May 2008

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This article covers breaking news and events in May 2008.

Daily events

Thursday May 1, 2008

• Hangzhou Bay / China : The Hangzhou Wan Daqiao , with a length of 36  km the longest overseas bridge in the world, is opened. It connects the cities of Ningbo and Cixi on the east coast of China .

Saturday May 3, 2008

Satellite image of the cyclone off the coast of Myanmar on May 1, 2008

• Myanmar : According to official figures, 84,537 people are killed by cyclone Nargis and over 53,000 people are missing. Hundreds of thousands are losing their homes. The United Nations estimates that the disaster affected 24 million people. As a result, the military regime refused entry for foreign disaster relief workers and confiscated relief supplies.

Sunday May 4, 2008

The eastern parts of Bolivia, outside the Andes, want more autonomy

• Hagåtña / Guam : In the primaries of the Democratic Party to the United States presidential election, 2008 in US foreign territory Guam wins Barack Obama by a margin of seven votes against his adversary Hillary Clinton .
• Santa Cruz de la Sierra / Bolivia : On the day of the referendum on limited autonomy for the province of Santa Cruz , there were violent riots with one dead and at least 24 injured. However, 61% of those eligible to vote cast their votes. Similar attempts at autonomy exist in the departments of Beni , Pando and Tarija .

Monday May 5, 2008

• Santa Cruz de la Sierra / Bolivia : According to initial estimates, around 85% of the votes cast in the referendum on Sunday are attributed to the autonomy movement in the Bolivian department of Santa Cruz .

Tuesday May 6, 2008

• Tbilisi / Georgia : According to the Georgian Minister of State for Reintegration Issues, Temur Jacobashvili , Georgia is on the verge of a war with Russia over the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia . For weeks, both sides have been mobilizing troops on the borders with the breakaway regions in Georgia. When asked by reporters, the minister replied: "We have to avert a war in the truest sense of the word." When asked how close the tensions were to a war, Jacobashvili said: "Very close because we know the Russians very well."
• Wellington / New Zealand : The New Zealand government under Prime Minister Helen Clark is buying back the state railway, which was privatized in 1993, for 665 million New Zealand dollars (336 million euros) from the Australian Toll Holdings.

Wednesday May 7, 2008

Vladimir Putin, right next to Dmitry Medvedev

• Hamburg / Germany : The Hamburg citizenship elects Ole von Beust ( CDU ) as First Mayor for the third time . He heads the first state government in the history of the Federal Republic, which consists of members of the CDU and members of a green party, in the specific case it is the green alternative list .
• Moscow / Russia : The previous Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitri Medvedev of the United Russia party is appointed as the third president since the independence of the Russian Federation in 1991 . His predecessor Vladimir Putin is to be elected prime minister tomorrow at his own request. Observers assume that Putin, who took over the office of President of the Federation in 2000, will retain his political influence as Prime Minister. The presidential term of office is limited.

Thursday May 8, 2008

• Beirut / Lebanon : The situation is worsening after the general strike called off by the unions . The conflict between the pro-western government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and the pro-Iranian opposition led by the Shiite party Hezbollah is increasingly leading to violence and conditions similar to civil war. In a speech broadcast by Arab TV stations, Hezbollah General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah spoke of a "declaration of war by the pro-Western government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora against Hezbollah". He also stated: "A war has started (...) and we have the right to defend our weapons," said Nasrallah. "A new era has begun," he added. "
• Rome / Italy : With the swearing-in of his fourth cabinet , Silvio Berlusconi ( PdL ) takes the office of Italian Prime Minister for the third time in 14 years.

Saturday May 10, 2008

• Basel / Switzerland : FC Basel becomes Swiss football champions 2008 .
• Naypyidaw / Myanmar : For the first time in 18 years, the military regime, which has been in power since 1962, allows the people to decide on a new constitution in a referendum. With the new constitution, the military junta can cement its position of power, as the new constitution guarantees the military 25 percent of mandates and key positions in government. After the constitutional referendum, parliamentary elections are planned for 2010.

Sunday May 11, 2008

• Belgrade / Serbia : In the parliamentary elections in Serbia in 2008 , President Boris Tadić's pro-European party clearly wins .

Monday May 12, 2008

Sichuan earthquake, location

• Sichuan / China : At least 51,000 people die in an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 M _w in the province of Sichuan, and the authorities are also reckoning with 288,000 injured and around 30,000 missing.

Tuesday May 13, 2008

Jaipur, India

• Charleston / United States : The primaries of the Democrats to the United States presidential election, 2008 in West Virginia wins Hillary Clinton realized in the Republican primaries were meaningless.
• Jaipur / India : A series of bomb explosions in the north Indian city of Jaipur kills at least 63 people and injures more than 200 others.

Wednesday May 14, 2008

• Manchester / United Kingdom : FK Zenit Saint Petersburg wins the UEFA Cup by beating Glasgow Rangers 2-0 in the final .
• Tehran / Iran : The secret service arrests six leading members of the Baha'i community. A bill provides for the Islamic death penalty for apostates of the right faith.

Thursday May 15, 2008

Rubble in Georgia, USA, after a tornado

• Naypyidaw / Myanmar : According to the state broadcaster, 92% of the citizens voted for the new constitution of the country last Saturday .
• United States : A series of severe storms and tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeastern United States that began in Oklahoma on May 7th has killed 28 people to date.

Friday May 16, 2008

• Cape Canaveral / United States : The Glast telescope is launched into space.
• Santo Domingo / Dominican Republic : incumbent Leonel Fernández of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) wins the presidential election with 53% of the vote, ahead of his greatest challenger, Miguel Vargas Maldonado of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD).

Saturday 17th May 2008

• Cologne / Germany : Thomas Godoj wins the 5th season of Germany is looking for the superstar .
• Kuwait City / Kuwait : The parliamentary elections end with great success for the Islamists. They double the number of their MPs and now hold 21 of the 50 seats in parliament.
• Munich / Germany : FC Bayern Munich is now officially German soccer champions 2008 .

Sunday May 18, 2008

Russia is the new ice hockey world champion

• Québec / Canada : Russia becomes ice hockey world champion with a 5-4 win against the host's team.

Monday May 19, 2008

• Bonn / Germany : The 9th UN Nature Conservation Conference begins.
• Kuala Lumpur / Malaysia : Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad surprisingly leaves the ruling UMNO party in a dispute with his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi .
• South Africa : Xenophobic riots break out between black South Africans, especially refugees from Zimbabwe , and whites, especially in the homelands .
• Start of broadcasting of the German version of the FOX channel .

Tuesday May 20, 2008

• Berlin / Germany : Fire in the roof structure of the Berlin Philharmonic
• Norway : Presentation of the Abel Prize 2008 to the mathematicians John Griggs Thompson and Jacques Tits by the Norwegian King Harald V.
• Frankfort , Salem / United States : Hillary Clinton in Kentucky and Barack Obama in Oregon won the Democratic Party's primary elections , giving Obama the majority of the votes.

Wednesday May 21, 2008

Champions League final

• Abkhazia / Georgia : The parliamentary elections were overshadowed by attacks and heavy fighting between Abkhazian separatists and Georgian armed forces in the conflict region of Abkhazia. Several people were injured in two bus explosions. Tensions over Abkhazia have increased significantly in recent weeks since Georgia and Russia have concentrated their armed forces in the region and Georgia put them in increased combat readiness.
• Moscow / Russia : In the Luzhniki Stadium to win Manchester United the finals of the UEFA Champions League against Chelsea FC with 6: 5 on penalties.
• Osnabrück / Germany : The 97th German Catholic Day under the motto “You lead us out into the distance” begins.
• Tbilisi / Georgia : The winner of the parliamentary elections is the United National Movement of President Mikheil Saakashvili . According to the by-election survey, she received 63% of the vote. The opposition alliance got 14 to 16% of the vote.

Thursday May 22, 2008

• Brussels / Belgium : The maximum duration of detention in the EU is to be 18 months and, on the initiative of the German government, detainees will no longer receive legal aid . Representatives of the EU countries agreed on this change in the asylum procedure , which the interior ministers are expected to approve in June .
• South Africa : Due to the race riots , in which over 15,000 refugees were driven from their homes and 42 refugees were killed, over 10,000 immigrants from South Africa are fleeing to Mozambique . The government is considering using the military.

Saturday May 24, 2008

• Belgrade / Serbia : Russia wins with the contribution Believe by Dima Bilan for the first time the Euro Vision Song Contest 2008 in front of the Ukraine and Greece . The German contribution Disappear of No Angels landed together with Poland and Great Britain in shared 25th and last place. The Swiss contribution Era Stupendo by Paolo Meneguzzi had already failed in the semi-finals, while Austria had withdrawn its participation.

Sunday May 25, 2008

Michel Sulaiman

Phoenix on Mars (computer graphics)

• Beirut / Lebanon : The Maronite Christian and previous commander in chief of the armed forces of Lebanon Michel Sulaiman celebrates his inauguration as the 13th President .
• Cannes / France : The 61st Cannes Film Festival ending with the award of the Palme d'Or at the French contribution The class of Laurent Cantet . The film Palermo Shooting by German director Wim Wenders , which was in the competition , did not receive an award.
• Mars : The NASA -Raumsonde Phoenix lands successfully on Mars .
• Mönchengladbach / Germany : Final of the Women's Champions Trophy 2008

Tuesday May 27, 2008

Memorial for the homosexuals persecuted under National Socialism

• Bad Mergentheim / Germany : The last Austro-Hungarian veteran from the First World War is dead. Franz Künstler was born in Sósd , in what is now Romania , almost 108 years ago and was drafted in February 1918 .
• Berlin / Germany : The memorial for homosexuals persecuted under National Socialism is inaugurated in Berlin .
• Germany : The German dairy farmers no longer sell milk and demonstrate in this way against the low milk prices in Germany.

Wednesday May 28, 2008

• Berlin / Germany : The Bundestag debates Gregor Gysis Stasi entanglement.
• Berlin / Germany : The five East German federal states are defending themselves through their economics ministers against planned cuts in solar power subsidies by the federal government.
• Dresden / Germany : Stanislaw Tillich is elected to succeed Georg Milbradt , the resigned Prime Minister of Saxony .
• Jakarta / Indonesia : The Indonesian government is withdrawing from OPEC and can no longer meet its own demand for crude oil from its own oil sources.
• Kathmandu / Nepal : The constituent assembly in Nepal has decided to end the monarchy and proclaimed a republic.

Thursday May 29, 2008

• Selfoss / Iceland : Strong earthquake in Iceland. The impacts reach a strength of 6.3 on the Richter scale . The quake was felt across the country. Major damage occurs in the home furnishings, with around 30 slightly injured people to complain. Some houses and bridges have minor crack damage. From Ingólfsfjall, where the earthquake originated, rocks as high as a house tumble down the slopes. Some small cracks appear in the pavement in the area. Some houses were evacuated as a precaution, including a hospital and a school. Another consequence of the earthquake is increased activity of the hot water springs in Hveragerði and even in Haukadal.

Friday May 30, 2008

• Berlin / Germany : In the German telecommunications company Telekom , the data security crisis in the Telekom spying affair is widening .
• Dublin / Ireland : Many states sign a convention banning cluster bombs worldwide .

Saturday May 31, 2008

• Cape Canaveral / United States : Launch of the STS-124 mission
• New York / United States : At the Reebok Grand Prix, Usain Bolt improved the world record of his compatriot Asafa Powell by two hundredths of a second in the 100 meter run . Bolt covers the distance in 9.72 s.

See also

• Nekrolog May 2008 for deaths this month
• List of annually recurring commemorative and action days in May
• Category for commemorative days, holidays or action days in May

Web links

Armenia in May 2008

Commons : May 2008  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

 Wikinews: Article Published May 2008  - News

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The Hangzhou Bay Bridge - 36 kilometers dry over the sea. In: lokalkompass.de . September 3, 2015, accessed November 25, 2018 . 
2. ↑ Spiegel-Online: UN expects millions of catastrophe victims (accessed on May 6, 2008)
3. ↑ 138,000 dead and missing from "Nargis". In: 20min.ch . June 24, 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2019 . 
4. ↑ CNN : Obama defeats Clinton in Guam caucuses by 7 votes from May 4, 2008.
5. ↑ ftd.de : Province pressures Bolivia's president ( Memento from August 1, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
6. ↑ Bolivia is facing an ordeal. In: bpb.de. February 29, 2012, accessed May 15, 2020 . 
7. ↑ Handelsblatt : Georgia sees itself shortly before war with Russia on May 6, 2008.
8. ↑ New Zealand reverses privatization of the railway. In: aktiencheck.de. May 6, 2008, accessed May 15, 2020 . 
9. ↑ Smiled at victory. In: stern.de . May 7, 2008, accessed October 20, 2017 . 
10. ^ The reorganization of the political leadership in Russia. In: SWP-Aktuell . 2008, accessed January 18, 2020 . 
11. ↑ Nasrallah addresses Lebanon - 08 May 08 on YouTube , 8 May 2008
12. ^ After the parliamentary elections in Italy. Berlusconi introduces his ministers (tagesschau.de archive) Tagesschau , May 7, 2008
13. ↑ https://www.asienhaus.de/public/archiv/BN7-2008-05-30.htm
14. ↑ n-tv: Parliamentary elections in Serbia - the winner is Tadic (accessed on May 13, 2008)
15. ↑ Tagesschau: Official number of victims rises to more than 51,000 dead (tagesschau.de archive) (accessed on May 22, 2008)
16. ↑ n-tv: The last triumph? Clinton wins clear (accessed May 14, 2008)
17. ^ The appalling defense of a convicted terrorist. In: dailypioneer.com. August 10, 2015, accessed May 23, 2019 . 
18. ↑ 2007/08: Good times for Russian football. In: uefa.com . Retrieved February 21, 2017 . 
19. ↑ Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger: Iran takes action against minority Baha'i (accessed on May 16, 2008)
20. ↑ FTD : Myanmar Junta announces jubilation ( memento of May 17, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) of May 15, 2008.
21. ↑ Mother's Day Weekend Tornado in Oklahoma and Missouri, May 10, 2008. In: weather.gov . Retrieved May 20, 2019 . 
22. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20081013022450/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/17/news/Dominican-Election.php
23. ↑ democracy-reporting.org: Assessment of the Electoral Framework ( Memento of March 12, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
24. Jump up ↑ Ice Hockey World Championships: 72nd Ice Hockey World Championships 2008 in Canada. In: ifosta.de. Retrieved February 22, 2017 . 
25. ↑ Abdullah spurns calls to step down in Malaysia. In: nytimes.com. May 19, 2008, accessed May 15, 2020 . 
26. ^ Karl-Ludwig G possibly : South Africa's slums: angry mob burns immigrants. In: Spiegel Online . May 19, 2008, accessed May 15, 2020 . 
27. ^ N-tv: Fire in the Philharmonie - Fire under Control of May 20, 2008
28. ↑ Der Standard : Highly endowed mathematics prize awarded on May 20, 2008
29. ↑ Uwe Schmitt: US Democrats: Hillary takes Kentucky, but Obama pulls away. In: welt.de . May 21, 2008, accessed May 15, 2020 . 
30. ↑ Euronews : Shootings in Abkhazia on May 21, 2008
31. ↑ 2007/08: Destiny ensures ManU triumph. In: uefa.com . Retrieved February 20, 2017 . 
32. ↑ Euronews : Saakashvili's party wins parliamentary election in Georgia on May 21, 2008
33. ↑ 18 months in the future. In: tagesspiegel.de . May 22, 2008, accessed June 2, 2019 . 
34. ↑ Thousands of immigrants are fleeing violence in South Africa. In: oe24.at. May 21, 2008, accessed May 15, 2020 . 
35. ^ DiePresse.com: Riots in South Africa: Military prepares for deployment on May 22, 2008
36. ↑ cf. Eurovision Song Contest 2008 - results table at Eurovision.tv (accessed on May 26, 2008)
37. ↑ Michel Suleiman. In: britannica.com . Retrieved November 18, 2017 . 
38. ↑ cf. AFG press release: Palme d'Or in Cannes for the film "Entre les murs" ( Memento from May 28, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) accessed on May 26, 2008
39. ↑ NASA: (accessed May 28, 2008)
40. ↑ Franz artists dernier vétéran de l'Empire d'Autriche-Hongrie et ... the Puissances Centrales. In: verdun-meuse.fr . January 26, 2012, accessed February 4, 2018 (French). 
41. ^ Spiegel: A memorial for persecuted homosexuals
42. ↑ Time: Agricultural strike: dairy farmers no longer deliver milk ( Memento from December 16, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
43. ↑ Welt Online : Bundestag asks Gregor Gysi about involvement in the Stasi on May 28, 2008
44. ↑ Handelsblatt: New countries are storming against cuts in solar power subsidies ( Memento from May 30, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) from October 28, 2008
45. ^ Spiegel: Tillich elected head of the Saxon government , May 28, 2008
46. ↑ n-tv: Oil is no longer enough - Indonesia leaves Opec on May 28, 2008
47. ↑ abl / dpa / AFP / AP: End of the monarchy: Nepal abolishes the king. In: Spiegel Online . December 24, 2007, accessed May 15, 2020 . 
48. ↑ Handelsblatt.com - Property damage in the event of a severe earthquake in Iceland
49. ^ FAZ: "Telecom affair bigger than Spiegel affair" , accessed on May 30, 2008
50. ↑ Time: Many states prohibit cluster bomb access on May 30, 2008
51. ↑ Jamaican Bolt ran a new 100-meter world record . In: The press . June 1, 2008