Hundreds of Libyans demonstrate against former rebels [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
The interim government in Libya is still facing pressure to collect the weapons from the country, especially in the capital Tripoli. The capital witnessed violence resulting from clashes between armed militias and security members in the city, which led to casualties. The residents of Tripoli are demanding the government work on dismantling the militias and send the fighters back to their villages and cities, in addition to imposing security and stability in the capital.

Reporter, Male #2
Two months have passed since the era of Colonel al-Gaddafi ended, yet the new government is still unable to impose its authority on the ground. The issue of security and stability remains in the hands of the armed militias that were formed during the war. These groups are not under anyone's authority and pose a threat to the country's security and stability. Moreover, some militias clashed with the interim government's security members and killed a number of them in local confrontations. The militias appeared to be more capable than the interim government to shut down the streets and determine the situation on the ground.

Guest, Male #3
We were heading to the hospital when they started shooting at us. They used heavy weapons. We were standing in the street and they came and killed one of us.

Reporter, Male #2
The head of the interim government, Abdul Raheem al-Keeb, met with local officials in the capital Tripoli to seek ways to eliminate the militias that took control of the capital during the war, and work on dismantling the groups and sending their members back to their villages and cities. Violence surfaced in the past two months, which is evidence that the armed militias constitute a major challenge to the stability of the new Libya. The residents of the Libyan capital shut down the streets on Tuesday, demanding the fighters from outside Tripoli return to their villages. It seems to them that the interim government does not have a clear plan to persuade the fighters to hand over their weapons and leave, nor is it prepared for the worst case scenario if the militias and rebels refuse to leave.

Guest, Male #4
We demand the intervention of the military council to come and secure the place. Outsiders should not enter the area with heavy weapons and terrorize the people and their neighbors. We want them to find a solution to this problem.

Reporter, Male #2
The Libyan Interior Ministry confirmed that disarming Tripoli and getting rid of the militias in the capital requires major effort and preparations. It is a national mission that requires the assistance of all ministries, especially the Defense Ministry.

Guest, Male #5 (Fauzi Abdel Ali, Libyan Interior Minister)
Right now, Tripoli needs to be reorganized and the number of armed forces from various Libyan regions currently in the city needs to be reduced. We need to reorganize the checkpoints and the deployments of revolutionary forces in many areas.

Reporter, Male #2
On Wednesday, a sit-in was held by the capital's residents in Martyrs' Square in support of the initiatives that aim to disarm their city and get the fighters to return to their towns. Meanwhile, the interim government believes these protests will not provide a solution but may help draw the attention of the officials to the problem. Hayyan Aqoub, BBC.

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Egypt's Freedom and Justice Party sweeps parliamentary runoff election [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Female #1
In Egypt, the vote count of the run-off contests in the first round of parliamentary election has ended.

Presenter, Male #1
The results showed that candidates from the Freedom and Justice Party won 34 out of the 50 seats that were competed for. Meanwhile, al-Nour Party, al-Wafd Party, the Bloc Coalition, and independent candidates won the remaining 16 seats.

Reporter, Female #2
The turnout was lower at the ballot boxes of the runoff elections in constituencies considered as individual voters. In these constituencies, the fierce competition was often between candidates from the Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafist party, al-Nour. In most cases, the results were in favor of the Freedom and Justice Party. After the first round of elections ended, while awaiting the official results, it was confirmed that Islamists won over 60 percent of the votes. The Freedom and Justice Party topped the results and is expected to gain more than 40 percent of the votes. This triumph was predicted, however, it was unexpected that al-Nour party would win over 20 percent of the seats in this round. Relying on the unofficial results in this round while waiting for the official results of the second and third rounds, the Salafist party, al-Nour, became the second largest political party in the country. This situation evoked many fears in Egypt and abroad. Inside Egypt, liberal movements are concerned that if al-Nour Party takes part in the government, it will clamp down on individual freedoms. The Salafists' rise to power is feared most by the Christian minority. The Salafists said they would not accept a Christian candidate for Egypt's presidency. Outside Egypt, Israel and the West are watching the rise of the Salafists with deep concerns. The Israeli government does not hide its fears for the future of its peace treaty with Egypt. However, the Freedom and Justice Party attempted to reassure everyone by announcing it will seek to form a broad coalition in the upcoming phase. Political observers in Egypt indicate the alliance between the Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafist party, al-Nour, is not inevitable.Some of them believe this alliance will be in favor of the Freedom and Justice Party, which set rebuilding the country and reviving the economy as one of its top priorities. Right now, the wait continues for the results of the second and third rounds to know whether the Islamists will be able to dominate Egypt's political scene after the revolution. It is expected that all eyes will be focused on the election results of al-Nour Party in the next two rounds.

Presenter, Male #1
In another development in Egypt, acting Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri said the Supreme Military Council will grant him some of the president's jurisdictions, except within the judiciary and armed forces.

Presenter, Female #1
Al-Ganzouri expected his government to be sworn in this morning and added that achieving security and stability is his government's top priority.

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Bahraini forces attack protestors marching to Martyrs' Square [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
According to al-Alam sources in Bahrain, tens of thousands of demonstrators are marching to Martyrs' Square, formerly known as Pearl Roundabout, in a bid to stage protest rallies there. The sources added that Bahraini security forces intercepted the march and clashed with the protestors. Despite the regime's crackdown and the fact that many protestors sustained gas inhalation injuries, the massive crowd refused to disperse. Clashes erupted between the regime's mercenaries and demonstrators who insisted on marching to the square. Fierce clashes also erupted on the main street leading to Sanabis, where the regime's mercenaries attempted to run over demonstrators. Meanwhile, regime forces stormed the town of al-Diyah and opened indiscriminate fire at the protestors, injuring hundreds of them. Confrontations also erupted in the area of Jid Hafs near the city's market. The regime's mercenaries also prevented ambulances from reaching the confrontation scenes. Deputy Secretary General of al-Wefaq National Islamic Society Sheikh Hussein al-Daihi escaped an assassination attempt during a nighttime protest rally in the town of Diyah.

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Saudis rally to 'release all forgotten prisoners' [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
Meanwhile, protest rallies continued in Saudi Arabia's region of al-Qatif, demanding political freedoms and the prosecution of the killers who murdered peaceful protestors. The residents organized a unified demonstration to express loyalty to the martyrs and solidarity with the prisoners of opinion. Dozens of scholars as well as political and rights activists called on the Saudi authorities to suspend the prison sentences of the 16 reform activists in the city of Jeddah.

Reporter, Male #1
Under the slogan "release all forgotten prisoners," the residents of Shuwaika held a unified rally in Saudi Arabia's Eastern province of Qatif. The protestors affirmed their demands for political freedoms in the country. Four martyrs were killed in the regime's crackdown nearly two weeks ago. The demonstrators appealed to human rights organizations and religious scholars, especially in Qatif, and urged them to take responsible action and support the people's legitimate rights and help free all prisoners of opinion. They also called for the release of forgotten prisoners who have been detained for nearly 16 years without trial. The protestors vowed to follow the footsteps of the martyrs despite the authorities' crackdown. They organized a rally on Friday to express loyalty to the martyrs and solidarity with the detainees. In support of the demonstrators, dozens of religious scholars, and political and rights activists, called on the Saudi authorities to suspend the sentences of the 16 reform activists in the city of Jeddah. In a statement, the Sunni and Shiite activists condemned the harsh and unfair sentences held against the reform activists, following five years of detention. They also demanded the release of prisoners of opinion, including all forgotten detainees. In addition, they demanded an end to the use of arms against the protesters, remove all checkpoints from the streets of Qatif, and end all forms of discrimination in the province. They also called for the formation of a fact-finding commission to pursue the perpetrators who killed demonstrators in Qatif. The statement rejected the authorities' claim that events in Qatif are unpatriotic, and they are being staged by armed groups working on behalf of foreign interests. In addition, the statement described the authorities' claims as baseless, especially since they were issued without conducting any investigation.

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Assad regime kills nine in Homs, shells Saraqib [Future TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Female # 1
The Syrian Revolution Coordination Committee said nine people were killed today in Homs by al-Assad's brigades as the city of Saraqib in Idlib witnessed heavy shelling after dozens of soldiers defected from the army.

Reporter, Male # 1
The Syrian security regime is still holding on to its violent policy of repression in response to the citizens' peaceful demonstrations. Day by day, violence against unarmed civilians grows and, with it, the death toll rises. Violence is being perpetrated by security services, the regime's shabiha and the army that is using tanks and shells in the crackdown on cities and towns across Syrian regions and provinces. Meanwhile, the Local Coordination Committees in Syria said 34 people were killed yesterday by Syrian security forces; most of them died in Homs. Activists also reported that soldiers heavily shelled Hai-al Janubi in Deir Ba'alba in the city of Homs and that clashes erupted between the army and members of the Free Syrian Army that supports the revolution near al-Abbasiya clinic. In addition, activists posted videos online showing body parts near Khalid bin al-Waleed Mosque in Homs, the result of al-Assad brigades' shelling of the city. In Khan Shaykhun, the Syrian Observatory reported that injured protestors died in the violent clashes between the army and its defectors on the international road that leads to Turkey. In Hama, activists reported that security forces stormed the town of Mork and the neighborhood of Bab Qabli amid heavy gunfire. They also carried out a wide-scale arrest campaign.

Guest, Male # 2
The bombs of the Assad regime in al-Muraji Mosque.

Reporter, Male # 1
In Aleppo, activists said security forces stormed the Faculty of Engineering and arrested a number of students following a protest that called for the end of the regime. In the countryside of Damascus, activists reported that security forces and the shabeha, backed by members of the Republican Guard, stormed the cities of Harasta and Kfar Butna and carried out an arbitrary arrest campaign. And despite the violent security measures, protests demanding freedom and the downfall of the regime continued across different Syrian regions. In Ma'adamiyat al-Sham, thousands of students held a massive demonstration calling for the toppling of the regime and Assad's departure.

Presenter, Male # 3
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Arab initiative meant to solve the crisis in Syria requires some time to bear its fruits, similarly to the Gulf initiative in Yemen. Lavrov added that Russia does not want the Arab League's initiative to turn into a pretext for foreign intervention. He pointed that the observers that will be sent to Syria could include non-Arabs, repeating Moscow's offer to send observers to Syria if it suits Damascus.

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Yemeni regime continues Taiz shelling as protestors demand Saleh's trial [Press TV, Iran]

Reports from Yemen say at least one person has been killed in clashes between pro-government forces and opposition tribesmen in the capital Sanaa. Meanwhile, clashes continue in Hasaba disctrict with explosions and sounds of machine guns being heard. Witnesses say government buildings, including the headquarters of the state radio and the prime minister's offices were also targeted. Meanwhile new footage shows government forces shelling of residential areas in the flashpoint city of Taiz. Protests continue across the country demanding the regime's complete downfall and the trial of officials. The protestors hold them responsible for the ongoing deadly crackdown.

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Afghanistan's Karzai blames Pakistan group for deadly attack [Press TV, Iran]

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has blamed "Pakistani extremists" for Tuesday's deadly attacks on Shia mourners in Afghanistan. Karzai blames the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group for the attacks that killed over 60 people. He says Kabul will pursue this issue with Islamabad very seriously. Karzai demanded justice from the Pakistani government. There have been reports that the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has accepted responsibility for the Afghan explosions. The blast targeted Shias marking the martyrdom anniversary of the Imam Hussein, the third Shia imam. There was already tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan over deadly cross-border attacks, which they blame on each other.

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Fatah official escapes assassination attempt [Press TV, Iran]

An unknown group has made an assassination attempt on a Fatah official in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. The attack on the camp of Ein el-Hilweh left a bodyguard of the Fatah official severely injured. The incident has caused tension in the camp. Fatah has blamed an al-Qaeda affiliated group in the camp of the assassination attempt. Ein el-Hilweh is the largest refugee camp in Lebanon with over 70,000 Palestinian refugees. It is located on the outskirts of Sidon.

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Avowing innocence, former Israeli president begins seven-year prison term [IBA, Israel]

We open with the dramatic end today to a five and a half legal ordeal that sent former Presidnet Moshe Katsav to prison. Katsav continued to steadfastly maintain his innocence even as he entered Ma'asiyahu prison to begin serving a seven year sentence for rape. A far cry from his years in the presidential residence, a distraught but defiant Katsav reported to the Ma'asiyahu prison today to begin serving his sentence for rape, obstruction of justice, and other sexual offenses. Accompanied by several family members and a swarm of media, the former president arrived at the jailhouse around 10 am. Noticeably absent from Katsav's entourage was his wife Gila, who stood by her husband's side throughout the entire five and half year ordeal.

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IDF strikes terror cells in Gaza [IBA, Israel]

Turning now to tensions in the south, early this morning the air force struck two terrorist rocket-launching cells operating in the Gaza Strip in the al-Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City. The army spokesman said the targets were hit as they were preparing to fire projectiles into Israel. Palestinians said one terrorist was killed, five others wounded in the strike and that both launching attempts were thwarted. According to Palestinian sources, the terrorist belong to the Islamic Jihad's al-Quds brigade.

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Christians in Zakho affirm recent riots will not affect co-existence with Muslims [Al-Iraqiya TV, Iraq]

Presenter, Female #1
The situation in the regions of Dohuk, Zakho, and Samil is causing concern over the future of the peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians, especially since they have been living with each other for many years.

Presenter, Male #1
The Christians, who some believe are the target of the recent attacks, revealed to al-Iraqiya that they were not subject to any harassment as reported in media networks.

Reporter, Male #2
Christian citizens in Zakho asserted the recent incidents the city witnessed will not affect the brotherly coexistence that has been maintained for centuries between the Muslims and the Christians in the city. They confirmed they do not feel any persecution or discrimination.

Guest, Male #3 (Hana Naamu Kanun, Educational Supervisor)
Certainly, the peaceful coexistence in the city of Zakho has been a refined model for thousands of years. No citizen, no matter which minority group they belong to, be it Christian or Yazidi or any other group, feels there is any discrimination. We were brothers and we're still brothers. And we say to all the Christians and minorities in Zakho and all of Iraq that these riots will not affect us.

Guest, Male #4 (Yousef Udishu, Businessman)
We're all brothers, we're one family, whether we're Christians or Yazidis or from another sect, there's no difference between us, we're all brothers. We live as one nation on the same soil.

Reporter, Male #2
The Christians in Zakho indicated that many parties attempt to undermine the brotherly coexistence between the social components and sects of Zakho city. They say these attempts are destined to fail. President of the Kurdistan region Massoud Barzani's latest visit to Zakho after the incidents reassured them. He affirmed his rejection of the incidents and confirmed appropriate measures will be taken to hold the perpetrators accountable.

Guest, Male #5 (Yousef Jamil, Priest in Virgin Mary Church of Zakho)
Today, we notice in many regions that certain groups try to eliminate other groups because they're different. But today in Zakho, as we all know, there is a civil society and everyone serves this society in order to empower mankind and build a future. Therefore, the events that took place was a reminder that there are many groups attempting to distort or infiltrate the society in order to break the existing relationship between the sects in Kurdistan, especially in Zakho.

Guest, Female #2 (Wahida Yaqour, Citizen)
After President of Kurdistan Massoud Barzani visited this region, the citizens were reassured. They are ready to battle these terrorists in order to protect all the Christians in Kurdistan.

Reporter, Male #2
The Christian citizens in Zakho unanimously agreed that the long years of brotherly coexistence between the social components of the city will not be affected by transient incidents that certain people created to instigate strife.