Three things you must know this week…

1) On October 19^th, a large car bomb exploded in the center of Beirut’s Christian quarter, killing eight people and wounding at least 80. Reminiscent of Lebanon’s two-decade-long civil war, the bombing caused anxiety within the country as bordering Syria’s sectarian-fueled civil war threatens to engulf the region. Killed in the bombing was a top Lebanese security official, Brig. Gen. Wissam al-Hassan, long-viewed as an enemy by Syria. The Intelligence Chief of Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces, General Hassan, led the arrest of Michel Samaha, a former Information Minister, who had close ties with Basar al-Assad. Hasssan arrested Samaha in an attempt to prevent the spread of sectarian violence within Lebanon. While an investigation is still underway, Lebanese officials suspect the Syrian government planted it as an attempt to assassinate General Hassan, and to create chaos within the politically fractured country.

2) BBC Newsnight editor Peter Rippon stepped down after giving an inaccurate or incomplete account of why he dropped the investigation into famed English DJ, BBC television presenter and suspected paedophile, Jimmy Savile. Almost 300 people have come forward saying Savile sexually abused them as children in the 1970’s. Rippon said he dropped the investigation due to lack of information. The BBC has been criticized by Parliament for not calling Savile’s behavior into question, nor flagging allegations of abuse during Savile’s long career at the corporation.  The story has threatened the prestige of one of Britain’s leading news institutions at a time when British media has come under intense scrutiny due to the phone-hacking scandal. The allegations of sexual abuse came to light in early October, when ITV1 released a documentary entitled Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile, which chronicled the lives of several women whom he had sexually abused as girls.

3) During an interview with the BBC, First Minister and head of the Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond, said that if  Scotland became independent, nuclear weapons would be outlawed. Salmond also said that Trident, a UK nuclear missile program on the Clyde, would also be removed. The interview followed the SNP’s annual conference this week. At the conference, the party decided it would join the nuclear-based military alliance NATO. The party pledged to remain within the European Union in the event of an independent Scotland. Salmond’s statement about Trident caused a stir within Parliament. A committee of MPs warned that Scottish independence would unilaterally disarm nuclear weapons unless a clear deal is reached to ensure the fleet can continue operating. The SNP responded by claiming Trident’s withdrawal from Scotland would be phased safely.

Headline image ©Al Arabiya News