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Unlike the 'Arab Spring' protests roiling Iraq's neighbors, demonstrations at Tahrir Square draw a few hundred people, rather than thousands. Still, the rallies there offer a window into the nation's mind-set and history. By Ned Parker and Raheem Salman, Los Angeles Times May 14, 2011 Reporting from Baghdad— Maybe it's the sandstorm that puts a thin crust of brown dust on Baghdad's Tahrir Square. Or the silver-haired man in a matching suit, gripping a white rose as he tries to shout unsuccessfully through a distorted loudspeaker about politicians. Or the teenager wearing a "Let It Be" T-shirt, with the solemn faces of John, Paul, George and Ringo But somehow, Baghdad's "day of rage" each Friday has slipped into slumber, no longer a thousands-strong protest against the government's failures. The square resembles a sleepy town where a few hundred people gather for an event because they have nowhere else to go. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq-protests-20110514,0,371522.story

Baghdad, May 12 (AKnews) – The Iraqi Prime Minister and the leader of the al-Iraqiya List exchanged insults on Wednesday, each accusing the other of violating the power-sharing deal concluded before the formation of the current unity government. http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/8/238974/

May 12, 2011 Norwegian oil producer DNO has announced it is set to receive $ 110m in its first payment for Iraqi Kurdish oil exports, Reuters has reported. The long-awaited payment from the $ 243m that Iraq’s central government sent last week to Kurdish officials for exporters in Iraqi Kurdistan like DNO, Genel Enerji and Sinopec. http://oilleader.com/2011/05/norwegian-firm-to-get-110m-in-first-iraq-oil-payment/

BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraq’s Electricity Ministry plans to add 1,000 megawatts to the electric power in the country by the end of the current month, the media spokesman for the Ministry said on Thursday. “The Electricity Ministry plans to add during the next summer season, a number of new electric units to the electric network, estimated to reach 1,000 megawatts by the end of the current month,” Mus’ab al-Mudarris told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. He said that “the program, that began five months ago and expected to be completed by the end of this month, includes the rehabilitation of a number of electric units in the Iraqi provinces.” “We also have a plan to connect the Iranian power line of 200 megawatts, as the Electricity Ministry had completed stretching the power poles to the Iranian borders, and the line shall enter into service next June, in addition to import a 250-migawatts from Iran, as well as the importation by the Ministry of Hondai Diesel Motors in June, with a total 380 megawatt power,” he added. http://en.aswataliraq.info/Default1.aspx?page=article_page&id=142505&l=1