Press Digest for Saturday September 06, 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.

• PSP  leader MP Jumblatt: Lebanese authorities must speed up trials of the Islamist inmates

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt told al-Mustaqbal newspaper on Saturday that he rejects the swapping of the Islamist inmates at the Roumieh prison for the kidnapped troops in Arsal.

Jumblatt welcomed the ongoing negotiations to ensure the release of the kidnapped troops, stressing however the necessity to speed up the trials of the Islamist inmates.

As for his latest visit to Egypt, Jumblatt noted the new Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi stressed to him the importance of holding the presidential and parliamentary elections in Lebanon.

• Minister Rifi says case of the abducted soldiers in Arsal must be kept under wraps

Minister of Justice Achraf Rifi told al-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday that the ministerial committee tasked with following up on the issue of the kidnapped soldiers in Arsal must keep the dealing with such a file under wraps.

Rifi also noted that the release of the kidnapped soldiers is currently the government's top priority.

• Russian ambassador Zasypkin stresses need to help Lebanon addressing terrorist threats

Russian ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin told As-Safir newspaper on Saturday that Lebanon must be alerted due to the expansion of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

He also stressed the need to help the Lebanese authorities on the security and political levels to address such terrorist threats.

On another note, Zasypkin said that the military involvement of Hezbollah in Syria is not the reason behind the infiltration of the Islamic State fighters into Lebanon.

He concluded by ruling out the toppling of Syrian President Bachar al-Assad in the near future.

• MP Siniora says March 14 camp adamant on initiative regarding the presidential elections

Future bloc leader MP Fouad Siniora told al-Seyassah newspaper on Saturday that March 14 camp is still adamant on its initiative regarding the presidential elections.

On another note, Siniora stressed that the case of the kidnapped soldiers in Arsal is in the hands of only the Lebanese government.