Spotlight
Speaker Nabih Berri has warned Prime Minister Tammam Salam against “contributing to” the cabinet's paralysis, noting that the ministers of his AMAL Movement and its ally Hizbullah will attend the cabinet's upcoming sessions.

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour has stressed that “the election of the president must take place in parliament, not in street protests.”

Lebanese Forces bloc MP Antoine Zahra has warned those he called “the advocates of the sovereignty project” against “offering further concessions.”

Industry Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan of Hizbullah has noted that “Lebanon has entered a new phase and a new course,” urging “some parties” not to “aggravate the crisis,” in an apparent reference to Hizbullah's ally the Free Patriotic Movement.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil has warned that “some leaders are trying to drag Lebanese into strife for the sake of their own interests.”

Hizbullah's deputy Executive Council leader, Sheikh Nabil Qaouq said that marginalizing a major faction in Lebanon is the “perfect recipe for the country's destruction,” the state-run National News Agency said on Saturday.
“When a major (political) component in Lebanon has a feeling that it is being excluded, marginalized and targeted, it would be considered a perfect recipe for the destruction of the country,” said Qaouq during a commemoration ceremony held in south Lebanon.

Labor Minister Sejaan Qazzi stressed on Saturday that the thorny issue of Syrian refugees in Lebanon can be addressed through talks with the Syrian government.
“We can't address the problem of refugees without having talks with the Syrian government since it is directly linked to the subject,” said Qazzi to LBCI.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam traveled to New York on Saturday along with a delegation to take part in the 71th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the National News Agency reported.
Salam is expected to deliver a speech on the occasion as he will have several meetings with Arab and foreign leaders.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea acknowledged that chances of getting founder of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun to the presidential post have almost faded, media reports said on Saturday.
“The possibilities for MP Michel Aoun to become a president are almost non-existent,” Geagea was quoted as saying.
Speaker Nabih Berri voiced warnings that shall Prime Minister Tammam Salam fail to call the cabinet members for meetings, he would be as if encouraging the cabinet's termination, An Nahar daily reported on Saturday.
