Palestinians will resume peace talks with Israel
Associated PressPublished March 6, 2008
Jerusalem
The moderate Palestinian leadership agreed under heavy U.S. pressure Wednesday to resume peace talks with Israel, dropping a demand that Israel first reach a truce with Islamic Hamas militants. The announcement gave U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a modest accomplishment in her brief troubleshooting mission. It left open the question of how both sides will confront Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, home to 1.4-million Palestinians. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas did not say when talks would restart, but U.S. and other officials predicted it would be in about a week.
Athens, Greece
Tomb may add to Odysseus mystery
Road construction a month ago on the western Greek island of Lefkada uncovered and partially destroyed an important tomb with artifacts dating back more than 3,000 years, officials said Wednesday. The find is a miniature version of the opulent tombs built by the rulers of Greece during the Mycenaean era. The discovery could revive scholarly debate on where the homeland of Homer's legendary hero Odysseus was located, because Homer's poems are believed to be loosely based on Mycenaean-era events. "Until now we had next to no evidence on Mycenaean presence on Lefkada," excavator Maria Stavropoulou-Gatsi said.
Elsewhere
Pope to meet with Muslims: Pope Benedict XVI will meet in November with Muslim religious leaders and scholars in a push for dialogue between Catholics and Muslims, the Vatican said Wednesday. Two dozen leaders and scholars from each side will participate. Church officials have said such a papal audience would be "historic."
German Airport strikes: German airports canceled hundreds of flights Wednesday after thousands of airport workers walked off their jobs in temporary warning strikes as part of a wider labor action to win higher pay for public service workers. In Berlin, subway, tram and bus workers launched a 10-day strike early Wednesday.