From Associated Press Wire Reports:
Austria to Return Art to California Woman
VIENNA, Austria – Austria said Tuesday it will honor an arbitration court decision and give five precious Gustav Klimt paintings to a California woman who says the Nazis stole them from her Jewish family. “We’ll give you back the paintings if you promise not to give us back Schwarzenegger,” said a spokesman for Austria.
Al-Jazeera Hires Lawyers to Get Transcript
CAIRO, Egypt – Al-Jazeera has hired a British law firm to press its request to British Prime Minister Tony Blair for a partial transcript of a conversation between him and U.S. President George W. Bush in which the American leader allegedly said the Arab broadcaster’s headquarters should be bombed. Blair offered a Xerox copy of the Downing Street Memo instead.
Belgium PM: U.S. Relations Need More Work
WASHINGTON – Belgium’s prime minister told President Bush on Tuesday that while the United States has improved its relationship with Europe in the last year, “there is certainly a lot of work still to do.” In response, Bush offered to clear brush around The Hague.
Olmert Seeks to Begin Work on Peace Deal
JERUSALEM – Acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in his first policy statement Tuesday that he hopes to start working on a final peace deal with the Palestinians after Israel’s March 28 elections, and hinted that Palestinians in Jerusalem might not always be under Israeli rule. “But I’d keep my eye on those evangelical Christians moving into Galilee,” Olmert added.
Iran Lifts CNN Ban; Amanpour Criticized
TEHRAN, Iran – Iran on Tuesday lifted a ban it had imposed on CNN a day earlier for misquoting President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. During the ban, CNN simply ran the same Iran stories it has been running since December.
Cheney Talks Iraq With Egypt’s Mubarak
CAIRO, Egypt – Vice President Dick Cheney met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Tuesday for talks on the political process in Iraq and the West’s standoffs with Syria and Iran. “F@#k you,” said Cheney.
Iraq Elections Commission Issues Ruling
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraq’s electoral commission ruled Monday that more than 99 percent of the ballots from the Dec. 15 parliamentary elections are valid. That’s about 66 percent better than Florida did in 2000.
