Pakistan's opposition blasts government for reopening NATO supply routes [Press TV, Iran]

Anger is boiling in Pakistan over a government decision to reopen supply routes for the US-led NATO forces in the country. Hundreds of protestors have come out in the capital Islamabad against the controversial decision. In Gujranwala, some 200 kilometers east of Islamabad, tens of thousands of people gathered to protest the decision. The supply routes were closed after 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a US-led air strike near the border with Afghanistan in November 2011.

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Rights organization accuses Bahraini police of using tear gas as retaliatory tool [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
Human Rights Watch called on the Bahraini regime to investigate the use of tear gas on protestors, and firing the canisters at them at close range. The organization said in a statement that the Manama authorities use tear gas extensively against protestors, leading to serious injuries.

Presenter, Female #1
Human Rights Watch called on the Bahraini regime to protect the people's right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, considering it part of the international convention on civil and political rights. The organization said that al-Manama's authorities must abide by the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms.

Presenter, Female #1
Bahraini regime forces conducted raids and arrest campaigns in several areas of the country. They arrested a number of youths and took them to an unknown location. Meanwhile, demonstrations continued in other areas to challenge the regime's crackdown on peaceful protests.

Reporter, Male #1
This is how the Saudi-backed Bahraini security forces raid homes. They start their campaign by firing tear gas, then storming houses to arrest and kidnap youths from their homes, and finally take them to unknown destinations. This is due to the youths' participation in peaceful demonstrations demanding genuine reforms, an end to suppression, the release of prisoners, and an end to the Saudi occupation of the country. These forces have raided many homes in Muharraq Island in the eastern part of the country, and the area of Jid Ali, in the center of the city of Issa. They arrested a number of citizens and took them to unknown sites.

Reporter, Male #1
This comes after the areas of Shahrakan and Bani Jamra witnessed similar cases in the past two days. Witnesses confirmed that security forces, accompanied by a large number of armed civilians, cordoned off these areas. And as for the crackdown, security forces attacked a peaceful march in the area of al-Ma'ameer in the southern part of the capital, using tear gas and pellets to disperse protestors who chanted slogans demanding the release of prisoners and an end to the repression.

Reporter, Male #1
Another overnight march was held in Sanabis; it was called by the February 14th Coalition to condemn attacks on houses of worship and their destruction by Bahraini and Saudi forces, who then prevent their reconstruction. Security forces crushed this demonstration and arrested several of its participants.

Reporter, Male #1
In the area of Nuwaidrat, men and women formed a human chain to demand an end to the repression and the release of prisoners. The participants chanted slogans that confirm the peacefulness of the revolution, reject strife and repression, and reject the suppression of their freedoms.

Reporter, Male #1
In that context, overnight marches continued. In the area of al-Diyah, a demonstration was held insisting on the people's legitimate demands, and rejecting retreating or relinquishing any of those demands.

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Malian parliament and street call for intervention in north [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
The office of the national assembly in Mali has called for resisting the Islamist groups' occupation of the north, and for boosting solidarity among the people. The office also called for adopting immediate measures urging the army to intervene and restore territorial unity, as well as help preserve the secular nature of the republic. A demonstration broke out in the capital demanding the liberation of the north.

Reporter, Female #1
Hundreds of people from northern Mali gathered in "Independence Square" in the center of the capital, Bamako, calling on the army to intervene and help the stranded residents in the north. The demonstrators called for the liberation of the northern territory, which has been occupied by Islamist-led armed movements for over three months. They also sent a message to the authorities urging them to save Mali.

Guest, Male #2
We lost everything we own. We even lost our culture. We can't take it anymore. We are calling for the immediate liberation of the north.

Reporter, Female #1
The UN Security Council is due to adopt a draft resolution expressing full support for the regional organizations' efforts to resolve the crisis in Mali. However, the council has not authorized the deployment of African forces to fight the northern rebels.

Guest, Male #3
We are calling on the international community, especially the African Union, the UN, and the EU, to intervene immediately and put an end to the acts of violence.

Reporter, Female #1
Armed Islamist assailants have destroyed ancient Islamic tombs and ruins in Timbuktu. The UN Security Council said that attacks on cultural and religious heritage can constitute violations of international law.

Reporter, Female #1
Mali has been suffering from a severe crisis since the beginning of the year following the military coup that toppled the president and led to the collapse of the north at the hand of the armed movements. Local and international organizations said that many violations have been committed in the Sahara desert region, which is no longer under the control of the central government. Jamai Balous, BBC.

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Syrian Republican Guard General Tlass defects to Turkey [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
In Syria, there have been more defections from the Syrian army. The latest of which is Brigadier General Manaf Moustafa Tlass. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed sorrow for the violent methods that his forces have used to crush the opposition. NATO called on Damascus to avoid an escalation with Turkey, as the head of the international observers' mission in Syria, Robert Mood, announced the transfer of the observers' teams from Hama, Idlib, and Tartus to other areas.

Reporter, Female #1
Reuters news agency reported Brigadier General Manaf Tlass fled from the Syrian Republican Guard to Turkey. News agencies quoted a Syrian high-level security source confirming the brigade commander of the 105th Republican Guard escaped to Turkey. The source revealed the latter was followed by the Syrian intelligence agency, and his involvement with terrorists was confirmed in a number of cases. The source added he facilitated terrorist operations in Syria. Tlass is the highest ranking officer to defect from the regime, and from the tight circle of the Republican Guard that is assigned with extinguishing the revolution, according to confirmations by the Free Army. The latter announced that Manaf is an important witness to the crimes of the Syrian regime, and that he rejected the destruction that killed thousands in his city of al-Rastan, as in the rest of Syria.

Reporter, Female #1
The city of Homs caught fire, and columns of smoke rose from its targeted homes, declaring it a stricken city, especially following a bloody night in the city that witnessed clashes and violence in its residential areas. The shelling extended to Daraa, reaching a refugee camp, and to Idlib, specifically the city of Khan Shaykhun, which lead to the death of nine people, according the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The observatory noted in a statement that violent clashes occurred overnight between opposition fighters and regime forces in the neighborhoods of al-Shaar, Baba Amr, al-Maydan, and al-Azamiyah in the city of Aleppo, in the northern region of the country. By dawn, the clashes had reached the countryside of Aleppo. Images showed scenes of armed gunmen's attempts to down a military helicopter in the city of Izaz in Aleppo.

Reporter, Female #1
In an interview with the Turkish Cumhuriyet newspaper, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad expressed sorrow for the violent methods that his forces have used to crush the first popular demonstrations that took place last year. He added, "We are human and we can make mistakes," but he accused foreign parties of paying money to protestors to destabilize security in Syria. He said, "Everyone must know that this is a game endorsed by the outside, and that there is a lot of money that is coming from abroad." Al-Assad called on foreign forces, spearheaded by the United States, to stop funding the opposition.

Reporter, Female #1
On the other hand, and among preparations for Friday's Friends of the Syrian People conference in Paris, which is boycotted by Russia and China, the head of the international observers' mission in Syria, General Robert Mood, said in his first press conference since his return from Geneva that he is determined to restructure the mission. He said that will allow it to conduct certain and specific activities for a longer period of time, placing this mission in the framework of what he called "presenting a better endorsement to the Syrian people in the coming days."

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Sudanese opposition forces sign 'Democratic Alternative Charter' [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male #1
Amid a decline in popular protests on the Sudanese streets, opposition blocs have unanimously approved the post-Omar al-Bashir's "Democratic Alternative Charter." However, the al-Khartoum government downplayed the importance of the document that calls for a transitional period governed by a constitutional declaration. An interim government, in which all political forces will be represented, will be established until free and fair elections are held. Our correspondent Sami al-Shinawi reports from al-Khartoum.

Reporter, Male #2
Amid division and polarization over the makeup of the next government, the opposition alliance has reached a consensus over the "Democratic Alternative Charter," pending the signing of a constitutional declaration and consultations with other political blocs, including the armed movements that are fighting al-Khartoum's regime.

Guest, Male #3 (Farouq Abu Issa, Opposition Alliance Leader)
The country's leaders have reached an agreement. They all agreed that the ruling Congress Party's regime has completely lost its legitimacy, and that its only place in history is the trash bin.

Reporter, Male #2
The document, whish is supposed to replace al-Khartoum's regime, calls for a transitional period governed by a constitutional declaration. It starts with the formation of an interim government, in which all opposition blocs will be represented, until free and fair elections are held, which the ruling party rejected.

Guest, Male #4 (Ibrahim Ghandur, Leader of Ruling Party)
I was hoping that the opposition parties would meet to find an alternative economic solution instead of calling for a transitional period with the aim of ending Sharia rule. I was hoping that these political blocs will find an economic solution that will help improve the lives of the citizens.

Reporter, Male #2
The charter, which outlines the necessary means to achieve the goals of the popular revolution, will be nothing more than a useless document amidst the differences between the popular protest leaders and the opposition blocs. In between the signing of a document and the delay of another, the march of the Sudanese opposition seems to be very long, especially amid the mistrust seen on the Sudanese street, which continues to express doubt over any alternative solution. Sami al-Shinawi, Dubai TV, al-Khartoum.

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Israeli PM to meet with Kadima chairman Shaul Mofaz over coalition dispute [IBA, Israel]

In an attempt to calm the storm, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet Kadima Chairman and Deputy Premier Shaul Mofaz, as efforts continue to resolve their differences. The goal is the adoption of a law to replace the 2002 Tal Law, which requires all Israelis to participate in civilian or military service. Netanyahu is conducting a series of meetings with coalition partners. Coalition chairman Zeev Elkin sounded an optimistic note, saying that differences between the two men are not that great, and that both support the imposition of personal sanctions on anyone who does not perform national or military service. Yochanan Plessner warned that there would be some 60,000 deserters if a new law is not passed by the government come August 1. Ultra-orthodox Jews make up 10 percent of Israel's population.

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Yasser Arafat killed by 'polonium poisoning' [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
After a team of international researchers found high levels of polonium on the belongings of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, forensic scientists have said those results are proof Arafat was poisoned. Experts have called for additional scientific investigations, and an examination of Arafat's remains. They added that any delay could harm the results of the investigation.

Reporter, Male #2
The Institute of Radiation Physics at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland found abnormally high levels of polonium on the personal belongings of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. This formed the basis for many questions that could require additional scientific findings. The outcome of the lengthy investigation conduced by Al Jazeera on the death of Arafat, with the help of international experts and scientists, constitutes clear proof that Arafat was poisoned.

Guest, Male #2 (Dave Barclay, Forensic Scientist)
I am happy now because this evidence is very strong, and I think we found an important element. There is no reason for the presence of this level of polonium on Arafat's belongings. The presence of polonium on his personal items means it can also be found in Arafat's body, as in inside his blood cells and urine.

Reporter, Male #2
Barclay is a member of the team of experts. He indicated that polonium's percentage is reduced by half every four months. In Arafat's case, the level could have decreased by hundreds, which means it was at hundreds of millions in 2004. But how can that be proved?

Guest, Male #2 (Dave Barclay, Forensic Scientist)
To absolutely prove it, you have to exhume the body from the tomb and look at things like teeth, and cavities, and the parts that can't be polluted after his death. If you get the same levels of polonium as those in one of the samples, then this will be absolute proof.

Reporter, Male #2
The same issue was tackled by Francois Bochud, the head of the Institute, who said that that polonium decays, and any possible evidence could disappear if there's any delay.

Guest, Male #3 (Francois Bochud, Head of the Institute of Radiation Physics at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland)
If she really wants to know what happened to her husband, then a sample must be retrieved from Mr. Arafat's body. An exhumation should provide us with a sample that should have a very high quantity of polonium if he was poisoned.

Reporter, Male #2
Scientific data needs to be compared to the examination of Arafat's remains. If the results are similar, experts say it proves that the Palestinian leader was poisoned with this material, since it is usually only produced in nuclear reactors.

Presenter, Male #1
The Geneva-based Forum for Human Rights and Development has called on the Palestinian Authority, all Arab states, and the Islamic organization to present a request for a special session at the UN General Assembly with the aim of forming an international committee to investigate the killing of President Arafat.

Presenter, Male #1
In a statement received by Al Jazeera, the forum stressed on the importance of starting the international investigation from where Al Jazeera's investigation ended two days ago, as in with the discovery of high levels of polonium in Arafat's belongings. The statement indicated the Forum for Human Rights and Development is ready to send an independent investigative team that includes experts in forensic medicine and criminal investigation, to find out if the late Palestinian leader was assassinated.