The
following are summaries of today's major stories published in the Arabic press.
LBCI does not edit press digest articles for content, giving English-language
readers insight into the various views expressed in newspapers across the Arab
world.
Al-Joumhouria
daily quoted Head of The General Labor Confederation Ghassan Ghosn as
confirming that the Land Transportation Union’s approval of a proposal by the
cabinet to decrease gasoline prices for public drivers only will not affect the
movement of the labor confederation which adheres to its strike scheduled on
May 3.
Ghosn told the daily that the confederation insists
on taking all taxes off gasoline prices and accordingly the gasoline tank
price will decrease from 40, 000 LBP, its current price, to 32, 000 LBP.
As-Safir
daily quoted ministerial sources as suggesting the possibility that the prime
minister tables the preliminary agreements reached between him and the Land
Transportation Unions and Syndicates with the participation of the ministers
concerned with the sectors’ demands.
The
sources also expected that the premier will also table the report submitted by
Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas regarding the demands of bakeries’ owners who
are calling for subsidizing the flour prices by 70,000 LBP per ton.
An-Nahar
daily quoted the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly as
confirming that Lebanese and Israeli delegations are discussing the issue of
maritime security during the tripartite meetings in Naqoura, adding that
discussion of such an issue requires the willpower of both parties.
Plumbly reiterated his support for the plan of UN-Arab
envoy Kofi Annan on the grounds that “it constitutes the sole available means to
stop violence.”
As-Safir daily
quoted French Foreign Minister announced as saying that the NATO has no role to
play in the region.
Juppe
reiterated the French position on military intervention in Syria, calling for
averting the military solution which will definitely incite a civil war, as he
said.
Juppe added that there is a world of difference
between what happened in Libya, which enjoyed homogeneity between the opposition
and the society of which 95% is represented by Malikite Sunnis, and what is currently
happening in Syria where different communities live thus highly raising the danger
of a civil war, as he said.
Al-Joumhouria daily quoted sources close to former
PM Saad Hariri as confirming that the latter maintains that he had always
refused to depart from Lebanon until his personal security team asked him to leave
for several reasons, mainly because it was difficult to provide him with total security
protection under the country’s situation especially that “the Syrian regime was
willing, at the begging of the uprising, to do whatever it takes to remove Hariri
from the Lebanese political front given the moral support he provides for the
residents of anti-regime areas.”
The sources confirmed that all what happened from
the departure of Hariri until the attempted assassination of Lebanese Forces
Leader Samir Geagea confirms that the Syrian regime has once again ordered his
internal and external groups to start the physical liquidation of certain March
14 figures and cadres.
The sources warned that semi-confirmed information
suggests that the Syrian regime will not waver over carrying out new assassinations
that might target some living martyrs to blur the truth to which they are
witness.