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

An-Nahar

‘Future’ [bloc] responds to Nasrallah, Washington and Europe back STL funding

Berri: I will urge Sleiman to resume dialogue

Kataeb meets in Tarshish, Sami Gemayel says against any [phone] network other than the state

Remarks made by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah Monday in which he rejected Lebanon pay its share of funds for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon have added to the concerns of the government and sparked wide-ranging reactions both locally and externally.

It also sparked efforts by Speaker Nabih Berri who told An-Nahar that he would urge President Michel Sleiman to resume national dialogue.

For their part, prominent sources in the opposition [March 14 coalition] said the government would have to resign if it did not deal with the STL funding issue.

Meanwhile, the Future bloc said in a statement following its weekly meeting Tuesday that it was surprised by Nasrallah’s comments regarding funding the U.N.-backed tribunal.

“Once again he [Nasrallah] is torpedoing consensus on the tribunal and putting Lebanon in confrontation with the international community,” said the Future Movement statement.

Nasrallah’s action was also “pushing Lebanon into losing its credibility” in the world, the statement added.

A Cabinet session scheduled for Wednesday was cancelled due to the travel of Lebanon’s top officials to Riyadh to offer condolences over the death of Saudi Crown Prince Sultan.

Al-Akhbar

Geagea calls for arrest of stick-wielders or the like

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel made the first step toward settling the dispute in Lassa in the Jbeil district as the telecommunications minister confirmed that Hezbollah has not installed a private phone network in Tarshish. Will a “solution” to the two disputes lead to political paralysis?

For his part, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea continued to capitalize at the political level on the land dispute issue in Lassa.

In an interview with the Central News Agency Tuesday, Geagea touched on a recent meeting of the Human Rights Parliamentary Committee, stressing the need for judicial authorities to follow up on the issue of kidnapping to make sure public rights are not ignored.

Regarding Tarshish, Geagea urged Telecoms Minister Nicholas Sehnaoui to oppose any attempt to install illegal phone networks.

On the issue of Lassa, Geagea praised the measures that had been taken by the government and “its concern over this issue, which requires the state impose and apply the law to everyone equally.”

But soon Geagea paused to address a security breach in Lassa when a citizen attacked a policeman “with a stick or the like” during the crackdown on illegal housing, stressing the need to promptly arrest anybody who harms security men.

Al-Mustaqbal

Aoun threatens ‘November 7’ replica of ‘May 7’ as U.S. warns of dire consequences of not financing the court

Future bloc to Nasrallah: [Your are] protecting criminals

Comments made by Nasrallah regarding the STL did not go smoothly. The Future parliamentary bloc issued a direct response.

Although the bloc’s position was not new, it raised many questions that await an answer from Prime Minister Najib Mikati and President Michel Sleiman.

In any case, the Future bloc strongly denounced Nasrallah’s position in which he rejected STL funding.

“Lebanese and families of the martyrs were not surprised by Hezbollah’s once again shocking position, especially as it continues to protect accused [Hezbollah] members,” said a statement by the Future bloc.

As-Safir

STL appoints eight lawyers to defend accused

[Tribunal] funding prompts alert locally and internationally

Day after day the dispute over funding for the STL expands and political rhetoric is expected to heat up as the deadline for Lebanon to pay its share of the fund nears.

In parallel, well-informed sources in The Hague told As-Safir that the Defense Office of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has appointed eight lawyers to defend the four accused in the 2005 assassination of statesman Rafik Hariri.

The lawyers are expected to show up for a Nov. 11 meeting designed to discuss measures and a mechanism for the trials in absentia.

While sources close to Mikati told As-Safir that the prime minister expressed satisfaction over Nasrallah’s remarks regarding the government, Speaker Nabih Berri described as “logical” Nasrallah’s comments.

Nasrallah’s comments “reflected healthy thinking,” Berri told As-Safir.