Renewed 'insider attacks' on foreign troops in Afghanistan alarm NATO [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey is holding talks with NATO leaders in Afghanistan centered on halting the attacks its forces are coming under from "insiders" in Afghanistan. These attacks have caused the death of 40 western soldiers, 10 of whom are Americans, since the beginning of the year. Dempsey's Afghan visit came as New Zealand's prime minister, John Key, announced that his country is considering the possibility of withdrawing its forces earlier than planned in 2013, adding that New Zealand has lost dozens of soldiers in Afghanistan.

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Gaddafi loyalists blamed for bombing in Libyan capital [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
The Libyan authorities have arrested 32 supporters of the previous regime in connection to the recent bombings that struck Tripoli.

Reporter, Male #1
The political landscape in the new Libya still isn't clear. Despite the success of the recent elections, the security situation is still volatile, and Libyans have grave fears of what they see as political shortcomings to put an end to the explosions around the country.

Reporter, Male #1
These explosions rocked the capital, Tripoli, targeting security installations. Security sources said a car bomb exploded near a Ministry of Interior building without causing any victims. When security forces arrived, another unexploded car bomb was discovered, as two other bombs exploded within minutes near the former headquarters of the women's police academy on Omar Bin al-Mukhtar Street, leading to the death of two and injury of another five.

Reporter, Male #1
The Libyan authorities were quick to blame Gaddafi loyalists after announcing that they detained dozens of suspects connected to yesterday's bombings. The bombing occurred less than two weeks after a similar explosion targeted a military police station in Tripoli, causing the injury of one person. The country has recently witnessed a number of violent incidents, though most were limited to the eastern provinces. Libya is dealing with the widespread availability and distribution of weapons by the militias that is leading to the various violent scenarios the country has witnessed.

Reporter, Male #1
Observers of the Libyan situation view these explosions as a test for the newly-elected National Assembly, which took over power earlier this month from the National Transitional Council. It aims to advance the country's affairs by imposing its influence over the armed militias, and to fulfill the goals for which the Libyan people revolted.

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US asked to hand over drone footage or face UN inquiry [Press TV, Iran]

The United States is coming under mounting global pressure over its use of drones for combat and espionage missions in several countries, including Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, Ben Emerson, called on Washington to open itself to an independent probe into the legality of the attacks. He says the US government must hand over footage of air strikes to investigators; otherwise, the UN will be forced to step in.

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Protests, clashes erupt in Kashmir following Eid prayers [Press TV, Iran]

While Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of Ramadan, Indian-controlled Kashmir has erupted into violence as people took to the streets after Eid prayers for pro-independence demonstrations.

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Deadly battles rage in Syria as UN ends mission [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female #1
Clashes are continuing to rage in Aleppo and Damascus. In response to comments issued by the new peace envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said that what's happening in Syria is not a civil war, but terrorist crimes targeting the Syrian people.

Reporter, Female #2
As the observers began packing their bags before leaving Syria at the end of their mission, clashes in the capital Damascus continued. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced that battles took place in both the Kadam and Assali districts between rebel fighters and regime forces. In addition, the Local Coordination Committee said that the Free Syrian Army clashed with regime forces in the Jobar quarter after the Free Army targeted a checkpoint in the area.

Reporter, Female #2
The Syrian Revolution's General Commission announced that this morning, regime forces raided the town Moadamieh al-Sham. The scenario repeated itself in the city of Aleppo, with continuous clashes in the Salaheddine neighborhood and the Suleiman al-Halabi quarter in the eastern part of the city, where several neighborhoods were shelled by regime forces.

Reporter, Female #2
In Daraa Province, in the south of the country, the opposition Syrian National Assembly restated that the city of Hirak is witnessing a second day of fierce attacks by regime forces using helicopters, tanks, and artillery shells.

Reporter, Female #2
On the political front, the Syrian Foreign Ministry responded to statements made by the new UN special envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, by saying that talking about a civil war in Syria contradicts reality, and that it only exists in the minds of conspirators.

Reporter, Female #2
The Syrian official news agency, SANA, reported on an official source in the department, saying that what is happening in Syria is terrorism targeting the Syrian people. The terrorist crimes, the official said, are carried out by armed Takfiri gangs supported by "known countries" with money, arms, and shelter, and indicated that it is not the responsibility of any nation, side, or international envoy to discuss who can lead Syria, because only the Syrian people can make that call. The source pointed that if the international envoy wishes to succeed in his mission and to gain the cooperation of the Syrian government, he must abide by the specified guidelines of this mission.

Reporter, Female #2
The Syrian Information Ministry denied news reporting the death of a major Syrian military figure, saying it is "baseless and falls within the framework of desperate psychological warfare to undermine the determination of the Syrian people." Internationally, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the idea of establishing safe zones in Syria will not lead to an end of the crisis in the country.

Guest, Male #1 (Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister)
Opportunities to end the violence in Syria will present themselves if all conflicting parties immediately demand the start of negotiations to establish a transitional government. We call on everyone, including external players, to stop sabotaging the two UN Security Council resolutions.

Reporter, Female #2
On a different note, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced that consultations with Russia must begin to suffocate the Assad regime financially, saying that the ongoing struggle in Syria is costing Damascus one billion euros a month. In Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced that his country is unable to host more than 100 thousand Syrian refugees, adding that a buffer zone on the Syrian territory may eventually be established to cope with the influx of refugees that has reached 70 thousand.

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Militants' Eid attack on Yemeni intelligence HQ kills 20 [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
The security problems in Yemen have recently worsened, and now threaten the future of the political process. An attempt by soldiers from the Republican Guard that is headed by Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, the son of the deposed president, to storm the Defense Ministry in the capital Sanaa cast its shadow on the attempts to restructure the army and security. Gunmen who are believed to be from al-Qaeda waged several attacks in Aden and Abyan that caused dozens of deaths and injuries.

Reporter, Male #2
In Yemen, there are no indications that the security situation might be stabilized in the near future. Even the people's joy during Eid al-Fitr was spoiled with scenes such as these.

Reporter, Male #2
This shows part of the aftermath of the double attack waged by gunmen, and believed to be from al-Qaeda, on the neighboring radio and television building and the political security headquarters in the city of Tawahi in Aden Province. The attack resulted in the death of over 20 soldiers and civilians and was widely condemned by political forces, most notably the southern movement.

Reporter, Male #2
But at the same time, it revealed loose security procedures, and maybe the state's limited ability to fill all the gaps undermining the country's stability, amid an ongoing state of disruption engulfing the army and security.

Guest, Male #3
Suddenly, we found them attacking us with grenades and all kinds of heavy and light machine guns, and from all directions. We were not able to make a single move.

Reporter, Male #2
The next day, having barely recovered from the Aden incident, a suicide bomber struck another area: Modiya in Abyan Province, causing deaths and injuries. However, the open war with al-Qaeda is only one of the security issues in Yemen.

Reporter, Male #2
Here, in Sanaa, security procedures seem heightened, especially after the attempt to storm the Defense Ministry by soldiers from the Republican Guard. The soldiers had refused the president's decision to be transferred to another military zone. This is what some are viewing as a military mutiny, similar to the incident during which gunmen and police members stormed the Ministry of Defense.

Reporter, Male #2
The dangerous security situation is also reflected through intensified fortifications around the president's house, especially after his last decision to end the dependency of some military security on forces divided between the revolution's supporters and opponents.

Guest, Male #4 (Mohsen Khadrouf, Retired Brigadier)
The security institution is not under control, and this is why there a security vacuum. Al-Qaeda is present, loyalists to the former president are present, and thugs are present.

Reporter, Male #2
The Yemeni president is facing difficult challenges, but many people believe the key to the solution remains in his hands. And that key is removing the military leaders who are preventing unification of the army. Hamdi al-Bokari, Al Jazeera, Sanaa.

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Four PLFP members arrested for plotting to kidnap Israelis [IBA, Israel]

Shabak, the Israeli security service, announced that it has arrested four members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, an organization that is part of the Palestine Liberation Organization, that was planning attacks and the kidnapping of Israelis to use as bargaining chips to free Palestinian prisoners.

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US Joint Chiefs head: Israel views Iran threat with more urgency than US [IBA, Israel]

The United States and Israel have the same intelligence reports on Iran's nuclear program, but view the threat differently, says Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, who added that Israel views the threat with more urgency, since a nuclear Iran could endanger Israel's existence, while the US "does not live with that existential threat." Meanwhile, opposition chairman Shaul Mofaz has called for a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the "general deployment leading the State of Israel into war," and the readiness of the reserves, state of equipment, training, and understanding with Washington regarding the situation.

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Four Israeli teenagers in custody after almost beating Arab teenager to death [IBA, Israel]

Four teenage suspects, including a 13-year-old, are being remanded at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court for being involved in the beating of a 17-year-old Arab, Jamal Julani, last week. One of the suspects admitted his role in the crime, but expressed no remorse for his actions, saying that he hopes the victim dies because he insulted his mother. Police say they are expecting to make additional arrests. Eyewitnesses say that dozens of teenagers beat Julani almost to death shortly after midnight on Thursday in Zion Square.

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Iron Dome system stationed near Eilat after rocket attacks [IBA, Israel]

Just days after two Grad-style rockets were fired at Eilat, the IDF stationed an Iron Dome rocket defense system near the Red Sea resort city, saying the deployment of the battery was part of an ongoing experiment to test the system in various locations around the country. The threat to the southern city has increased from Sinai since the fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, as Egyptian security forces there have lost control of the Sinai Peninsula.

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IDF makes changes to POW training based on Gilad Shalit's experience as Hamas captive [IBA, Israel]

The IDF is instituting changes in its seminars for servicemen simulating interrogation and life as a prisoner based on the former Hamas captive Gilad Shalit. The army has recently wrapped up its debriefing of Shalit, who was freed last October after being held five and a half years in solitary confinement by the Hamas group in the Gaza Strip. Pilots and soldiers in elite units go through this special training, and now the military has added lesson learned from Shalit's experience. Shalit was the longest Israeli prisoner ever held in captivity, and the first POW to be release alive since the first Lebanon War.

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Somalia swears in new parliament [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
Members of the Somali parliament held a meeting in the capital Mogadishu to complete the steps of the transitional phase, which include electing a new parliament speaker and a president for the country. The transition is expected to be completed within days amid disputes between parliament members, who were elected by tribal leaders under a quota system. Many hope that this will lead to an end to the cycle of violence witnessed in the country.

Reporter, Male #2
Somalia is taking its final steps toward an end to the transitional phase that lasted eight years. After drafting a constitution for the country last month, the parliament is holding its first session to elect a parliament speaker today, and a president for the country in a few days.

Guest, Male #1 (Ali Halni, BBC Correspondent in Mogadishu)
Until now, we don't know who will preside over parliament, but if the presidency goes to a certain tribe, then selecting a speaker will be limited to two or three tribes, because it is unacceptable in the Somali tribal tradition to have the same tribe presiding over two posts.

Reporter, Male #2
As for the presidential post, this man, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who assumed power in 2009, hopes to retain it. But there is a major controversy surrounding Sheikh Sharif. The UN stated in a report that corruption was rampant during his presidential term. The UN envoy to Somalia said that bribery, intimidation, and favoritism were practiced by tribal leaders when selecting members of parliament, before some were disqualified by a technical committee.

Guest, Male #1 (Ali Halni, BBC Correspondent in Mogadishu)
This has caused controversy. They selected members from their tribes, and they disqualified anyone who may have been involved with the former warlords. This has created a major obstacle in the past few days.

Reporter, Male #2
The process remains a critical moment in the history of Somalia. Since the 1991 downfall of Somali President Siad Barre's regime, warlords, Islamic militants, as well as neighboring and non-neighboring countries, have been interfering in Somalia's affairs.

Reporter, Male #2
The transitional government is only maintaining control over the capital, while the central and southern territories remain under the control of the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab Movement, which has not halted its attacks in a reminder that the Somali model still applies. However, observers believe that the country is moving toward a Lebanon-type regime, where the positions of the president, the prime minister, and the parliament speaker, would be shared among the major Somali tribes. Mustafa al-Minshawi, BBC.

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Sudan seizes large cache of weapons in Kassala Province [Sudan TV, Sudan]

Presenter, Female #1
In Sudan, the military and security apparatus in the province of Kassala was able to seize a large amount of weapons being transferred to the city of Kassala.

Presenter, Male #1
Security sources in the state noted that its alert security apparatus and its ability to protect the country in cooperation with vigilant citizens is able to achieve security and stability.

Reporter, Male #2
The armed forces and the security apparatus in the state of Kassala are conduction ongoing operations to protect the security and the safety of the country. Their actions are leading to the unveiling of operations that aim to destroy the economy, and to shake the country's security and stability.

Guest, Male #3 (Brigadier General Mohamed Adam Taky, Head of Security Apparatus in Kassala)
The security authorities were able to track a major operation involving weapons' smuggling on bridge number six, 20 kilometers from Kassala, as the weapons were headed to that city. There were 50 Kalashnikov rifles and 40 Kalashnikov magazines.

Reporter, Male #2
The security apparatus confirmed its ability to protect the country in the face of everything that threatens its security, peace, and stability, affirming it is fully ready to deal with these threats. It also noted that security is everyone's responsibility.

Guest, Male #3
God willing, we call on the citizens to report any case of suspicion that is similar to these operations, or immediately report any operations of smuggling, whether it is weapons, food, or fuel.

Reporter, Male #2
The government of Kassala Province praised the role regime forces and the security apparatus are engaged in to achieve security and stability for the citizens, and confirmed its endorsement of and support for facing the security and economic challenges.

Guest, Male #4 (Mohamed Youssef Adam, Governor of Kassala Province)
We congratulate our brothers in the armed forces, the 11th division, for this good and blessed act, in this blessed month. And we hope for continued alertness.

Reporter, Male #2
Despite the efforts exerted by the security apparatus, which has achieved many successes such as these operations, the issue remains dependent on the cooperation between the citizens and the security apparatus to preserve safety and the peace. Kamal Seiki, Sudan TV, Kassala Province.

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Tunisia's revenues from tourism fell by 50 percent after Jasmine Revolution [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male #1
Tunisia's tourism industry, the third pillar of the country's economy, is deeply struggling after the Jasmine Revolution as its revenues are dwindling. More details in the following report.

Reporter, Male #2
Tourism in Tunisia is considered the third pillar of its economy, and is still witnessing a recession after the 2011 Jasmine Revolution that forced former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali to flee to exile, leaving the country in a long period of instability. The tourism industry in Tunisia, with its different divisions, provides over 400,000 jobs. In 2010, over seven million tourists visited Tunisia, but following the revolution, tourism revenue has witnessed a 50 percent drop.

Guest, Male #3
There are no tourists. We work with cruise ships; they bring tourists in the morning, and when they leave, we close shop and go home.

Reporter, Male #2
Under these circumstances, several credit rating agencies, including Moody's and Standard and Poor's, have downgraded Tunisia's credit rating in 2012, as the country is striving to recover from the recession.

Guest, Female #1
The situation is deteriorating, and no matter what they say or how much they lie that it's improving, it's still dire. Exports have declined, and I work in the exports industry, and they have completely declined. Investors don't have trust, and don't want to invest under these circumstances.

Reporter, Male #2
The withdrawal of foreign investment represents a further challenge to the government that is attempting to overcome such blows.