Pope Taps Cardinal to Stand in at Ceremony
By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer
VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI has designated a cardinal to stand in for him at a beatification ceremony later this month in a shift from his predecessor who declared more “blesseds” and saints than all his predecessors over the past 500 years combined.
The head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, will celebrate the Mass on May 14 to beatify a Franciscan nun who worked in Hawaii and the co-founder of a missionary society in Spain.
Court Clears Anti-Syrian Lebanese Official – Last Update
Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati prepares for May elections, central bank issues CDs Locals cheered as the last Syrian soldiers rolled out of Lebanon after 29 years of occupation four days early on April 26. However, local business leaders still reeled from the events of the past three months, which drained employers of cheap Syrian labor, as expats returned with the military and tourism revenues plunged. The Lebanese Parliament made a strong effort towards building up legitimacy as quickly as Syria tore down its last outposts and burned its paperwork. President Emile Lahoud appointed business tycoon Najib Mikati prime minister-designate with the mandate of quickly organizing parliamentary elections. The interim government also raised $1.64 billion through ten-year Central Bank dollar certificates of deposits, while increasing rates on deposits on Lebanese pounds to discourage dollarization.
Mount Lebanon. The Shihab Emirs succeeded the Maans and in 1697 Emir Bashir Shihab I, nephew of Emir Ahmad Maan, came to power. After his death in 1706 he was succeeded by Emir Haydar who was deposed by the Yemenite originated families in Mount Lebanon after their rebellion against his rule appointing Emir Youssef Alam el Din as new ruler. As a result he fled to Azraeel cave in Hermel , hiding from the rebellions and sent his family members to the Khazen Cheikhs who hided them in their villages in Keserwan taking care of their needs , protecting them and sending him arms and ammunition and in addition, giving him important information and advices .
By Lin Noueihed BEIRUT (Reuters) – A U.N. team arrived in Lebanon on Thursday to verify whether Syria had withdrawn all its troops and intelligence agents in line with a Security Council resolution. In further signs of Syria’s waning influence in Lebanon, the new government replaced the pro-Syrian police, justice and intelligence chiefs, who were forced out under pressure from Damascus’s opponents, and removed the head of state security. Syria told the 
By DONNA ABU-NASR Associated Press Writer HARET AL-NAAMEH, Lebanon Apr 28, 2005 
