Morning Brief, Wednesday, March 14

Sorry for this morning’s technical difficulties. Here’s today’s news: 

Business and Finance

World markets dipped again on news that businesses that deal primarily in subprime mortgages are going belly-up in the United States.

General Motors posted its first positive quarter in two years. The secret? Ye olde “cut costs and increase revenues” trick.

Jilted lovers? After negotiations over licensing rights fell through, Viacom slapped YouTube with a $1 billion lawsuit.

Microsoft wants to toss “cybersquatters” out of their Internet homes.

Middle East

U.S. General David Petraeus brought the “good counterinsurgency stuff” to turbulent Ramadi yesterday, along with Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki.

Tribal leaders have reburied Saddam’s sons near their father, in a small town outside of Tikrit.

A report by the United Nations will ask Israel to stop construction work on Jerusalem’s holiest and most contentious site.

Over 32 percent of West Bank lands currently in the hands of Israeli settlers was once private Palestinian property, according to data released by the Israeli government.

Iran’s president is either a Springsteen fan, a dangerous ideologue, or both: it’ll be “no surrender” over nukes.

Asia 

Japan is boosting its involvement in Middle East peace negotiations.

Aha. The U.S. Treasury Department’s move to ban U.S. banks from dealing with Banco Delta Asia is actually a devious plot to allow North Korea to get its frozen money back.

North Korea plans to go ahead with disarmament, Mohamed El Baradei says.

Thailand’s insurgency claimed another eight victims in a brutal attack on a passenger bus.

Another suicide bombing struck Afghanistan, after three yesterday and a total of six over the past seven days. 

Europe 

Rightist leader Jean-Marie Le Pen is ready to roll for the French presidential election.

A Norwegian cellphone company is accusing a Russia rival of paying Ukrainian journalists to bad-mouth it.

Elsewhere

Fifty members of Zimbabwe’s opposition went to the hospital yesterday after being beaten during an antigovernment event.

The ocean is an “otherworldly world of organismal ferment.”

Mexicans are getting frustrated with the United States, and President Bush’s recent visit didn’t help much.

Religion goes online.