Jewish extremists storm Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
Israeli police arrested three Palestinians after a fistfight that occurred in the courtyards of the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque. This news comes after a group of settlers stormed the mosque's courtyards. The police also arrested two settlers after they performed prayers in the courtyards. In addition, settlers assaulted the Franciscan monastery in Jerusalem, and wrote slogans insulting Christians and Christ, peace be upon him.

Presenter, Female #1
The Israeli occupation reinforced its security presence in Jerusalem during the days that coincide with the Jewish celebrations of what's known as Sukkot, or the Festival of Booths.

Reporter, Male #1
Nearly 100 settlers, headed by Moshe Feiglin, leader of the extremist wing of the Likud ruling party, stormed the courtyards of Jerusalem's Noble Sanctuary, under the protection of Israeli occupation forces. The settlers were confronted with dozens of Muslim worshippers.

Reporter, Male #1
The scene quickly escalated into a physical altercation, which ended with the arrest of three Palestinians. The occupation's forces also arrested Feiglin and another settler for disobeying orders, and performing Talmudic prayers in the Noble Sanctuary's courtyards.

Guest, Male #2 (Ahmed al-Rueidi, Head of Palestinian Presidential Office's Jerusalem Affairs Unit)
This new crime is part of the campaign that's being waged against the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israel is now plotting to build the alleged Temple Mount, and change the status of the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque regarding shared prayer times and areas.

Reporter, Male #1
This aggression, which comes amid the celebrations of the Jewish Sukkot holiday, was preceded by tight security measures around Al-Aqsa Mosque. Muslims under the age of 45 were prevented from performing prayers at the mosque. Not far from here, Jewish settlers attacked the Franciscan monastery in Mount Zion. They wrote slogans insulting Christ, peace be upon him, and signed them with the phrase "Price Tag." This was quickly erased by occupation forces before the arrival of the media.

Guest, Male #3 (Wadi Abu Nassar, Catechetical Commission Media Advisor)
Israeli authorities are apparently not taking matters very seriously. They don't want to deal with this dangerous phenomenon. I believe this dangerous phenomenon is posing a threat not only to Muslims and Christians, but also to all reasonable people in the region.

Reporter, Male #1
Israeli police said that they are investigating the incident and trying to see if it's linked to other recent aggressions.

Guest, Male #4 (Moshe Berikit, Israeli Police Brigadier General)
We are evaluating this serious aggression, and doing everything in our power to identify the address of the person who wrote these phrases.

Reporter, Male #1
However, this series of aggressions continues. Previous attacks were also launched against the Latrun monastery near Jerusalem, as well as mosques in the occupied West Bank, without the arrest of suspects in most cases. It coincides with calls for dividing prayer times between Muslims and Jews at the Noble Sanctuary, in addition to calls for turning its courtyards into public spaces frequented by everyone.

Reporter, Male #1
Palestinians believe that the attacks on the Muslim and Christian holy sites would not take place if it weren't for the protection provided by the occupation to the perpetrators. These acts of aggression appear to be a test of Jerusalemites' reactions before they launch premeditated plans that could be much worse. Elias Karam, Al Jazeera, occupied Jerusalem.

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Somalia's al-Shabab claims responsibility for blasts in 'liberated' Kismayo [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
The Somali al-Shabab movement announced its responsibility for two explosions that took place today in the Somali city of Kismayo, which was its last main stronghold, vowing to conduct more attacks. African Union forces, backed by tanks, had entered the city for the first time since Somali and Kenyan forces defeated al-Shabab's fighters.

Reporter, Male #2
It seemed like just a short while ago, these beaches in Kismayo were the last stronghold of the Somali Muslim al-Shabab movement. Government forces have entered it, augmented by thousands of soldiers from the African Union forces.

Reporter, Male #2
A violent explosion shook one of the buildings in the city, but no damage or losses were reported. Al-Shabab movement claimed responsibility for the explosion, and vowed to wage more attacks on the city. The news received from Kismayo mentioned that Kenyan military units, backed by tanks, were at the front lines of the African Union forces, who were deployed on Tuesday in different parts of the city.

Reporter, Male #2
Officials announced that these forces took their positions and took full control of the city after securing its main areas, among them the port, airport, and police stations. A Somali official said that dozens of al-Shabab fighters were arrested, and called on all fighters of the movement to put down their weapons.

Reporter, Male #2
Al-Shabab rebels exerted their influence on the city for over a year. However, they announced their withdrawal from the city on Saturday, after an extensive attack waged by Kenyan and African Union forces. Kenyan forces once again advanced 200 meters into Somali land, after 17,000 soldiers from the African Union forces were added to their numbers. Anwar al-Ansi, BBC.

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Iranian rial falls to all-time low as Western sanctions take hold [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
The suffocating financial crisis that Iran is facing has boiled over into the internal situation there, as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attempts to dispel accusations of shortcomings by his government, while admitting that international sanctions have affected the Iranian economy.

Reporter, Female #2
The suffocating financial crisis that Iran is facing began to show signs in Iran's internal situation. The pace of objections against the government of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have risen, as a result of its silence on the sharp fluctuation in the currency markets after the Iranian rial hit its lowest level in history against the dollar on the open market. The government's silence in responding to this crisis led many circles to contest the government's performance in confronting the crisis.

Reporter, Female #2
What is prominent in this campaign is the caliber of people contesting the government's performance. Among them is Hussein Shariatmadari, president and editor-in-chief of the Iranian Kayhan newspaper. He criticized the government and the silence of economic authorities in the country, saying that "they put the currency market in the hands of a known mafia," without clarifying what that mafia is.

Reporter, Female #2
The semi-official Iranian Fars News Agency, which speaks for the Revolutionary Guard, stated that the government remained silent with regard to the currency crisis the country is facing. It questioned whether the silence in this case is a sign of satisfaction with their actions, or whether those responsible for decision-making in the economic arena have been struck with depression and obscurity.

Reporter, Female #2
On the other hand, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the West of waging an economic war on Iran. He denied the presence of a shortage of hard currencies in the Iranian market, and clarified that the Iranian rial was devalued because of international sanctions on Iran.

Reporter, Female #2
In a press conference, Ahmadinejad said that he sees a psychological war accompanying this external international pressure, which led to the devaluation of the currency. He noted that the Central Bank is trying to provide for all the demand for hard currencies, and called for combating violators in the his country's currency market. And as trading began, the exchange rate for Iranian rials to American dollars fell by 2.6 percent. This comes one day after the rate's dramatic decline of 17 percent. The American dollar is currently being sold in Tehran markets for 37,000 rials.

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Renewed violence in Damascus, while Syrian army resumes shelling of Aleppo [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
Clashes continue in Syria between regime forces and the armed opposition, as al-Asaad denies he was besieged in Aleppo.

Reporter, Male #2
The pace of violence is escalating in Syria. Today's clashes raged in several areas of the country. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 11 people were killed in shelling and attacks, especially in the countryside of Damascus. Meanwhile, violent clashes continued in Aleppo between regime forces and opposition fighters. Syrian television said that Syrian security forces destroyed what it called "terrorist dens," and confiscated weapons and ammunition.

Reporter, Male #2
Government media outlets mentioned the deaths of the rebels, among them a Tunisian. On the other hand, opposition websites said that civilian casualties fell in the city of Salqin in northeastern Syria, which was subjected to the regime's tanks and artillery shelling. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that violent clashes took place between regime forces and Free Army fighters in the cities of al-Qadam and Assali in the capital. The clashes were accompanied by violent shelling, which caused injuries and damaged some homes.

Reporter, Male #2
As for Aleppo, the violence was as it usually is. Clashes between regime forces and opposition fighters took place in the outskirts of the neighborhoods of Arkoub and Suleiman al-Halabi. Meanwhile, the neighborhoods of Sheikh Khodr, Sakhour, and Sheikh Faris, have been shelled by Syrian regime forces. The Observatory confirmed that a number of people were injured in violent shelling conducted by regime forces on the neighborhood of Masaken Hanano.

Reporter, Male #2
Politically, in the opening of its regular session, the Syrian People's Assembly speaker waged an attack on Saudi Arabia regarding the Syrian crisis.

Guest, Male #3
This comes in the context of the Saudi kingdom's ongoing blatant aggression, as well as its affiliation with the West, which targets Syria and its people through its claim of being the custodian of the two notable sanctuaries. This is consistent with their desperate attempts to undermine Syria and its stability, by supporting, funding, and giving arms to the armed terrorist groups.

Reporter, Male #2
As for Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi, he confirmed his government's persistence in continuing to get rid of the terrorists, who are trying to strike the country economically after they were defeated militarily.

Reporter, Male #2
The Leader of the Free Syrian Army, Colonel Riad al-Asaad, denied reports that regime forces besieged him in Aleppo. He also denied traveling with a number of Free Army officers to Israel, but did not give his whereabouts. He described those who came up with the allegations as "real agents" of the Israeli enemy.

Reporter, Male #2
As a response to the possibility of Damascus using chemical weapons, and Tehran's reaction to such an approach, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said the following.

Guest, Male #4
Iran is the anchor of security. If this theory were to come true, everything would end. If any country, including Iran, used weapons of mass destruction, it would end the legitimacy of this government.

Reporter, Male #2
Salehi's words came during his participation in a discussion circle organized by the American Council on Foreign Relations.

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Israel: Netanyahu meets with finance minister in last-ditch effort to prevent early elections [IBA, Israel]

Reports circulating around Israel are saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the verge of calling for new elections, perhaps as soon as in two weeks. He met this morning with Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz to discuss the possibility of passing the state budget, which would be one of the factors in deciding whether Israelis will go to early elections.

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US memo: Mahmoud Abbas's UN bid 'extremely counterproductive' [IBA, Israel]

The United States has called on European governments to help stop the Palestinian Authority's attempt to upgrade its status at the United Nations to that of a non-member state. The Guardian newspaper cited a US memorandum to EU governments describing PA President Mahmoud Abbas's UN maneuver as "extremely counterproductive," and warned of significant negative consequences for the PA, including financial penalties.

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Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak slams FM for criticizing PA President Abbas [IBA, Israel]

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak harshly criticized Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman for calling Abbas the "biggest obstacle to peace," and advocating his removal from office. Barak said that Lieberman's comments do not reflect Israeli policy, adding that if Abbas were ousted, Hamas would take over.

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Scores of political groups to hold Jordan's 'largest ever' pro-reform protests [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Male #1
In Jordan, 77 political and popular fronts announced a drive for large demonstrations in Amman next Friday, dubbed "The Friday to Save the Homeland," to demand political and social reforms.

Reporter, Female #1
This is how the situation appears in Jordan, which hasn't seen a lull since the launch of the Arab revolutions last year, as a result of the ongoing escalation of the popular movement. "The Friday to Save the Homeland" or "Friday's Worrisome March" is a Friday called for by the opposition Islamic movements. This comes at a time when tensions are increasing between the government and the opposition.

Reporter, Female #1
Jordanian streets are erupting in anger due to the failure of the Tarawneh government to respond to protestors' demands. These demands are viewed by the Jordanian street as legitimate, with the absence of freedoms, deteriorating living conditions, and rising costs. As much as it disregards popular demands, the government is also deliberately applying a policy of incitement and intimidation against popular movements, specifically the Islamic ones, by filling the squares with its own supporters.

Reporter, Female #1
In the framework of banning the "Savior Friday" march, which is planned for the coming Friday, a group calling itself "Youths of Allegiance" decided to protest in al-Nakhil Square. This is also where the Islamics plan to hold their demonstration, in an approach that aims to obstruct the expected protest movement, and deny the protestors their demands. The Jordanian street is treading in hot water, between the opposition, which demands change, and supporters backed by the government, who aim to cover up the crises that are battering Jordan.

Reporter, Female #1
The most important of these crises is likely the scarcity of water. The shortage struck several parts of the country over the span of the last few months, as Jordan has witnessed the worst and most difficult summer months, according to the Secretary-General of the Water Authority. Most Jordanians suffer from a chronic lack of water, in a country where the government provides the Israeli entity with a large part of its water supply under the reconciliation agreement known as the Wadi Araba Treaty. What makes things worse is that rainfall has fallen in the past years to below average, which caused an estimated shortage of 500 million cubic meters a year.

Reporter, Female #1
Observers are warning of a brewing popular revolt that could engulf Jordan at any moment, as a result of the deteriorating living conditions, as well as the government's stubbornness in disregarding the voices of the angry streets for over a year.

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Blast in southern Afghanistan kills American soldier [Press TV, Iran]

NATO has confirmed that a blast in southern Afghanistan has killed an American soldier. Earlier, Taliban militants claimed that they shot down an American helicopter in the southern province of Zabul. They said several US foreign soldiers died in the crash, but NATO said that technical glitches forced the chopper to land.

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Insider attacks on the rise as US hits 2,000 deaths mark in Afghanistan [Press TV, Iran]

The US has reached a grim milestone in its military defensive in Afghanistan as soldiers' deaths have surpassed 2,120. There are rising concerns over the number of insider attacks; at least 52 soldiers this year have been killed in insider attacks by Afghan government forces or Taliban forces. About half of US soldiers have died in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand. During his monthly press conference in Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen commented on the recent insider attacks, saying that they are forcing the US-led troops to rethink their system of training Afghans, as the Taliban have adapted their strategy to weaken Western forces.

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Jailed Bahraini activist Mohammed Mushaima dies in custody [Press TV, Iran]

A 24-year-old Bahraini activist, Mohammed Mushaima, has died of an illness while in custody. He was in jail serving a prison term of seven years for taking part in anti-regime protests. He was pronounced dead at a government hospital in the capital Manama. Officials say that he was suffering from a hereditary disease. Lawyers say that they asked the court to release Mushaima because of his health, but their request had been denied.

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Palestinian footballer al-Sarsak declines Barcelona FC invite due to attendance of Gilad Shalit [Palestine TV, Ramallah]

Presenter, Male #1
Freed prisoner Mahmoud al-Sarsak, who received an official invitation from the Barcelona club to attend the Spanish Clasico game next week, announced that he rejected the invitation after it was confirmed that Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will be attending the game.

Reporter, Male #2
The continuing influx of solidarity activists at the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza every week is gaining momentum in the media, as well as at the popular and official levels. The latest development was the attendance by representatives of the legislative council at the weekly sit-in with the prisoners' families.

Guest, Male #3 (Ashraf Jomaa, Palestinian Legislative Council Member)
Today marks the launch of our "Victory, Freedom, and Hope" mobilization to support the resistance of our courageous prisoners. This will take place locally, regionally, and internationally. We at the committee will do everything we can to help the prisoners' families and relatives.

Reporter, Male #2
Here, the freed prisoner Mahmoud al-Sarsak determined his stance over the Barcelona club's invitation to attend the Clasico. He rejected the invitation in form and content, after the club insisted that Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit would attend, urging the international organization to stop equating the victim and the oppressor.

Guest, Male #4 (Mahmoud al-Sarsak, Freed Prisoner)
I apologize to the fans and the administration of the Catalonian club for not attending or participating, for the following reason. Inviting Gilad Shalit to attend is equating the Zionist oppressor with the Palestinian victim. And therefore, I will not attend. There is a big difference between arresting a soldier from inside his tank who wears a military uniform, holds a rifle, and kills defenseless innocents, and arresting a soccer player at the Beit Hanoun military checkpoint.

Reporter, Male #2
Others felt the raging fire in the hearts of the prisoners' families, and vowed to attend sit-in circles to express their solidarity. Because of their belief in their just cause, they will assuredly continue down this path until the dawn of freedom shines.

Guest, Female #1 (Haya Asaad, Solidarity Activist)
I am in solidarity with our prisoners. The prisoners of Palestine, and our female activists, our sisters, daughters. They are our brothers and sisters. Even if I am not related to any prisoners, we are still brothers and sisters. We must all look out for each other and stay in solidarity with each other until this case ends, and until the sun of freedom shines on every prisoner.

Reporter, Male #2
This act of solidarity is growing with the growing prisoners' resistance inside the occupation's prisons. This site has become a meeting place for resistance, for the prisoners' relatives and for those who are concerned about the case.