Press Digest for Friday July 06, 2012

4^min

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.

Sehnaoui: Internet to remain slow in the coming days

In an article published in Friday's edition of As-Safir Newspaper, Minister of Communication Nicholas Sehnaoui said that the internet service is expected to remain slow in the coming day, adding that the ministry is seeking to partially connect to the Cypriot cable. Sehnaoui confirmed that the ministry is seeking to connect Lebanon to the line amid ongoing negotiations with both Egypt and Nicosia. Eight other countries are affected by the cable cut off at sea so far.

Rabieh Sources: Hezbollah sources to meet Aoun Friday

Al-Akhbar Lebanese Daily reported via Rabieh sources that a delegation of Hezbollah MP's will be in Rabieh on Friday in hopes of finding a suitable solution for pending issues. The Newspaper said that MP's Hassan Fadlallah, Alain Aoun, Nawaf Moussawi, and Simon Abi Ramya set up the meeting.

Baabda delegation: Sleiman convinced with the need to resend EDL tenure law back to parliament

A visiting delegation at the Baabda Palace confirmed that President Michel Sleiman is convinced with the need to resend the issue of the EDL contract worker's tenure law back to parliament. The delegation stressed via Al-Akhbar Daily that Sleiman is keen on not working within a sectarian framework nor within the context of defying the house speaker.

Berri: I will not respond to some parties' political stances

House Speaker Nabih Berri said via Al-Jamhouriya Lebanese Daily on Friday, that he will not respond to some parties' political stances which he considers as attacks at parliament and the constitution. Speaking on the issue of the EDL contract workers tenure law, Berri continued that the issue albeit created discourse, will not result in new political lineups. He added that he will refrain from responding on what he considers as "attacks", but will continue working for the "benefit of the nation."

Wikileaks to publish 2.4 million Syrian emails

The secret-spilling group WikiLeaks said Thursday it was in the process of publishing material from 2.4 million Syrian emails—many of which it said came from official government accounts.

According to an article published Al-Sharq Awsat Friday, the emails reveal interactions between the Syrian government and Western companies, although she declined to go into much further detail. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was quoed as saying that "the material is embarrassing to Syria, but it is also embarrassing to Syria's external opponents." It is unclear what exactly is in the documents. WikiLeaks only posted a handful of them to its website Thursday, but the disclosure—whose source WikiLeaks hasn't made clear—wouldn't be the first major leak of Syrian emails.