If you mean that a US on an Europe connection has to wait until the 14h, that isn't true. US ds in europe can download the game tonight.And us in Europe have to wait until the 14th...
NOA is on PST, so when they say midnight, they probably mean midnight PST, which means 3 a.m. for us on EST.
Nope, it's been confirmed that it's Midnight EST, 9PM PST.
Source?
Heck, it doesn't even need a source. Most Nintendo eShop retail games have gone up at midnight EST, as New Leaf will be. Do a quick Google search and scroll through pages of evidence.