According to the ROA National Statistical Service, the average monthly salary during January-June 2008 is 86, 850 drams ( about $ 287 at the time ).

* 2008 – The 2008 Summer Olympics officially opened with the opening ceremony at National Stadium, Beijing, China.

DiFranco went on to perform at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Fears were allayed August 27, 2008, when Clinton enthusiastically endorsed Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, saying that all his experience as president assures him that Obama is " ready to lead ".

In 2008 the Brazilian minister of defense has formulated the " Estratégia Nacional de Defesa " ( National Defense Strategy ), that claims to build a strong national industry and make strategic partnerships with allied nations to develop technology together.

** National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center ( NBACC ; Projected: 2008 )

In a letter dated 18 February 2008, Castro announced that he would not accept the positions of president and commander in chief at the 24 February 2008 National Assembly meetings, saying " I will not aspire nor accept — I repeat I will not aspire or accept — the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief.

The UK's National Health Service announced in 2008 that more therapists would be trained to provide CBT at government expense as part of an initiative called Improving Access to Psychological Therapies ( IAPT ).

In South Australia and Western Australia the two parties compete separately, while in the Northern Territory and Queensland the two parties have merged, forming the Country Liberal Party, in 1978, and the Liberal National Party, in 2008, respectively.

The Cubs successfully defended their National League Central title in 2008, going to the postseason in consecutive years for the first time since 1906 – 08.

The Colorado Rockies began the 2008 season after few offseason changes from the National League champion squad of 2007.

National Geographic Traveler ranked Columbus 11th on its historic destinations list in late 2008, describing the city as " authentic, unique, and unspoiled.

The original 1952 recording of A Child's Christmas in Wales was a 2008 selection for the United States National Recording Registry, stating that it is " credited with launching the audiobook industry in the United States ".

In December 2008, Iran ’ s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili visited Ecuador.

" Elizabeth I ( 1533 – 1603 )" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography ( 2008 ) accessed 23 Aug 2011

In 2008, “ First Ladies at the Smithsonian ” opened at the National Museum of American History as part of its reopening year celebration.

The 2008 election was won by the National Democratic Congress under Tillman Thomas with 11 of the 15 seats.

In the early hours of 23 December 2008, Aboubacar Somparé, the President of the National Assembly, announced on television that Conté had died at 6: 45pm local time on 22 December " after a long illness ", without specifying the cause of death.

Since the 2008 Guinean coup d ' état, the head of state has been Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, an army officer and President of the National Council for Democracy and Development.

In the United States, the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar designated March 4 as National Grammar Day in 2008.

* Full biography: " Evans, Marian &# 91 ; George Eliot &# 93 ; ( 1819 – 1880 )", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2008

A study of granite countertops was done ( initiated and paid for by the Marble Institute of America ) in November 2008 by National Health and Engineering Inc of USA, and found that all of the 39 full size granite slabs that were measured for the study showed radiation levels well below the European Union safety standards ( section 4. 1. 1. 1 of the National Health and Engineering study ) and radon emission levels well below the average outdoor radon concentrations in the US.

In 2008, Americans For Fair Taxation ( AFFT ), gave Oberstar their lowest possible rating, and the National Taxpayers Union gave Oberstar an " F ."

In January 2008, Smith began writing editorials on the web page of the Constitution Party ( formerly called the U. S. Taxpayers ' Party ), which fueled speculation that Smith intended to seek the party's presidential nomination.

On 24 February 2008, John Lyon, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, was asked by the Taxpayers ' Alliance to investigate whether Martin had abused parliamentary expenses and allowances.

In 2008, a newsletter by the Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation began circulating that proposed the secession of Buckhead into its own city after more than 50 years as part of Atlanta.

In 2008, she was given the European Taxpayers ' Award from the Taxpayers ' Association of Europe for her decision to abolish export refunds for exports of live cattle from the EU, and for her ongoing efforts to improve the transparency of agricultural payments.

* Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association – 98. 7 % for 2008

In the 2008 elections, the opposition Union for a Presidential Majority ( UMP ) party boycotted the election, leaving all 65 seats to the ruling RPP.

However, Halonen allowed Finland to join European Union Battlegroups in 2006 and the NATO Response Force in 2008.

Commonly in reference to Finland's policies vis-à-vis the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but could refer to similar international relations, such as Denmark's attitude toward Germany between 1871 and 1940, and Taiwan's relation with China since 2008.

In April 2008, following the 2008 Hamburg state election, the Green-Alternative List ( GAL ) in Hamburg entered into a coalition with the Christian Democratic Union ( CDU ), the first such state-level coalition in Germany.

So, all works of Lovecraft published during his lifetime, became public domain in all 27 European Union countries on 1 January 2008.

In 2008, Ireland had the highest birth rate ( 18. 1 per 1, 000 ), lowest death rate ( 6. 1 per 1, 000 ) and highest net-migration rate ( 14. 1 per 1, 000 ) in the entire European Union – and the largest population growth rate ( 4. 4 %) in the 27-member bloc as a result.

* Reorienting strategies towards Burma / Myanmar, Opinion by Bernt Berger, May 2008, European Union Institute for Security Studies

In the European Union, total pasta sales in 2008 were US $ 8. 361 billion, of which $ 5. 722 billion was for dried pasta, $ 2. 244 billion was for fresh or chilled pasta, and $ 395 million was for canned or preserved pasta.

In October 2008 Rem Koolhaas was invited for a European " group of the wise " under the chairmanship of former Spanish prime minister Felipe González to help ' design ' the future European Union.

In 2008 the total Spanish public debt ( government debt ) relative to the total GDP was well below the European Union average, and in fact the government budget was in surplus.

* 2008 – The 2008 Chatsworth train collision in Los Angeles between a Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train kills 25 people.

Measures of their success include international record sales, a 2007 – 2008 reunion tour, merchandising, record-breaking achievements, iconic symbolism such as Halliwell's Union Jack dress, representing " Girl Power ", a box-office film, Spice World, and their internationally recognised nicknames.

However, an opinion poll in April 2008 suggested the result of any referendum on Scottish independence could be close as support for independence had reached 41 % with just 40 % supporting retention of the Union.

Putin also served as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus from 2008 to 2012.

* May 23, 2008 – The Union of South American Nations, a supranational union, is made from joining together the Andean Community and Mercosur.

On July 5, 2008, the Grand Rapids, Michigan, Starbucks Workers Union and CNT-AIT in Seville, Spain, organized a global day of action against alleged Starbucks union-busting, in particular the firing of two union members in Grand Rapids and Seville.

In December 2008, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo ( EULEX ) assumed most of UNMIK's roles, assisting and supporting the Kosovo authorities in the rule of law area, specifically in the police, judiciary and customs areas.

Blatter appeared to incur much criticism during 2007 and 2008 for his apparent persistence in attempting to change European Union employment law regarding the number of foreign players football clubs can field at any one time.

D & RGW 5371, the only original D & RGW locomotive in full Rio Grande paint on the Union Pacific, was retired by UP in December, 2008.

After the southern, Greek speaking part of Cyprus became a member of the European Union in 2004, it adopted the Euro as its currency on January 1, 2008, replacing the previously used Cypriot Pound ; whilst the northern area continued to use the Turkish Lira and on January 1, 2008 the New Turkish Lira.

Since 1972, when Sally Priesand became the first female rabbi in Reform Judaism, Reform Judaism's Hebrew Union College has ordained 552 women rabbis ( as of 2008 ).