Lebanese security forces have freed two Saudi nationals kidnapped and tortured for eight days in an apartment on the outskirts of Beirut, the kingdom's official SPA news agency reported Wednesday.

Citing Saudi's ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Awadh Asiri, the report said Tawfiq and Abdullah al-Shaqaqeen, were "lured and tricked by a gang loyal to an Arab state," which "held and tortured them for eight days," adding that the kidnappers demanded a "large ransom" in exchange for their release.

Syrian President Bashar Assad stressed on Tuesday that his country will deal according to its conditions with the Lebanese political powers, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Wednesday.

“Damascus will deal according to its conditions with the Lebanese political powers,” Assad told a senior Syrian opposition figure.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon President Judge David Baragwanath is expected to preside a confidential meeting for the Appeals Chamber at 10:00 am Wednesday, al-Akhbar newspaper reported.

The meeting is set to tackle the defense team’s reservations on the final date set for the trials in absentia before receiving the complete accusation files.

The March 14 forces are expected to hold a second meeting at Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea’s residence in Maarab to set the stage for the announcement of the national council, An Nahar newspaper reported on Wednesday.

According to the daily, Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel held talks on Tuesday with the members of the committee tasked by the March 14 coalition to form the council - MPs Marwan Hamadeh, Elie Marouni and Dori Chamoun and ex-lawmakers Elias Attallah and Ghattas Khoury.

Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz warned on Wednesday that a nuclear Iran would give itself freedom of action against Israel through Hizbullah and other militants.

That freedom might be expressed "against us, via the force Iran will project toward its clients: Hizbullah in Lebanon, Islamic Jihad in Gaza,” Gantz told Israeli dailies in Independence Day interviews.

President Michel Suleiman reiterated his rejection to sign a decree that would legitimize the $5.9 billion spending bill of Premier Najib Miqati’s government to avoid subjecting it to an appeal.

In remarks to Ad-Diyar daily published Wednesday, Suleiman said that the parliamentary finance and budget committee had made several important remarks on the bill.

Minister of State for Administrative Reform Mohammed Fneish slammed on Wednesday a proposal by al-Mustaqbal movement to form a neutral or technocrat cabinet to supervise the upcoming 2013 elections.

“There’s nothing called a technocrat or a neutral government. We have the Taef accord, unless we are required to import such a new combination,” Fneish told As Safir newspaper.

Speaker Nabih Berri has moved to the stage of inquiring Lebanese politicians about their stances from his electoral proposal based on proportional representation that considers Lebanon a single district.

The first stop was President Michel Suleiman when Berri dispatched Ministers Ali Hassan Khalil and Mohammed Fneish to Baabda palace on Tuesday.

The Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc condemned on Tuesday Hizbullah and its allies’ conduct during last week’s parliamentary session that was aimed at assessing the government’s performance.

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: “Hizbullah is seeking to follow the example of its Syrian ally through going to extremes in defending the government’s mistakes in the power and telecommunications sectors, among others.”

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stated on Tuesday that Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea was the first to begin the wave of accusations linked to the failed attempt on his life.

He said after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “Geagea has jumped to conclusions over the failed assassination attempt before the investigations have reached a result.”