Introduction to the evening news 11-12-2012

The issue of the ranks and salaries has turned into a long governmental series. In some 'episodes' discussions are held for talks, while other sessions are conducted to find means to secure funding sources, then to study its negative repercussions on the economy and to discuss the possibility of its amendment. It is a series which the cabinet hopes that the Syndicates Coordination Committee, teachers and employees will lose interest in, and consequently lose the fight.

However, and contrary to the cabinet’s wishes, the general strike which will be staged on Wednesday will overshadow the cabinet session expected to discuss, one more time, the pay scale, in addition to the case of the Telecom data. If the March 8 governmental coalition is procrastinating in referring the pay scale to the parliament under the pretext of protecting the economy, March 14 coalition, on the other hand will be making its move in another case, as they are insisting on violating the Lebanese people’s privacy and spying on them under the guise of security.               

On the Syrian level, the most prominent development was the United States’ designation of the radical Islamist Syrian Rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra as a foreign terrorist organization and adding it to its blacklist for its links to al-Qaeda in Iraq. Meanwhile, The Independent Daily revealed that Britain along with other countries is participating in placing plans to train the Syrian rebels.                       

In Egypt, the street is once again divided regarding the referendum concerning the constitution and the rejection of the birth of a new dictatorship and an Islamic ruling. Amid this division, the army played another role, when its chief called for a “national dialogue” on Wednesday to find a solution for the crisis.

All these developments and more in our detailed news bulletin.