Bush tells Arab leaders to look ahead
SHARM EL SHEIK, Egypt, May 18 (UPI) -- U.S. President Bush told Arab leaders Sunday "the future is in your hands" and suggested a long list of reforms at an economic summit in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt.
"I strongly support a two-state solution -- a democratic Palestine based on law and justice that will live in peace and security alongside a democratic Israel," Bush told Arab leaders at the World Economic Forum of the Middle East.
Bush said Arab leaders needed to look ahead if they are to continue their economic prosperity as the world responds to the looming energy crisis.
"Over time, as the world becomes less dependent on oil, nations in the Middle East will have to build more diverse and more dynamic economies," Bush said.
Speaking on the role of woman in society, Bush said freedom is "matter of morality and of basic math" adding, "No nation that cuts off half its population from opportunities will be as productive or prosperous as it could be.
"Freedom is also the basis for a democratic system of government, which is the only fair and just ordering of society and the only way to guarantee the God-given rights of all people," he added.
Bush told Arab leaders to work together toward a prosperous future in a gesture of solidarity.
"I know that these can be trying times, but the future is in your hands and freedom and peace are within your grasp," the president said.
Death toll hits 32,477 after China quake
BEIJING, May 18 (UPI) -- The death toll in China's 7.8 magnitude earthquake was raised Sunday to 32,477, emergency response officials said.
At least 9,500 victims were trapped in rubble in southwest China's Sichuan Province Sunday, nearly a week after the Monday quake, Xinhua reported.
Emergency officials Sunday said the total number of people wounded in the quake has risen to 220,109.
At least 31,978 people died and 209,905 were wounded in Sichuan alone, the report said.
The number of people killed in the city of Deyang reached 10,341, and 11,874 people were killed in the city of Mianyang, the emergency response office said.
Japanese military defuses dud WWII bomb
TOKYO, May 18 (UPI) -- Japanese troops evacuated about 16,000 people from a Tokyo neighborhood Sunday to defuse a bomb left over from World War II, authorities said.
It took Ground Self-Defense Force officials about two hours to defuse the unexploded bomb in Chofu, western Tokyo, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported Sunday.
Chofu authorities then declared the city safe and allowed residents to return to their homes.
People living within 550 yards of the bomb were ordered to leave the area and trains going to and from Chofu and Tsutsujigaoka were temporarily shut down.
Officials said the explosive device, discovered in March, was likely a 1-ton bomb released from a U.S. B-29 bomber that crashed in 1945.
Bush backs Karzai's aid appeal
SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt, May 18 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush in Egypt Sunday said he backed a request by Afghan President Hamid Karzai for $50 billion in foreign aid.
"This is a great opportunity for the world to help Afghanistan grow and prosper," Bush told a news conference in Sharm el Sheikh, where Arab leaders are gathered for the World Economic Forum.
Karzai said he would seek the $50 billion in aid for his country's agricultural sector during a donor conference scheduled in Paris in June.
"We'll be going to Paris to ask for more help for Afghanistan's agriculture, so that Afghanistan can become self-sufficient in agriculture, and also be an exporter to the rest of the world," Karzai told reporters.
Bush praised Karzai for his fortitude in overseeing Afghanistan's recovery following nearly three decades of conflict.
"I appreciate your courage. Appreciate you taking on a very tough assignment -- which is helping your young democracy survive amidst the threats from the radicals and extremists," Bush said.
