Presenter, Female #1
The US administration has welcomed the Iraqi parliament’s adoption of the amended election law and described it as “a decisive moment for Iraq’s democracy”. The new law will pave the way for parliamentary elections next year.

Guest, Male #1
Now vote for the law. Nearly all voted for the law unanimously.

Reporter, Male #1
After weeks of back-and-forth discussions, the new Iraqi electoral law has come to light.

Guest, Male #2
The second item: allocate 310 seats to the provinces according to their administrative borders.

Reporter, Male #1
The law was passed during an emergency session that was held late at night, only minutes before the deadline for legal approval. The next parliament includes 325 seats, 50 more than its current number of representatives. Iraqi Kurds have agreed to receive 41 seats, after they had formerly demanded 50 seats in the parliament. The law in its final form gives one seat to each of Yezidis, Sabeans and Shabak ethnic groups, while Iraqi Christians receive 5 seats in the new parliament. Following the United Nations’ suggestion, Iraqi general elections are expected to take place on February 27 of next year, less than three weeks before Prime Minister Nour al-Maliki forms his government Ahmed Diyab, BBC.

Presenter, Female #1
Supporters of the leader of the Iranian opposition, Mir Hossein Mousavi, have taken to the streets of the Iranian capital of Tehran. According to news reports, Iranian police have clashed with protestors, who answered a call by the opposition to hold a rally in the streets of Tehran on the anniversary of “Student Day.” The police used tear gas and batons to disperse the protestors, who gathered at the Firdos Square in central Tehran and chanted anti-government slogans. Iranian authorities have imposed a tight siege on Tehran University and on nearby streets. Tehran has warned against public gatherings or protests against the government of Mahmud Ahmadinejad. Joining us from Tehran via phone is our correspondent, Reda al-Basha. Reda, are there any protests going on right now in any of Tehran’s universities? Some have been reportedly killed or injured.

Correspondent, Male #1
The protest on the campus of Tehran University has been increasingly intensifying. The government is seeking to counter the student protest, organized by supporters of Iranian reformist Hossein Mousavi, by holding a pro-government protest. There have been no reports of confrontations on any of the Tehran university campuses. The Iranian police have surrounded the entrances and streets leading to Tehran University, but they have not stormed its campus yet.

Presenter, Female #1
Thank you, Reda al-Basha, our correspondent from Tehran.

The Iranian police have arrested a number of rioters in Tehran for damaging public property. The protestors used Student Day to stage anti-government rallies. This came as university students were marking the killing of 3 students in 1953 during an anti-US protest.

Presenter, Female #1
The supporters of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the largest political group in southern Sudan, set fire to the headquarters of the ruling Sudan National Congress Party (NCP) in Bahr al-Ghazal province .

Presenter, Male #1
This took place hours after the Sudanese authority arrested a number of opposition leaders, including SPLM’s Secretary General Pagan Amum and the party’s parliament representative Yasir Arman. The leaders were arrested while preparing for a march to protest the delay in passing laws regarding the coming general elections.

Presenter, Female #1
Our correspondent Taher al-Mardi has the details from Khartoum.

Reporter, Male #1
From the conference halls to the streets, the opposition called on the Sudanese people to protest, despite NCP’s laws which limit public freedom. But the Sudanese police, who tightened its security measures around the parliament and several entrances to the city, considered the protesters’ gatherings illegal. The police arrested more than 20 people, headed by Pagan Amum, the Secretary General of SPLM and his deputy Yasir Arman. The protesters considered the authority’s ban on the march a violation of the law and the constitution.

Guest, Female #1
In this country, there is no freedom, no law. This protest is peaceful, and the gathering is peaceful. If the government cracks down on all these groups by using police and army forces, it only shows that it’s afraid of losing power, and afraid for its authority.

Guest, male #1
You cannot conduct elections in an oppressive atmosphere or in a dictatorship. The law must be amended. Even the policemen here today referred to the law and said that article 127 of the penal code permits the ban of peaceful demonstrations and gatherings for the submission of memorandums to the president.

Reporter, Male #1
Protesters gathered in front of political party offices, held the NCP responsible for repressing public freedom, while the opposition groups prepare for the general elections. They considered this a coup against the democratization process and the peace in the country.

Guest, Male #2
The Secretary General was a member of the parliament several months ago. And Yasir Arman has not done anything wrong. But it’s not unusual that they arrested him this way, since they don’t have any respect for the constitution signed by the NCP and the SPLM as partners.

Guest, Male #3
This march, according to the law, is illegal because it did not receive the proper authorization, in accordance with Article 127 of the penal code.

Reporter, Male #1
NCP denied the allegation and described the demonstration as unjustifiable and accused the SPLM of creating obstacles for the coming elections.

Guest, Male #4
There is absolutely no justification for this demonstration. If there is a demand for the government to improve its democratic process, it should take place in the largest forum for expression, which is the parliament.

Reporter, Male #1
These scenes amplify the complicated political situation in Sudan. Perhaps the conflict is escalating not only because of demands for law reform, but also in between opposition groups, reasons sufficient to create more tension. Taher al-Mardi, Aljazeera, Khartoum.

Presenter, Female #1
A Yemeni military special force has stormed the old neighborhoods of the city of Saada, following a two-month siege. The Yemeni army engaged in fierce street battles with armed Houthi fighters, amidst reports of heavy casualty on both sides.

Reporter, Male #1
The old town of Saada has, once again, returned to the spotlight, because of the raging war between the Yemeni army and Houthi rebels. The Yemeni army, backed by special counterterrorism forces, has stormed the old neighborhoods of the city of Saada. The Yemeni army engaged in fierce street battles with hundreds of armed Houthi fighters, following a two-month siege. According to incoming reports, dozens of armed Houthi fighters and Yemeni soldiers have been killed or wounded in the battles. Meanwhile, Houthi fighters continued to carry out sporadic attacks on the suburbs of Saada, in an attempt to ease the pressure on their forces inside the city. The strategically important old town of Saada, is the home of the presidential Palace and several military headquarters. The city is also close to the airport. The Houthi fighters have carried out more than 34 foiled attacks on the city since the beginning of the war. The Yemeni army has successfully dismantled several sleeper cells and arrested dozens of Houthis in the province of Saada. Meanwhile, the Yemeni army foiled an attempt by the Houthi rebels to return to the area of Mt. Abiad, which was seized earlier by government forces. The Yemeni army also destroyed weapon cache, belonging to Houthi rebels. In addition, the army destroyed two arms cache in the area of Haida and Bait al-Hamzi in Saada. The army also seized a large quantity of arms in the area of Malahit. According to military sources, several Houthi fighters, including two military commanders, have been killed in the area of Shada in the Saada province. The two military leaders who were killed are: Ali Ali al-Muayad and Tarek Sajan. In the Province of Jawaf, the Yemeni army and the tribal forces have attacked and seized control of Mt. Samai. The army pursued fleeing Houthi fighters and arrested Muheyi Deen Yeheya Al-Anzi, a Houthi military commander in the Jawaf Province.

Presenter, Female #1
A new videotape was released, showing several Houthi infiltrators, along with Somali fighters, being detained in Saudi Arabia. This news comes a month after Saudi Arabia had declared war on Houthi infiltrators in the South. Today, a two-minute videotape was posted online, showing nearly 35 Houthi infiltrators being detained by the Saudi army.

The biggest climate conference in history has opened in Copenhagen with 15,000 participants from 192 nations. The talks aim at bringing a pact to replace the current UN protocol in order to “save the planet from catastrophic climate change”, and will have to overcome deep distrust between rich and poor nations.

Host, Man # 1
Professor Abdel Wahab Badrakhan, my last question is about Dubai and involves economy and politics. All Arabs have tried to emulate the economic model of Dubai. Some countries including some emirates within the UAE were envious. All of a sudden, problems in Dubai are exposed and even caused international problems. Do you think that these problems are technical? Do you think that Arab countries will reevaluate their economic systems especially in the Gulf?

Guest, Man # 2
This is a big topic, but it boils down to this question: Can a country build its economy on real-estate investments? From an economic point of view, I think this is hard to do. Dubai is a special case? It is not only an emirate with real-estate. Dubai has a special political status, a liberal economy and coexistence between many nationalities.

Host, Man # 1
Some say that Dubai does not have a real economy. But others say its economy is real. This shows that Dubai is a unique economic model.

Guest, Man # 2
A real economy is based on tangible sources of revenue. Dubai does not have tangible sources of revenue. Dubai has created a suitable environment to attract sources of revenue, through foreigners, investments, real-estate and tourism. These are the four sources of revenue in Dubai, but they are not enough to sustain Dubai’s economic model; more sources are needed. Now, Dubai and Abu Dhabi must have reached an understanding on how to deal with the current situation. At the end of the day, this is a problem for the UAE. If Abu Dhabi is responsible for the Emirates, then it is also responsible for Dubai problems. However, we are not talking about state property; we are talking about private property and international banks. Therefore, I think that the political situation is based on economic relations between them. The Dubai experiment should not end; to the contrary it should succeed for the sake of the people in the region.

Host, Man # 1
Abu Dhabi responded by saying that it will not cover all losses or debts, but it will deal with the situation on a case by case basis. As an independent person who has direct experience in the UAE, do you think that Abu Dhabi is gloating over Dubai’s failures? Or do you think that Abu Dhabi will behave in a mature way?

Guest, Man # 2
What you are saying is being said on the streets, people are saying this. It is possible because when Dubai was getting bigger, Abu Dhabi was small and did not move at the same pace. Now the situation is the opposite. Abu Dhabi is moving forward similarly to Dubai, but in a much more calculated and planned manner. Abu Dhabi is also moving quietly. Abu Dhabi has sufficient resources, funds, and it has a vision. In contrast, Dubai does not and this is why it did not have the option but to move forward in big steps, it could not stop. Dubai had no choice but to keep growing fast.

Presenter, Female #1
International organizations say that the Palestinian children in the Gaza strip are suffering from immense difficulties, while the world is celebrating International Children’s Day. Palestinian human rights organizations said that the ramifications of the Israeli siege, the negative effects of the latest war on Gaza, as well as the previous fights among the Palestinians, have turned the life of thousands of children there into a living hell. Shahid al-Kashif has the report from Gaza.

Reporter, Male #1
It seems that the siege on Gaza has created a difficult economic situation for its residents. As a result, children have appeared on the streets of Gaza begging for food on a daily basis not only for themselves, but for their family members as well. Human rights organizations believed that the siege has caused children more harm than the latest war on Gaza, and that it has negatively affected the children here both physically and psychologically.

Guest, Female #1
Unfortunately, as I was saying earlier, there is an increase in the violations on children’s rights. For example, our children don’t live like the children in the rest of the world, they don’t have all of their rights. All the conflicts and disputes they are surrounded by have left negative psychological effects on them, so much that they had to demand for their rights to live normally.

Guest, Male #1
Last Friday, one of the children was martyred by the gunshot of the Israeli occupation. It continues to violate our children’s rights, despite the report by Judge Richard Goldstone condemning it. There is also an imminent need to apply this resolution and hold the Israeli occupation accountable, and stop the crimes that deprive our Palestinian people of their rights.

Reporter, Male #1
Official figures indicate that more than 350 children were killed during the Israeli attack on the Gaza strip in the beginning of this year. More than 1,800 children were injured, including Mua’ad, a 13-year-old. Mua’ad lost his leg, and his skull was damaged by a shelling on his home in Western Gaza during the war. He tried with difficulty to explain what happened.

Guest, Male #2
All I heard was the sound of the bomb. My head was hit, and my leg was gone. Afterwards, another attack took place and I lost consciousness. I’m trying to get better. We went to Egypt for a little while afterwards. But the situation here hasn’t changed.

Guest, Male #3
I mean, this war is still continuing on. Only those who want to die would still live here. In the whole world, there isn’t a more difficult life than this one. I mean, even animals won’t accept to live the life that we’re living here.

Reporter, Male #1
International reports say that more than 500 children in the Gaza strip were physically disabled during the war on Gaza. Non-governmental organizations and institutions are pursuing programs to rehabilitate them and a chance to look after them. Experts on children’s health believe that living under siege and seeing images of blood and destruction, which are still prevalent here, will remain stuck in the minds of children. The real fear is that all of this will create a culture of violence. Many believe that the children of Gaza were born and brought up with the reality of violence and have tasted its bitterness. Shahid al-Kashif, BBC, Gaza strip.

Presenter, Male #1
The Syrian capital Damascus is renowned for producing the best kind of Arab cloaks. A cloak that has found its way into various countries around the world for its beauty and fine craftsmanship. Our correspondent Dima Nasif visited one of the workshops that produces this traditional Arab clothing and brought us the following report.

Reporter, Female #1
We are here in Abi Market, where Arab cloaks are produced. It is one of the oldest Damascus markets. This market has a history of about 700 years and is located near Bab al-Jabiya, one of the city’s 7 gates. But what has made this production last all this time? The Arab cloak has not lost its importance and presence in the traditional textile industry. This factory has been a family-run business for 150 years.

Guest, Male #1
Old Syrians were very active in textile work. Before them, the Phoenicians were skillful in the production of glass and dyes. In general, they were very good in trade and in producing what they need. One of what they produced was the cloak. The Arab cloak … the fabric was made of camel fur which was abundant in our countries. But now everything is imported, even the thread is imported. This Arab cloak is Syrian made, and the thread is imported from overseas. It was weaved by hand with ancient Arab color, and later it took this form. Our clients are mostly from the Gulf countries, especially from Saudi Arabia.

Reporter, Female #1
It takes about a week to make an Arab cloak, in between making, weaving and embroidering the fabric till it becomes ready for sale. The price for one cloak can reach 1,000 US dollars. Cloak designs are not uniform, but depend on the country of exportation. There is the Saudi, Kuwaiti, Qatari, and Iraqi style.

Guest, Male #2
This profession was very primitive, and we developed it in terms of styles and designs. We managed to produce many different kinds of designs that didn’t exist before. There used to be just plain cloaks. We now produce jackets, bras, and we innovated the industry to catch up with the times.

Reporter, Female #1
Even though the cloaks are no longer predominantly worn by men after designs for women were incorporated into the industry, however, men’s cloaks remains a source of pride for Arab and religious men. They are proud of their cloaks and wear them on social occasions, and they exchange them as gifts, as an expression of luxury and solemnity. Dima Nasif, Russia Today, Damascus.