gunmen attack one of istanbul's top tourist attractions, as eight soldiers are killed by a roadside bomb in southeast turkey. ♪ hello there i'm felicity barr, and this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up, three children killed every day with many more injured, the young victims of the war in yemen. thai place name the main suspect in the bombing, but say he wasn't acting alone. and the syrian refugee

families making the precarious crossing from turkey to the greek islands. ♪ hello, turkey's president says the country is moving sw s swiss -- swiftly towards early election. it follows the failure to form a working government. the president could give the mandate for a new government to another party. he has hinted that he won't do that. >> translator: unfortunately turkey has not founded a new government yet. in this regard we again need to ask the will of the people to find the solution. i'm conducting this process within the framework of the constitution, and will continue to do so. >> reporter: that political process is taking place alongside continuing violence across the country. police arrested two men who

threw a bomb outside one of istanbul's biggest tourist attracti attractions. and eight soldiers have been killed in a roadside baum attack. bernard smith joins us live from us tam bull. and if you can start be telling us more about these two separate attacks. >> reporter: hello, felicity, i just lot the connection to you, but i heard that first question. the first we heard about was on the palace. shots fired, we understand. and this precushion bomb went off. but far more serious was the killings of eight soldiers in the southeast. they were on patrol in a vehicle when that was hit by a roadside bomb. there were other solders in the vehicle at the time. and that just an indication of the precarious, difficult

circumstances turkey faces at the moment heading into what is now almost certainly going to be new elections. the failure to form a coalition by the ak party means there will be new elections. the president has given that mandate back. interestingly is the run up to the new elections. there will have to be essentially an election government. and that government will be in power until the election. and it will be made up of not only the akp, but they have to share power with the hdp, as well as the secular chp opposition, and another right-wing party. the akp is going to have to give ministerial posts to all of those parties. you can imagine it is going to be a fairly fractious government in the run-up to the election.

not a lot is going to be decided. but they won't be able to agree on much at a time when turkey is looking for a more stable government. >> all right. thank you. ♪ going to take you to yemen now a country described by the u.n. children's agency as one of the most terrifying places in the world to be a child. unicef says children are dying every day, and those who survive live in constant fear of being killed. since the war escalated back in march, 398 children have died and 605 have been injured. children are also being forced to fight in the world, at least 377 have been recruited as child soldiers, and children are going hungry, with 1.8 million expected to suffer malnutrition.

the world food program says a fifth of yemen's population is severely food insecure and depending on help to survive. injure ald tan has our report. >> reporter: once their play grounds, these streets are now a battleground. for the children of yemen, war means being forced to grow up quickly. >> translator: my sisters and i get so frightened when we hear bullets. >> translator: i can't sleep. i'm afraid will war will expand, and i'll lose friends to this war. >> reporter: the grim statistics support their fears. on average three children are killed in the fighting every day. five more are wounded, many maimed for life. >> these deaths are unnecessary and the vast majority of the people in yemen have nothing to do with this. they want to live their lives.

they want to educate their children and see their children grow up. >> reporter: it's not just about direct attacks, even before the conflict access to food and water in this impoverished country was difficult. that situation is far more dire now. children who don't have enough to eat are turning up in hospitals. nearly 2 million expected to suffer from malnutrition this year. the under's world food program estimates one in every five yemenese is severely food insecure. >> between the lack of availability to food, the lack of access, the lack of access by those who can't buy food, the lack of fuel available for people to move to countries for us to mill grain when it comes in, and the lack of clean water, a perfect storm that is brewing

inside comblenl right now. >> reporter: every facet of life has been interrupted. markets lacking food. hospitals strained to the limit. schools unable to stay open. the concern is that children will continue to bare the brunt of this war long after the fighting is over. last-minute donations amounting to $70 million have helped stop the closure of the school for refugees across the middle east. they are staged several sit-ins protesting against plans to delay the start of the academic year. the nations over the past week will now ensure that classes resume on time. israel's supreme court is hearing the petition for the

immediate release of a prisoner on hunger strike. his lawyer says they agree to release him in september if he starts eating again. he denies allegations that he is affiliated to islamic jihad. at least ten kurdish fighters have been killed in a suicide attack in syria. a car bomb targeted the security headquarters. kurdish forces have been some of the most successful at fighting isil which has ceased control of large parts of syria and iraq. a leading archeologist working at the ancient city of palmyra has been beheaded by fighters from isil. the 82 year old was abducted in may when isil fighters captured the 2,000 year old world heritage site. neave barker reports. >> reporter: for half a century

he was a guard i don't know of palmyras ancient roman ruins. it's here where the 82 year old is believed to have been beheaded by the islamic state of iraq and the levant. palmyras ancient buildings drew tourists from around the world. as head of antiques, he oversaw years of research and restoration at the world heritage site, gaining international recognition. >> he was so much involved in part of the city and the culture and archeology of that place that he would live and die there if need be, and heed by pay the ultimate site. >> reporter: fighting between syrian rebels and government forces peppered the ancient building with bullet holes, and then after capturing the site from government forces, isil

arrived. he stayed in palmyra to help evacuate the museum's invaluable contents, buzz was taken host taij and reportedly interrogated. isil has destroyed hundreds of sites across syria and iraq, sledge hammers and power drills have been used to ruin priceless artifacts. some fragments of human history have been successfully smuggled out, but it's not known how much damage they can caused to palmyra. it is believed that isil may have sold some of the artifacts on the black market to help fun their campaign. this video shows 25 men in a packed amphitheater before their apparent excuse. and now the beheading of a renuned archeologist who devoted his life to palmyra, now at the mercy of isil. neave barker, al jazeera.

a ferry carrying 1700 syrian refugees has left the greek island of kos, it was chartered by the greek government to take them to the mainland. but thousands have been left behind, and more are still arriving. jonah hull reports. >> reporter: an early-morning rescue by the greek coast guard, yet another precarious vessel in distress. many others do make it across. this is a family of syrian refugees who finally arrived on the shores of kos, an island in the european union. >> it's very dangerous. too -- to [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: did you pay somebody to give you this boat? >> yeah, $1,000. >> reporter: per person? $1,000 per person? >> yeah. 500 for children. >> reporter: the shoreline is littered with the remnants of overnight rivals.

it is a fairly short but sometimes perilous crossing from turkey. ofrjs monday night six people including a child are confirmed to have drowned. this boat arrived at 2:00 am according to a witness from a nearby hotel who saw up to 50 people, syrians, he believes, clamber off and disappear down the beach. >> reporter: this events a business class end if you would like of the journey from turkey. it is estimated that those aboard will have paid around $2,000 a head to make the journey. and this is the sort of budget airline equivalent. a flimsy dingy powered by a motor that often fails, tires for life vests. >> reporter: using such a vessel these pakistanis were lucky to survive. >> he is saying, we are coming as outsiders. our battery is empty.

our battery lost, and we row the ship and at this time, we row the ship three of us at the sea -- >> reporter: so the boat was drifting -- >> drifting. >> reporter: and then coast guard came and rescued them. >> rescued them. all of them. >> reporter: and the coast guard returns to port once again, and it won't be the last. still to come on the program, battling against al-shabab, we join local forces on the front line against rebels in southern somalia. and the estonian policeman accused of espionage, fuelling tensions with russia. ♪ the only way to get better is to challenge yourself,

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welcome back. a reminder of the top stories. turkey's president says the country is moving swiftly towards early elections. the u.n. children's charity, unicef has described yemen as one of the most terrifying places in the world to be a child. saying at least eight are killed or injured every day. and at least ten kurdish fighters have been killed in a suicide attack in syria, after a car bomber targeted the security headquarters. african union peace keepers are planning a major offensive against the armed group

al-shabab. the aim is cut off the root to kenya where it has carried out a string of deadly attacks. local forces are taking on al-shabab near the port city. our correspondent sent this report. >> reporter: these are the men somalia wants to use its in efforts to seize territory back from al-shabab fighters. they are the latest recruits for the somalian national army. they have now been trained in the capitol of the regional state, one of the last remaining strong holds of al-shabab. >> translator: we cannot allow al-shabab to continue using this region as a hideout. they have been flushed out of most other parts of somalia. we shall do the same here too. >> reporter: but until the army recruits finish their training, it is these fighters who have the task of maintaining control.

moving in small groups al-shabab fighters are known to conduct surprise attacks almost anywhere. suddenly we are under attack. [ explosion ] [ gunfire ] >> reporter: there has been an al-shabab ambush here. it's renowned for attacks by al-shabab fighters who are not far from here, just a few meters away, and the forces of the state are returning fire. with attackers pushed back and everyone accounted for, we move forward to the official front line. anywhere beyond here is rebel territory. these men cannot afford to relax. they know their enemies could hit them at any moment. just a few hundred meters away, there is an african union peace keepers base. >> translator: we have a close

working relationship with the peace keepers. they also support us by treating our sick and rounded. >> reporter: a short distance away is this village. until recently it has been an important base and tax collection center for al-shabab. with their village turned into a battlefield most people here have fled. those who remain behind are terrified. this woman says her roadside cafeteria was burned down by al-shabab fighters who accused her of selling food to soldiers. police in thailand say they believe the main suspect in the bangkok bombing is a foreigner and did not act alone. 22 people died on monday.

>> reporter: this is the man thai police are hunting for in connection with the shrine attack. they issued an arrest warrant for him, saying he appeared to be a foreigner. they are offering a $28,000 regard for information leading to his arrest. but police don't think he acted alone. they say two other suspects have been identified. >> once we get to the bomb makings, we can make a conclusion of who they are. but at the moment some of these pieces are seemingly coming from our own country. >> reporter: he adds the evidence could help them pinpoint where the bomb was made. and at this stage they are not ruling anything out. these bombings come just as tourism is rebounding here in

thaila thailand, and the rival numbers of the all-important chinese market doubled this year compared to last year. the tourist organization stays these will direct attacks on the tourist community. >> translator: at first i was shocked to hear about the blast after assessing the situation i think bangkok might be safer after the bomb. >> reporter: as friends and relatives look at the lists of dead and injured. thailand's government admits it will have to work harder to prevent more attacks. >> protesters have gathered in the chinese city after explosions last week forced them out of their homes. residents are demanding more

compensation. executives of the facility have been detained in connection with the explosion which killed more than 100 people. >> translator: no matter what connections they have, we will thoroughly investigate them and deal with them in accordance to the law. we will show absolutely no leniency. south korea is beginning work to raise the ferry which capsized last year, killing more than 300 people. residents hope the recovery will allow nine missing bodies to be found. >> reporter: for the family members of the victims of the disaster, many of whom maintain this protest here in central seoul, it has been a very long time to get this underway. there has been a great deal of debate about whether to raise the ferry at all. that was eventually resolved in

april this year with a presidential decision that they would raise the seewall, it's going to cost in excess of $17 million u.s. first there will be this survey period, then drivers will go down to put netting across all of the openings of the say wol, to try to prevent any of the missing remains from floating out. they will then take it closer to shore before eventually raising it on to a floating dock and then to the shore. it will be an incredibly difficult as well as costly operation. we spoke to a mother of a 17-year-old boy who tied in the disaster. she said they will maintain this vigil to the very end so as much

as can be found out about the circumstances surrounding the disaster. hundreds of u.s. troops are being sent to help control wildfires that have broken out across parts of california. authorities say 18 fires are burning in the state. california has been left vulnerable by years of drought made worse by a heat wave over the summer. the netherlands has just given the final green line to the greek bailout plan. gurney's parliament voted in favor of the package. but there were those who said this is the last sometime angela merkel can come to the aid of athens. it means that greece should be able to make a payment due on thursday. the e.u. is pressuring russia to release an acetonian.

>> reporter: this man is facing 15 years in prison after being convicted of spying. his lawyer says he will serve his sentence in a russian hard labor camp and will be fined $1,500. he was arrested near a border check point last september and charged with crimes including smuggling arms and illegally crossing into russia. russia says he was found carrying more than $5,000 in cash and a handgun and documents proving he was on an intelligence mission. but estonia and the european union have always insisted that he was abducted and taken over the border. on wednesday e.u. called on russia to free him immediately.

>> the inlegal detention is considered a clear violation of international law, moreover he has been deprived of the right to a fair trial. t thes and tonian council was not allowed to be present at the hearing. >> reporter: they say he was stopped while investigating smuggling operations related to russian officials. but the relationship has badly deteriorated since the conflict in ukraine. they have urged his neighbors to take a tough stance over the war. the latest sentence will do nothing to ease those tensions. nadine barber, al jazeera. the largest annual arts festival in the world is taking place. performers from 39 different countries have converged on the

scottish capitol with more than 3,000 shows scheduled to take place. the french festival is completely open access. anyone can turn up and perform. charlie angela is at the heart. >> reporter: they are engulfed with performers who are using every nook and cranny and stunt to showcase their talent. the festival is open to anyone with a story to tell, and that makes it a unique environment. >> good morning, reservations thank you for holding, how can i help you? yeah, this is [ inaudible ] office. >> reporter: this man has already made it big as a comedian on tv. but he keeps coming back. >> it attracts everybody like huge name comics and brand new people waiting to be discovered.

i was discovered here. i won the bbc new comedian award in '96, and it is where i got good at what i do, because you really have to push yourself. >> reporter: here the competition is brutal with over 3,000 shows all trying to attract the same audiences, it's all about how many fliers they can get out, or how many posters they can stick up around the city. [ applause ] ♪ >> hello! >> reporter: amy is making her stand-up debut at the festival in a tiny venue with a lukewarm crowd. >> my catch phrase is if not lived you find yourself alone in a field of horses that are on fire. [ laughter ] >> which is inappropriate . . . >> reporter: she say she has to be here to get noticed, but will

come away out pocket. >> i'll lose a few grand. everyone makes money apart from the artists. >> reporter: but artists are here to hone their craft and hopefully find an agent. >> people performing here right now, will end up touring nationally, will end up on television, will end up in films made by hollywood producers. >> reporter: the next great thing could be found even on a bus. soaring artists know that performing here right break the bank but not their spirit. and just before we go, some news of an unusual protest by a group of workers who know a lot about the social organization. the world wild fund for nature, recruited half a million leaf-cutter ants. the insects marched a carrying

what you might call leaflets on the leaves. it was aimed at german chancellor angela merkel who is visiting brazil this week. more on our website, aljazeera.com. more than 80 wildfires rage across the west, prompting more evacuations today. a chemical company executive pleads guilty in the huge spill in west virginia one year ago. the incident left hundreds of thousands without drinking water for days. and students are back in court testifying about what they allege was a tradition of rape. ♪