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Actress strips at awards show to protest France's COVID-19 strategy

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Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/03/13/corinne-masiero.jpg"/><figcaption>Actress Corinne Masiero stands naked on stage as she delivers a speech next to Master of Ceremony Marina Fois during the 46th Cesar Awards ceremony at the Olympia concert hall in Paris, France, March 12, 2021. <em>Bertrand Guay, Pool via Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>PARIS - French actress Corinne Masiero stripped naked on stage during a scaled-back Cesar Awards ceremony in Paris to protest the government&#x27;s months-long closure of theaters and cinemas during the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>She had &quot;no culture no future&quot; written on her chest and &quot;give us art back Jean&quot; on her back, in a message to Prime Minister Jean Castex.</p><p>Masiero, 57, was on stage to present the award for best costume, wearing a donkey outfit and a blood-stained dress before she stripped before the audience.</p><div><strong>RELATED LINK:</strong></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/03/11/21/french-daily-covid-cases-rise-above-30000-for-first-time-in-two-weeks">French daily COVID cases rise above 30,000 for first time in two weeks</a></li></ul><p>France&#x27;s answer to the Oscars, the ceremony is in normal times the biggest night on the French cinema calendar but on Friday there were no flashbulbs on the red carpet and no partners on the arms of award nominees.</p><p>The ceremony took place at a theater as anger and frustration grows amongst actors, musicians and artists at the government&#x27;s unwillingness to set a date for the reopening of museums, galleries, concert halls and movie houses.</p><p>Marina Fois, one of France&#x27;s best known comedians, took aim at the government&#x27;s months-long closure of theaters and cinemas during the coronavirus pandemic in a searing speech to open the ceremony.</p><p>Fois, who hosted the night, took a swipe at Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot for finding time to write a book during the COVID-19 crisis and said: &quot;I&#x27;m losing confidence in you.&quot;</p><p>Nor did she hold back from attacking the French government&#x27;s broader strategy to counter the COVID-19 crisis, as cases in the country topped 4 million.</p><p>&quot;They cooped up our youngsters, closed our cinemas and theaters and banned concerts so that they could open churches, because we&#x27;re a secular country, so that old people could go to church,&quot; she said. The majority of French people are Roman Catholic.</p><p>Across the capital, several dozen protesters were occupying the Odeon Theatre for an eighth night demanding cultural venues be reopened and more financial support. </p><div><strong>(Reporting by Richard Lough; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall, Alexandra Hudson)</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5D7Bm8Y3P2M?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>MOSCOW - Russia on Saturday accused the United States of using IT opportunities to engage in unfair competition and of social media platforms arbitrarily and indiscriminately censoring content.</p>

MOSCOW - Russia on Saturday accused the United States of using IT opportunities to engage in unfair competition and of social media platforms arbitrarily and indiscriminately censoring content.