Head of the Sunni Sharia Supreme Court of Lebanon Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan, 61, was unanimously elected as the country's new Grand Mufti.

Daryan received 74 of the votes of members while 9 others voted for the Head of the Sunni Court in Baabda, Judge Sheikh Ahmad Darwish al-Kurdi, 8 cast blank ballots and 2 votes were canceled.

A meeting between head of al-Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri and Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is not on the agenda of the former premier.

According to the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat published on Sunday, the meeting between Hariri and Nasrallah will not be held any time soon as the rift with Hizbullah is still acute.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is seeking to hold a meeting to gather key Christian leaders to end the presidential deadlock, media reports said on Sunday.

According to the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anbaa Bkirki will seek during the meeting to convince the prominent Christian figures to assume their responsibilities and agree on the election of the “best candidate.”

Former Premier and head of al-Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri expressed readiness to facilitate the election of a new head of state on the condition that the rival parties exert efforts to resolve the presidential deadlock.

Hariri's visitors said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper that the Sunni leader will not suggest the name of any candidate and would rather wait for the decision of Christians in this regard.

The next few hours will witness a breakthrough concerning the soldiers and policemen held captive by Islamist gunmen, Muslim Scholars committee member Sheikh Samih Ezzeddine revealed.

“The security personnel, who were held hostage, were divided among several (extremist) factions,” Ezzedine told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Sunday.

Security agencies enforced strict security measures in areas in eastern Lebanon as several Syrian nationals have been arrested recently to “avert any possible terrorist sabotage operation.”

“The strict security measures come in light of the clashes in (the northeastern border town of) Arsal in an attempt to prevent any sabotage operations from occurring,” security sources said in comments published in the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat.

Former Premier and head of al-Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri on Saturday continued discussion over the one billion dollar Saudi grant to the military institution with army chief General Jean Qahwaji and Prime Minister Tammam Salam.

"Hariri met with PM Salam and Environment Minister Mohammed al-Mashnouq and the talks focused on managing the Saudi grant that is allocated to supporting the army and the security forces' needs to fight terrorism and strengthen security and stability in the country,” a statement released by the former Premier's office said.

Seven people were apprehended on Saturday during security raids in residential compounds hosting Syrian refugees in the northern Koura district, reported the state-run National News Agency.

"An ISF Intelligence Bureau force raided al-Waha compound of the Hariri Project in Koura's Deddeh as well as other residential areas,” the NNA said, noting that these places host Syrian refugees.

Syria's ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali announced on Saturday that the situation of Syrian refugees returning home has been solved after hundreds of them have been stranded in border areas in the past days following the clashes between army troops and jihadist militants in the northeastern border town of Arsal.

On Friday, media reports said Syrian authorities prevented a convoy of refugees from returning to their homes on claims that they are the relatives of fighters battling the regime.

A soldier died Saturday of wounds sustained in clashes with jihadists in the northeastern town of Arsal near the Syrian border and the body of another was found in al-Hosn area, raising the number of troops killed in the fighting to 19, as media reports said Islamists have demanded the release of Roumieh inmates in exchange for army hostages.

"Soldier Abdul Hamid Nouh on Saturday morning succumbed to wounds he sustained during clashes with terrorist groups in Arsal,” the Army Command announced in a communique.