SEGMENT 1
Siege on Syria's Daraa to end as arrest campaigns begin elsewhere
Dubai TV, UAE

Presenter, Male #1
Military squads in Syria are retreating from Daraa, the heart of the country's freedom protests, while other squads are entering a number of towns in Homs province. Today, Syrian state news agency SANA said that the Syrian military units began gradually withdrawing from Daraa after having accomplished their mission of capturing terrorist elements and reestablishing security, stability, and safety in the city, according to a statement from a military source. A French news agency said approximately 350 soldiers left the city on about 20 military trucks displaying pictures of President Bashar al-Assad. The news agency quoted the director of the political bureau of the Syrian army, Major-General Riyad Haddad saying that his army will completely withdraw from the city by the end of the day. Haddad did not give any figures of fatalities or detainees from what the Syrian government refers to as "terrorist elements," but he said that 25 soldiers were killed and 177 were wounded in the operation. Contrary to this statement, activists on social networking sites said that Daraa is still under a suffocating siege amid the heavy deployment of security and military forces in the streets, and snipers on the roofs. While the Syrian military squads withdraw from Daraa, dozens of tanks and military trucks are headed to Homs province, specifically to the two towns of Rastan and Talbisa. Eyewitnesses said that the two towns began to be besieged. The situation is the same in the city of Banias in Tartus Province. Human rights sources said that this morning, military forces moved into the town of Saqba in Rif Dimashq Province and arrested about 300 people. The Syrian military took these actions after a night of protests in a number of cities, the largest of which was in Hama city in central Syria. Protests demanding freedom also continued in the city of Aleppo for the second consecutive day.

Reporter, Male #1
The protests in Syrian cities are no longer limited to Fridays or even Saturdays, which are specified for funerals. The protestors began maintaining a daily schedule for their demonstrations, as well as a special nightly schedule. During the day, security forces are heavily deployed in the streets and conducting raids. This cell phone user peeked through a wall in the city that bans filming, and recorded the arrest campaign in Saqba. Rights activists said that over 300 people were arrested. The daylight reveals the protestors' faces as well. This camera phone did not film any faces but recorded the shouts and chants in Aleppo, where protests are continuing for a second day in a row. But the night in Aleppo also witnessed massive demonstrations in which hundreds of protestors demanded freedom and breaking the siege on Daraa. Daraa city in Rif Dimashq has been besieged for over 10 days. Despite the siege, residents took to the streets shouting for freedom. Images taken in the city of Hama in central Syria show protestors holding candles for those who died in the city of al-Qamishili on Friday. They paid tribute to the steadfastness of the Daraa people with angry slogans. The images from Homs Province show the protests that took place last night despite the talks about tanks heading to Homs city and its countryside, where the two towns of Rastan and Talbisa are located. This is the only province where the events have not been covered by the state media since the protests for freedom began. However, the protestors' small cameras remain the only method to record the images in their cities. These images were taken in a town bordering Lebanon, called Tilkalakh. The protestors carried slogans and made their voices heard. All this comes on the eve of the "Friday of Resistance," as named by Syrian activists online. They want it to be another significant day for demanding freedom, and perhaps more.

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SEGMENT 2
Anti-Saleh protests continue in Yemen as living conditions deteriorate
BBC Arabic, UK

Presenter, Male #1
Protest rallies and demonstrations calling for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime continued in several Yemeni cities, amid deteriorating security and living conditions due to heightened prices and a lack of food and essential supplies. In addition, there has been a sharp shortage of fuel products and gas for cooking.

Reporter, Male #2
Zinjibar, located in the southern Yemeni province of Abyan, was the scene of a mortar attack launched by suspected armed al-Qaeda fighters. Incoming news reports confirmed that the target was the anti-riot police headquarters in the area. The attack, which was followed by clashes between Yemeni police and the gunmen, killed and injured scores of police officers and civilians. Observers believe that the attack reflects the level of security deterioration witnessed in the area. The attack comes a day after Yemeni air forces bombed the area of Yafii in Lahj Province. Earlier, a group of local gunmen forced a Republican Guard unit, led by the Yemeni President's son, to leave the area. Meanwhile, Yemeni city streets continue to witness massive and growing mobilizations and popular movements led by the youth demanding the ouster and trial of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Tens of thousands of protestors marched through the Yemeni capital Sana'a. The protestors said they will continue to stage protests against what they referred to as "the symbols of corruption in Saleh's regime." The protestors vowed to step up their mobilization in a bid to draw attention to their national plight, reaffirming their rejection of any political deal that falls short of meeting their demands, most notably Saleh's ouster.

Guest, Male #3
We demand the ouster and trial of Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Reporter, Male #2
The anti-Yemeni president demonstrations and protest rallies continue in a show of defiance against what protestors referred to as "Saleh's repressive and corrupt regime."

Guest, Female #1
Saleh, used all of his chips. Now, he is using a new chip, the most degrading so far: the kidnapping of women.

Reporter, Male #2
Yemen's uprising against Saleh's regime has reached its peak. The human and material cost, as well as the cost of living are very high, and continue to increase everyday.

Guest, Male #4
There's a fuel shortage in all gas stations. Over 100 people wait in lines at the gas station. The wait is over 2 hours long.

Reporter, Male #2
Some believe that the gas crisis is being staged by Saleh and intended as a collective punishment against the people demanding his ouster.

Guest, Male #5
It's an attempt to agitate public opinion against the youth revolution so people will abandon it and start to search for fuel and for ways to make ends meet.

Reporter, Male #6
There are tribal alliances being formed with the Joint Meeting Parties, the JMP, in Ma'arib Province. They are partisans and supporters of the JMP leadership. They are seeking to besiege the president in the capital Sana'a so people will revolt against "our brother the president."

Reporter, Male #2
Some people are questioning the role of security forces and army units, which are being deployed near oil fields to protect oil installations and secure its supplies and supply routes. Anwar al-Ansi, BBC.

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SEGMENT 3
Bahrain continues crackdown on pro-democracy advocates
Al-Alam, Iran

Presenter, Male # 1
Bahraini authorities refused to welcome a Human Rights Watch representative who arrived in Manama. The lawyer, Joshua Colangelo was asked to leave. Meanwhile, Amnesty International called on Manama's authorities to put an end to the arrest campaign targeting the opposition and to release detained protestors.

Reporter, Male # 2
Despite local denunciations and international objections, Bahraini authorities continue their crackdown. The latest development is the arrest of a number of religious scholars and soldiers. Bahraini sources confirmed the arrest of Haidar al-Mousawi from the Bilad Qadem region. In addition, the authorities sent Sheikh Mohammed Habib al-Muqdad to a military court, charging him with participating in the peaceful demonstrations. In the same context, the authorities arrested a number of soldiers, including Hashem el-Sayyed Isa el-Marzouk, for refusing to participate in the crackdown on protests. The Bahraini regime crowned its repressive measures by waging an arbitrary arrest campaign, with the support of Saudi occupation forces. The campaign reached the residents of Karzakan due to their shouts of "God is the greatest." In line with its crackdown, members of the Bahraini and Saudi occupation forces were deployed near the houses of detainees to prevent protests, as it did near the house of detained Abdel Wahab Hussein. The authorities are not allowing journalists to work freely, as 68 media workers have been arrested for covering the popular demonstrations. Doctors and nurses were not spared either, with dozens fired for treating injured protestors, who were beaten and taken from hospitals to undisclosed locations. This organized crackdown led Human Rights Watch to send a representative, lawyer Joshua Colangelo, to Manama to probe the situation. However, the Bahraini regime is not receptive to international organizations and refused to welcome the representative, asking him to leave the country.

Guest, Male # 3 (Yehia el-Hadded, Bahraini political activist)
We saw the reactions of international organizations and the European Parliament, and even the American administration that sponsors this terror, crime, and occupation. The American administration's statements revealed its concerns over the crimes of al-Khalifa and Saudi Arabia.

Reporter, Male # 2
Amnesty International asked the Bahraini regime to release the detained protestors who participated in peaceful demonstrations and to stop arresting dissenters. In a statement issued about the situation in Bahrain, the organization confirmed that the authorities have not stopped harassing opposition members and that the violent crackdown on protests, which started in mid-March, is ongoing. It also warned of an aggravation of the Bahraini human rights crisis due to the extension of the emergency law.

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SEGMENT 4
Coalition to create fund for Libyan revolutionaries
Press TV, Iran

The international Libya contact group has agreed to fund the Libyan revolutionaries fight the country's ruler for the past several months. Italy's foreign minister, Franco Frattini says the humanitarian fund for Libya's opposition has reached USD$200 million. The opposition itself says it needs USD$3 billion to fund itself. The group consisting of the United States, a number of European countries, and certain countries from the Middle East, including Qatar and the UAE, announced the establishment of a special fun the help the revolutionaries, in Rome. The US said it will release some of the more than USD$30 billion worth of frozen Libyan assets to aid the opposition forces. Kuwait has also said it will contribute about USD$180 million.

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SEGMENT 5
16 killed in Iraq suicide bombing
Al-Iraqiya, Iraq

Presenter, Female # 1
This morning, 16 police officers were martyred and nearly 65 people were injured in a terrorist attack in the center of the city of Hilla.

Presenter, Male # 1
Our Al-Iraqiya correspondent reported that a car was loaded with explosives and driven by a terrorist who targeted the police headquarters on Arabaeen Street in the center of the city.

Reporter, Male # 2
At 6:50 am, a car explosion shook the police station in Babil as police switched from the night shift to the day shift. The attack's preliminary toll is the martyrdom of 15 people and injury of 65, which constitutes a clear breach of Babil's security agency.

Guest, Male # 3
We've repeatedly asked to reinforce Babil's police facilities and to mobilize soldiers and national police officers in order to secure dangerous areas such as northern Babil, as well as others. At the same time, there are clear shortcomings by the Babil police directorate and other departments. We've repeatedly asked the provincial council and the security committee to put in place security plans.

Reporter, Male # 2
Residents and business owners near the explosion site, which is a commercial area on Arabaeen Street in the center of the city, condemned and denounced these terrorist and subversive attacks. At the same time, they confirmed that these explosions will not deter the determination of Iraqis to pave the way to a new Iraq.

Guest, Male # 4
We challenge terror and nothing will stand in our way. But I have a simple suggestion: these security patrols must go outside of the province.

Guest, Male # 5
This is a gift from the world. What are we guilty of? What did we do for our stores to be destroyed? These people are despicable; they are low-lives.

Guest, Male # 6
Who will compensate me for this damage? Who will? Who is responsible for this? Of course I will ask the government for compensation. Look at this, the store is completely damaged. All my hard work, wasted.

Reporter, Male # 2
Iraqis are believers in God, doctrines, and tenets, but terrorism has no religion. So regardless of the goals they seek through these despicable acts, God will bring his light to perfection even though the disbelievers hate it.

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SEGMENT 6
Prime Minister Netanyahu to meet with President Obama on May 20th
IBA, Israel

The White House announced yesterday that President Barack Obama will host Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on May 20. In the meantime, Netanyahu continue to push forward his diplomatic agenda in Europe. Netanyahu will map out his vision of the Mid-East peace process both in his meeting with Obama two weeks from tomorrow and in his address before congress four days later. High the agenda is yesterday's signing of a reconciliation agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. At a White House briefing yesterday, spokesman Jay Carney dodged the question on whether Obama thinks the Hamas agreement is a blow to peace and a victory for terrorism.

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SEGMENT 7
Journalists risk their lives for Arab Spring coverage
Al Jazeera, Qatar

Presenter, Female # 1
The media family has paid an exorbitant price during the Arab revolutions, in both the successful ones and those that are ongoing. In Libya, three photographers were killed and a number of others arrested.

Presenter, Male # 1
The Arab regimes' crackdowns and harassment of the media is similar across Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain during this spring of change.

Reporter, Female # 2
Ahmad Mahmoud was our first colleague in this conflict-ridden profession to be killed in the spring of Arab revolutions. Unfortunately, he won't be the last. A bullet fired by an officer near Tahrir Square ended the life of the photographer, who was affiliated with Ta'awol newspaper, owned by the Egyptian Ahram institution. He wanted to document the Day of Anger held on January 28 and the price he paid was his life. The Egyptian regime carried out all forms of pressure and suppression to prevent coverage of the revolution. Journalists were arrested and their permits confiscated. Thugs were even used to attack al-Jazeera's office. The regime of deposed Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali restored to other means to prevent the transmission of images and news during the Tunisian revolution. For many decades, the siege on the media was the policy of the former regime. However, these weapons have become obsolete. The world has seen the images of protests in Tunisian cities and the security forces? violent response, thanks to posts on YouTube and Facebook. As we watch today's events in Syria and the unprecedented demonstrations in the country, Damascus has opted for reproducing the former Tunisian regime?s failed experiment. Since the situation in Dara'a erupted nearly two months ago, only state-run media has been allowed to cover the events. Some journalists were asked to leave and the work of al-Jazeera's office was blocked because of the malicious campaign against the network, which included workers receiving threats. Many news agencies and correspondents were also prevented from working in Syria. The most recent and dangerous development is the disappearance of al-Jazeera journalist Dorothy Parvaz. Parvaz arrived in Damascus last Friday but no one knows of her whereabouts. The list of Syrian journalists who have been arrested since the spark of protests continues to grow. They were arrested because the government was displeased with their articles. In Yemen, the authorities placed obstacles and enforced various repressive measures to prevent the media from broadcasting the truth from Taghyeer, or Change Square. Many Yemeni journalists were arrested and attacked. In addition, one photographer was killed. Two al-Jazeera correspondents were ordered to leave Yemen before armed thugs attacked the network's office, which was later shutdown by an order from President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime. However, these measures have failed to abort the raging revolution or prevent its coverage from reaching every home inside and outside Yemen. The situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain during the events at Pearl Roundabout was not any better. Reporters Without Borders listed Bahraini King Hamad Ben Aissa al-Khalifa among the 38 leaders who have violated freedom of the press this year. Karim al-Fkhrawi, the head of the al-Wasat daily, which supports the opposition, died in a Bahraini prison. In Tripoli, Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi?s regime surpassed everyone. The leader justifies everything in order to silence any voice that does not glorify him and his nearly-collapsed regime. The list of detained journalists in Libya is the longest in the history of Arab revolutions. While some of them were released, others remain behind bars in Tripoli, including al-Jazeera journalist Kamel Talou'. Since the launch of the ongoing Libyan war, three photographers have been killed, including al-Jazeera photographer Ali Hassan al-Jaber. They were not killed on the battlefield but in an ambush. Al-Jaber's death has brought grief not only to people in Doha but also to everyone who believes in the media?s mission. However, this did not mark the end of the coverage of the situation in Libya. In the besieged city of Misurata, an American and a British photographer were also killed. In this bereaved town and in other Libya cities, the war for change continues to rage, and with it, journalists continue to cover the news despite the crackdown and the unstable security situation. The most difficult news for the media family is the story of a bullet or shrapnel that ends the life of a journalist for the sake of continuing coverage.