infections here in france. 200 and 71,000 over the past one hours. -- 271,000 over the past 21 hours. west judge appeared skeptical of a -- a u.s. judge appeared skeptical of releasing a groping

topic by jeffrey epstein. -- of being trafficked by jeffrey epstein. novak djokovic vaccine status is not known. thank you for being with us. way star with the latest on covid-19 are here in -- w start with the latest on covid-19 here in france. a record number of cases in france in 24 hours. icu care beds, 3665. that is up. the total people who have lost their lives, up by 293.

vaccination, is the key weapon against covid. we look to president macron, that he has to pass until the end unvaccinated french people. there is a political row about the anti-vaccine measures that have been death threats made against some of the government mps over the plans. angry words for those making the threats. >> all the violence in a democratic society is unacceptable. i can attest to you the rise in violence in all of its forms that we need to fight. when it comes to custodians of public authority, custodians of universal suffrage, recourse to violence is democracy.

it is the republican threat -- it is the republican truth that is under threat. >> we understand the discussion is continuing, we bring you more as we get it. a u.s. judge appearing skeptical about a bid by prince andrew to dismiss a lawsuit. a woman is accusing the duke of york of being trafficked by the convicted trafficker jeffrey epstein. there is a 2009 settlement agreement in florida between epstein and the woman. it shields the pens from claims from his accuser -- shields the parents from claims from his accuser. good evening to you, benedict. >> it is being reported almost?

on a daily basis. it is frontline and news. it is not happy new nor has it been a happy 2021 for him. will this damage case head for a trial? it could be in the autumn. 80 men headed out of new york, he would give a decision on the case "pretty soon." he declined to say when it was a virtual hearing in new york. prince andrew has consistently denied any allegations of sexual assault on virginia. hoopty is now 60 -- he is now 61. the problem is that this is headline news of the second

eldest son of queen elizabeth. it is a source of considerable embarrassment for the british royal family. >> it is the queen's platinum jubilee year. i am wondering if this whole affair is tarnishing the image of the royal family? >> most royal watchers think it is damaging prince andrew's image. it is clear that we have seen over the past year or so that he has no public role anymore. they do not see either a short-term or a longer-term role for him. we have had calls in the last few days for prince andrew to step down from any army role. that is, again, we come back to the embarrassment. with her this judge in new york

decides to dismiss the case -- whether this judge in new york decides to dismiss this case, it would be seeing dismissed on a technicality. it goes to trial, how long could this last? it feels like a trip story that keeps having having legs -- that keeps having legs. apart from being a source of embarrassment for the royal family, it must be a source of profound sadness and worry. the queen lost her rock, prince philip. not to mention, the worldwide coverage of prince harry and megh markle. considerable source of problems when it should be a joyful year for her.

the high respect and affection that the queen, that the head of state is held in here in the united kingdom. and across the world! >> it is a fact it it is earned. thank you. we are watching the effects of this prince andrew affair both in the u.s., where it is being talked about by the judge over there whether or not this case will go forward. we heard it from benedict in london. the issue of domestic violence again under the spotlight in france. police are accused of administrative failings in the case of a woman who was killed by her ex-husband last year. more than 100 women murdered by their ex-husband's in 2021.

we spoke to the chief executive of women for women france. >> we are an advocate for changing the language balance against women. it is not getting to the cause of what is actually causing domestic violence. what is causing domestic violence is a cultural violence -- cultural problem. it is a behavior and a feeling that male perpetrator will have when they feel like they are losing control over their partner. the system is one thing, we need to look at reforming the justice system. it is failing women. let us look at the cultural shift. that is going to take time. we have got to challenge all of our friends, family, the moment we hear a slightly sexist

comment, say that is contributing to a sexist environment and a sexist culture that facilitates violence against women. mens' violence against women is reframing the problem. >> it has been revealed that a government unsuccessfully assented -- attempted to assassinate the prime minister of haiti. bandits and terrorists try to shoot the prime minister at a church in the northern city of gsarnarvez. in a separate development, a columbia man has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the killing. the president was killed at his home last july, the arrest of this former literary officer

could pave the way for the first criminal charges to be brought over the killing of the former president vectored -- that triggered the current political crisis in haiti. >> what happened yesterday was an attempt assess a nation against him. he knew the risk, he was taking by making this trip. it was out of question to give in to electoral blackmail that is operated by people he calls terrorists. this happened on saturday morning. it is the city that every generation prefers that -- refers that haiti found its independence. very few officials with the head of government. the government was deserted for the holiday.

as the official exited the church, there were a lot of shootings and gunfire. all of the officials had to flee in a rush. in photos, we can see a plumber on the windshield of the prime minister -- weekend ca bullet can see a bullethole in the windshield of the prime minister's car. >> sudan appointing a new prime minister after another day of protests. that is after a deal with the military which is meant to calm tensions in stock. the political deadlock since he failed to find a compromise

between the pro-democracy movements. >> after his resignation, people are confirming the need of all people to move forward despite their oppression. they are facing off against the state and you can hear the sound of explosives being fired at those on the front lines. they are facing this abuse for the sick of a free, peaceful, and just state -- sake of a free, peaceful, and just state. >> demands our freedom, peace, and justice -- are freedom, peace, and justice. >> a mysterious "medical exemption" for novak djokovic so he can compete in the open. >> it is official, novak

djokovic is taking part in the first grand slam of the year. he said on social media that he has spent a fantastic quality time with my loved ones over the break and today i am heading down under with an exemption permission. >> there has been much speculation over where there he would be able to compete for his 10th australian open title. he caused controversy over the issue of vaccines. he said he is against vaccination and would not want to be forced to take a vaccine in order to travel. he contracted covid-19 after hosting an event that was a complexity covid-19 protocols -- that did not follow covid-19 protocols.

haiti is one of the few that has a exemption granted by a panel of experts. australia says about the department of health either greenlight after a rigorous review process. -- gave the green light after a rigorous review process. >> well done to him forgetting clear to come to australia and compete. >> you have to trust that he has the valid reason for the medical exemption. >> a french tennis player who won the 20 australian doubles title decided to skip the tournament after refusing to get a covid job. >> he can travel to australia.

stay with france 24 us, you are watching. ♪ -- stay with us, you are watching france 24. ♪ >> dazzling critics with this play, it scooped up some prestigious awards with the word of mouth hits. it is another play as he stages the first french adaptation of "the producers." it is now on show in paris. >> ♪ [speaking foreign language]

♪ >> hello. after great success with classical theater and sonoma, you have -- cinema, you have been one of the big successes of broadway. >> i have always dreamed of doing a musical. i grew up with an english mother. we did not have any tv. it was only when we went to the grandparents in london that we were able to watch tv and movies. every christmas we watched all of the classics and are developed this passion for musicals -- i developed this passion for musicals. i found millbrook -- mel brook's

adaptation of the producers. i really love it and i thought that is very theatrical as a movie, it must have been a good show. it was amazingly successful. i always thought this would be a fantastic musical toring a french aience. i met up with the directors of state entertainment in paris. they make all of the big musicals like the lion king and a mama mia. they asked me. they said what would be your dream of a musical? i said it is the producers. we have been trying to put it up for 10 years now. we started auditioning. >> some of the humor is new york , how did you know yoshi a --

how did you negotiate that for new york's? france? >> some of it is very broad, jewish new yorker, we had to find ways to bring it to a french audience. either to switch the groups and talking about things that we do not have an equivalent to hear. >> you got to discuss that with mel brooks? >> i was lucky enough to have him on the phone. i was pretty stressed about that because i was sure he could be pretty intimidating. in the end, he was relieved to

hear that i spoke english. once that was done, we started to talk about his work. he understood i really did want to prepare him and do it -- set the scene in the same period. really loved his original show and we understood all of this. i want to do it with an ensemble cast. that is not the broadway way of doing things. once he got the idea, i think it would be better for a french audience and he said you know your audience. cut will you want to cut. i had the approval of the big chief. >> much of the competent comes from a source which is not funny, out of hitler's and the second world war. we have the americans fighting against the nazi regime while

france was occupied. some of the jokes land differently here? >> i do not think that the geography really changes it. we have r cultural ways of seeing humor and what you can and cannot say. if anything a french audience is a little less pc than an american audience. you are allowed to say whatever you want here as long as it is funny. when he did his original movie it was in 1967. a lot of time has passed since then. the second world war is a bit farther and there has been many movies and jokes about it. what is a little bit touchier is how he describes women and gays and things that could be a

little bit weird and now with all of the feminist movements and this culture -- cancel culture. this was our concern. we realized it was made in such a funny, extravagant, way that you can only understand that it is total iny. french have a word for it, fourth degree. everything goes, really. >> one thing that has not changed is the fact that it has always been quite a gamble to put on shows. it is not the most financially stable business to be in. what do you think the major consequences will be globally? >> in france, there is a big audience. there is a big theater loving audience here. we are fortunate enough to have

a big theater scene. either in socialized theater or private theater. during the pandemic, we were helping the audience and the theater. the hardest thing was to be unemployed for a year. we did not all go bankrupt. we can see that the audience is really wanting to come back to the theater. i think i see it as a huge hiatus. a pause. hopefully, we are heading into another era of shows and laughter and whatever there is. >> your previous production, the play that you wrote was a critical hit, a word of mouth phenomenon. it is still on stage, it is

adapted for cinema. you do not use big names. what do you use the success -- what do you credit the success to? >> if you have a crew or team of unknown, amazing actors, if they decide to stop you can find another unknown amazing actor who will step in and keep doing the good work. i guess it is not only that, i like telling stories that i want to see in theaters. i tell stories in theaters that i could also see in tv shows or in a movie. there is this thing where we are but the audience that its accustomed to so many ways of seeing stories. you cannot do theater today as if netflix did not exist.

you have to take this in consideration and try make my shows the less boring, less dull i can. keep it always with pace and rhythm, fantastic actors and an ensemble cast. i think that is what works here. >> speaking of musicals, a giant of american musicals has passed away promptly, an outpouring of attributes in the states. it is hard to imagine a similar scenario here in france. do you think that it has the same weight here in france? >> there has been a point in where we have drifted towards theater less and less towards musicals.

bodily, in new york and london, there is this culture of huge theaters. there is no language barrier. when people go, they can see broadway shows. it is not the case here. nobody from germany would come see the producers in french. it is easier to produce a play that is commercially decent with a few actors but not like 20 musicians than a musical. it is rarer because the market is smaller. . >> you have a laugh at the expense of show business people and their superstitions. you cannot say good luck, you say break a leg. do you have superstitions? >> we do not say break a leg. we have a lot of superstitions,

words we cannot say in the theater. there are rituals, it is kind of like an atheist religion. there is always this moment where we enter the theater, the first dathat we are in the theater that is kind of magical. there is the day of the opening night. i am not sure that they do that everywhere, but it is a day that you give each other presents. it is like a mini christmas. the bigger the truth, the bigger the presents. there is a lot of tech, we -- it really felt like chrtmas. i love these traditions. >> very generous. thank you very much. >> ♪ [speaking foreign language] ♪

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ggccccc'''''' \ 01/04/22 01/04/22 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! pres. biden: and to give you a sense of how transformative this is, this would be the largest ever one-year decrease in child poverty in the history of the united states of america. america those were the words of president biden just six months ago hailing the expansion of the child tax credit. now the program has already ended thanks to opsi