2008

2008 is the current year and a leap year that started on Tuesday. It follows on 2007 and seems to be an important year as well for Lovian history. The year 2008 preceeds 2009. In Lovia Prime Minister Yuri Medvedev and King Dimitri I governed the country in 2008, leading the Medvedev I Government.

Designations
2008 has been designated as:
 * International Year of Languages;
 * International Year of Planet Earth;
 * International Year of the Potato;
 * International Year of Sanitation;
 * European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (more here);
 * Year of the Frog, as declared by the international conservation initiative Amphibian Ark;
 * Year of the Dolphin (extended from 2007).

In Chinese astrology, most of 2008, starting with February 7, will overlap with the Year of the Rat (dates before February 7 are ''Year of the Pig). The next Year of the Rat will be in 2020.

This year will be the only year in the 21st century during which two dates correspond to perfect numbers ; one is June 28 (composed of the perfect numbers 6 and 28), which is always a date composed of perfect numbers, and the other is August 12 (composed—if one omits inconvenient digits—of the perfect number 8128, as in August 12, 2008). The next year during which there will be two dates composed of perfect numbers is the year 3008.

In the world

 * January
 * 1 - Cyprus, Malta, and Akrotiri and Dhekelia adopt the euro.
 * 1 - Slovenia takes over the presidency of European Union as the first of new member states.
 * 2 - The price of petroleum hits US$100 per barrel for the first time.
 * 3 - A car bomb detonates, killing at least 4 and injuring 68, in Diyarbakır, Turkey. Police blame Kurdish rebels.
 * 4 - An unforecasted blizzard creates havoc across eastern Northern Ireland, with falls of 8 inches in one hour.
 * 8 - An attempted assassination of Maldivian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is thwarted after the Boy Scout grabbed the attacker's knife. The Boy Scout was injured, but after a scuffle ensued police arrested the attacker.
 * 12 - The Kuomintang (KMT)-led Pan-Blue Coalition wins the legislative elections in Taiwan with over 70% of the votes.
 * 14 - At 19:04:39 UTC, the MESSENGER space probe is at its closest approach during its first flyby of the planet Mercury.
 * 15 - Federal Court of Australia orders a Japanese whaling company to stop research whaling within their Exclusive Economic Zone.
 * 16 - The South Korean Presidential Transition Team announces a plan to merge the Unification Ministry, which works toward unification with North Korea, with the Foreign Ministry, but does not follow through on the idea.
 * 17 - British Airways Flight 38 Boeing 777 lands short of runway at London Heathrow Airport, injuring 19 among the 152 people on board.
 * 20 - Presidential election in Serbia.
 * 20 - Legislative elections in Cuba.
 * 24 - Iraqi Parliament adopts a new flag of Iraq, removing three stars associated with the Baath Party; a permanent design is expected within the next year.
 * 24 - Prime Minister of Italy Romano Prodi resigned his post, after he lost the vote of confidence in the Senate.
 * 27 - Novak Đoković and Maria Sharapova won 2008 Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia.
 * February
 * 1 - Libertan Vice President Dimitri Neyt and King of Lovia Dimitri I visit France.
 * 1 - Microsoft offers $44.6 billion to buy Yahoo!.
 * 3 - The New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots, 17-14, in Super Bowl XLII.
 * 5 - Super Tuesday, massive multi-state primary in U.S. presidential election, with primaries and caucuses in 24 states, is held.
 * 9 - Camden Market area in London, United Kingdom is devastated by fire, causing evacuations in nearby houses and flats.
 * 16 - Making his first trip to Africa since 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush arrives in Benin, with stops in Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and Liberia coming in the days ahead.
 * 17 - Kosovo formally declares independence from Serbia, despite opposition from Serbia, Russia, China, Spain, Romania, and other nations. However Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, U.K., and U.S. express support after an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
 * 19 - Fidel Castro announces his resignation as President of Cuba, to be effective on February 24.
 * 20 - Total lunar eclipse - North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Western Asia.
 * 24 - Raúl Castro is unanimously elected as President of Cuba by the National Assembly.
 * 24 - The 80th Academy Awards, hosted by Jon Stewart, are held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California, with 'No Country for Old Men' winning Best Picture.
 * March
 * 1 - Singapore Flyer, the world's tallest ferris wheel, opens to the public.
 * 2 - 2008 Russian presidential election: Dmitry Medvedev is elected President of Russia with about 70% of the vote. He is scheduled to succeed Vladimir Putin in May.
 * 6 - Eight Israeli civilians are killed and nine wounded when a Palestinian attacker opens fire at a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem.
 * 14 - Demonstrations by Tibetan separatists turn violent, with rioters targeting government and Han Chinese-owned buildings.
 * 14 - Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the new Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport.
 * 14 - Legislative election in Iran.
 * 17 - David Paterson is sworn in as the first black Governor of New York (and the fourth ever in the U.S.) after Eliot Spitzer resigns amidst a prostitution scandal.
 * 17 - In Adelaide, South Australia, a 15-day heatwave, a once-in-3,000-years occurrence, comes to an end.
 * 20 - A permanent coalition government agreement is reached in Belgium, ending a nine-month stalemate, as Yves Leterme is sworn in as Prime Minister.
 * 21 - In Tibet, East Asia, Anti-Chinese Protest's death toll rises to 99.
 * 22 - Republic of China presidential election was held in Taiwan.
 * 24 - Libertas' National Holiday: celebration of the independence. Libertas revives after months of inactivity.
 * 25 - African Union and Comoros forces invade the rebel-held island of Anjouan.
 * 29 - Earth Hour (8 - 9 PM local time) in 60 cities and surrounding regions around the world.
 * April
 * 1 - The U.S. Dow Jones Industrial Average gains 392 points, its eighth biggest gain ever.
 * 2 - The 20th NATO summit begins in Bucharest, Romania.
 * 3 - Jules Verne ATV docks to the International Space Station.
 * 3 - Albania and Croatia are invited to join NATO in 2009. The membership bid of the Republic of Macedonia is rejected due to opposition by Greece. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro engage in an Intensified Dialogue with NATO.
 * 6 - Presidential election in Montenegro.
 * 13 - Elections in Italy: The Silvio Berlusconi-led coalition, which consists of the People of Freedom, Lega Nord, and Movement for Autonomy parties, wins a majority of seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
 * 15-20 - Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States. Among his destinations are the White House, The Catholic University of America, the United Nations General Assembly, and the site of the fallen World Trade Center. Benedict XVI also celebrated Mass at Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium.
 * 20 - Fernando Lugo is elected President of Paraguay. This is the first time in 61 years that the Colorado Party has lost a presidential election.
 * 27 - Assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai by the Taliban in a military parade in Kabul.
 * 28 - India sets a world record by sending 10 satellites into orbit in a single launch.
 * 28 - Dozens die in a train crash in China.
 * 28 - The Fritzl incest case is widely publicized after a 42-year-old Austrian woman tells local authorities that she has been imprisoned and abused by her father, Josef Fritzl, since 1984.
 * May
 * 2 - Ohrid Summit 2008. Meeting of Presidents of Central European States in Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia.
 * 4 - More than 22,000 are killed by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.
 * 6 - Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland Bertie Ahern tenders his resignation to the President of Ireland and as leader of his political party Fianna Fáil. Brian Cowen (elected 9 April) takes over as leader of Fianna Fáil.
 * 7 - Dmitry Medvedev is sworn in as the President of Russia.
 * 8 - Vladimir Putin is confirmed as the 10th Prime Minister of Russia after a vote in the State Duma.
 * 10 - Myanmar holds a constitutional referendum.
 * 11 - Local and parliamentary elections in Serbia.
 * 12 - 80.000 are killed in central China in an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the earthquake was 90 kilometers (55 miles) west-northwest of Chengdu.
 * 13 - A series of bomb blasts kills at least 63 and injures 216 in Jaipur, India.
 * 15 - An oil pipeline explodes in Ijegun, Nigeria, killing 100.
 * 15 - The US state of California legalizes same-sex marriage.
 * 16 - Presidential election in the Dominican Republic.
 * 16 - The fifth Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union Summit is held in Lima, Peru.
 * 17 - Parliamentary elections in Kuwait.
 * 21 - Manchester United F.C win the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
 * 21 - Legislative elections are held in the country of Georgia.
 * 22 - The Union of South American Nations, a supranational union, is created by a union between the Andean Community and Mercosur.
 * 24 - Russia wins the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia.
 * 25 - Michel Sleiman is elected President of Lebanon after voting in the Parliament. The election had been postoned 19 times due to a parliamentary stalemate.
 * 25 - NASA's Phoenix spacecraft lands on Mars.

Events

 * January
 * 9 - The Federal Charity Fund is erected as the Charity Fund Act is adopted to the Federal Law by Congressmen.
 * 13 - Adamas officially initiates its operations, after it was commissioned in November 2009, as a Veprom subsidiary.
 * 16 - Lars Washington, Yuri Medvedev and Robin Ferguson were invited at Palati Daidalo for a diner. However, Medvedev didn't show up due to important private issues.
 * 28 - The Logo Park in Sofasi officially opens to the public.
 * February
 * 1 - Inauguration Day: the Prime Minister and all Members of the Congress and Federal Secretaries are inaugurated.
 * 1 - Libertan Vice President Dimitri Neyt and King of Lovia Dimitri I visit France.
 * 17 - Two Federal Law proposals are accepted with an absolute majority in Congress: the National Parks and Monuments Act and the Patriot Act.
 * 24 - The Newhaven International Airport, the second largest in Lovia, is totally renovated.
 * March
 * 2 - The Trans Sylvanian Railway between Train Village and Noble City opens.
 * 2 - The Pacific Railroad Company is founded by and Pierlot McCrooke as the first Lovian railway company.
 * 5 - The Peace Island Railway, the second railway on Peace Island opens and runs between Hurbanova and Noble City.
 * 11 - Patrick McKinley resigns as Member of the Congress, Secretary of Transportation, Mayor of Kinley and candidate governor of Seven.
 * 14 - After the death of Jamal Hustróva III his son Jamal Hustróva IV starts managing the Jamal Hustróva Quarry.
 * 16 - Many Lovian companies donate high amounts of money to the Federal Charity Fund, including the King's Trust and the Administration Office Aesopus
 * 30 - Locals in Hurbanova protest against the royal power and two protestants are kept prisoner for some time for violence and vandalism.
 * 31 - The Noble City neighborhood The Mall officially reopens after severe renovations.
 * 31 - Prime Minister Yuri Medvedev's proposal on labor was accepted by Congress and adopted in the Federal Law.
 * 31 - The diplomatic crisis following on the declaration of independence of Hurbanova explodes and finally slows down after Oos Wes Ilava's apologies and the diplomatic armistice between Lovia, Hurbanova, Mäöres and the other UWN members. Relationships with Adlibita have worsened however.
 * 31 - Better Lovia, the second political party in the nation was founded, as a reaction on the Hurbanova crisis. Founding members were Alexandru Latin, Oos Wes Ilava and Marius Stefan.
 * April
 * 1 - The new railroad scheme of the Pacific Railroad Company is officially enacted and a new map is presented.
 * 4 - Both the Federal Police Act and the Local Police Act are accepted in the Second Chamber, resulting in the erection of a new policing system.
 * 5 - The Wiki Person of the Year 2007 Elections officially began as an initiative of.
 * 9 - Heritage Studios is founded and officially starts a motion picture production on Abigail Johnson's life.
 * 11 - Lovia has officially left the United Wiki Nations as Congress accepted a proposal in the Second Chamber. The proposal of leaving the UWN was written after the Hurbanovan and Adlibitan problems.
 * 11 - The Second Amendment is accepted in the Second Chamber. From now on the Lovian independence, unitarity and indivisibility are Constitutional issues.
 * 16 - After more escalations in Hurbanova, the Alexandru Latin Trial is started as the first Supreme Court Trial since the 2007 Constitution. Both and George Matthews accuse Alexandru Latin and MOTC Oos Wes Ilava of violation of the privacy right and highly inappropriate behavior.
 * 24 - The Alexandru Latin Trial ends in peace, with the declarance of guilt by SC Judge Yuri Medvedev. Both defendants are imprisoned for several weeks or months.
 * 24 - The Royal Art Gallery in King's Gardens, Noble City opens as an initiative of.
 * 27 - The Town and City Act is adopted to the Federal Law by Congress, directly making Newhaven the second Lovian city.
 * May
 * 3 - Lars Washington leaves all wiki nations for an unknown period.
 * 3 - Palati Daidalo caught fire and is entirely destroyed. Fortunately most art and books were saved, though the loss is huge.
 * 4 - Bird National Park is designated the first National Park in Lovia by the National Park Service. It contains the entire island of Bird, one of the Seven Islands.
 * 6 - Music label Lovilago Music is founded to support Full Frontal Buddha, the Libertan band moving to Lovia.
 * 7 - Appearance of the legendary studio album Memories of the City by Full Frontal Buddha in Lovia. The first singles are expected to appear soon too.
 * 14 - The Mid-term Elections' voting section begins. Top candidates are Pierlot McCrooke and George Matthews, both members of the PDP. Other candidates are E. Pollini, Martin de Muntegu, Marius Ştefan and Ben Opat', most of them being new immigrants or foreigners.
 * 16 - Walker Inc is founded by George Matthews to manage, for instance, The Ranch and Job Billboard.
 * 16 - The Artista Railway Station in Noble City finally opens, after a long period of waiting. The train schedule is direcly adopted and a new PRC railway map is immediatly created.
 * 18 - The CSA Railway Station opened for the public.
 * 21 - The Mid-term Elections, 2008 are closed and five new Congressmen will enter the Congress soon. The biggest winners were Pierlot McCrooke, George Matthews and Enrico Pollini, three PDP members.
 * 23 - The Starovlah Institute is founded in Citizen Corner NC. This museum, galley and library exposes the links between Lovian and Balkan culture.
 * 23 - The Noble City Bus Company and Lovian Bus, two Pierlot Holding companies, merge into All Lovia Omnibuses and join Walker Inc.
 * 23 - Prime Minister Yuri Medvedev inaugurates five new Congressmen after the Mid-term Elections, 2008. He and King Dimitri I together decided the new composition of the Medvedev I Government. Many changes and exchanges occured between the departments.
 * 25 - The construction of the new royal palace after a design of Pierlot McCrooke's architecture bureau Achtectus, is finished. The palace is named the Great Royal Palace and will open within a week.
 * 25 - The Sofasi Railway Station opened for the public.
 * 28 - Doris Stern founds the Lord European Sport Association in West End, Noble City.
 * 29 - The Hamlet Act, proposed by Pierlot McCrooke, is accepted in the Second Chamber. All nine Members of the Congress supported the proposal, being the highest number of supportive votes ever cast in Congress. The Hamlet Act legalizes the foundation and use of hamlets, places similar to neighborhoods located outside a town or city.
 * June
 * 1 - The Sofasi Mall in Sofasi, Clymene, opens to the public, in order to destress the town's shopping areas.

Arts and popular culture

 * Literature
 * George Matthews: The Danger of Justice (non-fiction)
 * King Dimitri I: The Stairway (non-fiction)
 * Poetry
 * Yuri Medvedev: Growth of a Poet's Mind

Births

 * January
 * February
 * March
 * April
 * May
 * June

Deaths

 * January
 * 30 - Jacob Brown J. Miller, Mayor of Kinley
 * February
 * March
 * 14 - Jamal Hustróva, owner of the Jamal Hustróva Quarry
 * April
 * May
 * 2 - Sarah Evenson, artist
 * June

2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue
Dialogue is a delicate process. Many obstacles inhibit dialogue and favor more confrontational communication forms such as discussion and debate. Common obstacles including fear, the display or exercise of power, mistrust, external influences, distractions, and poor communication conditions can all prevent dialogue from emerging.

Intercultural dialogue has long been a principle supported by the European Union and its Institutions. The year 2008 has been designated European Year of Intercultural Dialogue by the European Parliament and the Member States of the European Union. It aims to draw the attention of people in Europe to the importance of dialogue within diversity and between diverse cultures.

Definiton There is no single and universally accepted definition of Intercultural Dialogue. However, a forum organised by the Council of Europe in November 2006 suggested the following:
 * an open and respectful exchange of views between individuals and groups belonging to different cultures that leads to a deeper understanding of the other’s world perception.
 * Other definitions or usages have been closer to concepts such as inter-religious dialogue and often to active citizenship learning. In a number of countries the phrase refers to dialogue between indigenous people and immigrant peoples, and it can also be used as a metaphor for forms of contact between countries which are not based on military power.

The text adopted by the European Union on the "European Year of Intercultural Dialogue" does not use any specific definition, but it underlines the role of intercultural dialogue in:
 * respect for cultural diversity in the complex societies of today
 * the role of dialogue and greater mutual understanding in developing equal opportunities for all
 * supporting the EU's commitment to solidarity and social justice
 * enabling the EU to forge partnerships with other countries and make its voice better heard in the world.