Speaker Nabih Berri reiterated his support on Thursday to the electoral draft law approved by the cabinet, calling for popular protests in the United States and across the world to push towards an agreement that bans any attack on religious symbols.

“Lebanon's salvation is based on the electoral reform that includes the right representations and eases the sectarian tension,” Berri said in remarks published in As Safir newspaper.

A new round of all-party talks was set for Nov. 12 after Lebanon's rival political leaders vowed on Thursday to study a blueprint proposed by President Michel Suleiman and considered dialogue as a platform for discussions pending an agreement on the national defense strategy.

A statement issued following the national dialogue session held under Suleiman at Baabda Palace said: “The conferees agreed that Suleiman's vision is a starting point for discussions in their attempt to reach a consensus on the defense strategy, including the issue of arms.”

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said Thursday the results of a security plan aimed at fighting the kidnap-for-ransom phenomenon in Lebanon will begin appearing in the coming few days.

“We have names and information that help us in our mission,” the minister told several local newspapers. “We are clamping down on the network and its subsidiaries.”

Head of the private school teachers association Nehme Mahfoud revealed that the Syndicate Coordination Committee will have a strict stance on Thursday regarding the cabinet's delay in referring the new wages scale draft law to the parliament.

Mahfoud described in comments published in al-Liwaa the government's performance as “terrible.”

A several member network arrested by the Lebanese army last month was plotting to assassinate Judges Abdul Rahim Hammoud and Henri Khoury, As Safir daily reported on Thursday.

The newspaper said the members of the cell led by Mohammed al-Jouni, who was seized by armed forces following a string of bank robberies in the country, have admitted to preparing explosives to target the two judges.

The Army Intelligence freed Fouad Daoud, a Lebanese man abducted last week for ransom, following clashes with his kidnappers in Baalbek, the military said Wednesday.

“Following a close follow up and monitoring, the intelligence directorate identified the location of the kidnapped citizen, Fouad Daoud, in the area of Tall al-Abyad in Baalbek,” it said in a communique.

The Cabinet approved on Wednesday a 1.6-billion-dollar plan to properly equip the Lebanese army, Information Minister Walid al-Daouq said.

The payments will be made over a five-year period and the plan calls for providing the military institution with proper arms and equipment.

Thousands of Hizbullah supporters protested Wednesday in the southern city of Tyre against a U.S.-made film mocking Islam and cartoons of Prophet Mohammed.

"America, America, you are the great satan!" and "Israel is the enemy of the Muslims!" chanted protesters as they poured onto the streets of Tyre.

Security measures were bolstered outside the French embassy and near the ambassador's official residence on Wednesday over fears of a backlash after the publication in France of cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed.

Lebanese armored personnel carriers deployed near the mission and outside the Pine Residence in Beirut, where the ambassador resides.

Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday called for Christians and Muslims to unite against violence, following a trip to Lebanon last week in which he condemned fundamentalism in any religion.

"I think the time has come... for us together to issue a determined rejection of violence and wars," the pope said at an audience in the Vatican.