Portal:Current events/2008 September 11

September 11, 2008 (Thursday)

Ayman al-Zawahiri, number two leader of al Qaeda, questions Abu Ayyub al-Masri's ability to lead al Qaeda in Iraq, and accuses that organization's umbrella group, the Islamic State of Iraq, of lying to the media about its activities.

(CNN)

Prices for oil fall (CNN Money), and wholesale prices for gasoline rise sharply. (CNN Money)
2008 unrest in Bolivia:
- Fresh violence in Bolivia stokes civil war fears. (Times of India)
- The President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez gives the United States ambassador 72 hours to leave Venezuela in part to show solidarity with the President Evo Morales who recently expelled the U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, accusing the U.S. of supporting protests against Morales. (AP via Google News)
Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, claims that a power sharing agreement has been reached with the President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe. (BBC News)
Officials order the evacuation of Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas before Hurricane Ike makes landfall later in the week. (USA Today)
President George W. Bush is reported to have authorized United States special forces to conduct operations against insurgents inside Pakistan without seeking approval from the Government of Pakistan. (CNN)
A new survey of residents of 17 countries by WorldPublicOpinion.org indicates that an average of 46 percent believe that Al-Qaeda was behind the 9/11 attacks of 2001. (Al Jazeera) (Voice of America News) (UPI) (Reuters)
Two Russian Air Force Tu-160 bombers arrive in Venezuela to carry out training flights over a course of several days. (BBC News)
A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hits near Ternate, Indonesia, followed by a 7.2 magnitude quake near Hokkaido, Japan. (BBC News)
Forty people go missing in the northern Indian state of Bihar after a boat capsizes in the Harohar River. (AP via Google News)
A fire occurs in the Channel Tunnel and the tunnel is closed until further notice. (BBC News)
The Pentagon Memorial in Washington, DC, dedicated to the 184 people who died in the attack on the building on September 11, 2001, is opened to the public. (ABC News)