News Introduction for Friday 2-12-2011

A resume of today’s events in Lebanon: From Wadi Khaled to Zahrani and the repercussions of the funding decision.

In Wadi Khaled, Syrian shelling reached the Lebanese territory causing. In Zahrani the electricity production went down by 40% when the plants’ operators, from Amal Movement, decided to halt their work, affecting electricity supply to Beirut.

The workers issued a statement justifying their strike saying “We are being constantly threatened by the municipalities and random people in the streets, we raised this issue and no took it into consideration; these threats continued so we decided to stop working until our demands are met”. 

After the Secretary General of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech, former PM Saad Hariri decided to reply, he said “Thousand speeches like Nasrallah’s won’t eliminate Lebanon’s recognition of STL” It looks like PM Najib Mikati decided to distance himself as he did with the entire country from all the comments and reactions.

On the international level, more sanctions and stances pressuring Syria, the United Nations top human rights forum strongly condemned Syria on Friday for "gross and systematic" violations by its forces, including executions that it said may amount to crimes against humanity.

On the other hand American Vice President Joe Biden called on the Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down for a peaceful transfer of power.