Introduction to the evening news 01-01-2013

Within seconds, Lebanon and the world snapped out of their celebratory mood to end the year 2012 and started absorbing the idea that a new year has begun. Happy New Year to all! The first few days of the year seem to be very busy just like the end of 2012 which left some heavy baggage behind it.         

First of all, the cabinet will hold a session to discuss the issue of displaced Syrians who are flocking to Lebanon and whose numbers exceeded 170,000. Second, the parliamentary committee will convene to discuss the electoral draft laws for the parliamentary elections due for January 7; and last but not least, the dialogue table will convene on January 8.       

In Iraq, talks began surging over an “Arab Spring” amid escalating protests against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in al-Anbar area. News agencies reported that photos of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and flags of the Free Syrian Army were raised during these protests.             

In Syria, everyone is waiting for the results of international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi’s visit to Moscow. 

All these developments and more in our detailed news bulletin.