DAILY SCOPE: Lebanese Cabinet Crisis Unresolved, Terrorists Attack Civilians in Syria

Local Editor

NEWSPAPERS' HEADLINES:

AS-SAFIR:

Crises Accumulate, Garbage Piles Up again in Beirut

AL-AKHBAR:

Initiative of Berri, Hale: Preserving Cabinet

Garbage Piling, Everyone Protesting

AL-BINAA:

Salam Urges Accord, Consensus... Protests on Saturday

THE DAILY STAR:

Protests Persist as Trash Piles Up

Lebanese newspapers on Thursday focused on the domestic crises that have been inflicted upon the Lebanese people, with major focus on the cabinet crisis and the waste management crisis that has so far seen no solution. Also, newspapers shed light on the regional developments, with sources reporting on the situation in neighboring Syria.

Terrorist Groups Lose in Battles, Attack Civilians --- AS-SAFIR

Military sources told As-Safir newspaper that the Syrian army along with the popular forces were able to foil an attack that was being carried out by the terrorist armed groups led by the ‘Ahrar al-Sham' in the Northern outskirts of Aleppo.

The source noted that the terrorist groups attacked several posts belonging to the Syrian army in Duweir al-Zeytoun, Bashkoy and al-Mallah farms, where they seized the military posts after harsh shelling and opening fire, but the Syrian forces quickly retrieved the posts. Moreover, the sources said that in retaliation to their loss in Aleppo, the armed groups attacked the two villages of Nebbol and al-Zahraa where they fired missiles on civilians, killing a 17-year-old girl and injuring numerous civilians in the area.

Cities and towns across Syria have been witnessing bomb attacks as well as mortar and rocket fire by Takfiri terrorists since a deadly conflict broke out in the Middle Eastern country more than four years ago.
Syria has been plagued by a foreign-backed crisis since March 2011. The conflict has claimed more than 240,000 lives up until now, according to estimates.

The Syrian army has been carrying out military operations against the militants holed up in the suburbs of the capital in the past months, killing a huge number of foreign and foreign-backed militants.

Patriarch Following Up on Cabinet Crisis --- AL-JOMHOURIA

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is closely following up the issue of decrees that have been signed without the approval of all cabinet members, reported al-Joumhouria daily on Thursday.

The daily said that MP Ibrahim Kanaan from Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun's Change and Reform bloc met with al-Rahi in Bkirki on Tuesday and discussed the issue with him.

Kanaan told al-Joumhouria that "constitutional issues linked to coexistence cannot be tampered with," adding "The infringement on the authorities of the president and the violation of his rights ... cannot be justified."

He further stressed that the signatures of all of the government's 24 ministers are necessary to pass the decrees because usually they require a president's signature.

Al-Joumhouria also quoted Bkirki sources as saying that al-Rahi is discussing the issue with the rest of the Christian parties to resolve the problem.

Around 70 decrees have been passed without the signatures of the FPM and its allies. This has prompted FPM, Hizbullah and Tashnag ministers to walk out of the cabinet session on Tuesday with the support of the Marada Movement whose minister was abroad.

But a last minute settlement was made ahead of Thursday's session for the decrees to be presented to them for signature.

Waste Crisis to End Soon --- AN-NAHAR

Environment Minister Mohammad al-Mashnouq told An-Nahar newspaper that he expects the waste crisis to end soon in Lebanon, as the Sukleen company gave guarantees to its workers that they will not lose their jobs.

He also hoped that the cabinet would take measures in order to facilitate the work of the municipalities in resolving the gargabe and waste crisis.

Sukleen workers - including trash truck drivers, mechanics and inspectors - are trying to know the fate of their jobs if the state decides to find another company to manage Beirut and Mount Lebanon's waste. The workers are demanding a 36-month severance package and reimbursements for owed medical expenses incase they are sacked.

Sukleen issued a statement earlier Thursday morning to soothe the fears of its employees. The garbage crisis began after the closure of the controversial Naameh landfill on July 17, which has taken in more than 15 million tons of trash since its 1998 opening. It was originally opened to handle 2 million tons of waste.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team