On the whole, a mixed bag.

Happy Valentine's Day -- enjoy the planet while it lasts:

Iran crosses 'red line' in nuclear stand-off

Iran has started to inject uranium feedstock gas into centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear facility, crossing an internationally agreed "red line" on the path to producing the material for atomic weapons.

A senior diplomat from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that researchers at the republic's pilot enrichment plant in central Iran had taken the crucial step, signalling a major escalation in the long-running face-off between Tehran and the West.

Complete UK Times article here.

* * *

On the other hand, maybe there's hope for the species yet: the lovely, brilliant, debonair, excruciatingly talented Sir Ian McKellan had these choice words for the Berlin Film Festival press corps:

"It is very, very, very difficult for an American actor who wants a film career to be open about his sexuality," the gay British actor said.

"And even more difficult for a woman if she's lesbian. It's very distressing to me that that should be the case."

The entire BBC piece is right here.

Since he came out in 1988, Sir Ian has never missed an opportunity to speak out on gay-rights issues (witness his dressing-down of Blair's Labour government for their "appaling" policies), and as a result I always get a little shiver of anticipation when someone presents him with an award. I'm especially happy that he explicitly raised the gender flag, which so few gay men are willing to do. Homophobia -- like racism, classism and all those other icky -isms -- is always gendered, but somehow it's easy to disappear women from the equation. Kudoes to Sir Ian for remembering what words like "context" and "solidarity" actually mean.