Clashes intensify between Syrian rebels and security forces in battle for Damascus [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male #1
Damascus is no longer immune from the gunfire that was sparked by the Syrian crisis some 16 months ago. According to the Syrian Revolution Coordination Union, fierce clashes erupted between the regime's army and the Free Syrian Army across various neighborhoods of the capital, including al-Midan, al-Tadamun and the Sabaa Bahrat Square in central Damascus. The clashes led to a large-scale displacement of the residents.

Presenter, Male #1
In response, the regime's army heavily deployed armored vehicles and military machinery in the capital. Turkey announced the defection of a Syrian general and several military officers, who arrived in Turkey yesterday among 1,200 refugees. Hanan al-Hayedri has the details.

Reporter, Female #1
The volcanic eruption of the Syrian crisis is making its way to the den of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in central Damascus. Under this theme, the Free Syrian Army launched a widescale attack on the Syrian capital.

Reporter, Female #1
For the second consecutive day, fierce clashes described as street battles have been raging between the regime's forces and members of the Free Syrian Army. The battles may change the path of the Syrian revolution. In al-Midan neighborhood, overlooking the city's center and vital areas, clashes are continuing to rage.

Reporter, Female #1
The clashes turned Damascus into what appeared to be a military zone, where regime forces deployed armored vehicles along the main roads and stationed snipers on rooftops, especially in the residential neighborhood of al-Midan. The Free Syrian Army was redeployed in the neighborhood's alleys, where the two armies exchanged fire.

Reporter, Female #1
In neighborhoods adjacent to al-Midan, fierce clashes are continuing, especially in al-Tadamun, Kafr Susa, al-Zahera, Juber, and al-Mazza, which is not far from Bashar al-Assad's stronghold. In addition, clashes are raging in the neighborhoods of al-Assali and al-Qaboun.

Reporter, Female #1
The Free Syrian Army has stepped up its attacks in what appeared to be a strategic move with the aim of opening a new battlefront in the Syrian capital. The Syrian army issued a statement confirming that the capital is witnessing a widescale aggression, and called for cutting off all major and international roads.

Reporter, Female #1
Far from Damascus, the scene is not different. Regime forces are continuing to launch air and artillery shelling across various neighborhoods in Aleppo, Hama, Daraa, Idlib, and Homs. The Syrian army announced that it has regained control of the city of Talbisa.

Reporter, Female #1
The expansion of battles to the neighborhoods of Damascus and other cities represents a key turning point in the Syrian crisis, which the international community has still failed to resolve.

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Bahraini activists rally in solidarity with Saudi anti-regime protestors [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
The February 14th Coalition in Bahrain called for holding demonstrations in all areas of the country to express loyalty to the martyrs of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and to confirm their "martyrdom until victory" approach. The revolutionary youths organized this day to commemorate the martyrs, demand retribution for the killers, and as a day of solidarity with the family of martyr Jabir Ibrahim al-Alwiyat, who was killed after the revolution erupted on February 14th, 2011.

Reporter, Male #2
During a candlelight vigil to display loyalty to the martyrs of al-Qatif, the Bahraini people called for unity, citizens' rights, and raised slogans indicating they share the same pain as the Saudis, in reference to the role of the Saudi army in crushing protests in Bahrain.

Reporter, Male #2
The Bahraini demonstrations were held in dozens of cities and towns on a day called for by the revolutionary youths to stand in solidarity with the protestors in the Eastern Province. These calls were extended to holding a symbolic funeral procession for martyr Abdallah al-Ujani, who was killed by the gunfire of Saudi security forces in the area of al-Awamiyah a few days ago.

Reporter, Male #2
Bahraini regime forces responded to the demonstrations with pellet shotguns and poisonous tear gas. In the island of Sitra, homes were covered with poisonous gas smoke, after a demonstration calling for social justice had ended. As for Karzakan, it witnessed arrests and house raids. Citizens reported that their properties were subjected to looting and stealing after a demonstration calling for the downfall of the dictatorship was dispersed.

Reporter, Male #2
Under the banner "The martyr's son is our son," the opposition organized a performance for the children of the martyrs which was attended by politicians and activists.

Guest Male #3 (Mohamed al-Masqati, Head of the Bahraini Youth Association for Human Rights)
I am here to tell you that we will punish everyone who committed a crime against our martyrs.

Reporter, Male #2
The Saudi occupation army is continuing to reinforce its military might in Bahrain. A military convoy was seen entering the bridge linking Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, and heading to one of the camps in the southern part of the country. Media sources confirmed that the occupation is redeploying its forces.

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US navy kills fisherman after firing at boat off coast of UAE [Press TV, Iran]

India calls the killing and injuring of its nationals by the US navy "unfortunate." The incident took place when a US warship opened fire on a fishing boat in the Persian Gulf on Monday. Indian Minister for External Affairs S.M. Krishna says that India is in contact with the US and the UAE regarding the incident.

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Sixty percent of Saudi citizens live below poverty line [Press TV, Iran]

Over sixty percent of people in the world's largest oil producer and exporter, Saudi Arabia, live below the poverty line, according to Saudi activists. However, official figures say that 22 percent of Saudis live below that line. Activists say the kingdom's annual revenues amount to 1,500 billion Saudi riyals, while each citizen receives only 1,500 riyals each month.

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Conflicts in Africa dominate talks as AU summit ends [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
The African Summit ended in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Presenter, Male #1
African leaders made several decisions, most notably, on the crisis in Mali.

Reporter, Male #2
The crisis in Mali that dominated the African Union's summit, also topped the summit's decisions as military reinforcement was agreed on in order to enable the country to restore control, along with forming a national unity government. The formation of a military force in the Great Lakes district was also decided on to settle what was described as the danger of growing armed conflict.

Guest, Male #3
There is a direction to endorse the efforts of the economic group of West Africa so legitimacy can be restored in Mali. With regards to the Great Lakes, the approach is to form a mechanism to eliminate negative forces in that region.

Reporter, Male #2
The conflict between Khartoum and Juba is preoccupying African leaders, who optimistically viewed the meeting between the Sudanese president and the president of South Sudan as a way to resolve the conflict. But at the same time, they stressed the importance of reaching an agreement on the set date.

Guest, Male #4
The date that was set is August 2nd; it was decided by the African Union and approved by the UN Security Council. So we are insisting that both parties reach an agreement as soon as possible, even before the end of the month if possible.

Reporter, Male #2
The summit was also characterized by choosing Dlamini Zuma, the South African president's former wife and the current interior minister, as president of the African Union, making her the first women to assume the presidency.

Guest, Female #2
This is not a victory for me; it is a victory for women in general, and specifically African women. I am here to serve African interests, and Africa is not an isolated island, so we will work with different international organizations, and urge them to serve the African agenda.

Reporter, Male #2
As for the summit's main topic, it was commerce between African countries. However, the issue was sidelined as the summit was dominated by disputes; disputes that are constantly haunting the people of the African continent. Al-Taher al-Mardy, Al Jazeera, Addis Ababa.

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Kadima considers leaving coalition government over Tal Law dispute [IBA, Israel]

The Kadima party is due to convene in order to consider whether to leave the Netanyahu-led coalition government over the issue of an alternative to the Tal Law involving the drafting of the ultra-Orthodox into the military and national service. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last night told his Likud faction that their differences with Kadima could be worked out. The Tal Law expires in less than two weeks.

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Israeli defense committee focuses on Sinai's growing terror cells [IBA, Israel]

The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee discussed growing terrorist infrastructure at its latest meeting. Director of Military Intelligence Major-General Aviv Kochavi told the committee that the IDF has recently thwarted the activities of at least 10 terror cells based in the Sinai. According to sources in Jerusalem, the Sinai terror infrastructure was one of the subjects discussed during US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Israel.

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Egypt court to rule on draft of new constitution [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
In Egypt, several altercations took place in front of the headquarters of the administrative court during a special session discussing the litigation to dissolve the Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting the new constitution. Dozens of Muslim Brotherhood members and supporters of President Mohamed Morsi protested against the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly. Protestors consider the assembly to be representative of Egyptian society. In return, dozens of supporters of the liberal parties, most notably al-Masryeen al-Ahrar party, demanded the dissolution of the assembly. Protestors accused the Islamic factions of seeking to monopolize all state institutions.

Presenter, Male #1
The administrative court decided to hold a session tomorrow to review the court's request. This comes after demands were put forth by Muslim Brotherhood lawyers during the session, under the pretext that the court had previously reviewed the request. The Muslim Brotherhood started to mobilize its members in the early morning hours in front of the court's headquarters, which witnessed heavy security deployment, according to Egyptian media outlets. This comes one day after members of the assembly held a press conference to assure that they will respect the administrative court. Our correspondent Attia Nabil has the details.

Reporter, Male #2
This is part of the work conducted by the review committees of the Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting the new Egyptian constitution. These committees are continuing to function despite the ambiguities surrounding the work of the Constituent Assembly, which is waiting for a verdict from the administrative court regarding an appeal over its formation. In anticipation of the Supreme Administrative Court's ruling, President Mohamed Morsi approved a law entailing the formation of the Constituent Assembly. The law was issued by the People's Assembly only two days after a verdict was issued to dissolve the assembly itself.

Guest, Male #3 (Tahrwat Shalibin, Chief Judicial Editor)
This cuts the road short to appeal the decision, because it is now law. There are no other ways except to file a litigation that this law is unconstitutional. The law was ratified yesterday by the president of the republic. The law will then head to the constitutional court and get tied up in a legal battle. With that, the state will then face a legislative battle with the military council. The president needs to reclaim his legislative authorities.

Reporter, Male #2
In a press conference held by the Constituent Committee office, there were confirmations that the committee will continue its work regardless of the judicial decisions, because the committee was not formed to engage in this legal battle. The committee noted that it nearly completed settling most issues regarding the drafting of the new constitution, despite the presence of some outstanding differences.

Reporter, Male #2
The executive committee of the constitutional assembly assured that it will complete its work before the six-month period set by the constitutional declaration. Also, the final draft of the constitution will include new articles that were added for the first time in the Egyptian constitution, especially those related to freedom of circulating information and seeking authorities of other religions when it comes to civil administrative cases.

Reporter, Male #2
Desperate attempts are being made by members of the Constituent Assembly of the Constitution in anticipation of the administrative court's verdict over the dissolution of the assembly and the formation of a new committee to draft Egypt's post-revolution constitution. But these attempts are colliding with a large number of laws and legislation, as well as a constitutional declaration which may further complicate the issue. Attia Nabil, BBC, Cairo.

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Egyptian journalist released after two-week detention in Sudan [Nile TV, Egypt]

Presenter, Female #1
After being detained for two weeks, Egyptian journalist Shaimaa Adel arrived home accompanied by President Mohamed Morsi, after Sudanese authorities released her following President Morsi's meeting with his Sudanese counterpart, Omar al-Bashir. Following her release, Egyptian State TV conducted the first interview with journalist Shaimaa Adel after she arrived to Ethiopia.

Reporter, Male #1
In the wake of the meeting between presidents Mohamed Morsi and Omar al-Bashir on the sidelines of the African Summit, journalist Shaimaa Adel traveled from Khartoum to Addis Ababa after her release by the Sudanese authorities. President Mohamed Morsi was keen to have breakfast with her at his residence. The conversation was friendly, removed from the uproar of media outlets, and concluded with the woman expressing her gratitude to the president and the revolutionary youths.

Guest, Female #2 (Shaimaa Adel, Egyptian Journalist)
President Mohamed Morsi was following up with me since I left Sudan and came here. Today, I had breakfast with Dr. Mohamed Morsi, and we talked, he told me to take care of myself. I see that the people revolted to retrieve the Egyptian people's dignity, and I felt that the revolution's results were achieved. It was something unexpected for the president to interfere on my behalf, but it was good.

Reporter, Male #1
Shaimaa Adel, the journalist with al-Watan newspaper who returned with the president aboard his plane, tells part of her arrest story, recounting how the Sudanese authorities treated her, and how she held on to her anticipated moment of freedom, even it was delayed.

Guest, Female #2
The problem was that I worked without a permit, but the investigation was different. I was accused of spying, plotting for regime change, and of meeting with the Sudanese opposition in Germany. At the end, they said the problem wasn't with me, but with the two other women they arrested with me.

Reporter, Male #1
Egyptian and Sudanese foreign ministers congratulated Shaimaa, and spoke of the importance of abiding by each country's laws. At the same time, they praised the deep mutual relations between both countries as a basis to solve such outstanding problems.

Guest, Male #2 (Sudanese Foreign Minister)
We hope that our cooperation is at the same level of our relations.

Guest, Male #3 (Egyptian Foreign Minister)
In the name of President Mohamed Morsi we thank our Brother Omar al-Bashir; Egypt and Sudan are one country.

Reporter, Male #1
Shaimaa's story confirms that Egypt always supports its children and always stands by them at times of hardship. From Addis Ababa, Raafat al-Fitta, Nile TV.