"> welcome to the "france 24 newsroom. i am molly hall. countdown to the rio olympics over 10,000 athletes preparing to compete in the game. among them, a reduced russian team. the u.s. president warns that the islamic state group remains a threat despite major advances made on the battlefield of iraq and syria. concedesica's anc defeat in its worst electoral

showing since the end of apartheid. the opposition democratic alliance picks up the vote. molly: it has been seven years in the making, and now in just a few hours' time, rio de janeiro will officially open the 31st summer olympics. organizers are hoping to put on a big show, one that would help forget about the issues running up to the games, the poor economy, the zika outbreak, as well as political instability. there is still excitement that is running incredibly high there. this is the only big torch. extending a tour of the city to the rhythm of some bus schools. locals in rio de janeiro are

getting into the swing of things. close to the stadium for the on the big ceremony. i parade every year, but this was a surprise for me, and it was very exciting, a feeling i will hold on to for the rest of my life. rio'sh above the city, most recognizable symbol became just a little more brazilian. >> illuminated with open arms, ready to receive all in rio de janeiro, which transforms today in a major world capital, the capital of the only big games. we the present people welcome everyone. the brazilian people welcome everyone. >> it is a welcome extended far beyond brazil. the angela of independence statue took on a brazilian touch. in argentina's capital, national

monuments took on a different shape. fading in the is limelight of the olympics, but the spirit is far and wide. molly: the international olympic committee has released a final list of russian athletes who will be allowed to compete. have been cleared to take part. more than 100 have been blocked as a result of massive doping scandal in the country. thomas lowe reports. thomas: russia posterior house is officially opened in rio, but the doping scandal has taken its toll and there will be more spare space there then the team would have hoped. team hasnal russian been cleared to take part, but 271 athletes make it the smallest russian contingent put forward in 100 years. it comes on the back of the series of scathing reports accusing the russian government

of covering up doping among its athletes. the russian olympic committee says his team is clean. is noay i believe there team as clean and controlled as the russian team. opinion, it is a flagrant , whotice that athletes have never been associated with the issue of doping and who are absolutely clean, cannot take part in the olympic games. russia's track and field team has been banned. so have its weightlifters. it is a national point of pride for russia, and the athletes that would be taken part -- would have taken part that that will be taking part have a next her burden for the country. will work harder for them than for themselves. >> russian athletes will undergo

drug testing, and all russians with a history of doping have been banned, unlike athletes from other countries. havealls for arbitration -- that leaves open the possibility the more russian athletes could go for gold in rio. molly: the islamic state group is weakening but will remain a threat to the united states. that was the message from barack obama after he met with national security advisers at the pentagon. the u.s. president said even after i.s. is pushed from strongholds in iraq and syria, it will be capable of inspiring lone wolf attacks that are harder to detect and prevent. martin pollard has more. the u.s. president knows a wave of attacks recently by the islamic state group has created fear. so following a meeting with his national security council in arlington, he sought to reassure.

isil has not had a major successful offensive operation in either syria or iraq in a full year. their leaders know they will keep losing. martin: they have lost half of their territory in iraq and 20% in syria, say u.s. officials, thanks to efforts on the ground by local forces and from the air by the u.s.-led coalition. this week the u.s. took the fight to libya. they aimed to use airstrikes to help local local city from islamic state group proponents of the u.s.-led coalition bombing campaign will feel vindicated by the territorial gains obama spoke of. some doubted this could be achieved without significant numbers of u.s. troops on the ground. there are only about 5000 american troops in iraq and if you hundred and syria. -- and a few hundred and syria. -- and angs in iraq

few hundred in syria. but bombings in iraq have shown the threat remains high. pres. obama: it is difficult to detect lone actors or small cells of terrorists who are determined to kill the innocent and are willing to die or that is why we are going to keep going after isil aggressively. martin: but as the world grapples with that conundrum, america seeks to use its military power to deny the i.s. group a safe haven. safety concerns have prompted the cancellation of one of europe's largest flea markets. that takes place in the north of france. it was scheduled for early september, one of the most famous events in france and beyond its borders. the ongoing terror threat has forced its cancellation. or than 2 million visitors were

expected to walk the city streets for the event. this is a heartbreaking decision for me to take, even a frightening one. it is very difficult. i think we have to suspend the 2016. it is clear that we cannot ensure optimal safety, and i want to be clear that after all the decisions we have taken, this is due to criminal or civil -- this is not due to criminal or civil response, this is a question of moral responsibility. president'surkish crackdown has been slammed following an attempted coup d'etat. erdogan believes gulen for the failed coup.

our correspondent has the story. >> still cracking down on for two legal and plus network, -- gulen's network. erdogan's former ally continues to claim he had nothing to do with it. the issuing of a civil arrest warrant from a turkish court changes nothing about my views. i repeatedly condemned the coup attempt in turkey and denied any acknowledge -- any knowledge or involvement. president erdogan said he was shown no mercy toward those affiliated with the cleric. >> perhaps the business world is where they are strongest. it is a rule, a project that will not be successful. we are determined to cut off all business ties or revenues --, all the revenues, and all the connections with this

organization. many have been arrested or suspended since the july 15 coup attempts. riddick say erdogan is taking the purge too far and that it could destroy the prospect of a unified turkey. but he is determined to keep going. erdogan recently accused the ,est, specifically the u.s. exiledulen has been since 1999, as siding with terrorists. molly: in india, a gunman has shot 12 people. let's bring in our correspondent for that, joining us now from new delhi. what can you tell us about this shooting? >> a terrible tragedy this morning. the market is fairly busy through the day, and this

morning four to six militants dressed in military fatigues opened fire at the crowded market. sohas resulted in 12 deaths far, and over 18 people have serious injuries. that -- one report of the attackers was killed by securityforces, but are watching large parts of the city, and they have been looking for the attackers as far away as the state borders. the military of foreign affairs says the attack was killed out -- was carried out by a separatist group called the national democratic front. it is not the first attack of its kind. it is one of the most undeveloped areas of india, suffering from years of tribal

insurgency. molly: you were mentioning one of the groups that could be behind this could tell us more about what police are saying. we do appear to have lost our connection. she is reporting from new delhi on this ongoing story. next we are going to cross to south africa. this is where the party that was founded by nelson mandela, the anc, has suffered its egg is political defeat since coming to power at the end of apartheid. urban south africans have knocked the ruling party off its perch in three cities. this is -- this is as they vent their anger over high unemployment and the lack of basic services. our correspondent has more on the election of the opposition party that is picking up votes. on course torty is see its worst election results since the fall of apartheid.

the most symbolic gain was in nelson mandela bay, which is named after the anc party founder. the city was at the heart of the historic anti-apartheid struggle . the party leader says people who voted for the democratic alliance want prosperity. if you ask people in mandela bay what they voted for, i think that says our message got through. a lead are also close to in the capital. the election would be a major boost for the party, which took 26% of the votes. but the anc is still holding on to 54% of the national vote with support in rural south africa. the results suggest voters are rulingpatience with the

party. failures to tackle rising unemployment and a stagnant economy are being blamed for the losses in three major cities. jacob zuma presidency has been corruption scandals. next, one lucky dog in bangkok has a new spring in his step. he has been freighted that he has been fitted with prosthetic limbs for his front two legs come as you can see there. he is certainly now a happy dog, but he suffered when his legs were cut off by a neighbor after he was caught chewing on a parachute is. he was only nine months old at the time. as you can see, he has recovered and remarkably is not afraid to go near people after that ordeal. let's get a check of the headlines we are following.

we are hours away from the opening of the 31st summer olympics. over 10,000 athletes prepare to compete in the rio games, among them a reduced russian squad. the u.s. president warns the islamic state group remains a threat despite major advances made on the battlefield of iraq and syria. south africa's anc concedes defeat in its worst electoral showing since the end of apartheid. the opposition democratic alliance picks up the vote. let's -- it is time now for a business up a. i am joined by kate moody in this studio. we have ours until the games kickoff in rio. athletes will be going for gold. how much does a gold medalist win after those games? kate: it is not just about winning. there is also a financial state for the athletics -- a financial stake for the athletes. it is up to each national

olympic federation to hand out award money. most financially lucrative is azerbaijan, which pays over $500,000 if they win olympic gold. only six azerbaijani athletes have bought back gold. take a look here at the differences between the french and american award money. winsrench gold-medal double what an american athlete would. it becomes less significant for silver and bronze per the u.k. is one of the few countries that does not give a cash price to its metal -- that does not give a cash prize to its medal winners. and income study of american track and filled olympian -- track and field olympians for the 2012 games at half of the athletes in the top 10 of their vent her in less than $15,000 per year. let's take a look at the markets

now. european indices trending higher after thursday's decision at the bank of england to increase stimulus measures and cut interest rates for the first time in seven years. the ftse and backs up about a .hird of the percentage point investors will be turning their attention later to the jobs report for the month of july. the labor department is expected to confirm steady hiring and modest wage growth. one of the big movers on the markets this friday is the royal bank of scotland, which has seen shares dropped nearly 6% midway through the trading day. the lender is reporting a net loss of over 2 billion pounds, 2.5 billion euros, in the first half of the year. the bank was hit my more restructuring and litigation costs -- the bank was hit by more restructuring and litigation costs. earlier this week, santander u.k. reportedly made an offer to buy rbs. its forecastly cut for the economy.

.8% post-brexit, rather made the 2.3%ather than forecasted made for next year. is a nightmaret for friends's agricultural industry. this year's grain crop will between percent smaller than usual because of cool weather this spring. catherine viette explains. on thene: blame it all rainy, what weather. grain farmers had never seen such a poor harvest. this farmer says about 40% of's crop is worthless. 600stimates he has lost euros per hectare. >> with this we cannot even cover the costs necessary for the production of wheat. -- thehe department harvesters are still. finishes last

parcel harvesting when the sun finally comes out again. a percentage of his wheat, too badly damaged for sale, will become animal feed. he figures he has lost about half his income. >> there will be no income for me personally. i will try to honor my commitments to my suppliers, but i also need help from my bank. but for me, it is obvious i will end up in the red. national federation of farmers union's estimates grain farmers will lose about 4 billion euros this year, and the yield will also be down by about 20%. the government has announced plans to health grain farmers, including tax rebates, as well as speeding up the atv repayments. will be put into place with details hammered out in september. -- a the french city of french city has canceled one of

its biggest events because of security fears. the citywide flea market attracts thousands of visitors all across europe each september. 3.5 million people attended last year. it is a major contributor to the lille economy. hotels in the area have been to express their concern over the decision, with an industry group warning that the cancellation will have serious economic consequences for the region as a whole. that is it for business news, mali. -- for business news, molly. molly: it is time now for our press review. by joined here in the studio our correspondent for what is happening in written headlines. you are starting off with the olympic games. >> that's right, the games have arrived. "the wall street journal" says with this picture of an rico

"reports organizers promised the games will promote tolerance and diversity. they say while affluence was classic, beijing was grandiose and london was smart. the real games will be called. 100,000 -- 1000 security personnel have been employed. that is what oh global reports per this has not stopped shootings from happening, especially around the favela's. they are actually near the quick .anes used by olympic athletes just on wednesday and thursday this week, eight shootings occurred in two prominent neighborhoods. dopingfrom security to

in terms of who is allowed to compete, the french people -- the french paper "liberation" is toking about the decision allow athletes to compete in the over the games. dheepthikia: it is not really secret fever, it is the combat of the only picks between russian president vladimir putin and the ioc. the olympic committee granted moscow a hail mary pass, and now around two thirds of their delegation will be able to participate in the games despite the doping scandal. molly: some 271 athletes are there in rio. it feels like a " return to the cold war." the paper contends the decision -- condemns the decision, saying the brazil games are a moral shipwreck where sports is held hostage between the politics of excess and the pursuit of

"performance at all costs." go now to electoral news in south africa, where the ruling anc party is not doing so well. dheepthikia: not well at all, itording to "business day." for thenational support anc party may slip to 55%. according to the council for scientific and industrial research, any dip below 60% could be a "huge psychological blow" and could be interpreted as the demise of the party. while the african slang which newspaper says the anc takes a hit, the anc party has left key electoral ground -- has lost key electoral ground. now behind the scenes, frantic negotiations are taking place for possible coalition. molly: we are going to move our attention to a story out of "the wall street journal," about mass

rape in the south sudan. dheepthikia: it is a harrowing story. "the wall street journal" said hundreds of women and girls were raped in south sudan during a resurgence in violence last month. most of the women and girls were raped allegedly by government soldiers, but also by rebel soldiers as well. some of these assaults took place outside the gates of a u.n. cabin -- a u.n. camp in cuba, but peacekeepers could not do anything about it because they were outside the jurisdiction. molly: barack obama celebrated his 55th birthday on thursday, and he also wrote an essay declaring himself a feminist. dheepthikia: justin trudeau, the toadian prime minister, said "glamour" that barack obama is also a feminist. he said it is important that his daughters know that he is a feminist because that is what

they should expect from all men. barack obama admits that he did not do his fair share of the housework since before coming president. but he has been able to put in a lot more time with his family. molly: we are ending with a story out of singapore, where a food stall has caught the eye of a famed michelin guide. dheepthikia: it is a great story on the front page of "the china daily." he used to be a hawker, which i guess is a street peddler, and now he holds a fine -- a tiny food stall in the neighborhood of chinatown. his prized source ospreys chicken has been -- judges award judges awarded him one star. it is the cheapest dish on the guide. it costs $1.85, and not surprisingly, hundreds of people are now queuing up for the noodles. but i have a feeling those prices will go up eventually. -- $1.85 for a

michelin goldstar. francetoyr website, four/inthepress. stars hasof the begun, the annual event held over three days by astronomy associations in france. it usually starts around the beginning of august or that is when many stars can easily be seen by the naked eye. farmers more than passion about astronomy. mostelescope, one of the -- sharing the glory in the next few days. it will be helping the public turn their eyes to the skies to watch the show, along with 430 other installations nationwide, like this. there are talks, observation

and even glow-in-the-dark painting. all in an effort to spur interest in astronomy. there is a lot to see out there at the moment with jupiter, mars, and saturn all currently visible.

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