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2008

May 2008 was the fifth month of the current leap year. April holidays and events National Poetry Month - in United States National Sexual Assault Awareness Month - in United MAY ( also known as: Mei メイ 메이 is a Korean singer well known in South Korea for singing the song "Miracle" Events in June Madaraka Day June 1 to commemorate when Kenya gained internal self-rule Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common MAY ( also known as: Mei メイ 메이 is a Korean singer well known in South Korea for singing the song "Miracle" 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common It began on a Thursday and ended after 31 days on a Saturday.

International holidays

Portal:Current events

Current events of May 1, 2008 (2008-05-01) (Thursday)edithistorywatch
  • The United States Air Force grounds all T-38C training aircraft following two fatal accidents within 8 days. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Labour Day is an annual Holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Labour Day is an annual Holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of Singapore Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several Public holidays In many countries May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Labour Day is an annual Holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of The general and most common understanding of the Christian Doctrine of Ascension holds that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Labour Day is an annual Holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Labour Day is an annual Holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Labour Day is an annual Holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Labour Day is an annual Holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Labour Day is an annual Holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve-laGvura (יום הזיכרון לשואה ולגבורה "Remembrance Day for the Holocaust and Heroism" known colloquially in Israel For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. On May 2 1808 ( Dos de Mayo) the people of Madrid rebelled against the occupation of the city by French troops provoking a brutal repression Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Liberation Day is a Day, often a Public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place similar to an Independence day. NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Universal Children's Day In 1954 the United Nations General Assembly suggested that all nations should observe a Universal Children's Day as a day of worldwide For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Bhumibol Adulyadej (ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช pʰuːmipʰon adunjadeːt Royal Institute: Phumiphon Adunyadet;) (born Monday 5 December 1927 The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "5th of May" is a Mexican national holiday that honors the Mexican victory over the French army at Puebla de Los Angeles in 1862 The holiday commemorates The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Indian Arrival Day is a Holiday celebrated on May 30 in Trinidad and Tobago each year since the 1990s Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. St George's Day is celebrated by several nations kingdoms countries and cities of which Saint George is the Patron saint, including England, the The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Yom Hazikaron ( Memorial Day, יום הזכרון לחללי מערכות ישראל ולנפגעי פעולות האיבה lit For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Yom Ha'atzmaut (יום העצמאות yom hā-‘aṣmā’ūṯ; عيد الاستقلال is the national independence day of Israel, commemorating its For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Victory in Europe Day ( V-E Day or VE Day) was May 7 and May 8, 1945, the dates when the World War II Allies Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday (also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit) is the Holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a Movable feast This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the An Independence Day is an annual celebration commemorating the Anniversary of a Nation 's assumption of independent Statehood, usually after ceasing For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. The Norwegian Constitution Day is the National Day of Norway and is an official national holiday each year Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. Corpus Christi ( Latin for Body of Christ) is a Christian feast. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Saints Cyril and Methodius (Κύριλλος και Μεθόδιος Old Church Slavonic: Кѷриллъ и Меѳодїи) were two Byzantine Greek brothers born The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian The Republic of Macedonia (Република Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Bermuda Day is a Public holiday in the Islands of Bermuda. Like certain other public holidays it is always celebrated on May 24th, or the Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. African Liberation Day on May 25 is an annual Holiday in various countries in Africa, coinciding with African Union 's Africa Day Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place These are the national holidays of the United Kingdom for 2008. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (on May in) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place The National Sorry Day is an Australian event held each year on 26 May since 1998. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place An Independence Day is an annual celebration commemorating the Anniversary of a Nation 's assumption of independent Statehood, usually after ceasing Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Universal Children's Day In 1954 the United Nations General Assembly suggested that all nations should observe a Universal Children's Day as a day of worldwide Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Republic Day is the name of a Public holiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they first became Republics January 9th in Republika Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Day (commonly known as Ratu Sukuna Day) is a national public holiday in Fiji. Fiji (Matanitu ko Viti फ़िजी officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands (Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Bahá'u'lláh ( ba-haa-ol-laa "Glory of God" ( November 12, 1817 – May 29, 1892) born Mírzá Ḥusayn-`Alí Nuri The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Democracy Day on May 29 is a public holiday in Nigeria. It commemorates the return of democracy in Nigeria in 1999 Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following Indian Arrival Day is a Holiday celebrated on May 30 in Trinidad and Tobago each year since the 1990s The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. Mother's Day is a day honoring Mothers celebrated on various days in many places around the world Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Parents' Day is a Holiday similar to a combination of Father's Day and Mother's Day. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman ( Arabic: سلطنة عُمان) is an Arab Country in Southwest Asia on the southeast Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Anguilla (English pronunciation ang-GWILL-ah, æŋˈɡwɪlə is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, one of the most northerly of the Leeward Aruba is a -long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an independent sovereign English -speaking country consisting of two thousand Cays and Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Island Territory of Bonaire ( Dutch: Eilandgebied Bonaire, Papiamento: Teritorio Insular di Boneiru) is one of five island areas |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Brunei Darussalam, (bruːˈnaɪ in English officially the State of Brunei Abode of Peace (Negara Brunei Darussalam Jawi: برني دارالسلام Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Croatia (Hrvatska ˈxȓvatska officially the Republic of Croatia ( Republika Hrvatska) is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between Curaçao (ˈkjuːrəsaʊ in English Dutch: Curaçao, Papiamento: Kòrsou) is an Island in the southern Caribbean Sea, The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Grenada (grɪˈneɪdə is an Island nation that includes the southern Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Singapore Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events in June Madaraka Day June 1 to commemorate when Kenya gained internal self-rule Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, pentekostē, "the fiftieth day" is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian Liturgical year, celebrated the The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout (AP via CNN)
  • Sudanese cameraman Sami Mohy El Din Muhammed Al Hajj is released from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp after more than six years in captivity. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. Sami Mohy El Din Muhammed Al Hajj ( Arabic: سامي محي الدين محمد الحاج) aka Sami Al-Haj ( Khartoum, Sudan February 15 The Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp is a controversial United States Detention center operated by Joint Task Force Guantanamo since 2002 in Guantanamo (AFP via Google News)
  • The President of the United States George W. Bush authorises tougher sanctions on Myanmar including a freeze on assets held by Myanmar state owned companies held in the United States. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the (Reuters)
  • The United States Federal Reserve System auctions off $24. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the "Auctioneer" redirects here For the DC Comics supervillain see Auctioneer (comics. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 12 billion in Treasury securities to help relieve the subprime mortgage crisis. Treasury securities are Government bonds issued by the United States Department of the Treasury through the Bureau of the Public Debt. The subprime mortgage crisis is an ongoing financial crisis characterized by contracted Liquidity in global credit markets and Banking (AP via Google News)
  • The President of the United States George W. Bush calls on the United States Congress to approve a $US700 million food aid package to help relieve the 2007-2008 world food price crisis. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The years 2007–2008 saw dramatic rises in world food prices creating a global crisis and causing political and economical instability and social unrest in (AP via Google News)
  • News anchor Barbara Walters admits to having affair with US Senator Edward Brooke. Barbara Jill Walters (born September 25 1929) is an American Journalist, writer and media Edward William Brooke III (born October 26, 1919) is an American Politician and was the first African American to be elected (AP via CNN)
  • Sir Anthony Mamo, who was the first President of the Republic of Malta and the world's oldest former head of state, dies at the age of 99. Sir Anthony Joseph Mamo, OBE, QC, ( 9 January 1909 &ndash 1 May 2008) was the first President of Malta The office of the President of Malta (President ta' Malta came into being on 13 December 1974, when Malta became a Commonwealth republic. Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands (Times of Malta)
  • Eight people are killed and at least 20 injured after a bus carrying North American and European tourists crashes on the Sinai peninsula in Egypt. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai ( Coptic: sina; Egyptian Arabic: sina سينا Arabic, sina'a سيناء This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. (BBC News)
  • In Australia, a collision between a fishing boat and a runabout on Sydney Harbour kills five people. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. A runabout is any small Motorboat holding between four and eight people well suited to moving about on the water Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney Australia (Sydney Morning Herald) (ABC Australia)
  • Voters in England and Wales go to the polls for the United Kingdom local elections, 2008. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The 2008 United Kingdom local elections were held on May 1, 2008. Early results showed the opposition Conservative Party performing strongly with 44 per cent of the vote while the governing Labour Party was performing poorly with 24 per cent of the vote. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the (The Telegraph) (The Telegraph)
  • Aden Hashi Farah "Eyrow", a leader of Al-Shabaab in Somalia, is reported as being killed in a U. Aden Hashi Farah "Eyrow" ( Aaden Xaashi Faarax Ceyroow - 1 May, 2008) was a leader of the Hizbul Shabaab, the armed wing of the Somali Al-Shabaab (Arabic "The Youth") also known as As-Shabaab, Hizbul Shabaab (Arabic "The Party of Youth") and Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known S. airstrike. The Dhusamareb airstrike took place on May 1 2008, at around 300 am local time when either several United States aircraft or a ship offshore launched (BBC News)
  • The London Agreement on translation of European patents, concluded in 2000, enters into force in 14 of the 34 Contracting States to the European Patent Convention. The London The Convention on the Grant of European Patents of 5 October 1973, commonly known as the European Patent Convention (EPC is a multilateral Treaty (EPO), (PRV)
Current events of May 2, 2008 (2008-05-02) (Friday)edithistorywatch
  • Conservative Party candidate Boris Johnson is elected as the Mayor of London replacing Ken Livingstone, capping huge gains by the Conservatives in local elections, which gave them a net gain of 256 council seats and a net gain of 12 city councils. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (born 19 June 1964 is a British Politician and Journalist. The Mayor of London is an elected politician who along with the London Assembly of 25 members is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London (see Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945 is a British Socialist Politician. The 2008 United Kingdom local elections were held on May 1, 2008. (BBC News)
  • The Olympic flame is back on Chinese soil as the Olympics torch relay continues in Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a Symbol of the Olympic Games. The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders A special administrative region or SAR may be;People's Republic of China Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, present-day Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES (BBC News)
  • May 1-2, 2008 tornado outbreak: Tornadoes affecting the south-central United States kill at least seven in Arkansas. The May 1&ndash2 2008 tornado outbreak was a Tornado outbreak that took place across the Southern and Central United States on May 1 and May 2 A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. (KAIT8)
  • Over 10,000 people gather in Seoul, South Korea, to protest against the importation of U. Seoul ( soʊl is the Capital and largest City of South Korea. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː S. beef, which is alleged to have a danger of mad cow disease. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy ( BSE) commonly known as Mad-Cow Disease ( MCD) is a fatal Neurodegenerative disease in Cattle (YouTube Video)
  • Zimbabwean presidential election, 2008
    • The opposition Movement for Democratic Change proposes a power sharing arrangement with the President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe's party, the Zimbabwe African National Union, but not involving Mugabe. The Republic of Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election on March 29, 2008. The Movement for Democratic Change ( MDC) is a Zimbabwean Political party. This page contains a list of presidents of Zimbabwe. Canaan Banana was a "figurehead" president but Mugabe has been an executive The Zimbabwe African National Union was a militant organization that fought against White minority rule in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African (AP via Google News)
    • Robert Mugabe proposes a run-off election to determine the outcome. The two-round system (also known as the second ballot or runoff voting) is a Voting system used to elect a single winner (Reuters)
  • The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, Russia and China agree to make a new offer to Iran over its nuclear program. A minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a governmental cabinet minister who helps form the Foreign policy of a sovereign nation The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program (AFP via Google News)
  • A plane crash kills more than a dozen in Southern Sudan, including defense minister Dominic Dim Deng. Southern Sudan is a region of Sudan, comprising ten of that country's states Dominic Dim Deng was a Southern Sudan Defence minister who died in a plane crash that killed 21 other people 375 km west of Juba Sudan on (AFP via Google News)
  • United States non-farm payrolls fall by 20,000 jobs with the unemployment rate falling to 5 per cent. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In a Company, payroll is the sum of all Financial records of Salaries, Wages bonuses and Deductions Paycheck A paycheck Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. (The Guardian)
  • A $38 million compensation deal is completed for victims of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapse. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The I-35W Mississippi River bridge (officially known simply as Bridge 9340) was an eight-lane steel Truss arch bridge that carried Interstate 35W across (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
  • Teams in both Russia and the United States identify the remains of Tsarevich Alexei of Russia and his sister Grand Duchess Maria after the discovery of their bone shards on August 23, 2007. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov (Цесаревич Алексей Николаевич full title Heir Tsarevich and Grand Duke (Наследник-Цесаревич Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. (AP via Google News)
  • 2007 royal blackmail plot: Ian Strachan and Sean McGuigan are jailed for five years each for attempting to extort money from an unidentified royal ("Witness A"). The 2007 royal blackmail plot was a UK scandal in which two men attempted to blackmail a relation of the British Royal Family. They demanded £50,000 from Witness A in exchange for audio tapes alleging gay sex. Human sexual behavior or different human sexual practices encompass a wide range of activities such as strategies to find or attract partners ( Mating and display (BBC News)
Current events of May 3, 2008 (2008-05-03) (Saturday)edithistorywatch
  • Microsoft withdraws its bid for Yahoo! after the two companies fail to reach agreement on a price. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer (The New York Times)
  • United States presidential election, 2008: The Guam caucuses result in a near-perfect tie, with Barack Obama ahead by only 7 ballots in 4,521. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive The 2008 Guam Democratic territorial convention took place on May 3, 2008. (AP via Google News) (AP via Yahoo! News)
  • Big Brown wins the 2008 Kentucky Derby. Big Brown (foaled April 10, 2005 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby The 2008 Kentucky Derby was the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby. Eight Belles, the only filly in the field, breaks down after finishing second in the race, and is euthanized. Eight Belles ( February 23, 2005 – May 3 2008) was a grey Thoroughbred racehorse owned by Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farms A filly is a young Female Horse too young to be called a mare. Put to sleep redirects here For its literal meaning see Sleep or Anaesthetic. (NBC Sports)
  • At least 18 prisoners are killed during a fight in a jail in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of Jail, or gaol (especially in Canada, Australia and NZ[http //www Tegucigalpa (teɰusiˈɰalpa ( Teguz for short is the Capital city of Honduras and is also the country's largest city Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. This follows the recent deaths of nine prisoners in a riot in San Pedro Sula with both riots being blamed on overcrowding and gang rivalry. San Pedro Sula is a city in Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country in the Valle de Sula (Sula Valley about 60 km south of Puerto Cortés Gangsters redirects here For the computer game see Gangsters (video game. (BBC News)
  • In Chilean Patagonia, almost all Chaitén's inhabitants flee the capital city of Palena Province when a nearby volcano erupts after being inactive for 450 years. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Llao LLaojpg|thumb|250px| Lake Nahuel Huapi, near Bariloche, Argentina Chaitén (tʃaɪˈtɛn is a Chilean town and commune, capital of the Palena Province in Los Lagos Region. Palena Province is one of the provinces of the Los Lagos Region, Chile. Chaitén is a volcanic Caldera in diameter 17km west of the elongated ice-capped Michinmahuida volcano and northeast of Chaitén town in the (The Telegraph)
Current events of May 4, 2008 (2008-05-04) (Sunday)edithistorywatch
  • Cyclone Nargis: Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council declares that five states in the Irrawaddy River delta are a disaster area following the cyclone with at least 351 deaths. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official The Ayeyarwady River or Irrawaddy River ( is a River that flows from north to south of Burma (Myanmar A disaster area is a region or a locale heavily damaged by either natural hazards such as Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Tsunamis, Floods, (MSNBC)
  • 12 people are dead and dozens others missing after a boat carrying 110 passengers sinks on the Solimões River in the Brazilian Amazon. Solimões is the name often given to early stretches of the Amazon River from the border of Brazil and Peru to its confluence with the Rio Negro Amazônia Legal ("Legal Amazon" is the largest socio-geographic division of the South American nation of Brazil, which contains all of its territory (CTV)
  • 9 people dead after 40 men attack the ranch of Rogaciano Alba in Guerrero, Mexico. Rogaciano Alba Alvarez (Rogaciano Alba is the current head of Guerrero 's cattle ranching union (Guerrero cattlemen's association The State of Guerrero is a state in the southern meridional region of Mexico. (BBC News)
Current events of May 5, 2008 (2008-05-05) (Monday)edithistorywatch
  • The United States Federal Reserve System reports that banks are tightening lending standards on home mortgages, other types of consumer loans and business loans in response to the subprime mortgage crisis. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The subprime mortgage crisis is an ongoing financial crisis characterized by contracted Liquidity in global credit markets and Banking (AP via Google News)
  • Crude oil futures contracts reach US$120 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange for the first time. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit In Finance, a futures contract is a standardized Contract, traded on a Futures exchange, to buy or sell a certain Underlying instrument The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX is the World 's largest physical Commodity Futures exchange, located in New York City. (Reuters)
  • Somalian troops open fire killing at least two people during food riots in Mogadishu. Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known Mogadishu ( Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar, Hamar; مقديشو Maqadīshū (AP via Google News)
  • Media reports the death toll from Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar to have passed 10,000. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. (BBC News)
  • Three people are killed and another three injured after an explosion on a bus in Shanghai, China. Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES (BBC News)
  • In Bolivia's Santa Cruz department, 86% of voters supported proposals for greater autonomy in a referendum. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Government and Administration According to current Constitution, the highest authority in the department lies with the prefect (prefecto similar to a governor but A referendum on autonomy was held in the Santa Cruz Department of Bolivia on 4 May 2008. Bolivian President Evo Morales condemned the referendum, calling it illegal. The President of Bolivia is the head of state of Bolivia. According to the current constitution the president is elected by popular vote for a single non-renewable five year Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro) popularly known as Evo (ˈeβo is the President of Bolivia since (BBC News)
Current events of May 6, 2008 (2008-05-06) (Tuesday)edithistorywatch
  • Chilean authorities order the total evacuation of the towns of Chaitén and Futaleufú as the eruption of the Chaitén volcano continues to worsen. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Chaitén (tʃaɪˈtɛn is a Chilean town and commune, capital of the Palena Province in Los Lagos Region. Chaitén is a volcanic Caldera in diameter 17km west of the elongated ice-capped Michinmahuida volcano and northeast of Chaitén town in the (Reuters via Canada.com)
  • The Irish Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, officially resigns after ten years, ten months and ten days as head of government. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. The Taoiseach (ˈtiːʃəx in English t̪ˠiːʃʲəx (plural Taoisigh ( or) in Irish) also referred to as An Taoiseach ( t̪ˠiːʃʲəx is the the Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern ( Irish: Pádraig Parthalán Ó hEachthairn, born 12 September 1951 is an Irish politician who served This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State (RTÉ)
  • 2007–2008 world food price crisis: Mogadishu residents protest for a second day over high food prices as traders reject old Somali shilling notes due to high inflation. The years 2007–2008 saw dramatic rises in world food prices creating a global crisis and causing political and economical instability and social unrest in Mogadishu ( Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar, Hamar; مقديشو Maqadīshū The shilling ( English) shilin ( Somali, also شلن or scellino ( Italian) has been the Currency of Somalia In economics inflation or price inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over a period of time (Reuters)
  • Cyclone Nargis
    • Myanmar state government reports that the death toll from the cyclone has reached 22,000, with 41,000 people missing. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. In Meteorology, a cyclone refers to an area of closed circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. (BBC News)
    • The State Peace and Development Council announces that the Burmese constitutional referendum, 2008 will proceed on the weekend except in 47 townships worst affected by the cyclone. The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official The constitutional Referendum was held in Burma (also known as Myanmar) on 10 May 2008 ( 24 May 2008 In Meteorology, a cyclone refers to an area of closed circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. (Thomson Financial News via Forbes)
    • The President of the United States George W. Bush pleads for the Myanmar government to accept help from the United States and the rest of the international community. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the USAID donates an additional $3 million to cyclone victims. The United States Agency for International Development (or USAID) is the United States federal government organization responsible for most non- military The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been In Meteorology, a cyclone refers to an area of closed circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. (CNN)
  • Chinese President Hu Jintao begins a landmark five-day state visit to Japan. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The President of the People's Republic of China ( literally Chairman of the Chinese People's Republic or abbreviated Guójiā Zhǔxí 国家主席 literally State Chairman Hu Jintao ( born 21 December 1942 is currently the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist "Official visit" redirects here For the Yes Minister episode see " The Official Visit " For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. (BBC News)
  • United States voters go to the polls in the North Carolina and Indiana Democratic Party primaries. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The 2008 Democratic presidential primary in North Carolina took place on May 6, 2008. The 2008 Indiana Democratic primary took place on May 6, 2008. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO THIS PAGE WITHOUT FIRST DISCUSSING THEM ON THIS ARTICLE'S DISCUSSION PAGE Illinois Senator Barack Obama wins North Carolina by 14 per cent while New York Senator Hillary Clinton narrowly wins in Indiana. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union (BBC News) (The New York Times)
  • Prominent Malaysian blogger and political activist, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, is charged with sedition. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Raja Petra bin Raja Kamarudin of Malaysia (born September 27, 1950) is a Malaysian editor known for running the Malaysia Today website and publishing This is about the law term For other uses see Sedition (disambiguation Sedition is a term of Law which refers to covert conduct (Malaysia Today)
Current events of May 7, 2008 (2008-05-07) (Wednesday)edithistorywatch
  • The genome of the platypus is sequenced. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common In classical genetics the genome of a Diploid Organism including Eukarya refers to a full set of chromosomes or genes in a Gamete, thereby The Platypus ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi- aquatic Mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. (BBC News)
  • Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister of Italy, appoints his new Cabinet. (born 29 September 1936 is an Italian politician, Entrepreneur, Real estate and Insurance Tycoon, Bank and Media proprietor In Italy, the Prime Minister of Italy (officially the President of the Council of Ministers, Italian Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri) is the country's A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of Government, typically representing the executive branch. (AP via The International Herald Tribune)
  • Hillary Clinton vows to remain as a candidate in the United States presidential election, 2008 despite financial problems which required her to lend her campaign $6. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive 4 million dollars and dwindling chances of winning the Democratic Party nomination. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. (BBC News)
  • Brian Cowen, TD is elected as Irish Taoiseach by 88 votes to 76. Brian Cowen (Brian Ó Comhain born) is the current Taoiseach of Ireland. A Teachta Dála (ˈtʲaxtə ˈdɑːlə is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower chamber of the Oireachtas (Parliament of the Republic of Ireland. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. The Taoiseach (ˈtiːʃəx in English t̪ˠiːʃʲəx (plural Taoisigh ( or) in Irish) also referred to as An Taoiseach ( t̪ˠiːʃʲəx is the the (RTÉ)
  • Dmitry Medvedev assumes the role of the President of Russia. Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev ( Dmitrij Anatol′evič Medvedev;; born 14 September 1965 is currently President of Russia, inaugurated on 7 May 2008 The President of Russia (Президент России or the President of the Russian Federation, Президент Российской (BBC News)
Current events of May 8, 2008 (2008-05-08) (Thursday)edithistorywatch
  • Jimmy Kedoshim, 48, of Kibbutz Kfar Aza ( South of Israel) , was killed by mortar fire from the Gaza Strip while tending his garden. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west The Hamas group took responsability for the assasination . Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة (IMFA)
  • The Congress of Bolivia agrees to hold a recall election by 7 August on whether the President of Bolivia Evo Morales should remain in power. The National Congress ( Congreso Nacional) is the national Legislature of Bolivia, based in the nation's De facto Capital, A vote of confidence in President Evo Morales in the form of a Referendum was held in Bolivia on 10 August 2008. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. The President of Bolivia is the head of state of Bolivia. According to the current constitution the president is elected by popular vote for a single non-renewable five year Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro) popularly known as Evo (ˈeβo is the President of Bolivia since (CNN)
  • Commissioner Édgar Eusebio Millán Gómez of Mexico's Federal Preventive Police is shot dead in central Mexico City. Édgar Eusebio Millán Gómez (died 8 May 2008) was a third-ranking member of Mexico 's Public Safety Secretariat and acting commissioner of the Federal The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Federal Preventive Police ( Spanish Policía Federal Preventiva) or PFP, is the uniformed Federal police force of Mexico Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico (CNN)
  • The United States House of Representatives approves legislation developed by Barney Frank to let the United States government insure up to $300 billion in mortgages to help homeowners avert foreclosure. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Barnett "Barney" Frank (born March 31, 1940) is an American Politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. Insurance, in Law and Economics, is a form of Risk management primarily used to hedge against the Risk of a contingent loss The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been A mortgage is the pledging of a property to a Lender as a security for a Mortgage loan. Foreclosure is the legal proceeding in which a mortgagee, or other Lienholder, usually a lender obtains a court ordered termination of a mortgagor (Bloomberg)
  • The Iraqi Minister of Defence claims that the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, has been captured. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The Ministry of Defence is the Iraq government agency responsible for Defence of Iraq with the Internal security. Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI is a group playing an active role in the Iraqi insurgency. Abu Ayyub al-Masri ( أبو حمزة المهاجر أبو حمزة المهاجر) are two pseudonyms of the same person according to an FBI wanted poster and (BBC News)
  • North Korea hands over thousands of pages about its nuclear program to a visiting diplomat from the United States that will help verify its plutonium holdings. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, History First steps The history of the nuclear program of North Korea began in the mid-1950s when the country started its practical training at the Joint Institute Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states The United States of America —commonly referred to as the (AFP via Yahoo! News)
  • Russia expels two United States military attachés following earlier expulsion of two Russian diplomats from the United States. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A military attaché is a Military Expert who is part of a Diplomatic mission; this post is normally filled by a high-ranking officer (Bloomberg)
  • Latvia and Lithuania become the latest EU member states to ratify the Treaty of Lisbon. Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the (RTÉ)
  • 2008 unrest in Lebanon: Gunbattles erupt in Beirut as the government of Lebanon cracks down on Hezbollah. Beirut (بيروت Bayrūt) is the Capital and Largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2 Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation Two people are killed and eight injured in the fighting. (AFP) (AP via Google News)
  • The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay reaches the peak of Mount Everest. The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics. Mount Everest, also called Sagarmatha (सगरमाथा meaning Head of the Sky) or Chomolungma, Qomolangma or Zhumulangma (in (AP via Google News)
  • Cyclone Nargis:
    • An international relief operation begins after cyclone Nargis strikes Burma, with at least 63,500 people reported killed or missing. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused (Reuters via NineMSN)
    • Three planes carrying vital food aid for the World Food Programme to Burma are delayed in Bangkok, Dhaka and Dubai due to a failure by Burma's State Peace and Development Council to grant approval. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest Dhaka (also known as Dacca ( Bangla: ঢাকা ɖʱaka is the Capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka District. Dubai (in دبيّ,) is one of the seven emirates and most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official After approval is granted, planes start arriving in Yangon. Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city and a former capital of Burma. (Reuters via NineMSN) (AP via Google News)
  • Silvio Berlusconi is sworn in as Prime Minister of Italy for the fourth time. (born 29 September 1936 is an Italian politician, Entrepreneur, Real estate and Insurance Tycoon, Bank and Media proprietor In Italy, the Prime Minister of Italy (officially the President of the Council of Ministers, Italian Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri) is the country's (EuroNews)
  • The PRO-IP Act passes through the United States House of Representatives. The Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2007 ("PRO-IP Act of 2007") is a proposed bill that would increase both civil and criminal The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. (Ars technica)
Current events of May 9, 2008 (2008-05-09) (Friday)edithistorywatch
  • Pakistan's two main coalition leaders, Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif meet in London to discuss the removal of judges by Musharraf (AP via CNN)
  • Commander Esteban Robles Espinosa of Mexico City's investigative police force was shot dead as he left his home. Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Asif Ali Zardari ( Urdu, Sindhi: آصف علی زرداری) (born 26 July 1955 is the 12th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif also known as Nawaz Sharif ( Urdu:) (born December 25, 1949 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. General (ret Pervez Musharraf ( (born 11 August 1943 NI(M, HI(M, TBt, is the former Military dictator and President of Esteban Robles Espinosa (died May 9, 2008) was the commander of Mexico City 's Investigative Police Force Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico (CNN)
  • Cyclone Nargis:
    • A spokesman for the World Food Programme says that Myanmar's refusal to give visas to relief experts is "unprecedented" in the history of humanitarian assistance. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. (AP via Google News)
    • The World Food Programme suspends shipments to Myanmar after the State Peace and Development Council seizes supplies shipped to the country. The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official (AP via The Houston Chronicle)
    • The World Food Programme says that it will resume food shipments on Saturday while warning of further rain in Myanmar next week. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The United States has been granted permission to send one C-130 Hercules carrying relief aid on Monday. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout (AP via Google News)
  • 2008 unrest in Lebanon:
    • Hezbollah gains control of large sections of Beirut as a pro-government television station is forced off the air. Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation Beirut (بيروت Bayrūt) is the Capital and Largest city of Lebanon with a population of over 2 Lebanon is a Parliamentary democracy within the overall framework of confessionalism, in which the highest offices are proportionately reserved for representatives A television station is a type of broadcast station that broadcasts both audio and Video to Television receivers in a particular area (AFP via News Limited)
    • The United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accuses Hezbollah backed by Syria and Iran of killing "innocent civilians". The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs Condoleezza Rice (born November 14 1954 is the 66th United States Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. A civilian under International humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her Country 's Armed forces. (AP via USA Today)
  • The price of crude oil reaches a new record high of US$125. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 98 a barrel. (BBC News)
  • The United States Military denies the capture of al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri. The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI is a group playing an active role in the Iraqi insurgency. Abu Ayyub al-Masri ( أبو حمزة المهاجر أبو حمزة المهاجر) are two pseudonyms of the same person according to an FBI wanted poster and (BBC News)
  • Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denies taking bribes from businessman Moshe Talansky. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and is the most powerful political officer in Israel (the President of Israel being a titular figurehead Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader Morris (Moshe Talansky (מוריס (משה טלנסקי a Long Island Businessman from the USA, co-founded the New Jerusalem Fund with (BBC News)
  • A Zimbabwean policeman tells the BBC the presidential runoff election will be rigged by war veteran militias. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election The Republic of Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election on March 29, 2008. A veteran (from Latin vetus, meaning "old" is a person who has or is working in the armed forces (BBC News)
Current events of May 10, 2008 (2008-05-10) (Saturday)edithistorywatch
  • May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence:
    • A tornado kills at least nine in Picher, Oklahoma. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Mid-May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence is a series of Tornado outbreaks that affected the Southern Plains the southeastern and Middle Atlantic region of the United States A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus Picher is a city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. It was formerly a center of Lead and Zinc mining Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. (KTUL.com) (AP via Yahoo! News)
    • A swarm of tornadoes in southwest Missouri kills at least 12 people with much of the damage in Newton County, Missouri. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Newton County is a County located in the US state of Missouri. (Reuters) (AP via Google News) (NOAA)
  • United States presidential election, 2008: Illinois Senator Barack Obama takes the lead in support from superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention (The New York Times)
  • News Corporation withdraws its bid to purchase the New York City newspaper Newsday. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives " Superdelegate " is an informal term commonly used for some of the Delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. News Corporation (often abbreviated to News Corp) (,,) is one of the world's largest media conglomerate companies by Market capitalisation The City of New York A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. Newsday is a daily Tabloid -size Pulitzer Prize winning Newspaper that primarily serves Long Island and the New York City (The New York Times)
  • 2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum: Hundreds of Darfur rebels from the Justice and Equality Movement reach the outskirts of Khartoum and engage in clashes with the Sudanese military. The 2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum was a military advance by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM a Darfuri rebel group against the Sudanese Darfur (دار فور daar foor, lit "realm of the Fur " is a region in Sudan. The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM is a rebel group involved in the Darfur conflict of Sudan. Khartoum ( الخرطوم al-Kharṭūm) is the Capital of Sudan and of Khartoum State. The Sudan People's Armed Forces is a 117000-member army supported by a strong Air Force and Navy (AP via Google News)
  • Russia's air force chief Col. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending -Gen. Alexander Zelin accuses NATO fighters of launching "air attacks" during escort of Russian bombers. Colonel General Alexander Zelin is the current Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force since May 9th 2007 The North Atlantic Treaty (AP via CNN.com)
  • Muqtada al-Sadr and the Iraqi Government announced a ceasefire in Baghdad's Sadr district. Hojatoleslam Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr or Moktada al Sadr ( ar سيد مقتدى الصدر Muqtadā aṣ-Ṣadr) (born August 12, (CNN)
  • 2008 unrest in Lebanon:
    • The Prime Minister of Lebanon Fuad Saniora accuses Hezbollah of staging "an armed coup" against Lebanon. This page lists Prime ministers of Lebanon. By an unwritten agreement following independence the holder of this post must be a Sunni Muslim. Fouad Siniora (alternative spellings Fouad Sanyoura Fuad Siniora Fouad Saniora Fouad Seniora ( فؤاد السنيورة, Fu'ād As-Sanyūrah is the Prime Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية (AP via The International Herald Tribune)
    • The Lebanese Army overturns two key government decisions in order to reduce tension between Hezvollah and the Government of Lebanon. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF' ( Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية al-Quwa'at al-Musalha al-Lubna'ani Lebanon is a Parliamentary democracy within the overall framework of confessionalism, in which the highest offices are proportionately reserved for representatives (YA Libnan)
  • Ninawa campaign: The Iraqi Army launched a major operation in the northern city of Mosul against al-Qaeda and its allies. The Ninawa campaign was a series of offensives and counter-attacks between insurgent and Coalition forces for control of the Ninawa Governorate in northern Iraq Pre-2003 History The first Iraqi military forces established by the British were the Iraq Levies several battalions of troops tasked to guard the Royal Air Force bases For the village in Azerbaijan see Mosul Azerbaijan. Mosul (الموصل Al Mūṣul, Kurdish: Mosul/Ninawa, Musul Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The (BBC News)
  • Morgan Tsvangarai, the Leader of the Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe, announces that he will contest a runoff election in the Zimbabwean presidential election, 2008. Morgan Richard Tsvangirai ( English ˈtʃæŋgəˈraɪ Shona ts͡ɸaŋgiˈra The Movement for Democratic Change ( MDC) is a Zimbabwean Political party. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election The Republic of Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election on March 29, 2008. (BBC News)
  • Voters in Burma go to the polls for the Burmese constitutional referendum, 2008 despite the widespread devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis with widespread concerns about the legitimacy of the process. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The constitutional Referendum was held in Burma (also known as Myanmar) on 10 May 2008 ( 24 May 2008 Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused (BBC News)
  • Negotiators from Pakistan's two major coalition parties meet in London, but fail to reach an agreement. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. (AP via CNN)
Current events of May 11, 2008 (2008-05-11) (Sunday)edithistorywatch
  • 2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum:
    • Sudan's government halts an attack on the country's capital Khartoum by hundreds of rebels from Darfur. Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The 2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum was a military advance by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM a Darfuri rebel group against the Sudanese Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. The politics of Sudan takes place in the framework of an authoritarian Republic in which all effective political power is in the hands of President Khartoum ( الخرطوم al-Kharṭūm) is the Capital of Sudan and of Khartoum State. The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM is a rebel group involved in the Darfur conflict of Sudan. Darfur (دار فور daar foor, lit "realm of the Fur " is a region in Sudan. (Al-jazeera)
    • Sudan breaks diplomatic ties with Chad, claiming it backed the rebel attack. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states Chad (Tchad تشاد Tshād) officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a Landlocked country in Central Africa. (BBC News)
    • Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem says there is proof that Chad supported the rebels. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. An ambassador is the highest ranking Diplomat who represents their country The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Abdelmahmood Abdelhaleem is a Sudanese diplomat Since September 2006 Abdelhaleem has been his country's ambassador to the United Nations. Chad (Tchad تشاد Tshād) officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a Landlocked country in Central Africa. Opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi is arrested. Dr Hassan 'Abd Allah al-Turabi (الدكتور حسن عبد الله الترابي in Arabic) commonly called Hassan al-Turabi (sometimes transliterated (BBC News)
  • Cyclone Nargis:
    • The International Federation of the Red Cross says that the cargo ship carrying the first load of food aid from the Red Cross for survivors of Cyclone Nargis has sunk in the Irrawaddy River. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an International humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide who stated A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of Ship or vessel that carries Cargo, goods and materials from one port to another The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an International humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide who stated Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused The Ayeyarwady River or Irrawaddy River ( is a River that flows from north to south of Burma (Myanmar (Reuters) (AP via Yahoo! News)
    • The official death toll for Cyclone Nargis rises to 28,458. This is a list of wars and human-made disasters by death toll. (Vatican Radio)
  • Pakistan's two main coalition leaders, Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif meet with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher in London to discuss the removal of judges by President Pervez Musharraf, but fail to reach an agreement. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Asif Ali Zardari ( Urdu, Sindhi: آصف علی زرداری) (born 26 July 1955 is the 12th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif also known as Nawaz Sharif ( Urdu:) (born December 25, 1949 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan The Assistant Secretary of State, from 1853 until 1913 was the second-ranking official within the American Department of State. For the similarly named Congressman from Virginia, see Rick Boucher. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. General (ret Pervez Musharraf ( (born 11 August 1943 NI(M, HI(M, TBt, is the former Military dictator and President of (AP via CNN)
  • Run-offs in the Zimbabwean presidential election, according to George Chiweshe, the elections commissioner, must be delayed past the time allotted by law, up to a year, until funding can be found. The Republic of Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election on March 29, 2008. Retired Brigadier General George Mutandwa Chiweshe (born June 5 1953) is the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. (AP via CNN)
  • Serbian voters go to the polls in the Serbian parliamentary election, 2008. Serbia (Србија Srbija) officially the Republic of Serbia (Република Србија Republika Srbija) is a Landlocked Country A pre-term parliamentary election was held in the Republic of Serbia on 11 May 2008, barely a year after the previous parliamentary election A pro-Europe coalition associated with the President of Serbia Boris Tadić wins the most votes. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The President of Serbia is the Head of state of the Republic of Serbia. Boris Tadić (Борис Тадић born January 15, 1958) is a Serbian politician and the current President of Serbia. (BBC News) (Sydney Morning Herald)
Current events of May 12, 2008 (2008-05-12) (Monday)edithistorywatch
  • 2008 Sichuan earthquake: A magnitude 7. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 TalkMoment magnitude scale#Real world examples please.--> The moment magnitude scale 9 earthquake hits China's Sichuan province, killing at least 22,000 people. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu. (BBC News)
  • United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he is "immensely frustrated" at the State Peace and Development Council's slow response to the cyclone. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. Ban Ki-moon (born 13 June 1944 Korean: 반기문 Hanja: 潘基文 is the current Secretary-General of the United Nations. The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused (BBC News)
  • 2008 unrest in Lebanon:
    • Hezbollah clash with forces loyal to Druze leader Walid Jumblatt in the Shouf mountains, and with Sunni supporters of the government in Tripoli. Hezbollah (حزب الله, literally " party of God " is a Shi'a Islamic political and Paramilitary organisation The Druze ( Arabic: درزي derzī or durzī, plural دروز durūz) are a religious community found primarily in Syria, Lebanon Walid Jumblatt (وليد جنبلاط‎ (born August 7, 1949) is the current leader of the Progressive Socialist Party "PSP" of Lebanon Chouf (also spelled Shouf Shuf or Chuf in Arabic جبل الشوف Jebel ash-Shouf) is a historical region of Lebanon, and also an administrative Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Lebanon is a Parliamentary democracy within the overall framework of confessionalism, in which the highest offices are proportionately reserved for representatives Tripolis ( Arabic: طرابلس Ṭarābulus - also طرابلس الغرب Ṭarā-bu-lus al-Gharb Libyan vernacular: (BBC News)
    • United States President George W. Bush offers to help improve the Lebanese Armed Forces. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF' ( Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية al-Quwa'at al-Musalha al-Lubna'ani (BBC News)
  • 2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum:
    • Shootings are reported in Khartoum, Sudan, one day after the rebel attack. The 2008 attack on Omdurman and Khartoum was a military advance by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM a Darfuri rebel group against the Sudanese Shooting is the act or process of firing Rifles Shotguns or other projectile Weapons such as bows or Crossbows Even the firing of Khartoum ( الخرطوم al-Kharṭūm) is the Capital of Sudan and of Khartoum State. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM is a rebel group involved in the Darfur conflict of Sudan. Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi is released from custody after being interrogated by police. Islamism ( Islam + ism; Arabic: al-'islāmiyya) a set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only Dr Hassan 'Abd Allah al-Turabi (الدكتور حسن عبد الله الترابي in Arabic) commonly called Hassan al-Turabi (sometimes transliterated (BBC News) (BBC News)
    • Chad closes its border with Sudan and severs economic relations after being accused of backing the attack. Chad (Tchad تشاد Tshād) officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a Landlocked country in Central Africa. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. (BBC News)
  • Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party Pakistan Muslim League (N) announces it has decided to leave the governing coalition because of differences over how to restore around 60 judges sacked by President Pervez Musharraf on November 3, 2007. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, in Urdu وزیر اعظم Wazir-e- Azam meaning "Grand Minister", is the Head of Government Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif also known as Nawaz Sharif ( Urdu:) (born December 25, 1949 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan The Pakistan Muslim League (N ( Urdu: پاکستان مسلم لیگ ن) is a Political party in Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan ( Urdu: حکومتِ پاکستان uses a federal parliamentary system with a President as the Head of State and an indirectly-elected Court system of Pakistan is made up of many Courts differing in levels of legal superiority and separated by jurisdiction The President of Pakistan ( Urdū: صدر Sadr-e-Mumlikat) is the Head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. General (ret Pervez Musharraf ( (born 11 August 1943 NI(M, HI(M, TBt, is the former Military dictator and President of Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. (BBC News) (BBC News)
  • Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez nationalises steel firm Ternium-Sidor, which is mainly owned by Argentina's Techint. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the ||-||} Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->The President of Venezuela (Presidente Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (ˈuɰo rafaˈel ˈtʃaβ̞es ˈfɾias (born July 28 1954 is the current President of Venezuela. Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 Ternium ( is a Steel maker in the Americas that produces flat and long steel products For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The Organización Techint is a Multinational group based in Argentina, founded in 1945 by Italian immigrant Agostino Rocca, who (BBC News)
  • Israeli police raid the Jerusalem city hall to seize documents related to alleged bribes received by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert from businessman Moshe Talansky. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Israel Police (משטרת ישראל Mishteret Yisrael) is a civilian force in the State of Israel. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Safra Square (כיכר ספרא kikar safra) is Jerusalem 's City hall Complex named after Jacob and Esther Safra parents of Bribery, a form of pecuniary corruption is an act usually implying money or gift given that alters the behaviour of the recipient in ways not consistent with the duties of that person The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and is the most powerful political officer in Israel (the President of Israel being a titular figurehead Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader Morris (Moshe Talansky (מוריס (משה טלנסקי a Long Island Businessman from the USA, co-founded the New Jerusalem Fund with (BBC News)
  • The President of Bolivia Evo Morales approves recall elections for himself and the governors of the nine departments on August 10, 2008. The President of Bolivia is the head of state of Bolivia. According to the current constitution the president is elected by popular vote for a single non-renewable five year The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro) popularly known as Evo (ˈeβo is the President of Bolivia since A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government |||} Bolivia is divided into 9 departments (departamentos These are (with their capitals indicated in parentheses Beni ( Trinidad) Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common (AP via Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
  • Russia's new Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announces his cabinet. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, (Председатель Правительства Российской Федерации unofficially called the Prime-Minister Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia The Government of the Russian Federation (Прави́тельство Росси́йской Федера́ции is an executive governmental body that brings together the principal (BBC News)
  • United States federal authorities start sending aid to Missouri, Oklahoma and Georgia as the total death toll from the May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence reaches 23. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule The Mid-May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence is a series of Tornado outbreaks that affected the Southern Plains the southeastern and Middle Atlantic region of the United States (BBC News)
Current events of May 13, 2008 (2008-05-13) (Tuesday)edithistorywatch
  • U.S. federal prosecutors have filed a new indictment against baseball slugger Barry Bonds, charging him with 14 counts of lying to a grand jury and one count of obstruction of justice when he denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24 1964 is a Major League Baseball Outfielder who is currently a Free agent. Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under Oath or Affirmation in a The crime of obstruction of justice includes crimes committed by Judges Prosecutors attorneys general, and elected officials in general (AP via Yahoo! News)
  • Wayne Swan, the Treasurer of Australia, delivers his first budget establishing $40 billion funds for infrastructure, health and education. Wayne Maxwell Swan (born 30 June 1954 is an Australian politician The Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia and head of the Department of the Treasury, responsible for government expenditure The Australian dollar ( sign: $; code: AUD) is the Currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Infrastructure typically refers to the technical structures that support a society such as Roads Water supply, Wastewater, Power grids (News Limited)
  • Hewlett-Packard agrees to buy Electronic Data Systems for $13. Electronic Data Systems (EDS is a global Business and technology services company headquartered in Plano Texas that defined the Outsourcing business 9 billion dollars. (Bloomberg)
  • 2008 Sichuan earthquake:
    • The death toll from the earthquake reaches 12,000. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 This is a list of wars and human-made disasters by death toll. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer (CNN)
    • The Chinese government launches a massive rescue operation to search for survivors. Power within the Government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies the Communist Party of China, the state and the People's Rescue refers to operations that usually involve the saving of Life, or prevention of Injury. (BBC News)
  • Cyclone Nargis:
    • The State Peace and Development Council continues to block foreign aid workers from entering Burma. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official Humanitarian aid (also called succour) is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes typically in response to humanitarian crises Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. (BBC News)
    • The United Nations call for the opening of an air corridor to bring aid to the victims. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security An air corridor is a designated region of Airspace that an Aircraft must remain in during its transit through a given region (BBC News)
  • Ministers from Nawaz Sharif's party Pakistan Muslim League (N) resign from the Government of Pakistan. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif also known as Nawaz Sharif ( Urdu:) (born December 25, 1949 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan The Pakistan Muslim League (N ( Urdu: پاکستان مسلم لیگ ن) is a Political party in Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan ( Urdu: حکومتِ پاکستان uses a federal parliamentary system with a President as the Head of State and an indirectly-elected Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and (BBC News)
  • United States presidential election, 2008
    • West Virginia voters go to the polls in the Democratic Party primary to elect 28 delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by The 2008 West Virginia Democratic primary took place on May 13, 2008 with polls closing at 730 p Schedule for the 2008 Democratic National Convention|Democratic Party (United States presidential candidates 2008|Democratic Party (United States presidential primaries 2008The 2008 Democratic New York Senator Hillary Clinton obtains a clear victory. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from (Washington Post)
    • Senator Clinton welcomes the vote in West Virginia as an "overwhelming vote of confidence" in her campaign. West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by (Associated Press)
  • A series of bomb blasts hits the Indian city of Jaipur, killing at least 60 people and injuring 150. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Jaipur ( Hindi: जयपुर also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. (BBC News)
  • Eleven people are killed and 20 wounded in clashes between Iraqi militias and the United States Army in the Sadr City district of Baghdad. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary Citizens to provide defense emergency law enforcement or Paramilitary service The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Sadr City ( مدينة الصدر) is a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous (BBC News)
  • The United States Department of Defense drops charges against Mohamed al-Kahtani, who was suspected of being the "20th hijacker" in the September 11, 2001 attacks. The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government Mohamed Mani Ahmad al-Kahtani (محمد مانع أحمد القحطاني sometimes transliterated Muhammed al-Qahtani) is an alleged member of the Terrorist (BBC News)
  • Colombian warlord extradition
    • Colombia extradites 14 former paramilitary leaders, including Salvatore Mancuso, Rodrigo Tovar Pupo, and Diego Murillo Bejarano, to the United States where they have been charged with drug trafficking. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force but which are not regarded as having the same status Salvatore Mancuso Gómez also known as " el Mono Mancuso "" Santander Lozada " or " Triple Cero " among other names (born Rodrigo Tovar Pupo, (aka Jorge 40 his Nom de guerre) was born in Valledupar, Colombia. Diego Fernando Murillo Bejarano, also known as Don Berna or Adolfo Paz, is a former leader of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia paramilitary group The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global Black market consisting of the cultivation manufacture distribution and sale of illegal Drugs (BBC News)
    • President of Colombia Álvaro Uribe says that the assets of warlords will be confiscated to compensate victims. List of Presidents of Colombia The President of Colombia (Presidente de Colombia is the Head of state and Head of government of the Republic of Colombia Álvaro Uribe Vélez ('alβ̞aɾo u'ɾiβ̞e 'β̞eles born July 4 1952 in Medellín) is a Colombian politician and lawyer who is currently the 39th President (Associated Press)
Current events of May 14, 2008 (2008-05-14) (Wednesday)edithistorywatch
  • The discovery of G1.9+0.3, the youngest known supernova remnant in the Milky Way Galaxy, is announced. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Supernova remnant G19+03 is the youngest known Supernova remnant (SNR in the Milky Way Galaxy. A supernova remnant ( SNR) is the structure resulting from the gigantic explosion of a Star in a Supernova. The Milky Way (a translation of the Latin Via Lactea, in turn derived from the Greek Γαλαξίας (Galaxias sometimes referred to simply A galaxy is a massive gravitationally bound system consisting of Stars an Interstellar medium of gas and dust, and Dark matter (NASA)
  • Food prices center stage at EU-Latin America summit. The Latin America the Caribbean and the European Union Summit (LAC-EU is a biennial meeting of heads of state and government of Latin America, the Caribbean and (Reuters)
  • Democrat Marc Dann resigns as the Ohio Attorney General following a sexual harassment scandal involving several of his aides and an admitted affair with a subordinate. Marc Dann (born March 12, 1962 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio) was a American politician of the Democratic Party The Ohio Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Ohio in the United States. (Akron Beacon Journal)
  • United States presidential election, 2008: John Edwards, a former contender to be the Democratic Party nominee, endorses the bid of Barack Obama. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive Johnny Reid "John" Edwards (born June 10 1953 The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. (BBC News)
  • The United States Department of the Interior declares that the polar bear is a threatened species due to declining levels of Arctic Ocean ice as a result of global warming. The United States Department of the Interior ( DOI) is a Cabinet department of the United States government that manages and conserves most federally The polar bear ( Ursus maritimus) is a Bear native to the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas Threatened species are any species (including Animals Plants fungi, etc The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the (AP via The New York Times)
  • A suicide bomber kills at least 22 people and injures 40 in an attack on a funeral in a village west of Baghdad. This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons A funeral is a Ceremony marking a person's Death. Funerary customs comprise the complex of Beliefs and practices used by a Culture to remember Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous (AP via Yahoo! News) (BBC News)
  • Israel
    • The Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert warns Hamas that Israel will "not tolerate" attacks. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and is the most powerful political officer in Israel (the President of Israel being a titular figurehead Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة (AP via Google News)
    • The President of the United States George W. Bush starts a trip to the Middle East where he will celebrate Israel's sixtieth anniversary and meet with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The King of Saudi Arabia is Saudi Arabia 's Head of state and Absolute monarch. Khaled bin Abdullah Mutaib bin Abdullah Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Faisal bin Abdullah (BBC News)
    • A Katyusha rocket fired at the Israeli city of Ashqelon struck a clinic in the third floor of the Huzot shopping mall. Katyusha multiple rocket launchers (Катюша are a type of Rocket artillery originally built and fielded by the Soviet Union in the Second World War Ashkelon (אַשְׁקְלוֹן ٲشكلون also عسقلان; Latin: Ascalon; Akkadian: Isqalluna is a coastal city in southern This attack resulted in three people seriously injured, two moderately injured and eleven people suffered minor wounds. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claims responsibility. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine ( PFLP) ( Arabic: الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين al-Jabhah al-Sha`biyyah li-Tahrīr (Haaretz)
  • NATO raises concerns about an increase in insurgent attacks in Afghanistan and raises concern that it is partly due to agreements between Pakistan and militants in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. The North Atlantic Treaty Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and For the British newspaper and Marxist organization see Militant tendency. The Federally Administered Tribal Areas ( FATA) in Pakistan are areas outside the four provinces bordering Afghanistan, comprising a region (Reuters)
  • 2008 Sichuan earthquake
    • Xinhua reports that the confirmed death toll from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake has reached nearly 15,000. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 Nearly sixty thousand people remain missing near the epicentre of the earthquake. The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth 's surface that is directly above the Hypocenter or focus the point where an Earthquake An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer (The Telegraph) (AP via Google News)
    • Xinhua reports that 2,000 People's Liberation Army troops have been sent to repair "extremely dangerous cracks" in the Zipingku Dam, upriver from Dujiangyan City in Sichuan province. The People's Liberation Army ( PLA) ( is the unified Military organization of all land sea and air forces of the People's Republic of China. Dujiangyan ( is a County-level city of Chengdu, Sichuan Province in China. ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu. (AP via Google News)
  • Cyclone Nargis
    • The United Nations is warning that another cyclone could be forming near Myanmar which was devastated by Cyclone Nargis. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security In Meteorology, a cyclone refers to an area of closed circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. (AP via Fox News)
    • Thailand claims that the State Peace and Development Council will allow 30 Thai doctors to visit the Irrawaddy River Delta region worst hit by the cyclone. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official The Ayeyarwady River or Irrawaddy River ( is a River that flows from north to south of Burma (Myanmar (AFP via The Times of South Africa) (AP via Yahoo! News)
    • The Prime Minister of Thailand Samak Sundaravej fails to convince the State Peace and Development Council to open up for international relief efforts and allow foreign aid workers into the country. The first Prime Minister of Thailand was Phraya Manopakorn Nititada, who took office after the 1932 Siamese coup d'état ended the absolute monarchy Samak Sundaravej (สมัคร สุนทรเวช RTGS Samak Sunthorawet 李沙马 (born 13 June 1935) was the Prime Minister of Aid (from the french word aide, also known as international aid, overseas aid, or foreign aid, especially in the United States) is (Reuters)
  • A car bomb explodes in a civil guards barracks in the town of Legutiano in the Basque Country of Spain killing at least one person and injuring several others. A car bomb is an explosive device placed in a car or other Vehicle and then detonated. Barracks are living quarters for personnel on a Military post Villarreal de Álava (Legutiano is a town and Municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain. The Basque Country ( Basque Euskadi, Spanish País Vasco) is an autonomous community in northern Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. (AFP via Google News)
  • In football, Zenit St Petersburg of Russia win the 2008 UEFA Cup after defeating Scottish side Rangers 2–0 in the final. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Rangers Football Club are an Association football team based in Glasgow Scotland, who currently play in the Scottish Premier League. Route to the final See also UEFA Cup 2007-08 Knockout stage Pre-match Zenit and Michel Platini asked the British government (BBC News)
Current events of May 15, 2008 (2008-05-15) (Thursday)edithistorywatch
  • 2008 Andean diplomatic crisis: Interpol confirms that Colombia did not tamper with computer files in hardware seized from Raul Reyes. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Background Operation Emmanuel In 2007 Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Colombian Senator Piedad Córdoba acted as authorized mediators in The International Criminal Police Organization, better known by its telegraphic address Interpol is an organization facilitating international police cooperation Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Background Operation Emmanuel In 2007 Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Colombian Senator Piedad Córdoba acted as authorized mediators in Luis Edgar Devia Silva ( September 30, 1948 – March 1, 2008) better known by his Nom de guerre Raúl Reyes, was This alleged that Venezuela and Ecuador provided funding, assistance and drug routes to the terrorist group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo also known by the Acronym of However, Interpol stated that they had not looked at the content of the files, only their authenticity. (BBC News) (CNN)
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • CBS Corporation agreed to buy the popular computer and technology website CNET Networks for $1. CBS Corporation () is an American Media conglomerate focused on Broadcasting, Publishing, Billboards, and Television CNET Networks Inc is a media company based in San Francisco California, United States, and is part of CBS Interactive, owned 75 billion. (BBC News)
    • General Electric has stated that it wants to auction off its domestic appliances business. GE has been involved in that field of business since 1907. (Bloomberg.com)
  • The California Supreme Court rules that a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional under the California state constitution. The Supreme Court of California is the State supreme court in California. Same-sex marriage in the United States - editing that article for size and clarity (Sacramento Bee) (AP via Yahoo! News)
  • Economy of the United States
    • The number of United States workers filing jobless claims for initial unemployment benefits rises by 6,000 while the number on benefit rolls after a first week of aid hit a four-year high. The Economy of the United States is the largest national economy in the world The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Initial Jobless Claims is a report issued by the US Department of Labor on a weekly basis Unemployment benefits are payments made by Governments to unemployed people (Reuters)
    • The Federal Reserve System reports that the industrial output of the nations factories, mines and utilities fell by 0. Output in Economics is the total value of all of the goods and services produced in an entity's economy 7% in April in a broad-based decline led by motor vehicles. A motor Vehicle is a Machine which incorporates a motor (sometimes known as an Engine) and which is used for Transportation (MarketWatch)
  • 2008 Sichuan earthquake:
    • The death toll from the earthquake reaches nearly 20,000. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer (BBC News)
    • The Government of China predicts that the death toll could reach 50,000. Power within the Government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies the Communist Party of China, the state and the People's (The Telegraph)
  • Burma
    • Myanmar's military junta, the State Peace and Development Council, claims that the Burmese constitutional referendum, 2008 approved their new constitution of Myanmar with a 92. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. A military junta is a government ruled by a committee of military leaders The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official The constitutional Referendum was held in Burma (also known as Myanmar) on 10 May 2008 ( 24 May 2008 The Constitution of Burma has changed several times since the country became independent from the United Kingdom 4% majority. (AFP)
    • The State Peace and Development Council warns that legal action will be taken against those people that hoard or trade international foreign aid as the death toll from Cyclone Nargis rises to 43,000. The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official Aid (from the french word aide, also known as international aid, overseas aid, or foreign aid, especially in the United States) is Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused (AP via Google News)
Current events of May 16, 2008 (2008-05-16) (Friday)edithistorywatch
  • 10 people were shot at a branch of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) in Cabuyao, Laguna, Philippines, with 9 dead and 1 in critical condition in what could be one of the bloodiest bank robberies in the nation's history. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation ( RCBC,) was established in 1960 as a development bank and is licenced by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP for both The Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation ( RCBC,) was established in 1960 as a development bank and is licenced by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP for both Cabuyao is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. Laguna is a province of the Philippines found in the CALABARZON region in Luzón. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP USA Today.com - 9 killed during Philippine bank robbery
  • Leonel Fernández is re-elected as the President of the Dominican Republic in the 2008 presidential election. Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna (born 26 December 1953) is a Dominican politician and the current President of the Dominican Republic. This page contains a list of presidents of the Dominican Republic. A presidential election was held in the Dominican Republic on 16 May 2008. (AP via International Herald Tribune)
  • A pipeline explosion near Lagos, Nigeria, kills up to 100 people. On May 16, 2008 a pipeline explosion occurred in the community of Ijegun, a suburb north of Lagos, Nigeria. Lagos ( pron ˈleɪgɒs or /ˈlɑːgoʊs/ overseas is the most populous Conurbation in Nigeria with Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal (Times Online)
  • A strong aftershock to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake knocks out roads and communications to some of the worst affected areas disrupting rescue efforts. An aftershock is an Earthquake that occurs after a previous earthquake (the main shock The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 (AP via Forbes)
  • Former United States Olympic sprinter Tim Montgomery is sentenced to 46 months imprisonment for his involvement in a check fraud and money laundering scheme. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Sprints are short running races in athletics. They are roughly classified as events in which top runners will not have to "pace themselves" but can run as fast as Timothy Montgomery (born January 25, 1975) is a former American athlete. Cheque (or check fraud refers to a category of criminal acts that involve making the unlawful use of Cheques in order to illegally acquire or borrow funds that do Money laundering is the practice of engaging in financial Transactions in order to conceal the Identity, source and/or destination of Money, (Reuters)
  • The United States reaches a deal with North Korea to resume food aid with 500,000 tonnes of food to be sent to North Korea during the next year. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. (AFP via Google News)
  • The State Peace and Development Council in Burma doubles the death toll from Cyclone Nargis to 78,000 with 55,917 people missing and 19,359 people injured. The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused (The New York Times)
  • The Court of Arbitration for Sport overturns the IAAF's decision to ban South African double-amputee runner Oscar Pistorius from its competitions, thus clearing the way for him to attempt to become the first leg amputee to participate in the Olympic Games. The Court of Arbitration for Sport ( CAS; Tribunal Arbitral du Sport or TAS in French) is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes The International Association of Athletics Federations ( IAAF) is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or Surgery. Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius (born 22 November 1986 is a South African Paralympic runner (BBC News)
  • A suicide bomber kills at least nine people, including 7 police, and wounds 90 in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. (BBC News)
  • The President of the United States George W. Bush arrives in Saudi Arabia to discuss rising fuel prices with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi The King of Saudi Arabia is Saudi Arabia 's Head of state and Absolute monarch. Khaled bin Abdullah Mutaib bin Abdullah Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Faisal bin Abdullah Saudi Arabia later announces plans to raise its output by 300,000 barrels a day. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi (AP via Google News) (Bloomberg)
  • The runoff election for the 2008 presidential election between the President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change is set for June 27. The Republic of Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election on March 29, 2008. This page contains a list of presidents of Zimbabwe. Canaan Banana was a "figurehead" president but Mugabe has been an executive Morgan Richard Tsvangirai ( English ˈtʃæŋgəˈraɪ Shona ts͡ɸaŋgiˈra The Movement for Democratic Change ( MDC) is a Zimbabwean Political party. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden (BBC News) (AP via Yahoo! News)
  • Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin laden leaves an audio message on the Internet vowing to continue the fight against Israel. Al-Qaeda, alternatively spelled al-Qaida, al-Qa`ida or al-Qa`idah, ( Arabic:; ar-Latn ''al-qāʿidah'' Translation: The Osama bin Laden, with some spelling variations is the name used in English to refer to (أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن born 10 March The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. (RTÉ)
Current events of May 17, 2008 (2008-05-17) (Saturday)edithistorywatch
  • Sri Lankan troops capture the town of Palampiddi Junction from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam killing at least 34 rebel troops. Events 1521 - Edward Stafford 3rd Duke of Buckingham, is executed for Treason. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. (Bloomberg)
  • More than 3,000 people are evacuated from Lafayette, Louisiana, after two of six derailed train cars start leaking hydrochloric acid. Lafayette is a City in and the Parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track ( Permanent way) to transport freight or passengers from one place to another Hydrochloric acid is the Solution of Hydrogen chloride ( H[[Chlorine Cl]] in water (CNN), (AP via the Guardian)
  • The President of the United States George W. Bush states that a Palestinian state can be "defined" by the end of his Presidency including the issue of borders and right to resettlement. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Proposals for a Palestinian state (دولة فلسطين refer to the proposed establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which is currently Human migration denotes any movement by Humans from one locality to another sometimes over long distances or (Bloomberg)
  • An assassination threat delays the return of Morgan Tsvangarai to Zimbabwe to contest a runoff election to decide the presidential election. AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media. Morgan Richard Tsvangirai ( English ˈtʃæŋgəˈraɪ Shona ts͡ɸaŋgiˈra See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election The Republic of Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election on March 29, 2008. (The Guardian)
  • Islamic Courts Union rebels claim to have captured the town of Jilib in Somalia. The Islamic Courts Union ( ICU, Somali: Midowga Maxkamadaha Islaamiga Arabic: اتحاد المحاكم الإسلامية Ittihād al-mahākim Jilib (other names Gilib, Gelib, Jillib, Jillio) is a town in Somalia, with an estimated population of approximately 45000 Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known (AP via Forbes)
  • 2008 Sichuan earthquake: China recommends the evacuation of seriously injured people from Beichuan due to concerns about rising water levels of a lake in the area. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County ( is a county under the jurisdiction of Mianyang Municipality in Sichuan, China. (Reuters)

Kids' WB closed down. Kids' WB is an online network that was launched on April 28, 2008. It is now replaced by The CW4Kids. The CW4Kids is the current Saturday morning cartoon block of The CW 's weekend programming that premiered on Saturday May 24 2008, replacing

Current events of May 18, 2008 (2008-05-18) (Sunday)edithistorywatch
  • A senior Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia commander known as "Karina" surrenders to Colombian authorities. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo also known by the Acronym of Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. (CNN)
  • Russia wins the 2008 IIHF World Championship defeating Canada 5-4 in overtime. 2008 IIHF World Championship team See 2008 IIHF World Championship rosters 2007 IIHF World Championship team 2008 Men's World Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 2008 IIHF World Championship was played between May 2 and May 18 2008 in the Canadian cities of History From 1920 until 1963 the Senior Amateur Club teams representing Canada were usually the most recent Allan Cup champions Overtime, in Ice hockey, is a method of determining the winner and loser of ice hockey matches should a game be tied after regulation (AFP via Google News)
  • Ahmed Ali Ahmed, one of the leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq, is sentenced to death for killing Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho. Ahmed Ali Ahmed is a former leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. It was reported on May 18, 2008 he was sentenced to death by an Iraqi court for killing Archbishop Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI is a group playing an active role in the Iraqi insurgency. Paulos Faraj Rahho (بولس فرج رحو; ܦܘܠܘܣ ܦ̮ܪܔ ܪܚܘ; ‎ November 20, 1942 – February or March 2008 was the (Reuters)
  • General Than Shwe, the Burmese leader, visits victims of Cyclone Nargis. Senior General Than Shwe (သန်းရွှေ θáɴ ʃwè born 2 February 1933 is Head of State of Myanmar (Burma serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Tatmadaw Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused (BBC News)
  • Approximately 16,000 people are evacuated in Chofu, Japan while a World War II era bomb is defused. is a city located in Tokyo, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1955. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including (Bloomberg)
  • Gordon Brown, the UK Prime Minister, says that people should support a bill permitting the use of human-animal embryos. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951 is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located An embryo (from Greek:, plural, lit "that which grows" from en- "in" + bryein "to swell be full" is a multicellular (BBC News)
  • 2008 Sichuan earthquake:
    • The death toll from the earthquake reaches 32,477, with 14,000 still missing and 205,000 people evacuated. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer (San Francisco Chronicle) (Bloomberg)
    • The People's Republic of China declares three days of national mourning for victims of the earthquake and suspends the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from March 24 until August 8, 2008, prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics. (AP via Forbes)
Current events of May 19, 2008 (2008-05-19) (Monday)edithistorywatch
  • Suspected Sunni insurgents attack a minibus carrying police recruits near the border of Iraq and Syria killing 11 people. Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية (AP via Google News)
  • Edward Leigh's attempt to outlaw the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos in the United Kingdom is defeated by 336 votes to 176 in the British House of Commons. Edward Julian Egerton Leigh (born 20 July 1950) is a UK Politician. Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus In Biology, hybrid has two meanings The first meaning is the result of interbreeding between two animals or plants of different taxa. An embryo (from Greek:, plural, lit "that which grows" from en- "in" + bryein "to swell be full" is a multicellular The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords (BBC News)
  • In United States v. Williams, the Supreme Court of the United States upholds a law making it a crime to send messages over the Internet offering or seeking child pornography even when no such pornography exists. United States v Williams, 553 US ___ (2008 was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that a federal statute prohibiting the "pandering" The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks Child pornography refers to material depicting Children being in a state of undress engaged in erotic poses or sexual activity (Los Angeles Times)
  • A two-week conference in Dublin, aiming to create an international treaty banning cluster bombs, opens today. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Cluster munitions or cluster bombs are air-dropped or ground-launched munitions that eject a number of smaller submunitions a cluster of bomblets (RTÉ)
  • Some 6,000 people have fled a wave of attacks on foreigners in South Africa, which has left at least 13 dead, aid workers say. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa (BBC News)
  • 2008 Sichuan earthquake
    • Xinhua reports that 200 relief workers trying to rescue people in the earthquake have been buried in a mudslide. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer Mudslide redirects here it is also the name of a cocktail. A mudflow or mudslide is the most rapid (up to 80 km/h / 50 mph (AP via The New York Times)
    • The People's Republic of China holds three minutes silence at 2:28 pm marking a week since the earthquake. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES All public entertainment events have been cancelled. (AP via Time)
  • A gunman kills eight people in Calamba City in the Philippines. Calamba City is a first class City in the province of Laguna, Philippines. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP (BBC News)
  • Foreign Ministers of the member states of ASEAN including Nyan Win of Myanmar meet to discuss Cyclone Nargis. A minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a governmental cabinet minister who helps form the Foreign policy of a sovereign nation The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly referred to as ASEAN, ˈɑːsiːɑːn AH-see-ahn in English (the Official language Nyan Win (ဥာဏ်ဝင်း born January 22, 1953) has been the Foreign minister of Myanmar since September 19 2004 Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused (The Wall Street Journal)
  • Former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, tenders his resignation from the country's ruling political party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). The Prime Minister of Malaysia (in Malay Perdana Menteri) is the indirectly elected Head of government of Malaysia. For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad (ma'ħɑðiɽ bin mʊħɑmmæd̚ (recorded as born on 20 December 1925 was the fourth Prime Minister of Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad (ma'ħɑðiɽ bin mʊħɑmmæd̚ (recorded as born on 20 December 1925 was the fourth Prime Minister of The United Malays National Organisation, or UMNO, (Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu is a Right-wing party and Malaysia 's largest Political (BBC News)
Current events of May 20, 2008 (2008-05-20) (Tuesday)edithistorywatch
  • Ten thousand Iraqi troops enter Sadr City in Baghdad to seize control from Shiite militants. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Sadr City ( مدينة الصدر) is a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. Baghdad (بغداد) is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous (CBS News)
  • The SPLA attacks Sudanese government soldiers at Abyei, a disputed town at the border of South Sudan. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. Abyei is a town and district of South Kurdufan, Sudan, that is considered a historical bridge between northern and Southern Sudan. Southern Sudan is a region of Sudan, comprising ten of that country's states (BBC News)
  • Cyclone Nargis
    • The Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon leaves for Burma calling the situation critical. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. Ban Ki-moon (born 13 June 1944 Korean: 반기문 Hanja: 潘基文 is the current Secretary-General of the United Nations. (AFP)
    • Burma commences a three day period of mourning for victims of Cyclone Nargis and allows entry to foreign aid workers from neighboring countries. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused (AP via Google News)
  • United States presidential election, 2008: Voters in Oregon and Kentucky go to the polls to vote in primary elections. The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4 2008 will be the 56th consecutive Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. A primary election ( nominating primary) also referred to simply as a primary, is an election in which voters in a Jurisdiction select candidates (The New York Times)
    • Senator Hillary Clinton of New York wins the Kentucky Democratic primary, 2008. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The 2008 Kentucky Democratic primary took place on May 20, 2008. (CNN)
    • Senator Barack Obama of Illinois is projected to win the Oregon Democratic primary, 2008. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. The 2008 Oregon Democratic primary was a mail-only primary in the U (Boston Globe)
  • A 24-hour strike by employees of the National Railway Company of Belgium ends rail services in Belgium and to France, Germany and the Netherlands. The Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen (NMBS Dutch) or Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Belges (SNCB French) is the Belgian The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands (AFP)
  • Ma Ying-jeou is sworn in as the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) with Liu Chao-shiuan as his Premier. NOTICE*************** The President of the Republic of China ( is the Head of state of the Republic of China (ROC (commonly known as Taiwan since the 1970s REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Liu Chao-shiuan ( POJ: Lau Tiau-Hian born May 10, 1943) is the current Premier of the Republic of China, an educator and President of The President of the Executive Yuan ( commonly known in English as the Premier of Taiwan ( is the head of the Executive Yuan, the Executive (BBC News)
  • Manoel de Oliveira is awarded a palme d'or for his lifetime career achievement at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira GCSE (mɐnuˈɛɫ doliˈvɐjɾɐ (born December 12, 1908) is a Portuguese Film director born in The Palme d'Or ( English: Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded to competing films at the Cannes Film Festival. The 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival was held May 14 through 25, 2008. (Festival website)
Current events of May 21, 2008 (2008-05-21) (Wednesday)edithistorywatch
  • SN 2008D is the first supernova to be observed while it is exploding. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common SN 2008D is a Supernova detected with NASA 's Swift X-ray telescope. (NASA)
  • Manchester United F.C. wins the UEFA Champions League 2007-08 defeating Chelsea F.C. in the final after a penalty shootout. (Press Association via Google News)
  • The President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki calls in the South African National Defense Force to end the 2008 South Africa riots. The President of South Africa, in full the President of the Republic of South Africa is the Head of state and Head of government under South Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (born 18 June 1942 is a South African politician who served as President of South Africa from 1999 to 24 September 2008 The South African National Defence Force ( SANDF) is the name of the Armed forces of South Africa. (AFP)
  • The North West Frontier Province of Pakistan signs a peace deal with Taliban militants where troops are withdrawn from the Swat valley and Sharia law introduced in exchange for a halt to suicide bombings and an attack on government buildings. The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP ( Urdu: śimāl maġribī sarhadī sūba) is the smallest of the four main provinces of Pakistan. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately Sharia ( Arabic: ar شريعة) is the body of Islamic Religious law. This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons (The Guardian)
  • Crude oil prices rise above $130 a barrel for the first time. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been (AP via Google News)
  • Middle East
    • Israel and Syria reveal indirect peace negotiations in Turkey in hopes of direct talks leading to a border agreement. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Borders of Israel The Golan Heights ( الجولان al-Jawlān, הגולן ha-Golan) is a strategic Plateau and mountainous (Reuters via The Washington Post)
    • The anti-Syrian government and the pro-Syrian opposition in Lebanon agree on a deal which includes the election of Michel Suleiman as President of Lebanon, outlawing the use of weapons in intra-Lebanese disputes, the formation of a unity government in which the opposition will gain more than a third of ministers (giving it a veto) and a new electoral law for the 2009 parliamentary elections. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية An indirect presidential election was held in the Parliament of Lebanon on 25 May 2008, after the term of incumbent President Émile Lahoud expired Michel Suleiman or Sleiman ( ميشال سليمان, born 21 November 1948) is the current President of Lebanon. This page lists presidents of Lebanon Though it is not specifically stated in the constitution an unwritten understanding known as the National Pact (al-mithaq al-watani agreed in 1943 National governments (alternatively national unity governments or national union governments) are broad Coalition governments consisting of all parties (or A veto, Latin for "I forbid" is used to Denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a certain piece of Legislation. Elections in Lebanon gives information on Election and election results in Lebanon. Parliamentary elections will be held in Lebanon in 2009 A new electoral law is as follows in the table following a compromise reached in the Qatar talks in May 2008 (BBC News) (Bloomberg)
  • Georgian voters go to the polls for the Georgian legislative election, 2008. Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Parliamentary elections were held in Georgia on May 21 2008. President Mikheil Saakashvili proposed a referendum on bringing them (Reuters via The International Herald Tribune)
  • VMK, a Disney MMORPG, is closed after three years. Disney's Virtual Magic
  • David Cook wins on American Idol with 12 million votes. David Cook may refer to David Cook (singer (b 1982 winner of the seventh season of American Idol David J
Current events of May 22, 2008 (2008-05-22) (Thursday)edithistorywatch
  • An explosion, linked to Islamic terrorism, explodes in the Princesshay shopping centre of Exeter, United Kingdom. Events 334 BC - The Greek army of Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of the Granicus. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Exeter bombing was a failed attack which happened on the 22nd May 2008 at the Giraffe cafe and restaurant in Princesshay, Exeter. Princesshay is the name for a new commercial retail development in Exeter. Exeter ( (IPA ˈeksɪtər is a city, district and County town of Devon, England. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located (BBC) (CNN)
  • California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declares a state of emergency in Santa Cruz County for the ongoing Summit Fire burning in the Santa Cruz Mountains. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Governor of California is the highest executive authority in the state government whose responsibilities include making annual "State of the State" addresses Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger ( German ˌaɐnɔlt aloʏs ˈʃvaɐtsənɛɡɐ born July 30 1947 is an Austrian American Bodybuilder, Actor A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors or order government agencies The Summit Fire was a Wildfire that started on May 22, 2008 in the Santa Cruz Mountains, near Corralitos California, United The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a Mountain range in central California, United States. (CNN) (KSBW)
  • Weld County Tornado: One person is killed and at least 100 are injured in Weld County, Colorado after a tornado tears through the county. This page documents the Tornadoes and Tornado outbreaks of 2008 primarily (but not entirely in the United States. Weld County is the third most extensive and the ninth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus Colorado Governor Bill Ritter declares a state of emergency and activates the Colorado National Guard in the affected region. The Governor of the State of Colorado is the chief executive of the U August William "Bill" Ritter Jr (born September 6, 1956) is an American politician of the Democratic Party, and the current A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors or order government agencies The Colorado National Guard consists of the Colorado Army National Guard and the Colorado Air National Guard (The Denver Post)(ABC 7)
  • Two civilians and a Lithuanian soldier are killed as an Afghan protest over the Koran shooting outside the Chagcharan Airfield in the Ghor Province of Afghanistan turns violent. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, (CNN)
  • The death toll from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake rises to 51,151 with 29,328 still missing. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 (AFP via Times of South Africa)
  • The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili claims victory for his United National Movement party in the Georgian legislative election, 2008 with the Opposition claiming that the vote had been rigged. The President of Georgia (საქართველოს პრეზიდენტი is the Commander-in-chief of Georgia. Mikheil Saakashvili (მიხეილ ნიკოლოზის ძე სააკაშვილი (born 21 December 1967, a Georgian Politician, the United National Movement (ერთიანი ნაციონალური მოძრაობა, Ertiani Natsionaluri Modzraoba, ENM is the largest political organisation Parliamentary elections were held in Georgia on May 21 2008. President Mikheil Saakashvili proposed a referendum on bringing them (Reuters)
Current events of May 23, 2008 (2008-05-23) (Friday)edithistorywatch
  • Twelve South American nations agree to form the Union of South American Nations uniting two customs unions in Mercosur and the Andean Community. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a __FORCETOC__The Union of South American Nations (Unión de Naciones Suramericanas - UNASUR, União de Nações Sul-Americanas - UNASUL, Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties A customs union is a Free trade area with a Common external tariff. Role and potential Some South Americans see Mercosur as giving the capability to combine resources to balance the activities of other global economic powers especially the North The Andean Community ( Spanish: Comunidad Andina, CAN) is a Trade bloc comprising the South American countries of (Euronews)
  • At least 17 civilians including a child are killed in a claymore mine explosion in Kilinochchi, North of Sri Lanka. The M18A1 Claymore is a directional Anti-personnel mine used by the U Killinochchi (, கிளிநொச்சி scientific transliteration Kilinocci) is a small city in the Kilinochchi District, part of the Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island (Daily Mirror)
  • The Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon states that Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council has decided to grant access to areas worst hit by Cyclone Nargis to international aid workers regardless of nationality. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. Ban Ki-moon (born 13 June 1944 Korean: 반기문 Hanja: 潘基文 is the current Secretary-General of the United Nations. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused (Bloomberg)
  • Around 20,000 passengers are affected by unofficial industrial action by Iarnród Éireann, Ireland's national rail operator. Industrial action (UK and Ireland or job action (US refers collectively to any measure taken by Trade unions or other organised labour meant to reduce Productivity rail transport in Ireland Iarnród Éireann ( IÉ;; in English, Irish Rail) is the national Railway system operator of the Republic Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. (RTÉ)
  • Hu Jintao, the President of China, and the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev condemn the United States' National missile defense system. Hu Jintao ( born 21 December 1942 is currently the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist The President of Russia (Президент России or the President of the Russian Federation, Президент Российской Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev ( Dmitrij Anatol′evič Medvedev;; born 14 September 1965 is currently President of Russia, inaugurated on 7 May 2008 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the National missile defense (NMD as a generic term is a type of Missile defense: a military strategy and associated systems to shield an entire country against incoming (AP via Google News)
  • The International Court of Justice awards sovereignty of Pedra Branca to Singapore, ending a 28-year dispute over the islet between Singapore and Malaysia. See also International Commission of Jurists The International Court of Justice (known colloquially as the World Court or ICJ; Cour Pedra Branca (formerly referred to by Malaysia as Pulau Batu Puteh and now as Batu Puteh is an outlying island of Singapore. Singapore For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and Malaysia was awarded sovereignty of an outcropping of Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks, while the sovereignty of South Ledge was left to be determined by the maritime boundary between the two nations, which is also a contentious point. (Channel NewsAsia)
  • Seven Moroccan tourists are killed in a bus crash in central France, near the city of Blois. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Blois is a city and commune in France, the Préfecture (capital of the Loir-et-Cher département, situated (RTÉ)
  • An independent investigation into $8. 2 billion in United States Department of Defense spending in Iraq, as well as aid to Egypt and Kuwait since 2001 finds that 95% of payments to contractors failed to meet requirements for documentation to determine what was paid for. The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed (The New York Times)
  • 2006 Lathen maglev train accident: Germany fines two test track managers over the 23 deaths and 11 injuries. The 2006 Lathen maglev train accident occurred on September 22, 2006 when a Transrapid Magnetic levitation (or " maglev " Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A third defendant remains to be tried due to suicide fears. (Bloomberg) (Wikinews)
  • A coroner suggests the entire fleet of British Royal Air Force Hawker Siddeley Nimrod aircraft should be grounded on safety concerns. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout (BBC News)
Current events of May 24, 2008 (2008-05-24) (Saturday)edithistorywatch
  • Dima Bilan of Russia wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Believe" with 272 points. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Dima Bilan (Дима Билан birth name Viktor Nikolaevich Belan, ru Виктор Николаевич Белан 24 December, 1981 in Ust-Dzheguta Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending "Believe" is the winning Russian entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest sung by Dima Bilan. (AP via The International Herald Tribune)
  • Tornadoes of 2008: Two people from Colorado die in a tornado south of Pratt, Kansas as more than a dozen tornadoes hit Kansas. This page documents the Tornadoes and Tornado outbreaks of 2008 primarily (but not entirely in the United States. The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus Pratt is a city in and the County seat of Pratt County in the southwestern part of the U Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " (AP via Forbes)
  • Three people are killed and another three injured in a helicopter crash on Santa Catalina Island, California near Two Harbors, California. Santa Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky Island off the coast of the U Two Harbors, colloquially known as " The Isthmus " is a small unincorporated island village on Santa Catalina Island California with a population (AP via Google News)
  • Munster win the Heineken European Rugby Cup against Toulouse, 16 to 13. Munster Rugby (more commonly known as Munster) is an Irish professional Rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the Magners The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual Rugby union competition involving leading Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French Rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. (RTÉ)
  • Colombia:
    • According to the Colombian Minister of Defense, Juan Manuel Santos, FARC founder and commander Tirofijo died on March 26. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The Ministry of National Defense is the Colombian Ministry in charge of Security and defense of Colombia managing the Armed Forces of Colombia; the Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (b 10 August 1951, in Bogotá) is a Colombian politician currently serving as Minister of National Defense The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo also known by the Acronym of Pedro Antonio Marín Marín ( May 13 1930 - March 26, 2008) known by his " Nom de guerre," Manuel Marulanda Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. (El Tiempo) (Semana) The death was confirmed a day after in a video released to channel teleSUR. La Nueva Televisora del Sur ( Spanish for "The New Television Station of the South" named teleSUR, is a pan- Latin American terrestrial Noticias24
    • A 5.9 earthquake with its epicentre in the Department of Meta strikes the Central and West areas of the country; at least 11 people are killed with over 4000 injuries reported. The 2008 El Calvario earthquake occurred in central Colombia on May 24, 2008. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth 's surface that is directly above the Hypocenter or focus the point where an Earthquake (Hindustan Times) (USGS)
  • In continuing battles against anti-foreigner violence in South Africa, police shoot and kill one man in Johannesburg. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Johannesburg ( Pronounced /jō-hān'ĭs-bûrg'/ is the largest city in South Africa. The Red Cross warns it is struggling to help the thousands of displaced people. (AFP via Google News) (AFP via Google News)
  • Flooding in Chile kills at least five people, displaces at least 15,000 people and closes the Pan American Highway south of Santiago. A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The Pan-American Highway (see below for its name in other Western European languages is a network of Roads nearly 48000 kilometres (29800 miles in Santiago ( (litteraly in spanish Saint James) is the Capital of Chile, and the center of its largest Conurbation ( Greater Santiago (BBC News)
  • Cyclone Nargis: The authorities in Myanmar allow foreign help into the country following initial resistance. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. (Reuters)
  • Wen Jiabao, the Premier of China, estimates that the eventual death toll from the 2008 Sichuan earthquake could rise as high as "80,000 or more". This is a Chinese name; the family name is Wen. Wen Jiabao ( (born 15 September 1942 is the Premier of the The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 (CBC)
  • Prince Joachim of Denmark marries French Marie Cavallier. Early life His godparents include Count Jean Baptiste de Laborde de Monpezat, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, and Princess Christina of Sweden. Early life Marie Cavallier was born in Paris, France. She is the only child of Françoise Grassiot and Alain Cavallier Prince Joachim was previously married to Hong Kong-born Alexandra Manley. Alexandra Christina Countess of Frederiksborg ( Née Alexandra Christina Manley, formerly Princess Alexandra of Denmark) born 30 June 1964 is a former (The Danish Monarchy)
Current events of May 25, 2008 (2008-05-25) (Sunday)edithistorywatch
  • The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party wins the most seats in elections for the Karnataka legislature, India. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political The Indian state of Karnataka has a Bicameral (two chamber legislature India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country (Radio Australia)
  • USA Tornadoes of 2008
    • A severe storm in Hugo, Minnesota kills one person with another 20 missing with unconfirmed reports of a tornado. This page documents the Tornadoes and Tornado outbreaks of 2008 primarily (but not entirely in the United States. A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface and strongly implying Severe weather. Hugo (hjuːgoʊ is a Commuter town 14 miles (23 km north of downtown Saint Paul in Washington County in the U A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus (AP via Google News)
    • Seven people are killed and dozens more injured as a tornado hits Parkersburg, Iowa. Parkersburg is a city in Butler County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1889 at the 2000 census (AP via WCCO)
  • The Phoenix lander arrives at Mars, landing successfully in the "Green Valley" region of Vastitas Borealis. Phoenix is a Robotic spacecraft on a Space exploration mission on Mars under the Mars Scout Program. Green Valley is a region on Mars within Vastitas Borealis that was chosen as the landing site of NASA 's Phoenix lander Vastitas Borealis ( Latin, 'northern waste') is the largest lowland region of Mars. (NASA)
  • New Zealand driver Scott Dixon wins the 2008 Indianapolis 500 ahead of Vitor Meira. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Scott Ronald Dixon (born July 22 1980 is a New Zealand motor racing driver who has twice won the Indy Racing League (IRL championship in the United States The 92nd Indianapolis 500-Mile Race was run on Sunday May 25, 2008 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway Indiana, USA. Vitor Meira (born March 27, 1977 in Brasília, Brazil) is an Auto racing driver currently competing in the Indy Racing League (AP via Google News)
  • Laurent Cantet's film Entre les murs (The Class) wins the Palme d'Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Laurent Cantet is a French director born on June 15, 1961 at Melle (Deux-Sèvres. Entre les murs ( English: The Class; lit "Between the walls" is a 2008 film directed by Laurent Cantet, based on the The Palme d'Or ( English: Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded to competing films at the Cannes Film Festival. The 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival was held May 14 through 25, 2008. (Canadian Press via Google News)
  • The former President of Malawi Bakili Muluzi is arrested in Lilongwe after returning from the United Kingdom in relation to an alleged coup attempt. Latest election List of Heads of State of Malawi Affiliations- MCP = Malawi Congress Party - nationalist authoritarian sole legal Elson Bakili Muluzi (born March 17, 1943) is a Malawian politician Lilongwe, estimated population 597619 (2003 census is the Capital of Malawi. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located (Reuters)
  • Michel Suleiman is elected as President of the Republic of Lebanon. Michel Suleiman or Sleiman ( ميشال سليمان, born 21 November 1948) is the current President of Lebanon. This page lists presidents of Lebanon Though it is not specifically stated in the constitution an unwritten understanding known as the National Pact (al-mithaq al-watani agreed in 1943 Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية (BBC News)
  • 2008 Sichuan earthquake
    • China's Cabinet states that the death toll from the earthquake has reached 62,664. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of Government, typically representing the executive branch. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer (AP via Google News)
    • An aftershock measuring 6. An aftershock is an Earthquake that occurs after a previous earthquake (the main shock 0 on the Richter scale topples thousands of building in Sichuan Province and injures hundreds of people. The Richter magnitude scale, or more correctly local magnitude M L scale assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu. (The New York Times)
  • The Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon hosts a conference in Myanmar with representatives of 50 nations on how to aid in recovery from Cyclone Nargis. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. Ban Ki-moon (born 13 June 1944 Korean: 반기문 Hanja: 潘基文 is the current Secretary-General of the United Nations. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused (AP via Forbes)
  • At Brussels Airport, a Boeing 747 cargo airliner from American operator Kalitta Air crashes at the end of the runway during takeoff and breaks in two. Brussels Airport (also called Brussel Nationaal/Bruxelles-National (Brussels National WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Cargo (or freight) refers to goods or produce transported generally for Commercial gain by ship, aircraft, train, The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Kalitta Air is an American Cargo airline based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA. Kalitta Air is an American Cargo airline based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA. All 5 crewmembers survive. (AP via CNN)
Current events of May 26, 2008 (2008-05-26) (Monday)edithistorywatch
  • The International Atomic Energy Agency releases a report accusing Iran of hiding information about alleged studies of producing nuclear warheads and defying demands to suspend its uranium enrichment. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Iran is not known to possess Weapons of mass destruction, and has signed treaties repudiating possession of them including the Biological Weapons The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States as part of the Atoms for Peace program (AFP)
  • China relaxes its one-child policy to allow parents of children killed in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to have another child. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The one-child policy is the Population control policy (or planned birth policy of the People's Republic of China (PRC The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 (Canadian Press via Google News)
  • Westpac signs an implementation agreement for its take over of the St George Bank, creating the largest bank in Australia with a market capitalisation of A$66 billion. This article is about the bank For the defunct airline see Western Pacific Airlines. StGeorge Bank is the fifth largest Bank in Australia (by market capitalisation A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Australian dollar ( sign: $; code: AUD) is the Currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas (The Australian)
  • Nepalese authorities ban rallies and mass meetings in Kathmandu prior to the first meeting of the Nepalese Constituent Assembly which is expected to declare Nepal a republic. Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. A demonstration is an historically and geographically common form of Nonviolent action by groups of people Kathmandu (काठमांडौ येँ is the Capital and the largest city of Nepal. The Nepalese Constituent Assembly is a body of 601 members formed as a result of an election that was held on April 10, 2008. Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. (BBC News)
  • A court in Ethiopia sentences former ruler Mengistu Haile Mariam to death for his role in the Red Terror. NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page The following is a list of rulers and heads of state of Ethiopia since the Zagwe dynasty. Mengistu Haile Mariam (መንግስቱ ኃይለ ማርያም məngɨstu hi lə maryam (born 1937 a repression campaign against the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party and The Ethiopian Red Terror, or Qey Shibir (also Key Shibbir, etc (BBC News)
  • Embattled Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Bernier resigns after admitting to having left confidential documents unsecured in a private home. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Minister of Foreign Affairs (Ministre des Affaires étrangères is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal Maxime Bernier PC, MP (born January 18, 1963) is a Canadian member of Parliament and former Minister of Foreign Affairs (CBC)
  • The BJP wins a plurality in elections in the Indian state of Karnataka. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political The politics of Karnataka is dominated by three major parties the Indian National Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular and the Bharatiya Janata Party Karnataka (ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ pronounced) is a state in the southern part of India (BBC News)
  • The caretaker government of Bangladesh will establish a truth commission to deal with past corruption by politicians. Politics of Bangladesh takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Bangladesh A truth commission or truth and reconciliation commission is a commission tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government in the hope of resolving conflict Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain (BBC News).
  • The European Beaver will be reintroduced to Scotland after 400 years. The European beaver ( Castor fiber) is an endangered large aquatic Rodent which was hunted almost to extinction in Europe, both for Fur and Reintroduction is the deliberate release of species into the wild from captivity or relocated from other areas where the species survives Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. (AFP)
Current events of May 27, 2008 (2008-05-27) (Tuesday)edithistorywatch
  • Rights groups say afghan women committing suicide at alarming rate; Women rights groups say that last year, almost 500 women chose death or disfigurement to life of despair by setting themselves on fire to escape forced marriages, slavery or sexual and other types of abuse. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common (VOA)
  • Argentine farmers announce that they will stop selling grain for export from 28 May to 2 June in a deepening row with the federal government over export taxes. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. A farmer is a person who raises living organisms for food or raw materials In Economics, an export is any good or Commodity, Transported from one country to another country in a Legitimate fashion Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks The government of Argentina, functioning within the framework of a Federal system, is a presidential representative democratic Republic. (AFP)
  • The Russian Constitutional Court meets in its first session since it relocated from Moscow to the historical building of the Governing Senate at the Decembrists Square in Saint Petersburg. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Constitutional Court of Russian Federation (Russian Конституционный Суд Российской Федерации is a high court which is empowered to rule on whether Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The Governing Senate (Правительствующий сенат was a legislative judicial and executive body of Russian Monarchs, instated by Peter the Great Decembrists Square or Ploshchad Dekabristov (Площадь Декабристов is a historic City square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River (Itar-Tass)
  • The S&P/Case-Shiller index shows a record annual decline in United States house prices of 14. Standard & Poor's ( S&P) is a division of McGraw-Hill that publishes financial research and analysison Stocks and bonds. The Case-Shiller Home Price Indices measure the nominal value of the residential Real estate market in the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 1%. (CEP News)
  • Aung San Suu Kyi
    • The State Peace and Development Council extends Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest by one year. Aung San Suu Kyi ( àunsʰánsṵtʃì born 19 June 1945 in Rangoon, is a pro- Democracy activist and leader of the National League for The State Peace and Development Council or Arr Nar Yuu Myar A Phwet ( nàiNŋàNdɔ̀ éiʤáN θàja yéi n̥ḭN pʰṵNpʰyo yéi kaùNsì abbreviated SPDC) is the official In Justice and Law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or electronic monitoring) is a measure by which (AFP via Google News)
    • Police in Burma detain more than a dozen members of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The National League for Democracy (အမျိုးသားဒီမိုကရေစီအဖွဲ့ချုပ် is a Burmese political party founded on 27 September (AP via Google News)
  • In the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake, the People's Republic of China evacuates 100,000 people from Mianyang as engineers prepare to drain the landslide dam-created Tangjiashan Lake. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Mianyang ( is the second largest city in Sichuan Province located in western China. A landslide dam, debris dam, barrier lake or quake lake if it is caused by Earthquake, is a natural Damming of a River by Tangjiashan Lake ( Chinese: 唐家山堰塞湖 is a Landslide dam -created lake on the Jian River, which was formed by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake (CNN)
  • Thabo Mbeki, the President of South Africa, leaves for Japan to attend a conference on African development despite concerns about the 2008 South African riots. Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (born 18 June 1942 is a South African politician who served as President of South Africa from 1999 to 24 September 2008 The President of South Africa, in full the President of the Republic of South Africa is the Head of state and Head of government under South For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. (AFP)
  • Protesting soldiers seize the deputy head of the Army of Guinea a week after Lansana Kouyate is dismissed as Prime Minister. The Republic of Guinea Armed Forces are the Armed forces of Guinea. Lansana Kouyaté (born 1950 is a Guinean diplomat and political figure who served as Prime Minister of Guinea from 2007 to 2008 The role of Head of Government of Guinea is fulfilled by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President of Guinea. (BBC News)
  • Leiden University Medical Center scientists decipher the first complete DNA sequence of a woman. The Leiden University Medical Center (Dutch Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum) or LUMC, is the university hospital affiliated with Leiden University, The term DNA sequencing encompasses biochemical methods for determining the order of the Nucleotide bases Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine (MSNBC)
Current events of May 28, 2008 (2008-05-28) (Wednesday)edithistorywatch
  • Engineers announce that the Leaning Tower of Pisa has been stabilized for the first time, and will remain stable for 200 more years. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Torre pendente di Pisa or simply The Tower of Pisa (it La Torre di Pisa is the Campanile, or freestanding bell tower of the Pisa is a city in Tuscany, central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the Arno River on the Ligurian Sea. (BBC News)
  • Australian paleontologists discover Materpiscis, a 380-million-year-old placoderm fish which is the earliest known animal to bear live young. Materpiscis ( Latin: mother fish) is a Genus of Ptyctodontid placoderm (a class of Extinct, superficially shark-like The Placodermi were a class of armoured Prehistoric fishes known from Fossils which lived from the late Silurian to the end of the Devonian A viviparous Animal is an animal employing vivipary: the embryo develops inside the body of the mother as opposed to outside in an egg ( Ovipary (BBC News), (ABC News Australia)
  • The Governor of New York David Paterson directs New York state agencies to recognise gay marriages performed in other jurisdictions such as Canada, California and Massachusetts. The Governor of New York is the head of the Executive branch of New York 's government and the Commander-in-chief of the state's military David Alexander Paterson (born May 20 1954 is an American politician and the current Governor of New York. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. (The New York Times)
  • In Dublin, over 100 countries, not including the United States, Russia, or China, agree to the Convention on Cluster Munitions banning cluster bombs. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Convention on Cluster Munitions is an international Treaty that prohibits the use of Cluster bombs a type of weapon which scatters submunitions ("bomblets" Cluster munitions or cluster bombs are air-dropped or ground-launched munitions that eject a number of smaller submunitions a cluster of bomblets (RTÉ) (AFP via Yahoo! News)
  • Ehud Barak, the Defense Minister of Israel and Leader of the Labor Party, calls for the resignation of the Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert to step aside to face corruption allegations. Ehud Barak (אֵהוּד בָּרָק born Ehud Brog on 12 February 1942) is an Israeli politician former Prime Minister, and The Defense Minister of Israel (שר הביטחון Sar HaBitahon lit The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and is the most powerful political officer in Israel (the President of Israel being a titular figurehead Ehud Olmert (אהוד אולמרט ɛˈhud ˈolmeʁt born September 30, 1945) is the 12th and current Prime Minister of Israel and the former leader (AP via Google News)
  • The Majlis of Iran elects Ali Larijani as its new Speaker. The Majlis of Iran ( Persian: مجلس شورای اسلامی lit Ali Ardashir Larijani (علی اردشیر لاریجانی born 1958 is an Iranian philosopher politician and the chairman/speaker of the Iranian parliament. The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a legislative body (AFP via Google News)
  • Nepal
    • The Nepalese Constituent Assembly meets for the first time since the Nepalese Constituent Assembly election, 2008 with the Assembly expected to establish a new Constitution of Nepal. Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. The Nepalese Constituent Assembly is a body of 601 members formed as a result of an election that was held on April 10, 2008. An election for a Constituent Assembly was held in Nepal on 10 April 2008 after having been postponed from earlier dates of 20 June Constitution of Nepal: presently Nepal has no permanent Constitution. (BBC News)
    • The Nepalese Constituent Assembly declares Nepal to be a federal, democratic republic abolishing the 240 year old Nepalese monarchy. Political federalism is a Political philosophy in which a group of members are bound together (Latin foedus, covenant) with a governing Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The King of Nepal was traditionally known as the Mahārājdhirāja (श्री 5 महाराजधिराज his queen was known as the Badāmahārānī (Sify)
Current events of May 29, 2008 (2008-05-29) (Thursday)edithistorywatch
  • 2008 Sichuan earthquake: China begins inspecting the ruins of thousands of schools that collapsed in the Sichuan earthquake, searching for clues about why they crumbled. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 (VOA)
  • Tornadoes of 2008: The Governor of Nebraska Dave Heineman declares a state of emergency in relation to tornadoes in the towns of Kearney, Nebraska, and Aurora, Nebraska. This page documents the Tornadoes and Tornado outbreaks of 2008 primarily (but not entirely in the United States. The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution David Eugene "Dave" Heineman (born May 12, 1948, in Falls City Nebraska) is the Governor of the U A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors or order government agencies A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus Kearney is a city in Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. Aurora is a city in Hamilton County, Nebraska in the United States of America. (NTV)
  • In a 6–5 ruling, the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court upholds a 2005 law permitting embryonic stem cell research in the country. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Supreme Federal Court ( Portuguese: Supremo Tribunal Federal or STF) is the Supreme court (court of last resort of Brazil Embryonic stem cells (ES cells are Stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of an early stage Embryo known as a Blastocyst. (NBC) (Folha de S. Paulo)
  • The National Indian Foundation publishes photographs of a tribe of uncontacted peoples in a remote area of Amazonia. A photograph (often shortened to photo) is an Image created by Light falling on a light-sensitive surface usually Photographic film or an electronic Uncontacted peoples are peoples who either by choice or chance live or have lived without significant contact with the 'modern' civilizations of the world The Amazon Rainforest (Brazilian Portuguese: Floresta Amazônica or Amazônia; Spanish: Selva Amazónica or Amazonía (CNN)
  • A helicopter crashes into a building in Panama City, killing the Director-general of the Carabiniers of Chile and several civilians. Panama City (Ciudad de Panamá is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. The term director-general is used worldwide to signify the highest executive officer within a Governmental statutory NGO, third sector or Not-for-profit Carabineros de Chile are the uniformed Chilean national Police force and Gendarmery, created on April 27, 1927. (AP via MSNBC)
  • Tropical Storm Alma, the first tropical storm of the 2008 Pacific hurricane season, makes landfall in Nicaragua near the city of León bringing heavy rains and strong winds. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding The 2008 Pacific hurricane season is an ongoing event in the annual cycle of Tropical cyclone formation Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America León is the second largest City in Nicaragua, after Managua. (Bloomberg)
  • A strong earthquake measuring 6. The 2008 Iceland earthquake, magnitude 63 struck on May 29, 2008 at 1546 UTC. 1 on the Richter scale strikes Iceland near the town of Selfoss. The Richter magnitude scale, or more correctly local magnitude M L scale assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( (CNN)
  • The World Bank announces a US$1. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 2 billion package to fight the global food crisis including $200 million in grants for those most at risk in Third World countries. The years 2007–2008 saw dramatic rises in world food prices creating a global crisis and causing political and economical instability and social unrest in Third World is a name given to nations that are generally considered to be underdeveloped economically (AFP via Google News)
  • Athletics coach Trevor Graham is convicted of lying to investigators of links to a steroids dealer in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative investigation. Trevor Graham is a Jamaican born former athletics coach, based in the United States. A steroid is a Terpenoid Lipid characterized by a Carbon skeleton with four fused rings generally arranged in a 6-6-6-5 fashion The Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative also known as BALCO was an American company led by founder and owner Victor Conte. (AP via Google News)
  • The United States Department of Commerce revises its estimate of economic growth in the United States to 0. The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting Economic growth Economic growth is the increase in the amount of the goods and services produced by an economy over time The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 9% for the first quarter of 2008. A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is a period used for calculating annual ("yearly" Financial statements in Businesses (AFP via Google News)
  • At least 20 people are killed and 42 injured after two suicide bombings in northern Iraq. This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. (AFP via Google News)
  • A bomb at Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines kills two people and injures another 17. Zamboanga International Airport ( Filipino: Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Zamboanga, Chavacano and Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Zamboanga Officially the City of Zamboanga ( Chavacano de Zamboanga / Spanish: Ciudad de Zamboanga) The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP (BBC News)
  • Hu Jintao, the President of the People's Republic of China calls for resumption of official talks between mainland China and Taiwan in a meeting with Wu Po-hsiung, the Chairman of Taiwan's ruling party the Kuomintang. Hu Jintao ( born 21 December 1942 is currently the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist The President of the People's Republic of China ( literally Chairman of the Chinese People's Republic or abbreviated Guójiā Zhǔxí 国家主席 literally State Chairman History Before 1949 See also Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Wu Po-hsiung ( born June 19, 1939) is a politician in the Republic of China (ROC is currently chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT (CNN)
  • Twenty-six people are dead and fifty-one missing as a result of snowstorms in eastern Mongolia. Winter storms of 2007–2008 profiles the major winter storms including blizzards ice storms and other winter events from July 1 2007 to June 30 2008 Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East (UB Post)
  • Luxembourg ratifies the Treaty of Lisbon becoming the fifteenth country to do so. Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the
  • Iraq delivers a report on security, reconstruction, and economic progress at the U.N. conference on Iraq in Stockholm. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The International Compact with Iraq is an initiative of the Government of Iraq that was announced July 27 2006 for a new partnership with the international community ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the Iraq seeks debt forgiveness and foreign investment to aid with reconstruction. Debt relief is the partial or total forgiveness of Debt, or the slowing or stopping of debt growth owed by individuals corporations or nations Reconstruction of Iraq describes attempts by the international community to improve and repair the infrastructure of Iraq in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion when much (Mawtani) (VOA)
  • Torrential rain causes flash flooding across half of Somerset, United Kingdom. A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic lowlying areas - washes rivers and streams Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located (BBC News)
Current events of May 30, 2008 (2008-05-30) (Friday)edithistorywatch
  • In the United States, Sameer Mishra wins the 81st Scripps National Spelling Bee, the winning word was "guerdon", a noun meaning a reward. Events 1416 - The Council of Constance, called by the Emperor Sigismund a supporter of Antipope John XXIII burns Jerome of Prague following 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The 81st Scripps National Spelling Bee took place on May 30, 2008. (USA Today)
  • A gunman shoots dead a magistrate and a Perry County, Kentucky, employee before killing himself in a convenience store near Hazard, Kentucky, United States. A magistrate is a judicial officer In Common law systems a magistrate usually has limited authority to administer and enforce the Law. Perry County is a County located in the US state of Kentucky. Hazard is a city in Perry County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 5264 at the 2000 census. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the (AP via Yahoo! News)
  • Agathon Rwasa returns to Burundi from exile in Tanzania after an agreement between his Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People and the government. Agathon Rwasa is a former Burundian Hutu militia leader and the leader of the National Liberation Forces ( Forces pour la Liberation Nationale The Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People (also known as PALIPEHUTU the acronym of its french name Parti pour la liberation du peuple hutu) is a rebel group in Burundi (BBC News)
  • A crane collapses in the Upper East Side of New York City resulting in the death of at least two people (AP via Google News), while another crane collapses in Shanghai's Pudong district, killing three. The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The City of New York Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Pudong ( officially known as Pudong New Area (浦東新区 Pinyin: Pǔdōng Xīn Qū is a district of Shanghai, China that (Xinhua)
  • Former Croatian Army general Mirko Norac is sentenced by a Croatian court to seven years in prison for his role in the 1993 Operation Medak Pocket; Rahim Ademi is acquitted. The Croatian Ground Army (Hrvatska kopnena vojska commonly referred to as the Croatian Army ( Hrvatska vojska) is a branch of the Armed Forces of the Mirko Norac (born September 19 1967) is a former general of the Croatian Army and is regarded by many Croatians as a national hero The Government of the Republic of Croatia ( Vlada Republike Hrvatske) commonly abbreviated to Croatian Government ( Hrvatska Vlada) is the main element Operation Medak Pocket (Medački džep ( Медачки џеп) was a military operation undertaken by the Croatian Army between September 9 – Rahim Ademi (born January 30, 1954) is a Croatian Army General of Kosovo - Albanian origin (BBC News)
  • Grupo TACA Flight 390, an Airbus A320 flying from San Salvador, El Salvador, crashes in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, after failing to land due to a wet runway. TACA is the flag carrier of Central America, headquartered in San Salvador El Salvador TACA Flight 390 was a scheduled flight on May 30, 2008 by TACA Airlines from Los Angeles, California, United States WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout San Salvador is the Capital and largest city of the nation of El Salvador. El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. Tegucigalpa (teɰusiˈɰalpa ( Teguz for short is the Capital city of Honduras and is also the country's largest city Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. 18 casualties are reported, including the chairman of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration who suffered a heart attack after the crash. The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (Spanish Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica, BCIE) is a Development bank established in (CNN) (Noticias24)
  • The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services reaches agreement with some of the families of the YFZ Ranch to start returning the children on Monday. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services ( DFPS) is responsible for investigating charges of abuse neglect or exploitation of children elderly adults and adults The YFZ Ranch, also known as the Yearning for Zion Ranch, is a community which housed as many as 700 just outside of Eldorado in Schleicher County (Canadian Press via Google News)
  • Cyclone Nargis
    • Aid agencies say logistical difficulties hamper Burma aid deliveries; to date, the United Nations reports about 180 planes carrying relief supplies have been unloaded in Rangoon. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city and a former capital of Burma. (VOA)
    • The pro-military junta newspaper New Light of Myanmar criticises foreign aid for victims of Cyclone Nargis stating that they could survive from eating frogs and fish in the Irrawaddy River delta. Defense Policy and Doctrine Defence Policy of Myanmar Tatmadaw was formally declared in February 1999. The New Light of Myanmar ( mjànma̰ álín formerly The New Light of Burma) is a government-owned newspaper published by the Ministry of Information and based Aid (from the french word aide, also known as international aid, overseas aid, or foreign aid, especially in the United States) is Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused This article is about the block cipher algorithm For the ultrafast laser pulse measurement technique see Frequency-resolved optical gating. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two The Ayeyarwady River or Irrawaddy River ( is a River that flows from north to south of Burma (Myanmar (AFP)
    • Burma begins evicting cyclone refugees from relief camps. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Eviction is the removal of a Tenant from rental property by the Landlord. According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race (Reuters)
  • Fishermen in Spain, Portugal and Italy strike to protest against high fuel prices; Spain's economy minister says his government cannot cut fuel taxes, but is looking into ways to help fishermen. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest This article is about the price of crude oil see Gasoline usage and pricing for information about derivative motor fuels (VOA)
  • Sadr supporters protest against a planned U.S.–Iraq security agreement to replace the current United Nations mandate for U. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. S. troops in Iraq, which expires at end of 2008. (VOA)
  • Zimbabwe's Morgan Tsvangirai claims ruling party status as the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, delivers a "state of the nation" address to elected lawmakers from his party, and promises a "new era of opportunity" for Zimbabwe. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election Morgan Richard Tsvangirai ( English ˈtʃæŋgəˈraɪ Shona ts͡ɸaŋgiˈra The Movement for Democratic Change ( MDC) is a Zimbabwean Political party. (VOA)
  • Silverjet, an all-business class airline, suspends all flights after entering administration due to rising fuel costs. Silverjet was a British all- Business class airline based at London Luton Airport that prior to the suspension of operations on 30 May A business class airline was an Airline concept during the mid-2000s involving a number of airlines that operated all- Business class services (BBC News)
Current events of May 31, 2008 (2008-05-31) (Saturday)edithistorywatch
  • Usain Bolt of Jamaica sets a new world record for the 100 metres in athletics in the Reebok Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium in New York City at 9. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Icahn Stadium opened in 2005 Located on Randall's Island, in New York City, it is one of only three Class 1 internationally certified tracks in the United States The City of New York 72 seconds. ((AP) (PA via Sporting Life)
  • In rugby union, the Crusaders defeat the New South Wales Waratahs in the 2008 Super 14 Final. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short For the speedway team see Canterbury Crusaders (speedway. The Crusaders (formerly the The New South Wales Waratahs (referred to as HSBC Waratahs for sponsorship reasons the Waratahs or simply the ' Tahs) are an Australian Road to the Final See also 2008 Super 14 season The Crusaders and Waratahs finished the Round-robin first and second on the Super 14 table respectively (New Zealand Herald)
  • China:
    • Authorities in the People's Republic of China are preparing to evacuate more than a million people from Sichuan Province as they prepare to drain Tangjiashan Lake created by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu. Tangjiashan Lake ( Chinese: 唐家山堰塞湖 is a Landslide dam -created lake on the Jian River, which was formed by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 (ABC News Australia)
    • Xinhua reports that a People's Liberation Army military helicopter has crashed while evacuating people from Sichuan. The People's Liberation Army ( PLA) ( is the unified Military organization of all land sea and air forces of the People's Republic of China. (AFP via ABC News Australia)
  • STS-124 is launched with a crew of seven and the main module of the Japanese laboratory Kibō. STS-124 was a Space Shuttle mission flown by Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' to the International Space Station. The Japanese Experiment Module (JEM ( Japanese: Kibō きぼう Hope is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station (AP via CNN)
  • 2008 Atlantic hurricane season: The first storm of the season, Tropical Storm Arthur, forms one day before the official season begins. The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season is an ongoing event in the annual cycle of Tropical cyclone formation The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season is an ongoing event in the annual cycle of Tropical cyclone formation It is located about 45 mi (75 km) NNW of Belize City. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Belize City is the largest city of the Central American nation Belize. It has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (55 km/h), and with higher gusts. (For the South African airport with IATA code "KMH" see Johan Pienaar Airport. (NHC)
  • At least five people are killed and 13 are missing after a landslide crushes homes in a poor area of the city of Medellín in Colombia. A landslide is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement such as rock falls deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows which can occur Medellín, officially the Municipio de Medellín (Spanish or Municipality of Medellín (English pronunciation mɛdəˈjiːn or, Spanish: or) is the second Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. (AFP via Google News)
  • United States Democratic Party's Rules and Bylaws Committee meets to decide on the Florida and Michigan democratic primaries held in violation of scheduling rules. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. A primary election ( nominating primary) also referred to simply as a primary, is an election in which voters in a Jurisdiction select candidates The Committee decides that both states delegate counts would be halved. (VOA) (BBC News) (The Guardian)
  • French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner makes surprise visit to Iraq, where he is expected to meet with Iraq's vice president, Adel Abdul-Mahdi. Bernard Kouchner (born November 1 1939 in Avignon) is a French Politician, diplomat, and doctor. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. (VOA)
  • New fighting between the Sri Lanka Army and the Tamil Tigers occurs in northern Sri Lanka with 26 rebels dead and 4 soldiers. The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the three armed services of Sri Lanka and is responsible for overseeing land-based military and "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island (AP via Forbes)
  • Robert Gates, the United States Secretary of Defense, states that Myanmar's refusal of international aid for victims of Cyclone Nargis has cost "thousands of lives". Robert Michael Gates (born September 25 1943) is currently serving as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense. The United States Secretary of Defense ( SECDEF) is the head of the U Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Cyclone Nargis ( JTWC designation 01B, also known as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nargis) was a strong Tropical cyclone that caused (AP via Google News) (VOA)
  • Suicide bombers in eastern Afghanistan target a military convoy. This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, A convoy is a group of Vehicles (of any type but usually motor vehicles or ships traveling together for mutual support NATO's International Security Assistance force says the attack took place in Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province. Jalalabad (Jalalkot ( Pashto: جلالکوټ، جلال اباد) is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Nangarhar ( Pashto: ننګرهار) is one of the thirty-four Provinces of Afghanistan. (VOA)
  • Thai riot police assemble in Bangkok to disperse a rally led by the People's Alliance for Democracy against the government of the Prime Minister of Thailand Samak Sundaravej. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD (พันธมิตรประชาชนเพื่อประชาธิปไตย also called the National Liberation Alliance The first Prime Minister of Thailand was Phraya Manopakorn Nititada, who took office after the 1932 Siamese coup d'état ended the absolute monarchy Samak Sundaravej (สมัคร สุนทรเวช RTGS Samak Sunthorawet 李沙马 (born 13 June 1935) was the Prime Minister of (AP via Forbes)
  • The government of Guinea starts paying junior officers of the Military of Guinea back pay in an attempt to end a five day mutiny. Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea The Republic of Guinea Armed Forces are the Armed forces of Guinea. (Reuters via News Limited)
  • World Health Organization calls for complete ban on tobacco advertising; the organization says recent studies prove the more young people are exposed to tobacco advertising, the more likely they are to start smoking. Tobacco advertising is the promotion of Tobacco use (typically Cigarette smoking) by the Tobacco industry through a variety of Smoking is a practice where a substance most commonly Tobacco, is burned and the Smoke tasted or inhaled The call comes as part of the WHO's annual World No Tobacco Day. World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. (VOA)

References

Events by month

2008 · January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
2007 · January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
2006 · January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
2005 · January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
2004 · January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
2003 · January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
2002 · January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
2001 · January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
2000 · January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
1999 · January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
1998 · January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December
1997 · January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common PortalCurrent events International holidays January 1 - New Year's Day January 1 - Independence PortalCurrent events International holidays February 2 - Candlemas February 5 - Shrove International holidays March 2 - Mothering Sunday (Britain March 7 - Nyepi (Indonesia International holidays and other major events April 1 - April Fools' Day April 4 - Qingming Festival (Mainland International holidays and commemorations June 8 - Dragon Boat Festival ( Traditional Chinese) June 9 - Shavuot International holidays July 1 - Canada Day ( Canada) July 1 - July Morning ( Bulgaria) International holidays Independence Day - India National Heroes Day - Philippines Independence Day - Pakistan 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. January 2007 is the first month of that year It began on a Monday and 31 days later ended on a Wednesday. February 2007 is the second month of the year It began on a Thursday and 28 days later ended on a Wednesday. March 2007 is the third month of the year It began on a Thursday, and ended 31 days later on a Saturday. April 2007 is the fourth month of that year It began on a Sunday and 30 days later ended on a Monday. May 2007 is the fifth month of that year It began on a Tuesday and 31 days later ended on a Thursday. June 2007 is the sixth month of that year It began on a Friday and 30 days later ended on a Saturday. July 2007 is the seventh month of that year It began on a Sunday and 31 days later ended on a Tuesday. August 2007 is the eighth month of that year It began on a Wednesday and 31 days later ended on a Friday. September 2007 is the ninth month of that year It began on a Saturday October 2007 is the tenth month of that year It began on a Monday and 31 days later ended on a Wednesday. November 2007 is the eleventh month of that year It began on a Thursday and 30 days later ended on a Friday December 2007 is the twelfth month of that year It began on a Saturday and 31 days later ended on a Monday Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. January 2006: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July Stories without links will be removed. News stories must be in English Stories without links will be removed. News stories must be in English Stories without links will be removed'. News stories must be in English May 2006 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month June 2006 was a month with thirty days The following events also occurred during the month July 2006 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month August 2006 was a month with thirty-one days On August 10, an alleged plot to detonate ten Airliners over the Atlantic Ocean was revealed to September 2006 was marked by a controversy surrounding statements made by Pope Benedict XVI regarding Islam, during the same week as the fifth anniversary October 2006 was a month that began on a Sunday The month was marked by a nuclear test by North Korea that prompted that passing of Resolution 1718 Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. January 2005: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September February 2005: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August March 2005: ← - January 2005 - February 2005 - March - April 2005 - May 2005 - June 2005 - July 2005 May 2005 was the fifth month of that year It began on a Sunday and ended after 31 days on a Tuesday. 2005: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October 2005: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October PortalCurrent events News collections and sources WikipediaNews collections and sources. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources WikipediaNews collections and sources. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources See WikipediaNews collections and sources. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources See WikipediaNews collections and sources. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources See WikipediaNews collections and sources. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " January 2004: &larr - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August February 2004 was the second month of 2004 in the Gregorian calendar. March 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September May 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September June 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September July 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September August 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August October 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - November 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September December 2004: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. January 2003: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August February 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - March 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September April 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September May 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - June 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - July 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - August 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September October 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - November 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - December 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. January 2002: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August February 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - March 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September April 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September May 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September June 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September July 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September August 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September September 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - October 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - November 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - December 2002: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. January 2001: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August February 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September March 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September April 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September May 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September June 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September July 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September August 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September September 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September October 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - November 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - December 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. January 2000: &larr - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - February 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September March 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September April 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September May 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September June 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September July 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September August 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September September 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - October 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - November 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - December 2000: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) January 1999 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month February 1999 was a month with twenty-eight days The following events also occurred during the month March 1999 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month April 1999 was a month with thirty days The following events also occurred during the month May 1999 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month June 1999 was a month with thirty days The following events also occurred during the month July 1999 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month August 1999 was a month with thirty-one days The following events also occurred during the month September 1999 was a month with thirty days The following events also occurred during the month October 1999: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - November 1999: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - December 1999: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar
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