News for Tuesday, April 17, 2007

• 2007 Pulitzer Prize Winners Announced News stories about corruption in the United States and the drawbacks to China's explosive economic growth are among the 2007 Pulitzer Prize winners, the top annual U.S. journalism awards.
• North Korea May be Preparing to Close Nuclear Reactor Reports from South Korea say North Korea may be preparing to close its nuclear reactor at the center of a stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament process.
• Reports:  Former Bangladeshi PM to go into Exile Bangladeshi news reports say former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has agreed to go into exile following pressure from the country's military-backed interim government.
• US Military Says Eight Suspected Terrorists Detained in Raids Near Baghdad, Fallujah The U.S. military says coalition forces in Iraq have detained eight suspected terrorists in raids near Baghdad and the city of Fallujah, west of the capital.
• China 'Cannot Confirm' Reported N. Korean Activity at Yongbyon Nuclear Facility The Chinese government has said it cannot confirm South Korean reports of unusual activity at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear facility, and indicated a dispute over North Korean bank accounts in Macau has yet to be resolved. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.
• Students, Parents Outraged Over Shooting at US University Outrage is mounting among Virginia Tech students and their parents Tuesday, over the failure of officials at the university in the eastern U.S. state of Virginia to warn students and lock down the campus immediately after the first shootings on the campus Monday.
• US University Gunman Was Student The president of Virginia Tech University says a student at the school was the gunman who killed 30 people and then himself in a classroom building on Monday.
• Vietnam Elections Attract Candidates From Outside Communist Party, But Few Win Elections to Vietnam's National Assembly are coming up in May, and the government says it wants to broaden public participation with more delegates who are not members of the Communist Party. It also wants more delegates who decide to run on their own, rather than being nominated by a government-affiliated organization, as most are now. However, Vietnam's system of reviewing candidates will keep many newcomers off the ballot. Matt Steinglass reports from Hanoi.
• Egypt Charges Nuclear Engineer as Spy for Israel Egyptian authorities say they have arrested an engineer from the country's nuclear energy agency on charges of spying for Israel.
• US University Gunman Was South Korean Student, Police Say Police at Virginia Tech University say a gunman who killed 30 people and then himself in a classroom building on Monday was a South Korean student at the university.
• Ukraine's Constitutional Court Convenes Ukraine's Constitutional Court has begun hearings in the capital, Kyiv, Tuesday on the legality of President Viktor Yushchenko's decree, dissolving parliament and calling new elections. The court is taking up the case one week later than planned, after several judges asked for protection, alleging that political pressure was being exerted against them. VOA's Lisa McAdams in Moscow has more.
• Sniffer Dogs in The Philippines to Hunt Down Pirated Movies Two specially trained sniffer dogs have arrived in the Philippines to carry on a war against video piracy, sniffing out illegally copied movies and other products. Douglas Bakshian reports from Manila. The black Labrador retrievers, named Lucky and Flo, made their first raid in Manila Monday, seizing at least 300,000 pirated discs during a check of three shopping malls. Motion Picture Association International supplied the dogs as part of its efforts to cut video piracy. Neil Gane, of the MPA, gave no figures but says piracy is rampant in the Philippines. Some illegal videos are made in the Philippines but China has been flooding the market too. "In the last 12 months we have seen an influx of China-made, replicated, pirated DVDs coming into the Philippines - often through parcels on flights arriving at NAIA, which is the international airport at Manila - and are then distributed throughout the Philippines," Gane says. The sniffer dogs are on an Asian tour. On their first stop, Malaysia, they helped find more than one million discs and burners worth more than three million dollars. Like other legendary crime fighters the dogs have a price tag on their heads. Gane says Malaysian authorities told him a criminal syndicate had offered $14,000 in bounty for each animal while they were in Malaysia. Gane says Motion Picture Association studios lost $6.1 billion to piracy worldwide in 2006, including about $1.2 billion in the Asia-Pacific. He says organized crime finds video piracy lucrative. The illegal trade contributes to money laundering, extortion, bribery and violation of territorial waters. The sniffer dogs cannot actually tell a pirated DVD from a legal one, they only detect the polycarbonate that the discs are made of. However, they save the police a lot of intelligence work by physically checking out tip-offs. Edu Manzano, chairman of the Philippine government's Optical Media Board, says the dogs have proved to be an effective enforcement tool.
• Palestinian Journalists Protest BBC Reporter Abduction, Scuffle with Police in Gaza Police in the Gaza Strip have scuffled with journalists demonstrating in support of a BBC reporter who was kidnapped last month.
• Italy Adjourns Trial of US Soldier A court in Rome has adjourned the trial in absentia of a U.S. soldier accused of killing an Italian intelligence agent in Iraq. Both the defense and prosecution had requested the delay.
• Nigerian Electoral Body Says VP to be on Presidential Ballot Nigeria's electoral commission says it will comply with a Supreme Court ruling and put Vice President Atiku Abubakar on the ballot for Saturday's presidential election.
• Iraqi Insurgent Leader Claims Group Producing Own Rockets An Iraqi insurgent leader has claimed that his group has begun to manufacture its own rockets.
• Blair Warns Sudan of Sanctions if it Rejects UN Darfur Plan British Prime Minister Tony Blair says the U.N. Security Council must be ready to impose new sanctions on Sudan if it rejects a U.N. plan to end the violence in Darfur.
• Concerns Intensify Over Three North Korean Children in Laos Jail Three young North Korean refugees, currently held in prison in the Lao capital Vientiane, are facing the threat of deportation back to North Korea. As Ron Corben reports from Bangkok, international aid and human rights groups are trying to have the three sent to Thailand from where they could travel on to South Korea.
• China Sentences Son of Prominent Muslim Activist A Chinese court has sentenced the son of a prominent Muslim activist to nine years in prison on charges that he engaged in secessionist activities. VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from Beijing.
• Nigerian Police Say 13 Killed in Attack on Police Station Police in the northern Nigerian city of Kano say at least 13 people were killed when a mob attacked a police station Tuesday.
• China's Demand for Wood Destroying Ancient Forests The environmental protection group Greenpeace says China's illegal trade in the endangered merbau tree is destroying ancient forests and speeding up the tree's extinction. The wood is smuggled from rainforests in Southeast Asia to feed wealthy nations' demand for high-end wood products. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.
• Japanese Mayor Shot Outside Train Station Authorities in Japan say the mayor of the southwestern city of Nagasaki has been shot and seriously wounded.
• More HIV Infected People Get Access to Anti-Retroviral Drugs; Universal Access Still Far Away Access to life-saving anti-retroviral drugs for people with advanced HIV infection is on the rise, but the world is still far away from ensuring universal access to the drugs. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi that a new report by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and UNAIDS is calling for more ambitious national programs to improve the situation.
• Zimbabweans Face Another Bleak Independence Day April 18 is Independence Day in Zimbabwe, and this year the country marks its 27th birthday.  But many Zimbabweans say there won't be much to celebrate because of the country's economic and political woes. Tendai Maphosa has this report for VOA from London, where he spoke with a number of people who left Zimbabwe seeking a better life. Zimbabwe became independent in 1980 after a long guerilla war against British colonial rule. The birth of the new country was greeted with much hope and high expectations, and in the early years Independence Day was a time of celebration.  But, Zimbabweans say times have changed.
• Shooting Rampage Renews Debate About US Gun Control Measures The massacre at Virginia Tech University has renewed widespread debate about gun control laws in the United States.
• Kremlin Calls Opposition Protests Marginal, Says Some Police Over-Reacted The Kremlin has dismissed two recent opposition protests against President Vladimir Putin as marginal, while conceding that club-wielding police over-reacted when they moved against protesters in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
• Indonesia Transport Minister Deflects Responsibility for Air Safety Worries After two recent air disasters in Indonesia, the country's transportation minister is fighting off calls for his resignation and implementing new safety measures. Chad Bouchard reports for VOA from Jakarta.
• US Flexible on Korea Nuclear Timetable The United States said Tuesday it is prepared to allow more time for North Korea to fulfill terms of the six-party agreement under which it is to give up its nuclear program. The comments came amid reports Pyongyang may be preparing to shut down its main reactor complex.  VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
• South Korea Expresses Condolences for US University Massacre South Korea has expressed its condolences to the victims of Monday's massacre at a U.S. university after learning that the suspected gunman was a South Korean national.
• British Pound Reaches Highest Level Against US Dollar Since 1992 The British pound hit its highest level against the dollar in nearly 15 years Tuesday.
• Kenya to Begin Shuttle Diplomacy Between Rivals Eritrea and Ethiopia Kenya's Foreign Ministry says it is preparing an intense diplomatic shuttle to bring an end to the crisis between Horn of Africa rivals Eritrea and Ethiopia over Somalia. VOA correspondent Alisha Ryu reports from Nairobi.
• Bush, Students and Faculty Gather To Mourn Victims of University Shooting Students, faculty, community members and a number of political leaders, including President Bush, have gathered on the campus of Virginia Tech for a memorial service for the 33 people killed in a shooting rampage Monday.
• Rival Ukrainian Leaders Present Europeans Their Views on Ending Political Crisis Ukraine's two rival leaders, President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, are lobbying separately in Europe seeking support for their competing views for settling Ukraine's political crisis.
• Victims in US Shooting Come From All Over World The 32 victims of the massacre at Virginia Tech University come from across the United States and a number of countries across the world.
• Somali Interim Parliament Fires 31 Lawmakers Somalia's transitional parliament has fired its former speaker and 30 other lawmakers for failing to attend sessions in recent months.
• Russia Downbeat, US Optimistic Ahead of NATO Talks on Missile Shield A top Russian official says Moscow remains deeply concerned about U.S. plans for a missile defense system that Washington wants to deploy in central Europe.
• Security Concerns Arise as Ivory Coast Dismantles Buffer Zone The Ivory Coast government has begun dismantling a buffer zone that has separated the rebel-held north from the government-run south since 2002. While some say this is an important step toward reconciling the nation, others worry that the move is premature because new security forces are not yet in place. Kari Barber reports from our West and Central Africa bureau in Dakar.
• Malawi Orphans Stone Journalists Covering Madonna Witnesses in Malawi say orphans threw stones at journalists who tried to follow American pop star Madonna into their orphanage Tuesday.
• More Illegal Immigrant Workers Filing US Taxes Tuesday is the deadline for most U.S. workers to file their income taxes for the past year.  Experts say more than ever, illegal immigrants are filing tax returns in an effort to establish a legal history with the U.S. government.  From Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports that hopes for immigration reform are driving the change.
• US Defense Secretary Says Iraq Cabinet Resignations May Help The U.S. secretary of defense has downplayed the sudden resignations of six Iraqi cabinet ministers loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.  He spoke in Jordan after meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah.  VOA Middle East Correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from Cairo.
• Japanese Mayor Dead After Shooting Japanese media reports the mayor of the southwestern city of Nagasaki has died after being shot late Tuesday in front of a train station.
• Bush Administration, Congressional Committee Voice Support for Kosovo's Independence The State Department's number three official, Nicholas Burns, appeared Tuesday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and strongly endorsed recommendations for Kosovo's independence from Serbia promulgated by U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari, former president of Finland. VOA's Barry Wood has more.
• US Warns Against Flying on Indonesia Airlines The United States has warned Americans against flying on local airlines in Indonesia because of safety concerns raised by recent accidents.
• Developing Countries Protest UN Security Council Climate Debate The U.N. Security Council has held an unprecedented debate on the impact of climate change on global peace and security. But as VOA's Peter Heinlein reports from U.N. headquarters, the debate prompted objections from developing countries.
• US Defends Granting Visa to Controversial Cambodian Police Official The State Department Tuesday defended a decision granting a U.S. visa to Cambodia's national police chief, Hok Lundy, despite charges linking him to political violence and other crimes. A major human rights group is urging that the visa be rescinded. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
• Nigerian Election Official: Presidential Poll Will Proceed as Scheduled Election officials in Nigeria have rejected accusations they are doing a bad job, saying candidates who have complaints should seek remedy in the courts.   The spokesman for the electoral commission assured Nigerian voters the weekend presidential elections will take place on schedule despite ongoing problems.  VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Abuja.
• Virginia Police Say Gunman Legally Purchased Weapons Police in the eastern U.S. state of Virginia say the gunman in Monday's shooting rampage at Virginia Tech University legally purchased the weapons he used in the attacks.
• Investigators: Russian Mine Blast Caused by Tampering With Safety Equipment An official inquiry into a Russian coal mine blast in Siberia that killed 108 people says the explosion was caused by someone tampering with safety equipment.