The Lebanese Forces reiterated on Friday it's staunch rejection to the formation of Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam's cabinet, calling on Hizbullah to announce it's commitment to the Baabda Declaration ahead of the drafting of the ministerial policy.

“We respect the stances of our March 14 allies but we don't agree with them... And we will not participate in it,” a high-ranking source in the party said in comments published in al-Joumhouria newspaper.

Al-Mustaqbal bloc praised on Thursday the army's “great security achievement” in arresting fugitive Naim Abbas, adding that this proves that autonomous security and illegal weapons "do not protect the Lebanese."

"We salute the security forces' great achievement and particularly the army's arrest of terrorists that were planning dangerous criminal acts that could have threatened the lives of innocent civilians and harmed Lebanon's stability,” the bloc said in a released statement after the MPs' weekly meeting.

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun agreed to nominate an Energy minister other than current officeholder Jebran Bassil, solving the deadlock that has lately haunted the cabinet's formation.

However, a new challenge arose concerning which portfolio will be assigned to Bassil.

A suspicious case in Beirut's Adlieh area caused a severe traffic jam in the region on Thursday afternoon.

The Traffic Management Center announced that traffic was diverted from the Mathaf area towards the Justice Palace as a suspicious case was being inspected by security forces in the region.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi continued on Thursday his visit to the Vatican by holding talks with Pope Francis I, reported the National News Agency.

The pope expressed his “keen interest on the situation in the Middle East, especially Lebanon.”

Islamist cleric Omar Mahmoud Othman, who is also known as Abu Qatada, strongly criticized Hizbullah on Thursday, calling on the cabinet to “pressure” the party to stop its involvement in the Syrian war.

Abu Qatada, who is being tried in Jordan on terrorism charges, also expressed his support to suicide bombings carried out by the al-Qaida linked Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon and Abdullah Azzam Brigades on Lebanese territories.

Lebanese Olympic skier Jacky Chamoun depicted in revealing photographs and a video that circulated on the Internet said her country's sports officials are "on my side."

Three years ago, Jacky Chamoun posed for a calendar photo shoot. Behind-the-scenes footage recently was posted online, and Lebanon's sports and youth minister reportedly ordered an investigation.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat praised on Thursday the “extraordinary procedures” that led to the discovery of terrorist networks that were planning to carry out attacks in Lebanon.

He said in a statement: “The procedures demonstrate once more that there can be no substitute to the state and its security agencies that are operating under difficult and complicated circumstances.”

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati expressed on Thursday optimism that a new government may be formed soon.

He said: “Positive signs indicate that a new cabinet may be formed soon.”

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Thursday the importance of the ongoing security efforts to unveil the terrorist networks on Lebanese territories, praising the endeavors exerted by the army intelligence in this regard.

He expressed hope that the rival politicians would realize the delicacy of the stage that Lebanon is passing through and that they would cooperate to form a new cabinet.