♪ >> to delayed -- the delayed tokyo 2020 olympics officially begin. protests break out of the funeral of the slain haitian president. deaths including a u.s. delegation running for cover as gun shots ring out.

thanks for joining us here on france 24. it may be 364 days behind schedule, but the delayed tokyo 2020 olympic names have officially begun as the capital reports its highest rate of covid infections this week since january with several dozen cases reported among athletes and staff. the cases also taking place among a coronavirus health emergency, which means spectators are banned from most of the events. >> let the games begin. all eyes are on japan's national stadium as the tokyo olympics gets under way. the excitement is palpable. >> it is a privilege, a unique moment to be in these games, but also in our careers to be among these athletes. >> proud to be french -- a

sentiment at the -- a sentiment echoed by these athletes and volunteers. they say it is an absolute honor to be part of what is set to be a colorful spectacle. >> i'm excited and happy. we have been waiting for this for a year. the tokyo games are really special for me. i cannot wait to see the athletes who will be doing their activities and sports. >> we are extremely lucky the games are taking place and on top of that to be in tokyo to see them. it almost did not happen. >> the games come with a message of unity during the pandemic, so it is not just spectators but athletes who savor every moment. julia: france has adopted a controversial law against separatism, but it is slammed as anti-muslim by politicians on the left while those on the right say it does not go far enough.

>> a bill reinforcing the respect of republican values in france is essentially emmanuel macron's bid to redraw the line separating the church and state, the official objective being to reinforce the respect of french values. the government has not been shot in voicing their objections to this bill. the bill proposes to extend the state's powers to close down religious organizations and places of worship as well as cracking down on foreign funding. it will also tighten rules on homeschooling as well as tightening the ban on wearing religious symbols and clothing in certain contexts. finally, it will introduce a series of measures to fight online abuse in the aftermath of a murder last year. >> attendees at the funeral of

the murdered haitian president were forced to dive for cover after gunshots rang out during the ceremony. the u.s. delegation sent by president biden, are safe, though, according to the white house. peter o'brien has this report. peter: the televised funeral was underscored by shouts of protest nearby, shouts accusing authorities of failing to protect him. the noise continued as the first lady took to the stage, her arm in a sling from the attack which killed her husband. she is as desperate for justice as anyone. >> [speaking foreign language] peter: towards the end of the

ceremony, foreign dignitaries were whisked away under high security. there were reports of tear hundreds of protesters clashed with police outside. more than two weeks after the assassination, the unrest continues. >> [speaking foreign language] peter: the investigation has made some headway, but many questions remain. at least 26 suspects have an arrested, including a number of colombian soldiers. authorities say the attackers were disguised as u.s. drug agents, which allowed them to enter the building. the president had faced a major protests against him. he was accused of corruption and increasing authoritarianism as gun violence surged and haiti's economy got worse.

julia: the former prime minister of haiti joins us tonight. thank you f being with us. two weeks after the assassination, there is still no word on the mastermind behind this. who do you think paid t have him kled? >> this is the question people are asking on the streets. that is why there is a lot of uneasiness and anger. as of now, two weeks after, there's still no signs of the authorities finding who sponsored, who financed, who put the money for this horrendous assassination. julia: you have called for a u.n.-let -- u.n.-led inquiry, but do you see this happening? do you see the will from the international community to find out who is behind this? >> to me, that is the only way haiti can find peace and move

forward, to put together an unbiased, mutual, international special tribunal, just like what happened in sierra leone, just like what happened in lebanon. the president deserves to have the same treatment. he deserves to have an international inquiry, not only the investigation but an international tribunal to prosecute. this will allow for fair trial and to have the real assassins brought to justice. julia: it seems like there is a bit of reluctance, on the part of the united states, for example. president biden has rebuffed a request from haitian leaders, though he has sent a special envoy. do you think president biden should be doing more? >> i think everybody should be doing more.

this is a presidential assassination. this is something that could happen in any country in the world. haiti and the world, for that matter, needs to know who has done this. the united states has nominated a special envoy that will come in that has a lot of experience and will come in and understand the matter better and hopefully will recommend for that to happen. the united nations needs to act swiftly. there is a lot of tension in haiti because people are not understanding why this tribunal is not set up, why the investigation is not moving forward, and why also still we have no idea who put the money, and you see the first lady today -- she spoke about the oligarchs in haiti. there's a lot of sadness and a lot of questions, so the sooner the better.

julia: very quickly, what do you think will happen if this crime does go unpunished and we never find out who killed juvenile boys -- jovenel moise? what message will that send? >> this will send a message that impunity will rule and that assassins can roam the streets, so i do not even want to entertain that scenario because this will be the worst possible outcome for haiti, for haitians, and truly for every country in the world because it will tell that your resident can be assassinated and the assassins can roam the street without any problem. this cannot happen. julia: i'm afraid that's all the time we have, but thank you very much for joining us. the delayed tokyo 2020 olympics have officially begun. the pandemic, though, casting a shadow over the rather subdued

opening ceremony. organizers paid tribute. >> it looks like any other olympic opening ceremony, but tokyo 2020 is far from regular. the ongoing coronavirus pandemic resulting in the games postponement for the first time in its history. a minute's silence was held to honor the victims of covid-19 as well as the israeli olympians killed in munich in 1932. like always, greek athletes opened the parade. for the first time in olympic history, up to two flag bearers were permitted per nation. only one hundred dignitaries including the french president and the u.s. first lady, were inside the stadium. synchronized drones formed a map

of the earth before a rendition of john lennon's "imagine" was performed. it was the honor of japanese tennis star naomi osaka to light the flame, representing diversity and inclusion as tokyo 2020 kicks off. julia: more news. stay tuned. -- more news up next. stay tuned. ♪ >> i want to get married. i want to have babies before i lose my health insurance.

julia: from a satire on privilege set at an elite tropical resort to a lesbian couple's quest to have a baby. it is summertime here in the northern hemisphere, and we start with a show that transport viewers to the tropics, hbo's "the white lotus." >> the white lotus is the name of a luxury resort where the series is set. it follows guests over the course of a week and their interactions with each other and hotel staff. notably, the hotel manager. the show is perfectly cast and includes well-known actors like steve zahn and jennifer coolidge. the creator said he wanted to make a show about wealthy people on vacation and how money

impacts all their relationships. julia: the white lotus is a resort. let's take a look at it from director mike white. >> the guests get everything they want, but they just need to feel special. >> i felt like if we are going to do a contemporary show, we need to touch on issues of gender and race and class. >> the clientele here is mostly rich white people. >> most people don't even know what they are doing. they just get lubricated. >> there is something that felt very timely about trying to vacation and get away from your problems, but you are not able to escape. sometimes it is a crucible to deal with those problems head on. >> drinking on the job?

>> the first scene of the show is actually a flash forward to the end of their stay, and we have learned that someone has died. it adds an enticing sense of foreboding to the whole series. it is really underscored by the music. it is polynesian-inspired music that has this mocking tone which perfectly encapsulates the feel of the show. >> the series is a satire. how effective is it at capturing the current cultural climate? >> i think it is very effective. few of the characters are likable, although none are entirely unlikable, which makes it quite complex. there is a reality spectrum that ranges from the caring hotel employee to the entitled newlywed. in between, we have characters like the college students who point out that her' cringe worthy comments, but are still

happily benefiting from this luxury vacation. the privileged guests are really the ones being skewered and put under the microscope here, so that sort of makes sense. ultimately, the vacation is a nightmare for many of the guests but a shot and filled -- schadenfreude-filled pleasure for the guests and not one you will forget any time soon. julia: this next show is the opposite, about the simple yet transformative power of kindness. >> this is the ultimate comfort show. ted lasso is an american football coach, who is hired to coach a premier league team in the u.k., even though he has no experience with what the americans call soccer. it stars athlete -- actor and comedian jason sudekis, who is one of the producers of the show. released.d season has just been

the premise of the first season is that the team owner has taken control of the team. she won it in her divorce settlement with her cheating ex-husband. to get back at him, she hires ted, hoping he will drive the team into the ground and make her ex-husband miserable, but instead, ted is such an overwhelmingly lovely guy that he leads everyone down these new paths of personal growth. season two should see even more character development and also introduces a new character. let's take a look. >> if tom hanks and meg ryan can go through some heartfelt struggles and still end up happy, so can we. >> this is our turn to make history, and i believe we are going to do just that. >> the family we are born with and the families we make along the way.

>> ♪ under pressure ♪ >> why do people love this series so much? >> i think the show wins people over in exactly the same way ted's positivity ultimately wins over every single person he encounters. it is just such aleasure. the ensemble cast is great. one thing i like about season two is they go further in exploring some of the darker sides of ted's character. we see him struggling with jealousy and anxiety. the team sports psychologist also works really well as a foil for ted. the show offers so many lessons to carry into real life. at the season two premiere, jason sudekis dump -- jason sudekis wore a teacher in support of the three black

french athletes who missed their penalties, definitely something ted would have done. the next show is called "patience, my love," and you will notice that the title initials are the acronym for french assisted birth. perhaps a remarkable aspect of the show is that it is entirely on instagram stories. let's take a look. >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language]

>> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> this show is based on the personal experience of the creator and director. i spoke to her about that and also what inspired her to pick such a unique format. >> [speaking foreign language]

julia: how did it feel watching a show on instagram? did it work for you? >> i'm not a big fan of social media, but once i got into it, i really enjoyed it, for exactly the reasons we just heard. sort of like when you are video chatting with your friends, and one episode actually is a video chat between gabrielle and at least -- and elise. everything you see in the show is still very relevant -- the homophobia couples conveys, how expensive it is, how exhausting, the toll that it takes on couples, all couples, gay or straight. it is 30 episodes of about three minutes. unfortunately, for now, it is only available in french, but for all french speakers out there, i highly recommend it.

complely different, a dating show that almost seems like a joke when you watch the trailer, but it is real. >> it is the latest heterosexual dating show to try to take looks out of the dating equation. each episode features one man or woman with three prospective suitors. the catch is they are wearing ridiculous prostatic to cover their faces. -- ridiculous prosthetics to cover their faces. i did enjoy the pure visual absurdity of watching them interact. it sort of had the same silliness as when you put a filter on a video chat, but beyond that, this is one of the most superficial dating shows i have ever seen. you get the sense that a lot of the participants are there because it is such an alien idea to them that we could prioritize anything other than looks when

dating. netflix bills it as the strangest blind date ever. it certainly is that, but unfortunately, not much war -- not much more. julia: we leave you with a hilarious trailer of "sexy beasts." thank you for watching. there's more news coming up on france 24 after this. >> so i like your fin. >> what if i pick you and i'm not what you expect of me? >> i kissed this girl, and i don't know what she looked -- what she looks like. >> i'm really just in love with the woman. >> the time has come. >> this is going to be really tough for me. >> i can't choose both of you. >> i've made my decision. >> my decision is --

♪ >> time now for "french connections," our weekly look at life in france. this week, we focus on illegal drugs. before we start, it would be good to have a look at some of the key vocabulary. >> absolutely. we start with the legal term for illicit drugs in france including hallucinogens like lsd, etc., amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine. the most popular drug here in france is cannabis. the use of cannabis dates back to the napoleon egyptian campaign. it was quite a while ago, 1798. due to the lack of alcohol, these trips turned to cannabis and brought it back with them. these days, these trips have the highest rate of cannabis

consumption in europe. about 11% of the population use it on a regular basis, mainly young men, and in some cities like paris and marseille, people use it out in the open. >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> a lot of those people saying it is no big deal. france, though, does have some of the toughest drug laws in europe. >> french drug laws are prohibitive, and they do not distinguish between the different types of narcotics, if it's heroin, cocaine, or cannabis. you can get here. consuming illegal drugs is a criminal offense.

essentially, people caught with a small amount of drugs for their personal use are handed out 200-euro, on the spot fines, and the main goal of the measure was to ease the backlog of criminal cases and essentially simplify the work of law enforcement officials who say this actually works. >> [speaking foreign language] >> paying fines is one thing. that will stop the judicial proceedings. when it comes to steps towards decriminalization, there are not many. >> exactly, and it means france is going against the neighboring

countries. in belgium, luxembourg, and switzerland, people are allowed to use cannabis recreationally without fear of reprisals, and france's repressive drug laws have a lot of critics in france who say it does not work. >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> quartering drugs online is on the rise here in france. they are talking about and uber -- an uber-ization, the idea that we can get drugs very

easily. that has increased during the pandemic. >> absolutely. you might think a global pandemic would slow down drug trafficking, but on the contrary, business is booming. drug dealers had to get creative when it came to sales and distribution, and a lot of this has been happening on social media. these days, you can pretty much order drugs like you can order a pizza, and sometimes you can get some freebies thrown in if you are a good client. >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> time and time again, the

debate around the legalization of drugs, particularly cannabis, is coming up in france. >> it certainly does, and it is really one of the topics that comes up around presidential elections with candidates on the left calling for legalization similar to what you see in canada or in certain states in the united states, with a system that controls the supply, all the while raking in some public cash. there are no plans for major changes regarding drug laws for now, though there have been some micro-changes that are quite interesting. recently, the government gave the green light to a test on the benefits of medical marijuana, which is legal in several european countries, not in france for now. on top of that, the government launched a citizens consultation on the legalization of

recreational marijuana. this is just a consultation. it is not quite clear what will come out of it, but what is interesting is that in france, there is still a lot of taboo around it and france is maintaining its very prohibitive stance. >> thank you very much for that look on how drugs are being treated here in france. that is all we have time for. inxll9

07/23/21 07/23/21 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> please stand for the national anthem of japan. the flag will be raised by the representative of the japan self-defense forces. ♪ amy: the opening ceremony of the summer olympics has begun in tokyo despite widespread opposition in japan over holding