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Wikinews talk:Tsunami Help/Missing & Found

Don't forget the ICRC Familylinks" web site: http://www.familylinks.icrc.org

How to handle individual missing people
The odd details of a missing individual look out of place on the page: should they have a separate section ?

Preferably divided by country or region ?

Potentially, there are thousands of entries out there, and they will predictably swamp all other useful items & links !

 * Hi! you found the perfect spot for this kind of question.
 * The Tsunami Help volunteers are arranging the pages as they see fit. They're all volunteers, and are dealing with a massive influx of information and doing a fabulous job of rearranging and sorting that information so it is understandable and accessible. These pages are receiving hundreds of changes a day, and are constantly developing.
 * If you would like to be part of this project, you can jump in and edit what you see fit, or you might follow the links to the Tsunami Help blog and get in touch with the people organizing this project. Thanks again for your additions here! - Amgine 05:59, 5 Jan 2005 (UTC)

PeopleMatch - Internet Face Recognition Service
http://peoplematch.rc.tv/peoplematch/

Hi I have just designed and launch a UK Memorial site in aid of the thousands of people who have lost there live is this horrific tradgedy please vist and add details www.tsunamimemorial.co.uk

PEOPLEMATCH.RC.TV - AN INTERNET FACE RECOGNITION SERVICE OFFERS HOPE TO DESPERATE FAMILIES OF TSUNAMI VICTIMS

The PeopleMatch system has the ability to place up to 1,700 unique characteristics for an individual face in its database. It will then match these points with similar points from an uploaded facial photo. Upon verification, the system will call up a set of photos that matches the victim. A team of RC Group's and Ftec's volunteers are currently operating in the main hospitals and emergency centers in Phuket, Thailand, to take photos of victims of the ordeal.

Any close matches will be sent to you via email or SMS. Please upload a clear headshot photo in jpeg format only.

Hi I have just designed and launch a UK Memorial site in aid of the thousands of people who have lost there live is this horrific tragedy please visit and add details www.tsunamimemorial.co.uk

Typo
editprotected "dependant" => "dependent" Van der Hoorn (talk) 15:08, 17 March 2009 (UTC)

 * ✅ ♪Tempo di Valse ♪ 16:30, 20 March 2009 (UTC)


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User:Holger I.

de:Benutzer:Blaite fr:Utilisateur:Blaite

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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Talk:Aid pledges rise; Japan promises 500,000,000 USD

This article should be moved to just "Aid pledges rise; Japan promises 500,000,000 USD". Please reply with objections or support; otherwise I will move this soon. -- IlyaHaykinson 00:49, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)
 * Moved. -- IlyaHaykinson 05:01, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)


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Talk:Students Gain Early Access to 2004 HSC Results

''Can anyone provide copies of the ZIP file? I would like to write an analysis of how entry was gained. The mainstream media is making it out to be a major cracking exercise. My theory is that the BOS failed to secure their website (security by obscurity) and someone discovered which URL to type in to read results. I would like evidence either way!

Note: I've just added some likely categories. Anyone want to change the categories to 'official' ones? Is there a list of 'offical' categories?''


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Category:January 1, 2005

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Category:January 2, 2005

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Talk:Tsunami deaths mount to more than 120,000

Unless there are objections, I propose moving this to simply "Tsunami deaths mount to more than 120,000". -- IlyaHaykinson 02:24, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)

 * Moved. -- IlyaHaykinson 05:05, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)


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User:Jamesday~enwikinews

Please see Wikipedia:En:User:Jamesday.

title: User:Jamesday~enwikinews


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Template:THblogblurbs

Latest entries

 * Sri Lanka: Detailed Maps of Affected Areas Maps of regions affected by the South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami.
 * Be a part of a small good thing in a large tragedy Information regarding Worldchanging and Architecture for Humanity's relief fund.
 * The National Next Of Kin Registry Ways to find vital information about family members affected by the South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami.

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Main Page/Sandbox4

{|{|cellpadding="4" cellspacing="3" class="mainpagetable" Relief efforts continue Over 116,000 are reported dead in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and other regions. As international aid begins to flow to the region, casualties caused by outbreaks of cholera, typhoid and related diseases, as well as by increasingly unsanitary conditions, threatens to push the death toll even higher.''
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'Fockers' set to meet another weekend title With no new wide releases, last weekend's films are set to rule U.S. and Canadian box office receipts once again.

Yushchenko claims victory in re-run In Ukraine, the opposition candidate wins, and the Ukraine Elections commission rejects Prime Minister Yanukovych's claims over election.
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Template:Latest news Sandbox3

These are some of our most recent articles. If you find any problems with them, please comment on the discussion page of the article in question. Become a Wikinews reporter: Edit this box and create a link to your article to add new articles to Wikinews. If you want to work on the article first, add the link to Workspace and move it here when you are finished.

Ongoing Reports

 * Report: Ukraine political crisis
 * Yushchenko claims victory in re-run.
 * Ukraine Elections commission rejects PM Yanukovych's claims over election.

January 2, 2005

 * Idi Amin offered to act as peacemaker in NI Release of British Government documents reveals surprising peace initiative.

January 1, 2005

 * Tsunami deaths mount to more than 120,000 Indonesia stops counting, confirmed counts continue to rise.
 * Republicans seek to reduce ethics rules
 * Americans contribute to relief effort. Bush administration criticized for 'miserly' pledges, but ordinary Americans show true generosity.
 * DirecTV tunes out Trio, network in limbo. Loss of its largest carrier may spell doom for struggling cable channel.
 * Australian National Archives release Loans Affair documents. Scathing attack by Australian Treasury over loans in 1974.
 * Aid pledges rise; Japan promises 500,000,000 USD Nearly 2 billion USD promised, U.N. warns of logistic bottlenecks.

December 31, 2004

 * Kenyans win International Race of São Silvestre Robert Cheruyiot, aged 26, and Lydia Cheromei, aged 27, won the 80ª edition of the traditional International Race of São Silvestre in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.
 * 'Fockers' set to meet another weekend title. With no new wide releases, last weekend's films are set to rule U.S. and Canadian box office receipts once again.
 * Exeem Annonunced To Be Successor Of Suprnova. Announced yesterday on Novastream, there will be a Suprnova successor "apparently".
 * NASA: Hopes raised for shuttle flights to resume soon. NASA plans to spend $612 million repairing the space shuttle system.

Add/Remove articles

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Special Reports
Indian Ocean Earthquake Iraq MST in Brazil Ukraine political crisis

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Idi Amin offered to act as peacemaker in NI

January 2, 2005

Newly revealed documents from the UK government have revealed that Ugandan dictator Idi Amin offered his services as a mediator and peacebroker during the 1970s in Northern Ireland.

Amin, who is infamous for his brutal regime in Uganda, which was responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of Ugandans, and the complete expulsion of the country's Asian community, wrote in a message to the British government: "I hold a strong view that we in Uganda, being a former colony of Britain, stand a good chance of mediating between the opposing sides in the crisis that is tearing Northern Ireland apart". Amin, presumably under the assumption that he could become an influential figure on the world stage, continued to say "This serious and regrettable development calls for Britain's best and sincere friends to come to her assistance."

According to the documents released by the British National Archives, Amin's offer was met with a mixture of bemusement and laughter, and a carefully worded reply was sent inviting Amin to mind his own business. In a covering note to the original message, the British High Commissioner in Kampala showed that while the offer showed Amin's "naïve view of world affairs", it was probably "a genuine and sincere effort to be helpful".

Amin was eventually toppled in 1979 by Ugandan dissidents, and the Tanzanian army. He died in 2003 in Saudi Arabia.


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Wikinews talk:Tsunami Help/Edit templates

{| This page is laid out very similarly to Tsunami Help, and contains links to most of the templates used in that page. Using templates lets many people work on a single page at the same time, without causing as many editing conflicts. It also gets the page to update more quickly when people load it. Please use the links here to edit the templates which hold information on the Tsunami Help page.
 * width="65%" valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #cfcfbf;padding: .5em 1em 1em; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff"|
 * width="65%" valign="top" style="border: 1px solid #cfcfbf;padding: .5em 1em 1em; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff"|

At the top of this section is the Tsunami Help Welcome template. It may be edited at.

Latest information
The next element is the "Blog blurbs" template. This template should be updated often! An external link with a recent blog entry title, and possibly a sentence about the entry. Add new entries at the top! old entries should be deleted from the bottom regularly. Edit at.

The next link is the latest news template from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami news portal. This template is already updated often, with the latest Wikinews articles about the Tsunami. This template should not be edited except to add a link to a brand new Wikinews article. Edit at.

In this block is the Tsunami Help menu. This template will rarely require updating. Remember to keep things simple to make it easier to find information. Edit at
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The sources are News articles which talk about Tsunami Help and Blog, and are currently in the main page, and may be edited (be very careful here!) at Tsunami Help Information about how to cite a news article as a source can be found in Wikinews:Writing an article.

 Resources: Tsunami news - the SEA EAT
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The bottom donation is for Wikinews, and should not be edited. Additional page content can be added, but make sure Amgine is informed of it so more templates can be created.
 * }


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Wikinews:Criteria for speedy deletion

For current requests, see Category:Speedy deletion.

There are a few, limited cases where administrators can delete Wikinews pages "on sight". Non-admins can ask an admin to delete such a page by adding a delete tag.

For anything not a valid candidate for speedy deletion, use Deletion requests, or consider other approaches (moving the content to user's own area, editing content).

The criteria
Admins may immediately delete a page, so long as it satisfies at least one of the following criteria. Always check the page history first to see if any previous version can be restored, such that deletion is not necessary.

Articles
Of course, the Sandbox is exempt from these rules and should not be deleted even though it may satisfy some of the criteria. In the case of vandalism, spam, or copyright violations, the violating text should be removed from the sandbox.
 * 1) No meaningful content or history (e.g. random characters or words). See patent nonsense.
 * 2)  Test pages (e.g., "Can I really create a page here?").
 * 3) Pure vandalism (see also dealing with vandalism).
 * 4) Very short articles with no context (e.g., "He was a funny man that created Factory and the Hacienda. And, by the way, his wife is great.")
 * 5) Deleting a page for subsequent renaming to that title following a cut and paste move which loses edit history.
 * 6) Advertising or spam.
 * 7) Self-requests by the author with no third-party edit history.
 * 8) Obvious hoaxes, spoofs, -type pranks or other works of fiction that damage the credibility of Wikinews. In some cases, it may be desirable to preserve the content by moving it to a user subpage of the author.
 * 9) Content reposted without changes that was deleted according to established deletion policy.
 * 10) * This does not apply to content that was undeleted with consensus.
 * 11) Foreign language articles which do not appear to be news (for news items, some attempt should be made to move them to the appropriate language edition of Wikinews, if it exists).
 * 12) An obvious copyright violation that is a cut-and-paste exact or near-exact duplicate of content from a copyrighted source. Speedy delete does not apply for public-domain sources, when public domain reprint permission is granted from the original source and specified in the article talk page, or to articles with a third-party edit history
 * 13) Obvious mistaken posting of encyclopedic entry (delete as possible copyright violation from Wikipedia or similar incompatibly licensed source.)
 * 14) A prepared article for which the event in question was at least five days ago, and the prepared work was not developed into an article (either no article was released or it was not based on the prepared work).

Redirects
Redirects can be immediately deleted if they have no useful history and
 * 1) They refer to non-existent pages. Before deleting a redirect, check to see if the redirect can be made useful by changing its target.
 * 2) Were created by moving user pages out of the article space. Sometimes new Wikinewsies accidentally create user pages in the main article space. Move them into the user space using the "Move this page" tool to preserve their history, and consider waiting a day or two before deleting the resultant redirect.
 * 3)  Were created, not earlier than 2009, by renaming an article prior to publication.
 * 4) Are the result of vandalism (e.g. renaming a page to a nonsense title; when the page is moved back to its correct name, a redirect is left behind).

Images

 * 1) Any image that contravenes the fair use policy.
 * 2) *In particular, images from competing news organizations should be deleted with haste.
 * 3) An image which is a redundant (all bits the same or scaled-down) copy of something else on Wikinews and as long as all inward links have been changed to the image being retained.
 * 4) Unused fair use images.

Other pages

 * 1) Personal subpages, upon request by their owner.
 * 2) Talk and/or comments pages of already deleted articles.
 * 3) User talk pages of non-logged in users where the message is no longer relevant.  (This is to avoid confusing new users who happen to edit with that same IP address.)
 * 4) Empty categories (no articles or subcategories) whose only content has consisted of a redirect or links to parent categories.
 * 5) User and talk pages on request of the user, where there is no significant abuse, and no administrative need to retain the page.  A redirect (to the user's new name, or to perhaps Departure lounge, or just a short note saying User no longer here) should be created to avoid red links and confusion.
 * 6) Comments pages of unpublished articles - these are automatically created properly when an article is published. Further, a comments page can easily become lost if the article is moved prior to publication.

Note: A list of orphaned talk pages can be queried here.

el:Βικινέα:Κριτήρια για άμεση διαγραφή es:Wikinoticias:Borrado rápido fa:ویکی‌خبر:معیارهای حذف سریع ja:ウィキニュース:即時削除の方針 ru:Викиновости:Критерии быстрого удаления tr:Vikihaber:Hızlı silme zh:Wikinews:快速删除方针

title: Wikinews:Criteria for speedy deletion


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Digest/1January2005

January 2, 2005

< 26 December-31 December 2004 • Index • 11-18 January 2005 >

Articles dated 1 to 10 January 2005 are included in the compilation below. Experimental Format

Articles
Heavy Lift Delta IV Rocket Launch Problems

January 8, 2005

US Navy Los Angeles-class attack submarine runs aground near Guam

January 8, 2005

Tsunami aid donations in 2005 deductible for 2004

January 8, 2005

'Noise' takes on 'Fockers' in weekend box office race

New Michael Keaton horror film is panned by critics.

January 7, 2005

Pinochet arrested after Supreme Court ruling

Former Chilean dictator faces murder, kidnapping charges.

January 6, 2005

 Nias Yet to Receive Aid 10 Days After Quake

January 5, 2005

Billionaire Mark Cuban asks President Bush to cancel inauguration parties

Entrepreneur critical of U.S. aid to Tsunami victims.

January 4, 2005

UN 'optimistic' on tsunami aid effort

January 3, 2005

Indian Sensex reaches a New All-time High

January 3, 2005

'Idi Amin offered to act as peacemaker in NI

Release of British Government documents reveals surprising peace initiative.

January 2, 2005

Tsunami deaths mount to more than 120,000

January 1, 2005

Indonesia stops counting, confirmed counts continue to rise.

Republicans seek to reduce ethics rules

January 1, 2005

Americans contribute to relief effort.

January 1, 2005

Bush administration criticized for 'miserly' pledges, but ordinary Americans show true generosity.

DirecTV tunes out Trio, network in limbo.

January 1, 2005

Loss of its largest carrier may spell doom for struggling cable channel.

Australian National Archives release Loans Affair documents.

January 1, 2005

Scathing attack by Australian Treasury over loans in 1974.

Aid pledges rise; Japan promises 500,000,000 USD

January 1, 2005

Nearly 2 billion USD promised, U.N. warns of logistic bottlenecks.

title: Digest/1January2005


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 Monday, 29 July 2024  Small     Large  More news   Developing news    Politics and conflicts   Disasters and accidents   Crime and law   Environment   Obituaries   Economy and business   Science and technology   Culture and entertainment   Health   Sports

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Digest
1-10 January 2005

Older news
26-31 December 2004 14-25 December 2004 6-13 December 2004 29 November-5 December 2004 22-29 November 2004

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Regions
 North America Central America South America Europe Africa Middle East Asia Oceania

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Weather
Celsius (°C) Fahrenheit (°F)

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Major weather events
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JAPAN PROMISES 500,000,000USD...DEVELOPING... Relief efforts continue With more than 150,000 deaths confirmed, the massive earthquake off Indonesia has become a global disaster with victims from dozens of nations. 'Fockers' set to meet another weekend title With no new wide releases, last weekend's films are set to rule U.S. and Canadian box office receipts once again.
 * Tsunami Help - A comprehensive up-to-date guide to distaster relief contacts and actions compiled from on-the-scene blogs and local reports.
 * January 1 - The United Nations reports promised funding nears 2 billion USD; logistics on the ground interfering with aid efforts.

Yushchenko claims victory in re-run In Ukraine, the opposition candidate wins, and the Ukraine Elections commission rejects Prime Minister Yanukovych's claims over election.

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User talk:Irsjad

Hi Salam,

feel welcome here, I would like to request to you: before commenting, read something about me at my user page, so you know who you're dealing with. Might make things more realistic, and it might take aways some questions of you already!

cheers

--Ameer™ 23:22, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

p.s. If you have any question, then do sign it with your signature and timestamp (that is the second button on the edit page from the left), so I can find who you are and come back to you! I had some brilliant political student asking me a question on the former User talk page, who forgot to leave his details (name or name of the project he refered to, which sounded interesting), that makes it rather impossible to help! So.... don't forget!

My Person
For anything you want to comment to or about me personally, add it here, nice and bitchy stuff I am ok with it!

Islam
For serious comments about Islam I would like to redirect you to that site:  Talk Islam as that's the proper place to comment. However, if you want to say something about stuff I added to pages on Islam you can put them here! Also if you belong to the Right Winged Extremists Xenophobic Neo Nazis and you want to bitch on my personal choice, go ahead. I would treat you like my granddad treated Nazi Germans in World War II did and like him carry some trophies of you. But I guess you should leave your id (wiki or real) here and would never do that.... so go ahead, I will delete your crap, as I clean my street from dog-crap. To all others, sorry....... feel welcome to comment here :-))

Geography
This means for me Human Geography contrary to Physical Geography, let alone Geology, which are both soil staring and digging studies. A Human Geographer looks how people screw up this world in several ways! Any questions about that, can be asked and added here!

the [[w:Netherlands|Netherlands]
That is my country of birth with which I have a love-hate relationship. I love it's perceived culture of liberalism (even more liberal than the USA) and tolerance, however at the same time I dispice it's xenophobic racism which is now even victimising me. Wasn't it for the fact that I can't be victimised, as I just ignore it! However the reality is, being a Muslim in the Netherlands can bring difficulties in getting or keeping a job or being active in politics. As for example, when I dealt with politics during the elections in 2002 and 2003, I received some death threats by nutcases who thought they could show up at my door and finish a career! Just because I was "one of them" but also a treator because I turned to Islam]! I choose for a tolerant Netherlands, as hard as I choose for the [[w:Netherlands|Netherlands over Holland.... see for an explanation the naming conventions of the Netherlands!

Other
Anything which you think can't be catched by above chapters, leave it here or create your own chapter here! In all cases don't forget to read my user page for an introduction on me! Because it makes lame comments without knowing who I am!

--Ameer™ 00:08, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

Welcome
Irsjad, welcome to Wikinews! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

Our key policies - if you read anything, read these! Here a few pointers to help you get to know Wikinews: There are always things to do on Wikinews: By the way, you can sign your name on Talk pages using four tildes ( ~~~~ ), which produces your name and the current date. If you have any questions, you can ask them at the water cooler or to anyone on the Welcommittee, or ask me on my Talk page. Again, welcome! → CGorman (Talk)  20:05, 10 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Neutral point of view - tell every side to a story in a fair and balanced way
 * Cite sources - everything in a Wikinews article must be sourced
 * Introduction - overview of the site
 * Writing an article - how to write and publish a complete article
 * Content guide - what's suitable for Wikinews
 * Style guide - how articles should look before publishing
 * Contents - the contents page.
 * Existing articles need expanding and checking for spelling and mistakes
 * The front page lead articles often need updating
 * Developing stories need finishing and publishing
 * Discussions need your input
 * Audio Wikinews could always use more contributors
 * And of course, stories need writing!

Future talk 2
Hello, I would like to invite you to attend our second future talk, it will be held on Monday, August 1 at 21:00 UTC. It will be held on the Wikinews IRC channel #wikinews For more information please see the page on meta The main topics will be audio Wikinews, WNN and portals/neighborhoods It would be great if you will be able to attend. --Cspurrier 15:42, 30 July 2005 (UTC)

In regards to Islam
I'm not sure what you were planning for that page so I turned it into a portal, because thats what I think you were trying to do. I hope you don't mind. Bawolff ☺☻ 01:38, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

title: User talk:Irsjad


text:
User:Irsjad

Welcome at me........

I am limited known as Ameer, though my official wikiname would mention Irsjad (Dutch spelling, English would be Irshad), which both are my Muslim names, who fully sounds Ameer Irshad Ali..... Read more about this in my intro and so on!

Feel free to comment on the comments page and please, not here, this is my realm ;-)

peace/salaam/shalom

--Ameer™ 21:32, 23 October 2005 (UTC)

Introduction | Who am I?
I'm a Dutchman, born 1976 (so calculate my age yourself). I have studied Human Geography, specialised in political & cultural geography in which geopolitics, environmental conflict studies and cultural studies are my main interest. I'm very spiritual, studied Jewism, Christianity, Buddhism (tibetan & zen), Taoism and Islam. In 2002 I reverted to Islam, for me a natural step in my development, which you can read on one of my blogs.

My favorite quote
As for now I use this quote mostly on the net as a signature. However, I might post some other quotes I lik overhere!

"There is no wealth like knowledge, no poverty like ignorance - Hazrat Ali ibn Abi-Talib (as)'"

Objectives
As you could read in my intro, my background, education, religion and work bring me in a diverse field of interest and knowledge. As such, I hope to learn more here, find valuable information and share my own information and modest knowledge with you! May we learn from eachother and understand eachother. My specific interests are:

International Relations; UN, NATO, Middle East, South Asia Developing Countries; social, economic & political change & struggle Environmental Issues Islam; Islamologist/Fundamentalists, Modern Moderates, changes in the Islamic worlds, and unfortunately: terrorism, the political Islam.

Other Information
If you really would like to know more about me. I can tell you, I use linux especially the ubuntu distro, and furthermore I use the Opera webbrowser. On which My Opera page you can find more about me. Besides this page I try to blog now and then on my own blogger pages at Mumin al Bayda and luxzenburg.org pages. So that's all there is to tell I guess....... take care!

--Ameer™ 00:05, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

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Talk:Main Page/WideSandbox3

Introduction
I set up this sandbox to work on improving the layout of the main page:

 * Two widths are provided via the size icons in the upper left of the page navigation bar, to allow our readers to adjust the site layout for the display size they are using. In the Small version the width is fixed to a narrower dimension, while in the larger version, an additional side bar is added, plus the lead and "More news" sections are allowed to dynamically resize themselves. We could expand upon this idea by adding a third icon for a "jumbo" size, for our readers in the technical and creative fields who tend to have 1600x1200 display settings.
 * Section headers appear at the top, to make it easier to navigate to other areas of the site. The "More news" and "Developing news" links takes the reader to an embedded anchor where news from each category is summarized (lower on the main page).
 * The "lead" story is right up top, as it is on all other major news outlets. One important departure from Wikipedia is the use of a large photograph from the lead story. This is important to grab the reader's attention and helps the main page to visually communicate that Wikinews is a news site. One issue that different editors have already disagreed on is whether the lead headline goes above or below the photo. There is no firm precedent for us to follow in the established media, as I could show you examples of both styles - some sites even have the lead headline to the right of the lead photo - so we will have to subjectively choose. However almost all newspapers always have the lead headline at the very top, as do the majority of the news sites that I visit.
 * The "intro/welcome" text is placed in a box in a sidebar, so it is still highly visible, but doesn't push important content down on the page.
 * Other small changes are made to improve the overall fit and finish.
 * Special note to Admins - there is a new version of the site-wide banner that saves a few lines of space above the main page. Please consider using that change immediately, as the current version pushes the news down by a noticeable amount.

Please let me know what you think. We can try out more designs, but there is some urgency to do something about the main page site design, as it is not at all inviting to the casual readership which we need to build for Wikinews.

There is more discussion on the talk page for the small version. — DV 14:20, 3 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Look and Feel
I like this version a lot. I suggest the following changes: Thoughts? -- IlyaHaykinson 11:33, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)
 * Move the central headline under the image, left-align it within the central area.
 * I recommend this because the eye darts to the image first, skipping the headline, then continues down; moving the headline beneath the image would increase its saliency.
 * Remove "more headlines" and "developing stories" links.
 * It's been shown that people do scroll below the fold; I think that those links kind of distract from the subject based links.
 * Add more headlines to the central area.
 * We might want to lead with more than one story. Perhaps one could be the main story (related to the image), and there could be one or two sub-head stories. I attempted to do this in Main Page/Sandbox4, and think it could work in this design as well.

 * Please check out what I did with the lead headline just now. I think the main headline has to be centered, to balance the interior white space.

 * As for additional stories, maybe when you last looked I hadn't added them below the lead story yet? Are the other stories in a good position now?

 * I'm not so sure about removing the links to the anchors further down on the page, but I see your point about them being a bit distracting. I'm not too attached to them however, so if that's what it takes to get a consensus to make these changes live, I'll go with that change.

 * By the way, I linked the wide page with the monitor switcher icons in the upper-left hand corner to a narrower version at Main_Page/Sandbox3. This feature allows our readers with big or small monitors to customize their viewing experience.

 * At the top, I also showed how to save a couple of lines by reducing the size of the site banner. Hopefully we can convince an Admin to make that change.

 * Anyways, please check out the latest version, starting from the small- or large-sized view, and let me know what you think.

 * Cheers,

 * — DV 15:41, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)

 * OK, I see your point on the main headline being centered (thanks for moving it down). Though please do be aware that on screens with large resolutions (i.e. I run at 1600x1200), the image and headline are still very awkwardly stick out in the middle. Perhaps we can live with that.

 * As for additional stories, I meant effectively additional "lead" type stories: not just the contents of the Latest News template, but separate headlining stories. The analogy here is that newspapers carry two or three main headlines, not just one — there's a big image with an accompanying headline, and then one or two other big stories in sidebars or below. Check out this site with lots of newspapers' front pages as images. We're not a newspaper of course, but their presentation of content is likely informed by decades of experimentation on what people like.

 * Overall, I really like the approach you've taken, including the double versions and the layouts of both. -- IlyaHaykinson 22:09, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)

New Site-Wide Banner
I like this, I like this a lot. I'll see what I can do about adding it into the main site, if it hasn't already been done, when I get home from work. Lankiveil 05:39, 4 Jan 2005 (UTC).

Web site design
Yes ... the design is clearly needed to be changed :) The dark green color would fit perfectly xD

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Wikinews is run by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, which operates several other multilingual and free-content projects.

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Feedback/chat: Water cooler - Wikinews mailing list - #wikinews on irc.libera.chat - Site news

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 Monday, 29 July 2024

 Small     Large  More news   Developing news    Politics and conflicts   Disasters and accidents   Crime and law   Environment   Obituaries   Economy and business   Science and technology   Culture and entertainment   Health   Sports

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User:David Vasquez/TableMatrix

Three-Column Wide table matrix

Four-Column Wide table matrix

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Wikinews talk:Tsunami Help/Governments

I am appalled that every flag in the whole United States is NOT at half mast.

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User:TaranRampersad~enwikinews

I'm around, as much as possible. I'm usually at KnowProSE.com...

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Talk:Indiana/Fort Wayne

Shouldn't the Fort Wayne area include the counties fo Paulding and Ven Wert, Ohio?
 * No...as part of Wikinews Indiana, it's limited to Indiana counties. If someone wanted to create a Wikinews Ohio, they'd be more than free to include those counties as well.Kurt Weber 20:17, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)
 * Then Wikinews will observe artifical boundaries instead of being useful to our readers? Having grown up in the Ft. Wayne and worked in news in the northeast Indiana area, I can assure you, folks in Van Wert and Paulding counties consider themselves part of Fort Wayne and are closer to Fort Wayne than Langrange - which considers itself to be part of the South Bend-Elkhart area. Cities located on a state border extend culturally beyond political boundary lines. I'm not sure forcing unnatural coverage areas by state boundary lines is the correct way to do this. -- Davodd | Talk 20:49, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)
 * If that's how you want to look at it, sure. I live in Southwest Indiana, and the Mt. Carmel, Illinois and Henderson/Owensboro, KY areas consider themselves part of this area, but I'm not including them, either.  Grouping by defined political boundaries rather than regional boundaries that may or may not cross state lines and have no apparent significance to someone from outside the area makes it easier for an outsider to find news pertaining to a specific area.Kurt Weber 00:41, 5 Jan 2005 (UTC)

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Template:Tutorial-Sources

Media Awareness Network Staff, Creating a Newspaper Article, Media Awareness Network, No date

Unitec In Schools Staff, Write All About It: Newspapers, English Online New Zealand, No date

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Wikinews:Tutorial-Research article

Research, research, research. The more you know about the event and its context the more likely you will be able to report it accurately. Rejecting false information is equally as important as accepting the true. Cross check sources and try to locate as many as possible. If possible use first hand sources, eg spoken testimony, transcripts, interviews, documents, images, video. Go to the sources themselves. Note that many news reports are based on other media reports or news agency reports such as Reuters or Associated Press. Use agency reports rather than rewrites of them.

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Template:Charity disclaimer

WARNING: Due to the Wikinews's open and collaborative nature, it cannot guarantee the veracity of outside links or the absence of possible scams involving charities, thus the potential danger of fraud exists. In particular, beware of bogus organizations that have names similar to those of well-known aid agencies. Also beware of unsolicited emails that ask for your donation online. For those who want to make a donation, the most secure channels are established web sites and well-publicized telephone hotlines.

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Portal talk:2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

 * See also

Proposal
It has been proposed to merge some of the information from Tsunami Help/Ground Zero Information into this page, and allowing the other to age. Some possible ways of doing that is expanding the template to have sections for the various countries and topic areas.

- Amgine 23:55, 2 Jan 2005 (UTC)
 * Is this a good idea?
 * What would be some of the ways to do this without overwhelming the page format?

Merging or linking, either way sounds fine to me. But I see that the page is informative, and has general news value. It is currently removed from Tsunami Help navigation table, but we should make use of it in one way or another. Tomos 04:02, 3 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Comments
'wave sets' (http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Template:IOTsections) this is a confusing technical term, if in fact it is one at all. rephrase? Onymous 81.217.21.244 13:49, 9 Jan 2005 (UTC)

 * Tsunamis are wave sets, not a single wave. But agree it may confusing, jargon. Suggestions for a rephrase? - Amgine 18:13, 9 Jan 2005 (UTC)

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Wikinews talk:Tsunami Help/Ground Zero Information

Merge with 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
It has been suggested this page's contents be at least partially merged with 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. See Talk:2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami for the discussion. - Amgine 00:28, 3 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Typo
"INFOMATION" => "INFORMATION" Van der Hoorn (talk) 12:34, 24 March 2009 (UTC)
 * - Page is no longer updated, no need for corrections. -- Sken   my talk 12:07, 4 April 2009 (UTC)

Fixing linterror
editprotected

Please replace the texts with the box below. This will fix  not being properly closed, and == with a text which should be in the new line.

This page is updated at: Tsunamihelp - Ground Zero Information

IMAGE ANALYSIS - GROUND ZERO
Photographs and Explanation of Events Current Seismic Activity Exclusive to Tsunami Help/Ground Zero citystar.com (alternate URL]

Further Understanding
ASIA'S DEADLY WAVES (Interactive - New York Times)

HOW EARTHQUAKES HAPPEN (Interactive - BBC)

SCIENTISTS MEASURE WAVE HEIGHT FROM SPACE (NOAA)

SAVAGE EARTH (PBS)

OCEAN'S MONSTER

FAQ

'''Holidays in Different Countries

Time Differences
 * What time is it there? Worldclock Additional Resource

 * Understanding Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) GMT '''

 * Convert Your Time to GMT GMT Info

HELP IS ON THE WAY!

 * UN Joint Logistics Command WHO OPERATION UNIFIED ASSISTANCE India Disaster Management

 * NGO's: OxfamRed Cross/Crescent Doctors Without Borders

 * Scroll Down For Current Reports: Ground Zero Conditions

Recap: Tsunami in Asia And East Africa
The Tsunami struck several Asian and East African countries December 26, causing devastation in some but not all regions of these countries. The following areas were affected:

 * Bangladesh: The Southern coast on the Bay of Bengal.

 * Burma (Myanmar): The Western coast on the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.

 * India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: The Southeastern coast of India on the Bay of Bengal including the Andaman Islands.

 * Indonesia: The Northern and Western parts of the Indonesian Island of Sumatra, and particularly the province of Aceh. Tourist destinations in Bali and Eastern Indonesia were not affected.

 * Kenya: Coastal region.

 * Malaysia: The Northwest coast of Malaysia especially, Penang and Langkawi.

 * Maldives : Entire country affected.

 * Seychelles: Coastal region.

 * Somalia: Coastal region.

 * Sri Lanka : The Southern and Eastern coastal areas of Sri Lanka.

 * Tanzania: Coastal region.

 * Thailand: The Southwestern and coastal areas of Thailand encompassing the provinces of Phuket, Phang-Nga and Krabi. Areas particulary hard hit include Phuket, Phi Phi Island, Krabi, and several small islands in this area. Islands in Andaman Sea.

Comprehensive Recap: at Wikipedia:

Reports: Affected Region WHO Situation Reports Relief Web

Conditions: Bangladesh
GMT +6 Time and Date

BANGLADESH MAP

Bangladesh, largely unaffected by the tsunami, and the only country in the affected region which manufactures hi-energy food biscuits for the UN World Food Program, has joined in relief effort by expediting biscuit shipments via plane and sea to Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Death toll: 2

News: Daily NewsDaily Star New Nation

Conditions: India
GMT+5:30 Time and Date

MAPS OF AFFECTED AREAS IN INDIA with DISTANCE CALCULATOR

MAR13 Reports conflict and concerns linger about the impact of the Tsunami on hunter-gatherer tribes in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

MAR3 40,000 people are living in relief camps in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and many are anxious to leave before the beginning of the April monsoons. Logistics are so difficult that reconstruction work is being abandoned on 6 islands, and the population is being moved. 10,000 prefab structures are currently under construction, but tribal leaders are seeking tools to build wooden structures which they believe are more suitable.

FEB24 Fishermen are now interested in returning to work, but need help in doing so. The government of Tamil Nadu State has a new aid package for purchase or repair of small fishing craft, and hopes to be reimbursed by the Central Government.

FEB21 Since Jan6, when the Geological Survey of India set five seismographs in Andamans, 9,500 aftershocks have been recorded. Aftershocks may continue for two years or even longer. Hundreds of persons who survived the Tsunmai have moved to mainland India.

FEB16 Death toll revised to 10,749 with 5,640 still reported missing and feared dead.

FEB3 Thirty-eight days after the Tsunami, there is a happy story. Five men, two women and two young girls, members of the Nicobarese Tribe, were discovered in a forest on Campbell Bay island by police searching for people still missing. The survivors said they had eaten coconuts, boars and wild shoots. Two of the people found were hospitalized for severe dehydration, while the others were brought to a relief camp.

JAN28 Six moderate intensity earthquakes have struck the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, bringing the number of aftershocks in the last month to 144. Assessment teams have identified several groups that have not received any aid yet. These include costal communities in the extreme south, inland river fishing communities and people living in the Marine Beach area of Chennai. Assessments are currently being made.

JAN22 The high level of psychological distress which has gripped the region since the December 26 earthquake and tsunami has manifested itself in the Andeman and Nicobar Islands. Hundreds of people have been bording ships in Port Blair as rumors swirl that the islands are about to sink.

JAN20 With video, film or photographs prohibited inside Tribal Reserve areas and among indigenous tribes, information about the welfare of various primitive people has been lacking. It now appears most tribes are in good shape, with the exception of the Nicobarese, thouands of which are dead or missing. Further information: BBC News

JAN16 Nearly three weeks after the tsunami, aftershocks continue to plague the Car Nicobar Islands. More than 130 aftershocks of more than 5.0 on the Richter scale have been recorded.

JAN13 Controversy emerges as to adequacy of India's relief effort. Death death toll revised upward to 10,151 with 5,628 still missing, feared dead. It is estimated that damage to property was $1.5bn.

JAN11 5.2 intensity aftershock jolts Car Nicobar. India’s Integrated Relief Command is urgently seeking information regarding fate of Shompens, one of the ancient and primitive tribes living in the forests in the Southern Tip of Great Nicobar. The IRC is continuing search efforts in a hope to locate them. It is believed that tribal wisdom and lore may have offered the Shompens knowledge of how to cope if a tsunami occurred.

JAN10 Reports emerge that Christian, Hindu, and Muslim groups engaging in strong competition as to who can be most helpful in tsunami affected region.

JAN8 Measles cases limited, UNICEF help in place.Xinhuanet Article

JAN4 Nagapattinam: Aid has arrived with medicines and supplies and there is phone service. Conditions are harsh and mentally taxing. Be prepared,Take gloves and surgical masks. Nagapattinam and Cuddalore: several groups (known groups AID India and RSS) have have food, shelter and information for volunteers; call in advance.. Before departure, telephone to check list of requirements; take only that. LoR changes daily. Don’t send or take clothing. Treat locals with dignity and respect. The General Hospital needs volunteers. Call in advance. Go with others. Find a medical team. Many remote villages need medical help. Weather is hot (30c). Do not take warm clothes. Take plenty of your own water. If you are coming from outside the state of Tamil Nadu in a private vehicle, don’t worry about road tax. Put up a poster saying “Tsunami Relief” in bold on the windscreen, and you should not have a problem.

JAN 3 Ample relief reported in Chennai. Relief to unknown villages remains problematic. Nagapattinam or Cuddalore are getting decent aid thanks to good media coverage. Jan 2. Relief delayed in Pankirippu and Kallar as there is no road access. Supplies are being airlifted into the area If they reach Ondachimadam, using a ferry is possible. 35,000 people affected. 3:27AM EST (GMT -6)

JAN1 Aftershocks are continuing in A & N Islands. Three aftershocks were experienced at 0710 hours (5.7 Mw), 0721 hours (6.1 Mw) and 0744 hours (5.4 Mw) January 1, 2005

Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Native tribes believed to be safe - relief helicopter assaulted by arrows. BBC

List of camps and details of evacuees from the southern group of islands (pdf format)

Car Nicobar Island: The area around the airfield was the hardest-hit, with an area of approximately 5km of coastline virtually wiped out up to 500m inland. At least one road was destroyed. To the south of the airfield, there was a village that was spared the most severe damage, but a surge reached inland approximately 1km over a stretch 1km wide. The road circling the island was wiped out in an area about 40m long, and damaged along a stretch almost 800m long. There were a dozen small villages along the north side of the island that were damaged. Damage ranged from minimal to severe, depending on their distance from the shoreline. Along the south side of the island and to the southwest, there was evidence that the wave had struck, but not much indication of damage.

Death Toll: 10,714

Further Understanding: Official WebsiteNGO Database Information from Tamil Nadu State South Indian Federation of Fisherman]Wikipedia:India

News: News India-Times'World News The Hindu The Telegraph'Webindia123 New Kerala Kerala Next

Conditions: Indonesia
GMT +7 GMT +8 GMT +9 Time and Date: Banda Aceh

INDONESIA MAP

MAR13 The Asian Development Bank is committing US$300 million to support disaster management, reconstruction and rehabilitation in affected areas of Aceh and North Sumatra. The project will extend from April, 2005 through April, 2008. The initiative will include restoration of roads and bridges, health, water and sanitation, and rural electrification.

MAR10 There has been a sudden increase in air cargo traffic at Banda Aceh with nearly 700 metric tons of World Food Program cargo awaiting airlift by helicopter. Some 9 tons of cargo belonging to various agencies has been lifted from Medan to Banda Aceh using a Malaysian Air Force C130. Meetings are taking place to identify landing strips between Banda Aceh and Meulaboh at Lamno, Calang and Tuenom.

MAR2 Long-range flights using military assets have now ceased. The UN is coordinating long range airlifts and slot allocations for landing at Subang, Medan, and Banda Aceh. Aid workers travelling between Jakarta and Northern Sumatra are flying on commercial airlines.

MAR1 Latest statistics: 123,597 bodies have been buried, 113,937 are missing and 400,901 are displaced in Aceh Province. In North Sumatra Province, 130 have been buried, 24 are missing and 19,620 are displaced. There are 12 UN agencies operating in the provinces in cooperation with central and local government to provide assistance.

FEB21 Reconstruction has not begun in parts of northern Aceh province, and damage assessments have not yet been made on the west coast. 70% of fishing boats in Aceh were destroyed and Officials have found many donated boats unsuitable for local needs. Many fishermen have moved to the hills with no plans to return to the Sea. Fear of civil unrest is bogging down relief efforts. The windy season begins in three months, and many tsunami survivors living in camps are afraid that their tents—the only homes they now have—will be blown away.

FEB14 Anti-tetanus vaccines will be airlifted from Malaysia to help protect the elephants, whose trunks are being cut by nails, timber and corrugated roofs, as they continue to work 6 hour shifts daily in post-tusnami clean up. Rescue teams are still recovering 1,000 bodies per day.

FEB3 While infrastructure devastation remains extensive, and general living conditions remain substandard, a more hopeful picture is beginning to emerge as the government reports that the first phase of the emergency relief operation in Aceh province has ended and that recovery and reconstruction will begin. Some road repair has been accomplished. Living conditions are being assessed, and problems are being addressed. Schools are reopening. Good progress is being made in a measles vaccination campaign. A relief air-hub has been established in Subhang, Malaysia, and will be utilized all of February. The USA Navy’s Mercy Hospital Ship is due to arrive today on the west coast.

JAN28 The Indonesian government announces that they plan to relocate 400,000 homeless tsunami survivors into barracks by the end of February. The government also announced that they plan to remove all remaining corpses and complete street cleanup in Banda Aceh by the same date.

JAN24 The Health Ministry raised its death toll estimate to 173,981. The Social Affairs Ministry increased its estimate to 114,978. Both ministries say they base their figures on reports from officials on Sumatra island, estimates based on census figures, and the numbers of persons unaccounted for. The Indonesian government and separatist rebels in Aceh agreed to meet this week in Finland.

JAN20 A profound picture of human misery and suffering emerges in Indonesia as the death toll climbs to 114,717. With nearly 90,000 bodies recovered, and a possible 60,000 yet to be found, President Yudhoyono orders the body count to stop. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Health Ministry has reclassified more than 70,000 persons previously listed as missing as dead. While desperation stemming from lack of food and water has largely abated, physical and psychological distress among the survivors is a grave concern. Fears of disease re-emerge amid scattered reports of malaria and worries about a potential measles epidemic. Vaccination efforts suffer from a lack of medical personnel. Several days of exceedingly heavy rain in Aceh has complicated efforts, adding difficulties to delivering aid and causing flooding and mud in relief camps.

JAN15 So much aid is arriving by plane in Banda Aceh that airports are congested. Land and sea routes will be utilized increasingly in the days ahead, with possibly another airfield opened shortly for humanitarian use. Vast amount of aid traveling by truck raises concerns regarding futher deliveries over damaged roads. There is no more housing or office space available in Banda Aceh or Medan.

JAN14 Indonesia bans placement of tsunami orphans in non-Muslim homes. Due to adequate supply of clean water, cholera and dysentery concerns decrease. Aid workers will begin massive anti-mosquito spraying program, hoping to avoid outbreaks of malaria and dengue fever. Despite shots fired at aid workers in Krueng Raya village near the Malahayati port, Banda Aceh, Free Aceh rebels reaffirm commitment to cease fire to speed aid relief to the afflicted. Now thought gunshots near UN Headquarters were fired by stressed Indonesian officer.

JAN13 Report via email from an aid worker in Banda Aceh: We have set up a system now to have twelve of our Helicopters flying from sunrise to sunset to assist. We have been carrying everything from biscuits, rice, noodles, milk, water and medical supplies. We transport doctors and medical staff as well. The Indonesian people are in need of everything. Their homes along the coast have been washed away and we are finding them wondering aimlessly with no ability to acquire food, water or badly needed medical assistance. They all lack the ability to communicate as all phone lines are destroyed and there is no electricity. Our pilots are finding small pockets of personnel who do not have any aid. They are able to pick many of them up and fly them to Banda Aceh. Most are near death. Yesterday we had a helo land with seven badly injured or dehydrated personnel all in critical condition. One was a seven year old little girl. The doctors told me we saved her life as she would not have lived through the night. We will continue this effort as long as we are needed. Please continue to keep the Indonesians in your thoughts and prayers. As of today this country alone is approaching 100,000 deaths from this disaster- we need to do all that is possible to mitigate any further suffering or loss of life.

JAN13 Government announces foreign military aid workers must leave Aceh by the end of March. Ulemas Council announces foreign aid food may be considered halal during current crisis.

JAN12 Death toll due to tsunumi revised upwards to 157,576.

JAN11 Indonesia says aid workers must obtain official permission to work outside Banda Aceh and Meulaboh to insure their safety. Rebel groups assert that they would never hurt an aid worker. Aid workers apparently remain unconcerned. An Indonesian tsunami survivor has been picked up in the Indian Ocean, alive and well.

JAN10 Press reports that USA aid delivered by military forces in region raises concerns that people might fear that they are being invaded by foreign nation. Situation appears to be resolving in positive manner.

JAN10 Press reports that Islamic groups have moved resources to tsunami affected region, fearing influence from relief efforts of Christian Organizations.

BANDA ACEH JAN9 Aid groups on ground, isolated areas may not have been reached, inability to match supply with demand.ReliefWeb

Death toll remains at 104,055; estimate revised upward Jan 8.

In Banda Aceh, the island area is totally destroyed, with fewer than five buildings or foundations remaining. At least one bridge was destroyed, and one of the two others sustained damage. All that was left of most of the houses were the tin roofs. At least half of those were covered with silt. The area inland from the island was not as hard hit - damage to most structures was in the 30-40% range, and few homes lost roofs.

Further understanding: SumatraWikipedia: Indonesia

News: Aceh Media Center Aceh News'Aceh Post'Antara Indonesia Post Indonesia News Jakarta Post Tempo

Blog with first hand accounts by social workers Project Kasih

Conditions: Kenya
GMT +3 Time and Date

Kenya MapInteractive Map

Kenya spared: one death, 50 fishing boats destroyed.

News: Kenya Times

Conditions: Maldives
GMT +3 Time and Date MALDIVES MAP INTERACTIVE MAP MAR10 President Gayroom noted in a public message on International Women’s Day the importance of local women who are working in the Maldives toward post tsunami reconstruction, and noted their industriousness and dynamism in that effort, from the family unit to the nation.

MAR3 Local artists are involved in a Telethon at Television Maldives to help raise tsunami relief funds. Singapore Airlines has new package vacation deals, and the UN will push tourism to the area at the travel fair in Berlin, Germany later this month.

FEB21 Former USA Presidents Bush and Clinton, who head American relief efforts, ended their post-tsunami fact finding tour in Male, Monday afternoon. President Gayoom said their visit brings renewed hope to the tsunami victims of the country. The Presidents were impressed with plans for oversight on how aid funds will be used. They promised to let people know that the Maldives is beautiful, ready for tourists, and that people can help rebuild the economy by traveling there.

FEB14 The UN Acting Coordinator, Mr. Moez Doraid, paid a farewell call on President Gayroom, who expressed his appreciation for UN assistance in the tsunami affected areas. The UN has an innovative program where individual or corporate donors are urged to adopt one of 22 islands to aid in the reconstruction efforts. Further information is available at Adopt an Island. The Maldives has been cited for its effective use of aid funds.

FEB8 Maldives President Gayroom has been visiting with citizens of Atoll Mafushi to inquire about their well-being. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, of Turkey, will begin a 2 day visit tomorrow. Former USA Presidents George H. W. Bush and William J. Clinton, who are heading American relief efforts, will visit the Maldives on February 21.

FEB3 In the 13 islands where tsunami displacement occurred, all people require assistance. Almost all houses in those islands were lost, and people are crowding in tents or staying with other family members. UNICEF has procured 20 reverse osmosis desalination plants. Five of these plants will be mounted on barges, allowing each plant to serve four or five islands. Two hundred foreign teachers have notified the government that they will not be returning to teach. The island of Kandholhudhoo has been evacuated.

JAN28 The head of the Saudi Arabian Red Crescent society met with President Gayroom yesterday. The purpose of his visit was to identify areas where further relief assistance was needed. The members of the South Asian Observer Group of Eminent Persons, led by the former Bangladeshi High Commissioner to Singapore, Mr. M. A. Malik, reported that Saturday’s elections were conducted peacefully and smoothly.

JAN22 Parliamentary elections will be held today, having been rescheduled from December 31, when they were cancelled due to the tsunami. President Gayroom, who has been criticized for the vast powers held by the president, reaffirmed his commitment to continuing democratic reform.

JAN20 Death toll revised to 82, with an additonal 26 persons are reported missing and presumed dead. At 7:30 am, Eid-ul-Ada prayers were held in mosques on every inhabited island. The President, Government Ministers, and senior government officials attended Eid prayers together at the mosque in Male. USA joins French and British relief efforts already under way on the islands, with a mission to provide fresh water, clear debris, and distribute relief supplies. These relief efforts will be coordinated with the Maldives government.

JAN16 Maldives starts actively promoting tourism, with most resorts operational, unaffected by the tsunami, and available to be booked on an immediate basis. As one-third of the economy depends on tourism, a return to normally high occupancy rates would aid in rapidly helping the island nation.

JAN13 The Maldives has controlled outbreaks of any epidemic following the Tsunami. Dr. Samlee Plianbangchang. SE Asia Director of WHO, pledged continued commitment to the people of the Maldives. President Gayroom thanked WHO for their continuing support and assistance.

JAN12 President Gayroom thanks Muslim World League delegation for their pledge of US$100,000. for rebuilding efforts.

JAN11 President Gayroom thanks China for increase in pledge of aid.

JAN10 World Bank pledge of help gratefully accepted by economically fragile nation. President Gayroom invites tourists to return as soon as possible to improve economic health, provide internal resources to rebuild tsunami damaged infrastructure.

JAN9 79 inhabited islands no longer have water supply and have to be physically supplied water by sea from Male. Several islands were so badly damaged that the population had to be evacuated.

JAN8 No one is hungry, no one is dying, no diseases. All displaced persons have shelter, and reconstruction will soon begin.

Casualty Updates, Sequence of Events, Situation Assessment, Photo / Media Gallery, Map of Affected Areas, and infirmation on Hospitals and Relief aid. Official Maldives Disaster Management website

Link to additional information: Official Website

Maldives President says that Sunday’s tsunami has caused the worst-ever natural disaster in the Maldives, and that, in proportionate terms, the worst-hit country is the Maldives - Aafathis (English News)

Maldives death toll from the tsunami disaster had climbed to 80 as of Sunday with 28 confirmed missing.

Further understanding: Wikipedia: Maldives World News Opposition Viewpoint Link to President's Page with tsunami video Photo Interpretation Tourism

News: tsunami Maldives news'Haveeru Daily'Evening Weekly

Conditions: Malaysia
GMT +8 Time and Date

MALAYSIA MAP

MAR3 A plan is being considered to use loudspeakers in mosques, now reserved for the call to prayers, to spread the word when tsunamis strike.

FEB 16 Mangrove projects continue to occupy media attention as fishmongers report that business is down by 30% and prices are halved. Fish samples from the affected area show no contamination, despite fears.

FEB 3 There has been limited information available from the affected region of Malaysia, but it is now believed that 30,000 people are living in 9 relief camps. An earlier assessment by Doctors Without Borders made a finding that the government and various local organizations were adequately meeting needs.

JAN20 Reports emerge that mangrove trees provided a shield against the tsunami, saving lives and lessening destruction to homes. Members of the Penang Inshore Fishermen Welfare Association have planted 25,000 mangrove saplings in Batu Kawan and Sungai Chenaam, in Seberang Prai, and Kuala Sungai Pinang in Balik Pulau since 1997. Optimism is high that foreign tourists especially from China will continue to visit Malaysia during the coming Chinese New Year holidays.

JAN13 Upward surge of cases of dengue fever--caused by mosquitos--adds to country's misery. Health Minister stresses that individual efforts at mosquito control remain crucial.

JAN10 Teenagers in National Service help victims clean mud from houses, work to help restore normalcy.

In Malaysia, people are reported to have been swept away from beaches near the northern island of Penang. The mainland states of Kedah and Perak were also affected. BBC News

News reports and personal experiences from Malaysia. The Digital Awakening Blog with current post-tusnami news for Malysia and Thailand. Tsunami Disaster in Malaysia and Thailand

Death Toll: 68

News: Straits TimesMalaysiakini Malay Mail Official Website

First hand accounts by social workers Project Kasih

Conditions: Myanmar (Burma)
GMT +6:30 Time and Date

MAYNMAR (BURMA) MAP

FEB19 Myanmar Red Cross is beginning detailed assessment of affected families to ensure that the most vulnerable households and individuals are receiving enough support.

FEB3 A UN assessment of the hardest-hit area has found that 900 families (3,600 people) are in need of food aid, and that ponds, dykes, and roads are in need of repair.

JAN30 The World Health Organization reports that Myanmar was largely spared, due to the particular topography of the coastlines, as well as the rocky nature of the islands. Initial emergency needs have largely been met. Safe drinking water is a primary concern, as some local drinking water ponds are contaminated with salt water, and some wells were filled with sand. Further assistance is required in the areas of shelter, food and blankets, clothing, cooking sets and mosquito nets. 10,000 people in the Irrawaddy delta area and several thousand more in Tanintharyi are still in urgent need of food, water, basic health care and shelter.

JAN 20 UNICEF has been delivering emergency kits to the region, which include blankets, clothing, utensils, mosquito nets and other essentials and also fixing clean water systems in remoter areas of the country. The UN has sent teams to assess damage which appears to be limited. It is reported that Iran, China, and the Netherlands have all sent aid.

JAN13 Little information is available about conditions. UNICEF prepares to send mosquito netting.

JAN10 World journalists express concern regarding lack of information from area, believing actual death toll far higher than official reports. It is believed that government is concerned about foreign influence resulting from relief efforts, and prefers to coordinate relief efforts solely with China, with which it shares a long common border.

PM Soe Win lowers casualty estimates to 59 killed, 3,200 homeless.

There has been extensive damage in the delta area from the Tsunami. This has been spread out over a wide area. Due to lack of communication, it is not possible to know the numbers of deaths and persons left homeless. In Yangon, an earthquake was felt and two new buildings under construction collapsed. We are not aware of any loss of life in Yangon. At Ngwe Saung, a small wave only was noticed but no damage. At Victoria Point, ten people were swept away in the first wave and died. The fishing fleet was out. We are awaiting news as to whether they were lost at Sea. We suspect that the Islands of the Meik, Archipligo will have suffered like Nicobar and the Andaman Islands. There are dolphin breeding grounds on Salone Islands and we are assured that all the dolphins are safe. The sea area in the Meik Archipligo has many old sunken treasure ships and some of these became visible.- Report by L.Dews Death toll: 90

Further Understanding: Foundation for the People of Burma Mizzima.com Analysis of Tsunamis Disaster in Burma Wikipedia

News: Myanmar News New Light The Irwaddy Myanmar Times

Conditions: Seychelles
GMT +4 Time and Date

SEYCHELLES MAP INTERACTIVE SEYCHELLES MAP

MAR13 Reports specific to the Seychelles finally emerge. The tsunami, followed by heavy rains, caused considerable damage to the infrastructure on Mahé and Praslin. Many fishing boats were lost, and the port in Victoria was damaged. Fourteen houses were destroyed and 25 damaged. Water, sanitation and electric were affected. There was a great loss of livelihoods, including 1,200 families in the fishing sector. Clean-up efforts and emergency repairs are now complete. Efforts now focus on repair of roads and bridges. A World Bank and IMF assessment projects that the country’s growth is likely to decrease due to the impact of the disaster on the tourism and fishery sectors.

FEB 22 It is reported that the tsunami ripped up beaches where turtles nest.

FEB19 250 families were affected by the Tsunami and assistance is available to them.

FEB16 Good news. The main post-tsunami concern in the Seychelles was how to get tourists to return. Emirates Airlines is now offering flights from Dubai to the islands for half the usual number of frequent flyer miles until April 30, which should help rebuild the tourism industry.

JAN22 NASA Space Station has been photographing the Seychelles to try to identify areas inland where saltwater may have contaminated ground water supplies.

JAN13 While news is limited, it appears that tsunami damage was limited to public infrastructure. 3 hotels out of 147 are closed, but tourism industry is ready for business. The airport is open to both commercial and private aviation. Government credits prompt public warning before tsunami for containing humanitarian disaster, and officially reports only one death.

JAN10 Following calls for aid, several nations responding, and help appears to be imminent.

JAN1 Aid has been slow to reach the country with commercial flights suspended and most charitable funds focusing relief efforts on the larger nations closer to the epicentre. Scoop

DEC28 Waves sweep boats, cars, infrastructure Further Understanding: Wikipedia: SeycellesAir Seychelles News: Official Website

Conditions: Somalia
GMT +3 Time and Date

SOMALIA MAP

MAR13 Existing humanitarian response has largely met the basic needs of the affected and there are no major gaps. 5% of the population remains in a state of humanitarian emergency and 40% is experiencing a livelihood crisis. Continuing aid will be needed until the next fishing season in October 2005.

MAR3 The UN estimates that 18,000 households were directly affected by the tsunami. Part of the tsunami's damage includes spreading hazardous waste that has been dumped on Somalia's coast for many years. Villagers in the affected areas have been complaining of mouth bleeds, hemorrhages and other conditions that appear to be linked to damaged waste containers. Some of the waste may have contaminated water supplies

Feb24 It is reported that Relief Workers believe the death toll figure of 298 to be exaggerated.

FEB19 The World Food Program is working with other NGO's to identify needs for relief.

FEB3 4,000 people have been displaced. 600 families have lost properties and 2,600 fishing boats have been destroyed. Many people are living under plastic sheeting or in branch huts. Sanitation is very poor, with a great deal of rubbish and fish rotting on the beach. The affected area is 640 km from Garowe, the nearest main town. This isolation, along with a lack of government and aid agencies, is hampering aid to the area. There is concern about the amount of food and clean water.

JAN22 Little aid has reached Somalia. Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane led a delegation to Hafun island and found a devastated fishing community, with homes ruined and bodies still unburied. Because of the large number of anti-aircraft guns owned by Somali warlords, even the UN has been unable to fly over the area to assess damage. Due to unsafe condiions, Ndungane said that there is immediate and urgent need for food, water, medicine and other supplies as well as prayers for the survivors.

JAN12 UN reports that 50,000 need food aid due to tsunami.

Somali authorities said at least 132 people had died and up to 50,000 people were in urgent need of relief assistance. AFP- Hiiraan Online

Death toll: 298

At least 142 people were killed in Somalia BBC story

Further understanding: Wikipedia Somalia

News: Somalia News

Conditions: Sri Lanka
GMT +6 Time and Date  (Formerly known as Ceylon)

RELIEF MAPS FOR AID WORKERS

MAR10 	The Government of Sri Lanka has issued a series of measures meant to accelerate the customs clearance of tsunami relief commodities. The rate at which relief commodities are cleared at the Colombo Airport has accelerated considerably during the past week.

MAR1 Estimates indicate that 130,000 homes were destroyed or damaged, and 80% of the fishing fleet destroyed.

FEB23 The government is imposing customs duties and VAT taxes on most relief material sent by foreign donors. NGO’s who fail to pay must give the material to the Department of Social Welfare. More than 100 containers of relief good are lying idle in Colombo. The Center for National Operations (CNO) was closed earlier this month, and responsibilities for relief activities have been taken over by the Task Force on Relief (TAFROR). In Ampara people have reported difficulty in obtaining food. More tents have been received. Rice imports have been banned.

FEB19 UN Reports delays in clearing 450 tons of relief materials through customs. 2,500 tons have piled up in the warehouse. Staff has resorted to storing items, primarily tents, water, medicine, vehicles, school material, kitchen sets, food, household items, and cleaning items outside the warehouse. Most of the cargo belongs to Red Cross, World Vision and UNICEF.

FEB15 "Baby 81," a four month old boy separated from his parents in the tsunami, and claimed by 9 women, is being reunited with his parents following DNA testing.

FEB8 It is believed that corruption and incompetence are hampering relief efforts. The government is setting up a special complaint unit for survivors. The cease-fire and post-tsunami cooperation between the Government and rebel factions in the affected area is challenged by the shooting death of a rebel leader. Reports emerge of an oversupply of useless items--such as winter clothing--sent by mail to the affected area.

FEB3 Planning for recovery is starting to take place. Funding has been confirmed for delivery of 7,500 tents. 500 have been delivered to Ampara, with 1,793 on the way to other areas. Officials remain hopeful that by the end of February many families will be able to support themselves again. Clean up and establishment of camps is continuing, and is expected to last through the end of June, and possibly for the rest of the year. The needs of fisherfolk are beginning to be addressed, with an eye toward returning them to work. Reports of bottlenecks in food distribution are being invetigated. New figures: People killed: 30,959.People missing: 5,443. People displaced: 552,641

JAN28 The health situation in camps in the East is under control with no outbreaks of disease, and a continued decrease in cases of diarrhea. Focus has been placed on public health training and advice. NGO’s are training people in the community to become hygiene promoters. February 4th has been set aside as a community clean up day.

JAN 23 The Government of Sri Lanka has made an urgent appeal to international organizations for family size tents. Schools are being used as housing for over 17,000 homeless families who must be relocated in order to re-open schools. Reopening schools is considered a priority in restoring some normalcy to the lives of affected children.

JAN20 Some fisherman are reported returning to work, although about 22,000 of the country's total 30,000 fishing boats were destroyed in the tsunami. Nearly 7,500 fishermen were killed while another 5,000 are missing. 35 USA military medical personnel have been dispatched to the region for a period of 10 days to render assistance to the injured and those suffering from disease and other ailments. Habitat for Humanity begins rebuilding this week in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

JAN16 While some hotels are closed due to the tsunami, many are open. The Yala protected area remains largely unaffected. Wildlife conservationists and animal lovers can help the local communities by travelling to Sri Lanka's national parks and reserves.

JAN14  Today is Thai Pongal, Tamil Thanksgiving. Clergy expresses hope that Thai Pongal will be a day of worship only, with people avoiding all celebrations and festivities, praying that the unfortunate events do not reoccur. Death toll reaches 30, 393. UNICEF claims rebel forces recruiting children from relief camps.

JAN11 Government renews efforts to enforce law barring buildings closer than 300 meters from the sea. Thousands killed by the tsunami were living in illegally constructed beach homes.

JAN10 Government seeks to re-open schools January 20 to help children return to normalcy. Tents may be used.

JAN9 Fish demand plummets amidst talk fish are "feeding on corpses." Government assures public fish is both safe and healthy.

JAN8 30,718 confirmed killed, 4,939 people still missing JAN7 1,000,000 reported homeless.

Disaster information from Sri Lanka government: CNO Sri Lanka

Please note that Sri Lanka is currently involved in a sensitive political situation which may impact information coming from that area. Take time to independently verify all information.

Further Understanding: Official Government Website Wikipedia: Sri Lanka Before and after the tsunami: Before Before After After Situation Reports and Maps Eco Tourism Sri Lanka tourismRelief BlogSri Lanka Ports Pdf Format

News: Antara Jakarta Post Lankapage Government Ministry of ReliefMinistry of Health

Conditions: Tanzania
GMT +3 Time and Date  (Formerly known as Tanganyika)

Tanzania Map

13 confirmed deaths - Fish scarce in markets, expensive, and forcing fishmongers to suspend business operations.

News: Tanzania News

Conditions:Thailand
GMT +7 Time and Date THAILAND MAP INTERACTIVE MAP

MAR13 Several areas in Phang Nga are suffering from a servere water shortage. Celan water distribution centers are being set up.

MAR3 Bangkok Airlines is providing free and low cost tickets air from Bangkok to Phuket to help rebuild business tourism. The UN Development Program begins a community-managed small grant program to help restore basic sources of income.

FEB15 New figures: 5,395 dead, 3,001 missing.

FEB3 New figures: 5,392 dead, 3,066 missing. A mental health assessment of persons in the tsunami affected area will be carried out later this month. A temporary duty-free zone will be declared for the tsunami affected area in hopes of reviving tourism. Hotel occupancy is about 10% in the affected provinces, compounding economic disaster.

JAN20 As recovery of corpses continues, psychological distress increases. Survivors report ghosts, and cries for help coming from the sea. Fear of demons is hampering disposal of waste coming from the affected area. Mental health workers are working with the population, and clergy are performing various ceremonies to honor the dead and put souls at rest. The Thai government has announced plans to call in an additional 100 Buddhist monks to perform cleansing ceremonies.

JAN16 With much of the country unaffected by the tsunami, including several resort regions, an appeal is made for tourists to return in order to help rebuild the economy.

JAN13 Phuket officials consider rebuilding plans which include underground utilities, and may include leaving beach vacant. Thailand seeks return of tourists by February. Khao Lak and Phi Phi will remain closed for the rest of the season.

JAN11 History’s biggest disaster victim identification system is launched in Thailand combining the efforts of Interpol and 20 national police forces.

PHUKET JAN9  New figures, Thai interior ministry. Total killed: 5,306. Believed to be Thai: 1,792. Believed to be foreign: 1,329 Nationality unknown: 2,184. ReliefWeb Reports

Kao Lak 4JAN 15h local: Almost all hotels gone. Aid workers properly protected and in place. PM Taksin among people. DNA biopsies, bad smells, and grief.

INFORMATION FROM THE AFFECTED AREAS: A database of all recorded names Phuket City Hospitals Patong HospitalPhuket Hospital Tsunami Related Information, Phuket - Phuket Directory A data network system providing victims' relatives and other organizations with information (several languages) CSI Phuket List of affected resorts in Khao Lak, Krabi, Phuket & Koh Phi Phi asinah.org. Information, resources and other links to the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami One Thailand. Registration of Missing persons: Official web site. Other Resources Thailand TsunamiThaicareyou

Further understanding Current Conditions

News: The Nation Bangkok Post Phuket.com Phuket Gazette Tourism Authority News

Blogs with eyewitness reports

 * Earnest's Whirrled
 * Maxing Out: David's Journal
 * Maxing Out: Sarah's Journal
 * Life Of A Guy From Asia...
 * Phuket Tsunami
 * Shandy's Blog Shandy's Photos

— revi  ☏  13:25, 3 July 2018 (UTC)

 * Done. --Pi zero (talk) 22:10, 6 August 2019 (UTC)


text:
Radical Group declares Tsunami punishment from God

The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), known for its radical anti-homosexual statements, has founded a website following the Asian Tsunami disaster targeting Sweden. It is the most recent in a string of websites formed by his followers, including ones against Canada, United States, and their original website, godhatesfags.com, campaigning against homosexuals.

The anti-Swede website — godhatessweden.com — proclaims "thank God for 5,000 dead Swedes" and indicates that the church members "pray for all 20,000 Swedes missing in the Tsunami's wake to be declared dead." The website also links to a recording of a recent sermon by Reverend Phelps and a flyer containing the church's official position. The flyer is a caricature of a devil with small signs declaring that Sweden is a "Homo-fascist state" and a "damned land of ... Sodomites".

The WBC's outcries against Sweden seem to stem from the arrest of Pastor Ake Green by Swedish authorities for describing homosexuals as "a horrible cancerous tumour in the body of society".

The Westboro Baptist Church, founded in 1955 by Fred Phelps, is known for its continuous series of protests and for picketing the funerals of homosexuals, AIDS victims, and gay rights activists. Other than the Asian Tsunami disaster, the group has, in the past, declared the September 11th attacks on the United States and the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster are messages from God warning of His wrath to come against homosexuals, whom he refers to as 'fags' on account of the fact that, like a faggot of wood, they "fuel God's wrath".

In the FAQ of their main website, GodHatesFags.com, Rev. Phelps expresses his followers' opinions of the Tsunami disaster:

"The tsunami was an adumbration of the wrath of God, a harbinger of things to come: that Great Day of Judgment... those Asian countries weren’t the only ones affected by the tsunami. Do you realize that among the dead and missing are 3,500 Swedes and over 3,000 Americans? Sweden, who recently jailed a Gospel preacher for a month because he preached Bible verses and sentiments about the abomination that is the homosexual lifestyle from his own pulpit to his own congregation. America, who is awash in diseased fag feces & semen, and is an apostate land of the sodomite damned. And you wonder if this is the wrath of God?"


text:
Talk:Radical Group declares Tsunami punishment from God

Note to commentors: Please sign all your comments with the following four characters: ~

Doing so automatically signs your name and time of posting... like this: -- Davodd | Talk 02:28, 3 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Coments on this article
From (1) and (2) I think it is a waste of time working in this article. -- Carlosar 01:39, 3 Jan 2005 (UTC)
 * 1) Is this article worth? There are people around who think the tsunami was some kind of alien atack, others say it is the end of the world, others that it was an special weapon developed by some country or organization, others say it is part of a nazi plan, etc. Should we publish all these kind of news? There are a lot of better things we could write about than write about conspiracy theories from minor groups. Unless this group is a big one or has some kind of importance, this article is worthless.
 * 2) There is another thing too. You are using this article to be against free speech and religion freedom(although maybe that was not your intention). The article say (although not very clearly) that every religion hate and are a dangerous threat to homossexuals. This is far from true. Also you say the free speech is a dangerous thing. So, at least this article is a difficult one.

Personally I don't think this article says anything negative about religion, but instead discusses the negative opinions of this specific church. Searching for this church on Google I found thousands of websites discussing it, and dozens of news articles regarding their influence and protests. They seem to have some influence within some or many communities in Canada and the southern United States, but I think this influence is not large enough to justify an article about it on a site intended for the global community. Perhaps later on sections could be formed discussing news items related to special-interest groups, but for now there does not seem to be a place for this article.

Further, I think that the issue of free speech here is actually a large one. Free speech is considered very important, but there is a point where it crosses into a grey area and moves from personal, heart-felt opinion to hatespeech. The problem with trying to discuss free speech then is, where is the line between free speech and hate, and who is it that can decide where that line is? As such, I think that this article itself is an example of free speech that can, in some views, cross over into anti-religious statements.

I feel that this article has no place on this site in the website's current state, but I do not feel that it should be deleted.

As an addition, I apologize for the dreadful formatting of my statement above; but do read it, if you can live with scrolling.

Well.... I don't know if it's _news_ really, but it did draw my eye and it's interesting in a twisted sort of way. I certainly wouldn't want to see very many articles like this on wikinews, but given the amount of tsunami news we carry it does seem to round things out. This sort of falls into the category of 'man bites dog' - sure, 'dog bites man' is more common, but it happens all the time. We're seeing articles saddened about the Tsunami aplenty, this one is unusual for taking the opposite stance. BryceHarrington 07:19, 3 Jan 2005 (UTC)

I was appaled to find that an anonymous user had included the following in the article:  Wikinews shouldn´t be misused for spreading thoughts of religios extremists, ok, maybe the only good place for things like this would be in an article about psychosis or other mental diseases. Clearly, this shows disrespect for the so-called "extremists," and disrespect for any group (no matter how badly we may thnik of them--and, admittedly, I think these people are pretty bad) is absolutely not permissable in respectable journalism.

Hate Speech
Allowing hateful speech (or hate speech) is not a loophole in the First Amendment; it is one of the things the First Amendment specifically protects. The Amendment states, in part, "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech." That means that hate speech is protected speech, whether or not you agree that it should be the case.

The article should be changed to not imply that there is something wrong with the Amendment that someone is exploiting.

Moved to Article workspace
I have moved the article from the Main Page to the Article workspace because I think we should discuss this article at least for two days (or maybe a little more). This is not a serious problem to the article because if it gets ready and everybody agree, it will be back to the Main Page again. In my opinion we cannot publish this article in a hurry and even it is not necessary to do that. This news in particular will not get old if we publish it after one week or even one month. -- Carlosar 00:38, 4 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Is this article worth? Ok If you say so.
I am trying to understand this article and deciding if there is a place for it in Wikinews. First I would like to ask if there are people who can confirm the story to show up. There are a lot of strange guys saying strange things in strange webpages. There are a lot of information around intenet but also there are a lot of mess. I think the questions we can make about this article are:
 * Is this news or just internet mess(example: troll thing)?
 * Is the article correctly written and NPOV?

As I said before I think this article is difficult. It demands a little research.

The 'man bites dog' was funny and I think a phew articles like this are not a trouble and maybe they are welcome. I am not sure if I can say the same about the article 'Radical Group declares Tsunami punishment from God'. It seems sensacionalist at least, troll thing. Maybe I am wrong, you can remember me the episode of sarin gas in Japan, or the coletive suicide which once happened in South America. But is this article in particular real?

In my opinion this article is polemic and that is why I ask you to give your opinions here. --Carlosar 01:02, 4 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Maybe the article is worth at some extent. If there are people who can support the article and if the article gets correctly and well written it can be published. -- Carlosar 01:43, 4 Jan 2005 (UTC)

This article is factual, unbiased, and relevant
A Google search of this man reveals that, in the news articles, anti-WBC webpages, and WBC sites that he does exist, his church exists, they really do protest, and they are relevant. One of my friends heads a Gay Righs group and has picketed this man before. Students in my school have done a presentation about this man before. In fact, yesterday, when I first read this article, I visited the sites, and their links were valid and functioning. Today, I found that that was not the case. Visiting GodHatesFags.com, I found a link on the top right-hand corner connecting you to GodHatesSweden, which was still working. I propose that, perhaps, heavy traffic by wikinews visitors to that site may have caused the sites to crash or shut down by exeeding their bandwidth. I feel that this article contains a NPOV and factual, relevant information that affects Gay Rights activists and Tsunami survivors of Swedish origin and that its place should be maintained. Kidduffah 04:58, 4 Jan 2005 (UTC)
 * Since you approve the article claims with good explanation I think it is ok. Now I think we should decide if the article can be published as it is or it needs some corrections. -- [User:Carlosar|Carlosar]] 15:31, 4 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Carlosar 15:45, 4 Jan 2005 (UTC)--Now I would like to point out the following questions:
 * The article should be changed to not imply that there is something wrong with the Amendment that someone is exploiting.
 * Clearly, this shows disrespect for the so-called "extremists," and disrespect for any group (no matter how badly we may thnik of them--and, admittedly, I think these people are pretty bad) is absolutely not permissable in respectable journalism.
 * It seems there are some bad language in the article. Do you think it is ok?
 * They seem to have some influence within some or many communities in Canada and the southern United States, but I think this influence is not large enough to justify an article about it on a site intended for the global community.
 * Since the article is true and relevant for some community, I think we should publishing it. Unless these communities are very small and recent. Maybe we should say in the article something about the zone of influence of the news(unless you think the article already has done that)?

Let's publish it?
In my opinion we should wait one or two days more and if nobody say anything agaist the article or begin making changes I think the article should be published as it is. I have nothing against the article since other people convinced me that the article is not a troll thing and that the group has some importance, although small and regional. -- Carlosar 15:56, 4 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Anonymous Revisions show lack of responsibility
To add to Carlosar's comment that someone had added a derogatory comment regarding extremists, I want to point out that I found someone had added the line "PISSSSS!!!" after one describing Phelps's interpretation of homosexuals as 'fags' burning like faggots of wood and fueling God's wrath. I wanted to comment that additions like these show that proper control of wikinews revisions is not being maintained and childish personal additions are being made at the expense of credibility. Perhaps something can be done to improve this state for the sake of all articles and Wikinews's credibility by making it impossible for anonymous people who are not logged in to make updates.

 * Vandalism happens, doubly so on wikis. It is a fact of life and is something that the other Wikimedia projects have generally dealt with by not feeding the trolls and simply reverting the vandalism. If one restricts editing to logged-in users, the trolls will create accounts instead and be further drawn into a game that none of us really want to play with them.
 * The proper way to deal with trolls, vandals is to revert them. See Wikipedia:Vandalism for more info. -- IlyaHaykinson 02:02, 5 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Copyedit effort
I've taken a step to remove some content from the article that seemed unnecessary in reporting the story. Specifically, I removed part of the long quote (half of that seemed enough to show the point that Phelps was making), removed a paragraph dealing with Phelps' comments about the death of a teenager (unrelated to the Tsunami story, and this story already mentioned that the church is an anti-gay activist), removed links in first paragraph to various web sites (wikinews is not a link repository — if necessary we can add a link to References or External links), removed mention of First Amendment Hosting (no obvious relation to the story). -- IlyaHaykinson 04:39, 5 Jan 2005 (UTC)
 * I have added some links to Wikipedia(take a look and verify if it is good) and I have put a See Also section. -- Carlosar
 * The article is good to me. -- Carlosar 02:31, 6 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Article is back at the Main Page
Since this article has been removed from the Main Page for discussion and revision, which I believe it is finished, now I have put it back at the Main Page again. -- Carlosar 11:25, 10 Jan 2005 (UTC)


text:
User:Clopin

Clopin

title: User:Clopin