DAILY SCOPE: Aoun is Hizbullah’s Forever Conviction for Candidate

Local Editor

NEWSPAPER HEADLINES:

AS-SAFIR:

Nasrallah to Aoun: You Are Candidate of our Conviction ... Not Loyalty

AL-AKHBAR:

ISIS Amir Killed in Qalamoun ... Aoun Hizbullah's Forever Candidate

THE DAILYSTAR:

Abu Faour Shames More Food Establishments

Hizbullah: Aoun a Consensus Candidate

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL:

Americans' Cellphones Targeted in Secret US Spy Program

Encouraging Signs on the presidential elections surface, as says the Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri. Meanwhile, Hizbullah assures that Michel Aoun, head of the Change and Reform Block is the party's candidate and that is "Final". On another note, Health Minister Faour continues his campaign on food safety, following soon on water companies.

Change and Reform bloc Head MP Michel Aoun met on Thursday with a delegation of Hizbullah, comprised of the political assistant of the party Hussein Khalil, at Rabiyeh in presence of Foreign Affairs Minister Gibran Bassil.

Following the meeting, Khalil said (referring to the ties with the Free Patriotic Movement) that the relation was now complete, and stressed that "neither party could be considered whole without the other."

"Aoun represents national leadership since he doesn't follow any outside agenda," Hizbullah SG Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's assistant Hussein Khalil said.
Khalil affirmed that Aoun was to Christians the sole leader since he commands the largest Christian bloc in Parliament.
Khalil said that any prevailing quarrels and differences between the parties would soon fade away.
"Hizbullah has never imposed its position on its allies, nor do Hizbullah's allies impose their stance on the party," Khalil said.

Khalil also told As-Safir "Aoun is our candidate until the last breath, our commitment with him is unconditional, and not abide by time, this is our conviction."

Also, Speaker Nabih Berri has discussed with Future parliamentary bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora the political crises gripping the country, As-Safir daily reported on Friday.

The newspaper quoted sources as saying that Saniora visited Berri along with Nader Hariri, the adviser of Future movement in presence of Political advisor Ali Hassan Khalil. According to the paper, Berri said there were ‘positive signs' to put an end to the presidential void and re-organize the work of government institutions.

On another note, As-Safir revealed that Health Minister Wael Abou Faour, will actually start working on the file of ‘drinking water' next week, noting that all unauthorized water companies, or those authorized but do not enjoy the required qualifications will be shut down. He added that the file of spoiled food will be transferred to the general prosecutor, noting that all political forces in the country support the move.

Berri has recently said he preferred to stay mum on the encouraging signs related to the presidential deadlock, reported al-Jomhouriya newspaper for its part.
Health Minister Wael Abu Faour had revealed on Thursday the names of more restaurants, bakeries and supermarkets selling contaminated food, in the latest high-profile food industry scandal that has dominated Lebanese headlines since Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Daily Star quoted regional adviser in nutrition for the WHO, Ayoub al-Jawaldeh on the latest food scandal, "Expired is expired. It means it's not fit for human consumption and illegal, and [it is] the responsibility of the government to hold these [violators] accountable."

In order to improve food safety in Lebanon, he said, the Health Ministry must strengthen legislation and enforce implementation, with close monitoring through the creation of specialized units that oversee all stages in the production chain, "from the farm to the fork."

"But the Health Ministry can't do it alone," he said, emphasizing the collaborative work required with municipalities and other ministries to get the job done. He also recommended the formation of an independent monitoring body, similar to the Food and Drug Organization.

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The New York Times said on Friday that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Isis, has purportedly issued a defiant call for followers to "erupt volcanoes of jihad everywhere".

The 17-minute audio recording, in which he vowed to fight to the last man, was his first public statement since Iraqi officials reported he had been injured in air strikes last week.

In the recording, which appeared to be genuine but has still to be confirmed, the self-appointed "caliph" claimed the group now has bases in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Libya and Algeria.

He specifically called on Isis fighters to launch attacks in Saudi Arabia, particularly on its rulers, and in Yemen. A previous broadcast by al-Baghdadi is thought to have inspired militants in Algeria to kill and behead a Frenchman.