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.
An-Nahar daily reported that the security apparatuses uncovered a new lead in the explosion that targeted the entrance of Beirut’s Southern Suburbs on Monday night, and arrested on Tuesday a Syrian national from the Raad family while he was heading to Arsal.
According to the information, the suspect was on his way to Arsal in order to receive an amount of money in exchange for his services that included monitoring a number of streets in the capital and collecting information.
The newspaper added that the suspect confessed during interrogations that he was getting paid an amount of USD 300 for every fact and that he works with another individual who goes by the name: Abou Mouhannad from Majdel Anjar.
In this regard, a military source told
an-Nahar that the security apparatuses tightened the security measures in the wake of the Dahiyeh explosion, without confirming the presence of any evidence linking the said explosion to the Daher al-Bydar attack on Friday.
MP Ghazi Youssef revealed that there are no political discussions currently underway regarding the issue of the pay scale, noting that the items pertaining to the Value Added Tax (VAT) and the amendment of the electricity tariffs remain the points of disagreement between the Lebanese parties.
In this regard, the MP stressed the need to reconsider the funding measures that were previously approved, due to the latest security events.
In a statement to
al-Joumhouria daily, Youssef said that the issue of the series of ranks and salaries depends on the statement to be made by the Finance Minister concerning the financial assessment.
“We must hold a meeting with the finance minister and convince him to increase the VAT rate by only 1%," the deputy stated, stressing that this is the only certain funding source to cover the expenses of the pay scale.
Senior judicial sources revealed that the French national arrested by the Internal Security Forces’ Information bureau has made new confessions, whereby he admitted to receiving help from persons he did not identify, in order to guarantee the reservations at the Napoleon Hotel in Beirut’s Hamra Street where he was arrested.
“He also said that he was receiving amounts of money from people, who used to meet him at the hotel and whose identities were unknown to him,” the sources added.
In a statement to
al-Hayat newspaper, the same sources said that the French national confessed that he was tasked with implementing a terrorist attack in Lebanon, but the target had not been assigned, pointing out that investigations are underway in order to unveil the identities of the people he was communicating with, sometimes via the “internet.”
According to the judicial sources, the interrogations with the French detainee are set to end later this week, noting that he will be referred to the military public prosecution where charges will be pressed against him.
The former UN-Arab League special envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi said that the “Geneva 1” statement was superficial and consensual, noting that the failure to turn it into a Security Council resolution soon revealed the deep US-Russian disputes, making it impossible to reach any progress leading to a transitional phase.
Speaking to
al-Hayat newspaper, Brahimi justified his approval to take over a mission that soon appeared to be “almost impossible,” by saying that the United Nations cannot give up its duties, stressing that “failure is always possible.”
In this regard, the UN official pointed out that he told the Syrian President Bashar Assad that his country needs immediate change, stressing that he advised him to quit acting as king and play the role of the “king maker.”
“Assad answered by saying that no one is allowed to deprive him of his right to run for presidency,” Brahimi explained.