Massive protests in Aleppo to honor 'the heroes of Aleppo University' [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female #1
Twenty-three people were killed today by gunfire of al-Assad's brigades across various parts of Syria. Most of the victims were killed in heavy artillery shelling of al-Rastan City in Homs Province. On a Friday titled "The heroes of Aleppo University," supporters of the opposition took to the streets in massive demonstrations described as the largest since the truce went in effect. Syrian forces opened fire at the protestors across various parts of the country. The city of Aleppo witnessed its largest demonstrations since the spark of the anti-regime popular uprising.

Reporter, Male #1
In a shelling described as the fiercest, mortar shells continue to fall on the city of al-Rastan in Homs Province, averaging one shell per minute. Dozens of people were killed or injured, and homes were destroyed as the residents were inside. In al-Rastan, al-Assad brigades targeted the city's main bakery with several shells, in a bid to bring rebelling residents to their knees. In Homs, the neighborhoods of Juber, al-Sultaniyah, al-Hamidiyah, and the fields of Baba Amr witnessed heavy artillery shelling. In addition, several towns in the Idlib's Jabal al-Zawiyah region were targeted by indiscriminate and heavy shelling.

Reporter, Male #1
Backed by more than 15 armored vehicles, Syrian security forces and shabeha stormed the city of Baza'a in Aleppo Province and carried out random arrests of residents. Amid the unfolding developments on the ground, the students of Aleppo University were awarded the medal of valor for heroism. This medal was given to them by the Syrian people, who demonstrated today under the slogan "The heroes of Aleppo University."

Reporter, Male #1
Despite the heavy security presence, the siege of neighborhoods and mosques, and the deployment of helicopters, supporters of the opposition took to the streets in massive demonstrations across Syrian cities and towns. The demonstrators praised the students of Aleppo University and denounced the international community's weak position. They stressed on the importance of continuing the revolution until the regime is toppled.

Reporter, Male #1
In response, al-Assad's brigades and his shabeha violently attacked and opened fire at the peaceful demonstrators across various regions, killing or injuring several of them. Opposition sources said that the city of Aleppo witnessed its largest demonstrations since the spark of the Syrian revolution. Activists uploaded video clips showing security forces opening heavy fire at demonstrators in the Salah al-Din neighborhood in Aleppo.

--

UN chief blames al-Qaeda for Syria attacks [Press TV, Iran]

At a press conference in the Syrian capital Damascus, the head of the UN observers' mission in Syria Major-General Robert Mood says his mission has been able to reduce violence in the country, calling on all sides to give his mission more chances to bring the crisis to an end.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has admitted to al-Qaeda involvement in the ongoing unrest in the country. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says al-Qaeda is responsible for the recent terrorist bomb blasts in Syria.

--

Two aid convoys break through Gaza blockade [Press TV, Iran]

Two aid convoys, the Miles of Smiles and the Lifeline of Jordan, have broken the Israeli blockade of Gaza, bringing in urgent supplies. The convoys have entered through the Rafah crossing and are scheduled to stay in the Gaza Strip for a few days. They are to evaluate the humanitarian situation in the enclave and to initiate a number of development projects. They met with Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and joined him in Friday prayers. Following a sermon from one of the convoy's organizers, Sheikh Amin al-Kurdi, Hamas said that it would not recognize Israel.

--

Iranians rally to denounce Bahrain-Saudi Arabia union [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Female # 1
King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa is visiting Elizabeth II, Queen of England, at Windsor Castle in West London. The Queen is celebrating her 60th anniversary on the throne, known as the Diamond Jubilee. The presence of the Bahraini king caused controversy because of the recent events witnessed in his country. Human rights organizations criticized Bahrain because it considered the Bahraini police crackdown a cruel way to deal with the Shia protestors.

Presenter, Female # 1
Reuters Agency reported that according to eyewitnesses, tens of thousands of Bahrainis protested outside of the capital Manama against the unity project between the Arab Gulf countries. Also, thousands of Iranians protested in Tehran after Friday prayers against the unity plan between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which was described by the Imam of Friday prayers, Ayatollah Kazem Siddiqui, as an American-Zionist conspiracy. Protestors gathered in front of Tehran University, raising Bahraini flags and chanting condemnations of Saudi Arabia, America, and Israel. The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman considered the Saudi-Bahraini unity plan to be the dissolution of Bahrain, and called on al-Manama government to change its approach.

Reporter, Male #1
A new chapter of tension between the Arab Gulf and Iran, known as the Bahraini Crisis. Since anti-government protests erupted in Bahrain, Iran has been treated as the primary defendant in the case. Iran is occasionally accused of inciting Bahrainis to protest, and at other times it is accused of starting a sectarian crisis in the region. Tensions escalated between the neighboring countries, after the Saudi forces entered Bahraini soil to crush the protests. It reached its peak after al-Manama and al-Riyadh announced their intention of establishing unity between themselves. From the beginning, Tehran described their project as a Zionist-American conspiracy. Then it considered it a Sunni project to alter the face of Bahrain from a Shia majority.

Guest, Male #2 (Kazem Siddiqui, Imam of Friday Prayers in Tehran)
The Bahraini case is a Zionist-American scheme. Instead of answering the people's demands, the rulers of Bahrain are intentionally complying with the mandate to sell their country and its identity to another country. They must know that the Bahraini people, the Muslim world, and the Iranian people will not tolerate this conspiracy.

Reporter, Male #1
The prayers ended, and protests took place in Tehran and other Iranian cities, repeating the words of the Friday preacher. In the streets of Tehran, the Saudis were equal to the Americans and the Israelis. They received what the Americans and Israelis received: calls for their collapse and death.

Guest, Male #3 (Colonel Mohammad Reza Naghdi, Basij Paramilitary Forces Commander)
This unfair scheme, which was drawn by a handful of corrupt and drunken rulers, aims at wiping a country off the map, and merging it with another country. This scheme will find a critical reaction from the Bahraini people, and from all other people.

Reporter, Male #1
The Bahraini and Saudi reactions to Iran's protests and positions were prompt. Both countries considered Iran's stance as a blatant interference in their affairs. No; it went beyond interference, becoming an accusation of Tehran of having ambitions in Bahrain. There are some who see the announcement of unification of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will mean more tension in the Gulf region. And its failure or delay does not necessarily mean that everything will go back to normal between the Arab Gulf countries and Iran. The first sees in the other elements of tension, interference, and threat, and the other sees in its neighbors the basis of a conspiracy being weaved against it.

--

UN Security Council demands Sudan withdraw from disputed Abyei region [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
The UN Security Council has commanded Sudan to immediately and unconditionally withdraw from the border region of Abyei, the disputed area with South Sudan. But Khartoum said it would only withdraw after a joint monitoring military force is formed in the region.

Reporter, Male #1
Once again, the issue of Abyei region goes back to square one at the UN Security Council. The United Nations has been conducting peacekeeping operations in that disputed region, between Khartoum and Juba, before South Sudan's secession from the north and after its official independence. Members of the Security Council have agreed to extend the mandate of the international forces' mission. However, maintaining the status quo in the tense situation is becoming a deep concern for the UN Security Council, in light of the delays to establish an administration for the border region of Abyei. While the steps to withdraw Sudan's security forces was welcomed, the UN is still demanding Khartoum's government to unconditionally and immediately pull its remaining military and police forces out of the region.

Guest, Male #2 (Francis Nazario, South Sudanese Ambassador to the UN)
My government regrets that the progress on the implementation of certain elements of the June 20th agreement on Abyei area remains impeded, and it is fully prepared to move forward with the establishment of the Abyei area administration on the terms already agreed between the two parties.

Reporter, Male #1
As for Khartoum, it reiterated the same position which it had previously promised, that its forces would not stay in the disputed areas, on condition that both sides implement last year's agreement jointly and simultaneously.

Guest, Male #4 (Idris Ismail Faragalla Hassan, Sudanese Deputy UN Ambassador)
This withdrawal should take place simultaneously and it should be monitored by a body agreed upon by the two parties. The body will be composed of the two parties as well as the African Union. What happened is that the government of South Sudan took a piecemeal approach, not the comprehensive approach that the government of Sudan is calling for.

Reporter, Male #1
Khartoum occupied the Abyei region in May 2011, after an attack from South Sudan on a convoy of Sudanese army personnel. The occupation has displaced tens of thousands of civilians. These developments are taking place after armed conflicts and continual tension between the two sides in the oil-rich border region of Heglig.

--

Taliban attack in eastern Afghanistan leaves two NATO soldiers dead [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
Two NATO soldiers were killed and six others were wounded in an attack that targeted a NATO base in Kunar Province in eastern Afghanistan. A spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, stated that one of its military bases in Nari District was attacked by rockets that Taliban members had launched. He said that two soldiers were killed without indicating their nationalities. Taliban has escalated its attacks against the NATO and Afghan government forces since the beginning of spring.

--

Iran still sending arms shipments to Syria despite UN ban [IBA, Israel]

A new report by the United Nations indicates that Iran has been sending shipments of weapons to Syria, a move strictly forbidden by the UN Security Council. This, as world powers continue diplomatic efforts to convince Tehran to abandon its nuclear program. The new leaked report reveals that Iran is continuing to provide military assistance to President Bashar al-Assad, despite a UN resolution banning arms shipments to Syria.

After two days of negotiations with the Iran in Vienna, Western diplomats said that they have reason to believe that Tehran is installing more centrifuges in its underground nuclear facilities, but does not appear to be enriching weapons-grade uranium. Still, convincing Iran to stop higher-level enrichment is expected to top the agenda for world powers when they convene with Iranian diplomats on May 23 in Baghdad.

--

Israeli police chief says increase in migrant workers has led to rise in crime rates [IBA, Israel]

Police commissioner Yohanan Danino toured south Tel Aviv in order to get a firsthand look at the growing problem of foreign workers. Danino said the increase in the number of migrant workers residing in the area has led to a rise in crime rates, requiring the police to extend its manpower.

Meanwhile, three Eritrean migrants are being held in police custody on charges of raping a 15-year-old girl and assaulted her boyfriend in Tel Aviv. A 21-year-old resident of the Shapiro neighborhood was charged with arson and malicious damage after he threw Molotov cocktails into the homes of several African refugees in order to intimidate them.

--

Gunfight kills member of al-Kader crime family in Taibeh [IBA, Israel]

A member of a notorious crime family in the Arab town of Taibeh near Kfar Saba was killed during a police operation to crack down on growing violence in the area. When police arrived in the town, they encountered masked men, armed with AK-47 assault rifles. Gunfire was exchanged, and a cousin of the leader of the al-Kader family was killed.

--

Lebanon's seven most wanted men leave for jihad in Syria [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
Seven of the most dangerous men wanted by the Lebanese state have left Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp for Syria, to support the people of Levant. In 2007 and 2011, New TV interviewed three of them on camera. Now the New TV crew visited the camp again to confirm their departure. Two of my colleagues, Afif al-Jardali and Hussein al-Khrais, report.

Reporter, Male #1
Security sources told New TV that the seven most dangerous men wanted by the Lebanese state left Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp two days ago for Syria, to fight the Syrian regime. The sources denied that these wanted men have any link to the circulating rumors around the assassinations. The first wanted man, Sheikh Usama Shahabi, born in 1972, is allegedly the commander of Fatah al-Islam in Sidon, succeeding Abd al-Rahman Awad. He is also accused of detonating the bomb that targeted the Italian brigade in Sidon on May 27, 2011.

Guest, Male #3
Any human being, inside or outside this camp, if they want any kind of strife or upheaval, they say this: Usama Shahabi is the commander of Fatah al-Islam. With that, they open the issue of Ain al-Hilweh camp, because I am in this camp.

Reporter, Male #2
Haitham Mahmoud Mustafa, also known as Shaabi and nicknamed "Abu Masad", was born in 1979. He is the brother of Mohamed Abu Hafiz, who fought in the battle of Nahr al-Bared refugee camp. His sister is married to the second top man in Fatah al-Islam, Abu Huraira. New TV interviewed Shaabi after Abu Huraira's disappearance, during which he stated frankly that he will fight for God if combat is imposed on him outside the camp.

Guest, Male #4
If we have to fight, then we will fight with no hesitation.

Reporter, Male #2
Mohamed Ahmed Dokhi, whose military name is al-Khordok, was born in 1975. He is allegedly the organization's military explosives expert. He was recently accused of assembling an explosive device in Sidon to target one of the sheikhs.

Guest, Male #5
We have no connection to the explosive device that was found in Sidon that targeted Sheikh Suhaib Hatli; we are in no way linked to this case.

Reporter, Male #2
The fourth wanted man is Ziyad Mohammed Abu Naaj, born in 1975. Renowned for his Islamist extremism, Naaj is accused of being affiliated with al-Qaeda. The fifth is Mohammed Ibrahim Mansour Abu Hamza, also born in 1975. He works in a sweet shop inside the camp. The sixth, Mohamed Abu Rahman al-Aarifi, born in 1972, is the only Lebanese in the group of men who left the camp. He used to sell coffee in the camp, and is alleged to have fought alongside al-Qaeda in Iraq before he returned to Lebanon. The seventh wanted man, Tawfiq Mohamed Taha, is listed as the number one wanted man in Lebanon, especially after he was accused of heading a terrorist network to target the Lebanese army. He disappeared from the public eye two days after the Lebanese army requested him to be handed over to the state.

Reporter, Male #2
According to sources close to the wanted men, they have left the camp for jihad in the country of Levant and to support its people. Their mission will be training members of the Free Syrian Army with their outstanding military expertise, and their experience in street fighting and assembling explosive devices. In particular, some of them have attained combat skills after participating in the battle against the US occupation in Iraq.

Reporter, Male #2
So, on May 15th, these men left the camp. What they have in common is they are all wanted for multiple security charges by the state, and are all opposed to the Syrian regime. According to sources close to them, who declined to be filmed, these men believe that Syria has become the new ground for jihad. They say the Free Syrian Army does not lack equipment or quantity, but the expertise, which they could offer. They will bring out the potentials in the armed Syrian opposition.

--

Unemployment rising in post-revolution Arab world [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Reporter, Female #1
The unemployment rate in the Arab world remains an important issue. Al Jazeera explores methods to provide citizens with jobs. Instead of holding grudges against the regimes, the following report will make an effort to know how unemployed people feel as they wait for the promises they received to be delivered. We ask a basic question: How can the unemployed be assisted, in order for them to not lose confidence, lose their potential, and do harm to themselves?

Reporter, Female #2
These college graduates chanted "Unemployment is not fate" while protesting in Morocco. It was the only way for them to deliver their messages to government officials. Prior to that, graduates were forced to burn their diplomas. The reason was the same: unemployment and a lack of opportunities after years of diligent study. The issue of unemployment appears to be a common obsession in many countries, though their unemployment rates vary due to their differing economies, policies, and government provisions.

Reporter, Female #2
In the Arab world, which is described as Third World, the unemployment crisis is worsening. Every year, thousands of new college graduates join their alumni in the world of unemployment. Unemployment is not simply an economic situation that can be isolated from its social and political environment in the relevant countries. The same can also be applied for unemployed people's psychological readiness to cope with it, and bear its consequences. And the psychological burden imposed on the unemployed is heavy. These burdens determine how they react in many situations, not only as individuals, but also as a group. The best evidence for this is the reaction of the unemployed to psychological and social pressures. In some cases, they resort to self-immolation, and in other cases, they organize protests and sit-ins. In addition to the psychological challenges are the challenges that the state and society face. These demands have gained momentum after the Arab Spring.

Reporter, Female #2
Revolutions erupted to remedy many issues, most urgently unemployment. Here in Tunisia, these people have sewn their lips shut. They say they have strained their voices demanding compensation for the wounded, the treatment they were promised, and the jobs that they were told were possible. Much evidence proves that the crisis is still ongoing in all aspects, especially in its psychological impact. Political and economic solutions require time that may exceed the limits of the unemployed.