Anger flares at Egypt's military rulers after soccer carnage [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male #1
For three days starting today, Egyptians will be dressed in black to express grief and sorrow over last night's heavy causalities. Seventy-four people were killed in the incidents that turned what was supposed to be a friendly game of soccer between al-Ahly and al-Masry Clubs into a chaotic scene of violence. The military council formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the incident and pursue the perpetrators responsible for the violence, which erupted immediately after the referee blew the whistle ending the game. The fans of the winning al-Masry team rushed onto the field and attacked the al-Ahly fans. The field turned into a confrontation zone, leaving behind a large number of injured. The incidents in Port Said quickly echoed across Cairo Stadium, which was hosting a soccer match between the al-Zamalek and the al-Ismaeli teams. The game in Cairo, which was halted in light of the Port Said violence, also witnessed acts of violence and vandalism, including setting part of the stadium on fire. What happened was not rage provoked by a soccer game, but rather a premeditated act of violence, as confirmed by the head of the ruling military council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Tantawi expressed regret over the incident and vowed to pursue and prosecute the criminals. The People's Assembly held an emergency session and observed a minute of silence to mourn the fallen victims. Politically, Egyptians continue to mobilize on various fronts in an attempt to contain the situation, amid rage and condemnation by the Egyptian public that was hoping to take a break after a year of tragic incidents. Tawfiq Ahmad reports from Cairo.

Reporter, Male #2
Egyptians experienced hours of regretful and tragic events, and the reason this time wasn't political. Egyptians expressed shock, rage, and condemnation over the incidents that took place at a soccer game that was part of the Premier League's tournament.

Guest, Male #3
We are mad and sad for what happened. This was only a game, not a war.

Guest, Male #4
There must be someone behind what happened. As an Egyptian citizen who watched the game, I believe the Interior Ministry was negligent. Why didn't they secure the game?

Guest, Female #1
I'm very sad for what happened. May God help the country and protect it from what's coming. What happened doesn't please anyone.

Guest, Male #5
This is a disaster affecting the entire Egyptian public, socially and politically. This will reflect negatively on the political situation and the country's future.

Reporter, Male #2
Egyptians are demanding to know who is responsible for the security breakdown, which seems only to be getting worse, not better as many expected. Many Egyptians believe the bloody incidents are nothing but a series of premeditated acts of violence aimed at aborting the Egyptian revolution. Amid the rage, Egyptians across the Republic are observing three days of mourning. Politically, the head of the military council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi confirmed that the incident was premeditated and vowed to pursue and punish the criminals.

Guest, Male #6 (Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Head of the Military Council)
No one will be able to harm Egypt, God willing. We will continue moving forward and we will overcome this phase. These types of incidents could happen anywhere in the world. Having said that, we will not let these perpetrators or those behind them go free.

Reporter, Male #2
All state institutions are being put on alert. The People's Assembly held an emergency session in order to discuss the incidents and their repercussions. In addition, Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal al-Janzuir held an urgent session with the security committees. The Attorney General opened an investigation into the incident. Politicians and parliamentarians condemned the violence and called for the resignation of the country's interior minister and security leaders. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Football Association suspended all games until the investigation is complete and all necessary security measures are taken. Otherwise, the association will cancel the entire season.

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Tunisian Jews shun call to migrate to Israel [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Female #1
Since the downfall of Ben Ali's regime in Tunisia, an Israeli minister suggested that Jewish Tunisians move to Israel out of consideration for their own safety. However, many Jews in Tunisia turned down this suggestion.

Reporter, Male #1
Jacob Lelouche is working in his kitchen in the suburbs of the Tunisian capital. He is Tunisian but also a Jew. He owns a kosher restaurant in one of the Arab countries that was part of the wave of revolutions. But he feels no pressure from the situation and affirms he will not leave Tunisia.

Guest, Male #2 (Jacob Lelouche, Restaurant Owner)
I stay here because this is my country. Why do I have to leave my country? And where should I go?

Reporter, Male #1
This is the synagogue in central Tunis, the Tunisian capital. When this synagogue was built in 1937, the number of Jews here was 300,000, similar to other Arab countries. The number of Jews dwindled considerably after the State of Israel was established, and only about 2,000 Jews remained. When an Israeli minister suggested they leave, they rejected it.

Guest, Male #3 (Atun Khalifa, Senior Jewish Community Figure)
I'm a Tunisian Jew; I know my country well and I'm against the proposition to leave because no one here is afraid.

Reporter, Male #1
Since the overthrow of Ben Ali's regime, Muslims have felt able to freely practice their religious rituals. When several radical religious youths held posters calling for the killing of Jews, Tunisians were outraged, and so was the new Islamist leadership.

Guest, Male #4 (Rashid Ghannouchi, President of Ennahda)
Such an act is certainly not only rejected politically, but also religiously because there should not be any discrimination based on religion.

Reporter, Male #1
The presence of armed security men outside the synagogue means this threat was taken seriously. But the Jews intend to remain and continue to be part of society here.

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Palestinians attack convoy of UN chief in Gaza [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
Angry Palestinians tried to attack UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's convoy when it arrived into the Gaza Strip from the Beit Hanoun Crossing, north of the Strip. Dozens of family members of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails threw stones at the convoy in protest of the UN secretary-general's refusal to meet with their delegation on the sidelines of his visit.

Reporter, Male #1
This is how the secretary-general of the United Nations was greeted in Gaza. This greeting reflects the anger of the family members of Palestinian prisoners for what they referred to as the United Nations' double-standards in the broader Arab-Israeli conflict, and specifically the issue of prisoners.

Guest, Female #2
He refused to meet with the families of the prisoners, so we refuse to let him cross into our Strip.

Guest, Male #3
He does not care about how we feel, and he doesn't really respect our cause either from a national standpoint or out of sympathy. But we don't want sympathy, we want rights.

Reporter, Male #1
These people were not the only ones with this opinion during Ban Ki-moon's visit. Several Palestinian figures and human rights advocates declined to meet with him for the same reason. Meanwhile, the UN secretary-general refuses to meet with any official from the Hamas movement or other Palestinian factions for reasons some consider to be political.

Guest, Male #3 (Issam Younis, Director of Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza)
More than ever, people are demanding the United Nations abandon its double-standard policy, as it represents the will of the international community, in order to bring justice to the victims and establish moral values in accordance with the UN Charter.

Reporter, Male #1
Ban Ki-moon, who did not change the itinerary of his visit, once again issued a statement in Gaza repeating the same old rhetoric about the siege, the negotiations, and the region's future.

Guest, Male #4 (Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General)
Israel has taken some measures to ease the closure. More must be done. I am pressing hard for policy changes to enable the United Nations and others to carry out our essential work. Israel must open Gaza's crossings for all building materials, including aggregate, iron bar, and cement. For my part, I will continue to do my utmost to ensure that Palestinians and Israelis can lead their lives in peace and security.

Reporter, Male #1
With that, the UN official's visit turned into a quick inspection of projects in southern Gaza. For the second time in a row, the UN secretary-general's visit roused angry reactions. Many consider it an utter failure in the attempt to change the Palestinian's opinion of the United Nations and convince them of the seriousness and neutrality of the UN's stances on the conflict with Israel. Wael Dahdouh, al-Jazeera, Gaza, Palestine.

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Islamist-led opposition expected to win as Kuwaitis head to the polls [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male # 1
Kuwaiti voters continue to cast their votes in the fourth parliamentary election in six years and the fourteenth since the establishment of Kuwait. The emir of the state, Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, called for elections after dissolving parliament in December, 2011. The opposition is expected to win by a large margin after a tense electoral campaign.

Reporter, Male # 2
Kuwait is at a crossroads amid a crucial election in which religious and tribal political parties are competing in a race that has frequently been characterized by illegal and unacceptable behavior. There are signs of an intensifying conflict between the competing parties, as seen during their promotional campaign that sparked a religious

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Yemenis call on international community to prosecute Saleh [Press TV, Iran]

Anti-regime protestors have taken to the streets across Yemen, including the southern city of Taiz. The protestors also called on the international community to help them prosecute embattled ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh. They blame Saleh and his aides for the killing of nearly 2,000 protestors since the revolution began last year. Saleh is now in the United States for what has been portrayed as a medical trip. He left Sanaa one day after parliament drafted a law that granted him full immunity from prosecution to him and partial immunity to his aides. The law was passed as a power-sharing deal brokered by the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council.

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Saudi government warns media not to focus on poverty hike [Press TV, Iran]

In Saudi Arabia, the government has warned media outlets against focusing on a story about the recent hikes in poverty. Activists have obtained a copy of a letter signed from the Media Ministry to all news outlets. It strictly demands that all news outlets not focus on a story about a poor man who has had to sell his son. Activist say poverty in Saudi Arabia is high despite official figures. They say over 60 percent of people in the Arab monarchy don't own a house. The government arrests anyone who tries to expose poverty in the country. Several activists were arrested a few months ago after making a short documentary on the matter.

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West continues to ignore human rights violations in Saudi Kingdom [Press TV, Iran]

Staying in Saudi Arabia, gross human rights violations meanwhile continue there despite years of condemnation by rights organizations. Footage has emerged from the kingdom showing an overcrowded prison in the western city of Jeddah. A video filmed inside Braiman Prison in western Saudi Arabia surfaced on Wednesday. It shows inmates lying next to each other on the floor of a hallway. A source who has visited the facility says the situation is the same throughout the prison. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have blasted the Saudi regime over the inhumane conditions in the prisons in the kingdom.

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Bahrainis mourn deaths of two elderly demonstrators [Press TV, Iran]

In Bahrain, thousands of people are mourning the deaths of two people who were killed by Saudi-backed forces. Activists say people from all walks of life are heading to the funeral site in the town of Ma'ameer outside Manama. Earlier on Thursday, activists and opposition groups confirmed the deaths of an elderly man and a woman. They died after inhaling tear gas fired by regime forces. The two were part of a mass protest calling for the downfall of the monarchy. Meanwhile, regime forces have attacked protestors in the capital Manama. Activists say a large number of demonstrators gathered in the heart of the capital before they were attacked.

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Israeli FM commends German cooperation on Iran [IBA, Israel]

Germany's foreign minister insisted today that Iran must not even be permitted the option for acquiring nuclear weapons. Guido Westerwelle came during talks with Defense Minster Ehud Barak. Barak thanked the German diplomat for the role Berlin has played in the effort by Europe to thwart Tehran's drive to develop a nuclear arsenal. Westerwelle also said its time for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

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Russia says will veto 'unacceptable' Syria resolution [Oman TV, Oman]

Russia said it would veto any United Nations resolution on Syria that if finds unacceptable, after demanding any majors rule out military intervention to help the bloodshed in the protests. United Nations Security Council ambassadors met in New York yesterday to discuss ways to overcome the disagreements on the wording of the European-Arab draft resolution that Morocco submitted to council members on Friday. Despite the Russian comments, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told Parliament in Paris that "a window of hope had opened. We will work furiously in the next few days to try and get a resolution that will allow the Arab League to forge ahead in finding a solution." In Washington, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton told reporters every member of the council has to make a decision.

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An in-depth look at the Free Syrian Army [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
Al-Akhbar newspaper published the first part of an investigation titled "Wadi Khaled: An Advanced Base for the Free Army" by my colleague Radwan Mortada who reported from the depth of the Syrian-Lebanese border.

Reporter, Male #2
Despite the intelligence agents deployed everywhere, members of the Free Syrian Army easily move around, according to these videos from the region of Wadi Khaled taken by my colleague Radwan Mortada. Intelligence agents are well known by most of the valley's residents. Some of them list their names and that of the officer for whom they work on their cars. All of this is well known. One of them says, "security is breached everywhere" and everyone laughs. These people have mosques to go to, and preachers that mobilize them to participate in protests, using their cars and motorcycles.

Guest, Male #3
What is happening in Syria today has two sides: one side is defending a vile and despicable individual and the other is defending the people. So what will the outcome be?

Reporter, Male #2
Demonstrations last around an hour. It is noticeable that there is always someone chanting who insists on denying the allegations of sympathizing with the al-Qaeda movement. Moments later, loud speakers broadcast "al-Fajr publications"; the irony is that al-Fajr is al-Qaeda's media center that promotes the movement's recordings. They easily penetrate the Syrian-Lebanese border to plant landmines after having produced them in a house near the border. Three out of a nine-member group are on the mission. One of them begins to dig in a region they say is a passageway for vehicles, while the other two are on the watch. The three youths retreat after planting the landmines, hoping they will explode as Assad's brigades pass through.

Guest, Male #4
This mission, of course, comes after many reconnaissance operations. We hope they explode on al-Assad's brigades.

Reporter, Male #2
No one here denies weapons are flowing into Syria through Turkey and Lebanon. But they say the pace of this transfer has recently decreased. Although the officers and members of this army affirm their movement is patriotic and removed from sectarianism, the names of the battalions of the Free Syrian Army hold clear Islamic characteristics. There is a battalion called "Khaled Bin Walid" in Homs Province, another called "Ababeel" in Aleppo, and "Maaz al-Raqad" in Deir az-Zour, and "Allahou akbar" in al-Boukamal, the Battalion of "Moawiyah Bin Abi Sufian," and that of "Abu Obeidah bin al-Jarrah."