What Caught My Eye Today

Iran - President Vladimir Putin said there is no proof Iran is seeking to build nuclear weapons, but emphasized that Tehran must be encouraged to make its nuclear program fully transparent. Russia has opposed the U.S.-push for tougher sanctions against Iran and called for more checks and inspections of Iranian facilities by International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Iran's past clandestine activities — and its refusal to heed U.N. Security Council demands that it suspend uranium enrichment — have stoked suspicion among the U.S. and its allies that country is trying to create the fissile material for nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is intended only to develop an alternative source of energy. The IAEA says that it has not been able to detect signs that Iran has a weapons program, but has withheld judgment on what the Islamic Republic's ultimate aims may be. And therein lies the problem--what proof, other than producing a nuclear bomb, would satisfy Russia that Iran is building nuclear weapons? On the flip side--what proof, other than completely dismantling its nuclear facilities, would signal to the U.S. and its allies that Iran's aims are well-intentioned? Neither position seems very plausible.

Myanmar - The United Nations Security Council is debating whether to issue a statement that "strongly deplores" Burma's violent crackdown on anti-government protests last month. A draft copy of the statement calls on the government of Burma, also known as Myanmar, to cease all repressive measures. The statement also demands that the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations have full access to the country. All 15 Security Council members must agree to the statement before it is issued, which means the document will likely be reworked until consensus is reached. A presidential statement can condemn a country, but does not have the clout of a resolution. Unlike a resolution, it doesn't carry any weight in international law. It's not legally binding. Oh great, now the U.N. is following the U.S. practice of issuing non-binding statements. "You've been bad and we don't like it one bit." Yeah, that'll convince the junta to clean up its act.

Turkey - President Bush urged U.S. lawmakers to reject a congressional resolution calling the 1915 massacres of Armenians genocide, saying it would do "great harm" to U.S. relations with Turkey. The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee is to consider the Armenian genocide resolution later on Wednesday. If it passes, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a longtime supporter of the measure, could then decide to bring it before the full House for a vote. Many Democrats, who control Congress, support the resolution, which has 226 co-sponsors, more than half the House. Turkey strongly rejects the Armenian position, backed by many Western historians and a growing number of foreign parliaments, that up to 1.5 million Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War One. Turkey has warned of damage to bilateral ties if Congress passes the Armenian bill. The measure comes at a delicate time for Turkey-U.S. relations. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan confirmed his government was drawing up plans to authorize a cross-border incursion into northern Iraq to strike Kurdish rebels after 15 Turkish soldiers were killed in attacks in recent days. Washington has urged Turkey not to send troops into mainly Kurdish northern Iraq for fear of destabilizing the country's most peaceful region.
In calling on lawmakers to reject the Armenian measure, Bush said: "Its passage would do great harm to our relations with a key ally in NATO and in the global war on terror." The bulk of supplies for U.S. troops in Iraq pass via Turkey's Incirlik airbase. Turkey also provides thousands of truck drivers and other workers for U.S. operations in Iraq. Yeah that's right. We cannot screw up the war on terror for something as irrelevant as condemning an event that is widely acknowledged as 'genocide.' I wonder what Bush's reaction would have been if, instead of the massacres in 1915, we were talking about the Holocaust?

International Space Station - A Russian spacecraft heading to the International Space Station (ISS) has blasted off from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The Soyuz rocket propelled Malaysia's first astronaut into space alongside the first female astronaut to become commander of the space station. The launch has been eagerly anticipated in Malaysia, where it has been hailed as a landmark for the Asian nation. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor will be the first Muslim to fly in space during the holy month of Ramadan and will be there for the Eid festival. For the rest of the time he will try and observe the dawn-to-dusk fasting rules of Ramadan. Muslim clerics in Malaysia have prepared special guidelines for him on observing religious rules while on the ISS. He will use a wet towel rather than water to clean himself before praying, and is not obliged to kneel in zero gravity or face Mecca while praying. To avoid confusion about when to pray, Mr Shukor will follow the time at the launch site in Kazakhstan. It never ceases to amaze me how many little details are involved in planning for out of town excursions and the ISS certainly qualifies as out of town.

Sexiest Woman Alive - Charlize Theron has an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award. Now she's Esquire magazine's "sexiest woman alive." Past winners of the title include Jessica Biel, Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson. Who am I to argue?