Introduction to the evening news 20-03-2012

Files were crowded today, internally and externally; the rotten foodstuffs issue remained at the surface and a date for the Friends of Syria conference was set on April 1st, instead of the 2nd.          

The common denominator between the different domestic issues is that they are exacerbating, some of them stumble while some others evolve. What is stumbling is the issue of electricity-generating ships, according to what sources from the Grand Serail told LBCI. As for the evolving issues, they include investigations into the rotten foodstuffs case that is witnessing a tight race between raids and attempts to get rid of these foodstuffs by throwing them in waste dumps.        

As for Syria, the U.N. Security Council kicked off discussions on a draft statement that supports the mission of U.N. envoy to Syria Kofi Annan. Meanwhile, violence and military operations escalated and sources said that rebel forces retreated from Deir al Zour.        

But first, we would like to shed the light on an incident that took place at the Antonine University in Baabda. According to the university’s statement, Muslim students performed their prayers in the inner courtyard in a challenging and provoking way.