Virginia Shooting Victims Mourned across the US

By Jim Malone Washington 20 April 2007

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Friday was a day of mourning in southern U.S. state of Virginia and across the United States in memory of the 32 students and teachers who died Monday at Virginia Tech University in the worst mass shooting incident in U.S. history. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.

A crowd gathers to observe a moment of silence at Virginia Tech University to remember the victims of the massacre, 20 Apr 2007

Bells in Virginia's capital of Richmond tolled 32 times for each one of the victims in the Virginia Tech massacre.

Similar tributes in the forms of vigils, prayer services and memorials were held in state capitals and churches throughout the country.

There was silence at midday Friday on the Virginia Tech campus, as students reflected on the scope of the tragedy and those who lost their lives.

"They are just not here, and you cannot hug them and you cannot talk to them. It just hurts," a student said.

At a memorial service in Richmond, mourners read aloud the names of the 32 victims who died Monday at the hands of deranged gunman Cho Seung-Hui.

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine said the feelings of grief evident on the Virginia Tech campus were shared by millions of people around the world, along with the hope for a brighter future.

"And that universality of hope is something that all around this world and I know here in this audience have embraced," he said. "We need to embrace that, we need to hold on to that spirit of hope and community, celebrating the lives of those who have been lost."

President Bush (l) and Laura Bush, second from left, Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (r) participate in a convocation to honor the victims of a shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, 17 Apr 2007

President Bush also focused on the tragedy at Virginia Tech in his weekly radio address.

"This week, we reflect on what has been lost and comfort those enduring a profound grief. And somehow we know that a brighter morning will come," said President Bush. "We know this because together Americans have overcome many evils and found strength through many storms."

"And we know there will be a day, as promised in Scripture, when evil will meet its reckoning and when every tear shall be wiped away," he added.

The president has asked officials from several government departments to make recommendations on how to avoid similar tragedies in the future.

Virginia Governor Kaine has also appointed an independent panel to look at how university officials handled the situation at Virginia Tech this week and what might be done to better secure colleges and universities.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is among those on the panel. He spoke to CBS television.

"We will never be able to eliminate the risk," he said. "But our goal is to be as comprehensive as we possibly can and then make some recommendations to reduce the risk that this could happen again."

Students and faculty at Virginia Tech said they were pleased that the focus of the tragedy in recent days had shifted back to the victims, and away from the gunman responsible.

Image received by NBC news of Cho Seoung-hui

In addition, U.S. television networks drastically cut back their airing of Cho's rambling video diatribe, which had received prominent media coverage earlier in the week.

Questions are also being raised about why university officials did not know more about Cho's psychiatric problems and what can be done to detect dangerous individuals in the future.

Jack Levin is a criminologist at Northeastern University who has studied mass murderers for the past 25 years.

"There are many warning signs," said Levin. "The problem is that they apply to hundreds of thousands of people who have not killed anyone and do not intend to. The warning signs tell us who is troubled, not who is troublesome."

Students have been invited to return to classes at Virginia Tech on Monday, but only if they feel emotionally ready.

VOASE0421_In the News

21 April 2007

Issues After Killings at Virginia Tech Go Beyond Debate Over Gun Laws
Friday was an official day of mourning in Virginia for the 32 victims. It was also the eighth anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado.

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This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

Friday was a statewide day of mourning in Virginia for the people shot to

Mourners at a memorial in Blacksburg, Virginia

death Monday at Virginia Tech. But other Americans also honored the thirty-two students and teachers. Some of the victims at the university in Blacksburg were from other countries. The attack by a student, Cho Seung-hui, who also killed himself, was the deadliest shooting in modern American history.

The tragedy brought back memories of other school shootings, including what had been the worst. In fact, Friday was the eighth anniversary of the attack at Columbine High School in Colorado. Two young men killed twelve other students and one teacher, and themselves.

Often, when a shooting captures national attention, debate about gun control follows. This week some of the calls to restart that debate came from political leaders in other countries.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard spoke of the gun culture in the United States. He noted that his own country took action to limit the availability of guns after a man killed thirty-five people in Tasmania eleven years ago.

British Home Office minister Tony McNulty studied at Virginia Tech. If the tragedy starts a serious debate on gun laws, he says, then some good may come from it.

The White House said Friday that President Bush has ordered federal officials to study issues raised by the shooting. These include how to deal with people whose mental health problems can make them a danger.

On Monday, a spokeswoman said the president believes that people have a right to arms, but all laws must be followed.

The Second Amendment to the Constitution says: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Gun laws are not the only issue. Others involve privacy laws and disability rights that protect people with mental disorders.

Cho Seung-hui was born in South Korea but lived most of his life in the United States. He was known at Virginia Tech as a troubled person. He studied English and some of his writings were so violent they scared other students and his professors.

But schools may worry about legal action if they expel a student who has not made direct threats. Virginia Tech officials say they did what they could within the law.

The shooter was armed with two handguns that he recently bought after passing a criminal history check. There are federal laws but each state also has its own laws on buying and selling guns. Virginia is among the states with fewer restrictions than others.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence says an estimated thirty-nine percent of American homes have a gun. The campaign points to national injury reports from two thousand four, the most recent year available. There were almost thirty thousand gun-related deaths. About forty percent were murders. Most of the others were suicides or accidents.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0419_American Mosaic

19 April 2007

Awards Recognize Young People Trying to Make the World a Better Place
Also: A museum in Baltimore, Maryland, tells the story of the first railway and shipyard owned by African-Americans. And a question from Zimbabwe about the Billboard Hot 100 music chart.

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week:

We answer a question about the Billboard Hot One Hundred …

Tell about an award that honors young people for social action…

And report about a historical museum in Baltimore, Maryland.

Douglass-Myers Museum

HOST:

The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum tells the history of the first railway and shipyard owned by African-Americans. Museum visitors do not only see the exhibits. They also learn by taking part in activities. Barbara Klein tells us more.

BARBARA KLEIN:

The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum (pictured) is in Baltimore, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay. It is named after two of the city’s greatest leaders who lived during the eighteen hundreds.

Frederick Douglass was a former slave. He went on to become one of the most important African-American leaders in American history.

Isaac Myers had a very different life. His experiences tell the story of African-Americans who were not slaves.

Mister Myers was a leading businessman in Baltimore. In eighteen sixty-eight, he and fourteen other African-American businessmen founded the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company. The history of the dock and shipyard is the center of the Frederick Douglas-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum.

The Living Classrooms Foundation led the development of the project. Dianne Swann-Wright is the director. She says the museum is different from many others because it urges visitors to touch and take part in activities throughout the exhibit.

Frederick Douglass worked for Isaac Myers at the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company. Mister Douglass was a ship repairman. The museum recreates the work area and tools Mister Douglass used to repair the ships. He filled in spaces between the wooden parts of the ship with a material called oakum. It stopped water from leaking into the large boats.

Visitors can use tools to strike a substance similar to oakum as if they too were repairing the ships. Visitors also can build a large model ship.

Objects throughout the museum are like those found in the old shipyard almost one hundred fifty years ago. Rare objects are protected in glass containers. One is a small boat built in the early eighteen hundreds. African American slaves used it to escape. It was also used for transportation and fishing.

Dianne Swann-Wright says visitors to the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum experience a part of history that once had been lost. She says she hopes they will say: “Wow. I did not know that story at all.”

BRICK Awards

HOST:

The BRICK Awards are given each year to young people who make our world a better place. These youth service awards were presented last week to twelve young people for their community action projects. Faith Lapidus tells us more.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

For the first time, the BRICK Awards were presented on an American television show. The CW Network presented the award show last Thursday. Twelve people under the age of twenty-five from the United States and Canada won awards of ten thousand dollars to continue their work.

They were honored for their projects in four areas: public health, community building, education and environment, and global impact. Young people voted online for the top four winners. These people received Golden BRICK Awards, worth a total of twenty-five thousand dollars.

Jennifer Staple

One of these winners is Jennifer Staple of Newton, Connecticut. She created an organization called Unite for Sight. It provides eye care and education programs to more than four hundred thousand people around the world. The organization has provided more than six thousand sight-restoring operations. And it has provided thousands of people with treatment for infections, glaucoma and other eye disorders.

Kimmie Weeks is another Golden BRICK Award winner. He survived the civil war in Liberia and later sought political protection in the United States. Now he lives in Newark, Delaware. He started Youth Action International, a group that helps children affected by war. It operates humanitarian programs in several African nations.

Ashley Rhodes-Courter lived in fourteen different temporary homes before being adopted at the age of twelve. Now she lives in Crystal River, Florida. She works to improve the lives of children with no parents.

Divine Bradley

Divine Bradley is the fourth Golden BRICK Award Winner. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. As a teenager, he wanted to create a safe place where children could go after school. The result was Team Revolution, a community organization led by young people. It has provided after-school programs to more than five hundred young people.

The BRICK Awards are given by a nonprofit organization in New York City called Do Something. It seeks to activate young people to find an issue that is meaningful to them and do something to bring about social change.

Billboard Hot 100

HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Simon Gondo in Zimbabwe. He wants to know what the Billboard Hot One Hundred music chart is all about.

Every week, Billboard Magazine publishes a list of the one hundred most popular singles in the United States. Billboard has a number of different charts for the music industry. Some list individual songs, others are for albums.

Most of the charts are based either on sales or on airplay by radio stations. But a few, including the Hot One Hundred, are based on a mix of sales numbers and airplay.

Billboard uses information collected by the Nielsen Company from radio broadcasts and music sellers. These include online stores like iTunes.

The song "Poor Little Fool" recorded by Ricky Nelson was the first number one single on the Billboard Hot One Hundred. That was back in August of nineteen fifty-eight.

(MUSIC)

The song that stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot One Hundred for the longest time was "Iris" from the Goo Goo Dolls. It was number one for eighteen weeks in nineteen ninety-eight.

(MUSIC)

Billboard Magazine releases a new Hot One Hundred chart every Thursday. Each chart is dated for the Saturday of the following week.

Timbaland

We leave you with the song that tops the Hot One Hundred for the week ending April twenty-first. It jumped forty-one places from last week to number one. Here is "Give It to Me" by Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. It was written by Lawan Davis, Natella Konstantinova and Shelley Gollust. Caty Weaver was the producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.

US Defense Secretary to Meet Iraqi Leaders

By Margaret Besheer Irbil, Iraq 20 April 2007

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U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in Baghdad Friday for meetings with top Iraqi leaders. From northern Iraq, VOA's Margaret Besheer reports he will be delivering a message that that they must move faster on reconciliation legislation because American patience is limited.

Robert Gates arrives at Camp Falluja, 19 Apr 2007

The U.S. defense secretary arrived in Iraq Thursday, after visiting several other countries in the region. It is his third trip to Iraq since he took up his post four months ago.

His visit is intended to urge Iraqi leaders to press ahead with efforts to reconcile the country's bitterly divided Shiite and Sunni communities and to push through legislation on the sharing of oil revenues among Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds.

Gates told reporters Thursday that he knows it will be difficult, but they must make every effort to pass the legislation quickly.

"I am sympathetic with some of the challenges that they face, but by the same token, to pick up General Petraeus' theme, the clock is ticking," he said.

Woman walks past scene of yesterday's car bombing in Baghdad's al-Sadriyah neighborhood, 19 Apr 2007

On Thursday, Gates met top U.S. commanders at a military base near the western city of Fallujah, in the volatile al-Anbar province, and discussed the recent high-profile bomb attacks in Baghdad that have killed more than 200 people since Wednesday.

The top U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, said the Wednesday bombings were a setback that came just as he thought the new Baghdad Security Plan was starting to take hold.

"A day like that can have a real psychological impact," the general said. "And it came at a time where, frankly, (Lieutenant) General (Ray) Odierno (his deputy) and I, and a lot of the other leaders in Baghdad and throughout Iraq, have felt that we were getting a bit of traction. You know it's very, it's almost imperceptible at times, but that there was slow progress with the Baghdad security plan and in some other parts of the country as well."

U.S. military officials point to the overall decrease in sectarian executions as one sign of progress, but concede that high-profile bombings continue to pose a challenge.

Some in Nigerian Opposition to Boycott Presidential Poll

By Nico Colombant Zaria, Nigeria 20 April 2007

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Opposition supporters want state re-vote, rather than presidential poll

Even as the main opposition presidential candidates in Nigeria say they will take part in Saturday's elections, other opposition leaders and their supporters remain unconvinced about the usefulness of participating. They say they are outraged over reports of massive fraud that took place during last week's state elections and the security crackdown that ensued. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Zaria, in northern Nigeria.

Runner-up Kaduna State gubernatorial candidate Sani Muhammad Shaaban is holding court with journalists and supporters at his plush residence in Zaria.

Losing opposition gubernatorial candidate in Kaduna is angry

Shaaban denounces massive fraud in last week's election, including reports that tens of thousands of votes were cast for the ruling party candidate in areas where voting barely even started. He says he was detained several times by uniformed men because, he says, authorities were afraid he would cause unrest.

He also laments the extra army roadblocks, patrols and curfews in many northern areas. "Who are the military supposed to deal with, innocent civilians? The arms-less Nigerians? We are not at war. Has it passed the strength of Nigerian police that we need the military?," he said.

At Shaaban's headquarters in nearby Kaduna, his supporters defy a ban on political rallies, chanting their candidate's slogans.

Speaking through a translator, a market woman says because of what is happening, she is in no mood to vote anymore.

"She says that people are not happy with the situation. The results of the last gubernatorial election have made people stay far away from the coming election. Nobody is excited any longer. Nobody is even going out to vote for the presidency because everyone is discouraged in the way and manner the poll was conducted."

Ruling party supporters are OK with clampdown

But at a stand for motorcycle taxis nearby, all the drivers say they are ruling party supporters and they are not complaining. Gombo Kiforo, a father of seven, says it is important for people to vote, and after that for the new government to govern. "We want to practice democracy. If they cancel today, they are going backwards," he said.

He says he also supports the security clampdown. "It is OK, because the opposition, they cause chaos. They will cause problems. That is why they banned the whole rallies, because of the opposition they are fearing," he said.

Former military ruler General Muhammadu Buhari, who is running as the main opposition candidate, is popular in the north. The ruling party candidate is another northerner, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.

Voters will also pick a new parliament. The outgoing parliament squashed efforts by supporters of President Olusegun Obasanjo to change the constitution so he could seek a third elected term.

Lawmakers Urge Bush to Reconsider Broadcasting Cuts

By Dan Robinson Capitol Hill 19 April 2007

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U.S. lawmakers are urging the Bush administration to reconsider proposed budgetary reductions that would end most radio broadcasting in the English language by government-funded Voice of America. VOA's Dan Robinson reports on a hearing on Capitol Hill examining broadcasting and public diplomacy efforts.

VOA logo

Reductions proposed by the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the nine-member panel that oversees U.S. government-supported non-military international broadcasting, would end all English language radio programming by the Voice of America, except for programs transmitted to Africa.

Other cuts would affect radio broadcasts in Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Uzbek, and a number of Balkan languages, along with Tibetan, Thai, Cantonese, Hindi, and Portuguese to Africa.

The reductions come amid ongoing expansions in government-funded radio and television programming for the Middle East, Iran and Afghanistan, for which Congress has provided increased funds since the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Appearing before the committee, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes faced tough questioning from lawmakers who view the cuts as short-sighted and likely to undermine the ability of the U.S. to communicate abroad.

Congresswoman Nita Lowey chairs the House appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations.

"These cuts, while small in the grand scheme of things, loom large when looking at their effect on country programming, and will dampen our public diplomacy efforts," said Nita Lowey.

Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes (Mar 2007 photo)

Hughes says the decision to slash VOA English, proposed as part of a $668-million budget request for broadcasting, was made in a difficult budget environment. She says it was based on what she calls sound audience research.

"None of us wanted to have to make these decisions, and the Broadcasting Board of Governors, it was a very, very difficult decision because we all believe in broadcasting," said Karen Hughes. "We believe in communicating with the world, we want to provide the Voice of America to the world. We tried to make difficult decisions as best we could, based on research."

However Minnesota Democrat Betty McCollum said broadcasting to the world in English is a comparatively inexpensive way for the U.S. to communicate, She accused the broadcasting board of trying to, in effect, silence the "global brand" of the United States.

"The audiences in fact are not dwindling," said Betty McCollum. "They are just being cut off. If you turn off a transmitter and then do a survey in a country of how many people are listening to VOA, it is going to go down, because they can't listen to Voice of America."

Republican Congressman Mark Kirk echoed the concerns, saying the broadcasting board should reassess its approach.

"One point six billion people on the planet speak English," said Congressman Kirk. "It is the main language of 71 countries. Al-Jazeera just committed $1 billion a year in English for 24/7 broadcasting. So I am wondering if we can take a second look working with you on that."

Kirk also questioned reductions in one of three dialects of Tibetan broadcasted by the VOA and Radio Free Asia, as well as the elimination of Cantonese. Hughes had this response.

"[For] both RFA and VOA, the audiences [in Cantonese] were not measurable," she said. "VOA was less than one tenth of a percent, and we could not measure an audience for RFA broadcasts. So, again we based the decisions as best we could on research."

Hughes says eliminating broadcasts in one of three Tibetan dialects does not diminish the U.S. commitment to support human rights and liberties in Tibet.

Hughes also faced questions about a key element of the broadcasting structure, al-Hurra television for the Middle East.

The station was sharply criticized for airing remarks of Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, as well as a Palestinian radical who made anti-Israel and anti-American comments.

Critics, including pro-Israel groups, say the interviews amounted to the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to support terrorists and undermine U.S. policy.

Hughes had this exchange with Democrat Steve Rothman.

ROTHMAN: "Why on God's Earth would we want to sponsor a live interview with Nasrallah?"

HUGHES: "Well we don't and that was a violation of our policy, that was a mistake that was a violation of our policy, I should have said that if I didn't say that earlier."

ROTHMAN: "I am glad to hear you say that."

HUGHES: "That was a mistake, it was a violation of our policy."

Hughes points to what she calls "comprehensive information" supporting programming reductions, saying the goal is to affect the fewest number of people based on audience research, while expanding transmissions to strategically-important countries like Iran, North Korea, and Somalia.

But Congresswoman McCollum, while challenging the statistics used to justify the cuts, said she wants the board to turn over to Congress the minutes of its meetings, which have been closed to the public on national security grounds.

She also urged that all radio and television stations under the board's responsibility be formally brought under the charter of VOA. The charter states that the long-term interests of the U.S. are served by communicating directly to the world by radio.

In her testimony on what she calls successful efforts to improve public diplomacy programs, Undersecretary Hughes told lawmakers she is committed to ensuring that the United States has a platform to broadcast credible news and information to counteract what she calls hate-filled and anti-American propaganda.

US Attorney General Faces Renewed Calls To Resign Over Prosecutor Controversy

By Deborah Tate Capitol Hill 19 April 2007

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Embattled U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales Thursday faced renewed calls to resign over his handling of the firing of federal prosecutors. The nation's top law enforcement official spent a full day defending the decision to dismiss the eight prosecutors before skeptical lawmakers in a controversy that has created a political firestorm. More from VOA's Deborah Tate on Capitol Hill.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the controversial dismissal of eight US attorneys 19 Apr 2007

Attorney General Gonzales denied critics' allegations that the federal prosecutors were fired to influence the prosecution of corruption cases with the aim of helping Republicans.

While acknowledging that "reasonable people might disagree" with the decision to fire the prosecutors, Gonzales defended the move, saying nothing improper was done.

"My decision to ask for the resignations of these U.S. attorneys was justified and should stand," said Alberto Gonzales.

The attorney general acknowledged that some of his past statements about the prosecutor dismissals have been imprecise, but he said he never sought to mislead or deceive Congress or the American people.

But after a full day of often tense questioning, lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle remained skeptical, with some stepping up calls for his resignation.

Among them was Gonzales' fellow Republican conservative, Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma:

"I believe the best way to put this behind us is your resignation," said Tom Coburn.

Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, echoed the call:

"I urge you to reexamine your performance, and for the good of the department, and the good of the country, step down," said Senator Schumer.

Gonzales disagreed that his resignation would put the controversy to rest. Earlier, he said he had done nothing to warrant his stepping down.

Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the top Republican on the committee, said he would not ask for Gonzales' resignation, saying that was a matter for the attorney general or the president. But he told Gonzales he was not satisfied by his testimony:

"I urged you to put on the record the details as to all the U.S. attorneys asked to resign so that we could evaluate," said Arlen Specter. "You have not done that."

Other lawmakers said that while the dismissals may have been justified - noting that prosecutors serve at the pleasure of the president - the attorney general's handling of the matter undermined confidence in the Justice Department.

Senator Patrick Leahy, 19 Apr 2007

Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont is chairman of the panel:

"I am afraid that from the testimony today and the evidence that we have uncovered during this investigation shows that politics have entered the Department of Justice to an unprecedented extent," said Senator Leahy. "If left unchecked, it [the department] would become a political arm of the White House.

Despite senators' skepticism about Gonzales' testimony, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said President Bush was pleased with the way Gonzales handled the questioning. In a written statement, she said the president continues to have full confidence in his attorney general.

VOASE0419_Economics Report

19 April 2007

US Brings Two Trade Cases Against China
American officials say the Chinese are not protecting intellectual property. China expresses ''great regret'' at the actions.

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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Last week, the United States asked the World Trade Organization to help settle two trade disputes with China.

Pirated materials from China, including movies and books

One of these involves the issue of intellectual property.

Books, magazines, movies, computer software -- intellectual property is all around us. Any property that can be legally protected against copying without permission can be considered intellectual property.

Copyright protects things like written materials and images and music. Forms of intellectual property like ideas, plans and designs can be protected by patents.

American officials say China is not doing enough to punish those who illegally copy American movies, music and software. United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab said "piracy and counterfeiting levels remain unacceptably high." She says this costs American companies and workers billions of dollars.

The motion picture industry estimates that movie piracy in China cost more than two and one-half billion dollars in lost sales in two thousand five alone.

The second dispute deals with barriers to trade in American books, music and movies in China. The United States says China limits imports of these products by requiring that they pass through state-owned or state-approved companies.

The Chinese government expressed what it called "great regret" at the American decision to go to the World Trade Organization. It says the action could harm trade relations between the two countries.

The first step now is a sixty-day period of negotiations to try to reach a settlement.

The United States has growing trade deficits with China. Last year the deficit reached a record two hundred thirty-three billion dollars.

But China says its monthly trade surplus with the world fell in March by more than seventy percent, to less than seven billion dollars. Experts, though, say the big drop may have been the result of one-time events.

Many American businesses say China fails to enforce laws against illegal copying of intellectual property. But not all businesses are expected to support the United States action at the World Trade Organization.

Groups representing the drug and software industries, for example, have entered into their own negotiations with Chinese officials. These groups are concerned that the cases now before the W.T.O. could interfere with their efforts.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. Transcripts and archives of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

Nigerian Security Forces Battle 'Foreign Extremists' in North

By Nico Colombant Kano, Nigeria 18 April 2007

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Authorities say elections should go on in Kano and elsewhere

A police official in northern Nigeria says security forces have chased away foreign religious radicals outside the main city of Kano, restoring order ahead of Saturday's presidential election. The clashes between security forces and suspected Islamic militants follow the killing of an influential Muslim cleric last week. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Kano.

Police commissioner Atiku Kafur tells VOA army reinforcements helped chase away the several hundred insurgents who were lightly armed, spoke only Arabic and had holed up in a suburb of Kano. "The military started shelling their strongholds, they succeeded in killing some of them, and arresting some of them; so as I speak now, I can say the area is quiet. They have been seen running away," he said.

On Tuesday, police reported the assailants killed 12 policemen and one civilian.

Acts of violence have disrupted election process throughout Nigeria (VOA photo - N. Colombant)

Kafur, who took the job of police commissioner only several weeks ago, says he was completely surprised by the attacks. "It is quite a surprise, that is why we are even getting to find out when did they come, have they been here for a long time, or have they just arrived? That is what we are investigating right now," he said.

Kafur says he has strong evidence there is a link between the attack and the murder of Sheik Jaafar Adam, an influential Sunni cleric, last week. He says one of his top priorities is to find the killers. "We are spreading our tentacles to various angles, including political, legal, whatever. We will not leave any stone unturned. We will make sure that we get those who killed that Sheikh," he said.

Kano is predominantly Muslim

Kano is one of 12 predominantly Muslim states in the north of Nigeria. The south is mostly Christian and animist.

Waddah Mohammed, a Kano businessman, says the local residents blame outsiders for trying to disrupt the region ahead of the presidential ballot. "Whenever you ask, the people did not associate with them, with any of the Islamic sects in Kano. And they did not call anybody's name here in Kano. And they say they have only come to face the law enforcement agents so this is what confuses people," he said.

To cut down on violence, police have imposed a nighttime curfew.

In a quiet part of Kano, one motorbike taxi driver, waiting at a repair shop, says he is grateful for the curfew and the extra security. "If people are coming out, they will be fighting with police or some other people, and that this is why they are doing anything around. From 5:30, they are going back to their house and nothing is happening with (because of) the curfew," he said.

Opposition parties have called for protests and a boycott of Saturday's presidential elections unless last week's gubernatorial ballot that they claim was riddled with fraud is annulled.

But the election commission says the opposition leaders should address their grievances in the courts, and says the presidential elections will take place as scheduled.

UN Report Says Sudan Flying Weapons to Darfur

By Peter Heinlein United Nations 18 April 2007

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A United Nations report is accusing Sudan of flying weapons and heavy military equipment into Darfur in violation of Security Council resolutions. Correspondent Peter Heinlein at the U.N. tells us further sanctions against Khartoum are being considered.

Emyr Jones-Parry

Britain's U.N. ambassador, Emyr Jones-Parry, says a resolution is in the works that would push Sudan to halt the violence in its western Darfur region.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in London that talks on the resolution would begin Thursday.

Ambassador Jones-Parry, the Security Council president for April, says no decision has been made about whether the measure would include penalties against the Sudanese government.

"To the extent now that a sanctions resolution would help us and would encourage and penalize those people who should be penalized for what they've been doing is one of the questions that's being debated," he said.

"But what the U.K. is working on with the United States and France is the content of a resolution, and we're finalizing the resolution," he added.

Talk of possible sanctions comes a day before the expected publication of a report by a panel of U.N. experts accusing Sudan of flying arms and heavy military equipment into Darfur in violation of previous Council resolutions.

The report, including photographs, alleges that Sudan is painting its military planes white to make them look like United Nations or African Union aircraft.

The Khartoum government has denied the charges.

A leaked copy of the report is already available on the Web site of the New York Times newspaper, which published excerpts and pictures in its Wednesday edition.

U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas Wednesday said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is deeply concerned about the report's findings, and is asking Khartoum for an explanation.

"He is especially troubled by reports that private or national aircraft have been illegally provided with U.N. markings [for] military purposes," she said. "If further substantiated, such efforts would be in clear violation of international law and in contravention of the U.N's international status."

President Bush also warned Sudan Wednesday it must halt the violence in Darfur or face sanctions. But several powerful Security Council members say they would oppose further penalties at this time.

Vitaly Churkin

Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, noted that only this week the Khartoum government had agreed to allow a contingent of U.N. peacekeepers into Darfur.

"We don't think it's the right time," he said. "It would be very strange. After a long while we have this positive development in the dialogue between the U.N. and Khartoum and all of a sudden to come back with some sanctions would not be good."

China's deputy U.N. envoy Liu Zhenmin made a similar comment, saying it would be better not to move in the direction of sanctions.

South African envoy Dumisani Kumalo argued that penalties against Khartoum would be counterproductive.

"Now what is this, coming with sanctions now, I don't know, to achieve what," he said.

Fighting in Darfur began more than four years ago when rebels in the remote western region launched an uprising against the Khartoum government. Monitors say the violence has killed at least 200,000 people and displaced more than two million others.

Virginia Tech Gunman Sends Chilling Video, Photos to US Network During Massacre

By David Dyar Washington 18 April 2007

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The gunman who killed 32 people at a U.S. university Monday, before killing himself, mailed a chilling video to a U.S. TV network during the massacre. The package was received by the NBC TV network from Virginia Tech student Cho Seung-Hui. VOA's David Dyar reports the package contained a rambling video in which the gunman engaged in an angry tirade about hedonism and rich kids along with several pictures of him holding guns.

NBC played excerpts from the video on its evening newscast. The gunman is seen talking angrily in the video in what the network described as an incoherent manifesto.

Image received by NBC news of Cho Seung-Hui

"You had a hundred billion chances and ways to have avoided today, but you decided to spill my blood. You forced me into a corner and gave me only one option, the decision was yours. Now you have blood on your hands that will never wash off," he said.

Some of the pictures released by NBC showed Cho brandishing guns. One picture showed him holding two guns, one in each hand in a firing pose. In another picture, Cho points the barrel of the gun directly at the camera.

NBC said it received the package Wednesday, but it contained a stamp indicating it was mailed about an hour and 45 minutes after he first opened fire on the university campus, killing two students.

Many of Cho's comments were laced with profanity and were spoken in an angry monotone voice.

"I didn't have to do it. I could have left. I could have fled," he was heard saying. "But now I am no longer running. If not for me, for my children and my brothers and sisters that you (expletive). I did it for them," The pictures and video are the latest in a series of disclosures about the gunman that have sufaced since the killing."

It was reported that he had two stalking complaints filed against him in 2005 and later a magistrate signed an order after an initial evaluation that found probable cause that Cho was a danger to himself or others as a result of mental illness.

NBC said it turned over the package to the FBI. The network released excerpts from the package just before the FBI released a statement about it.

Police said it was not clear when the recordings were made.

VOASE0418_The Making of a Nation

18 April 2007

Civil Rights Movement: In the 1960s, a Struggle for Equality Spreads in the US
Heroes of that effort included Martin Luther King Jr., James Meredith and Rosa Parks.

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VOICE ONE:

This is Richard Rael.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Rich Kleinfeldt with THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

(MUSIC)

Today, we tell about the movement for civil rights for black Americans.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

August 28, 1963: March on Washington

The day is August twenty-eighth, nineteen sixty-three. More than two hundred fifty-thousand people are gathered in Washington. Black and white, young and old, they demand equal treatment for black Americans. The nation's most famous civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, is speaking.

MARTIN LUTHER KING: "I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration of freedom in the history of our nation. "

VOICE TWO:

Early in its history, black Africans were brought to America as slaves. They were bought and sold, like animals. By the time of America's Civil War in the eighteen sixties, many had been freed by their owners. Many, however, still worked as slaves on the big farms of the South. By the end of the war, slavery had been declared unconstitutional. But that was only the first step in the struggle for equality.

VOICE ONE:

Most people of color could not get good jobs. They could not get good housing. They had far less chance of a good education than white Americans. For about one hundred years, blacks made slow gains. Widespread activism for civil rights did not really begin until after World War Two. During the war, black Americans earned respect as members of the armed forces. When they came home, many demanded that their civil rights be respected, too. An organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, led the way.

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen fifty-one, the organization sent its lawyers to help a man in the city of Topeka, Kansas. The man, Oliver Brown, and twelve others had brought legal action against the city. They wanted to end racial separation in their children's schools. At that time, two of every five public schools in America had all white students or all black students. The law said all public schools must be equal, but they were not. Schools for white children were almost always better than schools for black children. The situation was worst in Southern states.

VOICE ONE:

The case against the city of Topeka -- Brown versus the Board of Education -- was finally settled by the nation's highest court. In nineteen fifty-four, the Supreme Court ruled that separate schools for black children were not equal to schools for white children. The next year, it said public schools must accept children of all races as quickly as possible.

VOICE TWO:

In September nineteen fifty-seven, a black girl tried to enter an all-white school in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas. An angry crowd screamed at her. State guards blocked her way. The guards had been sent by the state governor, Orville Faubus. After three weeks, a federal court ordered Governor Faubus to remove the guards. The girl, Elizabeth Eckford, and seven other black students were able to enter the school. After one day, however, riots forced the black students to leave.

VOICE ONE:

President Dwight Eisenhower ordered federal troops to Little Rock. They helped black students get into the white school safely. However, angry white citizens closed all the city's public schools. The schools stayed closed for two years.

In nineteen sixty-two, a black student named James Meredith tried to attend the University of Mississippi. School officials refused. John Kennedy, the president at that time, sent federal law officers to help him. James Meredith became the first black person to graduate from the University of Mississippi.

VOICE TWO:

Rosa Parks is fingerprinted after her arrest in Montgomery, Alabama

In addition to fighting for equal treatment in education, black Americans fought for equal treatment in housing and transportation. In many cities of the South, blacks were forced to sit in the back of buses. In nineteen fifty-five, a black woman named Rosa Parks got on a bus in the city of Montgomery, Alabama. She sat in the back. The bus became crowded. There were no more seats for white people. So, the bus driver ordered Missus Parks to stand and give her seat to a white person. She refused. Her feet were tired after a long day at work. Rosa Parks was arrested.

VOICE ONE:

Martin Luther King Jr.

The Reverend Martin Luther King organized the black citizens of Montgomery. They were the major users of the bus system. They agreed to stop using the buses. The boycott lasted a little more than a year. It seriously affected the earnings of the bus company. In the end, racial separation on the buses in Montgomery was declared illegal. Rosa Parks's tired feet had helped win black Americans another victory in their struggle for equal rights. And, the victory had been won without violence.

VOICE TWO:

The Reverend King was following the teachings of Indian spiritual leader, Mohandas Gandhi. Gandhi urged his followers to reach their political goals without violence. One of the major tools of nonviolence in the civil rights struggle in America was the "sit-in". In a sit-in, protesters entered a store or public eating place. They quietly asked to be served. Sometimes, they were arrested. Sometimes, they remained until the business closed. But they were not served. Some went hours without food or water.

VOICE ONE:

Another kind of protest was the "freedom ride." This involved buses that traveled through states from the North to the South. On freedom rides, blacks and whites sat together to make it difficult for officials to enforce racial separation laws on the buses. Many freedom rides -- and much violence -- took place in the summer of nineteen sixty-four. Sometimes, the freedom riders were arrested. Sometimes, angry crowds of whites beat the freedom riders.

VOICE TWO:

Perhaps the most dangerous part of the civil rights movement was the campaign to win voting rights for black Americans. The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution said a citizen could not be denied the right to vote because of race or color. Several Southern states, however, passed laws to try to deny voting rights to blacks for other reasons.

VOICE ONE:

Martin Luther King and his supporters demonstrated to demand new legislation to guarantee the right to vote. They held protests in the state of Alabama. In the city of Birmingham, the chief law officer ordered his men to fight the protesters with high-pressure water hoses and fierce dogs. People throughout the country watched the demonstration on television. The sight of children being beaten by policemen and bitten by dogs awakened many citizens to the civil rights struggle. Federal negotiators reached a compromise. The compromise was, in fact, a victory for the protesters. They promised to stop their demonstrations. In exchange, they would be permitted to vote.

VOICE TWO:

President Johnson signed a major civil rights bill in nineteen sixty-four. Yet violence continued in some places. Three civil rights workers were murdered in Mississippi. One was murdered in Alabama. Martin Luther King kept working toward the goal of equal rights. He died working. On April fourth, nineteen sixty-eight, he was shot to death in Memphis, Tennessee. He had gone there to support a strike by waste collection workers. A white man, James Earl Ray, was tried and found guilty of the crime.

VOICE ONE:

A wave of unrest followed the murder of Martin Luther King. Blacks in more than one hundred cities in America rioted. In some cities, areas affected by the riots were not rebuilt for many years. The movement for civil rights for black Americans continued. But it became increasingly violent. The struggle produced angry, bitter memories. Yet it also produced some of the greatest words spoken in American history.

MARTIN LUTHER KING: "When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children -- black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics -- will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we are free at last!'"

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

This program of THE MAKING OF A NATION was written by Jeri Watson and produced by Paul Thompson. This is Rich Kleinfeldt.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Richard Rael. Join us again next week for another VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

VOASE0418_Education Report

18 April 2007

The Formula for Becoming a Pharmacist
A look at pharmacy education in the US, and the requirements for foreign-trained pharmacists. Part 33 of our Foreign Student Series.

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Two listeners, Youngmin Kim in South Korea and Nestor Gastelo in Peru, would like us to talk about pharmacy education in the United States. This will be the subject today in our Foreign Student Series.

"Pharmacists are health professionals who assist individuals in making the best use of medications." That description comes from the Code of Ethics of the American Pharmacists Association.

The job may include filling doctors' orders and helping people choose medicines that can be sold without a prescription. A pharmacist might also answer questions from patients and work with medical devices and other technologies.

Community pharmacists work in drug stores. Pharmacists are also employed by hospitals and drug companies.

Pharmacists in the United States must meet the professional requirements of the state where they want to work.

Many universities have a college of pharmacy. Since two thousand four, these offer only a doctor of pharmacy degree. The program takes four years.

Students generally enter pharmacy school after two years of general courses. Pharmacy students must be skilled in mathematics and the sciences. They must also take the Pharmacy College Admission Test.

After they earn their degree, they must complete a residency training program in a hospital or other setting. One year is required, but a second year can be added in a specialty area like cancer care or infectious diseases.

After their residency, pharmacists must pass the licensing examination given by their state.

Foreign students who plan to train in the United States and return home should make sure their degree will be recognized there. In the same way, foreign-trained pharmacists who want to work in the United States must be sure that their degree will be recognized here.

Even so, they will have to complete a residency in the United States. For more information, check with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, at ashp.org.

Foreign-trained pharmacists must also pass a certification process. More information about that is available from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, on the Web at nabp.net.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. We will have links to these two sites at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also get the full details from VOA News about the killings Monday at Virginia Tech. I'm Bob Doughty.