Hamas condemns government reshuffle [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male #1
In a contradiction of the Doha Declaration of Palestinian Reconciliation, the new Palestinian cabinet, headed by Salam Fayyad, was sworn in before President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas vowed to dissolve the cabinet as soon as the implementation of the Doha Declaration begins.

Presenter, Female #1
Hamas firmly rejected the announcement of this reformation, as well as a decree, issued by Abbas, which entails amending the electoral law to stipulate that elections must be held in stages across various regions. Hamas said such moves will further deepen Palestinian division. Mohamed al-Sayyed reports from Ramallah.

Reporter, Male #2
This is the second reshuffle of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's cabinet since its formation in June of 2007. The majority of the ministers remain in their positions, while Fayyad remains the head of the government. Fayyad resigned from the finance ministry, which he headed, and reshuffled the Ministry for Jerusalem Affairs, which is facing unprecedented aggressive challenges from the settlement campaign. According to a government spokesman, the reshuffle aimed to fill the political vacuum.

Guest, Male #3 (Ahmed Majdalani, Palestinian Minister of Labor)
The government needs to improve its performance, because its performance has declined during the past several months. A number of ministers resigned, and the government served its purpose after accomplishing its programs.

Reporter, Male #2
The reformation comes after the possibility of reaching a reconciliation agreement in Gaza diminished between Fatah and Hamas. Hamas saw the reshuffle as a deepening of the division.

Guest, Male #4 (Fouzi Barhoum, Hamas Spokesman)
Any reformation of the government in the West Bank, or even just a ministerial reshuffle, is an erroneous and illegitimate move, and a violation of the Doha Declaration and the Cairo Agreement.

Guest, Male #3
If the Hamas movement agrees before tomorrow to implement the provisions that it agreed to in the Cairo statement on February 23rd, and the provisions in the Doha Declaration, we are ready to proceed in forming a technocratic national government, and this current cabinet will submit its resignation tomorrow.

Reporter, Male #2
The Fayyad government is facing many challenges, most notably unemployment, which has exceeded 23 percent, and the settlements, with which Israel is controlling nearly 60 percent of the West Bank. Salam Fayyad's government reshuffled its positions, while he remains its leader. It appears that the reconciliation issue has reached a dead end, as the reshuffled cabinet moves ahead to counter the economic crisis and the settlement policy. Mohamed Said, Dubai TV, Ramallah.

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Bahrainis rally against union with Saudi Arabia [Al-Alam, Iran]

Reporter, Female #1
Bahraini revolutionaries shut down more than 60 vital roads all at once this morning, after an eventful night of protests against Riyadh's attempts to annex Bahrain into Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the February 14 Youth Coalition called for marches in all villages and cities to express loyalty to the revolutionary leaders detained in the regime's prisons.

Reporter, Male #1
With the slogan "Dignity of the free people", the Bahraini revolutionaries organized a surprise event this morning and shut down over 60 vital roads all at once. In protest of the continuing arrests of women, they closed down the roads leading to the capital, al-Manama, and the Bahraini International Airport, as well as the access bridge linking Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The revolutionaries also blocked the street where the palace of Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman is located, while thick smoke covered al-Safriya Palace of King Hamad bin Isa.

Reporter, Male #1
With the slogan "Our martyrs are our giants", marches broke out across Bahrain, in which protestors expressed loyalty to the martyrs and affirmed they will carry on in their path. In response to the proposal of incorporating Bahrain into Saudi Arabia, the protestors chanted slogans rejecting this Saudi plan. They consider such a decision to be a violation of the people's will, which alone bears the right to determine their fate.

Reporter, Male #1
The regime forces, with its poisonous gas and deadly ammunition, continued to repress the peaceful marches and assault residents who came out in the marches. The regime's militia and Special Forces demolished a number of houses this morning and arrested many citizens, most prominently the journalist Ahmed Radhi, after breaking into his house.

Reporter, Male #1
In its latest report, Human Rights Watch demanded the Bahraini authorities to release human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, asserting that the regime's accusations are politically motivated. The organization said it wrote to the Bahraini Attorney General on May 9th, asking him to investigate into the Interior Ministry's complaints about the Nabeel Rajab case, but received no response.

Presenter, Female #1
Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab insisted in court today that the charges against him were fabricated. Witnesses at the court said that Rajab, who heads the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, has only exercised his freedom of speech, and committed no crime. They asserted that the accusations directed at him are vindictive due to his human rights activism. The Bahraini Attorney General has charged Rajab with insulting security forces. Rajab is also facing two other charges of taking part in mass demonstrations and inciting the public.

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Sudan, South Sudan agree to resume talks as UN deadline expires [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
Sudan and South Sudan have agreed to resume talks over their unresolved issues. South Sudan's lead negotiator, Pagan Amum, said that the government of Juba had informed African Union envoy Thabo Mbeki of its readiness to resume talks.

Presenter, Male #1
Meanwhile, Sudan is waiting for Mbeki, who is due to arrive in al-Khartoum tomorrow to give more details. Sudan has repeatedly announced that any talks to settle the two countries' differences must first address and resolve security issues, as reaffirmed yesterday by President Omar al-Bashir.

Reporter, Male #2
The UN Security Council deadline for Sudan and South Sudan to resume talks and resolve their conflict has expired. Meanwhile, tension continues to dominate the scene in both countries. On May 2, the UN Security Council adopted the African Union Peace and Security Council's plan, which demanded both Sudanese rivals to withdraw their forces from disputed areas and resume talks within two weeks. In al-Khartoum, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir accused the ruling People's Movement in South Sudan of using "foreign influence" to target his country. Al-Bashir reiterated that any talks must resolve the security issue before moving to other outstanding issues, an indication that he has conditionally agreed to resume talks.

Guest, Male #3 (Omar al-Bashir, Sudanese President)
The South closed the oil pipeline, but we have the key, and we will not open it until we guarantee our security 100 percent, and until our brothers in the South realize that they have learned a lesson, and that they will not undermine Sudan's security again.

Reporter, Male #2
Juba has given Khartoum a bargaining chip by shutting down its oil pipeline throughout the north, which also sparked an acute fuel crisis in the South. Sudan closed its borders and halted its commercial exports with the South in the aftermath of the Heglig incidents, which further fueled the crisis in the South, especially amid the lack of basic necessities, notably in food and medicine. Juba accused Khartoum of seeking to disrupt the African and international efforts.

Guest, Male #4 (South Sudanese Defense Minister)
Al-Khartoum is now trying to take a step forward, but time has run out. While some are trying to purse a peaceful solution in Addis Ababa, the north is still trying to carry out military operations here and elsewhere. This will not change anything.

Reporter, Male #2
The Heglig incidents in mid April upended the state of affairs between Khartoum and Juba. The deadline issued by the UN Security Council and the African Peace and Security Council, demanding both Sudanese sides to resume negotiations, has expired. However, amid the lack of trust between the two sides, the situation remains fragile and open to all possibilities, similar to the calm before a storm.

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US House mulls measure against Iran [Press TV, Iran]

More Western pressure against Iran: the US House considers a resolution against Tehran. The resolution claims that Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism that seeks to build nuclear weapons. It obliges President Barack Obama to oppose any policy that is based on containment of Iran rather than preventing it from developing alleged nuclear weapons.

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IAEA ex-chief claims parts of report on Iran nuclear program were forged [Press TV, Iran]

Former chief inspector of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, has rejected the agency's reports on Iran's nuclear program as "unsubstantiated" and "biased." Robert Kelley says the IAEA's most recent report, released last November, was shocking because it contained inaccurate and out-of-date information. The report accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons. Kelly added that some data provided in the November report had been forged, like the fake documents released about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion of the country.

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New clashes rock Lebanon's Tripoli [Press TV, Iran]

The unrest in Syria is spilling over the border into Lebanon again. Several people were wounded in new clashes in the northern city of Tripoli. The shooting erupted after the Lebanese soldiers tried to remove barricades in a neighborhood known for its opposition to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. At least nine people were killed and dozens wounded in earlier clashes between rival pro- and anti-Assad residents in the city.

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US politicians quiet on Israel due to fear of pro-Israeli groups, says J Street founder [Press TV, Iran]

US liberal advocacy group J Street's founder Jeremy Ben-Ami says many American senators and congressmen keep quiet and refrain from criticizing Israeli policies because they live in fear and are intimidated by pro-Israeli groups, deterred by the ramifications of being branded as "anti-Israel." His remarks came during a debate with Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, a director of the Emergency Committee for Israel.

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The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt [Press TV, Iran]

The Muslim Brotherhood has been operating in Egypt for around 80 years, gaining popularity because of the community services they have provided, but the real test of its popularity only began after the toppling of Mubarak's regime. Many believe that they have made some accomplishments in parliament and will be tested again in the upcoming presidential election. Voters have chosen to back Islamist groups, hoping they will be able to fight the corruption left behind by the toppled regime.

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UN observers return safely to Syrian capital after attack [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Female #1
Local Coordination Committees in Syria said security and military forces killed 20 civilians in a number of areas, most of them in Homs. Opposition activists reported that the Syrian regime's army continued its violent artillery shelling on Rastan. In al-Hasaka and other areas in the countryside of Hama, security forces carried out raid operations, and fired tear gas to disperse the protestors.

Guest, Male #1 (Abu Hamam, Spokesman for the Local Coordination Committee of Khan Shaykhun)
Yes, the observers' team left Khan Shaykhun City an hour ago. They had been in the city of Khan Shaykhun since yesterday. They were safe among the residents, and were under the protection of the Free Syrian Army.

Presenter, Female #1
So according to the spokesman for the Local Coordination Committee of Khan Shaykhun, the international observers' delegation has left the city. This was also confirmed by the spokesman for the delegation to Syria, Hassan Saqlawi, in his statement to our BBC correspondent in Damascus. He confirmed that the six international observers who were in Khan Shaykhun City have been recalled.

Presenter, Female #1
For his part, the head of the UN observers' delegation, Major-General Robert Mood, said that the six observers who were in Khan Shaykhun have left for the Syrian capital Damascus. He thanked the Syrian government for facilitating the observers' evacuation from the area.

Reporter, Male #2
The Syrian army's military operations and clashes with armed groups coincided with the opposition's popular protests, which continued until late into the night. In the Kfar Sousa neighborhood in the heart of the capital Damascus, hundreds of people gathered, chanting their usual slogans calling for the downfall of the regime and the release of political prisoners.

Reporter, Male #2
These developments came after a bloody day. The opposition reported the deaths of over 65 people, most of them in Khan Shaykhun of Idlib Province, where the international observers' convoy was attacked. Activists say the attack coincided with a local funeral for those killed. The opposition uploaded these videos online, saying they were taken at the moment when Syrian security forces started opening fire on residents.

Guest, Male #1 (Abu Hamam, Spokesman for Local Coordination Committee in Khan Shaykhun)
The observers entered the first checkpoint at a clinic, and began monitoring the situation. All they saw was heavy gunfire and rocket shelling.

Reporter, Male #2
One of the observers who spoke to Reuters said that gunfire was opened on the convoy, and then an explosion occurred, inflicting damage on one of the team's cars. He confirmed that the observers were safe under the protection of the Free Syrian Army. As for the head of the delegation, he confirmed the safety of all of the team members. The United Nations was quick to portend the consequences of these attacks.

Guest, Male #3 (Martin Nesirky, UN Spokesman)
It's obvious that the delegation was there to help the Syrian people. We condemn anything that hampers its work and subjects its members to danger.

Reporter, Male #2
The Syrian government's loyalists believe the explosion was part of the armed groups' operations to target the observers. The observers toured areas with heated conflicts, and interviewed residents about the situation on the ground. For instance, here in Sarmin, in Idlib Province, it appears that the ceasefire is constantly challenged. State media said that armed groups assassinated an officer in the army. Syrian TV aired confessions from arrested Arab nationals, saying they were affiliated with al-Qaeda. In turn, the dissidents accused the Syrian army of deploying its tanks in villages and towns. They also accused it of using heavy artillery to bombard cities, such as al-Rastan, as shown in these video clips. Wael Hajjar, BBC.

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Arab and Western countries continue to support terrorist groups in Syria [Syria TV, Syria]

Presenter, Male #1
Arab and Western countries continue to support armed terrorist groups with funds and weapons. Furthermore, they are preparing to set up camps to train terrorists and send them to Syria. They aim to escalate the violence in order to foil Kofi Annan's plan and serve their own criminal interests.

Reporter, Male #2
The plan of Kofi Annan, the UN envoy to Syria, has entered its second month. Yet armed terrorist groups backed by Arab and Western countries, as well as certain countries of the region, continue to escalate the situation on the ground. They aim to abort the Annan plan in order to serve their own criminal interests. These countries' support to the terrorist groups is not limited to supplying them with weapons and funds. They even supply the groups with Arab fighters, set up camps to train terrorists, and send them to Syria through illegal channels.

Guest, Male #3
The confidence in the UN-Arab League envoy's efforts has begun to decrease greatly and rapidly. This is because the plan has failed so far to put an end to the fighting, violence, and bloodshed in the country. The plan has not achieved anything.

Reporter, Male #2
Al-Faisal, just like his terrorist network in Syria, fears that Annan's plan may succeed. This caused him to panic and worry that his goals may not be achieved, which explains why he spoke publicly against the plan. He ignored the talk of certain countries' intervention in Syria by fueling the violence, fighting, and bloodshed, which led to the complete failure of Kofi Annan's plan. This is because the success of the plan will undermine those involved in the conspiracy against Syria, expose their real criminal role, and help the international observers reporting the real situation on the ground, and the crimes committed by the terrorists against the country and its citizens.

Reporter, Male #2
Parallel to the attempts to politically foil the Annan plan, these groups are actively seeking to expand their terrorist influence by training Syrian gunmen in Kosovo. This was revealed in the phone calls between the representatives of the Syrian opposition and Kosovo's authorities, as stated by the Russian foreign ministry. The Russian foreign ministry warned of the danger of turning Kosovo into an international training ground for terrorists, whose movements exceed the Balkan region.

Reporter, Male #2
Meanwhile, media sources indicate that the common denominator between the two sheikhdoms, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and al-Qaeda, is targeting Syria. While the two sheikhdoms recruit terrorists from around the world and send them to Syria, al-Qaeda recruits terrorists from neighboring countries into Syria. As-Safir newspaper confirmed the killing of five Tunisians in Syria, who came from the Ben Gardane region of Tunisia and entered Syria illegally. This is additional evidence to al-Qaeda's role in recruiting personnel from Arab countries to carry out terrorist operations in Syria.

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Assassin of Iranian nuclear physicist hanged in Tehran [IBA, Israel]

A man sentenced to death for the 2010 assassination of an Iranian nuclear physicist was hanged in Tehran today. Majid Jamali Fashi was also convicted of working on the behalf of the Mossad spy agency. Atomic scientist Massoud Ali-Mohammadi was killed by a bomb-rigged motorcycle that exploded outside his home as he was about to leave for work. At least five Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in recent years, and Iran has accused Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom of involvement in those assassinations.

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Ahmadinejad calls nuclear bomb production an 'irrational act' [IBA, Israel]

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad referred to the production of nuclear bombs as an "irrational act." He strongly criticized those governments that spend what he called "fortunes" of money to produce nuclear bombs, and said that no wise person spends even a penny for this purpose. He went on to vow that his nation will not retreat from its legal rights in the face of bold leading powers. On regional matters, Ahmadinejad lashed out against the US and accused Washington of sending unmanned drone aircraft to kill civilians in Pakistan and slam the so-called colonial powers who occupy Iraq and Afghanistan. The IAEA believes the Islamic republic has begun testing multi-point explosives of the type used to detonate a nuclear charge.

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Restraint in Nakba Day protests shows Palestinians' lack of strategy, says expert [IBA, Israel]

Joining IBA in the studio to discuss Nakba Day commemorations and other developments in the region is the founder and director of the Israel Palestine Research and Information Center, Dr. Gershon Baskin, who says the protests were much more restrained than last year, an indication of the Palestinian street's general feeling of a lack of direction or strategy.