al-Quds al-Arabi (London): Saudi clerics attack Shiites, Hezbollah – Saudi Sunni religious clerics yesterday launched an attack on Lebanon's Hezbollah, saying it pretends to work against Israel to hide its anti-Sunni agenda. The Saudi government and its religious institution have been increasingly concerned with the Shiite Lebanese group's growing popularity in the Arab world since it forced Israel to withdraw from south Lebanon in 2000.

As-Safir (Lebanon): Hezbollah gives hero's welcome to Nisr – Hezbollah gave a hero's welcome to liberated prisoner Nassim Nisr and held a big red carpet celebration for him in Naqoura in south Lebanon. Nisr's release from an Israeli prison came just after Hezbollah handed over to the International Red Cross a coffin with the remains of Israeli soldiers who were killed in the 2006 war, in which sources said the swap was part of a larger exchange deal.

Al-Ayyam (West Bank): New Israeli settlement attack in Jerusalem – Israel has again launched a new settlement attack in East Jerusalem on the eve of another meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to discuss final status issues. An Israeli Housing Ministry spokesman announced plans to build 834 new housing units in occupied East Jerusalem, which the Palestinian presidency condemned as a serious threat to the peace process and a blatant attack on occupied Palestinian lands.

Al-Hayat (London): Damascus Denies Qatari Mediation; Cairo Rules Out Improvement in Relations – Well-informed sources told Al-Hayat that Qatari leaders are not carrying out a specific mediation role between Syria on the one hand, and Egypt and Saudi Arabia on the other. But they are seeking to improve the atmosphere so as to ensure the success of the Doha-Lebanese accord. Egyptian sources also ruled out speculations of an imminent rapprochement with Syria, saying that the relationship with Damascus includes a number of questions that should be taken into account.

Al-Sabah (Iraq): Bush asks Congress to endorse 'responsible' plan to finance war in Iraq – U.S. President George W. Bush has asked Congress to endorse a "responsible" plan to finance the war in Iraq, stressing that the U.S. troops were succeeding in defeating al-Qaida and other insurgent elements. Meanwhile, NATO said it would continue training Iraqi police until 2009, after having graduated 1,300 policemen in three training courses.