Presenter, Male #1
At least 22 people were killed and dozens were injured in a wave of attacks that hit central and northern Iraq.

Presenter, Female #1
The most violent attack struck the Dakuk neighborhood in the city of Kirkuk, when a car bomb exploded near the headquarters of the local security forces.

Reporter, Male #2
It was a bloody day, during which central and northern Iraq witnessed 15 explosions, including the detonation of seven car bombs, a suicide attack, and shootings in nine cities and towns, leading to many deaths and injuries, and destruction on a wide scale.

Reporter, Male #2
The most brazen attack started at dawn in the city of Kirkuk, when attackers planted four bombs around the home of a military officer. The explosions led to the death of the officer's brother, and injured six other members of his family.

Reporter, Male #2
Only a few hours later, a car bomb parked near a series of restaurants exploded, causing several deaths, injuries, and financial damage. Residents in the area say they reported the suspicious car to the police, but it was too late.

Guest, Male #3
The car was parked here. They asked us about the type of the suspicious car. A police car came by, and we told them that this car has been parked here since the morning. They walked towards it, then it exploded, inflicting deaths and injuries.

Reporter, Male #2
Forty-five minutes later, another car parked near a complex of government buildings exploded, wounding several people. In the Hussainiyah district, northeast of Baghdad, around 40 people were killed when a car bomb exploded.

Reporter, Male #2
In al-Taj, north of Baghdad, another parked car bomb exploded as a police patrol drove by, killing two civilians and wounding seven others. In Fallujah, 65 kilometers west of Baghdad, gunmen shot at a police patrol, killing four officers and wounding another three.

Reporter, Male #2
The attacks come days after gunmen described as fundamentalists carried out attacks in northern Iraq, killing 13 people. In July, 325 people were killed, making it the bloodiest month since August 2010.

Presenter, Male #1
One Pakistani soldier and nine gunmen were killed in clashes that followed an attack waged by gunmen on Minhas Air Base in central Pakistan's Punjab Province. The army's spokesman confirmed the death of all gunmen in armed clashes that lasted hours with members of the special forces. The gunmen attacked the airbase with rifles, bombs, and missile launchers.

Presenter, Male #1
The air base holds the Pakistani Aeronautical complex that manufactures Mirage and JF 17 aircraft. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

Presenter, Male #1
Clashes erupted between Kurdish protestors and Turkish police members in several cities in Turkey's southeastern provinces. Protestors threw petrol bombs at police cars in the provinces of Hatay, Sivas, and Hakkari, and they tried to place barricades on the streets. The police responded with tear gas and water hoses, and arrested a number of protestors. These protests come on the 28th anniversary of the establishment of the Kurdish Worker's Party.

Presenter, Male #1
Bahraini political forces and activists condemned King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa's speech, viewing it as a message of threats and intimidation long heard by the Bahraini people. The secretary-general of the al-Wefaq National Society, Sheikh Ali al-Salman, said the king's speech contains nothing new to comment on.

Guest, Male #2 (King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa)
Constitutional state, and institutions, and separation of authorities, democracy and human rights.

Reporter, Male #3
Marking the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan, King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa gave a televised speech, saying he considered the events in his country a foreign conspiracy, indicating that his government is dealing with those he described as advocates of strife.

Guest, Male #2 (King Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa)
Difficult times due to the on going foreign greed and conspiracies.

Reporter, Male #3
Also in his speech, the king turned to the situation in Syria and expressed sorrow over the violations and acts of violence occurring there. The speech was condemned by Bahraini activists and politicians, who noted that the regime has killed dozens of protestors and is still cracking down on demonstrations despite the fact that they're peaceful. They also criticized the king's cries over the violence in Syria, as the rifles of his regime's security forces have not stopped firing pellet bullets, and poisonous gas at unarmed civilians. His regime also called on Saudi forces to repress popular marches and destroyed dozens of mosques.

Reporter, Male #3
"A speech that does not have anything new to comment on," this is how the secretary general of the al-Wefaq National Society, Sheikh Ali al-Salman, referred to the speech as he congratulated the Bahraini people for the anniversary of their independence. In a statement it issued, al-Wefaq Society considered independence day a national occasion that confirms the country's independence, stressing on the importance of enabling the people to assert their right to be the source of authority. Al-Wefaq confirmed it is determined to continue to liberate power from the authorities and return it to the people. And with that, protests are continuing in several areas, under the banner "the people do not compromise," assuring the people's determination to attain their just right to determine their fate.

Reporter, Male #3
As usual, regime forces used pellet bullets and poisonous gas to crack down on protests, injuring a number of protestors. The violence of the regime's forces against civilians is an approach adopted by the regime to silence the voices of the critics, even if they are religious scholars. This violation was referred to in a statement by the Islamic Scholars Council in Bahrain, indicating its rejection to the Justice Ministry's intervention in the affairs of mosques and preachers. It expressed surprise over the double standards of the regime that turns a blind eye to preachers whose speeches are filled with insults against a sect that represents the majority in the country.

Presenter, Female #1
Today, a Bahraini court sentenced activist Nabeel Rajab to three years over his participation in unlicensed demonstrations. The trial against the residents of al-Muharraq, that includes the prosecution of Nabeel Rajab, has been postponed to August 23rd. A number of human rights organizations called on al-Manama to release the Bahraini political activist accused by the authorities of participating in acts that violate the laws of the kingdom.

Presenter, Female #1
Two powerful explosions rocked southern Israel's city of Eilat, located near the Egyptian border. The Israeli army said the explosions may be the result of Grad rockets launched from the Egyptian Sinai, but the source of the rockets has not yet been confirmed. The explosions did not cause any damage or injuries.

Reporter, Female #1
Two powerful explosions shook the Israeli city of Eilat, but their source is unknown. The Israeli army said the explosions that were heard in the city located near the Egyptian border may be the result of rockets launched from Sinai, and that their forces mounted a sweep of the area in search of rocket shrapnel, but did not find anything. In addition, there were no reports of any damages or injuries resulting from the explosions. Egypt denied launching rockets from Sinai, and said that it did not receive an official notice from Israel over the issue.

Reporter, Female #1
Eilat has been subjected to attacks in the past. Israel accuses armed Islamic groups of waging these attacks from the Egyptian territories. These explosions come days after an attack on some members of the Egyptian army in Sinai that claimed the lives of 16 Egyptian soldiers and officers. Egyptian forces are cleansing the Sinai Peninsula of armed and jihadist groups. Mona Sokar, BBC.

In Somalia, politics has taken center stage ahead of the presidential elections due in late August. A veteran journalist is among those lined up to compete for the positions of president, prime minister, and parliament speaker. Yusuf Garaad, a former head of the BBC, has come to Mogadishu in hopes of becoming the next president the war-torn country in which many scribes have lost their lives. He is going up against more than 30 candidates, including current president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who seeks to remain in office alongside the current prime minister and parliament speaker.

The Israeli deputy minister's aide Mendi Safadi holds talks with the Syrian opposition as an official envoy of Israel. The meeting took place in Bulgaria with Deputy Minister Ayoob Kara's bureau chief and Syrian opposition groups. Safadi insists that his trip to Bulgaria was at the request of an unnamed government body. On Tuesday, the Syrian ambassador to Iran said his country is at war with an "axis of evil," accusing both the United States and Israel of fanning the flames of violence with the support of armed opposition groups.

Presenter, Female #1
The growing crisis in Syria witnessed another tragic chapter yesterday as reports that over 80 people were killed in Azaz in the countryside of Aleppo in an air raid carried out by Syrian regime forces. These victims were added to the tally reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that said the death toll in Syria has exceeded 23 thousand since the beginning of the revolution. Nay Ghabra has the details.

Reporter, Male #1
These are not training missions by the Syrian Air Force; rather, this is an air raid that unleashed all its rage here on Azaz in the countryside of Aleppo. The stated targets were members of the Free Syrian Army, or terrorists, as described by the authorities in Damascus. But the majority of the victims were women and children, who rushed out of their homes only to end up buried under the rubble.

Reporter, Male #1
The neighborhood near the Azaz city prison was also razed to the ground, and the mission to find survivors is as difficult as rescuing the injured. There is no way to threat them except through the border crossings with Turkey. Those fortunate enough to have made it there recount horrifying stories of what they witnessed.

Guest, Male #2
We saw MiG 23 fighter jets, or maybe MiG 27, and bombs that weigh 900 kilos that destroyed entire neighborhoods. They didn't destroy a home or two; they didn't kill one person, or targeted members of the Free Army. No, it was a deliberate attack on civilians.

Reporter, Male #1
News of the shelling, as with the victims, are not limited to Azaz. The regime forces hit several neighborhoods, including Salaheddine, as clashes continued between regime forces and the brigades of the opposition. The latest clashes between the two sides were halted after a military convoy was unable to reach the Bab al-Hawa crossing, as rebel fighters were able to destroy the convoy and seize a tank and capture an army captain.

Reporter, Male #1
These fierce confrontations continued in most Syrian cities, from Homs to Idlib in the north, reaching Damascus and its countryside to the south. They are accompanied by reports showing images of a deteriorating humanitarian situation. People rush to come here to get a loaf of bread in a time of war.

Presenter, Female #1
But bread isn't the only thing Syrians need; they also need urgent humanitarian aid. This, according to Valerie Amos, the coordinator for humanitarian affairs at the United Nations, who stressed the need for aid as her visit to Damascus concluded. Amos confirmed that over 2.5 million Syrians are in dire need of aid.

Guest, Female #2 (Valerie Amos, UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs)
Violence has become more intense, and all sides must do everything in their power to protect civilians as the humanitarian situation is worsening. When I was here last March, one million people were in need of humanitarian aid, according to our estimates at the time.

Guest, Female #2
But now, with the deterioration of the conflict and its affects on the economy and the standards of living, there are 2.5 million Syrians in need of such assistance, and we are working to update our plans and our request for funds. But the government and opposition must end the conflict and allow humanitarian workers to freely move around the country.

Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, says that an Israeli strike on Iran is worth it even if it only delays Tehran's march toward acquiring a nuclear weapon by two to four years. His remarks seem to be a response to comments by the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, who said on Tuesday that Israel cannot stop Iran.

Israeli Ministry of Agriculture officials warned that food prices in Israel are likely to rise by up to 17 percent before the end of the year, saying that the price hike is due to the prolonged drought in the United States, which has triggered a rise in the cost of agricultural commodities. In addition, the value-added tax will rise one percent next month to 17 percent.

Knesset member Avi Dichter was sworn in as Minister of the Home Front, just two days after he announced that he would be leaving Kadima. The Knesset committee convened for a special session during the summer recess to approve the appointment. Shortly before Dichter's appointment, Ahmed Dabah from the Kadima party was sworn in as a member of Knesset in Dichter's place, the 17th non-Jewish member of the legislative body. The Arab MK is the father of nine children and owns a chain of supermarkets.

Presenter, Female #1
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Ruz Nuri Shaways visited Iran to discuss a number of political and economic issues with Iranian officials.

Presenter, Male #1
In statements issued to the media, Shaways described the meetings between the two sides as serious and frank.

Reporter, Male #2
In response to an official invitation by Iranian Vice President for International Affairs Ali Saeedlou, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister on Economic Affairs Ruz Nuri Shaways led a high-level delegation's visit to the Iranian capital Tehran. The goal is to discuss developing political and economic ties that would lead to improving diplomatic relations and reaching mutually-beneficial agreements between the two countries.

Guest, Male #3 (Ruz Nuri Shaways, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister)
The meeting was serious, frank, and held in a brotherly spirit that was exhibited by the brotherly officials of the Islamic republic. We hope to succeed in our meetings, and proceed on the right path toward improving and growing our ties through the implementation of agreements signed between the different ministries of the two countries.

Guest, Male #4 (Ali Saeedlou, Iranian Vice President for International Affairs)
This visit makes us very happy, especially since a number of Iraqi ministers are here. We would like to develop our ties with Iraq, and particularly economic ties. This is why we've been exchanging visits every once in a while.

Reporter, Male #2
The chairman of the National Investment Commission indicated that many opportunities are available for Iranian companies to help develop the country's infrastructure, including its electricity and basic services. He added that the National Investment Commission is trying to remove obstacles facing Iran's entry into the Iraqi investment market.

Guest, Male #5 (Sami Araji, Chairman of Iraq's Investment Commission)
As for investments, we informed them of our regulations and instructions for work in Iraq. God willing, we are committed to these regulations, both those of the United Nations and those required for collective work by the two countries.

Reporter, Male #2
Iraqi Finance Minister Rafi Issawi called for taking advantage of the meeting to discuss a series of stalled agreements, including a customs' cooperation deal and commercial trade, in addition to agreements on avoiding double taxation and the establishment of free economic zones.

Guest, Male #6 (Rafi Issawi, Iraqi Finance Minister)
We held a meeting discussing the customs cooperation agreement, and tomorrow, God willing, if everything is ready, Iraq will sign the agreement with the Iranian finance minister. If the documents are not ready, then we will hold another session in Baghdad.

Reporter, Male #2
This visit was two-faceted; the first aspect was political, with the aim of strengthening diplomatic ties between the two countries. The second was economic, pushing for the implementation of cooperation agreements that benefit the economies of the neighboring states. From the Iranian capital Tehran, Alaa al-Khafajee, Al-Iraqiya.

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