The loans and grants pledged for Lebanon at the Paris CEDRE conference last year are set to stay “locked” until the Lebanese government resumes normal activity and “serious” work, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Tuesday.

Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil has noted that “everyone in Lebanon is a partner of Hizbullah,” not only the FPM.

Admitting that his movement’s alliance with the Iran-backed party has been “costly,” Bassil told Euronews: “Our partnership with Hizbullah has been costly at the popular and diplomatic levels, but we have gained Lebanon’s stability and unity, because Hizbullah is a part of a people and not an armed group.”

MP Mohammed Raad, the head of Hizbullah’s Loyalty to Resistance bloc, held talks Monday in Ain el-Tineh with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

LBCI television said the discussions tackled “the latest developments.”

Four suspects detained in connection with the deadly Qabrshmoun incident appeared Monday before Military Examining Magistrate Marcel Bassil.

The National News Agency said the four detainees were not interrogated by Bassil after they asked for a grace period to appoint defense lawyers.

Minister of Defense Elias Bou Saab said that any attempt to interfere in the judicial affairs will not be tolerated, renewing trust in Lebanon's judicial system, the National News Agency reported on Monday.

The Progressive Socialist Party is expected to hold a press conference on Tuesday to address what it said was “intervention in the judiciary” regarding the problematic Qabrshmoun incident, a move considered by Baabda as “disruptive” of the Cabinet’s work, the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat reported on Monday.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Bogdanov received on Saturday George Shaaban, Prime Minister Saad Hariri's adviser for Russian affairs, the pan-Arab al-Hayat daily said on Monday.

The daily said that Shaaban's visit to Moscow comes in the context of foreign contacts being conducted by Hariri on the situation in Lebanon with key countries and permanent members of the Security Council to explain the developments in Lebanon.

The repercussions of the deadly Qabrshmoun incident raise fears of an aggravating political crisis in light of failed attempts to resolve the issue that suspended cabinet meetings since July 2, amid Speaker Nabih Berri’s initiative to resolve the stalemate.

A Dutch band said Sunday it had cancelled its gig at a top Lebanon festival in solidarity with Mashrou’ Leila pulled from the event after threats over alleged offence to Christians.

State Minister for Administrative Development Affairs May Chidiac on Sunday lamented attempts to weaken PM Saad Hariri in light of a dragging suspension of the Cabinet meetings over the Qabrshmoun incident.

“The frog that wished to be bigger than the bull!” said Chidiac in a tweet.