Thousands pay tribune to Va. Tech dead
BLACKSBURG, Va., April 17 (UPI) -- Thousands gathered on the Virginia Tech campus to mourn the 32 students and staff members slain by a gunman in the worst slaughter at a U.S. school in history.
U.S. President George Bush played first mourner in chief at the ceremony at Cassell Coliseum just one day after a student armed with two handguns opened fire in a dorm and then at Norris Hall on the Blacksburg, Va., campus before turning a weapon on himself. Overflow seating was set up elsewhere on campus and private viewing was provided for family members of the victims.
"This is a day of mourning for the Virginia Tech community and it is a day of sadness for our entire nation. We come to express our sympathy," Bush said, adding that he and his wife came with "hearts full of sorrow."
"In this time of anguish I hope you know people all over this country are thinking about you and asking God to provide comfort for all who have been affected. ... It's impossible to make sense of such violence and suffering."
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who cut short a two-week trade mission to Asia, called the day "bitter and sad."
"There are deep emotions that are called for by a tragedy such as this," Kaine said, praising the students for the face they portrayed to the world in the midst of their grief.
Dr. Zenobia L. Hikes, vice president for student affairs, opened the tribute, saying those killed can never be replaced.
University President Charles Steger said the community came together to grieve, hoping at the same time to wake from the nightmare. Steger said words cannot express the enormity of the loss, calling it "incomprehensible" and "senseless."
The gunman was identified as Cho Seung-hui, 23, a South Korean national majoring in English.
Cho complained about 'rich kids'
BLACKSBURG, Va., April 17 (UPI) -- Alleged Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-hui reportedly left a note listing his grievances against "rich kids," "debauchery" and "deceitful charlatans."
The Chicago Tribune reports the note was found in Cho's Harper Hall dorm room on the Blacksburg, Va., campus. Cho, 23, a legal permanent resident who came to the United States in 1992, was described as a loner by university spokesman Larry Hincker.
The Tribune said a note believed written by Cho, a senior English major, complained about "rich kids," "debauchery" and "deceitful charlatans" on campus.
Cho's body was found among the 31 dead at Norris Hall. Police still have not determined whether he shot and killed two other people at one of the dorms.
N. Korea gets more time to close reactor
SEOUL, April 17 (UPI) -- North Korea will get a few more days to close its nuclear facilities required under the six-party agreement, the deadline for which expired last Saturday.
South Korea announced Tuesday it had agreed along with the United States to give the extension to the Pyongyang government, the Korea Times reported.
The agreement on granting the extension was reached between South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice following their telephone conversation early Tuesday, the South Korean foreign ministry said. The two agreed they would continue working with the other four parties on ending North Korea's nuclear program.
North Korea was to have shut down its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon by last Saturday under the Feb. 13 six-party agreement. But that did not happen because of reported delay in releasing $25 million in funds frozen in a Macao bank.
Separately, South Korea also agreed to send a delegation to Pyongyang to have economic talks with the North as part of the latter's nuclear dismantlement.
Gorbachev: Protests make matters worse
MOSCOW, April 17 (UPI) -- Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev said Tuesday recent opposition protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg do nothing to advance stability in Russia.
The so-called March of Dissent rallies that saw at least 420 people arrested in the country's two largest cities were counter-productive, Gorbachev told the Novosti news agency.
"Somebody wants to complicate the situation in the country and push for instability," Gorbachev said. "We must learn our lesson, and tell those who arouse fear in society that it is unacceptable."
The 76-year-old Gorbachev is now head of a socio-economic and political think tank, and said current Russian President Vladimir Putin "has done a lot to turn the country towards modernization."
With regard to the recent U.S. State Department report critical of democracy and human rights in Russia, Gorbachev said criticism should be considered, but not made to be the final word.
"It is always possible to find reasons to criticize," Gorbachev said. "The United States could also be criticized."
Egypt arrests nuclear worker for spying
CAIRO, April 17 (UPI) -- Egyptian prosecutors in Cairo announced Tuesday they had arrested one of the country's nuclear engineers on charges he was spying for Israel.
Egyptian Chief Prosecutor Hisham Badawi told a news conference Mohammed Sayed Sabar Ali, 35, had been paid $17,000 for information obtained from computer systems on Egypt's newly restarted nuclear energy program, Arutz Sheva said in a broadcast report.
Prosecutors allege Ali passed the information on to two men working for Israel, one of whom is Irish and the other Japanese. They have been charged in absentia, Badawi said.
The prosecutor said it wasn't immediately clear how sensitive or how much data was turned over.
Badawi said Ali was arrested on Feb. 18, but it was not made public to allow the investigation to continue.
