>> welcome back to the france 24 newsroom. we are alive from paris with the headlines at 9:00 tonight. no breakthrough in the fishing row between london and paris, but talks are to continue next week. daily covid infections hit an all-time high in germany. the world health organization warning cases are rising across much of europe. britain, meanwhile, becomes the first country in the world with a pill to treat covid-19.

ethiopia's prime minister calls it an existential battle against tigre and rebels as the battle -- as the conflict hits the one-your mark. there's no deal yet, but they have agreed to keep talking. british and french negotiators ended conversations a couple hours ago over fishing rights disputes. a week ago, france floated possible sanctions against britain. >> it was the first effort to

relaunch dialogue after weeks of rising tension. the french and british laid out their ncerns, admitting there are still difficulties to come. ey will resume talks next week. that cannot come soon enough for this fisherman, whose boat has been more -- moored for months. >> we changed boats and did work on it without increasing capacity. now they don't want to give us a license. >> vessels like his have been refused a license by london and had to fall bac on french waters, which raises the risk of over exploiting french stocks. >> all these vessels will be forced to fish in the same waters.

as they will all go for the same type of fish, it will create an imbalance in the market. >> this local fishmonger is also bearing the brunt of the diplomatic arm wrestle. he has been able to get hold of half the types of he usually sells. >> i hope it gets better in time for christmas. this is a loss of income for everyone. it is hard to know what to do. >> the local maritime economy remains suspended. it is a drop in the ocean in terms of overall french-u.k. trade. neither french nor the british leader wants to blink first. one in the wake of brexit, the other iron reelection in the spring. >> to talk more about the fishing dispute, i'm pleased to be drawing on the line by a professor of politics at the university of south linn in the united kingdom. i wonder how well you think today's meetg went. we are hearing on the one hand these talks are to ctinue, but

at least from arench rspective, also that noing is on t tableincluding possible sanctions. >> yeah, good evening. i think what we have is today's commitment to continue talking, which is obviously a different place from where we were earlier in the week and last week. we have positive steps asked so far, both sides have decided to tone down the rhetoric and begin work on a possible solution. >> do you think a solution is likely next week, or does it seem to you that neither side is ready to compromise here? >> it is an incredibly complex area, and it is because of that complexity that we are in a difficult situation. the talks did not go into the level of complexity required to set out who should get a

license, and it is because of that complex issue that it was left undefined, and it is that complexity where there has been a difference of opinion between the french and british governments. we will have a lot of discussion and interaction between negotiators around how they should be giving licenses out, what their methodology would be, for example, what sort of evidence they are looking for. i would imagine there would be an awful lot of discussion arou these points, not least because there will be different expectatns on the french and british side. both sides wl n necessarily want to compromise, but also as your report pointed out, it is damaging the french economy, having an impact potentially on the british fishing industry as well, so a solution is the ultimate goal of both sides. >> fish, as we have been hearing throughout the day, is actually a really tiny contributor to

both french and british economies. when it comes to france, it is 0.6% of the economy. in the u.k., it is about 0.1%. is this dispute actually about fish, or is it about sometng >> dispute seems to be about fish, but it seems to pointo a wider point, which is we talk about the economic impact. you take the french or british economy as a whole, and you are right. the overall economic impact of the industry is very small, but in both countries, the industry has polital significance. it is high-profile. it was high-profile during brexit negotiations. it seems one of the tests of brexit, if you like. even when we talk about the

economic front, if you look at the economy as a whole or french economy as a whole, that sounds very small, and it is quite small, but if we think about the impact on particular coastal communities and the maritime industry in those communities, it startto have a massive impact. it not only affects individual fishing enterprises and vessels but then has a knock on impact on the retail industry who want to sell that fish. there will be other local industries tied to the fishing industry as well. when we look at the fishing industry as a whole, it is connected to many other industries and very much rooted in coastal communities and the economic fortunes of those coastal communities, and because of that, it takes on a particular political significance, particularly in the u.k. because of brexit and also in france because there is an upcoming election.

>> i wonder how much of this from both london's perspective and paris' perspective is posturing, looking to their own audiences at home, and this is not really concerned about fish in its own right a bigger political concern. >> that was exactly the case in the u.k. during the brexit referendum, very much because fish were seen as this very significant issue during the brexit referendum and the ongoing negotiations, very much trying to play to the political crowd, as it were, and that is almost certainly happening in france as well. ultimately, though, in the long term, it is non-'s both countries' interests to work together -- in the long term, it is in both countries' interests to work gether.

the ramifications of not finding agreement and working together are much more serious, particularly if it leads to the sustainability of fishing being called into question. if you are issuing is not sustainable in the long run, your industry has a big problem. >> if i can circle back to my initial question of if you think a deal is actually going to happen. i wonder if you think we may see a repeat of what happened with those brexit trade talks. they went right down to the wire. we cut a deal eventually on christmas eve. something similar here, do you think? >> i'm sure something will be filed. the question will be how long it takes, but also the fine detail. it comes back to this issue of the fine detail, and working out the fine detail takes a long time. we got right to the wire on the trading cooperation agreements, but it is because of the lack of

detail in the trading cooperation agreement that we are in this situation we are in at the moment. some sort of solution will be found, but the question will be how long it takes. the longer it takes, the more it will affect industry both in france and the u.k.. >> indeed. we will see what happens. thank you very much indeed. meanwhile, the united kingdom has become the first country in the world to greenlight a pill to treat covid-19. the antiviral was developed by merck and will be license for adults who have tested positive and are deemed at risk of developing a severe form of the infection. the british health secretary has said the treatment is "a game changer" for the clinically vulnerable and could ease congestion in hospitals. meanwhile, the world health organization is morning about a spike in covid cases across

europe. for the past six weeks, the number of daily cases has been increasing, and with that as well, the number of deaths. it is setting off a debate in many countries about it restrictions should be introduced. >> sounding the alarm, the world health organization says new coronavirus cases are surging across europe. >> covid-19 cases are once again approaching record levels. with the more transmissible delta variant continuingo dominate transmission across europe, we are at another critical point of pandemic resurgence. europe is back at the epicenter of the pandemic, where we were one year ago. >> according to the who, hospitalization rates across the european region have doubled in the last week.

the global health body says if rates remain the same, europe could see another 35,000 deaths by 2022. germany, the eu's most popular -- populous country, new cases have passed an all-time high since the pandemic started. because of the spike, the government is reintroducing mask measures at schools and 39 departments. >> [eaking foreign language] >> the netheands, too, is responding to a surge in cases by introducing health measures that have been largely abandoned including the use of health passes for museums, zoos, and gyms, as well as mandatory race mask in public indoor spaces. as britain battles its own

record spike, averaging 40,000 daily cases, there might be a real hope ahead. the u.k. has become the first country to grant approval for the first pill known to treat covid-19. the antiviral developed by merck pharmaceuticals is for adults 18 and older who contracted the virus and are deemed to be at risk for developing a severe case. some are hailing the treatment as a game changer. >> meanwhile, across india, celebrations are taking place this week despite concerns about coronavirus there. we have a look at this year's festival of lights celebrations. >> known as the festival of lights, it is celebrated by hindus and sikhs. hundreds in india have kicked off celebrations despite the cloud of covid-19.

>> to some extent, this has been controlled, and people are now feeling very free. >> people are feeling comfortable coming out and spending money. >> it is a social highlight for indians together with family, and feast. markets have been buzzing with >> it feels amazing because people have started stepping out , people who were scared before have come out to shop. >> those who are coming want to indulge. >> india's covert crisis h largely subsided compared to figures in april when india surpassed 2.5 million active cases, which was also largely

triggered by religious activities. the indian government has continued to discourage large gatherings, but it's not clear if the guidelines will be followed. health experts warn that if people become complacent, a third wave could be on the way. >> next, an update from the climate conference in glascow. talks focused largely on coal today. more than 17 countries have agreed to phase out coal power, but some of the world's biggest coal-dependent economies, including india and china, remain absent from the deal. carbon remains an issue for many. we take a look at the situation in panama. >> a barrier of mangrove trees in the heart of the panamanian jungle. the country has 177,000 hectares of this fragile ecosystem.

officially, it is illegal to cut those treesown, but oy 80 of kilometers away from the capital , hundreds of people continue to use it as charcoal. every morning, these workers put the mangroves to burn in these homemade ovens, a traditional method that is cost-effective t admits large amounts of co2. >> this work provides the livelihood for my family, my it does not give me wealth or money. this is just for survival. >> after four day the charcoal is collected and packaged. ery oven produces an average of 120 backs, which are sold to local businesses. many local workers are aware of the dage it ds to the environment, but they say they don't have a choice. >> if they close this place, what are we going to do? how are we going to live? what are we going to eat? what will happen to the children?

>> the government says it is willing to work with local communities. >> when activities are being carried out but not regulated, authorities must act. this does not mean that the process must be stopped, but alternatives can be sought. >> mangroves are essential to fight climate change, as they trap an estimated 22.8 million ns of carbon into their leaves, but if degraded or lost, mangroves become a source of carbon dioxide and contribute to global warming. >> turning now to news from lebanon, where the investigation into the port explosion last summer haseen stalled yet again. the judge leading the inquiry has been fced to suspend his investigation because of a lawsuit filed against him. it is the third time he has been forced to pause his work. families of those killed in the explosion say it is assigned senior politiciansn the country are trying to obstruct justice in the case.

>> the judge was suspended for the third time today after the former minister issued a lawsuit against him. this means the investigation into the blast itself has been set on pause again, until a decision is made. the suspension it self is the third, so it is not new in a sense. what is new this time is the judge leading or reviewing this lawsuit. the various suspensions were reviewed and refused by the judge who had recently himself been suspended so he will not be able to review the lawsuit. the person reviewing this third suspension is a judge who is on very good terms and has very good ties and close relations with hezbollah. these paies have been calling r a suspension and have been pressuring in every possible for

the removal the investigator and accusing him of being biased. he has requested to actually have access to the investigation, which clearly goes against the legal system and the secrecy of investigation itself. suspension?ll this impact the what is certain this timis that the iestigation is clearly lgely under threat, despite the continus calls of the families of the victims. >> next, african and western leaders are calling for an immediate cease-fire today in ethiopia where the conflict has been going on for exactly a year between government forces and rebels in the tigray region. in recent days, tigrayan rebels

have been advancing. nick rushworth has this. >> a conflict in ethiopia between the rebels and government forces began a year ago on the orders of the prime minister. the nobel peace prize laureate continues to -- vows to continue to fight. >> we will bury this enemy with our blood and bones and make the .lory of ethiopia stand hi again >> the government announced a state of emergency for at least six mont on tuesday. with forces of the tigray people's liberation front reported to be advancing towards the capital. the prime minister has called on people to take up arms.

>> are young. i will take part in the war in whatever way young people can. i'm planning on heading to the front line. >> if required, i will not hesitate from joining the fight. >> rebels say they now control strategic towns putting in just 400 kilometers from the capital. >> if achieving our objective in tigray requires we march to addis ababa, we will, but we are not saying we are marching to addis ababa. >> thousands of civilians have been killed over the last year and more than 2.5 million have been displaced. the united nations estimates around 5 million people in the region are in urgent need of help.

>> let's get some business news now on the program. our business editor kate moody is with me. good. the biden administration is pushing ahead with its controversial vaccine mandate for private sector workers. >> details have been outlined today. most federal contractors have already been told they will have to be vaccinated against covid-19 by december 8. all firms with 100 employees will have to follow suit about a month later or require weekly testing from employees. business groups had called for the rules to be delayed until after the holiday season, but it's unclear if the mandates challenges.e slew of legal >> a deadline has been s for the sweeping new vaccine mandate in t u.s. starting january 4, workers at companies with more than 100 employees must be fully vaccinated against covid-19 or

submit to weekly testing, a measure that will apply to more than 4 million workers. on vaccinated employees will also have to wear a mask in the workace. employers must offer pai time off for workers to get vaccinated as well as sick leave if workers experience side effects from the jab. companies that fail to comply could face fines. the plan was announced by president biden, who directed the labor department to invoke its work waste authority over workplace safety. biden said it is good for the economy as it protects workers and encourages them to return to work. some major american companies such as united airlines, walmart, and more recently ford motor, are already calling for some of their workers to be immunized, but many businesses already struggling with labor shortages are against the move,

which is likely to trigger legal challenges. >> unemployment claims in the united states continue to drop towards levels last seen toward the current -- before the coronavirus pandemic. 200,000 new applications were filed last week. still more than the average of 2019, but another sign america's economy is continuing to heal. a recent u.s. census survey showed millions of americans are still not working for reasons related to the pandemic. that's creating some slack across the labor market. separately, the u.s. trade deficit widened to a new record in september. the commerce department said the economy imported $80 million worth more than it exported as

supply chain disruptions continue to hamper markets around the world. the bank of england surprised markets by keeping interest rates on hold despite rising inflation. the central bank predicted inflation could reach 5% next spring but pushed down any attempts to tempt down that restaurants markets. if price rises outpa wage growth, it could make lif too expensive for many workers. >> things like energy prices go up and go down again. the question is -- and this is one i think we have to judge every time we meet, as it were -- when we look at the projected length, does it start to cause

concerns about if that will become embedded in expectations and what follows from that? >> major european indices close higher with gains around or just over .5%. pound sterling jumped over 1% against the u.s. dollar following the central bank announcement. investors welcoming the u.s. federal reserve's decision to keep interest rates low but begin paring back emergency bond buying program as the american economy continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic. meanwhile, oil prices have dropped around 1% after opec and allies including russia defied calls to increase output dramatically. the group said it was sticking to its plan to gradually increase production. oil prices have recently hit

their highest levels since 2014. sales of u.s. pharmaceutical giant merck rose around 2% after u.k. regulators approved a pill that could treat covid-19 symptoms. in clinical trials, the drug, which was originally developed to treat the flu, cut the risk of hospitalization or death by around half. the u.k. health secretary described the treatment as potential game changer. u.s. authorities are to evaluate it this week. finally, the incoming mayor of new york city will take his first three paychecks in bitcoin. eric adams, who was elected tuesday, said he was hoping to make the city the center of the cryptocurrency industry. he is also considering launching an n.y.c. version of cryptocurrencies as miami, florida, has already done. miami's mayor has said he will take all of his salary for his coming term in bitcoin.

crypto startups have been flocking there. the process of bitcoin mining is far from environmentally friendly, not to mention the risk of volatility. we see prices fluctuating by tens of thousands of dollars in a single day. >> not sure i'm quite ready for it myself. thank you indeed. it is time for a short break from us here in the newsroom. do stay with us. world news headlines coming up in just a minutes. -- just a few minutes. ♪

11/04/21 11/04/21 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! if we cannot havan understanding, aegally binding agreement where countries agree not to push global temperatures above 1.5 degrees, if we cannot do that, we will die as a