>> this is "bbc world news america." anger over the deaths of 25 people in cairo. the sectarian tensions increase. >> the christians are not an insignificant minority. they are part of a community of 8 millioion, 10% of the egyptian population. they feel increasingly under attack. >> the fight for colonel gaddafi's hometown is met with violent resistance. navigating the streets of new york. for one female cabdriver, bridging two cultures has provided quite a ride. ♪

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. violent clashes return to central cairo last night when a protest over an attack on a church erupted into battles between security forces and protestors, leaving 25 dead. today, egypt coptic church blasted authorities for not doing enough to protect them against rising sectarian attacks. eight months after hosni mubarak was ousted from power, there are new questions about where the country stands. we have this report. >> the violence has swept cairo over the last 24 hours has been as confusing as it has been bloody. this car was thought to have been driven by a christian. many of the christians say it was the army who carried out most of the killings. they say they have evidence to prove it.

this young woman is crying for her fiancé who she says was run down by an armored car. she says 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 who started the violence last night, there is no doubt that the christian community believes it is the victim. this afternoon, thousands crowded into the cathedral for the first few rows. the mood was angry. they waved the bloody clothing of the freshly made marchers -- martyrers. these people make up 10% of the

population. they feel increasingly under attack particularly from hard- line islamic fundamentalists. they say since the january revolution, things have gotten worse and not better. since january, egypt has become a freer country but also more chaotic and more open to muslim extremism. >> attacks on their homes and property are becoming more frequent. what is horrifying is the action on the part of the regime. >> this video of an armored car plowing into a crowd of christian protesters will only add to the suspicions that it is not as muslim extremists against them. bbc news in cairo. >> for more on the outbreak of violence and what it bodes for the future, i spoke to the senior fellow at the u.s. institute for peace and the

author of "rock the casbah. " egypt was supposed to be the poster child of the arab spring. is the country losing its way? >> the real problem is not just the violence that has erupted, but the broader issue of the role of the military. their expectations and promises that the military would stop the martial law and move forward quickly on a transition. we're now beginning to see an election process that could run as long as two years before the election of parliament, the writing of the constitution, and the election of the president. this in trenches military rule. it makes many unhappy. the military has been so recalcitrant in following through on its promises. anger and frustration is running so deep that we are likely to see more chaos and confusion

before we see order restored. >> the protests started as protests against the military. are we now seeing egyptians turning against themselves? >> i think there is that and also a deep frustration with the military and the protest movement. it has led to such instability. those on the outside are inspired by the idea of freedom. they have to live with the day today consequences -- day to day consequences, a concern about jobs, the basic things. that is all more chaotic as well. >> was this always going to be a problem? people were united in overthrowing the regime. now they have achieved that, they find a bigger problems to contend with. there is very little to hold them together. >> absolutely. in every revolution, you stand

up to an autocrat. then you find there are a lot of underlying differences. transitions take a long time. the generation after the fall of communism, east will have former communists reduced of former communists in power -- you still have former communists in power. >> is also a question of managing other people's optimism, particularly in libya. >> it has more of a chance. it has a small population of 6.5 million. it has large oil resources. it has 140 tribes and plans to deal with. in every country, freedom opens a pandora's box of differences. >> is there anything the international community can or should do? >> the obama administration said the elections needed to be just

and timely. so far, the international community has nudged but not done anything tangible. >> now to the problems that continue to play the euro zone. slovakia's government failed to strike a deal. the official vote is due tomorrow. the prime minister says they will resume discussions in the morning. a series of measures have been rolled out to rescue the banks. the banks came close to collapse because of the debt crisis. matthew price reports. >> brussels was blustery this morning as the european crisis blew into town. not everyone was happy about the bailout. >> it is my money. >> they have to save them, said

this man. the question is how they got into the mess. the banks, the belgian government, and european leaders knew that this had to be done to avert a greater crisis. >> it is clear the crisis of the banking sector puts governments in a difficult position. we had to intervene or face a problem with customers of the bank. that would have a systematic effect on the belgian economy. >> it looks calm, but what is going on inside the bank exposes how close we may be to a second credit crunch. dexia has lent large sums of money to greece. greece cannot pay it back. dexia is forced to ask for help from the government. that has led to concerns that belgium is in too much debt. it is also happening with other european banks and countries. the sovereign debt crisis has become a banking crisis. it is spreading.

president sarkozy and chancellor merkel met this weekend. they're still working to help struggling countries and banks. political differences are holding back implementation. european leaders were due to meet this time next week in brussels to find a way through the crisis. that has now been postponed, another sign of how elusive a solution is becoming. investors are getting more worried. europe's leaders once told them the stress tests had worked. dexia passed their tests. people are losing patience. other banks may come into trouble as well. greece, more strikes are crippling the country.

they are waiting to a solution that the word -- -- waiting for a solution to the worst crisis the e.u. has ever faced. >> economic problems are hardly isolated to eurozone. the occupy wall street movement is still gaining steam. protests have spread to multiple cities. the issue is now fodder for the presidential race. >> it is day 24 of occupy wall street. in new york, the crowd is getting bigger and more diverse. they come from all over america, sharing anger about the excesses of the financial system and the widening gap between rich and poor. >> we have people from all different backgrounds. they listen to each other. they do not interrupt. >> we have an opportunity to use

the power we have to make active changes. the tea party did it. we can do it. >> the conservative tea party movement transformed the political landscape. the question is whether occupy wall street will do the same on the left. the protests are spreading to seattle, philadelphia, and iowa, a crucial primary state where these protestors were called away for demonstrating without a permit. >> i am increasingly concerned about the growing mobs occupy wall street and the other cities across the country. >> to protest what street and the bankers is to say that you are anti-capitalism. the free market system and capitalism are two things that have allowed this nation and the economy to become the biggest in

the world. >> democrats, including barack obama, have expressed sympathy for those who have taken to the streets. >> i support the message to the establishment, whether it is wall street or the political establishment, that change has to happen. we cannot continue in a way that is not relevant to their lives. >> there is a lot more complexity to the protests than simply providing a left-wing alternative to the tea party. many of these people are disillusioned with president obama and politicians as a whole. the question is whether they can develop the kind of organization and messaging that will make occupy wall street a force in the presidential elections. >> the nobel prize for economics has been awarded to two american professors for their work on health policy instruments can affect the economy. they did the work independently

in the 1970's and 1980's. the committee said it is still relevant today in answering questions such as how growth and inflation are affected by interest rates or tax cuts. in libya, heavy fighting is continuing around the city of sirte where pro-gaddafi forces are offering stiff resistance. the city is being targeted with rocket barrages. the red cross is assessing the humanitarian situation at the main hospital. we have this report. >> the wants lavish conference center was the kind of place that colonel gaddafi liked to spend his millions. now the complex is in ruins. it was damaged by a week of intense fighting and vandalized by vengeful fighters.

also bearing the scars of battle are the nearby central hospital. we found dozens of injured people in the wards and quarters. fighters and civilians. among them, two young boys who were wounded by shrapnel and lucky to be alive. they will now be stabilized and moved back from the frontline by the international red cross. >> we do not discriminate. whoever needs treatment will be transferred and taken to proper places to receive proper treatment. >> in dealing with urgent cases, the red cross may not distinguish between pro and anti-gaddafi supporters, but there were concerns they may try to flee, passing themselves off as civilians. >> they managed to get these

people evacuated. there are an estimated 10,000 civilians trapped inside the city itself. the frontline is now a few hundred meters beyond the hospital. slowly but surely, gaddafi forces are being squeezed and push back towards the sea. they're putting up fierce resistance. bbc news in sirte. >> european foreign ministers have welcomed the formation of a national council in syria. they stopped short of recognizing it. in syria, the crackdown on anti- government protests continue. activists say 31 people died in a series of shootings on sunday, including 17 security personnel reportedly killed by soldiers who refused to fire on protesters. the commander of african union forces in somalia say his troops have driven militants out of the last stronghold in the capital

mogadishu. he told bbc all of the city was controlled by african union and somali government forces. al shabab still controls large areas of central and southern somalia. the archbishop has met the president of zimbabwe and urged him to use his power to. and to the attacks on anglicans. there have been serious attacks on the church since the renegade bishop formed a breakaway group based on the stance on homosexuality. oil has begun washing ashore off of new zealand. the ship ran aground last wednesday. efforts to stabilize the victim -- vessel had been hampered by bad weather. you are watching a " bbc world news america." still to come, cultures collide in a new york city cab.

we get a unique experience from behind the wheel. massive flooding in cambodia has killed more than 200 people since early september. it is the worst flooding in over a decade. tens of thousands have sought refuge on higher ground. those who stayed. pleading -- are pleading to the government for help. >> cambodians are used to seasonal flooding, but nothing as bad as this. more than half of the 24 provinces have reported serious problems. along the flood water mains, the more difficult and hazardous daily life becomes. >> it is so difficult to sell things. my children have gotten sick. they are getting rashes on their hands and feet. i am urging the government and international organizations to help by giving medicine for

treatment. abovee river has been o alert level for a week now. it is worse in other parts of the country. more than 1 million have been affected. perhaps 1/10 of the rice crop may have been destroyed. if the rain keeps falling, things may get worse. experts have warned that because of the heavy reliance on farming and fisheries, cambodia is particularly vulnerable to climate change. it is hard to say if the floods are a sign of what is to come, but they do suggest the country may pay a heavy price if it does not do more to prepare for the worst. >> when we get a shift in the rainfall, it affects the way the crops perform. maybe they do not get a good start or get flooded out. around 80,000 hectares have been destroyed by the flood water. >> these people are more concerned about the here and now. help has been slow in coming. they will have to hope the weather forecasts get better and

the water starts to receive soon. bbc news in cambodia. ♪ >> from the incredible wildlife to beautiful beaches, kenya relies heavily on attracting foreign tourists. the industry is under threat. in recent weeks, two women have been kidnapped from the coast and taken to somalia where it is believed they are being held for ransom. from the coastal town, the bbc reports on the growing threat. >> for the tourists, it is like stepping back in time. the enchanting island is steeped in ancient swahili culture. the pace is slow. the beaches are a big draw, but not right now. this was what the french visitor called her little paradise until

a gang of somali gunmen dragged her down the beach and left by speedboat for somalia. the police were so ill-prepared even asked a hotel owner to borrow a boat. this is just three weeks after the murder and kidnapping of a british couple further up the coast. >> we were coming for holiday with my family. >> there were warnings, cancellations, and now deserted her toes. >> you can already see the impact on tourism. it is just a matter of time for tourists to get the confidence to come back. >> the police and army are out on evening patrol. the sleepy town has never seen anything like it. >> for the authorities, it is a difficult balancing act. they're trying to send a message that the place is secure and there are more patrols, but they do not want to over-militarize the area.

for the tourists, paradise and guns do not miss. tourism is vital. it brings in 10% of the foreign exchange. the government is worried that insecurity will spread from neighboring somalia. >> it affects our economy, our peace and stability, and our lives. >> up to 70 somali pirates groups are preparing to deploy. with ships and tourists at risk, some feel it is time to go after the pilot basis. >> taking them on as they prepared to good to see would be a change of tactics for the military forces. my personal view is that we need to prevent the pirates from going to see in the first place. >> they may be on the lookout, but questions remain over kenya's ability to secure the beaches. tourism here cannot afford another attack.

>> we go to a much different experience. hailing a cab can be an inventor. if you are lucky, you could find her singing behind the wheel. she is one of the few women navigating the streets of new york. her traditional indian dress combined with an american- italian accent may have you doing a double take. in this first-person account, as she talks about the two cultures she embraces and many miles she has logged. >> i am italian. i grew up in a very italian household. my father and mother had a beautiful marriage. i had an older brother who was my best friend. i came to new york city when i was a. as a young girl, i always

dreamed i would get married at the altar on st. patrick's cathedral. i married a sikh and got married in a temple. still, my heart is there. i tease my husband. i say when we've been married 25 years, we will get married as americans. this is my taxi, my yellow girlfriend. i spend more time with her than my family. some of the men do not respect you. sometimes i wish i had boxing gloves. .t is tough people as people ask why i like driving a taxi. it is the freedom of being your own boss. you are like a bartender.

you are a cop without a gun. unfortunately, my distant relatives never accepted my husband because he was penjabi and sikh. if they cannot accept him, they cannot accept me. ♪ ♪ [singing in a foreign language] ♪ they are very much like the italians. the family structure is very much the same. everybody gets together. everybody loves each other. everybody is caring. you name it, i could did. it is the same vegetables we cut in italy but with curry instead

of garlic and olive oil. it is the same thing. i make spinach but with potatoes and chickpeas. the quickest way to a man's heart in any culture is his stomach. my heart is always italian. ♪ >> she gave us her first person accounts of blending italian and sikh cultures inside a new york city cab. you can always get constant updates on our website. for all of us at bbc, thank you for watching. ♪

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funding for curious george is provided by contributions to your pbs station... ooh. ...and from: (lively drum intro) ♪ you never do know what's around the bend ♪ ♪ big adventure or a brand-new friend ♪ ♪ when you're curious like curious george ♪ ♪ swing! ♪ ♪ well, every day ♪ every day ♪ ♪ is so glorious ♪ glorious ♪ george! ♪ and everything ♪ everything ♪ ♪ is so wondrous ♪ wondrous ♪ ♪ there's more to explore when you open the door ♪ ♪ and meet friends like this, you just can't miss ♪ ♪ i know you're curious ♪ curious ♪ ♪ and that's marvelous ♪ marvelous ♪ ♪ and that's your reward ♪ you'll never be bored ♪ if you ask yourself, "what is this?" ♪ ♪ like curious... ♪ like curious... curious george. ♪ oh... captioning sponsored by nbc/universal