in africa is expected to hit 22 million by 2030, three times as much as today. rocco is the number one destination, but other schools are opening campuses in the ivory coast, south africa, and kenya, in the hopes of creating an educational bridge between the continents. rochelle: our last story is about a teacher in ghana, and dedication to educating his students. analyst: this is a heartwarming story, it must be said. aurora is on i.t. teacher at a

rural teacher in ghana. he wanted to teach students how to use microsoft word. unfortunately, they don'n't have access to computers, so he painstakingly drew out the interface of microsoft word on his blackboard, key by key, to show how to use it. and heture went viral, has since received donations of laptops to help his students learn microsoft word the real way. rochelle: lovely story. a really dedicated teacher. thanks very much for our press roundup. viewers, don't forget you can go online, france24.com, if you want to see more of our press reviews. ♪ ♪

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announcer: this is a production of china central television america.a. may:y: the idea of giving back s nothing new, but we're seeing more and more companies embracing that concept, especially since consumers are making more ethical decisions. there's a growing demand for businesses to produce products and services that are rooted in doing good in the world. this week on "full frame," we meet some trailblazers in the fashion industry who are creating wearable items that n change t the world. i'm may lee inin los angeleslelet's s te it " "full frame."."