>> hello and welcome to live from paris. i am annette young. it is 1:00 p.m. here in the french capital. here is what is making headlines at this hour. the french president visiting beirut, announces a major international conference will be held next month, also calling for the country's politicians to come together swiftly and form a new government. we will get more from our beirut correspondent shortly. u.s. president donald trump

chooses to visit kenosha, where unrest over the shooting of jacob blake has seen almost two weeks of violence. the return, millions of french students return to the classrooms after summer break thanks to covid-19. , masks and social distancing are very much on thehe curricul. ♪ annette: we begin in beirut. weeks after the twin explosions ripped through the lebanese capital, the french president is back in the city near a month after his last trip. he is seeking a way forward based on reforms and exchanges for bailout funds. macron, also calling on lebanon to 50 form a new government,

also saying he is ready to host an international conference in order to help the country in mid-october. we have more. >> [singing] ♪ reporter: after hearing the voices of lebanese youth sing the french national anthem, french president emmanuel macron planted a cedar tree. [applause] as symbol of hope for lebanon's next century. he also spoke words of inspiration to lebanon's upcoming generation. >> [speaking in french] reporter: the ceremony was followed by flyover by french fighter jets, displaying the colors of the lebanese flag. >> [speaking in french] reporter: macron then made it to beirut for, not far from where a

massive explosion devastated the area, killing almost 200 and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. after listening to volunteers, various officials involved inin the cleananup and cleaning process, he seemed frustrated with the lack of oversight and organization. >> [speaking i in french] reporter: the french president went on to say that the coming six weeks are crucial for the future of lebanon, , and ththate is ready to host an international conference on how to help the country in mid-october. annette: let's go to elena belen allen in beirut. laid out, what can you tell us about the president's plan for

the conference to be held next month? annette: we seem to be having problems with lena, hopefully we can get her back later in the program. us, the story will be returning to it shortly. following the explosions in beirut, many lebanese have been seeking to leave the country and find a better future abroad. they say they can the longer bear the economic crisis and the feeling of insecurity. our correspondence went to meet some of them. >> [chatter] >> in a different world, they would not be leaving lebanon. >> we are forced to leave. we would have preferred to stay. reporter: both he and his

brother are leaving for france in a few days to pursue their studies. for their mother, the idea of both her sons leaving is difficult to accept. >> what can i say, we have always lived as a family. [weeping] hopefully we will be back. >> we will not be gone f for too long.. > before the e crisis, i waws delighted at the idea that i can visit them whenever i want. now it is no longer possible. our salaries are no longer enough to buy a ticket. reporter: their mother is a public school headmistress. their father is retired. lebanon's inflation made their revenues drop by 75%. >> those in power have humiliated us. they have made us hate our lives here. if we stayayed, we wouldld not e

abroad, we will certainly be -- reporter: we are in the square in the center of beirut. thousands of lebanese youth have gathered here to protest, to express their anger against the government and call for political and economic reforms. but some of these people have decided to leave lebanon, like shareen. then you tell us how you made decision t to leave your country afafter all these weweeks of polititical activivism? >> you lose hope in any form of accountability. because you no longer believe .hat you will get back reporter: five years ago, she founded a charity project where should collect donations for the poor. with the economic crisis, have donors have become themselves annette: that beneficiaries. >> people come here begging.

i am psychologically exhausted. i am tired because i am a mother and i know how hard it is. when a mother comes in and tells me her baby is not eating anything. how can i go back home and give my baby milk! reporter: with her husband and her child, shareen will be moving to the united states. her sister will take care of her chcharity work. she is leaeaving a project she loves much to seek a better future for her child. annette: let's cross to our beirut correspondent, laila. what more can you tell us about the president's lan to hold a conference to help lebanon ? reporter: he will have a conference much like the one just after they beirut blast,, in which $300 million was

pledged, a large chunk of that from france, the u.s., and other countries. the money was part of a u.n. appeal. they want $560 million. almost all of that was pumped into trying to have immediate relief, that means stuff coming through the port, food, medical aid, thinks to images they allow the country to start recovering. as well as the rescue efforts that came throrough on the huge naval tankers that we saw arriving in the port behind me. the next stage is somewhat different and more politically fraught, because it is bringing in the emergency aid. now the money is going to be more about how to help rebuild the country. that brings us to the quandary of whether it goes to the government or not. macronon has sent from the beginning that he will ensure that the money does not fall into corrupt hands, that it will be going through you and agencies and local partners. he has just been speaking to

some of those partners at the port about how they can organize that. the problem is that as much as international leaders t trying o helplp lebanon might say that, e reality with this money is that first these organizations need to work with the government, because that is the only way they are allowed to operate here. also, the way that aid comes into the country, through the port and the airport, it automatically goes through corrupt hands because of the way run, those institutions are where bribery and smuggling are rife, and still billions from state revenue every year. that is a grave concern. another concern is that they tried to work with partners on the ground, because of the banking system here. that is another problem for local charities, where money goes into the banking system, they have their different way that it comes out, which is different from the dollar to ra street right. liras currently $7,000

to the dollar. but in some banks, it is 1500 lira said the dollar. so it could be have. people on the street are saying, please don't direct any money for the government. annette: despite the appointment of a new prime minister, there are already calls from many parts of the lebanese society, that they cannot work with existing politicians. in that case, , w can thisis countrtry veve forwardrd? repor: this is exactly the rob. macron on the plane while he was arriving spoke to reporters and said, i know i am taking a gamble here, i am puputting the only thing i have on the table which is my political capital. many are c ccerned he e may be baing g the wrongg horse. he made a deal with the devil, by coming here image in the as most of finding was nominated --

as soon as most of ou most off our deep -- when the new prime minister was nominated. when the new prime minister spoke to the people yesterday, he said, please, trust me, i want to work with you. many shouted, revolution. no, we don't trust you. when macron arrived last night, people holding placards on his first visit saying, "no cabinet from the murderous." that is how many see the current parliament. they believe any cabinet formed by the parliament which was elected in 2018 they, are still the same people responsible as they see it for the tragedy. that is the first issue. see the current parliament as a legitimate. they will not accept anything but a new election. if there are new elections, it is still operated in the same sectarian system, so many

believe the government will not operate well either. they believe perhaps some combat of civil society will be better. annette: reporting from beirut, thank you. here in france, the french satirical weekly charlie hebdo, the target of an attack in 2015, has said it will republish those hugely controversial cartoons of prophet muhuhammad. this is being done to mark the start of the trial this week of alleged conspiratists in the attack. u.s. president donald trump is the wisconsin city of kenosha, where unrest over

the police shooting of jacob blake has resulted in almost two violence. demonstrate is calling for the officer who shot blake to be fired and face attempted murder charges. meanwhile, trump has defended supporters. he said just that a teenager accused of killing two people in kenosha last week, and trump's friend involved in clashes in oregon this weekend were acting in self-defense. >> our streets! >> whose streets? >> our streets! >> with protests continuing and pain and anger still raw, it is not a good time for a visit. that is exactly what political leaders in kenosha, wisconsin said about donald trump making a stopover in the battleground city. it is still reeling ovever the shooting of jacob lake, in the back seven times in front of his children. >> i think that kenosha at thths present time needs peace and

needs to heal and needs people to allow us to do that. reporter: in a letter, the governor of wisconsin also saidd the psident's presents will only "hinder our healing." it is a resounding aqua that the president is not helping the nation deal with racial injustice. it was also expressed by joe biden. . on the campaign trail and in a speech that marked a shift in tone to directly attacking his rival, donald trump by name, biden pushed back, accusing him of being a toxic presence. this president long ago forfeited any leadership of this country. they can't stop the violence because for years, he has fomented it. reporter: the ongoing protests in places like kenosha and in portland, oregon, have catapulted the issue of law and order to the top of the campaign, with both sides trying to paint a picture that they are the ones who can keep americans

safe. annette: in other news, china has detained an australian for one ofworking the country's state television networks, cgtn. australian authorities say they don't know why she is being held, , but the arrestst comesey one e month after canberra warnd citizens of ththe risksks of arbitrary detentntion in chinan. andrew helio reports. reporter: she works for chinese state television, and yet even she has found hersrself on the wrong side oththe authoritities. the australian journalist is a hihigh-profile business anchor r , the english-language channel of china's central television. on monday, ausustralian officics announced she had been detained over two weeks ago foror reasons unknown to them. alleen interviewed by whoo overseas micelles, i feel for

her family very much at this point in time. it is s why we will do all we cn to assist her as we would and have any australian in these circumststces. repoporter: acaccording to australian media outlets, she has not t been chargeded, but ss being held under what is known as residential surveillance. it allows chinese authorities to hold a suspect trap to six months, without making a formal arrest. although the reasons for her arrest have not been given, in july, canberra was already warning its citizens of the risk of arbitrary detention. china dismissed the warning is baseless, but in recent years, relations between the two countries havave worsened. in april, amber called for an investigation into the source of the coronavirus pandemic, a move which triggered fury in beijing and set off a series of retaliatory trade measures. annette: the venezuelan government has pardoned more than 100 people, including dozens of political opponents in

.rison the moles, coming ahead of elections in december. however, the opposition leader, juan guaido is calling it a trap . reporter: as the news broke, relatives rushed to the gates of the present in caracas. on monday, nicolas maduro's government announced it had pardoned dozens of political opponents, including the chief of staff to the opposition guaido.juan he was freed hours after the announcement, along with several members of the national assembly. >> [speaking in spanish] [cheers] reporter:: the presidential decree also part of political opponents who had taken refuge in foreign embassies in caracas, or had fled the country.

although several prominent figures s have been left off the list. the move is being portrayed by the government as a goodwill gesture ahead of elections in december, in which opposition leader juan guaido, and the biggest parties are hoping to boycott, argument that it will be a a sham. experts say the pardons are offly to be the result backdoor negotiationons between the government and the opposition, in defiance of u.s.-backed lynda, as growing parts of the opposition are becoming frustrated with venezuela's political stalemate. in a tweet, guaido said the move was a trap. the opposition leader has been trying to oust president maduro since 2019, when he declared himself acting president and received the backing of more than 50 countries. that there have been at loggerheads ever since, but maduro has maintained a firm grip on the government, thanks army.port from the

annette: here in france, companies have one weeks to a drop strict rules on the compulsory wearing of facemasks in the workplace to curbrb the spread off covid-19. however, the employment minister says staff working alone, or in-offices will not have to wear them -- in open-plan offices with few workers will not have to wear them. today in france, it is "la rentre." in english, it merely means the return. children are back at school. it is happening against the backdrop of covid-19 this year. and this is what i suspect believed parents had to say earlier today when they drop off their children -- >> [speaking in french]

>> [speaking in french] >> [speaking in french] annette: a reminder of our top story for the hour, french president emmanuel macron is in beirut, where he has announced a major international aid conference will be held next also calling for the country's politicians to come together and form a new president. government. >> time for the latest business news with stephen carroll. hello. it has been a while. >> it has. lovely to see you. annette: great to see you too. you have the results of the video calling app zoom. now it is regarded an essential part of our life,

one of the services that saw exponential g growth during the pandemic macaws zoom calls became so ubiquitous. many individual users don't pay it, but bigger comompanies and schools have takenut a subscription to come to the overall financial results. it had an eye-opening impactt. these are the figures from may until july area a year ago, zoom saw its paying customers within companies of more than 10 people increase 450%, 370,00000 people t t paying f for zone. up company's revenues are 300% and profits went from $5.5 million last year, to $186 million this year, a staggering increase. this is building on what we saw in previous scenes since many people have continued to pay for zune, upsetting ththe investor fears that people may cancel their prescriptions when the

cocompany opened upp again. moving t t argentina, which has awarded another debt criris, afteter its crcreditors overwhelelmingly bacacked a $5$5 billioiorestructcturing deaeal. welcome e relief for the countr, which has been in recession since 2018. >> insidide of relief omom govemement officials, , after ra dealal to a avoid a a debt defas approved. argentntina, announcncing an agreement fromom 99% of its creditors to restructure $65 billion n in a bond exchange. >> [speakiking in spanisish] reporter: the deal will allow creditors to swap their old bonds for anyone's, and also extend the repayment period, a move that will see

critters get back $.55 from every dollar they are on. this concludes the nine-month-long negotiation process, that saw the government threatened to pull out of the last minute. but argentina is not out of the woods yet, its total debt is over $320 billion, in the country is in its third year of recession. the pandemic has only made the situation worse, as officials imposed a lockdown that helped curb the spread of the virus, but also h hurt vast sectotors f the economy. > [speaking in spanish] reporter: the ims has already lent argrgentina $4444 billion s part of a record $57 billion bailout agreed to with the previous government in 2018.8. the imf will likely seek reforms, but with the cucurrent

administraration staunchly anti--austerity, look like tough ahead. stephen: prosecutors in south korea have charged the vice-chairman of samsung with fraud. he is accused of manipulating shares in a merger in 2015. 10 other current and former executives are also facing charges over the deal, which helped him to gain greater control over the group's crown jewel, samsung electroronics. he has not been detained, but the charges pavave the way for future trial. threatened tototop nenewsrticleles from beieing shd byustrtralian usersrs, because f a proposal to charge the digital giant royalties thehe. the social giant says it is unprecedented and will damage news organizations. google and facebook has been lobbying greatly against thehe deal. they would see that tech firms pay publishers for articles shared o on their sites. world,elsewhere in the

australian and news organinizationhahave lostt signifificant amounts of advertisising venue tohesese tech c companies. let's take it to a quick check on what is h happening i in the mamarkets next. a mixed picture on european shares. the ftse 100 is down 1%. small gains in paris and in frankfururt. lots of economic data for investors to chew over at the moment. new servers are showing european recovery, butin managers are still wary about investing or hiring in the future. some contraction in the manufacturing center in france. that is a picture on the markrkets. walmart has announced a membership scheme which it h hos will competete wh amamazon prim. walmart plus will be slightly cheaper than its online rivals offering and it will givive members same-dayay delivery on 160,000 items as well as some discounts. walmart online sales jumped during the pandemic, but it still only has 6% of the

commercece market versus 38% for amazon.n. one final business story, fedederal aviation administration has given the online retailer approval to liliver packagages y drone. it doesn't mean deliveries can start immediatetely, amazon is still testing its drones before the program is launched. eventually, they will be able to deliver items of up to 2.2 kikis in weight. the company is the third in thte u.s. to secure such a drone license after ups and google as well. drawn deliveries are on the way. annette: i have to say, i did expect it at some point. it was going to happen. stephen: seems like the futuristic version of flying cars, sure, why not some deliveries i drone as well? annette: you are probably in the wrong age group, we used to see them on the jetsons. stephen: i love the jetsons.

! [laughter] , will be back after a short break. meanwhile, do stay with us here on "france 24." ♪

[birds chirping] narrator: for 33 years, this city has been abandoned. everything was left behind-- toys, shoes, books. even the