The ambassadors of the UK, Germany and Norway in Lebanon said ahead of the U.N. General Assembly's annual session that Lebanon has faced social, economic and security challenges and that the international community recognizes those challenges and values the efforts made by the country to cope with the influx of refugees, the British embassy in Lebanon said in a statement on Monday.

“It’s that time of year when world leaders meet for the UN General Assembly’s annual session (UNGA). And as in previous years, there will be prominent discussions about what more the international community can do to support Lebanon. Since the Syria crisis began, Lebanon has faced social, economic and security challenges. This week’s events show that the international community – at the highest level - recognizes those challenges and values the efforts made by Lebanon to cope with the influx of refugees,” the ambassadors stated.

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major-General Michael Beary said on Monday that the security situation in Lebanon is much better, as he assured that he follows up on “Hizbullah's fears through media outlets.”

“The situation is much better. Efforts must carry on to preserve peace and stability in south Lebanon in collaboration with concerned parties,” Beary told As Safir daily in an interview.

Syrian rebels in the outskirts of Western al-Qalamoun in the Damascus province held a Hizbullah official and his wife while they were driving through the Lebanese town of Ham, the Saudi Okaz daily reported on Monday.

“Rebel factions in the outskirts of Western al-Qalamoun carried out a quality operation and were able to arrest Hizbullah official responsible for the party's armament named Hassan Murad, nicknamed Abou Abdullah, and his wife Karma Mahdi,” unnamed sources told the daily.

Speaker Nabih Berri criticized a campaign that held him accountable for the failure to elect founder of the Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun as president, and said that the purpose of the campaign is to “manipulate the facts and distort the truth,' As Safir daily reported on Monday.

“Shall (al-Mustaqbal Movement leader) ex-PM Saad Hariri decide to support Aoun, the “General” would become a president the next day no matter what my stance is. How can I be the one obstructing his arrival at the Baabda Palace in that case?” asked Berri.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement chief ex-PM Saad Hariri might visit Saudi Arabia in the next few days to hold talks with Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed Bin Salman, al-Akhbar daily reported on Monday.

Hariri had visited Saudi Arabia last week before returning to Paris. He did not hold meetings with any of the Saudi officials, added the daily.

A huge U.S. surveillance aircraft of the Boeing P-8A Poseidon type has been spotted flying off the Lebanese and Syrian coasts for three times in three weeks now, a media report said on Sunday.

Loyalty to Resistance bloc chief MP Mohammed Raad noted Sunday that Hizbullah “would have acted differently” had it sensed “a threat to turn the tables” from the rival camp.

Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem on Sunday called on al-Mustaqbal Movement to “end its hesitation” and agree to back Free Patriotic Movement founder MP Michel Aoun's presidential bid, noting that Hizbullah's MPs would immediately end their boycott of the electoral sessions in order to vote for Aoun.

Khaldiyeh Chidiac, a 55-year-old resident of the Akkar town of Miniara, died Sunday of wounds sustained in the August 31 blast in Zahle's Ksara area, state-run National News Agency reported.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan stressed Sunday that the safety of Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat is “part of the country's safety,” days after reports surfaced about assassination plots against the Druze leader.