Syrian activists report of 'terrifying massacre' in Homs [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male #1
Amid the ongoing killing campaign in Syria, activists called for demonstrations on a day dubbed "Friday of the Right to Self-defense." Meanwhile, the Syrian army and security forces have expanded their military operations, notably in the cities of Homs and Hama. According to the Syrian Revolution General Commission, more than 30 people, including nine children, were killed today by the regime's gunfire across various cities in the countryside of Damascus, Homs, Hama, and Idlib. Since the early morning hours, the city of Hama, especially in the Hamadiyah neighborhood, has been witnessing a wide-scale military campaign, amid heavy artillery gunfire. The Syrian army reportedly shelled several neighborhoods in the city of Homs and other areas in Ankus and Duma in the countryside of Damascus. Yesterday, a dangerous development unfolded in Syria. As yesterday's death toll rose to 62, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that forces loyal to the Syrian regime committed a massacre against a 14-member family for sectarian reasons. Among members of the family were eight children, who were killed and dismembered in al-Zeitoun neighborhood in the city of Homs. Security forces also shelled several other neighborhoods in the city, killing sixteen civilians. On the ground, Arab monitors resumed their mission in Syria, after Syrian authorities agreed to extend their mission for an additional month, without the participation of foreign monitors. Today, a group of monitors toured several villages in the countryside of Damascus, which is witnessing armed confrontations between the Syrian army and defectors. Meanwhile, one monitor expressed concern over a statement issued by a number of opposition groups saying they will not cooperate with the delegation. Manal al-Khatib reports from Damascus.

Reporter, Female #1
The Arab League monitoring team resumed its mission on the ground after the Syrian authorities agreed to extend the team's mission for an additional month. They Syrian authorities denied the mission's work will take the form of a fact-finding committee, and said instead their work will be based on what authorities give them access to on the ground.

Guest, Male #2 (Arab Monitor)
The delegation is performing the same tasks, with emphasis on parts of the protocol that have not been implemented. To be more precise, the delegation will focus on the issue of detainees, which is one of the articles that have not been completed.

Reporter, Female #1
Violence is rising in Syria, and has almost reached the capital. This news comes after fierce confrontations erupted for hours between the conventional army and the Free Syrian Army in the countryside of Damascus. Following the confrontations, the authorities said they have uncovered what they referred to as a "den" used by gunmen to kidnap army personnel and civilians in the area of Harasta. There was a notable presence of the Syrian army as we arrived on the scene.

Guest, Male #3
Yes, we are hearing gunfire.

Guest, Male #4
Sister, we can't say anything. We can't. No, no don't take pictures. Enough.

Reporter, Female #1
As Thaqba and Arbain join al-Zabadani in becoming key strongholds for the army's defectors, it seems as though the circle of violence will continue to expand unless a solution appears on the horizon. With the level of violence continuing to increase on Syrian streets, fears of escalation is looming in Damascus and its countryside, following confrontations between the conventional army and the Free Syrian Army, which means more violence in the country.

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Police attack Bahraini mourners at protestor funeral [Press TV, Iran]

The harsh crackdown on protestors continues in the Persian Gulf Arab state of Bahrain. Government forces have attacked mourners at a funeral ceremony for an anti-regime protestor killed on Wednesday. Mohammed Yahud died after a police vehicle ran him over in Sitra. Three other people have been killed by security forces since Wednesday. Funerals held for those killed by regime forces usually turn into mass protests against the country's rulers. The brutal crackdown on demonstrators has failed to end the almost year-long uprising against the al-Khalifa dynasty. Dozens of people have been killed since the protests first began, and many others have been put in jail and tortured.

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Bahraini activists accuse Al-Arabiya of helping crackdown on protest [Press TV, Iran]

Meanwhile, Bahraini activists have accused a Saudi-owned Arab speaking television channel, Al-Arabiya, of assisting the al-Khalifa regime in cracking down on protestors. Bahraini activists have posted a video on the internet showing Al-Arabiya interviewing demonstrators in Diraz. The activists say the interview was a trap jointly laid by the broadcaster and the Bahraini regime forces to abduct young protestors. Al-Arabiya has not covered the uprising in Bahrain since it began in mid-February 2011. The channel is owned by a Saudi prince.

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Anti-regime protests continue in Saudi Arabia [Press TV, Iran]

Anti-regime protests erupted once again in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. The protestors expressed solidarity with the revolution and neighboring Bahrain. The Eastern Province and the city of Qatif have become centers of dissent of the al Saud family, accused by demonstrators of oppression and discrimination. The recent protests come in defiance of a strict ban imposed by Riyadh against any type of protest gatherings across the country.

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Yemenis demand Saleh's immediate prosecution, blame US for hindering revolution [Press TV, Iran]

In Yemen, thousands of protestors have filled the streets of the southern flashpoint city of Taiz to push for the goals of the revolution. The protestors demand the swift trial of outgoing ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh and the freezing of all his assets. They also denounce his impunity from prosecution. Saleh is in the US where he has been granted diplomatic immunity. Protestors across Yemen are demanding that Saleh be brought to justice for his involvement in corruption and the killing of protestors during the revolution that started last year. Yemenis have repeatedly blamed the United States and Saudi Arabia for trying to hinder the revolution.

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One year on, Egyptians return to Tahrir Square for the second 'Friday of Rage' [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
In Egypt, former chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei proposed a new roadmap for Egypt in light of the rising popular rejection to the Military Council, which has been in power since former President Hosni Mubarak's resignation. ElBaradei called on Egypt's People's Assembly to immediately elect a provisional president before forming a committee to draft the constitution. In addition, the Nobel Peace Price laureate requested that the new constitution define the political system and guarantee a civil state, human rights, and freedom. Our correspondent in Cairo reported that clashes erupted in Tahrir Square, which is currently packed with protestors taking part in the "Second Friday of Rage." Egypt TV aired images of a large number people fighting with sticks; the reason for these clashes has not yet been verified.

Reporter, Female #1
Hundreds of protestors began flowing to Tahrir Square in central Cairo early this morning. Thousands joined them in marches that took off from the capital's major mosques after Friday prayers. The protestors chose to name today "the Friday of Pride and Dignity" and "the Second Friday of Rage," in remembrance of last year's "Friday of Rage." Last year, security forces attacked protestors in Tahrir Square causing dozens of deaths, which gave momentum to the subsequent wave of protests against Mubarak.

Guest, Male #2
Has the regime indeed left? Has Mubarak's regime indeed left?

Reporter, Female #1
However, this Friday's demands are different from last year's because of the disputes between the political movements participating in the protests. The Muslim Brotherhood considered the occasion a celebration, calling for social justice and demanding retribution for those who killed revolutionaries. Meanwhile, other revolutionary parties, most notably the April 6 Youth Movement, believe the revolution is not complete and demand that the Military Council immediately transfer power to civilians.

Guest, Male #4
Our demand today is to complete the revolution. We peacefully call for transferring power to civilians. We want to restore security to the country and we would like to mobilize the country's political parties, social, and economic movements so the country can stand on its own.

Reporter, Female #1
The division among various political parties seems obvious in regards to the rally that began two days ago to commemorate the revolution. While the April 6 Youth Movement announced it would remain in the square until authority is transferred to civilians, the Muslim Brotherhood was eager to affirm that the purpose of its participation was to protect the square. The Military Council vowed to transfer power after the presidential elections scheduled to take place this coming April. Wafa'a Zayan, BBC.

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Suicide bombing leaves 31 dead and fuels sectarian tension in Iraq [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
At least 31 people were killed and nearly 60 others were injured in a booby-trapped car explosion targeting a funeral procession in the Zafaraniyah neighborhood of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. A medical source said the blast took place outside a hospital, as hundreds gathered for a funeral procession for three people killed last Thursday by armed assailants in Baghdad. Among the dead were at least four women. An Interior Ministry spokesman confirmed that a terrorist was targeting a funeral procession when he detonated explosives rigged to a car.

Reporter, Male #2
The series of bombings continue to escalate in Iraq. In the latest episode, dozens of Iraqis were killed or injured in a booby-trapped car explosion, targeting a funeral procession in the Zafaraniyah neighborhood of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. Security sources said the blast took place near a hospital and targeted a funeral procession for three people killed last Thursday by gunmen in Baghdad. The series of bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital is raising many questions. Some news reports implicate Iraqi politicians in the series of explosions and terrorist attacks. Security sources aired confessions of eight members of the security team in charge of guarding former Iraqi Member of Parliament Adnan al-Delaimi. The guards admitted to carrying out a series of bombings at Wathiqi Square and in the area of Karada, killing or injuring dozens of civilians. In Baghdad, security agencies accompanied by al-Delaimi's security guards visited the targeted areas and collected more evidence. Angry victims' families tried to attack the perpetrators but were stopped by security officers at the scene. Iraqi Vice-President Tariq al-Hashemi, who was indicted on charges of terrorism, was the first to be linked to the acts of violence, as shown by documents and evidence provided by the judiciary. Amid the deteriorating political and security situation in Iraq, some politicians accused certain political groups of seeking to assassinate al-Hashemi, mafia-style. Former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Salam al-Zubaie, accused some members of the Iraqiya Bloc of targeting al-Hashemi. In addition, several leaked news reports are linking leaders and members of the Iraqiya Bloc to al-Hashemi's case, and indicate they could be held equally responsible.

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New Mideast talks hit an impasse [IBA, Israel]

We open with the aftermath of the preliminary peace talks in Amman. Palestinian officials today described Israel's presentation of border and security arrangements of a future Palestinian state as a non-starter. One PLO source accused Israel's envoy to the talks, Yitzhak Molho, of killing the two-state solution, adding that the Israeli concept of a Palestinian state consists of a wall and settlements and does not include Jerusalem or the Jordan Valley. According to a senior Israeli source, while Molho outlined parameters at the Wednesday talks, he did not draw lines on a map but rather spoke in general principles about what Israel would take into consideration when drawing that line.

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Israeli demolition orders target houses in 'Anata [Palestine TV, Ramallah]

Presenter, Male #1
The occupation's bulldozers demolished two houses and a number of residential barracks in the Fidah neighborhood in eastern 'Anata, a town near occupied Jerusalem.

Guest, Female #1
Even if they demolish ten homes and continue to demolish them, we will rebuild them, God willing. We will continue to live here on the rubble.

Reporter, Male #2
This woman struggles to find words to express the suffering that she and her neighbors endured in the aftermath of the occupation's actions. Before dawn, the owners of this house in the town of 'Anata, north of occupied Jerusalem, were shocked by a strong blow by the occupation soldiers' bulldozers. The soldiers demanded they leave the house, and a few minutes later, they brazenly razed the building to the ground. The twenty family members who are owners of the house were left out in the open.

Guest, Female #1 (Aliya al-Khatib, Homeowner)
As we were sleeping at 2:00AM last night, we heard a noise. We were told they were bulldozers. I started to wake up my young children who were asleep. I covered them with blankets and took them outside. They gave us ten minutes to evacuate. I didn't know where to put the children. Then, I warped them up in blankets and put them in a broken car parked nearby. They were barefoot because they couldn't find their shoes.

Guest, Male #3 (Ahmed al-Haiya, Homeowner)
This is the second time they demolished our home. So it's not the first time.

Reporter, Male #2
The demolition operation was not limited to this house, but also targeted another house and six mobile homes belonging to Bedouins in the area. The operation didn't even spare the animals.

Guest, Male #4 (Abdullah al-Jihalin, Homeowner)
They brought workers with them. They used bulldozers to demolish the house. When I asked them why they did it, they said because I'm living in Area C and I don't have the right to live here.

Guest, Male #5
We will not leave. To the Israelis, rest assured, we will not leave this country, no matter what they do.

Reporter, Male #2
With this new crime, the occupation seeks to impose a new reality on the ground in a desperate attempt to displace the original residents from the occupied holy city of Jerusalem and its surroundings. Akram Furukh, Palestine TV.

Presenter, Male #1
That was in the town of 'Anata near occupied Jerusalem. In Tubas Province, occupation forces handed out demolition orders to citizens of al-Aqabah village for a number of residential and agricultural facilities in an attempt to Judaize the Jordan Valley and confiscate the land there.

Guest, Male #5 (Marwan Tubasi, Governor of Tubas and Northern Jordan Valley)
The demolition orders include some residential homes, facilities, and stables in the village, which has long been suffering from unrelenting Israeli violations and a refusal to authorize the launch of a special structural plan for the village.

Guest, Male #6 (Sami Sadiq, Head of al-Aqabah's Village Council)
This is not the first time occupation forces have threatened the residents of al-Aqabah village. Two weeks later, they issued eight demolition orders to the citizens in this village. There have been demolition orders to raze over 95 percent of the houses, facilities, social service centers, and streets of this village.

Guest, Male #7
Israelis gave me two demolition orders. I have been living here all my life, and my father died here. I have a family. I don't know where to take them. I don't know where to go if they demolish our home.

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Somali aid distribution suffers rampant corruption [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
The issue of corruption resurfaced in Somalia as humanitarian aid was in the process of being delivered to refugee camps. This issue has increased the refugees' sufferings and compelled some to consider returning to their villages. The Somali government pledged to punish those involved in the corruption of humanitarian aid distribution.

Reporter, Male #1
The shortage of humanitarian aid is not the only problem that haunts the drought-stricken people of Somalia. Despite the limited amount of aid flowing into the country, they are still living lives filled with misery and deprivation.

Guest, Male #2
We have been here for six months and the aid they talked about has not been delivered to us. Every day we receive promises of aid, but we don't see a thing. Where did the aid that was brought to the country go?

Reporter, Male #1
Corruption and manipulation of the distribution of aid has had a negative impact on the lives of refugees and has prolonged their suffering. Perhaps this prompted the Somali president to visit the refugee camps in order to inspect the situation. During the visit, he pledged to punish all those who have stolen, one way or another, humanitarian aid allocated to refugees. His visit comes after his government was accused of failing to provide necessary protection in the aid distribution process.

Guest, Male #3 (Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Somali President)
There are people who have been inflicting harm on the refugees by stealing the aid that was allocated to them; we warn them of the consequences. Security and judicial institutions should take firm measures against them.

Reporter, Male #1
Humanitarian workers say there is rampant corruption in the aid delivery process. Various parties are responsible for this phenomenon which aggravates the hardships of the refugees.

Guest, Male #4 (Hussein Abdi Adam, Director of the Somali Office of African Relief Fund)
Some refugee camps are controlled by mafia gangs as a result of the civil wars and local conflicts. There are soldiers affiliated with the government who steal the food intended for the hunger-stricken people.

Reporter, Male #1
Consequently, the refugees are caught in the middle of a real catastrophe. Corruption, security breakdowns, and the repeated theft of aid are three terrible factors that have driven the refugees in these camps to despair. Many of them are considering returning to the villages they escaped from, as they are overwhelmed by feelings of neglect and abandonment. Corruption associated with aid distribution, in addition to the deteriorating health and living conditions, are crises that plague the drought-stricken people of Somalia. If relevant parties do not take more serious action to put an end to this phenomenon, the crisis is likely to continue. Omar Mahmoud, al-Jazeera, Mogadishu.

Presenter, Female #1
With regards to a different kind of corruption in Pakistan, nearly 100 cardiac patients died after they were given medicine believed to be contaminated. Hundreds are still being treated in Pakistani hospitals for similar complications. Medical resources said the contaminated medicine was prescribed to around 46,000 cardiac patients. Pakistani authorities are conducting an investigation into the case, which currently preoccupies public discourse in Pakistan.