Wikipedia:In the news/Candidates/February–March 2005

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 from In the news section on the Main Page/Candidates. &mdash; Dan | Talk 16:11, 11 Apr 2005 (UTC)

March 31

 * Paul Wolfowitz is unanimously approved as the 10th president of the World Bank. —Cantus&hellip; &#9742;   00:11, Apr 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, after 11 years, condemn the Rwandan Genocide and announced their intention of ending their civil war with the government. --Kitch 16:52, 31 Mar 2005 (UTC)

March 28
The death toll from Marburg virus epidemic in Angola rises to 120 122; first case of the Ebola-like virus is reported outside Uige Province and the capital, Luanda.
 * added. dab (&#5839;) 07:02, 29 Mar 2005 (UTC)

March 24

 * In Wikipedia, the In the news section on the Main Page/Candidates page grows to 45 kilobytes long, while a discussion on whether to archive the discussions continues on Template talk:In the news.
 * This is definitely local news, and it's not on Current events. I won't post this, even if relevant pages are updated in detail .... :-) Seriously, we need to have a policy on how to deal with this. Please update the relevant pages, ...errr... I mean, please go to the talk page and voice your opinion.  Thanks. -- PFHLai 21:30, 2005 Mar 24 (UTC)
 * Update: The Article size is now 46 kb.
 * Tulip Revolution: As protestors storm government buildings in Kyrgyzstan and free political prisonsers, and the Kyrgyz Supreme Court declares the results of its parliamentary elections invalid, President Askar Akayev resigns and flees the country with his family by helicopter. He is believed to have gone either to Kazakhstan or Russia. --Kitch 16:12, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Yes, that ought to be put up quick. I suggest a picture of Askayev if we can't get a good image of the protesters, or failing both of these we'll have to make do with the flag. Why is Prince Rainier considered a more important story than the toppling of the government in Kyrgyzstan? Someone had better change this quickly before our credibility as a group of people capable of organising knowledge and making sense of world events lies in tatters. "Tonight's top story: Old man is ill! By the way, there's also been a revolution in Kyrgyzstan." &mdash; Trilobite (Talk) 19:41, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * I know. I'm working on it ... -- PFHLai 19:50, 2005 Mar 24 (UTC)
 * Great, thanks. &mdash; Trilobite (Talk) 20:39, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * You're welcome. I have to remove the part about the resignation, as per the latest update on the Askar Akayev page. -- PFHLai 20:58, 2005 Mar 24 (UTC)
 * Edit to the oil refinery story... it was actually the third-largest in the U.S. The 14 are now confirmed dead, with one unaccounted for still. --Kitch 18:10, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Confirmed death toll. -- PFHLai 19:48, 2005 Mar 24 (UTC)

March 23

 * Prince Rainier III of Monaco reportedly has gone into renal and heart failure and is on a ventilator two days after being transferred to intensive care. He has been hospitalized after a pulmonary infection for over two weeks. --Kitch 20:21, 23 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Already up there ....
 * An explosion at a BP oil refinery in Texas City, Texas, the largest oil refinery in the United States, has left over 100 injured. At least 14 are feared dead. --Kitch 02:31, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Posted. -- PFHLai 08:01, 2005 Mar 24 (UTC)

March 22

 * In the item about the Pope, could someone please change the language at the end of the paragraph? It reads "tens of thousands Catholics", which is missing the word "of".  It should read "tens of thousands of Catholics". Jpo 23:23, Mar 22, 2005 (UTC)
 * Fixed.-gadfium 23:34, 22 Mar 2005 (UTC)

March 21

 * The Wikipedia now has what is arguably the best, concise description of the whole issue of women leading Muslim congregational prayers:
 * Woman Imam in NYC: Amina Wadud, an African American Muslim, and a professor of Islamic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, led a congregation of about 60 women and 40 men in the weekly Muslim Friday, or Jumu'uah, prayer, a rare public occurrence.
 * We're working on the issue of getting pictures. &mdash;iFaqeer (Talk to me!) 05:23, Mar 22, 2005 (UTC)
 * This actually took place on March 18. It's getting old. Any developments since ? There are no Newslinks related to this item on Current events.  I can't even read up from outside sources to learn about this news item.  Maybe other admins more familiar with this issue of Woman imam can look into this, please ?  Thanks. -- PFHLai 03:51, 2005 Mar 23 (UTC)


 * This isn't a suggestion, but could someone please change the link to mass on the front page to point to Mass (liturgy) as that is the interpretation of mass with respect to the Pope. Enochlau 10:26, 21 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * done dab (&#5839;) 15:25, 21 Mar 2005 (UTC)

March 20

 * Iraq and Jordan recall each others' ambassadors over accusations Jordan was not doing enough to stop insurgents from crossing into Iraq to attack Iraqi and Coalition forces. --Kitch 03:33, 21 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Please add this to Current events. And, please bold the link to the page that has been updated with the news (i.e. Which updated Wikipage is supposed to be 'featured' ?) Thanks. -- PFHLai 03:53, 2005 Mar 21 (UTC)

March 18

 * Euthanasia: The feeding tube allowing brain-damaged Terri Schiavo to eat is removed by order of Pinellas County, Florida, Circuit Court Judge George Greer in spite of subpoenas for her and her husband, Michael Schiavo, to appear before committees in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. --Kitch 02:37, 19 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Isn't this limited to the US? Haven't heard about it in Danish media but there is an article on the BBC webpage. The article here is in a horrible state but I don't know if that would be a reason not to put it on the frontpage? Preisler 21:33, 19 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Are we now excluding events simply because they take place in the US? This is a story of major importance in the US; it has been on the front page of the New York Times for the last four days in a row.  Euthanasia is a topic of importance and controversy in the US and in countries around the world.  We're currently featuring stories about government turmoil in Namibia and Kyrgyzstan, but we won't cover a major ongoing story taking place in the US?  Seems like a double standard to me. - Jpo 23:22, Mar 22, 2005 (UTC)
 * I agree in principle, though I don't care one way or the other about this particular item. Keep in mind that we don't have Namibian current events or Kyrgyzstanian current events to exile stories to like they are for American current events. &mdash;Korath (Talk) 23:41, Mar 22, 2005 (UTC)
 * No, we are not "excluding events simply because they take place in the US", otherwise the shooting in Red Lake won't get posted. I agree that euthanasia is an important issue, and I was the one who added the Euthanasia  link to this page.  The reason why Terri Schiavo was not posted 2 days ago was that the page carried a  tag (SEE BELOW), and I don't think a page with an ongoing dispute should be featured on the MainPage.  Now that the  tag is no longer there, can someone with more news-sense than I have kindly draft the 'updated' headline, please ?  I can cut-&-paste it onto ITN to replace the item on the Pope skipping events on Palm Sunday.  Thanks. -- PFHLai 02:46, 2005 Mar 23 (UTC)
 * Not posted. 'Coz Terri Schiavo carries a tag. -- PFHLai 02:57, 2005 Mar 21 (UTC)
 * In spite of the NPOV tag, Yahoo News Full Coverage has a linking pointing to our Terri Schiavo article. Kingturtle 17:28, 22 Mar 2005 (UTC)

March 17

 * Scott Peterson is formally sentenced to death for the murder of his wife Laci Peterson and unborn child, following which he is transferred to Death Row at California's San Quentin State Prison.
 * Hit the headlines of most news services today upon his transfer to San Quentin -Husnock 17Mar05
 * This borderlines on being too 'local'.... (My POV !) Hmmm .... Sorry, I'll pass. Thank you for the suggestion, though. Perhaps another admin would want to take a look at this ? -- PFHLai 03:30, 2005 Mar 21 (UTC)
 * Perhaps I may be accused of "excluding events simply because they take place in the US" in this instance. It's more like I am puzzled why this murder has such a high profile .... -- PFHLai 03:13, 2005 Mar 23 (UTC)
 * Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat state in India has been denied a United States visa for his alleged involvement in the 2002 Gujarat violence. pamri 12:02, Mar 18, 2005 (UTC)
 * Posted. -- PFHLai 03:12, 2005 Mar 21 (UTC)

March 16

 * Robert Sørlie from Norway wins the 1,161-mile (1,868 km) 2005 Iditarod dog sled race across the U.S. state of Alaska for the second time.
 * Happened yesterday right after the outage. 68.81.231.127 12:12, 17 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Posted. -- PFHLai 14:08, 2005 Mar 17 (UTC)

March 12

 * The State Council of the People's Republic of China approves the resignation of Hong Kong's Chief Executive Tung Chee-Hwa, who then becomes Vice-Chairman of the Political Consultative Conference
 * added (should we add his picture?) dab (&#5839;) 10:49, 14 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Probably too late now, but here it is: Image:Tung Chee Hwa.jpg


 * Cyclone Ingrid is moving away from Darwin, Australia and towards Timor as a Category 3 storm
 * added (and removed former reference) dab (&#5839;) 10:49, 14 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * The 24-day Salt March To Dandi, a historic act of non-violent protest led by Mahatma Gandhi in colonial India, is re-enacted on its 75th anniversary.
 * This is already in Current events. I added a short new section on Salt Satyagraha for updates.   If another admin agrees that this is worthy of an appearence on ITN, please post it.  (I could've done it myself, but I ain't sure if this is too 'local'.) Thanks. -- PFHLai 08:59, 2005 Mar 13 (UTC) [[Image:Maghandi.jpg|90px|right|Mahatma Gandhi]]
 * Both the Salt March and Mahatma are historically important. I've added it to the section. Mgm|(talk) 13:02, Mar 13, 2005 (UTC)


 * Tropical cyclone Ingrid has intensified into a category 5 once more as it buffets the Northern Territory coast of Australia.
 * Posted. Also added a map of Australia with Northern Territory highlighted. But how big is this news ? I have doubts .... I may regret this. -- PFHLai 08:48, 2005 Mar 12 (UTC)
 * It probably isn't all that big as news goes, but the cyclone was already in the section, so it makes sense to update it.-gadfium 19:26, 12 Mar 2005 (UTC)


 * Pope John Paul II leaves the Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic 2 1/2 weeks after his tracheotomy and returns to Vatican City. --Kitch 23:32, 13 Mar 2005 (UTC)

March 11
(see for more) 80.126.139.83 11:04, 11 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * BBC Television viewers pledge £37 million to charity on Red Nose Day in the UK. (Belfast Telegraph), (BBC)
 * Unless the money raised is to be used to help people around the world, there is probably not enough international relevance. Is the £37 million a record-setting amount ? -- PFHLai 09:09, 2005 Mar 13 (UTC)
 * It's for the UK and Africa, but I didn't add it myself because it's not of international interest. violet/riga (t) 23:36, 13 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * You need a picture that is relevant to this news item, not the lebaneese flag. Here is a picture of Garry Kasparov: [[Image:Gary_Kasparov.jpg|100px|right]]
 * Garry Kasparov retires from professional chess
 * He retired after winning the Linares Chess Tournament in Spain. --Kitch 17:39, 11 Mar 2005 (UTC)\
 * added.

March 10

 * CeBIT fair opens in Hanover, Germany -- world's largest technology and telecommunications gathering. Stern 12:49, 10 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * added. dab (&#5839;) 16:03, 10 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Far more people have died in Darfur during the two-year conflict than previously admitted. Stern 22:03, 10 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Perhaps make this "Darfur (Sudan)" for the more geographically-challenged of us.-gadfium 22:26, 10 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * I suggest updating the wikipage Darfur conflict, which is a more relevant article. The one sentence added to Darfur since Feb.25  reads like the POV of Jan Egeland -- elaboration and sources/references would be helpful. This is an important issue and deserves to be posted, but I don't think there are enough updates in the relevant pages yet. -- PFHLai 23:00, 2005 Mar 10 (UTC)

March 9

 * Update on Carlos Mesa story: The Congress of Bolivia votes almost unanimously rejecting an offer by President Carlos Mesa to resign. &#8212;Cantus&hellip; &#9742;   03:31, Mar 9, 2005 (UTC)
 * Updated. I need an excuse anyways to replace the pic of Mt. St. Helen -- from 1982 ? too old ..... (See Image talk:Sthelens2.jpg.) -- PFHLai 12:19, 2005 Mar 9 (UTC)


 * How about adding the metric equivalent of 25,000 ft (about 7,600 m) to the Mount St. Helens bit? &mdash; &#1051;&#1080;&#1074;&#1072;&#1081; | &#x263a; 10:13, 9 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * However, Reuters is reporting 11 km (about 36,000 ft). Hmm... &mdash; &#1051;&#1080;&#1074;&#1072;&#1081; | &#x263a; 10:14, 9 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Updated and added metric equivalent. -- PFHLai 12:27, 2005 Mar 9 (UTC)

March 8

 * The metropolitan council of Pretoria, the executive capital of South Africa, announced the approval of a plan to rename itself Tshwane, after the metropolitan area it is in, pending final approval by the South African Geographic Names Council in October. Under the plan, the city center wound retain the name Pretoria. --Kitch 15:38, 8 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * If the name Pretoria is still in use. How big a change is this to the rest of the World ? Please elaborate. -- PFHLai 12:43, 2005 Mar 9 (UTC)

March 7

 * Hans Bethe, Nobel Laureate in Physics, discover of stellar nucleosynthesis, key participant in development of atomic and hydrogen bombs, outspoken critic of nuclear arms race and nuclear testing, died on March 6 at age 98.
 * Posted. I've kept it short, though. -- PFHLai 06:55, 2005 Mar 8 (UTC)
 * Italy prepares a funeral for the agent Nicola Calipari who died in Iraq protecting released hostage Giuliana Sgrena.
 * I posted an unused draft I had 2 days ago. I tried not to mention the shooting as there is conflicting info out there... maybe I was over-cautious.  If someone wants the funeral mentioned on ITN, please update Nicola Calipari's Wikipage.  Thanks. -- PFHLai 06:38, 2005 Mar 8 (UTC)

March 6

 * President Carlos Mesa of Bolivia announces his resignation, effective March 7.
 * This should be posted on ITN as soon as Mesa's Wikipage gets sufficiently updated. -- PFHLai 03:30, 2005 Mar 7 (UTC)
 * It looks updated to me. What would you consider sufficient? &mdash;Korath (Talk) 03:51, Mar 7, 2005 (UTC)
 * If adding one line since Feb.27th is enough for you, go for it.  I was hoping for more info to become available in the morning (Bolivian time). The name of the successor and his reason to quit, etc. would be nice.  Never mind, it's up there on ITN already. Let it be. The page will get updated more quickly this way. -- PFHLai 05:57, 2005 Mar 7 (UTC)

March 5
The 33rd annual 1,049-mile Iditarod dog sled race started Anchorage, Alaska in the U.S. 68.81.231.127 23:50, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * The "1,049-mile" is a symbolic number (1,000 miles + 49th state), not an actual measured distance, so converting it to metric is inappropriate. 68.81.231.127 23:50, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * With all due respect, this is not sufficiently important to be a main page 'In the news' candidate. This is a human interest story. The Steve Fossett story probably should not have been in this section for the same reason, but it did make worldwide headlines. Most people outside the US probably don't know that dog sled races exist. It might be a candidate for 'Did you know'.-gadfium 01:36, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, I added the human interest story because it seems to be a recurrent theme :). The real story is that the race started, so I edited it to reflect that. I'm still not sure if the Iditarod itself is sufficiently notable, but it's probably less local than you think: There have been competitors from more than a dozen different countries, though (I think) only four countries are still represented in among the current racers (there were more, but they withdrew before the start of the race), including the Norway's Sorlie, who won in 2003. The race is probably at least as popular in Canada and Norway (and maybe Italy, this year) as it is in the continental U.S., so it has some international appeal. But either way is fine. And no, it doesn't qualify for DYK. :) 68.81.231.127 02:34, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Over the decades, Iditarod has an international following in the Arctic communities -- Canada, US & Scandinavia, and possibly Russia. True, it's not well known in places where it never / rarely snows. :-) This should not be the top news on ITN, but this is a better story, not to mention a better Wikipage, to feature on the MainPage than Steve Fossett. How should we phrase the line ? I suggest mentioning that it's the '33rd annual' race this year. -- PFHLai 13:39, 2005 Mar 6 (UTC)
 * Maybe we can announce the winner when it's over in a few days ? -- PFHLai 06:39, 2005 Mar 8 (UTC)

March 4
The U.S. occupation forces in Iraq killed Nicola Calipari who managed to rescue kidnapped journalist Giuliana Sgrena. This is important news. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Iraq.html -- Toytoy 23:59, Mar 4, 2005 (UTC)
 * The above suggestion was copied from Template talk:In the news. -- PFHLai 10:12, 2005 Mar 5 (UTC)
 * The Giuliana Sgrena article is no longer so stubby now. And the Italian Parliament is expected to have a big fight over this terrible incident this coming week. I think we may run this story. -- Toytoy 03:02, Mar 6, 2005 (UTC)
 * I like this story. Please draft the line for ITN. Don't forget NPOV. I'm trying to write a line without "pointing fingers", but couldn't. -- PFHLai 03:14, 2005 Mar 7 (UTC)


 * Homo sapiens, not homo sapien, right? --Xiaopo &#8465; 01:07, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * This typographical error has been taken care of. Thank you for pointing it out. -- PFHLai 10:12, 2005 Mar 5 (UTC)

March 3

 * In Indonesia, Abu Bakar Bashir of the Jemaah Islamiyah was found guilty in his involvement in the 2002 Bali bombing, and was sentenced to two and a half years of imprisonment. (Reuters)
 * Not sure if this photo is good enough for the MainPage. Not PD. -- PFHLai 19:11, 2005 Mar 3 (UTC)
 * Posted without the photo. -- PFHLai 12:39, 2005 Mar 4 (UTC)
 * Steve Fossett, is piloting aboard the GlobalFlyer, across the Pacific Ocean as he attempts successfully completes the first solo, non-stop, non-refueled aerial circumnavigation of the globe. - Jpo 00:30, Mar 3, 2005 (UTC)
 * I think we should wait till he completes his (fun) trip. -- PFHLai 01:59, 2005 Mar 3 (UTC)
 * Considering the content in Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer and FAI's definition of circumnavigation, one may wonder if this circumnavigation is valid .....
 * Posted, anyway. -- PFHLai 12:39, 2005 Mar 4 (UTC)

March 1
Image:Tabare Vazquez.jpg
 * Tabaré Vázquez of the leftist Broad Front coalition takes office as President of Uruguay.
 * I added this. The problem is that, despite my efforts to beef it up as much as I can, the main article is rather stubby. But something has to be added to fill up the blank space on the right side on the MainPage..... -- PFHLai 08:32, 2005 Mar 2 (UTC)

February 28

 * In the latest drug-industry scare, Biogen Idec and Elan Pharmaceuticals have pulled their new multiple sclerosis drug from the market after two patients came down with a serious brain condition, one of whom died. It would be nice if somebody could write an article on Elan.  In contrast to the Vioxx debacle, the companies acted within a few weeks of learning of the problems, and the two patients involved were on an experimental combination therapy for two years, so it's not clear whether this will have a long-term impact on the marketability of the drug.  I did see at least one news-service article raising questions of insider trading on the part of Biogen Idec executives.  18.26.0.18 03:16, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Writing such an article requires the specific knowledge and expertise in medicine and biochemistry, and perhaps some ethics and business law. May wanna try WikiProject Clinical medicine to start.  Those WikiDocs over there are all nice fellas. ...  When an updated article is ready to be featured here in 'In The News', please let us know.  Thanks. -- PFHLai 03:29, 2005 Mar 2 (UTC)


 * ITN currently has an odd bit of syntax "&lt;!--Feb-28--&gt;" (looks like an attempted HTML comment) visible at the top of the list. Could an admin remove this please?  - Jpo 20:59, Feb 28, 2005 (UTC)
 * This is gone now - thanks. - Jpo 22:40, Feb 28, 2005 (UTC)


 * Halle Berry's Golden Raspberry award should be removed. No major news organizations give equal headline space to the Ocsars and the Razzies. Taco Deposit | Talk-o to Taco 16:54, Feb 28, 2005 (UTC)
 * I second this motion. The Academy Awards item belongs on the Main Page (for today, anyway); the "Golden Raspberry" award does not.  Could someone get rid of this, please? - Jpo 20:24, Feb 28, 2005 (UTC)


 * The topic dealing with Israel and the Islamic Jihad should include the fact that it was all due to friday night's suicide bomb explosion in the "stage", Tel Aviv. furthermore, I truely don't see why it should be on the main page, I think that there are things more important and interesting than that that should be on the main page.--82.80.39.195 17:25, 28 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * This is on Current events, and is surely Main Page-worthy: &mdash; &#1051;&#1080;&#1074;&#1072;&#1081; | &#x263a; 20:19, 28 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Following week-long public protests (in the wake of Rafik Hariri's assassination) and a no confidence vote, the entire government of Lebanon resigns.

February 27

 * The World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control comes into effect in 57 countries, restricting tobacco advertising and sales.
 * Was about to add this but it seems that it's not particularly large news, according to most sources, and I think the article should be moved to a better name before its inclusion. But then the pope waving at a window is the top story for many sources. violet/riga (t) 12:22, 27 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * A single killer in Kansas is wholly unremarkable in world affairs and reflects a huge geographic bias. 119 06:14, 27 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Totally agree - removed it. violet/riga (t) 12:22, 27 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * It's back. Taco Deposit | Talk-o to Taco 22:01, Feb 28, 2005 (UTC)
 * And gone again, thanks. violet/riga (t) 22:28, 28 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Back again. Taco Deposit | Talk-o to Taco 01:39, Mar 1, 2005 (UTC)
 * Removed - template talk:In the news. violet/riga (t) 01:43, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)

February 26

 * For the first time in his 26-year papacy, Pope John Paul II, who is ill, will not bless the faithful at the weekly Angelus prayer service and will instead follow the service from his hospital room, Vatican officials report.
 * Reuters, Calcutta Telegraph, The Guardian

February 24

 * President George W. Bush and President Vladimir Putin are holding private conversations at the Slovakia Summit in Bratislava. (Image:Bush putin logo.jpg)

February 22

 * An earthquake registering 6.4 on the Richter scale hits city of Zarand and several villages in southeast Iran at 02:25 (UTC), leaving at least 546 dead and more than 1000 dead. (See 2005 Zarand earthquake)
 * Going up as we speak. -- user:zanimum
 * A map of Iran with Kerman province highlighted has replaced the EU flag. -- PFHLai 11:56, 2005 Feb 23 (UTC)
 * Death toll chenged since the initial reports. Can someone update it? --Pouya 20:08, 26 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Just added: "The ISNA reports a death toll of 790, with 1,423 injured." -- PFHLai 18:59, 2005 Feb 27 (UTC)


 * Two prominent authors died Monday: Hunter S. Thompson and Guillermo Cabrera Infante.
 * All honesty, we shouldn't have obits on the front, unless they are world leaders or close to it. -- user:zanimum

February 20
Spain becomes the first country to go to the polls in a referendum on the proposed European Constitution. Voters approved the constitution by a landslide, but on a low turnout. Both the government and the main opposition party had campaigned for a "yes" vote.
 * I don't know how much non-European readers hear about the Constitution but it's an ongoing major news story for half a billion of us. This first referendum on ratification is a significant development. BBC News Online's international edition has it as the top story . &mdash; Trilobite (Talk) 14:02, 20 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Final results are in. The "yes" campaign won with 77% of the vote on a turnout of 42%. Details in the article. &mdash; Trilobite (Talk) 23:13, 20 Feb 2005 (UTC)

José Sócrates the leader of the Socialist Party wins a landslide victory in the Portuguese Parliament election according to the latest forecasts.

February 19
Image:NorthernBankNI20.jpg
 * Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush visited and toured areas of Thailand that were ravaged by the 2004 Asian Tsunami.Romeoslion 02:06, 20 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * What updated page(s) will be featured ? -- PFHLai 13:52, 2005 Feb 20 (UTC)
 * Northern Bank robbery: sounds like a fascinating story, and already in Current events. If we post the story on USS Jimmy Carter and ITN looks too US-centric, maybe we can post this UK story as well, just to balance things out a bit .... -- PFHLai 21:28, 2005 Feb 19 (UTC)
 * Suggested format:
 * One of the largest joint PSNI and Gardaí police investigations ever seen in Ireland continues, concerning the Northern Bank robbery, with over £2.3 million uncovered in searches. The Provisional IRA are accused of large-scale criminal activities surrounding the incident.
 * Added but got reverted. Please see the edit summary of User:Golbez. -- PFHLai 03:34, 2005 Feb 20 (UTC) Should've mentioned yesterday that I agree with the reversion ... More updates needed... -- PFHLai 13:52, 2005 Feb 20 (UTC)


 * Former US President Jimmy Carter is on hand to christen The 3.2 billion dollar USS Jimmy Carter, the last of the Seawolf class submarines ordered during the Cold War.The attack sub has a 100 foot extention for special operations and can reportedly tap undersea cables.
 * Not found in Current events, which needs some immediate fixing... sigh.... -- PFHLai 21:04, 2005 Feb 19 (UTC)
 * I was adding this, but ran into an edit conflict -- see above edit by User:Golbez. -- PFHLai 03:34, 2005 Feb 20 (UTC)
 * Added. --Slowking Man 04:14, Feb 20, 2005 (UTC)


 * In a 13 hour operation, doctors in Egypt successfully remove the second head of a baby suffering from the rare disease craniopagus parasiticus. This is the second such operation to take place in a year. The previous operation, in the Dominican Republic, was not successful and resulted in death.
 * Good topic, but (1) Craniopagus parasiticus needs to be expanded from a stub, or at least updated, (2) not found in Current events. -- PFHLai 21:04, 2005 Feb 19 (UTC)

February 18

 * Tsunami resulted from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake uncovers an ancient city from the Pallava period, near the coastal town of Mahabalipuram in India. (AP via Yahoo!)
 * a fun item already in Current events, but articles need updating. -- PFHLai 21:50, 2005 Feb 19 (UTC)
 * Mahabalipuram has just been updated with a paragraph about the archaeological find. I hope this is good enough for ITN. -- PFHLai 07:43, 2005 Feb 21 (UTC)
 * The guideline says there should be 3 to 5 topics, and we have only 3 up, with quite some blank space at the bottom right on the MainPage. I've added this for now. -- PFHLai 11:55, 2005 Feb 23 (UTC)

February 16

 * The Kyoto Protocol comes into effect.
 * The Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty on global warming, comes into effect – done. violet/riga (t) 12:11, 16 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), states there is no evidence to suggest Iran is developing nuclear weapons. (Washington Post)
 * Iran's nuclear program could use an update.
 * Added. --Slowking Man 04:14, Feb 20, 2005 (UTC)
 * National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman announces the cancellation of the 2004-05 season because of the ongoing lockout. It is the first time a North American professional sports league has cancelled an entire season due to a labor dispute. (TSN)

Plurality v. majority in Iraq
The use of 'plurality' (48 percent of the vote) seems to confuse the issue of the make-up of the assembly, where the largest coalition won a majority (140 of 275 seats). There are headlines in the media that contradict each other (some saying the Shiites failed to win a majority, others than they won a slight majority). We could use:


 * Results in the 2005 Iraqi legislative election are announced. The Shiite Muslim United Iraqi Alliance coalition wins a slight majority of the seats in the Iraqi National Assembly.

Or perhaps (but it's too long):


 * Results in the 2005 Iraqi legislative election are announced. With 48 percent of votes cast, the Shiite Muslim United Iraqi Alliance wins a slight majority of the seats in the Iraqi National Assembly.

Or the very preceise, but even longer:


 * Results in the 2005 Iraqi legislative election are announced. With a plurality of 48 percent of votes cast, the Shiite Muslim United Iraqi Alliance wins a slight majority of the seats in the Iraqi National Assembly.

Or dodge the whole plurality/majority altogether:


 * Results in the 2005 Iraqi legislative election are announced. The Shiite Muslim United Iraqi Alliance wins 48 percent of the seats in the Iraqi National Assembly.

My $0.02. --Chris vLS 20:27, 14 Feb 2005 (UTC)

The term "plurality" is virtually unknown in British English. A majority in British English means "highest number of X" (votes/seats/whatever). Having enough votes/seats/whatever to outvote all other parties together is termed an "absolute majority." Sorry this doesn't make it easier, but that's the way it is. I think I like Chrisvls's last one best; a lot of readers aren't going to know the meaning of plurality. --Tony Sidaway|Talk 22:56, 15 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Grammys

 * The 2004 Grammys are held in Los Angeles. The most honored musician of the night, Ray Charles who died in June, receives eight awards for his album Genius Loves Company.
 * Sorry, red links are never good candidates to feature on the MainPage. -- PFHLai 17:54, 2005 Feb 14 (UTC)
 * Grammy Awards of 2005 has all the winners listed, but it looks a little 'dry'. Would it be better to update Ray Charles, and show his picture ? ... Another issue would be whether we allow entertainment news in 'ITN'. I dunno .... -- PFHLai 17:46, 2005 Feb 14 (UTC)

If you say that entertainment news is never presented please let me refer you as far back as December 2000 to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_2000. Wikipedia has covered the Miss World pageant before and this is of such a higher caliber. Ray Charles was an international superstar, and let us not forget that he was blind. This can also prove news worthy to those sympathetic to disabilities.
 * Please don't put words in my mouth, User:67.112.27.84. I didn't say 'never'. I was just asking my fellow admins what we want to do in 'ITN': Are entertainment news items in or out ? People weren't 100% pleased when I posted the SuperBowl .... (see below.) -- PFHLai 18:50, 2005 Feb 14 (UTC)

Sorry, I didn't mean to put words in your mouth. However, if you refer to American Football, or Tom Brady, or the New England Patriots in some countries they may or may not know what you are talking about. In many parts of the world Football is Soccer. The international language of song is very powerful and Charles was on the top and bottom of that power from one time to another. I don't mean to ruin anything for anybody but American sports, even if they call themselves the World Series and consider themselves the pinnacle of sport are not that. American Music is word renowned just as music from other countries is well known in the United States. The Grammys are the best of American Music and at this point Ray Charles is in the News, as a movie and as an honored musician


 * Hmmm... but people in other countries may equally "not know what you are talking about" when it comes to American music. To some in India / Japan / Korea / Liberia / Mongolia / Norway, etc., Ray Charles could simply be the guy at the piano in an old softdrink commercial. The beauty of Wikipedia is that it's a place to learn about Ray Charles, the New England Patroits, Arthur Miller (I love the edit summaries in ITN, guys !), Rafiq Hariri and Baby 81 (another worthy topic not on ITN yet).... anything. And, everyone has a different opinion on what is newsworthy.
 * I'm asking the same question: Are entertainment news items in or out ? I would like to hear from other admins on this. I'd like to see this story featured, but the relevant wikipages as well as Current events need to be updated before it goes on 'ITN'. -- PFHLai 20:03, 2005 Feb 14 (UTC)


 * Yes, entertainment items can appear on ITN but obviously not all of them. The Michael Jackson trial verdict may be worthy, but the results of an award ceremony is not.  It's all down to the interpretation of the importance - note that I didn't want Arthur Miller to appear. violet/riga (t) 20:12, 14 Feb 2005 (UTC)


 * 2005 Hudson Valley Mall shooting incident -- Is this too much of a local news item ? I'm suggesting its removal . -- PFHLai 01:34, 2005 Feb 14 (UTC) I've hidden it for now, 'coz it's not in Current events yet. -- PFHLai 01:43, 2005 Feb 14 (UTC)

February 13

 * Results in the 2005 Iraqi legislative election are announced. As expected, the shiite-coalation wins, with 47% of the vote.
 * When the article is updated this should certainly be added. violet/riga (t) 13:46, 13 Feb 2005 (UTC)

February 10

 * Saudi Arabia starts its first nationwide municipal elections.
 * This topic is newsworthy, but is the page too stubby ? -- PFHLai 11:14, 2005 Feb 10 (UTC)

February 9

 * Prime Minister of Denmark Anders Fogh Rasmussen is reelected for a second term. &mdash;Cantus&hellip; &#9742;   06:16, Feb 9, 2005 (UTC)
 * Added, replacing Thai elections (now three days old). --Slowking Man 07:22, Feb 9, 2005 (UTC)
 * Please fix current template. The first item about the truce has no article bolded; this isn't standard. Also remove "(pictured)" from the second item. Sigh. ?Cantus&hellip; &#9742;   06:20, Feb 9, 2005 (UTC)
 * Someone fixed it. --Slowking Man 07:22, Feb 9, 2005 (UTC)
 * The photo changed, please fix the Pictured again!!! Grrrrr. It's ridiculous to have this protected because of vandals. ?Cantus&hellip; &#9742;   10:12, Feb 10, 2005 (UTC)
 * It's even more ridiculous, not to mention damaging to our public image, when hello.jpg is a thousand readers' first introduction to Wikipedia. Patience, grasshopper. &#8212;Charles P. (Mirv) 10:33, 10 Feb 2005 (UTC)

February 8

 * Ellen MacArthur breaks the non-stop solo round the world sailing record. She crossed the finishing line between France and England at 22:30 on February 7 after a gruelling 71 days 14 hours 18 minutes and 33 seconds. -- SGBailey 10:45, 2005 Feb 8 (UTC)
 * Added violet/riga (t) 13:03, 8 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * The Al Aqsa Intifada ends, and a truce is declared between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority by Abu Mazen, the Palestinian leader, and the leader of Israel, Ariel Sharon during a four-way summit which also included Jordan and Egypt at Sharm al-Sheikh. -- Evil Monkey&#8756;Hello 22:08, Feb 8, 2005 (UTC)
 * Added. --Slowking Man 22:45, Feb 8, 2005 (UTC)

February 7
Image:SuperBowlXXXIX.png
 * The New England Patriots win Super Bowl XXXIX, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles with the score 24-21 in Jacksonville, Florida. -- PFHLai 02:43, 2005 Feb 7 (UTC)
 * PFHLai - you are an admin. Please just add this when the time comes, Current events and the article are updated. --mav 02:50, 7 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Of course ! It wouldn't go on the MainPage till relevant pages are updated accordingly. Right now, it's merely a suggestion. -- PFHLai 03:01, 2005 Feb 7 (UTC)
 * I don't think American sporting events are sufficiently relevant to appear here. Just my opinion.-gadfium 03:46, 7 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, like it or not, it's a big event on the mind of many Americans. To exclude it would be like "censoring out" American culture, which I don't think is a good idea.  However, I don't think it deserves to be the top news.  As such, I'll switch the order, move the item on the Thai election back to the top and show the picture of the Thai PM instead of the SuperBowl logo. I think the page on Thailand legislative election, 2005 was better updated and has more international relevance than Super Bowl XXXIX, anyway.... -- PFHLai 04:58, 2005 Feb 7 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the compromise.-gadfium 05:29, 7 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * You are welcome. :-) -- PFHLai 16:53, 2005 Feb 7 (UTC)

February 6

 * Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand declares victory in the 2005 legislative election for an unprecedented second term in office. (Thaksin Shinawatra could use an update, though.) -- PFHLai 00:11, 2005 Feb 7 (UTC)


 * After the death of President Gnassingb&eacute; Eyad&eacute;ma, the military of Togo suspends the constitution and names his son successor.
 * Updated. violet/riga (t) 19:45, 6 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * "suspend" to "suspends" in that, please. &mdash;Korath (Talk) 19:47, Feb 6, 2005 (UTC)
 * PFHLai sorted that silliness, thanks. violet/riga (t) 19:52, 6 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * You are welcome. :-) -- PFHLai 16:53, 2005 Feb 7 (UTC)