Presenter, Male #1
At the headquarters of the United Nations, it seems unlikely that a new round of sanctions will be imposed on Iran over its nuclear program. According to Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gabriela Shalev, prospects for crippling UN sanctions against Iran were "grim" due to Russia’s negative response, which rejected a US-European proposal calling for imposing a fourth round of sanctions on Iran. Meanwhile, China declined to comment on the new proposal. Shalev added that the military option is still open in dealing with the Iranian nuclear program. Meanwhile, Iranian President, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, met with his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, in Kabul. The two leaders discussed several regional issues, including the expansion of bilateral and economic relations between the two countries. Iran announced a plan to build a new railroad between Pakistan and Iran, via Afghanistan. This is the first meeting between Ahmadinejad and Karzai since their re-election in 2009. The meeting also has political implications, as it comes two days after a visit by US Secretary of Defense, Robert gates, to Afghanistan. Ahmadinejad said that the deployment of international forces to Afghanistan is not an option that will lead to peace in the country. In another development, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in a report that Iran accounts for nearly one third of all detained journalists. The New York-based organization said that the number of detained journalists in Iran rose to more than 52 in February of 2010. This is the largest recorded number since the incarceration of nearly 78 journalists in Turkey in 1996.

Presenter, Female #1
The head of al-Azhar Institute, Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, has died of a heart attack in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Tantawi suffered a massive heart attack at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh while en-route to Cairo. Tantawi went to Saudi Arabia to attend the King Faisal International Award Ceremony in Riyadh. This is what Tantawi told MBC correspondent Fred Ben Jiliad in an exclusive interview shortly before he died.

Guest, Male #1
In the name of God, the most merciful, the most compassionate. This award was granted by the late King Faisal, God bless him, and may he rest in peace. It’s a worldwide respected award.

Presenter, Female #1
The Sheikh of al-Azhar has taken a position on various issues that marked his religious legacy. Dr. Mohammed Sayed Tantawi was born in 1928 in the province of Suhaj. In 1966, he received a PhD with honors in the Islamic Hadith and Tafsir. In 1968, he was as a member of the faculty of Ausol Aldeen. He moved to Libya, where he taught for 4 years. Then, he moved to Saudi Arabia where he became the Dean of the Postgraduate Studies in the Islamic University of Madinah. In 1986, Tantawi was appointed Grand Mufti of Egypt, then the Head of the sacred al-Azhar Institute in 1996. Joining us from Riyadh is our al-Arabiya correspondent, Khalid al-Mutrafi. Khalid, do you have any information confirming whether the body of the late Sheikh Tantawi will be buried in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or be flown back to Cairo.

Guest, Male #2
First, God bless the Grand Sheikh. Ha arrived yesterday in Saudi Arabia at 3:30 PM. Four hours after arriving in Riyadh, he attended the King Faisal International Award Ceremony. He also met with Egyptian businessman, Mohammed Abu Eineen, a member of the Egyptian People’s Council. Eineen invited Tantawi to perform the Umra duty on his private jet. However, Tantawi politely turned down Eineen’s offer citing special engagements back in Cairo. He left the Faiseliya Hotel at 5:30 AM and headed to the King Khalid International Airport. While boarding the airplane at about 7:40 AM, Saudi Arabian local time, Tantawi collapsed and was transported to a military hospital in Riyadh, where he was pronounced dead. The Egyptian embassy said that Tantawi’s family wishes to bury him in the Saudi city of Madinah. This is all the available information.

US Vice President Joe Biden publicly scolded Israel, saying that the plan, which seeks to build 1,600 new homes for Jewish setters near occupied Jerusalem, is undermining peace efforts after Palestinians agree to US-mediated talks. The Israeli announcement clouded Biden’s trip to the region; the visit had been focused on reassuring President Obama’s commitment to Israel’s security in the face of a possible Iranian nuclear threat.

Presenter, Female #1
The Israeli decision to build 1,600 new settlement units in East Jerusalem angered American Vice-President Joe Biden who is still on his visit to the Middle East.

Presenter, Male #1
The Palestinian Authority said that the Israeli decision will derail the peace negotiations. The Secretary General of the PLO’s Executive Committee, Yassir Abd Rabbo, said that a number of Arab countries already notified Washington that they no longer support indirect negotiations with Israel.

Presenter, Woman #1
Our reporter in Ramallah, Shereen Abu Aqlaeh, reports on the reactions generated by the Israeli decision to build new settlements.

Reporter, Woman #2
Israeli officials received American Vice- President Joe Biden who came to revive the peace process. Only a short time before a dinner held to honor Biden, he received the news that Israel decided to build 1,600 new settlement units in East Jerusalem. Biden came to the dinner late, but he did attend. However, he issued a statement condemning the Israeli decision, saying that it threatens the confidence that is needed to resume indirect peace negotiations. The Israeli decision also generated fiery local and regional reactions. However, Israeli officials were not immune from these reactions; even Netanyahu’s reaction was confused. But an Israeli official reiterated that the new Israeli decision does not contradict the settlement freeze because Jerusalem is not included in that agreement. From the Israeli perspective, the only problem is the decision’s timing because it coincided with the visit of the senior American official. Defense Minister Ehud Barak condemned the decision, and demanded Netanyahu temporarily freeze it.

Guest, Male # 2
The current Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, has gone a long way in freezing settlements because we want the peace process to move forward. However, we must be clear that the West Bank is one thing and Jerusalem is another. Jerusalem is, and will remain, our capital.

Reporter, Woman #2
In 1990, the settlement of Ramat Shlomo was built in Shu'fat and Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem. It is inhabited by 15 thousand religious settlers. The settlement has been under construction for the past three years, but it was only approved today by the Interior Ministry. The Israeli decision was also a slap in the face of the Palestinian Authority that already faced difficulties in convincing the PLO’s Executive Committee to resume indirect peace talks with Israel, despite the continuation of settlement expansion in the West Bank.

Guest, Male #3
Talks about any kind of negotiations, as Israel continues its current policies, are impossible. This is not reasonable because all the countries of the world, without exception, have asked Mahmud Abbas to give indirect peace talks a chance. Then, we discover that the Israeli government does not want to give the peace process any time to succeed, not even a single hour.

Reporter, Woman # 2
Netanyahu is being pulled in two directions: his right-wing governing collation from one side and the world, which is pushing for a peace process, on the other. The Palestinians understand the significance of the Israeli decision and they also understand that they are about to enter a field filled with land-mines. If it does not blow up today, it is bound to do so in the near future. Shereen Abu Aqleh, al-Jazeera, occupied Ramallah.

Both Israel and Syria today announced plans to develop nuclear energy at the International Conference on Access to Civil Nuclear Energy at the OECD conference in Paris. Israeli Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau unveiled Israel’s plan to build a joint nuclear power plant with Jordan. Syria did not elaborate on its own nuclear plan but Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mikdad said that Damascus intends to pursue alternative means of energy to meet growing demands.

Presenter, Female #1
Let’s go through the most visited stories on our website BBCArabic.com, and take a look at the Middle East section. The family of American activist Rachel Corrie, is suing Israel for the killing of their daughter in 2003. Let us the watch the following report together.

Reporter, Male #1
Seven years have passed since American activist Rachel Corrie was run over and killed by an Israeli military bulldozer. Today, her family is suing the Israelis and demanding compensation.

Guest, Woman #2
Rachel Corrie has opened people’s eyes somewhat to the issues. People are talking about the story. I don’t think that Americans think a lot about this story, so it is important for us to think about our role, and I think that Rachel’s story is important.

Reporter, Male #1
At the time, each party insisted on maintaining their side of the story. Peace activists, along with the family of Rachel, accused the driver of the Israeli bulldozer of deliberately driving over and crushing Rachel’s body as she tried to prevent him from demolishing a home. The Israeli army, however, insisted that it warned the activists to leave the area, as the bulldozers were flattening the ground; a measure that was taken to protect settlers from Palestinian attacks.

Guest, Woman #1
In that period of time, in 2003, we had no choice but to protect ourselves and the Israeli citizens living in the Gaza strip. Flattening the terrain was one of these measures.

Reporter, Male #1
Corrie was not the only victim of Israeli brutality. Dozens of peace activists were killed by the Israeli military in the past decade. The reemergence of Rachel Corrie’s story coincides with the Goldstone report, which may lead to unwelcomed results for the Israelis. Hyder Al Kahier, BBC.

Presenter, Female #1
Turkey rejected Israel’s offer of aid following the earthquake that hit the country several days ago.

Reporter, Male #1
As Turkey tries to contain the crisis caused by the earthquake that hit the northern part of the country, Ankara decisively rejected Israel’s offer of aid. That offer came from Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak through his security agencies, which offered to look into ways to provide Turkey assistance. The Turkish authorities, however, responded by saying that they do not need Israel’s help, and that Turkey has sufficient experience and expertise to deal with such a catastrophe. Turkey’s rejection of the Israeli offer comes as the afflicted areas were transformed into workshops providing food, tents, and other supplies to meet the needs of the earthquake- stricken people. According to the latest numbers, 57 people died in the earthquake and 50 others were injured. In addition, dozens of homes were damaged in six villages close to the epicenter of the earthquake in Vera Kojan, in the province of Elazig, in eastern Anatolia.

Presenter, Male #2
Palestinians in Gaza challenged Israel’s occupation practices and its attempt to control thousands of donums of their land by declaring them to be military zones.

Reporter, Male #3
The siege imposed on Gaza by the occupation army coincides with tangible steps taken on the ground that are aimed at suffocating citizens and farmers who live near the border areas. Under normal circumstances, reaching this area means having to face one of two choices. But going further means that you have taken the risk of getting killed by a bullet from one of the Israeli guard towers. Today, in defiance of policies imposed by the occupation forces to use 300 meters of Palestinian land declared as a buffer zone, Palestinians held a demonstration and marched from the separation wall to the border of the occupied territories in northern Gaza.

Guest, Male #4
We want to have Land Day become a nationally established day. Different demonstrations should start from Gaza, at the same time and face the same direction, eastward, toward the Zionist enemy. This is the true conflict.

Reporter, Male #3
The demonstration managed to get close to the observation towers set-up at the border. Palestinian flags were raised during the demonstration, which is part of a series of activities that will continue until Land Day. Today, dozens of participants, who are land owners but banned from entering their own lands, were able to reach them.

Guest, Female #2
Today, and for the first time in 10 or 15 years, we were able to reach our land. Honestly, we could not reach it before. Thank God, we took some wheat grass and saw our land. God willing, we all meet here and we will all have peace in the region. I hope the siege imposed on us and our children will end.

Reporter, Male #3
Israel bans Palestinians from getting any closer than 300 meters from the separation wall. However, the reality of what is happening is quite different.

Guest, Female #3
“This area is noted as the buffer zone”. This was unilaterally imposed by Israel on the Palestinians. Occupation forces say that this area is only 300 meters away from the wall, to the north and to the south, but Israelis don’t abide by these figures and shoot Palestinians even outside these areas. Many Palestinian citizens were shot and killed outside this so-called buffer zone.

Reporter, Male #3
Despite this situation, protesters are determined to remind the world of their stolen rights. The Palestinian protest against the separation wall has succeeded in reaching northern Gaza’s border area, confirming their right to return to their occupied lands. Muhammad Alian, Syrian Arab television, from northern Gaza.

Presenter, Female # 1
By taking a look at the Middle-Eastern section, we can see that Libya has accepted Washington’s apology related to Gadhafi’s remarks about a Jihad against Switzerland. As we have said, Libya has accepted this apology. More details in the following report.

Reporter, Female # 2
These days, nothing scares Washington more than the word “Jihad”, especially when it is called for by an Islamic State against an ally of the United States. However, comments made by State Department spokesperson, Philip J. Crowley, were not a threat, as much as they were a mockery of Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi who called for a Jihad against Switzerland following the European country’s vote against the building of minarets. Tripoli threatened financial repercussions on US interests if it did not receive an official apology from Washington. Indeed, the President of the national oil company in Libya invited officials from 4 American companies, among them Exxon Mobil, and warned them that the future of their contracts with Libya was at risk. Crowley was finally forced to apologize.

Reporter, Male # 1
I realize that the comments that I made could be interpreted as a personal attack. The comments do not reflect US policy and were not intended to offend; I apologize if it was interpreted as such. I regret that my comments have become an obstacle to further progress in our bilateral relationship.

Reporter, Female # 2
Gadhafi could justify his call for a Jihad against Switzerland by mentioning the minaret ban. But the crisis between the 2 countries started 2 years ago when Swiss authorities arrested Najla el-Gadhafi Hannibal and his wife, suspected of mistreating 2 housekeepers. In addition to the case of 2 businessmen who were prevented by Libya from leaving the country. One of them has been released, whereas the other is still detained. Washington today says that its only concern in the matter is to express its apprehension in regards to the fate of the second man, and to invite a quick resolution to his case. Dima Hamdan, BBC.

Presenter, Female #1
In 1975, 45,000 Moroccan families were arbitrarily deported from Algeria. Today, according to Article 42 of the Algerian Financial Law, properties that belong to the victims of the arbitrary deportation will be documented and recorded as real estate properties that belong to Algeria; Moroccan properties will be simply confiscated by the state. Abdul Hamid al-Murabit and Ali al-Amira bring us the following report from Wajdah.

Reporter, Male #1
Ahmed Nounouhi is 90 years old, and one of the 350,000 Moroccans who were deported arbitrarily from Algeria in 1975. He lived in Algeria for nearly 40 years, and greatly contributed to the Algerian Revolution.

Guest, Male #1
Since I lived with them in Algeria, I ate with them and drank with them. I helped the Algerians. We contributed to the Algerian Mujahedeen and provided them financial support.

Guest, Male #
They didn’t let us take anything when we were deported. We were only allowed to take the clothes that we were wearing. We were forced to give up everything else. We signed the police papers, and then we were placed in vehicles and transported to the border.

Reporter, Male #1
Suffering ensued after the deportation and encompassed the confiscation of real-estate properties, residential houses and everything that was left in the neighborhoods. Ahmed still has the certificate proving the ownership of the estate that he bought from an Algerian citizen in 1950’s.

Guest, Male #1
I bought a 500 square-meter piece of land, which cost me 170,000 French Francs. It took me 5 years to build the home on that land. I cannot forgive them for taking it away from me. I worked hard to save the money and farm my land. How can I forget all of that?

Reporter, Male #1
The Algerian government issued a resolution this year to annex the real-estate properties of those who are no longer in the country. The Moroccan Association of Deportees from Algeria greatly resented this resolution. The association described the resolution as unjust, affirming that it is a step aimed at acquiring Moroccan properties.

Guest, Male #3
Above everything else, Article 42 seeks the properties of the Moroccans who were expelled from Algeria. Therefore, we rang the alarm bells and notified the Moroccan foreign minister and the Moroccan prime minister. We also informed the Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese governments, and even the Maltese government and the European Union.

Reporter, Male #1
The association is determined to mobilize various fronts to regain the rights of the deported and recover their confiscated properties. It has collected more than 600 complete profiles of victims who provided legal documents that prove their rightful ownership.