Introduction to the evening news 10-10-2011

Do the winds of a sectarian fall blow in the direction of the Egyptian spring? What will happen after the death of 25 people in stand-offs between the army and the Copts that followed Christians protesting against the demolition of a church that was under construction?

The Copts, who organized funerals for their victims today, slammed the army’s use of violence. Politicians, especially presidential candidates, showed contradictory stances to the point that they could not draft a common statement following their meeting today.

In a bid to cushion the fall, the Egyptian authorities declared that the man accused of killing six Copts following Christmas mass in December 2010 was finally sentenced to death. All of these developments did not help in dissipating fear in light of the growing condemnation of the military council. The council is being accused of attempting to delay elections as much as possible in order to satisfy its thirst for power.

As expected, the situation has taken its toll on Egypt’s economy since today’s latest stock market rate registered a loss of 10 billion EGP. Speaking on Egypt’s latest developments, U.S. President Barack Obama said that the rights of minorities everywhere in the world, and particularly in Egypt, should be respected. 

In Syria, the opposition and the regime are facing off; Bouthaina Shaaban, advisor to the Syrian president, declared from Kuala Lumpur that armed gangs are triggering violence all over Syria, calling on Turkey to stop arousing tensions.  

On the other hand, and twenty-four hours after Foreign Minister Walid Muallem warned against dealing with the National Council, the same National Council deemed by the European Union as “a step forward”.

In Lebanon, the countdown has begun: First, the cabinet will hold a session tomorrow to see how the tale of wage adjustment will unfold, and second is the GWU’s strike scheduled for Wednesday. By Monday evening, the status-quo remained at a lot of empty promises and little commitment to action.