Unified response to the coronavirus. Our correspondent in brussels is standing by. Hello, everyone, i am auntie francis. Thanks for joining us. Americas monte francis. Thanks for joining us. Americas top diplomat made history today. Mike pompeo is the first u. S. Secretary of state and highestranking u. S. Official to visit the settlements in the west bank, which are considered a violation of international law. As expected, the trip drew praise from israelis and outrage from palestinians. Hmmm pao also visited Golan Heights and declared a part of his pompeo also visited Golan Heights and declared it part of israeli territory. You cannot stand here and deny the central thing this president has recognized that previous president s have refused to do, that this is part of israel. The United States and President Trump will continue to do all we can to make sure israel has what it needs to do that. We will honor your right to defend your own people. Host last year, donald trump acknowledged israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Israel has built more than 38 jewish settlements in the Golan Heights, the part of the country that separates it from its neighbor, syria. Israel seized most of the heights from syria in the 1960 76day war. Considered by israel to be an important buffer, both countries value the region for its high altitude, which makes it a good vantage point. The following year, the two countries signed agreements on disengagement and ended the conflict. U. N. Peacekeepers have patrolled the purple line ever since. In 1981, israel declared annexation for two thirds of the heights, a move considered illegal under dutch Golan Heights, a move considered illegal under the Golan Heights, a move considered illegal under international law. President trump is a great friend of our state, a leader who has done things which were not done previously and should have been done in the name of justice and truth. Damascus still wants t territory back and border skirmishes breakout periodically. They came to an end when syrias civil war broke out. Today, the Golan Heights offers fertile land and is a key source of water for israel in an arid region. Some armenians are returning to the capital following a russian brokered peace deal. Though many have been forced to leave their homes under the terms of the ceasefire, it remains under their control. Meanwhile, new accusations have been leveled against armenia by azerbaijan. Our team on the ground has this report. At this point, hospital staff are struggling with an influx from the army. It is thought these soldiers could have come into contact with a phosphorus substance that ignites upon contact with the air. [speaking foreign language] [speaking foreign language] they are both french armenians who have come to help the victims of the war. The hospital has dozens of troops with the same kinds of burns. [speaking foreign language] wounds that seem under control but then take a turn. Problems with metabolism, unexplained heart attacks, all known to come from customers phosphorus burns. [speaking foreign language] this footage from armenn Television Shows what is thought to be phosphorus falling. It burns through vegetation and the Armenian Forces are using it for cover. Its use is tightly regulated under an International Agreement that neither azerbaijan nor armenia has signed. A number of ngos have demanded its prohibition for years given the effects. [speaking foreign language] azerbaijan denies using phosphorus weapons. These burn victims begin a long path toward recovery that could last months or even years if they survive. Members of the European Union are meeting by videoconference tonight as the block faces a huge budget crisis. Poland has vetoed a budget plan meant to help Member States address the pandemic and help their economies recovery. There is time running out to strike a deal with britain before the deadline of january 1. For more on this story, we are joined by our correspondent in brussels. Any development on the budget so far . No. Leaders were very keen n to talk about this tonight. They just wrapped up a press conference. The heads of negotiations refused to be drawn on this. They spent only 15 minutes tonight talking about the budget impasse. The Council President call before hand and said he did not want to make a big blowuabout this tonight, that leaders should keep their statemen short, and that everyone on the opposite side suld let Angela Merkel do the talking. It is hard to read from that if we or any closer to a compromise. The statements tonight were short and simple. No big theatrics, no saber rattling. That may mean we are heading toward some sort of compromise, although what that could be remains unclear. It may be an option to take the Covid Recovery part out of the budget and approve it separately. Another option would be to specify more about what that means for this mechanism that hungary and poland are opposed to. Another option would be to hold off on approving the budget, but thats an enormous headache. The seven year budget was set to take effect on january 1. The leaders have kicked this into the long grass. They want Foreign Ministers and eu ambassadors to deal with this next week. I know they were also discussing a covid response. Has there been any progress or news on that front . Well, tonight they talked about coordinating the exit from the second lockdown. They stressed that they need to do this in a cautious, careful way ahead of the christmas holiday. She said that the first lockdowns were ended too quickly , and that is why europe has found itself in the situation it is in. They read discussed they urged careful coordination on that. The president said he knows people want to have a Holiday Season with their loved ones but it needs to be a safe Holiday Season. President fond du lac said she has been told that approval for Covid Vaccines, at least two of the vaccines out there could be ready by the second half of december. Thats just the approval process. Its so much faster than we were thinking just a few months ago. They also talked about rapid antigen tests. There has been concerned about how that will be ruled out rolled out over europe. Several leaders discussed the logistics of distributing vaccines next year and also that many pple would be hesitant to take it. They disgusted the effort to make people confident enough to take those vaccines. Finally, they did get an update on brexit. Several leaders told the commsion they want to either enact the no deal contingency plan and have a no deal brexit in 45 days at the end of the year, which we would probably see next week if the commission activates those plans. Thank you so much for that report. Here in france, the countrys Top Health Official says the lockdown will not end soon. The country is battling the countrys battle against the coronavirus is a struggle that will take some time. The president is set to speak next week about the pandemic and if the lockdown will continue. Restrictions appeared to be having an effect with 21,000 new cases in the last four hours, down from 28,000 the day before. It is not the time for citizens to let up their guard. [speaking foreign language] with a Covid Vaccine expected early next year, airlines are getting ready to transport millions of doses all over the globe. As our team explains, it is expected to be a herculean task. It is an immense challenge, a Global Vaccination Campaign for nearly 8 billion people. It is also a logistical headache for which the Airline Industry is getting ready. At air france, a task force has already been put in place. The major challenges keeping the vaccine cold with the help of special containers. Pfers laboratory vaccine must be stored in temperatures of 80 degrees. Its technically feasible. Its not the easiest, but its doable. From leaving the laboratory to arriving at the clinic, to maintain 80 degrees. This jetline can carry a ton of cargo and its huge hold. Around 8000 claims like this might be needed. Its going to be a logistical challenge. There are going to be massive shipments. We will not know until the last moment where the vaccines are produced and we wont know until the last moment where they will be sent, so that is a challenge, two. Possibly hundreds of thousands of doses of the vaccine could pass through Charles De Gaulle airport, precious cargo that will be watched closely. It is a product that is highly desired and that is why we have a task force in place at the airport in which the police are involved. Another difficulty, delays, formalities, customs that could slow the vaccine delivery to certain parts of the world. Ethiopia said today it is bearing down on the capital of the region as the countrys civil war is now in its second week. The conflict has crossed international borders. Hundreds have been killed. More than 30,000 refugees have fled the violence into neighboring sudan. We have the story. Already making plans for a transition of power, the epo be in the Ethiopian Government set up a new administration. The goal will be to create a conducive environment to me re the six national nationalities can prosper. Earlier in the day, the Ethiopian Military said it was closing in on the capital region. Communications and transportation have been cut off. Such claims remain difficult to verify. Authorities have lost a town in the west but said forces were holding elsewhere. They accuse the Central Government of enlisting the help of foreign fighters and technology. [speaking foreign language] since the conflict began in early november, both sides have made contradictory claims about the fighting and have accused each other of multiple human rights violations. The United Nations warned that a fullscale humanitarian crisis was unfolding in ethiopia where the conflict has already led some 36,000 people to flee to neighboring sudan. Host deadly protests continue in uganda. At least 16 people have been killed in the violence following the rest o the opposition president ial candidate. Others have been injured. The two days of demonstrations represent the worst unrest in the country in a decade. Now to australia, where top military Officials Say there is credible evidence the countrys special forces illegally killed at least 39 african civilians and prisoners. The announcement comes after the publication of findings from a four year investigation into the conduct of the australian military. The findings suggest the most serious breaches of military conduct. The landmark inquiry alleges 25 Australian Special forces had killed 39 afghan prisoners and civilians. This shameful record includes alleged instances in which new patrol members were coerced to shoot a prisoner in order to achieve that soldiers first kill in an appalling practice known as blooding. The probe, which took four and a half years to complete, resulted from allegations by local media about the killings of unarmed men, women, and children. Soldiers would plant weapons and radios after the killings to make out they were enemies. They now face possible murder charges. The afghan president said he spoke with the australian Prime Minister by telephone and that Scott Morrison expressed his deepest sorrow over the alleged misconduct. A staunch ally of washington, australia sent more than 26,000 personnel to afghanistan following the september 11 terror attacks, fighting the taliban, al qaeda, and other Islamist Groups alongside u. S. Forces. The International Criminal court is currently investigating war crimes in afghanistan by the u. S. , the taliban, and the australian government. Host in thailand, the government has ordered a crackdown against prodemocracy protesters who are calling for the Prime Ministers resignation and reforms to the monarchy. The protest started in july when young people took to the streets to demand a new constitution. The pandemic has changed just about everything in our daily lives and that includes events and holidays in france. Annual festivals are taking on a new way of doing things. The celebration of the regions wines usually involves large crowds of people. This year, it is all about take away. One Restaurant Owner sold out 80 bottles in just a few hours. A winemaker in england has made his own version of the traditional french boot lay. He is one of a number of wine producers turning their hand to french style wines. Colorful but still slightly clear, typical of a young red wine. This one has a story of its own. Cherries, raspberries, fruit, some tropical notes. Almost papaya, banana, things like that. Simon day is very proud of his wines that he produces, not in the burgundy region of france, but in the west of england. Its a fun drink. Its not a wine you take too seriously. And in the spirit, wednesday evening sees 2500 bottles of the wine go on sale in supermarkets across europe. It costs twice as much as a traditional french wine. In just 20 years, the amount of land used for wine has quadrupled. Today, there are more than 760 vineyards in the u. K. , the majority of which produce sparkling wine. Some french wine producers are now investing in these plots of land. We can benefit from global warming, which increases the chances of yielding satisfying products. A warmer climate, similar to that of the champagne region, means wine like this is flourishing in the u. K. Host time for business with kate moody. Kate, good to see you. Retailers are pushing back against lockdown restrictions, arguing they should be allowed to open before december 1. What is the latest on that . Kate this traditional american sales event has become really centra to retailers in france about when and how to lift lockdown restrictions. Black friday is the day after thanksgiving in the United States. Thats next friday, november 27. That is when francis second lockdown is due to and. Business owners and retail owners are urging postponing black friday promotions to early december saying right now health needs to be the number one priority. Amazon has now agreed to that. Black friday will not go li on its french site uil december 4, and thatill give some breathing space to other french retailers who feel penalized by what they described as unfair competition from online platforms, especially amazon in particular. Other chains have said they will be delaying flash sales on their websites as well. Black friday has only recently become a phenomenon in france, but last year, there were around 6 Million Euros worth of sales. This year, it is a key part of retailers strategies in their effort to try to kick off the Holiday Season with the hope of making up some of the financial losses that racked up during the pandemic. Turning to the u. S. , where the number of applications for jobless benefits has increased for the first time [no audio] kate weekly figures have been increasing slightly but steadily. 742 thousand americans applied for Unemployment Benefits for the first time last week, up from 710,000 the previous week. We are far from the peak of 7 million in a single week that we saw back in march, but we are still three times higher than prepandemic levels. Boeing, disney, exxon announcing major layoffs in recent weeks, so these numbers could continue to climb. More than 21 million americans are currently seeking jobless benefits. They could lose Government Support by the end of the year. Emergency members approved by congress at the beginning of the pandemic made independent and gig economy workers eligible for benefits they normally would not be entitled to. Emergency measures will expire at the end of december. Lawmakers have yet to agree on more Financial Aid as part of a broader stimulus bill, although they said today that negotiations have been restarted after the election. A report released on wednesday said some 12 Million People risk falling off a benefits cliff without any Financial Aid from the government. Even as some indicators in the u. S. Start to show signs of recovery from the pandemic, the risk of hardship there remains prevalent. Host lets have a look at the markets. Earlier in the week, we saw investors getting quite a boost with all the developments about a possible coronavirus vaccine. That seems to have warm on worn off. Wall street closed just slightly above the flat line. Shares of an audio equipment maker, sonos, were up 30 after recording earlier results. Investors in europe are more focused on the ecb. The eurozone is facing more economic damage as countries tighten their restrictions, and analysts say Global Markets are likely to face continued volatility as long as the pandemic remains uncontrolled. Host thank you for that. That is it for now. Stay tune for more world news here on france 24. Aiuog 11 19 20 11 19 20 [captioning made possible by democracy now ] amy from new york, this is democracy now the Trump Administration has failed the american people. It has failed to take the lead, failed to listen to experts, failed to rollout a workable plan to get testing in place, to ensure protective supplies are there, failed in almost every conceivable way to do with the pandemic that many oth
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