The Appeals Chamber has scheduled an open hearing on 1 October at 9:15 a.m. to hear the appeal against the decision on the jurisdiction and the legality of the Tribunal, announced the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in a press release on Friday.

The Trial Chamber dismissed on July 27 the four Defense motions challenging the jurisdiction and legality of the Tribunal.

Muslims, Sunnis and Shiites, in Lebanon took to the streets on Friday to vent their anger over a U.S.-made film and French cartoons mocking Islam.

In the southern port city of Sidon, Sunni clerics called "a day of rage" against insults to the Prophet Mohammed but urged followers to contain their anger to inside their mosques.

Military Tribunal Judge Imad al-Zein issued on Friday arrest warrants against Maher and Hassan al-Meqdad and another Lebanese man after being charged with forming an armed group.

The trial of the al-Meqdad clan members and Tarek Sultan was postponed until investigations are complete and witnesses are questioned.

Several members of the army were wounded on Friday as they were pursuing a wanted suspected in Beirut's southern suburbs of al-Ghobairi, with Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressing the security forces' determination to control security in Lebanon.

The Army Command announced that two officers and a number of soldiers were wounded in armed clashes that ensued during the pursuit.

French schools were closed in Lebanon on Friday and the army on alert outside French institutions ahead of protests against the publication of cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed in a French magazine.

"Due to current international tensions and the principle of precaution, our authorities in Paris have decided on the exceptional measure to close certain French establishments," the French embassy announced on Friday.

Two gunmen, who staged a robbery at al-Ahli bank on the old Sidon road in the Gallery Semaan area, had to escape on foot after their motorcycle broke down, the National News Agency reported on Friday.

According to the news agency, the two assailants wearing sunglasses forced the employees at gunpoint to open the bank's cash registers and were able to rob $12,000 and LL12 million.

The police chief of the northern city of Tripoli revealed on Friday that 14 people have been arrested in the assault on an KFC outlet and the Serail during protests against an anti-Islam U.S. film last week.

Brig. Gen. Bassam al-Ayyoubi said the 14 suspects had set alight the fast food restaurant and tried to storm the Tripoli Serail in protests over the low-budget film “Innocence of Muslims” that has fanned global Muslim anger.

A Bank robbery network suspected of plotting attacks on two judges had a list to target several other politicians and officials, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Friday.

According to the report, the cell led by Mohammed al-Jouni was planning to assassinate Speaker Nabih Berri, Former Ministers Michel and Elias al-Murr, MPs George Adwan, Akram Shehayyeb, Nohad al-Mashnouq, Ahmed Fatfat, Mohammed Kabbara, Judges Abdul Rahim Hammoud, Henri Khoury, Dani el-Zaenni and former LBCI anchorwoman May Chidiac.

Armed forces have discovered two separate networks based in the eastern Bekaa valley operating in the kidnap-for-ransom operations, Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) reported Friday.

Security forces raided the house of Mansour Saleh, the kidnapper of Ali Mansour, in Western Bekaa at dawn but did not find him, it said.

Special Tribunal for Lebanon spokesman Marten Youssef stressed on Friday that the sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury against Mustafa Badreddine don't affect the trials.

“The judges will only take into consideration the evidence presented against him concerning” the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and 21 others, Youssef said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper.