President Michel Suleiman has put Israel’s infringement on 870 kilometers of Lebanese waters at the top of the agenda of his talks with world leaders in New York, including U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, Lebanese diplomatic sources said.

Suleiman is in New York to participate in the annual General Assembly meeting. He is scheduled to attend a Security Council session on Libya on Tuesday and address the Assembly the next day.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Tuesday that Lebanon has the right to preserve its natural resources, urging officials to speed up deals with foreign companies to drill for oil and gas in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

Berri reiterated to As Safir newspaper that neighboring countries will soon start oil and gas exploration.

The cabinet on Monday approved the proposed borders of Lebanon’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the Mediterranean, a step that was postponed during the last session.

On September 5 Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour warned the U.N. that Israel's proposed sea border threatens peace and security.

Five people were wounded on Monday when a dispute between the families of Obeid and Hammoud erupted into gunfire in the southern town of Arab Sabaya, state-run National News Agency reported.

Security forces immediately intervened and managed to contain the situation and arrest the shooters, NNA said.

State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza on Monday handed a Special Tribunal for Lebanon delegation a report he prepared about the cases of ex-defense minister Elias Murr, MP Marwan Hamade and former Lebanese Communist Party chief George Hawi, state-run National News Agency reported.

Mirza also handed the delegation a report he prepared about the efforts exerted by the Lebanese authorities to enforce the STL arrest warrants issued for four Hizbullah operatives accused of being involved in the 2005 assassination of ex-PM Rafik Hariri.

Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel has held talks with former Premier Saad Hariri in Saudi Arabia, the party announced on Monday.

MP Sami Gemayel also attended the talks on the latest developments, the statement said.

Washington has reportedly asked for explanations from Bkirki on Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s controversial statements on Hizbullah’s arms and Syria.

Ad-Diyar daily said Monday that al-Rahi’s stances would hinder meetings between him and top U.S. officials, including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing the assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri will be discussed away from the media spotlight, An Nahar newspaper reported on Monday.

“The issue is being discussed away from the media especially between the Prime Minister (Najib Miqati) and Hizbullah,” informed sources told the daily.

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour will hold a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem to coordinate stances concerning the developments in the Arab world, As Safir newspaper reported on Monday.

Mansour and Muallem will coordinate during a meeting next Saturday in New York the stances of their countries regarding the popular uprisings in the Arab world and the general situation ahead of a meeting at the U.N. Security Council and the General Assembly.

President Michel Suleiman travelled to New York on Monday to attend the annual U.N. General Assembly meeting where he is expected to reject the naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon and stress the country’s commitment to Security Council resolution 1701.

A high-ranking Lebanese official told As Safir daily that during his speech on Sept. 21, Suleiman will stress the importance of U.N. recognition of the Palestinian state and a fair solution to refugees through their return to their homeland.