Portal talk:Current events

Portal:Current events—more specifically, the portal's complex framework—is semi-protected, and has been since September 2006. Please update a day's current events by clicking on "Edit" in the header for that day.

To report errors on "Topics in the news" (aka Main Page News), proceed to WP:ERRORS. To suggest new headlines, proceed to WP:ITN/Candidates. For other discussion about that section, proceed to WT:ITN.

Related pages

Important pages • Archiving the Portal | News about Wikipedia | About this Page | Adding a New Date | Suggest a Headline or Main Page In the News Item Current Portal talk:Current events archives • 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 Old Talk:Current events archives • 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 (last archive up to: 1 Jan 2007) Other old Talk:Current events archived discussions • Vote on tense | Setting the context | Too much analysis | Ongoing events Original Current events GFDL: See October 2003 (history) Recent changes • 2006 | 2007 | 2008

"Claims"?

Why is the word "claims" used for the following news item:

1. China claims it has artificially produced snowfall by cloud seeding to ease drought. (AP via Google News)

I put forth the opinion that it sounds a little like anti-Chinese bias. Whatever other countries do is accepted automatically, but what China does, the validity is questioned by default.

Take the following for instance:

1. A Columbian mammoth is discovered in the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California. (Reuters)

Why isn't it:

1. America claims that a Columbian mammoth is discovered in the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California. (Reuters)

Or:

1. Japan's National Astronomical Observatory completes the first topographic map of the Moon. (Daily Yomiuri)
2. Japan claims that its National Astronomical Observatory completes the first topographic map of the Moon. (Daily Yomiuri)

(the former is active on the page)

If we automatically accept an assertion by America or Japan that they have made some advances, should we not treat China the same way? Or is the prevailing sentiment that news about China are less trustworthy? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Samy Merchi (talk • contribs) 12:37, 20 February 2009 (UTC)

In a word yes. Its not a slur against China, it's just that as a Communist state they don't allow as many freedoms as democratic states. The results is that a lot of info passes through the state and is liable to be doctored for propaganda purposes (for case in point see China GDP, which many feel the government is underestimating in order to alleviate foreign concern that the economy could overheat) --Daviessimo (talk) 07:34, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Current Events for January 17, 2009 (Thursday)

Why do the current events section for the 17th look really ugly (improperly formatted) right now. Is someone willing to fix this? --YAYsocialism — Preceding unsigned comment added by YAYsocialism (talk • contribs) 09:30, 17 January 2009 (UTC)

Hampshire College becomes first in U.S. to divest from Israeli Occupation

Read more here, or just google the info. Significant. Already endorsed by the likes of Chomsky & Zinn, Cynthia McKinney, etc. I put the information on HC's article.

This is newsworthy. Wikipedia should highlight this in the boldest text it can. Is this the right place to go to to make such a proposal? 64.254.165.243 (talk) 19:41, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

2¢

I enjoy reading the wikipedia main page, but I get tired of seeing the same picture under the current events section for 2-3 days in a row. Is there a way a new photo can be posted each day? kilbad (talk) 16:53, 17 February 2009 (UTC)

Am I the right weight?

Yes, Im only 12, but I've been very concerned about my weight lately. my friends all tell me that im sooo crazy for calling myself fat, and my parents think that im too skinny. i was overweight for years with baby fat, but now ive stretched and ive been the same weight since about 4th grade.

im 12 years old, exactly 5'0, and i have a very solid built. (not petite at all) im about 94 pounds. it varies within morning and night... little less, little more than that.

i would like your opinions! ive been trying for a good website, but those answers are all different.

tell me if im crazy! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hazelrockz101 (talk • contribs) 21:40, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

Your weight is a little low for your height. It's almost certain that you are not fat. We can't give you medical advice here, except to suggest that you should discuss this with your doctor, or school nurse.-gadfium 22:53, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

This is not a forum for random topics unrelated to Wikipedia, no page on Wikipedia is.--Ipatrol (talk) 02:22, 22 February 2009 (UTC)

Scientific news from Croatia!

22 February 2009 (UTC)

Please read the news from Croatia with the Google search engine using the provided links:

1. http://webograd.tportal.hr/bspadina/pocetnastranica

2. http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Razgovor_sa_suradnikom:Boris_%C5%A0padina

3. http://knjiznica.irb.hr/blog/2008/10/09/dodijeljena-nobelova-nagrada-za-fiziku/

Sicronet (talk) 14:55, 22 February 2009 (UTC)

In The News section starts to look like an obituary

What is the threshold after which we publish the news about some deadly event in this section? Is it related to the number of casualties, the oddness of event/accident, or something else? It starts to look like an obituary today. Why do we publish "Bus with 11 ski-tourists in Slovakia", and we neglect these: Every three seconds, one child dies in India: UNICEF, A child dies of malaria every 30 seconds ? Crnorizec (talk) 22:43, 22 February 2009 (UTC)

Outside the U.S.: mininum of 1 death, inside the U.S.: min. of 10 deaths. Exceptions: Airplanes landing on the Hudson River.</sarcasm>

For discussion of In the news, see WT:ITN. For suggestions, see WP:ITN/C. ITN/C does really need more input from more eyes. –Howard the Duck 04:34, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

What about the U.S. Stock Market?

Will someone write about the Stock Market revolt? It seems since the new administration has taken office the stock market plunge is on a serious downward spiral. Sure it was going down before, but the market has seriously lost in the last few weeks. 68.177.12.38 (talk) 21:41, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

Assuming you have a reliable source, why not be bold and add it yourself? Tomdobb (talk) 19:20, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

2009 Bangladesh Rifles revolt

2009 Bangladesh Rifles revolt article was made to supply for the news The Bangladesh Rifles mutiny in Dhaka, killing one person and injuring eight. (AFP via Google News). Can someone please have a look at the article and update the first page with it? The news is very important and got the attention of World Media. Regards --Tarif from Bangladesh (talk) 03:41, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

The revolt is getting worse, and spreading throughout various Bangladesh Rifles force camps around the country. Considering Bangladesh is one of the most populous countries in the world, this definitely merits an ITN mention. --Ragib (talk) 08:34, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Is the word, alleged, necessary in this context?

Is the word, alleged, necessary in this context, "US pharmaceutical company Pfizer settles a multi-billion dollar damages case with 200 alleged victims of a drug trial in Kano, Nigeria"?

1. Although the settlement may contain a statement that the defendant, Pfizer, does not admit to wrongdoing, the agreement to pay damages typically removes any need for "alleged".
2. "Alleged" is more often used on the other side of the equation, as in, "the alleged murderer was indicted ", or, " US pharmaceutical company Pfizer allegedly ran experimental drug tests on children without Nigerian government approval."

May the word "alleged" then be deleted? — Robert Greer (talk) 00:25, 2 March 2009 (UTC)

Early March 2009 Nor'easter

I just stated a new topic about the heavy snowstorm.. please help me with it! —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mattiss44 (talk • contribs) 18:11, 2 March 2009 (UTC)

North Korea

I tried raising this on the main page errors reporting system but it was ignored. But the Democratic Front for the Re-unification of the Fatherland is not a "party", as it currently says on the main page. It is a united front consisted of three parties. Even if this is North Korea I think you still need to apply the correct terminology. Colipon+(T) 03:43, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

Some positive news

There has been a lot of negative news lately on the current events portal...why not publish some positive news from the recent days? Such as:

• Cuba sanctions eased
• Horse domestication traced back 5,000 years to Central Asian Culture
• Photos suggest that there is still liquid water on Mars

...and so on, and so on... --MoRsE (talk) 11:22, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

Um...

No template for today. This isn't good, is it? ¿SFGiДnts! ^{¿Complain! ¿Analyze! ¿Review!} 02:02, 12 March 2009 (UTC)

Sometimes a bot creates the day beforehand, but when it doesn't, anyone can click the redlink and follow the simple copy and paste directions at the top for creating the structure. Gotyear (talk) 06:48, 14 March 2009 (UTC)

6/7 of the news are depressing

Who is in charge of mirroring their depressive mood onto the ITN template? Nergaal (talk) 17:41, 13 March 2009 (UTC)

See WP:ITN/C. That's where the ITN action is. There are only a few admins who regularly update ITN, but it's more which news items of international scope/interest are sufficiently updated (5-6 referenced sentences or so). It's more often the disasters and depressing news than breakthroughs in peace or science. Or that's how it seems, anyhow. The admins are glad to put up "positive" items, as I've seen them comment on at least once when the trend was complained about on the main page talk page.Gotyear (talk) 06:45, 14 March 2009 (UTC)

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[[Media:Example.ogg--80.80.161.155 (talk) 20:49, 14 March 2009 (UTC)

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