Energy Minister Jebran Bassil rejected on Tuesday the abandonment of his proposal to lease power-generating ships in order to end Lebanon’s electricity crisis, saying that such a measure would lead to a “catastrophe” in Lebanon.

The minister said during a press conference after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “A solution, which we think is logical and fair, lies in leasing the vessels and constructing new power plants.”

The 2007 Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen held talks on Monday with President Michel Suleiman in hopes of staging a grand prix in Lebanon, reported MTV.

He told the president that he is seeking to place the Lebanese flag on his Formula One car.

Syrian security forces infiltrated the Bekaa border town of al-Qaa on Tuesday, said various media reports.

Local residents said that clashes ensued between the forces and members of the Syrian opposition.

Under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Lebanon, Michel Suleiman, represented by the Minister of Telecommunications, Nicolas Sehnaoui, and with the participation of H.E. Riad Salameh, Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, the third annual ArabNet Digital Summit is set to open on Thursday, March 29th at the Grand Habtoor Hotel, Beirut. The Summit is the largest gathering of entrepreneurs and digital professionals in the web and mobile industries in the Arab region and is expected to attract 1,500 attendees for five action packed days of innovation, entrepreneurialism and best practice sharing between regional and global leaders.

In collaboration with the Central Bank of Lebanon and strategic partnerships with Bank Audi, STC, and MBC Group—the summit will feature discussions and lectures involving 150 internationally renowned speakers covering the latest trends and topics in the industry, particularly in relation to the opportunities and challenges created in various industries by the digital revolution. This will include the future of news, television, advertising and digital marketing, as well as mobile applications, online gaming, e-commerce, and other important fields.

One of Beirut’s most well-established bookshops, Librairie El Bourj, is to host the official launch of UAE-based writer, author and communicator Alexander McNabb’s Olives – A Violent Romance from 5pm on Thursday 29th March 2012 with a talk by the author followed by a reading and book signing.

The novel is set in Jordan, where British journalist Paul Stokes moves to live and work on a contract to produce a magazine for the Ministry of Natural Resources. The Israelis are competing for dwindling water resources as Jordan and Palestine face drought. Daoud Dajani has the solution to Jordan’s water problems and is bidding against the British for the privatisation of Jordan’s water network. When Paul befriends Dajani’s sister, Aisha, British intelligence agent Gerald Lynch realises Paul offers access to the man threatening to drain Israel’s water supply and snatch the bid from the British. Blackmailed by Lynch into spying on Dajani, his movements seemingly linked to a series of bombings, Paul is pitched into a terrifying fight for survival that forces him to betray everyone around him. Even the woman he comes to love.

The standoff over the issue of electricity continued on Monday, despite a meeting between Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil and phone talks between the premier and Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi.

Bassil said he discussed “several issues with the prime minister,” noting that he did not tackle the issue of electricity with him.

The general-secretariat of the opposition March 14 coalition on Monday lauded the political document issued on Sunday by Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood, describing it as “historic in terms of its timing and content” and saying it represents “an essential and landmark addition to the promises of the Arab Spring.”

The Brotherhood vowed on Sunday to share power and respect democracy if President Bashar al-Assad is toppled.

The Phalange Party on Monday condemned a recent incident at the Antonine University, where 37 students performed Muslim prayer outside the administration’s offices in protest at its refusal to provide them with a private prayer room.

In a statement issued after its weekly meeting the party’s politburo condemned “what happened on the campus of the Antonine University, when a number of students of well-known affiliation violated the institution’s bylaws,” warning against “repeating this approach in universities affiliated with Christian religious foundations, especially after the surfacing of attempts to perform similar steps in other universities.”

Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi announced on Monday that he will present an initiative to resolve the dispute over the appointments in the Higher Judicial Council, hoping that the government would reach an agreement over the appointment of the head of the council.

He announced in a press conference that he will present a decree in May on the appointment of five members of the council.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat praised on Monday the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood’s statement on the developments in their country, saying that it reflected the Sunni population’s openness to regional changes.

He said: “The Muslim Brotherhood demonstrated moderation, diversity, and equality.”