Presenter, Female #1
In Ninewa Province, political blocs are urging residents to come out in full force and vote in the parliamentary elections. Amer Qubaisi reports.

Reporter, Male #1
On the verge of new elections, Ninewa Province is weighing its options. Ninewa was able to turn the political equation in the latest provincial elections, shifting from a control by the Kurdish majority to a full control by Sunni Arabs. However, the local elections are somewhat different than the parliamentary elections. In the parliamentary elections, the winners will be asked to report to government headquarters in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, where they will form a political and economic cabinet. Meanwhile, the people of Mosul, who have recently endured political, security and economic hardships, are lobbying for change through these elections.

Guest, Male #2
Each Iraqi citizen in urged to vote. God willing, it’s the only way to uphold Iraqi rights and our country’s unity.

Guest, Male #3
God willing, I will vote in these elections. I pray to God almighty that we will not be disappointed, and that the winners will provide the services needed in our beloved city, Mosul.

Reporter, Male #1
By looking at the political campaign in Mosul, it seems that all political blocs are strongly urging the residents to come out and vote, regardless of the outcome.

Guest, Male #4
I advise our brothers in the Ninewa Province to play an integral role in the elections. This is important for 3 reasons: It will help unite the Iraqi people, it will help uphold Iraq’s Arab nationalism, and it will help protect the Arab nationalism of Ninewa Province. Otherwise, there will be dire repercussions.

Guest, Male #5
The residents of Ninewa will vote for their favorite candidate, the one who feels for them and lives their lives. I believe that the Iraqi Accord Front will be at the top of their list. God wiling, the Accord Front will represent Ninewa Province in the upcoming elections.

Guest, Male #6
One of the favorite national lists in Ninewa Province is the Sunni Arab list, which serves the general welfare of the residents of Mosul.

Reporter, Male #1
Politicians believe that a failure to vote may prompt certain groups to fill in the political vacuum created by the absence of voters. The post-election challenges facing the new parliamentarians from Ninewa are expected to be tremendous. While there is some anticipation for Ninewa’s new representatives, several thorny political and security issues exist, including some pertaining to Baghdad and Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. In addition, the residents of Ninewa are expecting the new MPs to meet a long list of demands, which initially seem difficult to achieve. Amer Qubaisi, al-Jazeera, Mosul.

Presenter, Male #1
Just like the Muslim majority, Iraq’s minorities have suffered tremendously over the past few years due to acts of aggression and violent attacks. With the election campaign intensifying, members of Iraq’s minority groups are reaching out to political blocs, urging them to consider their special status and address their concerns.

Reporter, Male #2
With great caution, Abu Sa’ad is hitting the last set of nails on a coffin that could be the last one he makes. Abu Sa’ad will no longer make custom coffins in Baghdad, not because the number of deceased people is declining but because Abu Sa’ad has decided to quit. Abu Sa’ad will be the last person to make custom coffins for Christians in the Iraqi capital. The number of Christians is declining due to the rise in the level of violence against ethnic minorities in Iraq. The latest wave of attacks against Christians was launched a few days ago in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. This prompted members of the Christian community to take to the streets of Mosul to condemn the attacks, which are increasing as the elections approach. As Iraq heads for elections, some minority groups have renewed calls on the government to amend the country’s laws, especially those pertaining to the issue of minority representation.

Guest, Female #1
The upcoming legislative council must know how to draft and pass laws. The council must respect and adhere to international laws pertaining to the right of ethnic groups, as mandated by the UN and signed by Iraq. The council must recognize the religious and ethnic diversity that exists in Iraq. I believe that the Iraqi judiciary system doesn’t favor one group over another, and it’s not based merely on Islamic Sharia Laws. Iraqi law applies to everyone, regardless of their religion, tradition, or culture.

Reporter, Male #2
The Sabian Mandaeans are the followers of one of the most ancient religions in southern Iraq. They follow the ideology of Prophet Yahiya or John the Baptist. Leaders of the Sabian Mandaeans faith have called for the formation of a special security council to protect members of Iraq’s minority groups.

Guest, Male #3
The council will oversee security affairs of Iraq’s minorities. Many members of our community have been victims of violent crimes, and many others have been killed by armed gangs. After the perpetrators were arrested, the victims’ families received threatening and intimidation calls in order to force them to leave the country.

Reporter, Male #2
However, not all ethnic groups believe that the enemy is from within. While some minority groups blamed the so- called “homegrown Muslim extremists,” for the violence, others believe that the violence, as well as the perpetrators, comes from outside of Iraq.

Guest, Male #4
The recent wave of violence that targeted Iraqi minority groups, including our Christian denomination, was not committed by Iraqi citizens because we are all Iraqis. Anyone who commits a crime like this is not an Iraqi, but an intruder who came to destroy Iraq.

Reporter, Male #2
The problems raised by the representatives of the minority groups signify the level of fear expressed by the various minority groups in Iraq. While some believe that the upcoming elections may serve as a hub for democracy, religious minorities hope that elected officials will help put an end to the violence their communities face, as well as address their special concerns. Abdul Rahim al-Farsi, BBC, Baghdad.

Early voting has started in Iraq’s parliamentary election, to elect a government to lead the country for the coming four years. The Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq expects around 700 thousand people to participate in the early voting. The election is the second full national ballot since the US invasion.

Iraq has begun special voting ahead of its parliamentary elections on March the 7th. Security forces, hospital patients, and prisoners are now casting their ballots. Police have stepped up security measures in the capital Baghdad. The move comes as part of a security plan aimed at protecting the city from attacks during the elections.

Presenter, Male #1
In an interview with al-Arabiya’s Ida’at Program, Dubai Police Chief, Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan, said that a corrupt member of Hamas passed information that led to the assassination of Hamas leader, Mahmud al-Mabhouh.

Guest, Male #2
Is it true that Qatar offered to pay down Dubai’s debt?

Guest, Male #3
Turki, as you know, Qatar and Dubai have a lot in common. We are one family and we are related by blood and marriage. There is no need to bash Dubai this way. It is unacceptable, having said that, there appears to be a corrupt Hamas member, who passed dangerous information about al-Mabhouh’s movement in Dubai.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, today, petitioned the high court against police leaks only a day after being dragged in for questioning by the police after an ambassador allegedly gave him classified documents relating to the ongoing investigations against the foreign minister.

Presenter, Female #1
The war on tobacco has started in Lebanon. Lebanese citizens are divided between those who want a smoking ban and those who want to stop the ban. We leave you with Rami al-Amine.

Guest, Male #1
Smoking kills 3,500 Lebanese citizens every year. Smoking causes 90% of lung cancer. Smoking causes 30% of other kinds of cancer. Smoking causes the hardening of arteries. Smoking causes heart attacks And, smoking causes infertility. Smoking is the leading cause of tooth, gum and mouth disease in general...and the list goes one.

Reporter, Male #2
Therefore, smoking must be banned in Lebanon. However, Lebanese people love to smoke regardless of what others think. There has been an endless cycle of discussions about smoking in the Justice and Administration Committee. Civic institutions, however, seem to be undesired guests and are absent from these meetings.

Guest, Male #4
Cigarette companies were invited, but civic intuitions who work on this matter were not. We believe that this is wrong. It’s like a judge consulting a thief about the kinds of anti-theft laws that should be implemented. Of course, tobacco companies will do as much as they can to maintain the status-quo so they can continue doing whatever they want.

Guest, Male #5
Cigarette companies were only here for five minutes. We asked them to clarify some questions we had and then they left. Regie company is here because it is a government institution. We also have the World Health Organization, the national committee for fighting smoking, the health department, and doctor and pharmacist unions. All those concerned with smoking were present. I hope that the situation will not be blown out of proportion.

Reporter, Male #2
Debates on the smoking law continue while the smokers’ bodies continue to burn like a lit cigarette, ultimately bound to be turned off.

Guest, Male #5
I proposed this bill in 2004. The Health Committee approved it in 2006. We discussed the law with everyone; no one was able to stop it. Now the bill is in the hands of the Justice and Administration Committee, and no one will be able to stop it. I just want to tell people that they may have to wait one or two more months, but the law will pass at the latest by May 31st.

Guest, Male #4
We would prefer not to have this law. We rather have the smoking law postponed until we can get a stronger one. If a weak law is passed, then it will take a long time before parliament members discuss this topic again.To divide restaurants into smoking and non- smoking sections will not work in Lebanon.

Reporter, Male #2
The smoking debate that is going inside the news studio of New TV reflects the larger debate among the Lebanese people. My colleagues here are divided between those who want a smoking ban and those who don’t.

Guest, Female # 3
For example, my co-worker Anwar Yaseen is smoking right next to me even though I just came out of the hospital. He has no respect for my feelings.

Guest, Female # 2
I could care less about meaningless freedoms for some that violate the freedoms of others. The people who come up with these kinds of philosophical theories are the same ones who fight with us over smoking inside the office and them turn around and smoke more than we do in clubs.

Guest, Male # 7
This work environment is friendly to smokers. We need another workplace for people who are worried about their health because of smoking.

Guest, Female # 4
This is not a reasonable idea because the smoking room is small. It can accommodate the smokers who are outnumbered by the non-smokers.

Guest, Male # 6
Syria is the country that is closest to us and it has already banned smoking.

Reporter, Male #2
The debate over smoking continues. Some hope to ban smoking while others are desperate to stop the ban. Until then, only God can hold people accountable for their actions. Rami Al Amine, New TV.

Presenter, Male #1
The Court of Cassation, Egypt’s highest appeals court accepted the appeal submitted by businessman Hisham Talaat Moustafa and former security officer Mohsen el-Sukari. The two were convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Suzanne Tamim in Dubai in 2008. The appeal process will take two additional years before a final verdict is issued. Anes Atef al-Menawi, the lawyer of defendant Mohsen el-Sukari said that the standard procedure, after the appeal is accepted, is to set a date for the retrial of the two defendants.

Guest, Male #2
According to standard procedures, the case will be transferred to Cairo's Court of Appeals, which will decide where and when the defendants will be tried. God willing, it will not take a long time.

Reporter, Woman #1
Within a month or two?

Guest, Male #2
One, two or three months, within a short time.

Reporter, Woman #1
On July 29, 2008, the Emirate police found Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim stabbed to death. The news shocked her fans and the public in general. Questions were raised about the perpetrators and their motive. It only took 48 hours before the Emirate police disclosed the identity of the perpetrator. The police said that he was a 39 year-old Arab man who sneaked into the victim’s apartment, claiming to be a real estate agent. He stabbed her and left the country after 90 minutes. Then, more facts started to be revealed. When the Egyptian authorities arrested the perpetrator, it turned out that he was a former police officer in Egypt by the name of Mohsen el-Sukari. During the investigation, el-Sukari said that businessman and parliament member Hisham Talaat Moustafa incited him to kill Suzanne Tamim. Both Talaat and el-Sukari were arrested and their trial generated a great deal of public interest. In September, Cairo’s criminal court sentenced both Talaat and Sukari to death.

Guest, Man # 3
The court decided to consult with the Mufti of the state in regards to the two defendants.

Reporter, Woman #1
The defense team, however, did not give up. They submitted an appeal in September 2009 to the verdict issued by Cairo’s criminal court. The defense submitted 35 reasons as to why the death sentence should be reversed. Muhammadi Qunswa was in charge of the trial of Talaat and el-Sukari which was issued by Cairo’s criminal court. Starting in October 2008, 29 court sessions were held during 8 months. Rula Al Khateb, Al Arabiya

Presenter, Male #1
The situation in the Somali capital is still unstable. Battles take place on a daily basis and, as usual, most of the victims are women and children. Hospitals are no longer able to accommodate the large number of injured people, especially considering the severe shortage of medical supplies.

Reporter, Male #2
The situation in the Somali capital of Mogadishu is ever-changing. Bloody battles took place between the Shabab Movement and African forces, during which many people were killed and injured. The Somali capital of Mogadishu is in a state of cautious calm; civilians worry that battles will be renewed at any movement. Those who were lucky to survive are thinking about ways to leave the conflict zones and are hoping to find a safe haven. This is the case of Hussein who used to work in a restaurant. He escaped death when a missile hit him and others, including this old man.

Guest, Male #3
We miraculously survived when a mortar shell fell on this building. The situation was very dangerous.

Reporter, Male #2
Hospitals here are fighting to provide services to the injured despite the severe shortage of medical supplies.

Guest, Woman #1
We received 68 injured people, four died immediately. 43 of the injured left after receiving the necessary medical treatment. The rest are still in the hospital due to their critical conditions.

Reporter, Male #2
This is the nature of battles in Mogadishu. Most of the victims are women, children and elderly who were not able to leave the capital due to the hard conditions. Meanwhile, each side is trying to win the war; considered by political observers to be an unattainable objective.