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.
Labor Minister Sejaan Azzi denounced the cabinet’s postponement of the Lebanese University dossier until next week’s session, holding Education Minister Elias Bou Saab responsible for this failure.
In a statement to
an-Nahar daily, Azzi noted that Bou Saab failed when he linked the issue of the official exams to the series of ranks and salaries, adding that he failed once again when he linked the dossier of the Lebanese University to domestic political disputes.
In other statements, the minister pointed out that Bou Saab attempted to convince the Lebanese University’s professors that he is capable of granting them their rights while reassuring the political factions that he will guarantee their demands, “but all he was doing was serving the interests of the Free Patriotic Movement and its allies,” he said.
Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbass stressed that the issue of the Syrian refugees will remain complicated as long as the ministers fail to reach agreement over a clear policy concerning the establishment of refugee camps.
In a statement to
al-Joumhouria newspaper, Derbass noted that despite the fact that Lebanon has achieved an advanced stage in approaching the mentioned issue, in terms of counting the refugees and finding means to cooperate with them; some parties are still objecting the establishment of camps inside the Lebanese territory.
In this regard, the minister pointed out that an agreement has also failed to be reached over establishing camps inside buffer zones, since such a step requires several conditions that have not yet been ensured, such as security guarantees, financial assistance and international management for the camps.
Al-Akhbar daily cited reports exchanged between the Lebanese Armed Forces Intelligence Directorate and the Internal Security Forces Information Bureau of South Lebanon, whereby they mentioned that fugitive Sheikh Ahmad Assir is still hiding in a house inside the Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp.
The reports added that one of Assir’s sons visits him regularly, where he lives under the protection of a wanted man identified as Toufic Taha, who is an official of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades.
Al-Joumhouria daily reported that a legislative session may be held next Thursday, with three main items on its agenda, finalizing the series of ranks and salaries for the public sector, urging the cabinet to issue Eurobonds and finding means to cover the salaries of the public sector employees.
According to the reports, holding the session depends on the course of developments and discussions conducted between the political factions in a bid to reach common grounds.