♪ greeks to vote again. prime minister alexis tsipras resigns and calls elections for next month. ♪ hello there, i'll felicity barr, and this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up, safe landing, a ferry carrying several thousand syrian refugees, docks on the greek mainland. cross border tension north and south korea exchange fire after a dispute over loud speaker broadcasts. three firefighters are killed as wildfires continue to burn out of control in the northwestern u.s. ♪

hello, greek media are reporting that prime minister alexis tsipras will call a general election on september 20th, just seven months ach -- after his party first came to power let's take you straight away to athens and speak to john psaropoulos. this is not entirely unexpected, this decision, but why now exactly? >> reporter: what we're hearing from lawmakers is that the government simply couldn't proceed with the implementation of the third bailout loan it negotiated last month. it's original plan was to form a summer session of parliament to get through august bypassing

further immeantation laws. but apparently there weren't enough syriza loyal mp's, not the one third that has now decided to go in the direction of the far left and oppose any government on austerity, but the two-thirds who were supposed to be loyal, even they didn't agree, therefore the government was left with no option but to renew its mandate with the greek people. there are positive arguments in favor of doing this as well. the prime minister numbers are still high. the full effects of the bailout haven't been fully felt by voters, so the argument seems to have gained currency, that now is the time to renew the mandate, go forward with the unified syriza, and then try and

form a new alliance within parliament in order to govern with a stronger majority. >> what happens now, john, to this latest bailout deal? >> reporter: well, that should continue now to be implemented. we expect that today's 3.2 billion euro bond will be properly paid to the european central bank. we expect that what was voted in a week ago to a very clam rows and racous debate here in parliament will also begin to be put into effect by government ministries, because it is the law of the land, and even under a caretaker government the laws can be implemented, but we expect that time will be lost, a month or two in terms of political progress, negotiating the next steps, formulating the next bills. putting those bills to parliament, two month's of time in the legislative process will be lost, but that was to be

expected after the schism within syriza on whether to turn tail on its original policy of opposing austerity, and to decide to accept some austerity to keep greece within the euro zone. this is also political tactics. syriza has leapt forward by holding elections at times of its own choosing. this is the third time that syriza is triggering an election. it triggered a repeat election in 2012 when it refused to go into consolidation with the austerity forces in power. and that allowed it to go from 16% of the popular vote to 26. and it triggered last january's general election when it refused a bipartisan, let's say

consensus to renew the tenure of the president of the republic, the head of state, that constitutionally triggers an election if parliament doesn't agree. so this is the third time. and in january syriza again leapt forward and got 36% of the vote. now the numbers suggests it might even do better than that. and it might win enough seats to govern on its own. >> john, thank you. greece along with other european countries struggling to deal with record numbers of refugees crossing the mediterranean. about 2.5 thousand refugees have arrived in the greek port near athens, as the greek government tries to step up efforts to process these arrivals. macedonia has deployed the army to block other refugees and migrants entering from greece.

and the interior ministriries of france and greece have agreed to work together to block access. >> reporter: the see front of kos at the height of the holiday season has become a refugee camp. tourists might once have lingered here for the view. they don't anymore. outside the police station, frustration rises by the day. those with more obvious claims to asylum, like syrians fleeing civil war are given priority and processed fairly quickly. others fend for themselves. >> thank you! thank you! >> i want you to be quiet! >> reporter: international agencies are trying to help speed up a process that is grindingly slow. but they say they are getting little help from the local authorities. >> we have offered our support.

we can provide tents and services -- >> reporter: how quickly? >> we can provide it very quickly, but we need them to provide us a site. >> reporter: and so the greeks are dragging their feet? >> let's say we haven't received a positive reply yet. >> reporter: this is what passes for formal accommodation, an abandoned hotel with meager facilities. >> contagious diseases, infectious diseases, diseases coming from their countries. we have malaria cases, [ inaudible ] cases, some typhoid, tb's. >> reporter: could the authorities be doing more? >> they could help a little bit more. >> reporter: how long have you been here. >> 20 days, five days, 15 days, 20 days. >> reporter: in that time have you had any help? any support? >> no, everything is very bad now here. >> reporter: where do you want to go?

>> i want to go to germany. >> reporter: germany? >> yes. >> germany. >> reporter: you? >> germany. >> reporter: you? >> germany. >> reporter: there was a day when multiple nationalities gathered around this pool, germans, dutch, perhaps british holiday makers, these days they come from places like molly, afghanistan, pakistan. they now offer holidays from hell. back on the strip, the restaurateurs complain that they have driven tourists away. well many refugees arriving in greece travel north to macedonia, now the government there has declared a state of emergency and called out the army to try to control the influx. it left around a thousand people stranded in no-man's land between the borders.

between 15,000 and 2,000 people a day have been crossing into southern macedonia. riot police are attempting to control crowds at the railway station close to the border. british police are to be deployed to the french port of calais to help strengthen security there. calais is the closest point of mainland europe to the united kingdom. many are refugees, but britain says many are economic migrants. >> the situation we are facing in calais is the result of a global migration challenge. and that is why our two countries will continue to work closely together to make sure the rest of the european union, and the transit and source

countries from which migrants are doing, are also playing their full part in solving this problem. we must also relentlessly pursue and disrupt the callus criminal gangs that facilitate and profit from the smuggling of vulnerable people, often with total disregard for their lives. ♪ tensions are rising in the korean peninsula after the south fired artillery shells across the border into north korea. recent events are adding to the strain. from seoul, harry fawcett reports. >> reporter: for 11 days now, south korea has been using giant speaker arrays to spend propaganda messages across the shared border with the north.

on thursday seoul said north korea escalated the situation by firing into south korea. the south fired back. and received a message from north korea threatening further military action if the speakers weren't taken down within 48 hours. >> translator: our military immediately raised alert status to the highest level. we're maintaining our military readiness to respond if there is any further provocation. >> reporter: south korea's president was briefed at a meeting of the national security council. she instructed troops to maintain readiness, and respond sternly to north korean provocation. the late estes ka lags has its routes in this moment. a land mine blast in the south korean half of the demilitarized zone. seoul said a week later it was a

north korea attack. they said the broadcasts was just phase one of retaliation. >> translator: it's a direct action of declaring war. >> reporter: there had been some hope for this year, the anniversary of the 70th year end of japanese colonial rule could help soften relations. the current south korean government has vowed to be more robust in retaliating to such events. an exchange of fire across the militarized zone isn't unprecedented. north korea attempted to shoot down propaganda balloons launched by south korean activists. south korea fired back. in that time tensions seemed to

ramp down pretty quickly, this time they have been ratcheted up. still ahead on the program, as brazil endures its worst recession in decades, we'll take a look at how businesses are struggling to keep workers in employment. and a traditional way of life under threat, why life could change for farmers in this tropical paradise. but the job is not done here. >> techknow investigates 10 years after katrina. the only way to get better is to challenge yourself,

and that's what we're doing at xfinity. we are challenging ourselves to improve every aspect of your experience. and this includes our commitment to being on time. every time. that's why if we're ever late for an appointment, we'll credit your account $20. it's our promise to you. we're doing everything we can to give you the best experience possible. because we should fit into your life. not the other way around.

>> our american story is written every day. it's not always pretty... but it's real. and we show you like no-one else can. this is our american story. this is america tonight. hello again, a reminder of the top stories here on al

jazeera. the greek prime minister is to call a general election in september macedonia has declared a state of emergency, and called out the army to try to control the influx of refugees and migrants. it has left around a thousand people stranded in no man's land. and tensions are rising in the korean peninsula after the south fired artillery shells across the border into north korea in response to a rocket attack by the north. four bodyguards have been killed in a grenade attack in aden. the attack is the first since pro-government forces reclaimed the city last month. hashem ahelbarra reports. >> reporter: this is the governor of aden who has survived an assassination attempt. he was the commander of the forces that pushed the houthis out of aden.

he runs a divided city. the successionists want aden to become the capitol of a breakaway southern republic. forces loyal to president hadi want the sea port city to become the financial capitol of a federal yemen. one of yemen's most organized political parties says yemen should remain united. but the failed assassination attempt is a further sign of the deteriorating security situation across the country. >> it sets a tone of the security situation in aden. they are trying to establish a police force but haven't been successful so far. >> reporter: aden was taken by the houthis and forces loyal to

ex-president all -- saleh. these tanks were provided by the united arab emirates and played a crucial role in pushing forces to the south. and this is where fighting is taking place. anti-houthi fighters in the city of ta'izz. they are lead by this man, a tribal leader. his fighters have recently captured many areas and security buildings in ta'izz. the city of ta'izz is a vital supply route for anti-houthi fighters in their push to recapture the capitol, sana'a. and to achieve that goal, coalition war planes continue pounding houthi positions in and around the capitol. they have also instruct rebel positions in other cities.

aid agencies say the ongoing fighting in yemen has claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians. >> translator: we were inside the building when we heard the sound of an explosion. there is no military base here. no army post. 18 people were killed in the air strikes. >> reporter: the houthis and their allies remain defiant. they say despite losing territory, they still have more weapons and fighters to repel any push to retake the capitol. hashem ahelbarra, al jazeera. britain's foreign secretary will formally reopen the u.k. embassy in iran. and the iranian embassy in london will be reopened as the same time. the agreement over the nuclear program has seen a rapid warming of relations of western

countries. gunmen in south sudan have killed a journalist in an apparently targeted attack. the reporter for the new nation newspaper was shot after leaving work in the capitol on wednesday evening. colleagues say his money and phone were not taken. days earlier the president issued a warning to journalists telling them that the freedom of press does not mean working against the country. thai police have cleared two men suspected of helping in monday's bomb attack in bangkok after one was identified as a tour guide and the other a chinese tourist. authorities have now asked interpol to help track down the main suspect who was seen leaving a sack at the scene before the explosion. they believe as many as ten people may have been involved in planning the attack. >> reporter: an official with

the national police confirming that they have reached out to interpol for assistance in tracking down this key suspect in the deadly bombing on monday evening. they say they have given them information about this suspect and they haven't heard back from interpol yet, but they are looking for their assistance in tracking down this one individual. we know there are also two people they are looking for to question. they were revealed in these closed circuit television camera footage from the blast site on monday evening. they are interested in speaking with them. we also know, coming out over the last several hours on thursday and also on wednesday, that the administration here in thailand as well as the police don't believe this attack has any direct connection to an international terrorist organization. they say there is no evidence to prove that. but again we're at the early stages of the investigation, but they say at this stage there's no connection between what

happened here in thailand and international terror groups, but they believe there was a network behind this attack, and they are seeking out other individuals who might be involved. three firefighters have been killed as they try to bring a wildfire under control in the u.s. state of washington. they died when winds shifted unexpectedly, causing flames to surround fire crews. all 1,000 residents of the towns were forced to leave their homes. fast-moving blazes have scorched more than 400,000 hectors stretches from montana to idaho and oregon. strong winds have combined with high temperatures to make this year's wildfire season particularly destruction. let's take you live to washington state and week to nbc correspondent leanne greg. leanne, tell us what is going on there right now. >> reporter: this morning,

during the fire briefing, they said the efforts today would be on containing the lines and also the air attack will continue today. they have only about a four-hour window to get most of that work done because of the weather. the conditions yesterday were what was described as epic, and it will be even more difficult today. those winds are expected to come in earlier, and be even stronger. so the gusting could be up to 40 to 45 miles per hour, and they will be here by midday and increase into the night. there are many homes and structures that are in the way, in the path of this fire, and in addition to the safety issues, not only the fire itself, but because of the intense wind, there's concern about some of the burned out trees and phone lines falling and creating more fires from electricity. so a very difficult day there in fact one of the firefighters this morning said this fire is like a sleeping giant, but it

certainly will awaken when the wind comes back today, and it is with such a heavy heart that the firefighters return to work today after losing three of their own. those three firefighters were among the initial responders to a very small fire that started west of one of the little towns in the mountains, only about 50 acres, and within moments it suddenly exploded into a 15,000 acre fire and larger, and the winds shifted it around, and that's what overtook the fire crew. they had had an accident in a vehicle, and that's when they were overcome. there were also four other firefighters who were injured yesterday. one is in critical condition today, with severe burns, so an especially dangerous fire day again today, and most likely tomorrow. >> leanne greg, thank you. former u.s. president jimmy

carter is to receive radiation treatment for brain cancer. he had a cancerous section of his liver removed earlier this month. his parents and two sisters buyed from pancreatic cancer. he was awarded the nobel peace prize in 2002. >> i have had a wonderful life. i have thousands of friends, and have had an exciting and adventurous and gratifying existence, so i was surprisingly at ease, much more so than my wife was. [ laughter ] >> but -- but now i feel, you know, this is in the hands of god whom i worship, and i'll be prepared when it comes. burundi's president has been sworn back into office a week earlier than scheduled. at least 80 people were killed in months of violent unrest after he announced his intention to run for a thir term -- third

term. the opposition claims that is unconstitutional. catherine soi has reported extensively from burundi. she sent this update from the kenyan capitol. >> reporter: president nkurunziza was sworn in. this is all very sad, and we all knew that he was going to be sworn in at some point before the 26th. but in normal circumstances the date is announced in good time, heads of state and other dignitaries are invited. it has not happened this time. we're told this is mainly because of the security situation in the country. it's still very tense. people are leaving in fear. there have been several sags assassinations and assassination attempts as well. the president gave a speech and said he was elected

democratically. and urges refugees, hundreds of thousands of whom have fled to neighboring countries to come back home. the president has also sworn to protect the constitution, but its critics say he already went against the same constitution when he decided to run for a third term. seven people have died in a midair plane crash over slovakia. they were rehearsing for an air show. the cause of the dent is being investigated. it sounds like a tropical paradise, an island in the indian ocean being preserved for future generations. 40% of the island is a unesco world heritage site. but as tania page reports, farmers who live in the park are being forced to change their way of life. >> reporter: three generations of the bigs family have farmed this land.

the area's unique natural beauty is recognized as a unesco world heritage site, but five years after being a unesco park, the bigs say its problems haven't been solved. >> translator: we live in the park. there's some pollution from hunting and rubbish, but we're helpless to stop it. we thought the park would change. but nothing has happened. the bigs are farming outside of the rules. they are suspicious about why they haven't been kert certified by the park's managers. >> translator: the risk is the park wants there to be a lodge in the place where my farm is. >> reporter: more lodges may be needed to cater to the number of tourists that are attracted by the unesco status. there's plenty to see on the island. the national park president says there needs to be a balance between preserving nature's

beauty, and satisfying the people who live in it. >> translator: the park has a living heart. hundreds of people live inside it, which is rare for a world heritage site. it was the people's choice for it to be like that. living with unesco means respect between people and nature. >> reporter: farmer big is supposed to keep his animals behind fences now. this family has farmed here for a hundred years, so it's all they know. if they can't find a way to exist in what is now a unesco world heritage site, they will have to change. that change will happen once the father retires. without certification, the bigs will have to close down the farm, but hope to open a tourism venture instead. so it means the family does have a future in the park, it just isn't the one they hoped for. and just time to remind you

that you can always find much more on most of our stories over on our website. that is what the front page is looking like at the moment, leading on the crisis in yemen. catch up with the latest in news and sport, do log on to aljazeera.com. aljazeera.com. president jimmy carter starts radiation therapy today. he says doctors found cancer on his brain. greece is heading for a new election with the prime minister set to announce within hours that he is resigning. and heavy response from police in st. louis when they square off with protesters after an armed black teenager is shot and killed. ♪