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>> and now "bbc world news." >> hello, and welcome to "newsday" on the bbc. i'm in singapore. >> i'm in london. the headlines. >> emergency new zealand may day calls are issued for a stranded ship which has now leaked significant amounts of oil. asian stock markets rise in hopes a new plan could solve the euro zone debt crisis. >> the white house says it's deeply concerned about egypt christians after sunday's clashes with security forces. fighting in gaddafi's hometown in libya, we see inside the city's hospital. >> it is 9:00 in the morning here in singapore. >> it's 2:00 in the morning here in london, broadcasting to viewers on pbs in america and around the world. welcome to "newsday."

>> authorities in new zealand say the ship stranded off the coast is leaking a significant amount of oil after sustaining damage. all crews are taken off after a may day call was issued. a spokesman for mer tan gave me this update from the port city. >> we have a significant amount of oil. it's estimated to be something between 130 and 330 tons of cubic meters of oil. the other situation is that due to worsening weather conditions as a safety precaution, we have taken everybody off. the salvage experts are really

flying at a moment's notice should things deteriorate. >> ross henderson from mer time, new zealand. joining us now, our correspondent duncan kennedy. the new zealand government is currently ins investigating this indent. what have they revealed so farsome >> so far as the two investigations going on, we don't know very much. they are, of course, in their early stages. we can't get access to find out exactly what happened. all sorts of suggestions. all sorts of rumors during the rounds about whether the boat had proper charts, all that kind of thing. really the effort so far is on to the operation itself to get the oil off the arena, and also to clear up on the beaches. this is an operation in trouble on all fronts. you've just heard there from mr. henderson, the amount of oil that's leaked up. we thought it was 20 or 30 tons. now they're talking about 350

tons of oil leaking into the bay. they've had to suspend that pumping operation to get the remaining oil off because of the bad weather. the 36-man salvage crew onboard had to be taken off. they issued a may day call because they were fearful of what was happening. on the shore, the extent of the oil that's washing up has grown in the last few hours, just a few hundred meters of beach. we're now talking about six kilometers of beach affected by all the wildlife and problems associated with that. so a really challenging operation on all fronts for these people in new zealand. >> duncan, this has become a significant oil leak. has the government given any kind of timeframe on when they could finish the cleanup? >> depends on the weather. as soon as the weather is fine, they're talking about 40 hours or so to get the remaining oil off the rhee that. but they're talking about this

bad weather, the swell being in place the next two or three days. that operation can't proceed until the weather is better. that will affect the cleanup operation on the beach. what the transport minister has said is that the beaches in this area must expect more oil to wash up in the next few weeks. they don't know how much of this 350 tons that's escaped so far, but obviously the significant amounts will wash up on this beautiful coastline, one of the most pristine coastlines in new zealand. very popular with tourists. lovely wildlife there. penguins. wails are carving -- wales are carving -- whales are carving through the water. in terms of when and where, we simply don't know. >> duncan kennedy in sydney. thank you so much for this update. asian stocks are opening higher after france and germany promise to deliver a plan to deal with the euro zone depth crisis. traders say share markets are relieved that a resolution of

the euro zone debt crisis is in sight, as this will basically bring back capital to the asian boards who have been suffering over the past months, as investors have been pulling out money from so called risky assets. in currency trading here, the euro is holding on to those huge gains. asian currencies are also due to gains in stocks and commodities. as for all prices, also in positive territory, up now for a fourth straight session, as fears diminish that another recession may not happen. meanwhile, france, belgium, and luxury emborg will be bailing out dexia. as robert peston reports. should some be forced out of the euro by the financial crisis?

that became acute when a large bank with big loans struggled to borrow and faced possible collapse. >> it's clear that the banking sector crisis gave governments a difficult choice, to intervene or face a problem with the customers. >> it's big with loans and liabilities with more than 500 billion euros, roughly the size as entire greek banking system. it's being broken up. the taxpayers of belgium, france, and luxembourg are providing up to 90 billion euros to support dexia's debt. euro's leaders have recognized some would say belatedly that some of europe's very biggest banks need strengthening. they need more capital as a protection against losses on loans to the likes of greece. as the combreek economic mess worsens, one sign the ambitious e.u. solution may be on the way is that the summit of european

leaders has been postponed. goodness only knows what will happen if greek buses and the euros rescue convoy don't get moving. robert peston, "bbc world news." >> slovakia's government has failed to strike a deal to expend the powers of europe's bailout fund. the prime minister is threatening to resign if the coalition does not find an agreement. our europe editor gavin hewitt is in the capital. he says the vote is hugely important and to go against the bailout fund. >> all eyes tomorrow will be here on slovakia. all 17 members of the euro zone have to vote in favor of this much-increased, more powerful bailout fund. the signs are here that slovakia may say no. and that would lead to a delay, some infighting. the prime minister here tonight threatened to resign over it. why is all this happening? significant numbers of people

here question why a relatively poor country like slovakia is involved in helping countries like greece. if there is a no vote, that will only add pressure on europe's leaders. you heard from robert that the european summit is going to be postponed. why is that? because international pressure is growing on europe's leaders this time to come up with really convincing answers. for instance, over what are their plans for greece? at the moment, we still do not know. >> gavin hewitt. u.s. president barack obama has spoken out on the tensions in egypt. >> that's right. president obamademned the violence and called for restraints, at least 24 people were killed when christians protesting about an attack on their church clashed with security forces. from the egyptian capital, rupert winfield hayes reports.

>> the violence that has swept cairo over the last 4 hours has been as confusing as it has been bloody. this was a mob filmed this morning attacking a car thought to be driven by a christian. but many of the christians here say it was the army that carried out most of the killings and they have evidence to prove it. this one she says was run down by apple armored car. the soldiers, she said. it was the soldiers. they ran him down when i tried to help him, the soldiers insulted me. i tried to carry him to the car, but he was dead. whether it was the army or muslim extremists, it is no doubt that egypt's christian community believes it is the victim. this afternoon, thousands

crowded into cairo's giant cathedral for the first funeral. the news was angry. they waved the bloody clothes of the freshly made martyrs. egypt's christians are not a small insignificant. they are increasingly under attack. particularly from hardline islamic fundamentalists. things here are gotten worse, not better. >> egypt has become a much freer country. but also more chaotic and more open to muslim extremism. >> the attacks on the properties are becoming more frequent. more, the reaction on part of the regime. >> this video of an armored car

plowing into a crowd of christian protesters will only add to their suspicions that it's not just muslim extremists who are against them. rupert winfield hayes, "bbc world news" in cairo. >> now to libya where fierce exchanges are continuing in the battle for sirte. government forces say they've pinned back pro-gaddafi fighters. the city's hospital has been captured by forces and medical staff on the international committee of the red cross are trying desperately to get to grips with the humanetarian situation there. from sirte, laura davis reports. >> the once lavish center in sirte. the kind of place where colonel gaddafi liked to spend his millions. now the complex is in ruins. damaged by a weak of intense fighting and vandalized by vengful fighters.

also baring the scars of battle, the nearby central hospital. we found dozens of injured people in the wards and corridors. fighters and civilians. among them, two young boys, wounded by shrapnel and lucky to be alive. they'll now be stabilized and moved back from the front line by the international committee for the red cross. >> we do not discriminate. whomever is in need for treatment will be transferred out of the hospital to be taken to proper places where they can receive proper treatment. >> in dealing with urgent cases, the red cross might not distinguish between pro and anti-gaddafi supporters. they are concerned that the colonel's fighters might be trying the flee, passing themselves off as civilians. >> with the final battle for sirte raging on just a kilometer away, the priority now is to get these people evacuated. they're also much deeper

concerns, for an estimated 10,000 civilians trapped inside the city itself. >> the front line is now a few hundred meters beyond the hospital. and slowly, but surely, gaddafi's forces are being squeezed and pushed back towards the sea. they'll be putting up fierce resistance. >> and you're watching "newsday" on the bbc live from singapore and london. still to come, compulsory classes fear the technology could be killing the ancient chinese art of calligraphy. >> demanding an end to angry persecution in zimbabwe. >> massive flooding along the mican river in cambodia has killed more than 200 people since early september. it's the worst flooding for over a decade. tens of thousands have sought refuge on higher ground, and those who stayed are pleading to

the government for help. the bbc reports from there. >> cambodians are used to seasonal flooding, but nothing as bad as this. more than half the country's 4 provinces have reported serious problems and the longer the flood waters remain, the more difficult and hazardous daily life becomes. it's so difficult to sell things that my children have gotten sick. they are getting rashes, so i'm urging the government and international organizations to help by giving some medicine to us for treatment. the river has been above alert level for more than a week now, but it's considerably worse in other parts of the country. more than a million people have been affected and perhaps a 10th of the country's rice crop may have been destroyed. and if the rain keeps falling, things may yet get worse. experts have warned because of

its heavy reliance on fisheries, cambodia is particularly vulnerable to climate change. it's hard to say if this year's floods are a sign of what's to come, but they do suggest the country may pay a heavy price if it doesn't do more to prepare for the worst. >> if we get a shift, it affects the way the crops perform. maybe the pcros don't even get a good start. maybe they get flooded out, as is the case right now. around about 80,000 that have been destroyed so far by this high water that you see right now. of course, these people are more concerned about the here and now. help has been slow in coming. they'll just have to hope the weather forecasts are right and the water starts to recede soon. >> this is "newsday" on the bbc. i'm in singapore. >> i'm in london. the headlines for you this hour.

maritime authorities in new zealand say the container ship stranded off the north island coast is leaking a significant amount of oil after sustaining damage in heavy seas. >> asian stock markets rise in early trade, following news of a deal between germany and france, to deliver a plan by the end of the month to protect banks and the euro zone. flooding in thailand has been described as the worst in decades with the prime minister calling it a national crisis. at least 260 people have been kip p killed and heavy rain is continuing to fall. one of the worst affected areas is around 100 kilometers around bangkok. rachel, what is the situation like there? >> it's pretty bad, rico, and it's been bad for some time now and it's continuing to get worse. i'm at a center here being used

for coordination of relief supplies. it's the provincial main government building, but people have also been staying here overnight. it's turning into an evacuation center. it's supposed to be a place where people bring donations, supplies, a place where officials can get together and work out their plans. but people have just been turning up here as they're evacuated from their homes. we're talking now about 270 people in thailand that have lost their lives. just as guy was saying from cambodia, a similar position here in thailand with a large tract of agricultural land that's under way. the difference is thailand is a big manufacturing base, so now factories, car plants have also had to close. >> what is being done to help the residents cope? do you have issues of health, food, and water? >> food, water and shelter are the main priorities at the moment for those people that

have been evacuated. there is plenty of it, we're told at the moment. that's not a concern to the authorities. the concern is getting it to the people who need it, all perhaps more accurately, getting the people to the supplies, because one official here has been telling us the people are reluctant to leave their homes and their belongings. they're not really appreciating how serious the situation could become because there is more water on the way. you can probably see it's already raining again today. there's just no let-up in this. so the official advice is if you're told to evacuate your home, please do so. go somewhere that's safe. but also there is a worry for bangkok. so officials there shoring up defenses, trying to prevent the main capital being flooded as well. >> rachel harvey in thailand. thank you so much. in other news now, european union foreign ministers have welcomed the formation of an opposition national council in syria, but have stopped short of recognizing the council. in syria, the crackdown and

anti-government protest continues. 31 people have died in a series of shootings on sunday, including 17 security personnel, reportedly killed by soldiers who refused to fire at protesters. the commander of the african union forces in somalia says his troops have driven islammists out of their last stronghold in the capital. he told the b.c.s. the hold was now held by forces. they control large areas of central and southern somalia. at least 10 people have been killed and 80 people wounded in a series of blasts in the iraqi capital. hospital and security officials say the expelosis in quick succession targeted a shiite neighborhood in western baghdad. in china, many people, especially the younger generation, say they are

struggling with their ancient writing system, sometimes forgetting entire characters altogether. they say computers are to blame. in response, calls across shanghai have brought in compulsory calligraphy classes. from shanghai, julianna sends this report. >> computer training is compulsory. 13-year-old yohan says it's his favorite class. he's become so accustomed to typing that he occasionally forgets how to write some of the more complex characters by hand. >> when i write by hand, i have to memorize the characters, or at least have a dictionary in front of me. but when i type, i just have to be philadelphia with the keyboard. >> this is a longtime calligraphy teacher at the

school. he says technology is getting in the way of passing on traditional writing and traditional values. >> as a chinese person, how you write represents who you are. there is a saying that goes, if you love china, you must love chinese characters, because they are so full of meaning. so i feel that a chinese person must be able to write well. >> it's been about 25 years since the last time i picked up a brush. so let's see if i can actually put into practice what teacher chen has been explaining to me. i will be writing the character -- which means "to think." but not just with one's head. but also with one's heart. appealing to both the head and

the heart is how shanghai's educators are tapping the challenge posed by computers and mobile phones. mr. chen wants to instill a love of language and writing through every stroke of the calligrapher's brush. >> my fingers were sore and my hands were very uncomfortable. but it was help -- but with help from teacher chen, i practiced for a long time. now i'm used to writing like this. >> students less comfortable with brush writing will now have to practice harder, because for the first time in all schools in shanghai, they'll be tested on it. the hope is that as they come to appreciate the difficult art of calligraphy, they'll help keep china's complex ancient writing system very much alive in the modern world.

"bbc news," shanghai. >> the head of the worldwide communion, the archbishop of cant bury, has defended his decision. >> what he called the lawlessness of zimbabwe. karen allen sent this report. >> after days of uncertainty, a last-minute dash as confirmation came through that the archbishop of cant bury will be allowed to meet the president. it was a hostile reception as he opened his doors to one of his biggest critics. in front of the cameras, smiling. but behind the scenes, a frank exchange, muega bee worried about the church's stand on homosexuality.

after two hours of talks, the archbishop revealed he presented as doier of alleged abuses to his presidential host. as a news conference later, more talks. >> we have asked him that he use his powers as head of state to guarantee the security of those of his citizens who worship with the anglican church and put an end to unacceptable and illegal behavior. it was a very candid meeting. disagreement was expressed clearly, but i think in a peaceable manner. >> yesterday, 15,000 anglicans packed into the sports stadium. they had come to hear the archbishop's stinging rebuke aimed at a faction of the anglican church, which broke away three years ago. loyal to president mugabe, it sees church assets depriving them of anywhere to pray. the archbishop called for an end to the persecution of fellow

christians. religion still used as a potent weapon in zimbabwe's power struggle. karen allen, "bbc news," southern africa. >> now experts say there could be further cliff falls at the site of a massive collapse on corn wall's north cliffs in the southwest of england. take a look at this. people were warned to take extra care. the landslide two weeks ago was filmed by a coastal erosion expert who had been called to the scene afflalo call people reported cracks appearing in the cliffs. >> you've been watching "newsday" from the bbc. >> a reminder of our main news. maritime authorities inand say stranded off the north island coast is leaking a significant amount of oil. thanks for watching. stay with us.

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