>> ♪ >> a french court has given the green light to the controversial health pass. from next monday, all adults will have to show proof of vaccine status to attend restaurants and cafes. melbourne has imposed its sixth lockdown, joining sydney in brisbane in renewed restrictions to come back the delta variant. two thirds of the country's population are now affected by such measures. >> the turkish coast guard has evacuated villagers from a smoldering power plant.

in greece, firefighters are battling huge blazes across the country. we will get the latest from our correspondent in athens. next for watching. in france, the highest constitutional authority has ruled that the country's controversial health pass, as well as mandatory vaccinations comply with the constitution. proof of vaccination or a negative test have been required at cultural venues like cinemas or museums. that requirement is set to be extended. from next monday to cafes and long-distance trains. the measure has been m wit mass protests every weekend. brian quinn report. >> a final green light from the top court. france's nine-member constitutional council has ruled

the government's new health pass policy and mandatory vaccination for health-care workers comply with the constitution. proof of being fully vaccinated, or having recently tested negative, will be required for going to restaurants as well as using long-distance trains and planes. people visiting hospitals and retirement homes will also need to show the certificate. the council stressed the requirement should not be an obstacle for those seeking medical care. >> the latest health law passed parliament on the 25th of july. emmanuel macron is aiming for it to take effect on the ninth of august. the requiring vaccinationor health workers was largely uncontested in parliament, the extension of the health pass requirement for a wide range of activity has ignited the political sphere and the public. france has seen three consecutive weekends of protests. saturday, some 200,000 people took to the streets nationwide.

>> [speaking french] >> [speaking french] >> the constitutional council deemed it was unconstitutional to sack health workers on short-term contracts for refusing to get vaccinated. >> the australian city of melbourne has entered a sixth covid-19 lockdown. new cases of the delta variant were reported. according to the state, the measure will last up to a week. james mulholland has more. >> the streets of melbourne empty once more. just over a week after exiting its fifth lockdown, the delta variant has sent residents back

home. premier dan andrews says his hands were tied. >> i can't tell you how disappointed i am to have to be doing this again. with so few in the community with one nation, i literally have no choice but to accept the advice and make this important decision. >> eight new coronavirus infections were reported in melbourne and victoria thursday. andrews has pointed the finger at new south wales. he says it took too long so lockdown the capital sydney, which thursday reported its worst day in six weeks of lockdown. 262 new local infections and five deaths. the victorian premier said inoculation was key. >> a bloke in his 20's died in sydney. this is not something happening on the other of the world.

this is not something that only happens to frail old people. it can happen to any of us. that is why getting vaccinated is important. >> australia has a relatively low rate of infections, but with just 20% of the population fully vaccinated but there are fears the delta variant will create more havoc. >> thousands of protesters gathered in melbourne to protest that decision. police responded in huge numbers, making arrests, using pepper spray to disperse crowds. the march lasted hours with many calling for the premier to be sacked. wildfires continue to rage across tury where the coast guard has evacuated hundreds of villages -- villagers from a small during that smoldering power plant. greece too, more than 100 blazes have seen firefighting resources stretched including near the

ancient site of the first olympic games. for more, we can cross to natalie in athens. what is the latest? >> 57 wildfires are still raging across the country. the three main ones on the island of -- in the west of the country, which is near the ancient site of olympia, the birthplace of the ancient olympics. firefighters we have heard have managed to control the fire there. north of athens, the fires are roaring back because of the wind. the blaze is threatening, it is approaching at a fast-pace athens and basically towards athens, which has many people

fearing what will come next as firefighters are stretched thin. unable to control it. dozens of villagers across the country have been evacuated. homes have been destroyed. the fire has -- with witnesses saying they have seen flames 30 meters high. really wondering how anyone can control this. two volunteer firefighters are in intensive care. the blaze can be seen through satellite images, 15,000 acres now reported to have burned. >> very dramatic scenes. you mentioned 57 virus still ongoing, some 100 earlier in the day, so there is some success. how is the state handling it generally?

with resources spread thin, how is the state managing? >> it is a real question mark. firefighters are working around the clock, hundreds, with airplanes and helicopters, water bombing the centers of the fire. still, very much stretched thin. the prime minister addressed the union at 9:00 local time, urging greeks and citizens to limit their movement. they have been prohibited from walking into forested areas. there is a lot of concern because of the wind are expected to be blowing strongly as of tomorrow. that is causing huge concern for the firefighters. sms has been sent to every mobile in greece, urging people to be cautious, avoid forested areas.

because the greeks are so stretched thin, firefighters are struggling. the eu is sending help. we are hearing the french are sending a lot of firefighters with tons of water and materials. a lot of help is coming in, but the huge question is about what is expected to be critical day. we are waiting to see how the authorities here will manage to contain these dangerous fires. >> good to see european solidarity there. hopefully all of that will be brought under control quickly. thank you for that update. that is all for this edition, thanks for watching. ♪ >> a year after the explosion

that devastated the port of beirut, france 24 visits the people who still live there. >> [speaking french] >> they share their pains, their worries and their demand for justice. lebanon is on its knees. >> i need justice. i will fight for justice. >> [speaking french] >> beirut revisited on france 24 and france24.com. ♪ ♪ all >> --

>> baselines like a heartbeat with the dj conducting. nightclubs seem like a distant dream in the time of covid-19. yet this producer has kept the music playing, streaming live and curating two new compilations. she joins us in studio for more. let's start with these two records. it is a double disc. these twin selections have been described as italian disco, electro, dance, can you tell us about the mood you are trying to create? where did you want to take people? >> it is a little bit of everything. djing, discotheque through the years, like with new-wave edm influences with a little touch of --

a little bit like we had taken all of that culture, everything we have played the last 30 years, the influences, and we give a second lectern. there are really young producers like pablo and you can feel the influence they have from the 1980's. >> while looking ahead at the same time. let's get it -- an idea of that. ♪ >> you refer to that mix from your career. you have been mixing for almost 30 years, playing around the world. it started when you started going to clubs as a teenager.

the scene was different. no mobile phones, no social media. how did you work out where to go? >> you can find -- how do you call this -- photocopies of itineraries. it was just the rumor of where the party was going to be. the feeling of freedom was really important at that time. we still have this, even though now it is very structured, it became a full industry. we still have this freedom in some clubs where cameras and phones are not allowed. we try to keep that. before, it was really about the -- of going out. the energy, the craving of wanting to be together >> early

on, you are that she were a resident dj at a vibrant little club that shut down in 2007. at the time, there was opposition and complaints. since then, paris' nightlife has come under threat. do you think that is more nostalgia, or was paris a more nocturnal city in the past? >> in the past years, it has been quite good. but i think there is a delay between how the city of paris, or france sees clubbing. they do not see clubbing as a culture. club culture exists, they just most of the time see this as people wanting just to party. if you take berlin, the place electronic music has in a city like berlin is completely different added as part of the economy of the city. which is something that france

is missing a little bit. it is missing the point there. they should embrace club culture and not try to restrain freedom of young people. like i said before, this means they do not see the aspect that is interesting in clubbing, which is the social aspect. >> berlin has been in headlines recently because of gentrification. the rent cap which kept a lot of accommodation affordable has been lifted. how do you think the demographics of a city affect the club scene? will this change things in berlin? >> yes endo. -- yes and no. it is still one of the cheaper cities in europe. rent wise, it is way lower than paris. it has generated mass clubbing tourism, which has positive effects and negative effects. what in terms of toryism and what it brings to the city of

berlin -- toryism -- it has been great. you can feel a lot of people are moving to the east or to greece because gentrification is slowly going through europe to cheaper places. >> as well as the soundtrack, aesthetics have emerged with architecture, lighting and the core a huge part of the experience. night fever, designing club culture. there are examples of the mythical nightclubs of the last half-century from new york's studio 54 to manchester's hacienda. is there one that sticks in your mind for its style? >> i love panorama bar. the -- in amsterdam was amazing

and print works in london is really great. it is an old printing factory. it is huge. this is what we should more do in france. we still do think nightlife has to be in a club somehow. i think it is beautiful when it gets out of clubs and into old warehouses, or museums even. >> speaking of physical space, another change we have seen is how dating applications have taken over when it comes to meeting up, especially in the lgbtq community. some say the virtual world is contributing to the cloture -- closure of queer friendly spaces. >> it has changed. before, you would go to a party, you would meet up, that is not the only place anymore. but it is still a safe place and it is very important that dance

floors keep being safe places. in terms of bars, i think it has affected bars. there are less bars where people used to hook up before. >> do you think people are landing something underground? >> i hope so. [laughter] >> indeed. you recommended a series, we are who we are. what is it about that show? >> because of the situation we are in, i liked -- because it is really about young people wanting to be together. you have also the opposition between -- it is set on an american army base, so you have this structure and how it is rigid, and then you have them floating away into beautiful italy and experiencing trying to

find limitations to who they are. also just trying to get to know themselves. there is sexuality and it is very poetic. the soundtrack is amazing. i love the director. call me by your name was a movie too -- was a beautiful movie too. >> thank you very much. >> thanks for having me. >> we leave you with a clip from "we are who we are." we are on twitter, facebook and instagram. more news after this. ♪ >> if you pay attention, you discover real-life. >> there is a revolution going on inside you. >> it has always been complicated. >> trying to be his mother and father at the same time. >> since you got here, everything imixed up. >> [indiscernible]

♪ >> mixed up. full of life. >> new technology. the latest innovation and its impact on a digital society. >> tech 24, presented by julia seeger and peter oh brian. on france 24 and france24.com. ♪ >> time for french connections come our weekly look at the intricacies of life in france. today, we have a history lesson. this is a defining page in french history. this is the paris commune, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. >> let's look at our expression du jour.

it was a revolutionary socialist government that controlled paris from the 18th of march until the 20th of may, 1871. it started as a bloody insurrection and ended in a brutal civil war with parts of paris burnt to the ground. it was also a social laboratory that experimented with concepts very central to modern-day france. it was called la commune, and those who participated were called -- >> you have to go back a little further in french history to the end of the franco-prussian war and the defeat of napoleon the third. >> the new government of the third republic not only conceited victory to the prussians but allowed them to

march down the champs-elysees and pay hefty reparations. this added insult to injury because they were reeling from a month-long siege that left them angry, tired and hungry. >> [speaking french] >> here we are in march, 1871. the situation comes to fever pitch march 18 when the government tries to take 300 cannons. >> the priests thought these canons belongs to them because they paid to the -- paid for the m. this was the last straw and some citizens defending paris seized control of the city, refused to

accept the authority, and elections were held. la commune was declared, they had a red flag. while many rich moves was fled, elected to officials got to work. journalists, doctors, getting together. it did not last long because at the end of may, the versailles government ended up taking back paris after a bloody week. thousands were executed. meanwhile, la commune set fire to buildings in paris including city hall. it is estimated one third of paris burnt to the ground, the worst instruction the capital has known in its history. after this, tens of thousands of supporters of la commune were sentenced to prison. >> it was very short, yet it captured the imagination of

people around the world. it's legacy lives on. >> la commune was an incredible social experiment. the new government announced measures like equality between men and women, workers rights, separation of church and state, these were ideas that were radical at the time. >> [speaking french] >> another trusting thing is that women played a key role. they chaired committees, built barricades and participated in the armed violence. this was the case of a woman named louis michelle, a symbol of feminism still celebrated today. >> this was a defining moment in french history, but so short. 150 years later, the legacy of la commune divides france.

>> for the left, la commune is a founding myth that should be celebrated today. the anthem for them -- for the communists was written by la commune. another song you hear often in demonstrations was also a tribute to la commune. people credit la commune with inspiring recent movements like the yellow vests movement. people on the right say, this is a violent, bloody insurrection that should not be glorified. maybe that can partially explain why la commune is relatively unknown in france. it is not something you learn much in france. >> if you pay close attention, there are signs of la commune evident on the walls of paris. >> at the -- cemetery, a wall in front of which the last defenders of la commune were executed.

you can see bullet holes in that wall. the most visible sign is that of paris' most famous tourist instant nations -- destinations. the building of the church was planned before la commune, but the first stone was laid shortly after. for some people, this church is a slap in the face to the memory of la commune which was secular. this might expand why a lot of parisians hate -- though some argue it is ugly. if you do walk around, it is easy to forget today that just 150 years ago there was this incredible chapter of french history. >> i personally love it. i think it looks like a wedding cake. thank you for telling us about this little-known page in history. if you have your own questions, feel free to send it tweet --

send a tweet and check out our website francewhen he for to come. >> a year after the explosion that devastated beirut, france 24 visits the people who still live there. >> [speaking french] >> they share their pains, their worries and their demand for justice. lebanon is on its knees. >> for this blood, i need justice. i will fight for justice. >> [speaking french] >> favorite revisited on france 24 and france24.com. ♪

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♪ amy: from new york, this is democracy now. >> we live in constant struggle for the truth and we live in constant strugglen remaking america in its image of freedom and liberty for all. not the image of the past, but the image of what