GLOBAL NEWS : Key events in the world in 2008

Major events of 2008 in the world:

- March 3, 2008:

RUSSIA – The designated successor Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, won an overwhelming victory in the presidential election.

Putin ceding his post to Medvedev in May after two terms (2000-2008), the Constitution prohibiting a third consecutive term, becomes prime minister, retaining major powers at the head of the state.

- May 25, 2008:

LEBANON / CRISIS / SLEIMAN ELECTION – Election of new president of Lebanon Michel Sleiman, commander of the army since 1998, after months of political deadlock.

- July 2, 2008:

COLOMBIA / BETANCOURT – The Colombian army frees the Franco-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt, a former Green candidate for the presidency of Colombia, after more than six years at the hands of the guerrilla Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC Marxist) in the Colombian jungle.

The “Jaque” of the Colombian army has also helped to save 14 other hostages held by FARC.

- July 7, 2008:

AFGHANISTAN – Ten French soldiers were killed in fighting near Kabul in ground assault bloodiest against the international forces in that country. The year 2008 was the deadliest for international forces since 2001, with 287 soldiers killed.

Washington decided to send up to 30,000 additional troops to combat Taliban increasingly active. On July 7, a suicide attack aimed at the Embassy of India made more than 60 dead in Kabul, which this year has seen an upsurge of such attacks.

- July 21, 2008:

Serbia / Bosnia / TPI – Arrest of former Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic by the Serbian security services. Karadzic and his former military chief Ratko Mladic, remain at large, were on the run since the ICTY has indicted, thirteen years ago, genocide and war crimes during the conflict in Bosnia (1992-1995).

- 7 / 8 August, 2008:

CRISIS GEORGIA / RUSSIA – Georgia triggers on the night of 7 to 8 August a military offensive against the rebel republic of South Ossetia, backed by Moscow and control which the two countries clash since the fall of the USSR in 1991. Russia launches military operation and withdraw its soldiers last October. The conflict spread to Abkhazia, another rebellious autonomous republic in Georgia, also supported by Moscow.

Russia recognized the independence of these regions on August 26, to the chagrin of Westerners.

- 8 / 24 Aug, 2008:

OJ BEIJING – At the J.0 in Beijing, China becomes the first power with 51 Olympic gold medals before the United States (36) on a total of 100. These OJ raised a controversy on the international scene because of sprains of China on human rights, particularly in Tibet.

- Aug. 18, 2008:

PAKISTAN – Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, in power since 1999, resigned on the eve of launching an impeachment process by the coalition government. Pervez Musharraf, then army chief, took power in October 1999 through a military coup without bloodshed. The highly controversial Asif Ali Zardari, widower of Benazir Bhutto, elected in September by Parliament, succeeds him.

- Sept. 15, 2008:

FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC CRISIS – The bankruptcy of the U.S. bank Lehman Brothers marks the acceleration of a global financial crisis, born in 2007 in the United States with the collapse of the market for mortgages at risk ( “subprime” ), Which will devastate the economy. Are particularly affected financial institutions and the automotive sector, forced to seek aid for survival.

Many countries have entered into recession, which the United States, Japan, Britain, Germany and Italy. Suffocated, Iceland has received financial assistance from the international community and its Nordic neighbors.

In December, a UN report provides a global growth of 1% in 2009, developed countries are the hardest hit with a contraction of 0.5%.

The OECD predicts 20 to 25 million unemployed in the world by 2010, including 8 to 10 million in its area.

On 11 December, the arrest of Bernard Madoff, a Wall Street broker, accused of “fraud pyramid” valued at 50 billion dollars, causing a shock wave in the world of finance. The list of victims continues to grow.

- Sept 21, 2008:

SOUTH AFRICA – President Thabo Mbeki (in power since 1999), suspected of Justice instrument to remove his rival Jacob Zuma, was forced to resign at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC ). Follows an unprecedented crisis since the fall of the apartheid regime in 1994. Kgalema Motlanthe was elected to the presidency by the National Assembly until the elections.

- Sept. 21, 2008:

ISRAEL – Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, involved in various cases of corruption, was forced to resign. Mr. Olmert has always protested his innocence. The Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni failed to form a coalition government. Early elections are scheduled for February 10 2009.

- Sept 25, 2008:

CHINA / SPACE – Historic Mission of the rocket Long March II-F carrying the Shenzhou VII spacecraft taïkonautes and three Chinese.

On 27, Zhai Zhigang performs the first spacewalk ever conducted by China, returning module after an outflow of less than 15 minutes.

- Oct. 15, 2008:

LEBANON / SYRIA – Syria and Lebanon to establish diplomatic relations for the first time since the proclamation of independence there are more than 60 years, a first step towards normalizing their relations marked by long Syrian tutelage its small neighbor.

- Nov 4, 2008:

USA / PRESIDENTIAL / OBAMA – The Democrat Barack Obama won a historic and overwhelming victory, becoming the first Black elected president of the United States. Obama chooses his former rival in the primary, Hillary Clinton, to lead the diplomacy and renewed his administration to head the Pentagon the current incumbent Robert Gates. For the first time a secretary of defense is back to his post in an administration of another board than his own.

- Nov 15, 2008:

SOMALIA / PIRACY – Pirates armed seized during an operation of a supertanker Saudi Arabia, the Sirius Star, in the Indian Ocean, marking a new stage in the sea banditry in the region.

A naval operation of the European Union (EU) under a UN mandate, to begin Dec. 8 to fight against pirates in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast, one of the most dangerous in the world , Where piracy has reached a record level since early 2008.

- 26 to November 29, 2008:

INDIA / ATTACKS - Men armed with assault rifles and grenades trigger a series of coordinated attacks in Bombay, capital of the country. Among locations: the central station, a hospital and two luxury hotels. A group presenting itself as the “Deccan Mujahidin” claimed the attacks.

Security forces launch attack against hotels, releasing the first time in a 93 hostages from the hotel Oberoi / Trident. On 29, the last Islamists entrenched in Taj Mahal are killed.

New Delhi, London and Washington blamed the attacks which have 172 dead, including nine attackers, the illegal Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), based in Pakistan.

- Nov. 27, 2008:

IRAQ / USA – The Iraqi Parliament adopts the security agreement with the United States, which provides for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in late 2011, after a year of acrimonious discussions between Baghdad and Washington. At 30 June 2009, all U.S. combat forces should have withdrawn from Iraqi cities and towns.

- Dec. 2, 2008:

Thailand - The Thai Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of the ruling party, guilty of electoral fraud, and prohibits the Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat all political activity for five years.

This verdict is rendered in a context of crisis marked by eight days of anti-government demonstrations which led to the closure of two airports in Bangkok (more than 350,000 passengers). Follows an agreement with the demonstrators for the resumption of air traffic fully restored on December 5.

The events dealt a severe blow to the thriving tourism industry of Thailand, losses in the billions of dollars.

On 15 December, Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the opposition, was appointed the 27th Prime Minister of the Kingdom at the end of an election to Parliament. The new government was formed on December 20.

Memories of Iraq

HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING