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

Al-Akhbar: A long provocative day

Government will gain a vote of confidence Thursday afternoon as a parliamentary session [to discuss the government’s policy statement ahead of a vote of confidence] is likely to be less provocative since those who requested to speak are “top shots.”

How did the opposition manage to rise up against itself and its opponents, and who instigated March 14 MPs? The answer is simple: Among those “top shots” who will speak Thursday are former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, MP Bahia Hariri, and perhaps Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun. Stirring up trouble while they speak is not possible, particularly since other heavyweight MPs - mainly Mohammad Raad, Nawaf Mousawi and Sami Gemayel - are on the list of speakers.  It may be a golden opportunity for the minority [March 14] to make empathetic remarks which are expected by MP Bahia Hariri - perhaps she will succeed like she did in 2005 with former Prime Minister Omar Karami. Will she be able to repeat that?

Al-Mustaqbal: 'Party of arms' tries [adopting] 'May 7-' [style] in Parliament

Bullying in Parliament

Keenness on the Syrian regime, not the government of Lebanon headed by Najib Mikati, brought to mind the [ancient Indian collection of] "Panchatantra" animal fables which have stirred the calm waters on the second day of parliamentary sessions to discuss the government’s policy statement.

March 8 angrily interrupted March 14 lawmakers as they spoke, defending the Syrian regime and illegitimate weapons, rather than defending the government and its prime minister, Mikati, who was attacked inspeeches by March 14 politicians, particularly on the issue of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and negligence toward the blood of martyrs.

An-Nahar: Tension explodes into brawl between March 8 and opposition

Emotions and tensions exploded on the second day of parliamentary discussions in a series of quarells dominated by verbal abuse with one of them almost leading to a fistfight, identical to the scenes witnessed in Asian parliaments.

Prominent parliamentary sources told An-Nahar that they believed these quarells would not impact the post-vote phase and that the situation would remain confined withing the framework of the current political conflict. On the other hand, the sources did not underestimate the extent of ongoing tensions that was translated in the exchange of hostile words and strong emotions against the backdrop of the political escalation that accompanied the formation of the government and the issuing of the STL indictments and the highly controversial stances on these two developments.

A total of 50 MPs have so far addressed the general assembly and eight more remain on the list of speakers, most notably former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, head of the Change and Reform bloc Gen. Michel Aoun and head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc Mohammad Raad as well as MPs Boutros Harb and Bahia Hariri. Mikati will then respond to lawmakers before Speaker Nabih Berri asks Parliament to vote on the Cabinet's ministerial statement.

As-Safir: Ban criticizes Maroun al-Ras shooting … Israel protests

'Ambush' does not strike at confidence [vote], will not shake Mikati

Whatever reasons were behind the heated war of words in Parliament, the place where the Lebanese witnessed the arts [of a quarelling], it will not change the reality – primarily that the government will gain a vote confidence Thursday and the head of the government, Mikati, will become the legitamate prime minister of the country as of Thursday afternoon.

But what helped contain the quarrels in Parliament was Speaker Nabih Berri's expertise in the management of the parliamentary game and his  ability to absorb the made-up tensions.