Portal:Current events/2008 August 18

August 18, 2008 (Monday)

Taliban militants unsuccessfully attack the United States base Camp Saleno in Khost Province. (AP via Google News)
2008 Summer Olympics:
- Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva sets a new world record of 5.05 m outdoors in the women's pole vault at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. (AP via Yahoo! News)
2008 South Ossetia war:
- According to general staff in Moscow, Russia has begun troop withdrawals from Georgia, following a pledge by President Dmitry Medvedev. However, 'Moscow saying it has the right to keep some troops as peacekeepers in a buffer zone around South Ossetia'. (BBC News)
- Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Marc Perrin de Brichambaut stated on a press-conference in Vladikavkaz, capital of Northern Ossetia, that 'the will of all the people of the region' need to be 'taken into the consideration' when deciding the future of the breakaway republic of South Ossetia. (OSCE) He then added: 'I made it very clear that the people who live in South Ossetia will have a say in what happens in the country.' (Nasdaq)
  - South Ossetia had held the referendum on independence from Georgia on November, 12th, 2006 with 99% voted in favor of the independence (with reportedly 95% turnout). Both NATO and the US opposed the referendum and did not recognise its results saying it served no purpose other than to 'exacerbate tensions' in the region. (America.gov) (AP via The International Herald Tribune)
- Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt cancels all exercises and military ties between Sweden and Russia, saying that "[the] Russian invasion of Georgia is unacceptable and a crime against international law. The Russian action has changed [our view] of Russia as an international partner." (PM's Office) (Dagens Nyheter) (AP via The Hindu)
- NATO convenes an emergency foreign ministers meeting on the crisis. (AP via Google News)
Pakistan Presidential Impeachment
- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who was facing impeachment, announces his resignation as President. Indirect presidential elections will be held within 30 days. (BBC News)
A US-Poland agreement to deploy a missile defense shield prompts unnamed Russian officials to declare Poland "a legitimate military target" and the deputy of the Russian general staff states that Poland "opens itself to a nuclear strike". (AFP via Google News) (Asia Times)