>> members of niger's presidential guard survived -- surround the presidential palace in what has been described as an attempted coup. another excessive wave of hot temperatures sparks more devastating wildfires in greece, portugal, and croatia. and it is the final countdown.

less than 365 days to go until the paris olympics. welcome back to the france 24 newsroom in paris. thank you very much for joining us. an attempted coup is currently underway in niger, where it has been reported that the president has been detained in the presidential complex, this by members of his own presidential guard. there have been reports that army has given the guard an ultimatum to release the head of state. since independence from france, niger has experienced 4 coup d'etat's, and this latest attempt to seize power has been condemned by the regional african party as well as the eu, the u.s., and you and -- you and -- u.n. >> protesters in the nigerian capital retreat as troops from

the presidential government fired shots, warning them away from the presidential compound. crowds have gathered in the city center, denouncing what many believe to be an attempted coup. members of the presidential guard have been holding the president and his family captive since wednesday morning. niger's army said it would intervene if those detaining the president did not back down. >> the president and his family are doing well. the army and national guard stand ready to attack if those involved do not change their minds. >> the motive for the move remains unclear, but the african union and the west african bloc expressed concern that a coup d'etat could be underway. >> it is with amazement and dismay that we have learned of an attempted coup in niger. we condemned in the strongest possible terms the attempt to seize power by force and called on the perpetrators to immediately and unconditionally release the democratically elected president of the republic.

>> the west african state is one of the most unstable nations in the world, experiencing 4 goose since independence in 1960. the last of which occurred in february 2010, overthrowing the then president. the european union also condemned the action, as did washington, which counts niger as a key ally in the region. >> we are gravely concerned about the developments in niger. we strongly support the democratically elected president , and we condemn in the strongest terms any efforts to seize power by force and disrupt the constitutional order. >> there are concerns on other military takeover in niger could further complicate western efforts to help countries in the sahel compat -- combat and insurgency that has spread from mali over the last decade. >> we are joined by a consulting

fellow at the african program. in your view, what is going on? >> it looks as if it is a protest essentially by small part of the military, just the presidential guard. there are reports that the commander of the presidential guard was due to be removed from his post or, as it were, firmly retired if you like. it appears there is a sort of kickback from him and his loyalists. he has been in position about 10 years, but there are not yet any indications of support from the rest of the armed forces. in fact, other elements of the military are, for example, protecting the key national broadcast center, and there have also been demonstrations in support of the president on the streets not only knew the

presidency where those shots were fired as we saw in that report, but also for example outside the national assembly and in other places. it looks as if it is and narrower coup attempt than those we have seen elsewhere in the region, for example, in mali and burkina faso. quentin snider is a country that is no stranger to cruise -- >> niger is a country that is no stranger to cruise -- two cou -- to coups. what makes it so vulnerable to this sort of thing? >> visits one of the poorest countries in the world -- it is one of the poorest countries in the world, and it is also under quite important pressures, but those factors are not really the things that have driven either this coup or in fact the events

of just over a decade ago, the previous military intervention, which was in fact a pro-democracy coup. the president had been trying to dismantle some of the democratic structures of the constitution, and the army intervened basically to restore democracy and ensure a democratic transition. the situation we've got today is quite different. the president is democratically elected. he is complying with the constitution. his predecessor stood down at the end of his second term at the end of 2021 as the constitution provided. this appears to be a threat on, as i say, this small element of the presidential guard, and it does not appear to reflect wide discontent in the military. niger faces huge problems. there are jihadist threats and pressures, particularly from

mali and burkina faso and spilling over into border areas, but i don't think these are the main drivers of the present offense of today. >> of course, there is concern internationally for a number of reasons, but for that very reason as well because france has been using niger as part of its strategy against jihadists in the region. there is concern, is in there, that if this coup were to develop, niger could go the way of mali and burkina faso and france could find itself without a place to base its troops at all. >> it is less about france. niger is a critical member of the whole west africa security structure that is attempting to contain the spread of jihadism because it hosts not only french

troops, but it hosts a lot of american troops. there are also troops from a number of other eu countries involved in training programs and support programs within the country, so niger occupies a critical position in that structure, but it has also been a very vocal defender of the democratic principles of the economic community of, the west african equivalent, if you like, of the european union. the president himself has been pretty vocal in condemning military coups in other countries in the region, so an awful lot is at stake here, and it is really a country that is very critical not just for military reasons but political reasons and the stability of west africa.

>> we are keeping a close eye on elements there in niger throughout the course of the evening. thank you for joining us. with climate change increasing the risk of severe fires, the european union says it is planning to sign contracts for a dozen new firefighting airplanes while southern europe is in the group of a heat wave. firefighters in italy say they battled more than 1000 -- 1004 hundred wildfires since sunday alone. wild are burning in at least nine countries across the military, not just here in europe. tunisia and algeria also affected. in algeria, wildfires have claimed the lives of at least 34 people this week. >> walls a flames line the mountainous region of sicily,

sparked by tinder dry conditions. wildfires have moved quickly, destroying homes. authorities in italy are in a race against time with temperatures reaching a staggering 47 degrees celsius in some regions. similar scenes along some countries along the mediterranean, including croatia. the strong, steadily went has hampered firefighting efforts, preventing aircraft from taking off. >> i was already asleep. when i woke up, everything was red. >> high wind is also complicating efforts to contain fires for the west in portugal, which spread quickly in the outskirts of lisbon, catching residents off guard. >> we hope the wind will slow down. that's the greatest difficulty for the firefighters. some gusts, 60 km an hour, have caused the fires to spread a

considerable distance. >> on the others of the mediterranean in algeria, wildfires tore through several regions before being contained, killing thousands, as the country marked a record 50 degrees celsius. more than 8000 firefighters have been deployed and some 1500 people evacuated from their homes. >> the president of the international olympic committee took part in a ceremony in paris today to launch the final countdown to the 2024 paris olympic games. the opening ceremony will be held in july 2024. if anyone is worried paris will not be ready, he is not one of them. he said paris is perhaps the best prepared city ever at this stage of preparations. russia and belarus are not among the countries invited to take part. 4 new disciplines will be making their olympic debut. amongst them, breakdancing, and

style of dance born in the u.s. in the 1970's, so how and what form will this event take at the olympics? let's find out more. ♪ >> a dance floor, a dj to provide the music, and two dancers in front of a panel of judges. those are the basics of breaking. in paris, there will be an immense tournament. after each battle, a winner is chosen and the loser eliminated. >> it is like boxing or any other combat sport. we are face to face, we have to ask a question and the other person answers. >> the coach of the french breaking team, for the sport, born on the streets, and being part of the olympic games is a huge opportunity. >> the exposure and introducing break in a sporting contest is

great recognition. being in the games today is recognition of 40, 50 years of existence. >> breakers must be able to dance to a wide range of musical styles from funk to hip-hop with two essential criteria -- adaptability and improvisation. >> when you go to dance, when you get up on stage, you don't know what music is going to play or the dj, so it is partly improv. it is really intuitive. you have to adapt to the moment. it is really about being creative. >> we really work on sets, little modules you have to repeat, repeat, repeat, so you feel it in your body and you can feel it at any moment with any music on any dance floor. >> among other things, the judges mark on technique, personality, and originality of movement. each breaker has to stand out with a personal style. that's why this 15-year-old

b-girl was recently crowned champion in france. >> we have to find our identity so that we know who is dancing. as for me, my parents are african dancers, so i learned a little bit of african dance. it is my personal touch. >> the usa, japan, and more recently china are among the top breaking nations, but one of the most experienced members of the french team is clear about his ambitions. >> the gold-medal at the games in paris in 2024. >> each country can field up to two breakers in the men's and women's categories at the olympic games, but to do so, the b boys nb girls will have to earn their place in the various qualifying events that will take place after june 2024. >> for more, check out our website, france24.com, for the

latest news and the latest on the paris olympics now that the one-year countdown has begun and all the excitement ahead of it. just 364 days to go now. that brings you up-to-date with all the news. thanks for watching. stay tuned to france 24. ♪ ♪ >> a hundred years ago,

painters, sculptors, writers, and musicians battled for gold, silver, and bronze at the olympics. to mark a year until the paris games, we are marking the artistic side of the event. we are here where on july 26, 2024, the event will take place. we are promised a grand spectacle that will tell the story of paris and are friends. 600,000 spectators are expected to line the banks of the river seine. >> it is the show of a lifetime. it is the biggest show in the world, but to be honest, the work offsets the pressure. there's so much to do. it is so amazing to create such a huge show that i'm more focused on the job.

i cannot deny, though, that on the day, a few minutes before the opening ceremony starts, like any actor or artist, i will probably have stage fright, but other than that, i don't really feel the pressure. >> and it will be broadcast live around the world. for once, you are not creating a stage because the stage is the seine. >> the seine is here, and that's the brilliant idea of the organizers to use it as a setting. it will be the first time in years the opening ceremony will not take place in a sports stadium. it means having the world's most beautiful city as a backdrop. with the seine river as a stage, and i have to compose with that. i'm very lucky and i think for this edition of the olympics, it is a wonderful idea. >> how are you planning this to be a celebration of french culture? you will be highlighting its

diversity, i imagine? >> this idea of the seine as a stage is even more relevant that it represents the history of france, the history of paris. one can see it in their buildings, in the architecture. there is the history with a capital letter h, but a lot of smaller stories, a lot of anecdotes. we tried to find what could be incorporated into the show to tell the story of paris, to tell the story of france, a city which is made of influences from all over the world and which also influences the rest of the world. a city that carries a lot of symbols, which will be glorified.

>> among the olympic sports, there is a new 1 -- breakdancing or breaking as it has been called by the international olympic committee. breaking competitions have been taking place for all over the world since the 1990's. >> to make it in the world of breaking, you need power, muscles, speed, flexibility, rhythm, and style. here is one of the best-known moves, the head spin, explained by one of france's top breakers. >> i place my hand in front of me. i'm moving first, then i turned my head. hands, head, body. >> when he has reached full speed, it is time to let go of his hands. breakers make dozens of head spins per minute. our champion lands on another

iconic figure, the freeze. >> the battle is like a session of q&a. i asked or tell you something. your reply. the dancer with the best structured statement, the neatest elaborated segment, wins the battle. >> we have established breaking as a sport, but it is also deeply rooted in art. it is linked to hip-hop music and culture. it all started in new york in the early 1970's and has dazzled and inspired people across the world. >> when we saw those images on television, we felt something different. these people move in an incredible way. they turn on their heads, their shoulders, their arms. we have come to this club because we want to learn how to do this. >> some got the hang of it. for others, it was more

complicated. 40 years later, the style that started on the streets of new york will get a place of honor in the olympics. collectively -- >> we b-boys started far from this. now we are joining athletes from other sports. we feel others have recognized our value now. >> the goal is to attract new audiences, starting with young women, with ultimate hope that the competition goes so well breaking will remain an olympic sport after paris. >> a year before the start of the games, the olympic forms festival combines art and sport all summer long in the capital.

>> this open air fitness class invites the general public to work out. in an activity that combines dance and weight training. cracks in the end, there is still a lot of people dancing, enjoying and sharing this moment, so it is cool. >> this contemporary dance company offers choreography for all ages. >> parents, kids, everyone was into it. >> summer is also a great opportunity to discover new venues, new areas to enjoy everything paris in the suburbs have to offer. >> but it is not just about physical activity. the city of paris one year before the olympic games wants to, above all, combine the worlds of culture and sport. >> the idea is to have the widest audience possible and bring together the most traditional audience of these two worlds so they unify around

a common event, the olympic and paralympic games. >> public can also rediscover sports facilities like this one thanks to sound. in this gymnasium, 50 microphones are attached around the building. >> we are trying to make people hear the sound of sport to which we don't normally have access. these are the somewhat intimate sounds of sport, and these are the sounds of the athletes' movements. >> there is a sensor here, and this plexiglas will make the membrane a little bit like a bass drum. >> sporting movements are transformed into musical instruments. >> it is going to make a noise, and it is a noise that is very pleasing to the ear. >> athletes and technicians make the whole building resonate in this immersive show.

more than 50 free events will take place between now and mid september. >> four olympic champions, nutrition is synonymous with peak performance and. in the competition of world gastronomy, it is michelin-start chefs who will be doing the cooking for the athletes. in a restaurant, she puts the finishing touches on a dish that will be served up at next year's olympics. >> here i have a guinea fowl that we cook on low heat. >> the chef was given free reign to come up with some 15 recipes for athletes. >> it is a big challenge because it is obviously symbolic. we represent france, our country . logistically, too. it is a big -- it is big because

we are going to welcome huge crowds throughout the games. >> north of paris, construction is in full swing at the olympic village. in just a year's time, it will be home to 12,500 athletes who will need to be fed 24 hours a day. >> the goal is to feed all 12,500 athletes from all 600 delegations from breakfast to dinner. it is about offering catering that meets expectations or they can get their best performance. -- so they can get their best performance. >> another chef who has taken up the challenge is a former basketball player who now boasts three michelin stars. >> the idea is to have something salty, but naturally salty. >> he has been working on his recipes for the past two years. >> food is closely linked to

performance and to well-being. it is an important factor. >> he also plans to bring his food truck to paris, giving athletes the option of healthy street food. >> you cannot underestimate the food truck. during lockdown, it made around 1200 sales every day. there were nine of us working inside at the time. that won't be the case at the olympics, but we can still do great things. >> over a one million meals will be served to athletes during the olympics. around 30,000 each day. >> will leave you with an exhibition called victory is on at the national museum of sport in nice. it is on until september. thanks for watching. ♪

>> well-known stars of french heritage, but french genius and france harbors many other hidden treasures. the arts, gastronomy, architecture as well as nature's wonders. come along with france 24. discover france's living heritage from young apprentices to accomplish craftsman and farmers to michelin-star-sporting chefs. meet these people whose passion for their professions preserve and drive french heritage. >> you are here on france 24 and france24.com. ♪

amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> july 27 will mark the 70th anniversary of the armistice in which north korean and military commanders signed to halt fighting the three years of war and promised to return within 90 days to negotiate a peace settlement. that hasn't happened yet. amy: as the u.s. sends a