>> more than 200-8000 new cases of covid in france over the past when he for hours -- over the past 24 hours. face masks in paris will be obligatory on friday. the court of human rights is urging russia to suspend its decision to shut down a group.

tributes to desmond tutu, who died on boxing day at the age of 90. nobel peace laureate, fend of nelson mandela. a tribute to him this evening in cape town. thank you for being with us. face masks obligatory outdoors in paris on friday. this the latest response as paris faces a tidal wave of cases. the astounding new record number of cases, 2800 over the past 24 hours. the new measures are being defended after 100,000 cases on christmas day. >> it marked another national and european record. france recorded 2800 cases

wednesday, the health minister calling the figure dizzying. >> [speaking french] >> daily hospital admissions averaging above 1000 per day in france, well below the peak in april, 2020. however, some hospitals have started canceling non-essential operations. in the paris region, 20% icu beds are closed due to staff shortages. >> [speaking french]

>> despite having one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, there are 5 million unvaccinated people in france, eligible for the jab. the government wants to replace the health pass with a vaccine pass, many people have to be vaccinated to enter places like restaurants. showing a negative test would no longer be enough. a parliamentary committee began examining the draft on wednesday, which will be voted on in parliament next week. >> the situation in france, 2800 new cases over the past 24 hours. infections have hit a record high in the past seven days, worldwide, omicron out of control according to medical experts. 900,000 cases detected each day around the world between december 22 and 28th, with

all-time highs in the u.s., australia and europe and latin america. it is almost two years since china first alerted the world to viral pneumonia cases in the city of wuhan. the virus is still overwhelming hospitals and forcing governments to rethink quarantine rules. >> we must not only share vaccines faster and more equitably, we must support countries in manufacturing and rolling them up to everyone. this virus will continue to evolve and threaten our system if we don't improve the collective response. i am highly concerned omicron, being more transmissible, circulating at the same time as delta is leading to a tsunami of cases.

>> covid infections are starting to mount in india as omicron continues to spread. states outlining policies which they hope to bring down the cases. so far, since covid hit india, 480,000 people have been killed. >> it may seem like business as usual in new delhi, but here at the indian capital, new measures are beefed up. schools, cinemas and gyms are ordered shut and public transport has been reduced 50%. >> we are facing a lot of problems with restrictions. the government should have provided an alternate measure to curb the spread. this is political. >> it is a good decision to run metro trains with 50% occupancy because if people are not being

responsible, the government has to be strict. >> a nighttime curfew has gone into effect in delhi, as well as other states in india. short gatherings have been limited in public spaces and caps have been set for indoor and outdoor weddings. according to experts, the measures are needed. >> there's a lot of room for implementing it. >> the health care system was hit hard in spring during the second wave of the pandemic. back then, the government was criticized for not prioritizing vaccination campaigns. to avoid mistakes of the past, the prime minister recently announced booster shots for health-care workers and seniors with comorbidities. the vaccination campaign for 15 to 18-year-olds kicks off as omicron continues to spread in india. >> the european court of human rights has urged russia to

suspend its decision to shut down memorial. it had been asked to fast-track a procedure against the closure. the rights body of the council of europe based in strasburg, said it would be a devastating blow to civil society, which serves as the central pillar for any democracy. memorial was set up in 1989, during the closing years of the ussr. the group is at odds with the image president putin wants to project. >> i was surprised by what we heard today in the cous and yesterday in the supreme court rooms. it was clay clea -- it was quite clear the government

intended to close they were human rights center memorial. it is very clear and certain. they will not bend. that was a politically motivated case from the beginning. we heard a lot of proofs. in the beginning, asking the court to liquidate plans for both organizations, the general prosecutor's office in moscow prosecutors office were talking generally. later, they real the real reasons for why they want to close memorial. the reason we heard from the prosecutors team yesterday in supreme court was, why we, the senders, have to feel ourselves sorry about the impressions? the thing is they have another

view on the history of russia and they probably want to concentrate on its victoria spartz -- victorious part, the end of the second world war and the defeat of hitler's germany, and not to talk a lot about millions of soviet citizens that were tortured, executed, exiled, etc. memorial is the organization that is finding the story of everyone they can find, every victim. there are hundreds of thousands and millions of them. >> the rest of its journalists, forced one of the last independent news sources in hong kong to close. it said in a statement its website and social media are no longer being updated. all employees have been dismissed. hong kong authorities say they acted in national security. it was one of the last remaining

open critical voices in hong kong following the closing of the apple daily newspaper. it was shut after its editors were arrested and its assets were frozen. >> 200 police officers raid the premises. several current and former staff members were arrested following searches and seizures of standard news. police labeling the operation a success. journalists were never the target, they said. >> national security issues. not targeting any persons. the employees or maybe the news organizations. >> over $7 million of assets have been frozen prompting the editor-in-chief to dismantle the site.

when a free press is labeled seditious, it is a symbol of the speed at which the once great open international city has dissented into little more than a police state. earlier this year, the organization was bracing for crackdown. >> the message is clear from the government. covering news stories will have a criminal result. you will be charged. you will be limited in freedom, whatever. >> wednesdays raid is yet another example of beijing's ongoing crackdown of hong kong's independent press. in june, police raided the pro-democracy newspaper apple daily, accusing it of violating the controversial national security law. the tabloid was forced to close after its assets were frozen and

its founder was arrested. >> aid worker kidnapped and molly, he was a doctor, coordinating health and food care in the area, he works for a french agency. he was taken by unknown armed men. we are waiting for developments on that story. a special tribute paid to desmond tutu, the archbishop and anti-apartheid icon died on boxing day. many people have personal memories of the man who helped shape today south africa. he led the truth and reconciliation commission from 1996, after the end of apartheid, the system that segregated black-and-white people. >> this evening's ceremony is a prayer service where religious

leaders from various religious prayed and the people of cape town were invited to attend the event, on the grand parade in front of the city hall, and pray with the religious leaders. judaism, buddhism, islam, hinduism, some african traditional religious leaders, are all here. they each prayed in their different faith for the archbishop desmond tutu's family. his wife, leah, is also attending the ceremony. behind me, you will see a small crowd of cape townians attending the event, which is why this event was not held in the stadium. the archbishop was the leader of the council of churches, and

interfaith organization which played a massive role in the liberation of the country during the apartheid years when he was such a vocal opponent of the apartheid government. they used churches as a place to hold meetings and discuss liberation of the country. some different faith leaders played a big role in this. that is why it was important. the event is religiously inclusive. you will see people of all different walks of life and faith here tonight. >> the tribute to archbishop desmond tutu who died on boxing day at the age of 90. for more news, stay with us here at france 24.

>> strangest poker player i ever met. >> hello and welcome to the weekly film show. as the holiday season is upon us, the biggest blockbusters are being released. spider-man, no way home and matrix resurrections. >> hello, peter. >> peter parker is back on the big screen for an ambitious equal. spider-man, no way home is the ninth feature-length installment about the friendly superhero, this time starring tom holland. >> i'm excited for the fans. they won't be disappointed. this really has everything.

willing to for we have roles being reprised. incredibly exciting. >> parker's girlfriend, mj, often acting as the voice of reason and comforting the high school superhero. >> if there is anything i have learned from this film, you have to let it be, you know what i mean? certain things cannot be undone. spider-man always tries. he is always putting other people before himself. that is what makes him the best superhero in my eyes. >> parker asks dr. strange, play by benedict cumber --, to make his identity a secret again with magic. the spell backfires and opens up multiple universes, leading to familiar villains. the film is shattering records. in 24 hours, it sold 150,000

advance tickets in the u.k. alone. >> we can'see it. >> another blockbuster and long-awaited sequel is the matrix resurrections. specific plot details remain elusive. like the latest spider-man, the matrix interweaves the films that proceed it. >> some part of you knewhat was a lie. some part of you remembered what was real. >> the story takes place 20 years aftethe matrix revolutions, released in 2003. neo is living a normal life in san francisco but soon gets reacquainted with trinity. the fourth installment of the dystopian sci-fi saga will hit cinemas in december, 2022. >> thank you for being here. are you on the edge of your seat? >> the french pronounce it

speeder man, which always sounds like someone is driving too fast. my superhero allegiances go to superman and batman before spidey. that said, tom holland is incredibly talented and i am very much looking forward to the fred astaire biopic. good dancer. the matrix, they tap into what science fiction does, which is to comment on our lives and predicaments. >> award season has kicked off with the golden globe announcement this december. the power of the dark and belfast lead the pack with seven nods each. the ceremony will take place in january. the golden globes governing body, the hollywood foreign press association has been at the center of a controversy this

year because of a lack of diversity. to address this, it recently admitted six black members. the next one is up for a hero. a man on a two day pass from prison. we find out. >> he made the instant classic, the separation, about what a loving couple has to go to to placate the iranian authorities, has been making movies for 20 years and found enormous success outside of iran. hey separation was the first iranian film to ever win the academy award. french producers and distributors have been completely loyal to him ever since. it takes an incredible amount of money and digital effects and

resources to make a spider-man or matrix movie. what iranians seem especially good at is telling riveting stories with relatively modest means and excellent actors. that is certainly the case here. most of us won't ever end up hanging upside down from a building or having the obligation to save the known world but we could end up in a situation not that dissimilar from what happens here. our protagonist thinks he may be able to get out of debtors prison when a forgotten purse containing valuable coins falls into his psession. >> how about we take a look at the dilemma that arises? ♪

>> he doesn't really have the skills to navigate this predicament. >> if grinning sheepishly was a strategy, he would be the master. he seems like a harmless fellow. at first he is flexible about doing the right thing and returning the money to its rightful owner. when he acts on that impulse, he couldn't anticipate the gesture might be a pr opportunity to someone with power over his future. he wants to use his precious days of freedom to pay off his debt and find a way to be with his girlfriend. society swoops in and complicates matters. the narrative building blocks are very basic.

one has to pay attention. there are several layer's of percolating simmering, sometimes breathless, sometimes ambivalent. ethical challenges rendered with undeniable skill. >> the director makes complex stories about men and redemption, a pattern he perfected with taxi driver. tell us more about that? >> movies about enigmatic loners often appealed to me. you don't get more enigmatic than william tell, played by oscar isaac. he is a professional poker player that travels casino to casino keeping a low profile and winning just enough to cover the expenses of his everyday lifestyle. he shows discipline. each game is different. his routine is not. no matter how odd his behavior may seem, the film rewards us

with explanations that would not be out of place in pandora's box. it is not hyperbole to say i love this movie. it is intelligent, rich, pertinent storytelling for grown-ups. the stakes feel real. william is trying to survive. >> how about we take a look at the unnerving atmosphere? ♪ >> poker is all about waiting. >> raise, call. >> something happens. >> this is where all the good stuff happens. >> they made you the fall guy. >> you need to back off. >> you have been around them. >> i don't know if that is a good thing or bad thing. >> you gather there is something unpleasant buried in his past. >> yes.

he had lots of time to learn how to count cards while serving a prison sentence. he takes a young man under his wing. you could call them william tell overture's. tries to dwell in relative peace. is retribution a good idea or is the best card counter likely to encounter a stacked deck? paul schrader is still going strong at age 75, whether it is blue-collar or this, we are the lucky beneficiaries of his talent. >> lots of talent there. this is our last film show of the year. we would like to send you out singing, thanks to the release of the new animated music mad animals film. it is directed by garth jennings

and has so many voice talents including reese witherspoon and kate hudson. here are some them speaking on the red carpet at the l.a. premier. >> jennings had a call with me to talk about this line. what would draw up a voice? i said grief? i went all irish on them. music saved my life. >> a lot of animated films, the kid has got to drag the parents. this doesn't feel like that to me. this is for the family. >> the kids are excited. my littlest guy brought his friends, he gets to show off. he is really excited. >> if you are in paris, you can see it, a unique experience at this time of year. >> it will soon be celebrating 90 years in business. every december it puts on a dancing fountain extravaganza in

its auditorium. it has to be seen to be believed. grinning from ear to hear, water leaps from the second balcony onto the stage before the movie starts. it is called a jew ox musical -- jukebox musical. animation doesn't suffer too much from not hitting the big screen. if you want to be wowed by a big screen, i think it is the biggest one in europe. laser lights, dancing fountains and a soap bubble finale. >> i have memories of going as a kid to see many. definitely one to wch. we leaveou with some noteworthy snippets. you can follow all our news with us on the website, france24.com. give us a follow. thank you very much. more news coming up after this.

>> you will never be great. ♪ >> ♪ still haven't found what i'm looking for ♪ ♪ ♪

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12/29/21 12/29/21 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> it was strange, my father could hear me but he did not know what was happening on his beloved -- 4000 pple are dng not only due to the hurricane, but