>> welcome to "france 24," we are live from paris. i'm sharon gaffney, these are the top stories. backtracking in the wake of a political firestorm, donald strip -- donald trump says that he misspoke when he failed to hold vladimir putin to account for russian meddling in the race to the white house. iraq,tests continue in the prime minister vows to fight corruption. public anger over power and water shortages have spread to

wider discontent, posing a huge challenge to the leadership. on the 100th anniversary of his birth, former south african president nelson mandela is remembered. he remains a global icon for peace and for his decades long struggle against apartheid. we will be hearing more from our correspondent. and later on, we will be joined by catherine bennett for the business news. she will be looking at the eu's huge fine on google over its android is this. business. ♪ after unleashing a storm of disapproval, donald is trying to calm the waters over his failure to hold vladimir putin accountable for meddling in the 2016 u.s. presidential elections

. monday trump stunned observers by casting doubt on american intelligence agencies instead of publicly rebuking the russian president during a news conference in helsinki. he now says he simply misspoke. we have the details. >> attemptptg to quell the firestorm, president trump on tuesday clarified controversial day earliermade one in helsinki at a conference with vladimir putin. felt very strongly that while russia's actions had no impact at all on the outcome of the election, let me be totally clear in saying that -- and i have said this many times, i accept our intelligence community's conclusion that russia's meddling in the 2016 election took place. u.s. president was forced to respond to criticism after undermining his own

national intelligence agencies in sided with putin accusations of meddling in the russian election. stunning democrats and republicans across the ideological spectrum. despite controversial decisions, particularly the decision on migrant families on the u.s. mexican border, it marks the first time that so many y u.s. lawmakers, including notable heavyweights, have spoken out against the president's actions. >> vladimir putin does not share our interests or values. conducted a year-long investigation into russia's interference in our elections. they did interfere in our elections. it's really clear. there should be no doubt about that. >> the u.s. house speaker suggested taking direct action against russia, considering increasing sanctions, echoing calls from chuck schumer. lawmakers, the president had just gone too far this time. >> let me just say to our european friends that we value

the nato treaty. it has been the most significant military alliance in world history. we believe that the european union countries are our friends. and we -- and the russians are not. >> after a week of controversial meetings with european leaders, some lawmakers are worried that the president is weakening ties with traditional allies and strength ending them with traditional enemies instead. their: the 12 boys and football coach in thailand who were rescued from mccain earlier this month have been released from hospital. there had been an international rescue effort after they became trapped inside of the cave complex last month. the boys were discharged one day earlier than announced and will shortly join the press conference organized by authorities. the boys and some of the rescuers will be answering a series of weston's on their dramatic escape. more on that when we have it.

prime minister is pledging to fight corruption and improve basic services following nine days of unrest. tuesday, police used battle arms to disperse protesters. crude exports make up 98% of iraqi state revenue and protesters accuse the government of failing to share the wealth. three demonstrators seven killed thelashes with police since rallies began. let's take a listen now to the prime minister. we are listening to the complaints of the iraqi people about services. and about their suffering and the need to allocate enough money for services, including water, electricity, and finding jobs for young people. for more, let's go now to our senior adviser at the international institute or democracy and electoral assistance, and a former u.n.

advisor on iraq. these protests began over water and power shortages, but they have dissolved into wider calls for economic reform. tell us a little bit more about why this is happening now. >> well, it happens on a yearly basis because of the summer months. iraqi summers are very difficult, temperatures go over 50 degrees earned the day, 40 at night, and the fact don't have electricity or running water is obviously a major problem. there are also unspoken problems . during summer because of access to health care, mortality rates for infants and older people is very high, which can be upsetting to a lot of people. and the fact that the governing iraqi access to elite health care by virtue of the fact that they can leave the country when they want to see health care in european capitals

obviously annoys people vary significantly. summer there are major protests, particularly in the south, where service is particularly bad and temperatures are combined with very high humidity. on a yearly basis, the demonstrations are put down until temperatures improve. and then the government forgets about the protester's demands until the following year. it's a yearly event and it's likely to happen next year and the year after. sharon: things are slightly different this year in that the fight against the islamic state is officially over, but the challenges for the government continue. outline some of those for us. >> well, the challenges for the government today, and terms of its population, particularly the people in the south, are the same as previous years. the fact that services arere extremely were and the

population is increasing. the birth rate in iraq really high and the amount of the resources have people in the government at their disposal are limited in comparison to the demands that people have. then there is also the fact that the government is almost entirely reliant on n oil been aes, which has major economic mistake since 2003 and even before. to rely entirely on oil means that we are completely dependent on the price of oil, oil being high to provide services for people. on top of all of that, the fact that this has been going on now for 15 years really underlines the fact that the democratic constituency in iraqis deeply under threat. you rightly point out it's practically over at the current stage but the fact that in the most recent elections that took place recently, participation rates in elections are around about half of what they were 10 years ago and the rate is likely to continue. people are getting less

interested, less willing to accept that iraq is a democracy simply because voting has not made any meaningful difference in their access to a better sense of living. the public and political elites have to make serious efforts to improve the standards of living they arery people if willing to continue being in that position and if people are going to continue accepting that iraq is a democratic republic. sharon: thank you so much for joining us. in other world news, israel has placed new restrictions on cargo crossings to the gaza strip. this comes after palestinians carry out fresh attacks with incendiary balloons and heavy exchanges of fire from both sides over the weekend. fuel and gas deliveries will be blocked until sunday and the crossing will remain open on a case-by-case basis for food and medicine. the hungarian president is making his first state visit to

israel, following the prime minister, benjamin netanyahu's trip to israel last year. before that the visit had prompted chris over his backing of george soros. he has also been accused of anti-semitism. there has been a somewhat mixed reaction to his two-day visit. is happy,dy especially if you check the local media and press this morning. the bulk of it, one could say the liberal bulk, calling this a given theiar thing, anti-semitic rhetoric with the references that have been made and his policies in europe. it is them -- the relationship with prime minister benjamin netanyahu in that he is trying -- netanyahu that he is trying to work on. country,ry of that

vis-a-vis israel, israel was born after the holocaust. there are many holocaust survivors here. hungary has a role in that. ofvivors, second generation on gary and jewish survivors are having a hard time with the welcoming of this leader when it comes to his rhetoric, when it comes to his policies over the years.he last several this evening he is learning that he will be getting the tour that every head of state gets in israel, his first visit likely after visiting with benjamin netanyahu, the holocaust memorial museum. a relationship that as i mentioned before, netanyahu wants to retain. the european union is known as the block that stands in the way when it comes to netanyahu. then there is trump us new policy against iran. hen it comes to netanyahu, is looking foror the support off eastern europepean countries on the continent to his policies

when it comes to situations with iran. he would have turned 100 today, his legacy is being celebrated across south africa. nelson mandela died in 2013 and remains a global icon for his views on peace and reconciliation. he spent 27 years in prison. for more, our correspondent in south africa is standing by. lots of events happening today to mark the 100th anniversary of nelson mandela's birth. tell us about some. >> lots of celebrations across the country, with south africans wanting to continunue the legacy of nelson mandela, the man who they always regarded as the father of the nation and a liberator. of c course, people are saying they want to r renew the mandela legacy and to do that, people are taking 67 minutes.

the reason why 67 is because 67 minutes is because nelson mandela dedicated 60 seven years of his life and service to his country. a publicis not holiday, people will be taking 67 minutes time to either go and clean the rivers, the streets, feed the poor, read to children at school, and also to treat excellence. this is all to continue the legacy of nelson mandela, who stood for peace, love, and reconciliation. areon: the people there taking part in several initiatives to mark his legacy. businesses are slightly cashing in somewhat on the day? yes, they have placed advertisements on social media on south africans to take

advantage of mandela day, saying that you can get a 67% discount on selected items, salons and beauty places saying come in, have your hair done within the next 67 minutes and you will be able to get a discount. big businesses taking advantage of mandela day. of course, the peak celebration is taking place in the eastern cape in the village of [indiscernible] where'd not -- where nelson mandela was born. speaker, along with invited guests, include president past heads of states of government, ordinary villagers from the area. and people from civil society, all coming to celebrate the of nelsonversary mandela.

thank you so much. here's a reminder of our top stories. backtracking in the wake of a political firestorm, donald trump says that he misspoke when he failed to hold the russian president to account for allegedly in the race for the white house in 2016. protests continue in a rack. the prime minister says that to fight corruption and improve services, public anger over power and water shortages have spread to wider discontent, posing a huge challenge to the leadership. time now for the business news and i'm joined in studio by kathryn bennett. you are starting with google receiving a huge fine from europe? yes, a record 4.3 billion euros. they say that they have unfairly blocked arrivals of the android operating system.

the charge is the result of a three-year investigation and it is double the fines that the company received last year for pushing its own shopping centers to the top of search results. google says they have done nothing wrong. this latest development is part of an eight your antitrust data with brussels. more news from the foreign bureau airshow? looks like china is set to be the next big market in aviation to fight -- despite rising oil prices. a report from boeing says the country will be overtaking the u.s. to become the main driver of sales and aircraft in the next 10 to 15 years thanks in part to this trade from china where sales over the next 20 years should reach $6.3 trillion. boeing and airbus have ordered list for years to come. sharon: other industries are looking to prepare in the result of a no deal brexit. kathryn: they are battening down

the hatches it had of the -- britain leaving next year. astrazeneca has spent or did billion pounds on preparations and if thehe u.k. leaves, it leaves the u.k. drug regulator responsible for testing and licensing medicines, meaning that any drugs going from the u.k. to europe would have to first be authorized within the inand they could not be used the u.k. withthout separate testing. as a result, astrazeneca is increasing its stock i love drugs by 20%. ready just in case the eu cannot strike a deal. sharon: take us through what's happening in the markets. kathryn: indices are looking pretty positive, consolidating after earnings reports came through in the morning. of dax is up by over half 1%, making gains on half of 1%. investors will keep a close eye on that google side, likely to see movement in the shares for

alphabet when it opens later today. employment still stands at just under 9%. restaurants,untry, hotels, and other businesses in the tourism industry are finding themselves shortstaffed as the seasonal workers that they count on turn up in fewer and fewer numbers. as summer vacation kicks off, it could spell trouble. >> in the mountains, tourism is booming. the region all caps 1500 overnight visitors each year, a since that has gone 15% 2000 10. the tourism professionals available be able to welcome them all because of the shortage and workers. last summer the on employment agency reported 100 seasonal posts could not be filled. this year could be even worse. they had to shut their doors because they are too shortstaffed.

>> people are not even answering my job postings. that's the situation. some people apply, they stay for a few days and then leave. i'i'm sure two or three people o much -- to mind the bar. having hall's are also trouble hiring. at the outdoors activity center, lifeguards are few and far between. >> we only have four out of five spots filled. >> to her is him, entertainment, agriculture, t t labor shortage ofndndustries across the country , threatening to put a damper on the summer season. kathryn: not only -- sharon: not only do we have driverless cars, but we are hearing about driverless transports more and more. exactly so. in new york on tuesday they had an electric us for a quick demo and is aimed for congested areas with slow moving traffic. also town centers, airports,

even theme parks. the u.s. may be seeing them on the streets quite soon. the company behind it said they want to roll out the first in 2019. sharon: finally, a new study is out saying that donald trump is missing social media to his advantage? coming as noaps surpririse, we know w that he'sa big spenender, even onon facebo. the news that he shows that he's the biggest little advertiser on the social network. -- biggest advertiser on the social network. spent as theywell were the ads most seen by facebook users, with 37 million people viewing the ads during that time. that wraps up the business news from me. sharon: thank you so much, kathryn bennett, with our business update. time now for sports. we are starting today with cycling. >> he was moved as he claimed the first victory on the tour de france on tuesday.

in theed the backdrop mountains of this year's race. breaking away from a 21 man breakaway group, with 90 of the 158 to go in a 10 stage round. [indiscernible] retained the overall leader yellow jersey after going on with the day break away. philippe, one of the hottest properties in france, went alone over the last of the five categorized climbs, increasing his lead on the final dissent. in motion after his first win on the tour, snatching a polkadot jersey in the race to be the best climber. >> it's difficult to explain winning al, you know? stage on the tour de france was a dream for me. opportunity ice

make it to the finish line. really, really happy. >> on a day when the main race contenders held their fire, others extend their leads. >> sometimes in racing you have to let your feelings go. i tried to go at the right point and it came off pretty well. we took some minutes and then i was pretty sure that i could put the jersey up for another day. tomorrow it will be over. it's super hard. only in an 8k with three big , i'm happy with today and i gave it all today. yes, i've got one day extra in ththe yellowow. best golfers have arrived in scotland to start the open championship. tiger woods was among those getting in a practice round on tuesday. relieved that the last open he

played in 2016 two years ago wasn't his last. >> there are definitely points in time where i sort of thought i would never play in this championship again. there were sometimes where it just didn't feel very good. but now to have the opportunity to come back and play in scotland again? said this before throughout the year, it's been a blessing. there were sometimes when i didn't think i would be able to ever do this again. low and behold, here i am playing my third major of the year. >> woods has gone nearly a decade since his last major victory in 2008, admitting that at this open is his best chance to adding to his major wins. >> each time i come back to it, i keep dealing a bit at her. i'm starting to play some golf again. i have a better understanding of my game, my body, and my swing much more so and i have made a few adjustments you have seseeno

far. i have changed putters and tweaked my swing a little bit. everything has gone just a little bit better. i have put myself up there a couple of times. just need to play some cleaner golf. who knows. >> woods and his rivals have another day to hone their preparations before the tee off on thursday. is to start a six-month trial next month with the coast mariners, continuing his aim to play professional football after an all conquering sprinting career, the jamaican has signed a deal that could see him play a season in the a league. >> i try to focus right now on trying to get fit, trying t to t to a a level where i'm comfortable. i'm not worried about other points. i'm just trying to be my best and thenen i w wl determinine -u

knowow what, srt plalaying thihs league or r that league, but rit now i am not worried about that. i've just trying to get to a level where i'm comfortable just being a footballer. trials atrst had other sites, but it could be down under where he makes his breakthrough. it from the, that's news for now, but for all the stories we are covering, you can check our website, france2 kathryn: -- france24.cfoom. coming up for you, we have discussion of the big world cup win. ♪ >> in the central african republic, after the restoration of the legitimate government, the former rebels went through the north of the country, where under the name as p.r.c., they

rain -- sprc, they rain supreme. ruled by their military commander, the territory under their control is rich in natural resources, but they are not alone in wanting to ask them. the rebels are now at the center of a geopolitical conflict. a rare inside glimpse into the working of an emerging state controlled by force of arms. plus, presented by france 24. observersrs" presented by derek thomson. >> take a close look. from theiscount those heart of the action to all over the world, exclusive videos you have never seen before. all verified by our journalists. on france 24vers," and france24.com.

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