Wave of deadly attacks kills over 50 people in Iraq [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
At least 50 people were killed and more than 200 others were wounded in a series of attacks in Iraq. The Iraqi capital, Baghdad, witnessed five booby-trapped car attacks, claiming the lives of 22 people. In the provinces of Diyala and Salah al-Din, ten people were killed in a booby-trapped car explosion.

Reporter, Female #1
The Iraqi people started their day to the echoing sounds of explosions and ambulance sirens. A series of bombings rocked various regions across the country, including the capital Baghdad that witnessed five simultaneous attacks. Hundreds of people were killed or injured, mostly in Baghdad, where attacks targeted the area of al-Kadhimiyah, killing six people and injuring more than 15 others in a booby-trapped car explosion near a restaurant. A similar bomb attack targeted a police patrol car in al-Faris Square in the area of al-Mansour. In addition, two people were killed and 17 others were wounded in two booby-trapped car attacks in the area of al-Karada. A roadside bomb exploded on a major street in the area of Dura, killing two people and injuring ten others. In the area of Abu Techir, southwest of Dura, two people were killed and ten others were injured in two bomb attacks near a busy restaurant. Moreover, six people were killed and several others were wounded in an armed attack on a police patrol car near al-Sarafiya Bridge in the area of al-Adhamiyah. In the area of al-Ma'lif, two people were killed and nine others were injured in yet another armed attack; two bombs and guns with silencers were used in that attack. Five people were injured in a bomb explosion in the area of al-Taji, and twelve people were injured in a booby-trapped car explosion near a police station in Balad in the center of the Iraqi capital.

Guest, Male #1
The explosion destroyed more than four cars and a school bus with students on board.

Reporter, Female #1
The same scenes were repeated in Salah al-Din Province. At least four people were killed and eight others were wounded in two booby-trapped car explosions on the areas of Biju and Dujail. In Diyala province, more than six people were killed and eleven others were wounded in five well-coordinated bomb attacks. Four of the victims were killed in Baqouba and the other two were killed in the area of al-Hashemiyat. In Kirkuk, 29 people, including 16 security officers, were injured in three booby-trapped car explosions in the central and southern parts of the city. At least one person was killed and five others were wounded in a car bombing near the town council of al-Hala. In addition, 63 people were injured in two booby-trapped car explosions in the town of al-Nasib. Most of the victims were students at a local school. Furthermore, a bomb attack injured seven people in the Nile district. These attacks are considered to be the bloodiest since a similar wave of attacks struck 17 Iraqi cities on August 1, killing 74 people and injuring more than 230 others.

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World leaders gather in London to discuss Somali issues [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
British Prime Minister David Cameron warned the world will pay a heavy price if it ignores the crisis in Somalia, describing the country's problems as a threat to the international community. Cameron issued these statements during the international conference hosted by London. Many countries, international organizations, and representatives of the interim government are taking part in the conference that seeks to tackle the issues of piracy, drought, and refugees, in addition to finding ways to confront the Shabab movement.

Guest, Male #2 (David Cameron, UK Prime Minister)
The problem in Somalia doesn't only affect the country, but impacts all of us. In a country where there is no hope, chaos, violence, and terrorism thrive. Pirates are disrupting vital trade routes and kidnapping tourists. Young minds are being poisoned by radicalism, breeding terrorism that is threatening the security of the whole world. If the rest of us just sit back and look on, we will pay a price for doing so.

Presenter, Male #1
This, as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced, during the London conference on Somalia, that the US will commit to an additional 64 million dollars to the Horn of Africa. Clinton called on the international community to impose sanctions on anyone blocking the transitional phase in Somalia. She pointed that the Somali al-Shabab movement's recent announcement that it joined al-Qaeda indicates the movement has been weakened.

Guest, Female #1 (Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State)
Al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda have turned to each other because both are embattled and isolated, especially now as the democratic revolutions underway in many countries are showing young people who might once have been attracted to extremist groups that a more constructive path is open to them.

Reporter, Female #2
Is it time for a city exhausted by war to come back to life? This is Mogadishu in the recent past, a battle in every alley. Today, the sounds of bullets have turned into whistles of traffic policemen as Islamic militias left the capital.

Guest, Male #3
The situation has improved, and everything is good.

Guest, Male #4
We feel safe and hopeful.

Reporter, Female #2
Politicians now have a foothold here, listening to the demands of the residents; that was impossible only a few months ago. But the city needs much more to provide the most basic life necessities. Maybe the London Conference, held for the 17th time on Somalia, will bring relief to Somalis.

Guest, Male #5
No running water, no electricity, no schools. What we expect from the London Conference is real plans to rebuild the city. We need money, of course. Billions. Billions.

Reporter, Female #2
But Somalia's long-term wars are not yet over. Outside Mogadishu, the front lines are still established. These African Union and Somali regime forces are waging a military campaign to combat the Somali al-Shabab movement. These battles led thousands of families to flee. These people have been homeless for over 20 years in fear of the bombardment and violence. One of those who fled says his village lacks food, and he fears the brutality of the Shabab movement. Some families receive foreign aid, notably from the Turkish government, which called on the international community to follow its lead.

Guest, Male #6
There is nothing to be scared of here. They welcome you when you're coming to help them.

Reporter, Female # 2
Thousands of families are still waiting for a helping hand. Mogadishu may seem more quiet and secure today, but it is witnessing overwhelming political chaos. Tribes compete for power, and the effects of two decades of political chaos and absence of a government cannot be erased in the blink of an eye. So will the international London Conference be able to solve Somalia's problems?

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Saudi regime forces arrest protestors in Awamiyah [Press TV, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
In other news, Saudi activists have released new footage showing government forces firing live rounds at anti-government protestors in the oil-rich Eastern Province. This video shows a protest that took place two days ago, in which a photographer was shot dead by Saudi troops. The incident caused outrage amongst Saudis living in the east. Several protests have been held since. Meanwhile, people have taken to the streets in several eastern towns and villages, including Qatif and Awamiyah, demanding their rights be upheld. The protestors also called for the prosecution of those who opened fire on demonstrators a week ago. They also expressed solidarity with the revolution in neighboring Bahrain. Several people have been arrested in the town of Awamiyah. Officials in Riyadh have recently promised a crackdown on any dissent in the region, but activists say despite the threats from Riyadh, they will continue their movements. Security forces have killed several protestors since November of last year.

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Afghan violence rages over Quran burning [Press TV, Iran]

Local and foreign troops have killed at least nine protestors across Afghanistan. The protestors are angry at the desecration of the Holy Quran by US troops. The latest killings pushed the death toll to 20 since the beginning of the protests on Tuesday. Afghan forces also opened fire on demonstrators in the capital Kabul, injuring several. Scores of others have been wounded. Lawmakers in the country have condemned the desecration of the Quran by US forces, calling for a holy war against foreign troops. In other developments, an angry Afghan soldier has killed two US troops in southern Nangarhar Province. Demonstrations began after news emerged that American troops had burned copies of the Quran at the Bagram Air Base, a militarized airport north of the capital, Kabul. Thousands of people have attacked NATO bases. The Afghan president's office has said that the US military has apologized for the incident. More protests are expected to emerge after Friday prayers.

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Syrian forces shell Homs, storm Deir az-Zour [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
Over 70 people were killed across different Syrian cities by the gunfire of Assad's brigades, who continue their barbaric artillery and missile shelling of neighborhoods in the city of Homs, specifically Bab Amr, al-Inshaat and al-Khalidiya. The brigades clashed with the Free Syrian Army in the city of Dara'a. Meanwhile, Assad's brigades shelled al-Rastan with heavy artillery in an attempt to storm the city. They managed to storm the town of al-Kharita in Deir az-Zour, where they carried out an arrest campaign.

Reporter, Male #1
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is engaging in a scorched earth policy in Homs in an attempt to suppress protests against his rule. After twenty days of shelling of the Baba Amr neighborhood with cannon shells, rocket launchers, tanks and mortar shells, activists confirmed that Assad's brigades used Russian-manufactured Scud missiles, as well as poisonous gas, which causes shortness of breath. The result of the shelling is additional innocent lives, and a greater determination to continue the revolution until the regime's downfall. The evidence is clear through the protests that were held in many neighborhoods of Homs, a city humanitarian organizations are saying is facing a tragic situation.

Guest, Male #3
The eye was completely injured. Children, who are around 1.5 years old, were injured.

Reporter, Male #2
Facing the massacres carried out by al-Assad's brigades and the shabeha, a number of areas in Aleppo stood by the side of the revolution. These are the free people of A'zaz town, who declared a civil disobedience campaign and took control of the town's entrances amid clashes with the regime's shabeha. Like yesterday, additional departments at Aleppo University joined the mobilization through student demonstrations calling for the downfall of the regime and an end to the injustice in Homs. Assad's brigades responded to these demonstrations with armed deployment, beatings, arrests, and by firing tear gas. It was notable that dozens of lawyers held a sit-in amid the violent shelling in Aleppo. They chanted for freedom, and demanded an immediate end to the siege on Homs and the remaining occupied cities.

Reporter, Male #2
In the province of Hama, the gunfire of Assad's brigades martyred and wounded dozens of people, 13 of whom are from the same family, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It was also reported that the Tarek al-Sit area in Dara'a was subjected to violent shelling and gunfire from snipers. In addition, violent clashes broke out between Assad's brigades and the Free Syrian Army in Dara'a, Maarat al-Numaan and Idlib near the Turkish border. A statement was uploaded online declaring the formation of a revolutionary leadership in the northern region of Idlib and the countryside of Aleppo under the banner of the Free Syrian Army. Meanwhile, the Syrian opposition continues to call on its supporters to participate en masse in what it named the "Friday of 'We will rise up for you, Baba Amr'". The opposition also called for starting a campaign to boycott Russian, Chinese and Iranian products; the partners of Assad's regime in his war against the Syrian people.

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Israel approves plan to build 600 new homes in West Bank [IBA, Israel]

Presenter, Male #1
Here at home, preliminary approval of a plan to build 600 new homes in the West Bank drew criticism from the United Nations and the European Union today. But Israeli officials played down the decision, saying construction was years away. IBA's Elli Wohlgerlenter reports.

Reporter, Male #2 (Elli Wohlgerlenter, IBA Reporter)
European Union Foreign Minister Catherine Ashton criticized Israel's approval of new homes in the West Bank settlement of Shiloh, saying t he settlements were illegal under international law. The civil administration gave approval yesterday to a plan to build 600 homes in Shiloh, a move which drew condemnation from the United Nations and the Palestinians, as well as peace activists who claimed it was an obstacle to the peace process.

Guest, Male #3 (Yariv Oppenheimer, Peace Now Secretary General)
People that are making the decision to cross over the border and to live on the other side of the Green Line, they're actually putting themselves as part of the system. They are part of the settlement movement, they are paying taxes to the local municipalities that are using this money in order to expand settlements and outposts, and they are making it almost impossible for the peace process to relaunch and eventually to achieve some results.

Reporter, Male #2
US State Department Spokesman Mark Toner declined to comment about the announcement, merely reiterating standard US policy on settlement activity.

Guest, Male #4 (Mark Toner, US State Department Spokesman)
I don't have a, I haven't seen those press reports. I mean, you know where we stand on settlement activity. We don't believe it's in any way constructive to getting both sides back to the negotiating table. And we want to see clearly a comprehensive settlement that delineates borders and resolves many of these issues.

Reporter, Male #2
Meanwhile, the approval of new building anywhere in Israel is helping alleviate a critical housing shortage. Likud MK Danny Danon said that settlements are not only essential to Israel's security, but can also have a calming effect on the overheated real estate market.

Guest, Male #5 (Danny Danon, Likud Member of Knesset)
I think that by allowing more apartments to be built here in Judea and Samaria, it will be easier to buy an apartment also elsewhere. We need more apartments for the young couples, and I think one of the solutions is to build more here in the city, in Samaria.

Reporter, Male #2
Indeed, many families move to the West Bank for personal rather than ideological reasons. Talia and Yanki Fransia wanted to find affordable housing, which could also allow them to start their own bakery business, but realized that doing so within Israel proper would be well out of reach.

Guest, Female #1 (Talia Fransia, Resident of Peduel)
About a year ago, we decided to move to Peduel in order to make a change in our lives. We opened a new business, we have a little pastry shop. The reason we moved here is because financially we couldn't manage with the life in Tel Aviv, Hod HaSharon, or whatever.

Reporter, Male #2
Fransia says she believes that peace between Israelis and Palestinians is possible, but for now she must put politics and ideology aside, because her priority is to find a home and secure financial future for her family.

Guest, Female #1
The truth is I would like to say that my main consideration is the peace situation with the Palestinians and the Israelis. But nowadays I have to be egoistic and think of myself, my family, my business, and to succeed. And I understand that this is my way to succeed, because I have no other options.

Reporter, Male #2
Israeli officials played down the decision to approve new housing. One official said the project was only in the embryonic phase, and would require multiple stages of authorizations that could take years to complete. Elli Wohlgerlenter, IBA News.

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Outgoing Saleh to return home to take part in the inauguration of his successor [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
Yemeni sources said former President Ali Abdullah Saleh will return to Sana'a to attend President-elect Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi's inauguration ceremony, scheduled for Monday.

Presenter, Female #1
On the other hand, a source in the Yemeni electoral committee said early presidential election results will be announced after Saturday.

Reporter, Male #2
The presidential palace in the Yemeni capital Sana'a is waiting for a new resident. As announced, former President Ali Abdullah Saleh will return to the Yemeni capital to attend President-elect Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi's inauguration. Reports indicate the ceremony will be held on Monday, and in attendance will be a number of regional and international figures.

Guest, Male #3
Ali Abdullah Saleh has become part of the past, and his era has ended. But the man wants to remain in the spotlight and wants to confirm he is still influential, strong, and capable of having an impact. I believe the role President Ali Abdullah Saleh will play will have a negative effect on the performance of President Hadi and will make his mission difficult.

Reporter, Male #2
As-Siteen Street, which extends from Sana'a Airport to the center of the capital, will make the new Yemeni scene clear to Saleh, as Hadi's pictures cover a large part of this street and others across the capital. Some Yemenis would prefer Saleh never return to Yemen.

Guest, Male #4
We hope he doesn't return to the country, because his return causes anger among most of the Yemeni people.

Guest, Male #5
We reject his return to the country. And if he returns, well, the revolution is continuing. The revolution will continue until the remnants of the regime are overthrown.

Reporter, Male #2
The scene of protests resurfaced once again. Air force officers returned to hold a sit-in in front of Hadi's house after they halted their protests during the elections, as did other protesters such as the oil workers' union and the judges. The officers renewed their demand for the dismissal of the air force commander, Saleh's half-brother, and threatened to escalate their actions.

Guest, Male #6
We will remain steadfast in our positions, and we can escalate our actions. During the elections, we suspended our mission to escalate the protests and stopped our actions to participate in the election process.

Reporter, Male #2
In any case, the situation in the country is becoming clear, and a new phase is being created. A new Yemen that Yemenis have long dreamed of is being formed. For the first time in 33 years, former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh will return to the Yemeni capital Sana'a amid a completely different scene. He is aware he is certainly no longer the president and that a new era has begun. Ahmed Sharafi, al-Jazeera, Sana'a.

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Egypt judge sets Mubarak verdict for June 2 [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male #1
June 2nd is the date set for the verdict and sentencing of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, his sons, and the former head of the Interior Ministry, Habib El-Adly. They are charged with killing protesters during the revolution. During Wednesday's court hearing, Mubarak confirmed he is in agreement with his defense attorney. El-Adly blamed outside forces for killing the protesters and claimed it to be a foreign conspiracy against Egypt. This statement was rejected by the families of the martyrs who gathered outside the court room. Tawfiq Ahmed reports from Cairo.

Reporter, Male #2
It is the case of killing protestors during the January 25th revolution, known as "the case of the century" in Egypt. The trial of former President Hosni Mubarak, his sons, the former head of the Interior Ministry, and six of his aides, which has lasted seven months, has come to an end. On June 2nd, the Egyptian people will hear the verdict that will be publicly announced. Some lawyers representing the families of the martyrs expected the people's retribution to take effect if justice is not served on that day.

Guest, Male #1 (Dr. Othman al-Hafanawi, Civil Rights Advocate)
The verdict is in the hands of the judge, and the blood of the martyrs is in the hands of the judge. If his verdict does not meet the people's demand for retribution, or fails to bring justice to the deceased, the injured and the martyred, then the people will take the law into their own hands and seek retribution, just like the Libyan people did by killing Muammar al-Gaddafi.

Reporter, Male #2
Outside the courthouse, Mubarak's supporters and opponents continued to gather, amid calm that wasn't devoid of the rage and anger of the families of the revolution's victims and injured.

Guest, Male #2
The verdict is taking too long, and it's not looking good. We are starting to look bad; we want an end to this so we can focus on our lives and help the country get back on track.

Guest, Male #3
As youth, we are waiting for the judiciary's decision, which, God willing, will issue a death sentence to these corrupt men, who spread injustice and corruption in the country.

Guest, Female #1
When will we see the fair verdict that we have all been waiting for? We want justice brought to our rulers by the Egyptian judiciary and God's law. We want our children who died to rest in peace, because they didn't die in vain.

Reporter, Male #2
Since the trial began in August of last year, and even before, thousands of demonstrations and protests witnessed in Egypt, after the revolution, have demanded retribution for the murderers of the revolutionaries. The bloody events that followed the revolution, especially the events of Maspiro, the Interior Ministry, and Port Said did not keep the Egyptian people away from following the trial with great interest. The case of trying the murderers of demonstrators during the Egyptian revolution has entered its final stage, with everyone holding their breath amid an anticipated unrest following the verdict, regardless of its outcome. But the Egyptian people are hopeful they will overcome that day, especially since they are on the verge of establishing a modern, democratic country. Tawfiq Ahmed, Dubai TV, Cairo.

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