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.
Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri
warned of various risks that Lebanese factions should overcome in first months
of the new year and expressed to
An-Nahar Daily his fear that the estrangement between
March14 and PM Najib Mikati would affect the country in addition to fear of
failure in reaching an electoral law.
On
the other hand, Berri expressed his relief seemingly since March14 forces
accepted to participate in the sub-parliamentary meetings related to ratifying
an electoral law.
Sources revealed to
Al-Joumhouria newspaper the absence of
meetings, negotiations, and consultations between the Head of the progressive
Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblatt and March14 forces in addition to the resentment Former PM Saad Hariri from the
stances of Jumblatt seemingly since the latter consolidated his alliance with PM
Najib Mikati.
Sources added to
Al-Joumhouria that a new political-electoral
alliance is underway since various meeting are taking place between Mukhtara
and Verdun on the backdrop of effective coordination between Jumblatt and
Mikati.
According to
An-Nahar newspaper, the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers
will hold an extra ordinary meeting in Ramallah on the 29th of December upon
the request of the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
During the meeting, ministers will discuss the Palestinian issue after
assigning Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel's prime minister.
After
discussions between the Secretary General of the Arab League
Nabil Elaraby and the Lebanese FM Adnan Mansour, since
Lebanon is chairing the current session of the council, it was decided to
respond to the call of President Abbas.
An Arab Ministerial source said to
An-Nahar that the main point on the
ministerial agenda is activating the Arab
peace initiative, which had been approved at the Arab Summit in Beirut
in 2002.
According to
As-Safir newspaper, two grenades, one of them equipped and ready
to be launched, were found on the road which leads to the residence of PM Najib
Mikati in Tripoli.
In this context, sources said that workers in a company that was carrying out a
project in the region found on Sunday a stun grenade placed on the side of the
eastern route which leads to "Quality Inn" and informed the
authorities.
Same
workers found on Monday an equipped defensive grenade that a military expert
was able to remove it.
It
is worth noting that PM Mikati goes on this road as he returns from Beirut to
his residence in Tripoli, and he is currently outside Lebanon since last Saturday.