What Caught My Eye Today

North Korea - North Korea missed a Saturday deadline for shutting down its main nuclear reactor, and a key U.S. negotiator said the country must keep the disarmament program from foundering. The United States and other governments involved in six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear programs said the slipping of the 60-day deadline was significant, but not yet fatal to a two-month-old agreement that laid out a timetable for disarmament. The missed deadline marked the latest setback for an agreement that, when reached in February, offered the prospect of disarming the world's newest declared nuclear power. The timetable was tripped up by a dispute over North Korean deposits frozen in a tiny Macau bank, which was blacklisted by Washington for allegedly abetting money-laundering and counterfeiting. North Korea refused to make any move until the funds issue was resolved, but the matter dragged on until this past week. Tell me if you've heard this one: How many North Koreans does it take to turn of a nuclear reactor?

Morocco - Two brothers strapped with explosives blew themselves up near an American cultural center in Casablanca Saturday. The attacks came just days after three suspected militants blew themselves up as they were cornered by police in Casablanca, and al-Qaida claimed suicide car bombings in neighboring Algeria that killed 33 people. The attacks have stoked new fears of Islamic terrorism in North Africa — especially in Morocco, long known for its stability. The Moroccan and Algerian governments have not addressed an al-Qaida link or inspiration in the bombings earlier this week. Both countries have allied themselves with the United States in its fight against terrorism. Let's give ourselves a tip of the hat for our masterful handling of the war on terrorism. Not only are we making ourselves targets of terrorism. We're dragging our allies down with us.

Germany - A video showing a German army instructor telling one of his soldiers to envision African-Americans in the Bronx while firing his machine gun was broadcast Saturday on national television. The video, coming after scandals involving photos of German soldiers posing with skulls in Afghanistan and the abuse of recruits by instructors, seemed likely to raise more questions about training practices in Germany's conscript army. The instructor tells the soldier, "You are in the Bronx. A black van is stopping in front of you. Three African-Americans are getting out and they are insulting your mother in the worst ways ... Act." The soldier fires his machine gun several times and yells an obscenity several times in English. The instructor then tells the soldier to curse even louder. Here's my plan for addressing this growing concern of racism in Germany...send over Al Sharpton. If he can bring down Don Imus, the German army should be a piece of cake.

Britain - Prince William and his girlfriend Kate Middleton have ended their four-year relationship, dashing hopes of a royal wedding to rival that of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The Sun newspaper reported Saturday that the couple had reached an "amicable agreement" to separate. The newspaper said the split was caused by the huge pressures on the young couple and by William's career in the army. News of the break-up took many royal-watchers by surprise. It was widely thought the couple would soon announce their engagement; one bookmaker was so certain of a royal wedding it had stopped taking bets on it. This is why I love the British. They take bets on anything.

Baseball - You can almost hear the pounding in Bud Selig's head getting louder and louder with each home run that Barry Bonds hits. Bonds hit 2 dingers on Friday night bringing his season total to 3 and his career tally to 737, just 19 shy of breaking Hank Aaron's home run record. I'm not a huge fan of Bonds, but I must say that I'm enjoyed watching MLB executives squirm at the prospect of having to acknowledge his record breaking accomplishment, if and when it happens.

Yachting - Bet you thought I forgot about this after my earlier post. Oh no, my friends. We've only just begun. The scene is set for the most competitive America's Cup in the 156 years of sport's oldest trophy, Peter Isler, skipper of the US challenger BMW Oracle predicted on Saturday. With a record 10 countries and five continents including first timers China, South Africa and Germany, represented the 32nd edition of the yachting blue riband is the most international ever staged. And the toughest, according to Isler who was part of Dennis Conner's dual winning Stars And Stripes crew. America, holders of the Cup from the first Cup in 1851 through to 1983, are desperate to reclaim what they used to regard as rightfully theirs. Four of the past six winners of the Louis Vuitton Cup, which runs from Monday through to June 16, have gone on to defeat the defender, held by the Swiss boat Alinghi. Oracle are favourites to go on to meet Alinghi in the America's Cup match from June 23 along with Team New Zealand. Hold on to your ascots. The whole deal is going to be televised on Versus, so get your Tivo's ready.