The body of a man who has been reported missing 40 days ago was found in the southern city of Sidon with a driver's license next to him carrying his name and place of residence, the National News Agency reported Friday.

The body which carried clear signs of torture, belongs to citizen Haitham Ali Raad (from Bednayel, born in 1965) residing in Beirut's southern suburbs, NNA added.

Lebanese Forces bloc MP Antoine Zahra said on Friday his party has always carried the project of building the State, noting that “the LF seeks partnership as stipulated by the Taef Accord.”

In an interview on LBCI, Zahra said his party saw in President Michel Aoun a chance to re-implement the Taef agreement “as originally drafted and not as previously applied.”

Hizbullah has slammed as “baseless” reports alleging that the party has pledged not to retaliate against Israeli strikes that hit inside Syria, LBCI reported Friday.

“Media reports quoted Israeli enemy alleging that Hizbullah made a pledge to Russia not to respond to Israeli airstrikes inside Syria...are baseless and unfounded,” Hizbullah media office said in a statement on Friday.

Serious efforts to ease the differences hampering the formation of a new cabinet are underway between President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri, media reports said on Friday.

Sources following up closely on the formation process, said the two sides have committed to maintain silence as for this endeavor so it won't be hampered, paving the way for its formation within ten-day limit.

In light of stalled efforts to line-up a new cabinet, Speaker Nabih Berri warned that Lebanon is behind time as for the preparations needed to hold the parliamentary elections as scheduled in June 2017, An Nahar daily reported Friday.

“The tenure of the current parliament ends on June 20, 2017, and the elections must be staged two months ahead. The door closes on the nominations three months before the parliament's tenure ends. The commission overlooking the elections must be formed six months in advance, that is at the beginning of the year,” Berri told his visitors.

Clashes with machineguns and shoulder-fired rockets broke out Thursday evening at a passenger van station in the Beirut southern suburb of Hay al-Sellom, state-run National News Agency reported.

In a rare move, the Israeli army has published on Twitter a map of alleged Hizbullah positions, infrastructure and armaments in south Lebanon.

The map, according to Israel's Channel 2, features “over 200 towns and villages” and shows over “10,000 potential targets for Israeli strikes” in the event of a new war between Israel and Hizbullah.

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji on Thursday inspected army units in the Dinniyeh area of Bqaa Safrine, where a soldier was killed in an armed attack Monday, vowing that “the anti-terror war will continue.”

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea snapped back Thursday at Syrian President Bashar Assad over the latter's criticism of Lebanon's so-called dissociation policy.

Attorney representing Syrian nationals residing in Lebanon, Tarek Shandab, filed on Thursday before the general prosecution a lawsuit against Syria's Grand Mufti Ahmed Badreddin Hassoun for “incitement to commit crimes against humanity,” the National News Agency reported.

Shandab called for the Mufti's arrest and for adding his name on all Lebanese borders in order to capture him before leaving to Syria.