france 24.com. >> you're watching france 24, live from paris. here are the stories making road headlines. free to all. that is the message from french prime minister, jean castex. the government is setting aside 1.5 billion euros to make the vaccine free to all. cases of covid-19 spiraling out of control in the united states. the nation set a record for the number of daily deaths with more than 3000 dead in just 24 hours. the controversial crackdown. the government specially inspection of mosques and prayer

halls. interior minister confirming a total of 76 mosques have been targeted. hello, everyone, i am monte francis. thank you for joining us. the covid vaccine will be free of charge when the first shots are given out in a couple of weeks. jean castex laid out a plan. the shots will not come cheap. one point 5 billion euros have been earmarked in next year's social security budget. much of the public remains skeptical of the vaccine. >> i do hear the concerns and even the fears expressed by some

of you. i would like to remind you that a vaccine is only authorized after a rigorousit is carried ot health authorities. we will not begin vaccinating until our health authority gives its green light for each and every vaccine. and people who get vaccinated will be monitored and traced as part of a strengthened drug safety plan. vaccinations are rolling out at different times across the world. the united kingdom will be the first to administer a covid shot with united states and the european union just behind. how exactly are vaccines approved? selena sykes takes a look. >> around 40,000 volunteers were tested in pfizer's vaccine trials. it took place in the united states and other countries across the world with high covid

infection rates. scientists put forward the plan for widespread testing which is approved by attica regulators. labs ask for the vaccine to be tested in medical centers thus as this hospital in paris. hospitals do not rely on pharmaceutical companies for the tests. [speaking french] each hospital -- >> each hospital sends its findings to the lab. experts assess the data before giving approval. this pharmacologist examined clinical trials for france last medical watchdog. >> [speaking french]

>> the european medicines agency announced that amsterdam is assessing vaccines by pfizer and moderna. monte: to the u.s. where cases of the coronavirus and deaths are spiraling out of control. the death toll reached 3100 people in just the last 24 hours. that cshes a record set in april. there is no sign of a letter. the head of the centers for disease control once that january and february would be the most difficult time in public health history of the nation. our correspondent has more from washington. >> these experts are saying that the records that we saw on wednesday, the daily deaths, the cases, the number of people currently in hospital right now,

it is about 100,000 people. these records will likely -- very likely be beaten in the coming days. we might be seeing these numbers over and over again in the next couple of months. they are saying watch out, there is hope with the vaccine but don't let your guard down. things will get worse before they start getting better. this is true across the united states. you're seeing states really starting to dial back there be openings to try to put in some new restrictions. there is some stay-at-home recommendations, closing down bars and cafes in certain cities. they are trying to do their best but the situation is really dire. in los angeles, they are saying they might be out of icu beds by the end of the month. probably around christmas time. 911, the emergency service in the united states says they are

on the brink of breakdown, that they no longer -- they feel they might no longer be able to have those ambulances come and get the people who are in need. it is really a big warning for americans, especially ahead of the christmas holidays. they are trying to avoid people doing the same thing they did during thanksgiving, that is traveling across the country. that is why we might be seeing those spikes. monte: iran has surpassed one million cases of the coronavirus. iran is the hardest hit nation in the middle east. despite that, authorities are considering whether to ease restrictions in many parts of the country. some officials including the health minister admit that the figures are likely much lower than the number of cases and deaths. tributes are pouring in for the former french president. he died at the age of 94 from

complications of the coronavirus. emmanuel macron paid tribute to his legacy. he credited him with transforming france. >> whether it is through the changes he enacted, the reforms he conducted, the actions he carried out, his work or his thoughts, he will live on in our lives, perhaps even more than we think. 40 years after he led france and its destiny, what he accomplished still guides us today. we may not always be aware of it but we walk in his footsteps. his term as president made a mark on our country and our lives. monte: he was known for his unique communication style, breaking clinical norms. he was said to have found inspiration in u.s. president john f. kennedy. >> the footballer, the tennis

player, the swimmer or even gi scard, the accordion player. he challenged what french president should be. he is in the middle of his presidential campaign during this time. this is in central france. he plays --giscard d'estaing plays a football match against local shopkeepers. he gives an interview shirtless in the locker room. helped by the arrival of televisions in french homes, giscard d'estaing portrayed himself as young and modern. a formula borrowed from across the atlantic. then he met john f. kennedy in 1962. he would say it is the most beautiful memory of his life. inspired by the american

president, giscard d'estaing was dubbed the french candidate. taking a much more relaxed approach than his previous sensors. for his first christmas in power, he even invited garbage collectors to have breakfast with him. onof his biographers called him a trail blazer in political communication. >> [speaking french] >> a taste for drama that continued right through to his last term. his last words as french president etched into his stead -- history. >> aure voir. >>6 mosqs have been targeted and if the are determined to promotextremism, they will be shut down.

the interior minister did not reveal the places of worship that would be inspected. we are joined by an expert in public law and a researcher at the university of toulouse. many people feel this is a breach in religion. how does this square with the notion of secularism? i am not sure that she can hear us there. we apologize for those technical problems we are having. let's move on. yemen is grappling with a massive you -- the military in crisis. the nonprofit units have says the situation is only getting worse and children have been the worst affected. acute malnutrition rates are the highest ever recorded in parts of yemen.

united nations is warning that food insecurity is expected to increase from 3.6 million people to 5 million in the first half of next year. the united nations says those numbers should serve as a wake-up call to the world. tens of thousands of refugees have flooded into neighboring sudan, a lack of food, health care and space is hampering efforts to help those in makeshift camps. >> a young child exists -- is examined by a doctor in a refugee camp in sedan. the volunteers run magical center are themselves among those who fled the conflict in neighboring ethiopia. doctors say they are struggling to provide care to the almost 16,000 people living at this camp due to a lack of resources. >> we don't have shelter. we don't have a bedroom. we sleep on the ground.

it is difficult. we have no salary. it is difficult to live here. >> the clinic has no diagnostic tools or even shelves to stock medicine. the refuge -- refugee doctors are eager to help. >> we are in distress. >> the doctors are appealing for aid to help those living in the camps. 45,000 people have fled ethiopia into sudan since fighting began early last month. the prime minister cleared victory over separatists on saturday but they said their campaign will continue with little verifiable information coming from the region, sudan expects to receive more refugees to camps like this one in the coming days. >> now to israel where hundreds

of ethiopian immigrants arrived today. they are descendents of ethiopian dues -- jewish people. there is already a community of ethnic ethiopians in israel. their experience has been fraught with complications. >> a warm welcome for these new israelis. some 300 ethiopian immigrants landed at ben-gurion airport to begin their lives. benjamin netanyahu on hand with a speech to mark the occasion. the arrivals all be gone -- belong to this community, descendents of jewish people believed to have arrived in a few opiod 3000 years ago from the kingdom of solomon. -- in ethiopia 3000 years ago

from the kingdom of solomon. it wasn't until 1973 that authorities decided that ethiopian jews were covered by the law. thus, guaranteeing them citizenship. most were brought to israel in the 1980's and 1990's. their community has grown to 140,000 strong but they face poverty and discrimination. many complain from police. in 2015, the government approved the resettlement of about 9000 claimants and then reversed the decision on budgetary grounds. much of the remaining community lives in camps in this region of ethiopia. dangerously close to fighting between the federal government and rebels. that yahoo! has been a key supporter of their cause, some

1700 are expected to arrive in israel the end of january. >> we want to go back to our story about the inspections of mosques here in france that began today. we are joined by an expert in public law. and a researcher at the university of toulouse. think you for joining us, i hope you can hear us right now. we wanted to ask you, outside of france, i think it is fair to say that many people find this hard to understand and perhaps a breach of freedom of religion. how does this square with the french notion of secularism? >> we are all lost in translation not only abroad but even in france. there is a l of difficulty abroad and in france to grasp this notion of secularism. this concept is something that

basically means we have a separation of church and state thanks to the law of 15. that means that state neutrality impose upon the state and the civil service so that it can guarantee freedom of religion of the people. neutrality is imposed on the state, not the peopl unfounately, it has been ound0 or 30 years that this concept has evolved. it targets certain groups and today, it is muslims. monte: there has been a lot of criticism for this crackdown. does this reflect a lack of understanding or is the criticism warranted? >> i would say it does not come

from nowhere. the thing is in france, we have a tendency to keep our dirty laundry private. people are being given voices, especially minorities that sometimes, mainstream media does not give them in france and they speak abroad. i think there is a serious fear from across the atlantic that france is falling into a trap when it comes to parenting civil liberties and religious freedom. i think that the government has been called out. are there some misunderstandings around this concept? for sure. but those critics do not come from nowhere. i think we have to take them seriously to up us improve the situation at home. >> mack brown has -- imago mack

brown has asked republican leaders to agree to a charter of values. what does he mean by that -- emmanuel macron has asked republican leaders to agree to a chart of values, what does he mean by that? with everything we have been going through -- >> with everything that we have been going through, the problem is the response to these horrific attacks is often an emotional and political response instead of a russian one. we are drafting a lot that is vague, not really well-written and we end up signing a charter of values, what are those values? what does that even mean?

we are witnessing more civilians from the state. i am afraid these abuses will lead to a point of no return. monte: we will have to leave it there. that was luanne. thank you for your time. hong kong media tycoon, jim ely has been refused bail. it is the latest in a series of prosecutions against high-profile critics of beijing. they are saying that he violated lee's terms for his office space. we have the story. >> escorted to prison with his hands cut. jim ely now faces months behind bars. -- jimmy lai now faces months behind bars. the two executives were granted il.

police raided the headquarters of lai's apple daily tablet in august. the offense is punishable by up to life in jail under china's national security law but so far, none of them have been charged on security breaches. dozens of activists are being investigated or charged under the legislation. on wednesday, three prominent pro-democracy figures were sentenced to jail for their role in last year's protests. the crackdown sparked concerns about the future of the city's democracy movement. some experts say activists will have to find other paths to dialogue with hong kong's pro-beijing leaders. >> there was a widespread enthusiasm for a more democratic system. the question is not whether there outlet for that.

>> the security law was introduced on june 30 amid widespread protest in hong kong and bans anything china considers submersion, secession, terrorism or collusion with foreign powers. monte: free to all, that is the message from prime minister jean castex. he announced that no one in france will have to pay for a covid vaccine. the government is setting aside 1.5 billion euros to pay for it. cases of covid-19 spiraling out of control in the united states. the nation sets a record for the number of daily deaths with more than 3000 dead in just 24 hours. controversial crackdown, the government in france begins an inspection of mosques to deter islamist extremism. the interior minister confirming that a total of 76 mosques have been targeted. time for business with kate

moody. good to see you. we are starting to look at the oil industry. nature producers have begun to start increasing their output next month. >> opec and its allies, including russia have now struck a deal to gradually begin increasing their oil output. half a million more barrels per day will beeleased into the market starting in january. back in april, that produces cartel had -- producer's cartel had cut 10 million barrels per day. they are showing signs of picking up very slowly. the are more people traveling, manufacturg and shipping is today's agreement for half a

million barrels helps us in a way. we see international brent settling higher. oil prices are still 25% lower. >> the dow jones has been on a tear. how did wall street fare today? >> the nasdaq hit higher. we saw stocks giving up earlier gained by the closing bell. we had mixed clothes there. -- we had a mixed close there. this is the lowest since the start of the pandemic although

it is about thretimes higher than pre-pandemic average. we saw boeing shares at performing as much as earlier. we have the updated software release. we don't know the exact price but both companies said there had been a modest discount. it is the first firm order. it is a big to as boeing tries to rebuild confidence. they killed a total of 346 people. boeing now says it updated its software problems. u.s. regulators feared this. monte: finally, a new report suggests that hackers have been targeting the companies involved in shipping doses of the coronavirus vaccine. what do we know?

>> it is a pretty alarming report from security experts at ibm. they say hackers appear to be trying to disrupt or steal information about the cold train. this is a crucial part. ibm says it uncovered a targeted campaign. it has been in place since at least september. researchers and medical groups have been receiving fishing emails from someone impersonating an executive at a chinese medical supply company. ibm says the goal appears to have been to harvest credentials to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. we don't know who was behind this hacking attack. this hacking operation. ibm says it believes it was backed by a foreign government. maintaining this coaching from the laboratory to dispute --

distribution hubs is really delite and expensive undertaking. there is no indication for now that that process has been compromised but it is a reminder of just what is at stake in terms of intellectual property and public health. monte: thanks so much. that is it for now. stay tuned for more world news on france 24.

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12/03/20 12/03/20 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! authorities say they fired blanks into the air and not at protesters. but cnn attained video that shows some shooting toward the crowd. here in the top of your screen here. amy: nigeria has been forced to admi