Chatter: What we're hearing

Need to know: Iraq's electoral commission said Tuesday that it would announce partial results of parliamentary elections on Wednesday, providing an incomplete picture of the vote that will nevertheless provide the broad outlines of the country’s political landscape.

Want to know: Speculation is rising that a man killed in a raid on the outskirts of Jakarta on Tuesday is believed to be the "Genius of Jemaah Islamiah (JI)", one of the key members of the group which helped to plan and carry out the attacks in Bali in 2002, killing 202 people, mainly foreigners. Officials could not confirm that the man was "Dulmatin," on Indonesia's most-wanted list for years.

Irish police arrested seven people Tuesday suspected of plotting to commit a murder abroad, they announced. Irish media reports said the target was Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, who drew a cartoon of the Muslim prophet Mohammed with the body of a dog in 2007, prompting al Qaeda to offer $100,000 to anyone who killed him — plus an extra $50,000 if the killer slits his throat.

Dull but important: Top Greek officials pressed their case on Tuesday for curbs on speculative trading they blame for pushing the country into crisis, but the Obama administration reacted coolly, saying it was working on its own plans to make trading more transparent.

Just because: James McKie was under fire from three directions when a Taliban hand grenade landed at his feet — so he threw it back.

Wacky: An Australian man diagnosed with TB and quarantined for 55 days has made a rap video with amazingly viral potential.

http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/general/100309/chatter-what-were-hearing-0