Introduction to the evening news 31-10-2012

Since the moment Liwaa Asifat al-Chamal declared, around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, his intention to release the journalist Fidaa Itani within few hours, rumors emerged stating that Fidaa crossed the borders towards the Turkish territories. However, information made available to LBCI confirms that Fidaa Itani is still under house arrest in Aazaz.           

From the kidnapping crisis to the political crisis, where the cabinet session is underway at Baabda Palace and has so far approved the diplomatic appointment, confirming by this step the fact that PM Najib Mikati will remain in his position and that the cabinet has erased the possibility of its resignation. This as March 14 issued a day ago, a statement whereby it called for a "rescue cabinet" instead of the current one.                 

In this context, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman hoped, at the beginning of the cabinet session, that the opposition forces will reconsider their position, noting that "no one can reject the dialogue or link it to anything else."                     

On the other hand, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Elizabeth Jones met with Lebanon's top three officials and stressed the importance that the public institutions continue their work to avoid any political void, especially amid the region's current situation.


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