A man who hails from the Bekaa border town of Arsal was abducted Wednesday while on his way to the city of Baalbek, state-run National News Agency reported.

“Unknown individuals kidnapped Arsal resident Mohammed Shehadeh al-Hujeiri from his pickup truck as he was moving from the town to the popular market in the city of Baalbek,” NNA said.

The death of a Fatah al-Islam member in Ain el-Hilweh near the southern city of Sidon on Wednesday evening sparked a heavy exchange of fire in the camp, which lead to the injury of one person.

"An elderly man was wounded in a heavy fire exchange in Ain el-Hilweh's vegetable market,” al-Jadeed television reported.

The Maronite patriarch's historic first visit to Jerusalem to welcome Pope Francis is aimed at strengthening the "Christian presence" in the Middle East, a church official said Wednesday.

Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi's visit was announced earlier this month, prompting condemnation from media close to Hizbullah, which said travelling to the group's arch-enemy Israel would be a "sin."

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader MP Saad Hariri on Wednesday expressed willingness to offer financial aid aimed at conducting repair works in Tripoli's Syria Street, the scene of fierce clashes over the past years that left scores of casualties.

According to the Hariri-owned Future TV, the former premier sent a letter to Prime Minister Tammam Salam, offering a “grant to renovate Syria Street in Tripoli.”

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil has discussed with his Saudi counterpart Prince Saud al-Faisal the presidential deadlock as al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri intensified his meetings to avoid a vacuum, An Nahar daily reported on Wednesday.

The newspaper said that Bassil held long discussions with al-Faisal on Tuesday, which required him to stay another day in Riyadh.

The army announced on Wednesday the arrest of three suspects in Beirut's southern suburbs of Dahieh over shooting offenses.

It said that it arrested Mustafa Zou al-Fiqar Ismail, Hussein Hassan Tohmaz, and Mohammed Hassan Tohmaz for firing from their weapons on various dates.

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour on Wednesday scrapped the contract signed between the ministry and Tripoli's al-Nini Hospital, which has allegedly refused to admit a child suffering from Leukemia, or blood cancer.

“Following investigations by the Ministry of Health into the case of the minor girl (Tala Jomaa) who was denied entry by the al-Nini Hospital in Tripoli, and after hearing the testimonies of the hospital's administration, the toddler's parents and several witnesses, Health Minister Wael Abou Faour decided to cancel the contract signed between the ministry and al-Nini Hospital,” the minister's press office said.

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri and Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon announced on Wednesday that the kingdom lifted a travel ban to Lebanon after the security situation improved in the country.

Asiri in remarks to OTV said that the kingdom lifted the travel advisory issued against Lebanon.

The March 14 General Secretariat highlighted on Wednesday the need for the state to regain its complete authority throughout its territories as a means to achieve social reform.

It said in statement after its weekly meeting: “Resolving social and daily demands cannot strictly be solved through numbers, but through a political solution that sees the state regain its authority.”

An Internal Security Forces unit raided on Wednesday a depot in Abi Samra neighborhood in the northern city of Tripoli and seized a large arms cache, the National News Agency reported.

ISF commander in Tripoli General Bassam al-Ayoubi announced that the depot contained rocket-propelled grenades, Energa-type rockets, various types of grenades.