Skip to main content

tv   France 24  LINKTV  February 17, 2020 5:30am-6:01am PST

5:30 am
host: you are watching live from paris. these are the headlines. after the resignation of the former paris mayor candidate over leaked sex tapes, another minister stepped onto long-term mayoral campaign. that as they debate controversial reforms to french pensionsns and parliament. citizens evavacuated frorom a quarantined cruise ship in japan test positive for the coronavirus, this after the number of deaths in china rises to 1170. and the syrian ststate media sas regime forces have seized most
5:31 am
of the northwestern profits from -- province from rebels. this is one day after they were due to hold talks in the region. thank you for joining us. also coming up in business, the end of the arrow for one of australia's most iconic cars. general motors is a scrapping of its -- brand, leaving australia and new zealand for good and a global restructuring. -- amid a global restructuring. ♪ france's former health minister is now running for mayor of paris, after she was catapulted into the race after the ruling party's candidate withdrew suddenly on friday
5:32 am
following a leak of sex videos on social media. let's listen to the woman who has less than a month to get parisians on her side. gentlemen, it is with great emotion i leaveve the ministry to lead a campaign in paris. last night, i h handed d in my resignion to the pririme minister and president of the republic, leaving this ministry is a heartbreak. for more than two and a half years, i have had the honor of leading health and social policies for our country. haxie: for more i am joined by our international affairs reporter. doeses she stand a real chance f becoming the next mayor of paris? >> she is a public health professional by y background and traiaining and this clip we j jt
5:33 am
played, this is what a all the frfrench mediaia are going with today, an image of her crcryings she leaves the health ministry. it is her nanatural habitat, because she is a public health professional and this is what shshe knowows and this i is whae does. what m message does that send to vovoters,, if they are watchinge coverage, it is that she loved being healalth minister. now she will be leading the campaign to become mayor of paris, a completely different track. the soundbite, getting a lot less attention today, is when she says i have always lived in paris, i raised my children here and i know the city's problems. many provisions could say the same. one word that comes back a lot on social media is this idea of somebody being a candidate, or a candidate being parachuted into the race at six weeks notice. it is an image being used or kind of a similar image being
5:34 am
used by one of the front runners isthis mayoral contest, that the conservative party candidate. here is what the campaign manager says in a tweet. "this campaign deserves a a deep knowledge of the daily problems faced by peruvians -- by parisians." he then goes on to talk about imposed choice, again the image of a parachute, something being imposed from above. her is the attack line that rivals are using today. another thing her opponents are saying is the hospital prices, which are happening not just in this lack of resources that hospitals are facing, that that has been happening on her watch.
5:35 am
one could argue that there were structural reasons that go back is ae her tenenure, but it political point which can be tored and is being brought attention today by y her adversaries. haxie: why is it that this race party?mportant to the >> may want to build on their successes of -- they want to build on their s successes of te last few years. they did well in the last few years in the parliamentary and presidential elections. the republic on the move did well in 2019 in the european elections in paris. so the big prize for macron's party would be to win the mayoral race and paris itself. the outgoing mayor of paris, she
5:36 am
is running for another term. she has name recognition, which is very important in a city of more than 2 million people. i'm talking about the city of paris,s, not greater pararis. and if you believe the opinion polls, the second-place candidate, she also has name recognition because she was a high profile figure previously in the government. ick, who like macacron's p resigned last week, he did not have t that namame r recognitio. it remains to be seen w whether ththis candidate wilill have itr whether people will respond to her, but it is important for people in paris, like in other towns and cities in france, too be known to people in n their local community. often that matters more than which party you come from. one example of that, proofof of
5:37 am
ththat, is that in some communes mayors have been in power for decades. one has been in power since 1959, because the personality and being known is very important. that is something that is important in paris as well. it is on a bigger scale, of course. haxie: thank you. she just handed over her health portfolio to her successor, inheriting the job at a challenging time as you heard, with the country grappling with how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and a highly controversial bid to shakeup tensions. proposedend, the changes to the pension system, a move that will bring protesters out once again. we have the story. reporter: france's prime minister is set to kick off one of his most difficult battles so
5:38 am
far, getting the pensions reform through parliament. party has an's absolute majority in the lower house, but the reform is highly unpopular. it will lower pensions and it could raise the retirement age. say they will do everything they can to block -- the opposition leaders say they will do everything they can to block it. >> the plan has not bebeen thout out. it does not safeguard the future of our retirement system. on top of that, it is unfair. block the plan, the parties have registered more than 40,000 amendments to the bill, examining and devoting all of them will be impossible in two weeks, which is what the government had hoped for. the ruling party says the point based reform aims to make the system fair for all citizens. it will harmonize 40 retirement
5:39 am
schemes, scrapping special benefits anin certain sectors. buthose who g get the benefits say y those were put in place to compensate for difficult working conditions. unions have resumed their strikes and they play natationwe protests for thursday. peoplethe number of infected with the new coronanavirus globalllly has rin to over 71,000, 1175 people have died, all but five of them in china. ofs as a growing number cocountries are evacuating their citizens. 14 of the 300 people evacuated from a quarantined cruise ship in japan have tested positive for the virus. that airplane has landed in texas. for more we will go to tokyo to speak with her correspondentnt, michael. this cruise ship has been
5:40 am
quarantined off the coast of tokyo since the beginning of the month. haveeople arere on board who contracted the virus. how is the outbreak being dealt with by the japanese authorities? michael: well, in that t way thy have trieded to limit this -- yu knowow, the infectitions on thep to the ship. this may have backfired in the sensnse that the q question nows the i infections that happened n the ship, did these happen because of the quarantine on the ship and they did not stop the path of the infection. which theheay period, japanese government originally announced, will come to an endnd this week and we need to fifind out if thehey will go forward wh what they said before, which once the quarantine is over they will release these people into the general population. of course,e, if the infectionons
5:41 am
have been happenening while e ty were on the ship, maybe the 14 day quarantine period will not be effective in many cases. haxie: we know that canada and others are planning are evacuating their citizens, as ane u.s. has done, indication they do not have faith i in the japanenese authoritities to handle thee crisisis? michael: that is a fair assessmement. japan is o one of the richest countrtries in the world, so we have canada and d others basicay saying we e want too h help take stress o off of the j japanese hehealth carare system -- it is strange because japan has one of the best in the world. i think becauause of the compmplaints we havave gottttenm passenrs o on cialal media, andd otothers, essentially the governments haveve decided to sp inin and to show that they are taking care of their citizens, because they do not think japan
5:42 am
has dodone it exactly right. haxie: michael, thank you. syrian state media says the country's army has seized the majority of the northwestern aleppo province, until now held by rebels. those on the ground are reporting that those gains were proceeded by heavy strikes by russian warplanes. this coming as russia and turkey discuss the recent escalation of tensions in the region. we have the story. reporter: syrian government troops have just retaken villages around aleppo. for these residents, that is excellent news. b bombed severaral positions northwest t of the ci, pushing mamany rebels to flee before they syrian troops walked in. >> forces have taken control of all arereas in the northwestern
5:43 am
country side of the province of aleppo without even fighting with the rebels.s. the entire city and the surroundings are under regime control. reporter: regaining control of the province of aleppo and of neighboring is the was a - -- ad neigighboring idlib was a priority. one target was to reopen this highway, linking damascus to aleppo, but the o offensive bacd by rusussians and asassyrians hs mososof00,000 to flee, them tveveling northth to the turkish border. the turkish leaders, who fear another humanitarian catastrophe, have calllled for a cease-fire. so far unsuccessfully. >> our delegation will meet with the russian delegation in moscow. i have met with the foreign minister and told him the aggression must stop in idlib. ankara has backed an
5:44 am
alliance of rebel groups, which has been fighting syrian troops to send extra weapons to their observation points in the region. four of them are believed to be surrounded by syrian troops. and turkey says it will fight back if syria does not retreat. reporter: the british army has been drafted in to to help with storm dennis, with high winds bringing havoc to much of the united kingdomom. onone man n died inn wales after falling into a river. a warning has been issued for the region. haxie: dozens of flights have been canled at lonn airport, with one airplane struggling to land at heathrow. the storm also reaching the northwest of france, cutting power to 60,000 homes and disrupting train lines. the last decade was the hottest in recorded history and nowhere
5:45 am
are the effects of the warming being seen more clearly than the antarctic. researchers off the northern tip said they recorded a temperature of 20.75 degrees celsius, the highest reading ever witnessed for the region. it does not have to be verified with climate scientists, but they agree that melting will cause a rapid rise in sea levels in the years to come. we have the story. reporter: exposed soil and ttle ice,, an unexpected sisite in antntarctica, yet it may be e new normal. thermometers hit 20.75 degrees celsius on an island off the northern tip, marking the first time the temperatures have broken the 20 degree barrier anywhere on the continent. megatrendppening is a that was detected several years ago. in recent weeks, we have detected peaks. that could becocome stronger in
5:46 am
the other regions. reporter: the measurements undergo a formal process to make sure they meet standards, which could take months to verify. researarchers have struggled to link individual weather events to climate change, but if the record temperatures are confirmed it would substantiate disturbing predictions. >> these measurements tell us that temperatures hahave gone above e three degreeees in a sht amount of time. but they are definitelyly the temperatures that have been projected for the next 50 years, in line with global warming. reporter: the recent developments, if confirmed, would have global consequences. rising temperatures cause eyes to -- ice to o lt. antarctic melting code reads a sea levels by 58 centimeters by the end of the century. haxie: it is arguably the
5:47 am
world's most famous attraction, bringing millions every year. rome's trevi fountain has become too popular for its own good, authorities now cooking up a plan to protect the iconic 18th-century monument. our colleagues report from room. rome. reporter: every day, millions come to honor this fountain, throwing a coin into its waters. but it has become a victim of its own success. the basin has been damaged by the number of people who come here. local police do what they can, but it is a losing battle. even if the visitors are understanding. >> i agree. i mean, once it is gone, it is gone. it needs protecting or else it will never come back. reporter: the city council has an idea to put up a barrier,
5:48 am
preventing people frfrom getting too closose to the fountain.n. one says the fountain has already been vandalized. >> it could cost more than 2 million euros. we have to continue to protect the fountain and put in place restrictions for the tourists who want to bask in its beauty. reporter: the trevi fountain has always been a popular tourist attraction. filmn 1960 it was in the by fellini and things changed. since then, people have wanted to re-create the fountain seen, scene, but it is prohibited. some are not happy about the idea of a barrier. >> i think if we take care of it there is no reason for a barrier. it is good we can get so close to it. reporter: the proposal must be
5:49 am
approved by the italian ministry of culture, and it is not certain it will be. another proposalal to limit the numbmber of people who can enter the square is still in development. but still the number of visitors almoste trevi fountain impossible. haxie: looking at the japanese economy. reporter: the third largest ofnomy moved at a pace 3.6%6% last quarter, the worst cocontraction since 2014 and one coming at an opportune time as uncertainty mounts over the coronavirus. japan could be on the verge of a recession. we take a look at why the economy has a slumped. reporter: fears of a recessionon after the gogovernment announces its economy shrank at the fastest pace in five years. a ratentry's gdp fell by
5:50 am
of 6.3 percent during the final quarter of 2019. a number of factors played a role, including a hike in the sales tax from a percent to 10%, which hurt consumer spending, as wellll as damagege from typhoon- from a typhoon in the same month. there are also u.s. trade tensions dragging on exports. in decembeber, the government approved $12120 billion worth oa stimulus package. but ripppple effects from the coronavirus are hitting japan. china is its largest trading partner and its biggest source of tourism, but now they are not traveling. supply chain disruptions have forced companies to adjust or halt production. that will affect imports. the government says it is ready to take all necessary steps s to deal with the operate. earmarked $139
5:51 am
million to fight the economic impact of the virus, including measures to enhance airport checkpoints and bebetter testing capabilities. cole: next, a french real giant is in talks to acquire a real giant, but says no final decision has been taken. this comes after the wall street journal reported a pulmonary deal had been reached. any merger would face scrutiny from the eu. last year, they blocked an attempt, citing antitrust laws. w w planning g that investments lastst year. now the tradining action.n. ftse in london is up about four. dax in frankfurt up around a fifth of a percent. and similarar story here in par. up as talks continue.
5:52 am
1%,negate is down 7/10 of hit hard after that disappointing gdp data, somewhat cushioned by faith in the government's response. shares are up after stimimulus measures were announced over the weekend. hong kong is up .5%. -- down 2% after a jurury ruled against the germn company. and a peach former spent millions after he blamed an herbicide sold by buyer foror dedestroying h his crop. there will be similar lawsuits. -- unable toe reresist appeared general motors its iconicg an end to brand in australia. t is expected to result in 600
5:53 am
layoffs. the prime minister has slammed the u.s. automaker as it continues its global restructure. repoporter: it is the end ofof n era for the iconic car brand holding. general motors has announced it will stop selling the beloved australian cars and to start winding down operations in australia and new zealand in the coming months. >> this was an agonizing decision for us, when we did not make lightly or easily. regrettably, despite the work of mamany gooood people, we could t meet the investment thresholds. reporter: gm says it has become too costly to support a branded not only operates in two markets. the australian government says it regrets the decision. >> i am disappointed, but not surprised. i'm angry, like many australians will be. taxpayers put billions into this multinational company, and they have let the
5:54 am
brand with her away on their ither away on their watch. reporter: about 600 people will lose their jobs in the next year. under the #ripholden, australians took the social media to lament the loss, with the many showing photos of their first cars, including scott morrison saying, "i wish i still had my first car." gmpart of efforts to exit, is also pulling out of thailand. it plans to sell its plant to grgreat wall motors. cole: gm is not thononly automaker fifighng headwininds. tesla most halt production in europe. cleararingady began on the jobsite, but there is a risk to drinking water. tesla will have to wait for a
5:55 am
final court decision before it can keep cutting down trees. they aim to complete the plant by the end o of next yeaear. finally, facebook's ceo is inn brussels today, meeting with top officials, including the eu commissioner and executive vice president. the eu is working on a new digital policy, including rules to govern artificial intelligence. the first draft is expected wednesday. it is a delicate subject and not in the lease because of privacy concerns. facebook h has come under fire r not doing enough to protect user data and it is safe to expect that issue will be broughtht abt this meeting. we will follow that over the coming months. haxie: ok, i would agree. thank you very much. that is all we have time for now. stay tuned. more news is coming up in just a few minutes on france 24. ♪
5:56 am
>> i remember reporting on a factory. i spoke to the people, and i learned there was a different story. was the oneing told i was supposed to publish, but the story i found was a cover-up and by exposing that i managed to save those jobs. so i am proud of that and i would urge every journalist to go deeper, ask more questions, do not just take the first thing that people tell you for the truth, because often the truth is way beyeyond that. find that truth.
5:57 am
5:58 am
5:59 am
6:00 am
reporter: horrifying escalation of ethnic violence in the democratic republic of congo. different militias have terrorized huge numbers of the civilian population. second reporter: the drc's government say the extent of hunger and displacement is being exaggerated. reporter: 13 million people in need of humanitarian aid. crawford: i'm alex crawford in the democratic republic of congo, and this is "hotspots." tonight we're gonna take you behind the scenes of the world's biggest and hardest-hitting stories. we travel to drc to honor the world's forgotten conflicts. man: we've got sense that you were going into o the badlands. crawford: stuart ramsay returns crawford: stuart ramsay returns to eastern ukraine where he and

77 Views

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on