Syrian army wages fierce battle against rebels attempting to seize central Aleppo [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female #1
In Syria, the site of clashes has expanded while Russia reminds Syria that it joined the Geneva Protocol on the non-use of chemical weapons. Meanwhile, the American secretary of state has announced that time has not yet run out for al-Assad to start a transition of power. Earlier today, media outlets announced the Syrian ambassador to Cyprus defected from the regime.

Reporter, Male #1
The Syrian army has continued to carry out raids and go after armed groups in a number of neighborhoods in the Syrian capital that is not under its control. State-run TV confirmed that specialized security parties managed to take control of many sites terrorist groups were seeking refuge in after these groups were eliminated. It added that the residents have started to return to their homes.

Guest, Male #2
This is good; we were scared to leave. No one dared to come out here. Everyone was scared to come here.

Guest, Male #3
When the armed groups were here, they were destroying the homes, and stealing from them then burning them.

Reporter, Male #1
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement that fierce clashes erupted between opposition fighters and government forces in the neighborhood of al-Sukari and parts of Salah ad-Din in the city of Aleppo. The statement indicated that other clashes took place in the provinces of Hama, Idlib, al-Hasaka, and Daraa. For his part, the head of the opposition Syrian National Council, Abdel Baset Sayda, met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, then demanded the international community take the necessary measures to prevent the Syrian regime from using chemical weapons.

Guest, Male #4 (Abdel Baset Sayda, Head of Opposition Syrian National Council)
We are working for a decision to be issued from outside the Security Council, because the United Nations' current mode of operation, and old rules that date back to the Second World War, is unable to deal with new situations, especially when we are facing a regime that has been killing its people for 16 months.

Reporter, Female #1
Jordanian sources close to the government announced that daily high-ranking meetings are being held to look into the possibility of sending Jordanian special forces to protect chemical and biological weapons if the Syrian regime falls. For his part, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the use of chemical weapons by Syrian government forces would be unacceptable.

Reporter, Female #1
In other news, the Syrian Coalition of Artists for Freedom is mourning 46-year-old coalition member Wael Qastun, who was from the town of Mar Marita in the countryside of Homs. He was tortured to death. The coalition said Qastun was detained in a security branch in Homs, and was transferred to Homs Military Hospital after his killing. His family was then informed of his death, and his body retrieved.

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Sanctions take toll on Iranian people as they protest rising price of chicken [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
The semi-official Iranian Student News Agency reported that protestors gathered in the largest square in the city of Nishapur, in northern Iran, to protest the rising price of chicken. Protestors held President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration responsible for the increased price of basic commodities in general. Such protests are rare, so they indicate that the impact of Western sanctions on the country is getting worse.

Reporter, Female #1
Crowds at a store in Iran are hoping to buy chicken after its price was recently increased to four dollars per kilogram. The increase in the price of chicken that citizens enjoy here has turned into a controversial crisis.

Reporter, Female #1
It reached its peak in the city of Nishapur in the northern part of the country, where many gathered in the city's main square to hold a rare demonstration against the government. And according to the semi-official Iranian Student News Agency, protestors chanted slogans condemning the government. They say the government allowed doubling the price of chicken in the past two months.

Reporter, Female #1
The price of chicken, like that of other basic food supplies, recently witnessed a noticeable hike following the devaluation of the Iranian currency that was caused by international sanctions, which were imposed on Iran because of its nuclear program. Until today, Iranian chicken production has relied on feed supplies from abroad. Observers do not anticipate widespread demonstrations due to the chicken crisis, even though President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is under growing criticism over his economic policy, which has led to an increased rate of inflation. On social networking sites, Iranians are joking about the emergence of a new social gap. They are sarcastically categorizing some people as being above or below the "chicken line." Wafa Zian, BBC.

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Egypt's Morsi assigns new PM to form government [Press TV, Iran]

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has named a new prime minister. Outgoing Irrigation Minister Hisham Kandil has been appointed to the top post, and is now responsible for appointing a cabinet. Since being sworn in earlier this month, Morsi has been locked in a power struggle with the country's military.

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Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim community bleeds on [Press TV, Iran]

Iran calls for immediate action to stop the mass killing of Muslims in Myanmar. Iran's representative to the UN office in Geneva, Mohammad Reza Sajjadi, has urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to stop the genocide of Myanmar's Muslims. More than 600 Rohingya Muslims have been killed, and thousands more displaced from their homes in recent months. Iranian university students have gathered in front of the UN office in Tehran to condemn the killings.

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Sudanese forces and Revolutionary Front clash in east Darfur [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
In Sudan, the united Revolutionary Front that consists of armed groups active in the states of Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile, and includes the Justice and Equality Movement, said it took control of Karkada in east Darfur, and oil fields in the areas of al-Tabladi and Tabun in South Kordofan.

Presenter, Female #1
However, the Sudanese army spokesman al-Sawarmi Saad denied the claim, saying the movement lost two battles against the regime's army in the areas of Karkada and Um Shuwaika. He added the movement attacked the area of al-Tabun in retaliation.

Reporter, Male #2
The battles in Karkada, Um Shuwaika, and al-Tabun are the first to present the gunmen of the Justice and Equality Movement in such a light following its role in the formation of the united Revolutionary Front in November 2011, and the killing of its leader Khalil Ibrahim one month later by the Sudanese army. The movement is now talking about winning battles, but has not discussed the fate of the Abu Jabra oil field, located near al-Tabun, that pumps most of Sudan's remaining oil after the south's secession. For its part, the Sudanese army confirmed all gunmen were forced out of the area, and described the movement's attack on al-Tabun as retaliation.

Guest Male #3
The Sudanese Armed Forces have expelled the remaining rebels following battles in the regions of Karkada and Um Shuwaika in east Darfur State. The rebels fled running, but retaliated by attacking al-Tabun and shelling the city with their different weapons. The Sudanese Armed Forces responded to them, and caused them great losses.

Reporter, Male #2
The clashes started two days ago near the Sudan-South Sudan border. Al-Khartoum said the Justice and Equality Movement's gunmen came from South Sudan on the way to Darfur, and that the Sudanese army acted within the rights of a sovereign state by expelling them. The Justice and Equality Movement is still being described as a major armed group, unrelentlessly combating the government since 2003. But it is assumed that it has lost some power since joining the Revolutionary Front that consists of other movements from Darfur, Kordofan, and the Blue Nile, and following the death of its leader Khalil Ibrahim.

Reporter, Male #2
Despite the actual outcome of the battles in Karkada, Um Shuwaika, and al-Tabun, their repercussions raise many questions over the nature and sites of the upcoming battles that the Sudanese army must wage. They will also impact the credibility of Sudanese officials talking about achieving peace in Darfur.

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Iraq's Ministry of Oil attempts to combat secret deals, American interference [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
Officials at the Iraqi Oil Ministry confirmed that Baghdad is seeking to regain its former role as a main player in the oil market through a clear policy in its dealings with foreign companies. Observers confirmed that some parties are attempting to deplete the Iraqi oil wealth by making secret deals to drill oil with American parties, and by working to fuel the conflict between Baghdad and the Kurdistan region.

Reporter, Male #2
The signs of Iraq's positive oil policies are now clearly noticeable. Oil ministry officials say they will adopt a policy of engaging with the market and oil companies to regain Iraq's former role as a main player in the oil market. However, they say the policy will differ from the former regime's doctrine that used oil as a weapon against others.

Guest, Male #3 (Assem Jihad, Iraqi Oil Minister Spokesman)
Iraq aims to activate its role at OPEC and OAPEC, and to work on finding stable international prices, and finding a balance between supply and demand. In addition, Iraq wishes to be transparent when it comes to its oil revenue. And this is why Iraq was eligible to join the Transparency International organization.

Reporter, Male #2
But the aspirations that Iraqi officials referenced have started to clash with the attempts of internal and external forces to deplete Iraqi oil wealth by making secret deals to drill oil, and by selling it to American oil companies.

Guest, Male #4 (Abdul Zahraa Al Majid, Political Analyst)
Iraq functions under the demands of the American market, not the global market. And this is what leads to an increase in exports, which were said to have reached nearly 3 million barrels per day. This means that there is a surplus in the supply of oil to the markets, and this ultimately leads to stabilizing the price of oil worldwide.

Reporter, Male #2
Observers believe that Washington is using these companies' contracts to fuel a conflict between Baghdad and the Kurdistan region that insists on exporting oil to Turkey after having created a crisis with the central government.

Guest, Male #4
When the Kurdistan region exports oil and strikes deals with an American company like Exxon Mobile, this drains potential Iraqi capacities in those areas in northern Iraq. So it enables the American company to obtain oil as cheaply as possible, and the areas the company explores are depleted as much as possible.

Reporter, Male #2
In recent months, Iraqi oil production reached 3,400,000 barrels per day, a record-breaking rate that Iraq hasn't reached for 20 years, and will undoubtedly render Iraq a main and influential player on the global oil market.

Reporter, Male #2
So Iraq's oil policy is a balancing act and provides it with rapprochement opportunities with its neighbors, the region and the world despite the secret and public drawbacks, to which the American intervention policy can partly be attributed to. Haydar Kassem, Al-Alam, Baghdad.

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Knesset rejects Shaul Mofaz's request to oust four Kadima members from party [IBA, Israel]

The Knesset house committee has rejected Shaul Mofaz's proposal to oust four Kadima MKs who tried to split from the party, based on the advice of the Knesset's legal adviser. The MKs in question said that there were talks about leaving the party, but that there was no commitment.

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Traditional Palestinian dishes remain Ramallah's most popular food [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Female #1
Falafel, fava beans, and hummus are popular dishes that have stayed on the Palestinian table from one generation to the next, and have became part of the Palestinian heritage. Both rich and poor seek them, and this food is preferred to high-end meals because of their nutritional benefits, flavor, and most importantly, price. Shoruk Asaad reports from Ramallah.

Reporter, Female #1
Bandali remains a major destination for popular food in Ramallah, even though the city is flooded with thousands of international restaurants. It is famous for its fava beans, hummus, falafel, and mesabaha, and has been here in the Old City for over 60 years. Abu Yaaqoob, the store owner, has worked here for 10 years. He starts preparing the food at six in the morning before people start arriving.

Guest, Male #1 (Abu Yaqoob, Storeowner)
I am here at 5:30 or six in the morning. I get everything ready. I prepare the seasoning; we boil the hummus and prepare the fava beans.

Reporter, Female #2
What is the most popular dish?

Guest, Male #1
The hummus. The price for it with falafel, and a coke is about 13 shekels. In other places it's anywhere between 5 and 10.

Reporter, Female #2
From morning until noon, people from all social classes flow into this place. Some are picking up breakfast for their family while others are having breakfast before heading to work, or during their lunch break. Each has their favorite recipe.

Reporter, Female #2
Some prefer it spicy, while others add a lot of chickpeas and tahini, or "dakka" as Palestinians call it. These popular dishes are cherished even though Ramallah is flooded with all types of new restaurants. Nothing compares to the flavor of these popular meals. They are healthy, but also accessible to everyone. They are appetizing and healthy meals, but are also cheap, which makes them invaluable amid the inflation, unemployment, and difficult economic situation.

Guest, Male #2
It is always suitable, especially during difficult economic conditions, when it remains within everyone's reach.

Guest, Male #3
It's cheaper than any other breakfast. If employees or even those who are unemployed were to have a sandwich in Ramallah for example, they'd pay 25 or 30 shekels.

Reporter, Female #2
So this store is always overcrowded because nothing compares to these traditional meals.