Tonight's homework: Iran

Read up on the CIA Fact book: 68 million people.

International Herald Tribune:

VIENNA Iran formally told the International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday that all "voluntary" nuclear cooperation with the agency will end if, as expected, the 35-country agency board reports Iran's nuclear case to the United Nations Security Council.

Bloomberg News:

Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Iran's quest for a nuclear weapon that can be launched with its ballistic-missile arsenal presents an ``immediate concern,'' the top U.S. intelligence official said.

National Intelligence Director John Negroponte said that although Iran can't manufacture and doesn't possess fissile materials -- a key step to developing nuclear weapons -- the U.S. shouldn't lower its guard.

Sorta' Great Powers response...

China:

VIENNA, Feb. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- China hopes Iran to resume suspension of nuclear research and development activities and resume talks with the European Union (EU) as soon as possible, chief of Chinese delegation Wu Hailong said here on Thursday.

India:

NEW DELHI: As political circles in India focus their attention on global nuclear politics, it became increasingly clear that a vote on Iran’s nuclear activities at the IAEA would happen only on Friday.

India is widely expected to vote for a resolution that will "report" Iran to the UN Security Council, even though the government officially maintained that it will vote on the merits of the resolution.