Chatter: What we're hearing

Need to Know: Ahmadinejad demanded an apology from Barack Obama. Earlier,  he compared Obama's behavior to that of George W. Bush. Ahmadinejad's remarks followed Obama's comment Tuesday that he was "appalled and outraged" by events in Iran.

Opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi meantime pledged to continue challenging official results that showed a landslide victory for Ahmadinejad in Iran's June 12 presidential election. He posted a statement on his website Thursday saying he was being pressed to withdraw his challenge and had been severely restricted in his ability to communicate with supporters.

Iran will be on the agenda when the Group of 8 powers meet Friday in Trieste, Italy, a European diplomat said. Leaders will call on Tehran to resolve the crisis over the disputed poll through democratic dialogue, the diplomat said.

In neighboring Iraq, violence of an all-too familiar kind according to the AP. The bombing of a Baghdad bus station Thursday pushed the death toll from a weeklong series of blasts near Shiite targets to about 200, calling into question Iraq's ability to provide security as U.S. combat troops slowly withdraw from cities.

Want to Know: Well, everyone in Britain does, anyway, according to The Times... there are more revelations about the private life of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, this time involving a "harem" of 20 women, including two lesbian escort girls.

Dull but important:  The WashPost is reporting that the Obama administration has decided to return a U.S. ambassador to Syria.

Just Because: We need all the good economic news we can get: Meet the unlikely hero of Indonesia's economic miracle.

Wacky: In case you missed it, here's a tribute to one of the most enduring creations of  Michael Jackson, who died Thursday, aged 50.

http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/general/090625/chatter-what-were-hearing