Middle East

JEAN-CHRISTOPHE/AFP

As expected, the International Atomic Energy Agency finds in its latest report (full text here as a pdf) on Iran's nuclear activities that the Islamic Republic is still defying the U.N. Security Council. The report notes Iran's progress in enriching uranium, but notes that the IAEA's "level of knowledge of certain aspects of Iran's nuclear-related activities has deteriorated." U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Zalmay Khalilzad called for more pressure on Iran, but it looks like any forward movement on a new resolution will have to wait until after the Group of Eight summit, June 6-8.

Iraq's prime minister announced six new cabinet ministers to replace those withdrawn in April by radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Sectarian killings are increasing again in Iraq after a relative lull.

Israel's military rounded up some 30 Hamas leaders, including the education minister.

Europe

In a signal that he's no Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy told a German magazine he would support tough new sanctions against Iran if the country does not cooperate with the Security Council.

Turkey's prime minister threatened that his country's military might chase Kurdish militants into Iraq.

The pope indicated that his remark that native American populations had been "silently longing" for Christianity before the colonial era may have been a tad insensitive. 

Asia

China's rapidly improving space program has become another tool of diplomacy. 

No big deals are emerging from the China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue, but fomer Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan's comments about a coming Chinese stock market correction has set off a wave of selling around the world.

Does South Korea have a suicide problem?

Elsewhere

Ethanol strikes again. First, it was high tortilla prices in Mexico. This time, the surging biofuel is supposedly causing oil majors to think twice about adding oil refinery capacity, thus pushing up gasoline prices.

Transparency International has released its annual report on global corruption. This year's focus: the judiciary.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development published its twice annual Economic Outlook, which projects 2.7 percent growth for the OECD area for at least the next year, especially in Japan and the eurozone.

Today's Agenda

• Irish voters are heading to the polls to vote in parliamentary elections, in which the ruling Fianna Fáil party of Bertie Ahern is expected to lose a few seats.
• Poland and the United States are beginning discussions about a proposed U.S. missile shield that has been repeatedly condemned by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Yesterday on Passport

• Poll: Are you OK with bombing civilians?
• Kazakh president for life hailed by U.S.
• Why are Americans short?