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.
The Minister of Energy Gebran Bassil said through
as-Safir on Wednesday that the
formation of the Department of the petroleum sector is a "puzzle" combination,
saying: it is not enough to have six candidates to fill the centers body in our
possession in accordance to sectarian distribution, but there is a need to
reconcile all parts of the "puzzle" and assure that each and every
part fits the right place.
“Concerned parties
have submitted names, and this is a positive and useful step, but not
sufficient. Each party is now required to
take into account the name suggested, its suitability with other components of
the ‘puzzle’,” Bassil added, stressing that all members of the sector should be
among the “best of the best.”
In his concluding statements Bassil revealed a figure of the disclosed quantities
of gas available on the edge of the disputed border area with Israel, which is at
least 12 thousand billion cubic feet.
“This is merely
a sample of the riches contained in Lebanese waters,” he stressed, noting that
Lebanon has estimates of the existence of large quantities in the north, center
and southern waters close to its shores.
Minister of Interior and Municipalities Marwan
Charbel said in an interview with
an-Nahar, that negotiations on the
issue of the Lebanese abductees in Syria are ongoing with the Turkish side,
adding that they are positive, with the
role of Turkey as a mediator. He however stated that time and patience are still needed
to resolve this issue completely.
According to the article, Turkish authorities pressured the Syrian
kidnappers to release one Lebanese detainee following the release of its national on the part of Lebanese
authorities from a retaliatory hostage operation in Lebanon.
Judicial sources mentioned to
as-Safir that three bullets
were fired at the fake convoy of the head of the Change
and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun, pointing
out that these
bullets were most likely fired from a Kalashnikov or Simonov machinegun.
The sources confirmed that the investigation showed that the fire was from the vicinity of the scene
of the sit-in at Sidon, and that a number of people reported hearing gunshot sounds.
The judiciary is now in the process of listening to witnesses testimonies.
The sources continued that the convoy’s reaction was normal, stating that the
procession not stopping after the shooting was natural since an automatic reaction leads
the driver to
increase the speed
in order to leave a danger zone.
“Aoun was truly the subject of an attempted attack, with
all criminal intent, investigations are ongoing to
reveal all the circumstances of the incident,” the sources continued.
Al-Akhbar Lebanese Daily reported in its Wednesday edition that Lebanese Forces activists in Akkar say that MP
Strida Geagea does
not spare MP Hadi Hobeish her criticism
throughout various meetings.
Geagea has also been said to desire Hobeish’s
replacement with a member of the Lebanese Forces in the Future Bloc’s list,
stating that his presence has no added value.
Al-Akhbar Lebanese Daily revealed that Lebanese government commissioner Judge
Saqr Saqr and through his recent positions, validates the military presence of
armed Syrian opposition forces on Lebanese territory, arguing that his decision
to release the Britel arrestees without referring “the foreigner [Syrian
National] to General Security arises suspicions.
Justice
Minister Chakib Qortbawi promised at the time to pursue the case and forwarded it
for inspection, but no review was ever made.