August 8, 2006 (Tuesday)
- CBS News's Mike Wallace holds an interview with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran. In the interview, Ahmadinejad said that the letter he sent to George W. Bush was meant to "open a window towards the light" for Bush to "see that one can look on the world through a different perspective." He responded to his nation's nuclear program and possible weapons program saying that Iran was "studying" the offer presented by the United States and the European Union. He also claimed that Bush "believes that his power emanates from his nuclear warhead arsenals." (CBS News)
- Amid news of slower-than expected growth and a quarterly rise in the unemployment rate in the United States, Federal Reserve System Chairman Ben Bernanke announced that there will be no increase to the Fed fund rate, ending a two-year period of rising interest rates. (Bloomberg)
- As Chadian President Idriss Déby is sworn-in to his third term in office, he hugs Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who only a few days ago was overseeing a campaign to overthrow the second Déby administration. (BBC)
- 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict:
- Lebanon's coastline could take up to 10 years to recover from a massive oil spill, the nation's environment minister has said. (BBC NEWS)
- The Arab League makes a formal bid at the UN to secure changes to a draft Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire resolution.(BBC NEWS)
- Israel recalls its ambassador from Venezuela following comments made by President Hugo Chávez. Venezuela's ambassador to Israel was called back on August 3. (YNET NEWS), (Haaretz)[permanent dead link], (VenezuelAnalysis),(ADL)
- Ehud Olmert, the Prime Minister of Israel, describes Lebanon's decision to deploy 15,000 troops in southern Lebanon as an "interesting step" which Israel would review. (Reuters)
- A strong earthquake of 6.7 magnitude hits near the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu at 9:18 a.m. local time.(ABC News)(USGS)