WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States said it was disappointed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan‘s delay in releasing a much-awaited report on Syria’s pledge to withdraw troops from Lebanon.  “There was a decision to postpone the report by a week. We are disappointed by this delay. We don’t see the need for delaying it,” deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters. “We certainly look forward to an update from the secretary general on 1559 implementation,” he said, referring to Resolution 1559, pushed by France and the United States and adopted by the Security Council last year calling on Syria to pull its forces out of its smaller neighbour. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Annan by telephone this week that “a timely publication of the report was desirable, was important,” Ereli said.

BEIRUT (AFP) – Lebanon’s well-integrated Armenian community is gearing up for the 90th anniversary of the massacre of their ancestors in Ottoman Turkey amid concerns over emigration which has halved their number in 15 years.  The Christian Armenians have been hit by the same economic hardships as other communities in the tiny Arab country which welcomed their forefathers with open arms. From 250,000 at the end of Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war, during which tens of thousands emigrated, the Armenian community has dwindled further to about 120,000, according to political and religious leaders of the community. “We suffered emigration like all other communities in post-war Lebanon. We are trying to face that problem, and so are our churches, with financial and housing aid,” said MP Jean Ogassabian, one of six ethnic Armenian deputies in the 128-member parliament.

By NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday pledged to work to unify all Christians, reach out to other religions and continue implementing reforms from the Second Vatican Council as he outlined his goals and made clear his pontificate would closely follow the trajectory of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II.  Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, listed top priorities of his papacy in a message read in Latin to cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel for the first Mass celebrated by the 265th leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He said his “primary task” would be to work to reunify all Christians and that sentiment alone was not enough. “Concrete acts that enter souls and move consciences are needed,” he said. The new pope said he wanted to continue “an open and sincere dialogue” with other religions and would do everything in his power to improve the ecumenical cause.