Bono urges US to spend more on aid for poor

QUOTING from Islamic, Jewish and Christian texts, Irish rock star Bono challenged US President George Bush and Congress at their annual prayer breakfast yesterday to spend an additional 1% on the federal budget to help the world’s poor.

The U2 front man said it is unjust to keep poor people from selling their goods while singing the virtues of the free market, to hold children to ransom for the debts of their grandparents and to withhold medicines that would save lives.

“God will not accept that,” he said. “Mine won’t. Will yours?”