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YIR_05_topstories.sPubDate = "12/23/2005 12:16:59 AM GMT";
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YIR_05_topstories[i-1].body = "<div class=\"deckStory\">Rank top stories of 2005 &#151; and create your own MSNBC.com cover</div><br><span class=textBodyBlack>We&#146;ve given you five top stories from the year to choose from: All you have to do is rank them 1 through 5 and submit your entries. We&#146;ll then build your own front cover. If you would like to see how other combinations look, simply hit the back button, refresh the page and start again. You can create as many covers as you would like. ";

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YIR_05_topstories[i-1].body = "<span class=textBodyBlack>Here&#146;s your '2005: Year in Review' cover.</span>";

YIR_05_topstories[i++] = new Array("3305285","Pope John Paul II dies at 84","","","","", "", "POPE", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
YIR_05_topstories[i-1].body = "After more than a quarter century as head of the Roman Catholic Church, the much-traveled Polish pontiff succumbed to a variety of maladies. The former Karol Wojtyla will be remembered for his populist touch and his conservatism. At his funeral, the homily was delivered by German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who, as Benedict XVI, succeeded John Paul II as pope.";

YIR_05_topstories[i++] = new Array("9107338","Hurricane Katrina slams Gulf Coast","","","","", "", "HURRICANE", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
YIR_05_topstories[i-1].body = "After crossing Florida as a Category 1 storm, Hurricane Katrina picked up steam in the Gulf of Mexico and made a right turn into the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines. With raging winds and surging waters, Katrina resulted in the worst natural disaster ever to hit the United States, killing more than 1,200 people and causing more than $100 billion in damage.";

YIR_05_topstories[i++] = new Array("9626146","Kashmir quake kills over 80,000","","","","", "", "KASHMIR", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
YIR_05_topstories[i-1].body = "A huge earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale rocked northern Pakistan, killing at least 80,000 people and leveling many cities and towns in the country's mountainous Kashmir region. Many also were killed in the area of Kashmir controlled by India. A massive relief effort was hampered by destroyed roads and poor communications.";

YIR_05_topstories[i++] = new Array("7067573","U.S. Supreme Court at a crossroads","","","","", "", "SCOTUS", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
YIR_05_topstories[i-1].body = "With the retirement of Sandra Day O'Connor and the death of William Rehnquist, the United States Supreme Court faced its first changes in more than a decade. While conservatives saw a chance to steer the court to the right, liberals worried about the future of abortion rights. The ensuing months saw the confirmation of John Roberts, 50, to take Rehnquist's seat and the withdrawal of nominee Harriet Miers, who was replaced by Samuel Alito. ";

YIR_05_topstories[i++] = new Array("3042924","Iraq toll tops 2,000; Bush ratings dip","","","","", "", "IRAQ05", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
YIR_05_topstories[i-1].body = "With the death toll among U.S. troops in Iraq reaching more than 2,000 and increasing questions about the White House's true motivations in going to war against Saddam Hussein's regime, President Bush's ratings took a deep slide. With few signs of diminishing violence, the administration pinned its hopes on elections in Iraq and waged a vigorous public relations campaign at home.";

	// END editorial data