Students supporting al-Mustaqbal movement and others backing the March 8 forces clashed on Tuesday during a ceremony on the birthday of slain ex-Premier Rafik Hariri at Lebanese American University in Beirut.

A student told Naharnet by telephone that supporters of Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal movement provoked the pro-Hariri students.

More than 60 people have applied to participate as victims before the STL in the case of Ayyash et al., announced the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in a statement.

“A deadline for their applications had been set by Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen on 8 September and expired on October 31,” it added.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour has stressed upon his return from Doha the importance of respect for agreements signed between Lebanon and Syria.

In remarks to As Safir daily published Tuesday, Mansour said he would return to Cairo on Wednesday to participate in the extraordinary meeting of the Arab League’s initiative committee to solve the situation in Syria.

British Ambassador Tom Fletcher warned Lebanon that any procrastination in funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon would be a “bad sign” and pave way for impunity.

In remarks to An Nahar daily on Tuesday, Fletcher said non-commitment to Lebanon’s obligations to the STL would pave way for criticism that Lebanon belongs to Hizbullah and would obstruct the culture of ending impunity.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati continues to insist on the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon despite all the disagreements between members of the cabinet over the issue, As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Sources close to the PM said the rumors indicating that Miqati will resign if the cabinet doesn’t approve the funding of the STL expresses the opinions of those political parties and not his position.

The parliamentary defense committee on Monday held calm talks on the abduction of Middle East Airlines engineer Joseph Sader in 2009 but opposition MPs hinted that Interior Minister Marwan Charbel didn’t provide the conferees with enough information on the issue.

Unlike the meetings of the human rights committee that discussed several kidnappings, including the disappearance of Syrian opposition figures in Lebanon, Monday’s deliberations were calm.

Families of prisoners in Lebanese jails blocked several roads with burning tires on Tuesday demanding a general amnesty for the inmates, the National News Agency reported.

“We will preserve security during our protests in Beirut. We have coordinated with the security forces our movement,” head of the detainees committees Khodor Habib told Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3).

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Tuesday that officials should deal wisely with the funding of the Special Tribunal of Lebanon probing the assassination of ex-Prime minister Rafik Hariri since the timeframe ends at the beginning of March.

“There’s no reason for us to rush with the STL issue,” Berri said in remarks to As Safir newspaper.

The Phalange Party stressed on Monday the need to fortify Lebanon against the repercussions of the developments in the Arab world.

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “The situation in the region requires constant contacts between the leaderships in Lebanon and the Arab, regional, and international scenes.”

The Army Command stressed on Monday its coordination with Syrian authorities in maintaining security and stability between the two sides.

It said in a statement: “Our units immediately intervene to tackle any violation that may take place along the Lebanese-Syrian border.”