host: "france 24 thank you for joining us on "france 24." the headlines. the president of the democratic republic of the congo set to announce his pick in the run to replace him. the long serving leader, who should have step down two years ago may announce he is running again. argentina is gearing up for a key senate vote to legalize abortion. more on that issue in the largely catholic country coming up. warm decades away

from a rapid changing climate they could threaten humanity's existence. we will talk to the climate expert about the so-called hothouse earth on the way. ♪ host: we will start in the drc where the ruling coalition is set to announce the candidatee for the upcoming presidential election in december. today is the deadline for politicians to submit their candidates, for the current leader could still announce he is in the running himself. we look back at his controversial years in office. reporter: little was known about him when he came to power in 2001. many saw them as a figurehead chosen by the advisors of his father, to have just been assassinated.

within months he surprised skeptics by taking initiative and trying to bring peace. the reached out to rwanda, his father's long-time regional opponent, and the rebels destroyed in the war. congo's firstcame democratically elected president and for decades. as a consolidated power, allegations of corruption began to.emerge the democratic republic of buto's natural resources, it remains one of the least developed places in the world. as low as of the mining exports reached the budget, the rest siphoned off by powerful individuals. he has frustrated many congolese and the international community. despite a constitutional obligation to relinquish power in 2016, the former rebel leader

refused to budge and pushed back elections setting financial and logistical difficulties. the constitutional court a letter to stay in power until a new vote. the move sparked protests across the country, and the brutal repression ensued. united states and european union have sanctioned his close allies over the violent crackdown. deals,e of numerous fighting in the east of the country continues. in place since 2010, the u.n. peacekeeping mission is the largest and most offensive operation with around 20,000 troops in the country. host: that comes as the drc is suffering from a new outbreak of ebola. nine people have died from the virus that resurfaced last week. health officials say it is starting to get vaccinations against the virus as of today.

the hunt is on in indonesia for survivors of the earthquake last weekend. people were killed in the 6.9 magnitude quake that hit lomboc island. they are working to find anyone under collapsed homes and buildings. to argentina where the senate is voting whether to legalize abortion in the mostly catholic nation. that bill passed by just 4 votes in the lower house, but a senate win is in doubt after a senator changed her mind. argentina only allows abortions in cases of rape or if the mother's's health is at risk. that happened protests both for and against the bill. in mexico, women who want to have an abortion don't have any options either. the federal district of medical -- mexico city is the only state which has decriminalized abortion during the first 12

weeks of pregnancy. and the rest of the country abortion is only allowed in case of rape more severe danger, that the right is not always respected. we have more now from mexico city. has only claudia excepted to talk to us on the condition of anonymity in the privacy of her own home. just 50 kilometers or from mexico's capital city, abortion remains a taboo subject. >> i was very scared. i was worried to tell my parents. whenter: claudia was raped she was 17 years old. >> people talk here. talk. get raped, they if you decide to get an abortion after getting raped, people talk even more. reporter: in mexico abortion is only legal in the capital within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. the majority of women who want an abortion must travel to mexico city.

myra accompanied claudia during the process. >> each state has different exceptions with regard to the prohibition of abortion. here there are four. reporter: in the event of rape, all states technically allow abortion. but in practice the law is not always enforced. at the first clinic she went to, all the doctors objected to performing abortions based on moral reasons. until now each push to make abortion a federal competent has failed in congress. ongoing effort to federalize several primes. that maybe clear, they don't deserve the decriminalization of abortion into a federal matter. states havingome an abortion can be 285-year prison sentence. despite changing attitudes across the country, none of the

candidates in the presidential election came out in favor of abortion. host: california is facing the biggest wildfire in its history. the mendocino fire has blackened an area the size of los angeles, and it is just one of the 18 fires now raging across this eight. -- across the state. reporter: massive flames light orange county's skyline, one of the 18 fires ragining in calilifornia. this one is known asas thehe hoy fire and is edging closer to populated areas, prompting evacuations in nearby neighborhoods. further up north, twins fires have referenced 120,000 hectares of land in less than two weeks. tens of thousands of people have been displaced and several have died. the fire's smoke help cool down cool temperatures and one third of the places been contained. president trump says he is monitoring the situation in california.

4, ident trump: on august declared a major disaster in the state and ordered federal assistance. it has been a very tough situation taking place in california for a number of years. they are really brave. reporter: 14,000 firefighters are battling the flames simultaneously. >> it is still early. we are hitting the hot weather. come upflag warnings here andnd there, that we still have conditions were immigrants hot and fast. reporter: california's hot and windy climate have made wildfires of regular site, that this is the worst in a decade. authorities and experts say climate change is to blame foror the rising temperatures by the blazes. state governor jerry brown warns horrific bushfires are the new normal. host: the fires come as europe

and other parts of the world are facing new heat waves. in a new report scientists are warning the earth to be just decades away from what they call a hothouse state. rapid changeally a in climate that could threaten the existence of humanity. to talk more about that is mila spring is richard betts. thank you so much for joining us today. in this study is warning of what it is, a climatic tipping point. what is that? how scared should we be? seriesrare talking about a of tipping points which might have a domino effect. is important to note they are talking about things that would take place i in a longng time s, centuries to thousands of years to fully kick in. although they could start eaearlier than that.

thisthey are saying is could set off other events such as the thawing permafrost or forest fires and places around the world, which could lead to a release of more carbon back into the atmosphere. that would feed on warming. over the centuries and beyond a good lead us to the point of no return. host: how much credit to you get to this report and how close are we? >> i don't think we are close to seeing these extreme conditions they are talking about. they are a long way away so it's important to be clear about that. the report itself is not new research. it is a well-informed essay drawn together lots of other research areas to make an argument that all these positive feedback processes could lead one to the other empty to this extreme state. host: what about all this

extreme weather we have been seeing at the moment? the heat waves across europe and around the world. is there a link or is this just what some people would argue is par for the course? this isheat waves, quite a complex picture. there is the weather and climate change going on. hot and cold spells happen all the time, but they are happening on top of a general warming trend due to man-made climate change. it gets even harder because of underlying warming trends of climate change. host: we saw the story about the wildfires in california. the state governor has called them the new normal. how much of a linked to climate change? >> likely heat waves, fires have multiple c causes. coulde weather itself partly be the weather but also

made harder by climate change. forerest fires need something to burn so the state of education is a key thing. climate change is playing a role in increasing the conditions for more severe forest fires around the world as the world gets warmer. host: at what point are yet in regards reversing climate change, or at least stabilizing it? is that still a possibility? >> it is certainly a possibility. climate change is happening largely because of the missions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels and deforestation. if we rain that in, we still have a chance to slow down and stop and ultimately in a limited number first-time and change. host: how concretely can be avoided? what needs to be done? >> global emissions of carbon dioxide ultimately n need to be zero. if are committing anything at all, the concentrations will

keep rising and that means it will still happen. over the coming decades if they want to avoid reaching 2 degrees global warming, when need to reduce emissions if we want to avoid causing the -- crossing the point. host: this is an issue we have been trying to battle. the paris climate agreement. donald trump pulls the u.s. out of it. are politicians waking up to the reality of what you're saying? >> it is clearly an extrememely complex issue. the whole of global sociciety is built aroround the economy as it is, which relies on fossil fuels in the use of land. it is not an easy thing to expect people to drop back from that. we all enjoy our lifestyles. developing countries want to see what the western countries have enjoyed. it is not an easy issue. i don't think anybody pretends it is. host: just to wrap up what can

people watch and viewers do really to help? turning your water often to brushing your teeth in the long term actuaually have an effect? >> those kind of things have a small effect. for that kind of thing is whether you want to make yourself feel good or send a message to other people. you can look at lifestyles if you wish. you can look at public transport versus private e transport. ultimately it comes down to big things. it's a matter of whether you want the governments of the world to take the action needed in t terms of changing systems d transport and so on. it as a big picture thing really. host: thank you for taking the time to speak to us, richard metts from the met office. something on a much lighter note for you, for all of the cat lovers out there.

today is international cat day. cat h hotels in of malaysia is claiming to be the country's first five-star facility for amberer felineses. it is called catzonia. it features meeting facilities and even a vic room, very importanant cat. cctvoom is equipped with that allows owners to communicate with the cats from anywhere in the world. you are watching "france 24." a quick look at today's heheadlines. the president of the democratic republic of the congo set to announce his stick in the run to replace them. the long serving leader who should have stepped down two years ago may still announce he is running again. argentina is gearing up for a key senate vote to legalize abortion. more on that hot button issue in the lively -- largely catholic

country coming up. california facing the biggest wildfire in its history. the mendocino fire has blackened and area ththe size of los angeles. one ofofhe 18 fires now raging across that state. five years after the legalization of same-sex marriage in france, homophobia seems to only be getting worse. lgbt groups are sounding the alarm about an increase in homophobic attacks and in else in public, and the workplace and even at home. according to the interior ministry, more than 1000 homophobic acts took place last year. that's an average of three per day. "france 24" went to speak to victims. >> homophobia is like -- in towns like mine is a constant thing. 22-year-old is a

gay man who spent his entire life in a suburb northwest of paris. he has a target of homophobic insults, mockery and harassment by his neighbors on a daily basis. for security reasons he chose to meet us in downtown paris. he has chosen to speak with us without concealing his identity as five at risk of backlash or reprisal withou -- there is a. group of people who insult me. one time i had a glass bottle thrown at me. another time a guy followed me and staff in my face. s -- spat in my face. is already hard to accept you are gay. oppression and slurs makes life difficult. reporter: he has decided to seek out an order to denounce the downplaying of homophobic acts.

in his experience aggressors hide behind islam to justify homophobia. he has filed complaints several times but none of them have led to convictions. he has turned to local organizations. >> we will help you out. there has to be some sorort of legal coconsequences o of their actions. day in france a number of people are verbally or physically attacked because of their sexual orientation. in recent years homophobic accepted for more rightly publicized, especially since 2013. back then the debate over whether to legalize gay marriage shook frank's is core. one consequence was a significant increase in homophobic acts. he was the victim one night. he was attacked and beaten up by several men. pictures of his face was shared

by thousands on social media. overnight he became the symbol of homophobia. >> i can't deny the attacks left a mark on me. there has been a lasting impact. often i don't feel safe. i see all the incidents that have taken place since 2013. friends of the beaten up because they are gay. i think there is a long road ahead of us. toorter: in a 2017 report, french interior ministry mentioned over 1000 homophobic acts in one year. about three each day. a lawyer believes these numbers are 10 times greater. he regrets the fact victims don't always file complaints because of a fear of reprisals. >> homophobia is a punishable offense. in a court of law some who has

carried out a homophobic acts or has made homophobic remarks will be punished either with jail time or finds. that -- or fines. france's this is where first same-sex marriage was held five years ago. we are here to meet with four lgbt men and women. maoli -- mali, ginny and israel. >> i was a victim of homophobia back in malik and it happenened here in franance as well,. 21. --ter: mike bliss michael is 21 and transgender. 's life was turned upside down when he told his family he wanted to become a man. he was forced to leave the family home.

michael then contacted the shelter, an organization that has helped 7000 young men and women in need since its establishment in 2003. >> when i started questioning my gender, when i started feeling unhappy in my own body i got really depressed. i told my family about it. i told them i wanted to become a man and i felt like a man. they told me, good for you, but we are not ok with it. you are no longer a part of this family. reporter: through the years it has become a second home for many men and women. find a jobanaged to and sometimes returned to update everyone on how they are doing. many lgbt men and women who have been rejected by the families of six feet and turning their lives around. the suicide rate among the youth is 3-7 times higher than the general population.

host: a look at what's been making headlines today. we will start in the drc for candidates have until today to officially submit their candidacy for the presidential election coming up in december, and with the current president still has not revealed who he wants to succeed him or if you might be running again. reporter: he is definitely keeping the suspense alive until the last minute until his moment of truth. he has been in power for 17 years and is expected to name a successor finally. he was supposed to step down in 2016 but changed the constitution to extend his mandate until the election. there are now signs he might run himself for a third term. he said in july he would not run again, but all the secrecy around his chosen successor is proving a bit strange to observers.

it would not come as a surprise if the president decided to go for a third term now, especially since exiled opposition leader was denied entry into the country and will therefore likely not be able to submit his own candidacy for the election. host: you have been focusing in united states on the monsanto roundup trial. it has moved on to the jury. reporter: is making headlines around the world, including in france where the french daily liberation headlines, mr. dwayne johnson, the man scaring monsanto.. the former school groundskeeper blames the controversial pesticide roundup for giving him terminal cancer and is suing the company for over $370 million. is not much money for a company as big as monsanto. reporter: there are currently around 4000 to 5000 legal cases

against roundup. this is the first one that goes to trial. the legal implications are huge because it could set a precedent on monsanto and around the that could cost the company billions of dollars. votedwest hollywood has to remove donald trump's star from the walk of fame. reporter: the star is a controversial one and has been vandalized numerous times, most recently by a man with a pickax. that has led west hollywood lawmakers, who also cited his treatment of women and immigrants to unanimously vote to remove it. there is a problem. not only has this never been ar is notre, the st exactly in west hollywood. lawmakers don't have jurisdiction over the star. the vote was clearly largely symbolic. japan were aook at

med school has admitted to modify and test scores to be able to reject female applicants. reporter: it is quite a difficult story to believe. the school has publicly admitted it did in fact change test scores, not only for women applicants but for reasons that "female doctors often quit working after they start families." it was to avoid a doctor shortage. the school admitted to changing scores for working applicants and boosting some scores in exchange for donations. a very corrupt practice. what is worse, other schools may have done the same thing and his statements almost 10 years, which means thousands of women probably missed out on medical school because of this discrimination. host: you have another interesting story out of nepal. one of the seven natural wonders of the world could be threatened

by humans? reporter: not everest -- mount everest is known as the most difficult mountain in the world to scale. an estimated 1200 people try to attempt to climb a year. according to the washington post, that is a problem no one anticipated. every person leaves behind roughly 60 pounds of human waste. because of subzero temperatures it does not decompose normally. therefore the peak of mount everest "has turned into a fecal timebomb which is gradually sliding back towards base camp." extracted 14hey tons of human waste from the mountain. a retired engineer and climbing enthusiasts has come up with a solution to recycle all that waste. he just needs a little funding

of $500,000. host: at least they are trying to find a solution. thank you for that look at the paper and thank you for watching "france 24." i will be back in just a minute with more headlines. çç??9ñ@

narrator: yet another hurricane pounds c cuba. waves as tall as five story buildings. streets flooded. many forced from their homes. in an era of climate change, ather around the world is becoming more extreme. hurricanes are getting worse. if this is the future for our coastal cities, how will they survive the storm?