Wikipedia:In the news/Candidates/December 2006

This page is an archive and its contents should be preserved in their current form; any comments regarding this page should be directed to Template talk:In the news. Thanks.

Archived discussion for December 2006 from In the news section on the Main Page/Candidates.

December 31

 * A 'bomb explodes at Barajas International Airport in Madrid, with ETA claiming responsibility, terminating a 7-month ceasefire. Mostlyharmless 07:07, 31 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Already posted (not by me). --PFHLai 15:19, 31 December 2006 (UTC)


 * A series of explosions kills two and injures dozens in Bangkok, Thailand. --PFHLai
 * Added, although 2006 Bangkok bombings is a more fully-developed article. --  tariq abjotu  21:58, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

December 30

 * Nepal adopts a new national coat of arm as a gesture of reconciliation after the Nepalese Civil War. -- PFHLai 20:37, 30 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Posted. --PFHLai 00:17, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

29 December
--The lorax 22:52, 29 December 2006 (UTC)
 * A 25 square mile chunk of the Ayles Ice Shelf at Ellesmere Island was just discovered to have broken off of Canada.
 * Cool. Haven't had any environment-related news as far as I can remember. Should the headline mention that the giant "iceberg" poses a serious risk to oil platforms in its drift path ? (from CBC article) Is this too speculative ? BTW, next time pls post on Portal: Current events first. It's a prerequisite. (I've done it this time.) Please see guidelines at WP:ITNMP. --PFHLai 20:09, 30 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Would Ellesmere Island be a better article to feature (to get the link bolded) on ITN ? It's not a stub. --PFHLai 22:01, 30 December 2006 (UTC)
 * How about this: The Ayles Ice Shelf at Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago is found have collapsed, setting a 66 km² (25 mi²) portion adrift in the Arctic Ocean. --PFHLai 00:15, 31 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Posted. --PFHLai 02:50, 31 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Removed by another admin in less than 5 minutes. --PFHLai 03:28, 31 December 2006 (UTC)
 * That admin was wrong to say "There is nothing whatsoever in the article about this" - the article does cover the event, but rather confusingly the event happened in August 2005 and has only just been 'discovered'. It is also a rather slow event. The large (and large here means large!) bit of ice will drift around, freezing into the sea ice in winter, and (from one of the sources): "Prevailing winds could then send the ice island southwards, deep into the Beaufort Sea. "Over the next few years this ice island could drift into populated shipping routes," Ms. Weir said. "There's significant oil and gas development in this region as well, so we'll have to keep monitoring its location over the next few years."" I would support restoring this item, with the wording:
 * Scientists discover a 16-month-old collapse of the Ayles Ice Shelf at Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The resulting 66 km² (25 mi²) ice island in the Arctic Ocean may drift south in the spring and threaten shipping and oil platforms.
 * The global warming link may be more controversial. Leave that in the article itself. The point here really, is that the news is the discovery, not the break-up (which happened in August 2005). Carcharoth 04:33, 31 December 2006 (UTC)
 * It's now nominated by another admin for DYK. (IMO, this qualify for both DYK & ITN, but should not be used by both.) We'll likely see this on MainPage in a few days, anyway. --PFHLai 15:07, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Mientkiewicz5508 03:45, 29 December 2006 (UTC)
 * How about the Saddam Execution?
 * Wait till it actually happens. Rafy 08:16, 29 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Got the his headshot already uploaded and protected for tomorrow, just in case. --PFHLai 21:54, 29 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Execution set for some time before 9 PM CST...(6 AM Baghdad time) -- just under 3 hours from now. Wouldn't it be good to post something like "Former Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein awaits execution for the killing of..." however many blah blah in whatever year etc. etc. Something like that?-Mientkiewicz5508 00:10, 30 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Already posted (not by me). --PFHLai 19:31, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

28 December

 * Leaders of the Islamic Courts Union resign as Ethiopian military units and forces of the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia besiege Mogadishu. [I'm waiting for pages like Hassan Aweys, Sharif Ahmed, etc., plus Portal:Current events, to get updated.] --PFHLai 09:59, 28 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Posted. --PFHLai 13:11, 28 December 2006 (UTC)
 * UPDATED: Fighters of the Islamic Courts Union leave Mogadishu as Ethiopian-backed forces close in. --TheFE ARgod  (Ч) 12:14, 28 December 2006 (UTC)
 * The fighters left ? The End of ICU rule in Mogadishu article says they gave up their weapons. --PFHLai 13:11, 28 December 2006 (UTC)
 * please put the updated version because of: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6213499.stm --TheFE ARgod  (Ч) 14:34, 28 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Wikiarticles must be updated first, otherwise our MainPage would be a misrepresentation of our wikiarticles' content. --PFHLai 16:41, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

27 December

 * Gerald Ford (pictured), the 38th President of the United States, dies on the 34th anniversary of Harry S. Truman's death. - User:Patricknoddy 8:54am December 27, 2006 (EST)
 * I really don't think his death on the anniversary of Truman's death is that notable. It's more of a trivia fact. -- 68.37.247.142 13:48, 27 December 2006 (UTC) Kicking222 13:49, 27 December 2006 (UTC) (I wasn't signed in, for some reason.)
 * Already posted the night before, then briefly taken off ITN while admins sort things out.... -- PFHLai 17:08, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Should not be there. He was a) not in power at the time of his death, b) not really sudden or tragic (being 93, and having health problems for the pas 3 years, according to the article), or c) is not having, and will lnot have a major impact on world events. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 65.95.11.28 (talk) 03:19, 28 December 2006 (UTC).
 * Sorry, hit the wrong button, I am NOT saying he doesn't deserve to be included, but we can't just ignore the established criteris.`65.95.11.28 03:22, 28 December 2006 (UTC)
 * IMO, the state funeral would qualify for (c). BTW, the criteria are currently being discussed on talk:ITN. The guidelines may be revamped. Former heads of state/govt may be included regardless (as long as their page is well updated). If anyone has any ideas how to make things work better, please join the discussion there. --PFHLai 04:52, 28 December 2006 (UTC)


 * Apple is under federal investigation for back-dating their stocks PCWorld - Schrandit 04:58, 28 December 2006 (UTC)
 * And the article with the news updates would be ...? To just post a news headline, please go to Portal: Current events.  Only those articles with good updates would get "promoted" from there to here, and then onto ITN. Please see ITN guidelines. Thanks. --PFHLai 05:14, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

26 December

 * Ethiopian troops in Somalia capture Beledweyne, a town near the seat of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia in Baidoa, from forces of the Islamic Courts Union. (Could someone more familiar with the Somali Civil War take a look at this article, please ? Thanks in advance.) --PFHLai 02:37, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Posted, anyway, along with links to Battle of Jowhar & Battle of Bandiradley. -- PFHLai 17:33, 27 December 2006 (UTC)


 * At least 200 people were killed as a result of a pipeline explosion in Lagos, Nigeria.  Jacek  Kendysz  18:21, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * arg, this isn't the first time this has occurred this year and Wikipedia hasn't bothered to note it. the article's title is also ambiguous since another similar event happened in May.--gozar 18:39, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Please, no ministubs for ITN. This should just be in Portal:Current events (I've just put a link there), then "promoted" to ITN when it becomes an article with reasonable coverage of the event. -- PFHLai 19:01, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Now the 2006 Lagos pipeline explosion article has 130+ words. Referencing needs fixing, but I have to say the page has been greatly improved. BTW, gozar, you may want to voice your concerns at Talk:2006 Lagos pipeline explosion. -- PFHLai 02:57, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Now we have a second stub on the same explosion in 2006 Abule Egba pipeline explosion. Let's not post this on ITN till we have a single non-stub article. --PFHLai 04:36, 28 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Merging complete. Posted. --PFHLai 02:46, 31 December 2006 (UTC)


 * A 7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes south of Taiwan. — Preceding unsigned comment added by TheFEARgod (talk • contribs)
 * Is there an updated article for this? A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 13:25, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Let's wait till the 2006 Hengchun earthquake article mentions more about the damage and casualties, etc. Just saying "News agencies have aired reports of collapsed houses, hotel guests being trapped in elevators, and telephone outages due to severed lines." doesn't cut it, IMO. -- PFHLai 16:24, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Despite the magnitude of the quake, this doesn't seem to be a major disaster afterall. --PFHLai 17:33, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I've added it due to the disruption of telecommunication services in parts of Asia. --  tariq abjotu  19:29, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Good. I hadn't considered it from this angle till I saw the newscast. Glad it that already posted. --PFHLai 04:36, 28 December 2006 (UTC)


 * Australian cricketer Shane Warne becomes the first to take 700 test wickets in his final test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
 * Rather big news in cricket - for some reason the sport is over looked on Wikipedia considering its popularity in nations like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan (large population). The next closet person is still quite far back (Murali on 674).-- HamedogTalk|@ 05:46, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I think Murali averages 7-8 wickets a match lately, so it would only take him one series to catch up....Blnguyen (bananabucket) 02:15, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Cricket has been a big thing on ITN lately... Can't form an opinion one way or the other, I'm afraid. Grand  master  ka  07:02, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Not really - Warne was taken down and this years biggest event the Champions Trophy was voted not to go up.-- HamedogTalk|@ 07:07, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Also, 700 wickets is a first!!!-- HamedogTalk|@ 07:08, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * That's true, but do we have an ITN when Tendulkar clocks 14k runs...15k runs.....and the same when Ponting starts hauling down all the Test batting runscoring charts? Blnguyen (bananabucket) 02:15, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
 * LaDanian Tomlinson recently destroyed the NFL's single-season touchdown record with three games left... Not that they're that comparable. Grand  master  ka  07:12, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Not living in a serious cricketing country, it's hard for me to say whether this milestone merits ITN inclusion. The key question, I'd guess, is whether this a news story or just a sports story. If/when Barry Bonds breaks the career home run record, it will be on the front page of The New York Times. On the other hand, the above-mentioned LaDainian Tomlinson touchdown record was clearly of interest only to sports fans and therefore not really suited for ITN. If the cricket record is as big in cricket countries as Bonds' home run record would be (or Mark McGwire's single-season record was in 1998), it should be on ITN. Otherwise, no. -- Mwalcoff 11:42, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Warne's 700 bigger than Bonds future record because of the popularity of cricket. Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh (over 1 billion people in those three nations) while Baseball might not even be the most popular sport in the United States and/or Canada.216.232.146.80 16:08, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Also, one other reason that Shane Warne should go up - he was voted one of five cricketers of the 20th century. The entry I proposed also gives information on his retirement from the sport as well. (I wrote the above comment when signed out)-- HamedogTalk|@ 16:18, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I think Warney was #4. Also, on the radio yesterday, Peter Roebuck sort rubbished cricket as a world-leading sport when he noted that Australia was really the only properly organised country in world cricket, pointing out the shambolic sports infrastructure in IND, PAK, SL, West Indies, RSA, etc....Roebuck said that cricket would evolve far more quickly with ruthless sporting countries like USA, RUS, GER, NED, CHN, JPN, KOR in there...currently you have quite a few of the top 10 cricketers blatantly overweight, eg, Sehwag, Warne, Inzy.... and athleticism is generally poor. Heck, the Olympic teams of all serious countries have alcohol bans on their athletes, but even the allegedly best-ever all-conquering Australian team drinks alcohol (and rather heavily too it seems) in the middle of competition. Andrew Symonds even turned up totally drunk once and only got a one-game suspension, when the countries listed above immediate expel Olympic athletes for any amount of consumption. The cricket commentators must be totally deluded about the standards in cricket as opposed to Olympics, when they say that Michael Clarke (cricketer) (one of best "athletes" in cricket by far..) would do well in the 100m athletics.... A 180cm short Anglo-Saxon fellow with a round convex stomach running against Asafa Powell....right..... Blnguyen (bananabucket) 02:15, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
 * 216.232, not everyone from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh likes cricket. Also, the combined population of those three countries is roughly 1.5 billion. Hamedog, we need someone who knows cricket (like Blnguyen) to evaluate this ITN candidate.  Nish kid 64  01:31, 27 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Actually warn broke the record about 2 years ago, early 2004 in Sri Lanka, both Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan passed the 519 wickets of Courtney Walsh - for the past two years these two have simply been extending their lead at the top of the tree. So this isn't a "new record", it is the case of the guy clocking up more milestones. I know that Michael Schumacher overtook Alain Prost's 51 GP wins in 2001, but I don't think we would go and put milestones up for MS's 60th, 70th, 80th and 90th GP wins. I do recall that Michael Schumacher and Ian Thorpe were put up when they retired, being the most decorated world chamipons in their respective sports, but thos sports were individual while cricket is not. So it sort of equates to whether we think that Ronaldo breaking the record for most world cup goals or Raul (was it him?) breaking the record for most goals in the UEFA Champions League - but not really because Warne has already gone past the record and is putting more and more markers on the road ahead - are we going to have an ITN for 700 wickets for Murali early next year, and then 800 in mid 2008 and 900 in late-2009? (Murali is 3-4 years younger than Warne) - also note that in the modern age there are many more events so the accumulation records will be broken again and again. eg, Don Bradman set a record of 6 centuries in a calendar year (in the 1930s when there were 5-7 matches a year) and in 2006, Mohammad Yousuf, playing 13-15 matches, made 7 centuries and also broke the record of most runs in a year (about 1700-1800)....The Yousuf record did not make ITN incidentally. Blnguyen (bananabucket) 02:02, 27 December 2006 (UTC)


 * I've been asked to weigh in on the candidature. Although the event is notable in the cricketing world, there are many such instances in sports which can also be included in the ITN. Secondly, any additional wicket Warne takes will still be a world record, and in all likelyhood, his record will be surpassed when he retires shortly. Let's keep cricketing events in ITN to just the breaking of core cricketing world records. (max runs/wickets - team/player) =Nichalp   «Talk»=  05:44, 27 December 2006 (UTC)

25 December

 * James Brown, the self-proclaimed Godfather of Soul, dies of pneumonia at age 73. –m y s i d ☎ 09:22, 25 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I don't really think this meets our criteria for adding a death to ITN. Brown is an expertise in his field and he hasn't been in the hospital for months, but his death still not especially tragic or unexpected. I do see quite a bit of international attention, as it's a top story of al-Jazeera and covered in the Jerusalem Post, among other places. But, I still don't think this qualifies. I'm a bit on the fence though, so if someone else adds it, I won't object. --  tariq abjotu  13:58, 25 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I personally support this story's placement on the Main Page. Whether it actually meets the criteria for ITN is subject to debate, but I don't think anyone's hurt by placing this up there. The man was certainly a legend, and as Tariq stated, it would definitely be considered "international news". -- Kicking222 17:39, 25 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I wonder how his death isn't unexpected. Is that because he's old? I think he should be there, since he's one of the most well known and influential people in music. Iorek85 22:59, 25 December 2006 (UTC)
 * His death was not at all expected. He was only told he was sick yesterday. Hell, he had a New Years Eve show planned in NYC! I don't know who removed him, but I think he should be there. But, of course, that's just one man's opinion. -- Kicking222 01:04, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * James Brown's death should absolutely be on ITN. The man's importance to American popular music, and African-American popular music in particular, can hardly be understated. He is at least as important as Paul McCartney, who certainly would be on ITN if he dropped dead tomorrow. -- Mwalcoff 11:42, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
 * This item was briefly on ITN and removed due to lack of new prose in the article, i.e. not enough updating to warrant an appearance on MainPage. Please see Template talk:In the news for the related discussion. -- PFHLai 16:30, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

24 December

 * Ethiopian planes bomb Somalia as it admits its troops are at war with the Islamic Courts Union. --TheFE ARgod  (Ч) 13:20, 24 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Already posted. (not by me) --PFHLai 16:34, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

22 December

 * Space Shuttle Discovery safely lands at Kennedy Space Center at 5:32 p.m. EST (Florida local time), concluding a two-week mission to the International Space Station. --03:33, 23 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Added. --  tariq abjotu  03:58, 23 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Shane Warne, the leading test cricket wicket taker of all time, announces that he will retire from international and domestic cricket at the end of the 2006-07 Ashes series. c4v3m4n 01:19, 22 December 2006 (UTC).
 * This entry was put up a few days ago, but was quickly removed. For more on this, see the discussion on Template talk:In the news. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 14:00, 22 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Cricketer Glenn McGrath becomes the third Australian test player to retiring in less than two weeks, along with Shane Warne and Damien Martyn.
 * Massive news really. For you Americans, cricket is big in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies. Glenn McGrath is one of the best fast bowlers of all time and Shane Warne one of the best spin bowlers. Should go up.-- HamedogTalk|@ 06:46, 23 December 2006 (UTC)

21 December

 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is officially the confirmed title of Harry Potter Book 7. It was revealed on J.K. Rowling's official website this morning.
 * When I added this to Portal:Current Events, it was removed on the grounds that it wasn't of international significance. Sam Blacketer 22:41, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
 * IMHO, I'd give that a weak pass on P:CE, but a definiate no on the Main Page. The Tom 00:28, 22 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Ipswich murder case: Suffolk police announce that Steven Wright has been charged with all five murders, while Tom Stephens has been released from custody. (Suffolk Constabulary statement) Sam Blacketer 22:26, 21 December 2006 (UTC).
 * Please don't. Mi kk er (...) 00:25, 22 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Seconded. Pretty full slate at present, and looks pretty pathetic in terms of international significance compared to what we have up there at present. The Tom 00:28, 22 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Heavy fighting is reported near the Somali government's Baidoa base, amid alleged reports of Ethiopian military involvement. --TheFE ARgod  (Ч) 17:29, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Added, with a bit more context. The Tom 21:38, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Saparmurat Niyazov, who as president-for-life of Turkmenistan was the subject of a massive personality cult, dies at 66. -- Mwalcoff 08:48, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Added to the template, but without the "massive". Conscious 10:18, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

20 December

 * I believe it's The Independent that will open tomorrow's newspaper with the story that bears are no longer hibernating as a result of global warming. There's no entry on Portal:Current events (yet?), there's no updated article on this, but would this news be significant enough to consider adding to ITN if and when the criteria are met? A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 23:30, 20 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I think it ought to be considered, certainly, but is this journalistic speculation or is there an article published in a reputable peer-reviewed science journal to back it up? I'd be reticent to see this be posted unless the claim has been published as specified. (Even preliminary findings by scientists - i.e. not yet published findings - shouldn't go up either). Mi kk er (...) 00:00, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I'm not sure whether it's speculation or not. I came across it during the "Tomorrow's papers" section of BBC Newsnight. We'll find out in about 8 hours time though. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 00:14, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Ok, the article is online: . I'm not that enthusiastic now: naturalists from Spain's La Fundación Oso Pardo (Brown Bear Foundation) say that bears have stopped hibernating in the mountains of northern Spain. This is based on an article in yesterday's El Pais: . A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 11:02, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Yeah... let's skip this one. Mi kk er (...) 00:14, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

19 December

 * Update: about 12 hours ago police in sussex arrested a second man (and are still holding the first) in connection with the murder of the five prostitutes, so this item needs updating (just changing "man" to "second man" would do it) fabiform 19:44, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
 * That's Suffolk not Sussex Jooler 20:32, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
 * [[Image:Yes check.svg|20px]] Done. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 21:48, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

18 December

 * Update: Astronauts on mission STS-116 (pictured) successfully attach the P5 truss segment to the International Space Station; as well, a troublesome solar array is finally retracted. -- Radagast 05:26, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
 * [[Image:Yes check.svg|20px]] Done (not by me). --PFHLai 13:23, 19 December 2006 (UTC)


 * A 37-year-old man from Trimley has been arrested in connection with the Ipswich serial killings: . Since this topic is still listed on ITN, is this development notable enough to warrant an update to the entry? A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 10:32, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Only if you update an article first. --Golbez 10:35, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * The article was updated about half an hour ago. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 10:39, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * [[Image:Yes check.svg|20px]] Done. --PFHLai 14:24, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * How does this get up but nothing about Abbas' calling for elections or the subsequent clashes? Thethinredline 19:13, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Please see . BTW, I ain't 100% happy about letting the murder case go on MainPage, but whatever on ITN must be kept current. --PFHLai 23:02, 18 December 2006 (UTC)


 * Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has called for new legislative elections amid clashes between supporters of the Hamas and Fatah parties. -- Thethinredline 23:44, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * A slightly longer version: "Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has called for for new legislative elections amid clashes between supporters of the Hamas and Fatah parties following accusations of a plot to assasinate Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh" -- Thethinredline 23:47, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I believe the second proposal is too long, with too many elements for ITN. The first one has potential though. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 23:57, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Do you think it needs rephrasing? Maybe al la: "Clashes between Hamas and Fatah ensue in Palestine following a call from President Mahmoud Abbas for new legislative elections"? Thethinredline 00:06, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
 * [[Image:Yes check.svg|20px]] Done in the initial version. Blnguyen (bananabucket) 00:24, 19 December 2006 (UTC)


 * Italian 2006 FIFA World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, who played his 100th game in the World Cup final, is named as FIFA World Player of the Year - Blnguyen (bananabucket) 23:46, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I don't think this is significant enough. It might be the most prestigious award in football, but enough to warrant main page attention? I don't think so. But it's still more significant than a couple of murdered hoes in England. Also it need not be mentioned that it was his 100th game. I assume it was his 100th game for the Italian national team, or was it his 100th game in general. Thethinredline 23:51, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * (third edit conflict) Please stop referring to that entry at every single new proposal. And please, do stop calling them hoes. You're not Snoop Dogg. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 23:57, 18 December 2006 (UTC)

17 December

 * Time magazine names "You" - the average information technology user - Person of the Year for 2006. Mi kk er (...) 04:23, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Notes: I'm not sure Time's person of the year is notable each year, but it is this time: it's a highly unusual choice and, besides, they praise Wikipedia! (here). Secondly, this is not the sort of "update" that requires a lengthy prose addition to the relevant article - its addition to the list and a link to the article in Time is sufficient IMO. Mi kk er (...) 04:55, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Let's avoid giving Time free advertising on our MainPage. And, IMO, their editor's POV shouldn't be posted. --PFHLai 18:32, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

16 December

 * Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas calls for early legislative elections to end the stalemate in creating a national unity government with the Hamas party. -- Thethinredline 17:39, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I'd be more supportive if sth actually happens, such as holding the election, rather than just having some politician talking. --PFHLai 20:04, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Why haven't we mentioned the (alleged?) shooting between Hamas and Fatah, as Palestinian PM Ismail Haniya tried to cross the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip? The tensions within Palestine are rapidly increasing. Surely we should be making mention of this. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 21:57, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Is there a wikipage about the (alleged?) shooting between Hamas and Fatah? I'd like to read that, pls. --64.229.231.116 16:25, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Perhaps December 2006 Hamas-Fatah clashes ? Too stubby at this time. And there's no mention of the proposed election. -- PFHLai 23:49, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * It's now 2006 Palestinian civil skirmishes after a few pagemoves. Not that stubby now, but referencing needs work. Anyway, does anyone want to draft a headline which includes a link to this updated article ? Is there a better page, such as the page on the new elections ? -- PFHLai 22:56, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Continue above . --PFHLai 13:29, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

December 15

 * Japanese Diet passes a bill to upgrade and rename the Defense Agency as a ministry. Passer-by 06:23, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Could you elaborate a little bit and explain why this is major international news, please ? Not everyone (okay, not me, at least) is familiar with the Japanese administration. Thanks. --PFHLai 18:36, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Any move to turn the self-defense forces into proper military units, or to turn the defense agency into a proper ministry, is sensitive and controversial in East and Southeast Asian international politics. Passer-by 21:47, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * We need an updated wikiarticle or two to document the name change and the resultant uproar in nearby countries. And external newslinks on Portal:Current events. I don't mind this on ITN but we need relevant contents to be in Wikipedia first. And I think the headline needs to be more self-explanatory to cater to users of English Wikipedia not from East and Southeast Asia. --PFHLai 22:45, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * To elaborate on the significance of this move, as described by Passer-by: the policy of the Japanese government prior to and during WW2 was known as gunji taikoku, military might. Quintessential in this was a mighty ministry of defense. After 1945, Japan adopted the concepts of enjo taikoku (great aid power) and minsei taikoku (civilian power). They have defined the policies of the Japanese government to this day. Part of both concepts was the abolition of the ministry of defense, which became a government agency. A move back to a full ministry is seen by many countries (China and South Korea most prominently) as the return of the gunji taikoku, the fear that Japan will again become a military aggressor to Eastern Asia. This is highly likely to play a large part in the relations between the countries on the Pacific rim. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 01:27, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Nice explanation, Aecis. Thanks. Please add this to a relevant article (if you haven't done so already). The next challenge is to work this into a concise headline to explain the significance. It would be easy if protests are documented in some wikiarticle. Then we may use "The Japan Defense Agency is upgraded as a ministry in the Japanese government, sparking protests in Countries A, B & C." or sth like this. This way, we don't need to explain. But, if no one from East and Southeast Asia care enough about this, this name change should not be on ITN. --PFHLai 14:34, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I'll see if there's an article for this. I think an article about the bill would be more appropriate than Japan Defense Agency. I'd need to know the name of the bill for that though. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 23:14, 18 December 2006 (UTC)

14 December

 * The state legislature of the US state of New Jersey votes to legalize same-sex civil unions following a court order in October. —Cuivi é nen 02:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Note that the article has yet to be updated; I'm working on it. —Cuivi é nen 02:28, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * This is probably too local. --  tariq abjotu  02:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I agree... it's far too local. Mi kk er (...) 02:51, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * If prostitute murders in Ipswich make the Main Page, what is "too local"? —Cuivi é nen 03:30, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Exactly! Ipswich shouldn't be on. See below. Mi kk er (...) 03:35, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Not updated enough. —Centrx→talk &bull; 06:14, 16 December 2006 (UTC)


 * South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson is in critical condition following surgery for an arteriovenous malformation, throwing control of the Senate into doubt.
 * I'm not sure whether this is too U.S.-centric or not, which is why I'm proposing it here instead of putting it on the page. The reason this might be of international interest is that if Sen. Johnson, a Democrat, dies or is forced to relinquish his seat, his replacement would be chosen by the Republican governor of South Dakota.  If he chooses a Republican, that would tip the balance of control back to the Republicans, and I think that possibility may make the story of international interest.  However, as someone once said, "I'm smelling a lot of 'if' coming off of this plan", so I open the floor to discussion. (I'm about to go on a wikibreak, so someone else will have to put the story up if people decide they want it.) —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 15:52, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Well I feel what this news event has that others don't is that this is an ongoing event. Based on something that is still up in the air, there can be huge repercussions. This unfortunate event can effectively cancel out one of the huge implications of this past November's elections. I think that Governor Rounds is to appoint a Republican, it can be a scandal comparable to the Corrupt Bargains of the 19th Century. I think that this is a developing story that can become the start of something huge but I think perhaps it's best to hold off for a short while. Stephen 18:54, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I believe that this would meet criterion C of the deaths criteria, the effect on current events. I also feel that it's best to wait for further developments: there's still a possibility that Johnson lives through this, which would mean that there's no news story to write about. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 18:58, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I agree that, if he dies, it ought to go up on ITN. However, him being ill (even seriously ill) is not sufficient IMO. Mi kk er (...) 20:14, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I would wait till a Republican successor is named, shifting the balance of power in the US Congress (if this actually happens as speculated.) IMO, Tim Johnson himself is not famous enough outside the US to get his obituary on ITN. --PFHLai 22:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Definitely oppose this going up now, ITN is not for speculation of such relatively trivial things as death unless it's a head of state or the Pope. Oppose this being included should he die. Sen. Johnson is not particularly notable outside America and he one out of hundred Senators in a legislative body which is not even in session at the moment. Nor is it particularly notable if his death gives the Republican Party a majority in the Senate; legislative bodies change hands all the time, and unless it happens through an election of some sort i don't think it's notable, despite how much fuss it will cause, and feathers it will ruffle in Washington D.C. Also this would fail criteria 5c should the Senator die, as it does not affect international events in the slightest. If however there is a big scandal over the appointing of a Republican to fill his seat, complete with a blocking or opposing of his appointment of some sort, that might be notable because it is a first, or something. I don't know, that bridge can be crossed if it is ever gotten to. Thethinredline 23:07, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Well, it looks as if he may recover, so not putting it on the page today was the right call. However, I disagree with Thethinredline's statement that his death would not affect international events: even though the President has primary control of American foreign policy, a President whose party is a minority in both houses of Congress is much weaker than a President whose party controls the Senate.  Whether Johnson lives or dies could have an effect, for example, on US funding of family planning programs in Africa.  That said, upon reflection I agree that unless he does die it's probably not ITN material. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 04:43, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Okay, but even then, his death wouldn't swing control of the Senate, it would be the appointment of a Republican replacement that would do that. Because without him Democrats still have a 50-49 majority. So if he does die, nothing happens to the Senate apart from losing a member. So if he is replaced we could have "The appointment of X to the United States Senate to fill the seat of the late Ted Johnson gives control to the Republican Party" or something like that.

Anyway it's moot, as it doesn't look like he'll die anyway. Thethinredline 17:31, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

12 December

 * Fourth and fifth bodies found in prostitute murder case in Ipswich, East England. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/12/ap/world/mainD8LVFLT80.shtml
 * If there's an updated article, I endorse putting this up. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 00:21, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
 * This seems like too local an event to me.--Pharos 00:24, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Agreed. A murderer in my hometown was linked to the deaths of 12 prostitutes in 2004, and stories like that happen every ten years! (Prospect Avenue, John E. Robinson, Wayne Court).  I don't recall seeing a story about that on the main page; why throw up one on five murders in the U.K.? --KHill-LTown 01:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * This has received attention from all over the world. See e.g. ARD (Germany), Sydney Morning Herald (Australia), La Repubblica (Italy), etcetera. It may not have "international importance", but it definitely has "international interest". There is an updated article btw: 2006 Suffolk murder investigation. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 00:33, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
 * It's too local IMO. Besides, 5 is not much of a body-count as far as serial-killers go. This guy first has to be a notable serial killer before it's ITN worthy - the mere fact that there is a serial killer in GB is hardly that newsworthy. Mi kk er (...) 00:53, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I do kinda have to point out that if notability of serial killers is determined solely by body count, Jack the Ripper wouldn't have merited a place in the section, with only five victims to his name. GeeJo (t)⁄(c) • 01:15, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Sure, I agree. Body count is only one factor - but I made separate points (1) he has a low body count, (2) he's not a notable serial killer (only partly because of 1). Mi kk er (...) 01:37, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * For a serial murder case that is unquestionably of international importance, see Female homicides in Ciudad Juárez.--Pharos 01:46, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Good Lord. I'm horrified, both by the case and that I'd never heard of it. —Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 07:25, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
 * This is probably the biggest international news story in Australia right now, certainly bigger than most of the other events listed in the "In The News". It's probably been mentioned before, but if the cabbage poisoning incident in the US a few months ago was considered global enough for listing on the main page, then so should this.--Phil500 (Talk / Contribs) 02:19, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Two wrongs don't make a right. --Golbez 03:10, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
 * As I recall, the tainted veggie bit and 2 other items were posted (by me) with reluctance, and they were the best available news items after several consecutive days of peace and tranquility on Earth, keeping ITN unchanged for days. This is not the case right now. I'd suggest waiting. I hope we won't have to stick this in on, say, Sunday. We should be able to report on the discovery of St. Paul's tomb or the expansion of the International Space Station soon, anyway, if that's good (major) enough for ITN. -- PFHLai 05:18, 14 December 2006 (UTC) [On second thoughts, the current ISS expansion is not that 'major'. Never mind. --PFHLai 05:52, 14 December 2006 (UTC)]
 * Not the veggie thing again!! Mi kk er (...) 20:09, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Given that it's listed in the international news sections of CNN, ABC, and CBS, and gets front-page coverage by the BBC and Sky, as well as prominent mentions by other national news agencies, I'd say this warrants a position more than an election in a country unrecognised by the UN or the world at large. GeeJo (t)⁄(c) • 20:38, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Yes, but IMO, it's like replacing a weak item on ITN with an even weaker item. --PFHLai 22:42, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Thought I should add that I like the election bit a tad more because of its potential as a milestone event in the history of a new country if Transnistria somehow becomes a country who knows when. --PFHLai 17:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * So if something is on the Anglo-American news it's of international interest? Last time I checked there were 190 countries other than America and Britain. (And ABC and CBS are hardly "global"). Besides, you're making an ordinal statement, like this: the appointment of the new principal at my neighbourhood school is more ITN worthy than the what I ate for dinner. Now that's true but irrelevant - one is closer to the minimum requirements than the other, but neither passes. Transnistria's election may not be ITN worthy, but that has nothing whatsoever to do with the notability of some random veggie making some random Americans sick. Mi kk er (...) 01:27, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I think it is certainly of international interest, even if it's not the biggest event currently on ITN (I don't think it's the most trivial either, however). I personally don't think it's a weaker item replacing a weak item (see Google News results from around the world). Thus, it has been added. For what it's worth, I spent so much time trying to word the item that I had not see PFHLai's post before adding it. I was unsure whether to mention that the victims were prostitutes, but I decided to add that since it is the common link, and thus the fact is not used to degrade the subjects. --  tariq abjotu  23:13, 14 December 2006 (UTC)
 * To be honest, I'm a bit annoyed that this has been posted. Firstly, several people have expressed the opinion that this is too local for ITN and you've not really addressed these concerns (Google news searches news sources in English which are printed throughout the world - mainly through syndication. Hardly evidence that it's of global interest. Is this headline news in Russia? China? France? Germany? Brazil? Spain? Libya?). Secondly, this yet again confirms my view that there is sometimes distinct bias at ITN - if these murders had happened, say, in South Africa or Nepal, would it have been put on ITN? No, of course not. Yes, sometimes trivial international stories go up (Transnistria election etc.) but that's hardly a reason to put more trivial American and British stories up. Mi kk er (...) 01:53, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I think I have addressed the concerns of worldwide notability; even though some news organizations may just carry the story via syndication, the very inclusion indicates they believe the event is of importance to their readers. Also, note that several have endorsed adding this item. Regardless, I think your problem is not with the dynamics of Wikipedia, but the dynamics of the world. You may be right that a similar event in Africa or Central Asia may not receive as much international attention, but that's not Wikipedia's fault. --  tariq abjotu  02:19, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Hmmm... maybe my bias is creeping in here (I identify with the 3rd world and I get pretty angry when we're treated unfairly) but I honestly can't see how this is ITN worthy. The problem, as I see it, is this: you are using a Google news search as evidence that this is a story of global interest but that is simply not sufficient. Firstly, the link you provided searched only English and Google news hardly includes a representative sample of worldwide news organisations. There are thousands of America- and Euro-centric English news websites that carry the story, but that doesn't mean the rest of the world cares. Perhaps they do, but I'm yet to see evidence of this. Honestly, 5 people being killed is not nearly as important as, say, 1,128 children being killed in South Africa last year. Yet this last story wouldn't have a snowball's chance of hell here... Mi kk er (...) 03:17, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * When I look at Google news, I don't look at how many results appear, as oftentimes it could be tons of newspapers from one country or locality. Instead, I look at the diversity of places represented; with the story of the murders in England, there are several articles from around the world listed (including a non-syndicated (syndicated) article from South Africa). --  tariq abjotu  03:26, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * SA is Anglophone and has close ties to Britain, so that hardly means much. (I, by the way, am rather interested in the story). In any case, you might have a point - I still just don't think it's worthy of ITN. But I've said what I wanted to say, if others don't agree with me then I'll drop it. Mi kk er (...) 03:39, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Newspapers around the world have to be filled up with some news contents every day even when we have relative peace and tranquility on Earth. The best available news item may be this UK murder case. And sensationalism sells newspapers (and tabloids), so does a good story like a suspected serial killer on the loose. I think this is why this news got international exposure. Is this really significant news ? I don't think so. I don't even think we can say that all five murders were committed by the same person (/group of people).  I am a little disappointed that the discovery of the dead bodies belonging to a few no-names made it to MainPage, but the discovery of a tomb belonging to a historical and biblical figure in Paul of Tarsus didn't get too much of an update into his article. -- PFHLai 17:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)


 * I'm surprised that this was put up. It seems much too local and unnotable to me. Maybe other countries have reported on it, but I didn't very much about it on the Dutch news. In fact, it isn't even at the bottom of the NU.nl homepage, which is the most-visited news site of our country (and voted to be the best site of the year in the news category by a large margin). This news is also way out of place among Pinochet, the extinction of an important animal, and a genocide conviction. Let's just face it: these things happen. So incredibly often. Even if many agencies report this, it still isn't very notable.  function msikma(user: UserPage, talk: TalkPage ): Void  13:45, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * It's been on the Dutch news (NOS and RTL), and it has received heavy coverage in Germany, France and Italy. These murders are not only covered in Anglophonic countries. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 13:54, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * It's been on the news, but there is a lot more on the news that is not worthy of being reported on. This particular event was not reported enough for me to believe that it is of any notability.  function msikma(user: UserPage, talk: TalkPage ): Void  15:48, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * My reply was merely in response to your statement that "I didn't [see? hear?] very much about it on the Dutch news." It was reported on Dutch news. My reference to Anglophonic countries was in response to the above discussion. Whether it meets your criteria for notability or not is entirely up to you. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 18:58, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Did you even read my previous message? I said that A LOT of things make the Dutch news. Some news reports have one humorous topic per news report, like the prominent RTL 4. Just because it made the news doesn't mean it's notable. Tell me, please, how you can POSSIBLY BELIEVE that something as COMMON as this is notable? Pinochet dies only once. A genocide trial doesn't take place very often. But a murder investigation? Puh-lease. We've got millions of them every year. Serial killers? We've got those too. Surely, you can't count the amount of serial killers that are in US prison at the moment with 10 fingers. There is nothing special about this. Every now and then, things like this do get reported, but that doesn't make them anymore notable; usually, there's something slightly different about it that causes it to make the news. But you cannot, with common sense, acknowledge that this is what makes it a worldwide notable event. Do you follow ITN? Do you know what kind of stories appear on it? If so, then do you honestly believe that a semi-common murder investigation like this one should be up here among things such as the resignation of the UN secretary general? That's my question which I hope you'll answer: do you, with your common sense, really believe that this even fits in at all?  function msikma(user: UserPage, talk: TalkPage ): Void  14:20, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Please calm down. Writing in caps lock doesn't make your arguments any stronger, and Wikipedia is not a chat room. Yes, simply receiving a large amount of media attention is enough to make something notable. Because there is a difference between notability and relevance. This case has received a large amount of attention, which automatically makes it notable. Whether the case warranted such attention does not matter. Children get murdered all the time, but still Marc Dutroux stands out in Belgium. People get kidnapped all the time, still Natalee Holloway stands out. Innocent people get killed all the time, still Amadou Diallo stands out. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 22:53, 20 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I'm disturbed that some people this that this is of little importantance. Five murders by a single person in the space of a month is something that happens extremely infrequently in the UK. God what a world we live in if people elsewhere think it's routine. Jooler 14:07, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Of course it's common. Open your eyes. 10,000 people get killed by handguns in the US every year. In the Netherlands, a country with a crime rate comparable to that of the UK, there are four murders every week. This event in the UK has absolutely no reason to be in this section, yet admins ignore this because of some reason.  function msikma(user: UserPage, talk: TalkPage ): Void  15:48, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Apples and Oranges. Tell me about the last serial killer of five or more victims in Holland? Jooler
 * Yes. And people are complaining on Talk: Main Page, too. --PFHLai 17:04, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * And rightly so. This is of very little importance, be it actual or editorial.--SidiLemine 18:14, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
 * You know what's apples and oranges? A simple murder investigation (with no actual conclusion whatsoever; it simply states that AN INVESTIGATION is ongoing) being among the likes of Pinochet's death and a genocide conviction. Guys, take a good look. This is an investigation that's been started. What's the news here? Sure, it was reported on, but these sort of things normally don't reach ITN unless there is something more going on. Such as someone being arrested. Or someone being convicted. Or crucial evidence being found. There is nothing of importance going on. Furthermore, you should stop having your eyes closed and accept the fact that there are, in fact, many more serial killers around in this world. Many do more heinous crimes than this English fellow did. And it happens all the damn time, whether here in the western world or in South Africa. This is common. There is absolutely no reason to believe that it is not.  function msikma(user: UserPage, talk: TalkPage ): Void  10:47, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Your comparison was, to use an English language idiom, comparing Apples and oranges). My eyes are far from closed, I've edited articles about murder, crime and punishment. It may be common place for people to go around killing large numbers of people in South Africa but it most certainly isn't in the UK. And that's the point that makes it newsworthy! The last serial killer who had as large or greater tally of victims (discounting spree killers like the Hungerford and Dunblane massacres) in the UK that I can think of was Harold Shipman a doctor who killed over 170 of his patients and who was single-handedly responsible for increasing the murder rate for one year by 20%. A very unusual case. Before that Fred West whose bodies lay hidden under the floorboards and in the garden for 20 years before discovery in 1994. The last similar serial killer case that I'm aware of was the Yorkshire Ripper 25-30 years ago. The key feature or event in this case that makes it internationally newsworthy is the large number of victims killed within the span of a month and the subsequent discovery of the bodies. It is current. If another body was found tomorrow, would it then warrant inclusion in your opinion? ?, Or only if the victim count increased to 10 or 20 or 50? Or are you saying only when someone was arrested? Any info on the last similar Dutch serial killer yet? Jooler 18:18, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I'd prefer to wait till it's confirmed that there is a serial killer before featuring this on MainPage, but I now support the inclusion of this murder case in ITN. The subject matter aside, the media has probably turned this case into an internationally notable news item. --PFHLai 20:12, 16 December 2006 (UTC)
 * So you agree that it's okay to put up an inconclusive story? Like I said, there's an investigation ongoing, but there is no other conclusion than that. Perhaps this should be a news item when someone gets caught or convicted, but even that's doubtful. Concerning your point that it's not common in the UK, I say that you're either pushing POV onto ITN by making the UK more important than other nations (we've had our share of terrible and internationally reported murders in the Netherlands which didn't make ITN) or you're simply ignoring the fact that the only thing different about this is the fact the police believe it's the work of a serial killer. But like already mentioned, this is not known yet, as the investigation is ongoing and nobody has even been arrested. There are plenty of murders in the UK, and although this is a bizarre one, it shouldn't be up here, at least until it gets some kind of conclusive end.
 * Also, you ignored my argument that this type of news does not fit in with the usual ITN entries, such as Kofi Annan's term ending and Pinochet dying. Do you even have any sort of defence against this argument? Because I find it pretty important. This seems like nothing but UK bias to me, since apparently a serial killer is important enough to be ranked among milestone internationally important events if he's from the UK.  function msikma(user: UserPage, talk: TalkPage ): Void  10:05, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * You who, Msikma? Jooler or PFHLai? --64.229.231.116 16:23, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Msikma, I agree that this type of news does not fit in with the usual ITN entries. I now support the inclusion of this murder case in ITN as, IMO, the media has turned this case into an internationally notable news item. --PFHLai 18:40, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * More reason to include this case: "The Association of Chief Police Officers say the number of officers deployed from forces outside Suffolk, under the control of the Police National Information and Co-ordination Centre, was the biggest ever for a murder inquiry . In total 36 forces have sent 412 detectives, uniformed officers and police staff." (BBC) This asserts notability. --PFHLai 14:39, 18 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Well then include that kind of reasoning in the ITN entry!! This is what you need to assert notability. Just saying "an investigation has started" is not sufficient. But the police starting the biggest murder investigation ever is. Jeez. I support something as notable as the biggest inquiry the UK police has ever made, if the media report on it, but if this fact were not true or not known, then I wouldn't support it. And I don't think you would, either. Mentioning this kind of stuff pre-emptively could save us all a whole big load of time, folks. <tt> function msikma(user: UserPage, talk: TalkPage ): Void </tt> 12:55, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Well, it wasn't the biggest ever UK murder inquiry yet at the time this got on MainPage.... and this point is still not mentioned in the article yet (I can't find it), so this can't be mentioned on ITN. (As I am not too familiar with the case, I'd rather not edit that article, apart from copyediting and adding templates, etc. Everyone is encouraged to add this point to the article. Thanks.) --PFHLai 06:01, 20 December 2006 (UTC)
 * The police have linked all of the cases. It is almost certainly the work of one person. Jooler 19:18, 17 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Or a small group of people. --64.229.226.101 20:35, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

10 December

 * The pro-democracy camp won 114 seats in the Election Committee, securing Civic Party candidate Alan Leong a place in the Hong Kong Chief Executive election, 2007. This will be the first Chief Executive election since 1997 with more than one candidate. WP 04:36, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Perhaps the article could be worked on somewhat, as currently it could be a bit confusing to folks unfamiliar with Hong Kong politics. Thanks.--Pharos 00:32, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
 * The Space Shuttle Discovery launches on mission STS-116. Could Image:STS-116 LowResNASATV.jpg be used as the image as well? --<font color="#116655">GW_Simulations<font color="#000000">User Page 02:12, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Added, although I found a higher resolution image from NASA. --  tariq abjotu  04:05, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Actually I would suggest Image:Christer Fuglesang.jpg [[Image:Christer Fuglesang.jpg|right|100px|Christer Fuglesang]] is the better image to have. While the launch of the shuttle may be the main event, a shuttle launch is a shuttle launch. There's nothing particularly unique about the shuttle launch picture, a lot of people probably would have seen one before. On the other hand, a lot of people wouldn't have seen Christer Fuglesang and since we do mention him... Nil Einne 21:20, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Yes, good point. I have changed the picture. --  tariq abjotu  05:51, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

8 December

 * The Seminole Tribe of Florida purchases Hard Rock Cafe
 * Please sign your comments. Doesn't seem like a major enough corporate takeover to register for ITN. --Golbez 21:47, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

7 December

 * Launch of STS-116 (planned)
 * Please sign your comments. And please hold off on putting things on here til they actually happen. --Golbez 21:51, 8 December 2006 (UTC)
 * The ITN candidates do not really need to be signed; some people sign them, while others do not. Looking at the contributions of the person who added this, I believe the editor is familiar with signing comments, but just didn't think it was necessary here. --  tariq abjotu  23:23, 8 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Endorse. Space shuttle launches are usually notable, the project (ISS) is notable, and this should fly well with us geeks ;) A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 16:53, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

6 December

 * Marc Ravalomanana is re-elected as President of Madagascar.
 * Needs a little more updating, but should be do-able soon. --PFHLai 00:05, 7 December 2006 (UTC)
 * The vote tallying is finally complete. Should this be on ITN yet? --199.71.174.100 21:02, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Didn't we already mention him a while back? I remember because I'm the one who found and added the picture (which was never used on the main page :-P) Nil Einne 21:14, 10 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Last month, the news was about General Andrianafidisoa's alleged attempt to seize control of the country from Ravalomanana, not the election. --199.71.174.100 02:49, 12 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Posted.--Pharos 00:18, 13 December 2006 (UTC)


 * I suggest we add a picture of Frank Bainimarama to the Front Page, due to the 2006 Fijian coup d'état. --Kitch (Talk : Contrib) 14:31, 6 December 2006 (UTC)
 * The suggested image is tagged as fair use and thus not suitable for use in the ITN section due to copyright limitations. --Allen3 talk 14:50, 6 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Fiji now has a new President in Bainimarama, and an interim PM in Jona Senilagakali. The 2006 Fijian coup d'état article needs to be updated before this appears on MainPage, though. Does anyone want to draft a new headline for ITN ? -- PFHLai 00:05, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

5 December

 * Serb politician Vojislav Šešelj is currently on a hunger strike, to protest against his trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands. According to three doctors treating him, he is on the brink of dying from his hunger strike. If he dies, is it ITN material or not? A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 21:26, 5 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I would think so. Currently on trial, hunger strike, etc., makes for compelling news. --Golbez 22:21, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

4 December

 * Brazil defends its title as men's volleyball world champions. Poland and Bulgaria come 2nd and 3rd. Russia is the new champion in the women's tournament.
 * The women's tournament is 2+ weeks old, so I'll pass. Great photos and nice tables in the men's tournament's page, but it lacks descriptive prose on the games (Same problem with 2006 Davis Cup below) and much of the current text (on the tournament format) is in the future tense. So, I'll pass, too, for the time being. -- PFHLai 08:17, 5 December 2006 (UTC)


 * President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela is re-elected with a landslide majority.
 * In Venezuela, partial results of the presidential election give Hugo Chávez reelection, defeating opponent Manuel Rosales.
 * Posted. --PFHLai 08:15, 4 December 2006 (UTC)


 * The Red Cross estimates that the death toll left after Typhoon Durian passed through the Phillipines may hit 1,000.
 * Posted the confirmed death toll of 406 reported in 2006 Pacific typhoon season. -- PFHLai 08:31, 4 December 2006 (UTC)


 * Fijian troops take over the headquarters of the armed police division, occupy the main police station in Suva, and surround a police academy in an escalation of the 2006 Fijian coup plot.
 * Posted a simpler version. -- PFHLai 09:03, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

3 December

 * Marat Safin, Nikolay Davydenko and Dmitry Tursunov lead the Russian tennis team to win the 2006 Davis Cup. (Waiting for some descriptive prose on the matches to appear in the 2006 Davis Cup article. Otherwise, I might have posted this on ITN already.) --PFHLai 09:30, 4 December 2006 (UTC)


 * Former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet had suffered a heart attack and is in critical but stable condition in Santiago's Military Hospital.
 * Not sure his current health condition is notable enough for Wikipedia. I do believe that his death would meet the criteria for deaths on ITN though. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 16:28, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
 * From what I've heard in the Chilean press, his situation is life-threatening. Last rites had been administered by a Catholic priest, and he is also suffering from pulmonary edema. Dr. Juan Ignacio Vergara from the Military Hospital emphasized the potentially fatal situation the former president is in. The government spokesman, Ricardo Lagos (Jr), is already talking about whether Pinochet should be given a state funeral. Marmaduque 17:08, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
 * We had Castro going into surgery, so why not this?-- HamedogTalk|@ 02:39, 4 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Well Castro was/is the leader of Cuba for decades. Augusto Pinochet is a controversial figure and his death may affect world affairs sufficient to warrant inclusion in ITN but I'm skeptical if his current situation is enough. If it's true he's near death them IMHO we just wait. If he survives with no immediete changes then I doubt it will be sufficient enough on world affairs Nil Einne 08:43, 4 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Also, Pinochet is 91. It's not as if his death would surprise anybody. He meets none of the criteria of ITN#5. -- Kicking222 13:46, 4 December 2006 (UTC)
 * He wouldn't meet criteria A (in a high ranking office of power at the time of death) and B (a key figure in their field of expertise, and died unexpectedly or tragically), but he might meet criterion C (a major international impact that affects current events). Time will tell. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 13:59, 4 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Yes, IMO, his dying while his trials are still on-going would meet criterion C, though it's not really that international. Pinochet is such a notable figure in history (My POV?) that I might be bold and post his death on ITN, anyway. --PFHLai 18:36, 4 December 2006 (UTC)


 * The ITU Telecom World 2006, hosted by the People's Republic of China, opens in AsiaWorld-Expo, Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong. &mdash; Instantnood 15:14, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I don't think just holding a large convention is enough for ITN. In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union conference didn't get on ITN till the announcement of the re-definition of the term "planet". What is on deck from the ITU ? BTW, please expand the stubby ITU Telecom World 2006 page. --PFHLai 09:37, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

2 December

 * Stéphane Dion is elected leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
 * How about: Stéphane Dion defeates Michael Ignatieff on the fourth ballot at the Liberal leadership convention to become the new leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. -Royalguard11 (Talk·Desk·Review Me!) 23:20, 2 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Unfortunately, this appears to be a story of only Canadian interest. --  tariq abjotu  00:49, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
 * It's nearly as important as a major election - Dion will be the new Leader of the Opposition and will be the main challenger of Stephen Harper for PM at the next election, likely within 6 months. Radagast 00:51, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Well, let's write it in a way that explains the importance to non-Canadians:
 * "The Liberal Party of Canada elects Stéphane Dion as party leader, making him leader of the opposition and presumptive candidate for prime minister in the next general election." -- Mwalcoff 01:17, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Well, I added it, but reverted it...maybe reword this a little bit more? --HappyCamper 02:16, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
 * If Dion becomes PM, add the news, but as of now, this isn't "international interest." -- Howard  the   Duck  03:03, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Felipe Calderón is sworn in as the new President of Mexico, despite his opponents’ accusations of illegitimacy. - Schrandit 04:06, 2 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Not posted because [1] Mexican general election, 2006 was already featured on ITN soon after this was held, so was Mexican general election 2006 controversies, [2] [Mexican general election 2006 controversies] carries the balance tag, making this a poor choice to appear on MainPage, and [3] Venezuelan presidential election, 2006 and Ecuadorian general election, 2006 are currently on ITN. Let's avoid having too many similar stories from the same region (Presidential elections in Latin America) on ITN at the same time. Thanks for the suggestion, anyway. --PFHLai 09:57, 4 December 2006 (UTC)


 * Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Yousuf breaks Viv Richards record of most runs in a calendar year.
 * Yousuf has broken 3 other records this year as well.-- HamedogTalk|@ 05:07, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

1 December

 * Russell Baze becomes the all-time winningest jockey in Thoroughbred Horse Racing, with his 9,531st victory. JRHorse 01:08, 2 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Typhoon Durian (local name: Reming) causes 146 300 deaths in Albay, Philippines. -- Howard  the   Duck  10:55, 1 December 2006 (UTC)
 * 2006 Asian Games officially begins in Doha, Ad Dawhah, Qatar. - Privacy 19:18, 30 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Added. --  tariq abjotu  21:44, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

30 November

 * I'm not sure there's really an updated article for this, but shouldn't ITN pay attention to the highly controversial state visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Turkey? A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 23:47, 30 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Greg Page leaves the children's band The Wiggles after 15 years of performances, due to chronic illness. JRHorse 22:41, 30 November 2006 (UTC)
 * I don't think this makes the cut... Look at what it would replace: the Nepalese treaty ending a decade long civil war. NN, IMO. Mi kk er (...) 22:44, 30 November 2006 (UTC)
 * At least 300 people were killed in clashes between Sudan's army and former rebels in the southern town of Malakal earlier this week.
 * high-casualty event and big military confrontation --<font color="#003399">TheFE ARgod  (Ч) 15:33, 30 November 2006 (UTC)
 * This is nb enough for ITN but the article still needs some more work... Mi kk er (...) 20:24, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Article is stub-size, putting it ITN would contribute to its enlargement --<font color="#003399">TheFE ARgod  (Ч) 20:42, 30 November 2006 (UTC)
 * As long as an article covers all the bases and is solid, I don't think the length really matters. —Centrx→talk &bull; 00:05, 1 December 2006 (UTC)
 * I think the article is good enough for ITN, so I endorse putting this up. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 00:08, 1 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Added. A  ecis  Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984. 21:26, 3 December 2006 (UTC)