The appointments of top civil servants in state posts remained a point of contention between President Michel Suleiman and Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun, As Safir newspaper reported on Monday.

The daily noted that despite the “optimistic” reports on the issue, the dispute hasn’t been resolved yet.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati called for an emergency meeting at the Grand Serail to tackle the rise in the discovery of spoiled food products in Lebanon, An Nahar newspaper reported on Monday.

Miqati in coordination with Economy Minister Nicolas Nahhas sought to hold a meeting on Wednesday with Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi, Agriculture Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and high-ranking officials from the general security, the state security, the army intelligence and the customs.

Several Kuwaiti lawmakers have voiced strong objections to a planned visit to their country by Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil, noting that “he is an ardent supporter of the oppressive Syrian regime.”

“Bassil’s stances in support of the Syrian killing machine against the unarmed Syrian people make him unwelcome in Kuwait,” said MP Badr al-Dahoum, spokesman of the Justice parliamentary bloc, stressing that “guests who visit Kuwait must respect the official and popular stance on the Syrian regime.”

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday held talks with King Abdullah II of Jordan, wrapping up a three-day visit to the kingdom.

After the meeting, al-Rahi said he sensed Abdullah’s keenness on avoiding violence in the region and encouraging dialogue aimed at reaching political settlements.

Lebanon welcomes the Russian initiative on Syria that was adopted by Arab states during Saturday’s meeting in Cairo, Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said on Sunday, while reiterating insistence on “Lebanon’s stances concerning the previous resolutions” passed by the Arab League.

“Lebanon welcomed the Russian initiative and the points agreed on with the Russian side, reiterating its stances on the previous resolutions,” Mansour said in Beirut, after taking part in the Cairo talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Arab counterparts.

Hizbullah on Sunday claimed that “there are some March 14 associates in power who are involved in facilitating arming and infiltration into Syria,” describing the U.S. embassy in Lebanon as “a military operations room against Syria.”

“The countries that conspired against Syria have admitted that they had engaged in an uncalculated adventure and nowadays we’re noticing how they have started tactical, political retreats,” Sheikh Nabil Qaouq, deputy head of Hizbullah’s Executive Council, said.

The Lebanese army contained an armed clash between rival clans in the eastern city of Baalbek on Sunday to prevent the confrontation from spiraling out of control.

The National News Agency and Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said a military unit contained the clash between the Jaafar and Shamas clans that included the use of light weapons and rocket propelled grenades.

Hizbullah praised on Sunday the demonstrations held against Bahraini authorities, saying Manama had no choice but to respond to the rightful demands of the people.

“The popular demonstrations taking place in Bahrain proved … that those engaged in an uprising for freedom and a fair political system in their country … are the majority of the Bahraini people,” Hizbullah said in a statement.

Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel said Lebanon’s Christians have concerns over their existence in the region following a sharp drop in their numbers in Iraq and Syria and attacks on Copts in Egypt.

In an interview published in An Nahar daily on Sunday, Gemayel said that Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s concerns over the Christians in the East are not new.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati has been involved in intense discussions with his team to prepare a draft-law that will seek to legalize the 2006-2010 extra-budgetary spending that has stirred controversy and retorts between the March 8 and 14 forces.

The cabinet tasked Miqati with referring the draft-law to the government during its next session at Baabda palace next Wednesday although it wasn’t mentioned in the agenda which was distributed to ministers on Saturday.