Wikipedia:In the news/Candidates

This page provides a place to discuss new items for inclusion on In the news (ITN), a protected template on the Main Page (see past items in the ITN archives). Do not report errors in ITN items that are already on the Main Page here— discuss those at the relevant section of WP:ERRORS.

This candidates page is integrated with the daily pages of Portal:Current events. A light green header appears under each daily section - it includes transcluded Portal:Current events items for that day. You can discuss ITN candidates under the header.

Srettha Thavisin Thailand's Constitutional Court dismisses Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin (pictured) due to his appointment of a minister who had served time in jail. Voepass Linhas Aéreas Flight 2283 crashes in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, killing all 62 people on board. Sheikh Hasina resigns as Prime Minister of Bangladesh following anti-government protests, and Muhammad Yunus is appointed leader of an interim government. Following a mass stabbing in Southport, far-right protesters riot in England and Northern Ireland. Ongoing: Israel–Hamas war timeline Russian invasion of Ukraine timeline Sudanese civil war timeline Recent deaths: Ida Bagus Ardana Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez Jon McBride Susan Wojcicki Kalatiku Paembonan Taberon Honie view — page history — related changes — edit

Glossary Blurbs are one-sentence summaries of the news story. Altblurbs, labelled alt1, alt2, etc., are alternative suggestions to cover the same story. A target article, bolded in text, is the focus of the story. Each blurb must have at least one such article, but you may also link non-target articles. Articles in the Ongoing line describe events getting continuous coverage. The Recent deaths (RD) line includes any living thing whose death was recently announced. Consensus may decide to create a blurb for a recent death. All articles linked in the ITN template must pass our standards of review. They should be up-to-date, demonstrate relevance via good sourcing and have at least an acceptable quality. Nomination steps Make sure the item you want to nominate has an article that meets our minimum requirements and contains reliable coverage of a current event you want to create a blurb about. We will not post about events described in an article that fails our quality standards. Find the correct section below for the date of the event (not the date nominated). Do not add sections for new dates manually - a bot does that for us each day at midnight (UTC). Create a level 4 header with the article name (==== Your article here ====). Add (RD) or (Ongoing) if appropriate. Then paste the {{ITN candidate}} template with its parameters and fill them in. The news source should be reliable, support your nomination and be in the article. Write your blurb in simple present tense. Below the template, briefly explain why we should post that event. After that, save your edit. Your nomination is ready! You may add {{ITN note}} to the target article's talk page to let editors know about your nomination. The better your article's quality, the better it covers the event and the wider its perceived significance (see WP:ITNSIGNIF for details), the better your chances of getting the blurb posted. Headers When the article is ready, updated and there is consensus to post, you can mark the item as (Ready). Remove that wording if you feel the article fails any of these necessary criteria. Admins should always separately verify whether these criteria are met before posting blurbs marked (Ready). For more guidance, check WP:ITN/A. If satisfied, change the header to (Posted). Where there is no consensus, or the article's quality remains poor, change the header to (Closed) or (Not posted). Sometimes, editors ask to retract an already-posted nomination because of a fundamental error or because consensus changed. If you feel the community supports this, remove the item and mark the item as (Pulled). Voicing an opinion on an item Format your comment to contain "support" or "oppose", and include a rationale for your choice. In particular, address the notability of the event, the quality of the article, and whether it has been updated. Please do... Pick an older item to review near the bottom of this page, before the eligibility runs out and the item scrolls off the page and gets abandoned in the archive, unused and forgotten. Review an item even if it has already been reviewed by another user. You may be the first to spot a problem, or the first to confirm that an identified problem was fixed. Piling on the list of "support!" votes will help administrators see what is ready to be posted on the Main Page. Tell about problems in articles if you see them. Be bold and fix them yourself if you know how, or tell others if it's not possible. Please do not... Add simple "support!" or "oppose!" votes without including your reasons. Similarly, curt replies such as "who?", "meh", or "duh!" are not helpful. A vote without reasoning means little for us, please elaborate yourself. Oppose an item just because the event is only relating to a single country, or failing to relate to one. We post a lot of such content, so these comments are generally unproductive. Accuse other editors of supporting, opposing or nominating due to a personal bias (such as ethnocentrism). We at ITN do not handle conflicts of interest. Comment on a story without first reading the relevant article(s). Oppose a recurring item here because you disagree with the recurring items criteria. Discuss them here. Use ITN as a forum for your own political or personal beliefs. Such comments are irrelevant to the outcome and are potentially disruptive. Suggesting updates There are two places where you can request corrections to posted items: Anything that does not change the intent of the blurb (spelling, grammar, markup issues, updating death tolls etc.) should be discussed at WP:Errors. Discuss major changes in the blurb's intent or very complex updates as part of the current ITNC nomination.

Suggestions

For future events in 2009, please see Wikipedia:In the news/Future events/2009. For 2010, see Wikipedia:In the news/Future events/2010.

November 8

November 8, 2009 (2009-11-08) (Sunday)

• Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez tells the country's army and civilians to "prepare for war" with Colombia. (AP) (Xinhua)
• Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court, cancels his trip to Turkey. (Hurriyet) (Sudan News Agency) (IOL) (BBC)
• El Salvador declares a state of emergency as 91 people drown from the effects of a coastal low. (BBC) (CNN)(CBC)
• The 21st summit of APEC begins in Singapore. (Channel News Asia) (Straits Times)
• At least 13 people are killed and at least 35 are injured in a suicide attack in Adezai, Pakistan. (Al Jazeera) (Hindustan Times) (BBC) (Reuters India) (RTÉ)
• Speaking at Sharm el-Sheikh's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China's Premier Wen Jiabao, pledges $10 billion (£6 billion) loans to Africa over a three-year period, in order to increase Sino-african cooperation. (BBC) (France 24) (RTÉ) (Bangkok Post) (The Age)
• North Korean leader Kim Jong-il sacks a top TV official after state television begins broadcasting advertisements, out of concern that they were "increasing the influence of capitalism". (RTHK) (Joongang Daily) (The Independent)
• Sharon Commins and her Ugandan colleague Hilda Kawuki are awarded the Hugh O'Flaherty Humanitarian Award. (RTÉ)
• Thousands of people in Okinawa, Japan protest, demanding the removal of a U.S. military base. (BBC) (Reuters)
• Police in the Democratic Republic of the Congo arrest 100 people accused of killing dozens and displacing thousands in a conflict over fishing rights. (IOL)
• The United States House of Representatives votes 220-215 to pass the highly debated health care reform act. (New York Times)
• The Dalai Lama begins a visit to Tawang, in the disputed territory of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India, amid objections from China. (Indian Express) (Hindustan Times) (BBC)
• Northern Mariana Islands general election, 2009 results are released
  • Republican Party candidate Heinz Hofschneider and incumbent Governor Benigno Fitial virtually tie in the closest gubernatorial election in history. A runoff election will be held in the next 14 days to determine the winner. (Marianas Variety)

ITN candidates for November 8

Hurricane Ida (2009)

El Salvador declares a state of emergency after at least 40 people have been killed in Hurricane Ida. (BBC) The article currently needs some more update though. --BorgQueen (talk) 16:33, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Support. --candle•wicke 16:45, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I am Opposed to Hurricane Ida going up yet as it didnt cause the severe rains nor the Deaths according to the BBC Article which you are using as a source.

Ida, which passed to the east of El Salvador three days ago, is not thought to have caused the severe rains. A spokesman for the US National Hurricane Center in Florida said the rains were caused by a separate, low pressure system.

Jason Rees (talk) 16:59, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Thanks for the comments. My mistake. --BorgQueen (talk) 17:02, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

In any case, the event is appropriate for ITN inclusion. 2009 Salvador floods, maybe? --Tone 21:31, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Forum on China-Africa Cooperation

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao pledged to give African countries $US10 billion ($A10.97 billion) in concessional loans as a two-day Forum on China-Africa Cooperation opened in Egypt on Sunday. He also pledged to cancel debts of African countries to increase his country's role in the continent. According to the BBC, "The Chinese leader is attending a two-day forum on China-Africa cooperation in Sharm el-Sheikh, attended by officials from 50 nations". "Several heads of state and government are attending the meeting, including the Presidents of Sudan and Zimbabwe". --candle•wicke 16:27, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

November 7

November 7, 2009 (2009-11-07) (Saturday)

• A British tourist is shot dead by a masked gunman in the U.S. state of Texas. (The Guardian) (BBC) (The Times)
• Saudi forces bomb a Houthi rebel stronghold in northern Yemen for a third day. (AP) (Press TV)
• Thousands of people in Bermeo, Spain, demonstrate for the release of 36 Spanish fishermen being held by Somali pirates. (AFP)
• At least two workers are killed after a bridge under construction collapses in Andorra. (euronews) (IOL)
• A NATO airstrike kills 7 members of the Afghan security force in the western province of Badghis. (CNN) (Bangkok Post)
• Rival factions in Madagascar agree to form a unity government to end the political crisis in the country. (Xinhua) (BBC)
• Scientists in the South Island, New Zealand, discover the first dinosaur footprints in the country, thought to be 70 million years old. (AFP) (New Zealand Herald)
• 11 people are confirmed dead after the crashing of a Russian military plane into the sea in the Tatar Strait, in the far east of Russia, yesterday. (AFP) (RIA Novosti)
• Voters in the Northern Mariana Islands go to the polls to elect the governor, legislature and local municipal offices. (Marianas Variety)
• Venezuela deploys 15,000 soldiers to its border with Colombia. (The Sydney Morning Herald) (The Scotsman)
• Two Australian researchers compile new details on the dead from a World War I battlefield in Fromelles. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
• Lebanon's political opposition agrees to join a unity government under Prime Minister designate Saad Hariri. (BBC)
• Luigi Esposito, one of Italy's 30 most wanted men, is detained at a villa in Naples. (BBC) (ABC News)
• Ecuador rations its electricity, leading to some blackouts in areas, including the capital Quito. (BBC)
• Cuba removes peas and potatoes from its list of rationed foods but increases their prices. (The Daily Telegraph)
• Caracas is put under widespread water rationing for the first time in several years. (The Washington Post)
• Ashmolean Museum in Oxfordshire, the UK's oldest museum, reopens after renovations. (BBC) (Heart Radio Oxfordshire) (Kings Lynn News)

ITN candidates for November 7

Andorra

Has had its population significantly reduced. It is news around the world. One of them is Portuguese though. --candle•wicke 02:25, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

That is not that significant. We should have some respect for the dead people.--yousaf465' 14:58, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

2009 Japan Series

In baseball, the Yomiuri Giants defeat the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters to win their 21st Japan Series. Japan TimesYomiuri --Torsodog^Talk 05:02, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

The only source in the article calls this Japan's version of the World Series. The World Series was posted. So I think it makes sense to support. I was however under the impression that the World Series did mean the actual world... --candle•wicke 00:42, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I think the (american) World Series and not the Japan Series is included in ITN/R because a) it's of greater interest to readers on an .en Wiki; and b) the American MLB is considered a stronger competition than the Japanese league (much like the UEFA champions league is considered stronger than the Copa Libertadores), and thus the World Series represents the highest level event in the sport of baseball. This article, as you hinted at, needs expansion and further sourcing. This is unfortunately a very common problem with these sports-related articles. Finally, it should be mentioned that there is an international Asia Series for professional baseball teams from Japan, China, Taiwan, and Korea. However, in Japan I imagine it's considered anti-climatic because Japanese teams always win it.--Johnsemlak (talk) 00:59, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

This comment seems to be filled with a whole lot of opinion about the NPB. The statement "World Series represents the highest level event in the sport of baseball" smacks of WP:NPOV, and your last statement seems almost as if it was sarcasm that I may have missed? It is as anticlimactic that a Japanese team wins the Japan Series as it is that a US team wins the World Series (Read: not at all). --Torsodog^Talk 05:02, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I meant that the Asia Series is perhaps anti-climatic, because a Japanese team always wins it , and it happens after the end of the Japan Series, which is presumably considered a tougher competition. No sarcasm intended. As to the matter of the relative strength of American baseball versus Japanese baseball, I completely agree that it's very subjective and difficult to quantify. If I strayed from NPOV I apologize.--Johnsemlak (talk) 05:13, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Ah, I misunderstood. My apologies. And no worries about the NPOV—it is understandable. However, I think the NPB is more relevant than ever in US baseball considering the recent high-profile ball players from Japan (hell, Matsui won World Series MVP this year!). --Torsodog^Talk 05:35, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

All cool then. I will support this item when it's sourced adequately and expanded. It still requires more sources, and IMO should have more prose text. We cover a lot of sports news from the 'Anglo' zone (i.e. soccer, rugby, cricket, US sports, etc) and this certainly is an example of major sports event in a region we don't cover adequately, and one that is generally ignored by western media.--Johnsemlak (talk) 06:01, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I am afraid that the article needs more citations and prose. After removing all the tables and lists it will be just a very short stub. --BorgQueen (talk) 06:56, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I'm working on it as much as possible. I finished the summary of the last game, but sadly I don't know if I'll be able to flesh out the 5 other games fast enough. --Torsodog^Talk 08:07, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Oppose, I don't think I can support this item. Surely this is just the national league of a sport which is played (and followed) in very few countries (USA, Canada, Cuba, Japan)? We already include the "World" Series but only because it is seen as being the highest level of the game. I appreciate that this is a big thing for the Japanese but so is Premier League football in the UK (and around the world) and we don't (and probably shouldn't) include that. I think that including the highest level competition for a country when that is the seen as the world leading event is fine (ie the Super Bowl or the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship) but including it as a national league when it isn't seen as the leading event doesn't seem right. This would be so much easier if baseball actually had a world cup... - Dumelow (talk) 13:00, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I second that. --Tone 14:27, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I third that. If there is a third. ;)--yousaf465' 14:35, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Actually in regards to the Premier League there was a discussion going on on the discussion page of WT:ITN/R about in future posting the winners of the major European Leagues in a single blurb at the end of the domestic season. I certainly support posting the Premier League winner--it's one of the most followed competitions in the world. To not post it simply because it's a 'domestic' competition is a major omission IMO.--Johnsemlak (talk) 14:40, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I don't understand how Japan (or any country) can have a version of anything called the "World" Series. Does this mean the World Series is not international? I notice the two teams mentioned on the Main Page are American. The 2009 World Series article calls one the champion of a "National League" and the other the champion of an "American League". Why not have the Japanese champions too if baseball is as popular there? --candle•wicke 14:44, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Why do they have a Rugby League 'World Cup' when the sport played by a small handful of nations and is of marginal interest even in several of those? Some things don't make sense. The World Series has had its politically incorrect name for over a century; for better or worse it's become a tradition that a lot of people don't want to change.--Johnsemlak (talk) 15:26, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I can appreciate this argument, but I don't think the comparison to the Premier League is completely appropriate here. The NPB and Japanese baseball in general has had a growing impact on MLB, a major US sport, for the past two decades. Is there anyway we can at least compromise maybe by including the Giants' win in the same sentence as the Yankees win? --Torsodog^Talk 17:14, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

That sounds like a good idea. --candle•wicke 17:16, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

This I would support, if they are indeed connected in such a way. --Tone 18:12, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I support a separate listing in ITN for the Japan Series. Both events are important and interesting internationally. GreenGourd (talk) 18:21, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I support Torsodog's suggestion; Posting soon. --BorgQueen (talk) 18:30, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Yes that seems like a good idea as the two events are close together and must account for the majority of supporters of the sport across the world - Dumelow (talk) 20:14, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Great! Good discussion and perfect compromise. Thanks everyone! --Torsodog^Talk 23:18, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

David Haye wins WBA heavyweight championship

David Haye

David Haye

David Haye defeats Nikolai Valuev to win the WBA Heavyweight title.--Johnsemlak (talk) 01:26, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Comment I'm not sure how much I support this actually. It's one of nearly a half-dozen 'world' heavyweight boxing titles.--Johnsemlak (talk) 01:29, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I am not sure how biased the rest of it is but the BBC says "With his win, the Londoner becomes the first Briton to win a world heavyweight crown since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003. In addition, Haye is also only the second former cruiserweight champion to win a portion of the heavyweight crown, after four-time champion Evander Holyfield." Also claims he is "only the third Briton to win a world heavyweight title since Bob Fitzsimmons lost his crown to James J Jeffries in 1899." Is all that particularly important? --candle•wicke 02:11, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Actually this is interesting and is taken from before his win. I think I will support unless someone else has a good reason to oppose. "Valuev has never been floored in 52 fights and has only ever been beaten once". A "freak show" that is interesting to non-boxing fans sounds good enough. --candle•wicke 02:15, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I have also inserted his image which, with support, should end the issue involving the alleged gunman in Texas and remove Thaksin Shinawatra. --candle•wicke 02:19, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I'm not a boxing expert, but it doesn't seem like this would be considered a mega fight, like the upcoming Pacquiao v Cotto fight. Was it really that big of fight that it needs to go on ITN?

Well, it's a heavyweight title fight. 20 years ago this would have been one of the world's top sports events--traditionally the heavyweight division has got a lot more attention than the lower weight divisions. However, it was the WBA championship, only one of five heavyweight titles in the world. So he's hardly an undisputed champion.--Johnsemlak (talk) 04:01, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Any more supports/objections? --BorgQueen (talk) 06:58, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I suspect the image might be copyvio. The uploader is just 16 years old according to his user page and the image quality is a bit too professional. --BorgQueen (talk) 11:46, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I know I nominated this item but I'm truly on the fence on it. The sport of boxing is such a mess that it's hard for people who don't follow it closely to know what really matters. This fight was a major headline in Russia and the UK, but outside there I'm finding sporadic, and generally non prominent coverage of this fight: Gazetta Dello Sport, ABC.com.au. I've gotta say if you go to mainstream news outlets you often have to search a bit to find coverage this fight, if any at all. I'm not saying that should mean we don't most it, but I can't say that 'international interest' is a strong argument for this one.--Johnsemlak (talk) 12:17, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

November 6

November 6, 2009 (2009-11-06) (Friday)

• Tens of thousands of people protest against government cutbacks in eight Irish cities and ten locations across Northern Ireland. (The Irish Times) (RTÉ)
• Germany's Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg admits mistakes were made in a September 4 Afghan air raid which resulted in 142 deaths. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
• At least 34 people are killed and 29 are injured when a bus falls into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh. (The Times of India) (RIA Novosti) (BBC) (Reuters) (CNN)
• At least nine people are missing following the crash of a Russian military plane in the Pacific Ocean. (RIA Novosti) (BBC)
• Three people are hurt and a gunman takes his own life in a rare shooting incident in Yokohama, Japan. (BBC) (Daily Yomiuri)
• One person is killed and five are injured during a shooting in an office building in Orlando, Florida, USA. (CNN), (Reuters)
• Saudi forces continue more raids against rebel Houthi fighters in northern Yemen, after rebel fighters killed a Saudi security official. (Al Jazeera) (UPI)
• The Russian human rights group Memorial says security forces from Chechnya have kidnapped the head of another rights group in Moscow and flown him to Grozny. (Al Jazeera) (AP)
• Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya says a deal to resolve the political crisis in the country is "dead", after interim leader Roberto Micheletti announced a unity government without him. (BBC) (New York Times)
• 19 people are killed after a truck runs into a crowd in Luanxian, Hebei, China. (Xinhua) (Press Trust of India) (RIA Novosti)
• Indian and Burmese armed forces target a Nagaland separatist rebel base in the northeast of Burma. (BBC)
• A court in Côte d'Ivoire orders that compensation due to thousands of people affected by the dumped waste of Trafigura should not be distributed to one man. (BBC)
• Niger's foreign affairs ministry confirms customs officials in Nigeria are blocking Niger from goods importation. (BBC) (Reuters)
• The composer and pianist Elton John is released from his hospital bed in London after a period of illness which saw him cancel several concerts on The Red Piano Tour. (BBC) (CBC) (Reuters India)

ITN candidates for November 6

Madagascar

• Madagascar rivals reach agreement. --candle•wicke 01:30, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

Assuming that this is the formation of a new national government then I support this item when we have an article, as it's standard practice to report national election results or equivalent events. However, I could't tell from the BBC article what's really going on--I'd certainly like the WP article to be clearer. Does Madagascar have a Prime Minister, a President, both, or what? The BBC article simply used the term 'leader'.--Johnsemlak (talk) 05:16, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

Death of Prabhash Joshi

• Leading Indian journalist is dead. It seems he wrote on politics, literature, cricket, etc. He was the founder editor of one of the biggest Hindi language newspapers, "pioneer of Hindi journalism". His book on Hindutva is the best in the country for anyone who wants to understand Hinduism... 'Joshi was one of the important Hindi editors. Never scared of taking sides, his editorial, Hum Jaanenge , Hum Jeetenge in 1996 in Jansatta is still remembered by RTI activists as a landmark, as far as moulding public opinion goes. Tributes from President and Prime Minister. --candle•wicke 00:51, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

I was quite intrigued by this one, but the article on Joshi is not particularly good, and fails the update requirement. I think in the case of deaths of famous persons the article should be excellent. Therefore, I oppose for now.--Johnsemlak (talk) 04:55, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

Military incident in Russia

• "A Russian military source told RIA Novosti that there were at least nine people on board the plane". Can't find any further information yet. --candle•wicke 00:26, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

Military crashes are unfortunately common in Russia. It's a fairly big on in terms of deaths but I oppose. There's been tragedies with more deaths that have gone unreported here (I believe the 9 deaths are unconfirmed but it certainly seems that all the passengers must have died).--Johnsemlak (talk) 05:00, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

Comment: well the causality figure is bit high we need to discuss it further.--yousaf465' 09:46, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

There are now 11 confirmed deaths.--Johnsemlak (talk) 01:32, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Another shooting in U.S.A

Just heard that shooting has occured somwhere in U.S, 8 people have been injuired uptil now. It a office building.--yousaf465' 17:53, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

2 have died , in Florida.--yousaf465' 17:56, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

I have created a stub: 2009 Orlando shooting. Offliner (talk) 18:13, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

BBC say 'at least' one death. Doesn't look notable enough. Oppose for now.--Johnsemlak (talk) 18:17, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Bloody hell. Two of them now. Unfortunately I oppose this. Shootings happen everyday, in nearly every country. This is quite non-notable compared to the preceding incident.  Cargoking  talk  19:11, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

This incident is much more notable. Shootings are evidently every day events in U.S.A. Not so in Japan. --candle•wicke 21:52, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Well yes this is true never heard of shooting in japan, nor even in any S.E Asian countries.--yousaf465' 09:44, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

November 5

November 5, 2009 (2009-11-05) (Thursday)

• The Swedish and Finnish authorities give a permit to build the controversial Nord Stream gas pipeline in their exclusive economic zones. (Reuters)
• A U2 concert held at the Brandenburg Gate to mark the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's fall is controversial when a wall is built around the venue. (BBC) (The Irish Times)
• Saudi Arabia lifts a nine-year ban on Somali livestock imports, reopening Somalia's main export market. (BBC) (afrol News) (Voice of America)
• An international team of scientists announces that the genome of the domestic horse has been successfully sequenced. (BBC) (CBC) (The Himalayan Times)
• Venezuela deploys 15,000 troops to its border with Colombia. (AP)
• 13 people die and 30 people are injured in a shooting at the Fort Hood U.S. Army base in Texas. (BBC)
• The International Criminal Court is to open an investigation into the 2007 Kenyan post-election violence in which more than 1,000 people died. (AP) (Kenya Broadcasting Corporation)
• A United Nations court imposes a defense lawyer on former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić, and postpones his trial until March 2010. (Al Jazeera) (Daily Telegraph)
• Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai ends his boycott of the unity government. (IOL) (Xinhua)
• Thailand and Cambodia recall their ambassadors over the Cambodian government appointment of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. (Thai News Agency) (Xinhua)
• Hurricane Ida makes landfall in Nicaragua. (Reuters) (CNN)
• The United Nations is to pull non-essential staff out of Afghanistan after an increase in violence in the country. (Times of India) (The Times) (Al Arabiya)
• France's Europe Minister Pierre Lellouche describes the UK's Conservative Party pledge to return powers from Brussels to London as "pathetic". (France 24) (The Times) (Bloomberg)
• Two senior Indonesian officials resign over a plot to weaken the anti-corruption agency. (Jakarta Post) (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
• Paraguay's President Fernando Lugo replaces top military commanders amid rumours of a coup d'état. (CNN)
• China postpones a plan to raise the Three Gorges reservoir to its ideal height due to lack of water. (BBC)
• Ratu Epeli Nailatikau is sworn in as President of Fiji, succeeding Ratu Josefa Iloilo who retired in July 2009. (Fiji Times) (Radio New Zealand International)
• South Africa's Olympic governing body suspends Leonard Chuene, the President of Athletics South Africa, and apologises to Caster Semenya over the controversy it generated over her gender. (BBC) (The Times)

ITN candidates for November 5

Nord Stream

• The Swedish and Finnish authorities give a permit to build the controversial Nord Stream gas pipeline in their exclusive economic zones. Beagel (talk) 16:53, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

An extensive article. Posting soon, unless someone objects. --BorgQueen (talk) 07:03, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

The genome of the domestic horse

[1] I suppose the article horse is to be updated. Any supports? --BorgQueen (talk) 17:43, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Scientifically, it sounds important, but is the horse one of the first animals to have its genome mapped? Support if it is. -PlasmaTwa2 18:17, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

According to List_of_sequenced_eukaryotic_genomes#Animals this has already been done for quite a lot of mammals. We do have a picture of the horse in question though File:Twilight20008-300.jpg - Dumelow (talk) 22:49, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

I wouldn't count the 2x coverage genomes - they aren't good for studying a species, only for comparing selection pressure. Still, it's 13 other mammal genome sequences with similar quality. Btw the horse genome sequence has been publicly available since January 2007. Narayanese (talk) 10:35, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Foreign relations of Somalia

Somalia's main export market reopened "Saudi Arabia has lifted a ban on the import of livestock from Somalia imposed nine years ago to prevent the spread of Rift Valley fever". "The decision was well received across Somalia as hundreds of thousands of farmers heavily rely on animal exports to the oil-rich Middle East". --candle•wicke 10:49, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Leaning towards support. --BorgQueen (talk) 15:20, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Not sure. These sorts of bans or overturns of such bans happen quite often. Are we going to report every bilateral change in trade for all counties in the world?--Johnsemlak (talk) 15:26, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Eh, I'm not sure. If it had been a more significant period of time maybe. Grsz¹¹ 15:39, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Nine years is quite a long time for a country's main export market. Somalia probably noticed all that money going amiss. And this is the sort of thing that is usually posted, yes. --candle•wicke 21:47, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Caster Semenya

"Unconditional apology" given, entire ASA board, including president Leonard Chuene, suspended. --candle•wicke 22:01, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Oppose The only thing that might be worthy of itn is when they finally announce her gender, and only if it sets a precident in sports. I don't think there is anything notable about a national organization apologizing. --PlasmaTwa2 00:00, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Not particularly notable. Cheating is quite common in athletics, unfortunately YellowMonkey (bananabucket) (help the Invincibles Featured topic drive) 00:47, 6 November 2009 (U--PlasmaTwa2 18:17, 6 November 2009 (UTC)TC)

Support Well it was a different kind cheating. It has casused quite a uproar. Now we have a apology.--yousaf465' 02:56, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Oppose. I do consider the Semenya affair to be quite notable, but this particular event isn't enough IMO. I'd say we post it if, for example, she's stripped of her medals/titles.--Johnsemlak (talk) 03:03, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

What cheating? Were they not suspended because of how they handled the affair? Where is the admission of cheating or the indication that she will be stripped of her medals? --candle•wicke 10:41, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Obviously it's just an accusation of cheating at this point, but a fairly notable accusation. I agree though we should report this when some verdict or similar result is reached.--Johnsemlak (talk) 15:28, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Saudi-Yemen fighting

The Yemeni Sa'ada insurgency spills into Saudi Arabia for the first time since erupting in 2004.--TheFEARgod (Ч) 15:09, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Looks good. Needs a category, though. --Tone 17:07, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Support if this is true. --candle•wicke 18:59, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Well we need more support before any decision.--yousaf465' 04:50, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Support--Johnsemlak (talk) 15:33, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

We need a better blurb than that. "Spills"..? I would prefer a more formal tone. --BorgQueen (talk) 15:39, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

"spreads"?--Johnsemlak (talk) 15:43, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

"Spreads" will do fine. And what on earth is "Sa'ada insurgency"? Before you tell me "click on the link", I think readers should be able to get some idea from the blurb before they read the article. The current blurb is simply too cryptic to an average reader. --BorgQueen (talk) 15:58, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

"Insurgency in northern Yemen spreads into Saudi Arabia..." Not sure, not happy with that. Not good a blurbs. "Sa'dah insurgency" is apparently the name of the conflict, just like "Iraq War". Just not that well-known of a conflict.--Johnsemlak (talk) 16:19, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

How about "The Sa'dah insurgency, a civil war in Yemen, spreads ..." --BorgQueen (talk) 16:29, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Ok for me. I might drop the "for the first time since erupting in 2004" bit. It doesn't greatly contribute to the item's notability. It's notable now because it spread into Saudi Arabia--Johnsemlak (talk) 16:50, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Posted. --BorgQueen (talk) 16:57, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

More diplomatic expulsions

It must be a hard time to be a diplomat. Further to the recent Fijian expulsions Morocco has expelled a diplomat from Sweden (BBC) and Thailand has recalled its ambassador from Cambodia. I am aware that we don't want to be flooding ITN with diplomatic news but maybe these are notable enough as well (certainly the second of the two might be) - Dumelow (talk) 13:20, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Support the second one, but it will be tougher than usual since you will have to create Cambodia–Thailand relations. --BorgQueen (talk) 17:07, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

I have added an update to this section: Foreign_relations_of_Thailand#Cambodia. My main source (which I didn't state above for some reason) is BBC - Dumelow (talk) 17:37, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Blurb please? --BorgQueen (talk) 17:44, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Posting soon. --BorgQueen (talk) 04:20, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

"Thailand has recalled its ambassador from Cambodia in protest of the Cambodian government's appointment of Thai ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic adviser"--yousaf465' 04:53, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Thanks but Cambodia recalled its ambassador as well. Nevermind, posted already. --BorgQueen (talk) 05:27, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

World Series

• The New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies and win their 27th World Series. Grsz¹¹ 04:51, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Oppose. US sport, not British enough for ITN. We need more cricket stories. Rugby, too. Nutmegger (talk) 04:53, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

WP:ITNSPORTS. British irrelevant. Besides cricket and rugby are featured much more often than baseball. Grsz¹¹ 04:56, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

I believe you missed some sarcasm. -CWY2190(talk • contributions) 05:44, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

We will not perpetuate ITN's British bias by putting this baseball stuff on ITN. Is there a cricket test somewhere in Sri Lanka or a rugby game in New Zealand we can post instead? Nutmegger (talk) 07:04, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Well, there's this and this. I'd say we add these two instead. Hideki Matsui is way too American anyway. –Howard the Duck 07:13, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

To put a serious end to this particular sub-thread, actually several sports events recently, including the ICC Champions Trophy (a cricket tourney), the NRL Rugby League Final, and the Super League Grand Final in rugby were nominated but not posted in ITN. Two of those events are listed on ITN/R, but none were posted due to lack of suitable article updates (I think most were inadequately referenced and had limited prose text). I don't know if that represents any kind of trend. The World Series article, to its credit, appears thoroughly written up and referenced. Personally, I'm not particularly bothered about posting the World Series--whatever. (unless the Cardinals win)--Johnsemlak (talk) 15:57, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Support. The Yankees always win. -SusanLesch (talk) 04:54, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Support per WP:ITNSPORTS, but I am really ignorant when it comes to sports, someone will have to tell me if the article is properly updated. --BorgQueen (talk) 10:28, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Support. I am completely confused by baseball but I think it has been updated sufficiently (each game has a good summary and the final result is mentioned). How about: "The New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 4–2 and win their 27th World Series"? as it is customary to mention the score - Dumelow (talk) 10:36, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

It is customary to mention the score? Are you sure...? Posting anyway. --BorgQueen (talk) 10:39, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

I thought it was for all sport items. I must be misremembering - Dumelow (talk) 11:16, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Guess what. --BorgQueen (talk) 12:43, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

:-) It's a standard practice not to put results there. --Tone 12:55, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Yep, definitely wrong! Thanks for correcting me - Dumelow (talk) 13:10, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Actually for a single game, like the Super Bowl or World Cup Final it seems to make sense. But for a serious it could be confusing (ie does 4-2 mean games in the series or runs in the final game?). Deserted Cities (talk) 17:12, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Fort Hood

• A shooting spree at Fort Hood, a United States Army base in Texas, leaves 31 people injured and twelve dead, including a gunman.

I think it needs some rewording, but thats the best I can come up with. The ending just reflects the possibility of three gunmen. The article could use a little upgrading, as all it really has is a paragraph and three responses, but I see no reason why this shouldn't go up. --PlasmaTwa2 23:47, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

• It has its own page, Fort Hood shooting. MuZemike 00:08, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Right, sorry. I forgot. I added it to the original. --PlasmaTwa2 00:09, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Support, in line with similar unfortunate incidents. Plasma, I see what you mean by rewording, I tweaked it a little, but I still think it needs a tad bit of work. Article is in decent shape, but I'd prefer just a little more content, if possible. Spencer^{T♦Nominate!} 00:52, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Support, with rational similar to Spencer's; attack which claimed the lives of many people in the largest US military base, should be featured if it happened in another country too. Cheers! Scapler (talk) 01:07, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Aren't we getting obligatory anti-U.S. opposes for this one? I'm surprised this is not under AFD this late. –Howard the Duck 01:22, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Support, this seems important and the article is good enough. Posting shortly - Dumelow (talk) 01:41, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

I used "A gunman opens fire at Fort Hood, a United States Army base in Texas, killing twelve people and injuring 31." based on the tagline the BBC and some others had used. If anyone comes up with a better one I will be more than happy to change it. Cheers - Dumelow (talk) 01:50, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Support, though we haven't posted a recent bombing in Pakistan which killed more people.--Johnsemlak (talk) 02:42, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

This is already been posted. --yousaf465' 02:47, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

The Rawalpindi bombing hasn't been posted.--Johnsemlak (talk) 03:27, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

No the Fort shooting. Well it wasn't posted due the quality of article.--yousaf465' 04:51, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

I am tempted to use Major Nidal Malik Hasan's picture, but since he is still alive WP:BLP considerations might be an issue. Btw, it is relatively rare that a spree shooter survives, he might provide some insights to their psychology. --BorgQueen (talk) 05:36, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

I did consider putting Hasan up at the pic but thought that there might be some complaints so played it safe - Dumelow (talk) 10:09, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Yes we should avoid posting his image.--yousaf465' 14:07, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

The suspect's image has now been posted by David Levy... --candle•wicke 22:57, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

Sorry, I hadn't seen this discussion. I've self-reverted.

Can someone please elucidate the BLP-related concerns?

Also note that Wikinews has the image on its main page. —David Levy 23:18, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

The Fort Hood shooting article calls him "suspect"/"alleged" perpetrator per this discussion. I am not sure if it is a good idea to use his picture until a trial has resulted in a verdict. --BorgQueen (talk) 23:42, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

I don't think the picture presents any BLP problems with the "suspect pictured language. The objections seem to boil down to taste. However, given the discussion BorgQueen linked to, should we say "a gunman" or is it better to say "a shooting...kills and injures"? Although we don't say his name, it is clear from the context who is being assigned responsibility for the shooting in Wikipedia's voice.--chaser (talk) 23:55, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

That would be going overboard, in my opinion. Clearly, the bullets didn't fire themselves. —David Levy 00:28, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

As Chaser noted, I was careful to refer to Hasan as the "suspect" and "suspected gunman" (a verified fact). In that context, his image currently appears in our article, in Wikinews' article, on Wikinews' main page, and throughout the visual news media. —David Levy 00:28, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

Sorry for my delayed reply; I was offline for a while. If you are sure, please don't let me stand in your way. I trust your judgment. --BorgQueen (talk) 16:44, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

Thanks, BorgQueen.

Before I proceed, does anyone else object (given the "suspect" wording)? —David Levy 17:00, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

Okay, I've switched back. —David Levy 21:55, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

I'm very concerned at featuring images of suspects of crimes. DYK has a rule for good reason prohibiting hooks from focusing on negative aspects of living people – this ought to apply doubly for ITN, where information is new and fluid, and the facts of the matter could well turn out to be otherwise. It may be nearly certain in this case that the suspect is the guilty party, but as a general rule it reeks. It is not an encyclopaedia's place to judge or imply guilt; I would very much like to remove the image, as it is unnecessary to tell the news story and sets a dangerous precedent.  Skomorokh, barbarian  00:08, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Do not, do not do not do not put his image on the Main page. That is an incredibly bad idea. Keegan (talk) 00:10, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Yes. For a news organization to display this is one thing; for an encyclopedia to do so is an entirely different matter. "Bad idea" doesn't even begin to cover this. Fvasconcellos (t·c) 00:12, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

This is an awful idea. David Levy's revert was not on my behalf, either, because I did not want it. Although the formatting fix would have been nice. :) Please remove this image now. Do it now and then discuss it further if you insist, but no harm comes from having no image, while a massive amount of harm could come from leaving it up and being incorrect about it. Remove the image. kmccoy (talk) 00:14, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I misread David Levy's revert, and my error was pointed out to me. I apologize for the misunderstanding. kmccoy (talk) 00:17, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

To clarify for others, I restored the previous image that Kmccoy attempted to revert to (without realizing that it had been deleted). —David Levy 00:25, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I don't agree that correctly referring to an individual as a suspect implies guilt, but I respect the above concerns and would not have placed the image back on the main page if they had been expressed at that point. —David Levy 00:25, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

I would have made a comment in the discussion before editing, but I looked at Template_talk:In_the_news, which redirects to Wikipedia talk:In the news, and didn't see any discussion. I was unaware of the existence of the separate discussion pages, and since there seemed to be a fair amount of discussion on the page I looked at, I made the faulty assumption that the discussion simply hadn't happened. I apologize for that, though to be fair, it's a bit of a path to follow through to find the proper discussion page. kmccoy (talk) 00:37, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

To be clear, I don't fault you for reverting (with or without first commenting here). I switched back to the Hasan image because I believed that the concerns had been addressed. The emergence of further concerns (whether yours or those of the above users) necessitated that the image once again be taken down. I pointed you to this page to facilitate such discussion, not to complain that you hadn't participated. —David Levy 00:49, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

November 4

November 4, 2009 (2009-11-04) (Wednesday)

• The New York Yankees defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 to win the 2009 World Series. (Associated Press) (The New York Times)
• Rebel Houthis in Yemen cross the border into Saudi Arabia, killing a Saudi security officer and injuring 11 others. (Angola Press) (The Times)
• The Israeli navy intercepts the MV Francop, a ship alleging to have Iranian weapons bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon. (BBC) (New Zealand Herald)
• The Cambodian government announces that ousted Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra has been appointed as a government adviser. (Taiwan News) (AFP)
• Iranian protesters mark the 30th anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran. There are also clashes between security forces and anti-government demonstrators. (Press TV) (Al Jazeera) (BBC)
• The United Nations General Assembly debates on whether to endorse the Goldstone report on the Gaza War. (New York Times)
• The death toll from Typhoon Mirinae in Vietnam rises to at least 90. (AFP) (VietnamNet)
• An Italian court convicts 22 CIA agents and 2 Italian agents over the kidnap of Muslim cleric Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr in Milan in 2003, in the first court case challenging the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" programme. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) (CNN)
• United States officials meet Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein in rare talks. (BBC) (TIME) (Bangkok Post)
• The President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma sacks two senior ministers on charges of corruption. (BBC) (Standard Times) (Reuters Africa)
• Italian politicians and the Vatican condemn a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that says having a crucifix in a classroom is a breach of human rights. (RTÉ) (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
• Around 700 people are injured in two earthquakes in southern Iran. (CNN) (Fars News Agency) (Times of India)
• China approves a Disney theme park in Shanghai after a decade of negotiations. (The Times) (China Daily)
• Australia and New Zealand expel Fiji's top diplomats in response to the decision of the Government of Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to expel senior Australian and New Zealand diplomats from Fiji. (AFP via Google News)
• A fire at a warehouse in Huwei Yunlin County, Taiwan, destroys between 400 and 500 historic puppets. (BBC) (Reuters India)
• Eight children drown after a boat carrying 35 pupils capsizes in Kerala, southern India. (IOL) (Press Trust of India) (Xinhua)
• United States elections, 2009
  • Michael Bloomberg wins a third term as Mayor of New York City. (Politico)
  • Chris Christie wins the position of Governor of New Jersey, defeating incumbent Jon Corzine. (CNN)
  • Bob McDonnell wins the position of Governor of Virginia. (CNN)
  • Bill Owens wins the New York 23rd congressional district special election. (CQ Politics)
  • Voters in the U.S. state of Maine reject a law allowing same-sex marriage to occur in their state. (New York Times)

ITN candidates for November 4

MV Francop

This ship was boarded by the Israelis and was found to be carrying hand grenades, mortars and at least 3,000 missiles. Apparently originating in Iran and headed for Lebanon (via Syria) it is one of the biggest caches ever found by Israeli forces. (BBC) - Dumelow (talk) 13:17, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Support. According to AP, "the arms shipment was the largest Israel has ever seized", with Syria accusing the Israeli Navy of "piracy". --BorgQueen (talk) 14:00, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Perhaps: "Israel seizes hundreds of tons of arms from the MV Francop off the coast of Cyprus which it says were headed for Hezbollah", or is that too much of a claim to make? - Dumelow (talk) 16:05, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Ah, I love this kind of challenge. We will need to put something like "which Hezbollah denies" at the end to appear neutral. --BorgQueen (talk) 16:12, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

"Israel seizes hundreds of tons of arms from the MV Francop off the coast of Cyprus which it says were headed for Hezbollah, a claim the group denies"? - Dumelow (talk) 16:18, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Sounds right to me. Any other supports/objections? --BorgQueen (talk) 16:22, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

The wording does not sound well. One party says something and the other party the opposite. I'd be very conservative with claims in blurbs. --Tone 16:39, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Alt: "The Israeli navy seizes hundreds of tons of arms from the MV Francop off the coast of Cyprus, the largest Israel has ever seized." --BorgQueen (talk) 16:43, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Sounds fine to me (and avoids any claims whatsoever) - Dumelow (talk) 16:45, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Lovely. Posting soon. --BorgQueen (talk) 16:47, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

I'd avoid saying 'seize' twice.--Johnsemlak (talk) 16:48, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Then how about "the largest found on any vessel captured by Israel."? --BorgQueen (talk) 16:55, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Dunno, this is tricky to do without being wordy. Why not drop the 'largest ever' part of the blurb? Is it really all that notable that its the largest seizure by the Isrealis? It seems to me that it's important to emphasize that it's simply very large (which should be achieved by noting the quantity of arms). It's not like we wouldn't post this if it was only the '2nd largest' ever Israeli arms seizure--Johnsemlak (talk) 17:04, 5 November 2009 (UTC).

Fine, posted as such. --BorgQueen (talk) 17:14, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Imam rapito affair

Twenty-two suspected CIA agents and an American military official are convicted in an Italian court of kidnapping Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr (surveillance photo pictured) in 2003 in the first court case challenging the U.S. policy known as extraordinary rendition. [2] If consensus supports, I can update the article Imam rapito affair . --BorgQueen (talk) 17:16, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Support rather important international incident. --UltraMagnus^speak 17:59, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Support, seems important enough to me - Dumelow (talk) 19:32, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Support, agree with the above. --candle•wicke 21:05, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Support, It seems to the first of it's kind, and also quite important one. Our Supreme court also had a surprise hearing of missing persons case Interior Ministry submits missing persons report to SC, which also comes just after when we had a hattrick of wins on same day. --yousaf465' 22:29, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Support--Johnsemlak (talk) 03:32, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Updated. Posting soon. --BorgQueen (talk) 03:47, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Single U.S. elections item

• In 2009 U.S. elections, Republican candidates Bob McDonnell and Chris Christie win gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, while Democrat Bill Owens wins in a special election in New York's 23rd congressional district.-- Patrick {_oѺ^∞} 15:04, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Oppose--Johnsemlak (talk) 15:47, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Oppose. There are somethings that cross the line. This is one of them.  Cargoking  talk  16:54, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

or alternatively

The United States holds local elections in various states. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Simfan34 (talk • contribs) 15:06 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Local elections don't tend to get a mention.  Cargoking  talk  16:09, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Oppose We have to consider this from a worldwide perspective, and from that the odd gubernatorial and congressional election (or equivalent) for any country isn't worth mentioning. Only fully national elections for the highest legislative or executive bodies, like the 2010 mid-term elections, are noted. HonouraryMix (talk) 18:07, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Oppose unless anyone can prove how a state election could possibly impact foreign relations, or some other big thing, eg if the state election resulted in a secessionist coming to power YellowMonkey (bananabucket) (help the Invincibles Featured topic drive) 00:49, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

To be fair, the fact is there is significant international interest in US domestic politics--thus a lot of these items get nominated here. I don't think these elections specifically have much impact on foreign relations directly, but they have resulted in a perceived resurgence of the Republican party in the US, which certainly will be tracked by non-US media. It's very easy to say that similar domestic elections in another country wouldn't get nominated or posted in ITN; but such elections rarely get large-scale international coverage.--Johnsemlak (talk) 02:49, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

November 3

November 3, 2009 (2009-11-03) (Tuesday)

• After 29 years of decriminalized prostitution in the U.S. state of Rhode Island, Governor Donald Carcieri signs a bill into law outlawing prostitution. (Providence Journal)
• Voters go to the polls in elections in the United States for Governors of Virginia and New Jersey, special elections for two Congressional districts, and several municipal elections. (CNN)
• Czech President Václav Klaus signs the Lisbon Treaty after it was upheld by the Constitutional Court, thus fulfilling the final step in its ratification. (euronews)(BBC)
• North Korea says it has completed reprocessing 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods as part of its nuclear program. (CNN) (Yonhap) (Al Jazeera)
• African countries boycott the United Nations climate talks in Barcelona, Spain, after saying goals set by industrialised countries are too low. (Associated Press) (Bloomberg)
• Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić attends his war crimes trial for the first time after boycotting previous sittings. (BBC) (Al Jazeera) (Reuters)
• India's Supreme Court judges disclose their assets online. (Indian Express) (BBC) (AFP)
• China accuses the Dalai Lama of damaging Sino-Indian relations ahead of his visit to the disputed border region of Arunachal Pradesh. (Times of India) (China Daily)
• Dubai announces it is to appoint female muftis for the first time in 2010. (The National) (Philippine Inquirer)
• Two senior United States officials arrive in Burma for talks with the military junta and National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (CNN) (Xinhua)
• Fiji expels envoys from Australia and New Zealand over alleged interference in the country's judiciary. (Fiji Times) (AFP)
• An oil leak on the West Atlas oil rig in the Timor Sea is plugged. (The Australian) (BBC)
• A former KGB agent, Russian-Israeli businessman Shabtai von Kalmanovic, is shot dead in Moscow, Russia. (The Guardian) (RIA Novosti)

ITN candidates for November 3

Oil leak plugged at last

Montara oil spill

You might remember this from the last time they tried to plug it. Apparently they have been successful this time, although they did manage to set fire to the rig somehow (BBC). The article is in good nick (Montara oil spill) and has had a bit of an update for the plugging. Possible blurb: "The source of the Montara oil spill (pictured) in the Timor Sea near Australia is plugged at the fifth attempt" - Dumelow (talk) 23:06, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Posting soon. I couldn't find the image in the given source, so am not going to use it. --BorgQueen (talk) 16:58, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

The image page is here and the disclaimer for commons licensing is here. Unless anyone has any serious objections I am going to replace the Czech dude with the spill pic. It's not ofton that we have such great picture for ITN - Dumelow (talk) 17:36, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Sure, go ahead. --BorgQueen (talk) 17:39, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Nevermind, I've done it myself. Thanks for the clarification. --BorgQueen (talk) 17:46, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Cheers, was just checking the procedure to make sure I got it right but I'll be ready for next time anyway! - Dumelow (talk) 17:51, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Death of Claude Lévi-Strauss

-TouLouse (talk) 18:33, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Support. He was one of the intellectual giants of the last century. --BorgQueen (talk) 18:35, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Support. Massive intellectual giant. IMO the equivalent of a Nobel Prize winner. One problem is the article is only updated by listing the date of his death. Not sure there will be that much more to add.--Johnsemlak (talk) 19:03, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

I think I have added enough. --candle•wicke 21:16, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Support, enough update. A blurb, please... --Tone 22:51, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Claude Lévi-Strauss, the innovator of modern anthropology, dies in Paris, age 100. --Kitch ^{(Talk : Contrib)} 02:48, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Is there not a photo available?--Johnsemlak (talk) 03:31, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Support. -SusanLesch (talk) 03:34, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Posting soon. --BorgQueen (talk) 04:43, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Czech president signs Lisbon Treaty

File:Vaclav Klaus headshot cropped.jpg

This means the treaty, one of the most important ones in the history of EU, is good to go. Nergaal (talk) 15:50, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Indeed, I was going to nominate it myself but you beat me to it. Support when updated. [3] --BorgQueen (talk) 15:54, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Suggested blurb: President of the Czech Republic Václav Klaus (pictured) signs the Treaty of Lisbon after it was upheld by the Constitutional Court, fulfilling the final step in its ratification. --BorgQueen (talk) 16:00, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Updated. Any objections? --BorgQueen (talk) 16:28, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Posting soon. --BorgQueen (talk) 16:34, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Support--Johnsemlak (talk) 17:43, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Came here to propose its addition, but I noticed it's already up! Good work and support. Jolly Ω Janner 18:07, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Fiji expels NZ/Australian high commissioners

Frank Bainimarama, interirm prime minister and military leader of Fiji has expelled the High Commissioners (Commonwealth equivalent of ambassadors) of Australia and New Zealand from the country. He has also withdrawn his own High Commissioner from Australia. Bainimarama accused the Australian and NZ High Commissioners of misinforming "Canberra and Wellington and [waging] a negative campaign against the government and people of Fiji". They Australian and NZ governments already had travel bans in place against senior Fijian officials and were pressing for elections to be held next year. Seems like a fairly newsworthy story to me (I know we have had similar items in the past). Article for update is probably Foreign relations of Fiji - Dumelow (talk) 11:22, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Support when updated. [4] --BorgQueen (talk) 11:27, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Following the Queen.--yousaf465' 15:13, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

No update yet? --BorgQueen (talk) 15:37, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Support. --candle•wicke 21:06, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Especially now that they have exchanged expulsions. --candle•wicke 21:31, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

The article isn't updated.--Johnsemlak (talk) 03:38, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Just done an update (at last). Perhaps: "Fiji expels the High Commissioners of Australia and New Zealand in a row over travel bans on Fijian officials", I couldn't think of a way to get Australia and NZ reciprocating into the tagline - Dumelow (talk) 11:08, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

How about: Australia and New Zealand expel the High Commissioner of Fiji in retaliation for Fiji's expulsion of their High Commissioners, in a row over travel bans on Fijian officials. --BorgQueen (talk) 11:14, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Unfortunately the Fijian diplomat in NZ was not a High Commissioner just an acting head of mission ([5]) so maybe that is not quite correct - Dumelow (talk) 11:50, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Alt: Australia and New Zealand expel Fijian diplomats in retaliation for Fiji's expulsion of their High Commissioners, in a row over travel bans on Fijian officials. --BorgQueen (talk) 12:14, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

That works for me - Dumelow (talk) 13:09, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Posting. --BorgQueen (talk) 13:40, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

November 2

November 2, 2009 (2009-11-02) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• A large blast occurs in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, killing at least 35. (Reuters via the New York Times)

Business and economy

• Large parts of Venezuela begin rationing water after unseasonably dry weather. (Latin American Herald Tribune) (BBC)
• The Royal Bank of Scotland announces cuts of 3,700 staff in the United Kingdom. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• 16 people are killed in a fire that destroyed 58 houses in the Philippine city of Bacolod. (Times of India)
• At least 15 Tamil asylum seekers are feared dead while being rescued in seas off the coast of Australia. (The Age)

International relations

• The United Nations announces it will suspend military assistance to an army brigade in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, after it was implicated in the killing of 62 people. (CNN) (Associated Press)
• North Korea requests direct talks with the United States regarding the former's nuclear program, warning that it will "go its own way" if its demands are not met. (Joongang Daily) (UPI)

Law and crime

• Simon Mann, a British mercenary who had been serving a 34-year prison sentence in Equatorial Guinea for his role in a failed coup d'etat, is given a presidential pardon. (The Guardian)(CNN)
• Four people are sentenced to death by hanging in Tanzania for the killing of an Albino man last year. (IOL) (BBC)
• Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić is to attend his war crimes trial on Tuesday, after boycotting previous sittings. (euronews) (The Daily Telegraph)
• Two people are charged with "spreading false information" about the health of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej. (Bangkok Post) (The Times)

Politics and elections

• United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon makes a surprise visit to Afghanistan ahead of the 7 November second round of the presidential election. (Xinhua)

ITN candidates for November 2

November 2009 Rawalpindi bombing

Another bombing, again a car explodes analysts are pointing their fingers away from Taliban.--yousaf465' 09:02, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

Support--Johnsemlak (talk) 15:32, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

Support, but the article could use some expansion and more in-text refs. Spencer^{T♦Nominate!} 00:41, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

How do we feel about this one right now? This article seems adequate, though it could be expanded. The scale of the bombing would seem to warrant ITN inclusion.--Johnsemlak (talk) 18:12, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

The current revision seems to have a big chunk of copy vio in the reaction section - Dumelow (talk) 19:13, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

I fixed that up a bit.--Johnsemlak (talk) 03:10, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Support. --candle•wicke 21:19, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Proba-2 and Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite launch

The Proba-2 and Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite mission proposed by CESBIO for the ESA European Space Agency, scheduled for launch September 9 from Plesetsk.Russian Space Web SriMesh | talk 04:32, 13 July 2009 (UTC)

Delayed until November 2 so moved there - Dumelow (talk) 20:48, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

Support --UltraMagnus^speak 17:02, 13 October 2009 (UTC)

(BBC) It has launched. Article seems OK. Perhaps "The ESA launches the SMOS and Proba-2 satellites to monitor water and salinity on the earth and activity on the sun". The ESA isn't as kind as NASA, apparently, so there are no pics. I am not sure about how I have explained them, maybe there is a better way - Dumelow (talk) 09:25, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

Support as per WP:ITN/R.--Johnsemlak (talk) 15:33, 2 November 2009 (UTC)

This is an ITN/R item (ITN/R includes "The launch of satellites, shuttles, and any space mission in general.") The article seems ok. What's the delay here?--Johnsemlak (talk) 17:48, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Posting soon. You must understand that I am the only one admin working on a daily basis here and sometime I just feel so tired. Admins are not slaves. :-) --BorgQueen (talk) 17:56, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Understood :). Just making sure the item wasn't simply forgotten.--Johnsemlak (talk) 18:06, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

Oppose I'm a fan of spaceflight myself, but how does this rise to the level of belonging to ITN? It's just another observation satellite that doesn't do anything that hasn't already been done from space. --Kitch ^{(Talk : Contrib)} 02:45, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Fair point. However as I stated above the current ITN/R clearly says that satellite launches are to be posted in ITN. There might also be complaints if we post NASA stuff but not ESA or Russian launches. Perhaps we could suggest tweaking WP:ITN/R to exclude routine satellite launches.--Johnsemlak (talk) 03:19, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

SMOS is actually the most advanced satellite of its type, seems to put it a touch above "routine"--UltraMagnus^speak 18:26, 4 November 2009 (UTC)