Washington, D.C.: Egypt’s president, Bush at odds on Mideast peace

President Bush and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak searched Tuesday for solutions to the spiraling violence in the Middle East, with Bush emphasizing the need to stop Palestinian attacks on Israelis while Mubarak demanded that Israel ease up on the Palestinians.

Bush spoke favorably of a Saudi Arabian proposal, which would offer Israel peace, trade and security in exchange for the land the Arabs lost in war, and of Mubarak’s offer to be the host for talks between Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Mubarak criticized only Israel for the current crisis. Bush directed his call for an end to violence to the Palestinians.

Jerusalem: Retaliatory killings continue

Palestinian militants struck at Israeli civilians Tuesday with a suicide bombing on a bus, a roadside ambush in the West Bank and a restaurant shooting in Israel’s largest city, leaving five Israelis and two Palestinian assailants dead.

Before dawn today, Israeli tanks and troops moved into northern Gaza, witnesses said, after Palestinians fired two rockets that hit an Israeli town for the first time. Two Palestinians were killed by tank fire.

In raids Tuesday in response to the militant attacks, Israeli warplanes and helicopters bombed seven separate Palestinian government compounds and security complexes in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Most had been abandoned in anticipation of the Israeli strikes.

Washington, D.C.: More machines ordered to detect airline explosives

The Transportation Security Administration on Tuesday ordered more machines to detect explosives in airline baggage.

Still, many officials doubt there will be enough of the $1 million devices in place to inspect all checked bags by year’s end.

The security agency has orders pending for 200 machines, and parts for 300 others. That would more than double the 161 explosives detection machines now in place, but still be far fewer than the more than 2,000 machines needed at the nation’s 429 commercial airports to screen all checked bags.

Pakistan: Extradition still possible in slaying of reporter

A Pakistani court on Tuesday set aside a petition to prevent the handover of the key suspect in the slaying of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl to the United States, after the government promised not to do so in violation of the law.

Sadia, wife of British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, asked the court Friday to block moves to hand over her husband.

On Tuesday, the court was assured that Saeed won’t be handed over to any “foreign authority or officer” in violation to the law, chief prosecutor Raja Quereshi said.

Quereshi’s comment appeared to leave the door open to handing over Saeed in accordance with the law.

Pearl, South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, was kidnapped Jan. 23 in Karachi. A tape received Feb. 22 showed Pearl dead. His body has not been found.