Syrian opposition organizes 'The Day of Badr' [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female # 1
Syrian opposition websites reported that the Rukn al-Din neighborhood in Damascus is witnessing a wide-scale security campaign similar to that of Homs province. Tanks have reportedly shelled the city of Hula in Homs and the army is surrounding al-Nazheen. Meanwhile, the opposition continues to rally its supporters to participate in massive demonstrations under the slogan "The day of Badr: The day of victory and steadfastness."

Reporter, Male # 1
"The day of Badr: The day of victory and steadfastness" is the slogan chosen by the Syrian opposition for its new mobilization campaign within the framework of "the days and nights of determination," which was called for in the middle of the month. Amid the latest series of anti-regime protests, the Syrian regime continued its security campaign in a number of regions. Witnesses said the village of al-Hula in Homs is being subjected to heavy shelling with nearly 50 Syrian army tanks participating in the attack. In addition, snipers are stationed on rooftops. Meanwhile, opposition social networking pages reported that security forces and the shabeha stormed homes in the city of al- Khalidiya in Homs, looted and wrecked them amid an arbitrary arrest campaign that also affected passers-by. In addition, Syrian army tanks surrounded al-Nazheen neighborhood in Homs, where a number of people were reportedly killed and hundreds arrested. Syrian opposition websites reported the Rukn al-Din neighborhood in Damascus witnessed a wide-scale security campaign that started in the early morning after over 2,000 heavily armed men stormed the neighborhood and began raiding homes and arresting residents. Opposition sources also said soldiers entered the city of Adnan in Aleppo from the northern entrance and headed toward the western cemetery, where they searched and exhumed graveyards. As the security situation deteriorates in Syria, the United Nations withdrew 26 of its employees in Damascus as activists posted photos on social networking sites of a protest held by intellectuals in front of the Pharmacists' Union in Idlib. The same scene has repeated itself since the first day of the holy month of Ramadan with massive nightly anti-regime marches being held after the Taraweeh prayers in a number of cities and towns. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on a number of killings and injuries, especially in Homs and Deir az-Zour after security forces fired live bullets at protestors to disperse them. Amid the escalating security situation, a humanitarian condition was highlighted by the Coalition of Free Damascenes, who accused the Syrian regime of allowing injured citizens of only receiving treatment in public hospitals, where security forces are heavily deployed. These forces are arresting the injured after they recover. The coalition clarified that some doctors who support the Assad regime are assaulting the injured, adding that blood banks are not supplying the injured with blood when needed, leading activists to secretly smuggle blood bags into the hospitals. As for the most recent defection, a Syrian conscript defected from the army in az-Zawiyah.

Guest, Male # 2
I announce my defection from the army and I announce that I am joining the Free Officers because of the security forces and the shabeha's crackdown.

Reporter, Male # 1
On the other hand, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem confirmed the exposure of different dimensions and the background of what he described as the conspiracy against Syria. In a speech to the Syrian parliament, he spoke about the recent developments and indicated that some of the countries pressuring Syria under the pretext of ending the violence are committing acts of incitements and distorting the facts. Al-Muallem accused these countries of ignoring what he called the crimes of the armed terrorist groups, who he said are the source of the violence witnessed in some Syrian cities and towns. At the same time, the Central Committee of the ruling Baath party met today for the first time since the beginning of the current crisis. Syrian newspaper al-Watan said the one-day meeting will result in a series of decisions that reinforces the reform process and broadens political participation.

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Libyan rebels vow to topple Gaddafi by the end of August [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
The Libyan National Transitional Council adopted a political plan for the roadmap to transfer power to an elected parliament within eight months and adopt a new constitution. This comes after the revolutionaries announced their complete control over az-Zawiyah and Jabal al-Nafusa and their preparation to advance towards the capital Tripoli.

Reporter, Female #2
Elation prevailed over the Libyan opposition after it gained a series of successes on the ground that brought an expectation of the Libyan regime's downfall by the end of August. The opposition has started planning for the post-Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi phase. In the light of these developments, the Libyan Transitional Council adopted a constitutional statement to draw the road map that it said was requested by the international community to transfer power to an elected body within eight months and adopt a new constitution. The ten-page document is comprised of 37 articles that outline the phase after the downfall of the regime. It draws the roadmap to move the Transitional Council from Benghazi to Tripoli, where an interim executive board and transitional government will be formed to administer the country's affairs. The government will be also appointed to organize elections for a national conference that serves as a transitional parliament with 200 members. The Transitional Council will immediately relinquish power at the first session of the conference, which will become the only legitimate representative for the Libyan people. Within 30 days, the transitional parliament will appoint a prime minister to form a government to be approved in the parliament. On the ground, revolutionaries continue to make progress. They announced their full control over az-Zawiyah and Jabal al-Nafusa and are preparing to advance to the capital Tripoli. They said that residents of Tripoli are preparing for an uprising, even though the atmosphere here inside the city appears completely different.

Guest, Male #2,
We don't care about the NATO anymore, we live our life here just as before. We practice our daily activities just as usual. We no longer care about them.

Guest, Male #3,
Despite the bombing, NATO cannot stop everything. The street lives on, as you can see. No words can describe the movement of the street. People are still going out and shopping during Ramadan. The movement is normal.

Reporter, Female #2
While the atmosphere in Tripoli appears to be normal as these scenes show, heated battles are ongoing on the outskirts and neighboring areas. In Brega, revolutionaries affirm that they will soon prepare to take control of it. The Libyan people and the world are anticipating that the coming days will bring developments that may announce the end of the Libyan issue, which started over six months ago, with the downfall of Gaddafi and his regime that has lasted 42 years.

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Yemeni opposition forms national council against Saleh [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Female #1
The Yemeni opposition has announced the formation of the National Council for Revolution Forces in the capital Sanaa. The council includes more than 140 members from the various political blocs in the country. This news comes despite some internal reservations regarding the percentage of representation of council members. Joining us from Sanaa is Mohammad Yahya al-Sabri, member of the Supreme Council of the Joint Meeting Parties. Mr. Mohammad, how effective is this council that you have formed in countering its rival campaign, represented by Ali Abdullah Saleh and elements of his regime.

Guest, Male #1 (Mohammad Yahya al-Sabri, Member of the Supreme Council of the Joint Meeting Parties)
First, we believe this plan is a very important step for the Yemeni revolution. We, the opposition, have not announced the formation of this council, though we were the ones to call for creating it as a symbol of our revolution and struggle, bringing all elements of the Yemeni revolution under its wing. As far as the official side is concerned, I believe this side ceased to exist. Yemen no longer has a recognized body of authorities. What we have here is a rare form of authority, represented by remnants of the regime, which is committing acts of violence, murder, and collective punishment against the citizens of Yemen. As we speak now, no one is able to hear me in Yemen.

Presenter, Female #1
Mr. Mohammad, on the other side, the Yemeni authorities and the head of the regime, President Ali Abdullah Saleh, still believe that Saleh is running the country's affairs. He vowed to return. His health condition seems to have improved tremendously since his last televised appearance. All these factors may serve as a discouragement for the Yemeni opposition factions. Do you agree or disagree?

Guest, Male #1 (Mohammad Yahya al-Sabri, Member of the Supreme Council of the Joint Meeting Parties)
I disagree with you, though it's a legitimate question. The revolution in Yemen has nothing to do with Saleh's health or illness. During the spark of the revolution, Saleh was very healthy. It's continuing, even after his departure. The revolution will continue, as Saleh is no longer the issue. Today, the fundamental issue is Yemen. What we have here today is a group of the regime's remnants, represented by Ali Abdullah Saleh's sons, who are committing acts of collective punishment against the Yemeni people. Again, as we speak, there's a power outage in Yemen. The people are not able to watch the BBC or other media outlets. Water and public services are cut off as well. Everything is under siege. What regime are we talking about?

Presenter, Female #1
Sir, this situation has been ongoing for a long time, even before the spark of this popular uprising, which was followed by protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Will the formation of this National Council for Revolutionary Forces be able to bridge the gap between the popular revolution on the ground and the conventional opposition blocs in Yemen?

Guest, Male #1 (Mohammad Yahya al-Sabri, Member of the Supreme Council of the Joint Meeting Parties)
For sure. There will be a positive outcome, especially with regards to political positions. There was never any fundamental disagreement between the two groups. What we have is a fluctuation of positions. The conventional opposition was part of the revolution and its makeup. It also had a certain political agenda, which may have been imposed on it or was pressured into accepting, especially with regards to foreign initiatives. However, this position may likely improve in light of today's developments. There will be a unified path, a unified direction, and a unified voice. This is the important step that was taken today by the revolutionary forces. It will definitely have a major impact on the future direction of the revolution in terms of escalation and revolutionary actions

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Hamas warns of looming humanitarian crisis in Gaza [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
The Ministry of Health in the ousted Palestinian government said that the medicine crisis started to deteriorate in the Gaza Strip.

Presenter, Female #1
The ministry said that over 180 kinds of medicine and medical supplies have completely run out. It stressed that the situation creates a danger for many patients' lives.

Presenter, Male #1
Walid Tahduh toured al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza and took a glimpse at the crisis through one family's tragedy.

Reporter, Male #2
This is one of the quintuplets born before she was due in Gaza. The current shortage of many kinds of medicine was the reason for their death. They needed medicine to help them stay alive. The medicine finally arrived, but 30 hours too late. It did not change the reality.

Guest, Male #3
I used to have hopes, ambitions, thoughts, and aspirations. I was waiting for them to come, moment by moment, to bring them up, educate them, and grow with them.

Reporter, Male #2
When we arrived at the nursery of al-Shifa Hospital, three of the quintuplets had already passed away. By the time this report was finished, the other two died.

Guest, Male #3
I had heard about the shortage of medicine before, but until I saw it, I thought it was just hearsay and never thought of it as a problem. I never thought that they'd lose their lives due to a lack of medication.

Reporter, Male #2
The father received the death certificate, went to the morgue and signed the paper to take the body of his son, whom he had always dreamed of. He went to the graveyard, dug a tomb with his hands and put the tiny body in it.

Guest, Male #3
In the name of God, here is a tombstone.

Reporter, Male #2
He buried it with dirt. This became the grave of a child called Mohamed, by his side are his siblings Ahmed, Sumaiya, Samiya, and A'isha. The father stays here reciting Surah al-Fatih, or the Opening Chapter of the Quran. The mother, despite the loss, was still strong.

Guest, Female #2
I was extremely sad, of course, I felt like one of them. I watched them grow little by little.

Reporter, Male #2
Despite this tragedy, she still dreams of having a child. The quintuplets and other children died, but the shortage of medicine remains. Therefore, we returned to al-Shifa Hospital to learn more. The Ministry of Health in Gaza warned of a health catastrophe if this crisis continues. Adding more bitterness to this crisis is the Palestinian division in addition to the implications of the siege. Walid Tahduh, al-Jazeera, Gaza, Palestine.

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Israel will not issue apology to Turkey for flotilla raid [IBA, Israel]

There will be no Israeli apology to Turkey for the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid in which nine Turkish provocateurs were killed by an IDF boarding party. That's the word from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who rejected the US request that Jerusalem appease the Turkish demand for an apology. Netanyahu told Secretary of State Hilary Clinton that Israel did nothing wrong and looks forward to the publication of the UN-supported Palmer Committee report, investigating the events surrounding the Mavi Marmara.

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Abbas seeks Lebanon support for Palestinian bid at UN [IBA, Israel]

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has stepped up his efforts for support in seeking UN approval of Palestinian statehood next month. The PA boss travelled to Beirut for talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and President Michel Suleiman. Lebanon is one of the ten non-permanent current members of the United Nations Security Council and will serve as council president in September when the issue of Palestinian statehood is to be addressed.

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Middle East Quartet alarmed by Israeli settlement plans [IBA, Israel]

The Middle East Peace Quartet, including the Obama Administration said it is alarmed by Israel's latest announcement regarding settlement plans. US State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland was asked why the Quartet only seems to criticize Israel. She stated, "This is not a replacement for Quartet action on the larger question, which as you know has been designed to try to get the parties back to the table. In the past, the quartet has occasionally chosen to make statements on aspects of the issue and they felt it was important at this stage to make a discreet statement on the settlement issue but that doesn't change the overall, larger goal of the Quartet, which is to get the parties back to the table."

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Palestinian teenager killed by IDF gunfire along Gaza border [IBA, Israel]

Tension continues along the Gaza border. A Palestinian teenager was killed by IDF gunfire as he approached the sec barrier with Israel. Palestinian officials say the 17-year-old victim was from a central Gaza refugee camp. The army said soldiers opened fire after warning the suspect to stay back. The border fence seperates the Hamas controlled enclave from Israel and serves as major deterrent against infiltration attempts or efforts to plant bombs targeting IDF patrols.

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Barak admits Shalit talks underway [IBA, Israel]

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal has arrived in Cairo amid persistent reports that Palestinian and Israeli delegations are conducting indirect talks aimed at completing a prisoner swap for abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Local media speculates that Israel has reduced the number of security prisoners that Jerusalem insists be exiled to Gaza after their release. Defense Minister Ehud Barak confirmed that there is kernel of truth to the renewed talks but he declined to speculate about Meshaal's involvement of those contacts.

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Nasrallah warns against targeting the resistance [Press TV, Iran]

That is Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah discussing the US backed UN tribunal for Rafic Hariri. The assassinated of Hariri occurred on February 14, 2005. Here is just a brief on a couple of points that were said. The main theme of the speech was the Lebanese people and their sacrifice of the martyrs, the innocent women and children that were martyred, the value of those that sacrificed their perseverance for this cause, defending Lebanon from Israel because Israel is always wanting to take their territory, discuss the oil reserves on Lebanese waters and Lebanese economic zones and how to protect these companies.

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PKK kills eight Turkish soldiers [Press TV, Iran]

The Kurdistan Workers' Party terrorist group, also known as the PKK, has claimed responsibility for killing at least eight Turkish soldiers in country's southeast. Spokesman for the separatist group says the attack in Hakkari province lasted two hours. Locals say the blast was caused by two remote controlled roadside bombs in which several soldiers were seriously wounded. Reports say the Turkish military immediately launched an offensive against the terrorists.

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Bahraini activists release new footage of police violence [Press TV, Iran]

In Bahrain, Saudi-backed regime forces continued to attack protestors in tows and villages surrounding the capital Manama. New footage has been released by activists, which shows Bahraini forces charging at pro-democracy demonstrators on Tuesday night. Activists say that police attacked the demonstrators once they arrived at the scene. Bahrain is amidst a revolution that started in mid-February. Since then, dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more imprisoned.

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Arab and Muslim community organizes Ramadan banquets in Moscow [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Female #1
Due to the absence of Ramadan features from Russia's media and the streets of its major cities, the Muslim community in the country organized a number of activities that connect those who are fasting with the traditions of the blessed month. The Iftar banquets are considered one of the most important events to strengthen the social bonds between the members of this community and to remind them of the customs of their own countries during the holy month. Karim al-Mudaffar reports from Moscow.

Reporter, Male #1
After about 20 hours of fasting, the Russian capital is witnessing lavish Ramadan banquets that gather the fasters together with Ramadan traditions, customs, and foods. Even though each one of these banquets is slightly different, those who are fasting feel the joy of the blessed month of Ramadan in a foreign land. The atmosphere of Ramadan gives the worshipers a chance to enjoy the social customs that they can rarely practice here.

Guest, Male #2 (Sheikh Musab Mohamed al-Jawash, Imam and Preacher)
Well, during the first several years of living in Moscow, we used to suffer from this problem. But now, thank God we can have a group Iftar dinner, exchange meetings, visits, and gatherings, especially during the blessed month of Ramadan.

Reporter, Male #1
For many people here, the Ramadan banquets are a chance to practice one of the Five Pillars of Islam and strengthen the social bonds between the members of the Arab and Muslim communities in Russia. These people who live in a difficult reality rarely have a chance to meet each other.

Guest, Male #3 (Abdullah Essa, Journalist)
I believe that these Ramadan banquets are very important, especially in foreign countries.
There has been a long-time problem of a lack of communication between the Arab and Muslim communities. Through these events, we learn more about traditions of the holy month of Ramadan on one hand, and on the other hand, they provide an opportunity to build a foundation for social solidarity and integration.

Reporter, Male #1
The long distances between the Muslim families did not prevent the worshipers in Moscow from joining in the joy of Ramadan, even though their opinions differ on the exact date of the beginning and end of the holy month. The absence of Ramadan features from the Russian capital and media makes these banquets a desired alternative for social networking among Muslims. The Iftar tables and ornaments carry features of the East. Karim al-Mudaffar, Dubai TV, Moscow.