Jordanian protestors demand change in policies instead of governments [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Female #1
In Jordan, thousands participated in a demonstration in the capital Amman and several other governorates after Friday prayers to demand the dissolution of Parliament. They also criticized the way in which governments are formed in the country. The participants called for the ouster of what they called "the council of shame and betrayal," in reference to the Jordanian Council of Ministers. Former Prime Minister Awn al-Khasawneh resigned yesterday after the Jordanian king criticized al-Khasawneh's government, saying it hadn't made sufficient progress.

Reporter, Male #1
Demonstrations were held in several Jordanian governorates with a variety of slogans and chants, and diverse affiliations and demands. But they were united in their call for accelerating the reform process and combating corruption. The protestors also sharply criticized the council of ministers and the way in which governments are formed in Jordan. In the capital Amman, the Islamic Action Front had a prominent presence in the protests and participated alongside different popular and youth movements. The protests come one day after the Awn al-Khasawneh's government resigned, and after the Jordanian king, Abdullah II, appointed Fayez al-Tarawneh to form a new government.

Guest, Male #2 (Hamza Mansour, Islamic Action Front Secretary-General)
All the corruption cases were dismissed by the council of ministers. Sadly, the council of ministers and the government's joining forces to adopt laws that go against the will of the Jordanian people.

Reporter, Male #1
Jordanian police and security forces were keen to allow the demonstrations, and ensured they ended peacefully. No clashes were reported. Some of the protestors raised the Jordanian king's picture in a show of support, while others criticized the king's policies regarding the formation of the Jordanian government. As for the police, they kept the two sides apart, which were brought together by the Jordanian flag. The protestors' chants made reference to the fact that four governments have been changed within one year, without noticing any tangible changes on the ground.

Guest, Male #3 (Ali Abu Sukar, Head of the Shura Council in the Islamic Action Front)
Changing figures has no relation to changing policies. Al-Khasawneh, or al-Tarawneh, or al-Bakheit's resignation, or anyone else's, is meaningless. Governments come and go, but the demand for reforms remains the same.

Reporter, Male #1
The other side believes the number of governments is insignificant, and that Jordan's vision for reform cannot be postponed.

Guest, Male #4 (Nasser Gouda, Former Jordanian Foreign Minister)
If the issue requires the government to change several times, then that's not important. What matters is continuing the road map that was put forth by his majesty the king, to complete political reforms and adopt and enact laws through the constitutional process that would guarantee future changes. And this is what his majesty the king said.

Reporter, Male #1
The issue of corruption, reforms, parliaments, and the governments in Jordan is the preoccupation of the Jordanian street and the opposition. Some say the country is suffering from a political crisis that could last for a long time before being able to determine the implications of the issue. Hayan Yaqoub, BBC.

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Yemen continues to face growing child malnutrition crisis [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered across the squares of the Yemeni capital Sanaa and other regions on a Friday called, "For our martyrs, preparation before dialogue." The demonstrators called for preparing an appropriate atmosphere before holding a national dialogue between Yemenis. This is to be achieved through a set of demands, most notably the expulsion of the remaining relatives of ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh from the security and military agencies. The components of Yemen's youth revolution also rejected starting a dialogue with the government before all of their demands are met and prisoners held in connection with the revolution are released.

Presenter, Male #1
Meanwhile, many Yemenis are facing a food crisis due to the high prices and food shortages, especially since the spark of the revolution more than a year ago. Yemeni children are suffering from a number of diseases due to an acute shortage in food and poor medical care.

Reporter, Male #2
He is two years old, but weighs less than 4 kilograms. He's a Yemeni boy named Abed Azziz Hadi. Hadi's parents couldn't provide food for him. For many Yemenis in the countryside, seeking medical treatment in the city is nearly impossible. Since the spark of the peaceful youth revolution in Yemen, fuel and food prices rose sharply. When a child gets sick and requires hospitalization in the city, transportation is a real challenge due to the shortage of fuel. The bumpy roads and the high cost of medical care are yet another challenge.

Guest, Male #3
It costs 50,000 Yemeni riyals. It's very expensive. Yes, it's very hard.

Reporter, Male #2
Many children from the same village are faced with the same problem. Jumaa Addo and her husband lost two of their children last year due to malnourishment.

Guest, Female #1
No medical treatment, I'm not well, and our condition is bad. We don't have anything.

Reporter, Male #2
The high cost of food transportation and the absence of security are further fueling the problem.

Guest, Female #2 (Lubna Alaman, Director of World Food Programme in Yemen)
This has disrupted transportation routes. In order to ship food supplies, trucks need fuel. Food is available everywhere, but the prices are very high. I wonder how residents in the countryside can afford to buy food considering the high prices.

Reporter, Male #2
Many residents have fled the confrontations raging in their territories, adding an additional burden on to their local hosts. This prompted many to seek the help of foreign relief agencies to provide them with food and satisfy their hunger.

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Footage shows Bahraini forces firing tear gas canisters at protestors [Press TV, Iran]

In Bahrain, anti-regime protests continue across the country despite an ongoing Saudi-backed crackdown. In the capital Manama, at least three female protestors were arrested outside the interior ministry while demanding the release of detained activist Zainab al-Khawaja and her father. Demonstrations were also held in Maameer, Islamabad, and Sanabis, called for by main opposition group al-Wefaq. New footage shows regime forces firing tear gas canisters directly at pro-democracy protestors in and around Manama, leaving several people injured.

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Egyptian Islamists rally against attempt to revive Mubarak era [Press TV, Iran]

Egyptians are holding new protests against the country's ruling military council in the capital Cairo. They say remnants of the former regime must be banned from running for the presidency. Mubarak-era officials who have been okayed for the upcoming vote include former prime minister Ahmed Shafik.

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Deadly bombing rocks Syrian capital (WARNING: Graphic content) [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
Another explosion targeting the Syrian neighborhood of al-Midan in central Damascus killed and injured a number of people, as the regime and the opposition described the act as "terrorism" and trade blame. And while protests demanding the downfall of the regime continue, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Damascus to immediately withdraw its forces.

Reporter, Female #2
A suicide bombing shook the neighborhood of al-Midan in the center of the Syrian capital Damascus. At least nine people were killed as a result, and dozens were injured, with body parts seen scattered across two medical centers. The same site had witnessed a similar explosion in January that led to the killing of 27 people. The official news agency SANA described the blast as a terrorist operation carried out by a suicide bomber. Syrian TV raised the death toll to 11, adding that 28 civilians and members of the security forces were injured, broadcasting videos of the explosion site under al-Midan's bridge near Zein al-Abidin Mosque. The images showed traces of blood and body parts and a nearly-destroyed small bus, in addition to two security members transporting an injured person to what looked like a Red Crescent ambulance.

Reporter, Female #2
The Syrian Revolution's General Commission held the regime responsible for the explosion that killed and injured many people. The commission indicated the blast was the result of a booby-trapped bus that was detonated as worshipers were leaving Zein al-Abidin Mosque. It added that security forces and the shabeha indiscriminately fired at demonstrators near the mosque after the blast. A car bombing in the Damascus neighborhood of al-Sinaa preceded al-Midan's explosion, and led to the killing and injury of a number of people.

Reporter, Female #2
On the Friday of "God's order has come, so do not rush," tens of thousands of Syrians took to the street across different cities and provinces to demand the downfall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. According to opposition sources, security forces fired bullets and tear gas at the protestors, and arbitrarily arrested some of them. As for the international community's position on the Syrian situation, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said from New York that the Syrian government is violating the plan presented by UN-Arab League Joint Envoy Kofi Annan by maintaining regime forces and heavy weapons in the cities.

Reporter, Female #2
The European Union accused the Syrian regime of failing to respect its commitments, as stipulated in the Annan plan, to withdraw security forces and heavy weapons from Syrian cities. From Geneva, Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi expected the deployment of an additional 15 international observers to the initial 30-member team by Monday to monitor the ceasefire. And in a remarkable position, the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement calling on the UN to announce the failure of the Annan plan, demanding that Syria's membership at the international organization be suspended amid the ongoing violations of the ceasefire.

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Arab League urges Syria to stop violence [Oman TV, Oman]

The Arab foreign ministers urged the Syrian government to immediately stop all acts of violence at their emergency meeting in Cairo, adding that they should protect civilians and guarantee the freedom of peaceful demonstration. The ministers also affirmed their complete support for the mission of UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan to Syria, and asked the Syrian government to fully and immediately implement Annan's plan. They also called on the UN Security Council to accelerate the spreading of observers around Syria, urging the Syrian government to facilitate the process.

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Pakistan, Afghanistan, US hold talks on Taliban reconciliation process [Oman TV, Oman]

Senior officials from the United States, Afghanistan, and Pakistan met in Islamabad to discuss the process in Afghanistan's reconciliation process with the Taliban. US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman met with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas and Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Jawed Ludin at the sixth meeting of the so-called trilateral core group. Among their efforts is delisting the Taliban from the United Nations list of wanted people, which is an important initiative to the reconciliation process started by the Afghan government.

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Iraq's Sadr meets Kurdish leader, aims to end dispute [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
Leader of the Sadrist movement Muqtada al-Sadr called on political opponents in Iraq to solve their disputes only through dialogue. Al-Sadr made this statement during his visit to the northern Iraqi city of Erbil on a mediation mission, where he met with President of the Kurdistan Region Massoud al-Barzani. In Washington, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Hussain al-Shahristani rejected foreign mediation to resolve the country's disputes.

Reporter, Female #2
This is a step towards solving the internal political crisis between the president of the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi government in Baghdad. Mediation efforts are led by the Sadrist movement's leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, who is seeking to solve the situation during his visit to the city of Erbil, a visit that has been described as historic, and during which he called on political opponents to engage in a dialogue.

Guest, Male #1 (Mr. Muqtada al-Sadr, Leader of the Sadrist Movement)
Dialogue is the only way to end political disputes, in the past and in the future.

Reporter, Female #2
Al-Sadr, who was received by the President of the Kurdistan Region Massoud Barzani, brought forward 18 proposals to settle the political situation. His proposals include a call for strengthening the Iraqi government, involving all social components in the government, and caring for Iraq's public interests and the Iraqi people regardless of political affiliation. He indicated he came to hear the northerners' opinion after having listened to al-Maliki in Tehran. As for oil, which is the main cause of the crisis between the two sides, al-Sadr confirmed it belongs to all Iraqis, and no individual has the right to control it without the participation of others.

Guest, Male #1
Iraq's oil belongs to the Iraqi people. No individual has the right to claim it as their own and exclude others.

Reporter, Female #2
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Hussain al-Shahristani indicated that as long a solution to the Iraqi crisis is being sought internally, foreign mediation efforts will lose their appeal, implicitly rejecting US suggestions to mediate the crisis.

Guest, Male #2 (Hussain al-Shahristani, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs)
I'm sure it is clear to all parties that any internal issue should be discussed by Iraqis inside Iraq.

Reporter, Female #2
Shahristani discussed the issue after meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden. He rejected foreign interference in his country's affairs, alluding to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's attack on al-Maliki. Iraqis considered Erdogan's statements as adding fuel to the crisis, while foreign countries described them as a breach of diplomatic protocol. The north views Sadr's mediation efforts with great optimism, as officials in Kurdistan say it will lead to a more stable political situation in Iraq.

Presenter, Female #1
An Iraqi family of four, consisting of a mother and her three children, was killed by gunmen in the village of Abu Karmah, north of Baghdad. This took place several hours after eight people were killed and 18 were wounded in a bombing at a local cafe in the same village. Ten people were killed and 18 others were injured northeast of Baghdad. Iraqi sources said the bombings occurred after attacks using explosive devices were carried out in various sites of Baquba, the capital city of Diyala Governorate. They added that most of the victims were civilians. Police forces cordoned off the explosion sites in the city as the wounded were transferred to hospitals for treatment.

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Arab League urges Iran to honor UAE's full sovereignty over disputed islands [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male #1
The Council of the Arab League reiterated its firm stance of fully backing the United Arab Emirates' full sovereignty over its three islands, the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb, and Abu Mousa, including their airspace, continental shelf, and their exclusive economic zone as integral parts of the UAE.

Presenter, Male #1
The Council, in a final communique at the conclusion of an extraordinary session of Arab foreign ministers, denounced Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to the occupied island of Abu Mousa on April 11, considering it a violation of the UAE's sovereignty over its three islands. It stressed that Ahmadinejad's visit will not change the historical and legal realities that hold proof of the UAE's sovereignty over these islands. The Council demanded the Islamic Republic of Iran respond to calls by the UAE to find a peaceful and just solution to the issue of the island through peaceful means, by either resorting to bilateral negotiations or referring the case to the international court. The Council of the Arab League expressed its full solidarity with the UAE's efforts and its support of all measures taken by the UAE to retrieve its rights and sovereignty over its occupied islands. The council highlighted the historical relations between the countries of the region and the Islamic Republic of Iran, stressing it is keen to develop and strengthen these relations in the interest of the region's security and stability.

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US reiterates commitment to Israel's security on Israeli Independence Day [IBA, Israel]

Leaders from around the world wished Israel a happy 64th birthday. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement on behalf of US President Barack Obama, reiterating that the cornerstone of the Obama administration's foreign policy in the Middle East is its steadfast commitment to Israel's security, and said that the US will continue to work with Israel and its neighbors to achieve the shared goal of peace in the region.

IBA asked the Times of Israel Editor-in-Chief David Horovitz what the most pressing issues are that should be addressed to make Israel a better place, and he discusses the problem of being unable to evaporate decades of anti-Israel sentiment in the region while suggesting a revised consensual electoral system.

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Islamic Unification movement assaults Lebanese protestors supporting Syrian Revolution [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
Future TV obtained video clips that show members of the Islamic Tawhid or Unification movement opening gunfire at protestors supporting the Syrian people this past Sunday. Four people were injured in the attack. Omar Harb reports.

Reporter, Male #2
Songs of the Syrian Revolution echoed in the peaceful march in Abu Samra area in Tripoli, Lebanon. These songs denouncing the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were not appreciated by members of the Islamic Tawhid movement. They quickly mobilized, and began provoking the protestors by taking pictures of their faces and threatening to send them to the Syrian regime.

Reporter, Male #2
The person in this video wearing white pants and a blue shirt is from Beit al-Agha. He was the first to open fire on the demonstration, as he cursed at one of the motorcycle drivers and then shot him with a pistol in his hand. This person was arrested by security forces after they watched the video. The brother of this gunman is called Ibn al-Lam'a. He also took part by opening fire at the demonstration, as shown in these images. As for Hussein Zaydan, wearing a red shirt, he opened fire at the back of a young man riding a motorcycle.

Reporter, Male #2
These video clips show the attempts of the Syrian regime's allies in Lebanon to stir up trouble on the internal front. They also come as a response to the Islamic Tawhid movement, headed by Sheikh Bilal Shaaban, which denied that its members carried out the attacks on the peaceful protestors.

Presenter, Female #1
Commenting on the report aired on Future News, The Islamic Tawhid movement said this was an isolated incident. According to the statement issued by the movement, the gunfire was not opened by its members, and the source of gunfire was far from its headquarters.