The French-speaking leaders of the world, meeting at a summit in Moncton (Canada), emphasized Saturday the need for a united front against the USA on the theme of "the cultural exception". President Jacques CHIRAC paid tribute to the descendants of the first French Acadians. Comment on factual images, micro-sidewalk of Acadians and speech by Jacques CHIRAC. Plateau in Véronique SAINT OLIVE location.
To protest the ban on the import of their beef to hormones in the countries of the European Union, the United States obtained from the WTO 100% taxation of products such as cheese, mustard, pork, truffles and other French foodstuffs.
JEAN PAUL II travels to Poland, his home country. The Pope arrived in Gdansk, the symbol city of Solidarnosc. Commentary on the images of faithful arrived thousands in the city, brief archive of the shipyard of Gdansk and Lech Walesa in reference to the Solidarnosc movement and microsidery of Poles came to see the pope.
Report devoted to the visit of Dominique VOYNET, Minister of the Environment and Regional Planning at the Salon de l'Agriculture where she was strongly rushed, booed and insulted. Protected by a major law enforcement agency, the minister was criticized for her green tax plan to tax farmers-polluters using environmentally harmful fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Commentary on images of his visit alternating with interviews of unhappy farmers.
In the tainted blood trial, the former ministers, Laurent Fabius, Edmond Herve and Georgina Dufoix are referred to the Court of Justice of the Republic for complicity in poisoning. This long-awaited decision therefore did not follow the prosecutor’s indictment requesting a dismissal. Back to that long court report and those four years of education. Alternating: comment on images of the president of the Association Française des hémophiles with the president of the Association des transfusés, in the street, images of the collection of files, interviews of lawyers of the defense, and reaction of Edmond Luc HENRY, President of the Association Française des hémophiles. - Interview Me Patrick MAISONNEUVE, lawyer of Edmond HERVE "We went to ask for the recusation of the three magistrates instructors. Pressure on the judges". - Interview Me Bernard COHEN, lawyer of Georgina DUFOIX: "We do not have the courage to face the victims. Georgina DUFOIX has always said her feelings for the victims. We wanted to seek possible liability...". - Interview with Edmond Luc HENRY, President of the Association Française des hémophiles: "Demi satisfaction. What is important for hemophiliacs is to know what happened in the government."
An official report on "the problems posed by the dangerousness of drugs", drafted by a group of experts, has just been submitted to the Secretary of State for Health, Bernard KOUCHNER. The report points out, for example, that cannabis is less harmful than tobacco. What rekindles the debate on decriminalization— Commentary on images of a demonstration in Paris for the decriminalisation of soft drugs, archives of the national ethics committee and hemp plans, alternating with Jean-Pierre GALLAND, President of the Cannabic Information and Research Collective (IARC), and Dr Francis CURTET, President of the Association Grande écoute.
Prime Minister Lionel Jospin arrived today in New Caledonia to sign the agreement on the institutional future of the island and to inaugurate the cultural center that bears the name of the former head of the FLNKS, Jean-Marie Tjibaou, murdered nine years ago. The comment on images of Lionel Jospin’s arrival at Nouméa airport, where he is welcomed by Jacques Lafleur and Rock Wamytan, then that of Michel Rocard, and the official inauguration of the centre alternates with interviews with Michel ROCARD, Jacques LAFLEUR, president of the RPCR, Rock WAMYTAN, president of the FLNKS, and an excerpt of speeches by Marie-Claude TJIBAOU, Jean-Marie, and Lionel JOSPIN.
Bernard KOUCHNER has decided: the vaccination campaign against hepatitis B will be relaunched. Some physicians were concerned that the vaccine was causing serious neurological disorders, which is not the opinion of the Technical Committee on Immunization. 450 dubious cases have been reported since 1989 out of 25 million people vaccinated. For Bernard KOUCNER, there is no current data to impute these complications to the vaccine. Interview with Bernard KOUCHNER, Secretary of State for Health: "No expert... has found a correlation between vaccination and neurological incidents; but investigations are continued with three control case programs, to prove whether or not there are anomalies". The results of the ongoing epidemiological study on these risks will be available in the coming months. Vaccination is therefore recommended, but is not imposed.
Politicians of the right and the left went to the fair of Agriculture. Commentary on images of Jacques CHIRAC handing out handshakes and in front of the limousine cow stand, congratulating the breeder, Lionel JOSPIN admiring the Gasconne cows as well as Edouard BALLADUR contemplating cows of Swiss origin and Robert HUE in front of a wrapped limo cow and a blonde from Aquitaine.
This morning, the Council of Ministers adopted the Martine AUBRY bill on the reduction of working time to 35 hours a week. Reminder in archival images on frames of the objectives of the system provided by the JOSPIN government.
Report of the International Climate Conference in Kyoto (Japan) on global warming and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Al GORE, vice president of the United States, declined the European proposals, which provoked the anger of European representatives. Commentary on images of the conference alternating with the statement of Al GORE, and the interview of Dominique VOYNET, Minister of Land Planning.
A team of French researchers has found a new therapy to fight cancer, chronotherapy, chemotherapy administered at specific times of the day through a laptop computer. Commentary on images of the application of this therapy on a patient, alternating with the interview of Dr Francis LEVY (hospital Paul Brousse de Villejuif), describing the advantages of this treatment, including, in particular, a limitation of the side effects and a more targeted action of the treatment.
In Afghanistan the forces of Commander MASSOUD launched a vast offensive against the Taliban. Interview of the latter (VO with a translator) specifying his attack strategy. Interview of a French Mujaheddin fighter about the atrocities committed by the Taliban, including rape. Interview (VO trad off) of a Taliban: "we want to eliminate the enemies of Islam, and to establish the Islamic order".
President Jacques Chirac decorated three of the navigators to have distinguished themselves in the Vendée Globe Challenge 1996/1997, and declared "The Vendée Globe Challenge is not nothing...". The winner, Christophe AUGUIN explains that "a legion of honor is not denied..."; for his act of bravery (rescue of Rafaël Dinelli), Pete Goss "came for the whole team, it was not a rescue in solitary..."and the first woman to close the Vendée Globe Challenge, Catherine Chabaud. Archives: Arrival of Christophe Auguin at Les Sables d'Olonnes December 1996, Pete Goss brought Raphael Dinelli back to Tasmania: both browsers are hugging. Arrival at the Sands of Catherine Chabaud on 23/03/97
In Paris, the president of the republic, Jacques CHIRAC, inaugurated the opening to the public of the national library of France, also named François Mitterrand library with a visit of the places and the viewing of a CD-ROMROM in situ. The president was accompanied by Danièle Mitterrand, Dominique Perrault, architect, Jean Favier, president of the BNF, and ministers Jacques Toubon, François Fillon, and Philippe Douste Blazy.
The Fête de l'Humanité in La Courneuve was a great success this year and benefited from a sunny climate. Commentaries on images of the armouries of the carnival, restaurants and political stands, alternate with a televised pavement to visitors, including the testimony of a British woman who comes every year. Each one explains what he came for at the Feast of Humanity.
The French industry has just won a contract with the American aviation company which will buy 45 aircraft from France at Airbus Industrie and sign an option on 45 others. Comment on factual and archival images.
Salon de l'Elysée: The President of the Republic, Jacques CHIRAC presents the Legion of Honour to the actor Gérard DEPARDIEU, very moved. In first place are Jean MARAIS and Line RENAUD.
The British government asserts that the disease of "mad cow" or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, could be transmitted to man. Brussels calls an emergency meeting to address health and economic concerns. Several passing interviews concerned by the situation Commentary by journalist Véronique TAVEAU, (Special Envoy) talking about people suffering from the disease in England.