♪ ♪ anchor: a beginning of the end of the pandemic.

coronavirus vaccinations rolled out across the european union. a furtherhree under 63 people have died of covid-19 in france in the past when he four hours. a saudi arabian women's activist who led the campaign for the right to drive a car has been jailed for over five years. international calls for her to be released. the saudi say her campaign amounted to terror-related crimes including harming national security and pushing a harmful agenda. a number of bloggers in china spoke out about the pandemic and disappeared. sent to prison for provoking trouble, reporting the chaotic initial stages of the covid outbreak and will con. thank you -- in wuhan.

three french soldiers have been killed in the sahel region of africa, killed when their armored vehicle hit a roadside bomb. it happened in mali. the soldiers have been named. the soldiers are part of the french force in operation against terrorists in the sahel region. the death spring 247 the number french soiers killein mali -- the deaths bring to 47 the number of french soldiers killed in mali, fighting terrorists who have overrun the country. there have been three french soldiers killed in the saw help -- sahel as part of operation

bar came. the european union vaccination program began this weekend, rolled out across the 27 state block. the goal is to protect people so the virus is no longer a threat. peter o'brien has this. peter: at 96, the oldest resident in his retirement home. he is also the first person in belgium to get a covid vaccine. [applause] >> [speaking another language] peter: on saturday, germany, hungary, and slovakia started dosing out the pfizer and biontech vaccine, followed by almost all e.u. members states a day later. vulnerable people and health workers, a top priority. in italy, doctors and nurses in lombardy with the first to be

inoculated. the region was particularly badly hit by the virus. >> [speaking italian] peter: in most member states, an elderly person was the first to receive the vaccine, while in the czech republic, the prime minister chose to leave by example, appearing live on television to become the first in the country to get the shot. in total, the e.u. has ordered around 2 billion doses of various vaccines for a campaign that will last several months. with infection rates still at worrying levels, some countries have opted to tighten restrictions. on monday, poland entered a third lockdown. anchor: the vaccinations rolled out across the e.u. we spoke to a professor of infectious diseases at the

catholic university. >> we are starting with a massive vaccination. it will take time, but i think especially if people accept the idea to be vaccinated. and i am confident that within the next month we will see more and more people getting the vaccine. anchor: will the new variant of covid-19 identified in the u.k. -- will this disrupt the plan as you see it? >> no, don'think so. well, to be honest with you, this mutation, the variation, the new variance of the virus, has been described not only in the u.k., but recently i was talking with a group who demonstrated new variants here in italy. however, the idea is as long as the vaccine is targeted, the

spike, and the mutations in the spike are not so numerous, the vaccine will remain very effective. anchor: the new variant of covid-19 is on -- is contributing to the unprecedented high number of cases currently in london. the u.k. reported over 350 deaths this monday and over 41,000 new cases, the first time the daily total has passed the 40,000 mark. 200 british skiers have fled a swiss resort to escape mandatory quarantine, after switzerland imposed a quarantine because of the new strain of coronavirus discovered in the u.k. some hotels only found at the guests had gone when they found their rooms empty in the morning. andrew: a disappearing act that left their swiss hosts angry and amused. under the cover of darkness, dozens of british holidaymakers slipped out of their hotel rooms

and fled the ski resort to avoid a mandatory quarantine. twitchell and had been one of the only countries where foreign tourists, including brits, could still ski. on december 31 -- december1, that changed with a new strain in the u.k. switzerld imposed a quarantine on anyone who arrived from the u.k. after december 14, but the head of tourism has downplayed the incident, insisting things have been overblown. >> [speaking french] andrew: local authoriti saying at least 200 british holiday makers fled the resort. either way, it is a huge blow. tourism officials are already

planning to offer discounts as an incentive for the skiers to come back. anchor: a woman has been sentenced to over five years by a court in saudi arabia, a campaigner for women to have a right to drive in saudi arabia. her activities judged as terror-related and a threat to national security. her family and supporters are hoping with time already served and part of the sentence suspended that she will be free by march. >> there is light at the end of the tunnel for the women's rights activist sentenced to five years and eight months in prison, convicted for seeking to change the country's political system and harming national security. it also suspended two years and 10 months of her sentence, time she had already served. that means she would be out of jail by the end of febrry 2021, as long as she does not leave udi arabia or permit any

crimes, according to the court. >> the sentenc will continue to hang over her head. she will continue to feel threatened. the travel ban for another five years and eight months will be imposed on her as well. honestly, this is a complete mockery of justice. she should not have to spend another day in prison. >> she was arrested in may 2018 after campaigning for years for saudi women's rights, including lifting the ban on female drivers. she and at least a dozen other female activists were thrown in jail. in november, her case was transferred to the specialist criminal courts, which deals with terrorism cases. the trial drew international condemnation, with president-elect joe biden promising to take a tougher line than donald trump on the kingdom's human rights record. in an interview with france 24 last year, her sister was optimistic.

>> saudi arabia is feeling the new american administration. i would like to cl my leade, my saudi leaders, to say do not embarrass yourself anymore, and release my sister. release her and the other activists. >> meanwhile, saudi arabia has consistently denied accusations of abuses and warned western countries not to meddle in its domestic affairs. anchor: the united nations has called for her to be released immediately. we will keep crossing develop and's on her story for you. with the covid outbreak, a writer has been jailed for four years. the lawyer arrived at the court in shanghai in a wheelchair. the court said it was for quickie -- picking corals and making -- picking quarrels and making trouble.

she revealed something that china was trying to conceal. she was one of the people who spoke out about the start of the covid-19 pandemic and then disappeared or was silenced. >> police pushed back journalists and tried to block cameras from filming as tensions mount outside a court room in shanghai. inside, a journalist was sentenced to four years imprisonment after posting live videos and essays in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. she is accused of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble." her lawyers say she was just trying to share information. >> [speaking mandarin]

>> the reports were widely shared on social media last february, at times critical of the government's response. a lawyer by training, she unched a hunger strike in june. she was force-fed through a nasal tube. she is one of several to be detained by authorities after offering first-hand accounts from wuhan. another journalist has disappeared entirely. state media have largely applauded the government's handling of the pandemic, crediting xi jinping with keeping the country safe. anchor: donald trump has bent under political pressure & the $900 billion -- and signed the $900 billion stimulus plan. he will inject more chaos in his presidency. an increase in hx is perhaps the

headline -- in aid checks is perhaps the headline, but it provides millions of support for people and businesses. observers have been perplexed by trump's decision not to sign it into law. reporter: a partial government shutdown averted after president donald trump approved a $2.3 trillion relief bill. the president, who had vowed to block the bill, has an 11th hour change of heart, but not before demanding an increase in stimulus payments. >> i simply want to get are great people $2000 rather than the measly $600 that is now in the bill. also stop the billions of dollars in pork. reporter: $900 billion has been earmarked for pandemic relief. those measures include extending a moratorium on evictions that was set to expire on december 31, as well as extending

unemployment benefits. it also provides funds for purchasing and disturbing vaccines and testing. families earning less than $75,000 will receive a $600 stimulus check. another $1.4 trillion is for federal agencies spending to keep the government running. house democrats applauded the bill's passage and vowed to continue fighting for pandemic relief payments of $2000. rep. pelosi: it takes us down the path a first step. reporter: the house as it will vote on increasing the second run stimulus payments, but the measure is unlikely to pass the republican-controlled senate. anchor: a little perplexed about the proper meaning of trump's tweet. we wil try to get some elimination on that when we can. -- try to get some illumination on that we can. new year's eve celebrations in

the iconic times square. sparkling waterford crystal triangles in their new setting. a gift of happiness design. times square will not be open to the public because of the pandemic. the annual celebration will be live-streamed around the world for everyone to enjoy. more news when you stay with us. you are watching "france 24." ♪ >> welcome to the show. you are watching tech 24. hollywood is going through one of the most volatile periods in

the history of the industry after the pandemic put a halt to productions. the new virtual techniques are being adopted to slash costs. they could be backing up more than you think. high-end robotic vacuums clean up, but also collect personal data to map homes. we test the rumba -- roomba in test 24. new video technology used making "the lion king" could become more popular during the pandemic. instead of shooting on location with a cast and crew and having to respect social distancing requirements, it allows filmmakers on a studio lot to combine scenes captured virtually using a variety of techniques. >> making films will not be getting social distancing, travel restrictions, and other coronavirus measures.

it is a big challenge for production crews to get back up and running. one piece of technology could be a game changer. used in disney's reproduction of "the lion king" and "the main glory and -- "the ma ndalorian," it is an alternative to shooting on location with a full cast and crew. >> you can create a three-dimensional background that looks real, move the camera, change the lighting, make it look like you were on a huge stage. >> virtual production is a different experience for actors. unlike a traditional green screen, they can see and interact with a background. >> freeze. don't move. >> itching to get back to work after months of disruption, most actors, including joseph gordon levitt, are open to the idea. joseph: i'm not averse to any

technology, depending on the context. i think different technologies are appropriate for some things and inappropriate for other things. it's about sort of finding a good pairing between the tech you are using and the story you are trying to tell. reporter: as films rely increasingly on special effects, some experts say virtual production is the new way forward. for now at least, it seems to be the best way to continue making blockbusters for the foreseeable future. anchor: onset is our in-house expert. to tell us how the videogame technology can help the movie industry get back on its feet -- analyst: modern video games that are high in quality, rich in graphics, they are developed using game engines. these allow the development of video in quicktime. the makers are interested in using these game engines because it enables the creation of this spectacular visual environment

without a lot of requirement of onset productions. that is very important in times like these. secondly, it is also a great tool for a production process, because you can add real-time visuals as a part of the production process. anchor: how can they choose the exact period to release a blockbuster, for instance? analyst: whether it is pandemic time or normal time, the release date of any film is extremely important. of course, during this time, it becomes particularly important. you know the hollywood film industry has suffered a lot. a number of films have postponed the releases. there are some potential blockbusters crowded up, that will be released simultaneously. it is important for the studios to have optimum release of their films. for this, data science comes in

extremely handy. there is a firm called cowher street analytics that is simulating box office numbers by taking into account different parameters like the cost of the film, the director, the content, and using these numbers they are able to basically find the best dates for a movie release. anchor: thank you. you will be back in the studio in just a few minutes, but in the meantime, we are going to keep talking about the arts and how they often are here to shed critical light on societal changes. authors in particular tend to act as whistleblowers as they quietly observe how innovations are set to change our future. one author has just released her 15th book, "the flowers of darkness." she joins me onset. -- on set. in a nutshell, can you give me a sense of what your book is about? >> that is always difficult. this takes place in the near future. i heroin is a writer and she

moves into a very high-tech artistic residence after a messy breakup. in this place which is very connected, she hopes to turn over a new relief -- a new leaf and start feeling release in her new home. but this smart home with its eyes and cameras a bit like here somehow makes her feel in spite of upon. this book is all about this woman's paranoia concerning all these objects, all this technology which is supposed to make our life easier, and in the end turns her life into hell. anchor: is it something you are afraid of, perhaps trying to always have a high-tech society, trying to gain time constantly -- could that actually lead to the fact that men could maybe lose their identity or even lose their free will? tatiana: i think it is a fear we all have and we do not have to be in the near future to already

feel this fear. even when we buy a new telephone or computer and set it up, there is so much data we give away. every click online is monitored by who -- who is watching us? big brother is still watching us. i was interested in exploring how artificial intelligence invades every level of our life. this is not a book about the progress of tech. this is not a book about technology. it is about more intimacy and how robots, even sexual robots, can invade our intimacy, or private lives, or sexual lives. it is also a book about our fear of the future, who afraid we are of what is ahead of us. this writer, who is not really me, although she could be me -- i am surfing on her fears. these are fears we can have even in our everyday life today, because we use these devices.

and my question is, as human beings faced with a world that is more and more ruled and run by robots, where is our place? how do we keep our place as human beings? what should we do to keep our control? anchor: your book came out just a few days before the lockdown here in france, in march. tell us more about this pandemic. you think that with all the social distancing and everything that has been put in place to try to manage this pandemic, do you think this is going to hurt social human interactions in the long run? tatiana: when we came out of this lockdown in france, we all thought, very rashly, that we could go back to our life as it was before. still cannot kiss or hug each other or even shake hands. still have to keep this social distancing, the barrier, we call it in france, which sounds worse

somehow. i wonder how it will affect young children, teaching them to not touch people, to keep away. then again, i think we have to think about what lies in store, because we are certainly not going back to the life of before. so what lies ahead? and how are we going to live in a world where we have to keep apart from each other? anor: tatiana de rosnay, thank you. "the flowers of darkness" was a novel that was written simultaneously in french and in english, which is a world first and gives insight into how much technology is making us increasingly paranoid. thank you again. they're actually going to move on to test 24. as you will see, smartphones -- smart homes spying on us is not that fictional. dan is back in the studio with us for test 24. tatiana was just talking about

these connected homes, starting to make me feel paranoid because of all of the sensors and video cameras. to what extent is it actually true that perhaps our homes are spying on us today? analyst: every connected device needs data to make it more intelligent, so it collects data . this company, the i robot company, it placed great emphasis on privacy. if i go to its website, it says it is using the high standards of encryption to keep the data private and secure. now let's take a look at how this roomba works. you can see there is a base, the cleats, and the robot. this robot is quite expensive. it costs more than 1000 euros. it can operate individually without the application, as it is doing now. or you can just press clean on

this button and it will start moving and clean the house. or you can have the application and direct the robot on which part of your apartment needs to be clean. it can also clean after you have left your apartment. it can also tell you how much time it has spent cleaning your apartment. there are multiple functions in this app. then there is mapping of this. you can create these zones in your apartment on the app. you can tell the robot if you want a particular part of the department to be clean. it also comes with this technology that allows it to hug the tight corners, or hug corners much more tightly, so that ensures a better cleaning process. anchor: thank you. that actually brings us to the end of this week's edition of tech 24. you can watch it again on our website. see you soon.

analyst: thank you. ♪ >> the holiday season is upon us, and france being a catholic country, the major celebration is christmas. the lights may be lighting up the streets, but there is less excitement in the air. all of the cheer and christmasing has been replaced by masks and social distancing. how is the coronavirus pandemic going to affect the way french people celebrate holidays at the end of the year? in this french connections, the covid edition. >> french connections plus, presented by genie godula. ♪

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12/28/20 12/28/20 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> we need to he full policy -- both policy or we're going to be in a world of hurt. amy: as president trump unexpectedly signs a $900 billion covid relief package after calling the bipartisan bill a disgrace, democrats are taking up his call to expand direct stimulus payments from $600 to $2000.