Introduction to the evening news 16-10-2012

Two people were killed in the fire that ravaged the furniture factory in Jadra. The two victims were not only killed by the fire, but by the political scene that is busy marginalizing and looting public institutions instead of equipping them. However, the failure to put out fires at the right time is not but an accident which unveiled another state deficiency that reached security apparatuses. Today, these apparatuses faced a new challenge on the Lailaki bridge where a security forces checkpoint was surrounded after stopping an illegal van.       

Meanwhile, the Lebanese parliament elected a secretary general, 3 commissioners, and members for the parliamentary committees; a step that will hopefully not be a bad omen for the renewal of the Parliament itself. This as the smaller committee, emanating from the joint committees, held its first meetings and agreed to postpone talks over the electoral law till Thursday.        

In Syria, towns and villages in Maarat Naaman, North West Syria were subject to shelling described as the worse since the opposition fighters took control of the strategic city last week. However, raids have not prevented Syrian president Bashar Assad from setting December 1st as the date for parliamentary elections to fill 5 vacant seats. 


To watch the intro, please click on the video above