Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Friday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.

As-Safir

Mikati underlines stability ... and prime minister’s authority

Al-Qaeda issue ... in closed room

Despite the fact that the Al-Qaeda issue prompted a meeting of the Higher Defense Council Thursday, a statement at the end of talks under President Michel Sleiman avoided any mention to the Islamist group – in terms of whether Al-Qaeda was operating in Lebanon and allegations made by Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn in which he said the Al-Qaeda members were infiltrating into Syria via the Lebanese border town of Arsal.

Well-informed sources told As-Safir that the absence of any mention of Al-Qaeda was intended "for many reasons and considerations surrounding this highly sensitive topic."

They pointed out that the participants at the council did not argue about the validity of the information, but that they believed that it was best not to expose the Al-Qaeda issue in public.

The sources said that the council deemed the best way to tackle this issue was behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Mikati stressed the solidarity of government and vowed to beat back attempts to curtail the prime minister’s authority.

Al-Joumhouria

Defense Council turns page on Al-Qaeda issue in Lebanon, Nahhas fails to convince Shura Council

The Higher Defense Council put an end to the dispute over the [deteriorating] security situation in the south, particularly the area of operations of UNIFIL, Wadi Khaled [in the north] and Arsal [in the east] by agreeing to boost security measures so that the holidays pass without any incidents.

A security official told Al-Joumhouria that the council tackled the security situation across Lebanon as a comprehensive package.

Regarding the wage increase issue, economic associations continued to exert pressure at high levels while the Shura Council was involved in looking deeper into the Cabinet’s pay hike decision without being able to find justifications for some serious mistakes allegedly committed.

Al-Joumhouria has learned that head of the Shura Council Judge Shukri Sabah met for the second time Thursday with Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas in a bid to find a compromise on the pay raise deal.

The meeting, however, ended with Nahhas being unable to convince the Shura Council to accept his solution.

Al-Akhbar

Pay hikes: Shura Council reluctant to give opinion

All signs indicate that the Shura Council will most likely not give its opinion on the Cabinet’s pay hike decision before next week.

Well-informed sources said the judges involved in the wage increase issue are struggling to find an appropriate framework where they can give their legal opinion without causing serious harm to the deal that was passed in Cabinet last week by a majority of votes.

Sources familiar with this issue said the Shura Council is facing mounting pressure to turn down Cabinet’s latest decision on pay hikes.

Al-Anwar

Reports made available to Defense Council denies Al-Qaeda presence in Lebanon

Security and political sources said Thursday’s Higher Defense Council meeting ended with a conclusion that Al-Qaeda was not operating in Lebanon and that the activity taking place across the Syria-Lebanon border is not more than people fleeing the unrest in Syria, accompanied by the smuggling of some goods.

Al-Mustaqbal news channel quoted an official who took part in the council’s meeting as saying that security chiefs have confirmed that there is no presence of Al-Qaeda members in Lebanon and that all that was said in this regard is “unfounded.”

Local media also quoted a senior military official as saying that the council stressed that there was no presence of Al-Qaeda members in the Bekaa border town of Arsal.