January 9, 2008 The free-content source that you can write! Page 1

Top Stories Featured story Wikimedia leak: Will the Foundation "run on Sun"? recent financial, technical, and Julian Lemoine - known as traffic history, outlines near-term speedblue - once wrote a search forecasts for all three, and makes routine styled after the Google suggestions for slightly longer "suggest" tool; a design intended horizons as well. By itself the to give a result based, in part, on document led to several inter- how many incoming links an article connected news stories. had. The routine might, he hoped, help the software be used as a Current Events thinking tool, helping people follow The Supreme Court of the United their thoughts and inter-related States hears arguments on topics through the rapidly discusses the whether execution by lethal developing English and French future of Israel with Wikinews injection is a violation of the Wikipedia projects. He called it Constitution's ban on "cruel and "Wikipedia suggest". Canupa Gluha Mani speaks unusual punishment." An internal Wikimedia about Lakota Oyate, Lakota •The war crimes trial of former communiqué was leaked over the freedom Liberian President Charles Taylor weekend. Like many e-mails, the Wikinews interviewed Canupa resumes at The Hague, document is a chain of forwards, Gluha Mani, a Netherlands. longtime activist and replies, and attachments. The the central figure of •A warehouse fire in Icheon, attached Portable Document the Lakota South Korea, kills at least 40. Format (PDF) file was from a PowerPoint presentation, entitled movement, about the •Portions of Eastern Australia are ": Past, movement and affected by the worst floods in Present, and Future". The Lakota Oyate. the last 20 years. presentation is watermarked •Two United States Navy F/A-18 confidential, do not distribute, and Featured story Super Hornets, a F/A-18E and details the Foundation's recent two-seat F/A-18F, flying off the Wikimedia leak: Will the financial, technical, and traffic aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Foundation "run on Sun"? history, outlines near-term Truman, crash in the Persian An internal Wikimedia forecasts for all three, and makes Gulf. The aviators were safely communiqué was leaked over the suggestions for slightly longer recovered. There was no weekend. Like many e-mails, the horizons as well. By itself the indication of hostile fire. document is a chain of forwards, document led to several inter- connected news stories. replies, and attachments. The •Louisiana State University attached Portable Document defeats Ohio State University to Wikimedia Foundation approaches Format (PDF) file was from a win the NCAA BCS National donors PowerPoint presentation, entitled Championship Game. "Wikimedia Foundation: Past, was, in part, hired to •The government of Tanzania Present, and Future". The find innovative routes to secure cannot account for Sh$260 presentation is watermarked funding for the Foundation. What million (approx US$200,000) in confidential, do not distribute, is interesting in this case is who aid from the Global Fund and details the Foundation's she approached, and with whom. initiative to fight AIDS and HIV.

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This presentation was used during Collaborative video editing is 's extension for MediaWiki a meeting with Sun Microsystems. currently in testing, and is is an early demonstration, and will Sun has long been a supporter of expected to deploy initially not be used on Wikimedia's web Wikimedia, and has previously perhaps in October 2008 sites." offered hardware and financial support. A loan of a Niagara Other technologies were also Flagged revisions machine allowed performance shown in the presentation, but Other projects have been initiated testing, which showed that these specific examples show from within the Wikimedia hardware and software setup was some of the types of projects and communities. The Flagged not suitable for the Wikimedia their ambitious initial completion Revisions extension developed environment which existed at the dates. from the German Wikipedia time, but both Wikimedia's community's desire to have an environment and Sun's hardware Kaltura collaborative video approved version of an article and software have changed since Some of these technologies are being the default view, with those tests. joint ventures with commercial registered editors able to choose entities, such as the "Kaltura whether to see the default view or Ms Gardner's delegation included widget"extension designed to the most recent revision. The code Roger McNamee, a technology support collaborative video on the is primarily developed and financier with Elevation Partners Mediawiki platform. The code for maintained by Aaron Schulz and among other connections to Silicon this project is promised to be open Joerg Baach on Wikimedia's SVN Valley's investors and visionaries. sourced, and the main page of the server. Quality.wikimedia.org and Kaltura site has a link to the external site wikixp.org/qa are The document does not explain the sourceforge, but the involved in testing the extension details of the meeting, but http://sourceforge.net/projects/kal and the concept implementation. mentions donation proposals for tura/ cvs is currently empty short term and long term. "In though it is marked to be GPL. An Flagged revisions allow the general, I don't want to have a inquiry into the current output of community to display versions of conversation with the media (even the extension finds it is embeding an article which have not been friendly media!) about meetings a flash object into the output. The vandalised and do not contain we have with other organizations, special page allowing video editing misinformation. It is a part of until and unless there is something was not operational after creating several efforts to improve the worth talking about," Ms Gardner a user account (8 Jan 2008). The quality of Wikipedia articles, replied to an e-mail inquiry Wikimedia Foundation is expected spearheaded by the German regarding the presentation. to release an announcement Wikipedia. The German model is regarding this project on January two-tiered, with a subset of users Mediawiki technology 14, however the current Kaltura being able to select a "sighted The software which underpins the extension, which requires version" or a "validated version". Foundation's projects is constantly proprietary flash and Kaltura's The former have been examined being developed, both from within proprietary server, won't be used primarily for vandalism and simple and from third parties. Mediawiki on Wikimedia sites. accuracy, while the latter would is an open source software involve an in-depth review of the package, one with a significant "The Wikimedia Foundation is article's content and quality. share in its market; efforts to add strongly committed to open functionality often have their own source, open formats, The initial 1.0 release of the development projects and sustainability, and privacy," said extension was in the first half of timelines. The presentation Brion Vibber|, Wikimedia 2007, and it continues under outlined some of these efforts and Foundations Chief Technical active development as testing at their respective timelines. Officer. "We're excited to see the beta stages goes forward. Wiki-to-print is currently in Kaltura working towards making Community models for its testing, and is expected to deploy their collaborative video editing implementation have not yet been February to March, 2008 system open source and more finalized, and they would be Flagged revisions is currently in compatible with the open world, needed for every project and testing, and is expected to deploy and look forward to further work in language. before June, 2008 that area. The initial version of

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Forecasts and financials open shortly after takeoff. The crashes confirmed to have been In addition to discussing technical plane crashed into frigid waters a caused by open forward cargo forecasts, future expenditures short distance from the runway, hatches. In April 1990 a were given general forecasts and a killing six of the ten on board, compartment opened during breakdown of salary growth were including the pilot, and leaving the takeoff from Deadnight; this presented based on pre-audit other four hospitalized. caused separation of an engine details. cover which proceeded to strike The US National Transportation and damage the horizontal Costs between June 2007 and June Safety Board (NTSB) is stabilizer. No-one was injured. 2008 were predicted to double, investigating the accident, and from US$2,650,000 to US NTSB investigator Clint Johnson It was discovered that a vital $5,700,000 (normalized). The said "There have been some spring designed to exert pressure largest growth is expected in incidents and accidents that did and thus keep the door shut was salaries as the Foundation result from the door coming open. missing; the operator had undergoes re-organization and fills We don't know yet if there are improvised its own device to shut long-vacant positions, tripling the similarities." He refused to the door without correctly locking 2007 payroll. speculate on accident cause, it. pointing out that a full Florence Nibart-Devouard, current investigation would take some The second crash occurred in May Chair of the Board of Trustees of time to complete. 1996. A Cape Smythe Air Services the Wikimedia Foundation, owned-and-operated aircraft expressed pleasure at discovering The remains of the fuselage have attempting takeoff at Point Hope the projections. "We have not been laid out in a maintenance had its forward door unexpectedly [had] a complete financial picture hangar close to the Kodiak Island open as the nose lifted off. Cargo for some time. It was requested of accident site and is scheduled for went through the left propeller, Carolyn while she was employed examination tomorrow pending forcing an emergency crash with us[, and] it was one of the arrival of an accident investigation landing on the ice severely injuring priorities for Sue Gardner to give representative from Piper, who will two people. quarterly updates, but these did provide detailed technical not happen yet because there is so assistance. The nine-passenger The pilot had loaded the hold and much to do," she said during a complement had chartered the then visually inspected the door. phone interview on 7 Jan. "… The Servant Air plane to fly to Homer, Under the false impression that it board did not request these and represented maximum had been secured properly he projections, but I think it should capacity for the twin-engined proceeded to takeoff. He had be a good idea if they were plane. originally attempted to turn the informed of them. Especially when aircraft around and told the NTSB we prepare next year's budget, in It appears that the survivors were he had thought that the aircraft April or May." seated at the rear of the plane. should have been able to fly The deceased were identified as despite the open door, although he The Foundation's Chief Operations pilot Robin Starrett, 50, of Kodiak appreciated aircraft documentation Officer, Carolyn Doran, resigned in and five Homer residents - Stefan did not specifically mention such July 2007. Although Ms Gardner F. Basargin, 36, Pavel F. Basargin, conditions. was hired in July, Board member 30, Zahary F. Martushev, 25, Iosif Michael Davis, former treasurer, F. Martushev, 15, and Andrian Small, local-based Servant Air had provided financial information to Reutov, 22. The survivor's names been operating the 1979 aircraft the board through much of 2007. have now also been released; they since 2004 without any difficulties. are Karnely Ivanov, 32, of Anchor As with many such carriers, the Alaskan plane crash survivors: Point, Feodot Basargin, 33, of pilot is responsible for loading and Cargo door swung open Anchorage, Anton Rijkoff, 30, of checking the door. The door is Survivors of this weekend's Anchorage, and Andrean Basargin, approximately 3 1/2 feet wide and airplane crash in Alaska, United 25, of Homer. 2 1/2 feet high. States say they saw the the forward cargo door of their Piper There have been two previous 2008 Taipei Game Show Piper PA-31 Navajo Chieftain swing cases of Alaskan Piper Navajo preview

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The 2008 Taipei Game Show, peace conference, Mr. Abbas and organized by Taipei Computer Just hours before President Bush is Mr. Olmert have each accused the Association, supported by due to touch down in Israel, Mr. other of reneging on pledges to Bahamut Gamer Community, will Olmert and Mr. Abbas met in advance the peace process. Now it begin on January 24 and then Jerusalem. will be up to Mr. Bush to see if he close on the 28 at the Taipei World can get Mr. Abbas and Mr. Olmert Trade Center. This exhibition is Neither man issued any public to bridge their differences and get sponsored by FamilyMart and titled statements following the meeting, the peace process that was revived the official motto with "Where You but they instructed their at Annapolis back on track. Are One of the Gamers" (in negotiators to form working Chinese: 全家都是玩家) to invite the groups to discuss core issues such Bomb explodes in Sri Lanka public to visit the show. as the status of Jerusalem, Israel's near Ministry of Finance borders with a future Palestinian A bomb exploded Tuesday night in Not only the main show and the state and the issue of Palestinian Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. votes of the 2007 Taiwan Digital refugees. The talks are supposed The bomb may have targeted a Contents Award, but world-class to lead to the formation of a high-profile individual, traveling experts from the gaming industry Palestinian state by the end of this through the high-security zone in like Yoshiyuki Tomino and David year. However, neither side said the Colombo Fort area. Gould will share experiences about when the talks would start. gaming developments at the 2008 Earlier in the day, a government Taiwan Digital Content Forum. Talks between the two sides have minister was killed by a roadside been bogged down since last bomb. This blast has been blamed According to the organizer, the November's Annapolis, Maryland on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil award ceremony of the Taiwan Mideast peace conference, with Eelam (LTTE) by government Digital Contents Award was held Palestinians angry over continued officials. before the main show in the past, Israeli settlement expansion in but due to the schedule and East Jerusalem and the West The deputy director of the arrangements of the Industrial Bank, and Israelis angry over government teaching hospital in Development Bureau of Ministry of continued Palestinian militant the town of Ragama, Lalini Economic Affairs, the organizer attacks. Gurusinghe, announced the death decided to exhibit nominees from of the minister. The explosion took the 2007 Taiwan Digital Contents Mahdi Abdel Hadi who heads the place in Ja-Ela, a town some 12 Award and postpone the award Palestinian research group PASSIA miles north of Colombo. ceremony to February. says both Mr. Olmert and Mr. Abbas are politically weakened, Jay Walsh named Wikimedia For the issues on noise and flow of and it is unlikely either man can Foundation Head of people, the organizer will bring probably give the other what he Communications some security policy by the venue wants. Recently of the Canadian owner TAITRA into practice during Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the show hours to prevent "I think both leaders, Olmert and where he worked in media and disorders of the show. Minors Abbas are weak, vis-à-vis their public relations, Mr. Jay Walsh was under age 12 also will be allowed constituencies," he explained. "It announced as the replacement for to visit is what they can deliver to their Sandy Ordonez as the own societies. Olmert is facing communications officer for the Abbas and Olmert meet before challenges by other leaders to take Wikimedia Foundation on an Bush visit over the prime ministership. Abbas internal mailing list on Tuesday, 8 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is challenged by the partition January. and Palestinian President between Gaza and the West Bank Mahmoud Abbas held a final and there have been no "I'm extremely grateful for [Sandy meeting Tuesday before their improvements to the quality of life Ordonez's] hard work and separate talks with United States under occupation." excellent judgement," said Sue President Bush this week during Gardner, Executive Director of his visit to Israel and the Since their last meeting with Mr. Wikimedia Foundation, in her Palestinian territories. Bush at the Annapolis Mideast announcement. Ordonez managed

If you would like to write, publish or edit articles, visit www.wikinews.org Wednesday, January 9, 2008 Wikinews Page 5 the WMF's public and media was fantastic looking across and solar cycle has been identified, relations from January 2007, and seeing the Boeing 777 alongside physicists at the NOAA announced will stay on in until the end me - it was something else on January 4. This sunspot is a of the month when the Tampa altogether." precursor for the normal increase office is closed. in activity which takes place during Captain Morgan was able to win the 11-year solar cycle. "The goal is to give Jay a fairly the first race against Mr Reid after long handover time. So until the it was given a head start due to "This sunspot is like the first robin end of January, please continue to it's slow start time. NZA1 left the of spring. In this case, it’s an early work directly with Sandy, while tarmac traveling at around 270 omen of solar storms that will she helps Jay get oriented," added km/h, whereas Black Beauty had gradually increase over the next Gardner. just sped past at 300 km/h. few years," said solar physicist Douglas Biesecker of National Walsh is fresh from a position as In the second race, Black Beauty Oceanic and Atmospheric Manager, Public Relations at managed to win despite having a Administration’s (NOAA) Space Canadian Broadcasting slower start due to surface water Weather Prediction Center. Corporation. Previous on the runway. But water was not communications positions include too much of a problem because The new sunspot, identified as working for Indian and Northern the track was straight, Mr Reid #10,981, is the latest visible spot Affairs, Government of Canada; says. to appear since NOAA began Health Canada, Government of numbering them on January 5, Canada; and Nova Scotia College Black Beauty was not able to reach 1972. Its high-latitude location at of Art and Design University. His its top speed due to a speed 27 degrees North, and its negative academics include Concordia and limiter being required for A1GP polarity leading to the right in the Mount Allison universities. races. Northern Hemisphere are clear-cut signs of a new solar cycle, Walsh will be based out of the new Prior to the commencement of the according to NOAA experts. The offices in San Francisco, California first race, Captain Morgan said first active regions and sunspots of when they open on the January that the biggest challenge he faces a new solar cycle can emerge at 15. is trying to keep NZA1 on the high latitudes while those from the ground due to less fuel than previous cycle continue to form A1GP New Zealand races normally on a test flight, and no closer to the equator. Boeing 777 passengers. An Air New Zealand Boeing 777 The sunspot has been reported by and A1GP Team New Zealand's car Auckland International Airport several observatories, confirming held two races together at an managed to accommodate the this is the first spot which operational airport today. race while just adjusting scheduled developed into a visible sunspot times and keeping the rest of the group. SpaceWeather.com Auckland International Airport this airport fully functional after being reported that it produced auroras morning (NZDT) offered the use of approached with the deal six- on Jan. 5th. "It was a nice flowing a runway for the national airline of months ago. The airport has never display that persisted for an hour New Zealand and the national closed since opening 42-years ago. and a half," reports photographer A1GP team to race against each Calvin Hall of Palmer, Alaska. other. The stunt was used for promotion of the next race, to be held on A sunspot is an area of highly The A1GP car nicknamed Black January 20 at Taupo, New organized magnetic activity on the Beauty was driven by official race Zealand. Twenty-one nations will surface of the sun. The new 11- driver, Jonny Reid; and the be arriving to take part in the year cycle is expected to build commercial airliner codenamed NZ sprint and feature race. Team New gradually, with the number of Alpha One (NZA1) piloted by Zealand is currently ranked third sunspots and solar storms Captain Dave Morgan. in overall standings. reaching a maximum by 2011 or 2012, though devastating storms Mr Reid said, "I've never been on a Sun begins Solar Cycle 24 can occur at any time. such a wide track before and it The first sunspot marking a new

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Today in History About Wikinews 1839 – The French Academy of We are a group of volunteer journalists Sciences announced the whose mission is to create a diverse Daguerreotype photographic community where citizens from around process, named after its inventor, the globe (including you) can French artist and chemist Louis collaborate to report the news on a Daguerre. wide variety of current events. By 1861 – The civilian ship Star of the making our content perpetually available for free redistribution and use, West was fired upon as it we hope to contribute to a global digital attempted to send supplies and commons. reinforcements to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor before the Got news and no computer? American Civil War. Call the Wikinews Hotline 1878 – Umberto I became King of +1-866-653-4265 (toll-free in the U.S.) Italy. +1-202-742-5918 1916 – World War I: The last (outside the U.S.) British troops evacuated from +44-871-218-6397 Gallipoli, as the Ottoman Empire (U.K. / Europe) prevailed over of a joint British License and French operation to capture Istanbul at the Battle of Gallipoli. This work is licensed under the Attribution License. Articles 1923 – The autogyro, a type of published in this Print edition were rotorcraft invented by civil created by Wikinewsies. Other content engineer and pilot Juan de la released under the GNU Free Cierva, made its first successful Documentation License. flight at Cuatro Vientos Airfield in Madrid, Spain. To view a copy of the CC-BY license, 1972 – RMS Queen Elizabeth, an visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ ocean liner which sailed the or send a letter to Atlantic Ocean for the Cunard Creative Commons White Star Line, was destroyed by 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor fire in Victoria Harbour, Hong San Francisco, California, 94105, USA Kong. To view a copy of the GFDL, visit: 2005 – Mahmoud Abbas was http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html elected President of the Palestinian Wikipedia Current Events National Authority to replace http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Current_events Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004. Today in History http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page January 09 is Martyrs' Day in Quote of the Day Panama. http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Main_Page Word of the Day http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Main_Page Quote of the Day One's life has value so long as one About Wikinews Print Edition attributes value to the life of For more information about Wikinews others, by means of love, Print Edition visit: friendship, indignation and http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Wikinews:Print compassion. ~ Simone de Beauvoir

Word of the Day asinine adj 1. Failing to exercise intelligence or judgment. 2. Of or relating to a donkey.

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