anchor: you're watching life in paris. it is not :00 in the french capital. these are the top stories. france joins a delete and italy in resuming the astrazeneca vaccine. the french prime minister got his jab earlier this friday. paris and 16 other regions are gearing up for a lockdown to come into effect at midnight. americans give president biden the thumbs up in tackling coronavirus and economic woes, but less convinced over immigration, according to a poll released today. we will look at some of the policies.

also coming up, violence in myanmar kills at least nine people as demonstrators take to the streets calling for the february 1 military coup to be overturned. all that and plenty more. you are watching france 24. ♪ our top story, france has joint european nations, including germany and italy, in resuming the oxford astrazeneca vaccine, after regulators found no proof it causes of clots. germany's chancellor angela merkel said a short time ago that she would be willing to take the astrazeneca vaccine. the french prime minister received his first jab at a mitary hospital, this a day

after authorities in france imposed a new lockdown in paris and several other regions. the country is staring down a third wave of the pandemic. the details. reporter: france's vaccination program has seen more ups and downs than a roller coaster ride , and it has been a particularly rocky relationship with astrazeneca. initially back in january, president macron question the vaccine's effectiveness for people over 65. within the country, along with several others, acted on its own in suspending astrazeneca without final recommend nations -- recommendations from the u.n. this does not come as a surprise that the reckless talk has dented public confidence. >> i don't trust it. there is a problem.

>> is going to be very difficult to get this back on track. that is, to geteoples's confidence back. a good number of them will resist. reporter: the sentiment is echoed by experts. >> i must say there is really confusion across europe. i think this is really bad because in terms of having the confidence of the population, it is a problem. i think that we will have to wait. i don't think it will be very long. i think that there are analysis that are made to test the link between the vaccine and these very rare events. reporter: in a bid to boost confidence, the french prime minister rolled up his sleeve in front of the tv cameras. for now, a little more than one

point 4 million people have received the first dose of astrazeneca and france, although it is not known how many of them are under 55. anchor: some 21 million people in 16 areas of france will be placed under lockdown as of midnight local time. that news prompted long queues at train stations as people fled the capital to avoid the restrictions. schools will remain open but nonessential businesses must close their doors. we bring you up-to-date. reporter: an exodus from paris hours before the cities go -- the city was back into lockdown. trains packed after a flood of bookings late thursday, with people rushing to leave the capital before curfew. >> [speaking french]

>> [speaking french] reporter: a rail operator said services for some destinations were fully booked. 73,000 train tickets were sold online on thursday night, twice the number reserved for the previous day, while bookings for the weekend are up by 20%. to meet the demand, the rail company has doubled the number of carriages on services leaving paris. prices have also risen. passenger numbers have not seen a similar boost at air france. the carrier says customers who can no longer travel can have tickets exchanged or refunded. anchor: in the u.s., it is clear president biden's goal of injecting 100 million coronavirus shots, this more than a month before the target date. this comes as he prepares to beef up the nationwide

vaccination effort. here is the president speaking earlier this friday. >> we hope we can keep the pace, about 2.5 miion per day, we may be able to get -- to double it. but we met the goal. anchor: good news for president biden this friday, as a new poll reveals the number of americans who approve of him has steadily grown since he took office. this boosted by the concrete steps concerning public health and the economic crisis due to the coronavirus. when it comes to immigration, americans are less convinced. 45% saying they disagree with his handling of an influx of migrants at the border with mexico. republicans say it is down to bite and rolling back the hard-line policies of donald trump. -- down to biden rolling back the hard-line policies of donald trump you the white house refutes this. >> we will keep emphasizing the

border is not open, that the majority of people get sent back , do not make it into the united states. and frankly, the message is don't come in this way ever. this is not the way to come to the united states. the way to do -- to come to the united states, is legal pathways. anchor: let's get you more on biden's immigration policies, we have a professor joining us from lyon. thank you for speaking to france 24. you heard, americans essentially unconvinced when it comes to biden's immigration policies, particularly how he has responded to a wave of children crossing the border. what are the challenges this situation at the southern border poses for joe biden? >> it poses political and legal challenges.

the legal chaenge is people have a right to come to the united states and seek asylum, it is in u.s. law. the political challenge is it is undermining his effort to interact -- to enact immigration reform. anchor: we know he has gotten the green light or thumbs up as to how he is handled the coronavis epidemic, pandemic rather, whether it is the vaccination campaign or the stimulus package that was recently passed. is it a case of more time needed for the situation to get better at the border? >> first, i will point out that republicans are hoping to change the narrative here because a lot of things are going well, as you pointed out in the first 100 days. but this is not come of the border. it is posing a problem for the administration as it is seeking to enact legislation it hopes

would solve some of these problems going forward. if the narrative is there is a crisis at the border, it makes less likely this legislation will become law. anchor: and you will be aware that the house of representatives voted on two bills that are gateway -- a gateway for citizenship for dreamers, people who came as children. will the same warm reception at the senate? >> almost certainly not. in addition to the dreamers, the young people who get legal pathway to citizenship, a second bill gave a legal pathway to farmworkers, one million people who make up half of the farmworkers in the united states that have been working illegally. that second bill had the republican sign on in the house of representatives, that suggests it might be possible to get some senate support from republicans, but it will be an uphill battle and the senate is split 50-50, and in less something happens with the filibuster, you need 60 votes.

anchor when it comes to a filibuster, a relatively small group of senators trying to block an action by the majority, could this reignite the discussion of whether to do away with the filibuster? >> absolutely and this is not the only issue that is raising the question of whether it is time to modify or end the filibuster. president biden recently said he wanted to see some changes to it. the filibuster means you need 60 setors to vote to enact legislation, not just a majority, but th never have to filibuster -- that is, talk and talk and talk to put off the vote. just have to say we want to filibuster. biden said this week let's make them have to talk and stand for hours on end. anchor: amanda frost, that is all we have time for, thank you for sharing your thoughts.

>> thank you. anchor: we take you to alaska, where talks between u.s. and chinese officials have gotten heated. beijing accusing washington of encouraging other countries to attack china. washington hit back, accusing beijing of showing off. the meeting marks the first high-level talks between the biden administration and china. we can show you images of antony blinken, still in alaska for those talks. relations between china and the u.s. at an all-time low. >> diplomatic channels will continue to work. anchor: meanwhile, forming the backdrop of those talks today, saw the most -- saw the trial of canadians think held in china on spying charges. they were detained in december

of 2018. canada has called the charges trumped up and the prime minister said the arbitrary detention is completely unacceptable. reporter: the two canadn men have had almost no contact with the outside world since china detained them in december 2018. charging them in june 2020 with espionage and providing state cedric's -- state secrets. a former diplomat was accused of collaborating. the family described him as an ordinary canadian businessman building constructive ties with china and north korea. he says the detentions were arbitrary and retaliatory. >> over two years they have been arbitrarily detained and we are very troubled by the situation. we are asking, demanding their

immediate release. given the nature of their detention. reporter: beijing detained the canadians just days after a huawei executive was arrested in canada. the founder and ceo is under house arrest in vancouver as she fights extradition to the u.s., as she faces charges the company violated sanctions with iran. the canadians have been held since her arrest, with visits restricted. beijing insisted the detention is not linked to the other case, which it says is purely litical. diplomatic relations between beijing and ottawa at their lowest ebb, and the expected convictions could facilitate an agreement, allowing them to go back to canada. anchor: violence in myanmar killed at least nine people this friday as demonstrators once again took to the streets calling for the february 1

military coup to be overturned. security forces have used increasingly brutal force to suppress. reporter: a face-off between protesters and security forces in a town in southeastern myanmar. these men hiding behind barricades to protect themselves. this as police fired rubber bullets into the crowd. on friday, scenes like this played out across the asian country, the movement undeterred by the violent response, compared to a war by medical workers. six weeks after a coup that put them in power, the demonstrators continue to call for the junta's departure. this video circulating a social media offered a glimpse into police brutality, a woman forced

to carry a sandbag. now for police officers defying orders to shoot people, different story. a group of them had to flee to neighboring india and they fear they may never be able to return home. so as teargas permeates the air and bullets rain in the streets of myanmar, the future of its people continues to hang in the balance. anchor: time for today's report marking the 10th anniversary of the syrian revolution. we have been meeting with syrian refugees in exile. today we meet with a 19-year-old could the young woman has been -- a 19-year-old. the young woman has been living in a camp in lebanon. our correspondent has this report. >> [speaking foreign language]

reporter: she and her family found refuge in this camp. this place is known for an infamous massacre by palestinians. since then, the camp has changed and has become for syrians seeking an inexpensive place to stay but it remains difficult. >> [speaking foreign language] reporter: to cope with the situation, she has resumed her studies and is working with an ngo.

>> [speaking foreign language] reporter: once a week, she needs 10 teenagers for a session. while yoga cannot fix the harsh conditions, her young students are eager to go to class. >> [speaking foreign language] reporter: despite the hardships, she dreams of becoming accomplished. someday, she would like to

travel to india to deepen her knowledge of yoga until she can finally returned to her syrian homeland. anchor: tanzania's first female president has been sworn in. incomes following the sudden death of her predecessor. the 61-year-old will finish his a second five-year term, set to run until 2025. using her first speech, she lled for unity. >> [speaking foreign language] anchor: nasa has released new audio from its perseverance rover. experts say it will help scientists better understand the terrain on mars.

in recordings, we can hear the metal wheels clanking over the rocky surface of the planet. [clanking] reporter: the clanking of wheels over a rocky surface and a high-pitched scratching noe. these are the first sounds of nasa's perseverance rover driving on mars, recorded earlier this month. as well as giving us a better sense of what the red planet is like, the audio also has scientific value, telling us about the physical properties of the surface. it adds to a growing playlist of mars sounds recorded by perseverance, like this one less than a day after landing. [wind blowing] perseverance limit on mars february 18. since then, most of his time has been spent testing systems and instruments.

march 4, and drove on the planet for the first time. >> we made contact with the ground when it landed. i don't think i have ever been happier to see wheel tracks and i have seen a lot of them. this is a huge milestone for the mission. reporter: the rover's main mission is to collect rocks and search for signs of past life on mars. first, nasa wants to conduct flight tests for the helicopter ingenuity. perseverance is task with deploying the device. anchor: a change in pace here on live from paris, let's get a round up of the business news. shops and nonessential surfaces -- nonessential services are bracing for revenue loss as a third lockdown is going to be in paris and other regions comes into force at midnight. >> another month. there is some confusion as to what types of retail business

can remain open. the government has already said that unlike during the first two lockdowns, bookshops, music stores and hairdressers can continue to receive clients. florists, shoe repair shops, and chocolate stores have also been added to the exceptions. we have some of the reactions from shopkeepers and business owners. reporter: french is this is race for another month of lost revenue. -- french businesses brace for another month of lost revenue. shops that are nonessential have been ordered to close, including clothing retailers and toy sellers, among others. >> [speaking french] reporter: francis finance

minister he says 59,000 -- france's finance ministry says 59,000 businesses will be forced to close, on top of the 70,000 already shut down for health reasons. to help is this is from going under, the french government is adding an additional 1.2 billion euros in economic aid to its monthly to during the lockdown. a few categories of shops have been spared. unlike the first lockdown, hair salons, sellers and music stores will be allowed to operate if they follow sanitary protocol. >> [speaking french] reporter: the finance minister estimates this third lockdown will subtract 4 billion euros from the country's total economic output this year. still, the government is holding onto its ambitious growth target at 6%. anchor: meanwhile, finance

ministers from the group of seven nations held a virtual meeting this friday, supporting the idea that the international monetary fund provide additional aid to the poorest nations hit by the pandemic. the britain's desha britain's nance minister hosted the meetin and called it a significant milestone that could lead to a larger deal at the meetings planned next month. the new aid could come in the form o special drawing rights, a financial tool that could help countries struggling to pay foreign debt, allowing them to borrow at a much lower interest rate. the bank of japan has decided to keep its negative interest rates and made slight changes to monetary policy as it struggles to boost inflation. the changes could have a small impact on long-term interest rates for 10 year bonds. the be oj also -- boj also kept

its stock buying but dropped the ea of buying at least half that amount every year to shore up the stock market. governor corona is -- kuroda is optimistic. >> [speaking japanese] anchor: let's take a look at the markets. financial shares slid following the latest announcement from the federal reserve in the united states that it will restore capital requirements on large banks, which were eased in the early days of the pandemic. meanwhile, technology shares

lifted the nasdaq. the s&p fell below the flatlining, ending the week in negative territory. oil prices rose 2% this friday, as a saudi oil a facility -- oil facility again suffered an attack. the drone atta reportedly caused no damage. paris has become the latest major french city to turn on 5g networks. phone operators say existing 4g services will not be impacted and people with 5g enabled phones will see connection speeds triple. reporter: a tech upgrade. for the first time, parisians will be able to use 5g, currently three times faster than 4g. telecom operators have switched

on 5g networks in the capital. the new network had been rolled out in a number of areas across france, including major cities like marseille and ordo. -- bordeaux. 4g services will not be affected. >> 5g will enable parisians to develop applications and speed up innovations that will energize society. reporter: france has lagged behind the u.s. and china with the rollout of the technology. some residents fiercely oppose it over environmental and health concerns. a mayor tweeted the city would not adopt it until a published report on the technologies impact this spring, saying it is crucial to wait. but the president made clear he is not budging.

>> [speaking french] reporter: despite the resistance in some quarters, 5g is gathering pace in the country. between the end of january and into february, the number of 5g enabled areas went up by almost 12%. anchor: it is world sleep day today, a day to mind people of the importance of slumber. and china, the so-called sleep economy is booming as people head to nap centers to catch up on sleep. more than 300 million chinese people suffer from a sleep disorder, and the markets for businesses offering places to rest is expected to hit 52 billion euros this yeaand reach 150 billion ros by 2030. let's hear from the manager of one shop.

>> floating is an experience similar to returning to the mother's womb. people just stay with their breath. anchor: we should both go to bed early tonight. anchor: definitely, we all need sleep so much. thank you for the round up the business news. stay tuned, we will take a short break and we will be back on the others with more international headlines. i hope you will join us then.

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03/19/21 03/19/21 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> politicians in my home state and all across america and their craven lust for power of lost a full-fledged assault on budding rights. they are focused on winning at any cost, even the cost of democracy itself. amy: in his first speech from the senate floor, georgia democrat