james: you're watching live from paris. i'm james creedon. paris and two other regions in france have suspended coronavirus vaccines due to ongoing shortages in supply. this as the country inches closer to a third lockdown. more on that coming up. protests take place in warsaw for a second night after a near total abortion ban takes effect in the country. we will hear more from our correspondence in warsaw. his appeal. the kremlin critic faces three and a half year prison sentence. more on that coming up. ♪

james: thank you for watching "france 24." europe faces a shortfall in vaccine supplies and the knock on effect has been felt in france. the capital and its metropolitan area as well as the burgundy and other regions are forced to delay the first shots of vaccines by up to one month. a third of the french population is affected. and why the shortfalls? on top of pfizer and astrazeneca falling short of promised doses, mentor and a has announced it will be delivering fewer vaccines than planned. a quarter let last. we have all the details. reporter: this vaccination center in the paris suburbs was ready to open on monday. but not anymore. >> [speaking french]

reporter: supply problems are hitting three regions of france. burgundy from show comta© and ill difference includes the french capital. the health agency says all the first does appointments it made for early february would be delayed by a month. and rescheduled for the first week of march. the other regions are seeing for those who have already received their first dose of a covid vaccine, their second shot appointments are still on the books. that includes those most at risk, residents and employees of retirement homes. those who have not received a first dose will have to wait, and that includes those over 75 and health-care care workers who had appointments in the coming weeks. >> [speaking french]

reporter: france depends on the eu for its supplies since the block decided to secure the shots collectively. and other eu countries have struggled with their rollouts. as of wednesday, the french health ministry said more than 1,000,001st doses had been administered, in just over 6000 people had received their second shots. james: meanwhile, france inches towards a third national lockdown. the health minister gave a press conference this afternoon. let's take a listen. >> the fact that new variants are faster circulating in the country leads us to think the curfew and other measures currently being enforced are useful, but are probably not enough. what we want to avoid is an epidemic within an epidemic. it is unlikely to be the case for france, but it makes us think it could be a reality very quickly if we do nothing. james: brussels has warned

pharmaceutical companies that the eu will use all available legal means if they don't deliver the covid-19 vaccine as promised. the european commission has gone so far as to request an inspection of astrazeneca's vaccine production plant in belgium. astrazeneca said it would only be able to supply 40% of the expected doses in the first quarter of this year. citing production problems at its factory. an about term, german health authorities are recommending the vaccine not be taken by people over 65 due to a lack of data on adverse effects. our reporter has more. reporter: it was supposed to help the european union speed up their vaccination campaign, but now the effectiveness of the astrazeneca jab has been called into question one day before the bloc's regulator is posed to approve it. german health officials have recommended the drug not be given to people over 65. >> [speaking french]

reporter: in response, astrazeneca defended its vaccine, as did the u.k., who has been using it in the country's messing in asian program for weeks. >> our own authorities have made it very clear that they think the oxford astrazeneca vaccine is very good. they think that it is effective across all age groups. reporter: doubts over the vaccine, as astrazeneca finds itself in an increasingly bitter row with the eu over delivery problems. the drugmaker last week announced it would not be able to deliver the expected 18 million doses to europe in the first quarter, citing production problems at a point in belgium. on thursday, local authorities inspected the factory at the

bloc's request. delivery delays have infuriated the eu. the two parties about it to work together to resolve the issue. james: two court -- to portable next where the parliament has voted to extend the lockdown to the middle of february announced the closure of its border with spain. . the prime minister warned the country is in a terrible situation and facing the worst moment of the pandemic. this report by our colleague. reporter: lisbon city center, deserted. in line with the portuguese capital's tightened covid-19 measures, sitting down our gathering in public is prohibited, as it walking along the sea front. there are no tourists to be seen and the police officers on the street outnumber the passersby. at portugal test centers, people are queuing for hours to get tested from the safety of their vehicles. while the country was spared by the first wave of the pandemic, it is one of the most affected in the world. >> [speaking foreign language]

>>speaking foreign language] reporter: these images date back to november. portugal was welding -- welcoming tourists in a bid to sustain its economy, while the rest of europe was living under strict covid-19 measures. the results, crematorium's are overwhelmed, the waiting time of five days compared to 24 hours under normal circumstances. in spring, portugal's management of the pandemic appeared were -- appeared miraculous. now the figures tell a different story. >> [speaking foreign language] reporter: hospitals are filling up rapidly, and some are with shortages of oxygen. in response, military hospitals

like this one are being used to treat covid-19 patients. the country's strict lockdown is in full swing but the number of infections is continuing to rise. . leading to a strengthening of measures last week, schools and universities now closed. james: a near total ban on abortion his -- is due to effect in poland. this comes after the court ruled the abortion of congenitally damaged fetuses is unconstitutional. for the second right -- night running, protesters took to the streets. we go to our correspondent. can you tell us the latest? magdalena: good evening. yes, the protesters are on the streets of warsaw. they have blocked the streets. they were afterwards blocked by the police. some of them entered the area, then they moved back. now we know five people were arrested, and solidarity in front of the police station.

it was also reported that the police used the gas. james: it sounds like a technicality, but this really does rule out abortion. most of the cases of abortion came under this particular hedging, if you like. can you explain more to our viewers about what it means for the termination of pregnancies in poland? magdalena: 98% of the legal abortions in poland took place due to the damage of the fetus. therefore today, that is why we are talking about the near total ban on abortion. now, from now on, they would need to seek help outside of poland. they will need to travel abroad where abortions are still legal to actually have it. unless they have suicidal thoughts or depression to prove that the pregnancy is a risk to

their life. and this law would definitely affect the most poor women that cannot just afford traveling and cannot sustain themselves. james: we were talking about this last night, that it is women's groups leading these protests. these protests are supported by the majority of polish people, despite the fact that the conservative law justice party also is supported by a majority of poles. how can you explain that contradiction? magdalena: the more or less 50% of the polish people, they vote for the conservative party. 70% of polish people supported women's rights. that means simply that even people voting for conservative governments will still support this fight against the new abortion law. and they don't want us to be in power.

james: ok. it is a story we will follow here on "france 24." thank you for that. a judge has denied the appeal of russian opposition leader alexey navalny's detention. several people were taken into custody. their apartments and offices were searched by police at head of client demonstrations. charli james has the latest. reporter: alexey navalny will remain in prison. thursday, a russian court rejected the opposition leader's appeal against his arrest. he addressed the court via video link from jail. he denounced the criminal proceedings as a government effort to intimidate the opposition, and encouraged his supporters. >> [speaking foreign language]

reporter: the decision follows overnight police raids of more than a dozen locations linked to navalny. the offices of his anticorruption foundation, his allies homes, the apartment where his wife is living. several people were detained. the lawyer of navalny's wife was kept outside her clients door and called the search is illegal. >> [speaking french] -- [speaking foreign language] reporter: navalny was arrested january 17 upon returning from germany where he spent months recovering from a nerve agent poisoning. more demonstrations to demand navalny's freedom are planned for sunday. another showdown is expected as russian authorities have declared the rallies illegal. james: protesters are underway

in the lebanese city of tripoli on thursday night. confrontations between protesters and police left at least two dead and more than 330 people injured. the lebanese army has reinforced its troops and it is patrolling lebanon second largest city. it is the most impoverished and has been a center of demonstrations and rioting againsthe political class. charli james has this report. reporter: lockdown and fed up, a crowd in tripoli resumes its protest. groups of mostly young men unleashing their anger over deteriorating living conditions and strict coronavirus measures. earlier thursday, mourners lay to rest 30-year-old omar tibor. he was killed during previous days confrontations between protesters and security forces. >> [speaking foreign language]

reporter: the pandemic is coupled with lebanon's worst ever economic crisis. in tripoli, the country's poorest city, a string of nightly protest turned particularly violent wednesday. more than 200 people were injured. >> [speaking foreign language] reporter: around half the country's workforce lives off day today pay or informal employment. but for taxi drivers, delivery workers and street vendors, the month-long lockdown means no work or income. the suffering is compounded by the high rate of infections. nearly a quarter of tests now come back positive, if you beds available at hospitals nationwide. james: pakistan's supreme court has ordered the release of an islamist convicted of beheading a american journalist.

the decision has left his family in shock. helen gaines ford has the details. reporter: it is a decision that sparked outrage. pakistan supreme court has acquitted the alleged astor mine behind the journalist's murder. he had been on death row since his conviction nearly 20 years ago. three other men who had been sentenced to life in prison for their part in the plot have also had their convictions overturned. >> today, the judgment has been announced. and it has been held that appeals filed by the providence stand dismissed. all of these. reporter: the 47-year-old british pakistani had a privileged upbringing, studying at the london school of economics. but traded it for a life of jihad and kidnappings. last year, a lower court acquitted him of the murder, reducing his conviction to a lesser charge of kidnapping and ordering his release.

the decision caused an international outcry. the family has called for u.s. intervention in the case. >> days decision is a complete travesty of justice and the release of these killers puts in danger journalists everywhere, and the people of pakistan. reporter: daniel was abducted and killed in the southern port city of karachi in 2002. as a south asia bureau chief for the wall street journal, he has been working on an investigation into richard reid, dubbed the shoe bomber, when he was kidnapped. a graphic video showing his decapitation was delivered to the u.s. consulate. his murder marked the emergence of a new islamist threat in pakistan. james: a portrait painting by a painter sold for $92 million. that is smashing the record price for the artist. the auction took place online

with that. >> $80 million. it's yours p thank you very much, indeed. reporter: one of only around a dozen portraits by botta charlie known to survive today, the italian renaissance artist young man holding a round circle for $92 million including fees on thursday. it shows an unknown young man, likely a member of florence's elite in the late 15th century. they said it was one of the most valuable portraits of any period to appear at auction. >> when i stand in front of this painting, it gives me such great pleasure still. it still takes my breath away. it has a force. that is just astounding. it is perfect in every way. reporter: the auction was conducted by bettors on the phone and online. the 15th century work had carried a presale estimate of $80 million, and souther bees thought it would fetch more than

$100 million. its previous unidentifiedr -- owner acquired painting in 1982 at an auction in the united kingdom. in the past 50 years, the painting is spent extended periods on loan at the national gallery in london, the metropolitan museum in new york, and the national gallery of art and washington, d.c. james: the vonda globe is around the world ceiling, images considered to be the toughest sporting challenges in the world. after more than 80 days at sea, the winners across the finish line in the west of france on wednesday night, despite lasting over two and a half months. this year, the race came down to the type of margin you might expect in a regular coastal race. a couple of hours between the top three. even more unusual, the first person to cross the line was not the ultimate winner. that honor went to the fellow french countryman. he had helped another competitor

after an accident with a fishing vessel, and as a result, had 10 hours shaved off his time. james: celebrations there last night. it is time now for business with kate moody. good evening. as the eu continues its row with astrazeneca over its order of vaccines, you have taken a look at our government's placeholder on those doses. kate: they had been working on this for several months, it cost hundreds and hundreds of millions of euros. the u.s., u.k., japan, and brazil are among those who, like the european union, signed preorders several months ago with several different pharmaceutical giants, while they were researching the possible vaccine. brussels made a substantial down payment from the bloc's emergency support instrument. member states will be making up the difference to buy and distribute the shots to their citizens. claire rush has more. reporter: since the beginning of the pandemic, the eu has signed a deal soup -- deals to secure 2.3 billion doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

through down pat -- down payments, contracts have been concluded with six companies including pfizer biontech and moderna, the only two vaccines to be approved by the eu for emergency use so far. is the astrazeneca deal that is sparking a row. in august, brussels may 336 million euros down plane to secure the first 300 million don't stash doses. company announced it will only be able to supply a quarter of the eu's preorder, due to manufacturing problems at planes in belgium and the netherlands. some analysts say such production issues could be solved if the eu forced compans to share their patented vaccine >> [speaking foreign language] >> today, these patents are generating tremendous revenue for pharmaceutical companies. but the priority should be to vaccinate as many people as possible in as many countries as spousal. if we truly considered vaccines

a common humanitarian good, -- patents would not exist.t. reporter: for now, the manufacturers says u.k. orders may be prioritized as they were placed three months before the eu's. the u.k. also approved the vaccines from pfizer, moderna, and astrazeneca weeks before brussels, allowing it to launch its vaccine rollout earlier. some 7 million people in the u.k. have received a shot, roughly 10% of the population. by contrast in the eu, only 8 million have gotten the jab, barely 2% of residents. kate: the biden administration has confirmed it will actively reengage in talks on an international framework to digital giants. janet yellen told her french counterpart that she would return to the table abandoned by her predecessor last summer, in talks that are being overseen by the oecd. he welcomed the about-face in a

phone call with yellen today. he said it would go some way to easing transatlantic trade tensions. the eu and u.s. are embroiled in a separate long-running trade spat over illegal subsidies to airbus and boeing. he said he hopes to travel to washington to seek a settlement. there is pressure on president biden to increase regulation of tech giants in terms of content and market share. antonio guterres saying he is particularly worried about the power of social media companies and calling for an international regulatory framework to be set up. new data from the u.s. commerce department confirmed the american economy had its worst year on record since world war ii. after a huge plunge and then a recovery in the second and third quarters respectively, u.s. gdp grew at a 4% annual rate in the final three months of 2020. the year as a whole saw a 3.5% drop because of the coronavirus pandemic. the most lasting damage could come in the labor market.

the number of new applications for jobless benefits dropped slightly from 900, to 847,000. that figure is four times higher than the weekly average a year ago before the pandemic struck. . more than 18 million americans are claiming some kind of unemployment benefits, and employers continue to shed jobs in december. the and women rate stood at 6.7% at the end of last year, but jerome powell said -- has said it is likely higher if you include those who have given up looking for work altogether. mr. powell: the real unemployment rate is close to 10% if you include people, it is appropriate that monetary policy be highly accommodative to support maximum employment, and price stability which is getting inflation back to 2%. kate: america central bank has indicated it will continue to support the economy as long as needed. another hand of stimulus is expected to help american workers, businesses and the economy. that does not mean a smooth

sailing in 2021. one retail group has forecasted as millie -- as many as 10,000 stores could close across the u.s., even if the pandemic is brought under control. that would represent a 14% uptick in store closures from last year. consumer spending has largely recovered from its pandemic lows, but remains concentrated online, not in person. let's check in on the days trading action. a mixed close for the major indices. london ftse 100 ending in the red. frankfurt dax up about one third of a percentage point. european airline shares rising between 3% and 6% today. wall street has recovered from its worst session in months. it turned higher this thursday, although it had lost some steam by the closing bell. the dow jones closed 300 points higher. it had been up double that in the social. the be 500 up one percentage point. the nasdaq, half of that. shares of american airlines

closed 9% despite taking a $2.2 billion quarterly loss, which was not as steep as feared. the biggest mover on wall street this week has been a struggling videogame store called game stop. for most of last year, game stop shares were worth between three dollars and four dollars a piece. in recent weeks, they have jumped over 1000% peaking at $483. on thursday, trading was halted several times throughout the session and the stock closed 32% lower at $235 per share. amateur traders have been pouring their money into the stock, hoping to squeeze big hedge fund who had bet against the company's fortunes. many online are rooting for those traders who are seen as underdogs in something of a david and goliath stock battle. securities and exchange commission says it is monitoring this -- the situation against fears of market manipulation. it could impact broader trade as well. >> the community differ decided

to bid up the stock enforce the shorts to cover. what you are seeing on a daily basis now is the stock is trading way more than its volu. we are seeing something unprecedented. it is up because it is a pyramid scheme. kate: this has been something extraordinary to watch. anyone who's interested in the stock markets has been following this roller coaster ride that game stop has been on in the past few days. now that it is in the spotlight, there might be some efforts to try to calm down. . we will have to keep you posted on friday. james: i'm not sure if it is related, but if people are indoors, maybe they are gaining more. maybe there is more of a focus on the online activities. kate: there certainly is. and there could be an argument to be made for that. but what is going on here is a concerted effort by a group of day traders, people sitting online and coordinating these actions. it is not quite all linked to fate of this company. james: thanks for that, kate.

a quick break for the weather and we will be back with news after that. ♪

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01/28/21 01/28/21 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> right now i want toevel with the public, we are fing two constraining factors. the first is getting enough supply quickly enough and the second is the ability to administer the vaccine quickly once they're produced and sent out to the sides. amy: another 4000 people die in the united states from covid-19