gegenie: this is "france 24." i'm genie godula. these are the headlines. france hit with its biggest strike in decades. the eiffel tower closed. nearly half of french public schools shut down. all public transportation at a standstill. we will check in at gare du nord in just a minute. anger in france

due to the president's plans to simplify the pension system. macron wants to streamline the unwieldy program made up of 40 different retirement plans. that coming up. three leading legal scholars in the u.s. think donald trump's push to get ukraine to investigate his democratic forls is ground impeachment. a fourth expert brought in by the republicans refuted that claim. coming up in business, pope francis retirement system compares to pension schemes across the rest of europe. our reporter standing by with more. despite the nationwide strike action, the southern city of lyon is still getting lit up with its incredible festival of lights. a closer look at some beautiful eliminations, coming up. first, the very latestst on the french strikes.

♪ ♪ here in france, the countrywide walkout by public workers includes teachers and hospital workers. it is one of thehe biggest stris in this country in decades. it shut down the eiffel tower as well. the stories could go on for some time, with people saying it could last until christmas. francis transportation system is bearing the brunt of the strike with trains, buses, metros, a ad trams drastically reduduced, if not shut down altogether. for the latest in paris, let's go to the gare du nord trade station in the north of the city. what is happening there now? at this timeally of the day, the gare du nord is a bustling transport hub. you might be able to see it behind me, but it is pretty empty today. it is quite surprising.

you can see the tumbleweed in the station. it seems like the end of the world in paris, because there is so little transport. clearly, people anticipated this strike day. our agenda foron quite some time. people have worked from home, or some people left several houours earlier than they usually do, to try to catch the few trains and buses that are running today. were a couple of tourists who were caught off guard. people who wanted to visit the are full tower today. it is closed because of the strikes. they will be looking at it from the outside. we also met a family hoping to go to versailles. they were disappointed they would not be able to have a train to get there. most people are taking this with a bit of philosophy because this is a strike we anticipated for quite some time. genie: in addition to the transportation that is shuhut

down, there is also a massive march going to take place in the french capital, starting in about one hour, 2:00 p.m. french time. what more do we know about that? it starts next to the garden or at 2:00 p.m.m. -- next p.m.e gare du nord at 2:00 and goes a traditional way for demonstrations to go in the capital. ,rom here at the gare du nord we can hear people that are already gathering. we can even smell some flares in the air. might be able to hear behind me -- there we go. hants are some chance -- c going. 6000 police officers have been called to the capital to keep the capital safe over fear the demonstrtration could get out of hand in a very tense social climate.

genie: we will be checking back in with you throughout the day on "france 24" to see how the strike situation is evolving. as you can imagine, the strikes are not just in the french capital. they are all across france as well. we will get a feel in the southern french city of toulouse with chris to for buckman, , who -- w with christopher buckman, o is just ououtside the airport. toulouse is france's fourth biggest city, today pre-much cut of from the rerest of the count. reporter: that's right. ?f you wanted to fly a anywheree if you wanted to take a train? you dedefinitelyly can't. [indndiscernible] genie: you can -- - porter: you can n go to the u.k. or i irela, but there are nott any internal flights. you have a situation where france is -- where toulouse is

cut off from the rest of the country.y. the biggest employer here is airbus. all the employees were given a if theyyto work f from home could. a lot of them have taken the day to work from homome. airbus and all the o other prive sector compapanies h here are wondering what happens in the long-term if the strike does go on. genie: what is it like insiside the city of toulouse? isis everyone on strike inside e city as well? much of the public sector is on strike. , theers, the post office town hall -- theris a demonstratation at 2:00. johnoncern is foror the july jeunes.t

the unions who are in chaharge f the demonstrationss have not sad if they are in the marches or not. here a whilile and this kind of surprised me. as i w went through the city center, despite e public-sector sector workers being on strike, the wardens who g give tickets o people who are badly parked d ad monitor parking meterers -- they were giving tickets likeke a normal dayay. people who think they will not have to papay for tickets today are in for a big surprise. genie: thank you for that report from toulouse in southern france. the real anger behind these strikes is over the president's plan to reform the country's complex and archaic pension system. more now on what the government is really looking to change. the pension reform that has divided the country.

what is the current pension situation in france? france currently has a system in place that asks the working population to finance pensioners of that year. this is based around the principle of solidarity between generations. the issue, however, is that due to an aging population, fewer and fewer people are paying into the current system. to install aant point based formula, which allows workers with points for every day they work or every euro they contribute. then there is the complexity of the pension infrastructure, a total of 42 programs. the government prerefer to unify this different systems into one, creating one unique pension scheme. >> a universal pension scheme, yes. in a brutal way, no, i don't believe an immediate change would be acceptable or legitimate.

however, i don't believe a slow transition which would take dozens of years is the mission either. reportrter: the government have put forward a proposal which would see the legal retirement age remain at 62. they have introduced a concept called the threshold age. they want the age at which people receive their full pension to be raised to 64, with a system that would see them lose 5% for every year they retire early, and gain 5% for every year they retire after 64. these new reforms are scheduled to come into effect in 2025, and would affect anyone born from 1963 onwards. even though the government has said they are willing to be flexible as the time frames surrounding the implementation of the new system. ofie: another big story out the u.s. -- the impeachment hearings in washington.

they are now in the judiciary committee's, which could lead to official charges against donald trump. on wednesday, three leading legal scholars said the push to get ukraine to investigate democratic rivals is grounds for impeachment. a fourth expert brought in by the republicans refuted those claims. >> i will begin by swearing you in. reporter: the three constitutional law scholars called by democrats were unanimous. they also o u.s. president donad trump committed and impeachable offense. as they testified before the house judiciary committee and the new round of impeachment hearings. >> president trump has comompetd -- has committed impeachable high crimes and misdemeanors by corruptly abusing the office of the presidenent. >> if impeachment fails here, the process has lost meaning. >> drawingng a foreign governmet into our elections is an especially serious abuse of power, because it undermines democracy itself. reporter: the legal experts

bolstered party efforts to impeach trump over allegations he accused the powers of the presidency by pressuring ukraine to investigate joe biden, his polilitical l rival inin the 200 elelection. but reflecting the partisan divide in washington, the lawyer invited by republicans called the inquiry slipshod. concerned about lowering impeachment standards to fit a paucity of evidence and an abundance of anger. i believe this i impeachmement t only fails to satisfy the standard of past impeachments, but would create a dangerous precedent for future impeachments. reporter: democrats hinted at the articles of impeacachment ty could potentially draft, including abuse of power and obstruction of congress. two allegations also made in a sweeping 300 page report released by the has intelligence committee the day before the hearing. as the inquiry goes forward, the

house judiciary committee will continue to hold hearings. it is this committee, known for its partisanship, that will occupy the spotlight and decide whether to draft articles of impeachment. trump has denied all allegations. genie: those impeachment hearings got underway as donald trump was wrapping up his trip to london for the nato summit. the u.s. president was the subject of gossip and what seemed to be heavy teasing from a group of world leaders, including justin trudeau. in a video that went viral from a reception at buckingham palace, trudeau seems to be making fun of trump for holding an impromptu and long press conference. selena sykes has the details. selena: after a meeting with nato leaders turned sour, donald trump cut short his visit to the united kingdom and canceled his final press conference, seemingly ruffled by a viral video appearing to capture

canadian prime minister justin trudeau mocking the u.s. president. pres. trump: trudeau is a nicece guy. the fact he out on is not paying 2%. selena: footage shows trudeau chatting with boris johnson, emmanuel macron, and princess and -- anne at the buckiningham palace reception for nadal leaders tuesday evening.g. the canadian leader appears to joke about trump's press appearances. trudeau: there was an unscheduled press conference before my meeting with president trump, and i was happy to take part in it, but it was certainly notable.

i think people know the relationship between canada and the united states goes far beyond the relationship between the prime minister and the president. selena: an embarrassing incident for trump, capping a rocky nato marked by strained relations. genie: in the u.s., another shooting wednesday, this time in the state of hawaii. a navy sailor shot to civilians at the historic military base, pearl harbor. he wounded a third man in then attacked before finally fatally turning the gun on himself. all three of the victims were civilians working with the u.s. department of defense. >> our sincere thoughts are with the families of the victims and everyone involved. ththe shooter was confirmed dead by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. two of the victims are confirmed deceased. the third is in stable

condition. harbor incident comes days before the 70th anniversary of the 1941 attack on that naval base. that is what led the u.s. to declare war on japan and enter world war ii. let's go back to france, where emmanuel macron has announced a summit on the security situation in west africa. the french president invited leaders of the g5 nations to meet in southern france. he wants them to make clear whether or not they want and need france's military presence to fight the islamist militant threat there. summit will be had in a city that is home to a military base that launched half of the 13 french soldiers killed in the recent helicopter crash in molly, the biggest loss in the french military in 40 years. a seven-yearis military presence that is being questioned.

amid growing discontent in the emmanuel macron bluntly said it is time for african leaders to make the call on if the operation should continue. mr. macron: do they want us there and do they need us? i want clear and responsible office to these questions. i don't want and can't have french soldiers on the ground in there is when ambiguity with regegard to anti-french movements, which are at times supporteded by popolitl leaders. 4500ter: there are islamist troops fighting the french in the -- there are 4500 french troops fighting islamists in the sahel. mali,efforts in northern there aree regular protests against them, with some saying they are a new colonial force with economic ambitions.

should let others try -- for example, russia. their presence is a hindrance. they need to leave. reporter: the ability of french and regional armies to stotop attacks has only compopounded disappointment, and d conspiracy theoeories abound. a malian politician said they should stop being treated by a childish leader like macron.n. if thendering operation's days are numbered. genie: many talking about the strike sitting france today. while that may be true for t the french city of lyon, it has not stopped the e festival of lilig. installationsight projected onto around 30 famous

sites in the southern french city. last year, close to 2 million people turned out to see the beautiful lights. we are not sure how many out-of-towners will be able to make it there this weekend in the midst of the mass strike. genie: that is our top story for you today. france has been hit with its biggest strength in decades. the apple tower is closed. nearly half of french public schools are shut down and almost half of all public transportation is at a standstill. due public anger in france to the president's plans toto simplilify thehe pension system. emmanuel macron wants to streamline the program made up of 40 different retirement plans. in the u.s., three leading legal scholars say donald trump's push to get ukraine to investigate his democratic rival is grounded for impeachment. a fourth expert brought in by

the republicans refuting that claim. time now for a look at the business news. we talk about how the retirement system stacks up against pension benefits and the rest of europe. analyst: the government has supported a series of controroversial reforms. one is a proposal toto change te retirement age, raising it to 64, the earliest age at which workers can retire and collect full pension benefits. it is onone of the lowest levels in the european union. in spain, the level is 65 years old. in germany, and 67. in sweden, there is no set age. unions opposeures is the poverty rate among the elderly. just 7% of pensioners are considered in poverty, the

lowest in the european union. cited as aften golfer pension reforms and has double the rate of elder poverty. genie: the government wants to create a universal sysystem. analyst: france has 42 different pension schemes. the special retirement schememes covever public-sector employeyes and d workers at firms historically owned by the state. benefits different than what is generally provided to the population. reporter: a fairer, cheaper system for all. that is the premise of president emmanuel macron's controversial pension r reform, which ininvols scrappingg a host of pension benefits. there are 42 pension regimes, including to the state owned real company, where the average retirement is just under 57 years. workers feel they have earned that right, fair and square.

>> after 39 years in this company, it is not like i stole it from someone. reporter: paris public trtranspt highest age.the to make sure people in more taxing jobs retire earlier, including firefighters, refuse collectors, and police. many the proposed reforms, public sector workers will no longer see their pensions calculated for the last six months o of work, which is liliy to result in a lower pension. the tax regimes are in the black, and they don't see why they should have to retire less because of

other lossmaking regimes. in aen you start working school, they tell you you will be able to retire at 55. finally, it won't be 55, but a lot later. people have had enough. reporter: the last time an overhaul of this magnitude was attempted -- 1995, which saw strikes last for weeks. genie: let's look at thursday's trading action. analyst: a mixed b bag. shshares on the t t -- the ftse just below the flat line. gains..0 posting of aax up at quarter percent. the major asian indexexes finisd the day in largely positive territory. seng ando on the hang the shanghai composite. investors hope a trade deal

might be insight before imports rise again on december 15. genie: china is making a push for tariffs to be lowered. reporter: later this month, the u.s. is set to impose a 15% duty on chinese products. beijing hoping the u.s. cancels that hike and once other tariffs to be brought down. itthe chinese side believes -- if the two sides reach a phase one deal, tariffs should be lowered accordingly. trade teams fromomoth sidides he been maintaining close commununication. the centerpiece of u.s.-c-china trade tensionons is tech giant huauei. analyst: washington says the firm as a security risk. firms barred from using medical barredral substitute --

from using federal subsidies to buy equipment from huawei. it is suing the fcc. reporter: the federal communications commission surveyed -- forbade carriers from using federal funds to buy huaa wei products based on security concerns the company says are baseless. >> there is nothing in universal service's provisions of the federal communications act that authorizes the fcc to make national security judgments or to restrict universal services funds on the basis of national security judgments. the fcc is a communications agency, not a national security agency. the f federal fund is us t to subsidizize federal communications equipment and parts of the u united states. i warns that if the man

stays in place, rural americans will pay the price. >> many small businesses in rural america do not have a mobile network asset. this decision will harm their interests. reporter: this s is the second lawsuit the company has fired -- -- filed against u.s. against the u.s. government. and last year, the chief financial officer was arrested in canada. she continues to fight against her extradition to the united states. she fafaces arges of fraud andnd conspiracy in relation to u.s. sanctions. it is one piece in a much bigger game. the u.s. and china have been caught in a tit-for-tat trade work for over two years, which is impacted billions of dollars worth of trade. basel miami beach

featured a slightly unusual sale. the piece consists of a banana boat in a local grocery store and taped to a wall. work was presented on wednesday and the first two versions s wee sold for $120,000 each. if you want to get your hands on it, it mightht be possible. there is a third version going for $150,000. genie: i think i will ask my nine-year-old to do it. it might be cheaper. just coming up for you now in the next half-hour, a lot more coverage of the ongoing strikes in france. we will also look at the centuries old tradition of nomadic herders in niger, which could be threatened now mike bryan -- by climate change.

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