Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Friday that the government has begun addressing all political, economic, and social matters, especially those that concern the people.

He said during his visit to the northern city of Tripoli: “We realize the size of the burden on the citizens’ shoulders and their daily suffering because of the increase in prices and their concern over the present and future.”

The role that France played in the release of the kidnapped seven Estonians was on Friday seen as a diplomatic and intelligence success for Paris on its Independence Day.

A French and Estonian team that transported the men from al-Taybeh village to the French embassy in Beirut on Thursday took all the measures to free the tourists without any coordination with Lebanese authorities.

A source close to Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed that the sectarian identity of the director-general of the General Security Department has been settled.

The source told As Safir daily published Friday that the proposed candidate for the post is respected by all parties. He denied that there is objection to the confessional nature of the post or the name of Brig. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim.

Internal Security Forces chief Major-General Ashraf Rifi threatened to resign should Intelligence Bureau director Wissam al-Hassan be transferred from his post.

Ad-Diyar newspaper reported on Friday that he “refuses to sign a memo to transfer Colonel Wissam al-Hassan.”

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said Friday that the seven Estonians were not held hostage at the Taybeh village following their kidnapping in March, but they were released there.

He told Voice of Lebanon (100.5) radio station that the Lebanese will “be informed about the details of the release operation later on… for the safety of the investigation.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has reportedly bought a 20,000-square-meter land parcel near the Safa stadium in Beirut for 10 million dollars.

Al-Akhbar daily said Friday that Jumblat is negotiating with the owners of shacks on the land to vacate their homes in return for financial compensation.

A clash erupted overnight between a number of youth from the town of Naameh and others from Harat al-Naameh which inflicted several injuries.

Media reports said that the argument developed into an exchange of gunfire and smashing of shops windows.

The Estonian government paid the kidnappers of the seven Estonian tourists 10 million euros to win their release, media reports said Friday.

Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said Thursday that no force was used to free the hostages and that several countries and their respective intelligence services were involved in the operation.

Mystery shrouded the release of the kidnapped Estonians after high-ranking sources hinted of Syria’s involvement in setting free the seven cyclists as a good gesture to the European Union.

A high-ranking security source did not rule out that Syria helped release the hostages on Thursday after it was embarrassed by attacks by pro-regime supporters on the French and U.S. embassies in Damascus earlier in the week.

The cabinet on Thursday renewed the mandate of Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh and appointed Maj. Gen. Walid Salman as the new Army Chief of Staff, after the retirement of Maj. Gen. Shawqi al-Masri.

Dr. Antoine Shoqair was also appointed as the director general of the Presidency of the Republic.