Italy wants to reduce its military deployment in Lebanon and Afghanistan and to end its presence in Kosovo following major budget cuts, Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said.

"There are some budget requirements that are pushing us to reduce, as expected, our presence in international military missions," La Russa said Wednesday, adding that Italy would act in accordance with its foreign partners.

Several warnings received by Israeli security agencies indicate that Hizbullah and Hamas will seek to abduct Israelis vacationing in the Mediterranean area, Haaretz daily reported on Thursday.

The warnings prompted the Counter-Terrorism Bureau to issue a travel alert on April 10, before the week-long Jewish Passover holiday, which began on Monday, the Israeli newspaper said.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon warned on Wednesday that the presence of “militias” in Lebanon continues to threaten security in the country as well as the region, urging a formal border delineation with Syria.

"The delineation of the Syrian-Lebanese border ... has not yet taken place," read Ban’s report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559, which was adopted in 2004 and calls for "the disbanding and disarmament" of all factions in Lebanon.

Israeli Deputy Premier Moshe Ya’alon stated on Wednesday that the Israeli army “is ready for any possible scenario” on the Jewish state’s border with Lebanon.

He said during a tour of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights: “The developments in Syria are a sign that the people want freedom that the current regime in Damascus cannot provide.”

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon has hosted nearly 30 lawyers from Lebanon and provided them with briefings on the work of the court, STL's press office announced Wednesday.

The legal professionals, who traveled to The Hague for a seminar on the development of international justice, met officials from all the organs of the tribunal. They were given a tour of the courtroom and were able to ask questions about the work of the STL.

Estonia's foreign ministry confirmed Wednesday that seven men seen begging for help in a video posted on YouTube were the tourists from the Baltic state abducted last month in Lebanon.

"The men in the video are the seven Estonians kidnapped in Lebanon," ministry spokeswoman Minna-Liina Lind told Agence France Presse.

Phalange Party MP Sami Gemayel held talks on Wednesday with Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh “as part of a follow up to Bkirki’s Christian meeting that was held on Tuesday.

Gemayel said: “We are continuing Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi’s initiative.”

On April 19, 2011, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly and Minister of Culture Salim Wardy visited Jbeil to tour the archeological site of ancient Byblos. Ambassador Connelly was also accompanied by Jbeil Mayor Ziad Hawwat as they toured the Byblos castle, the Houssami Heritage House, and the ancient port of Byblos. The tour highlighted the importance of preserving Lebanon’s unique heritage sites for future generations. The United States has demonstrated a long-standing commitment toward preserving Lebanon’s heritage, providing over $400,000 since 2003 toward projects ranging from conserving the Umayyad-era baths of Anjar to restoring the Islamic manuscripts at the Lebanese National Library.

Ambassador Connelly also met with municipal leaders in Jbeil to discuss the recently completed $28 million Municipal Governance Assistance Program that included the Jbeil-Byblos Municipality. The program streamlined and digitized administrative processes, while improving customer service for the citizens of Jbeil. The program, which is sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with the State University of New York/Center for Legislative Development (SUNY/CLD), has also provided new public lighting, renovated the entrance to the Old Souk and beautified the central public square.

House Speaker Nabih Berri called on Wednesday for a meeting for the joint parliamentary committees to be held on April 28 in order to discuss various projects that have been presented to them, reported MPs who attended the weekly Wednesday meeting.

They also reported that the Speaker seemed more optimistic regarding the formation of the new government, saying that Berri expects it to be formed after the Easter holiday.

The March 14 General Secretariat condemned on Wednesday the Syria’s accusations that the Mustaqbal movement is meddling in Syria’s internal affairs.

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “Hizbullah has taken advantage of the Syrian campaign to attack the movement and accuse it of Syria’s fabricated accusations in order to settle scores with the March 14 forces after its repeated demands that the party be disarmed.”