>> this is "bbc world news." funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. shell. and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial strength to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news." >> human rights group in syria say at least 37 people have been killed in protest, calling for a no-killing zone.

thailand's government warns people in bangkok to brace themselves as high tides come in advance of floodwaters. and 7-year-old human rights activist and poet is set to be ireland's next president. welcome to the bbc world news, broadcast to viewers in pbs and america and also around the globe. coming up later for you, from brussels to beijing, europe seeks billions from china to fund the ailing euro zone. and the commonwealth agrees changes to royal rights of succession to allow women to ascend the throne. >> hello, there. human rights groups in syria say at least 37 civilians were killed on friday as protesters took to the streets to demand a no-fly zone over the country. there have been reports of

protests in at least three cities. here's daniel griffith. >> first, the prayers, then the protests. it's a familiar passer now on fridays in syria, demonstrators marching in cities across the country, calling for president assad to go and for a no-fly zone to protect civilians. unconfirmed reports suggest syrian security forces open fire on protesters in several cities. and his strongest statement so far, the arab league said it sent an urgent message to the syrian government for the violence to stop. but the clashes seem to be almost daily now. there's unverified footage shows fighting earlier this week. months after the uprising began, residents refuse to back down. president assad blames this violence on what he calls armed

terrorist gangs. he has seen other arab leaders fall but so far, he remains defiant. and he can count on powerful protectors. senior chinese envoy was in damascus on thursday calling for an end to the violence but appearing to rule out any tough international action against syria. the protest will continue but demonstrators face a leader determined to stay in power, and an international community divided over how to respond. daniel griffith, bbc news. >> some sights as indrkt leaders have had indirect contact with criminal courts about possible surrender according to its prosecutors. al islam, on the run following his father's death, is wanted for crimes against humanity. the i.c.c.'s chief prosecutor said he would get a fair trial if he surrenders. the authorities in bosnia say they have arrested radical

muslim gunman who opened fire on the u.s. embassy in sarajevo and continued firing for at least 15 minutes. a policeman was seriously wounded in the attack. a gun madge was shot and wounded by police and treated in hospital. intelligence officials say the suspect is serbia citizen linked to the branch of islam known as wahiism. a quake struck southern peru, centered 50 kilometers south of the coastal city devastated by an earthquake four years ago. residents ran from their homes into the streets and power cuts in parts of the city. there are no immediate reports of damage or injuries. the court in morocco sentenced a man to death for the bombing of a tourist cafe in mar acash in april. seven people died in the attack, including eight french nationals. one of the eight accomplices was given a life sentence. others were jailed up to four

years. thrinde, devastated large parts of the country, from the capital bangkok. tens of thousands fleeing their home as water levels rise. the government says they can no longer guarantee people's safety. so far across the country, close to 400 people have been killed. as you can see from this satellite image, bangkok is not almost completely surrounded by water. let's speak to jamie dobson, english teacher living in thailand 12 years. he joins us on the line from near the capital bangkok. jamie, thank you for talking to us. start off by telling us a bit about where you are and how floodwaters are affecting you. >> i'm on the border between bangkok and monte burre and the flooding is about knee-deep and it's very, very dirty. >> you live there with your

family and they've left, i believe. >> that's right. my wife and daughters have gone out of town. i'm upstairs. downstairs it's not too wet inside but outside is very bad. >> and just describe what this water is like. >> very, very dark. green, brown. lots of debris in there and i'm sure horrible animals as well. >> roads have been jammed with residents leaving the city. has there been a sense of pan snick >> not panic so much but a lot of people said this would be coming for two, three weeks now and i was not one of them. so about 90% of the people in my area have gone. >> and you say you live in a housing estate there. how are your neighbors or people around you coping? >> well, most of the neighbors in estate and gone but between the estate and canal there's a shanty town and most of them have gone. but two or three still with

people in them. >> the thai president has been orchestrating the response. what orders have been given? >> it looks like most people been prepared we're in new houses so the water is not too much just yet. >> does it appear the worst is still yet to come? >> yes, it went down two inches during the night and come back up half inch in the last hour half so we're expecting the worse in the ten hours from now. >> you're a teacher. are you able to get to work at the moment? >> no, work is canceled and i couldn't go anyway, even if it was open. >> jamie, thank you so much for speaking with us.

jamie dobson there in bangkok. a 70-year-old human rights activist and poet will be the republican of ireland's next president. michael higgins topped the poll in thursday's presidential election. although he didn't obtain enough votes to win outright in the first ballot, all of the other candidates have admitted defeat. bart simpson reports from dublin. >> the ninth president of ireland, michael d. higgins, a poet, former cabinet minister and soon to be the irish head of state. he comfortably beat his closest rival shawn gallagher, tv star from ireland's version of dragon's dead. once the clear favorite, he nose-dived in the final tv debate. >> if you give me an envelope -- the point is if you give me the check, it was made out to headquarter irs. >> he struggled under questioning about political funding.

and never recovered. >> and that was that. but -- >> shin fin's martin mcginnis had a bruising campaign with constant focus as his time as i.r.a. leader but still ended up third out of seven candidates. irish presidents don't have much power. the job is mainly a ceremonial role but it still matters. the outgoing president used the office to forge closer links to britain. she was much admired at home and abroad. her successor admits she'll be a hard act to follow. >> it would be quite a precedent of ideas, very strong i hope intellectually and very inclusive in those intellectual discussions. >> ireland is still recovering from an economic crisis. one of the tasks of the new president will be to give the country new hope. mark simpson, bbc news, dublin. >> at least two people have died and one person was seriously

injured after a small plane flying from germany crashed in southwest france. authorities there say there were four people on board. 12 flights were diverted to other airports. the airport has now reopened. europe's economy is still digesting the latest deal to save the euro. many eyes are turning towards china to see whether it will use its huge cash reserves to support the e.u. bailout fund. the head of the fund has been in beijing hoping to persuade investors. >> if you're looking for money, this is where you find it, beijing, economy booming, cash to spend. they're seeking investment capital, it's communist china that europe is turning in its hour of need. debt-ridden west looking east. the head of europe's bailout fund is here to persuade china to invest in europe. >> my experience, talking to the chinese authorities, that they are interested in finding

attractive, solid, safe investment opportunities. >> export industries telling to the world china's dry economy, fixing its exchange rate to keep its products cheap is unfair but earns china huge amounts of cash. surplus of $540 million every day in the first half of this year, the gigantic $3.2 trillion, about half, 1.6 trillion, is invested in america and about a quarter, $800 billion, is thought to be held in euros. >> euros -- >> this bang invested $30 billion last year, much in africa. europe, he says, is not china's only option. >> china has many other choices

and it has to weigh the choices. europe is one of the choices. >> they want concessions if they loan money to europe. there should be less old prejudice said china's vice foreign minister. that may be opening european markets more to china or not criticizing it for having a cheap currency. other demants -- demands might be europe stops criticizing china on human rights or lifts the arms embargo in place for the tee anmen mass car. europe needs power for government and return to growth. china has plenty of money. >> this is bbc news. still ahead -- formula one motor racing arrives in india. is the price for this emerging country too high given its massive problems? but first, anti-capitalist protesters camped outside st.

paul cathedral in london and closed it for seven days face possible eviction. the city of london corporation is launching legal action against several hundred protesters who occupied a tent city outside the building for almost two weeks. >> for weeks the doors of st. paul have been clamored. add midday they swung open again. a million people go each year simply to worship. this afternoon they flooded back for a special service to mark the cathedral's reopening. it was a moment in reconciliation. prayers for protesters and dean used his sermon to pledge st. paul's help in fighting for social justice. st. paul's says only by acting to safeguard health and safety was it able to reopen but protesters deny the claim. >> i think it's really unfortunate the church closed but it was open for much of the

beginning of the protest and it's opening today that we aren't really the reason why the church closed. >> st. paul confirmed it will take legal action to convict campaigners. it will look with council and corporation of london. >> for the church, it's the question of trespass. it's their land. they want them off their land. sadly because the laws of today having invited, if they did invite somebody in, you can't just get room when you want. >> campaigners are among the congregation at st. paul's today claimed the church are committed to the poor rather than buildings of brick and stone. st. paul's is also a national shrine, spectacular worship and reasserted that part of its role today.

>> this is bbc news, the headlines. human right groups in syria say at least 37 civilians were killed friday as protesters took to the street to demand a no-fly zone over the country. thailand's government warns people in bangkok to brace themselves as high tides co-signed with the advance of floodwaters. centuries of british royal tradition are to be overturned after agreement the commonwealth leaders summit that the rules on girls succeeding to the throne should change. any first born daughter of prince william would become queen, even if she later had a younger brother. >> she's a monarch who probably never has been more respected and is very fearly 60 years now against one of the most successful reigns in british history. yet the core nation in 1963 of

queen elizabeth ii would never have happened if she had a younger brother because for more than a thousand years daughters always had to give ways to sons, regardless of age. but now that is to change and for once the queen revealed what she thought about equality for women at the opening of the commonwealth leaders summit. >> the theme this year is women in the ages have changed. it reminds us in the potential in our parties that has yet to be fully unlocked and encourages us to find ways to allow girls and women to play their full part. >> this is why politicians are finally changing laws of succession, the marriage of prince william and katherine middleton and prospect of them having children. but changes such as these require the agreement of 15 other countries, the realms

where the british monarch is also head of state. the other proposed change would affect people in the line of succession like prince harry, they would no longer be barred from marrying roman catholics. but it's potential impact on prince wilt up and his wife that david cameron highlighted. >> put simply in the duke and duchess of cambridge were to have a little girl, that girl would one day be our queen. >> one important thing to note, changes won't be retrospective so princess anne will not suddenly move up the line of succession but they will be historic. it has to be said changes are complicated. in britain's case alone, britain's act of settlement will have to be amended but potentially they will change the future face of the british monarchy. bbc news, perth. >> india gets a taste of the world's most expensive sport this weekend when it hosts its first-ever formula one grand prix.

they hope the event will banish memory of the corruption at last year's commonwealth games. new racetrack and stadium cost $250 million pounds to build. it might not seem like much, given india is now the world's ninth largest question but with more than a third of its population living in poverty, some say the grand prix is another sign of the gulf between rich and poor. >> the spin machine is in overdrive. formula one cars racing through the center of delhi. promoting it as the new sport for rising india and its burgeoning middle classes. there's a brand-new track and stadium built on time and on budget. organizers hope it will erase memories of last year's chaotic games here. seats selling fast but even cheap ones are way beyond pockets of most indians. india is in the fast lane, that's the message here, ready

to host the world's most expensive sport, but it's a sign india is pulling ahead or just its wealthy elite? >> just the other side of the track, it's a away from the high obtained glamour and speed of formula one. some have done well, getting compensation from the racetrack for their farm land. they've gone on a spending spree on new cars and houses. >> could everyone who has received compensation for the track put their hands up. >> but it's a lottery. those with land doing really well. those without getting nothing. with the land gone, to be a farm laborer now has no work. he can't afford to send his children to school.

he said he wishes formula one had never come to india. the preparations for the multimillion dollar race are now in top gear, with the owner of india's grand prix team saying the country is now in the big league. >> i don't know why international media keeps focusing on the poor part of india. sure we have poverty. why not focus on what india actually has, large middle class, perhaps the size of europe. ok? a growing, disposable income, per capita income, aspirational population, very successful and the market is large enough. the country is roaring ahead in many ways, danger that's becoming more and more two indian yas, with one being left ever further behind. andrew north, bbc news, delhi. >> baseball fans around the world will be glued to their tvs for the climatic finish of the

world series tonight. three venezuelans take the field, a sight sure to inspire national pride in the south american country. how much longer can venezuela stay in the game? the academy is looking for the next major league stars are struggling under the venezuelan government stringent economic policies. sarah granger reports. >> fernando feliz is a young pitcher hoping for success in the united states. baseball is one of few areas where there is strong ties between venezuela and the u.s. translator: i think my dream is the dream of all of us here, to make it to the major league. we're here every day giving it everything and that's the dream to play in the major leagues. >> academies like this one established by the detroit tigers in the west of the country, scout and train future champions. but government currency controls, tax and employment regulations mean it's getting increasingly difficult for them. tigers' scout pedro chavez knows

what it's like to battle with bureaucracy. translator: lots of teams have left, like i say, because of political problems. the government makes too many rules, making it difficult and the safety in the streets is pretty bad. >> pedro's name sake, president hugo chavez shares a love for the american pass time but he's famously hostile to the u.s. in most other regards. he's expropriated land and asset of u.s.-owned companies in venezuela in the past, creating uncertainty in the business community. that's not the only challenge to running business in venezuela, the ease of getting business done because of political instability and bureaucracy. >> venezuela's running businesses in the country have little option but to live with the problems.

translator: everything here is complicated but when you want to do something, you can't allow yourself to see it as complicated. you have a job to do and you just have to get on with it. if you're importing or running a business, you fight for that all the way. >> back at the ballpark, the detroit tigers are determined to stick it out. but others have given up. over a dozen major league teams used to have academies here, now just five are left. much of the country's homegrown talent is already having to grow up, in academies in the u.s. or dominican republic. sarah granger, bbc news, venezuela. >> two of africa's biggest music stars, south africa's ivan chaka chaka have put their names and voices to a campaign to combat a silent killer, cancer. it's been estimated in africa as well as some parts of asia and latin america, more than 30% of

medicines on sale are fake. they have been speaking to the bbc about their new song called "proud to be." >> i'm doing this because i believe africa belongs to all those who live in it and we constantly ask our leaders to level of the playing field, to make sure there's medication and people should not be walking 40 kilometers to get medication and on the other hand the medication they're receiving is counterfeited or fake. >> brothers and sisters, we have a big problem here. it's time for you to kick the habit about bad medicine and deadly weapons.

they're killing off our citizens. >> we see so many counterfeit from clothing to cd's to shoes, things everybody wants to make a quick buck. for to me when it comes to medicine, which is supposed to be saving people's lives and instead kills them i think it's criminal. it should not be done and it should be condemned at its highest point. ♪ ♪ >> can you imagine if it were

your uncle or mother or father or any family taking this medicine that have absolutely no solutions or anything in using them? this can cause death. >> can you hear the rest of that song and see the video on the interpol website or on youtube. you can also download it from online music providers. you can, of course, follow the story online on the bbc website and get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter at rachel underscore hodges. this is bbc news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation.

union bank. and shell. >> this is kim - about to feel one of his favorite sensations. at shell, were developing more efficient fuels in countries like malaysia that can help us get the most from our energy resources. lets use energy more efficiently. lets go. >> union bank has ut its

financial strength to work for major companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> bbc world news america was presented by kcet los presented by kcet los angeles.