>> two french overseas territories are set to go back into covid lockdown. they are both combating rising numbers of new infections. joe biden is set to make vaccination and obligation for federal staff, the largest workforce in the u.s., sending a clear message to the private sector and other parts of the u.s. economy it is july 29. five months until the end of the year, but we've already consumed more natural resources than the planet can regenerate this year.

this has been dubbed overshoot day, and it is not a day to celebrate area france has put two of its overseas territories back into covid lockdown. primarily due to the spread of the delta variant, but made all the worse by the slow uptake in vaccinations on the islands. >> it is a race against the clock to save lives as patients keep coming in. a familiar story for this hospital in the caribbean island of martinique as the french overseas territory is on high alert again. in just two weeks, the island has broken all national records. the rate of new infections has been multiplied by six, reaching more than 900 cases per 100,000 people, while rance's highest level of alert has been set at 250.

>> [speaking french] >> on wednesday, authorities announced that there was no other choice but to impose a new lockdown for at least three weeks. the curfew will also be extended from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. at just 16%, the island has the lowest vaccination rate in the country, compared to over 50% nationwide >> [speaking french] >> neighboring cntriesave also seen a rise in infections.

authorities declaring a state of emergency. elsewhere in mainland france, a total of 16 departments have been placed on high alert. >> this comes as the country sees over 25,000 new cases over the past 24 hours. israel has been a world leader in its vaccine program, but the spread of the delta variant has led to a spike in infections. the booster campaign is set to start on sunday. >> this evening, i can announce the start of the booster shot for third vaccine campaign. at this stage, the vaccine will be given to those aged 60 and older, five months after they have received their second shot. real-world experience has proven that the vaccines are safe and that they protect from severe illness and death, and just like

for the flu, vaccines need to be topped up from time to time. >> federal government employees in the united states could be obliged to be vaccinated or take regular covid text. this is the latest move from president biden to try to head off the spread of covid-19. this is seen as an outlier fo the private sector and other parts of the economy. >> more and more, people shifting toward this idea of mass mandates, more restrictions, and trying basically to do everything in their power to get people vaccinated, to make fe as miserable as possible for the unvaccinated. newly half of all americans have been vaccinated, -- and nearly half of all americans have been vaccinated, but a large percentage remained unvaccinated as you have a raging delta

variant. scientists say that delta variant given a little time could mutate into something even more dangerous. they are trying to figure out ways short of forcing people to get vaccinated, a line biden and other leaders are not ready to cross yet. short of getting vaccinated, what do you do to get them to get that jab? we do not know for sure -- he could change at the last minute -- but expected to say that all civilian federal employees -- there's about 4 million, and if you throw in contractors, we are talking 9 million or 10 million, but 4 million for sure would have to get vaccinated, have proof of vaccination. if they are not willing to do that, they have to get regular tests, a lot like what we are seeing in france.

get vaccinated or be ready to get that thing up your nose every couple of days or so. broad swaths of the south -- texas, missouri, florida -- they are just not getting vaccinated or at very low rates. 2/3 of the counties in the united states are experiencing what is called substantial or high levels of transmission, which is why you see them in either red or orange on the map. >> joe biden is speaking and saying unvaccinated federal workers must wear masks and face tests, as was predicted. he is also directing a plan for the military to have mandatory vaccination, and he is urging states and localities to offer

residents $100 each to get covid shots, trying to move the dial. we will bring you more as we get it. former roman catholic cardinal theodore mccarrick has been charged with sexually assaulting a teenager during a wedding reception in the united states. it dates back to 1974 at wellesley college in massachusetts. the case was exposed after a vatican investigation found him guilty of sexual abuse. today has been dubbed by environmental campaigners as overshoot day. it is not a day to celebrate by any means. it is the day when our consumption of natural resources surpasses the earth's ability to reproduce them within a single year. basically another sign we are not changing our lifestyles quickly enough to stop global warming.

it is called air bubble and dispersing -- punk -- pressing out fresh oxygen thanks to its ring of tubes of microalgae. each consume up to 200 liters of air per minute powered by solar energy and the energy generated by children playing with the various gizmos inside. >> [speaking foreign language] >> warsaw is one of the worst cities for air quality in europe. 269 out of 323 communities.

>> [speaking foreign language] >> air pollution calls this -- causes an estimated 50,000 premature deaths every year when most people heat their homes with coal. children can enjoy this oasis of clean air at least until november. if it is a success, it could be rolled out in many more cities. it is urgent that some solution is found. for more news, stay with us. you are watching france 24. ♪

>> bring a democratic spirit to both homes and public buildings, they made a name for themselves thanks to a sustainable, thoughtful, and respectful approach to construction. the couple have just won this year's prize for architecture. thank you for being in the studio today. first of all, congratulations on

the extremely prestigious accolade. it recognizes talent through the art of architecture. when we look back at past winners, these are people who have really left their mark on our global landscape. i wonder -- is that something you wanted to do and you started on this career path? >> i think it is interesting the way the world sees the story of architects and architecture. we learn from what they have done. 'tis the bout information and spaces throughout different periods, and all this is what we need to do our job. >> this prize is awarded for a body of work. there's one structure that thrust you both into the

spotlight, just outside bordeaux, and in many ways, i believe it sums up your architectural philosophy. can you explain some of the key elements? >> our first concrete project for real clients. at first, it was very new to have to talk with people. it was also very new for them to talk with architect. first, we had not a clear idea but a strong idea of what we would try to give to them in terms of living conditions, and we were really motivated to try to give a very generous space, but also a strong connection with nature. >> it became a sorter manifesto. we see echoes of that philosophy some 17 years later in your work

, which represents a dramatically different approach to construction. i believe they initially wanted to demolish that tower, which dates back to the 1960's, and make a new structure, but you guys wanted to optimize what was already there. can you talk of through that decision? >> we do not accept militia and because it is so difficult to think of people who say 20 or 30 years in their flat and then see the building demolished. we see it is a waste of money, of time and energy. we seek a more kind attitude, and also a more efficient attitude. >> you extended the building, if i'm right. >> yes. our first proposal was to say

that we would provide much better conditions of living inside the flat, not only improving the technical polities of the building, we proposed that all the inhabitants could stay inside their flats during the work. the extension was filling the two goals. one was to open facades and make large glass windows as a pace of smaller windows to go out and build first in winter gardens, then outside, and given all of this, we also improve not only the space for living, but also the energy consumption of the building. but there was a strong interest, and we work a lot with them to

explain, to meet them, to visit all the dwellings because for us, the most important is to consider the project from the inside and the quality of life. >> indeed, that building was significantly revitalized. here's a little or from the people that live and work in town. >> we have lived here for the last 60 years. we were the first residence. it is practical and rather nice. there are supermarkets. we have everything we need. we have the sun as time of day. not in the morning, just in the afternoon until the evening. it is pleasant. >> right now, it is a little bit isolated, but it is in the center of the neighborhood, in

the mix up modernizing with lots of green spaces and clubs and shops around it. there is a new energy to get over that will have a positive effect. >> as that lady points out, a building is not an island. it is necessarily connected to its surroundings. can you tell us more about the urban context of that part of paris and how you took it into account. >> basically, it was complex and difficult. we had to take care about the sound, about the noise, but to give this possibility to be protected but to grow also, and i think step-by-step, building by building, we can improve. case-by-case, it is a precise approach, a precise action. what was interesting with the

buildings, the municipality of paris that supported the project , you have to start from something, never from zero. that is the idea about never demolish. we have to start with what already exists. >> this ecologically complex approach transforming existing materials or objects is not limited to architecture. it is something we see increasingly in the world of fashion and design under the term upcycling. here's an example. >> we took vintage imported tops and used them to make new pieces. the whole idea is to make a hybrid piece made up of upcycled

or regenerated elements. here you have the embroidery mixed with the jersey. it is that fusion that is very important to the brand aesthetic. >> being frugal with materials is lauded today as an environmentally friendly choice in the west but is something that has always existed in other cultures. i believe you both spent time in west africa. was that something that inspired you? how did you see their approach to materials? >> first, it was a second school because we learned what is essential, what you can do with quite nothing, and to do with never complaining but always in the spirit of creativity and how to solve immediately a question but to do it in a very efficient way. for us, it is a lesson we never forgot. >> what is important is the

ambition of what you can do with less energy as possible, less material as possible, less money as possible. it is a place for invention and invention for us to give the maximum of comfort and pleasure and generosity. >> you have also worked on public spaces, particularly cultural spaces. these are the sort of ephemeral spaces that go in briefly, and -- that we go in briefly, and we have and deprived of them this past year. what role do these spaces play in a society, and how did you approach these projects? >> it is clear they are of huge importance, as well as housing, as well as education building. we did not make a great

difference between thinking about housing or making a space for its emission or education because we always place ourselves in the mind and fight out -- the mind and body of someone living in these spaces. a space for exhibition is a place where people come, stay, look at artworks, look towards other people looking at artworks, and this is also a piece of life for every day, and also, the artist is of great importance. we tend to approach the project in different ways. >> looking to the near and distant future, the theme we see of architecture in venice is how will we live together? how would you respond to that question? what do you think -- what

questions do you think the architects of the future should pose? >> we need to have confidence in people, and we have to try to give them the minimum -- the maximum of generality, freedom. the question of freedom is so important in life. we talked about our spaces, our lats. architecture happens when life is visible in it, and this is the most important. >> thank you so much for joining us today. we will wrap up the show with another perspective on the symbiotic relationship between climate, culture, and construction, a u.s. exhibition here in paris is offering a natural history of architecture back to the ages looking at the forces that have shaped our homes and the cities we live in. it is available virtually on our

website. otherwise, you can get more arts and culture on our website, too. there's more news coming up on france 24 just after this. ♪ >> time now for "french connections," for your weekly look at the intricacies of life here in nance. today, we are going to focus on language. french is the official language in france, but the country has a lot of regional languages as well. >> the language of the republic shall be french as stated in article two of the constitution, but as you said, there are

several regional languages. we focus on the regional languages in mainland france. if you count the ones in overseas territories, there are over 75, but on the mainland, there are six still commonly used. these regional languages certainly are a testament to france's rich history and the part of the country's colorful cultural heritage, something that has friends compared to its own mini europe. >> you see these dialogues on road signs, but do people actually speak these languages?

>> they do. a recent that he out of brittany showed over 200,000 speak regional language. it is not like catalonia in spain, but locals make a point of learning their regional language because it is part of their regional identity and in many ways, a source of regional pride as well. especially, it is something that older people will speak. over the years, there has been a big fear that these regional languages would disappear as france has become more homogenous, so there has been a concerted effort to have these regional languages taught in schools. >> [speaking foreign language] >> these regional languages are alive and kicking, quite

clearly, but time and again, they caused a national debate. a law protecting national languages was recently repealed. >> that's right. it was aimed at protecting and promoting regional languages across the country. the main thing the constitutional council rejected, and you can see it here, is something called immersive teaching, which would give schools the possibility of teaching these languages in immersive teaching, when you immerse kids in as much of the language as possible, not just language class. in anne's, some 15,000 students will learn -- in france, some 15,000 students will learn fire regional languages through

immersion. the constitutional council's decision to repeal this really prompted demonstrations across the country in defense of these regional languages. >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> [speaking foreign language] >> what did the constitution council find so threatening about this immersive teaching?

>> the constitutional council said this form of teaching threatens article two of the ranch constitution that said that french is the official language of france, but it is not just linguistics. they also say it threatens the unity of the country. something you need to know about france is there is a fear of a group of people clinging to separate cultural identities like a regional identities before the national identity. language is a huge part of this. defenders of regional language say there's no way they would replace french, but what's interesting is some linguists have sounded the alarm over this immersive learning before children have fully mastered the french language. >> [speaking foreign language]

>> the president has weighed in on this debate and pledged to protect france's regional languages. >> that's right. he posted on facebook and said france's languages are a national treasure, and he invited the government to find methods of guaranteeing the transmission of these minority languages. certainly is a hot button issue and comes at a time when a lot of regents feel undermined by the sense of power, and it also appears very political as differences start to emerge out of the -- ahead of the next election. >> that is all we have time for. in the mean time, you can tweet questions to flo and visit us

at [indiscernible] -- visit us at france24.com. ♪

♪ [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york this is democracy now! >> the cdc recommends fully vaccinated people wear masks in public and/or settings to help prevent the spread of the delta variant and protect others. amy: these cdc has issued recommendations that vaccinated people return to wearing