♪ >> volodymyr zelenskyy makes a surprise visit to the ukrainian frontline. artillery fire can be heard as the president tells soldiers they are succeeding in keeping the russians back. a summit on the future of iraq it's underway in jordan. emmanuel macron says the country must choose its own path and not be did hated by foreign powers. millions fill the streets of buenos aires touchdown in

argentina. the football team forced to abandon the bus parade due to the scale of the crowds. thanks for joining us on france 24. our top story this hour, the ukrainian president latimer zelenskyy has met troops enter the eastern city this tuesday. the scene of some of the most intense fighting. it has remained in ukrainian hand so far thus thwarting moscow's goal of capturing the entirety of the donbass. while solesky addressed troops today, the sound of artillery fire could be heard in the background. >> he de the visit to the front line in the east of ukraine unannounced and presented medals to soldiers. there were explosions nearby as he spoke. >> here you are defending the whole of ukraine.

because they can do the same to other ukrainian cities because they want to erase everything related to ukraine. >> the ukrainian president has visited soldiers on the front line before including in mid-november and at the start of the month. this time he was at what is called the hottest spot on the entire front line with russia. moscow's forces have been trying to seize it since the summer. it remains in ukrainian hands. putin has never been to the front. this tuesday he was in the kremlin resenting key people in his war with decorations. >> the title of hero of russia is awarded to servicemen who have shown special bravery during combat. >> he addressed his troops on

the front line. >> yes, it is difficult for you now. the situation in the donetsk and luhansk is extremely difficult. >> moscow's illegal annexations in eastern ukraine have been fiercely contested. his words one of the clearest statements of russian failings. an invasion in its 10th month and no sign of a favorable outcome for them. >> there is no end to the so-called winter of discontent in the united kingdom. more strikes have been planned by nurses and paramedics and of the coming weeks as staff warned the british health care system is dangerously overstretched. this tuesday the government said its policy was unchanged and there would be no extra money for medics. >> from liverpool to cardiff to london, up to 100,000 nurses

across britain have left their wards for the second time in a week for a standoff with the government over pay and conditions. >> we do as best as we can to keep our patients safe but we need more staff to come in and help us. >> hey has to be part of the negotiation process. if they are not prepared to talk about pay than the strikes will continue. >> the pandemic put an additional strain on the already stretched national health service. inflation soaring above 10%. health care workers pushed to the breaking point. after voting for industrial action the largest nursing union warned they will not back down saying the government's offer of a 4% pay rise is not enough. >> we want to be caring for patients. we want to be looking after our patients but we need to have pay addressed. . we need to have vacancies addressed. the practice is on the prime

minister's shoulders. >> the government and it cannot a ford a double-digit salary raise in such a move would lead to prices surging fo further. >> i think it is entirely right for me to stand here and say we have treated everyone reasonably and fairly. >> authorities are warning people not to undertake any risky activity as more than 10,000 ambulance drivers, paramedics and call handlers are set to join the strike. the government has turned to the military for a backup putting 600 drivers and 150 adjustable staff on standby -- logistical staff on standby. >> a court in germany has convicted a 97 old woman who worked as a nazi concentration camp secretary in what could be one of the last trials for world war ii. a district court had handed her

a two year sentence for aiding and abetting the murder of over 10,000 people. the start of her trial last year was delayed when she briefly went on the run. she was in court this week to hear the verdict. leaders from the middle east and europe are gathering in jordan for a key meeting on security i iraq and the wider region. the attendees included the foreign ministers of saudi arabia and iran but there has been doak confirmation of a bilateral meeting. france emmanuel macron has been there as well. >> i would like to express france's commitment through its history and dip a medic action which we carried out recently to the stability of the region and the sincere and honest work with all of you so there could be a way this is not a form of hegemony, aerial is him, a model dictated from outside or a lesson given but rather a

sincere effort to achieve peace and stability in this region of the world. >> in afghanistan the taliban have banned women from attending university according to a letter sent to state and private institutions today. the band is expected to take effect immediately. most teenage girls in afghanistan have already been excluded from secondary school. those currently at university are segregated and unable to study certain subjects. also this tuesday, the taliban have freed two americans in detention in afghanistan. the u.s. government described their release as a goodwill gesture saying no money had changed hands and there had not been a prisoner swap. the pair were released to qatar which has played a key role in supporting u.s. interests. a former u.s. police officer who shot dead a black women in her bedroom has been sentenced to 11 years entenmann's in prison

after he was found guilty of manslaughter. aaron dean shot and killed ata tiana jefferson. the killing took place seven months before the murder of george floyd which sparked global protest against racism and police brutality. mexico has granted asylum to the family of the former peruvian president. the ex-president himself tried to flee to the mexican embassy amid the turmoil after he attempted to dissolve congress but he was detained at the time and is currently in pretrial detention facing charges of rebellion and conspiracy. millions of football fans are gathering in buenos aires to welcome home the victorious team after the world cup final on sunday. such the size -- touch were the size of the crowds that there has been a last-minute change of

plans. the squad has been forced to abandon their open top bus parade you're looking at and instead theyave embarked on a tour of the capital by helicopter. >> they flooded the streets of buenos aires by the millions according to some estimates to welcome home there world cup champions. creating a sea of blue-and-white, some had camped out all night to secure their place along the parade route. >> people have slept on the ground only to wake up and continue to party. it is incredible. really incredible. look at everyone. look at everything painted in blue and white along the roads, the motorways. everyone is cheering for argentina. >> the team's triumph that return began in the early hours of tuesday with lionel messi stepping off the plane with the world cup troy in argtina for e first time in more than ree decades already crushed by fans during an open air bus

ride, the players got some sleep at the national training center. messi posting photos from bed with the trophy. then waking up for a 30 kilometer journey to the obelisk monument at the center of the city. the bus almost made it there but was stopped a few kilometers before reaching the city center because of the huge crowds. helicopters said to be carrying the players were later seen flying over the monument. scores of fans hoping to get a glimpse of their heroes, their spirits not dampened. >> i want to thank lionel messi and all the members of argentina's team. they have made me so happy. >> the country's president declared tuesday a national holiday so the country could celebrate. 36 years after its last world cup title brought home by football icon diego maradona. this time we lionel messi

doing it again proving he is the best player of his generation. >> our correspdent is there. clearly there have been some last-minute changes. are you able to tell us at this point where the squad are and what is going on? >> we understand the flybyf the helicopters has ended an the squad is on itway backo the international airport on the outskirts of buenos aires in what were ry dramac scenes. it seem ed turned from elation to evacuation as their tour was forced to come to an end as authorities redirected it to a local police cadet school where the helicopters were landed to lift the players away. this happened after some 4.5 million argentinians in what was declared a national holiday by

the government swarmed into buenos aires filling the streets of the city center all to try to catch a glimpse of lionel messi and the argentinian players and to catch a glimpse of messi lifting the world cup. those argentinians making their way out of the city center. a little bit sad at not being able to see their heroes on the way back to the international airport. >> i was going to say i imagine there has been disappointment among fans where you are having waited, many of them for hours. they are not going to get glimpse of their hero or the trophy either. >> millions arrived to see lionel messi and to see messi lift the cup and to emulate diego maradona to lt the wod cubefore and adoring home

crd of millions in the center of buenos aires. people, some complaining saying they came in the early hours hoping to catch a glimpse of their heroes on their homecoming. they have been here in the boiling hotun in the argentine suer. so have come from deep in the interior of the argentine country overnight. they have made very long journeys. it is not to be. 4.5 million people onto the streets of bue wasn too mucho for the authorities to handles aires. they sent in the helicopter. it went from elation to evacuation. messi ended up in the skies aboard a helicopter. >> how important this moment is for argentina. 4 million people, 4.5 million people went into the streets.

what is this such a big moment for the country? >> it is argentina. passion and football. opals everything t gentinians. the way they are seeing it, sunday's dramatic result in the world cup final ends all of their sufring. this is a country that suffers so much both from a political and economic level. this is a country at the moment with a 1% inflation as utility through the roof for ordinary arntinian families. there is a debt crisis, a currency crisis. it is a december of discontent. this lifted the arntinian people and enables them to forget everything. messi and the argtinian players are there heroes. they wanted to celebrate and catch a glimpse of them to get a moment ohistory of messi lifting the world cup. it meant so much to them. they now go home as world cup

victors purely go home today and they go home to the ordinary life of gas bills, electricity bills. the dream is still alive and i hope they will be celebrating long into the night. >> it has been a pleasure to talk to you. thanks for giving us a sense of the atmosphere. morocco may not have been the victors in the world cup but thousands of moroccans throng through their capital to welcome home the national team. moroccans squad where the first arab and african team to have the semifinal of the world cup. unlike the argentine squad, they did manage to travel around the capital by bus as you can see to celebrate with the fans. we will leave it there for this program. thanks for watching. ♪ >> france is famous for food, fashion and when it comes to the

winter months, skiing. >> france is considered one of the top destinations in the world when it comes to winter sports. it is a significant part of the tourism industry. >> ski culture is about much more than the slopes and this in france, a lot of that has to do with food. >> has skiing gotten too expensive and how can resorts cope with climate change? >> join us as we slalom through the ins and outs of french skiing. with its pristine alpine landscapes and dramatic mountain peaks, france is a skiers paradise. it has been since the early 1900s when the very first he resort was created. >> these days that are about 350 ski resorts in france. you can also ski in the purities

and on the island of corsica. there are some places you can ski in the summer. >> winter sports are definitely part of the french psyche. they get a lot of coverage on the national news. >> there are stories about mountain conditions, too much snow, not enough snow, avalanches. some channels have a ski weather update during the winter. >> ski culture gets a lot of attention but the truth of the matter is it only concerns a privileged few. less than 10% of all french people actually get to hit the slopes every year. >> that is because it is expensive. you have to pay for accommodation, equipment, a ski pass. it adds up really fast. a ski trip to the french mountains, a much-needed breath of fresh air for the whole family that can quickly turn into a financial black hole. that is because zipping down the slopes comes at a dizzying price. tours and professionals say a week of winter sports costs on

average 1000 euros per person. for a family of four, that is roughly the equivalent of three months of the min wage. many french people say it is too expensive. >> [speaking french] >> get ready to dish out. transport and accommodation will account for the main chunk of your budget at their other costs that are hard to slalom around. renting ski gear, buying a pass to get up the mountain and feeding yourself. prices for just about anything tend to be steeper in ski resorts and can burn a serious hole in your pockets. some have gone so far as to call skiing a rich person sport but this does not stain the enchantment of the pristine mountains.

>> [speaking french] >> [speaking french] >> prices vary widely depending on where you go skiing. >> despite the high price tag, winter sports are big business except when there is a global pandemic on. that is due in large part to foreign tourists. we almost always here for linkages spoke on french ski slopes. >> foreign tours represent 25% of the 10 million people who visits french ski resorts each winter. winter sports account for 10% of the french tourism industry which is quite a lot. >> for many people here, the ski industry is known as white gold

and a lot of people depend on it. >> more than 120,000 jobs are created in french ski resorts each winter. a lot of this during the school holiday that takes place during the winter. >> from grade school to high school, french kids get two weeks vacation every six weeks and that includes two weeks in in february and march. for those families who can afford it, that often means an annual pilgrimage to the mountains. >> french school holidays are divided into three geographical zones. not everyone is on the slopes at the same time. >> during the winter break many kids turn in their textbooks for lessons of another kind. >> if you have been skiing in france you definitely noticed them. they are suntanned, dressed in trademark red ski suits and often filed -- often followed by a line of less competent students. these are instructors for the french ski school, an institution in france.

the 17,000 instructors will teach you how to cross country ski, downhill ski, snowboard or otherwise gracefully get down the mountain. for kids age two and up a whole codified system of levels exists much like grades in school. it starts with -- then there are the stars. bronze star and goldstar. at the end of the week of lessons you pass an exam. if you succeed you get a medal. as for the slopes they are color-coded into four levels of difficulty. green, flat and wide slopes for beginners. blue, a little steeper. read, steeper, narrower and bumpier. finally, black for confirmed competent skiers, daredevils, speed attics and thrill seekers. >> one major part of the french

ski experience is the food which is no surprise. this being france after all. > it does help you get down the slope. what is funny as a lot of these traditional french ski dishes originated in switzerland. over the years i guess you could say they were somewhat improved in france. one thing is for sure. a lot of them involve delicious ski -- delicious cheese. >> favorites include where you scrape cheese off onto potatoes or deli meats. there is also potatoes, onions and cheese baked in the oven. and the ever present fondue. >> the delicious liquid heaven that is fondue. what could go wrong when you mitch -- when you mix melted cheese and wine? >> a trip to the french mountains as a luxury so if you cannot make it, we thought we would bring the mountains to you with fondue. >> fondue literally means melted. that is what it is.

melted heaven. >> there are different kinds of fondue. chocolate fund to -- chocolate fondue, raw beef cooked in hot flavored oil but today we will show you how to make cheese fondue. >> there are different types depending on the combination of cheeses you use. today we are going to teach you the classic witches -- classic. >> to make a fondue for four people you need 20 centiliters of dry white wine, 300 grams of konta cheese, 30 grams of buffalo cheese, meg, cornstarch, pepper and a clove of garlic. >> fondue is traditionally made in a clay pot to your is a handy electric one but you can also use a normal pot. first step, ice up the cheese. -- dice up the cheese. >> take the garlic, rub it

around the pot and leave it there. pour 15 centiliters of the white wine and heat it up. >> the trick is not to cook it too hot because all of the alcohol will evaporate. mix the remaining wine with a teaspoon of cornstarch and a teaspoon of nutmeg and leave it to the side. >> when the wind starts to simmer, add in the cheese on low to medium heat. pro tip, never stop stirring with a wooden spoon. you want the cheeses to blend together and not be clumpy. kind of clumpy. >> it is getting there. >> locals will tell you to make a delicious and smooth fondue you will need to store it in a

figure eight. that is not >> what i -- that is what i was doing. -- that is not what i was doing. >> once the cheese is melted together mix in the remaining wine, nutmeg and cornstarch mix. >> if you want to spice it up, you can add a shot of cherry look for. >> smells so good. if you have not done it at this point you need to chop up some bread into small cubes to that is what you're going to dip into the fondue. >> you can also boil some potatoes to eat with your fondue . traditionally you drink white wine from the savoir region which is where many of these cheeses are from and definitely make a green slot -- a green salad to make it all go down. >> time to dig in. >> you have to be really careful not to lose your peace of bread in the fondue because if you do

you get a day or and in some families that can mean running around in the snow naked. >> when you have finessed the fondue you can crack an egg into the bottom of the pot and soak up the cheesy oil inside. >> it can be a little dangerous because it continues to expand in your stomach once you finish eating it so it is best to quit while you are ahead you will thank me later i am >> not running around naked in the snow. this time. >> bon appetit. >> many of you had questions about french winter sports like el diablo who wanted to know about climate change and how many artificial snow machines are used in the mountains now. >> resorts started using artificial snow machines in the 1970's to make up for unfavorable conditions. since then their use has increased exponentially so it is hard to give an exact number. they are used to alleviate the

effects of climate change. winters are shorter. glaciers are melting paired all this has an impact on resorts especially low altitude resorts. many have been forced to diversify to avoid disappearing altogether. >> there's resorts are inventing new ways to attract tourists with bobsledding and snowshoeing. another question from jim that says i remember a skier from the 1968 olympics. is he still beloved by the french? >> he is certainly still a household name. a ski resort name part of their ski area after him but if you want to immerse yourself into french ski culture but cannot get to the mountains i recommend watching the classic french film from 1979 but it is still a film people quote especially if you go skiing with french people. >> thanks so much for watching french connections. if you have your own questions about anything france or the french you can tweet her or

reach out on facebook. >> we will see you for another episode of french connections plus. >> 200 years ago a unique country was born, liberia. it was founded to welcome emancipated american slaves shared a dream that rapidly turned into a nightmare. >> what --hen they came to this place they used a gun to subdue the natives of the land. >> followed a battle for domination. civil war, corruption and massacres. >> the result of not only the war but for social inequities that created conditions for war. >> what is the situation today? our teams went to find out. watch liberia revisited on france 24 and france 24.com. ♪

12/20/22 12/20/22 aptioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> we believe the evidence provided by my colleagues today and assembled throughout our hearings warrants a criminal referral of former president donald j. trump, john eastman, for violations of the statute. the whole purpose and obvus