if you were to live from paris offers twenty four understanding here the headlines. tax cuts for the middle class is a freeze on school and hospital closures and debates to make france more meritocratic. president emmanuel macron lays out his response t to the yelllw vest movement. during a two hour press conference. in the united states former vice president joe biden officially launches his bid for the prpresidency in. twenty twenty eight track of almomost full right hand man sas a second trump said would harm. the very soul of the nation. and fragmentation and kim jong un wrapped up their first joint summit the two met on an island off the coast of russia's far east.

she says came will need security guarantees if he's to abandon its nuclear weapons program. i returned to public order starts today so says french president emmanuel michael and he's just wrapped up his first domestic pressss conferences sie he was elected. it's his own set to six months of protests often violence by the yellow vest movements on the conclusion of this great national debate. a consultation with the public in which some one point five million people took part will among other things he announced to couples who is looking contacts will be the middle class is. a freeze on school and hospital closures under over the whole of the pension system mccord insisted his policies of the past two years. i've been right for france. however he can save the some of the grievances by the end of

this movement were justified. did you know of your local public public orders shall be restored. above all else. and that must come with harmony. but i do not want the abuses of some people to eclipse the rifle demands. which were the roots of this movement. the items which was supported by the public well for the most. well that was part of the speech the micro was due to give it last week but which was of course the riled by the fire at notre dam off the speech he went on to take questions from some of the three hundred journalists that at the end the site. one of them was a very and almond georgian he jojoins me now and m an ad this wasn't just about concrete policy proposals was it this was about re launching a presidency. it is run into some serious trouble in recent months. yes absolutely and president my call is. almost half way through hey is - presidential time so it's a kind

of symbolilic point in the presidency it's a time when french for a president's. come under a lot of scrutiny as to how well or how badly that doing. it's a very sensitive time for various reasons of course the yellow vest protests that you mentioned that have been going on for twenty three weeks. but also because he has a european election in just a few. weeks -- which is going to be seen by many people as a referendum on on his presidency here and front so very crucial moment for him and as you say the first -- press conference of his presidency that seems a bit incredible when you compare it to his predecessors because it's actually a presidential tradition. dates back to the nineteen fifties my call has not used this tradition before -- it didn't work out so well sometimes for his process of course well alone and when menu

in my call came into office he decided he was going to have a different kind of communication. direct communication top down -- will -- i i wouldn't call it top down himself i suppose but pre recorded messages from the lease a palace hey which would be brought cost are rightly teach french citizens not going through journalists but it seems that his entourage decided. that he was going to have to change tack in order to appear a little bit more accessible -- perhaps at because this particular format meant that he would have to explain and really engage with an audience -- for two hours. and he it wasn't really a chance to show that perhaps he could. be a little bit sort of close to people's concerns that's at least i think that the object that was probably the objective of this exercise. and and what the main headlines on when it comes to those concrete policy proposals and

will they be enough to satisfy the yellow vests. well the the main proposal is this -- five billion euros of tax cuts. and he said that -- he wants that to be financed by a combination of things going off to tax havens reducing public spending and getting people. to work more or long got low on that final point it's a little bit vague as to how that exactly is going to be achieved. though all the announcements which we had expected such as help for single mothers -- the the lost -- three for getting citizens to be involved -- in didiscussing -- more green enery transition -- reducing the number of am peas as you would say mentioned la law or the the elimination of the fronts elite at civil service college the e. n. a. the national administration school which

michael said he once. abolished -- that's quite an interesting headline because he himself as a product of that school as is his prime minister. to affiliate as to how all of this will actually play out we'll of course many of the yellow vest protesters themselves have said whatever he says today's not gonna make any difference to us -- they're expected to come out in force again in the next few weeks quite possibly on the first of may -- and asked for the rest of the french public that was an opinion poll which was published guest today by aep cells which suggested that while many french people supported some of the initiatives. that he's expert he was expected to announce today and did. they do not believe that their lives will significantly improve as a result. all right now i'm in thank you very much -- enjoyed in that down at the indy say on as well to talk more about that i'm joined now by bruno gold is she's a member of the european. parliament for the national rally party at all of my ring the pen than you very much for

being with us some f fronts. twenty four points that i i'm i'm sure you listen to the menu michael speech -- in full as wielded and he's. and he said that he has been listening to the people out via his -- he's going the buys a big national debate but essentially he believes france is on the right track his policies right for fronts your thoughts. thank k you well basically his. previous policy will will not. a change regularly well there are some leaders -- mapping for the police to look into account the fact that -- the burden of tax he loses the absolute b. and b. we bone lolling friends but what he announced was there was a very cheap group where would you live just five billion -- red demon using the income tax you know just just to have an id

for example we we wear storm i mean. a the french. bank bnp battery bass will still run by the american justice. of the rumor is that men moved by you. and may and and just fine all. is seven billion a year rose so so much for them they walked in the room mister michael amounts of the of the rejection of tax for the world country. and the world. similarly about europe for example he's taking into accoun- criticism about europe he said that shangaan system being he doesn't work. a mutt he's hoping that the european union we we do -- two

mile road but was unable to do going to pot for two years i think that is it is not very realistic the should we don't. give the president some credit though because it would be very easy for him wouldn't it to see to bring a populist measures -- such as raising the minimum wage will bringing back be at the fourteen tax -- that would satisfy the other best practices but he believes it would be wrong for the french economy. i in the long term. we are very low i think he's a he's a ride in that. area i'm not sure that the old we get our tax movement that had to be give me that please. a b. -- for you'd be submitted to the entrance of the far left- demonstrators at the beginning the middle universe movement rules against. against taxes and for example much too heavy taxes.

in that -- followed fuel -- gas- and and so on and i was he knew he he knew was routed to boeing can go the fact that itt. is in the so called the fourteen tax the tax for the the the highest income did not disappea. but t their to a guest -- the babies to now on a on a mobile home properties such have been being so land. owning and so on read honest thank you very much and dates [inaudible] you're welcome. my name is jim shields he's a professor of french politics at the university warrick thank you very much for joining us and now they say. was very macro next speech wasn't it went on for well over two hours -- with questions included and andnd it didn't involve concrete policyy proposals kind of mixed in. out with an ode to the also

being friends f for example what did you make of it. yes in the sense that was what my chrome does best it was. i go home -- honda was a bagel examination andd mike from dry easy's to this he doesn't actually like the press conference as for not. only has an uneasy relationship of distrust with the media but in a sense it was forced upon them. but this is actually the last thing microfluidic this evening. pledging a whole catalog of measures imposed upon him. and this on top of ten billion euros already pledged back in december to trying to defuse the growing crisis and then. and i think that's really the problem for my call partial conceptions didn't walk to quell the unrest before. so will these more extensive measures what could not. well that's a big question has he done enough -- in intensive i have policies these that at tax cuts for the middle class is a a promise not. to close hospitals and schools -

that during his mandate what you know will not be enough did youu geget the tone right festival. anand will this be enonough to l those those protests. i think you probably got the tune as right as he could and mixed in generalities and quite a lot of quite up screws almost philosophical flooror sewn on being french. as you suggested with some concrete measures on this is billed as a response to the shore. michael isn't really talking to the feeling of your own simply milt to the old tras who are still turning it every weekend. on bringing how folk to some city centers these people will never be satisfied with anything michael says short tall i resig. the people he's really talking to other 50% or so of the population who have continued to support. despite all the destruction and violence michael is trying t to

get through to them with the message i've listened i know i'm bringing solutions. but he statarts from up every wk position. with soft pool already alluded to only yesterday showing 76% of people believingng the greek national debate was a pointless exercise. 86% convinced it will dodo nothing to improvov their t in all situations turning around that kind of skepticism. looks a bit like mission impossible and we'll get an even better i did -- next month -- as to whether or not -- the french i believe in the manual microphones -- transformation of the country as he calls it -- when we get the eururopean elelectionss? do youou think that cocould deaa big bite to the president. the e timing of all of this is critical with michaeael's first big electoral test coming as you see in european elections next

month. what we see is michael's pop the neck and neck with look pens in other words the same contest from the presidential runoff? being played out again. this wasn't meant to happen. le pen w was made to be done and out after her presidential defeat by michael but she and her party have so much bank. i'm could mel come fast nextt month just as they did in. two ththousand fourteen this wod be a disaster for micro on for his ambition to implore de. i'm you progressive centrist rule you to pianist. force against radical populism. with ninety nine men call now the clips. on with right wing euro skeptic populace much strononger across the e. u. done the way one micron keep to office. the horizons h have colluded.

if he thinks things about now. we could look a whole lot worse if his governing party is pushed intoto second place by look pens next month. james shields thank you very much indeed as always for sharing your insight with us tim shields. now moving other news on over the united states the former vice president joe biden has formally declared his. twenty twenty eight the white house he joins a crowded democratic field. around nineteen other candidates seeking the party's n nomination biden said the very soul of the nation was at stake should president trump win a second term emerald maximum what's. it's beeeen a long build upp for joe biden often months even years of speculation. the former us vice president has launched a bid to be democratic candidate for president in the twenty twenty race i believe his true look back. and four years o of this presid. and only increases as an average moment in time. biden doesn't shy away from putting himself directly against donald trump and his video

decoration. choose of the deadadly clash between white supremaciststs and counter protesters in charlottesville in. twenty seventeen donald trumump eight years in the white house. he will fofover and ndamentalllly. alter the characteter this nati. we are and i cannot stand by and watch. this will be biden's third run for the white hououse. but in the crowd the twenty twenty democratic race he has the advantage of being one of the best known faces. vicki rock top inducements doctors announcements becoming the first democrat to run with the backing of more than one us senator. the us president responded by welcoming bite into the race courting him sleepy joe. an outing i only hope you have the intelligence long and doubts to way to successful primary campaign. biden could prove to be donald trump's biggest competition. particularly among the white working class in the midwest the virtues that paved his way to the presidency. but among stream biden is also

popular. the seventy six year old because challenge would necessarily be his age trump is also in the seventies. but it may be convincing women in the meat to era. in recent months he's faced accusations by some women that he tououch them uninvited and inappropriately. though none of alleged sexual misconduct. last month he pledged to be more mimindful about society's changg social standards people's personal space. north korea's kimim jong un and russian president vladimir putin have wrapped up their first ever summit with a pledge to strengthen their ties they met on an island off the russian the city overachiever stoked to months off the kids summit with us president donald. trump and it's in disagreement there was presentation who announced at the two hot bridge the issue of denuclearization. for a long. the reason we visited russia this time was to meet and share opinions with president putin in person. to exchange views on the korean peninsula.

and the regional political situation that the world is interested in. who we also held discussions on strategic ways to pursue stability in the region? and to develop our traditional relations to meet the demands of a new century. the good e either. we have of coursese spoken about the situation on the korean peninsula i mean it is we exchanged views on what needs to be done and when so that we can improve the situationon in thee fututure. for the betetter. alright we'll go back to our top story this hour and emmanuel my phone's app response to the yellow vest protests at yet oddly is he with the she's been tataking a look at att the r re- in the fringe media to what was said. yeah in the late and well it was really quite the day for menu macwrite video all eyes were on hand and his much awaited press conference reading had. french teresa a light today tens of thousands of people have been tweeting usising the hashtag smallville's depressed mclemore eighties a medical of course. this place to use this occasion to come up with solutions for the other best crisis. the topics he talked about today

fiscal justice purchasing power and the environment. going to die a straight into this cartoon here by cartoonist and then after he sums it up according to him and i manual mccall is against the controversial axing of a wealth tax he still against -- recognizing a blank votes in elections and is also against citizen led initiatives referendums and as the picture venue emmanuel not crossing okay i've listened and i've had your ideas. but not very great i'm just gonna. go stay land that but thanks anyway thank you anyway. he sat. others to see uses have been suggesting that my core sounding very much like a nother former french president today in his speech and i of course -- sorry that's not to depict picture nicolas sarkozy center right position -- of course his twenty

is a tough i use the able get actively his two thousand seven campaign slogann was what more o animal -- in tonight's speech michael really stressed that and he wanted to know what taxes for everyone but the same time he's very keeeen on sticking to o his plans. to cut jobs in the public sector while still maintaining pub public services such as hospitals and schools in rural areas which implies that he won't. be able to walk more decisions party in front to suggesting that three down fat to combat fronts with other countries thing french work. less and with this little. picture has a ninety five hour week of course that is famous through that on average apparently the french one thirty six point three hours a week calling to your staff it's a lot more than an all in the netherlands. nine point three all torrents home full -- and this is a journalist from the few gavel he is suggesting that a manual mackerel as plans. to re evaluate pensions is actually nothing you he says that these plans to help modest pension as people who have less than two thousand years a month. is something that we've been talking about before it's actually already going to be put in place since december.

and it's not all doom and gloom on twitter there with criticism. emmanuel michael's verery famous russiann thahat wasas a little t down on that thohought which basically means -- pixie dust i guess yes harry dust very does. exist use it again today much to the delight of many twitter users and having magic dust whe- the one last week to end -- entree starts much like the internet people always negative and they just hit the complain well yeah pretty much everyone happy. yeah thank you very much indeed that yet at least that with all the reaction to menu microbes press conference now k. media business editors he out with a bit more on his policy proposals k. there was a lot in that to digest wasn't that there was -- those a lot of the proposals were quite as concrete as his critics might hope for i think laura. despite these months of on going protest the french president broadly defended the controversial reforms that he's undertaken over the past two years or so announcing what amounts. what amounts to the next chapter

of his vision no one of the principal complaints from demonstrators of course is that they're struggling to stretch their finances to the end of the month? in d december m michael outlilid some tax cututs and support for the lowest earners in what turned out to be a failed attempt to well those yellow vest protest. this thursday he suggested that he's willing to go a little bit further take a listen. by the lighter wants to increase taxes i want to cut them for those who work by significantly reducing income tax. but we need to explain how to do this how to finance these cuts. so i've asked the government to execute this tax cut. by financing it through the elimination of tax loopholes for corporations by working more hours. and reducing up public spending. we can do just as well without spending as much i'm thus eliminating many useless institutions. among the measuress outlined in that two and a half hours long appearance was further lowering income taxes foror the middle

class again a few concretete detatails but the idea of course is to boost purchasing power. pensioners living on to less than t two thousand euros a monh will see theheir payments n now linked to inflation up f from te year t twenty twenty thahat's a practice that had been abandone. many elderly french say they've suffered from it all pensions will then be linked to the inflation index from. twenenty twenty one a macro so called on the public to engage in a discussion about working more and harder and that could prove particularly controversia. french unions of course especially attached to the thirty five hour working week at the president did say he wouldn't try to change that or get rid of one or two bank holidays. as hadad been reported ahead of his speech. no rather than trying to change the official retirement age of sixty two which is another move that could spark mass oppositio. he said the best option would likely be to focus on increasing the number of years during which the french must work and pay into the social security system. in order to access their f full pension payments at whatever age

they choose as we said a numumbr of measures they're all trying to help the french. live better -- whether it's the response will be what the president had hoped remains to be seen. moving on some of these other business news now germany's two largest banks have called off a major. major discussions about a tie up commerce bank and deutsche bank said the risk of a a merger outweighed the potential reward. i'm cooler has the details. a lot was riding on the merger of germany's two biggest banks. including the hope of creating the eurozone second largest lender and a worthy german player in the competitive world of international banking. but after six weeks of negotiations deutsche bank and commerce bank have called it quits. banks agreed the risk and the cost were higher than the potential reward. which bank said right from the beginning we would only go into these this merger. if it makes economic sense if it is beneficial. for shareholders

and for the stake holders. this was not given here off to very deep. conversations and talks with commerce bank. but now the question is whehethr either bank can survive alone. many investors are concerned about the bank's low levels of profofitability since the two thouousand eight financial cris. to raise funds deutsche bank says it's looking at a buyer for its asset mananagement unit dws. meanwhile commerce bank which is 15% state owned is swatting away foreign buyers of its entire business. the german central bank however stressed the individual strength of both banks. calling them sound and stable. for shares of both banks fell commerzbank was down about two point 2% at deutsche bank about one and a half on the clothes. in the u. k. we saw shares of barclays bank dropping nearly 4% on week earnings -- switzerland's u. b. s. fared a little bit better it shares were up one and a half percentt. london city one hundred was t te drag down in p part by sainsburs

shares in the grocer losing four and a half percent after its proposed merger with has stuff was blocked. we're seeing some gains on wall street the tech sector in particular is outperforming. the dow jones those being weighed down by three an announced weak earnings and forecasts and two thousand jobs cuts. manufacturing giant has seen its shareses dropped nearly 13% this thursday. and microsoft is having a much better days its market value officially past the one trillion dollar mark on thursday. before dropping back slightly it's only the third company ever to pass that milestone along with amazon and apple. software giant reporting strong profits f for the first quartert says it was boosted by its cloud business laura. one trillion dollars school it's not about figures it it's not how you get your head around really is it really is i thank you very much and they were going to take a short break

04/25/19 04/25/19 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] am from new york, this is democracy no >> that is on heard t words of the preside of the itited states tha shock the conscisness of this nation. s said ere e we "some very fine people on both sides." very fine peoplen n bothides?