Kashmiris observe Black Day to protest India's illegal occupation
Press TV, Iran

People in Indian-controlled Kashmir are observing a 'Black Day' to protest what they call India's occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. Over the past two decades since the unrest began in Kashmir, people have observed October 27 as a black day. The day marks the arrival of first contingent of Indian army in the summer capital Srinagar some 64 years ago on the request of the then ruler Maharaja Hari Singh to fight the forces of Punch and Mirpur districts that were supported by tribesmen from the northwest frontier since the Indian army continues to be stationed in the Himalayan region. According to non-governmental organizations there are more than 600,000 Indian security personnel in Kashmir. The top pro-independence leader of Kashmir Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called on people to observe a complete shutdown as a mark of protest against the presence of Indian security forces in the region.

Bahrainis rally to demand ouster of al-Khalifa regime
Press TV, Iran

Protests against the al-Khalifa regime are continuing across the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain. Protestors have held new rallies in many parts of the small sheikhdom, calling for the downfall of King Hamad. The demonstrations against the Manama regime have been continuing in Bahrain despite a heavy crackdown by the Bahraini forces to stifle the popular uprising. Since the popular revolution began back in Febuary, dozens of protestors have been killed and hundreds have been jailed and abused.

Homeless quake survivors in Turkey face freezing nights
Press TV, Iran

Moving on to Turkey: rescue workers continue to search for survivors of Sunday's devastating quake that has left hundreds of people dead in the country's southeast. The 7.2 magnitude quake has killed over 520 people and has left over 1,600 others injured. The death toll is expected to rise as many remain trapped under the rubble. Four days after the quake, authorities say more than 180 people have been pulled out alive from beneath collapsed buildings. With cooling temperatures, authorities say shelter is one of the most pressing needs for the thousands who are left homeless.

Security forces kill 13 civilians, hours after Arab delegation presses Assad on violence
Future TV, Lebanon

Presenter, Male #1
Hours after the Arab delegation ended its mission in Damascus calling for the immediate and full cessation of all acts of violence, killing, and armed showdowns, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the murder of 13 protestors in various regions.

Reporter, Female #1
These are the reforms pledged by the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. These words are heard in every victim's home; a victim who was killed under torture or detained at his home or school. But these images are stronger than any words: this is Amjad Hamid al-Azmi, a 14-year-old boy who was killed not because he plotted to carry out a bomb or a terrorist attack. He was at school when he was arrested then murdered. Here is Khalif Ghazwan, another victim whose body was burned and tortured.

Guest, Male #1
Here is martyr Mohamed Deeb Dhibian from Saraqeb.

Reporter, Female #1
Mohamed Deeb Dhibian was shot while walking down the street. More victims continue to fall looking for freedom in heaven; freedom they couldn't find here on earth. Meanwhile, Syrian cities continued to press ahead with their strike to express sorrow and grief over the injustice and repression they are facing. For the second consecutive day, Huran, Idlib, and other Syrian cities staged civil disobedience rallies. Elsewhere in Syria, protestors took to the streets demanding freedom. Protests were also staged in Hama, Dara'a, Damascus, and Mia'damiyat al-Sham, Deir al-Zour, and Latakia demanding the downfall of the regime and an end to the violence. Meanwhile, a resident of Homs was killed as Assad's brigades stormed the city, particularly the area of Tujar and the Na'ura markets. The army took positions around Kabeer Mosque and Masqouf Market. Two people were injured by the gunfire of Assad's brigades on the Ba'ath University campus. Assad's brigades also stormed the cities of Dara'a and Huran and carried out massive sweeps, detaining more than 100 people, amid heavy gunfire. Diplomatically, Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said that the meeting between the Arab League delegation and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was "friendly and positive." He added that another meeting will be held between the delegation and the Syrian side next Sunday in Damascus or Doha on the sidelines of the Arab Peace Initiative meeting. Sheikh Hamad further said that there are still outstanding issues the Syrian side wants to review further, and that there are other issues the delegation needs to review. In addition, Hamad said they have agreed on several points but the Syrian side requested a few days to review some of the issues among its institutions. Furthermore, Hamad said that members of the Arab delegation want to convene among themselves before meeting again with the Syrians in order to come up with a positive solution. He indicated this period requires fundamental and not procedural reforms.

Tunisia's Ennahda to form wide-based coalition
Dubai TV, UAE

Presenter, Male # 1
In Tunisia, Ennahda party plans to form the transitional government within a month and begin consultations with other political parties. This was confirmed by Rashid al-Gannouchi, the head of the leading party in the parliamentary elections. The final results have still not been announced. Al-Gannouchi said Ennahda party will receive its share in the spirit of compromise but that the party with the majority will form the government. Ennahda confirmed its commitment to the Arabization policy, vowed to review the education system, and pledged not to make any changes to the banking sector and the Tunisian personal status code. The party nominated its secretary general, Hamadi al-Jbeli, as candidate for the post of prime minister.
And following al-Jbeli's nomination, Tunisian political parties, and notably Ennahda, began negotiations over the formation of the government as the independent election commission rejected political pressure to rush the announcement of the final results. Meanwhile, the Tunisian street is in a state of alert over the future of the country following its first elections, which was produced by the Jasmine Revolution. Dubai TV correspondent Mahmoudi Mohammad reports from Tunisia.

Reporter, Male # 1
Ennahda party nominated its secretary general, Hamadi al-Jbeli, as candidate for the post of prime minister. Inside the headquarters of the party, meetings are ongoing. They are followed by consultations, calls and reassurances that Ennahda does not intend to monopolize the political scene following its victory.

Guest, Male # 3 (Samir Dilou, Ennahda political bureau member)
Our talks and consultations are not limited to the parties that might win in the elections. We will hold talks with everyone and we will take advantage of the potential of all Tunisians so that Tunisia can truly be rich. We will use all the potential that the country offers.

Reporter, Male # 2
Despite the mobilization of Rashid al-Gannouchi's comrades, the Independent High Commission for the Elections has still not announced the official results. Its members view the journalists' use of Ennahda's mobilization as means to rush the announcement. They say it will not prevent the committee from completing all the phases of its term before announcing the results, which were delayed at least twice.

Reporter, Male # 2
In between Ennahda's requirements for victory on the ground and the slow-acting committee, Tunisians are yearning to hear the historic announcement, especially four days after voting. Seeing that this is the first phase of its kind, the independent commission does not want to rush the release of its results. And seeing that it is always the first, political forces want to offer the Tunisians a fresh harvest. In the meantime, voters are living through a waiting period they've never experienced before. Mahmoudi Mohammad, Dubai TV, from inside Qasr el-Muaatamart, Tunis.

Iraq rounds up Baathists seeking to destabilize 'democratic' government
Al-Iraqiya TV, Iraq

Presenter, Female #1
Senior Iraqi Interior Ministry official Adnan al-Asadi confirmed the arrest of 75 percent of Saddam's Ba'ath party members, who are being sought on terror charges, and added that the arrests were executed in accordance with legal orders. Al-Asadi indicated that the arrests have been planned for months in light of an investigation revealing a new structure being put in place for Saddam's Ba'ath party in Iraq. He added that the investigations implicated members of the party and the terrorist al-Qaeda network in targeting the Iraqi people.

Presenter, Male #1
It was confirmed that remnants of the Saddam Ba'athists are being pursued and that their agenda involves terrorist operations that target Iraqis.

Presenter, Female #1
The Interior Ministry indicated the groups received large sums of money from countries attempting to destabilize the security of a country blessed with democracy and freedom of expression, as confirmed by reports.

Reporter, Male #2
The search continues for the remnants of the terrorist group affiliated with Saddam's Ba'ath party, which plans to carry out terrorist operations to destabilize security and overturn the country's political equation, as confirmed by the Interior Ministry. According to reports, the terrorist Saddam group has received major support from countries opposing the political equation in Iraq.

Guest, Male #3
Defending the Baath party is a red line, socially and politically. Whoever defends the Ba'ath party will be affiliated with it and will be punished by the law and by Iraqi society.

Reporter, Male #2
Observers doubt that the Saddam Ba'ath party has completely vanished from the scene, and assert that it may still exist under different names. The party may be relying on mercenaries from other terrorist groups to carry out its criminal operations.

Guest, Male #4
The party used to recruit tens of thousands of mercenaries, punishers, intelligence, institutions, spies, assassins, and bombers. Ten years before the former regime collapsed, the organization was very active across Arab capitals, and its partners are still active even to the present day.

Reporter, Male #2
Article 7 of the Iraqi constitution bans the Ba'ath party and all of its elements under any name. It also prohibits this deposed party from being part of Iraqi political multiplicities. This map indicates that arrests were made in the provinces of Dhi Qar, Najaf, Baghdad, Diwaniyah, Karbala, Wasit, Babel, Salh Din, Anbar, Diyala, and Kirkuk. The Saddam Baath plots were countered by the swift response of security agencies, which enjoyed official and popular support for their measures aimed at thwarting this criminal campaign. From Baghdad, Mohammad Salam, Iraqiya.

Yemen, Syria military cooperation comes out of the limelight
BBC Arabic, UK

Presenter, Male # 1
In Yemen, thousands of Yemenis in the cities of Sanaa, Ibb, Taiz, al- Dhalee, and others demanded the UN Security Council refer the case of President Saleh and his high-ranking aides to the International Criminal Court over what they called the ongoing organized killings of peaceful protestors, in addition to what they described as the continuous collective punishment of the Yemeni people. They said the collective punishment is being carried out by cutting off electricity and essential services. The Organizing Committee of the Yemeni Popular Revolution announced its complete rejection to granting President Saleh and his regime's figureheads' immunity from legal prosecution.

Reporter, Male # 2
These images, broadcast by the government-run television channel, show al-Anad airbase in southern Yemen days after the eruption of the popular uprising at the beginning of the year. The aim was to prove its members' loyalty to President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Near the base, a number of Syrian soldiers were killed alongside their Yemeni counterparts in a military airplane crash, as conflicting reports over the circumstances emerged. Regardless of the various functions of the killed Syrian soldiers, whether they are pilots or technicians, the incident revealed a close cooperation between Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. And undoubtedly, the incident is significant in terms of its type and timing. Initially, it was unknown that the Syrian and Yemeni armies were cooperating since the regimes in Damascus and Sanaa did not share policies or political positions that would warrant such cooperation. As for the incident's timing, it was possible for it to go unnoticed had the Yemeni and Syrian presidents not been facing massive popular uprisings threatening to overthrow their regimes. This is not the first time the Yemeni president has used foreign expertise in his attempt to solve an internal crisis. He previously used the Saudi Air Force to shell sites of his Houthi opponents in northern Yemen at a time when the Yemeni army was still unified and before the current uprising had begun. This makes his call for the expertise of the Syrian Air Force, or any other forces, complex. The uprising facing President Saleh is still at its peak while his trust in several army personnel has been shaken. General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, other leaders, and their core supporters have abandoned him. It is also not the first time the Syrian president has been accused of sending his soldiers to aid an Arab ruler. There were reports about the participation of Syrian pilots, alongside Gaddafi's battalions, in the shelling of the Libyan revolutionaries' sites before NATO's intervention. As for cooperation with Gaddafi, there was no strong evidence to support the allegations but the evidence is clear in the second case.

Guest, Male # 3 (Colonel Abdullah al-Hadiri, Head of Defected First Armored Divison)
Of course, it was strange that the Syrian regime was not satisfied with only killing their people so they sent a group of pilots to kill the Yemeni people. I don't know if that's what the Syrian regime is about, killing and more killing. The regime went as far as participating in killings outside Syrian territories in Yemen.

Reporter, Male # 2
Nonetheless, the defected forces alleged that a Yemeni pilot deliberately brought down the plane to prevent the Syrian soldiers' participation in the country's ongoing struggle. So the question not only relates to the ethics of this participation and timing, but also to whether this cooperation existed before, as well as its scope, and limitations, or if it was Sanaa and Damascus' troubles that united them. Anwar al-Ansi, BBC.

UN votes to end NATO mission, no-fly zone in Libya
Al-Alam, Iran

Presenter, Male #1
Diplomats reported that the UN Security Council hopes to end NATO's mandate in Libya despite calls by the new Libyan authorities to extend NATO's mission in the country. The sources added that several Security Council members are determined to end the mandate at the end of the month.

Reporter, Male #2
The UN Security Council doesn't wish to extend NATO's mission in Libya, as confirmed by diplomats of council member countries, despite calls by the NTC to extend NATO's mission beyond the end of the month. Meanwhile, Russian ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said that extending NATO's mandate in Libya is "unrealistic."

Guest, Male #3 (Ibrahim Dabbashi, Libyan UN Envoy)
Based on the initial assessment, October 31 was a "logical date" to end the mission.

Reporter, Male #2
This news comes despite repeated calls by NTC Chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil to extend NATO operations in Libya for one or two additional months. The latest call came during his meeting with NATO military commanders in Doha.

Guest, Male #4 (Mustafa Abdel Jalil, NTC Chief)
We, the Libyan people, wish that the alliance would continue its operations until at least the end of the year.

Reporter, Male #2
While the UN Security Council seems not to favor an extension, some Western countries, most notably the US, Britain, and France, are seeking to form an Arab-affiliated alliance in a bid to complete what NATO has failed to accomplish over the past months. Qatari Chief of Staff Hamad Bin Ali al Attiyah said that a Qatari-led international alliance sponsored by NATO is being formed to continue operations in Libya. This stirred fears among the Libyan people over the objectives of the new alliance.

Guest, Male #5 (al-Sanusi Biskiri, Libyan Writer and Political Analyst)
I would like to advise and warn against the intentions of Western nations, even if they were good intentions at first; because sooner or later they will turn into bad intentions, especially due to the weakness of the political leadership in a country facing a crisis.

Reporter, Male #2
The new mandate will likely reproduce the NATO mission in Libya, where NATO's hands have been stained with Libyan blood over the past months.

Egypt, Israel swap prisoners
IBA, Israel

In our top story at this hour, the prisoner exchange deal between Egypt and Israel is underway. Ilan Grape, who holds duel Israeli-American citizenship, is expected to be handed over to Israeli authorities within the hour. Ilan Grapel is on his way home. The Egypt-Israel prisoner exchange deal to secure the release of the dual US-Israeli national was set in motion this afternoon and the conclusion of this strange story should be wrapped up very soon, and perhaps even during this broadcast. Egypt has already release Grapel from prison, though he is still in Egyptian custody. He will be handed over to Israeli authorities for a debriefing and meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later today.

First rockets fired from Gaza into Israel since Shalit prisoner exchange
IBA, Israel

Three Grad rockets were fired overnight from Gaza into Israel in the first cross-border violence emanating from the Hamas-controlled territory since the days leading up to the prisoner deal that freed IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. The rockets fell near Ashdod without causing any injuries, although several people suffered from shock. The IDF responded quickly by targeting three centers of terrorist activity in Gaza including a weapons storage facility.

Middle East Quartet talks in Jerusalem fail to restart peace talks
The Middle East Quartet has failed to make any breakthroughs in their quest to bring Isareali and Palestinian leaders back to the negotiating tables. However, some slight progress was indicated by the announcement that both sides would provide comprehensive proposals for resolving key aspects of the conflict within three months time. The Middle East Quartet said that both the Israelis and the Palestinians will submit proposals relating to territory and security in the coming three months as a step toward the larger goal of forging a full peace agreement by the end of next year.

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