anchor: another christmas of uncertainty for holiday travelers as the omicron variant triggers staff shortages. the dashed hopes for foreign programs in the birth case -- birthplace of jesus. the ocean viking allowed to dock

in sicily. we hear from the charity that runs the ocean viking. south koreans divided over the pardon of dealing former president park geun-hye, currently in hospital. she thanks her moderate successor. i'm francois picard. in bethlehem, the west big -- west bank first place of jesus christ, another travel ban in israel, this time due to the surge of the omicron variant. we spoke with correspondent here is mockler -- iris moncler, who said israel was banking on a rebound after 2020. >> they made a lot of efforts in bethlehem. i have spoken to someone who established a boutique hotel, and now it is empty. mebody else bought all the

souvenirs that foreign tourists and pilgrims will buy, commissioned all of the carvings of olive wood. who is going to buy that now? the only people who are going to be in the square tonight are going to be locals, and they are not buying. last year was worse, i guess, because there was a lot down, but this year, it is heartbreaking because the anticipation was greater. now in many ways, but especially in tourist terms, this is bethlehem's big night. the omicron variant has turned out to be the grinch that stole christmas. francois: you are a few blocks from jerusalem's old city. this time of year, you have christians flocking there as well. iris: the omicron variant has affected everyone. th is, everyone on the pilgrim nazare, and jerusalem.n, they have had to remarket for the locals, which in financial terms they cannot.

usually at this time of year, the city is full, and full of religious fervor, full of people from all over the world, full of languages from all over the world. and bethlehem is shining. it waits for this night and it lives off it. that is true in a small sense for jerusalem and for nazareth, all the places associated with jesus. we see almost no one here. it is empty. francois: the u.s. will lift the travel ban imposed on southern african states where the omicron variant was first detected. south africa felt it was being punished for its diligence in reporting the new strain of covid to the world health organization. also on the list of those for whom the van will be lifted december the 31st, botswana, mozambique, and malawi. morocco extending the closure on air travelers until the end of january.

in the u.s., hundreds of flights canceled on christmas eve, as a surge covid-19 infections triggers sff shortages. delta alines canceled 138 flights, united airlines, 170. domestically, most u.s. flights going ahead despite the spread of the omicron variant. a possible reduction in isolation periods for contacts in france, one of the measures to be unveiled at the start of next week, as pharmacies find themselves swamped with would be revelers and holiday travelers trying to test during the christmas rush. reporter: amid the usual rush to do last-minute christmas eve shopping, this year, many are also in a hurry to get tested covid before they begin the festive celebrations with loved ones. >> [speaking french] >> [speaking french]

reporter: cases hit record highs in france this week as the highly contagious omicron variant spreads. on thursday, more than 91,000 new and actions were recorded, while spain saw more than 72,000 new cases on the same date. clues could also be seen in madrid, where take-home lateral flow kits have been sold out in most pharmacies across the country. the free kits provided by the madrid regional government also ran out. >> [speaking spanish] reporter: with cases rising,

spain and italy are those reintroducing mandatory mask wearing outdoors. many european countries are once again toughening preventative measures, dampening some plans for festive revelry, as larger gatherings are called off. francois: mixed fortunes for migrants who risked it all to cross the mediterranean. some good news. one ship docking in an italian port. 214 passengers aboard. in the ocean viking, 114 migrants have been waiting to dock for eight days before the green light came from italy. the spokesperson for the european charity sos mediterranee which runs the ocean viking. >> the ocean viking is now in the marty's channel -- is now in the channel and is heading to the port of destination tonight, after eight days of being

stranded at sea. with 114 women, children, and men that we rescued on december 16. francois: what has it been like during these eight days? what governments have you spoken to? what have been the reactions of e.u. authorities? >> so, following the rese operation that occurred in international waters off the coast of libya, we contacted the authorities, requesting a place of safety. so these are the libyan search-and-rescue coordination center. we got no answer from them and were not even coordinated in this rescue, as often they lack completely in coordinating search-and-rescue operations in their area of competency.

so we were waiting for an answer. when we did not get any, we tried to ask for the most able to assist maritime coordination centers to help us with finding a place of safety, and the most able to assist swiftly geographically are malta and italy. these are the ones we contacted. we got no answer from malta and had to wait over eight days at sea before eventually getting a port of destination just a few hours ago. francois: more than 400 migrants still stranded at sea aboard to other rescue vessels -- two other rescue vessels in the mediterranean. they are fleeing libya, where conditions are desperate these days. two more hong kong universities have removed monuments to the brutal crackdown against the 1989 tiananmen square protests. students were surprised there's data find another sculpture had -- surprised to find another

sculpture had been demolished on campus. they do not want to run afoul of beijing's new security law. reporter: it came hard on the heels of yesterday's removal of the pillar of shame at hong kong university. it happened in the dead of night. it was in two universities, chinese university of hong kong and another university, both institutions based in the suburbs of hong kong. both of the artworks that were taken away commemorate the tiananmen square massacre and both are the work of the same artist, a chinese-born new zealander, can we mean -- chen wei-ming. one has stood there since 2010. the university said that it had never been consulted about putting it in place, which i find a little bit hard to believe. that something would end up on university property without any official clearance? what they said it was leaving

them open to legal worries under the national security law. similar things said by the other university, where chen wei- ming's tiananmen massacre frieze was in position until this morning. chen said he would sue the universities if any of the artworks came to damage. francois: south korean say they are divided over the pardon of ailing former president park geun-hye on humanitarian grounds. she resigned or was forced out in disgrace, and sentenced to 20 years behind bars. currently in hospital. the former conservative icon thanking her successor, moon jae-in, who has an election ahead in march. reporter: former president park geun-hye gets to walk away, free from a 20 year jail term for

various correction offenses. the justice minister announced friday that the decision was made due to e former executive's health, and to bring about national unity. >> we have included former president park geun-hye to overcome the unfortunate history , unity to overcome the covid-19 national crisis. we had a chance to take a new step toward the future. reporter: park, who was a conservative, became the first woman elected president in south korea in 2012. she was widely celebrated. but her fall from grace came in 2017, when she was found guilty of abusing power and accepting millions of dollars in bribes from the country's largest conglomerates, including samsung. in january 2020, she became eligible for a pardon. at the time, her successor and current president, moon jae-in,

said it was not appropriate to discuss her amnesty. his decision to grant her freedom now marks a change in his position, just weeks before he is set to leave office, and three weeks before the next election. francois: forget omicron -- santa is on his way. he is in northern finland, on the ark circle. -- arctic circle, embarking to deliver presents to children big and small. tourism officials breathing a sigh of relief. they say tourists are returning in numbers approaching pre-pandemic levels after an 82% drop in visits last christmas. from all of us in the newsroom here at france 24, good tidings to you. there is more news on the way. ♪

>> because a new page of history gets written every day. because breaking news cannot wait. information everywhere. in situations on every subject. understanding the world. imagining the world. france 24 -- a different take on the news. >> liberte, egalite, actualite. ♪ >> ♪ roxanne you don't have to put on the red light those days are over ♪ >> he has been making hits since the 1970's as the police, and later as a solo artist.

now, as he reaches his 70th birthday, musician, singer-songwriter, racist, actor, and -- bassist, actor, and activist is celebrating with his hits. >> ♪ if this love cannot see the reason then at best you can be sure is this love you must surrender if it's love that' true ♪ >> hello, sting. let's talk about what france means to you. sting: i have been coming here since the 1970's. it is only 20 miles across the sea, but there is something about france which is so different to english culture. to me, it is exotic, and i like french food. i like french history, french

music, movies. >> your album was written during the pandemic. how did covid-19 affect it? sting: i would say not much, because it just moved me out of my cycle, you know? i was in the middle of a tour. the pandemic cut my tour in half. when i was forced to go home, i said, ok, i will just move the cycle of my work. i will now work in the studio. that is what kept me sane. i did not sit at home eating cookies and watching netflix. i worked every day. >> the song "the bridge" made me think about the refugee crisis, climate change. what does it mean for you? sting: i think the bridge is an interesting metaphor for what all of us are going through, including me. i think we are all in a state of

transition. one of the characters i write about in songs is between things, between life and death, between worlds, between love and not in love, between health and sickness. i only realized this after i finished writing it. so the theme of the bridge, looking for some route to the future, where you would feel safe or happy, is something we are all searching for. it is not a real bridge. it is a bridge in the mind. i am looking for it, or my characters are looking for it. so here we are. ♪ this is the sound of rushing water running through my brain this is the sound calling out your name this is the sound of atmospheres ♪ >> there are a lot of references to water in this album,

including a shipyard. how does that influence the album? sting: water is an important cybill for me. i was born to the river tyn, a big symbolic influence on me. water symbolizes the unconscious. it also symbolizes the firmament. for me, these are two areas i'm very intrigued by. this is my muse. this is what makes me wonder. >> we live in a world of crisis. a pandemic, climate change. do you feel we have reached the end of an era? sting: 'not a historian looking from above. we are right in the middle of it. we are in crisis. that, i know. don't know whether it is the end or the beginning. yet we have to impose a strategy to get to the future. we need to be optimistic.

but ao, we need to be realistic. so there is a balance between the two things. i don't have the answer. for me, the bridge is music. that is my way of connecting. we all need to connect with each other. >> the trial of the november attacks taking place now. you were the first artist to perform. what convinced you to do that. sting: first of all, it was a great honor to be asked. i had some history with the bataclan. i played there. it was a difficult job, because i had to celebrate the opening of this famous theater, and also to honor the dead. achievg that balance is not sy. i hope i did i'm glad i did the concert. it was a very emotional evening. i was honored.

>> britain is no longer part of the e.u. how has it affected you? sting: exit? brexit is a disaster. i voted against it, as did half of the people of britain. i'm angry with the government, because they have sold us something that does not work. there is not one good reason why we did this. it is called self-harm. >> some things don't change. you still talk about love on this album. you just turned 70. you have been married a long time. you still have a passionate feeling? sting: i think love is a very interesting subject. it is really what writers write about. i have experienced the whole spectrum of emotions related to love, from the highest joy to the lowest misery, and

everything in between. these are areas i can write about some understanding and some authenticity. but i don't want to write a song that says i love you and you love me, because it is a closed loop. it is banal. whereas i love you but you love someone else, that's painful but interesting. >> you also mention disease in the album. sting: i'm being ironic. if it is love, i talk about symptoms of disease. i'm writing about it during a pandemic. i'm trying to be lighthearted. the song is funny and ironic, and it begins with me whistling, which i think makes people smile. we still need to smile, even though we are in crisis. ♪ and i got this diagnosis this opinion, and i quote i write you a prescription this is what my doctor wrote

if it's love it has no season ♪ >> for quite some time, you have played all around the world. what keeps you going? sting: what keeps me going? curiosity. curiosity about music. curiosity about life generally. i ask the question, why are we here in mark is this? -- why are we here? what is this reality? i will never find the answer, but i am intrigued. >> eric apton, shaggy, french singers -- how did it happen? sting: over the years, i sang with many other singers in all different genres and ages. we thought it would be interesting to put them all together and see what happens, because it is very exciting.

but the bridge is me. so i think people found that intriguing, that i would sing with two very opposite singers. but i am the connection. >> [singing in french] sting: ♪ sometimes the moon is not so high above me beyond my glances >> it paris in october, it was the first time a concert was held there. how did that feel? sting: i'm aware of the symbolic meaning of the papillion. it is the ethos of the republic. below me in the crypt was voltaire, diderot, victor hugo.

i went to visit them and say hello. for me, it was a great honor to be the first englishman to perform there. ♪ if it's love, it has no season if it's love, there is no cure if it's love, you don't see reason and of this you can be sure ♪ there is an atmosphere in the room that is very mystical. it used to be a church, but it still has that eminence. >> you are also an actor. you are in "camelot." >> [speaking french] >> you were in david lynch's "dune." the remake has just come out. what are your memories of making the movie? sting: i remember having lunch in mexico city.

i was in a rumpled suit in 100 degrees. i lost a lot of weight. i think i made 145 pounds, which is scary. >> you just celebrated a big birthday. you turned 70. what can we wish you apart from a happy birthday? sting: many happy returns. i don't need anything. just, i'm standing in love. ♪ if it's love, you must surrender if it's love, the odds are slender if it's love, the trap's already made ♪ ♪ >> if you want to really understand what is going on in the world, you need to follow the money. >> we tackle the biggest stories in the global economy, to break and why they matter to you. >> market crashes and new is in

us ideas that could change the world. >> the show you cannot afford to miss. >> join us every week for your essential business briefing. >> people and profit on france 24, and france24.com. ♪ >> in maths graduate, and at 20 years old, she is taking her first steps into the world of work. she will have to go to the internet -- interview process, and her recruiter is an artificial intelligence chat bought. -- chatbot. >> [speaking mandarin] >> i worked with six people from three different universities over a period of two month. eighth 30 minute session she

finds convenient. >> having an ai but instead of a human in front of me makes me ill -- feel more relaxed. i think my performance is better. >> in china, thousands of candidates are being recruited via ai. this company has a sophisticated system for assessing how the interview went, beyond what was said. a number of chinese and western companies are using these tools to whittle down potential candidates. the interview data can be analyzed in real time. >> we are analyzing the sound, the richness of the context, and the accuracy of her expression. overall, we will give a score for the interview. when you are answering a specific question, the different points will move. by using these points, the dynamic of these points to understand the facial expression. >> in a country where more than

10 million graduates arrive in the job market every year, human resources departments are able to save a huge amount of time by deploying ai. they receive between 30000 and 50,000 cv's for every job opening, and computers eliminate the first two thirds of candidates. >> hundreds of employees had to go through the applications for about a month. now, it only takes about two weeks. >> more than 40% of chinese companies now use ai for at least one step of recruitment process. >> consider me your code breaker. day after day, i'm ready to go on air at any moment to help you make sense of the news. >> i'm here to go live on set analysis of the most important events of the day, often as they occur, and to provide clarity to our viewers. >> at france 24, i work closely with the duty editor to give

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12/24/21 12/24/21 [captioning made possible amy: from new york, this is democracy now! today a special on two men who will not be home for christmas, julian assange and edward snowden. >> the most important thing about the stories of 23, the surveillance system was the product of a failure where we the public have sort of lost our seat at the table.