Press Digest for Friday May 16, 2014

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.

• Vatican follows closely Lebanese presidential elections - sources

Sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper on Friday that the Vatican is pushing the US administration and world powers towards facilitating the Lebanese presidential bid.

The same sources added that the US administration vowed to deploy efforts to ensure the election of a new president in Lebanon.

According to the daily, the Vatican aims by its initiative at stopping the marginalization of the Christians in the Middle Eastern region.

• Speaker Berri will call for parliamentary session every 3 days if presidential vacuum occurs-sources

Visitors of Speaker Nabih Berri quoted him as saying that the fifth parliamentary session tasked to elect a new president scheduled for May 25 will not be the last one.

The same sources told An-Nahar newspaper that Berri stressed that he will call for holding other sessions every three days if a presidential vacuum occurs.

Berri also called on Christian leaders to agree on one candidate to elect him as Lebanon's new president.

• Interior Minister Machnouq: Cabinet to set fixed plan for Syrian refugees in Lebanon

Minister of Interior Nouhad Machnouq told An-Nahar newspaper on Friday that the cabinet will form a committee presided by Prime Minister Tammam Salam tasked to set a "fixed plan" to deal with the file of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

He also noted that progress has been made in this regard following the discussions that were held between the concerned ministers.

• MP Alain Aoun: Change and Reform bloc may attend next parliamentary session

MP Alain Aoun told al-Mustaqbal newspaper on Friday that there is "a serious possibility" that the Change and Reform bloc would attend the parliamentary session scheduled for May 25.

Aoun stressed the bloc's keenness on holding the presidential elections, adding that contacts and deliberations are ongoing in this regard.

Aoun concluded by stressing that cabinet must not legislate if a presidential vacuum occurs in the country.