British interior minister Amber Rudd stressed Monday her government's continued support for Lebanon's stability during talks in Beirut with Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq.

Underlining keenness on security in Lebanon, Rudd lauded the ministry's preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections and listened to a briefing from Mashnouq about the logistic and administrative mobilization.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat held talks Monday in Kuwait with the Gulf emirate's ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah.

A statement issued by the PSP's press office said discussions tackled the situations in the region.

Speaker Nabih Berri announced in a press conference on Monday the names of the AMAL Movement candidates that will be running in the parliamentary elections, urging commitment to forthcoming electoral lists that will be gathering AMAL, Hizbullah and other allies.

Berri said the AMAL Movement's program is based on commitment to the Constitution and the Taef Agreement. “Committing to the Constitution and the National Pact is our foremost choice,” he stressed.

The Cabinet on Monday formed a ministerial panel headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri and tasked with "studying the budget figures and returning to the Council of Ministers with final suggestions."

The Cabinet meeting was presided over by President Michel Aoun at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. It was dedicated to discussing the State's 2018 budget.

A violent brawl erupted on Monday between protesting Electricite du Liban contract workers and anti-riot police who prevented them from accessing the company's premises in Nahr Ibrahim area.

The angry protesters have gathered outside the premises in solidarity with EDL contract worker Hassan Akel who was slapped in the face by a Security Forces officer during a protest last week.

President Michel Aoun will kick start visits to Iraq and Armenia on Tuesday at the invitation of his Iraqi and Armenian counterparts where he will be heading a ministerial, administrative, parliamentary, and consultative delegation, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

The accompanying delegation will be comprised of Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan, Tourism Minister Avedis Kedanian, State Minister for Combating Corruption Nicolas Tueini and head of the Tashnaq party MP Agop Pakradonian, well-informed sources told the daily.

British interior minister Amber Rudd arrived in Beirut Sunday evening, the National News Agency reported on Monday.

Flooding caused by heavy rains has caused damages across Lebanon, trapping Lebanese families and destroying Syrian refugee encampments.

Administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Achim Steiner, visited Lebanon on February 15 and met with Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Speaker Nabih Berri and Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, the UNDP said in a statement Saturday.

Drilling companies working offshore Israel have sent “warning signals” to Israeli authorities that escalating a dispute with Lebanon over oil drilling rights "could push them to withdraw which prompted Israel to de-escalate” tensions, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.