Chatter: What we're hearing

Need to know: Scores have been killed in clashes between the police and members of a fundamentalist Islamic sect in northern Nigeria. An obscure group opposed to Western education appears to be at the root of the current troubles.

After the son of a prominent Iranian politician died in police custody last week, 69 leading reformers have sent an unusually harsh and direct letter to the nation’s clerical establishment, complaining of torture by the regime "reminiscent of the dark days of the Shah." The signatories of the July 25 letter included former President Mohammed Khatami and unsuccessful presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi.

Want to know: Officials in Sweden are investigating reports that Swedish weapons were found in camps of Colombia's Farc rebels. The Colombian government says it believes the rocket launchers had originally been bought by Venezuela.

An insightful article on NYTimes.com tells of the conspicuous absence of wealthy landowners, the economic pillar of the rural society in Pakistan, in the masses of people streaming back into the Swat Valley after months of fighting, and its potentially hazardous social and economic consequences. Displaying remarkable courage and concern, the so-called "princess of Swat" has returned to do her bit to help her people rebuild.

Dull but important: U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell has told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that he is still working on a deal with Israel to halt West Bank settlement activity so peace talks can resume. The envoy has held top-level talks in Britain, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Egypt, and Israel over the past week. Meantime, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, also in Israel, has tried to reassure Jerusalem over Washington's efforts to talk Iran into giving up nuclear work.

Just because: It has the potential to change the way we choose and pay for items at a supermarket, find a book in a library (remember those?), dine out ... Those MIT brainiacs have been hard at work coming up with the replacement for the ubiquitous barcode. Enter the "Bokode."

Wacky: Germany's Social Democrat (SPD) health minister is under pressure to explain why she took her official limousine, complete with chauffeur, to Spain where the vehicle was stolen.

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