Erstellt am: 10. 10. 2011 - 14:49 Uhr

Will Syria avoid the post revolution conflicts facing Egypt?

Reality Check: A weekend of violence in Egypt and Syria, Donald Tusk wins Polish elections, New Zealand oil spill, Superinsects overcome GM crops

There's a chilling similarity in the background to our first two stories today. Dozens of people killed and hundreds injured, security forces attacking civilian protesters, and very confused and conflicting reports of exactly what happened. The difference is that one story is about "post-revolution" Egypt, and the other is about what we might call "pre-revolution" Syria.

Let's start in Egypt, where the trouble stems from protests surrounding Coptic Christians, or rather Coptic Christian churches. The details are sketchy and conflicting, but several churches have been at the centre of conflicts between Coptic Christians and conservative Muslims, with a church in Aswan in the south of the country being a particular flashpoint. At the weekend, Coptic Christians marched on the state TV centre in Cairo in protest, but became involved in a clash with the army. How it started is unclear - the protesters say the army opened fire on them (a version supported by witnesses), while the army say the protesters attacked them.

Some people say the militrary contrived the riots to garner support ahead of the elections by showing they can control the country, some say they wanted to blame the violence on muslim extremists trying to disrupt a democratic protest, and our Cairo correspondent, Abdel-Rahman Hussein, told Riem Higazi that whatever the truth, one place you won't find it is on state TV, that has become a propaganda machine for the ruling military.

While many may have celebrated the ousting of Hosni Mubarak as a key step in the direction of freedom and democracy, it seems it was nevertheless a small one in what will be a long and painful journey.

Similar Story in Syria?

While the details and places may vary the story is not much different in Syria, although in Syria President Assad is still in place, while Egypt is in the post-Mubarak phase. It's still a story of brutal crackdowns on civilian protests, conflicting and confusing stories and a great deal of uncertainty. The killing of two key opposition leaders by government forces last Friday is an indication of the chaos the country is in. However, both within the country and outside Syria, opposition figures are putting together a Syrian National Council, that it hopes will be a viable alternative government when Assad eventually falls. As with the National Transitional Council in Libya, they hope they will be able to smooth the eventual transition to democracy without the unrest and upheaval being experienced in Egypt. Let's hope they are successful. Riem Higazi spoke to journalist Khaled Oweis, who has been following the SNC since its inception.

Donald Tusk wins a second term as Polish Prime Minister

Poland is the one country in the EU to have been virtually untouched by the financial crisis - so they must be doing something right. In the hope that the "something" is electing Donald Tusk's Civic Platform and its coalition, Poles have voted for more of the same. Our Warsaw correspondent, Adam Easton, told Chris Cummins why the Poles are so happy with their government.

Oil leak threatens New Zealand's coast

Oil from a stranded ship is washing ashore on New Zealand's North Island, and there is considerable concern that it could turn into an ecological disaster. Eric Frykbirg of Radio New Zealand told Chris Cummins about what is known about how the ship ran aground, and the threats it poses.

GM crops give rise to superinsects

Cotton and corn seeds genetically modified to have a "built in" pesticide are leading to the evolution of "superinsects", immune to the plants' deadly composition. Deborah McKenzie of New Scientist says the concept behind the modification was good, but the way it was applied was destined for disaster, and may be a sign that old fashioned pesticides are a better option.

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