2008 Morgan State Bears football team, Game summaries, Bethune–Cookman
Morgan State had 312 yards of total offense, but Bethune-Cookman scored twice off turnovers and beat the Bears 31-27. Devan James ran for 113 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown in the second quarter.


2008 Morgan State Bears football team, Game summaries, Bethune–Cookman
The Bears got as close as four points after QB Carlton Jackson threw a 27-yard touchdown to Edwin Baptiste, but James Meade's extra point attempt was blocked by the Wildcats. Jackson recovered a fumble in the end zone in the second quarter for a touchdown.


2008 Morgan State Bears football team, Game summaries, Bethune–Cookman
Bethune-Cookman had 213 total offensive yards, but only two first downs in the second half.


2008 Morgan State Bears football team, Game summaries, Bethune–Cookman
The Bears fall to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the MEAC. The Wildcats improved to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the MEAC.


2008 Morgan State Bears football team, Game summaries, North Carolina A&T
The Bears () led 10-3 at halftime, but scored 24-points in the third-quarter to pull away from North Carolina A&T University in a 41-3 victory. Devan James rushed for 103 yards and Mario Melton rushed for 97 yards as the Bears improved to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Aggies fell to 2-5 overall and 0-3 in the conference.


2008 Morgan State Bears football team, Game summaries, Howard
Keith Lee scored on a 3-yard run in the second overtime as Morgan State beat Howard University, 31-30. Devan James rushed for two touchdowns and 219 yards (36 carries) Lee finished with 29 yards (8 carries) as the Bears improved to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.


2008 Morgan State Bears football team, Game summaries, Delaware State
Devan James scored two touchdowns and ran for a total of 103 yards in a 20-3 victory over Delaware State University. The Bears forced the Hornets into four turnovers.


2008 Morgan State Bears football team, Game summaries, Florida A&M
Morgan State capped an 11-play, 41-yard drive with a 39-yard field goal with 16 seconds left for a 13-10 win over Florida A&M. It was the Bears fourth consecutive victory.


2008 Morgan State Bears football team, Game summaries, Florida A&M
Morgan State improved to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)


2008 Morpeth flood
The 2008 Morpeth flood occurred on Saturday 6 September 2008 in Morpeth, a town in Northumberland, northeastern England, when, following sustained heavy rainfall during the previous twenty-four hours, the River Wansbeck burst its banks and overwhelmed the town's flood defences. Nearly one thousand properties,  mostly residential, were damaged.


2008 Morpeth flood, Background
Previous flooding events occurred in 1863, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1881, 1886, 1898, 1900, 1903, 1924, 1963 and 1968 (Cotting Burn).


2008 Morpeth flood, Background
In 1992, a record peak water level of 3.19 metres (10.5 ft) was recorded in the river channel. The 2008 flood level was 0.8 metres higher than this. However, there was not a flood event in 1992 as the defences successfully protected the town centre.


2008 Morpeth flood, Background, Meteorological history
The low pressure "Mattea" formed at the southern tip of Greenland on 3 September, deepening to approximately 980hpa as it passed to the south of Ireland on 5 September. The low then remained in place over the UK before dissipating on 9 September. An occluded front associated with this low moved slowly north across the UK producing flash flooding across the Midlands and the North. The Environment Agency recorded 150 millimetres (5.9 in) of precipitation falling in the Wansbeck catchment area between Friday 5 and Saturday 6 September. Figures suggest that in Morpeth alone there was 86 millimetres (3.4 in) of rain compared to an average of 74 millimetres (2.9 in) for a month.


2008 Morpeth flood, Physical causes
The River Wansbeck Valley is narrow and steep and as a consequence has exaggerated amounts of surface runoff. Based on three storm events, a reliable flow gauge located upstream of Morpeth at the confluence of the Wansbeck and Font showed that 99.9% of rain fall is converted into surface runoff. Because the soil was already saturated as a result of the wet summer, the effect of surface runoff was greatly enhanced. Furthermore, increased urbanisation since the 1960s in Morpeth meant that most water falling on the town would have drained directly to the river channel.


2008 Morpeth flood, Physical causes
Other tests investigating the catchment lag time (time lapse between the midpoint of storm rainfall and peak river level) indicate that the Wansbeck has a lag time of only 8 hours. This means that any water falling in the catchment area would have been rapidly converted into channel flow by surface runoff and to a lesser extent by throughflow. This is due to the steepness of the valley and the soil composition.


2008 Morpeth flood, Effects and responses, Social
During 6 September 2008, more than 400 residents were evacuated. Shelter was provided in the Town Hall, King Edward VI High School and County Hall. An error made by the Environment Agency's warning system meant that 198 properties in the Middle Greens area of the town did not receive a flood warning.


2008 Morpeth flood, Effects and responses, Social
Fire fighters, ambulance crews, the RAF, the RNLI and the British Red Cross were among the emergency services involved in rescue and recovery operations over the weekend, as well as some local nurses, GPs, a pharmacist and school staff who volunteered once the news of the flood broke out. They worked through the night attending to those affected. Many residents were forced from their homes, and lived in caravans or with relatives as rebuilding took place.


2008 Morpeth flood, Effects and responses, Economic
Nearly one thousand properties in Morpeth's town centre were directly affected by the flood water. Among the businesses there, the ironmongers Smails and Sons, a cornerstone of the Morpeth community for over sixty years, was left completely out of stock. Early estimates suggested that damages could be over £40 million. The actual figure was much greater, with total losses estimated at £40 million. On Sunday 7 September, Morpeth Lions Club and the Red Cross launched the Morpeth Flood Disaster Fund, which, by Wednesday 10 September, had raised over £20,000.


2008 Morpeth flood, Effects and responses, Environmental
At the peak of the flood, Morpeth High Street (Bridge Street) was under 60 centimetres (2.0 ft) of water. Not since 1963 had the main street been flooded. The library suffered severe structural damage due to the heavy debris transported by the river. Such was the extent of the damage that structural engineers were required to test its safety.


2008 Morpeth flood, Aftermath
On Monday 8 September 2008, John Healey, the Floods Recovery Minister, visited Morpeth. Official government aid was pledged to the local authority to help with costs of the disaster through the Bellwin scheme. Mr Healey was also in talks with insurance industry chiefs, discussing their plans for dealing with a large number of claims in affected areas as quickly and effectively as possible.


2008 Morpeth flood, Aftermath
Discussions with the Environment Agency to bring forward proposals for new flood defences took place. An Environment Agency report published in December 2007 had suggested that the town's flood walls needed improvement. Oldgate Bridge may need some structural changes made as it has a damming effect during flood events. An upstream reservoir to hold back flood water was also proposed. If successful, improvements could be made by 2011.


2008 Morpeth flood, Aftermath
Morpeth Lions Club aimed to raise £100,000 for payment to those affected by the flooding without insurance.


2008 Morpeth flood, Aftermath
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall made an official visit on Friday 12 September, during which they inspected the damage and spoke with victims of the flood.


2008 Mosconi Cup
The 2008 Mosconi Cup, the 15th edition of the annual nine-ball pool competition between teams representing Europe and the United States, took place 11–14 December 2008 at the Hilton Conference Center in Portomaso, Malta.


2008 Mosconi Cup
Team Europe won the Mosconi Cup by defeating Team USA 11–5.


2008 Mosconi Cup, Gallery
Mika Immonen after potting the final ball to win the Mosconi Cup


2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade
The Moscow Victory Parade of 2008 was held on Victory Day (9 May) on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the Great Patriotic War ending in the defeat of Nazi Germany. This was the first time the Russian Federation opened its vehicle showcase since 1991, and the airshow since the Cold War. The parade was commanded by Army General Vladimir Bakin, Commander of the Moscow Military District, and reviewed by Anatoliy Serdyukov of the Russian Ministry of Defence. A speech was made by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who took office just two days prior. This would be notable to be the first ever major Russian military parade seen on television worldwide when RT carried a live broadcast of the parade for the first time in its history.


2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade, Parade Program, Parade formations
Note: Those indicated in bold indicate first parade appearance, those indicated with italic indicate double or multiple parade appearances.


2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade, Parade Program, Parade formations, Infantry Column
With more than 9,000 soldier, sailors, and airmen and 100 vehicles marching in the parade, this was the largest such parade held in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. Unlike previous Victory Day parades, there were no units parading in Great Patriotic War uniforms, though the Victory Banner was paraded at the beginning of the ceremony. Training for the parade took two months in Alabino, Moscow Oblast. On 8 May, a temporary platform with a white-blue-red banner was erected on Red Square, covering the Lenin Mausoleum .


2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade, Parade Program, Parade formations, Ground vehicles at the Parade
This was the first time in the history of post-Soviet Russia when armoured fighting vehicles took part in the Red Square parade. In order of presentation:


2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade, Parade Program, Parade formations, Ground vehicles at the Parade
On 22 April, the equipment was delivered to a training ground near Moscow. Before the parade, the tracked vehicles were delivered by rail. Due to the fact that in 1995 the Resurrection Gates were restored, military equipment entered the square on from one side of the State Historical Museum, and not from two as in previous parades.


2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade, Criticism
The parade has been criticized for returning to the Cold War-like display of weapons. Upon receiving personal criticism, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin stated the following: "This is not saber-rattling. We do not threaten anyone and are not going to do this, we do not impose anything on anyone". The military also allocated more than 1.3 billion rubles to the parade, many of which included the stones and asphalt concrete pavement for the mobile column, which came under criticism by opposition sources as well.


2008 Motor City Bowl
The 2008 Motor City Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association bowl game in which the Florida Atlantic Owls defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas 24–21. It was played on December 26, 2008 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan and aired on ESPN. The underdog FAU team from the Sun Belt Conference was led by game Most Valuable Player Rusty Smith. CMU had finished in third place in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference.


2008 Motor City Bowl
The game was the 12th installment of the Motor City Bowl and was attended by 41,399 people, the fourth-lowest all time for the Motor City Bowl.


2008 Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament
The 2008 Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament took place from May 20–24. The top six regular season finishers of the league's seven teams met in the double-elimination tournament held at Texas Christian University's Lupton Stadium. Top seeded TCU won their third straight and third overall Mountain West Conference Baseball Championship with a championship game score of 15–2 and earned the conference's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


2008 Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament, Seeding
The top six finishers from the regular season were seeded one through six based on conference winning percentage only. Only six teams participate, so Air Force was not in the field. New Mexico claimed the second seed over San Diego State by winning the season series. BYU claimed the fourth seed by winning the season series over Utah.


2008 Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament, All-Tournament Team, Most Valuable Player
Clint Arnold, an outfielder for the champion TCU Horned Frogs, was named the tournament Most Valuable Player.


2008 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2008 Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament was played at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada from March 12–15, 2008. The tournament was sponsored by Phillips 66 and all first round, quarterfinal, and semifinal games were broadcast live on the MountainWest Sports Network and CBS College Sports Network, while the championship game was broadcast on Versus.


2008 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
For the second straight year, tournament host UNLV defeated regular season league champion BYU 76–61 to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament Championship and earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.


2008 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Regular season
BYU entered the tournament as the first team in Mountain West history to win back-to-back regular season titles.


2008 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Games, First round, Colorado St. vs. Wyoming
Before the game, Wyoming held the lead in all-time matchups against Colorado State, 125–83, and had won every matchup this season. It was the third meeting of the two teams inMWC Tournament play. The Rams are now 7–7 in Mountain West tournament history, while the Cowboys are 6–9. 9th seed Colorado State entered the contest with 8th seed Wyoming having gone 0–16 in conference play during the regular season, but stunned Wyoming with a 68–63 win during the first round game of the tournament. Junior Marcus Walker led the Rams with 22 points followed by true Freshman Andre McFarland with 18. Wyoming received 29 points from Junior Brandon Ewing, 19 of which were in the first half. Colorado St. went on to play top seed BYU.


2008 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Games, Quarterfinals, BYU vs. Colorado St.
Colorado St. kept it close through the first half by shooting threes, but BYU took off early in the second half. BYU shot over 70% in the second half. BYU's Lee Cummard was the player of the game.


2008 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Games, Quarterfinals, San Diego St. vs. Air Force
Lorrenzo Wade sank four free throws and grabbed a critical rebound in the final seven seconds, allowing San Diego State to edge Air Force 53–49.


2008 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Games, Quarterfinals, UNLV vs. TCU
UNLV answered TCU's record onslaught of 3-pointers with a three-point play by Wink Adams in the closing seconds that gave the Runnin' Rebels an 89–88 win over the Horned Frogs.


2008 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Games, Quarterfinals, Utah vs. New Mexico
Luke Nevill made all the plays down the stretch despite playing with four fouls over the final 11½ minutes and the Utah Utes put a crimp in New Mexico's NCAA plans with an 82–80 overtime victory over the Lobos. New Mexico's J.R. Giddens missed a potential game tying lay-up as the clock expired in overtime.


2008 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Games, Semifinals, BYU vs. San Diego St.
Lee Cummard's 20 points led 24th-ranked BYU past pesky San Diego State 63–54, sending the Cougars to the championship for the second straight year.


2008 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Games, Semifinals, UNLV vs. Utah
Wink Adams and Curtis Terry each scored 20 points, leading UNLV back into the Mountain West Conference championship with a 61–55 win over Utah.


2008 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Games, Finals, UNLV vs. BYU
In a rematch of the 2007 MWC Championship game, the second-seed UNLV Runnin' Rebels challenged the top-seed and nationally ranked BYU Cougars. The two teams split the regular season series in blowouts. UNLV defeated BYU 76–61 to win their second straight conference championship and their third overall. BYU led at halftime, but the Runnin' Rebels produced a slaughter in the second half. UNLV's junior guard Wink Adams was named the Tournament MVP after scoring 23 points, 14 of which came in the final 7 minutes of the game and senior Curtis Terry added 20 points for the Rebels. BYU was led by freshman guard Jimmer Fredette, who had 17 points.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season
The 2008 Mountain West Conference football season was the 10th since eight former members of the Western Athletic Conference banded together to form the MW. The University of Utah won their fourth conference championship, ending the year 13-0 with a victory over Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
August 30, 2008 • Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Michigan • ABC • Attendance: 108,421


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
Brian Johnson threw for 305 yards and a touchdown and Louie Sakoda was 4-4 on field goals as the Utes held on to beat Michigan on their home field.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
September 6, 2008 • Husky Stadium • Seattle, Washington • FSN • Attendance: 64,611


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
In one of the year's most controversial endings, Washington quarterback Jake Locker scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with two seconds remaining, but was penalized 15 yards when he flipped the ball into the air in celebration. BYU defensive end Jan Jorgensen blocked the 35-yard extra point attempt, securing the win for the Cougars.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
September 13, 2008 • Gerald J. Ford Stadium • Dallas, Texas • Attendance: 2,546


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
The Falcons' scheduled game at Houston was relocated because of Hurricane Ike, the effects of which could still very much be felt in Dallas. In high winds and intermittent rain, Air Force tallied 380 yards rushing and never attempted a pass in the victory.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
September 13, 2008 • Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, Texas • The Mtn • Attendance: 25,531


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
Across the Metroplex from the Air Force-Houston game, the Frogs' game against Stanford was moved up to the early afternoon because of Ike and was also played in less than pleasant weather conditions. TCU outlasted the Cardinal in a sloppy game, starting the Mountain West's 4-0 day against the Pac-10.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
September 13, 2008 • LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, Utah • Versus • Attendance: 64,153


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
Max Hall tied a BYU school record by throwing for 7 touchdown passes as the Cougars easily defeated UCLA in Provo. The Cougars forced four turnovers and blocked a field goal in handing the Bruins their worst defeat in 80 years.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
September 13, 2008 • University Stadium • Albuquerque, New Mexico • CBS College • Attendance: 32,337


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
The Lobos had a little extra motivation in this one, after several Arizona players called New Mexico's 2007 win in Tucson a "fluke". Senior tailback Rodney Ferguson rushed for 158 yards to lead the attack.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
September 13, 2008 • Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, Arizona • FSN • Attendance: 59,852


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
By beating the 15th-ranked Sun Devils in their own stadium, the Rebels tallied their most impressive victory in recent memory. UNLV forced overtime by tying the game at 20 on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Omar Clayton to Phillip Payne with 18 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter. Kyle Watson then kicked a 20-yard field goal on the Rebels' overtime possession, and Malo Taumua blocked Arizona State kicker Thomas Weber's 35-yard field goal attempt to secure the win.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
September 20, 2008 • Falcon Stadium • Colorado Springs, Colorado • Versus • Attendance: 36,952


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
Utah running backs Darrell Mack and Matt Asiata both ran for more than a hundred yards, and Mack's third rushing touchdown of the day with 58 seconds remaining in the game gave the Utes the victory.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
September 20, 2008 • Sam Boyd Stadium • Las Vegas, Nevada • The Mtn • Attendance: 25,567


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
For the second consecutive week, the Rebels knocked off a team from one of the nation's elite conferences in overtime. The Cyclones had the ball first in overtime and kicked a 37-yard field goal. Then on the first play of the Rebels' possession, Omar Clayton threw his third touchdown of the game to Phillip Payne to win the game.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
September 20, 2008 • Memorial Stadium • Norman, Oklahoma • FSN • Attendance: 85,158


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
In one of the Horned Frogs' two defeats of the 2008 season, the Sooners jumped out to a 28-3 halftime lead to secure the victory. The Frogs, however, did hold OU to just 25 yards rushing and 35 points- the Sooners' smallest point total of the year.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
October 2, 2008 • Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, Utah • Versus • Attendance: 45,559


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
A week to the day after the Beavers had knocked off the nation's #1 team, Southern Cal, they fell to the Utes in a Thursday-night thriller. Oregon State led late into the fourth quarter, but Utah tied the game at 28-28 with 1:29 left when Brian Johnson hit Bradon Godfrey for a 25-yard touchdown pass and then Johnson ran the ball in for a two-point conversion. The Ute defense was able to hold for a three and out, which gave them the ball back with enough time for Louie Sakoda to kick a game-winning 37-yard field goal as time expired to run their record to 6-0.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
October 16, 2008 • Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, Texas • Versus • Attendance: 36,180


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
In a highly anticipated matchup of ranked MW teams, the Horned Frogs jumped out to a 23-0 halftime lead and never looked back. TCU sacked Max Hall 6 times- including 4 by All-American defensive end Jerry Hughes- and debuted their "Wild Frog" formation with wide receiver Jeremy Kerley lining up at quarterback.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
November 6, 2008 • Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, Utah • CBS College • Attendance: 45,666


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
Coming into this Thursday-night matchup, the Frogs were 9-1 and the Utes 9-0 with the winner putting themselves in good position for a BCS Bowl bid. The Frogs led 10-0 early, but were unable to improve upon that lead. TCU freshman kicker Ross Evans missed two field goals in the fourth quarter, and Brian Johnson hit Freddie Brown for a 9-yard touchdown pass with 48 seconds remaining to give the Utes the 13-10 victory.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
November 8, 2008 • Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, Tennessee • ESPN GamePlan • Attendance: 99,489


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
In a defensive battle, Cowboys' linebacker Ward Dobbs returned an interception 24 yards to give Wyoming a 13-0 halftime lead. Despite a few drives into Wyoming territory in the second half, the Volunteers were only able to score 7 points. The defeat may have cost Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer his job.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
November 22, 2008 • Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, Utah • The Mtn • Attendance: 46,488


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Memorable Games
In the annual Holy War game, Utah picked off BYU quarterback Max Hall five times as the Utes claimed an outright conference championship, a BCS Bowl bid and their third undefeated regular season in school history.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl Games, New Mexico Bowl
December 20, 2008 • University Stadium • Albuquerque, New Mexico • ESPN


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl Games, New Mexico Bowl
Colorado State running back Gartrell Johnson ran for 285 yards and scored two touchdowns in the Rams' 20-point fourth quarter surge to beat Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl. Johnson's 77-yard touchdown run with 1:46 remaining gave the Rams the lead for good, securing their first bowl win since 2001.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl Games, Las Vegas Bowl
December 20, 2008 • Sam Boyd Stadium • Las Vegas, Nevada • ESPN


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl Games, Las Vegas Bowl
In the Cougars' fourth-consecutive trip to the Las Vegas Bowl, they outgained the Wildcats 444 yards to 416, but were unable to turn that offensive production into points and lost.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl Games, Poinsettia Bowl
December 23, 2008 • Qualcomm Stadium • San Diego, California • ESPN


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl Games, Poinsettia Bowl
In a game of teams whose BCS dreams were dashed late in the season, Boise State jumped out to an early 10-0 lead, but TCU running back Aaron Brown cut the lead to 13-7 with a 16-yard touchdown run with 24 seconds remaining in the first half. The Frogs took the lead for good on Joseph Turner's 17-yard touchdown run with 8:51 remaining in the fourth quarter. The win gave TCU their 3rd 11-win season in the last 4 years, and was Boise State's lone defeat of the year.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl Games, Armed Forces Bowl
December 31, 2008 • Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, Texas • ESPN


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl Games, Armed Forces Bowl
In a rare bowl game featuring a rematch from the regular season, the Cougars earned a season split with the Falcons with a 34-28 win. It was the Falcons' second consecutive appearance-and loss- in the Armed Forces Bowl, and was the Cougars' first bowl victory since 1980.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl Games, Sugar Bowl
January 2, 2009 • Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, Louisiana • FOX


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl Games, Sugar Bowl
As a result of their 12-0 regular season and Mountain West Conference title, the Utes earned a spot in the Sugar Bowl and the $17 million pay-out that comes with it. They were heavy underdogs to Alabama, the SEC team that had spent much of the year ranked number one. The Utes jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter lead, but the Tide had pulled to within 21-17 early in the third quarter.


2008 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl Games, Sugar Bowl
The Utes responded with a 7-play, 71-yard drive capped by a Brian Johnson to David Reed touchdown pass, and added a Louie Sakoda field goal late in the fourth quarter to secure the 31-17 victory. Johnson ended the game with 336 yards passing and three touchdowns, and the Ute defense sacked Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson eight times.


2008 Movistar Open
The 2008 Movistar Open was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 16th edition of the Movistar Open, and was part of the International Series of the 2008 ATP Tour. It took place at the Centro de Tenis Las Salinas in Viña del Mar, Chile, from January 28 through February 3, 2008.


2008 Movistar Open
The field was headlined by 2007 Madrid Masters quarterfinalist, 2002 and 2004 Viña del Mar champion Fernando González, 2007 U.S. Open quarterfinalist and 2004 Viña del Mar doubles titlist Juan Ignacio Chela, and Auckland semifinalist Juan Mónaco. Other seeded players were 2007 St. Petersburg finalist Fernando Verdasco, Doha and Sydney quarterfinalist Agustín Calleri, Óscar Hernández, José Acasuso and Nicolás Massú.


2008 Movistar Open, Notable stories, Gonzalez's walkover win
Fernando González won the title by default after Juan Mónaco was forced to withdraw from the tournament, after retiring during the doubles final, where he played alongside Máximo González, due to a left ankle injury. Gonzalez was announced as the champion after his semifinal win over Pablo Cuevas, in which he saved two match points.


2008 Movistar Open, Finals, Doubles
José Acasuso /  Sebastián Prieto defeated  Máximo González /  Juan Mónaco, 6–1, 3–0 retired


2008 Movistar Open – Doubles
Paul Capdeville and Óscar Hernández were the defending champions. They were both present but did not compete together. Capdeville partnered with Lucas Arnold Ker, but lost in the first round to José Acasuso and Sebastián Prieto. Hernandez partnered with Sergio Roitman, but lost in the first round to Juan Pablo Brzezicki and Ross Hutchins.


2008 Movistar Open – Doubles
José Acasuso and Sebastián Prieto won in the final 6–1, 3–0, after Máximo González and Juan Mónaco retired due to a left ankle injury for Monaco.


2008 Movistar Open – Singles
Luis Horna was the defending champion, but lost in the second round to Carlos Berlocq.


2008 Movistar Open – Singles
Fernando González won with a walkover, after Juan Mónaco withdrew from the final due to a left ankle injury.


2008 Mr. Olympia
The 2008 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition and the feature event of Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend 2008 held September 26–27, 2008 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Other events at the exhibition included the 202 Olympia Showdown, and Ms. Olympia contests.


2008 Ms. Olympia
The 2008 Ms. Olympia contest is an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition and part of Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend 2008 was held on September 26, 2008, at the South Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada and in the Orleans Arena at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada. It was the 29th Ms. Olympia competition held. Other events at the exhibition include the 212 Olympia Showdown, Mr. Olympia, Fitness Olympia, and Figure Olympia contests.


2008 MuchMusic Video Awards
The 2008 MuchMusic Video Awards were held in Toronto, Ontario at MuchMusic's  headquarters on June 15, 2008 with the rain-soaked Red carpet arrivals that started at 8:00pm ET, but was slightly delayed by rainstorms that soaked the crowds and artists, the awards  started at 9:00 and ended at 11:00. The show featured performances by illScarlett, Flo Rida, Girlicious, Sean Kingston, JabbaWockeeZ, Simple Plan, the first performance by New Kids on the Block in 15 years and others. The most nominated artist was Hedley with six nominations in which they won four awards. This was the first MMVA to have an afterparty, which was broadcast exclusively on MuchMusic.com, and featured Bedouin Soundclash.


2008 MuchMusic Video Awards, Contests, MMVA10k
MuchMusic held the  Contest during the Video Awards. Three weeks prior to the event 2008 MMVA predictions and trivia were posted daily and viewers were able to play along during the live event on June 15, 2008. For every 500 points, viewers received a ballot to win $10,000. Viewers were also able to answer polls and chat with other MMVA viewers.


2008 MuchMusic Video Awards, MMVA08: Aftermath
The 2008 MuchMusic Video Awards are the only MMVA to feature an afterparty. The afterparty featured Bedouin Soundclash performing in front of a small crowd with several other artists. They performed a total of ten songs. The afterparty aired only once for a scheduled 30 minutes after the MMVA on muchmusic.com and MuchMoreMusic, but extended for a few minutes on muchmusic.com.


2008 Mumbai attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks (also referred to as 26/11) were a series of terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist terrorist organisation from Pakistan, carried out 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai. The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on Wednesday 26 November and lasted until Saturday 29 November 2008. A total of 175 people died, including nine attackers, and more than 300 were wounded.


2008 Mumbai attacks
Eight of the attacks occurred in South Mumbai: at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Palace & Tower, the Leopold Cafe, the Cama Hospital, the Nariman House, the Metro Cinema, and in a lane behind the Times of India building and St. Xavier's College. There was also an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai's port area, and in a taxi at Vile Parle. By the early morning of 28 November, all sites except for the Taj Hotel had been secured by the Mumbai Police and security forces. On 29 November, India's National Security Guards (NSG) conducted Operation Black Tornado to flush out the remaining attackers; it culminated in the death of the last remaining attackers at the Taj Hotel and ended the attacks.


2008 Mumbai attacks
Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving attacker, disclosed that the attackers were members of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, among others. The Government of India stated that the attackers came from Pakistan, and their controllers were in Pakistan. Pakistan later confirmed that the sole surviving perpetrator of the attacks was a Pakistani citizen. On 9 April 2015, the foremost ringleader of the attacks, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, was released on bail and disappeared; he was arrested again in Lahore on 2 January 2021. In 2018, former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif suggested that the Pakistani government played a role in the 2008 Mumbai attack.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Background
There had been many terrorist attacks in Mumbai since the 13 coordinated bomb explosions that killed 257 people and injured 700 on 12 March 1993. The 1993 attacks were carried out in revenge for earlier religious riots that killed many Muslims.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Background
On 6 December 2002, a blast in a BEST bus near Ghatkopar station killed two people and injured 28. The bombing occurred on the 10th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya. A bicycle bomb exploded near the Vile Parle station in Mumbai, killing one person and injuring 25 on 27 January 2003, a day before the visit of the Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee to the city.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Background
On 13 March 2003, a day after the 10th anniversary of the 1993 Bombay bombings, a bomb exploded in a train compartment near the Mulund station, killing 10 people and injuring 70. On 28 July 2003, a blast in a BEST bus in Ghatkopar killed 4 people and injured 32. On 25 August 2003, two bombs exploded in South Mumbai, one near the Gateway of India and the other at Zaveri Bazaar in Kalbadevi. At least 44 people were killed and 150 injured. On 11 July 2006, seven bombs exploded within 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai, killing 209 people, including 22 foreigners and more than 700 injured. According to the Mumbai Police, the bombings were carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba and Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).


2008 Mumbai attacks, Training
A group of men, sometimes stated as 24 and at other times 26, received training in marine warfare at a remote camp in mountainous Muzaffarabad in Pakistan. Part of the training was reported to have taken place on the Mangla Dam reservoir in Pakistan.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Training
The recruits went through the following stages of training, according to Indian and US media reports:


2008 Mumbai attacks, Training
From the recruits, ten were handpicked for the Mumbai mission. They also received training in swimming and sailing, besides the use of high-end weapons and explosives under the supervision of LeT commanders. According to a media report citing an unnamed former Defence Department Official of the US, the intelligence agencies of the US had determined that former officers from Pakistan's Army and Inter-Services Intelligence agency assisted actively and continuously in training. They were given blueprints of all the four targets – The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Nariman House and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks
The first events were detailed around 20:00 Indian Standard Time (IST) on 26 November, when 10 men in inflatable speedboats came ashore at two locations in Colaba. They reportedly told local Marathi-speaking fishermen who asked them who they were to "mind their own business" before they split up and headed two different ways. The fishermen's subsequent report to the police department received little response and local police were helpless.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) was attacked by two gunmen, Ismail Khan and Ajmal Kasab. Kasab was later caught alive by the police and identified by eyewitnesses. The attacks began around 21:30 when the two men entered the passenger hall and opened fire using AK-47 rifles. The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others, their assault ending at about 22:45. Security forces and emergency services arrived shortly afterwards. Announcements by a railway announcer, Vishnu Dattaram Zende, alerted passengers to leave the station and saved many lives.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
The two gunmen fled the scene and fired at pedestrians and police officers in the streets, killing eight police officers. The attackers passed a police station. Knowing that they were outgunned against the heavily armed terrorists, the police officers at the station, instead of confronting the terrorists, decided to switch off the lights and secure the gates.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
The attackers then headed towards Cama Hospital with intent to kill patients, but the hospital staff locked all of the patient wards. A team of the Mumbai Anti- Terrorist Squad led by police chief Hemant Karkare searched the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and then left in pursuit of Kasab and Khan. Kasab and Khan opened fire on the vehicle in a lane next to the hospital, and received return fire in response. Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte and one of their officers were killed. The only survivor, Constable Arun Jadhav, was severely wounded.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
Kasab and Khan seized the police vehicle but later abandoned it and seized a passenger car instead. They then ran into a police roadblock, which had been set up after Jadhav radioed for help. A gun battle then ensued in which Khan was killed and Kasab was wounded. After a physical struggle, Kasab was arrested. A police officer, Tukaram Omble, was also killed when he tried to disarm Kasab by wrestling his weapon away from him.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Leopold Cafe
The Leopold Cafe, a popular restaurant and bar on Colaba Causeway in South Mumbai, was one of the first sites to be attacked. Two attackers, Shoaib alias Soheb and Nazir alias Abu Umer, opened fire on the cafe on the evening of 26 November between 21:30 and 21:48, killing 10 people (including some foreigners) and injuring many more.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Bomb blasts in taxis
There were two explosions in taxis caused by timer bombs. The first one occurred at 22:40 at Vile Parle, killing the driver and a passenger. The second explosion took place at Wadi Bunder between 22:20 and 22:25. Three people, including the driver of the taxi were killed, and about 15 others were injured.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Oberoi Trident
Two hotels, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Oberoi Trident, were among the four locations targeted. Six explosions were reported at the Taj Hotel – one in the lobby, two in the elevators, three in the restaurant – and one at the Oberoi Trident. At the Taj, firefighters rescued 200 hostages from windows using ladders during the first night.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Oberoi Trident
CNN initially reported on the morning of 27 November 2008 that the hostage situation at the Taj Hotel had been resolved and quoted the police chief of Maharashtra stating that all hostages were freed; however, it was learned later that day that there were still two attackers holding hostages, including foreigners, in the Taj Hotel.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Oberoi Trident
A number of European Parliament Committee on International Trade delegates were staying in the Taj Hotel when it was attacked, but none of them were injured. British Conservative Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Sajjad Karim (who was in the lobby when attackers initially opened fire there) and German Social Democrat MEP Erika Mann were hiding in different parts of the building. Also reported present was Spanish MEP Ignasi Guardans, who was barricaded in a hotel room.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Oberoi Trident
Another British Conservative MEP, Syed Kamall, reported that he along with several other MEPs left the hotel and went to a nearby restaurant shortly before the attack. Kamall also reported that Polish MEP Jan Masiel was thought to have been sleeping in his hotel room when the attacks started, but eventually left the hotel safely. Kamall and Guardans reported that a Hungarian MEP's assistant was shot. Also caught up in the shooting were the President of Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, while checking in at the Oberoi Trident, and Indian MP N. N. Krishnadas of Kerala and Gulam Noon while having dinner at a restaurant in the Taj Hotel.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Nariman House
Nariman House, a Chabad Lubavitch Jewish centre in Colaba known as the Mumbai Chabad House, was taken over by two attackers and several residents were held hostage. Police evacuated adjacent buildings and exchanged fire with the attackers, wounding one. Local residents were told to stay inside. The attackers threw a grenade into a nearby lane, causing no casualties. NSG commandos arrived from Delhi, and a naval helicopter took an aerial survey. During the first day, 9 hostages were rescued from the first floor.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Nariman House
The following day, the house was stormed by NSG commandos fast-roping from helicopters onto the roof, covered by snipers positioned in nearby buildings. After a long battle, one NSG commando, Sergeant Gajender Singh Bisht, and both perpetrators were killed. Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka Holtzberg, who was six months pregnant, were murdered with four other hostages inside the house by the attackers.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, Nariman House
According to radio transmissions picked up by Indian intelligence, the attackers "would be told by their handlers in Pakistan that the lives of Jews were worth 50 times those of non-Jews". Injuries on some of the bodies indicated that they may have been tortured.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, NSG raid
During the attacks, both hotels were surrounded by Rapid Action Force personnel and Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and National Security Guards (NSG) commandos. When reports emerged that attackers were receiving television broadcasts, feeds to the hotels were blocked. Security forces stormed both hotels, and all nine attackers were killed by the morning of 29 November. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan of the NSG was martyred during the rescue of Commando Sunil Yadav, who was hit in the leg by a bullet during the rescue operations at Taj. 32 hostages were killed at the Oberoi Trident.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, NSG raid
NSG commandos then took on the Nariman house, and a Naval helicopter took an aerial survey. During the first day, 9 hostages were rescued from the first floor. The following day, the house was stormed by NSG commandos fast-roping from helicopters onto the roof, covered by snipers positioned in nearby buildings. NSG Commando Sergeant Gajender Singh Bisht, who was part of the team that fast-roped onto Nariman House, died after a long battle in which both perpetrators were also killed.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, NSG raid
By the morning of 28 November, the NSG had secured the Jewish outreach centre at Nariman House as well as the Oberoi Trident hotel. They also incorrectly believed that the Taj Palace and Towers had been cleared of attackers, and soldiers were leading hostages and holed-up guests to safety, and removing bodies of those killed in the attacks. However, later news reports indicated that there were still two or three attackers in the Taj, with explosions heard and gunfire exchanged. Fires were also reported at the ground floor of the Taj with plumes of smoke arising from the first floor.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attacks, NSG raid
The final operation at the Taj Palace hotel was completed by the NSG commandos at 08:00 on 29 November, killing three attackers and resulting in the conclusion of the attacks. The NSG rescued 250 people from the Oberoi, 300 from the Taj and 60 people (members of 12 different families) from Nariman House. In addition, police seized a boat filled with arms and explosives anchored at Mazgaon dock off Mumbai harbour.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution
The Mumbai attacks were planned and directed by Lashkar-e-Taiba militants inside Pakistan, and carried out by 10 young armed men trained and sent to Mumbai and directed from inside Pakistan via mobile phones and VoIP.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution
In July 2009 Pakistani authorities confirmed that LeT plotted and financed the attacks from LeT camps in Karachi and Thatta. In November 2009, Pakistani authorities charged seven men they had arrested earlier, of planning and executing the assault.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution
Mumbai police department originally identified 37 suspects—including two Pakistani army officers—for their alleged involvement in the plot. All but two of the suspects, many of whom are identified only through aliases, are Pakistani. Two more suspects arrested in the United States in October 2009 for other attacks were also found to have been involved in planning the Mumbai attacks. One of these men, Pakistani American David Headley (born Daood Sayed Gilani), was found to have made several trips to India before the attacks and gathered video and GPS information on behalf of the plotters.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution
In April 2011, the United States issued arrest warrants for four Pakistani men as suspects in the attack. The men, Sajid Mir, Abu Qahafa, Mazhar Iqbal alias "Major Iqbal", are believed to be members of Lashkar-e-Taiba and helped plan and train the attackers.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Negotiations with Pakistan
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attacks. Pakistan promised to assist in the investigation and President Zardari vowed "strong action against any Pakistani elements found involved in the attack".


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Negotiations with Pakistan
Pakistan initially denied that Pakistanis were responsible for the attacks, blaming plotters in Bangladesh and Indian criminals, a claim refuted by India, and saying they needed information from India on other bombings first.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Negotiations with Pakistan
Pakistani authorities finally agreed that Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani on 7 January 2009, and registered a case against three other Pakistani nationals.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Negotiations with Pakistan
The Indian government supplied evidence to Pakistan and other governments, in the form of interrogations, weapons, and call records of conversations during the attacks. In addition, Indian government officials said that the attacks were so sophisticated that they must have had official backing from Pakistani "agencies", an accusation denied by Pakistan.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Negotiations with Pakistan
Under US and UN pressure, Pakistan arrested a few members of Jamaat ud-Dawa and briefly put its founder under house arrest, but he was found to be free a few days later. A year after the attacks, Mumbai police continued to complain that Pakistani authorities were not co-operating by providing information for their investigation. Meanwhile, journalists in Pakistan said security agencies were preventing them from interviewing people from Kasab's village. The then Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the Pakistani authorities had not shared any information about American suspects Headley and Rana, but that the FBI had been more forthcoming.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Negotiations with Pakistan
An Indian report, summarising intelligence gained from India's interrogation of David Headley, was released in October 2010. It alleged that Pakistan's intelligence agency (ISI) had provided support for the attacks by providing funding for reconnaissance missions in Mumbai. The report included Headley's claim that Lashkar-e-Taiba's chief military commander, Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi, had close ties to the ISI. He alleged that "every big action of LeT is done in close coordination with [the] ISI."


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Negotiations with Pakistan
In 2018, during an interview with newspaper Dawn, Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reportedly indirectly accepted Pakistan's involvement in not preventing the Mumbai attacks.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Investigation
According to investigations, the attackers travelled by sea from Karachi, Pakistan, across the Arabian Sea, hijacked the Indian fishing trawler 'Kuber', killed the crew of four, then forced the captain to sail to Mumbai. After murdering the captain, the attackers entered Mumbai on a rubber dinghy. The captain of 'Kuber', Amar Singh Solanki, had earlier been imprisoned for six months in a Pakistani jail for illegally fishing in Pakistani waters. The attackers stayed and were trained by the Lashkar-e-Taiba in a safehouse at Azizabad in Karachi before boarding a small boat for Mumbai.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Investigation
David Headley was a member of Lashkar-e-Taiba, and between 2002 and 2009 Headley travelled extensively as part of his work for LeT. Headley received training in small arms and countersurveillance from LeT, built a network of connections for the group, and was chief scout in scoping out targets for Mumbai attack having allegedly been given $25,000 in cash in 2006 by an ISI officer known as Major Iqbal, The officer also helped him arrange a communications system for the attack, and oversaw a model of the Taj Hotel so that gunmen could know their way inside the target, according to Headley's testimony to Indian authorities.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Investigation
Headley also helped ISI recruit Indian agents to monitor Indian troop levels and movements, according to a US official. At the same time, Headley was also an informant for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, and Headley's wives warned American officials of Headley's involvement with LeT and his plotting attacks, warning specifically that the Taj Hotel may be their target.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Investigation
US officials believed that the Inter-Services Intelligence (I.S.I.) officers provided support to Lashkar-e-Taiba militants who carried out the attacks. Disclosures made by former American intelligence contractor Edward Snowden in 2013 revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had intercepted communications between the Lashkar boat and the LeT headquarters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and passed the alert on to RAW on 18 November, eight days before the terrorists actually struck Mumbai. In the hours after the attack, the New York City Police Department sent Brandon del Pozo, an official from their Intelligence Division, to investigate the incident in order to understand what vulnerabilities its methods posed for New York City.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Investigation
The arrest of Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Hamza in June 2012 provided further clarity on how the plot was hatched. According to Abu Hamza, the attacks were previously scheduled for 2006, using Indian youth for the job. However, a huge cache of AK-47's and RDX, which were to be used for the attacks, was recovered from Aurangabad in 2006, thus leading to the dismantling of the original plot. Subsequently, Abu Hamza fled to Pakistan and along with Lashkar commanders, scouted for Pakistani youth to be used for the attacks. In September 2007, 10 people were selected for the mission.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Investigation
In September 2008, these people tried sailing to Mumbai from Karachi, but couldn't complete their mission due to choppy waters. These men made a second attempt in November 2008, and successfully managed to execute the final attacks. David Headley's disclosures, that three Pakistani army officers were associated with the planning and execution of the attack were substantiated by Ansari's revelations during his interrogation.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Investigation
After Ansari's arrest, Pakistan's Foreign Office claimed they had received information that up to 40 Indian nationals were involved in the attacks.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Method
The attackers had planned the attack several months ahead of time and knew some areas well enough to vanish and reappear after security forces had left. Several sources have quoted Kasab telling the police that the group received help from Mumbai residents. The attackers used at least three SIM cards purchased on the Indian side of the border with Bangladesh. There were also reports of a SIM card purchased in the US state of New Jersey.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Method
Police had also mentioned that Faheem Ansari, an Indian Lashkar operative who had been arrested in February 2008, had scouted the Mumbai targets for the November attacks. Later, the police arrested two Indian suspects, Mikhtar Ahmad, who is from Srinagar in Kashmir, and Tausif Rehman, a resident of Kolkata. They supplied the SIM cards, one in Calcutta, and the other in New Delhi.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Method
The attackers used a satellite phone and cell phones to talk to each other as well as their handlers that were based in Pakistan. In transcripts intercepted by Indian authorities between the attackers and their handlers, the handlers provided the attackers with encouragement, tactical advice, and information gained from media coverage. The attackers used both personal cell phones and those obtained from their victims to communicate with each other and the news media.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Method
Although the attackers were encouraged to murder hostages, the attackers were in communication with the news media via cell phones to make demands in return for the release of hostages. This was believed to be done in order to further confuse Indian authorities that they were dealing with primarily a hostage situation.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Method
Type 86 Grenades made by China's state-owned Norinco were used in the attacks.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Method
There were also indications that the attackers had been taking steroids. The gunman who survived said that the attackers had used Google Earth to familiarise themselves with the locations of buildings used in the attacks.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Method
There were 10 gunmen, nine of whom were subsequently shot dead and one captured by security forces. Witnesses reported that they seemed to be in their early twenties, wore black T-shirts and jeans, and that they smiled and looked happy as they shot their victims.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Method
It was initially reported that some of the attackers were British citizens, but the Indian government later stated that there was no evidence to confirm this. Similarly, early reports of 12 gunmen were also later shown to be incorrect.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Method
On 9 December, the 10 attackers were identified by Mumbai police, along with their home towns in Pakistan: Ajmal Amir from Faridkot, Abu Ismail Dera Ismail Khan from Dera Ismail Khan, Hafiz Arshad and Babr Imran from Multan, Javed from Okara, Shoaib from Sialkot, Nazir Ahmed and Nasir from Faisalabad, Abdul Rahman from Arifwalla, and Fahadullah from Dipalpur Taluka. Dera Ismail Khan is in the North-West Frontier Province; the rest of the towns are in Pakistani Punjab.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Method
On 6 April 2010, the Home Minister of Maharashtra State, which includes Mumbai, informed the Assembly that the bodies of the nine killed Pakistani gunmen from the 2008 attack on Mumbai were buried in a secret location in January 2010. The bodies had been in the mortuary of a Mumbai hospital after Muslim clerics in the city refused to let them be buried on their grounds.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Attackers
Only one of the 10 attackers, Ajmal Kasab, survived the attack. He was hanged in Yerwada jail in 2012. The other nine attackers killed during the onslaught were Hafiz Arshad alias Abdul Rehman Bada, Abdul Rahman Chhota, Javed alias Abu Ali, Fahadullah alias Abu Fahad, Ismail Khan alias Abu Ismail, Babar Imran alias Abu Akasha, Nasir alias Abu Umar, Nazir alias Abu Umer and Shoaib alias Abu Soheb.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Arrests
Ajmal Kasab was the only attacker arrested alive by police. At first, he deposed to police inspector Ramesh Mahale that he had come to India "to see Amitabh Bachchan's bungalow", and that he was apprehended by the Mumbai Police outside the bungalow. Much of the information about the attackers' preparation, travel, and movements comes from his subsequent confessions to the Mumbai police.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Arrests
On 12 February 2009 Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that Pakistani national Javed Iqbal, who acquired VoIP phones in Spain for the Mumbai attackers, and Hamad Ameen Sadiq, who had facilitated money transfer for the attack, had been arrested. Two other men known as Khan and Riaz, but whose full names were not given, were also arrested. Two Pakistanis were arrested in Brescia, Italy (east of Milan) on 21 November 2009, after being accused of providing logistical support to the attacks and transferring more than US$200 to Internet accounts using a false ID. They had Red Corner Notices issued against them by Interpol for their suspected involvement and it was issued after the last year's strikes.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Arrests
In October 2009, two Chicago men were arrested and charged by the FBI for involvement in "terrorism" abroad, David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana. Headley, a Pakistani-American, was charged in November 2009 with scouting locations for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Headley is reported to have posed as an American Jew and is believed to have links with militant Islamist groups based in Bangladesh. On 18 March 2010, Headley pleaded guilty to a dozen charges against him thereby avoiding going to trial.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Arrests
In December 2009, the FBI charged Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed, a retired major in the Pakistani army, for planning the attacks in association with Headley.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Arrests
On 15 January 2010, in a successful snatch operation R&AW agents nabbed Sheikh Abdul Khwaja, one of the handlers of the 26/11 attacks, chief of HuJI India operations and a most wanted suspect in India, from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and brought him over to Hyderabad, India for formal arrest.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Arrests
On 25 June 2012, the Delhi Police Department arrested Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Hamza, one of the key suspects in the attack at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. His arrest was touted as the most significant development in the case since Kasab's arrest. Security agencies had been chasing him for three years in Delhi. Ansari is a Lashker-e-Taiba ultra and the Hindi tutor of the 10 attackers who were responsible for the Mumbai attacks in 2008.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Arrests
He was apprehended, after he was arrested and deported to India by Saudi Intelligence officials as per official request by Indian authorities. After Ansari's arrest, investigations revealed that in 2009 he allegedly stayed for a day in a room in Old Legislators's Hostel, belonging to Fauzia Khan, a former MLA and minister in Maharashtra Government. The minister, however, denied having any links with him. Home Minister P. Chidambaram asserted that Ansari was provided a safe place in Pakistan and was present in the control room, which could not have been established without active State support. Ansari's interrogation further revealed that Sajid Mir and a Pakistani Army major visited India under fake names as cricket spectators to survey targets in Delhi and Mumbai for about a fortnight.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Attribution, Arrests
A number of suspects were also arrested on false charges. At least two of them spent nearly eight years in prison and were not paid any compensation by the Indian government.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Casualties and compensation
A total of 175 people, including civilians, security personnel, and nine of the attackers, were killed in the attacks. Among the dead were 29 foreign nationals. One attacker was captured. The bodies of many of the dead hostages showed signs of torture or disfigurement. A number of those killed were notable figures in business, media, and security services.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Casualties and compensation
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, stated that 15 policemen and two NSG commandos were killed, including the following officers:


2008 Mumbai attacks, Casualties and compensation
Three railway officials of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus were also killed.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Casualties and compensation
The government of Maharashtra announced about ₹500,000 (US$7,000) as compensation to the kin of each of those killed in the terror attacks and about ₹50,000 (US$700) to the seriously injured. In August 2009, the Indian Hotels Company and the Oberoi Group received about US$28 million as part-payment of the insurance claims, on account of the attacks on Taj and Trident, from General Insurance Corporation of India.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Aftermath
The attacks are sometimes referred to in India as "26/11", after the date in 2008 that the attacks began. The Pradhan Inquiry Commission, appointed by the Maharashtra government, produced a report that was tabled before the legislative assembly more than a year after the events. The report said the "war-like" attack was beyond the capacity to respond of any police force, but also found fault with the Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor's lack of leadership during the crisis.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Aftermath
The Maharashtra government planned to buy 36 speed boats to patrol the coastal areas and several helicopters for the same purpose. It also planned to create an anti-terror force called "Force One" and upgrade all the weapons that Mumbai police currently have. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on an all-party conference declared that legal framework would be strengthened in the battle against "terrorism" and a federal anti-terrorist intelligence and investigation agency, like the FBI, will be set up soon to co-ordinate action against "terrorism". The government strengthened anti-terror laws with UAPA 2008, and the federal National Investigation Agency was formed.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Aftermath
The attacks further strained India's slowly recovering relationship with Pakistan. India's then External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee declared that India may indulge in military strikes against terror camps in Pakistan to protect its territorial integrity. There were also after-effects on the United States's relationships with both countries, the US-led NATO war in Afghanistan, and on the Global War on Terror. FBI chief Robert Mueller praised the "unprecedented cooperation" between American and Indian intelligence agencies over the Mumbai terror attack probe. However, Interpol secretary general Ronald Noble said that Indian intelligence agencies did not share any information with Interpol.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Aftermath
A new National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) was proposed to be set up by the then-Home Minister P. Chidambaram as an office to collect, collate, summarise, integrate, analyse, co-ordinate and report all information and inputs received from various intelligence agencies, state police departments, and other ministries and their departments.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Aftermath, Movement of troops
Pakistan moved troops towards the border with India voicing concerns about the Indian government's possible plans to launch attacks on Pakistani soil if it did not co-operate. After days of talks, the Pakistan government, however, decided to start moving troops away from the border.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Reactions
Indians criticised their political leaders after the attacks, saying that their ineptness was partly responsible. The Times of India commented on its front page that "Our politicians fiddle as innocents die."


2008 Mumbai attacks, Reactions
Political reactions in Mumbai and India included a range of resignations and political changes, including the resignations of Minister for Home Affairs Shivraj Patil, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and deputy chief minister R. R. Patil for controversial reactions to the attack including taking the former's son and Bollywood director Ram Gopal Verma to tour the damaged Taj Hotel and the latters remarks that the attacks were not a big deal in such a large city. Indian Muslims condemned the attacks and refused to bury the attackers. Groups of Muslims marched against the attacks and mosques observed silence.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Reactions
Prominent Muslim personalities such as Bollywood actor Aamir Khan appealed to their community members in the country to observe Eid al-Adha as a day of mourning on 9 December. The business establishment also reacted, with changes to transport, and requests for an increase in self-defence capabilities. The attacks also triggered a chain of citizens' movements across India such as the India Today Group's "War Against Terror" campaign. There were vigils held across all of India with candles and placards commemorating the victims of the attacks. The NSG commandos based in Delhi also met criticism for taking ten hours to reach the three sites under attack.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Reactions
International reaction for the attacks was widespread, with many countries and international organisations condemning the attacks and expressing their condolences to the civilian victims. Many important personalities around the world also condemned the attacks.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Reactions
Media coverage highlighted the use of social media and social networking tools, including Twitter and Flickr, in spreading information about the attacks. In addition, many Indian bloggers offered live textual coverage of the attacks. A map of the attacks was set up by a web journalist using Google Maps. The New York Times, in July 2009, described the event as "what may be the most well-documented terrorist attack anywhere".


2008 Mumbai attacks, Reactions
In November 2010, families of American victims of the attacks filed a lawsuit in Brooklyn, New York, naming Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, chief of the ISI, as being complicit in the Mumbai attacks. On 22 September 2011, the attack on the American Embassy in Afghanistan was attributed to Pakistan via cell phone records identical to the attacks in Mumbai, also linked to Pakistan.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Trials, Kasab's trial
Kasab's trial was delayed due to legal issues, as many Indian lawyers were unwilling to represent him. A Mumbai Bar Association passed a resolution proclaiming that none of its members would represent Kasab. However, the Chief Justice of India stated that Kasab needed a lawyer for a fair trial. A lawyer for Kasab was eventually found, but was replaced due to a conflict of interest. On 25 February 2009, Indian investigators filed an 11,000-page chargesheet, formally charging Kasab with murder, conspiracy, and waging war against India among other charges.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Trials, Kasab's trial
Kasab's trial began on 6 May 2009. He initially pleaded not guilty, but later admitted his guilt on 20 July 2009. He initially apologised for the attacks and claimed that he deserved the death penalty for his crimes, but later retracted these claims, saying that he had been tortured by police to force his confession, and that he had been arrested while roaming the beach. The court had accepted his plea, but due to the lack of completeness within his admittance, the judge had deemed that many of the 86 charges were not addressed and therefore the trial continued.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Trials, Kasab's trial
Kasab was convicted of all 86 charges on 3 May 2010. He was found guilty of murder for directly killing seven people, conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of the 164 people killed in the three-day terror siege, waging war against India, causing terror, and of conspiracy to murder two high-ranking police officers. On 6 May 2010, he was sentenced to death by hanging. However, he appealed his sentence at high court. On 21 February 2011, the Bombay High Court upheld the death sentence of Kasab, dismissing his appeal.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Trials, Kasab's trial
On 29 August 2012, the Indian Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for Kasab. The court stated, "We are left with no option but to award death penalty. The primary and foremost offence committed by Kasab is waging war against the Government of India". The verdict followed 10 weeks of appeal hearings, and was decided by a two-judge Supreme Court panel, which was led by Judge Aftab Alam. The panel rejected arguments that Kasab was denied a free and fair trial.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Trials, Kasab's trial
Kasab filed a mercy petition with the President of India, which was rejected on 5 November. Kasab was hanged in Pune's Yerwada jail in secret on 21 November 2012 at 7:30 am named as operation 'X'. The Indian mission in Islamabad informed the Pakistan government about Kasab's hanging through a letter. Pakistan refused to take the letter, which was then faxed to them. His family in Pakistan was sent news of his hanging via a courier.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Trials, In Pakistan
Indian and Pakistani police exchanged DNA evidence, photographs and items found with the attackers to piece together a detailed portrait of the Mumbai plot. Police in Pakistan arrested seven people, including Hammad Amin Sadiq, a homoeopathic pharmacist, who arranged bank accounts and secured supplies. Sadiq and six others began their formal trial on 3 October 2009 in Pakistan. Indian authorities said the prosecution stopped well short of top Lashkar leaders. In November 2009, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that Pakistan had not done enough to bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Trials, In Pakistan
An eight-member commission comprising defence lawyers, prosecutors and a court official was allowed to travel to India on 15 March 2013 to gather evidence for the prosecution of seven suspects linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. However, the defence lawyers were barred from cross-examining the four prosecution witnesses in the case including Ajmal Kasab. On the eve of the first anniversary of 26/11, a Pakistani anti-terror court formally charged seven accused, including LeT operations commander Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi. However, the actual trial started on 5 May 2012.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Trials, In Pakistan
The Pakistani court conducting trial of Mumbai attacks accused, reserved its judgement on the application filed by Lakhvi, challenging the report of the judicial panel, to 17 July 2012. On 17 July 2012, the court refused to take the findings of the Pakistani judicial commission as part of the evidence. However, it ruled that if a new agreement, which allows the panel's examination of witnesses, is reached, the prosecution may make an application for sending the panel to Mumbai.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Trials, In Pakistan
The Indian Government, upset over the court ruling, however, contended that evidence collected by the Pakistani judicial panel has evidential value to punish all those involved in the attack. On 21 September 2013, a Pakistani judicial commission arrived in India to carry out the investigation and to cross examine the witnesses. This is the second such visit: the one in March 2012 was not a success as its report was rejected by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan due to lack of evidence.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Trials, In the United States
The LeT operative David Headley (born Daood Sayed Gilani) in his testimony before a Chicago federal court during co-accused Tahawwur Rana's trial revealed that Mumbai Chabad House was added to the list of targets for surveillance given by his Inter Services Intelligence handler Major Iqbal, though the Oberoi Hotel, one of the sites attacked, was not originally on the list. On 10 June 2011, Tahawwur Rana was acquitted of plotting the 2008 Mumbai attacks, but was held guilty on two other charges. He was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison on 17 January 2013.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Trials, In the United States
David Headley pleaded guilty to 12 counts related to the attacks, including conspiracy to commit murder in India and aiding and abetting in the murder of six Americans. On 23 January 2013, he was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison. His plea that he not be extradited to India, Pakistan or Denmark was accepted.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Memorials
On the first anniversary of the event, the state paid homage to the victims of the attack. Force One—a new security force created by the Maharashtra government—staged a parade from Nariman Point to Chowpatty. Other memorials and candlelight vigils were also organised at the various locations where the attacks occurred.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Memorials
On the second anniversary of the event, homage was again paid to the victims.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Memorials
On the 10th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Nariman House, one of the several establishments that were targeted by the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, were to be declared a memorial and renamed as Nariman Light House.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Memorials
The Indian Express group hosts an annual memorial event, 26/11 - Stories of Strength, in Mumbai to pay homage to those killed in the ghastly terror attacks in the city in 2008. The memorial event started in 2016, is now organised at the Gateway of India and brings forth the inspiring stories of courage and strength of more than 100 survivors that the Indian Express has interviewed over the past decade. Actor Amitabh Bachchan has been the brand ambassador for the event over the years.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Published accounts, Documentaries
Operation Black Tornado (2018) is a TV documentary which premiered on Veer by Discovery Channel series, Battle Ops.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Published accounts, Books
The Siege: The Attack on the Taj is a non-fiction book by Cathy Scott-Clerk and Adrian Levy. It is an account of the 2008 attacks on The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, India, during the night of 26 November 2008. The book was first published by Penguin Books in 2013.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Published accounts, Books
In 2017, Elias Davidsson published The Betrayal of India: Revisting the 26/11 Evidence, claiming  powerful institutions in India and the US had been the beneficiaries and the attacks had been organized by Indian prime Intelligence Agency, RAW and her surrogates.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Published accounts, Books
Aziz Burney wrote a book titled 26/11: RSS ki Saazish? ("26/11: An RSS conspiracy?") hinting that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was somehow linked to the attack and launched the book in presence of Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. Later as RSS filed a case against him, he had to apologise for it.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Published accounts, Books
Former National Security Advisor of India, Shivshankar Menon wrote Choices: Inside the Making of India's Foreign Policy. In his book Menon mentioned that the reason why India did not immediately attacked Pakistan was, after the examination of the options by the leadership of the government, it was concluded by the decision makers that, "more was to be gained from not attacking Pakistan than from attacking it".


2008 Mumbai attacks, Published accounts, Books
In his 2020 memoirs, Let Me Say It Now, former IPS officer Rakesh Maria, who was given the responsibility of investigating the attacks and personally interrogated Ajmal Kasab, revealed the extent to which terrorists had gone to ensure their bodies would be mis-identified as Hindus, to lend credence to the narrative that the attack was the handiwork of Hindu extremists, and thus provide the Pakistani authorities with plausible deniability.


2008 Mumbai attacks, Published accounts, Books
According to Maria, Lashkar-e-Taiba wanted Kasab to be killed as a Bengaluru resident named ‘Samir Dinesh Chaudhari’, with a "red (sacred) thread" tied around his wrist to portray the attack as a case of ‘Hindu terror’, but their plan apparently did not succeed and the police nabbed Kasab. LeT had even given each terrorist a fake identity card listing an Indian address, to further strengthen the circumstantial narrative. If everything went according to plan, Kasab would have died as Chaudhari and the media would have blamed 'Hindu terrorists' for the attack. Kasab, in his confessional account, acknowledged this plot, as did David Coleman Headley, who corroborated this account by confirming that the sacred threads to be worn around the terrorists' wrists to identify them as Hindus, were procured from Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple.


2008 Munster Senior Hurling Championship
The 2008 Munster Senior Hurling Championship was an annual hurling competition played between 1 June and 13 July 2008 between five hurling counties from the provence of Munster. The Munster final was played on 13 July 2008 in the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick, between Tipperary and Clare. Tipperary claimed their first Munster Senior Hurling title since 2001 and 37th title overall as they overcame Clare by a score of 2-21 to 0-19.


2008 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final
The 2008 Munster Senior Hurling Final was a hurling match played on 13 July 2008 in the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick. It was contested by Tipperary and Clare. Tipperary claimed their first Munster Senior Hurling title since 2001 and 37th title overall as they overcame Clare by a score of 2-21 to 0-19. Goals in either half from Séamus Callinan (1-3) and John O'Brien (1-4) helped the National League champions to an eight-point win. With a first half wides tally of 10, Clare struggled initially in defence and attack and were 1-11 to 0-6 behind at half-time. Aided by Niall Gilligan's 0-8 haul Clare revived their chances by closing the gap to five points but O'Brien's 58th-minute goal sealed the issue. Playing captain Eoin Kelly and team captain Paul Ormonde collected the munster cup after the final whistle.


2008 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final
The match was screened live by RTÉ as part of The Sunday Game programme.


2008 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final
By winning the final Tipperary maintained their unbeaten run in 2008 under Liam Sheedy in his first year as manager.


2008 Murdoch state by-election
The 2008 Murdoch state by-election was a by-election held on 23 February 2008 for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Murdoch in the southern suburbs of Perth.


2008 Murdoch state by-election
The by-election was triggered by the death of Liberal member Trevor Sprigg on 17 January 2008. Sprigg had held the seat since the 2005 state election. A former football star with East Fremantle Football Club, he was a popular local member, and served in Parliament as the Opposition Whip in the Legislative Assembly. On 17 January 2008, while returning from the Gold Coast to attend a Liberal leadership vote, Sprigg died of a heart attack aged 61. The leadership vote produced a victory for Troy Buswell, and members were to learn of Sprigg's death only after the vote had been taken.


2008 Murdoch state by-election
On 24 January 2008, the Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly issued a writ directing the Electoral Commissioner to proceed with an election in the district. Christian Porter, a 37-year-old law lecturer at the University of Western Australia, won the Liberal preselection ballot on 30 January 2007 against former minister and member for neighbouring Riverton, Graham Kierath.


2008 Murdoch state by-election
The seat of Murdoch, first established in 1976, was considered to be a safe seat for the Liberal Party, with just two other members since its creation—former Leader of the Opposition Barry MacKinnon, and Mike Board. Commentators viewed the by-election as a non-event, and it became clear early that the Labor Party, in government in Western Australia since 2001, had no intention of contesting the seat, and that the media's main interest in the race was to debate Porter's role in a future shadow cabinet. Porter went on to win the seat against three non-major-party candidates.


2008 Murdoch state by-election, Candidates
The by-election attracted four candidates. Christian Porter, a 37-year-old law lecturer at the University of Western Australia, grandson of former Queensland Liberal MLA Charles Porter who held the seat of Toowong from 1966 until 1980 and son of former Western Australian state director Chilla Porter, won the Liberal preselection ballot against former minister and member for neighbouring Riverton, Graham Kierath. He was tipped, if successful, to become the shadow attorney-general, a role which had been vacant following the departure of Sue Walker (Nedlands) from the Liberal party.


2008 Murdoch state by-election, Candidates
Other candidates ran for the Greens, One Nation and Christian Democratic Party:


2008 Murdoch state by-election, Results
As largely predicted, Christian Porter retained the seat for the Liberal Party. As the Labor Party did not run, a swing could not be determined, although the 10-15% increase in the Liberal vote due to Labor voters (35.51% at the 2005 election) choosing the Liberals ahead of the Greens was hailed by Porter in his victory speech at 7:40pm AWDT on election night.


2008 Murshidabad murder
The 2008 Murshibad murder was the beheading of Shailendra Prasad, a Hindu labourer from Bihar for marrying Munira Bibi a Muslim girl from West Bengal, on the orders of a shalishi court in Murshidabad on 14 July 2008. Munira Bibi, the widow of the victim, eventually regretted her ill-fated visit to her parental home where she lost her husband.


2008 Murshidabad murder, Background
Shailendra Prasad, a native of Bihar, worked as a labourer in Mumbai, where Munira worked as a maid servant. They fell in love and married in 2001. Munira came from an orthodox village, where a shalishi court had fined her father Ansari Sheikh a sum of two hundred rupees for sending his daughter to work in Mumbai.


2008 Murshidabad murder, Trial and execution
The couple visited Lakshmanpur again in July 2006, this time with their ten-month-old son. As on the previous occasion, Shailendra had to assume the identity of Munna Sheikh to escape the wrath of the orthodox villagers. His father-in-law Ansari Sheikh, however, noticed that he did not offer his Friday prayers, nor responded spontaneously to greetings. On 14 July, Ansari Sheikh overheard a muttering from Shailendra during a religious ritual, that was a dead giveaway of his religion and informed the village elders his suspicion in the afternoon.


2008 Murshidabad murder, Trial and execution
A shalishi court was convened on the grounds of the village primary school that evening by the village elders. At the court, Shailendra was forcibly disrobed to check his religious identity and when he was found uncircumcised he was beaten up severely. Twenty-two political and religious leaders of the shalishi court, along with Ansari Sheikh, pronounced Shailendra guilty of marrying a Muslim girl and awarded him the death sentence. His hands and feet were tied up. He was gagged and taken to a nearby jute field, where his throat was slit by four executioners.


2008 Murshidabad murder, Trial and execution
As Shailendra Prasad went missing from the night of 14 July, his wife Munira Bibi believed that he had fled to Mumbai. Her father had kept everything from her mother and brother. On 27 July, when Munira learned of her husband's fate from other villagers she accompanied her mother and brother to the Berhampore police station to lodge a formal complaint. The police had already discovered the beheaded body of an unidentified man inside a gunny bag lying in the jute fields ten days before on 17 July.


2008 Murshidabad murder, Trial and execution
On 28 July, the police raided the village and arrested three persons who presided over the shalishi. The rest of the villagers who took part in the shalishi and Ansari Sheikh fled the village. On 1 August, a large police force led by the additional Superintendent of Police Debashis Bej raided the village of Lakshmanpur and detained 26 villagers for interrogation.


2008 Murshidabad murder, Trial and execution
Home Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakrabarti promised to take the strictest possible action against the culprits.


2008 Music City Bowl
The 2008 Music City Bowl was the eleventh edition of the college football bowl game played at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee. The game started at 2:30 pm US CST (2030 UTC) on Wednesday, December 31, 2008. The game, telecast on ESPN, pitted the Vanderbilt Commodores against the Boston College Eagles. The Commodores, playing near their Nashville campus, won 16–14, earned their first bowl win in exactly 53 years, and completed their first winning season since 1982. Sponsored by Gaylord Hotels, it was officially named the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl.


2008 Music City Bowl, Preview
For the Eagles, this game was the culmination of their tenth consecutive season in a bowl game, a school record. They also entered the game on a streak of eight consecutive bowl wins, the best in Division I FBS. They ended the regular season on a four-game winning streak, but missed out on a chance to gain a BCS berth with a 30-12 loss to Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship Game. The Eagles still had a major milestone to play for, as a win would have given them a third consecutive 10-win season for the first time in school history.


2008 Music City Bowl, Preview
Vanderbilt's recent football history was practically a reverse image of BC's. The Commodores, long hampered by being the only private school in the Southeastern Conference, had gone without a winning season since 1982, and entered the 2008 campaign with only three winning seasons in the last 50 years. While BC was on a streak of 10 consecutive bowl appearances, this was Vanderbilt's first bowl game since a trip to the Hall of Fame Bowl in 1982, and only the fourth in their history.


2008 Music City Bowl, Preview
Despite the Eagles' loss in the ACC title game, they clearly entered the game as the hotter team, winning their last four regular-season games, while the Commodores had won only one of their last seven games. The Commodores started out 5-0 for the first time since 1943, rising as high as #13 in the AP Poll. However, their only win for the rest of the regular season was on November 15, when they visited Kentucky and left with a 31-24 win that secured their bowl eligibility.


2008 Music City Bowl, Preview
Neither team was noted for its offensive prowess during the regular season. BC's offense gained an average of 318.5 yards per game, ranking 94th out of 119 FBS teams. Vanderbilt's offense was statistically even weaker, ranking next-to-last in FBS at 260.9 yards per game. The main strength of both teams was defense. The Eagles entered the game ranked sixth in Division I FBS in total defense, giving up 273.4 yards per game.


2008 Music City Bowl, Preview
They also led Division I FBS in interceptions (26), turnovers (36), and shutouts (3), and boasted the ACC's defensive player of the year in linebacker Mark Herzlich, who returned two of his six interceptions for touchdowns. The Commodores were a less impressive but still respectable 29th in total defense at 318.7 yards allowed per game, and also finished second in the SEC in interceptions with 18.


2008 Music City Bowl, The game, First quarter
Vanderbilt kicked off the game, with the kickoff resulting in a touchback. Starting at their own 20-yard line, BC was only able to gain two yards on their first possession, and punted the ball away to the Commodores, who took possession on their own 41-yard line. The home team, who gave redshirt freshman Larry Smith his first career start at quarterback, proceeded to draw first blood with 11:02 left on a 42-yard field goal by Bryant Hahnfeldt.


2008 Music City Bowl, The game, First quarter
After the Commodores forced another Eagles three-and-out on their next series, they got the ball back on their own 35. On their next play from scrimmage, Smith connected with Sean Walker on a 51-yard pass play, giving Vandy a first down at the BC 14. (That play would account for one-fourth of the Commodores' offensive yardage on the day, as they would only gain 200 total yards.) They were unable to put the ball in the end zone, but extended their lead to 6–0 on Hahnfeldt's second field goal of the day, a 26-yarder. The quarter ended with the same score.


2008 Music City Bowl, The game, Second quarter
The second quarter saw three key injuries, the game's first turnover, and BC's first sustained drive. Early in the quarter, BC lost center Matt Tennant with an injured elbow, and later lost primary punt returner Rich Gunnell to injury. The next play saw the first turnover of the game, as Vanderbilt's All-SEC cornerback D. J. Moore helped break up a Davis pass that Ryan Hamilton intercepted at the Vandy 15. However, Moore injured his ankle on that play; while he would return in the second half, he could not finish the game.


2008 Music City Bowl, The game, Second quarter
BC's next possession saw their only sustained drive of the half. Starting with 8:18 left, the Eagles went on a 17-play drive, including a key fourth-down conversion, that culminated in a 4-yard TD pass from Davis to Montel Harris with 1:27 left. The extra point from Steve Aponavicius gave the Eagles a 7–6 lead, and the Commodores chose to end the half by running out the clock.


2008 Music City Bowl, The game, Third quarter
BC kicked off, with Vandy returning the ball to their own 27. On the fifth play of the drive, former starting quarterback Chris Nickson entered the game and immediately ran the ball 30 yards to the BC 31, giving the Commodores good position to push for a score. However, the BC defense stiffened, driving Vandy back 11 yards on their next two plays. A third-down incompletion from Smith, who had returned to the game, set the stage for one of the game's key plays.


2008 Music City Bowl, The game, Third quarter
Brett Upson punted on fourth down from the BC 41. The punt bounced off the left knee of BC's Paul Anderson and went into the end zone, where Vandy's Sean Richardson recovered with 10:35 left. The officials huddled briefly and signaled a Vanderbilt touchdown, which was upheld on  review. The ensuing extra point gave the Commodores a 13–7 lead. The remainder of the quarter saw no major action; after two possessions by each team in which the teams moved the ball for only 30 yards combined, the quarter ended with BC driving the ball from their own 3 to their own 41.


2008 Music City Bowl, The game, Fourth quarter
The BC drive stalled on the Vandy 42. The next three possessions, two by Vandy and one by BC, ended in three-and-outs; Upson punted for 51 and 58 yards respectively after each Vandy possession, with the second punt being downed at the BC 11 with 7:46 left. The Eagles offense soon came to life, with Davis connecting with Justin Jarvis for 30 yards on third down from their own 15. After an incompletion on the next play, the Eagles scored, with Davis throwing to Colin Larmond, Jr. for a 45-yard touchdown. The ensuing extra point gave BC a 14–13 lead.


2008 Music City Bowl, The game, Fourth quarter
Vandy returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 24. On the next play from scrimmage, Eagles defensive end Jim Ramella was called for a face mask penalty, putting the Commodores on their own 44. After an incompletion and 8-yard run from Smith, another former starting quarterback, Mackenzi Adams, went in for what would be his only play of the game. This proved to be a key play for the Commodores when Herzlich was called for roughing the passer, giving them a first down on the BC 34.


2008 Music City Bowl, The game, Fourth quarter
Nickson was sacked on the next play from scrimmage, but Smith returned to hit George Smith on a 15-yard pass to the BC 25. After a 3-yard loss on third-and-1, the field goal unit came on, and Hahnfeldt kicked a 45-yarder to give the Commodores a 16–14 lead with 3:26 left.


2008 Music City Bowl, The game, Fourth quarter
BC went three-and-out on their next possession, and the Commodores got the ball with 2:24 left. Although they were unable to make a first down in that series, the possession was not unproductive, as BC chose to use all three of their timeouts, apparently to give their offense as much time as possible to drive for a potential winning score. The Eagles would get the ball back after an Upson punt at their own 20 with 2:01 left and no timeouts.


2008 Music City Bowl, The game, Fourth quarter
After an incompletion and a 16-yard pass play, Davis was intercepted for the second time in the game, this time by Myron Lewis, with 1:36 left. Lewis had been beaten by Larmond on BC's previous touchdown play. With the Eagles out of timeouts, the Commodores ran out the clock for the win.


2008 Music City Bowl, Recap
Vanderbilt won a bowl game for the first time in exactly 53 years, with their last bowl win being a 25-13 win over Auburn in the Gator Bowl on December 31, 1955. This was also their first win ever over an FBS team with at least nine wins at the time of the game.


2008 Music City Bowl, Recap
The Commodores won despite being held to only 200 yards total offense and converting only one of their 15 third-down attempts. BC gained 331 total yards, and had 17 first downs to Vandy's 8. The major differences in the game proved to be the Eagles' three turnovers, one of which turned into the Commodores' only TD; and the 30 yards of penalties that the Eagles picked up on Vandy's final scoring drive.


2008 Music City Bowl, Recap
Befitting a largely defensive game, the MVP was Vandy punter Upson, who averaged 42.6 yards on his nine punts.


2008 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid
The 2008 Madrid Masters (also known as the Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid for sponsorship reasons) was a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 7th edition of the Madrid Masters, and was part of the ATP Masters Series of the 2008 ATP Tour. It took place at the Madrid Arena in Madrid, Spain, from 13 October through 19 October 2008. Fourth-seeded Andy Murray won the singles title.


2008 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid
The singles field was led by World No. 1, Beijing Olympics singles gold medalist, French Open and Wimbledon, Monte Carlo, Hamburg, Toronto Masters champion Rafael Nadal, ATP No. 2, US Open titlist, Olympic doubles gold medalist, Madrid defending finalist Roger Federer, and Australian Open, Indian Wells, Rome Masters winner Novak Djokovic. Other top seeds were US Open runner-up, Cincinnati Masters titlist Andy Murray, Miami Masters, Pörtschach, Warsaw winner Nikolay Davydenko, David Ferrer, David Nalbandian and Andy Roddick.


2008 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid, Finals, Doubles
Mariusz Fyrstenberg /  Marcin Matkowski defeated  Mahesh Bhupathi /  Mark Knowles 6–4, 6–2


2008 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid – Doubles
Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan were the defending champions, but lost in the quarterfinals to Jonas Björkman and Kevin Ullyett.


2008 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid – Doubles
Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski won in the final 6–4, 6–2, against Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles.


2008 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid – Singles
David Nalbandian was the defending champion, but lost in the third round to Juan Martín del Potro.


2008 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid – Singles
Andy Murray won in the final 6–4, 7–6(8–6), against Gilles Simon, to claim his second Masters title.


2008 Myanmar Grand Royal Challenge Cup
The 2008 Myanmar Grand Royal Challenge Cup was the third edition of the Myanmar Grand Royal Challenge Cup annual football tournament held in Myanmar. The tournament took place from 11 November to 21 November 2008 in Yangon.


2008 Myanmar Grand Royal Challenge Cup, Teams
*Ulsan: South Korean K-League club side**Vietnam: SEA Games (Under 22) squad.


2008 Myanmar Premier League
Statistics of the Myanmar Premier League in the 2008 season.


2008 Myanmar constitutional referendum
A constitutional referendum was held in Myanmar on 10 May 2008 (24 May 2008 in some townships) according to an announcement by the State Peace and Development Council in February 2008. According to the military government, the new Constitution of Myanmar will ensure the creation of a "discipline-flourishing democracy". Multi-party elections followed in 2010.


2008 Myanmar constitutional referendum
The constitutional referendum law was enacted and a referendum commission was set up on 26 February 2008. Reportedly, the law ensures the secret casting of votes and requires a public count of the ballots to prove it is fair.