Introduction to the evening news 11-02-2013

 
"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.”                         

With these few word, the 85-year-old Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation on Monday.                 

Pope Benedict will officially resign on the 28th of February setting the stage for the Vatican to hold a conclave to elect a new pope before Easter which will occur this year on the 31st of March.            

The Pope, taking a personal decision, decided to transfer the power at the Vatican; whereas in Lebanon, the Parliamentary authority is still stuck among electoral laws and draft laws despite all the attempts to suggest that an improvement is occurring during the parliamentary sub-committee's meetings.                        

As for the Arsal incident, the State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged 34 people, including two detainees, for involvement in the incident.              

In Syria, Head of the Syrian National Coalition Mouaz al-Khatib reiterated his calls for talks with the regime if it would help end the bloodshed and war in the country. 

All these developments and more in our detailed news bulletin.  

To watch the Intro, click on the Video above