Change and Reform parliamentary bloc sources said on Friday that the partial participation of ministers of the Free Patriotic Movement in Thursday's cabinet session must not be taken for granted, and that the movement will assess its participation in the meeting each time the cabinet convenes, al-Akhbar daily said on Friday.

“The partial participation in yesterday’s cabinet meeting does not mean a blank cheque. Our decision to participate in the cabinet meeting will be assessed each time the cabinet convenes,” Change and Reform sources told the daily.

Police detained a man accused of involvement in a hit-and-run car accident that left the victim dead in the northern town of Bsharri, the National News Agency reported on Friday.

Police arrested Sh.Y. on October 1 on accusations of crashing into a female victim, A.L., on the Mogr al-Ahwal highway in Bsharri which led to her immediate death, NNA added.

Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem stated that the latest shuttle contacts between political leaders to solve the presidency impasse are “not part of a crisis nor part of a solution,” as he noted that the situation in the region including Lebanon will remain the same pending the presidential elections in the United States, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday.

“The current happenings in Lebanon at the level of contacts with regard to the presidency are not part of the crisis nor part of a solution. A solution in Lebanon must be based on consensus and agreement among its different components,” Qassem told the daily in an interview.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault that his country has no positions as for the presidential elections in Lebanon, al-Akhbar daily reported on Friday.

Replying to a question about the series of presidency meetings carried out by al-Mustaqbal Movement ex-PM Saad Hariri to help solve the impasse, al-Jubeir told Ayrault: “Saudi Arabia is not concerned with the steps taken by Hariri. Lebanon is Hariri's country and he is free with his choices. Besides, we will not be concerned when problems start emerging with Aoun,” diplomatic sources quoted al-Jubeir as saying.

A German court on Thursday convicted four men who procured tens of thousands of euros worth of supplies for the ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham group in Syria of supporting a terrorist organization.

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Thursday hailed the latest stance of the Council of Maronite Bishops regarding the presidency and the Constitution, calling for the election of a president “without any preconditions.”

Israel has charged seven residents of a divided border village of spying for Hizbullah, Israeli police said Thursday.

Former prime minister Saad Hariri held talks Thursday at the Center House with British Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter, the ex-PM's office said.

Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin has announced that his country is willing to help the Lebanese in the stalled presidential file.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam chaired a cabinet meeting on Thursday at the Grand Serail, where the ministers discussed the agenda's items that have been pending since the last session two weeks ago.

The session witnessed a hot debate between the ministers over the thorny issue of appointments.