The abductee Toufic Wehbi was freed on Tuesday evening in the outskirts of the Bekaa border town of Arsal after a hefty ransom was paid to his kidnappers, media reports said.

"A $50,000 ransom was paid for the release of Toufic Wehbi," LBCI television said.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on Tuesday rejected any military coordination between the Lebanese and Syrian armies and warned that the proposed Iranian grant would create “obstacles” for the country.

“It is inevitable to reach an internal settlement in order to preserve the military institution and address the repercussions of the Syrian war on Lebanon,” Jumblat said in an interview on OTV.

A resident of Arsal was briefly abducted on Wednesday from a Syrian refugee encampment in the northeastern border town, after gunmen accused him of “cursing God.”

State-run National News Agency said the man was released after his relatives threatened to “torch” the encampment.

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday rejected what it called "Hizbullah's intimidation against the Lebanese," while stressing that "Tripoli and the North will always be supportive of the state against Lebanon's enemies.”

“The events that Lebanon are witnessing require addressing the core of issues in order to pull the country out of the current crisis,” the bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting, reiterating the need to “reach an agreement over a new president instead of pushing the country towards new dilemmas.”

Head of the Mustaqbal Movement MP Saad Hariri denied on Tuesday media reports that said that he had discussed with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi alternative presidential candidates, while also stressing his support for the Lebanese army and its confrontation with extremists.

He said: “I did not discuss any names with al-Rahi. These claims may have been made to create sensationalist reporting.”

The Change and Reform bloc stated on Tuesday that “consensual democracy” should not be exploited to obstruct democratic practices, such as the parliamentary and presidential elections.

MP Ibrahim Kanaan stated after the bloc's weekly meeting: “Those obstructing the parliamentary elections are the same sides that are blocking the presidential polls.”

The military court adjourned on Tuesday the trial of suspects charged with terrorism and the killing of Lebanese soldiers near the southern city of Sidon last year after two of them, including a footballer, failed to attend the hearing.

The trial of the detainees and fugitives was adjourned to November 18. One of the suspects, a Roumieh prison inmate, refused to attend the session at the military court, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam urged the European Union on Tuesday to increase its development assistance to Lebanon to consolidate stability in the country.

“The European Commission and EU member states should be aware of the danger of threats that Lebanon is facing and their social and economic repercussions,” said Salam.

An indictment and arrest warrant were issued on Tuesday against fugitive Sheikh Mustafa al-Hujeiri, who is also known as Abu Taqiyeh, for belonging to al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front.

The state-run National News Agency reported that Military Investigative Judge Fadi Sawwan charged Abu Taqiyeh with belonging to the terrorist group of al-Nusra Front with the aim of carrying out terror acts.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan called on politicians on Tuesday to understand the risks and crises imposed by the ongoing presidential vacuum, lashing out at extremism.

“The presidential elections should be staged swiftly to evade the crises gripping Lebanon,” Daryan said after talks with former Prime Minister Salim el-Hoss.