Bahraini protestors demand right to self-determination [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
Bahrain witnessed marches in different parts of the country under the banner "Friday of the right to self-determination." Participants demanded freedoms, and the release of the opposition's detained leaders, most notably the President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights Nabeel Rajab, who was arrested for the second consecutive time, and Abdulhadi Alkhawaja.

Reporter, Male #2
"The 'Friday of the right to self-determination'" is the slogan under which the residents of Bahrain took to the street. They held marches that also called for the release of detainees held in the regime's prisons, most notably the President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Nabeel Rajab, who was arrested by the regime for a second time, in addition to activist Abdulhadi Alkhawaja.

Reporter, Male #2
The marches launched from the capital al-Manama condemned the crackdown and arrest campaigns that are targeting both young and old, a policy the opposition views as retaliation that conveys the regime's failure in dealing with the popular revolution in the country.

Reporter, Male #2
The rearrest of activist Nabeel Rajab led local and international human rights organizations to condemn and denounce his arrest. The al-Wefaq National Islamic Society viewed al-Rajab's detention as an escalation of the security option that the regime has adopted since the beginning of the revolution last year. The society confirmed the demand for the release of Rajab and the opposition's detained leaders is no longer an issue that only concerns the people of Bahrain, but has become an international demand.

Reporter, Male #2
The European-Bahraini Organization for Human Rights demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Rajab, the dismissal of all charges against him, and an end to the targeting, and harassment of Hussain Jawad, the chairman of the European-Bahraini Organization for Human Rights. In addition, it called for an end to the targeting of activists demanding democracy and human rights defenders. In the same context, lawyer Shahzan al-Khamis said the regime in Bahrain continues to detain 11-year-old child Ali Hasan. Al-Khamis added that regime forces illegally extracted confessions from prisoner Hasan, and demanded his immediate release.

Presenter, Male #1
The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies expressed concern over the increase in the number of violations against human rights defenders and their organizations in Arab countries, and particularly in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The institute confirmed in its fourth yearly report that attempts to sabotage the "Arab Spring" were often accompanied by large-scale repression in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The report referred to the crackdown human rights activists in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are subjected to, the use of force against peaceful protestors demanding freedom, and the release of detainees held in the regime's prisons.

--

Jordanians continue to rally for economic reforms [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
Thousands protested in the Jordanian capital Amman to demand comprehensive reforms, and reject the rising prices and taxes. This comes as Jordan has been witnessing peaceful demonstrations and marches since January 2011, to demand political and economic reforms and an end to corruption.

Reporter, Male #2
This is not the first time. For over a year and a half, protests have been held every Friday to demand political and economic reforms, and anti-corruption efforts. This march was launched from in front of the al-Husseini Mosque in the center of the capital Amman. The Islamic movement, opposition parties, and youth groups calling for what they describe as an end to the policy of starving the people participated in the march.

Reporter, Male #2
The new element in this demonstration is that economic demands dominated over all other issues. This comes after the Jordanian government announced its intention to raise the price of electricity, fuel, and some goods, in addition to increasing taxes in an attempt to reduce this year's budget deficit, which is estimated at seven billion dollars. In February, Jordan's public debt reached 21 billion dollars; it was 18 billion dollars in 2010.

Guest, Male #3
We are protesting the government's policy of increasing prices. The government has abandoned its duties, and its only option is to reach into the citizens' pockets to make up for what the corrupt stole.

Reporter, Male #2
The protests that spread from Amman to the cities of Irbid, al-Karak, and Maan, raises the pressure on Prime Minister Fayez al-Tarawneh's government, which is facing the challenge of enacting laws, including election laws to hold parliamentary elections before the end of the year.

--

Yemenis take to streets in Sanaa, Taiz [Press TV, Iran]

Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets in the capital Sanaa and the southern city of Taiz after Friday prayers. The protestors want the government to cleanse itself of the relatives of deposed leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, and called for the prosecution of Saleh and his aides, accusing them of killing nearly 2,000 demonstrators since last year.

--

Bomb targeting government bus kills 20 in Pakistan [Press TV, Iran]

A bomb blast killed nearly 20 people and wounded 30 others on the outskirts of Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar. Police say the explosion went off near a bus carrying government employees in the Daudzai area. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Pakistani Taliban have been blamed for hundreds of similar bombings across the country.

--

NATO apologizes for Afghan civilian deaths [Press TV, Iran]

For the first time, the US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan have acknowledged killing civilians after an air strike targeted the eastern Logar Province on Wednesday. Eighteen civilians, including women and children, died in the early morning attack. The NATO forces at first denied civilian deaths, claiming that only militants were killed in the strike. They have now admitted the deaths and also apologized to the families of the victims.

--

Afghanistan: Dozens escape in explosive prison jailbreak by Taliban; four dead [Press TV, Iran]

Dozens of inmates have escaped in a jailbreak after Taliban militants attacked a prison in northern Afghanistan's Sar-e-Pol Province using an explosive device that blew a hole in the wall of the compound, followed by a gun battle with security forces. Four prisoners were killed; 28 were injured. The prison was holding 160 inmates at the time of the jailbreak.

--

UN monitors reach massacre scene in Syria [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female #1
Forty-four people were killed today by the gunfire of al-Assad's brigades, as heavy shelling continues in several areas of Homs, especially in the neighborhood of al-Khalidiya. The Local Coordination Committees indicated that clashes erupted between the Free Syrian Army and regime forces in al-Abbasiyin Square in Damascus. The Syrian National Council expressed fear that the shelling of al-Khalidiya is a prelude to a military operation targeting the remaining neighborhoods of the hard-hit city. The committees called for an immediate intervention by the United Nations and the Security Council. Meanwhile, most Syrian cities answered calls by the opposition to protest on the "Friday of revolutionaries and merchants, hand-in-hand, until victory."

Reporter, Male #1
Massive shelling, destruction, and dozens of casualties. This is the situation of cities affiliated with the opposition, as they are subjected to brutal shelling by the regime's army.

Reporter, Male #1
Al-Khalidiya in Homs is enduring the heaviest shelling by Syrian regime forces attempting to storm the neighborhood since UN observers arrived to Syria. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, nearly five bombs are dropped on the neighborhood every minute, noting that the shelling stops for 15 minutes and resumes at the same pace.

Reporter, Male #1
More than 150 soldiers have raided the city of al-Miqlabiya in the countryside of Damascus amid indiscriminate gunfire and arrest campaigns targeting the demonstrators. The same situation applies to al-Qaboun, which was raided by dozens of armed men affiliated with the regime.

Reporter, Male #1
In Talbisa, al-Assad's army violently shelled the city, which led to the destruction of several homes and some injuries. Meanwhile, fierce clashes erupted between the regime's forces and the Free Syrian Army in the countryside of Damascus and the town of Mahabah in Daraa. This comes after a roadside bomb hit a military vehicle in the town of Kafr Shams.

Reporter, Male #1
In response to a call for holding demonstrations under the slogan "Friday of revolutionaries and traders, hand-in-hand until victory," supporters of the opposition took to the streets and chanted slogans in solidarity with the besieged cities being shelled.

Reporter, Male #1
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that demonstrations were held across various neighborhoods in the city and countryside of Aleppo, the city and countryside of Hama, Damascus, and Daraa. The demonstrators called for the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The observatory further said that demonstrations were held despite the heavy security presence, and the fierce clashes raging across various regions.

Reporter, Male #1
According to the spokesman for the Union of Aleppo Coordinators, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across the city's neighborhoods, most notably in Salah al-Din, Busatn al-Qasr, and al-Shaar. The demonstrators chanted slogans denouncing UN-Arab League Joint Envoy Kofi Annan's plan.

Reporter, Male #1
The Assad brigades and shabeha fired live ammunition at the demonstrators in several regions amid a heavy security presence and random arrests. Meanwhile, a team of UN observers was able to enter the village of al-Qubair, which witnessed a massacre that claimed dozens of lives on Wednesday. Under the framework of human rights violations committed by the Syrian regime, Reuters released a video showing several members of al-Assad's brigades stomping on the bodies of victims killed by the gunfire of security forces.

--

Egyptians protest against ex-premier ahead of runoff elections [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
Tahrir Square is witnessing a demonstration titled the "Friday of Determination" to demand the retrial of deposed President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, and his regime's figureheads. Protestors are also calling for the implementation of the disenfranchisement law that would prevent the last prime minister during Mubarak's era, Ahmed Shafiq, from running in the presidential runoff election.

Reporter, Male #2
Angry demonstrations have returned to the streets and squares of Egyptian governorates, starting with Alexandria, passing through Suez, and other governorates, and reaching Tahrir Square. Following the verdict of Mubarak and some of his regime's figureheads, masses took the squares and held spontaneous protests; they were not mobilized by any particular revolutionary or political force.

Reporter, Male #2
The protests, in which thousands participated, viewed the verdict as a step toward reproducing the former regime. The demands varied throughout the demonstrations, and included the implementation of the disenfranchisement law on candidate Ahmed Shafiq, preventing him from participating in the presidential runoff round.

Guest Male #3
After the field marshal ratified this law, Shafiq does not have the right to run in the presidential elections.

Guest, Male #4
We will not leave the squares until all of the revolution's demands are met.

Reporter, Male #2
Some members of parliament joined the angry popular reactions to reject and criticize the verdict of Mubarak and his aides. This led to a crisis between the judiciary and parliament, as judges threatened to boycott the oversight process in the runoff round.

Guest, Male #5
All options are available: striking, not monitoring the election, and making this case an international issue.

Reporter, Male #2
The million-man march of determination is the second in three days. Observers considered the march an attempt to pressure the country's leaders to halt the presidential runoff elections until the disenfranchisement law is implemented. These observers doubt that such an attempt will have an impact on the election date.

Guest, Male #6
It is very difficult to postpone the presidential elections under the pretext of an increasing number of people on the Egyptian street.

Reporter, Male #2
The fate of the presidential runoff election is still dependent on the verdict of the Supreme Constitutional Court that will be decide if the disenfranchisement law is unconstitutional on June 14, and in turn decide if calm will be restored to the squares, or if things will be turned upside-down. Mahmoud Hussein, Al Jazeera, Cairo.

--

'Regards from Ulpana': Fresh Price Tag attacks hit Jewish-Arab village of Neve Shalom [IBA, Israel]

Tension over the slated evacuation of the Ulpana neighborhood of Beit El continues with what is suspected to be a linked attack of vandalism on the Jewish-Arab village of Neve Shalom. Investigators believe that the tires of 14 cars were slashed in what has become known as a "Price Tag attack," launched by suspected far right-wing activists, presumably in protest of the Knesset rejecting the settlement regulation bill two days prior. The words "Revenge," "Death to Arabs," and "Regards from Ulpana" were also spray-painted on the vehicles and on the walls of the bilingual school in the mixed community.

--

Potential right-wing settlement deal will save Ulpana buildings from demolition [IBA, Israel]

In an effort to reach an agreement over the relocation of the disputed apartment buildings in Beit El's Ulpana neighborhood, talks have been initiated with a group representing right-wing activists and representatives of the attorney-general and the prime minister. According to the outlines of the potential agreement between the parties, the structures will not be demolished, in exchange for an agreement from the residents to leave peacefully, in the hope that a deal will be made with the Palestinian landowner in the future that will enable them to return.

--

Abbas: In absence of talks, will seek UN recognition of Palestinian statehood [IBA, Israel]

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said that he prefers to negotiate with Israel, but given the absence of talks, his only other option is to seek United Nations recognition of Palestinian statehood. His comments came during a visit to Paris, where he signed an accord with France which will see several million euros transferred to the Palestinian Authority. Abbas has asked Israel to stop all settlement activity to resume negotiations, while Benjamin Netanyahu has said that a meeting can only be held without preconditions.

--

Palestinian town celebrates hunger striker Halahla's release [Palestine TV, Ramallah]

Presenter, Female #1
The Israeli occupation forces released prisoner Thaer Halahla, who went on an open-ended hunger strike for 78 days in protest of his two-year administrative detention.

Reporter, Male #1
After 78 days of an open-ended hunger strike and two years in administrative detention, during which he conquered the prison and overcame the jailers' cruelty, here he is, Thaer Halahla, carried by his family members and fans who have long waited for this meeting. Halahla is a native of Kharas Town, north of Hebron. He was released in compliance with the latest agreement between the prison administration and the leaders of the prisoners' movement.

Guest, Male #2 (Thaer Halahla, Freed Prisoner)
A hunger strike is not a picnic; it is a battle with flesh and blood, and empty stomachs. The jailers have all the tools of repression. I feel happy; I feel a sense of victory; I feel free. This is a war waged by the hunger-striking prisoners Bilal Diab, Akram Rikhawi, al-Sirsik, Omar Sabghi, Hassan Sabghi, and Omar Abu Shallal. This is a battle between right and wrong.

Reporter, Male #1
The occupation attempted to break up the jubilant celebration organized by the prisoner's family by postponing his release until nighttime. This did not prevent his fans and friends from waiting for him until late at night to embrace him and share his joy at being free.

Guest, Female #2 (Mother of Freed Prisoner Thaer Halahla)
I'm very happy, very happy. But I hope all the other prisoners will be released, all of them. We want all the prisoners free. I'll be very, very happy when they're all released.

Guest, Male #3 (Father of Freed Prisoner Thaer Halahla)
I would like to dedicate this joyous occasion to all the Palestinian people, including all the leaders and citizens. Because the people and the leaders are all working together side-by-side to support our prisoners, be it in the West Bank, or in Gaza, or abroad.

Reporter, Male #1
Prisoner Halahla received both a popular and official welcome after residents of the province gathered to greet him, most notably Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Qaraqe, who congratulated him for the release on behalf of the president.

Guest, Male #4 (Issa Qaraqe, Minister of Prisoners' Affairs)
This is like a Palestinian wedding; there is great joy for the return of one of the knights of the prisoners' movement, Thaer Halahla, who entered an outstanding and legendary hunger strike for 78 days, along with his comrades. With his will and determination, he finally broke the jailers' will.

Reporter, Male #1
For his part, Thaer Halahla confirmed that the occupation's prison administration has reneged on its agreement regarding the prisoners, especially in light of its continuing harassment against them. After 78 days of an open-ended hunger strike, Thaer's life has been rewritten. He has achieved victory for himself and the prisoners' movement. From the town of Kharas, north of Hebron, Diyal Junaidi, Palestine TV.