The Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc has announced that withdrawing MP Henri Helou from the presidential race "is out of the question at this time," as the latter admitted that Wednesday's electoral session will not be held due to lack of quorum.

In an interview with al-Liwaa newspaper to be published Monday, Helou said: “My nomination came from the National Struggle Front bloc which I belong to after talks and consultations, and this is something normal.”

A reconciliation was reached Sunday between the Meqdad and Nasseredine families following mediation efforts by AMAL Movement and Hizbullah, a day after fierce clashes between the two clans left several people injured and caused extensive material damage.

“A reconciliation was achieved at Mr. Rashed Jaafar's house in Beirut between members of the Meqdad and Nasseredine families who live in Rweiss, in the presence of a number of figures and dignitaries,” state-run National News Agency reported.

Al-Mustaqbal movement has poured cold water on remarks by a number of Free Patriotic Movement lawmakers about the presence of a certain “deal” with former premier Saad Hariri that would see FPM leader Michel Aoun reach the Baabda Palace, amid the insistence of FPM sources on the existence of such efforts.

In remarks published Sunday in the Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, a prominent, unnamed Mustaqbal minister said it is most likely that the election of a new president will not happen within the constitutional timeframe, which ends on May 25, noting that a presidential vacuum is looming on the horizon.

The Internal Security Forces stated on Sunday that a school headmaster in the northern city of Tripoli had died of natural causes after reports emerged that he was beaten up while trying to break up a fight at the school.

They said that the autopsy report determined that Farouq Kardofan died of natural causes and no signs of violence were found on his body.

President Michel Suleiman and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi attended on Sunday the canonization mass of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII that was held at the Vatican.

They were present at St. Peter's Square where Pope Francis I declared the two popes as saints.

International powers have kicked off their efforts to ensure the election of a president for Lebanon, reported the Kuwaiti daily al-Anba on Sunday.

It said that they are leaning towards the election of centrist figure, namely Central Bank Governor Riyad Salameh.

A soldier was killed and others were wounded when a military truck deviated on the highway in the northern border region of Wadi Khaled on Saturday.

"A soldier was killed and five others were injured when their truck deviated on al-Hisha road in Wadi Khaled,” the state-run National News Agency reported.

Loyalty to Resistance MP Nawaf Moussawi reiterated on Saturday that Hizbullah wants a president who embraces the resistance, and who is capable of uniting the Lebanese people.

"We want the election of a candidate who can unite the Lebanese despite their divisions and differences,” Moussawi said at a party event.

Several soldiers were wounded on Saturday when a hand grenade was hurled in a Tripoli neighborhood, as troops continued raiding several neighborhoods in the northern city.

"A hand grenade was hurled at an army patrol during raids in Bab al-Tabbaneh (neighborhood in Tripoli),” a communique by the military institution said.

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim revealed on Saturday that closing the illegal crossings between Lebanon and Syria and the control imposed in the area had a positive impact on the local security situation.

Media reports quoted him as saying that “90 percent of the illegal crossings were closed.”