>> you're watching "france 24." this is live from paris with me, emi james. four killed and dozens injured as a series of blasts target tourist areas in thailand. authorities believe it was the work of domestic insurgents. strikes on the syrian city of aleppo continues. 18 deaths. it's feared isis fighters have kidnapped 2,000 civilians. one of france's greatest hopes a gold medal will be competing later.

france's flag bearer and the most successful judoka of all time is looking to reclaim the title he first claimed in ondon. good evening and thanks for joining us. at least four people have been killed in a series of blasts in thailand. the attack of targeted tourist areas in the south of the country using firebombs and homemade explosives. dozens have been wounded and two arrested. authorities believe it was the work of international terror groups. they say the blasts bare the hall marks of domestic insurgents. they come in the week of last week's referendum vote giving more power to the military. >> thai police in force on the streets. this popular sea side tour i.r.s. town southwest of bangkok

would normally be bus willing activity as thigh land celebrates the queen's birthday. instead, the streets are filled with police. thailand's prime minister appeal for the calm. >> i would like to urge all thais and the media not to panic. please help keep an eye on your situation as well as tourist attractions in every province. >> the attacks, which killed at least four people and injured dozens, appeared designed to strike the country's vital tourism industry. >> a lot of places are closed now. from two lso exploded other towns. as of yet, there have been no claims of responsibility for the attacks but the government has ruled out what they call

international terrorism. >> we're focusing on prevention easures and on making arrests. we are to reinforce specifically the provinces affected. >> so much here fear that the tourists who keep thailand's economy afloat will stop coming. emma: tensions over crimea arising again. kiev says -- has a strong concentration of russian troops ready to go across the border if given the order per ever by moscow. they've been sent to carry out attacks in crimea in which two russians have dialed. they've put troops on combat alert. its e is multiflying military sprens on the border of

ukraine. moscow accused kiev of sending acts to carry out terror attacks in the region. >> i gave if order to put on a heightened state of alert. especially the border guard service in the area of the crimea and the contact line. >> president vladimir puent met with his advisors in the kremlin on thursday to discuss the situation. russian security services claim one of their officers died during clashes with the ukrainian agents. on friday, russia's prime medvedev said his country could break ties with the ukraine over the reported incidents. >> i would not like this to end this way, however, if there's no other option to influence the situation, the president can probably make such a decision. >> military operations are being carried out in crimea's southern

city. defense missiles have also been floyded to the region. is is the highest diplomatic tensions have risen to more than -- since more than two and a half years ago. the russian president has uncomplmentedly dismissed his close ally and woufrl chief of staff. he had been considered to be a leading candidate to take over from vladimir putin as president when his second term ended in 2008. the kremlin has denied a riff, saying it was a mutual decision. ivanov -- given another position. the city of aleppo has been hit by fresh fighting. 18 have been killed on the first day of a promised russian ade

window. the agreed cease-fire window has been criticized by the u.s. as unsufficient to bring relief. i spoke to a reporter and asked her how desperate the situation is right now. >> despite the second day of the supposed cease-fire, it's been another bloody day in alepo. oppositions forces say syrian forces bound rebels throughout the day, including in that cease-fire period. there was a -- an air strike which hit a hospital, killing patients. as many as 40 were struck throughout the country in the last month. the situation is so serious that doctors have wered -- warned that if attacks continue at the same rate there will be no working hospitals left by the end of the month. civilians were also killed in

aleppo while venturing out to buy fresh food. a small amount of food did actually get in earlier this week i expect in the coming days we'll see increasing pressure on syria and russia to actually honor their commitment to hugh main -- humanitarian efforts so ood can be brought in. emma: isis fleeing have believed to be kidnapped 2,000 civilians. what more do we know? >> isis was mostly pushed out last week. there were a few dozen fighters remaining inside the city. now it appears that u.s.-led fighters made a final rush to round up those few remaining isis men in the city. they succeeded in pushing them towards border with turkey but as they fled those isis fighters

took around 2,000 civilians with them, including children. it was a tactic during the war shields.em as civilian teak -- sidered stra strategically important coming from turkey and the u.s. hopes that if they can cut off isis supply lines, they can cut off their ability to bring manpowering and supplies from across the border. what happens next? will the anti-isis coalition try to rescue those 2,000 civilians or will they focus anywhere energies on now trying to push forward where isis is at its strongest in its capital. >> turkey and iran -- iran have pledged greater corporation.

iran backs the government of yrian president al-assad while urkey wants his departure. nigeria is rolling out an emergency mass polio vaccination program. after the first cases in two years were discovered in borneo state. two children have been paralyzed by the disease. a total of five million children will be immunized in borno and neighboring states. > this is in an area not readily accessible, probably why the virus has been able to operate without detection. we are working with national authorities on driving these sexeverts identifying what can be done in particular area.

>> the united nations is to vote on whether to boost peace-keeping forces in south sudan, whether to bring the total to 17,000. they could be given greater powers to use all menace necessary to protect civilians and u.n. personnel. violence reignited last month between government forces and government to the leader. donald trump is reportedly being dubbed reckless and incompetent by influential if i evers within the republican party. according to politico more than 70 have signed a letter urging an end to spending on the presidential nominee's campaign. instead they want the cash directed towards november's congressional races. john joints us on the line from

los angeles. if i can start by asking you, this letter claims trump has alienated millions of voters and it risks turning the election into a democratic looned slide? is that true? >> that's a bit of an overstatement. i think it's an overreaction by some insiders in the establishment part of the party. the fact is donald trump did prevail across by wide margins, earning more votes in the primary than almost any republican ever to run for that office so he's better liked than what that portrayed. however, there is truth in the fact that donald trump's polling numbers, currently he's down anywhere from 4 to 10 points to hillary clinton extending on the pole. he has to make up ground. if this race is about donald trump, he'll lose. if this race is about hillary

clinton, donald trump will win and so far in the last couple of weeks it's been about donald trump. >> why is it that influential republicans are only speaking out now that it's too late. or is it a question of suddenly they're fearing that donald trump might not do the job for them and they're trying to disassociate from him? >> they're very concerned that the polling is not going to change and that donald trump hasn't shown the message discipline necessary to make this race about hillary clinton. i think they're waiting to see what happened after donald trump earned the nomination of his party and he's had a rocky couple of weeks. the fact is i think it's an overreaction by insiders in the party. it still is early in the race. the race is still probably going to settle out to be probably hillary with a three to four-point advantage, which is by no means an insurmountable advantage. you can press the panic button when you're 30 days out.

when you're more than 80 days out, there's still a lot that can happen. emma: what can the republican party do to change the situation? they have their candidate? >> the establishment and the people who wrote the letters' argument is to shift financial resources to advertising to protect incumbents and hold the house and the senate but you're right, the larger point is if, in fact, donald trump completely implodes, no amount of dvertising is going to protect that. the balance of the majority is very, very thin in the senate. you're right. the g.o.p. has spoken, donald trump is their nominee and they're going to have to live with it but i think they're prematurely panicking. i think donald trump can pull it off and this panicking doesn't do a lot of good to instill confidence in the rank and file

republican voters that trump is going to need in november. >> do you think it's the disputist comments he made where some believed it was him calling on an assassination attack on hillary clinton? did the party think he was going to be more controllable once he was the candidate? >> i think the second amendment comment you're referencing was largely overblown by the media. it was an action call for second amendment supporters. there are an estimated 2 0 million firearms in america. that is about 89 firearms per every 100 people, to put it in perspective. that's a large potential voting block. that was taken out of proportion. you can pick some of the statements, the khan family, that attacked donald trump at hillary's convention. trump attacked the family

unnecessarily. i think the larger problem is like i said earlier -- that donald trump's statements attack so much media attention that the race has become a referendum about donald trump and that's not a good tragedy to winning. it has to be a referendum on the last eight years and hillary clinton because the fact is gallop polling has on the right track/wrong track question, almost 0% of americans think we're currently on the wrong track. you exploit those numbers, hillary clinton will have a hard time but if you don't exploit those numbers and this is about donald trump and the things he said today, that's not good for trump. emma: john thomas, republican strategist, thank you very much for your time this evening. venezuela and colombia have agreed to reopen their border. it was closed a year ago, a measure by the venezuelan government to check down on smuggling. checkpoints will open for six

days each day beginning saturday. the country is suffering from severe shortage. the struggling economy just one reason for the call for the president to step down. >> since february the streets have seen the same scene unfold on a regular basis. people demanding a referendum to oust the president. venezuela has the highest inflation in the world, an mick recession and shortages of food and medicine. on tuesday, the electoral authorities presented a timeline for a potential recall vote against president me dewaro. it seems to make a vote unlikely this year. a move slammed by the opposition who say it's an effort to favor the ruling socialist party. timing is key because recalling

muduro in 2016 will trigger fresho electionings. >> this country from a social and economic point of view is a powder keg. there will be change not because of the government allows it, not because the opposition promotes it, simply because the situation is you been sustainable. >> and the declaration, 15 members of the organization of the states, including the u.s., mexico, and brazil, ha called for a referendum to happen quickly. it's a move the o.a.s. already asked for in june but the president still said the referendum would not go head. opposition leaders are calling for a nationwide march to the capital for the council to set a firm date for the next signature drive. about 3.7 million signatures during a three-day window are needed for the referendum to go ahead.

>> a french woman jailed for killing her abusive husband has had a request for early release refused. she's already received a partial presidential pardonable. vavepblg was convicted of murdering the man who abused her and her children. french politicians have called the decision incomprehensible and shameful. >> their client, jacklin savage will stay in prison and these lawyers are furious. >> what is dangerous about the grandmother who committed an isolated act? in the context of a marriage that was atrocious and sflinlte her daughter was sexually abused, her son hung himself. how much longer will this woman have to suffer? in january this year,

president hollande met with her family and granted her a partial presidential family. her laurels were then able to ask for her release. ut on friday, the tribunal dejected the plea. saying sauvage had knob reflected enough on her actions. >> they did not appreciate the president pardoning her. >> it was inside the family home that she and her husband suffered years of abuse. she shot dead her violent, alcoholic husband in 2012, a day after her son committed suicide. her daughters testified in court, saying their father also beat and remained them and they asked for their mother's release. in october 2014, jacklin was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison. she appealed blue her

self-defense plea was rejected on the grounds she did not act to proportional and direct response to aggression. politicians on the left and right criticized the judge's decision. protests were organized and nearly half a million french jacqueline d a free petition. her lawyers say they will appeal for her release again. >> france is celebrating another old medal at the rio olympics. courtesy of the men's culls.eight double s the u.s. has 16 goals, well out in front of the rest of the world. france has high hopes for another gold later. they have the most successful judoker of all time, looking to

again his title in rio. he hasn't lost a match since 2010. his semifinal bout is taking place very shortly with the final a little later on this evening if he makes it it. a look now at our top news stories this hour. four killed and dozens injured as a series of blasts targets tourist areas in thailand. authorities believe it was the work of domestic insurgents. strikes on alepo continue in syria. 18 dead and a lot among the targets as residents had hoped to get aid during a cease-fire window. elsewhere, isis fighters have kidnapped 2,000 civilians. one of france's hopes for a gold medal will be competing later. teddy riner, the country's flag bearer is looking to reclaim the olympic title he claimed in london. i'm joined by will for the day's

business news. starting with the eurozone economy. >> this confirming what we saw an an earlier reading that shows that economic growth from the impressive growth rate of .% in the first quarter down to . 3. the bloc's largest economy, germany did meet expectations. from .7 down to .4%. a bright note, greece had a surprise growth spurt. it grew .3% while many experts expected it to contract. there was some bad news coming out of the italy where growth stagnate and would worse, total g.d.p. anded to 132% of the second highest in the bloc after greece, and many wonder if the prime minister will have the

ma 23450u6rb89 to return italy to growth. investors have been digesting that data along with a rally in oil prices. france's market and the german market slipped into the red. on wall street, disappointing retail data weighing on markets. sales came in flat. with expectations they'd expand .4%. there you see the dow jones and the nasdaq. as well as the sepp 500. here in france, tourism makes up about 8% of the economy and after paris, nice is the country's most visited city ask it's struggling after an attack last month killed 84 people. in the aftermath airlines, hotel operators allowed guests to change their reservations and the city is hoping to lure tourists back. >> 12 million people visited

nice last year but now you'd have few problems finding a spot to sit. nearly a month after the attack here, holiday makers are staying away. >> there's far fewer people, yes, far fewer tourists. the benches are almost empty. >> tourism brings in 1.5 billion euros per year. but this season, hotel bookings are down 20% and foreigners aren't coming this journalist has come to niles to write about zur. te d dee >> it's becoming a country at risk for attacks in japan you tell your employer that you're going to france because of that risk but we don't have to do anything if we're going to italy, for example. >> the regional tourism committee has splashed out on an online communications project tole tune of a million injury --

euros. they put together this video and brought together a website which brings together different posts by organizations and visitors looking to share their experiences this summer has been a right back -- wipeout but local businesses are confident the beaches will bustle again next year. >> it will all get better in time. we have a great product. we have to put all the skirt in place so that everyone is safe here. >> tourism on the coast employees some 75,000 people. >> let's look at some of the day's other business headlines, beginning with millions of volkswagen cars that can be unlocked remotely by hackers. one method only requiring a homemade method costing about 30 euros. the problem affects some models made after 1995 and includes some other brands like audi. the flaw was discovered by

researchers at the university of birmingham. taxi drivers in rio plan to protest the ride-sharing app uber. the demonstration is to be held in the vicinity of the olympic park. uber has come under fire from cabbies around the world who complain of unfair competition. and finally, after beginning their strike today, euro star workers in the u.k. will suspend their action at midnight local time. they were protesting what they call a repeatedly undermined work balance. but progress has been made with management talks, they say. they planned a four-day walkout this weekend as well as a second three-day walkout at the end of the month. we will be following to find out if there is no travel chaos and if they make a deem. for now, that's all the details we have. >> thank you very much indeed. the latest news from rio and

france will add another medal to its collection. teddy riner is through to the final but will it be gold or silver? we'll find out a little later.8q

08/12/16 08/12/16 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from pacifica, this is democracy now! as republican presidential nominee donald trump lays blame on obama for the wars engulfing the middle east, we'll look at a remarkable new report on what's happened in the region since the u.s. invasion of iraq in 2003. w'