Portal:Current events/2008 September 14
September 14, 2008 (Sunday)
- 2008 South Ossetia war:
- The Georgian foreign ministry has released an official statement stating that 'In the villages of the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia, the separatist regime continues carrying out persecution of local Georgian population based on their ethnic origin', adding that 'Once again it becomes evident that for the Russian government the ethnic cleansing remains as one of the main methods for achieving its political goals'. (Rustavi 2)
- Dick Cheney on his visit to Tbilisi, Georgia (country) earlier condemned Russian "invasion" and said that United States was "fully committed" to Georgia's efforts to join NATO. (Sky News)
- Russian forces have pulled out of the Black Sea port of Poti and are preparing to withdraw from positions in western Georgia. Russian forces are to withdraw completely from Georgia proper to an October 10 deadline. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he was confident this deadline would be met. (Reuters) (The International Herald Tribune) (Sky News)
- Irakli Okruashvili, ex-defense minister of Georgia granted political asylum in France, claims President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili 'must be held accountable [for the war] and resign... If he doesn't it will lead to criminal charges against him'. Irakli Okruashvili claims he has been working with Saakashvili on plans to regain control on Abkhazia and South Ossetia since 2005 but was sure that Georgia could not succeed by military means. (Spiegel) (Civil.Ge)
- The Georgian foreign ministry has released an official statement stating that 'In the villages of the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia, the separatist regime continues carrying out persecution of local Georgian population based on their ethnic origin', adding that 'Once again it becomes evident that for the Russian government the ethnic cleansing remains as one of the main methods for achieving its political goals'. (Rustavi 2)
- Subprime mortgage crisis
- The American International Group seeks an emergency $40 billion loan from the United States Federal Reserve. (The New York Times)
- Bank of America negotiates to buy Merrill Lynch for $38.25 billion in stock. (The New York Times) (The Wall Street Journal)
- The United States Federal Reserve announces several initiatives to expand emergency lending to combat the crisis. (AP via Minneapolis St-Paul Tribune)
- Lehman Brothers files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after British bank Barclays and Bank of America pull out of emergency talks on a buyout. (AFP via Google News) (The New York Times)
- Hurricane Ike
- Authorities in Texas have rescued nearly 2,000 victims of Hurricane Ike who refused to evacuate. (AP via Google News)
- The American death toll from Hurricane Ike rises to 8. (The New York Times)
- Nigerian Oil Crisis: Nigeria's main rebel group declared an "oil war" in the west African nation in response to what it said were "unprovoked" attacks by Nigerian government forces a day earlier. (CNN)
- Shootout between police and unknown assailants leaves 20 police officers dead in Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- Sebastian Vettel of Toro Rosso wins the 2008 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, becoming the youngest driver in history to win a Formula One grand prix. (BBC News)
- Two people are killed and 10 injured when a tourist riverboat collides with a pillar of the Pont de l'Archevêché and sinks, on the River Seine in Paris. (The Telegraph)
- 2008 Thai political crisis: The Acting Prime Minister of Thailand Somchai Wongsawat lifts a state of emergency in place since September 2. (The New York Times)
- The National Party of Western Australia indicates that it will support the Liberal Party of Australia in forming a minority government in Western Australia. Liberal leader, Colin Barnett, becomes the Premier-elect and incumbent Premier Alan Carpenter of the Australian Labor Party concedes defeat. (The Australian)[permanent dead link]
- Boeing 737 Aeroflot Flight 821 crashes near the city of Perm in Russia, killing all 88 on board. The cause of the crash is attributed to engine failure. (BBC News) (AP via Chicago Tribune)[permanent dead link]
- 2008 unrest in Bolivia
- Brazil suffers severe natural gas shortages following the cut off of natural gas supplies from Bolivia, which provides half of Brazil's natural gas. (Financial Times)[permanent dead link]
- Government officials announce they plan to arrest Pando Governor Leopoldo Fernández and that troops from Cobija airport will be sent to retake the city. (Reuters)
- Accusations of witchcraft cause football riots in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulting in 13 dead and 36 injured. (The Daily Telegraph)