l

You are in

>> l

Customize

Related images

Ads

Wiki

Welcome to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit. 2,332,195 articles in English

Arts

Biography

Geography

History

Mathematics

Science

Society

Technology

All portals

Overview · Editing · Questions · Help

Contents · Categories · Featured content · A–Z index

Today's featured article

The 1999 Sydney hailstorm was the costliest natural disaster in Australian insurance history, causing extensive damage along the east coast of New South Wales. The storm developed south of Sydney on the afternoon of 14 April 1999 and struck the city's eastern suburbs, including the central business district, later that evening. The storm dropped an estimated 500,000 tonnes of hailstones in its path. Insured damages caused by the storm were over A$1.7 billion, with the total damage bill (including uninsured damages) estimated to be around A$2.3 billion, equivalent to US$1.5 billion. It was the costliest in Australian history in terms of insured damages, overtaking the 1989 Newcastle earthquake that had resulted in A$1.1 billion in insured damages. Lightning also claimed one life during the storm, and the event caused approximately 50 injuries. The storm was classified as a supercell following further analysis of its erratic nature and extreme attributes. During the event, the Bureau of Meteorology was consistently surprised at the frequent changes in direction, as well as the severity of the hail and the duration of the storm. The event was also unique as the time of year and general conditions in the region were not seen as conducive for an extreme storm cell to form. (more...)

Recently featured: Lisa del Giocondo – Kansas Turnpike – J. K. Rowling

Archive – By email – More featured articles...

Did you know...

From Wikipedia's newest articles:

...that the Decker building (pictured), an 1892 Moorish-influenced design, is where Andy Warhol had his Factory from 1967 to 1973, and was shot in 1968?

...that Opération 14 juillet, a French mission to rescue Ingrid Betancourt from FARC guerrillas, was launched without the knowledge of the French president?

...that Gregory XV was acclaimed as the new pope in the papal conclave of 1621 even though Cardinal Robert Bellarmine had received the most votes in the ballot?

...that Levi Todd, the grandfather of Mary Todd Lincoln, wrote the first and last contemporary accounts of the Battle of Blue Licks, one of the last battles of the American Revolutionary War?

...that only two days before Payment on Demand was scheduled to open at Radio City Music Hall, RKO executive Howard Hughes called the director and the two leads into the studio to film a new ending?

...that the Draco Dwarf spheroidal galaxy is one of the faintest companions of the Milky Way and the most dark matter dominated object known?

Archive – Start a new article...

In the news

The Channel Island Sark (pictured) abolishes the last remaining feudal system in Europe.

Soyuz TMA-12 is launched, carrying Yi So-yeon, the first Korean in space, for a mission to the International Space Station.

The Olympic torch relay is disrupted in London, Paris and San Francisco by protesters objecting to China's human rights record.

The Washington Post wins six awards and Bob Dylan receives a special citation in the 2008 Pulitzer Prizes.

At its summit in Bucharest, NATO invites Albania and Croatia to join the alliance.

Jules Verne, the first European Automated Transfer Vehicle, successfully performs a fully automated docking with the International Space Station.

Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...

On this day...

April 14: Pohela Baishakh in Bengal, Vaisakhi in India, N'Ko Alphabet Day in West Africa.

1471 – Wars of the Roses: The Yorkists under Edward IV (pictured) defeated the Lancastrians near the town of Barnet, killing Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.

1865 – Actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth shot U.S. President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.

1931 – King Alfonso XIII left Spain. The Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed by a provisional government led by Niceto Alcalá-Zamora.

1956 – The use of the quadruplex videotape was first demonstrated in public.

1970 – An oxygen tank aboard Apollo 13 exploded, causing the NASA spacecraft to lose most of its oxygen and electrical power.

1978 – Thousands of Georgians demonstrated in Tbilisi against an attempt by the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR to change the constitutional status of the Georgian language.

More events on this day...

Recent days: April 13 – April 12 – April 11

Archive – By email – More anniversaries...

Today's featured picture

A Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) hanging on a bird feeder. This woodpecker species' breeding habitat is open country across southern Canada and the eastern-central United States. Adults are strikingly tri-colored, with a black back and tail and a red head and neck. Their underparts are mainly white. The wings are black with white secondary remiges. It is often confused with the Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Photo credit: Mdf

Recently featured: Saturn – Jaguar – Locusts

Archive – More featured pictures...

Video

Last news

S&P lance trois indices dédiés à l'Afrique
(Newsmanagers.com) - S&P a récemment annoncé le lancement de trois nouveaux indices investissables dédiés au continent africain : l'indice S&P Pan Africa, l'indice S&P Africa Frontier et l'indice S&P Africa 40.

L'IES de la Foia d'Elx obri una investigació interna sobre l'alumna que dissabte va rebre una pallissa
L'Institut d'Educació Secundària número 15, situat a la pedania de la Foia d'Elx (Baix Vinalopó), ha obert una investigació interna per a intentar conéixer si hi ha antecedents d'assetjament escolar a la menor de 16 anys, que ahir va denunciar davant de la policia que dissabte va rebre una pallissa per part un grup d'adolescents, algunes d'elles companyes del mateix centre, segons han informat ...

INDEMNISATION - Un an après l’arrêt du Tribunal : «Adidas» attend toujours son panier à 60 millions
C’est précisément le 8 mai 2007 que le jugement a été rendu concernant l’affaire opposant Abdourahmane Ndiaye «Adidas» au ministère des Sports.

Reprès el servei de trens entre l'Índia i Bangla Desh després de 43 anys
DACCA, 14 d'abril (Reuters/EP) El servei de trens entre Bangla Desh i l'Índia, que havia estat suspès des de feia 43 anys a causa de la guerra entre l'Índia i el Pakistan, ha estat reprès avui. El primer comboi ha sortit aquest matí de Dacca amb destinació a Kolkata, a l'est de l'Índia, amb gairebé 500 passatgers, mentre que un altre tren, pintat de manera especial per a l'ocasió, va sortir de ...

KEUR MADIABEL - La Génération du concret tire sur l’opposition : Les «amis de Karim Wade» condamnent le« vandalisme ...
La soirée dînatoire organisée par le Cercle des enseignants libéraux de Keur Madiabel, sur le thème : Génération du concret : enjeux et perspectives dans le département de Nioro, a servi de tribune à Mamadou Bassirou Kébé alias Bass Kébé, pour fustiger l’attitude de l’opposition lors de la manifestation contre la cherté de la vie pour avoir violé la Convention sur les droits de l’enfant.

CHARLEVILLE-MÉZIÈRES (AFP) - Procès Fourniret: la mère d'une victime critique l'institution judiciaire
La cour d'assises des Ardennes poursuit ce lundi l'examen des meurtres et viols ou tentatives présumés de Michel Fourniret, avec le cas d'Elisabeth Brichet, 12 ans, disparue près de Namur (Belgique) le 20 décembre 1989 alors qu'elle rentrait chez elle.

AVIS - El Hadj Kassé, ancien Dg du Soleil et de l’Espace nouveau : «Il faut dépolluer l’espace religieux au Sénégal»
Telle qu’elle est vécue, la religion est l’opium du peuple. C’est du moins la conviction du journaliste El Hadj Kassé, invité samedi dernier par les jeunes reporters à donner son avis sur le thème : «Médias et pouvoirs politique et religieux».

RENCONTRE - Nouvelle politique en direction de la presse : Vision socialiste présente l’offre aux acteurs
Dans le cadre de ses rencontres avec tous les acteurs et secteurs de la société sénégalaise, Vision socialiste a rencontré ce week-end, les acteurs et professionnels de l’information et de la communication afin de partager avec eux le projet du Parti socialiste (Ps) dans leur domaine.

FORMATION - Vulgarisation des technologies de l’information et de la communication : Des chômeurs et des entreprises à ...
L’Université virtuelle africaine (Uva) a très tôt pris conscience du fait que le besoin de développer l’Afrique n’étant plus objet de discussions, il urge d’en créer les conditions.

TEST TECHNIQUE DES HOVER - Journalistes et techniciens mobilisés pour l’opération : Constat favorable des pilotes ...
Serigne Mboup, le président directeur général du Comptoir commercial Bara Mboup (Ccbm) l’avait promis, il l’a fait.

Ebay shopping