Tuesday's global agenda: Russian human-rights bill moves forward

Your morning global affairs speed-read

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee takes up human-rights legislation today whose passage proponents say is vital to their agreeing to establishing permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Russia. The Obama administration has expressed concerns with the so-called Magnitsky bill — named after a Russian whistleblower who died in custody — and said passage of the trade legislation should move forward separately, before Russia joins the World Trade Organization next month.

While the House version sailed through the relevant panel two weeks ago, the Senate version has been rewritten to allow the State Department to keep the names of some human-rights abusers secret, to the dismay of some of the bill's co-sponsors, Reuters reports. The House and Senate panels with jurisdiction over trade issues are slated to hold hearings on PNTR on Wednesday and Thursday.

President Obama reiterated his calls for quick passage of the trade bill during a frosty meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. On Tuesday he meets with China's President Hu Jintao, along with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.

Fight for your right … to enrich uranium: Iran is demanding that the international community recognize its right to enrich uranium as part of a third round of talks that teetered toward collapse Tuesday morning in Moscow. In exchange, Iran said it might be willing to stop enriching uranium to 20 percent purity, which is considered a technical step short of bomb-grade. [The New York Times]

Nothing to see here: Egypt's military rulers played down the significance of their bid to curtail the powers of the new civilian president amid sharp U.S. criticism. [The Washington Post]

Wiretap this: The House Judiciary Committee marks up legislation reauthorizing for five years the 2008 amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that legalized warrantless wiretapping.

Can't find Kony: The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission holds a hearing on the continuing human-rights crisis in regions of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Panelists include the Africa heads at the State and Defense departments and USAID.

Trafficked persons: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveils the 2012 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report during a ceremony Tuesday afternoon at the U.S. Department of State. As required by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), the TIP Report assesses governments around the world on their efforts to combat modern slavery.

What you might have missed on Global Affairs: 

Obama and Putin issue joint call for democratic transition in Syria

Pentagon laments military power grab in Egypt

State: Iranian opposition group must relocate if it wants to lose terror designation

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