Wikipedia:In the news/Candidates

This page provides a place to discuss new items for inclusion on In the news (ITN), a protected template on the Main Page (see past items in the ITN archives). Do not report errors in ITN items that are already on the Main Page here— discuss those at the relevant section of WP:ERRORS.

This candidates page is integrated with the daily pages of Portal:Current events. A light green header appears under each daily section – it includes transcluded Portal:Current events items for that day. You can discuss ITN candidates under the header.

Alberto Fujimori Former president of Peru Alberto Fujimori (pictured) dies at the age of 86. Flooding following a dam collapse in Borno State, Nigeria, leaves 30 people dead. Typhoon Yagi leaves more than 790 people dead across seven Asian countries. Abdelmadjid Tebboune is declared the winner of the Algerian presidential election amid a dispute over the election's turnout. Michel Barnier is appointed prime minister of France by President Emmanuel Macron, leading to nationwide anti-government protests. Ongoing: Israel–Hamas war timeline Russian invasion of Ukraine timeline Sudanese civil war timeline Recent deaths: Michaela DePrince Stephen Peat Didier Roustan Friedrich Schorlemmer Emi Shinohara Dan Morgenstern view — page history — related changes — edit

Glossary Blurbs are one-sentence summaries of the news story. Altblurbs, labelled alt1, alt2, etc., are alternative suggestions to cover the same story. A target article, bolded in text, is the focus of the story. Each blurb must have at least one such article, but you may also link non-target articles. Articles in the Ongoing line describe events getting continuous coverage. The Recent deaths (RD) line includes any living thing whose death was recently announced. Consensus may decide to create a blurb for a recent death. All articles linked in the ITN template must pass our standards of review. They should be up-to-date, demonstrate relevance via good sourcing and have at least an acceptable quality. Nomination steps Make sure the item you want to nominate has an article that meets our minimum requirements and contains reliable coverage of a current event you want to create a blurb about. We will not post about events described in an article that fails our quality standards. Find the correct section below for the date of the event (not the date nominated). Do not add sections for new dates manually – a bot does that for us each day at midnight (UTC). Create a level 4 header with the article name (==== Your article here ====). Add (RD) or (Ongoing) if appropriate. Then paste the {{ITN candidate}} template with its parameters and fill them in. The news source should be reliable, support your nomination and be in the article. Write your blurb in simple present tense. Below the template, briefly explain why we should post that event. After that, save your edit. Your nomination is ready! You may add {{ITN note}} to the target article's talk page to let editors know about your nomination. The better your article's quality, the better it covers the event and the wider its perceived significance (see WP:ITNSIGNIF for details), the better your chances of getting the blurb posted. Headers When the article is ready, updated and there is consensus to post, you can mark the item as (Ready). Remove that wording if you feel the article fails any of these necessary criteria. Admins should always separately verify whether these criteria are met before posting blurbs marked (Ready). For more guidance, check WP:ITN/A. If satisfied, change the header to (Posted). Where there is no consensus, or the article's quality remains poor, change the header to (Closed) or (Not posted). Sometimes, editors ask to retract an already-posted nomination because of a fundamental error or because consensus changed. If you feel the community supports this, remove the item and mark the item as (Pulled). Voicing an opinion on an item Format your comment to contain "support" or "oppose", and include a rationale for your choice. In particular, address the notability of the event, the quality of the article, and whether it has been updated. Please do... Pick an older item to review near the bottom of this page, before the eligibility runs out and the item scrolls off the page and gets abandoned in the archive, unused and forgotten. Review an item even if it has already been reviewed by another user. You may be the first to spot a problem, or the first to confirm that an identified problem was fixed. Piling on the list of "support!" votes will help administrators see what is ready to be posted on the Main Page. Tell about problems in articles if you see them. Be bold and fix them yourself if you know how, or tell others if it's not possible. Please do not... Add simple "support!" or "oppose!" votes without including your reasons. Similarly, curt replies such as "who?", "meh", or "duh!" are not helpful. A vote without reasoning means little for us, please elaborate yourself. Oppose an item just because the event is only relating to a single country, or failing to relate to one. We post a lot of such content, so these comments are generally unproductive. Accuse other editors of supporting, opposing or nominating due to a personal bias (such as ethnocentrism). We at ITN do not handle conflicts of interest. Comment on a story without first reading the relevant article(s). Oppose a recurring item here because you disagree with the recurring items criteria. Discuss them here. Use ITN as a forum for your own political or personal beliefs. Such comments are irrelevant to the outcome and are potentially disruptive. Suggesting updates There are two places where you can request corrections to posted items: Anything that does not change the intent of the blurb (spelling, grammar, markup issues, updating death tolls etc.) should be discussed at WP:Errors. Discuss major changes in the blurb's intent or very complex updates as part of the current ITNC nomination.

December 29

Portal:Current events/2021 December 29

December 29, 2021 (2021-12-29) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks 2021 Somali political crisis Troops loyal to Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble gather outside the presidential palace in the capital Mogadishu after President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed tried to suspend the Prime Minister in what has been described as an attempted self-coup. (The National) War in Darfur A night curfew is imposed in North Darfur, Sudan, after armed groups looted and burned a United Nations World Food Programme warehouse and UNAMID facilities in Al-Fashir, stealing around 1,900 tonnes of food. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents Three people are killed and four others are injured in a fire at a candlelit vigil in Kosiv, Ukraine. (BBC News) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in France France reports a record for the second consecutive day of 208,099 new cases of COVID-19, which is also the highest daily total recorded in any European nation since the beginning of the pandemic. (Le Parisien) COVID-19 pandemic in Greece Greece reports a record for the third consecutive day of 28,828 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,134,713. (Greek Reporter) COVID-19 pandemic in Italy Despite the number of new cases caused by the Omicron variant reaching a record 98,030 cases, Italy completely lifts the mandatory quarantine for those who received COVID-19 vaccine booster shot and reduces it to five days for the vaccinated people whose most recent dose was more than 120 days before exposure. (Bloomberg) COVID-19 pandemic in Malta Malta reports a record for the second consecutive day of 1,337 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 49,625. (The Malta Independent) COVID-19 pandemic in Spain Despite the number of cases caused by the Omicron variant reaching a record high, Spain reduces the isolation period for people who test positive for COVID-19 and the mandatory quarantine for people who had close contact with someone who tested positive to seven days due to staffing shortages and disruptions in some industries. (Thomson Reuters Foundation) Spain reports for the first time more than 100,000 cases of COVID-19 in one day. (El Periódico) COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom reports a record for the second consecutive day of 183,037 new cases of COVID-19. (The Independent) COVID-19 pandemic in Oceania COVID-19 pandemic in Australia Australia reports a record for the ninth consecutive day of 18,243 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 341,437. Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania all report record numbers of new cases. (COVID-LIVE) (ABC News Australia) COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand New Zealand reports its first community exposure of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a fully-vaccinated man who travelled from the United Kingdom to Auckland on December 16. (Stuff) COVID-19 pandemic in Africa COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia The Tunisian Health Ministry authorizes the use of the Russian Sputnik Light vaccine as a booster dose. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Zambia Zambia reports a record 5,255 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 243,638. (Anadolu Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina Argentina surpasses 5.5 million cases of COVID-19 after reporting a record 42,032 new cases in the past 24 hours. (Ámbito) COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, COVID-19 vaccination in Mexico The Mexican health regulatory authority COFEPRIS approves the emergency use of the Cuban-made Abdala COVID-19 vaccine. (Le Jornada) International relations Belarus–Russia relations Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announce that Belarus and Russia will hold war games early next year. (The Washington Post) A Russian law requiring foreign travellers and migrant workers to undergo mandatory medical checks, including blood tests and X-rays, and submit fingerprints and biometric data enters into force. (DW) Law and crime Hong Kong national security law Pro-democracy digital media website Stand News shuts down in Hong Kong as police raids its offices and arrest senior executives. The senior executives are later charged with sedition in the latest crackdown related to the national security law. The Hong Kong government says that the news site's assets have been frozen and that more arrests could occur. (Forbes) British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, is found guilty of sex trafficking by a court in New York City. (ABC News) Science and technology A team of Greek divers led by Kostas Thoctarides announce the discovery of the wreck of the Italian submarine Jantina south of Mykonos in the Aegean Sea. The submarine was sunk on July 5, 1941, after being torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Torbay. (Reuters)

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Ghislaine Maxwell

Article: Ghislaine Maxwell (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ Jeffrey Epstein's former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell is found guilty in a U.S. federal sex trafficking trial on 5 of 6 charges. (Post)
Alternative blurb: ​ Jury reaches guilty verdict in sex trafficking trial of former Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Alternative blurb II: ​ Jeffrey Epstein's former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell is found guilty in sex trafficking trial
News source(s): Reuters, The Guardian, ABC7 Chicago, The Hill, The Independent
Credits:

• Nominated by Mooonswimmer (talk · give credit)
• Created by Cj1340 (talk · give credit)

Nominator's comments: Highly publicized case involving a number of high profile American politicians and international individuals. Mooonswimmer 22:27, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support -- definitely ITN. Also, fixed up blurb. -- Rockstone^{Send me a message!} 23:06, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support major trial with lots of publicity. I imagine a lot of users are going to be coming to Wikipedia over the next week looking for information on her charges and what they mean, as well. --PlasmaTwa2 23:26, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

Stand News

Articles: Stand News (talk · history · tag) and Stand News raids and arrests (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ Stand News closes down after its staff are arrested by the HK Police for sedition. (Post)
Alternative blurb: ​ Stand News closes down after its staff are arrested by the HK Police for sedition.
News source(s): BBC; NYT
Credits:

• Nominated by Andrew Davidson (talk · give credit)
• Created by Ara11183 (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Ohconfucius (talk · give credit) and EastThermopolis (talk · give credit)

Article updated

Nominator's comments: This is rather like the Memorial item below; yet more authoritarian suppression... Andrew🐉(talk) 20:31, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Comment - I have linked to the article for the actual police raid instead, which I have copyedited. Yeeno (talk) 🍁 21:33, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

Thanks for the suggestion. I have shown this as an alt blurb for clarity and choice. Andrew🐉(talk) 21:40, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support -- definitely ITN and indicative of the deteriorating situation in Hong Kong -- Rockstone^{Send me a message!} 23:08, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

December 28

Portal:Current events/2021 December 28

December 28, 2021 (2021-12-28) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war Syrian state media reports that Israel has bombed the Port of Latakia. If this is confirmed by the IDF, it would be the second airstrike on the facility this month. Secondary explosions are believed to be from Iranian munitions stored at the facility. (The Times of Israel) Massive damage at the port is reported from the air raid with most of the port on fire, although there are no immediate reports of casualties from the attack. Videos on social media show multiple large explosions and anti-aircraft fire over the city. A hospital, shops, and some residential buildings were also badly damaged. (Al Jazeera) Disasters and accidents At least 38 people are killed in the collapse of a private gold mine in En Nahud, Sudan. (Al Jazeera) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in India COVID-19 pandemic in Delhi Delhi enters Level 1 "Yellow alert" which closes cinemas, schools, colleges, and gyms, imposes a nighttime curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and restricts the capacity of public transport, restaurants, funerals and weddings, due to an increase in the number of Omicron variant cases. (The Times of India) COVID-19 vaccination in India, COVID-19 drug development The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issues emergency use authorizations for the Covovax vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and the Corbevax vaccine. The ministry also issues an emergency use authorization for Merck & Co.'s anti-viral drug Molnupiravir. (The Hindu) COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, COVID-19 vaccination in Bangladesh Bangladesh begins administering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 60 and frontline workers who have been fully vaccinated more than six months ago as the country attempts to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Bdnews24.com) COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China China issues stay-at home orders for hundreds of thousands of people in Yan'an due to the spread of COVID-19 cases, which also resulted in a lockdown in Xi'an, the country's largest lockdown since last year. (France 24) COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam Vietnam reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a person who travelled from the United Kingdom on December 19. (VnExpress International) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus Cyprus reports a record for the second consecutive day of 2,241 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 154,926. (Financial Mirror) COVID-19 pandemic in France France reports a record 179,807 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Radio France Internationale) COVID-19 pandemic in Greece Greece reports a record for the second consecutive day of 21,657 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,105,885. (Kathimerini) COVID-19 pandemic in Italy Italy reports a record 78,313 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal Portugal reports a record 17,172 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,303,291. (The Portugal News) COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom reports a record 138,831 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Guardian) COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario Ontario reports 8,825 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases since March 2020 to 715,405. (CFTO-DT) COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in California California becomes the first U.S. state and the world's first subnational entity to surpass five million cases of COVID-19. (ABC News) The United States reports a record 512,553 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Deadline Hollywood) The seven day average of child hospitalizations reaches a record level, with 378 children under 18 admitted each day. (ABC) COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa South Africa postpones a plan to end COVID-19 contact tracing and suspend some quarantine measures in order to consider additional comments about the policy after the government received many inquiries about the plan. (Bloomberg News) Law and crime Russian police arrest two allies of opposition politician and activist Alexei Navalny, Kseniya Fadeyeva and Zakhar Sarapulov, under extremism charges. Leonid Volkov, another ally of Navalny, had tried to persuade Fadeyeva and Sarapulov to leave Russia as he and others have done, but they refused. (Barron's) The Supreme Court of Russia orders the liquidation of human rights group Memorial for violating the Russian foreign agent law. (BBC News) Politics and elections Social Democratic Union of Macedonia leader Dimitar Kovačevski is confirmed as North Macedonia's Prime Minister-designate following the resignation of Zoran Zaev. (Reuters)

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(Needs attention) Memorial (society)

Proposed image

Article: Memorial (society) (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ The Supreme Court of Russia orders the closure of Memorial, Russia's oldest and most influential human rights group, for alleged violations of the country's foreign agent law. (Post)
Alternative blurb: ​ The Supreme Court of Russia orders the closure of Memorial, Russia's oldest human rights group, for failing to mark social media posts with its official status as a "foreign agent".
Alternative blurb II: ​ The Supreme Court of Russia orders the closure of Memorial, Russia's oldest human rights group, for violations of the country's foreign agent law. Its sister organisation, the Memorial Human Rights Center, was ordered shut in a separate court case the following day.
News source(s): CNN, The Guardian, BBC, DW, FT, Reuters, Politico, France24 etc.
Credits:

• Nominated by Jr8825 (talk · give credit)
• Created by Altenmann (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Mx. Granger (talk · give credit)

Nominator's comments: Memorial was synonymous with Russian civil society. It was one of the earliest civil organisations to emerge during Perestroika in the 1980s Soviet Union, and was undoubtedly the most influential. It educated Russians about Soviet-era gulag, but just as importantly documented modern rights abuses, such as violence in Chechnya against journalists covering the repression of gay people. Its closure marks a significant moment in Russia's descent to authoritarianism. This is reflected in the tone of coverage in RS news media, which use language such as "watershed moment". The article is partially updated, but could do with additional details about the court case and the closure of the sister organisation in a separate court case today, per the CNN article. Jr8825 • Talk 11:55, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support - The blurb must be politically neutral, but nevertheless a pretty important moment. (PenangLion (talk) 12:01, 29 December 2021 (UTC))

  @PenangLion: I believe it currently is? The only subjective label is "most influential", which I don't think is particularly controversial (and is supported by the weight of sourcing). I don't object to removing "most influential", though; my rationale was that "oldest" doesn't convey how significant its role is within Russian civil society, but it's not essential. Do you have any particular suggestions for the wording? Cheers, Jr8825 • Talk 12:04, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

It's definitely one of the most influential, but the part needs to be sourced, that's all. The blurb is perfectly fine beyond that. Peace out. (PenangLion (talk) 12:51, 29 December 2021 (UTC))

• Support. Significant for Russia and widely covered internationally. The alt blurbs are too wordy, but the original blurb is basically OK. Nsk92 (talk) 12:21, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Conditional support, has been operational for 32 years. Someone, however, has tagged the article for copyediting, full suport once the tag is resolved one way or the other. Brandmeister^talk 13:01, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  @Brandmeister: I'm not familiar with ITN processes, but is it always necessary to resolve all article cleanup tags? I added the copy edit tag as I listed it at the guild for a read over, and I think it's helpful for the tag to remain until that's done (which will likely take some time). I spent this afternoon whipping the article into better shape and copy editing egregious issues with grammar and content, but it could still do with a thorough review of the English as some sections look like they were translated from Russian. The article is still in much better shape than it was. Jr8825 • Talk 17:43, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  Revisiting Wikipedia:In_the_news#Article_quality, it says: Articles should be well written with clear prose. But since some copyediting has been done, I will not nitpick, appearance on the main page will bring more (copy)editors. Brandmeister^talk 18:17, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support ... in principle, pending edit. Seven prime RS sites on Wed. list this ham-fisted blow for further govt. autocracy as their lead article. Once again, the Russian state owns history, too. Спасибо, товарищ! Favor succinct first blurb. Suggest use of "Мемориал" logo. – Sca (talk) 13:33, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support Once the article is fixed up. This is gaining global coverage. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 13:37, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose I agree that there's global coverage of the story and sharp criticism of the order, but it seems like the right time to post this was when the foreign agent law came into force in 2012. Russia-based NGOs are literally unable to receive funding from abroad as a result of the law and those with international connections have been under continuous supervision by the government, so the closure of a human rights organisation, even the oldest and most notable one, is a logical consequence of what has been happening in the recent years. This might have been a notable story had it happened in a country with liberal laws on the NGO sector, but that's clearly not the case here. However, we should pay attention to the development of the story because it may get important if it results in international sanctions against Russia.--Kiril Simeonovski (talk) 14:58, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
  • Oh, please. The story is about the ban of Memorial, which happened this week, not in 2012. Nsk92 (talk) 15:07, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
  • My view is that even if this move was expected, perhaps inevitable given Russia's trajectory, Memorial's status and influence makes it a historic (and grim) milestone anyway. Jr8825 • Talk 15:07, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
    • Memorial had been an organization with considerable global stature and influence, and rather iconic and venerable stature in Russia itself, which is why this move was not inevitable and is somewhat unexpected even given Russia's continued slide into totalitarianism. Nsk92 (talk) 15:14, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
      • Memorial was established to herald the democratic transition from a repressive socialist society to a liberal democratic one. Given the historical developments in the country over the past three decades, the organisation clearly failed on its mission. That being said, its "iconic and venerable stature in Russia" probably applies to a very limited group of people with no impact in the Russian society. And this story is a big farce. However loud the international reactions are, there's unwillingness to take anything concrete in order to counter it. That's why this should be taken seriously only in case international sanctions are imposed against Russia as a result or, at least, if an international court rules against the order made by the Supreme Court of Russia.--Kiril Simeonovski (talk) 15:38, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
        • Memorial has been an organization with an iconic and venerable status in Russia, and it has had major impact on Russian society over decades. Requiring that there be international sanctions on Russia before we post a story of this importance to ITN is complete and utter arbitrary nonsense. Nsk92 (talk) 15:52, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
        • RS say Memorial is (in similar words) iconic and venerable; for example, look at the tone of the Financial Times' coverage. It's what the sources say which matters (not editors' personal views/cynicism on the matter). Jr8825 • Talk 16:38, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment – Copy-edited the first 1,000 words (down to 'Mission and activities'), rather extensively in places. Alas, that's less than a quarter of the rather bloated text. Any other volunteers? I'd very much like to see other eds take a crack at cleaning it up and boiling it down. – Sca (talk) 15:56, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

PS: Kiril Simeonovski, Nsk92: Please note that editing of this important article is in progress. – Sca (talk) 16:08, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• @Sca: I've done some heavy copy editing of the entire article, including the sections after "Mission and activities". I've also requested a guild copy edit to improve the standard of English, although this will likely happen after any potential ITN listing. Overall though, I think the article's now in a reasonably presentable state. Jr8825 • Talk 17:34, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support Obviously support. Also, this vote is so clearly being brigaded by ruSSian bots. Like holy shit, how can you people not see this?! Daikido (talk) 17:46, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  @Daikido: you may want to reconsider/strike-through your comment. Calling a long-standing editor you disagree with a bot/troll may violate WP:NPA. Jr8825 • Talk 17:51, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Comment – Perhaps an admin could convey semi-protected status to the article? – Sca (talk) 18:17, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Weak Oppose Solely on article quality. There are a number of unsourced claims. Once corrected I favor blurb I. Keep it short and to the point. -Ad Orientem (talk) 18:24, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
  • Support Looks good enough for posting. Well done to all those who worked on it. -Ad Orientem (talk) 23:10, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  The offending unsourced sentences have now been removed by another editor. Jr8825 • Talk 22:05, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Comment – Jr8825: Wow, a huge improvement. Thanks for your quick work. At 4,200 words, the article has been pared considerably, although arguably it's still a bit long – but acceptable for such a complex topic. Спасибо. – Sca (talk) 18:38, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  @Sca: I noticed you adjusted the blurb to "alleged violations of the country's foreign agent law". I'm not sure whether these violations should be described as "alleged" – it seems as though Memorial may well have failed to comply with the restrictions placed upon it, regardless of how unjust they are. Is it appropriate to act as though the Supreme Court's ruling isn't authoritative, even if it may have been politically influenced? Particularly as Memorial's defence appears to have been along the lines of "yes, we failed to do some administrative formalities correctly, but our group is a massive net positive for the nation". Jr8825 • Talk 21:58, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support It's in the news and the article is getting lots of attention. Andrew🐉(talk) 21:19, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Harry Reid

Article: Harry Reid (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): Politico, AP, Guardian
Credits:

• Updated and nominated by Muboshgu (talk · give credit)
• Updated by 力 (talk · give credit) and Sunshineisles2 (talk · give credit)

Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

 – Muboshgu (talk) 01:30, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Strong support considering I made the same nomination while this one was being posted. jonas (talk) 01:33, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support Not a fan of that controversy section, but good enough to post. GreatCaesarsGhost 01:40, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support -- and maybe consider a potential blurb. -- Rockstone^{Send me a message!} 01:41, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support article is in decent enough shape, Reid was certainly quite significant. Not sure if we should do a blurb here, he was a politician of national importance, but perhaps not quite the level we'd look for (if we generally only blurb heads of state). Elli (talk | contribs) 01:44, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support article is in fair shape and whatever's not looks to be an easy fix. I think the contents of the criticism section could be worked into career/political positions/etc if there's a POV problem there. I would oppose a blurb at this stage: as far as political leaders/elected officials go, I think we have a good, informal threshold of head of state and/or government and don't see a real need for an exception here.--Sunshineisles2 (talk) 01:54, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment: The orange {{Criticism}} tag needs to be addressed and removed before this nom can proceed. --PFHLai (talk) 02:16, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support considering the article is in good shape, with nothing that needs major renevations. Maybe consider a blurb as well. Fakescientist8000 (talk) 02:36, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support also not a fan of the "criticism" section, but the rest of the article is in very good shape. (The subpage Political positions of Harry Reid is mediocre.) Most of the content in "criticism" should stay in the article somewhere. Does not quite reach the threshold for a blurb. User:力 (powera, π, ν) 02:38, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
  • Comment Criticism top-level section (and the associated tag) is now gone, and the content has (mostly) been moved within the article. Not perfect yet but certainly better. Feel free to edit further - you will not edit conflict with me. User:力 (powera, π, ν) 02:54, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support He was clearly impactful enough in US politics for an RD. However, I would oppose blurb as I don't believe he had that level of direct impact on the world. Psfiseditingwp (talk) 02:53, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support RD now that the "Criticism" section is gone. Not transformative enough for a blurb, in my opinion. Kafoxe (talk) 03:11, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support RD as straightforward. Oppose blurb as not significant enough within the context of world politics. feminist (talk) 04:51, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support RD Article looks good. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 07:14, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted—Bagumba (talk) 08:41, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Post-posting comment Cn tags must be fixed. _-_Alsoriano97 (talk) 11:01, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

RD/Blurb: John Madden

Article: John Madden (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination
Blurb:  Former American football coach and broadcaster John Madden dies at the age of 85. (Post)
News source(s): Yahoo Sports, NYT
Credits:

• Nominated by Muboshgu (talk · give credit)

Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

 – Muboshgu (talk) 00:25, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Strong support What a legend. Maybe blurb? KingOfAllThings ^{(thou shalt chatter!)} 00:26, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment the article needs some work, but there's too many edit conflicts to do that for at least an hour. It should be cleaned up fairly easily, though. I'm currently neutral on a blurb - it certainly should be discussed (he was "transformative" to both "sports broadcasting" and "sports video games"). User:力 (powera, π, ν) 00:31, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  It shouldn't take too long to get to main page standards, but yeah we're gonna need to wait for the rush of editing to slow down. – Muboshgu (talk) 00:34, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Strong support Definitely should be mentioned, the man was an integral member of the NFL and of the world of American football and sports in general. May he rest in peace. xdude (talk) 00:37, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose Largely unsourced.—Bagumba (talk) 00:45, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
  • Comment as stated above, this can be fixed. Royal Autumn Crest (talk) 01:02, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support with caveat - Even I know how this is and students made fun of me for not knowing Aaron Rodgers. Article does need work. Personal life section is mostly unsourced. Currently 61 sources in the article though. With some clean up I would say it's adequate for blurb. EvergreenFir (talk) 00:48, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Strong oppose blurb Not more notable than other coaches (he won one title and no tactical/strategy innovations disclosed); nothing special about being a commentator (if this is a large enough field) and his voice/catchphrases were used in a sports video game. Again very, very obscure Bumbubookworm (talk) 00:59, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
  • The billions of dollars his namesake video game series have made over the decades proves that calling him "obscure" is ludicrous. And the fact that he was the definitive game analyst voice for NFL football broadcasting for decades as well (the whole reason his endorsement for the games was sought in the first place) only reinforces that. Does he rise to a blurb? I'm not sure I'd put him on the same level as Desmond Tutu, but I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand. oknazevad (talk) 01:04, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

"Obscure" is laughable. What you meant to say was "well, I never heard of him." --Bongwarrior (talk) 01:06, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• In what universe is he "very, very obscure"? He's as obscure as Desmond Tutu was (I didn't know who he was until he died -- still not an excuse not to blurb him). There is an entire video game franchise named after him. -- Rockstone^{Send me a message!} 01:36, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Strong support Significant figure in American football, video games, sports broadcasting. Royal Autumn Crest (talk) 01:02, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

'Strong support' = support. – Sca (talk) 13:45, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support Blurb Neither holding the highest winning percentage by a coach in modern history nor being the #1 commentator for several decades would quite clear the blurb bar, but being both certainly does. I don't think the video game adds anything to his qualification, but it does certainly reflects his place in the game. GreatCaesarsGhost 01:16, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose on quality (lack of sources). Oppose blurb as while a household name in regards to American football, he wasn't top of the field for all purposes nor does the article articulate any greatness. There are absolutely great sports coaches out there that would qualify or would have qualified if we did blurbs (eg Vince Lombardi). --Masem (t) 01:21, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  To a non-fan, it seems Bill Belichick is the Margaret Thatcher of this bubble, with six championships. InedibleHulk (talk) 07:07, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support Blurb for above mentioned reasons. DrewieStewie (talk) 01:25, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support Blurb One of the top coaches in NFL History and a legend of the game. Rest In Peace. ArsenalGhanaPartey (talk) 01:34, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support Blurb -- well known household name. -- Rockstone^{Send me a message!} 01:35, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose blurb - we should make the blurb threshold higher, not lower. Harry Reid was probably more impactful. - Indefensible (talk) 01:39, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support posting, weakly support blurb. I'm not an ardent follower of the NFL but I knew who John Madden was, he certainly was one of the most well-known NFL-related people. I think a blurb is warranted here but I can see the argument against it too. Elli (talk | contribs) 01:42, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• No Blurb Old man dies, end of story. His name alone has promotional value. It sells games and it can as easily advertise his updated article (with picture inside). InedibleHulk (talk) 01:44, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

It was stated that his death was highly unexpected. KingOfAllThings ^{(thou shalt chatter!)} 19:45, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support Blurb, one of the most well-known figures in American football history. BeanieFan11 (talk) 01:52, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose on quality, still lots of uncited material. Oppose blurb, he was it seems very famous among fans of one sport, but he doesn't seem to have achieved overly much even in that one narrow field. Unlike Desmond Tutu who was strongly impactful for his country and in the wider world. Thryduulf (talk) 02:42, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support RD: It seems like a lot of the arguments for/against blurb are more personal rather than focusing on the overarching objective of the blurb. I lean oppose blurb on the basis that the article doesn't really impress upon me the notion that he quite reached that level of notability. But regardless of the ultimate decision, I think his name being franchised onto video games is certainly no justification for blurbing. Psfiseditingwp (talk) 02:47, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Delay blurb this is one of those topics where we should really wait for the non-US editors to comment. Regarding quality - there are still a few issues, I may do a {{cn}} tag run. User:力 (powera, π, ν) 03:10, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
  • 4 {{cn}} tags added. I tagged 3 places that I am skeptical of the accuracy, and one which is a direct quote. There are other sentences without inline sourcing, but they are mostly dull facts easily sourced to a sports results directory. User:力 (powera, π, ν) 03:16, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support RD, I initially considered a blurb as he was certainly at the top of his field, but I agree with the notion that the threshold should be higher. Kafoxe (talk) 03:11, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support RD, oppose blurb: it would be overly US-centric to blurb this. Of the Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, (American) football is probably the one with the smallest global cultural impact.  Bait30  ^{Talk 2 me pls?} 04:04, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• That's a terrible argument. Don't oppose blurbs just because the event relates to a single country. See Rule #2 -- Rockstone^{Send me a message!} 05:06, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Strong support blurb Household name 5.44.170.26 (talk) 06:00, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support blurb, when article ready Even as a non-football fan, I think John Madden transcended the sport in popular awareness. Wizardoftheyear (talk) 06:08, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment - recognizability or being a "household name" is not a criteria for posting a blurb, in the Internet era and particularly with social media there are increasingly going to be tons of people who go viral or are well-known but should not qualify for a blurb. - Indefensible (talk) 06:28, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support blurb Top of his field. The article is looking pretty good. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 07:13, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  As a coach, Bill Belichick has six times his Super Bowl rings. As a sportscaster, Bob Costas has seven more Sports Emmys. As a video game mascot, he might lead the non-cartoon division. InedibleHulk (talk) 07:37, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  But neither Belichick or Costas are at the top of two fields. 331dot (talk) 07:41, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  Neither is Madden. He's tied for distant second in one and above average in another. List of best-selling video game franchises indeed has him edging out the Star Wars stars. InedibleHulk (talk) 07:47, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  Sounds like the top of two fields to me(leaving aside his name recognition among millions of video gamers), but I appreciate hearing your opinion. 331dot (talk) 08:08, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  The NFL website currently has a story with the headline "John Madden's unparalleled impact on NFL influenced generations of football fans". The NFL commissioner said "He was football." 331dot (talk) 08:12, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  Yeah, eulogies are like that. WWE put Corporal Kirchner over hard recently, too. The top is quite objectively quantifiable. But thank you. Nice to feel appreciated, even backhandedly. InedibleHulk (talk) 08:19, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  No backhand intended. ITNC does not function without people giving their opinions. I do appreciate it. 331dot (talk) 08:21, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  Intended or not, superiority is a measurable fact in sports, not an opinion. InedibleHulk (talk) 08:24, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  In my opinion, though, I think the commissioner meant that in a "Nobody loved football more than Coach" way, not like how Triple H is "The Game". InedibleHulk (talk) 08:42, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Comment To butt in with this detail. Madden's name was plastered on the Madden NFL video game franchise which has sold 250 million copies and made $4 billion. If his role in American football is too American-centric then maybe his role in the video game industry would warrant a blurb? I first heard of Madden through the video games and didn't learn of his actual career until I was a teenager. Jon698 (talk) 09:29, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  Where'd you read 250 million? Its article could use a source like that. InedibleHulk (talk) 09:57, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  @InedibleHulk: It seems that the 250 million sales figure is not fully verified, but a sales figure of 130 million is according to EA themselves. That is still a massive amount which is more than the sales figures of The Legend of Zelda, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Halo, Mortal Kombat, Super Smash Bros., and other video game franchises. For some reason the article kept the 250 million sales figure despite it being dispute and I replaced it with the verified sales figure. Jon698 (talk) 10:17, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  Cool. A lot, anyway. Definitely his likeliest angle. InedibleHulk (talk) 10:26, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  I wasn't sure of the best way to work his video game aspect into the blurb, so I didn't attempt to, but others may. 331dot (talk) 10:30, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Oppose blurb yet another case of centrism. He could have been the top in his field, but in American football, a sport that beyond the borders of that country has little interest and/or popular relevance. _-_Alsoriano97 (talk) 10:00, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

"Please do not oppose an item because the event is only relating to a single country, or failing to relate to one. This applies to a high percentage of the content we post and is unproductive." It's also not true as the NFL now regularly plays a game in London and other international locations. The hundreds of millions of video games sold are also not just in the US. 331dot (talk) 10:23, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Oppose blurb A blurb for a sports coach and commentator? Just what exactly is the limit to the concept of someone being important in a particular field? If someone was transformative in the field of the study of birds with blue feathers, would they be blurb-worthy? Chrisclear (talk) 10:41, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose blurb I sincerely hope the suggested blurb is a big joke. There's absolutely nothing which sets him apart from many other coaches in the sport, and he died more than 40 years after ending his coaching career. Merely a mediocre coach as per this list with no acclamation as one of the greatest by anyone. So far, the only living coach who deserves a blurb in this sport is Bill Belichick.--Kiril Simeonovski (talk) 10:42, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

As the writer, I can say it is not a joke. The NFL Commissioner said "he is football", and Madden did groundbreaking work in sportscasting. 331dot (talk) 10:47, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

"He was football." Again, that's about it consuming him. We all know a guy who "eats, sleeps and breathes" his job. Anyway, thanks for taking responsibility. Looked like Muboshgu's doing to me! InedibleHulk (talk) 11:08, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

This guy won 1 title, 13 other coaches won at least 2 titles. If every coach who wins a single major club title/world/Olympic championship gets blurbed then we would probably have 50-100 coach blurbs a year. Nothing in the article indicates any tactical/strategic innovations that he made. Nowhere near the top of a niche sport. Nothing in his commentary career indicates critical acclaim or insight. Being paid a lot doesn't equate to impact or insight. List_of_best-selling_video_game_franchises shows that the videogame that he was the brand ambassador for is ranked #17 in total sales, and since when was being the mascot/front cover face a "field"/"endeavour" and is it possible to "transform" how to look pretty on the front cover. I know that Wikipedia is full of young white males, and I know that many WPians lie about their educational qualifications like Essjay and probably have trouble rearranging a linear equation, but are we going to blurb models/pornstars ranked #17 in front-cover appearances [chuckle, chuckle] ?? This empty rhetoric about "top of his field" is nothing more than fake news and alternative facts Bumbubookworm (talk) 11:25, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

This comment is ludicrous. There are thousands and thousands and thousands of video game franchises, and you're saying that #17 isn't the top of the field? Mlb96 (talk) 13:09, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

Video/computer games have only been around for 40 years. The game is only ranked 17th and the top one has 6 times as many sales. Modern professional sport has been around for about 120 years. We would never blurb the 50th ranked player in terms of titles etc. Furthermore, he isn't the main component of the games, he's a supporting component. We would never blurb the marketing manager/agent/personal assistant/adviser of the 20th ranked musical band or the like. Wikipedia:In_the_news/Candidates/May_2019#(Posted_to_RD)_RD:_Murray_Gell-Mann invented a new field of physics (a larger field than an icon in a game) and people brushed it off incorrectly as an "old man dies" and here we have guy in a narrower field with no technical improvements disclosed and a bunch of fan supports. Bumbubookworm (talk) 17:02, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Oppose on quality, and oppose blurb. Not transformative, as pointed out by multiple editors, and practically unknown outside the US except as a name on a video game. Black Kite (talk) 11:29, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support RD only If we were to get significant global reaction to his death, then a blurb could be warranted, but as it stands, it doesn't seems probable, even though his impact within NFL circles is incalculable. rawmustard (talk) 11:47, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support RD only No more, just support. Too much impact, too much to count. (PenangLion (talk) 11:56, 29 December 2021 (UTC))
• More of a comment than a !vote (although I'm leaning towards an RD appearance only, mainly because Madden was probably only known outside of North America as the namesake of the game series rather than his American football career) but I was wondering if the supports here would support a blurb for a death of a famous and iconic association football manager, someone like Alex Ferguson or people of his stature, for similar reasons to their support for Madden getting a blurb. Narutolovehinata5 (talk · contributions) 12:38, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
  • ITN is a Commonwealth news ticker, so any semi-famous Brit will get blurbed regardless of Americans' protestations. The people who accuse ITN of being US-centric are delusional; if anything, it's UK-centric. Mlb96 (talk) 13:03, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
    • Indeed; Alex Ferguson will get blurbed, even if the Americans object (which they won't). Aside, while bias is real, life on Earth is very much impacted by America & English culture, so it's reasonable that they might show up more often than other countries. GreatCaesarsGhost 13:18, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
  • Yeah, that's a pretty terrible comparison though, because Ferguson is by far the most successful manager in the English game ever - he won 13 titles (the next highest is six). Apart from the video game thing, the equivalent here is someone like Howard Wilkinson or Howard Kendall. Yes, Ferguson would get a blurb, but I'm struggling to think of another one who would. Black Kite (talk) 13:30, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• RD only – A big sports name, but not generally significant beyond U.S. football. – Sca (talk) 13:41, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment - Some of the opposition here seems based on a strawman argument. He wasn't the top coach in the NFL. But he was at the top of his field as a commentator for many years. And, while people outside the USA are commenting that football has less impact than other sports, it is important to point out that NFL games have higher TV ratings in the USA than any of the other major sports. He is also the face of one of the most successful video game franchises of all time, topping other major contenders like The Legend of Zelda. Those are the big arguments, not the coaching career, which is more like the icing on the cake. If anything, the fact that you could describe his career and then add "Oh yeah, and he also won the Super Bowl" is quite telling. I would support a blurb if it included the video game aspect. GaryColemanFan (talk) 13:52, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

I'm not so sure about this. I can imagine that someone who is synonymous with video games, someone like Shigeru Miyamoto, may get a blurb if they die, but others probably would only get an RD mention at most. Outside the US he was probably better known for being the namesake of the Madden series than his coaching career, and I imagine many people didn't even know he was a coach. Being a mascot by itself doesn't really seem worth giving a blurb in my opinion. I don't want to invoke WP:OSE here, but if some American personalities like Barbara Bush or Nancy Reagan only got RD mentions despite arguably being more well-known internationally, I find it hard to justify Madden getting a blurb. And yes, I know that being country-centric is by itself not supposed to be an argument here, but if as mentioned above, it would sound ridiculous if every major coach in every major sport in every country got a blurb when they died. Would people here support a blurb about a famous English football manager or Japanese baseball coach if they were iconic in their home countries? Narutolovehinata5 (talk · contributions) 14:24, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

You're getting hung up on the coaching again. Nobody is arguing for a blurb based on his coaching career. That's the strawman argument I mentioned above. I said he was a commentator and face/voice/name of a video game franchise. GaryColemanFan (talk) 14:46, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

So in which case, would supporters here support a blurb for Marv Albert or Hideo Kojima if they died? In addition, "nobody is arguing for a blurb based on his coaching career" is inaccurate as some of the earlier supports indeed cited his American football career as the reason for their support, not simply because of Madden the game series. Narutolovehinata5 (talk · contributions) 15:05, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

Coaching in American football is perhaps the most promising field to justify his notability for a blurb but he clearly fails. If we put coaching aside, sports broadcasting and voice acting in video games are only secondary sub-fields of television and the video game industry in the same way as hairdressing is a secondary sub-field of fashion. We can define hundreds of similar sub-fields and easily identify thousands of people like him. That's not what we're supposed to do for a death blurb.--Kiril Simeonovski (talk) 15:17, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Oppose blurb A major figure in the NFL, yes. Possibly "top of his field" as a commentator. But to me is not one of the rare cases where we make an exception to putting the death of an 85-year-old man in the Recent Deaths section.-- Pawnkingthree (talk) 14:13, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support RD only Accomplished on many fronts across three generations (NFL/sports commentator/video game). CoatCheck (talk) 16:23, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment - (Responding to the comparisons between John Madden and Alex Ferguson) Oh come on, comparing Alex Ferguson with John Madden by all aspects shouldn't even be a thing. John Madden is a good manager for his own field, but Alex Ferguson is one of the most coveted managers in, I don' know, 175 years of world football? He has more trophies than any other manager in history. Do I need to repeat the word? History. Adding an RD for one of the greatest of his field, a field that is popular and is followed among billions over the world, is definitely a necessity. John Madden is a great guy, but ask somebody outside the States, ask them who John Madden is, most of them won't even know who the hell that guy is. Maybe a few would point to that guy as the "guy who appeared in rugby games" (sorry). Ask who's Alex Ferguson on the other hand, you'll get a lot of responses, outside the States, in Australia, in Thailand, in Burkina Faso, or even in France. This is what will happen when you have one sport being popular in over 150-countries, and the other sport being popular in only 5 (or one perhaps). Trying to push a blurb for John Madden or even Alex Ferguson isn't going to help the Blurbs (Alex Ferguson might be a bare pass for the Blurb). If Madden is the bar set for the Blurb, for being a typical good manager, and a name that has resonated in video games, then I'll lose faith in it, because it is equivalent of making Charles Martinet's death into the Blurb because he voiced Mario, that famous guy. He's worth for RD, then RD-only it is. No more arbitrary arguments on statuses. It doesn't benefit anyone. (PenangLion (talk) 16:47, 29 December 2021 (UTC))
  • I don't think no one's making an argument to blurb Madden solely out of coaching merit. Howard the Duck (talk) 16:56, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

It's just a response to the comparison earlier. Again, he's worth for RD, but not enough for his own blurb. (PenangLion (talk) 16:58, 29 December 2021 (UTC))

Yes, but you are responding to a strawman nobody really argued for. I don't even think 90% of the people who played the game named after him knew that he won a Super Bowl. Howard the Duck (talk) 17:01, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Comment there is a consensus for RD, but there are still two CN tags. Please fix them so we can post. --Tone 17:47, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose blurb - Good lord, we can't even get the bloody Ashes posted in a timely manner, and yet we're talking about how this American football coach deserves a blurb? I think the bar needs to be especially high for that field, and John Madden does not meet it. Bill Belichick is the only name I can think of who would.--WaltCip-(talk) 17:49, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose blurb, Support RD Not at the same kind of Mandela level prominence one would expect for a blurb, but a perfectly fine RD. Hemiauchenia (talk) 19:19, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose blub not really close to blurb level. Of course support RD if/when article is of sufficient quality. Rhino131 (talk) 19:24, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment: clearly there is not consensus for a blurb (sadly). There is consensus for RD. Can someone add him there? As an aside, I do think that ITN is way too Commonwealth centric. Way too much stuff about soccer. --Rockstone^{Send me a message!} 19:34, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment Some of y'all's arguments are ridiculous. First of all, I totally agree with Rockstone35, ITN is very much Commonwealth biased and centric. Top of his field = deserves a blurb. A legend to many people = deserves a blurb. This is big news, y'all. Even the NFL itself said that John Madden died unexpectedly and here we are saying it was. He deserves a blurb! KingOfAllThings ^{(thou shalt chatter!)} 19:49, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  "Top of his field" and "legend to many people" is not a valid reason to get a blurb, there are innumerable fields beyond counting in reality. We are not going to blurb the greatest teacher of basket weaving, the champion of brick making, etc. - Indefensible (talk) 19:56, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  The problem with that is that he wasn't top of his field, he was a slightly better than average coach, an unremarkable broadcaster and an unremarkable video game voice actor (the game's success, and #17 is not top of the field, did not result in any awards or similar for his role). Being "a legend to many people" is not and should not be a relevant consideration for a blurb. Even if ITN posts too much soccer (which I see no actual evidence of) that doesn't mean we need to blurb a run-of-the-mill "old man dies of old age" story as some sort of false balance. Thryduulf (talk) 20:03, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  His role in video games is not that of "an unremarkable video game voice actor". It doesn't matter whether he won any awards - he was bigger than the entire video games awards system at the time. That is what makes him a transformational figure in "sports simulation video games". User:力 (powera, π, ν) 20:38, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  But how important are "sports simulation video games"? In a community like Wikipedia, that category is probably going to be favorably biased due to demographics. - Indefensible (talk) 20:45, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  I've already said I'm neutral on a blurb. User:力 (powera, π, ν) 20:51, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

To the comments above claiming ITNC has a Commonwealth bias or soccer bias, let's put it into context. I don't know if it really has a Commonwealth bias, but a soccer/association football "bias" is not really unsurprising when you consider it's by far the world's most popular sport. Even the Super Bowl, the cream of the crop of the American games, pales in comparison to stuff like the World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, or arguably even the Premier League internationally. To be fair, it's not as if ITNC is adverse to featuring blurbs about deceased North American sports personalities. Kobe Bryant and Hank Aaron were both blurbs, and I imagine Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky will be too once their time comes. It's just that it's really debatable if Madden deserves a blurb given that he's arguably more famous for his game than his sports career, although as far as I can tell almost no one is actually opposed to him being featured on Recent deaths (apart from those opposed on article quality grounds; even most of the blurb opposes support an RD mention), it's just that people are split on if he deserves a blurb. If we're talking about American football, I imagine the only currently-living ones who may get a blurb in the future are Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. Finally, I don't want to invoke WP:OSE, but it should be noted that John McCain, a far more influential and famous person (the latter at least internationally) only got an RD mention when he died, and so have many similar American personalities. Madden may have been a legend among many American football fans regardless of his coaching success, but the question of that's enough to deserve a blurb is another one entirely. Narutolovehinata5 (talk · contributions) 22:05, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Oppose Blurb This really felt borderline here but I think Madden just falls short of notability. If this were US Wiki or Sports Wiki then I think he's an easy blurb candidate. I don't think his notability within the field can be questioned (the "he is football" comment I think holds), the issue simply is the impact of that field. I say it's close because of how impactful and big American Football is in spite of being a largely US sport, due to cultural relevance, economic impact, and impact on forms of media (see the Madden games in this case), but just a little short. DarkSide830 (talk) 22:42, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose Blurb Regionally notable individual without high profile in the rest of the Anglophone world. Melmann 23:07, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose blurb, strongly support RD I don't believe Madden was important enough of a figure - in any of the fields he was involved in - to warrant a blurb. Within American football, I can think of several other figures who are more important or successful, and I wouldn't even give them a blurb. However, he's certainly important enough to be on RD, and the fact he isn't by now is ridiculous. At least put in on there in the meantime if people continue to debate a blurb. --PlasmaTwa2 23:25, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: Hugo Maradona

Article: Hugo Maradona (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): SSC Napoli
Credits:

• Nominated by Count Iblis (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

 Count Iblis (talk) 18:59, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• A lot unreferenced, and two of the current references only mention him in passing. GreatCaesarsGhost 01:45, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: Grichka Bogdanoff

Article: Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): The Independent, Le Monde, Europe 1
Credits:

• Nominated by UserDude (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Gianluigi02 (talk · give credit), Jkaharper (talk · give credit) and Strattonsmith (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: One half of the Bogdanoff brothers, a pair of French celebrities and television presenters. userdude 17:07, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support Article is well-sourced. Mlb96 (talk) 01:17, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support The television career section could use expansion, but it doesn't prevent posting. Kafoxe (talk) 03:11, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support Article looks good to me. Tradedia^talk 11:24, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose This guy has far less reach than John Madden and John Madden doesn't seem to be notable enough, so this guy definitely isn't. Royal Autumn Crest (talk) 14:04, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

All recently deceased people with pages are notable for RD. There is a blurb discussion ongoing for Madden, and there is not one going on here. Your vote makes no sense. Kafoxe (talk) 15:05, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

The opposition against John Madden's inclusion is only limited for the Blurb, not RD. He is definitely eligible for RD. Don't spill the argument over here. (PenangLion (talk) 16:53, 29 December 2021 (UTC))

• Support Article is in good shape. Mooonswimmer 22:11, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: Caliadi

Article: Caliadi (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): CNN
Credits:

• Updated and nominated by Jeromi Mikhael (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Bureaucrat who worked in the ministry of religious affairs. Reached the highest possible office for Buddhists. Died a week after an unfair dismissal by the minister. Regards, Jeromi Mikhael 14:56, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support, a small article but seems sufficient. Kafoxe (talk) 03:11, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

(Ready) 2021–22 Ashes series

Article: 2021–22 Ashes series (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ In cricket, Australia retains The Ashes after winning the first three Tests against England. (Post)
Alternative blurb: ​ In cricket, England lose the The Ashes to Australia, after scoring 68, their lowest innings total on Australian soil since 1904.
Alternative blurb II: ​ In cricket, The Ashes are retained by Australia after winning the first three Tests against England.
News source(s): The Guardian, Reuters
Credits:

• Nominated by Bait30 (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Ktin (talk · give credit), Bait30 (talk · give credit) and Kingjezza (talk · give credit)

Article updated
The nominated event is listed on WP:ITN/R, so each occurrence is presumed to be important enough to post. Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article and update meet WP:ITNCRIT, not the significance.

Nominator's comments: Although there are two more Tests scheduled, WP:ITNSPORTS says "In terms of timing, events are generally posted as soon as a winner is determined."  Bait30  ^{Talk 2 me pls?} 03:29, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support - This a very dramatic result. The series has been won about as quickly as it possibly could have been. It's THE most important and oldest international cricket series. HiLo48 (talk) 06:29, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support Article quality good as far as I could see. And even though I've never heard of this in the sligthest, I can't question nor say anything about the ITN/R, so "hail ITN/R", I guess. Regards, Jeromi Mikhael 08:31, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose no match summary prose. Joseph2302 (talk) 10:32, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose per Joseph2302. The importance is not in doubt, but ITN is in the business of featuring prose not just tables or raw results as we are an encyclopaedia not a sports ticker. Thryduulf (talk) 12:36, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose We don't write in bullet points. Each match needs a prose summary. Pawnkingthree (talk) 14:42, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• The bullet notes are fine, but need supplementary match summary text to explain the matches. As in 2019 Ashes series. Joseph2302 (talk) 19:18, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Historical note: "In cricket, England lose The Ashes to Australia, after scoring 68, their lowest innings total on Australian soil since 1904". Martinevans123 (talk) 19:44, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Slight tweak, but makes Alt1 a bit unwieldy, alas. Martinevans123 (talk) 21:26, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Weak Oppose on quality - for the second test there simply isn't enough of a summary yet. This is on ITNR and this is the correct time to post the result once the quality issues are addressed. As far as the blurb - England getting bowled out for 68 in the second innings is remarkable, but I think that detail can be left to the article lede and not the front page. User:力 (powera, π, ν) 21:17, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
  • Support great work by the updaters. User:力 (powera, π, ν) 17:05, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment: I'm slowly working my way writing a prose summary for each day, but if someone wants to help, it would be much appreciated.  Bait30  ^{Talk 2 me pls?} 00:12, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  I will join-in later tonight. Ktin (talk) 00:14, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support. Prose summaries have been added to the tests. Good to go. I am ok with either of the hooks. Ktin (talk) 05:46, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment: Article has been updated with prose summaries.  Bait30  ^{Talk 2 me pls?} 06:32, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment: Prose needs to be expanded and flow better (too fragmented), scores need to be in the format wickets/runs (Australian convention). Neutral cricket descriptors would be much appreciated. DiamondIIIXX (talk) 07:48, 29 December 2021 (UTC) - See example, mostly written by me, at Indian cricket team in Australia in 2020–21
• Support and marked as ready. Prose summaries have been added as requested previously. The altblurb is a bit misleading, because The Ashes were held by Australia before the start of the series, and therefore they could not be "lost" by England. Chrisclear (talk) 10:35, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support seems ready to go. _-_Alsoriano97 (talk) 10:37, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment The blurb is in AmEng (it would be "retain" in British & Commonwealth English). Added altblurb2 to avoid this. Black Kite (talk) 11:36, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• This seems okay to me in Australian English. The TV broadcast in Australia listed it as "Australia wins" and "Australia retains the Ashes" (not win or retain). Probably needs an Aussie to confirm whether wins or win is correct down under. Joseph2302 (talk) 22:19, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• If we wait much longer, we'll have to abandon for bad light. Martinevans123 (talk) 22:12, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• I'm not an Aussie, but the Sydney Morning Herald used "Australia retain". Either way, it's been 12 hours since this was marked ready.  Bait30  ^{Talk 2 me pls?} 22:41, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Are all non-American Admins asleep, and Americans just won't post cricket? This is a bad look, again, again,....... HiLo48 (talk) 22:46, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

December 27

Portal:Current events/2021 December 27

December 27, 2021 (2021-12-27) (Monday) Disasters and accidents Late December 2021 Bahia floods Flooding in the Bahia state of Northeast Brazil kills 18 people. (NBC News) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in India COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala The Indian state of Kerala imposes a nighttime curfew from December 30 to January 2 in order to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant. (Khaleej Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 vaccination in Israel The Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, Israel, begins the world's first clinical trial of fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, involving 150 medical personnel, in order to determine if a fourth dose can provide extra immunity against COVID-19. (Voice of America) The health ministry reduces the interval between the second dose and booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to three months, citing concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant. (The Times of Israel) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, COVID-19 drug development South Korea authorizes the emergency use of the anti-viral oral drug Paxlovid manufactured by Pfizer for high-risk patients over the age of 12 years, becoming the first drug to be approved for use in the country. (Yonhap News Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates The Ministry of Health and Prevention approves the emergency use of Sinopharm's new recombinant protein vaccine. (Khaleej Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland COVID-19 drug development Swissmedic approves the use of the monoclonal antibody cocktail Ronapreve developed by Roche and Regeneron to treat severe COVID-19 patients. (Swissinfo) COVID-19 vaccination in Switzerland Swissmedic approves the use of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for people over the age of 18 years, which can be administered two months after the first dose, or six months after a person receives mixed vaccinations with mRNA-based vaccines. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in France French prime minister Jean Castex announces that, for the next three weeks, all public gatherings will be limited to 2,000 people indoors and 5,000 people outdoors. Work from home will be mandated where possible, and outdoor mask wearing will be mandatory in city centres. The interval between the second dose and the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will also be reduced to three months in response to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. (The Guardian) COVID-19 pandemic in Greece The Greek government announces new restrictions that will be in effect from January 3 until at least January 16, which include mandatory high-protection or double mask wearing in supermarkets and on public transport, closure of entertainment and hospitality venues at midnight, reinstating work from home policies for up to 50% of employees, and reducing the capacity of sports stadiums to 10%. This comes after the country reported a record 9,284 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Kathimerini) COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland Iceland reports a record 672 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (Mint) COVID-19 pandemic in Australia COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales New South Wales reports Australia's first confirmed death from the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a fully vaccinated man in his 80s who had experienced breakthrough infections and also had underlying health conditions. (The Hill) Sydney's St. Vincent's Hospital incorrectly issues premature negative COVID-19 test results to 1,395 people who had actually tested positive in the past 48 hours. (ABC News) COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia South Australia reports a record 842 new cases in the past 24 hours. The state also reports their first death from COVID-19 since April 2020 in a 92-year-old woman. (ABC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Canada Canada surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (CTV News) COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay Paraguay reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in three people who travelled outside the country earlier this month. (Reuters) 2020–2021 H5N8 outbreak A bird flu outbreak in northern Israel kills at least 5,200 migratory cranes and forces farmers to slaughter hundreds of thousands of chickens in what authorities say is the deadliest wildlife disaster in the nation's history. (The Washington Post)

---

RD: April Ashley

Article: April Ashley (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): BBC, Liverpool Echo
Credits:

• Updated by Jkaharper (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Model, actress and trans-trailblazer, MBE in 2012. Already long enough (4521 characters or 777 words of readable prose), this wikibio could use more footnotes, but looks okay already. --PFHLai (talk) 13:31, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support Seems well sourced. Martinevans123 (talk) 18:40, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support - article in good shape, with no referencing issues. Mjroots (talk) 18:48, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: Bruce Davis

Article: Bruce Davis (offensive tackle) (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): NBC Sports
Credits:

• Updated and nominated by Bagumba (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Sunshineisles2 (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Won two Super Bowls with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. —Bagumba (talk) 10:55, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Info in the infobox could use some footnotes and refs. --PFHLai (talk) 06:46, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  @PFHLai: The "player stats" links at the bottom of the infobox typically support most of what's in the infobox, if it isn't already cited in prose. At any rate, I've also added more prose for his birthplace, high school, and career stats. Let me know if you there are any remaining gaps.—Bagumba (talk) 07:31, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

  Thanks for the new additions, Bagumba. I think this wikibio is now READY for RD. --PFHLai (talk) 12:06, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Keri Hulme

Article: Keri Hulme (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): RNZ, Stuff
Credits:

• Nominated by MurielMary (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: comprehensive and fully referenced article MurielMary (talk) 07:55, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Second career paragraph needs referencing, then it’s good to post. Stephen 08:17, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

Thanks for picking up on that. Fixed. Also, I believe this nom was correctly posted at 28 Dec as that was the date that the death was announced. MurielMary (talk) 08:26, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

We go by date of death unless there’s a significant delay in the announcement of more than a few days. Stephen 10:22, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Weak support. The claim in the lede that "Hulme's writing explores themes of isolation, postcolonial and multicultural identity and Maori, Celtic, and Norse mythology" is not sourced or explained in the body. Otherwise it looks good. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 17:26, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

Thanks for the feedback - have added some citations and will add a bit more detail in the body. Should be ready to post. MurielMary (talk) 21:56, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support Article is in good shape. Schwede66 17:54, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted—Bagumba (talk) 18:46, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

December 26

Portal:Current events/2021 December 26

December 26, 2021 (2021-12-26) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Iran–Israel proxy conflict Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps releases a video on social media threatening to destroy the Israeli city of Dimona and a nearby nuclear facility in the Negev desert. (The Jerusalem Post) Arts and culture A massive Roman castrum dated to the reign of Caligula is discovered in Velsen, Netherlands. The site is the most northern fort found by archaeologists, and believed to be a stationing port of Caligula’s failed invasion of Britain. (The Guardian) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China China reports 206 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total of new cases in 21 months, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 101,077. (The Straits Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic Iran bans all travellers from the United Kingdom, France, Denmark and Norway for 15 days and indefinitely suspends all land travel to Turkey due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Arab News) COVID-19 pandemic in Oman, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic Oman's Supreme Committee announces that all incoming expatriates over the age of 18 years who want to enter the country must show proof of at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as well as a negative PCR test from the previous 72 hours. They also announce that the ban on travelers from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique will be lifted. (Gulf News) COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Palestine The Gaza Strip reports its first locally transmitted case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Times of Israel) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland imposes tightened COVID-19-related restrictions, which include closing nightclubs and banning indoor seating at events, restricting socialization to three households, and reintroducing the rule of six at bars, restaurants, and pubs that only offer table service. (RTÉ News and Current Affairs) COVID-19 pandemic in Kosovo Kosovo reports its first cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in two people who travelled from the United States, a person who travelled from France, two people who travelled from the United Kingdom, and four people with no international travel history. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Australia COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales New South Wales reports a record for the second consecutive day of 6,394 new cases of COVID-19. (The Independent) COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia South Australia reports a record 744 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the statewide total of confirmed cases to 4,324. (ABC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria Algeria begins to implement vaccine passports as a precondition for people to enter or leave the country and also for people to enter a wide range of public venues such as sports facilities, theatres and museums as part of an attempt to increase the country's low COVID-19 vaccination rate. (Ahram Online) Climate change in Alaska Kodiak, Alaska sets the highest temperature ever recorded in December in the state of Alaska, reaching 19.4 °C (66.9 °F). The Aleutian Islands and island communities in West Alaska have seen abnormally high temperatures since mid-December, including eight straight days of over 10 °C (50 °F) in Unalaska, including 13.3 °C (55.9 °F) on Christmas Day, the warmest Christmas temperature on record for the state. Temperature anomalies for late December reach 10–15 °C (18–27 °F) in some areas. The state also lately experiences unusually wet spells of weather. (The Guardian) (The Weather Network) Politics and elections The Taliban regime dissolves Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission, saying that "there is no need for these commissions to exist and operate". (Al Jazeera)

---

(Posted) RD: Phua Bah Lee

Article: Phua Bah Lee (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): The Straits Times
Credits:

• Updated and nominated by Seloloving (talk · give credit)
• Updated by TheGreatSG'rean (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Notable Singapore parliamentarian with 20 years of service; first president of the Singapore Armed Forces Reservist Association. Seloloving (talk) 09:03, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support blurb Yes as well, there was tribute paid by many leaders, including the Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong. TheGreatSG'rean (talk) 10:12, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support RD at the very least. – robertsky (talk) 17:27, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Strong oppose blurb, support RD A domestic politician, only known in his own country and with a dubious national and international impact. Article meets quality requirements. _-_Alsoriano97 (talk) 17:31, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• RD only – Per Alsoriano. Lacks general significance. – Sca (talk) 23:07, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted. --PFHLai (talk) 06:00, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: Manikka Vinayagam

Article: Manikka Vinayagam (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): Hindustan Times
Credits:

• Nominated by Ktin (talk · give credit)

Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Indian Tamil language singer. Article is a tad on the smaller side. Rater.js, however, classifies it as a start-class biography. Ktin (talk) 06:15, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Oppose – Stub. – Sca (talk) 23:04, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

  Though this one is not a stub (Rater.js does classify this as a start class article), your larger point is valid. Might be a tad too short for the homepage / RD. Ktin (talk) 21:13, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: Jean-Marc Vallée

Article: Jean-Marc Vallée (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): CNN
Credits:

• Nominated by Bait30 (talk · give credit)

Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Canadian television and film director. He directed Dallas Buyers Club, Wild, and directed Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects  Bait30  ^{Talk 2 me pls?} 15:42, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

• Comment. Lots of cites to WP:IMDB atm. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 16:04, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

RD/Blurb: E. O. Wilson

Article: E. O. Wilson (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination
Blurb:  American biologist E. O. Wilson dies at the age of 92. (Post)
News source(s): NYT, Reuters
Credits:

• Nominated by AleatoryPonderings (talk · give credit)

Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: American biologist. Long but seems somewhat disorganized. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 13:15, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

• No opinion on the article, but support blurb once ready. Wilson was most certainly a transformative figure in biology, even if not all his views have stood the test of time. Vanamonde (Talk) 16:20, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support blurb A giant. Thriley (talk) 16:23, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment Proposed blurb.--Sunshineisles2 (talk) 17:38, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support blurb, and consider prepending Crafoord Prize-winning. BD2412 T 17:53, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Please be reminded that all those bullet-points on his publications and awards need references. --PFHLai (talk) 18:06, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support blurb: There is a recently added main tag in a section (doesn't appear to be entirely founded to me but please review) and a single cn tag, nothing major to not post this to ITN. Gotitbro (talk) 19:14, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Strong oppose blurb this is not US Wikipedia, nowhere near transformative enough, and shouldn't be replacing Tutu (an actually important person) from the lead ITN. Also oppose RD as way too poorly sourced. Joseph2302 (talk) 19:34, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

Tutu cannot stay in the lead forever, the blurb will get bumped down as is standard practice. 331dot (talk) 19:58, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

Please indicate the areas that are poorly sourced. 331dot (talk) 19:59, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

Two important deaths can happen at a time, no reason for opposing one for the other. If the drop from the lead is a concern, than can be handled by prolonging the stay of Tutu's image but eventually it will have to give space as well. Gotitbro (talk) 20:30, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

The comment about the US should be disregarded. The work of a scientist will/can be built on by people from any country and benefit all people. It is not like a politician, actor, or a legal issue that can only affect a localised region. There are not enough science stories on ITN, and these should be judged by scientific impact, not whether the average person realises if it is important. Else it would just be filled by sport and entertainment fluff Bumbubookworm (talk) 02:27, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support blurb. In reviewing his article and the news about him, he seems to be at the top of his field, considered a modern day Darwin. I think the last scientist blurb we posted was Stephen Hawking so it would be good to have some other science areas represented. 331dot (talk) 20:03, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Blurb or no blurb, this wikibio should not go onto ITN till after the orange OR tag in the Work section is resolved. --PFHLai (talk) 20:38, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose blurb - Not a high profile individual outside of their immediate professional field and country of origin. This nomination feels like a result of WP:BIAS. Melmann 23:28, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

Melmann I don't think Stephen Hawking or Desmond Tutu were high profile outside of their fields, that's kinda the point here, they were at the top of their field. You seem to be saying that it's impossible to nominate anything to do with the US here without bias. The way to counter bias is to make nominations in underrepresented areas, not to suppress other stories. 331dot (talk) 23:33, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

Both Stephen Hawking and Desmond Tutu have had outsized impact outside of their immediate professional fields, and have at the same time been at the peak of their own professional area of expertise. Systemic bias comes in with the fact that no non-US scientist, only notable for their professional achievements, would ever be posted about in ITN. For example, see Wikipedia:In the news/Candidates/February 2020#(Stale) RD: Rajendra K. Pachauri as an example of what happens when non-US scientists die (and this is only a RD nomination, not even blurb nomination). It's not about suppressing US scientists, it's about applying same standard to this nomination, as we would to any non-US nomination. Melmann 00:25, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

Melmann I work to do that every day that I am here, and have for years. We can only consider what is nominated. I hereby invite you to nominate persons equivalent to this one who are also at the tip top of their field and/or also compared to Darwin in inportance. That is the best way to work against bias. 331dot (talk) 00:39, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Oppose blurb, support RD - prominent in his scientific field, but not a transformative figure in global cultural context. --Soman (talk) 23:44, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Strong support blurb The comment about the US should be disregarded. The work of a scientist will/can be built on by people from any country and benefit all people. It is not like a politician, actor, or a legal issue that can only affect a localised region. There are not enough science stories on ITN, and these should be judged by scientific impact, not whether the average person realises if it is important. Else it would just be filled by sport and entertainment fluff. And if 'cultural context' was required then a towering academic who lacks 'charisma' would be passed over for academic entertainers/social icons such as Ruther Bader Ginsburg (which I opposed) while physicists such as Murray Gell-Mann was passed over while Hawking was blurbed despite not necessarily being more notably at a technical level. Bumbubookworm (talk) 02:27, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

'Strong support' = support. – Sca (talk) 14:23, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support blurb it would be really nice to get some academics as blurbs, and Wilson is more than qualified in terms of influence and importance. Aza24 (talk) 05:42, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose RD, oppose blurb article is not ready for main page - there are numerous awards and honours listed without citations. Also oppose blurb as not internationally influential. MurielMary (talk) 07:59, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose blurb I'm generally supportive of death blurbs for great scientists, but I need to contest his 'greatness' here. Firstly, biology is a very large and diverse scientific field, with molecular biology and genetics being perhaps the mainstream sub-fields nowadays. Secondly, he taught evolutionary biology, which is another attractive sub-field and used to be mainstream during his life span, but it seems like his main contributions were made to the highly controversial sub-field of 'sociobiology'. Furthermore, it's very strange to get the nickname "The New Darwin" without winning the Darwin–Wallace Medal at the very least. Thirdly, the article's structure looks very odd with the brief section on his career and lengthy section on his works. There are also unreferenced claims and the overall language has a hyperbolic connotation. All in all, he may have been a great scientist who introduced a new field, which unfortunately didn't become mainstream or led to any important scientific advancements, and, if biology in its broadest sense is his field, he was definitely not as influential as some of his contemporaries such as James Watson, Stephen Jay Gould and John Ostrom.--Kiril Simeonovski (talk) 08:15, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Prizes/honours now referenced Bumbubookworm (talk) 12:27, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support blurb Highly influential biologist and death is widely reported (global scale I mean his BBC obit called him "Darwin's heir"). Article up to date. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 12:33, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• RD only – Widely respected by the cognoscenti, but not a household name. (Also, old man dies.) – Sca (talk) 14:20, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support RD per Sca. Afraid I heard self-promotion, so no blurb. -SusanLesch (talk) 18:19, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment There's still an outstanding WP:OR tag for the section Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, 1975 that needs to either be resolved or removed if no longer relevant.—Bagumba (talk) 12:01, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: Paul B. Kidd

Article: Paul B. Kidd (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): 9 News; Yahoo! News
Credits:

• Updated and nominated by Vaticidalprophet (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Vox3000 (talk · give credit), MB (talk · give credit), Artegia (talk · give credit) and Editrite! (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Important figure in Australian talk radio and crime literature. Article is ~500 words, updated, and fully cited. Vaticidalprophet 03:01, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

• Long enough and with enough footnotes at expected spots, this wikibio is READY for RD. --PFHLai (talk) 16:18, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Sarah Weddington

Article: Sarah Weddington (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): The Texas Tribune, AP, BBC, France24
Credits:

• Nominated by Count Iblis (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Vacant0 (talk · give credit), Lamona (talk · give credit) and Iamreallygoodatcheckers (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

 Count Iblis (talk) 02:30, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support Major figure in a landmark Supreme Court case. RIP. Fakescientist8000 (talk) 03:54, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

• Comment Needs major sourcing help, particularly on the RvW section and papers that she co-contributed too. --Masem (t) 04:36, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support I have expanded the article with a little bit more info and sources. It's suitable now. --Vacant0 (talk) 13:04, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment – Widely covered. – Sca (talk) 13:16, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support - looks good to go. BabbaQ (talk) 21:51, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted --PFHLai (talk) 23:02, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

RD/Blurb: Karolos Papoulias

Article: Karolos Papoulias (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination
Blurb:  Former President of Greece Karolos Papoulias (pictured) dies at the age of 92. (Post)
Alternative blurb: ​ Karolos Papoulias (pictured), the former President of Greece, dies at the age of 92.
News source(s): Reuters The Washington Post
Credits:

• Nominated by BastianMAT (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Former president of Greece, article looks good, died at the age of 92, also known for his resistance against Nazi occupation during World War Two and against Greece's 1967-74 military junta. BastianMAT (talk) 17:07, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

• Comment: Please add more refs. There are currently no footnotes in the section on his time as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Most bullet-points in the Honours section are unref'd. --PFHLai (talk) 19:03, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
• Can't support a blurb for an article this short (well long enough to post but almost no details to explain why he would be blurb-worthy, compared to today's Desmand Tutu posting which clearly has the breadth of coverage to support a blurb). --Masem (t) 19:27, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose on quality referencing is not good. Article quality will need to be improved significantly before this can be posted as an RD. I'd also note that according to List of current heads of state and government, it is the Prime Minister in Greece that administers the executive, so unless he's being nominated as a blurb-worthy diplomat--which, based on the article, is a reasonable nomination--I don't think he's blurb-worthy. NorthernFalcon (talk) 23:35, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment: I RD nominated this article, I did not add the blurb. Someone else did, and while his career indeed was impressive, I am personally for an RD due to the signficance not being as high and the article not as good, and thats exactly why I RD nominated it. So that’s where the discussion should be held. I have added citations for his time as foreign minister so the citations for the article should soon be done for a RD post. Cheers, @NorthernFalcon:, @Masem:, @PFHLai: BastianMAT (talk) 23:58, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
  • No worries, BastianMAT. Let's all focus our discussions on getting this wikibio onto RD. --PFHLai (talk) 03:28, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• RD only I believe there is a problem regarding his role as the Prime Minister of Greece due to less international coverage for him, so making this blurb doesn't much blurb-worthy. 36.77.102.62 (talk) 00:40, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support RD: Looks good for an RD. Blurb has not been justified either by the nom or the person who added it, neither am I seeing the significance from the article or otherwise. Gotitbro (talk) 03:14, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Weak oppose He was for 10 years president of the republic and his wikibio only talks about his appointment and the end of his mandate. I don't think that a list of government positions he held is the best either. Very improvable article. _-_Alsoriano97 (talk) 11:52, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support blurb once the article is improved to reflect his political career better (I don't agree with those arguing that he doesn't deserve a blurb because of the article's length and lack of information. Please note that we posted a blurb for Zhou Youguang's death even though the article about him wasn't that detailed.). The death of a head of state of a European country with more than 10 million inhabitants who left his office only six years ago after he had held it for ten years clearly merits a blurb. --Kiril Simeonovski (talk) 12:42, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
  • Youguang had two clear achievements, creating the Pinyin system and that he lived to 111. Probably nowadays we wouldn't have given him a blurb but his article did document those achievements. For a person that spent 10 years as HoS of a major country, however, Papoulis' article begs the question of what significant impact he had on his country and world politics. I'm sure there's more that can be written towards that, but that would be required to have something even as a minimum for a blurb to make sense. What's there is sufficient for an RD. --Masem (t) 13:04, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comments: There are still a handful of {cn} tags, and the coverage has a big gap: a biography of the two-term president ought to have at least a paragraph or two about what he did during those ten years in office. Blurb or no blurb, this nom cannot proceed without these deficiencies addressed. --PFHLai (talk) 02:36, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose blurb In fact, the same was said when I proposed that Jorge Sampaio should have a blurb, and it's only logical that it was rejected, since they are still cerimonial positions, with little less international transcendence than heads of government and, in the case of Papoulias as well, they didn't leave a special legacy worthy of recognition. As I have free time, I'm expanding his article and adding sources. _-_Alsoriano97 (talk) 10:13, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Janice Long

Article: Janice Long (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): BBC News
Credits:

• Updated and nominated by Thryduulf (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Martinevans123 (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: A couple of citations still needed, but the article is comprehensive Thryduulf (talk) 14:24, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support. Only two cn tags remaining; corresponding text could be commented out if required. Martinevans123 (talk) 17:40, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support No cn tags remaining as of now, good to go for RD. Fakescientist8000 (talk) 00:25, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment. No tags. Good to go. Martinevans123 (talk) 09:15, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted--PFHLai (talk) 12:22, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

(Posted, Closed) RD/blurb: Desmond Tutu

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

---

Article: Desmond Tutu (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination
Blurb:  South African archbishop Desmond Tutu (pictured) dies aged 90. (Post)
News source(s): Reuters, AP, BBC, Guardian
Credits:

• Nominated by Muboshgu (talk · give credit)

Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

 – Muboshgu (talk) 07:13, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support A monumental figure in twentieth-century history, and it's a GA. ClaudineChionh (talk – contribs) 07:20, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support blurb - As Claudine says, "monumental figure" and thus blurbworthy. Mjroots (talk) 07:34, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support blurb per above. Davey2116 (talk) 07:36, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support blurb as most famous archbishop. Truly monumental. EvergreenFir (talk) 07:39, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support - article seems to meet requirements. - Indefensible (talk) 07:47, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted. I thought it should say "at the age of 90" but I wasn't sure if that was the local dialect of English so I left the blurb alone, but it can be changed if I am in error. 331dot (talk) 08:05, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

I'm not opposing this nomination (in fact, I would have readily supported it), but was there a need to post this after just 52 minutes of discussion? Tube·of·Light 08:58, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

Well, the wikipage was reviewed and was deemed ready for use on ITN. Seems somewhat of a no-brainer to me. --PFHLai (talk) 09:06, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

Highly notable figure, GA quality article, heading for WP:SNOW territory. Posting was appropriate. Mjroots (talk) 10:34, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

Yeah, I understand that this is a no-brainer, but I still don't think there was a reason to not wait for a bit more participation. Oh well, it's not a big issue to me, so let's leave it at that. Tube·of·Light 12:30, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

• Endorse blurb Bumbubookworm (talk) 09:04, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support blurb Highly influential individual, helped take down apartheid and won a Nobel prize for his efforts. Article is in good shape as well. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 10:49, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
• Post-posting endorsement definitely noteworthy for a blurb. It would be good, however, if the blurb mentioned that Tutu got a Nobel Prize. Szmenderowiecki (talk) 12:15, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

Yes, see the recent one we posted about F. W. de Klerk. Gotitbro (talk) 13:39, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

We can't list all his accomplishments in the blurb, but WP:ERRORS is the correct venue for proposed changes. 331dot (talk) 13:44, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

The blurb is very bare bones right now though, apartheid is not mentioned at all (see for e.g. Klerk). I thought alt blurb/blurbs could discussed here? Anyhow a good article has been blurbed so not that much of a bother for forum change. Gotitbro (talk) 13:54, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Comment The nomination was opened and closed in 7 hours, whereupon a discussion of a blurb correction commenced at ERRORS which has now been open for 26 hours without action. This discussion should have taken place in the high-traffic venue of ITNC, and shuttling it off to ERRORS where it can be ignored seems to be improper. GreatCaesarsGhost 20:57, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

This is under discussion on the talk page, where you yourself have commented. 331dot (talk) 21:02, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

December 25

Portal:Current events/2021 December 25

December 25, 2021 (2021-12-25) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Allied Democratic Forces insurgency; 2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks A suicide bomber blows himself up at a restaurant during Christmas celebrations in Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing five people and injuring 13 others. (BBC News) Internal conflict in Myanmar Human rights groups and media outlets uncover a massacre of 30 civilians in Hpruso, Kayah State, that occurred the day before. Two Save the Children staff are also reported missing. (CNN) Business and economy Internet censorship in China The global version of video game digital distribution service Steam is reportedly blocked in China. The China-only version of the service, launched in February of this year, remains accessible. (The Verge) Disasters and accidents 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption The scientific committee (Pevolca) of the Canary Islands government declares that the Cumbre Vieja volcano's eruptions on La Palma island stopped after 10 days of inactivity. However, the authorities do not consider the emergency situation to be over. (RTVE) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia COVID-19 pandemic in Sarawak Malaysia reports its first locally transmitted case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a fully vaccinated 38-year-old Chinese woman from Sarawak with no international travel history. (The Star) COVID-19 pandemic in India, COVID-19 vaccination in India The Drug Controller General of India approves the emergency use of the Covaxin vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech for children between the ages of 12 and 18 years. (Hindustan Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, COVID-19 drug development The Israeli government finalizes an agreement with Pfizer to purchase 100,000 courses of the anti-viral drug Paxlovid for high-risk patients over the age of 12 years, with delivery expected to begin in one week. (The Times of Israel) COVID-19 pandemic in Turkmenistan Turkmenistan becomes one of the first countries to approve the usage of the single-dose Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine. The health ministry also purchases 600,000 doses of the two-dose Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. (Anadolu Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in France France reports a record for the third consecutive day of 104,611 new cases of COVID-19, which is also the first time that the country has reported more than 100,000 new cases since the beginning of the pandemic. (Al Arabiya) COVID-19 pandemic in Italy Italy reports a record for the third consecutive day of 54,762 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5.62 million. (Il Sole 24 Ore) COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland Ireland reports a record for the second consecutive day of 13,765 new cases of COVID-19. (Irish Examiner) COVID-19 pandemic in Australia COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales New South Wales reports a record 6,288 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (ABC News Australia) COVID-19 pandemic in the Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Reuters) Science and technology James Webb Space Telescope, Ariane flight VA256 The James Webb Space Telescope is successfully launched using the Ariane 5 rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. (CNN) Rail transport in Japan Asa Coast Railway announces a dual-mode vehicle that can operate on roads and railways. (Dawn Magazine)

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RD: Jonathan Spence

Article: Jonathan Spence (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): NYTimes
Credits:

• Nominated by Ktin (talk · give credit)
• Updated by To be updated (talk · give credit)

Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: American historian. Article requires a round of edits. Ktin (talk) 20:08, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

• This wikibio needs more refs. In particular, the list of publications needs more sources. And in the infobox, the footnote at the end of the list of names of doctoral students does not seem to be a helpful source. --PFHLai (talk) 18:49, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: Wayne Thiebaud

Article: Wayne Thiebaud (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): The Sacramento Bee,The Guardian, KCRA
Credits:

• Nominated by CoatCheck (talk · give credit)

Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Internationally-known California artist. Worked past the age of 100, died at 101. CoatCheck (talk) 03:15, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

• Under "Notable works", only one of dozens of bullet-points has refs. There are a few footnote-free paragraphs, particularly in the Career section. Please add more refs. Thanks. --PFHLai (talk) 18:18, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: Ray Illingworth

Article: Ray Illingworth (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): BBC
Credits:

• Nominated by Black Kite (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Former England international cricket captain. Needs a significant amount of work, if anyone has holiday boredom. Black Kite (talk) 16:01, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

• There are quite a few footnote-free paragraphs. Please add more refs. Thanks. --PFHLai (talk) 20:42, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

(Posted) James Webb Space Telescope

Articles: James Webb Space Telescope (talk · history · tag) and Ariane flight VA256 (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ The James Webb Space Telescope launches from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana, beginning a planned 10-year mission to study the formation and evolution of the earliest stars and galaxies. (Post)
Alternative blurb: ​ The James Webb Space Telescope is launched, beginning a planned 10-year mission to study the formation and evolution of the earliest stars and galaxies.
Alternative blurb II: ​ The James Webb Space Telescope is launched, beginning a planned 10-year mission to study the formation and evolution of the earliest stars and galaxies, and detailed atmospheric characterization of potentially habitable exoplanets.
Alternative blurb III: ​ Ariane flight VA256, carrying the James Webb Space Telescope (depicted), is launched.
News source(s): The New York Times,The Guardian, NASA
Credits:

• Nominated by 2A02:2F0E:D003:2E00:6898:79D7:D00B:2CE8 (talk · give credit)
• Created by Finlay McWalter (talk · give credit)

Nominator's comments: James Webb actually got launched. No hitting Santa. Will probably start doing science in about 6 months. Probably most notable non-manned launch since Hubble's last service mission back in 2009. 2A02:2F0E:D003:2E00:6898:79D7:D00B:2CE8 (talk) 13:03, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

Note: this image is from NASA TV so it ought not to be copyrighted - maybe someone can bother to upload it here. 2A02:2F0E:D003:2E00:6898:79D7:D00B:2CE8 (talk) 13:03, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

That image was taken by ESA's upper stage and is likely not owned by NASA. May I suggest File:James Webb Space Telescope Launch.jpg instead which was shared by NASA on their Flickr with an appropriate license? Melmann 13:24, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

BBC use of that image is credited to Arianespace which would suggest it's copyrighted to them. (I don't want to think about copyrightability of a still from a video taken in outerspace on a camera that may or may not remotely operated.) -- KTC (talk) 14:30, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support - YES! Finally after 10 years! CactiStaccingCrane (talk) 12:50, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Strong Support - Rushed to here to support, this isn't an RD nomination though. But Strong support for me on this one, the successful launch after many years of delays and one of our finest instruments yet is definitely worth it. Ornithoptera (talk) 13:11, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment - A bit rushed. Added templates for the nominator, I'm not sure if its the same person like last time? If so, please make your own changes. (PenangLion (talk) 13:14, 25 December 2021 (UTC))
• Support - Besides from the comment, definitely a must for the ITN. (PenangLion (talk) 13:14, 25 December 2021 (UTC))
  • I have my concerns on the blurb's length though, it should be shortened. PenangLion (talk) 13:19, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support - Highly relevant, and excellent Wikipedia coverage. Melmann 13:24, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support I've been waiting for this moment since I've read about this in my childhood!!! Article condition is currently good and all well referenced. And the fact that an IP nominated this is just cherry on the top!!! --Regards, Jeromi Mikhael 13:47, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Shorter alt-blurb provided. Launch site is not as important as the telescope or its mission for ITN purposes --Masem (t) 14:05, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support Obvious notability, there is some issue as to the when, but if we treated it as a probe arrival is a non-event since it will still need to unfurl. First light is to other option but that is going to be testing and calibration rather than groundbreaking science so I'd suggest now is the best time to post. 3142 (talk) 14:11, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
  • I don't think it's too excessive if we do one ITN item now for the successful launch and then one ITN item in approx 6 months when JWST is fully deployed at L2 Lagrange and passes all the testing and self checks, and begins the science work. Melmann 15:10, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support -- KTC (talk) 14:30, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Strong Support This blurb were basically going to be posted on December 23 but not happen due to WP:CRYSTAL. Altblurb preferred. 125.167.59.84 (talk) 15:29, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support Historic. I'd also support a second blurb when the telescope is fully deployed per Melmann. Davey2116 (talk) 15:47, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support per all the above, but preferably with altblurb2, or some shorter variant of it (the current variant is worded as in the article lead). This is because what most excites many of us about the telescope is its alleged ability to find free oxygen around exoplanets, which would seem to be near-proof of photosynthesising plant-life on such planets. Any failure to find oxygen around any exoplanets would also seem to be interesting support for the Rare Earth hypothesis. Unfortunately a perhaps-too-quick glance over our article leaves the initial impression that it does not (or at least not yet) have much to say about this beyond what is said in the lead paragraph and currently repeated in altblurb2. I may try to add some such details myself, but Christmas events are likely to prevent me from doing so. Tlhslobus (talk) 15:51, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

NASA had this article about it on 6 Jan 2020 (tho I note their qualifier "may" in their title, and "possible" in "possible biosignature" in their text)): New Technique May Give NASA's Webb Telescope a Way to Quickly Identify Planets with Oxygen.Tlhslobus (talk) 19:01, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

• Ultra Strong Support This is perhaps humanity's greatest achievement. NW1223(^{Howl at me}/_{My hunts}) 16:32, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posting. I'll go with the basic blurb since the alt ones are a bit long. --Tone 16:42, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
  • Switched to Ariane flight VA256, carrying the James Webb Space Telescope (depicted), is launched from the Guiana Space Centre. --PFHLai (talk) 17:01, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Some clarification as to who is operating the probe/program would be good for clarity. From what I can gather it appears to primarily be a NASA mission, so adding that in the blurb is welcome. Gotitbro (talk) 19:06, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

That is too much for a blurb since it's multinational. You certainly don't want to appoint a arbitrary "lead", references to the "NASA" Hubble have been causing annoyances for years on a 50/50 joint venture. 3142 (talk) 22:39, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

• 1.3 million kilometers left to go. Count Iblis (talk) 22:45, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• JWST and upper stage observed from Scotland. Count Iblis (talk) 16:14, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

December 24

Portal:Current events/2021 December 24

December 24, 2021 (2021-12-24) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Yemeni Civil War Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict The Houthis launch a missile strike on the Saudi Arabian city of Jizan, killing two people and injuring seven more. (Reuters) Three people are killed and six others are injured during coalition air raids in Ajama, Yemen. (Al Jazeera) 2021 Russo-Ukrainian crisis Russian president Vladimir Putin demands that NATO guarantee that it will not move its forces into Ukraine, accusing NATO and the U.S. of "trying to send Ukraine and Russia into direct armed conflict." (The Irish Independent) Iran–Israel proxy conflict After five days of military training, Iran fires sixteen ballistic missiles at a target in a show of force against Israel. The incident is part of a wider increase in tensions between the two countries. (RFI) Insurgency in the Maghreb; 2021 Niger attacks Jihadists kill six soldiers in Niger, resulting in the ensuing deaths of twenty-two of the attackers. (The Guardian) Business and economy Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic in Africa The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa warns that the effects of the pandemic on Africa's economy could push the number of "extremely poor" Africans to 514 million people. The World Bank also announced a recession as the economies of African countries continue to shrink. (AP) Disasters and accidents 2021 Bangladesh ferry fire At least 39 people are killed and 100 others are injured after a ferry catches fire in Jhalakathi. (BBC News) Sixteen people are dead as a boat carrying migrants overturn and sink near the island of Paros, Greece. Sixty-three more people are rescued. (Al Jazeera) A surfer is killed an apparent shark attack in Morro Bay, off the coast of California, United States. It is the first fatal shark attack in the area since 2003. (BBC News) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in France COVID-19 vaccination in France The French Haute Autorité de santé recommends that booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can be administered as soon as three months after the primary vaccination schedule due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Politico.eu) France reports a record for the second consecutive day of 94,122 new cases of COVID-19. (Barron's) COVID-19 pandemic in Greece Greece cancels all public Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations, as well as mandates mask wearing outdoors and requiring people to wear two masks or a high-protection mask in order to use public transport and enter supermarkets due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (The Independent) COVID-19 pandemic in Italy Italy reports a record for the second consecutive day of 50,599 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 5.57 million. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Spain Catalonia reimposes a curfew between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. in municipalities where the infection rate surpasses 250 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, limits the number of people in social gatherings to 10, closes nightclubs, and restricts the capacity of the hospitality sector due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. These measures will be in effect until at least January 7. (MedicalXpress) COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom reports a record for the third consecutive day of 122,186 new cases of COVID-19. (ITV News) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Bhutan, COVID-19 vaccination in Bhutan Bhutan begins administering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 65 years, overseas travellers, healthcare workers, people with underlying health conditions, and adults living in high risk areas. (U.S. News and World Report) COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore Singapore reports no deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours for the first time since September 19. (Rappler) COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand Thailand reports its first domestic cluster of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in 21 people from Kalasin province. The outbreak originated in a couple who travelled from Belgium earlier this month. (CNA) COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey Ecumenical Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church Bartholomew I of Constantinople tests positive for COVID-19 and is showing mild symptoms. (ABC News) COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa The South African Health Department suspends COVID-19 contact tracing and quarantine for people with asymptomatic cases due to 80% of the population being vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19. (Bloomberg) Law and crime Former South Korean president Park Geun-hye is pardoned by the South Korean Justice Ministry. (Deutsche Welle) Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is accused of numerous different crimes, including rape, torture, mass murder, and killing journalists by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission. (Voice of America) Politics and elections Hong Kong national security law Hong Kong authorities remove the Hong Kong Goddess of Democracy from the Chinese University of Hong Kong campus and a memorial to the Tiananmen Square massacre from Lingnan University campus. (Al Jazeera) Sports Japan decides not to send government delegates to the 2022 Winter Olympics, although the Japanese team will still be present. (CBC)

---

RD: Gwendolyn Killebrew

Article: Gwendolyn Killebrew (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): Fono Forum
Credits:

• Updated and nominated by Gerda Arendt (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: American contralto and mezzo who began at the Metropolitan Opera but became at home for 4 decades at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and was a guest in the world. I began the article in 2014, DYK then, but had to replace many lost refs, and added what I found now. The news was of yesterday. Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:34, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

• This wikibio is READY for RD. More than long enough and with enough footnotes across the prose. AGF'd non-English sources. --PFHLai (talk) 13:04, 29 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support per above.-- Pawnkingthree (talk) 14:42, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: J. D. Crowe

Article: J. D. Crowe (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): NYT
Credits:

• Nominated by AleatoryPonderings (talk · give credit)

Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: American bluegrass musician. Thin but getting there. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 21:41, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• Please be reminded that the Discography should be fully referenced. There are also a couple of {cn} tags in the prose. Please add more refs. Thanks. --PFHLai (talk) 23:13, 29 December 2021 (UTC)

Mo So massacre

Article: Mo So massacre (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ At least 38 civilians were killed and their bodies burned by Army in Myanmar. (Post)
News source(s): Al Jazeera, ABC News, BBC News, AP, Reuters
Credits:

• Nominated by Ainty Painty (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Dunutubble (talk · give credit) and Cyclonicationly (talk · give credit)

 Ainty Painty (talk) 05:32, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

Comment - I would suggest restructuring the article. The blurb isn't grammatically correct, and is difficult to read. (PenangLion (talk) 07:37, 27 December 2021 (UTC))

Comment - The blurb could use some work, but I support its inclusion. This has become a really big thing in the news at the moment, quote literally making headlines. Dunutubble (talk) 17:29, 27 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support Major, ongoing news. Thriley (talk) 06:24, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

Comment - Informations further added into the article. The blurb really needs restructuring. But I support its inclusion, since it is a big news at the moment. Cyclonicationly (talk) 07:20, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: Shirley Bottolfsen

Article: Shirley Bottolfsen (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): https://www.nrk.no/nordland/shirley-bottolfsen-er-dod-1.15785656
Credits:

• Updated by Jkaharper (talk · give credit) and Joofjoof (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Irish-Norwegian humanitarian activist. A short wikibio with 2457 characters (419 words) of readable prose. --PFHLai (talk) 08:31, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

(Posted) Bangladesh ferry fire

Article: 2021 Bangladesh ferry fire (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ At least 39 people are killed in a ferry fire in southern Bangladesh. (Post)
News source(s): CNN, Al Jazeera, BBC, Hindustan Times, ABC, AP
Credits:

• Nominated by PenangLion (talk · give credit)
• Created by Scaramouche33 (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Scaramouche33 (talk · give credit)

Article needs updating

Nominator's comments: Personally, I have my doubts on this nomination (since I want all of your advices), but it recently happened, and the death toll is expected to rise as much as 50. Besides with another similar disaster at Madagascar that is more worthy of an inclusion, I'm not really that confident (apologies), but if the article can be updated, then maybe it could be ITN-worthy. (PenangLion (talk) 12:53, 24 December 2021 (UTC))

• Comment – Very widely covered, with a sizable death toll, but at 285 words (1,400 characters) article is barely a stub. – Sca (talk) 13:18, 24 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment I wanted to work on the Madagascar article but I didn't have any free time. I'll try to expand this one when more information is available. Scaramouche33 (talk) 13:16, 24 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support - Well referenced. And article looks passable, more information will be entered as it comes through. Sherenk1 (talk) 15:19, 24 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support because it's important enough & the article is sufficient. Jim Michael (talk) 15:55, 24 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support it is well referenced, passable, and important enough based on the coverage received that it should probably be mentioned. --TheSandDoctor ^Talk 06:55, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support - referenced, large number of deaths. Has received plenty of coverage.BabbaQ (talk) 10:21, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support - Significant and tragic event. Article in good shape. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 11:49, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted --PFHLai (talk) 16:15, 25 December 2021 (UTC)
  • Re-written as Fire breaks out on a ferry in Bangladesh, killing at least 40 people. --PFHLai (talk) 20:28, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

December 23

Portal:Current events/2021 December 23

December 23, 2021 (2021-12-23) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Insurgency in the Maghreb Gunmen ambush a column of a civilian militia in Loroum, Burkina Faso, killing 41 people. It is one of the deadliest single-day attack against the militia. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents 2021 Madagascar shipwreck Twenty-four more people are found dead after the boat accident off the coast of Analanjirofo, Madagascar, three days ago, bringing the total death toll to 85. (France 24) European migrant crisis Eleven people are dead as a boat carrying migrants sinks in the Aegean Sea. Around 90 other people are rescued. (Al Jazeera) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei Brunei reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in a person who travelled from the United Kingdom. (The Scoop) COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait The Kuwaiti Directorate General of Civil Aviation announces that all citizens who wish to travel, but who were fully vaccinated more than nine months ago, must receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine beginning on January 2. (Times of Oman) COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, COVID-19 drug development, COVID-19 vaccination in the Philippines The Philippine Food and Drug Administration approves the emergency use of the Molnupiravir drug made by Merck & Co. for high-risk adult patients and also approves the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years. (The Straits Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Travel during the COVID-19 pandemic Singapore suspends new ticket sales for the quarantine-free Vaccinated Travel Lane until January 20 in an attempt to reduce the number of imported cases of the Omicron variant. (CNBC) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea South Korea reports a record 109 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 5,015. (ABC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in Andorra Prime Minister Xavier Espot tests positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms. (Diari d’Andorra) COVID-19 pandemic in France France reports a record 91,608 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous record set in November 2020. (Bloomberg) COVID-19 pandemic in Germany Germany reports its first confirmed death related to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. (Deutsche Welle) COVID-19 pandemic in Italy The Italian government announces a ban of New Year's Eve celebrations as well as all mass gatherings and closes nightclubs and bars until the end of January. The government also agree to reintroduce mandatory mask wearing outdoors and will reduce the validity of vaccine certificate to six months beginning from February 1. (MedicalXpress) COVID-19 pandemic in Malta Malta reports its first two cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, prompting the health ministry to ban all standing events except for weddings and funerals beginning on December 17 and restrict entry to the hospitality sector and sporting events to only those with a valid vaccine certificate. A 1 a.m. curfew will also be imposed for all businesses beginning on January 17. (Times of Malta) COVID-19 pandemic in Russia Russia surpasses 600,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom reports a record for the second consecutive day of 119,789 new cases of COVID-19. (Sky News) Preliminary data from the United Kingdom suggests the hospitalization rate of the COVID-19 Omicron variant is between 50% to 70% lower than the Delta variant. (Deutsche Welle) COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in Honduras Honduras begins administering a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for all adults aged above 18 years using the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 drug development The Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization for Merck & Co.'s antiviral COVID-19 oral pill named Molnupiravir for at-risk individuuals. (Global News) COVID-19 pandemic in South America COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, COVID-19 vaccination in Argentina Argentina receives more than 2.6 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use as booster doses. (La Vos) COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador, COVID-19 vaccination in Ecuador Ecuador's Minister of Public Health announces that the COVID-19 vaccination will be mandatory for all citizens over the age of 5 years unless they have a medical exemption due to the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants and an increase in the number of new cases. (BBC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Australia COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales New South Wales reports a record 5,715 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant becoming the dominant strain in the state. The NSW Government reintroduces mask-wearing in indoor settings, despite the state having a 93.5% vaccination rate. (ABC News Australia) Australia reports a record 8,697 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous record set on December 22. (ABC News Australia) International relations China–United States relations Uyghur genocide President Joe Biden signs the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act into law banning imports from China's Xinjiang region citing concerns about the use of forced labour. China denies human rights abuses in Xinjiang. (Al Jazeera) Japan–United States relations, Taiwan–United States relations The United States and Japan approve a plan for a joint military operation in response to a possible "Taiwan emergency". The operation would consist of deploying U.S. Marines on the Ryukyu Islands near Taiwan, while the Japan Self-Defense Forces would provide logistical support such as ammunition and fuel supplies. (Reuters) Law and crime 14-Year-Old Valentina Orellana-Peralta killed in LAPD response While responding to multiple reports of a violent assault suspect at a Los Angeles clothing store, LAPD officers fired upon one male subject. Valentina Orellana-Peralta was sheltering with her mother and other patrons and was killed by an errant shot. Valentina and the suspect both succumbed to their injuries in the store. Several patrons were injured by the suspect prior to officers' arrival. [1] Political impact of the COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania The Seimas votes 89–17 with 19 abstentions to approve a law that would require MPs to have a health pass, which shows proof of vaccination, a negative test result from the previous 72 hours, or that a person has recovered from COVID-19, in order to attend hearings beginning in January. (Barron's) Workfare The Australian Government pays a A$2,000,000 settlement to the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku to end a class action lawsuit in the Federal Court over the controversial Community Development Program, which saw unemployed Ngaanyatjarra and other Indigenous Australian people in remote communities working up to 25 hours a week otherwise unpaid in order to receive the JobSeeker payment, which is generally considered to be less than the cost of living and which is provided to other Australians in exchange for completing a fortnightly quota of job applications. The Ngaanyatjarra accused the program of being racist and a form of modern slavery. (The Guardian)

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(Posted) RD: Grace Mirabella

Article: Grace Mirabella (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): NYT
Credits:

• Nominated by Joofjoof (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs (talk · give credit), Keivan.f (talk · give credit), Joofjoof (talk · give credit), Espresso Addict (talk · give credit) and MurielMary (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Editor-in-chief of Vogue (1971-1988) prior to Anna Wintour. Joofjoof (talk) 22:42, 24 December 2021 (UTC)

• Comment. Bit concerned about the section on her being fired from Vogue (though Newhouse has been dead since 2017). Is there nothing else to say about her life outside work -- education in 1950, marriage in 1974, death in 2021 seems a little sparse. Espresso Addict (talk) 04:03, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

I've hidden this for now; the reference fails to give page numbers and I've failed to find it in a quick look at a preview of the book. Page numbers for other uses of this book and for her autobiography would also be helpful, as would an independent source for the claims based purely on her autobiography. Espresso Addict (talk) 06:43, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support Tidied up and ready to go. MurielMary (talk) 09:14, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted --PFHLai (talk) 10:18, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: Joan Didion

Article: Joan Didion (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): The Guardian
Credits:

• Nominated by Pawnkingthree (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

 Pawnkingthree (talk) 17:27, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

• Extremely important voice in American literature. Let's get this Main Page ready as soon as we can, if it's not there already. {{u|Sdkb}} ^talk 19:37, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment: Would be best to update the article and take care of a number of "citation missing" tags.
• Support - Based on the looks of it, its worthy of an inclusion, but I agree with the statement above, the missing tags need to be updated. (PenangLion (talk) 12:42, 24 December 2021 (UTC))
• Oppose inclusion is based only on article quality, and many more sources needed. Joseph2302 (talk) 13:34, 24 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment. On a quick look, the article is a bit of a mess. It looks to have been the subject of an educational assignment and it shows; there's significant duplication between Career and Personal life sections and a very choppy feel, as well as some important missing sources. Espresso Addict (talk) 06:51, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

(Closed) Launch of the James Webb Space Telescope

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

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Article: James_Webb_Space_Telescope (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ The James Webb Space Telescope launches from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana, beginning a planned 10-year mission to study the formation and evolution of the earliest stars and galaxies. (Post)
Credits:

• Nominated by Xarm Endris (talk · give credit)

Nominator's comments: Working blurb contingent upon a successful launch of the JWST. --Xarm Endris (talk) 12:26, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

• Oppose: this is absurd. It's not even December 24 in the location of the launch and we're posting things that are scheduled for December 25? This is a very WP:CRYSTALBALL nomination. The launch was already delayed from December 22 to December 25 due to weather. It could happen again.  Bait30  ^{Talk 2 me pls?} 12:59, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

• Per WP:CRYSTALBALL: "It is appropriate to report discussion and arguments about the prospects for success of future proposals and projects or whether some development will occur, if discussion is properly referenced." --Xarm Endris (talk) 13:10, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
  • WP:CRYSTALBALL doesn't apply to non-article pages such as WP:ITN/C. Can someone close this and reopen this 2 days from now? Howard the Duck (talk) 13:14, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

• Oppose way too soon, as it hasn't happened (and until it actually happens, we shouldn't assume it wil). In addition, people shouldn't be adding dates in the future as headers, as this will screw up the bot. Joseph2302 (talk) 13:15, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
• Close and revert - This nom also resulted in the creation of a malformed category in ITN/C. This is going to screw up the bot that automatically creates this category when December 25th rolls around at 0:00 GMT. WaltCip-(talk) 13:16, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

(Closed) Demolition of the Pillar of Shame

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

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Article: Pillar_of_Shame#Demolition_of_the_statue_in_December_2021 (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ The Pillar of Shame (pictured), a statue at the University of Hong Kong commemorating the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, is dismantled and removed. (Post)
News source(s): CNN, Reuters, AP, BBC, Washington Post
Credits:

• Nominated by Rockstone35 (talk · give credit)

Nominator's comments: This statute was one of the last public works memorializing the events of Tiananmen Square in Hong Kong. Its removal signals China's tightening grip on the once autonomous city. Rockstone^{Send me a message!} 04:37, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

• Oppose minor event, and keeping in mind that Hong Kong is part of China, "China's tightening grip on the once autonomous city" is not surprising (not to mention it's a rather anti-China phrasing, as would featuring this event on ITN). Banedon (talk) 07:11, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

• I don't see how posting the event on ITN is anti-China at all. If Wikipedia was around in 1989, would posting the massacre itself be anti-China? -- Rockstone^{Send me a message!} 07:34, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

• No, but the massacre itself was a much more significant event than the demolition of one of the many memorials to the event. The anti-China aspect of it stems from what one chooses to report, and by choosing to report this (as opposed to, say, the 2021 Madagascar shipwreck or the Malaysian floods below, it conveys a clear message that we consider this removal to be inappropriate. Banedon (talk) 08:00, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

• Oppose as stated above, minor event. Only symbolic effect and not in a wider sense. --Regards, Jeromi Mikhael 07:42, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support. This is extremely widely covered; ABC News, Al Jazeera, AP, NBC News, NPR, The Australian, BBC, Bloomberg, CNN, The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, The Globe and Mail, The Guardian, HuffPost; I could continue working down WP:RSP, but I feel the point is made - the coverage of this clearly indicates that it has significance beyond a "minor event" (note that while some of these are reposted AP articles with minor edits, many are independent articles) BilledMammal (talk) 08:48, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose statues are being removed for various reasons all over the globe. This is just part of the ongoing drive to revise history. The Rambling Man (Keep wearing the mask...) 09:11, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose per TRM. _-_Alsoriano97 (talk) 11:53, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
• Oppose ... per all the previous opposed comments. A poignant commentary on the Chinese regime, but just a footnote historically. Suggest close. – Sca (talk) 13:25, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
• Comment I think it could be used as a candidate for DYK instead. (PenangLion (talk) 13:40, 23 December 2021 (UTC))
• Oppose - Yes, China is engaging in historical revisionism, but it's nothing they haven't already done for years, especially given efforts in the U.S. to tear down statues and memorials relating to the Confederacy. We have no illusions as to the sort of message that China wants to portray to the world.--WaltCip-(talk) 14:26, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

December 22

Portal:Current events/2021 December 22

December 22, 2021 (2021-12-22) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Syrian civil war Rojava conflict Two soldiers and four civilians are killed in clashes between the Kurdish SDF and the Turkish-backed SNA in Tell Tamer. (The New Arab) Arts and culture Hong Kong national security law The University of Hong Kong removes the Pillar of Shame overnight, a monument dedicated to the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in China. (Hong Kong Free Press) Disasters and accidents Jade trade in Myanmar 2021 Hpakant jade mine disaster Dozens of people are missing following a landslide at a jade mine in Hpakant, Kachin State. (Reuters) 2021 Madagascar shipwreck At least 64 people are confirmed dead following a boat accident off the coast of Antseraka, Analanjirofo, Madagascar, on Monday, with 24 others still missing. (France 24) Madagascar's police minister Serge Gellé is rescued after swimming for 12 hours to shore after his helicopter crashed off the country's northern coast during the boat accident rescue operation. President Andry Rajoelina hails Gellé's survival. (Deutsche Welle) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland reports a record 3,231 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (The Irish News) COVID-19 pandemic in Wales First minister Mark Drakeford announces new restrictions, including limiting the number of people in events to 50 people outdoors and 30 people indoors, no more than six people in a group at bars, restaurants, and cinemas, and imposing a face mask mandate due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. These measures will be in effect beginning on December 26. (BBC News) The United Kingdom reports a record 106,122 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the first time that the country has reported more than 100,000 new cases in a single day. (The Independent) COVID-19 pandemic in Austria The government announces a series of new restrictions, including closing restaurants at 10 p.m. beginning on December 27, discourage large-scale New Year's Eve celebrations, capacity restrictions of indoor and outdoor events, and imposing strict entry requirements for travellers from the UK, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands where the Omicron variant is already dominant in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and its variant. (AP) COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announces that, due to the spread of the Omicron variant, water parks, cinemas, theatres and concert halls will be closed, and all indoor events and outdoor events using a tent will be banned. Additionally, shopping will only be allowed in pairs and professional and amateur sport events will be held without spectators. These measures will begin on December 26. (The Brussels Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, COVID-19 vaccination in Turkey The Health ministry approves the emergency use of the country's first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine named Turkovac. (Anadolu Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia British Columbia closes all bars, nightclubs, gyms, fitness centres, and dance studios, and bans all indoor gatherings due to the spread of the Omicron variant. (CBC) COVID-19 pandemic in Jamaica Jamaica reports its first case of the Omicron variant in a person who travelled from the United Kingdom. (Nation News) COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 drug development The Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization for Pfizer's antiviral COVID-19 oral pill named Paxlovid for at-risk people over the age of 12 years, becoming the first at-home oral treatment to be approved by the FDA. (NBC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Africa COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria Nigeria destroys 1,066,214 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine with short shelf lives that expired in November. (Punch) COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia Tunisia begins to implement the usage of a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination pass in order to enter cafés, state institutions, banks, and shopping centres despite popular opposition and criticism from Amnesty International. (Barron's) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Israel The Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba clarifies that the man thought to be Israel's first Omicron death had actually had the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, following the final laboratory results regarding his condition. (The Times of Israel) COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Japan reports its first locally transmitted cases of the Omicron variant in three people from Osaka Prefecture with no international travel history. (The Japan Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, COVID-19 vaccination in Australia COVID-19 pandemic in Western Australia Western Australia will become the first state and territory to mandate a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for essential, mining, and healthcare workers, due to the spread of the Omicron variant. (News.com.au) COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela Venezuela reports its first seven cases of the Omicron variant in a group of people who had travelled from another country, such as Spain, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Turkey. (Reuters) Law and crime Animal welfare and rights in Australia A landowner and an earthmoving business each face 126 charges for the deaths of 70 koalas last year at a partially cleared tree plantation in Cape Bridgewater, Victoria, Australia. (BBC News) Animal welfare and rights in Italy Italy bans fur farming and orders all remaining mink farms to shut down by June 2022, while a ban on breeding animals for their fur becomes effective immediately. (Greek Reporter)

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(Posted) RD: Franklin A. Thomas

Article: Franklin A. Thomas (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): NYTimes
Credits:

• Nominated by Ktin (talk · give credit)
• Updated by 9H48F (talk · give credit), Laskee345 (talk · give credit), CatchedY (talk · give credit) and Oceanflynn (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: American business executive. Article looks good and ready for homepage / RD. I did not have to make any edits. Ktin (talk) 06:00, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

• More than long enough (4532 characters or 706 words of readable prose) and with enough footnotes at expected spots, this wikibio is READY for RD. It would be nice if the deadlink in Ref. #3 can be fixed or replaced before the link to this wikibio goes on MainPage. Thanks. --PFHLai (talk) 09:28, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Not ready the lead needs to be updated now that he is no longer living e.g. cannot use "since" + year for a person who is no longer alive. MurielMary (talk) 09:45, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
  •  Removed the word 'since' from the intro. --PFHLai (talk) 10:24, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support Good to go. _-_Alsoriano97 (talk) 17:24, 28 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted --PFHLai (talk) 22:34, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

RD: Lester E. Fisher

Article: Lester E. Fisher (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): https://wgnradio.com/news/remembering-dr-lester-fisher-former-director-of-lincoln-park-zoo-who-has-died-at-age-100/
Credits:

• Updated by Rawmustard (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: "Chicago's Dr. Doolittle". Another short wikibio at about 300 words. --PFHLai (talk) 21:20, 25 December 2021 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Poh Lip Meng

Article: Poh Lip Meng (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): CNA, Yahoo, The Straits Times
Credits:

• Nominated by Robertsky (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Singaporean competitive sport shooter. Represented Singapore at international level and won some medals. – robertsky (talk) 16:21, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support good enough for RD. Joseph2302 (talk) 09:36, 24 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted --PFHLai (talk) 16:01, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Thomas Kinsella

Article: Thomas Kinsella (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): NYT
Credits:

• Updated and nominated by AleatoryPonderings (talk · give credit)

Article updated
Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

Nominator's comments: Irish poet. Needs some ref work; I may be able to get to it in the next day or two. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 14:57, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

• I think it's ready. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 17:59, 26 December 2021 (UTC)
• More than long enough (4149 characters or 655 words of readable prose) and with enough footnotes in expected spots, this wikibio is indeed READY for RD. Please consider mentioning the Rooney Prize in the prose. --PFHLai (talk) 13:03, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
  • Done. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 15:39, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
    • Thanks for adding that so quickly. --PFHLai (talk) 17:59, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support ready to go. _-_Alsoriano97 (talk) 23:06, 27 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted --PFHLai (talk) 02:25, 28 December 2021 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Frans Lebu Raya

Article: Frans Lebu Raya (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): Kompas]
Credits:

• Updated and nominated by Jeromi Mikhael (talk · give credit)

Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

 Regards, Jeromi Mikhael 07:32, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

• Support Article has good length and sourcing. Joofjoof (talk) 09:12, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
• Support The article is in good quality Nyanardsan (talk) 00:40, 24 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted --PFHLai (talk) 16:02, 26 December 2021 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Dmitry Zimin

Article: Dmitry Zimin (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
Credits:

• Nominated by Andrew J.Kurbiko (talk · give credit)

Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Wikipedia article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.

 Andrei (talk) 18:42, 22 December 2021 (UTC)

• Comment – Looks fairly comprehensive (about 760 words) & well documented. – Sca (talk) 20:14, 22 December 2021 (UTC)
• Long enough and with enough footnotes in expected spots, this wikibio is READY FOR RD. --PFHLai (talk) 02:13, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
• Strong support. Really outstanding scientist, businessman and philanthropist. _ruASG⁺¹  16:44, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
• Posted --PFHLai (talk) 17:48, 23 December 2021 (UTC)

References

Nominators often include links to external websites and other references in discussions on this page. It is usually best to provide such links using the inline URL syntax [http://example.com] rather than using <ref></ref> tags, because that keeps all the relevant information in the same place as the nomination without having to jump to this section, and facilitates the archiving process.

For the times when <ref></ref> tags are being used, here are their contents: