The government on Thursday approved a draft law proposed by Education Minister Hassan Diab on increasing the salaries of full-time Lebanese University professors, Information Minister Walid al-Daouq announced after a cabinet meeting.

The president of the League of Lebanese University Professors Charbel Kfoury told the daily An Nahar in remarks published on Friday: “In principle, we should be able to congratulate the Lebanese University and its professors on the achievement.”

President Michel Suleiman has called for democratic changes in the region but without bloodshed saying democracy should be achieved through peaceful means.

On his way back to Beirut after extending condolences to Saudi King Abdullah over the death of the crown prince, Suleiman told An Nahar’s reporter: “There is no escape from democracies in the Arab world but such democracies should be (achieved) through peaceful means away from bloodshed.”

The March 14-led opposition stressed the need to resume dialogue in Lebanon but among members of the “new parliamentary majority camp,” al-Mustaqbal newspaper reported on Thursday.

March 14 leadership sources told the daily in comments on Speaker Nabih Berri’s call for all-party talks, that “the dialogue is a vital necessity, but among the new majority camp… amid the disputes that proved they are incapable of resolving even the smallest issues.”

Visiting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Jake Walles, held talks on Wednesday with Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji, announced the U.S. Embassy in a statement.

The U.S. official had held talks on Tuesday with a number of Lebanese officials to discuss the political, security, and economic situation in Lebanon, as well as the current situation in Syria, it added.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Wednesday the importance of the conference on the Christians in the Middle East that will be held at the Universite Saint-Esprit de Kaslik.

During his weekly meeting with lawmakers in parliament, Berri lauded the historic role of Christians whom he said are an essential component of the region’s people.

The rejection of Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement to promote head of the Internal Security Forces Information Branch Col. Wissam al-Hassan came upon pressure from Syria, al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc sources said.

The sources told al-Liwaa daily published Monday that Syria was frustrated at ISF chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi’s attempt to link the disappearance of Syrian opposition members in Lebanon to the Syrian embassy.

Premier Najib Miqati’s sources have denied a TV report that the PM has agreed to amend the protocol of cooperation signed between the Lebanese government and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

OTV reported Sunday that Miqati has held several telephone conversations with Speaker Nabih Berri and has agreed “in principle” to introduce changes to the protocol.

An extraordinary cabinet session on tourism scheduled to be held next Tuesday was postponed over the death of Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, An Nahar newspaper reported.

The daily said Sunday that the decision to postpone the session came after Premier Najib Miqati decided to head to Saudi Arabia to attend the funeral.

The Parliament held on Tuesday a session to select the members of committees and Parliament’s bureau, An Nahar newspaper reported.

The parliamentary session ended by re-electing the parliament bureau members and making slight changes in the membership of the parliament committees.

Speaker Nabih Berri held closed-door talks with Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Monday after a meeting of the joint parliamentary committees.

Earlier, Berri headed the meeting to discuss the oil exploration project.