QE2 is put out of commision in Dubai

The famous cruise ship the QE2 made her final voyage on November 11th. She left her home in Southhampton on a final two week cruise. She was bought by Nakheel, who is a big real estate developer in Dubai. Plans for the ocean liner involve transforming her into a fancy floating hotel. They plan to make the rooms larger and remodel them to fit today's standards. What kind of standards require them to remodel an already very prosperous and luxurious ship I have no idea, but it is going to be in Dubai, which is the most desireable and lavish vacation destination. They want to rip off the red smoke stack and use it as a large entrance. In place of the smoke stack, they want to create a four story room out of frosted glass. Their intent is to make this room the most luxurious and desireable room in Dubai. The ship was bought for £50 million.

Stunt Bikers in Iraq?!

Recently, a group of stunt-bikers practiced and performed their stunts in closed streets in front of a number of spectators. The event was put on as something fun to do. Not only was this cool to watch, but it was meant to demonstrate that perhaps there is some hope of freedom in Iraq. They wanted to show the world that fun can still be had in Iraq. With all the violence going on, its nice to have something fun and enjoyable.

Roadside Bombings in Iraq

At least 13 people died in a roadside bombing on the outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq. Many of these people were Iraqi government officials on their way to a meeting. The bomb completely blew up the bus that was carrying these officials.
Seprate from this attack, a women blew her self up, taking with her five other people. Two of these five people were Iraqi intelligence agents. Chaos countinues in the middle east. It's obvious some people are not very happy.

Brawl In the Iraqi Parliment

Choas erupted during a discussion, in the Iraqi parliment, on the security pact the will soon be voted on by Iraqi legislators. In this security pact contains the agreement that the U.S will stay through the year 2011. Even before the dicussion started legislators and lawmakers alike, felt the apprehension. It grew from raised voices to actual physical confrontation. Guards were already in the room because of the almost sure voilence that follows such a huge decision. Many different sects that hold seats in the parliment are fundamentally agaisnt dealing with Americans such especially followers of Cleric Moktada Al-Sadr (a very anti-American cleric) who hold 32 seats out of the 275 overall seats. The Parliment may vote on the Security Pact as soon as next week. After yesterdays showing in Parliment there is much to be worked out.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/world/middleeast/20iraq.html?_r=1&ref=middleeast

Meeting of Two Sides On a Bridge

The Aimma Bridge has just recently been reopened for public use, since the numerous deaths that occurred on the bridge when there were rumors spread that there was a suicide bomber during a religious ceremony. The preceding stampede killed nearly one-thousand people; most were trampled on but many drowned when they jumped of the bridge and into the tigris river. This bridge is symbolic because it divided the Shiite neighborhood from the Sunni neighborhood. Now since reopened the two sides are symbolically linked. This is one event that makes Iraq look a little less bleak.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/world/middleeast/12iraq.html?ref=world

Three blasts kills 28 people in Iraq

This morning on November 10, 2008, three synchronized bombs went off in the north of Baghdad. The attack was carried out in a mixed Sunni and Shi'a neighborhood. First there were two car bombs planted near a market, they went of five minutes apart. After this explosion a crowd appeared looking at the damage; at this time, a suicide bomber ran into the crowed and detonated his explosives. This is the deadliest attack in Iraq since June. This attack came after weeks of calm and peace.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/world/middleeast/11iraq.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin

Iraq gives religious miniorites less seats then what U.N suggested

The Iraqi executive council just ratified a bill that would guarantee only six out of four hundred and forty seats. This is less than half of the number of seats the the U.N suggested. Out of the Iraqi population there are seven-hundred and fifty thousand Christians, and mathatically they will most likely by underrepresented. Christian leaders in the country are threating to boycott the election believe that this is unfair. Christians are not the only religious minorities that are being underrepresented, there are also the Yazidis, Sabeans and Shabaks. Iraqi president Jalal Talabani hinted that he may veto the bill.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/09/world/middleeast/09iraq.html?ref=middleeast