Introduction to the evening news 28-10-2011

The week has come to an end, and while some steps taken on both governmental and syndical levels may be reasons for optimism, others forecast a deeper deadlock: in fact, the appeal of the minimum salary increase draft decree may have constituted a temporary outlet, but it was also the catalyst for a new arm-wrestling contest between the government and the General Labor Union on one hand, and the government and the economic bodies on the other. Consequently, next week will be a real test for the crisis’ three spines: the government, the Union and the bodies.           

On the security level, while the debate is still raging over the disappearance of Al-Ayssami Chebli and the Jassem brothers, a new file was opened today to probe into the disappearance of 3 Syrian residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs.           

Internationally, Saif al-Islam changed tack, using the plan to liquidate the Gaddafi family, as his contacts with the International Criminal Court became more frequent; no doubt will he be The Hague’s star if he were to be transferred there.