Portal:Current events/2009 October 8

October 8, 2009 (Thursday)

The 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature goes to the Romanian-German novelist Herta Müller, "who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed". She becomes the twelfth woman to win the literature prize and the fourth female Nobel Laureate of 2009, a record year for female achievers. (Nobel) (Deutsche Welle) (Realitatea) (The Australian) (The Times)
A Taliban attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul kills at least 17 and injures 83. (The Hindu) (NDTV) (The Australian)
A prominent Al-Qaeda leader, Abu Yahya al-Libi, urges Muslims in Xinjiang to "prepare for holy war" after the riots in July. (Times of India) (CNN) (China Daily)
The Government of Ireland announces Nicholas Kearns as its nomination for appointment as President of the High Court. (The Irish Times)
Wallace Souza, former Brazilian television presenter accused of ordering murders to boost the ratings of Canal Livre, now a fugitive from justice, is at large following the end of his parliamentary immunity. (The Sydney Morning Herald) (RTÉ) (CNN)
Yevgeny Dzhugashvili launches a court action claiming the Novaya Gazeta newspaper has defamed his grandfather, Joseph Stalin. (BBC) (The Independent) (Miami Herald)
Guinea's military government announces it is setting up a commission to investigate the shooting of protesters last week. (BBC) (Bloomberg)
At least two people are killed and dozens injured as Typhoon Melor makes landfall in Japan. (Al Jazeera) (Mainichi Shimbun)
Treaty of Lisbon:
- Polish President Lech Kaczyński announces his intention to sign the Treaty of Lisbon on Saturday October 10, completing the country's ratification process. The Polish ratification ceremony is due to be attended by President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso. (Taiwan News)
- Kaczyński's twin brother and political ally, Jaroslaw, denies this. (Xinhua)
- In addition, Alexander Szczyglo, the president's head of security, tells the TVN24 television channel that President Kaczyński will sign the Lisbon treaty on October 11. (Al Jazeera)
- Czech President Václav Klaus, during a telephone conversation with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, requests a new two-sentence footnote be added to the Treaty of Lisbon before signing it. (BBC) (The Times)
- French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says the Lisbon Treaty will not be changed to meet the demands of Klaus, accusing him of "inventing difficulties" and saying he has no doubt this behaviour will continue. (RTÉ) (Reuters India)
DNA analysis reveals the identity of the "cursed blood" disorder that afflicted the British Royal Family in the 19th and early 20th centuries. (BBC)
A new study reveals one in four people are Muslim, with the global Muslim population standing at 1.57 billion. (The Guardian) (RIA Novosti) (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Colombia's Administrative Department of Security to be dismantled and become newly named Agencia Central de Inteligencia (Central Intelligence Agency).(Colombia Reports)