Pope Calls on Media to Report Responsibly

By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday that the media can spread peace but also foment violence, and he called on journalists to exercise responsibility to ensure objective reports that respect human dignity and the common good.

Benedict made the comments during a brief appearance at his studio window to bless thousands of people in St. Peter's Square below, following in the beloved Sunday tradition of Pope John Paul II.

Draped underneath the window for the first time was the red tapestry bearing Benedict's papal coat of arms, which includes traditional elements from his native Bavaria and a nod to St. Augustine.

Noting that Sunday was the world day of social communications, the pope praised the media for what he called the "extraordinary" coverage of the death and funeral of John Paul.

Ex-general returns to Lebanon

By Hassan M. Fattah The New York Times

BEIRUT Michel Aoun, a former army general who inspires nationalist support in the street among many Christians and unease among some of the long-entrenched elite, has returned to this city after 15 years in exile, promising to remake Lebanon's politics.

The return of the general, a Maronite Christian who opposed Syria's dominance, closes the chapter on that country's control of Lebanon and opens a new one as Lebanon faces the daunting challenges left by Syria's withdrawal.

His arrival Saturday, just two weeks after Syrian forces left, was part victory march, part bittersweet homecoming. Posters in Christian parts of the city hailed him as a "resister" and a "liberator."

"Today is a victory for sovereignty, and a return for a Lebanese," Aoun said after he arrived on a flight from France.

From the airport, the general drove to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and on to the grave of a former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, before moving to Martyrs' Square nearby, where thousands of his supporters, wearing the orange of their Free Patriotic Movement, gathered to hear his address.

"This is our march, our path," said Bob Ghorayeb, 25, who with several friends was selling copies of Aoun's biography at the rally. "He was a nationalist and he worked in the interest of the whole country. It's time for a political change like that."

Aoun's return a key moment

By Kim Ghattas
BBC News, Beirut

For 14 years, his supporters covered Beirut's walls with graffiti reading: "Aoun will return".

Now Michel Aoun, a former army commander-in-chief and one time prime minister is back in Beirut after years of exile in France. Members of his party, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), worked relentlessly this week to plan a huge celebration on Martyrs' Square, in the heart of the city.

Over the last few months, the square has seen hundreds of thousands of Lebanese demonstrate to demand the truth about the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, killed in a massive explosion on 14 February, and to ask for the departure of Syrian troops.