Condolences over the death of the “Dean of Journalists” in Lebanon Ghassan Tueni continued to pour in on Friday and Saturday with French President Francois Hollande expressing his “great” sorrow over his passing.

He said in a statement: “Despite all the tragedy that struck his family, he remained a free man who was committed to serving Lebanon.”

Negotiations over the release of the 11 kidnapped Lebanese pilgrims have achieved “great progress”, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday.

Hizbullah circles told the daily that there are “very positive signs that they may be released within 48 hours.”

The head of the Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora stressed on Saturday that the March 14 camp is committed to the memorandum that it handed to President Michel Suleiman on the national dialogue.

He announced in a press conference: “We will approach the dialogue with an open mind and weapons possession in Lebanon should be the only topic of discussion.”

President Michel Suleiman received on Friday a phone call from his French counterpart Francois Hollande, during which they discussed the importance of national dialogue “in maintaining Lebanese domestic stability.”

The two leaders tackled Suleiman’s call for resuming all-party talks on June 11.

One person was killed and two others were wounded on Friday as exchange of gunfire renewed between the rival Tripoli neighborhoods of Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tabbaneh, in the latest such violation of a fragile ceasefire.

“Cautious calm engulfed the area after army units fired heavily for around 10 minutes at the sources of gunfire, silencing the sniper fire,” state-run National News Agency reported later on Friday.

Unidentified attackers abducted on Friday Lebanese citizen Habib al-Brimo from a car carrying Syrian license plates on the Zahle highway, National News Agency reported.

Brimo was taken out of his dark blue Skoda to an unknown destination, according to NNA.

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri said Friday that Saudi King Abdullah encourages Lebanese national dialogue.

Following his meeting with President Michel Suleiman, Asiri conveyed King Abdullah’s keenness on the “fraternal and historical relationship with Lebanon and all its groups and sects,” National News Agency reported.

British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher stressed on Friday that the resumption of national dialogue proves that the Lebanese leaders are determined to work together to maintain stability.

“This sends an important signal of determination and resilience,” Fletcher said after meeting with President Michel Suleiman at the Baabda Palace.

Minutes after news broke out on Friday about the death of the “Dean of Journalists” in Lebanon Ghassan Tueni, politicians and ordinary Lebanese showered An Nahar daily with their condolences through statements and messages on social networking sites.

Premier Najib Miqati said Lebanon “lost a true national symbol” who defended Lebanon on the international scene and called for tolerance even when his son Gebran Tueni was assassinated.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati urged the opposition on Friday to become more “constructive” as governments change but the state remains the main foundation of the country.

“It’s unacceptable to attack the state in order to change any cabinet,” Miqati said at the annual meeting of INSEAD Alumni Association and Institute of Business Administration at Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut.