News Introduction for 15-01-2012

Achrafieh’s collapsed building on Sunday broke the political routine on the local and regional scene and raised new question regarding public safety. Of particular concern are the measures taken by the municipality regarding ageing structures and construction law and its amendments.

Emergency planning has also been called into question in particular the equipment necessary during similar crises and coordination between agencies.

On the other hand the wage adjustment file is still swinging between the Cabinet, Shura Council, the concerned ministers, the economic bodies and the General Labor Confederation, as it has been since October of last year.

While the head of the General Labor Confederation Ghassan Ghosn told LBCI that the wage adjustment issue will be discussed again during the upcoming cabinet session, sources revealed that this file will not be discussed as they wait for a positive sign from the head of the Change and Reform bloc and the Minister of Labor’s meeting.  

On the Syrian scene, the Arab League has not received any official request or suggestion to send Arab troops to Syria, an Arab representative to the Cairo-based League told Reuters on Sunday.

Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, said on Saturday that Arab troops may have to step in to halt the bloodshed in Syria since protests against President Bashar al-Assad began in March.    

"There is currently no official suggestion to send Arab troops to Syria,  there has been no Arab or a non-Arab agreement on a military intervention in Syria for the time being," the representative said.    

British Foreign Minister William Hague revealed that Western powers have no plans for military intervention against Syria or Iran.