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>> praying for peace in cairo. coptic christians celebrate christmas under tight security. a dire situation. strong words from the u.s. defense secretary. they keep proposing deep cuts in the military budget. >> as a result of these changes over time, what had been a culture of in less money where cost is really a consideration, will become a culture of savings. >> tough employees of the car maker accused of stealing secrets about its electric vehicles. welcome to "bbc world news" broadcast to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. romania's which is about to take revenge on tax-hungry politicians. and the voice of an angel, but what is the science behind the

perfect pitch? >> hello. there is heavy security right now in egypt and across much of europe. as coptic christians celebrate the orthodox christmas. it is a calling on their muslim neighbors to join in a show of solidarity. but there's also much fear. islamist extremist web sites have been threatening a repeat of the new year's bombing of the coptic church in alexandria that left 21 dead. it was the worst sectarian violence in egypt for a decade and sparked days of demonstrations and riots. these pictures are from cairo. the patriarch of the gypsy minority is celebrating midnight mass.

♪ >> there is a ceremony that we are witnessing. much of the music over 19 centuries has never been written down. much of it is passed down by word of mouth. some of the languages derived from a language spoken in the agency did of the pharaohs. let's get more from cairo. >> well, it has been very tough security. i have been around various churches. the roads outside were all blocked off, with police checking you. there are metal detectors installed in almost all the churches. some people have been going there a lot to get through the

churches. so far, it seems to have gone ok. we have only had one more device found in a church in southern egypt. apart from that, no reports of violence despite the many fears and threats of voice before tonight's services. >> looking at the political context, violence against christians in egypt has been on the rise for years. but there has been anger in the coptic community against those, where people believe they may have failed them. >> it is part of egyptian society, and this is a real danger. terrorism is the product of a political system that many people feel is failing them. many people are suffering enormously from tough economic conditions. they feel they have no way to voice it. the political system is not responding to them. very few people turned out to vote because they do not trust the opposition party any more than they trust the government now. even the muslim brotherhood.

even that seems to have been eclipsed at the moment. the sectarian feeling in this country, the rise in that seems to be the product of a wider malaise in society. >> thank you very much. well, the american defense secretary robert gates has proposed deep cuts in the defense budget as part of extensive belt-tightening in washington. he wants to get $78 billion over five years, on top of the $100 billion already earmarked for efficiency savings. the cuts at been made necessary by the country's dire fiscal situation. >> all these initiatives and major objectives beyond monetary savings is to make this department less cumbersome, less top-heavy, and more agile at an effective in the execution of its responsibilities. my hope and expectation is that as a result of these changes, what had been a culture of and

less money, where cost is really a consideration, will become a culture of savings and restraint. >> robert gates there in washington, d.c. what do you expect to hear from the defense secretary? >> it is not necessarily what you hear from a defense secretary, particularly in the country that is still at war in afghanistan, that just wound down its military or combat operations in iraq. but robert gates made very clear that in the sage of austerity, even the pentagon has to tighten its of. the pentagon has to do its part to try to make sure that in the long run, it can maintain america's military power, and it can maintain a nimble force. because he is very cognizant of the fact that the nature of war is changing. some of the cuts he has proposed, for example, are meant to do with very cumbersome

hardware programs that do not really necessarily held an army and the 21st century. so you have $70 billion in cuts and the $100 million in savings over the next five years. those savings will mean the pentagon will streamline and better use the money that it has at hand. >> at the moment, not much detail, perhaps inevitably, from how these cuts will really bite. >> well, you will see some of the details become very clear once congress comes out and gives its reaction to those proposed cuts. because congress, in the end, holds the strings to the purse. the defense department has the biggest share of discretionary spending in the government's budget, and of course, the congress will decide next month what it thinks of what the government is putting forward in terms of budgets and what it thinks that the cuts proposed by

the pentagon. and they will be faced with an interesting choice. on the one hand, they need to cut back on spending to the need to support the government in cutting back on spending. on the other hand, the want to make sure that they protect jobs in their constituencies. some of those cuts will mean losses in jobs. it will be an interesting debate to watch. >> thank you. some of the other main news. in ivory coast, the man recognized internationally as winner of the presidential election is called on regional neighbors to send in special forces to remove laurent gbagbo, who refuses to step down. alassane ouattara says they must take all necessary measures, including force. william daley has been confirmed as the new white house chief of staff. the former commerce secretary is also a banker and lawyer and a big dynasty from chicago.

the u.s. treasury secretary has asked congress to raise the legal limit on how much the american government can borrow. it is left up to the senate, and the country could reach its current debt limit by the end of march. last year, more than 14,000 billion dollars in borrowing. the carmaker renault says its race to develop an electric car has been hit by industrial espionage. it has suspended three senior managers, accusing them of passing a closely guarded secrets to an unnamed rival. renault and its japanese partner have invested heavily in electric cars. the french industry minister is warning his country is facing what he calls the economic war. from paris, christian fraser. >> the renault zoe on display at the pair's car show this summer is designed to give the world's small car sector a sizable

electric shock. it is a direct competitor to the ford fiesta, but this one comes with zero emissions. it is powered by a libyan in battery with a range of 100 miles and a highly respectable top speed of 84 miles an hour. some surprise with in the car industry at the amount of money and expertise renault and their japanese partner has planned into this new technology. the secrets are closely guarded, someone is keen to get hold of them. renault said three senior managers have been suspended this week. there was a monthlong investigation into the leaks, and we believe there were sold for personal profit. the vice president said the details pose a party where threat to the strategic position of the company. as yet, there's no detail on what was passed on and to who and whether their ideas have been compromised. the industry minister warrants

this country now faces economic war. france is no stranger to this kind of industrial espionage. a recent memo on wikileaks richvale the party's heavily involved in this kind of spying against its european neighbors. french espionage is so widespread, says a note from the u.s. embassy in berlin, the damage it causes the german economy is larger than the whole of that caused by china or russia. the french industry minister said they're working to ensure that companies receiving public funding are better said to protect their industrial secrets. no one here needs reminding of big and important the car industry to the sluggish french economy. there may be industrial as been nosh abroad -- there may be industrial espionage abroad. >> a shiite cleric has received an ecstatic welcome on his return home to the holy iraqi city that is south of baghdad.

he's been four years in iran. he has been cautiously welcomed in a suny areas, where his militias blamed for killing hundreds during the sectarian bloodshed of 2006 and 2007. here is the report on baghdad. >> a hero to the impoverished shiite masses. he is back. his arrival caused huge excitement in his hometown, a hotbed of support for the militant young cleric. one of his first acts was to pray by the founding father of the shiite faith. the enthusiasm of his followers was a little too much for the reclusive man. he later put out a statement asking them to be more disciplined and not to push and shout. he said that is for the reputation. his return follows the formation

of a national government here in which his followers have seven seats after a strong showing in the march election. the emphasis now is on politics and progress. there was a guarded welcome for the militant leaders return, even in suny areas. >> his return as a good thing. we want to see that will benefit all iraqis. will it help unite sunnis and shiites? will we see the emergence of a strong state? >> as al-sadr was sitting in, the iraqi army was celebrating its national day with a big parade. presiding over it was the prime minister, nouri al-maliki, whose armies against the solders militia. but he owes his second term of office from a show of support from al-sadr. it depends on whether these two

men can continue working together. bbc news, baghdad. >> hope you can stay with us on "bbc world news." still to come, we are in los angeles for the child adulterer accused of the in varlet -- involuntary manslaughter michael jackson case is under way. first is reading, were an opinion poll is suggesting nearly two -- two-thirds of people walking to advocate. >> troubling times for sweden's head of state. recently rocked by it -- [no audio] >> it is not very funny to review a book that has contributed to difficult

headlines but are not very nice to see. i have spoken to my family and to the queen, and we turn a page, almost like you turn the page of your newspaper. it is a far cry from the heavy themes of last june, when stock, is transformed into a fairy tale backdrop with the marriage of crown princess victoria to long- term partner. as heir to the throng, victoria has lived her life largely in the public eye, so has the combination of her youth and evidence heaviness persuaded swedes to prefer her to take the throne? >> they thinking should advocate and hand over the crown. he should retire. he is a pensioner. >> personally, i do not think he needs to advocate on behalf of victoria. i really cannot see any reason to change positions. >> what i really think is that the royal family all should go,

that it will not be fully democratic until the royals go away. >> republican is a man not be very strong in sweden, but this new poll suggests many people might favor a less revolutionary change in heads of state. bbc news. >> the latest headlines this hour on "bbc world news." heavy security in egypt and across much of europe as coptic christians celebrate the orthodox christian. i repeat of the bombing of the coptic church on your receive left 21 dead. drastic cuts being proposed to america's defense budget could almost 15,000 troops of the cut to try to sit around $80 billion. a paramedic who was called to michael jackson's home on the day he died told the hearing he saw the singer's dr. retrieving drugs from the pop star's bedroom.

michael jackson's family have been at the hearing, and they are examining dr. murray's roll on the night the start at the door in los angeles, our correspondent has more. i referred to it as the trial. in fact, this is the hearing to decide whether dr. murray goes to a jury trial. >> exactly. this is a preliminary hearing. it is set for the judge to look at the evidence as the prosecution presents its during this hearing to decide whether there is a case to answer in front of a jury. he will make that decision and there will be as many as 30 witnesses over the next couple weeks. then he says the trial should go ahead. it could be weeks or months before a jury is selected. >> much of the evidence does not seem to be helpful to dr. murray, particularly the paramedics evidence. >> that is right. this is the seventh witness in a couple of days, and he has testified of record that he saw dr. conrad murray picking up

vials' of a drug, a local anesthetic, from the floor of michael jackson's bedroom and putting them into a bag. this is why it dims were under way to revive michael jackson. and the paramedics said he was surprised to see this because dr. murray, he said, had told him that he had not given michael jackson any drugs at all. he also said he had been told by the doctor that michael jackson collapsed about 1 minutes before the emergency services were called, which seems to be in the face of previous testimony that said that when the paramedics got there, michael jackson was already turning blue, and the indication was that he could have been dead for 20 minutes. >> obviously, the timing will be crucial. dr. murray's defenses that he did not do anything that could have killed michael jackson. >> yes, ever since the death, there his spokespeople, he has said that he did not give

michael jackson anything that should have killed him. clearly, so far in this hearing, his side is not had an opportunity to go into detail. this is a form for the prosecution to prove that they have a case. >> thank you very much. germany has started the process of ending conscription, the biggest shake-up of its military since the second world war. in july, it will go down to a volunteer to work -- force of 185,000. our correspondent joins some of the final recruits. >> what a shambles, and ordinary young man to be transformed into soldiers, and used to the discipline of the military. do the understand? not quite. >> [inaudible] >> and this is the future.

professionals training for a job. the military will become smaller and more specialized. it will be voluntary. these soldiers think construction helped form character. >> he says the army has given him leadership skills. it has turned him into an adult. >> he says his personality has changed. he feels more responsibility. >> these soldiers are training for afghanistan with live ammunition. this jumble of containers simulate a real village. it is not a world of big armies facing each other anymore, but smaller groups at closer range. after the defeat of 1945, the german military was rebuilt, so it would not be a threat in the

hands of the despot. but now german democracy is entrenched. >> conscription was meant to bind the german military into wider german society. 65 years after the end of the second world war, they now feel those constraints can be loosened. in berlin, the man advising parliament says it is part of a big shake up. german troops will be more involved abroad. >> we gave more money than the victory power. now the situation has changed, and we have more requests that we do like all our partners do. >> these conscript's are the last of the line. the phrase used to be that germany is an economic giant but a millet terry drop. that will no longer be true. the numbers in the military will fall. but it will be a better trained,

professional force, more prominent abroad. steven evans, a bbc news, berlin. >> which is in romania are using cad excrement and dead dogs to cast spells on the government for making them pay income tax. magic and superstition in romania are not a laughing matter. even the president and his aides wore purple on thursday to ward off evil spirits. >> romania's which is are up in arms about a new requirement to pay tax on their income. magic incantations and fortune telling. >> i cast spells because i am bad. you can see is on tv. i am if your list. i am not afraid of the country's president, and if he has something to say to me, i will show him. >> it is not so much the principle of paying income tax which has angered them, but the fact that they feel they will get little from the state in return.

>> of the government wants is to pay tax, they should arrange pension. >> most romanians profess allegiance to the romanian orthodox church, the church practices also sometimes controversial. in 2005, a young man died during an exorcism ceremony, which he was bound to a cross for three days without food or water. not all which is in romania oppose the new regulations. for some, it is a sign of long- delayed official recognition for their work. >> from my point of view, this is very good, and i am happy because the romanian government considers our magic skills and now authorize them in romania. >> the new law also demands that driving instructors will have to pay. there has been no reaction from them so far.

>> what is that the mix the voice of the the choir boy or girl sent a shiver down the spine? there is an ancient tradition. our reporter has more. ♪ >> there is something magical about this sound. ♪ >> it has been enchanting this cathedral for centuries. only the very best. >> when they come to us for the first time and we hold auditions for the choir, one thing that i and my colleagues talk about is that sparkle and that they shine. it is just something you know. maybe not something you can define in as many words. >> this coral x factor has

caught the attention of scientists. >> i have to say these choirboys and girls sound incredible to me. what they're trying to do is pin down exactly what it is in their voice that makes it so special. >> what we have in here is many things that absorbs sound. >> the professor is a pioneer of the science behind sound. we went to his acoustic lab to help. ♪ >> specialist's monitor the girl while she sings. it looks at the unique frequencies and the sound of her voice. these hold the clues bit of his head in the but what makes the perfect sound. >> it is in this region up here, around about 8,000 hz, which is the frequency, where there's something occurring when you get

that ringing sound. >> id sends shivers down your spine. >> absolutely. it is something that makes you sit up. it seems to communicate with the soul. it is beyond the words in the music. it is about the emotional content which is going from the brain that the singer straight to the brain of the listener. >> the technology picks up choruses like this developing their voices. in the future, it could have extraordinary sounds mimicked by computers. purists may not like this, but it could keep this agent youthful tradition alive. bbc news. >> much more on that and all the international news any time on bbc.com. you can get in touch with me and most of the team on twitter and

facebook. thanks for watching. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click-to-play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global expertise to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you?

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