A look back at the Egyptian revolution [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
The 20-day Egyptian revolution that toppled deposed President Hosni Mubarak witnessed a series of bloody incidents that martyred hundreds of people and injured thousands of others. The following report summarizes the most notable stages and hubs of the Egyptian revolution.

Reporter, Female #1
On a day like this, Tahrir Square was filled with nearly 20,000 Egyptians marking a "day of rage," and chanting for change, bread, freedom, and social justice. In response to a call issued online, chants quickly turned into a demand that echoed across Egypt: "the people want to topple the regime." Since that day, Egyptians took their position in Tahrir Square and called on Mubarak to "leave." The regime's forces launched a campaign of sweeps and crackdowns, amid fierce confrontations with demonstrators. This prompted a number of leading political figures and parties to join the revolution. As pressure mounted on the government, Mubarak escalated his crackdown on protestors, martyring hundreds of them and injuring thousands of others. Mubarak deployed his security forces across major Egyptian cities and declared curfews. However, acts of vandalism, destruction, and looting quickly spread to various regions of the country. As Mubarak started to lose control, he ordered the resignation of Ahmad Nazif's government and delegated Minister of Civil Aviation General Ahmad Shafiq to form a new government. Mubarak also appointed Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman as his vice-president.

Guest, Male #2 (Hosni Mubarak, Deposed Egyptian President)
I asked the government to submit its resignation today. I will delegate clear and specific tasks to the new government, effective tomorrow.

Reporter, Female #1
Mubarak's speech and his newly sworn-in government didn't appease demonstrators, who vowed to purge the country of the more than three decades of oppression. Following Mubarak's speech, millions of Egyptians converged on Tahrir Square, demanding his departure. The constitutional amendments approved by Mubarak and his announcement not to run for a sixth presidential term failed to restore calm to Egyptian streets. In response, Mubarak unleashed horses and camels on Tahrir Square, in what has become known as the "Battle of the Camel" in an attempt to expel and kill protestors. Several people were killed in the battle. The sea-saw battles continued in Tahrir Square, as Egyptians refused to surrender and Mubarak refused to resign. On the "Friday of Departure," millions of Egyptians converged on Tahrir Square. This was followed by the "Friday of Marching," amid calls for Mubarak's resignation. On February 11, Mubarak bowed to pressure and submitted his resignation.

Guest, Male #3 (Omar Suleiman)
President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak decided to relinquish his position as president of the republic.

Reporter, Female #1
Since then, Egypt has been run by the military council. As the year 2011 ended, clashes erupted every so often over the failure to achieve the demands of the revolution, including the prosecution of Mubarak, which is not over yet, even though one whole year has passed since the launch of the revolution, and evidence implicates him and his aides in the murder of demonstrators and the misuse of public funds. His intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, and the remnants of the regime have not yet stood trial.

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Egypt's revolutionaries vow second uprising against military council Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
Thousands of Egyptians converged on Tahrir Square in central Cairo and other squares to mark the first anniversary of the revolution.

Reporter, Male #2
To the recital of verses of the holy Quran affirming the Islamic nature of their revolution, Egyptian masses marked the opening ceremonies of the first anniversary of their victorious revolution. Hundreds of thousands converged on Tahrir Square in central Cairo and other squares to celebrate the first anniversary of the revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak's regime. The heavy rain didn't prevent the celebrators, men and women, from marking the occasion. The youths, who launched the revolution one year ago, reiterated their demands to complete their revolution without the military council in power.

Guest, Male #3
The revolution is not complete yet. The number of martyrs and the number of injured have doubled. Nearly 16,000 revolutionaries have been arrested and prosecuted.

Reporter, Male #2
The revolutionary youths are hoping that Egyptians will unite under the same banner and work together to build the country, away from partisan lines.

Guest, Male #4
I hope that all Egyptians join hands as a one nation and not as parties. We must forgive and come together. Today, Egypt is witnessing Eid and joy.

Reporter, Male #2
The youth movements called for massive demonstrations, especially in the capital Cairo, to demand an end to the military rule, the start of presidential elections, and the execution of deposed President Hosni Mubarak.

Guest, Male #5
We must not forget the bloodshed witnessed in Egypt. This is not a celebration. Today, Egypt is mourning in honor of our brothers who were killed since January 25, 2011.

Reporter, Male #2
They also demanded the prosecution of corrupt figureheads and killers as well as to achieve justice, amid public resentment over the procrastination in the trial of Mubarak and his aides. The anniversary of the revolution coincided with a call for the launch of a new uprising against the military rule. In addition, Egyptians are demanding that the People's Assembly accelerate the process of drafting a new constitution.

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Bahraini police violently disperse anti-regime protestors [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male # 1
On Tuesday, Bahraini police violently dispersed protestors in Shiite villages near al-Manama. According to the official news agency, police arrested what they described as "vandals." Anti-regime Bahrainis say the confrontations left several protestors injured. The authorities barred a march planned for Tuesday under the banner "legitimacy for the people." In the past few weeks, demonstrations have been held frequently in the kingdom that witnessed a protest movement last year against the rule of the Khalifa family, demanding change.

Reporter, Male # 2
Protests barely stop in Bahrain before they are once again resumed. On Tuesday, many demonstrations were held in Shiite villages near the capital Manama to denounce the government and demand democracy. These images show confrontations in Sanabis, al-Dair, Bani Jamra, Karrana, and on the island of Sitra. As on previous occasions, police and security forces violently dispersed the protests, leaving many people injured, including one in critical condition, according to a former minister with the opposition al-Wefaq Society. It was also reported that security forces surrounded many villages and regions. As for the official Bahraini news agency, it said police arrested what it described as "vandals" after they shut down many roads with metal rods and threw Molotov cocktails, as quoted by the chief of public security. Bahraini authorities barred a march planned for Tuesday, after activists sent a call on social networking sites under the banner "legitimacy for the people." Opposition forces denounced the decision, saying it reflects the ongoing abuse of the interpretation of the law and of power. These images in Bahrain, along with the accompanying political positions, renew the atmosphere of the mass protests demanding democracy witnessed in the country a year ago. The authorities managed to contain the demonstrations with the aid of the Peninsula Shield Force. That wave of protests ended with the deaths of 35 protestors, including five who were tortured to death, and five security forces, according to the Bassiouni Commission formed by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. The government vowed to hold a dialogue and reform but tension continues to prevail in the country with protests and demonstrations erupting at any minute. It is worth mentioning that the Shiites constitute the majority of Bahrain's population, and in addition to the lack of democracy, they complain of marginalization and discrimination by the Sunni royal family.

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Iran dismisses Obama's war threats as election propaganda [Press TV, Iran]

Iran has rejected US President Barack Obama's threats of military action as a propaganda campaign ahead of the upcoming presidential election in the United States. The Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says Obama is seeking to cover up the failures of his presidency by diverting attention toward Iran. Mehmanparast's comments came after Obama threatened Iran with military action. Obama said America will not rule out any option in dealing with Tehran. This comes as the US and its Western allies have again imposed a new round of unilateral sanctions and have upped their rhetoric to pressure Iran.

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Iranian trade expanding despite US, EU sanctions [Press TV, Iran]

Let's take a look at Iranian trade. New figures are showing that Iranian trade is expanding, despite the US and sanctions against Tehran by the EU. Iranian officials say trade with China has exceeded 45 billion dollars. There has been a 16 billion dollar increase since 2010. The Asian economic giant has also had significant presence in Iran's oil and gas sector. Recently, Beijing defended its oil trade with Tehran, rejecting the US and EU sanctions. India and South Korea are other major buyers of Iranian oil. New Delhi has also rejected US calls to stop buying oil from Iran. EU figures say imports of Iranian crude were up more than seven percent in the third quarter of 2011. Concerns are growing in Europe over the bloc's decision to ban Iranian oil imports amid financial chaos across the continent.

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Syria commits to Arab mission as Gulf monitors leave the country [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female # 1
The Syrian Revolution's General Commission said 18 people were killed today by the regime's gunfire in a number of cities. The commission added that military reinforcements were sent to Homs and Hama. In addition, the regime's forces and shabeha carried out a wide-scale arrest campaign in a number of Syrian cities and towns that were also subjected to heavy, indiscriminate shelling.

Reporter, Male # 1
As Assad's brigades and the regime's shabeha continue the military operations in a number of Syrian cities, more people were killed and injured. In a new military escalation, the Syrian opposition reported that military reinforcements are being sent to al-Assad's brigades in Homs and Hama. The cities of Douma in the countryside of Damascus, Qalat al-Madiq in the countryside of Hama, Jassem in Daraa, and Idlib witnessed clashes between the Free Syrian Army and regime forces. Activists posted videos online showing the situation in the area of Karm el-Zeitoun in Homs after army forces fired Hound shells at a residential area in the neighborhood. Residents rushed to rescue a number of people injured in the shelling. This, as al-Assad's brigades also shelled the neighborhoods of Bab Tadmor and Karm el-Zeitoun, which led to the collapse of homes while residents were inside and the death and injury of dozens. Regime forces carried out a wide-scale and random arrest campaign, searching and wrecking homes in the town of Jarajeer. The forces completely encircled the city of Yabrud and shut down all entrances. Protestors held funeral processions for a number of people killed yesterday by the gunfire of al-Assad's brigades. They chanted loudly that "God is great" and condemned the regime. Meanwhile, a number of Arab observers from the Gulf countries left Syria. Reuters news agency aired a video showing the observers leaving their hotel. For its part, the Syrian news agency SANA said an armed group assassinated Father Basilious Nassar, a priest in the village of Kfar Bahm, as he was helping an injured person in the neighborhood of al- Jarajmeh in Hama. On the other hand, Local Coordination Committees asserted that Father Basilious was killed in the violent campaign carried out by al-Assad brigades in the city of Hama. Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem met with Muhammad Ahmad Mustafa al-Dabi, the head of the Arab League's delegation to Syria. They discussed the observers' mission in light of Damascus' approval of the League's one-month extension to its mission. Al-Muallem expressed his country's commitment to "full engagement" with the observers and offered the delegation all facilities required to carry out its work as it was commissioned. This, he said, will be fulfilled in spite of the obstacles that have been placed in the way of the delegation by parties that do not want the reality of the situation in Syria to be revealed in the implementation of clear foreign agendas.

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Ashton encourages continued Mideast peace talks in Israel [IBA, Israel]

We open with the visit of European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton , who is at this hour meeting with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this evening. Ashton is in the region to encourage both Israel and the Palestinians to continue efforts to resume peace negotiations. EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said today that informal talks between Israel and the Palestinians must continue and eventually turn into genuine negotiations. During a tour of Gaza this morning, Ashton said the purpose of her trip to the region this week was to keep things moving as a series of informal talks between negotiators from both sides appear on the brink of collapse.

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UNICEF: 750,000 Yemeni children are malnourished [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Female #1
A few days after returning to Baghdad, Nazem al- Juburi, a leader of the Sahwa or Awakening Council was killed. He was killed by unknown assailants who used a silenced gun on a street in the Iraqi capital. In addition, three people were killed and three others wounded in three bomb explosions in Abu Ghraib in Anbar Province, raising the death toll to 12 in the past 48 hours. In Yemen, after three rounds of talks by tribal sheikhs, armed al-Qaeda fighters have completely withdrawn from the city of Rada'a, southeast of the Yemeni capital Sanaa. The withdrawal began last night. The city has been under the control of al-Qaeda fighters since mid-January. Amid the political crisis in Yemen, a growing humanitarian crisis is unfolding on the ground. More than 750,000 children are suffering from malnourishment. The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF's director for Middle East and North Africa, Maria Calivis, said that all affected children were under the age of five. Calivis issued an urgent plea to the international community demanding aid to help ease the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Joining us over the phone from Sanaa is Dr. Wissam al-Tamimi, a UNICEF nutritionist. Doctor, half a million Yemenis are facing death due to hunger. Is the situation going to get worse?

Guest, Male #1 (Dr. Wissam al-Tamimi, UNICEF Nutritionist in Sanaa)
Thank you for having me. We are talking about severe cases of fatigue and weight loss affecting Yemeni children below the age of five. We are facing a real humanitarian crisis. More than half a million children under the age of five are facing death, memory loss, mental disability, as well as dwarfism. This is what will happen unless urgent aid is provided to treat these children and help put an end to this epidemic that's quickly spreading among Yemeni children. UNICEF, in cooperation with all partners, is seeking to mobilize efforts to contain this phenomenon by providing food and medicine at the more than 400 health centers spread across various Yemeni regions. It's worth mentioning that most of the cases of malnourishment and fatigue are reported in the northern provinces. An outbreak has been reported in some central and the southern provinces as well as in Hudaida Province.

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Mauritania holds conference on reformist thought [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male # 1
The inauguration of an international conference on the role of reformist thought in countering violence was held in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott.

Presenter, Female # 1
According to the organizers, the conference aims to promote a culture of moderation among the youth and a rejection of violence and religious extremism.

Presenter, Male # 1
Intellectuals and scholars from different Arab and Muslim countries will be participating in the three-day conference.

Reporter, Male # 2
The proceedings of the official inauguration of the international conference on reformist thought and the rejection of violence is being organized by the Mauritanian government in cooperation with the international centrism forum. The organizers' vision was clear during the inauguration; they aim to resist what is called takfiri thought and extremist speech. The conference reflected the concerns of officials.

Guest, Male # 3 (Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Mauritanian President)
Addressing this phenomenon is everyone's responsibility but the largest burden falls on the umma's intellectuals and scholars, who must be presented with opportunities to formulate and influence the right kind of speech, which is a moderate one.

Reporter, Male # 2
The participation of intellectuals and prominent figures could allow a multiplicity of approaches on the themes to be addressed at the conference, most notably the implication of what is now known now as the "Arab Spring."

Guest, Male # 4 (Al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, Head of Sudanese Umma Party)
The "Arab Spring" movements achieved victories for the people without violent conflict. And wherever the people regained their freedom, they freely expressed their Islamic aspirations. The tyrants should have known that the era of individual rule had ended.

Reporter, Male # 2
The international conference to combat what is known as violent speech was viewed by some observers as part of the Mauritanian authorities' attempt to combat the phenomenon. In early 2010, the Mauritanian authorities organized a dialogue between Salafist prisoners and a group of scholars, who issued recommendations rejecting violence and extremism. Ten prisoners were later released. Mohammad al-Souvi, al-Jazeera, Nouakchott.