July 10, 2009

Iraq unrest:

In signs the fragile federation in Iraq may be cracking, Kurdish leaders are taking steps that could lead to a break with the larger country as sectarian and ethnic violence threatens Iraqi unity.

More than 50 people were killed Thursday in at least five bombings in Iraq. The death toll was the highest since U.S. forces withdrew from urban centers June 30.

Most of the victims died in an attack in the northern Iraqi city of Talafar, where the bombings may have the goal to cause problems between ethnicities.

In northern Iraq, Kurdish leaders have written a new constitution, which is to be voted on this year. It would make the semiautonomous region even more independent. Important aspects in that issue are the oil and gas reserves under the area the Kurds are claiming.

Also, members of the Iraqi Awakening movement, Sunnis who helped coalition forces fight al-Qaida in Iraq, are again threatening to support militants if they are refused jobs by the Shiite-dominated government of Nouri al-Maliki.

General Motors bankruptcy:

General Motors officials have announced the automaker is out of bankruptcy.

GM sought bankruptcy protection June 1. The company received about $50 billion in government loans but that was the old GM. The new GM expected to be hatch in a federal courtroom will be much leaner, cutting its product line from eight brands to four -- Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC.

The U.S. government will own 61 percent of new GM, with a union healthcare trust fund holding 17.5 percent and 11.7 percent will be owned by the Canadian government. The rest will be kept by GM to help creditors recover some losses. They own $27 billion in bonds.

GM's route through bankruptcy was two days shorter than Chrysler's, which emerged from creditor protection in 42 days.

Group of Eight wrap-up:

The Group of Eight summit ends Friday with a pledge of $20 billion for food security to the world's poorest countries.

The meeting hasn't been the greatest of successes. U.S. President Barack Obama described the meetings as "highly productive" but, as The Wall Street Journal phrased it, "World leaders (in L'Aquila, Italy) largely punted on big decisions or promised future action." However, the $20 billion in food aid pledges is $5 billion more than had been expected to be announced.

The G8 leaders on Thursday promised to end the Doha Round of global trade negotiations, which began in November 2001, by the end of 2010. They also agreed to a goal of trying to keep the global average temperature from rising more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit from readings 100 years ago.

There was much commentary that perhaps the G8 wasn't as viable considering it doesn't include the world's developing economies, such as China and India. That theory will be put to the test in September when the Group of 20 gathers in Pittsburgh to see what the broader group can accomplish.

Cyberattacks abate:

The U.S. State Department was among agencies saying cyberattacks on its Web site were noted Thursday for a fourth day.

Sites in the United States and South Korea have reported the attack. They are mainly on government sites but the New York Stock Exchange and The Washington Post have also been hit.

The Denial of Service attacks are thought to be carried out by North Korean interests. South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited Seoul's intelligence agency as saying the attacks were traced to Internet protocol addresses in 16 countries.

Yonhap also said South Korean computer security companies developed a patch to protect against the program that caused the attacks.

It said there were no attacks on South Korean government sites noted Friday.

Death at running of the bulls:

A 27-year-old Spaniard died Friday from a goring during the annual running of the bulls on Pamplona, Spain.

The man apparently fell near the end of the run and then was gored. He was declared dead at a hospital. It was the first running of the bulls death since 1995.

The running of the bulls was scheduled for July 7-14. The tradition has been carried out for 400 years and was immortalized by Ernest Hemingway in "The Sun also Rises."

Grave reselling in Chicago:

Four people were charged with dismembering a human body in what officials in Illinois said was a scheme in which cemetery plots were resold and bodies dumped in a vacant lot.

Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Ill., near Chicago, was the only site in the area when African-Americans could be buried and was still used by many families.

This week it was alleged plots in the cemetery were being resold and the bodies in the graves removed and left in an unused area on the cemetery grounds. As many as 300 bodies had been dug up, officials said.

If convicted, those charged with dismembering could be sentenced to 30 years in prison.