Millions of Egyptians vote in historic presidential election [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
The Egyptian presidential elections are witnessing a large turnout in all governorates. Nearly 51 million voters have come out to cast their votes in the first presidential elections after the January revolution. Thirteen candidates from different political factions are competing in the race.

Reporter, Female #1
Standing in straight and organized lines is an unfamiliar sight in Egypt. It is the most attention-grabbing sight as voting begins in the first round of the presidential elections. Since the early morning hours, the election has seen a large voter turnout of nearly 51 million, to choose their president from among 13 candidates of different political factions.

Guest, Female #2
With no doubt, every Egyptian must vote because this is beneficial for the country.

Guest, Male #2
We are very happy today to come out and vote, in light of this beautiful atmosphere, a real democracy. And we pray to God that it goes well.

Guest, Female #3
I am here to vote, even if it's 40 degrees Celsius out here.

Reporter, Female #1
In the midst of tight security and monitoring procedures, the wait to cast votes is long. But that is not important. Everyone is willing to wait for what they consider an overdue national duty. Everyone here seems to be aware of the value of this historic event.

Guest, Male #3
These presidential elections are very important; it is the crown of the democratic system we live in now.

Guest, Female #4
We can accept the constitutional amendments proposed by the Military Council until a new constitution is drafted. That is not a problem.

Guest, Male #4
For the first time in 30 years, we feel that there are real elections, and that everyone is truly expressing their opinion.

Guest, Female #5
We've been standing here and talking to each other for two hours. We are from all parts of Egyptian society; we all love and respect each other, and at the end, everyone will vote for the candidate of their choice.

Reporter, Female #1
The lines are advancing to the voting booths, and it seems that confidence in the state, as well as the people's ability to overcome crises, is advancing with them. The first day of the voting process has seen a remarkable and surprising collective discipline. A discipline that contradicts the frustration witnessed in Egypt over the past year and a half. A discipline maintained by an intensified military and security presence. Doaa Anwar, Al-Alam, Cairo.

Presenter, Male #1
The Muslim Brotherhood's presidential candidate, Mohammed Morsy, praised the progress of the election process. He said it came as a completion of the revolution's demands. Morsy insisted that the Egyptian people will not allow the former regime's candidates to return to power once again.

Guest, Male #5 (Mohamed Morsy, Egyptian Presidential Candidate)
The revolutionaries and the Egyptian people will not allow anyone who is tied to the corrupt and criminal former regime to return to power. The gang that corrupted the nation, and its cronies, are known to the Egyptian people. They recognize them. None of the cronies will ever be able to rise to power over the people.

Presenter, Male #1
On the other hand, candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh confirmed his acceptance of the election's results, under the condition that they are fair.

Guest, Male #6 (Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, Egyptian Presidential Candidate)
The results must be accepted, under the condition that the elections are fair, with no interventions. Surely, we will all stand behind the president elected by the Egyptian people, as long as the elections are clean.

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Iran and world powers offer proposals at nuclear talks in Baghdad [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Female #1
As the new round of nuclear talks was launched in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the European Union announced that world powers have offered Iran a new set of proposals. The new round of talks is taking place amid growing concern over Iranian nuclear ambitions, and amid hope of finding a solution for the longtime nuclear crisis. Al-Saghir Salam reports.

Reporter, Male #1
Amid cautious optimism, the Iranian nuclear issue was moved from Istanbul to Baghdad. Iraq is hosting a new round of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group, in a bid to ease tension over the Iranian nuclear program, which Western countries suspect includes military aspects aimed to produce an atomic bomb. On the other hand, Iran has repeatedly announced that its nuclear program is peaceful. This is what the Baghdad talks aim to resolve.

Guest, Male #2 (Ali al-Dabbagh, Iraqi Government Official Spokesman)
We have an emerging role in the region. We would like to help resolve regional problems. And because of our good relations with both Iran and the West, we can play a role in such talks. We hope to solve many of the region's issues, including the Iranian nuclear dispute.

Reporter, Male #1
During the Baghdad summit, the six world powers are seeking to convince Iranian negotiators, led by Saeed Jalili, Chief of Iran's National Security Council, to suspend uranium enrichment by 20 percent. In addition, Iran must agree to comply with the Additional Protocol of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which allows surprise inspections of nuclear sites. This news comes a day after the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, announced that his agency and Tehran are close to reaching a deal, aimed at removing the ambiguities surrounding the Iranian nuclear program. In response, the US and Israel expressed their reservation and skepticism over the proposed deal, saying they would like to see tangible steps on the ground, and not just sweet talk.

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Iran in separate bilateral talks with China during P5+1 negotiations in Baghdad [Press TV, Iran]

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are in Baghdad discussing Iran's comprehensive package. Tehran offered its package to the negotiating teams in the first session of the talks. Sources close to the Iranian delegation say the Iranian team, headed by head of the Supreme National Security Council, Dr. Saeed Jalili, is now holding separate bilateral talks with the Chinese delegation.

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Former IDF spokeswoman says Iran may be using nuclear talks to stall for time [IBA, Israel]

IBA spoke to Miri Eisen, former spokeswoman for the IDF, about Israel's evolving position on the Iranian nuclear issue. Eisen said that Israel cannot sustain a nuclear-capable Iran. However, she said that negotiations and sanctions are acceptable to them, so long as they are effective, but added that Iran may simply be stalling for time with these negotiations.

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Israel's powerful Histadrut labor union holds leadership elections [IBA, Israel]

The Histadrut, Israel's oldest and most powerful labor union, is holding leadership elections. The two candidates are incumbent chairman Ofer Eini, and Labor MK Eitan Cabel. Labor party chairwoman Shelly Yachimovich has come out in support of Ofer Eini, while former party leader and Histadrut chairman Amir Peretz said that Eitan Cabel is better suited to lead the organization, despite the fact that Peretz hand-picked Eini for the job in 2006. Voters will not only decide the head of the Histadrut, but will also determine the delegates for the upcoming union convention and the new leadership of the Na'amat Women's Organization.

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Friends of Yemen meet in Riyadh [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
The "Friends of Yemen" conference convened in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Representatives from 37 countries and organizations attended the meeting to discuss the political, economic, and security situation in Yemen. They also discussed the provisions of the Gulf Initiative that have been implemented in the framework of bringing Yemen out of its crisis.

Presenter, Female #1
At the beginning of the meeting, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced its pledge to appropriate 3.25 billion dollars to support Yemen's economy.

Reporter, Male #2
This is not the first time that countries interested in Yemeni affairs, be they close to Yemen or far from it, are meeting under the slogan "Friends of Yemen." But this is the first time that they are meeting when President Ali Abdullah Saleh is not the head of the country. Perhaps the "Friends of Yemen" are not completely satisfied with what the power-transfer process in the country has achieved, in accordance with the Gulf Initiative. However, the convention attendees appeared to be convinced that Yemen must revive its economy and politics, because its location, which is described as strategic, imposes this kind of responsibility on the country.

Guest, Male #3 (Saud al-Faisal, Saudi Foreign Minister)
The security, stability, and development of Yemen are an international responsibility which will benefit the world's security. This is why the international community is committed to responding to the development requirements of Yemen.

Reporter, Male #2
Yemen, which was represented by parties in the National Reconciliation Government, explained its economic needs, but it was keen to integrate them with the security and political situation.

Guest, Male #4 (Mohammed Salem Basindwa, Yemeni Prime Minister)
Economic recovery can only be realized by achieving the country's security and stability, restoring the state's prestige, uniting its institutions' leadership, and succeeding in a comprehensive national dialogue.

Reporter, Male #2
However, unless the decisions of the Riyadh conference are implemented on the ground, the recovery plan will remain in a heated race with Yemen's security and political challenges, which remain the major causes of the humanitarian crisis. Humanitarian organizations have said that this crisis is becoming a catastrophe in the poorest country of the Arab Peninsula.

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Relief agencies in Yemen warn of catastrophic food shortage [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
In the meantime, seven humanitarian organizations warned that Yemen is on the verge of a catastrophic food crisis. Most Yemenis are living under difficult circumstances due to the suffocating economic crisis resulting from low income and inflation.

Presenter, Male #1
Many attributed those conditions to the turbulence witnessed in the security and political situation, and the implications witnessed during the duration of the popular revolution which erupted last year. The private sector, in cooperation with the government, is examining ways to overcome the economic challenges.

Reporter, Male #2
Many people with limited income live in neighborhoods like these in the capital Sanaa, despite the fact that some of them work for the government and private agencies. Abderahman is one of those. He provides for his family with a monthly salary that does not exceed 100 dollars. In addition to working as a contractor at the Ministry of Civil Service, the difficult situation resulting from low income and inflation forced him to work to transport rocks and clay used to build houses. Abderahman lives with his sick mother, four children, and wife, here in two joint rooms in a rented house. They live a miserable life, and they do not own anything but optimism of what good the revolution could bring to the country.

Guest, Male #3
We are living in famine. We made a revolution, and God willing, our demands will be fulfilled, and the famine will end.

Reporter, Male #2
The aggravation of poverty, the decrease in income levels, and the halt in the development process, in addition to the obstacles in investment and the increase in unemployment levels: all of these issues were discussed in this conference, which was organized by the private sector, along with civil organizations aimed at placing the development priorities for the upcoming phase. The conference discussed ways to counter the escalating violence in some areas, which poses a major challenge to the efforts of economic recovery, which cannot be surpassed except through a partnership between the private sector and the government.

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Hamas honors Gazans for solidarity with prisoners on hunger strike [Press TV, Iran]

The Hamas government has honored Gazans for their solidarity with Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails. Senior Hamas members and prisoner's families attended a ceremony in Gaza City. Dozens of Gazans went on a hunger strike earlier this month in support of a mass strike in Israeli jails. The Palestinian inmates demanded better jail conditions, as well as an end to detention without trial. They agreed to end the strike last week in exchange for Israeli promises for better jail conditions.

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Maryam al-Khawaja slams UNHRC during Bahrain rights review [Press TV, Iran]

Human rights activists say the mechanisms of the United Nations Human Rights Council for redress are selective and are failing the citizens of countries in need of it. At the Universal Periodic Review of Bahrain, the activists said it is simply becoming too hard for them to watch other countries receive the attention that Bahrain desperately needs.

Nada Dhaif of BRAVO Medics and Maryam al-Khawaja, daughter of hunger striking activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, highlight the UNHRC's intervention in other countries because of international pressure, but points out that there isn't consistent international condemnation of the human rights violations in Bahrain, including abduction from hospitals.

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Syrian forces shell towns and clash with rebels; dozens killed [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
The Syrian Revolution General Commission said 19 people died today under the gunfire of the army and security forces, including five soldiers who were killed when they attempted to defect from the army in the countryside of Damascus. The others were killed in Homs, Daraa, Aleppo, Idlib, and Deir az-Zour. The city of al-Rastan was shelled relentlessly by government forces, who attempted to storm the city again. In addition, the neighborhoods of Homs and Hama were shelled as well. The General Commission said that two towns, Kafr Nubul and Kafrouma in Idlib, were bombarded by warplanes and heavy machine guns.

Reporter, Male #2
Al-Rastan is being shelled once again. According to activists, one rocket falls every minute. Opposition figures say a group of regime forces attempted once more to infiltrate the city, where a large number of defectors from the army are entrenched, including high-ranking officials. People were wounded, and houses collapsed under the shelling, amid desperate calls for help. This is the scene that repeats itself day after day. In the al-Hamidiya neighborhood of Homs, just as in the al-Khalidiya neighborhood, shelling has become a daily meal for the residents of the virtually quarantined city. Most of the city's neighborhoods have been damaged, as well as towns in its countryside, such as Qalat al-Hisn, al-Hola, and al-Qasir. Here, people bid farewell to one of the victims, just moments before his burial.

Reporter, Male #2
Also in Homs, state TV said that 11 people, who were tricked and never had any blood on their hands, turned themselves in to what it referred to as "specialized institutions." State media added that their status has been restored after they promised not to return to taking up arms and conducting subversive activities. According to the opposition, two neighborhoods of Hama were shelled, al-Qusur and Janoub al-Malaab, which are beset with tanks that bar residents from entering or exiting.

Reporter, Male #2
In Idlib, north of Hama, the town of Kafrouma continued to be shelled by warplanes for the second consecutive day. In addition, the village of al-Kenda, near Jisr Shughour, was stormed. During every shelling and storming operation, more people were killed.

Reporter, Male #2
In Dara'a, shelling continued in the al-Laja area, and the town of Kharbat Ghazala came under siege. An arrest campaign was carried out in the town of Sheikh Miskin, while houses were burned and tanks were deployed at the entrance of al-Harak Town. Meanwhile, the UN observers' delegation visited Dael Town, where a funeral was held for a number of victims who were killed yesterday.

Reporter, Male #2
As for Deir az-Zour, a campaign of raids and arrests in al-Quriya City coincided with student demonstrations in the city's Science Institute. The student movement has become apparent in more than one Syrian university in the past several weeks, from Aleppo to Damascus and ar-Raqqah.

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Al-Qaeda in Lebanon: reality or myth? [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female #1
Four months ago, the term "al-Qaeda" resurfaced again in political circles, especially when discussing certain Lebanese territories. What's the truth behind the presence of al-Qaeda organization in Lebanon?

Reporter, Female #2
According to the local and regional events, al-Qaeda surfaces to the forefront or disappears. This organization that is responsible for the September 11th attacks and other terrorist bombings worldwide has joined the local political game. And among the government ministers' contradictory statements regarding al-Qaeda's presence in Lebanon, the question must be asked: Does al-Qaeda exist in Lebanon?

Guest, Male #1 (Hazim al-Amin, Journalist)
In fact, the answer is not negative, but I'm tired of this question. This is an issue that we have been talking about for the past four or five years. The talk about the presence of al-Qaeda, whether it's real or not, and the talk about other splinter groups which we may call al-Qaeda, all of this is an exaggeration. If we go back to the issue of al-Qaeda's existence, it has always been linked to internal political plots, beginning from al-Nahr al-Bared refugee camp to Fatah al-Islam, ending with our discussion today about al-Qaeda. Those armed men that we saw yesterday, if they really are members of al-Qaeda, they will not be visible. First of all, al-Qaeda does not operate like this. In the past, al-Qaeda used to be taken more seriously. Al-Qaeda's announcements come in the form of operations. This is how it shows that it exists.

Reporter, Female #2
On May 2nd 2011, al-Qaeda leader Bin Laden was killed in a 40-minute operation carried out by the US Army. Questions were then raised over the role of this group around the world.

Guest, Male #1
The question that's being raised around the world is, "Does al-Qaeda still exist," especially considering that several splinter groups have emerged in a number of countries. In Yemen, al-Qaeda wants to establish their emirate. Therefore, the presence of al-Qaeda is no longer a regional issue.

Reporter, Female #2
While the Defense Minister Faiz Ghosn asserts that al-Qaeda exists in Lebanon, the US administration has released documents it obtained during the operation to assassinate Bin Laden. These letters were sent between 2006 and 2011, in which the al-Qaeda leader showed that he had lost control over the organization. In a letter sent to the leaders of Jihadists, Bin Laden asked them to respect the authority of al-Qaeda's central leadership and prepare a memorandum entailing the principles which they must follow before contacting the Mujahideen. In addition, the leaders must adhere to the policy pertaining to military operations, in a clear indication for the commanders to regroup and restructure the organization.