Iranian foreign minister harassed by Iranian dissidents in New York City [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Male #1
Outside the halls of the United Nations in New York, the Iranian delegation took a short break. What started out as a typical stroll for Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast, didn't turn out to be pleasant. As soon as Iranian dissidents noticed him passing by, they attempted to assault him. The Iranian official quickly resorted to asking the New York police for help, while the police appeared uninterested, according to footage broadcast on the American Fox News channel. The deputy chief of the New York police said that a passing police car helped the Iranian diplomat rid himself of the assailants, estimated to be about 100 individuals in number.

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The Sudans sign trade and security deal, as border region remains in dispute [Dubai TV, UAE]

Presenter, Female #1
Four days and six sessions have ended with a partial agreement. This is the outcome of negotiations between the Presidents of Sudan and South Sudan, Omar al-Bashir and Salva Kiir, after holding a series of talks. The agreement includes a number of issues, such as citizenship and security arrangements between the two states, as well as a raft of economic agreements, including one on oil. However, the agreement failed to tackle disputed issues, most notably, the area of Abyei, and the issue of border demarcation between the two countries.

Presenter, Female #1
The two presidents agreed to hold a new round of negotiations in Addis Ababa to solve the remaining issues, but did not set a specific date. Spokespeople for Khartoum and Juba said that the security agreement will allow a resumption of oil exports from the south through the north. They indicated that the current talks between the presidents of the two countries, which carried on for four days in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, have witnessed a breakthrough.

Presenter, Female #1
Sudanese were split into proponents and opponents, with regard to the partial agreement in Addis Ababa. The ruling party viewed the agreement, which tackled eight issues while excluding the status of the Abyei region, as a first step towards peace. Meanwhile, some parties viewed the agreement between Khartoum and Juba as a losing hand that comes at a critical time. Observers believe that the agreement is unlikely to hold, as it was created as a temporary truce, in order to avoid sanctions. Our correspondent, Sami al-Shinawi, reports from al-Khartoum.

Reporter, Male #1
The negotiation labor pains between the two Sudans were not fruitful, given their failure to reach an agreement on the disputed Abyei region. Despite this, the ruling party hailed the new agreement as a reflection of a political will that once again rejects the return to war.

Guest, Male #2 (Rubia Abed al-Aati, Ruling Party Official)
The ruling party welcomes this agreement, because it was reached after extensive consultations with the various party blocs, especially considering that the talks were conducted by authorized members of the party and in accordance with its platform.

Reporter, Male #1
The agreement involved eight issues, which include oil, borders, and commercial trade, but excludes the dispute over security in the territories of the Blue Nile and Abyei. It was received with less optimism by some Sudanese parties, especially since it comes at a critical time.

Guest, Male #3 (Al-Tayyeb Mustafa, Just Peace Forum Chairman)
Saudi Arabia supports the rebels fighting the country's ruling authority. The People's Movement is occupying part of our land. We shouldn't even negotiate with them until we liberate our land by force.

Reporter, Male #1
And between the two positions, observers expressed optimism over this partial agreement, which they say will reassure the international community, and spare the Sudans from the cruelty of sanctions.

Guest, Male #4 (Khaled Saad, Elaf Newspaper Editor-in-Chief)
The agreement at the summit between Sudan and the southern state could be described as a temporary cooling-off period for the armed conflict between the two countries, because the issues that were left unresolved, sadly, can reignite war between the two sides at any time.

Reporter, Male #1
The two sides have signed agreements on many occasions, but having to work out the details usually hampered implementation efforts. The Abyei region, which is the most complicated issue between the two countries, remains the primary obstacle that could lead to a critical situation, especially in absence of tribal consent. Sami al-Shinawi, Dubai TV, al-Khartoum.

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Israel's Netanyahu spells out 'red line' for Iran in UN speech [Press TV, Iran]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the recent Muslim protests against an anti-Islam movie as an act of the "medieval" forces of radical Islam, saying that Israel "stands proudly with the forces of modernity" and protects the rights of all of its citizens. He also said that diplomacy and sanctions have failed to stop Iran's nuclear program, saying that the only peaceful way to prevent Iran from getting an atomic bomb is to put a red line on the country's nuclear drive.

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemns settler violence in UN address [Press TV, Iran]

In his own UN address, acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas, has slammed Israel for its "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians in Israeli-occupied territories through the demolition of their homes, construction prevention, revocation of residency rights, and the denial of basic services, saying that through settlements, Israel is changing the historic demography of the region.

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Yemeni women 'worse off' after uprising, amid deepening food crisis [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
A report that was recently issued by the British organization Oxfam revealed that Yemen is suffering from the problems of hunger and malnutrition. The victims are mostly women and children, who account for more than half of the country's population. The worsening food and economic crisis will threaten Yemen's stability and development if it is not addressed promptly. This is a matter that will limit the dreams of millions who went out into the streets demanding change and reform.

Reporter, Female #1
This woman's eyes are filled with tears. She is complaining, as millions of other Yemeni women have, of the bad living conditions that she and her family are living through, due to the worsening economic crisis, and the recent spread of hunger and poverty in the country.

Reporter, Female #1
A recent report by the British Oxfam organization, which was titled, "Still Waiting for Change in Yemen," reported that the condition of 4 out of 5 women has worsened over the last year.

Reporter, Female #1
Yemeni women, who participated in the popular uprising, are affected the most by the food crisis there. Despite the optimistic atmosphere that accompanied the power handover from former President Ali Abdullah Saleh to current President Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi, the desired improvement for the economic situation did not happen, according to the Oxfam organization's report.

Reporter, Female #1
The hunger crisis has hit nearly half of Yemen's population, including about a million children who suffer from severe malnutrition. Several humanitarian relief agencies promptly responded to this crisis. They called on the Friends of Yemen Conference, which is scheduled to be held today in New York, to rapidly respond to the calls for relief. They also called on them to disburse the pledges they promised in 2006, which amounted to nearly USD 5 billion. Yemen has so far only received 10 percent of that amount.

Guest, Female #2 (Amel Alariqi, Spokeswoman for Oxfam Organization in Yemen)
There are deep concerns that the humanitarian situation is deteriorating day after day. We now have 10 million people who cannot find enough food. We have a million children who are suffering from malnutrition. It's very important that this aid arrives as soon as possible, so that the humanitarian conditions in Yemen don't worsen.

Reporter, Female #1
Aside from the stability in Yemen, the crisis also threatens the future of Yemeni children, which is in jeopardy. It was reported that Yemen's malnutrition rates are amongst the highest in the world. Yemeni women complain of being unable to buy food and find job opportunities. Many of them were forced to take their children out of school and have them beg in the streets.

Guest, Male #2 (Ahmed al-Ansi, Yemeni Health Minister)
Yemen is going through a very difficult and critical situation, and it needs all efforts and all opportunities available.

Reporter, Female #1
It seems that Yemen needs a strategic plan to guarantee its exit out of this crisis, which is worsening day after day, as well as a prompt response to the urgent needs on the ground. It needs a comprehensive strategy that guarantees the resolution of the root causes of the crisis.

Reporter, Female #1
This country's citizens took to the streets a year ago, in search of freedom, reform, security, and stability. But their Spring has brought poverty, malnutrition, and further deprivation. Samah Hamdan, BBC.

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Syrian refugee population could reach 700,000 by year's end: UN [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
The Syrian Network for Human Rights said that 31 people were killed today in shelling by Syrian regime forces on different areas.

Presenter, Male #1
According to local coordination committees, artillery shelling has resumed on several neighborhoods of Deir az-Zour. Activists spoke of shelling that targeted Kafranbel in Idlib, and the Kallasa neighborhood in the center of Aleppo. They also reported the outbreak of clashes between the two armies, the regime's army and the Free Army, near Neirab Airport in Aleppo.

Reporter, Male #2
Activists say that the city of Zabadani, in the Damascus countryside, has been pounded by artillery for over 80 days. Regime tanks are stationed atop two mountains overlooking the city, putting all of its neighborhoods in the line of fire.

Reporter, Male #2
Around 100 shells fell on several areas this morning. Yesterday, a total of 400 shells were counted. In Homs, a scene without shelling might appear unnatural, since activists say the areas there are shelled daily. Among them are al-Ghant, al-Rastan, and both neighborhoods of Jobar and al-Sultaniyya.

Reporter, Male #2
Conditions have not changed in the city of Abu Kamal. The shelling continues. In Khan Shaykhun in Idlib, wherever the camera is pointed, it captures images of shells pounding the town. In Hama, Aleppo Street has been subjected to an assault operation by regime forces since this morning. In the nearby neighborhood of Mashael al-Arbaeen, bulldozers and heavy machinery were demolishing homes. Activists say that the homes belong to families whose only guilt is supporting the revolution.

Presenter, Male #1
Given this climate, the United Nations expect the number of Syrian refugees in surrounding countries to rise to 700,000 by the end of the current year, 2012.

Presenter, Female #1
This figure greatly exceeds previous estimates by the High Commissioner for Refugees at the United Nations. The regional coordinator for the commissioner said the refugees who escaped the crisis that has been ongoing in their country for 18 months, are centered in four countries that neighbor Syria: Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey. The commissioner will present a comprehensive plan regarding the refugees after they are finished with the registration procedures, which are taking place in the camps in the aforementioned countries.

Presenter, Male #1
On the humanitarian level, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid at the European Union, Kristalina Georgieva, said that the escalating violence in Syria, and the difficulty of reaching civilians in need, hinder the distribution of humanitarian aid in the country.

Presenter, Female #1
The European Union estimates that 2.5 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian aid, among them 1.2 million who fled their homes.

Presenter, Male #1
The European Union official highlighted the need for further ease of movement within Syria, so that the Union can boost its efforts. She stressed the dire need to hold higher-level negotiations that would allow aid workers to reach the needy, especially since there seems to be no horizon to the end of the crisis, and since the winter season is approaching.

Presenter, Female #1
Despite the fact that the European Union has provided 287 million dollars for humanitarian efforts in Syria, Georgieva asserted the need for further donations to meet the growing needs.

Presenter, Male #1
All of the sides in the conflict also renewed their calls to adhere to international law. This would allow relief workers to reach conflict zones to evacuate civilians and the injured.

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Iran oil exports cut by 50 percent in the past year [IBA, Israel]

Perhaps undercutting Benjamin Netanyahu's primary claim that economic sanctions on Iran are not proving to be effective enough, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has released a new report showing that international punitive measures are in fact affecting Iran's economy. The report, which was leaked to the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper, finds that Iran's oil exports declined by 50 percent in the past year, while food and electricity prices have skyrocketed.

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World leaders speak out on Syrian crisis [IBA, Israel]

At the United Nations General Assembly, the Syrian crisis was placed in the spotlight. World leaders called for international intervention in the humanitarian crisis taking place in the country, and the removal of President Bashar al-Assad. British Prime Minister David Cameron called for a "political transition," saying that "the future for Syria is a future without Assad." Jordanian King Abdullah II also said that "there is no alternative to a political solution" that will end the bloodshed.

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Saudi forces kill two during attempted arrest of fugitive [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
The Coalition for Freedom and Justice in Saudi Arabia announced the martyrdom of Khaled Abdelkarim al-Labad, and 16-year-old Mohamed Habib al-Manasif, by the gunfire of regime forces, during a raid of dozens of homes in the Eastern Province town of al-Awamiyah. Angry demonstrators came out to demand an international investigation of the crimes committed by the regime. Tarfiya Prison, which is in the city of Breida in the northern part of al-Qassim Province, is witnessing a sit-in to demand the release of prisoners.

Guest, Male #1 (Khaled Abdelkarim al-Labad, Martyr)
The interior ministry said that I incite strife, and that I sought to damage private and public property. These are all lies. But I can tolerate this for the sake of al-Qatif's community.

Reporter, Male #2
He is the martyr Khaled al-Labad. He was on a list of 23 people wanted by the Saudi interior ministry, and was accused of participating in peaceful protests in Eastern Province. He was killed by the gunfire of the Saudi regime during a raid on his home in the town of al-Awamiyah.

Reporter, Male #2
The regime's forces did not stop there. They also deliberately opened indiscriminate fire, and shot 16-year-old Mohamed Habib al-Manasif, which led to his martyrdom. Others were also wounded, some critically. Additionally, neighboring homes were damaged.

Reporter, Male #2
The Islamic Solidarity group and the Coalition for Freedom and Justice condemned the attacks in the town of al-Awamiyah, and considered the massacre committed by the regime against its people a dangerous escalation. They held Riyadh accountable for every drop of blood spilled by the regime's forces, and demanded an investigation into every deliberate and systematic murder. They also demanded retribution from officials, assuring that the movement will continue until the people's demands are met.

Guest, Male #3
The state must know that their actions are certainly adding to our persistence, and do not reduce our determination. Our determination isn't going to decrease.

Reporter, Male #2
On the other hand, the Interior Ministry announced that two people were killed and two others were wounded by the regime forces' gunfire, during its attempts to raid a home to arrest a man in the town of al-Awamiyah in Qatif Province, which is witnessing demonstrations. A spokesman for the ministry justified the murder by claiming that the fugitive, al-Labad, and his companions started opening fire on security forces, so the forces responded by opening fire themselves. They killed the wanted man and one of his companions, and wounded two others who were present with him.

Reporter, Male #2
As soon as the news of the martyrdom of al-Labad and his friend al-Manasif broke out, angry demonstrators came out in different cities and other parts of Eastern Province, demanding an international investigation into the massacres committed by the regime against its unarmed people.

Reporter, Male #2
The rest of the area is also witnessing a state of popular mobilization, as a result of the authorities ignoring prisoners' families, who demand the release or trial of prisoners. Several peaceful demonstrations were witnessed. The most recent one was a sit-in in front of Tarifya Prison in the city of Breida, which is in the northern part of al-Qassim Province. It coincided with a crowded sit-in in front of the Saudi Human Rights Commission in the capital, Riyadh.

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Israeli 'occupation' erects wall near Hebron's al-Ibrahimi Mosque [Palestine TV, Ramallah]

Presenter, Male #1
The occupation forces have begun to erect a wall that divides the road leading to Harat al-Salaymeh, east of the holy al-Ibrahimi Mosque in the city of Hebron, in the course of a racial discrimination policy that is being carried out against our people.

Reporter, Male #2
After it issued a military order to get its hands on citizens' land in Harat al-Salaymeh, which is adjacent to al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, the occupation forces started to erect this separation wall, which divides the road leading to the old neighborhood into two parts. The wider part is dedicated to passing settlers and their cars, and the sidewalk is designated for Palestinian families to get to their homes.

Guest, Male #3
We worked with the Hebron Reconstruction Committee, in cooperation with the Hebron municipality and the citizens of this area. We headed to the Israeli High Court, and presented a suit against this matter in order to annul it. We also presented a cease and desist order to stop these acts.

Reporter, Male #2
The occupation cut up al-Balad al-Qadeema and the surroundings of the holy al-Ibrahimi Mosque with more than 100 barricades and gates, and set up these tents for its settlers to practice their Talmudic rituals in the courtyards of the mosque. With these measures, they aimed to place restrictions on the citizens. And displacing them was not enough. They unleashed their settlers to attack our people, and their attacks have extended to children, women, and the elderly.

Guest, Male #4
Placing the fence inside the corridors of al-Balad al-Qadeema is a blatant violation, and aims to displace the citizens of the city. Dozens of Palestinians will be forced to leave this area because of daily harassment at their homes. This fence will isolate Harat al-Salaymeh, which is located north of al-Ibrahimi Mosque, and all the surrounding areas, while offering facilities to the settlers and their soldiers through the seizure of corridors in this area.

Guest, Male #5
Yesterday, I was attacked by a settler. They attacked us from over there. They had dogs. They attacked us from here, and they continued to do so over there. And they began to chase us.

Reporter, Male #2
And in accordance with the military order, the construction of this wall, which extends to 30 meters, will continue until it reaches 200 meters. It will cut off the northern front of the holy mosque, reinforcing the illustration of racial discrimination, which is still an approach that is being implemented by the occupation against our people.

Reporter, Male #2
The erection of this wall illustrates the discriminatory face of the occupation, which continues to allow settlers to attack citizens. From Harat al-Salaymeh, Diaa al-Jeneidy, Palestine TV, Hebron.