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.

The ATR 72 involved in the crash Voepass Linhas Aéreas Flight 2283 (aircraft pictured) crashes in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, killing all 62 people on board. Sheikh Hasina resigns as the prime minister of Bangladesh following anti-government protests, and Muhammad Yunus is appointed leader of an interim government. Following a mass stabbing in Southport, far-right protesters riot in England and Northern Ireland. The United States, Russia, and their respective allies agree to a prisoner exchange of 26 people. Ongoing: Israel–Hamas war timeline Russian invasion of Ukraine timeline Sudanese civil war timeline Recent deaths: Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez Jon McBride Susan Wojcicki Kalatiku Paembonan Taberon Honie Galboda Gnanissara Thera 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 28

Portal:Current events/2020 December 28

December 28, 2020 (2020-12-28) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Insurgency in the North Caucasus Two knife-wielding assailants kill a police officer and wound another in Grozny, Chechnya. The attackers are shot dead while trying to seize weapons. It is the second attack against police in the city in recent months; in October, two officers were killed by militants. (Reuters) Aftermath of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war An Azerbaijani soldier is killed and another injured in a shooting in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan blames the attack on "an Armenian armed group"; all the six attackers are shot dead. (Al Jazeera) Mali Civil War, Operation Barkhane Three French Army troops are killed when their armoured personnel carrier hits a roadside bomb in Hombori, Mali. (France 24) Business and economy Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The United States House of Representatives passes the CASH Act, a bill that increases direct payments from $600 to $2,000, with a vote of 275–134. The bill is expected to head to the United States Senate for a vote. (Newsweek) (The Hill) U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders announces that he will filibuster a Senate vote to override President Donald Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 if the Senate doesn't vote on providing $2,000 direct payments to Americans. (Politico) Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka reopens the island for tourism after closing it for nine months. (Business Insider) Russian-led consortium Nord Stream AG says it has completed the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline in Germany's exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea. The U.S. had previously threatened to impose wider sanctions on the project if work continued. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents The Russian-flagged fishing trawler Onega capsizes near the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Barents Sea. 17 fishermen are missing and presumed dead, while two have been rescued. Search and rescue operations in the area have been suspended due to strong winds and low temperatures. (AFP via The Moscow Times) A power outage lasting several hours affects over 10 million people in Mexico, including in the capital Mexico City. (Reuters) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium Belgium officially begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, with a 96-year-old Flemish man from Antwerp becoming the first person to receive Pfizer-BioNTech's tozinameran vaccine. (Euronews) COVID-19 pandemic in Finland, Variant of Concern 202012/01, 501.V2 variant Finland reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom, after a person who travelled from Western Europe tested positive for COVID-19. (Yle) A separate, second variant from South Africa is also reported in Finland, after two people tested positive for COVID-19. (News 24) COVID-19 pandemic in Spain Spain surpasses 50,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Anadolu Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland, 501.V2 variant Switzerland reports its first two case of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from South Africa after two people tested positive for COVID-19 despite having no clear traveling history to South Africa. (Business Insider South Africa) COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom reports a record 41,385 new cases in the past 24 hours. It is the first time that the country has reported more than 40,000 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. (BBC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi announces that the country will ban all international travellers for two weeks starting January 1, citing concerns over new variants of SARS-CoV-2. Government officials are exempt from this ban. (Merdeka.com) COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Transport Minister Yuichiro Hata, who died yesterday, tested positive for COVID-19. He is the first Japanese lawmaker to die from the virus. (The Asahi Shimbun) COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Saudi Arabia extends the suspension of all international commercial flights, as well as all entry through land and sea ports for another week due to concerns about the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Gulf News) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, Variant of Concern 202012/01 South Korea reports its first cases of a more infectious variant of SARS-CoV-2, after three South Korean nationals who arrived from the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19, including an elderly man who has since died. (Yonhap News Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Alberta reports its first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a person who travelled from the United Kingdom. (Daily Hive) Canada surpasses 15,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Global News) COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa announces that the country will move from level 1 to level 3 from midnight until January 15. This means that all alcohol sales are banned, wearing of masks in public places is compulsory, most gatherings other than funerals are banned, and the nationwide curfew will be extended from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time. (Bloomberg) COVID-19 vaccine Novavax announces it will begin phase 3 trials of its vaccine candidate in the United States and Mexico. (NBC News) International relations European Union–United Kingdom relations, trade negotiation between the UK and the EU European Union ambassadors unanimously approve the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the United Kingdom. (BBC News) China–European Union relations The European Union announces that it is close to reaching an investment deal with China. The deal would immensely impact the global economy, especially with the U.S.-China trade war. (AFP via ABS-CBN News) Japan–United States relations, COVID-19 vaccine The United States Forces Japan announces that American troops in the country will begin vaccinations and prioritize front-line medical workers. (The Japan Times) Law and crime 2020–2021 United States racial unrest, Andre Hill protests Officer Adam Coy, who fatally shot Andre Hill was fired. Coy had failed to follow the required protocol by not turning on his body camera and failed to aid the dying man. Hill's killing was the second police-involved shooting in Columbus, Ohio in weeks, setting off renewed protests against the authorities for excessive use of force. (NPR) COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China A court in China sentences a citizen journalist to four years in prison for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" while reporting during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year in Wuhan. The journalist's lawyer says that they will probably appeal the verdict. (Reuters), (BBC News) A court in Saudi Arabia sentences women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to five years and eight months in prison on grounds of "various activities prohibited by the anti-terrorism law". The verdict comes despite pressure from international organizations to release her. (DW) Politics and elections The United States House of Representatives votes 322–87 to override President Donald Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. (NBC News)

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December 27

Portal:Current events/2020 December 27

December 27, 2020 (2020-12-27) (Sunday) Armed conflicts and attacks Boko Haram insurgency Boko Haram jihadists storm a village near Gamboru, Borno State, Nigeria, killing three people and kidnapping more than 40 others. It is the second mass abduction by the Islamist group this month. (Al Jazeera) Spillover of the Syrian Civil War in Lebanon Hundreds of Syrian refugees flee a makeshift camp in North Governorate, Lebanon, after local youths storm the camp and torch tents, wounding three people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (Reuters) War in Darfur Sudan says it will deploy troops to South Darfur "in large numbers" following recent tribal violence between the Masalit and Fula. (Reuters) Business and economy Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States President Donald Trump signs the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which contains a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package, before Monday's deadline, in order to avert a government shutdown. This comes after Trump called the bill a "disgrace" last week. (The Washington Post) (Politico) Disasters and accidents In Cameroon, a bus travelling from Douala, to the capital Yaoundé collides with a truck and plunges into a ravine, killing at least 37 people and injuring 19 others. (AFP via The Economic Times) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia, Variant of Concern 202012/01 British Columbia reports their first case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from a man in Island Health who returned from the United Kingdom on December 15 and tested positive on December 19. (CBC) COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec Quebec reports 6,783 cases and 110 deaths between 24 and 26 December, bringing the total number of cases to 192,655 and deaths to 8,023. (Toronto Star) COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The U.S. surpasses 19 million cases of COVID-19, having averaged 185,000 daily cases over the past week. (The Hill) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Oman Oman officially begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The country is the last Gulf Cooperation Council member state to begin vaccinations. Health Minister Ahmed Al-Saidi is one of the first citizens to receive a dose of the vaccine. (Arab News) The Supreme Committee decides to reopen Oman's land, sea, and air borders on December 29 after closing them on December 21 due to fears of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. All travellers must show a negative PCR test within 72 hours before entering the country and must have valid health insurance. In addition, all travellers must quarantine for seven days and take another test after completing their quarantine. (Hindustan Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia Indonesia reports a record 6,983 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 583,676. (Kompas) COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Jordan reports their first two cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a couple who travelled from the United Kingdom. (Medical Xpress) COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia announces that they will lift their flight ban on non-Saudis leaving the country. (Al Arabiya) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea South Korea extends its current social distancing measures aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 until January 3, as record numbers of new cases are being reported. (The Straits Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in Austria Austria begins administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran to its citizens. An 84-year-old woman becomes the first Austrian to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Medical University of Vienna. (ORF) COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic The Czech Republic begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran, with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and World War II veteran Emilie Řepíková among the first people to get vaccinated. (Expats.cz) COVID-19 pandemic in Greece Greece officially begins a vaccination programme against COVID-19, with ICU nurse Efstathia Kambissiouli, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis among the first people to get vaccinated. (The National Herald) COVID-19 pandemic in Norway, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Norway reports its first cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, after two people who travelled from the United Kingdom earlier in December test positive for COVID-19. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Portugal reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom in Madeira. (PUBLICO) COVID-19 pandemic in Romania Romania begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. The first person vaccinated is a 26-year-old doctor from Bucharest. (Digi24) The European Union begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19. (NBC News) COVID-19 pandemic in South America COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourão tests positive for COVID-19. (Diário do Nordeste) COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay Uruguay reported a record of 11 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 158. (El País) COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa South Africa surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, becoming the first African country to reach this milestone. (Voice of America) Law and crime Kaiyuan stabbing attack Seven people are killed and seven others injured in a mass stabbing in Kaiyuan, Liaoning, China. The attacker has been arrested. (BBC News) 2020 Nashville bombing Authorities officially identify the perpetrator of Friday's suicide bombing in Nashville, Tennessee, as 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner and conclude that he had been acting alone. (The Tennessean) Politics and elections 2020 Nigerien general election Citizens in Niger head to the polls to elect their President in their first democratic power transfer since the country's independence from France. The election comes amidst a growing Islamist insurgency as Mohamed Bazoum is the favourite to succeed incumbent Mahamadou Issoufou, who is stepping down after serving two five-year terms. (DW) 2020 Central African general election Elections in the Central African Republic are underway, after a campaign marred by violence between government and rebel forces. (BBC News) Science and technology The Solar Orbiter spacecraft makes its closest approach to Venus. (Space.com)

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December 26

Portal:Current events/2020 December 26

December 26, 2020 (2020-12-26) (Saturday) Armed conflicts and attacks Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli military (IDF) carries out several airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, in response to overnight rocket attacks in Israel. IDF says it targeted a rocket manufacturing site, underground infrastructure and a military post. Two minor injuries are reported. The attacks caused power outages in the eastern part of the strip. Hamas claims the strikes damaged a children's hospital, a centre for disabled people, and damaged the windows of several residential buildings. IDF claims that the damage was due to detonations of ground munitions. (Al Jazeera) (The Times of Israel) Kashmir conflict India arrests 75 Kashmiri political leaders and activists for "preventive custody" due to recent violence following local elections. (Al Jazeera) Disasters and accidents Twelve climbers die during avalanches and blizzards on mountains north of Tehran, Iran. Fourteen others went missing but are rescued alive. (The Guardian) A fire inside an intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Obour, Egypt, kills seven people and injures five others. (ABC News) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in Spain COVID-19 vaccine Spain receives its first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran in Guadalajara, a day before the country begins its vaccination programme. (Euro Weekly News) COVID-19 pandemic in the Community of Madrid, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Madrid reports the nation's first four cases of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Guardian) COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland enters a six-week lockdown in an effort to reduce the number of COVID-19 infections. All "non-essential" shops and businesses will be closed, while "essential" shops must close each day by 20:00 GMT during the first week of the lockdown. No gatherings will be allowed between 20:00 and 6:00 each day, and anyone travelling to Northern Ireland must self-isolate for at least 10 days. (BBC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus, 2020 Belarusian protests Two men jailed for protesting against President Alexander Lukashenko say they tested positive for COVID-19, after developing symptoms in jail and not receiving treatment. (AP) COVID-19 pandemic in Germany The German state of Saxony-Anhalt begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19, which also began nationwide. A 101-year-old woman in a nursing home become one of first people in the country to get vaccinated. (DW) COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary Hungary begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. The first vaccinations are being delivered at two hospitals in Budapest. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Russia Russia surpasses three million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fourth country to do so after the United States, India, and Brazil. (Arab News) (Mint) COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Sweden reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 after a traveller from the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19. (The Hill) COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Ontario reports its first two cases of a new SARS-COV-2 variant in a couple from Durham Region with no known travel history, exposure, or high-risk contacts. Ontario is the first province in Canada to identify a case of this new variant. (CBC) COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues guidelines stating that people with underlying health conditions can receive the vaccine. (The Hill) One out of every 1,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to a comparison of census and death toll estimates. (CNN) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Tokyo reports a record 949 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 55,851. (The Japan Times) The Japanese Foreign Ministry will ban non-resident foreign nationals from entering Japan from December 28 until the end of January after several cases of a more infectious variant of SARS-CoV-2 were reported in the country. Japanese citizens and foreign residents will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days when they enter the country. (CNN) COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia Indonesia reports a record 6,389 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recoveries to 576,693. (detikNews) COVID-19 pandemic in Iran Iran extends a nighttime traffic curfew that runs from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. local time to 330 lower-risk "yellow" cities in an effort to sustain a recent decrease in the numbers of new cases and deaths. (Hindustan Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia Malaysia reports a record 2,335 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 103,900. (CNA) Law and crime 2020 Nashville bombing Federal investigators identify a person of interest in yesterday's bombing in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, and join local police in raiding his home. (AP) Authorities announce that they suspect the incident was a suicide bombing, following the discovery of human remains at the blast site. (CNN) Breonna Taylor protests, 2020 United States racial unrest A statue of Breonna Taylor, a black woman killed by police during a raid at her home in March 2020, has been smashed and destroyed during a racist assault. The statue was erected two weeks ago in Oakland, California. (BBC News) Crime in Germany Four men are seriously injured in a mass shooting in Kreuzberg, Berlin. The city's attorney said that rival gangs may have been responsible for the shooting. (BBC News) Crime in China China lowers the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years old for "abominable" crimes such as murder or causing injury that leads to death or severe disabilities by extremely cruel means. The measure was passed by the National People's Congress Standing Committee. (Al Arabiya) Mass shootings in the United States Three people are killed, and three others are injured, during a mass shooting at a bowling alley in Rockford, Illinois. Police believe the suspect, in custody, identified as a soldier from Florida, randomly selected his victims. (Al Jazeera) Politics and elections 2021 Ethiopian general election The government sets June 5 as the date for the 2021 parliamentary elections. The elections were delayed to 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the delay being a cause of the ongoing Tigray conflict. (Reuters) Sports Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, 2020 NFL season The Cleveland Browns announce that they will close their facility and delay their flight to New Jersey for an upcoming matchup with the New York Jets after a player on the team tested positive for COVID-19. (Reuters)

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RD: Robin Jackman

Article: Robin Jackman (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): Cricinfo
Credits:

• Updated and nominated by Ktin (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: Indian-born English and South-African cricketer. Much loved for his commentary. Article was in a very good condition. Needs sourcing across the board, which I will work on in the next couple of hours. Sourcing is complete. Did not have to do any content edits. If someone wants any other edits incorporated, please let me know. RIP. Thanks for all the memories. Ktin

(Posted) RD: Phil Niekro

Article: Phil Niekro (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): [1]
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) 17:53, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support sourcing looks good thanks to Muboshgu's efforts. The fourteen navboxes at the bottom are silly, but not a reason to oppose this. power~enwiki (π, ν) 21:21, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support A bit wacky his photo has him as a Yankee, but (unfortunately) that's not a barrier for posting. Nohomersryan (talk) 21:35, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

  Nohomersryan, don't hate on the best franchise in sports. – Muboshgu (talk) 22:33, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support adequate for ITN. Good to go! The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 21:42, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

 Posted—Bagumba (talk) 01:09, 28 December 2020 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Brodie Lee

Article: Brodie Lee (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): Jerusalem Post, ESPN
Credits:

• Nominated by GaryColemanFan (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: Professional wrestler (real name Jon Huber) with two of the biggest promotions in the United States. GaryColemanFan (talk) 01:57, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment - One cn tag, but very good article. I'm ready to change it to support as soon as this small issue is resolved.--SirEdimon ^Dimmi!!! 03:07, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
  • I believe I've dealt with these. GaryColemanFan (talk) 04:17, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support Too damn young to burn up, but too damn good to fade away. InedibleHulk (talk) 05:40, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support per nom. BD2412 T 05:44, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support, you know what that means. starship.paint (talk) 08:34, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support good to go, probably one of the best wrestling bios I've seen nominated here. Consider nominating for WP:GA. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 08:39, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

Extended content

Ho-ly shit! Ho-ly shit! Seriously, call The Signpost, if even The Rambling Man is marking out, that's a sign of something alright! InedibleHulk (talk) 09:36, 27 December 2020 (UTC) Indeed, my standards for the main page are high, no shame in that. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 11:07, 27 December 2020 (UTC) Nothing to be too proud of, either, this bio met all seven other judges' standards. InedibleHulk (talk) 11:31, 27 December 2020 (UTC) Who said anything about being proud, just doing the job properly. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 14:28, 27 December 2020 (UTC) No pride, no shame, pure unanimous propriety. InedibleHulk (talk) 23:12, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support per all the above. Lugnuts ^{Fire Walk with Me} 09:26, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Posted Stephen 10:28, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

  Stephen could you check Shamsur Rahman Faruqi & George Blake as they were marked good to go as well but appear to have been overlooked? Cheers. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 11:10, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Jim McLean

Article: Jim McLean (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
Credits:

• Nominated by Jmorrison230582 (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: Successful manager of Dundee United; led them to a Scottish league championship (1982–83) and an appearance in the 1987 UEFA Cup Final. Inducted to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Jmorrison230582 (talk) 20:24, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment Quite a lot uncited in there as of now, will check back later. RIP, a great manager! JW 1961 Talk 21:34, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Weak oppose a few unreferenced sentences in there, but otherwise in good condition. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 08:42, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

  Support good to go. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 11:08, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support Added a couple of refs for the awards. I can’t see anything contentious now.yorkshiresky (talk) 09:46, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Posted Stephen 11:29, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: George Blake

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

• Nominated by Bruzaholm (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Black Kite (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.

 Bruzaholm (talk) 10:24, 26 December 2020 (UTC))

• Oppose a few cn tags and unreferenced paragraphs Scaramouche33 (talk) 13:07, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

  it's good to go Scaramouche33 (talk) 04:43, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support All pretty much sourced now, I think. Black Kite (talk) 18:04, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support. Far, far better than many RDs, and it looks sourced to me. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 19:21, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Strong support article looks incredibly sourced and incredibly written. Good work as always, Bruzaholm. Tuck (come say hi!) — Preceding undated comment added 03:45, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support good enough. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 08:44, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Posted Stephen 11:24, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

December 25

Portal:Current events/2020 December 25

December 25, 2020 (2020-12-25) (Friday) Armed conflicts and attacks Central African Republic Civil War Three United Nations peacekeepers from Burundi are killed and two others injured in the Central African Republic during two attacks by unknown gunmen. The shootings are carried out two days before the general election in the country. (BBC News) Disasters and accidents A boat overturns and sinks due to strong winds on the Ugandan side of Lake Albert, killing 26 people. (BBC News) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in China COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong The authorities extends the compulsory quarantine in designed hotels to 21 days for visitors from outside China, Macau, and Taiwan beginning tomorrow and also ban all people who stayed in South Africa over the past 21 days from entering Hong Kong in order to prevent the spread of new variants of SARS-CoV-2. (The Straits Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia Indonesia reports a record 258 deaths and 6,324 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide totals to 20,847 deaths and 570,304 recoveries. (CNN Indonesia) COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Japan reports their first cases of the new variant of SARS-COV-2 in five people who arrived from the United Kingdom. (The Japan Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan surpasses 80,000 cases of COVID-19. (Xinhua News Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Lebanon reports their first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a passenger on a Middle East Airlines flight from London on December 21. (The National) COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, COVID-19 vaccine Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives a COVID-19 vaccine. (The Hill) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea South Korea reports a record 1,241 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 54,770 cases. (Yonhap News Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in France, Variant of Concern 202012/01 France reports their first case of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a French citizen who travelled from London to Tours, France on December 19. (Sky News) COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan confirms that the Republic has detected the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom as the country reports more than 1,000 for the first time in two months. (Independent.ie) COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Rospotrebnadzor orders a 14-day quarantine for anyone who travels from the United Kingdom, with the exception of aircraft crew members, beginning tomorrow due to the spread of a more contagious variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Moscow Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey Turkey signs a deal with BioNTech to receive up to 30 million doses of their vaccine. (Daily Sabah) COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom exceeds 70,000 deaths from COVID-19. (The Independent) (BBC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Africa COVID-19 pandemic in Mali, COVID-19 pandemic in France Malian opposition leader Soumaila Cissé dies from COVID-19 in France two months after he was released by jihadist militants in a prisoner swap. (France 24) COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco, COVID-19 vaccine Morocco is expected to acquire 65 million vaccine doses from AstraZeneca and Sinopharm. (ABC News) COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa South Africa reports a record 14,796 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total to 983,359 cases. (The Citizens) Law and crime 2020 Nashville bombing An explosion occurs in a recreational vehicle in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., causing structural damage and injuring three people. Police believe the explosion was an "intentional act". (CNN) (The Tennessean) The explosion also results in AT&T service outages across the U.S. due to infrastructure damage to a service facility located near the blast site. Cellular, wireline telephone, Internet, and U-verse television service, as well as multiple local 9-1-1 and non-emergency phone networks, are among the services affected. (WKRN-TV) (The Tennessean) 2018 Puebla helicopter crash Four people are arrested for a helicopter crash in Puebla, Mexico, that killed Governor Martha Érika Alonso, her husband, and former Governor Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas. (ABC News) A court in Russia sentences prominent historian Oleg Sokolov to 12 and a half years in prison for the murder and dismemberment of his student lover. Sokolov, a former history professor at St. Petersburg State University, pled guilty to the murder. (Reuters) Sports Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports Greg Norman, Australian former world number one champion of the 1986 and 1993 Open Championships, tests positive for COVID-19 and is hospitalized in the United States due to having symptoms. (BBC Sport)

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RD: Tony Rice

Article: Tony Rice (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): Variety
Credits:

• Nominated by Masem (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: Leading bluegrass musician. Article is not in good shape, needing a lot of sourcing. Masem (t) 05:01, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose, per nom. InedibleHulk (talk) 07:05, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose long way to go. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 08:46, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

RD: Barry Lopez

Article: Barry Lopez (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): The Guardian (AP report)
Credits:

• Nominated by AleatoryPonderings (talk · give credit)
• Updated 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: American nature writer. Not very long, but not a stub. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 03:22, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Weak oppose a handful of citations needed (in the bibliography section) but the rest is decent. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 08:49, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• The going requirement at ITN for citations for the mere existence of a book (not its awards) strikes me as overkill, especially when {{authority control}} exists. I'll try to find some, but really—the existence of a book, which can be quickly verified by the simplest of Google searches, is not something that requires {{cn}}. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 17:04, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• That's not how it works. And I didn't add all the tags. Cheers. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 17:06, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• The Rambling Man, Well, in any event, they're now addressed. And I know that's not how it works—I said "the going requirement". I disagree with "how it works", because I think encouraging editors to add citations to Worldcat is very silly indeed. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 17:19, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• I don't. Do you think our readers know what "Authority control" means?? Good work on the article. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 20:03, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support my concerns addressed. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 21:29, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment. Posting-Admins, please consider expanding the carousel count to 7 when posting this article on WP:ITNRD the article that will be popping off has been there for ~7 hours. Ktin (talk) 18:16, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Shamsur Rahman Faruqi

Article: Shamsur Rahman Faruqi (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): Indian Express
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 Urdu poet. Padma Shri awardee. Article can do with a good amount of edits. I will work in it later tonight. Edits and article expansion done. Solid C-class biography. Meets hygiene requirements for homepage / RD. Ktin (talk) 02:37, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support Everything's referenced Scaramouche33 (talk) 04:47, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support looks just about fine. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 08:51, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Posted Stephen 11:21, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

RD: Danny Hodge

Article: Danny Hodge (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): WWE Figure Four Wrestling
Credits:

• Nominated by GaryColemanFan (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: Olympic wrestler and medal winner. Professional wrestler enshrined in numerous halls of fame. GaryColemanFan (talk) 19:35, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Weak oppose death not covered in prose. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 19:51, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support added "death" section to article (could use expansion if someone has source for cause of death etc) JW 1961 Talk 21:47, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• There's an explanation of COD in the source you added. So you're admitting that you didn't bother to read it? See my comment below about formatting puffery, yet another example of the fraud committed around here in the name of "article quality". RadioKAOS / Talk to me, Billy / Transmissions 06:42, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

  RadioKAOS, The source I added specifically states "While the cause of death isn't known yet"! Yes I did read it or I wouldn't have asked for further explanations. Please don't accuse other editors of fraud! JW 1961 Talk 17:59, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

  RadioKAOS, I agree with JW's statement above. Perhaps not my place to be saying, but, please be polite to your fellow editors. I would also recommend that you apologize to JW on their talk page. Ktin (talk) 18:12, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose As usual, folks appear to be judging this solely on account of formatting puffery. As a biography, it's quite incomplete and chronologically all over the place. It reads like a semi-random collection of facts which just happen to be backed by sources. RadioKAOS / Talk to me, Billy / Transmissions 06:42, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose Missing a considerable amount about his government work, infobox photo and "Other" classification beg a few questions. InedibleHulk (talk) 06:55, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

RD: Soumaïla Cissé

Article: Soumaïla Cissé (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): Reuters Le Monde
Credits:

• Nominated by Alsoriano97 (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: Opposition leader of Mali. Article needs work. Alsoriano97 (talk) 21:24, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• oppose for now. Two cn tags. Personal life could use a little expansion, also more info on his abduction and release would be nice. Scaramouche33 (talk) 06:03, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

RD: K. C. Jones

Article: K. C. Jones (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): ESPN
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.

Nominator's comments: Needs sourcing – Muboshgu (talk) 20:36, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose still under-referenced. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 14:06, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

RD: Michael Alig

Article: Michael Alig (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): The New York Daily News
Credits:

• Nominated by UncomfortablySmug (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: The Club Kid Killer. UncomfortablySmug (talk) 6:40, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Weak oppose a couple of unref'd claims in there. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 14:06, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

Armenia protests

Article: 2020 Armenian protests (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ 2020 Armenian protests grow again calling for the resignation Nikol Pashinyan. (Post)
News source(s): NBC News
Credits:

• Nominated by 2A02:2A57:173D:0:3C22:E327:9689:F0F2 (talk · give credit)

Article updated

Nominator's comments: There was a link here, but it's gone. It should be back as the protests have been the largest yet this week. Not to mention all that noise I hear :) 2A02:2A57:173D:0:A880:FE7:F406:82D3 (talk) 16:57, 24 December 2020 (UTC) 2A02:2A57:173D:0:3C22:E327:9689:F0F2 (talk) 16:37, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• @2A02:2A57:173D:0:A880:FE7:F406:82D3: Please fix your nomination, the instructions on how to properly nominate an article are given on this page above. Gotitbro (talk) 18:28, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

The article kind of updated to this week. I've not edited much here, but post on the Talk page,can someone help to update?2A02:2A57:173D:0:3C22:E327:9689:F0F2 (talk) 16:37, 25 December 2020 (UTC) I did a little update and posted in the talk page the links. The part about Nikol rejecting I didn't find, but I didn't look hard enough.2A02:2A57:173D:0:3C22:E327:9689:F0F2 (talk) 17:05, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

(Closed) Nashville bombing

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: 2020 Nashville bombing (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ A vehicle explosion in downtown Nashville, Tennessee is characterized as an intentional act and leaves at least one person dead. (Post)
News source(s): NBC News, AP (new), Guardian, Tennessean (new)
Credits:

• Nominated by UncomfortablySmug (talk · give credit)

 UncomfortablySmug (talk) 4:17, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose. No article. Even if there was, this were no fatalities. Thankfully only 3 injuries and property damage. --- C&C (Coffeeandcrumbs) 16:27, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
  • I am still not convinced this rises to level of what we usually post at ITN. --- C&C (Coffeeandcrumbs) 00:10, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Closed per WP:SNOW WaltCip (talk) 16:28, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support and reopened. There is an article and there is clearly at least one death so far. While it might not reach consensus, to WP:SNOW is pre-mature. Also at this point the oppose is also based on assertions which have changed. Albertaont (talk) 23:54, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support. This is in the news and the article is in good shape. -- Tavix ^(talk) 00:29, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Strong oppose. The only reason this is in the news is because it happened in the US. Had this happened in say, Germany, everyone would have ignored it. Only 3 people were injured, and to the best of our knowledge, there are no confirmed fatalities so far. This is not important on an international scale, and should be put under WP:SNOW. The Image Editor (talk) 00:38, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
  • We have had a lively debate on ITN when similar attacks happened in France and Austria a few months ago, I dont recall what the final outcome was, but to say "Had this happened in say, Germany, everyone would have ignored it." is not correct if we just look back at ITN. Albertaont (talk) 02:44, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
    • Those discussions ended in no consensus, and were not posted. That gives even more reason for this to NOT post this onto ITN. I will admit, that the Germany comparison was in bad faith, but I still think that this doesn’t even approach the threshold of international news. If this somehow gets posted, I would argue that it would dramatically lower the standard of what is ITN worthy. But then again, who am I to judge. The Image Editor (talk) 02:51, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support: definitely on the front pages of many news agencies, even outside the US. Singapore, UK, Germany, Brazil.  Bait30  ^{Talk 2 me pls?} 01:01, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support: The building collapse makes it front page worthy. Unknown-Tree (talk) 02:25, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Wait: Too much is unknown at present, such as whether there were any fatalities. TompaDompa (talk) 03:39, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose This is still being considered as a domestic situation, and there is at most one possible death, typically far lower than what we would post. --Masem (t) 04:03, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose We don't have enough information currently to judge the significance of the attack and so far it seems like a small-scale incident. Plus, if we were to post this, then we would be setting the bar too low for these types of events Scaramouche33 (talk) 05:39, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Wait until we know if people were killed & if it was a bombing by a terrorist group. If it was a lone-wolf attack in which there were no deaths or only one, it's not important enough for ITN. Jim Michael (talk) 13:07, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose trivia. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 13:08, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose Wait – Puzzling & mysterious, thus interesting, but lacking in general significance – though that could change if the investigation uncovers evidence of terrorism. – Sca (talk) 14:03, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Comment – Law enforcement seeks "person of interest." [2] [3] – Sca (talk) 22:15, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose I got it right the first time. WaltCip-(talk) 02:40, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support: Is it in the news? Yes, globally (per links posted above). Are readers interested in it? Yes: nearly 80,000 page views on day 1 of the article [4]. Is the article of sufficient quality? Yes. Therefore: post it. It doesn't matter what country it happened in. BTW, the significance is in the mysteriousness of the incident, the size of the bomb, and the widespread AT&T telecom outage, which is now in its second day. I would suggest maybe an alternate blurb like "A vehicle explosion in downtown Nashville, Tennessee results in three injuries and widespread damage and outages." Levivich ^harass/_hound 04:06, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
  • It does matter where it happened. This is the US, and I apologize to the rest of the world but we're basically idiots here when it comes to gun ownership and stuff like this. This is stuff that happens far too frequently here that, unless we're taking major death and destruction, we skip over these topics because they are "routine" for the US. Now, sure , maybe there's something in the investigation thta proves out something far more sinister than what currently seems as a typical US whack job to prove worthwhile to post, but this isn't anything damaging like the Boston Marathon bombings. --Masem (t) 06:43, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

    There is nothing routine about this RV full of explosives that detonated in downtown Nashville after blaring a siren and audio warning to evacuate the area. The US hasn't had a vehicle bomb attack like this in ... I don't remember the last one. There is nothing routine about grounded flights, 911 being down, mobile phones, and landlines being down, in a three-state area, for two days. The US hasn't had an outage like that in ... even the California wildfires didn't produce outages of that scale; I don't remember the last time all communications were down in such a large area. An attack doesn't have to be the Boston Marathon bombings--the second-worst terrorist attack in US history, probably--in order to be worthy of ITN. And honestly, editors' subjective personal opinions about the importance of the event should not matter at all; 80,000 readers are interested, but a dozen Wikipedia editors think it's routine, so we don't list it? How does that make sense? The only things that should matter are: (1) Do readers want the information? (2) Do we have the information? Levivich ^harass/_hound 07:13, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

    • • This is only of trivial interest because it happened in the US. It has no long-term impact, it is of extremely limited notability, and is only making news because besides Covid, there's nothing else for the US press to get on top of, since Trump has at last become a boring sideshow. This is almost unencyclopedic. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 08:24, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
        • To add, the latest story on this is that the person of interest, believed to be the person that died in the incident, had paranoia over 5G (not unlike what we've already seen previously in the UK with 5G towers being burned down) and may have specifically targetted the local AT&T building because of that paranoia, and not so much as a "act of terrorism". [5] Making this even less of an appropriate story to post here. --Masem (t) 16:02, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose If my memory of unprecedented developing crimes serves me faithfully (and I've seen dozens), our editors can't handle the information! Not just kidding, either. Wikipedia is historically inaccurate (often prejudicially so) while investigations continue. InedibleHulk (talk) 08:11, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose there's lots of facets to this particular posting debate that have already been hashed out above, and in my view, the mysteriousness doesn't add to notability here. It's not an impactful mystery like missing people or backwards trials, it's "why did a bomb go off with nobody around", and the confusion over who and what and why in this case makes it less (not more) notable. We don't know what's happening, we don't know what the blurb really should be to be accurate. If the AT&T outages last any longer, because 911 is still down the last I heard, then we could consider posting that: "large parts of Tennessee and Kentucky are without cellular power or 911 access after bla bla bla" is an unusual and newsworthy blurb with widespread human impact. Kingsif (talk) 09:38, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose – for now — Starting to look as though a solitary IT person, one Anthony Q. Warner, blew himself up. – Sca (talk) 19:24, 27 December 2020 (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.

Metekel massacre

Article: Metekel massacre (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ The Ethiopian National Defense Force clashes with armed bandits involved in Metekel massacre, killing 42 of them and seizing weapons. (Post)
Alternative blurb: ​ The Ethiopian National Defense Force responds to the Metekel massacre of 100 people by killing 42 suspects and arresting seven officials.
News source(s): Al Arabiya English
Credits:

• Nominated by Sherenk1 (talk · give credit)
• Created by Jim Michael (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Boud (talk · give credit)

Article updated

 Sherenk1 (talk) 11:33, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose on quality way too many red links,plus a cn tag. Weak oppose otherwise, the death toll is pretty high, but the Tigray conflict is already in the ongoing section and if the massacre is part of the conflict,then I don't think a separate blurb is needed Scaramouche33 (talk) 12:02, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Fixed: red links, cn. The sources mostly describe this as independent of the Tigray conflict. Geographically and politically, it's a zone of a separate region. Boud (talk) 00:45, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

In that case, weak support. I still think that the article is too short for a blurb,but hopefully it will expanded in the next few days Scaramouche33 (talk) 05:45, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support, but the blurb needs to be changed. The massacre, with a death toll of around 100, is significantly more important than the army's response. Jim Michael (talk) 12:09, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Agree on changing the blurb. I've proposed an Alternative blurb above. The federal army's response is significant. We (sources on en.Wikipedia articles) have absolutely no information so far as to whether the 42 killings by the ENDF were necessary defence or extrajudicial executions (revenge). There are strongly opposing media narratives in the Ethiopian situation right now so including "both" sides is the most NPOV. Boud (talk) 00:45, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment The much bigger massacre earlier did not go through mostly on the grounds of poor article quality and the main topic already being in ongoing. Seeing similar issues in here as well especially with the article as a barebones stub. Gotitbro (talk) 12:44, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

The Metekel conflict & Metekel massacre are both very new articles which have neither been nominated before, nor been in ongoing. Are you thinking of the Tigray conflict & one of the massacres that's part of that? Jim Michael (talk) 12:54, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

I am talking about the Mai Kadra massacre that was nominated some time ago. Gotitbro (talk) 14:20, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

That's part of the Tigray conflict & happened several weeks earlier in a different region of Ethiopia. The Tigray conflict being in ongoing isn't relevant to this nomination, because the Mekelle conflict has never been in ongoing. Jim Michael (talk) 15:34, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support It's a large-scale massacre and the current version of Metekel massacre is sufficiently developed to encourage new editors to contribute. Warning: as attention to the article grows, it's very likely to be (temporarily) vandalised or POVed, based on the last few weeks' experience with Tigray conflict and Mai Kadra massacre. Several editors (mostly IPs, but not only), are absolutely sure that the perpetrators are X and the victims are Y (or vice versa) and anything that is nuanced and matches sources is false news written by naive editors. See this Ethiopian media analysis for a likely explanation. Boud (talk) 00:45, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose An encyclopedia article needs some degree of organization and flow. This reads like a twitter feed. GreatCaesarsGhost 15:04, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

RD: John Edrich

Article: John Edrich (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: England international cricketer. Article needs work. Black Kite (talk) 10:40, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Weak oppose for now. As you said, the article needs a lot of referencing. It is a good contender though. Tuck (talk page) — Preceding undated comment added 18:08, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose too much unreferenced material. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 21:09, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

RD: Ivry Gitlis

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

• Nominated by Sherenk1 (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: Israeli virtuoso violinist. Lots of ref issues. Sherenk1 (talk) 06:46, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment – FYI, Ger. Wiki RD: "Ivry Gitlis (98), israelisch-französischer Violinist († 24. Dezember)." Also listed in Fr. WP's Nécrologie section. – Sca (talk) 14:12, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

  Yes, neither of those Wikipedia's bother with referencing, so hardly good examples. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 13:10, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose mostly unreferenced. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 21:09, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

RD: Reginald Foster

Article: Reginald Foster (Latinist) (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): New York Times Vatican News
Credits:

• Nominated by Schoen (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: Latinist to four popes, pioneer of living Latin education. Schoen (talk) 01:45, 28 December 2020 (UTC)

December 24

Portal:Current events/2020 December 24

December 24, 2020 (2020-12-24) (Thursday) Armed conflicts and attacks Metekel conflict Metekel massacre The Ethiopian National Defense Force clashes with armed bandits involved in yesterday's massacre, killing 42 of them and seizing weapons. (Al Arabiya English) Boko Haram insurgency Pemi attack Boko Haram jihadists storm Pemi, a Christian village in Borno State, Nigeria, shooting people and burning down a church and a hospital, killing at least 11 civilians. A priest is kidnapped. (BBC News) Insurgency in the Maghreb Niger says seven troops and 11 Islamist militants have been killed in clashes in Tillabéri, ahead of Sunday's general election. (Arab News) War in Afghanistan December 2020 Afghanistan attacks Gunmen on a motorbike shoot dead a women’s rights activist and her brother near their home in Kohistan, Afghanistan. (Al Jazeera) Business and economy Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, CARES Act Republicans in the House block an attempt by Democrats, empowered by a veto threat from President Donald Trump if not amended, to pass a $2,000 relief bill for Americans. However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces that the House will still hold a vote on the bill on Monday. (CNBC) (NBC News) Disasters and accidents European migrant crisis At least 20 African migrants die when their boat sinks off the coast of Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea to the Italian island of Lampedusa. The coast guard confirmed they had rescued people and were searching for others who were on the boat, which was carrying a total of 45 people. (Reuters) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in the United States Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Variant of Concern 202012/01 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that American passengers traveling from the United Kingdom will be required to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The order is expected to take effect on December 28. (MarketWatch) United Airlines and Delta Air Lines will require passengers from the United Kingdom to test negative for COVID-19 due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in California California surpasses two million cases of COVID-19, becoming the first U.S. state to do so. (CBS News) COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas Arkansas reports 3,204 new cases on Christmas Eve, a new single-day record. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, COVID-19 vaccine Mexico begins vaccinations with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. An intensive care unit nurse in Mexico City becomes the first person in the country to receive the vaccine. (The Washington Post) COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario Ontario reports 2,447 cases on Christmas Eve, a new single-day record. (The Chronicle-Journal) COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec Quebec reports 2,349 cases over the past 24 hours, a new single-day record. (Montreal Gazette) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Tokyo reports a record 888 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the prefecture to 54,018. (NHK World) Nationwide, a record 3,743 new cases are reported in Japan in the past 24 hours. (The Japan Times) COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, Variant of Concern 202012/01, travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic China says it will suspend all direct flights to and from the United Kingdom indefinitely due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (CNA) COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Indonesia issues a ban on travellers from the United Kingdom and restricts entry to people from mainland Europe and Australia to prevent the spread of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 Task Force Chief Doni Monardo says that these measures will remain in place until January 8. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Health Ministry announce that a third nationwide lockdown will begin from December 27 at 5:00 p.m. local time for at least two weeks in order to curb the resurgence of COVID-19. (The Times of Israel) COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia Malaysia surpasses 100,000 cases of COVID-19. (CNA) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in Germany Germany reports the first case of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom after a woman who flew from London to Frankfurt this weekend tested positive for COVID-19. (DW) COVID-19 pandemic in Italy Italy surpasses two million cases of COVID-19. (ANSA) COVID-19 pandemic in Russia Russia reports a record 29,935 new cases and 635 deaths in the past 24 hours, thus bringing the nationwide totals to 2,963,688 confirmed cases and 53,096 deaths. (Arab News) COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia, COVID-19 vaccine Serbia officially begins its vaccination programme against COVID-19, with Prime Minister Ana Brnabić becoming the first person to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. (Anadolu Agency) COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey, COVID-19 vaccine Turkey announces that CoronaVac is 91.25% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on data in interim studies. These initial results follow Phase III trials that involved 7,371 volunteers. (Daily Sabah) COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine Ukraine surpasses one million cases of COVID-19. (Kyiv Post) COVID-19 pandemic in South America COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, COVID-19 vaccine Over 300,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine arrive in Argentina. (Livemint) COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, COVID-19 vaccine Chile begins its vaccination campaign against COVID-19 after the arrival of 10,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to the country. (Prensa Latina) International relations European Union–United Kingdom relations, Trade negotiation between the UK and the EU The United Kingdom and the European Union agree on a post-Brexit trade deal. (BBC News) Law and crime In Pakistan, the Sindh High Court orders the release of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, initially sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in Karachi in 2002. The government opposes his release on the basis of public safety; both the government and Pearl's family will appeal the decision. (Al Jazeera) A 37-year-old man is charged with murder and hate crimes in Los Angeles, California, U.S., after killing a 82-year-old man in a hospital room for praying. Both men were in the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19. (BBC News) The President of Burundi, Évariste Ndayishimiye, pardons four journalists jailed since 2019 for offences related to "undermining state security" following a petition by human rights groups and the journalists themselves. (Reuters) Politics and elections 2020 Moldovan presidential election Maia Sandu is sworn in as the first female President of Moldova. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

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UK-EU trade deal

Lorries at the busy port of Dover, which has been gridlocked lately

Articles: Trade negotiation between the UK and the EU (talk · history · tag) and EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ The trade negotiation following Brexit agrees the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. (Post)
News source(s): BBC, NYTimes, AP, Reuters
Credits:

• Nominated by Andrew Davidson (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Rich Farmbrough (talk · give credit), Daran755 (talk · give credit), ChefBear01 (talk · give credit), Kaihsu (talk · give credit) and L.tak (talk · give credit)

Article updated

Nominator's comments: Statements have been made by all the major parties. There will be lots of relief at getting this done by Christmas. I've added a suitable picture of lorries at Dover but no doubt there are other possibilities. Andrew🐉(talk) 16:07, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose update insufficient and unreferenced. What exactly does the deal entail? The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 16:14, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• Documents such as this EU draft of 440 pages indicate that the details cover hundreds of pages, as one would expect. We can't expect to cover the fine print and the minutiae of ratification and implementation. The key point that is all over the news now is that the deal has been agreed at last. Andrew🐉(talk) 16:23, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• Of course not, but we do reasonably expect some degree of high-level agreement points, stuff that I expect that the BBC and other good sources will have summarized in the next few hours. (this is similar to how we have summarizies of the key points of the massive spending bill in the US Congress in the press some hours after it was first published). We can wait for WP to be updated with that. --Masem (t) 16:58, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
• I don't recall asking for "fine print and minutiae", but when I looked at the article, it said (unreferenced) "a deal had been agreed", but gave no insight whatsoever as to the nature of the deal. Hardly encyclopedic, is it? The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 19:29, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• I've been watching the news coverage and it seems clear that there will be over a thousand pages of dense legal text which will be gone through now by teams of lawyers, lobbyists and politicians. They will then give their various opinions and Laura Kuenssberg just said that "a tally of the wins and losses may take years to settle". For example, while we've heard a lot about fish, it turns out that chips are big deal for some too. Or is that really just small potatoes? Anyway, the part which I enjoyed most was Larry's ferocious rush at a deal of his own! Andrew🐉(talk) 20:18, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose only that we should have details of what has been agreed to in the deal at this point in the article, as per the sources, this isn't the end stage and more negotiations are still to come on less critical matters, but this prevents pending severe issues that were to have occurred if no deal at all had been reached by 1 Jan. --Masem (t) 16:14, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
• It's best to wait until the specifics about the trade deal are released to the public so that the article can be properly updated. However, I think creating a separate article would be better Scaramouche33 (talk) 17:11, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose Looks like this isn't exactly final yet, let's wait till it is actually signed. Gotitbro (talk) 18:27, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
• Comment The article may need a little more cooking, but I think the agreement is news today. All the best: Rich Farmbrough 21:20, 24 December 2020 (UTC).
  

  I agree the news is notable right now, but with a single-sentence update which makes no real mention of the overall themes in the agreement, it's far from an encyclopedic update to post to the main page. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 21:22, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• Wait until it has actually been ratified and we know it will actually enter into force. Yakikaki (talk) 22:36, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose Guys, if the last four years of news have taught us anything, it's that an agreement isn't final until it's final. No one has a damn clue what this deal means yet. Can we not wait until we at least get said clue? WaltCip-(talk) 22:40, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
• Comment I also find the proposed image highly unsuitable; the recent traffic jams are due to corona restrictions and have nothing to do with this article. Yakikaki (talk) 22:43, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

  That's not true. There were massive queues before the borders were closed down as hauliers rushed to get jobs done before a potential no-deal Brexit scuppered things. But the image is not appropriate because it conflates two separate stories. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 22:45, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support in principle, this is a huge deal in terms of scope and absolute numbers. I don't feel it appropriate to wait for formal ratification in this instance since it it expected to be put into operation on a provisional basis ahead of that. OTOH the text of the deal has not yet been released, all we have now are some headline summaries of some key issues. In the absence of actual details just yet I can't see how a true substantive update can be made, there are bound to be controversies that emerge once to text is in the public domain. 3142 (talk) 00:17, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
• Summary versions of the deal are online here and here and these seem to be the main primary sources for press analysis and comment so far. As we're locked down, I may spend some time today looking through them but, right now, I'm going out for some exercise. Brr... Andrew🐉(talk) 07:40, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support – in principle, pending expansion of article (by homebound Brits?). Coverage abundant, significance obvious. Alas, the fact that today is Christmas may retard editorial progress. Cheers! – Sca (talk) 14:01, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

Ninety-two footnotes, 4,200 words as of 22:30. – Sca (talk) 22:41, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support I don't see why this isn't obviously ITN material. It's in the news, it was in the news before it happened and will be in the news for some time longer. Banedon (talk) 11:09, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

  Because the update comprises "On 24 December, the parties announced that a deal had been reached.[81]" and the article still says "This section summarises the sides' statements of their respective positions at the beginning of negotiations. It may be that these will change in a final agreement (if concluded)." so supporting an article that is clearly inadequately updated is the reason why this obviously isn't ITN material at this time. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 11:28, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

Coverage continues – two current sources added above. – Sca (talk) 14:10, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

Coverage and notability are not being questioned here. The paucity of the "update" is the issue. The article hasn't even been properly updated for the passage of events and yet people are still supporting it?! The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 14:13, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

Compris. – Sca (talk) 14:22, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

For example, BBC has a quick summary points that would be an excellent way to start off a section to get it ready to be posted without having to read any of the actual trade deal itself or engage in OR of what's important. Took 2 minutes to find that when looking. --Masem (t) 14:22, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

Maybe it's figgy-pudding-lag? – Sca (talk) 14:26, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

Brexitapathy. I don't think most of us really care, it's a deal which won't suit a single person, so no-one can be arsed to actually even bother to update the article. But there you go, it still gets support despite that. Perhaps ITN is even more borked than we all think. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 14:29, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

P'r'aps we're all borking up the wrong tree here. – Sca (talk) 15:00, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Update Many news sources report that the full text has been published now but few of them provide a link. But I've chased that down and here's the relevant page at the European Commission. I find that we have a page specifically for the agreement and editors have been busy updating that today. I have accordingly updated the nomination, expanding the blurb to link to the agreement as the highlighted article. Andrew🐉(talk) 19:05, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Kudos to @Daran755, ChefBear01, Kaihsu, and L.tak: who seem to be the main editors working on this currently. Perhaps they can comment on what more there is to do and whether there are other important links. Andrew🐉(talk) 19:20, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• It needs ratifying by the EU nations and the U.K Parliament, the EU are meeting to agree a provisional application so that it can come into force on 1st January which will happen in the EU Parliament on 31st December and the U.K parliament are meeting to vote on implementing the agreement on the 30 December.

Treaty Links

See the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement

(Under external links)

The article has been updated to reflect the current status.

ChefBear01 (talk) 21:30, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support — It's in the news, the article is of sufficient quality, and while it doesn't get any pageviews, that's because it's new and barely linked. However, the spike in pageviews of Brexit [6] demonstrates reader interest. So, it fulfills ITN's purposes. Post it. Levivich ^harass/_hound 04:16, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

  It doesn't fulfil ITN's purpose of providing information readers will be looking for, i.e. it just says a deal has been done. Even the more specific article just highlights which topics were covered in the agreement, but fundamentally not how each of those topics were resolved and agreed upon which is precisely the information readers want to read. That "a deal has been done" is all very well, but as an encyclopedia, we should be capable of summarising the key aspects of the deal (the EU managed to do that within a couple of hours of the agreement). In other words: no-one is looking to Wikipedia to see if a deal has been done, we all know that. We want to know what the deal means. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 08:57, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment It's great that an actual article was made for the agreement, however, currently the article only mentions areas covered by the agreement. I'm assuming that our readers will mostly be interested in the specifics. So a basic overview for each area would be a nice edition. But the document itself is 1200 pages!! Doesn't any news outlet actually talk about the specifics of the agreement so that editors can use them instead? Scaramouche33 (talk) 07:02, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Be careful what you wish for. Once you get into the weeds of the detail, you find that there is indeed hundreds of pages of it. I took a look at the fisheries detail, for example. The press and politicians talk of a headline figure of 25% but that doesn't seem to appear in the document or its annexes. Instead, you have a huge table of quotas by species and year. So, for example, the quota for the Blue Shark goes 99.9% to the EU. Why does the UK get only 0.1% and how was that figure arrived at? It's not clear. What about other sharks like the Great White Shark? Are they included in the category "Deep-sea sharks" which goes 100% to the EU? It's not clear. What about whales? It doesn't say. What about scallops, which actually caused a minor war in 2012? It doesn't say. My impression is that it's mostly business as usual with a new fudge factor being added to the spreadsheet that is used by the bureaucrats that try to control the quotas. That's the main take-home message – that there won't be a massive no-deal shock to the system on January 1 – just lots of fiddly adjustments. Andrew🐉(talk) 10:36, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• No, the EU released a three-page summary of changes a few days ago, it was quite straight forward, however no-one can be bothered to update even the new article to reflect this. Frankly the article as it stands is not helpful at all as all we know is "a deal was done" and it covered "a lot of things" but we have absolutely no idea of the impact of the agreement on those "lots of things". All we have is "Brexit deal was done" and that's not helpful to any of our readers. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 11:06, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

December 23

Portal:Current events/2020 December 23

December 23, 2020 (2020-12-23) (Wednesday) Armed conflicts and attacks Central African Republic Civil War A coalition of rebel groups briefly seize the city of Bambari from the Central African Republic government and United Nations before being driven off in a UN counter-offensive. (France 24) War in Afghanistan December 2020 Afghanistan attacks Yousuf Rasheed, CEO of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan, is killed by unknown gunmen in Kabul. His driver is also shot and later died of his wounds. It is the latest targeted killing of a prominent Afghan figure. (TOLO News) Metekel conflict Metekel massacre More than 100 people are killed and at least 30 others wounded in a massacre in Metekel, Benishangul-Gumuz, Ethiopia. (BBC News) Business and economy Shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom Lufthansa ships 80 tonnes of fresh food to the United Kingdom to prevent shortages amid fears that the lifting of the French blockade of the France–UK border will not prevent shortages in some supermarkets. The airline says "additional special cargo flights" are planned to meet demand. Thousands of trucks remain outside of Dover. (The Guardian) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state) COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Mayor Bill de Blasio orders people traveling from the United Kingdom to quarantine or face fines due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. (CBS News) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 1 million Americans have received the vaccines. (Politico) COVID-19 pandemic in Canada Health Canada approves the Moderna vaccine and expects that up to 168,000 doses will arrive in Canada by the end of the year. (CBC) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in India COVID-19 pandemic in Karnataka, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Karnataka imposes a night curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. IST until January 2 due to fears of a mutant version of SARS-CoV-2 that was found in the United Kingdom. It becomes the second Indian state to do so after Maharashtra. (NDTV) COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia The number of recovered patients in Indonesia increases by a record 5,981 in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide total of recovered patients to 558,703. (detikNews) COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Japan bans the entry of non-Japanese citizens from the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow, following the emergence of a more infectious strain of SARS-CoV-2. (The Straits Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia Malaysia discovers a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 named A701B in Sabah. It has been deemed to be more infectious. (The Star) COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, Variant of Concern 202012/01 President Rodrigo Duterte approves the suspension of flights from the Philippines to the United Kingdom from tomorrow at 12:01 a.m. local time until December 31 due to concerns about the new strain of SARS-CoV-2. (ABS-CBN News) COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar Qatar begins administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran to its citizens at designated health centers in the country. Those aged over 70, adults with chronic health conditions and healthcare personnel are to be prioritised for the vaccine. (The Peninsula Qatar) COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Singapore reports the first case of a mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 from the United Kingdom when 17-year-old girl who had studied in the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19. (The Straits Times) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea, Variant of Concern 202012/01 South Korea suspends flights to and from the United Kingdom until December 31 over concerns about the new strain of SARS-CoV-2. (KBS World) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom reports a record 39,237 new cases in the past 24 hours. In addition, the country also reports 744 deaths, the highest single-day total since April 29. (ITV) Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces a ban on travel from South Africa due to the discovery of a mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 in South Africa. (Business Standard) Hancock also announces that more locations in England will be placed in Tier 4 restrictions beginning on Boxing Day, including Oxfordshire, West Sussex, and the remainder of East Sussex. (The Guardian) COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic The government announces that the Czech Republic will be moving to the highest level of PES measures beginning on December 27. This means that all non-essential shops will be closed and a curfew between 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time on Sunday will be enforced. There will also be no exceptions on New Year's Eve. (Expats.cz) COVID-19 pandemic in Germany Germany reports a record 962 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute, bringing the nationwide death toll to 27,968. (dpa International) COVID-19 pandemic in Italy Italy surpasses 70,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Huffington Post) COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland Switzerland begins a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine tozinameran. A ninety-year-old woman in Lucerne is the first Swiss citizen to receive the vaccine. (Reuters) International relations Belarus–United States relations, International reactions to the 2020 Belarusian presidential election and protests The Trump administration imposes additional sanctions against Belarusian officials and four offices for human rights abuses that occurred during protests against President Alexander Lukashenko. (The Hill) Law and crime 2020 Saint-Just shooting Three police officers are killed and a fourth wounded after they responded to a domestic violence incident in Saint-Just, Puy-de-Dôme, France. The gunman, who set his house on fire, is later found dead. The gunman's partner was rescued. (BBC News) Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic Stranded lorry drivers clash with police in Kent, England, amid frustrations over ongoing delays at the border with France. At least one person has been arrested for obstructing a highway, according to the police. (The Guardian) Politics and elections Elections in Israel Parliament is dissolved as the deadline to approve the 2020 state budget expires without an agreement, requiring elections within 90 days, for the fourth time in less than two years. (The Times of Israel) Presidency of Donald Trump U.S. President Donald Trump pardons former presidential campaign manager Paul Manafort, former adviser Roger Stone, and real estate developer Charles Kushner. Manafort was convicted of tax fraud and obstructing an investigation; Stone of lying to Congress; Kushner of tax evasion, campaign finance offences and witness tampering. (BBC News) Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu announces that he will resign ahead of President-elect Maia Sandu's inauguration. (Al Jazeera) Science and technology A ~8 metres (26 ft) asteroid falls over Nangqên, in western China on the Qinghai-Tibet border. This was the largest asteroid to hit Earth since the Kamchatka meteor in 2018, and the largest to fall over land since the Chelyabinsk meteor in 2013. (Daily Mail) (JPL Center for NEO Studies)

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RD: Rebecca Luker

Article: Rebecca Luker (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): NBC News
Credits:

• Nominated by PCN02WPS (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Tenacioussquirrel (talk · give credit) and 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.

 PCN02WPS (talk | contribs) 19:25, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support. Looks good to me; I just added a {{cn}} to one paragraph without citations, but none of it's controversial so I'm not too worried. Would be nice to have a bit more critical commentary on her performances, but that's not going to prevent me from supporting this. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 21:16, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose. Awards, filmography, and discography still need sources. IMDb, Discogs, and Broadwayworld.com are considered unreliable. Joofjoof (talk) 01:20, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
  • Thanks Hanif Al Husaini for fixing the awards section. Joofjoof (talk) 21:30, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose Seeing a lot of citation and maintenance tags that need to be fixed. Gotitbro (talk) 05:39, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

RD: Leslie West

Article: Leslie West (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): Chicago Tribune, Rolling Stone
Credits:

• Nominated by A lad insane (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Keneckert (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: From Mountain and West, Bruce and Laing. The article isn't great. -- a lad insane (channel two) 23:27, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment. A lot of referencing is needed. Espresso Addict (talk) 02:28, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose A lot of info is uncited, including entire paras and most of the discography. Gotitbro (talk) 13:33, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

(Closed) South African COVID strain causing severe illness in young people has spread to Britain

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: COVID-19 pandemic (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ South African COVID strain causing severe illness in young people has spread to Britain (Post)
News source(s): BBC
Credits:

• Nominated by Count Iblis (talk · give credit)

Article needs updating

Nominator's comments: "Clinicians have been providing anecdotal evidence of a shift in the clinical epidemiological picture- in particular noting that they are seeing a larger proportion of younger patients with no co-morbidities presenting with critical illness. " Count Iblis (talk) 20:21, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

• Snow close on so many levels: (i) we already have COVID in the infobox, (ii) the evidence in anecdotal and (iii) its migration to the UK is not particularly important to the rest of the world. —Brigade Piron (talk) 20:25, 23 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose while it is actually somewhat notable, its duplicated. --Hurricane Tracker 495 21:54, 23 December 2020 (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) Kernowite

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: Kernowite (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ A newly-discovered mineral (pictured) is named Kernowite, after the Cornish name for Cornwall (Post)
News source(s): BBC
Credits:

• Nominated by Mjroots (talk · give credit)
• Created by Pontificalibus (talk · give credit)

Nominator's comments: Rare for a new mineral to be named. Article needs expanding. Mjroots (talk) 15:58, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

Strong support on notability, Strong oppose on quality. While this is a rare occurrence and normally would be ITN worthy, the article in question has 57 words and only two references. The article is a stub if I’ve ever seen one and honestly, I don’t see it getting up to scratch. The Image Editor (talk) 16:57, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

• I'm not so sure on the significance. I don't have any knowledge of mineralology but this November 2020 International Mineralogical Association list seems to show 43 new minerals discovered in 2020 and 110 in 2019? - Dumelow (talk) 17:19, 23 December 2020 (UTC)
  • Comment struck, apparently not as rare as I thought. Have requested expert assistance at the relevant WP. Often a nomination leads to improvement in article quality. Mjroots (talk) 17:24, 23 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose Minerals, unlike elements, are a dime a dozen (see Category:Minerals by element for example). Small variations in chemical make up and crystalline structure are sufficient for a "new" mineral, where as elements are very limited to what allowable organization of protons, neutrals and electrons can be sustained/stable for at least a few seconds. --Masem (t) 17:31, 23 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose, per Masem. We did not report the equally publicized discovery of Petrovite in Russia last month (1) and do not even have an article for it. It's worth noting that the Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names approved 121 new minerals in 2015 alone. Literally the only ITN claim here would be based on the fact that British geology is better studied than most. —Brigade Piron (talk) 18:49, 23 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose per above. Basically an "and finally" article.--WaltCip-(talk) 19:42, 23 December 2020 (UTC)
• Comment. It's a cute story that would make a fun DYK if expansion to their minimum size were warranted by the sources. Espresso Addict (talk) 01:09, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose How many new minerals are discovered every year? a dozen? a hundred? CoronaOneLove (talk) 06:39, 24 December 2020 (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.

(Posted) RD: Sugathakumari

Article: Sugathakumari (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): The News Minute
Credits:

• Nominated by The Image Editor (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Malayala Sahityam (talk · give credit) and 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 poet and feminist activist. News of death is still coming out right now. The Image Editor (talk) 06:11, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

• Weak oppose couple of unsourced sentences or paragraphs. Joseph2302 (talk) 10:33, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

  Joseph2302, greetings! Please can I request you to have a relook for this one? Happy to make any edits if still pending. Thanks. Ktin (talk) 04:40, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

  Support everything is now sourced. Joseph2302 (talk) 12:05, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose too much unreferenced including numerous awards. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 10:50, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

  The Rambling Man, greetings! Please can I request you to have a relook? Happy to make any edits if still pending referencing. Ktin (talk) 04:39, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

  @The Rambling Man:, pardon the intrusion. Please can you have a look when you have a moment. This article is ready to go to the homepage / RD imo. Ktin (talk) 18:40, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support. I went in and filled the CN tags and removed the yellow boxes. If folks see any other missing ref / citation, let me know and I will have this covered later tonight. Trimmed the awards in the infobox. This is good to go to homepage / RD. Ktin (talk) 01:24, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• Circling back on this one. I think this is good for homepage / RD. Ktin (talk) 05:48, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment. Not checked the sourcing but on a quick glance the tone needs work in places (esp. her death, the Abhaya material) and it's not been updated for tense throughout. The details on her notable relatives could do with pruning a bit. The awards in the infobox need pruning to the most important. Need to go offline now but will try to work on this later. Espresso Addict (talk) 02:39, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

I've hacked at some of this. The lead needs to discuss her writing (which I assume is her primary source of notability?) The awards still appear all over the place and need rationalising, with only the most notable in the lead and infobox. Dates for the works that don't have them would be useful. I've requested a source, but still not done any sources check. Espresso Addict (talk) 07:54, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• @Stephen, Dumelow, Black Kite, Amakuru, and MSGJ:, pardon the intrusion. I believe this is good to go to homepage / RD. Please can you have a look and help assist. No reason why this article should wait to go to homepage / RD. Ktin (talk) 22:46, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• @Stephen, Dumelow, Black Kite, Amakuru, and MSGJ:, pardon the persistent intrusion. Edits have been completed for over 70 hours now (~ 3 days). Ktin (talk) 05:12, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Posted Stephen 10:32, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

December 22

Portal:Current events/2020 December 22

December 22, 2020 (2020-12-22) (Tuesday) Armed conflicts and attacks War in Afghanistan December 2020 Afghanistan attacks Four prison doctors are killed after a magnetic bomb attached to their vehicle exploded in Kabul. A civilian passerby also died in the attack. The bombing follows a series of recent assassination attempts and targeted killings of prominent Afghan figures. (Channel NewsAsia) War in Darfur The United Nations Security Council votes to end the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur on December 31, beginning a complete withdrawal of peacekeeping forces by June 30, 2021. (Middle East Monitor) Business and economy Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, CARES Act President Donald Trump says that he might not sign the $900 billion relief bill, which was passed by both the House and Senate. He also calls for Congress to amend the bill and increase stimulus checks to Americans earning under $75,000 per year from $600 to $2,000. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agrees to work with Congress to increase the payout amount. (The Washington Post) (BBC News) (WFLA-TV) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in North America Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Variant of Concern 202012/01 COVID-19 pandemic in Guatemala Guatemala announces a mandatory two-week quarantine for anyone who has recently visited the United Kingdom or South Africa in an effort to prevent the spread of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The restrictions will last for two months. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci receives the Moderna vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (ABC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announces that he has extended the mask mandate to 78 counties in the state. (AP) COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state), Variant of Concern 202012/01 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo orders hospitals in the state to begin testing for the new SARS-CoV-2 variant from the United Kingdom. (WNBC) COVID-19 pandemic in Washington, D.C. White House Coronavirus Task Force director Deborah Birx says that she will retire after President-elect Joe Biden's transition is completed. (NPR) Overall deaths in the U.S. for this year are projected to surpass three million mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thus making 2020 the deadliest year in U.S. history. The numbers also represent an approximate 15 percent increase compared to the previous year, which is the largest single-year percentage increase since 1918. (AP) COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec Quebec reports 2,183 cases, a new-single day record. (The Globe and Mail) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 vaccine COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq Iraq signs a preliminary deal to receive 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Tozinameran. Ministry of Health spokesman Seif al-Badr says troops and the elderly will be prioritized for vaccinations. (France 24) COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia Malaysia signs a deal to receive 6.4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. (The Star) COVID-19 pandemic in United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates announces that they will roll out the Sinopharm vaccine to all adult UAE citizens. (Financial Times) Abu Dhabi is expected to lift restrictions in the city beginning December 24. (Al Arabiya) COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Singapore bans all long-term passport holders and short-term visitors who had travel history to the United Kingdom within the last 14 days to enter the country beginning tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. local time due to the emergence of a new strain of SARS-CoV-2. (The Straits Times) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announces that the country will ban gatherings of more than five people and order all ski resorts and tourist attractions to close from December 24 until January 3 in order to contain the third wave of COVID-19. (Al Jazeera) COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Sri Lanka's Civil Aviation Authority bans all flights to and from the United Kingdom beginning on December 23 to prevent a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 from spreading to the country. (Ada Derana) COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan Taiwan reports their first locally transmitted case since April 12 after an unidentified patient tested positive for COVID-19. (Bloomberg) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in France, Variant of Concern 202012/01 France agrees to reopen its border with the United Kingdom after it was closed for 48 hours due to the spread of a new variant of the virus in England. Planes, boats, and Eurostar trains will resume services tomorrow but only British, French, and EU citizens or residents who show a negative COVID-19 test result from the previous 72 hours will be allowed to travel until January 6. (BBC News) COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland Taoiseach Micheál Martin announces a return of "Level 5" lockdown in the country with specific adjustments from Christmas Eve until at least January 12. (The Journal) COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia Finance Minister Eduard Heger tests positive for COVID-19. (TV Noviny) COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom reports a record 36,804 new cases in the past 24 hours. In addition, the country also reports 691 new deaths, the highest daily total in nearly a month. (Sky News) COVID-19 pandemic in Peru Peru surpasses one million cases of COVID-19, becoming the fifth Latin American country to surpass the milestone after Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico. (AP) COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Fiji announces it will close its borders from Thursday until next Monday to review border quarantine processes after a new variant of the virus was found in the United Kingdom. (RNZ) COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi Malawi closes its borders for 14 days and restricts public gatherings to no more than 100 people due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. (Malawi 24) International relations Israel–Morocco relations Israel–Morocco normalization agreement El Al operates the first direct commercial flight between Israel and Morocco following the normalization agreement between the two countries on December 10. Senior Advisor to the U.S. President Jared Kushner and Israel's National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat are among the high-level officials on board the flight. (AFP via Barron's) Colombia–Russia relations Migración Colombia confirms the expulsion of two Russian diplomats accused of espionage. (Reuters) Cayman Islands–United States relations, COVID-19 pandemic in the Cayman Islands The appeals court of the Cayman Islands reduces the prison sentence of Georgia teenager Skylar Mack from 4 months to 2 months. Mack was arrested on November 29 for breaching quarantine rules. (CBS News) China–South Korea relations, Russia–South Korea relations South Korea says it has scrambled fighter jets after four Chinese and fifteen Russian military aircraft entered its air defense identification zone. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says that it was notified in advance by China of a joint military exercise between China and Russia. (Reuters) Politics and elections Cabinet of Indonesia President Joko Widodo announces a year-end reshuffle of the Onward Indonesia Cabinet with the replacement of six ministers who had been in the cabinet since October 2019, including two ministers who were arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission due to separate bribery cases. (The Jakarta Post) Sandiaga Uno, businessman and former candidate of the 2019 presidential election, is appointed as the new Tourism and Creative Economy Minister. It is the first time in Indonesian history that all candidates who previously ran in a presidential election serve together in the same cabinet. (Jakarta Globe) 2021 Israeli legislative election The Knesset fails to pass legislation to avert a dispersal of the current legislative session, triggering new elections in March. (JPost) Governor Gavin Newsom appoints Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill in the California U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. As a result, Padilla is the state's first Hispanic Senator from California. (The New York Times) Science and technology Chinese space program The maiden flight of the Long March 8 orbital launch vehicle is launched from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site at 04:37 UTC, carrying five satellites. (Reuters)

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(Posted) RD: Karima Baloch

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

• Nominated by Sherenk1 (talk · give credit)
• Updated by DiplomatTesterMan (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: Pakistani human rights activist found dead in Canada. Sherenk1 (talk) 14:21, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• Weak support. It's sort of unclear to me what her activism is about—and since that's what she was notable for, it seems not that helpful to post an RD about her without identifying the nature of her work? Was she only/primarily an advocate for the independence of Balochistan? Or is there something else I'm missing? If that's clarified, I would move to a full-throated support. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 17:31, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• AleatoryPonderings, please have another look. I know the improvements aren't great, but I hope it gives some context. DTM (talk) 15:29, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support. A solid C-class biography at the moment, very well sourced. AleatoryPonderings (???) (!!!) 16:51, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment. Pretty much a stub at the moment, limited biographical detail aside from the death. I note it was created from a redirect with news of her death, and has been changing rapidly. Espresso Addict (talk) 06:18, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Espresso Addict, please have another look. Is this anywhere close to passing RD criteria? Thanks. DTM (talk) 15:30, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

Looks much improved, though I am still not seeing a source for the birth year. We have a storm and my internet is going in and out so I haven't succeeded in checking the new sources; I have marked it as needing attention. Espresso Addict (talk) 21:58, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

@Espresso Addict: According to the BBC 100 Women and this source from 2016, she is 31, which means that her birth year is 2016-31=1985. I added it but it was removed by @DiplomatTesterMan:. Hanif Al Husaini (talk) 01:31, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

The problem with the birth date is that, as I recall, Guardian and other sources give her age at death as 37, which conflicts. I don't think this should hold the article up, though -- I'm more concerned about the, to my mind, unencyclopedic speculation over her cause of death. Espresso Addict (talk) 01:48, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

Espresso Addict, I have reduced the speculation and tried to increase the encyclopedic tone of the section in consideration. (More copyediting can be done if needed.) I have no issues with her birth date; if there is any confusion it can be left vacant. DTM (talk) 02:53, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Posted Stephen 11:41, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Jack Lenor Larsen

Article: Jack Lenor Larsen (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): NYTimes
Credits:

• Updated and nominated by Ktin (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: Textile design artist. I will work on the article later tonight unless someone wants to get to it before me. Ktin (talk) 02:37, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment. Not checked in detail but one problem with this is the dependence on the LongHouse site (currently Ref 3), which appears to be Larsen's personal site, and is decidedly promotional. The lead needs expanding, and there's no personal life (spouse, children?). Espresso Addict (talk) 07:01, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

  Espresso Addict, following up on this one. Do you have the pen on this one? Ktin (talk) 02:23, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

@Ktin: Sorry, what do you mean by "Do you have the pen on this one?" Espresso Addict (talk) 02:27, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

Espresso Addict, Sorry, are you working on these edits? Looking at the content, nothing egregious there that should prevent this article to go to homepage / RD. If you are working on the edits, we can continue to wait, but, if no one is working on edits, this is good to go to homepage / RD as it stands. Ktin (talk) 02:30, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

No, not working on this at the moment. Given the number of RD candidates, my long-term strategy here is to point out flaws and hope that others fix them. Beyond minor copy edits, I only work on articles where I have sources easily available (usually Brits), where I generally edit in the area (scientists, writers, classical musicians), or where the notability is high and posting would increase ITN's diversity (basically everything except white male Anglophones). Other admins should feel free to make their own assessments. Espresso Addict (talk) 02:42, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

Espresso Addict, sounds good. I did not mean to imply that you should work on all article improvements. I am happy to lend a hand as well. However, having this one wait to go to homepage / RD pending personal life (spouse, children) etc. is harsh. Imo, this is good to go as it stands. Ktin (talk) 02:57, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

No worries. I'll take another look at this when I've been through Minoru Makihara. My primary concern on this one was the reliance on the biased LongHouse site source, and also the micro-lead, not the lack of personal life. Espresso Addict (talk) 03:11, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support Looks good to me. The referencing can be improved but largely ok for an RD. Gotitbro (talk) 13:38, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
• Comment. Folks, I request a second opinion on this article. I have made the necessary updates and there is no reason to hold this article back from homepage / RD. Ktin (talk) 17:14, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• @Stephen, Dumelow, Black Kite, Dumelow, Amakuru, and MSGJ:, pardon the intrusion. I believe this is good to go to homepage / RD. Please can you have a look and help assist. No reason why this article should wait to go to homepage / RD. Ktin (talk) 22:48, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Posted. My concerns have now been adequately addressed. Espresso Addict (talk) 23:51, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Stella Tennant

Article: Stella Tennant (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.

 P-K3 (talk) 16:45, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment. There's a source needed for her place of birth, which seems disputed (I've seen Scotland and Chatsworth) and feeds into her nationality (British vs Scottish). It would be nice if someone could crop the image. Otherwise, looking surprisingly ok. Espresso Addict (talk) 05:54, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

She was born in Hammersmith, London. Trillfendi (talk) 13:33, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support Looks okay to me. @Espresso Addict: the birthplace has been cited now. Gotitbro (talk) 13:37, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
• Posted. Espresso Addict (talk) 03:22, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Muhammad Mustafa Mero

Article: Muhammad Mustafa Mero (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): Orient News (in Arabic)
Credits:

• Nominated by Dumelow (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Tognella99 (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: I've not done anything apart from post this article here, but it looks OK. Perhaps a little short - Dumelow (talk) 13:15, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support Everything seems referenced. But it could use a little expansion Scaramouche33 (talk) 15:36, 23 December 2020 (UTC)
• Comment. Dates for education would be nice. The lead needs expanding. Information on his life after retirement and his personal life (spouse, children?) would be useful. Dumelow, can you read Arabic enough to confirm at least the fact of the death? Espresso Addict (talk) 06:05, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

Alas, I have no grasp of Arabic. I'll keep my eyes open for an English-language report/obituary - Dumelow (talk) 07:57, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

There wasn't anything coming up in Google news when I checked earlier. Espresso Addict (talk) 07:59, 24 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support Looks fine for an RD. Gotitbro (talk) 13:34, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
•  Posted — Martin (MSGJ · talk) 14:09, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

December 21

Portal:Current events/2020 December 21

December 21, 2020 (2020-12-21) (Monday) Armed conflicts and attacks Central African Republic Civil War Rwanda deploys what it calls a "protection force" to the Central African Republic after its peacekeepers were attacked by advancing rebel forces on the capital Bangui. The Rwandan and Central African Republic governments accuse former President François Bozizé of backing the rebels and plotting a coup, which he denies. Russia also sends troops and heavy weaponry to support the government. (BBC News) War in Afghanistan December 2020 Afghanistan attacks Rahmatullah Nikzad, head of the journalists’ union in Ghazni, dies after being shot three times in the chest by unknown assailants. Nikazd is the fifth journalist to have been killed in Afghanistan in the last two months, and the seventh this year. (Voice of America) Arts and culture Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials A statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee presented by Virginia is removed from the National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol. It is slated to be replaced by a statue of civil rights activist Barbara Rose Johns. (The Guardian) Business and economy Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, CARES Act The United States House of Representatives passes a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill with a vote of 359-53. (Business Insider) The United States Senate passes the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill with a 92–6 vote. The bill will head to President Donald Trump for his signature. (The Washington Post) (The Guardian) Disasters and accidents The Kīlauea volcano on Hawaii erupts, prompting the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency to urge residents to stay indoors. The eruption followed a series of small earthquakes. A previous eruption in May 2018 destroyed hundreds of homes. (CNN) Health and environment COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in North America COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state) COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that British Airways will require passengers to test negative for COVID-19 before arriving at the John F. Kennedy International Airport due to the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom. (WNBC-TV) Delta Air Lines announces that it would require passengers travelling from New York to the United Kingdom to get a COVID-19 test prior to departure. (U.S. News and World Report) COVID-19 pandemic in Delaware President-elect Joe Biden and incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden receive their first shot of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on live television to reassure Americans of the safety of vaccines. Meanwhile, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and incoming Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff announce that they will receive their vaccines next week. (CNN) COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois Illinois reports 4,699 cases in the last 24 hours, the first time that the state has reported less than 6,000 cases and the lowest daily total since October 27. (WBBM-TV) COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state), Variant of Concern 202012/01 Governor Jay Inslee imposes a 14-day quarantine for travelers from South Africa and the United Kingdom in an effort to prevent the spread of a mutant variant of SARS-CoV-2 in those countries. (The Seattle Times) The U.S. surpasses 18 million cases of COVID-19. (France 24) COVID-19 pandemic in Canada COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces a province-wide lockdown across Ontario from December 26 until January 9 in Northern Ontario and January 23 in Southern Ontario in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the province. (CBC) COVID-19 pandemic in Europe Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Norway, Variant of Concern 202012/01 The government bans direct flights to and from the United Kingdom due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (NRK) COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Russia announces the suspension of all flights to and from the United Kingdom for one week beginning at midnight due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Moscow Times) COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, COVID-19 pandemic in Spain The Spanish government announce the suspension of all flights from Spain to the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow, with the exception of flights for Spanish citizens residents of Spain. This comes a day after a similar suspension was announced by Portugal. (El Pais in English) COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, Variant of Concern 202012/01 The government announces a ban on travel into Sweden from the United Kingdom and Denmark for one month due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Yahoo! News) COVID-19 pandemic in Belarus, COVID-19 vaccine Belarus is expected to begin production of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine during the first quarter of 2021 after it became the first foreign country to register the vaccine. (Meduza) COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark, Cluster 5 The Parliament passes a law that bans mink breeding until 2022. (Reuters) European Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic The European Medicines Agency conditionally approves the vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech for use in European Union countries. (ABC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in India COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Maharashtra will impose a curfew in Mumbai and other major cities from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. IST beginning tomorrow until January 5 in order to prevent the spread of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 that was discovered in the United Kingdom. The state government also imposes a 14-day quarantine for anyone travelling from Europe and the Middle East. (Livemint) The government will temporarily suspend all flights from India to the United Kingdom due to the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The suspension will begin tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. IST and will last until December 31. (Hindustan Times) India reports 19,556 cases of COVID-19, the lowest in the country since July 3. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea South Korea reports a record 24 new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 698. In addition, the country surpasses 50,000 cases of COVID-19. (Yonhap News Agency) The Seoul Metropolitan Government and local governments in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon announce that they will ban gatherings of more than four people in the Seoul Capital Area from December 23 to January 3 in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. (The Korea Times) (Al Jazeera) COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong, Variant of Concern 202012/01, travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic Health Secretary Sophia Chan announces that Hong Kong will ban all flights to and from the United Kingdom beginning tomorrow due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (South China Morning Post) COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia Indonesia surpasses 20,000 deaths from COVID-19. (Kompas) COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Jordan suspends all flights to and from the United Kingdom until January 3 due to the new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Jerusalem Post) COVID-19 pandemic in Oman, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Oman will close all land, air, and sea borders beginning tomorrow at 1:00 a.m. local time for one week due to concerns over the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the United Kingdom. (Times of Oman) COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan Pakistan Senator Kalsoom Perveen dies from COVID-19. (The Express Tribune) COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, COVID-19 vaccine Singapore receives the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, becoming the first country in Asia to do so. (CNET) COVID-19 pandemic in Africa COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt Egypt reports 664 new cases in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day total in a months, bringing the nationwide total to 125,555 cases. (Egypt Independent) COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco Morocco's government announces that they will impose a nationwide curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. local time and will require all cafes, shops, supermarkets, and restaurants to close at 8:00 p.m. beginning December 23. In Casablanca, Marrakech, Agadir, and Tangier, all restaurants will be closed for three weeks. (Morocco World News) COVID-19 pandemic in Sudan, Variant of Concern 202012/01 Sudan will ban all travellers from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and South Africa beginning December 23 due to the discovery of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, Variant of Concern 202012/01 New South Wales detects two cases of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in travellers returning from the United Kingdom. (The Australian) COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia, COVID-19 vaccine Colombia announces that it will receive 1.7 million doses of the Tozinameran vaccine. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Antarctica The first cases of COVID-19 in Antarctica are reported. 36 people test positive for the virus after spending a week at the Base General Bernardo O'Higgins, in the Chilean Antarctic Territory. (Infobae) International relations Sudan–United States relations The United States Congress formally reinstates Sudan's sovereign immunity. Sudan had paid the U.S. a $335 million settlement to victims of al-Qaeda attacks. The U.S. will partially pay off Sudanese bilateral debt, and its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while making another US$700 million available until September 2022 for assistance to the country. (Reuters) Law and crime Essex lorry deaths Two men are found guilty at London's Old Bailey of the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese people whom they were smuggling into the UK. The 39 people suffocated in a lorry during the journey across the North Sea, from Zeebrugge to Purfleet, in October 2019. (BBC News) Halle synagogue shooting Germany's Federal Court of Justice sentences the perpetrator of the 2019 synagogue shooting to life imprisonment with subsequent preventive detention. (Reuters) 2020 Belarusian protests Former Miss Belarus winner Volha Khizhynkova is released from prison after 42 days for protesting against President Alexander Lukashenko. (Zee News) Outgoing United States Attorney General William Barr announces charges against a bomb maker for his role in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 near Lockerbie, Scotland. (BBC News) Politics and elections Poisoning of Alexei Navalny A report surfaces that a Federal Security Service agent allegedly involved in the plot to poison the Russian opposition leader was "duped" by Navalny into admitting that the poison was planted in Navalny's underpants. (CNN) 2020 United States anti-lockdown protests About 300 demonstrators attempt to storm the Oregon State Capitol during a special legislative session closed to the public, but they are warded off by the Oregon State Police. The group, which called for reopening Oregon in the wake of COVID-19 mitigation measures, included members of groups such as Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer. (The Daily Beast) (Statesman Journal) The Constitutional Court of Kosovo nullifies the parliamentary vote that elected Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti in June, after discovering that one of the members who voted was ineligible due to a prison sentence. The ruling mandates that Acting President Vjosa Osmani must call a new election to be held no longer than 40 days from the announcement. (RFE/RL) Science and technology Great conjunction The planets Jupiter and Saturn appear at their closest in the sky since 1623, in an event known as a great conjunction. The closest approach will occur at 18:22 UTC, when the two planets will be one-tenth of a degree apart; they will appear to be a binary object to the naked eye. (Euronews)

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(Posted) RD: Minoru Makihara

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

• Created and nominated by Ktin (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: Japanese business executive; former CEO of Mitsubishi credited with the group's turnaround in the 1990s. Death was announced on this date i.e. December 21, 2020. Article updates done. Ready for a pair of eyes before going to homepage / RD. Ktin (talk) 23:58, 25 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment. On a quick glance, looking reasonably ok, but there's a lot of opinion sourced to an alumni site (current Ref. 4) that could do with higher-quality sourcing; also perhaps some rephrasing as the two are a little too similar in wording. I'd remove the Kennedy/Updike name checks, as they appear irrelevant. Was his wife the granddaughter or great-granddaughter of Iwasaki Yatarō, as Ref. 4 states? Espresso Addict (talk) 04:13, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

  @Espresso Addict:, Thanks for the catch. Updated to great-granddaughter. Again, will need you to be specific regarding any concerns with #4's sourcing. As it stands the article is good to go to homepage / RD in its current state. I am ambivalent to removing the Kennedy / Updike references. But, otherwise -- no reason to hold this article back. Ktin (talk) 04:24, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

  I don't generally edit in the area of business, but imo alumnus articles are usually essentially puff pieces. If the university is decent, one can usually rely on them for basic facts, but anything laudatory isn't 100% reliable. Espresso Addict (talk) 04:27, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

  Espresso Addict, I am not disputing that. None of the WP:PUFF text has been brought into the article. Please point a sentence that is WP:PUFF and has been brought in from ref: 4 and I will be the first one to delete it, alternately, go ahead and delete it yourself. This very generic statement holding up articles from progressing does no good to anyone, nor to the backlog that is piling up. Ktin (talk) 04:35, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

• Looks good to me — Martin (MSGJ · talk) 14:03, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Comment. Thanks Martin. Folks, can I request one more pair of eyes on this one. I believe this is good to go to homepage / RD as it stands. Ktin (talk) 18:04, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
• Further note. This article has been in mainspace for less than 24 hours over a public holiday, and all content has been provided by a single editor (Ktin). For clarity, I am in no way saying this precludes posting but it would, in my opinion, be wise to wait for potential input by others interested in this area. Espresso Addict (talk) 00:03, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• @Espresso Addict:, I frankly am not following the insinuation here. But, I will WP:AGF. There is no reason to cast aspersions on the article just because I am the lone / major contributor to the article nor the fact that it is relatively new. If there are genuine article improvement notes that you have to provide, and please be specific with those, I am 100% available to have those incorporated. This lack of specificity is frankly very difficult to work with. Ktin (talk) 00:19, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment. Folks, please can I ask for one more pair of eyes on this one? I personally do not see a reason why this should wait to go to homepage. Ktin (talk) 07:21, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• @Stephen, Amakuru, Dumelow, and Black Kite:, pardon the persistence on this one. I think this one is ready to go to the homepage. No reason why this should wait any longer. Ktin (talk) 14:20, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support looks alright. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 14:26, 27 December 2020 (UTC)
• Posted. Espresso Addict (talk) 23:28, 27 December 2020 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: John Fitzpatrick

Article: John Fitzpatrick (footballer, born 1946) (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): The Scotsman
Credits:

• Nominated by Joseywales1961 (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: Retired Scottish footballer (Manchester United), short enough article but reasonably well referenced JW 1961 Talk 09:56, 22 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support Quite short, but more than enough well sourced content for RD. Joseph2302 (talk) 13:56, 22 December 2020 (UTC)
• Weak support a citation required. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 10:51, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

  The Rambling Man, I removed that sentence as sources I found says match on 22 Nov 1969 3-1 to Man Utd scorers Charlton (2) and Burns JW 1961 Talk 21:50, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support Short but okay. Gotitbro (talk) 13:33, 24 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose Is there any info about family or cause of death? Also, there is a bare url in the references. Joofjoof (talk) 03:47, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
• Comment. Seems brief but adequate, but there's no source I can see for his precise date of birth (The Scotsman just gives the year). I've expanded a source (possibly the one Joofjoof mentions?) and replaced a deadlink. Agree with Joofjoof that further expansion would be ideal but the online sources listed do not give further details. Espresso Addict (talk) 04:12, 25 December 2020 (UTC)
• Comment. I removed the date of birth to year of birth. i.e. retained only 1946 (which is currently cited). The date of birth can be reintroduced if citation is found. No reason to hold this article back. Good to go to homepage / RD. Joseywales1961, JW - any additional edits you are working on? Else, this is good to go. Ktin (talk) 05:06, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

  Ktin, Thank you, thats about all that's available JW 1961 Talk 11:39, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

•  Posted — Martin (MSGJ · talk) 13:59, 26 December 2020 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Kevin Greene

Article: Kevin Greene (American football) (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)
News source(s): [7]
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) 22:27, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

• pretty good shape. A few refs needed, and the "career notes" section does need to go. GreatCaesarsGhost 00:27, 22 December 2020 (UTC)

  GreatCaesarsGhost, "Career notes" section is gone. I think all the refs are present now, but let me know if I missed any. – Muboshgu (talk) 04:26, 22 December 2020 (UTC)

  There are two CN tags on there, one regarding salary and a quote. I can't find anything reliable to cite them. GreatCaesarsGhost 12:45, 22 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support Looks good for RD now JW 1961 Talk 09:49, 22 December 2020 (UTC)
• Comment. A couple of citation needed tags still need resolving.  — Amakuru (talk) 13:38, 22 December 2020 (UTC)

  Right now, the big problem is the pro wrestling section. There were sources there earlier, but no more. I guess they weren't reliable? I don't know these wrestling-specific sources, and have requested aid from WP:PW. – Muboshgu (talk) 18:42, 22 December 2020 (UTC)

  Support I've reworked some of the wrestling section, striking some material which was uncited and UNDUE with the detail level. I think we're good now. GreatCaesarsGhost 19:09, 22 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support Looks good to go now.-- P-K3 (talk) 19:24, 22 December 2020 (UTC)
•  Posted—Bagumba (talk) 05:25, 23 December 2020 (UTC)

(Posted) Great conjunction

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: great conjunction (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ The closest visible great conjunction since the year 1226 occurs on December 21st (UTC). (Post)
Alternative blurb: ​ The closest visible great conjunction since the year 1226 occurs on December 21st.
Alternative blurb II: ​ The closest great conjunction since the year 1623 occurs on December 21st.
Alternative blurb III: ​ The closest great conjunction, between Jupiter and Saturn, since the year 1623 occurs on December 21st.
News source(s): Guardian Forbes (soft paywall) NPR Rice University (very interesting if you like to geek out with orbital math
Credits:

• Nominated by Sagittarian Milky Way (talk · give credit)

Article updated

Nominator's comments: (nominated early to ensure sufficient time if this barely wins) "great conjunction" is the technical astronomy term and astrologic mumbo for this rarest category of planetary alignment known before the discovery of Uranus. They occur on a c. 19.86 year cycle and this one's only 0.2 Moon diameters apart for most of the world. All longitudes and most latitudes can see, only early night or dusk. The 1563 event caused many astronomers to believe Copernicus' Sun-centered predictions long before Galileo was imprisoned for this and the next ones this close are 2080 and 2417 AD. There is a c. 4 century closeness cycle thus after the morning sky one in 2080 it's all downhill from there. This is also the start of an air trigon mutation in astrology meaning the triangle is in air signs for awhile, two trigons ago the fire one starting in 1603 made people freak out about apocalypse causing a papal bull banning divination and mentions by Shakespeare, Bacon, Dante, Tycho and Kepler. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 05:05, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

Extended content

Still about 2.5 times minimum separation here on Dec 19 (Saturn isn't this dim in a telescope to the eye though) This is the article's other photo, telephoto I think of it at 2.5 times how close it will be on Monday. From central Europe and after visible twilight which increases horizon air blurring compared to closer to 10°N and earlier. And here's what The Planetary Society has called the best case scenario view through a telescope. Not everyone will see this much detail but high altitude places around 10 degrees North in Africa is the lucky location (weather-permitting). You can't get much less systemic bias than that. They released under Creative Commons 3 license. These should give a better idea of how impressive or not it'll be when magnified than peoples' opinions.

• Support in principle There's a lot of hype around the event in every astronomical community that I'm familiar with. While I'm not sure how famous the event is to the average Joe,it's nevertheless being reported in major news outlets and given the rarity of the event, I think it deserves a blurb. However, the target article has a lot of problems so oppose until that's fixed. Scaramouche33 (talk) 05:47, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  The article is in much better shape now Scaramouche33 (talk) 14:56, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support per Scaramouche33. But don't use the term win; we're not winning anything there. Several of my blurbs get rejected in the past and I don't consider it as a loss, just stale. Regards, Jeromi Mikhael ^(marhata) 07:32, 17 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose tagged. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 11:38, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  Still oppose, much better suited to the trivia section of the main page. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 21:04, 20 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose, despite being an astronomer myself. Although the event is underway, closest approach doesn't happen until 21 Dec. It's also pretty unimpressive to see and has zero scientific interest or value. Some amateur astronomy organisations are promoting it, but there's little-to-no interest among professionals. For the general public it's less impressive to look at than the Geminid meteor shower that's also happening right now. Whilst I like to see astronomy stories in ITN, I think general readers would see that blurb, think it was something dramatic like an eclipse, then be hugely disappointed to realise what's actually visible. We certainly shouldn't be promoting the pseudoscience of astrology on the Main Page. Modest Genius ^talk 11:56, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  It's great to have an actual astronomer here, it really helps us differentiate the important stuff from the trivia Scaramouche33 (talk) 12:05, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  To be honest I don't know at what point 2 points of light are close and similar enough to be visually impressive. If this was Venus (brightness about minus 4) and Jupiter (about minus 2) several arcminutes apart it would definitely be visually impressive, this is 6 arcminutes apart and only about magnitude 0 and minus 2. I won't guess if they will be or won't be close enough to impress the general public in a good telescope. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 14:19, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  Support. The claims made above are incorrect. The event will be impressive to see; both planets will be visible in the same field of view in a telescope (only the second time this has happened since the invention of the telescope). Another close conjunction won't happen again until 2080 so this is a very rare event, and it is important as it has been given significant prominence in many astronomical almanacs/year books/magazines. The event is also of some scientific value: I know of some astronomers who are are using this event to study Jupiter's magnetosphere as Saturn passes through it as seen from Earth. However, I do agree that the article should be improved (help would be appreciated), the mentions of astrology removed (as unimportant), and the blurb reworded a bit something like "The planets Jupiter and Saturn appeared at their closest together in the sky for almost 400 years on 21 December, in an event known as a great conjunction (explaining what it is rather than just mentioning it).

QuantumPulsar2002 (talk) 17:32 (edited 23:03), 17 December 2020 (UTC)

• Huh you're right, I hadn't thought of that. Jupiter is I believe the only planet in the solar system who's magnetic field is long enough to "touch" another planet. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 17:55, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support I saw this covered on The Sky at Night yesterday and it looked quite special. I looked at the planets earlier in the year when out late observing the comet, which we blurbed. The planets were a lot brighter than the comet then and this conjunction will make them even more prominent. Unlike Brexit and other human affairs, this is quite a sure thing and it is good to give people advance notice so they have a chance to see it themselves.

Note also that we have had Nana Akufo-Addo as the picture blurb for an entire week now and it's embarassing to have such a low-impact story as our lead for so long. Like the comet, the conjunction will have plenty of good pictures for us to highlight and so we should make the most of them.

Andrew🐉(talk) 13:10, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment – How does this affect anyone on Earth? – Sca (talk) 13:46, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  People on earth are learning about it because media are covering it, and they are likely to be interested in a quality Wikipedia article on the topic. --Jayron32 13:52, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  Answer: it doesn't. It's almost embarrassing to consider it encyclopedic. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 14:25, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  Of course it doesn't, nothing really does except a direct hit by an asteroid. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 14:40, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  Depends on where it lands.--WaltCip-(talk) 15:04, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  Lol. Unless it's an even rarer huge one. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 15:08, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  ASTEROID STRIKES THE US, THOUSANDS CONFIRMED DEAD "Us centric" Gex4pls (talk) 15:22, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

That's U.S. – otherwise it reads as 'us' — Cf., "We have met the enemy and he is us." – Sca (talk) 16:01, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose in deference to Modest Genius and his credentials.--WaltCip-(talk) 13:54, 17 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose – Per Modest. Not of general significance or impact. – Sca (talk) 14:37, 17 December 2020 (UTC)
• Comment Is there a precedence of garden-variety total lunar eclipse nominations not being posted, that might help clarify minimum visual impressiveness for events that science has already learned all it could from as TLEs impress kids but are "eh I'll look but that's it" at best to astronomy PhDs and people who've had an astronomy hobby for long enough. I recommend collecting photographs of lunar eclipses with different skyscrapers or mountains or whatever to cure those repetitive doldrums. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 14:40, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  Sagittarian Milky Way, Wikipedia:In_the_news/Candidates/July_2018#(Posted)_Longest_lunar_eclipse_of_the_21st_century appears to be the last time we posted a lunar eclipse. Hanif Al Husaini (talk) 14:59, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support. It's an interesting and rare event. While it has no scientific value, that's also true for almost all other news stories. Count Iblis (talk) 14:57, 17 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support per above. 108.41.121.223 (talk) 15:42, 17 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose appears to be of astrological, rather than astronomical, importance per Modest. – John M Wolfson (talk • contribs) 16:44, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  Not quite, it's important in astrological mumbo jumbo but it's still the 2 most visually impressive planets in a telescope being unusually close (less than or about 10 Jupiter or Saturn diameters). They're only in the same telescope field of view once every few decades much less this close. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 17:00, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

  Fair enough, although I stand by my oppose as it doesn't seem as significant as, say, an eclipse. – John M Wolfson (talk • contribs) 17:03, 17 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose deferring to expertise of Modest Genius This post was made by orbitalbuzzsaw gang (talk) 17:02, 17 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose, per Modest and others. – Ammarpad (talk) 05:29, 18 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support pending improvements to quality and appropriate update. This is both in the news and of general interest to our readers. We should not be so pompous to reject this as not being scientifically important. — Martin (MSGJ · talk) 09:44, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

  There's hardly anything pompous about scientific importance, especially compared to other ITN/R topics such as award shows or horse-racing.--WaltCip-(talk) 13:39, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

  Indeed. This is not pomposity, it's just a rejection that in general (per the nomination) this is "very interesting if you like to geek out with orbital math". Enough said. The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 13:45, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

  Science may have had its last significant discoveries about conjunctions with Tycho's measurement advances, Kepler's elliptical orbits and Galileo's work 4 centuries ago but it would still be new and interesting to some readers. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 16:08, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support per nominator and Andrew. Visible worldwide with significant media coverage. Opposers fail to convince that this is not an ITN-worthy blurb. Tagged section can be edited down or removed to the article Talk page for discussion as needed. Jusdafax (talk) 15:31, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

  "... Tagged section can be edited down or removed ..."!! That's two-thirds of this shoddy article... The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 16:16, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

• Oppose on article quality. Weak Support I’m still not sure about notability, but article quality has improved drastically. ~ Destroyer🌀🌀 17:10, 18 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose due to article quality; parts are unsourced, much that is sourced depends on a reference that is someone's private webpage, half of it is astrological nonsense. Black Kite (talk) 17:19, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

  Am I at least halfway done with bringing article to minimum quality? There is less pseudoscience and more positional astronomy now. And anything of that pseudoscience that might generously be called history has been moved to new section called in history Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 19:18, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment There's a lot more astronomy bytes in the article now and a lot less astrology and more sourcing and no tags. I note that a planetary science Ph.D. (U. of Arizona) who's been full professor at Rice University since 2007 has cared enough to write these detailed articles on great conjunctions: [8] [9], making 3,000 and 20,000* year lists and writing about the cyclical mathematics and so on, one astronomy PhD not finding this interesting wouldn't mean they all don't. Those institutions aren't bad, University of Arizona's astronomy program is rated 5th to 24th in America depending on metric and their planetary science is 6th to 33rd. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 20:05, 18 December 2020 (UTC)
• User:Scaramouche33, User:The Rambling Man, User:Modest Genius, User:Sca, User:WaltCip, User:John M Wolfson,User:Orbitalbuzzsaw, User:Ammarpad, User:Destroyeraa & User:Black Kite article quality is much improved now, all tags removed arguably justifiably and another editor has added a sourced section informing me that the close event of 1563 was an important part of the history of science. Apparently the extreme inaccuracy of planet position tables by "Earth is center of solar system" believers compared to Copernican heliocentrism convinced (at least) Cracow Academy and an Italian that the then new Sun theory was true — long before Galileo was imprisoned for saying it. Interesting connection with the modern day I'd say. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 15:46, 20 December 2020 (UTC)
  • Sorry, it's still a no from me. That this might have been important in the history of science has no bearing on its current relevance to science; if we were to post anything related to astronomy or the history of science here, we wouldn't be posting anything else, and I don't think this clears the bar. – John M Wolfson (talk • contribs) 22:19, 20 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support – This Great Conjunction is more than notable enough in Astronomical circles to warrant an ITN mention. Additionally, the article quality, the main sticking point of many opposers above, has significantly improved in just the past few days alone. As such, I support this ITN candidate. LightandDark2000 🌀 (talk) 15:48, 20 December 2020 (UTC)
• Removing the "Ready?" as there's clearly more than enough opposed on significance to question posting. --Masem (t) 15:55, 20 December 2020 (UTC)

  Fair enough. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 16:05, 20 December 2020 (UTC)

  I strongly disagree with Masem's removal of the ready tag. The worldwide significance and substantial notability of this highly visible conjunction is well-established, the article is improved markedly in the past few days, and a potential posting admin should take those factors into account. In my view the opposers on significance are not making a decent case. At least one opposer on article quality has changed to a weak support, and other opposers on quality have done so many days ago and not weighed in since. The blurb should be now marked Ready, and an admin should post it. Jayron 32 says it well above: "People on earth are learning about it because media are covering it, and they are likely to be interested in a quality Wikipedia article on the topic." As I see it, remaining objections to posting this blurb simply boil down to "I don't like it," aka WP:IDLI. We are now one day away from this historic planetary conjunction. Is there one admin present willing to post? Cheers, Jusdafax (talk) 21:01, 20 December 2020 (UTC)

  You mean is there an admin willing to post against consensus? The Rambling Man (Hands! Face! Space!!!!) 21:04, 20 December 2020 (UTC)

• Strong support on notability. The conjunction itself is a once in 20 year event, which is quite rare and interesting in itself. But the proximity, a one in 400 year event, between the two largest planets in our solar system, makes this a no brainer for posting. I'm not particularly an astronomer, but I have been tracking the convergence of these things in the sky all year. Bottom line, if eclipses which are commonplace and almost annual, are deemed to be ITN/R, then this should highly unusual occurrence should be too. No comment on quality as I haven't looked at the article yet, will have a deco a bit later.  — Amakuru (talk) 21:15, 20 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose The longest night of 2020 is vaguely apocalyptic enough without reminding the masses that a "great conjunction" is upon us. InedibleHulk (talk) 21:30, 20 December 2020 (UTC)
  • I oppose, but this is rather silly IMO. – John M Wolfson (talk • contribs) 22:19, 20 December 2020 (UTC)
    • I also oppose because the actuality of this coincidence (two dots in the sky are briefly closer from Earth's POV than they've seemed for a while) is a silly thing to get excited about. InedibleHulk (talk) 23:07, 20 December 2020 (UTC)
      • The transit of Venus was also a dot closer to something from Earth's POV than it's been for a while (120 years) and that dot was posted without even having rings. Heck a total solar eclipse is something that's briefly closer to something else than it's been in awhile (average: 2 minutes every 360 years) (yes I know that one's much, much more impressive) Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 23:24, 20 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support something unusual and interesting—Wikipedia's perfect niche. Moreover, we currently have material from more than two weeks ago (Hayabusa2) in ITN. We may not be a news ticker, but it's time to rotate it with something or else we're not serving our readers. Ed ^{[talk] [majestic titan]} 00:19, 21 December 2020 (UTC)
  • The fact that the news cycle is pretty slow right now (presumably due to a certain thing in a certain banner) is not an argument to post something that is otherwise not notable, and it would be an OR violation to do so. That said, the rest of your support is fine and I have no issue with it. – John M Wolfson (talk • contribs) 00:39, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

Support. This is a one in a generation event that’s also perfectly suited to Wikipedia’s strengths: unusual anomalies. The news cycle has been pretty slow also, and overall this just seems like a pretty strong event for ITN. The Image Editor (talk) 02:25, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

"Unprecedented" recently became the English world's Word of the Year, per Dictionary.com, narrowly defeating "apocalyptic". First time ever. We could improve and blurb that article. InedibleHulk (talk) 02:49, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

That's funny. – John M Wolfson (talk • contribs) 03:41, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

Once again, the news cycle has been pretty slow is not an argument to post. – John M Wolfson (talk • contribs) 03:41, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

And reasonable people can disagree with that essay. Ed ^{[talk] [majestic titan]} 06:05, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment. The article has improved enormously but the astrology section is still unreferenced. Espresso Addict (talk) 02:40, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

Just delete that section. It's rubbish anyway. HiLo48 (talk) 05:07, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment Well,today's the day! Great work on the article, it's much better referenced than it was a few days ago and the new images are a nice edition as well. I agree with HiLo48 that it's best to remove the astrology section if we can't find any sources for it Scaramouche33 (talk) 05:18, 21 December 2020 (UTC)
  • I think that is possible now as the astrology section has been mostly copy-pasted to the astrology article. It's only a few sentences now which don't really matter in the article. QuantumPulsar2002 (talk) 11:44, 21 December 2020 (UTC).
    Update: astrology section now removed as there was nothing left in it that wasn't covered in the astrology conjunction page. QuantumPulsar2002 (talk) 15:46, 21 December 2020 (UTC)
    • I've added the Shakespeare reference (a 30 page thing soley on the 1603 "fire trigon") which surely has such basic in-universe canon. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 11:54, 21 December 2020 (UTC)
• Comment With somehow mixed support here (the arguments agains due to poor article shape have been resolved), an alternative would be to run it on On this day box. Since ... you know ... it's on this day :) --Tone 08:14, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  That could be an interesting compromise Scaramouche33 (talk) 08:46, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support on notability. If there doesn't end up being a consensus to post to ITN, we certainly should post this somewhere else. We already post similar phenomenon (e.g. solar eclipses) but those occur quite frequently compared to this. To say that this is a once in a lifetime event is quite an understatement; this is a once in a millennium event. I can't think of anything else that we can say that about.  Vanilla  Wizard 💙 09:28, 21 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support The last nom might have been premature but the general significance and interest in this event is now widely being reported for this to be on ITN. Gotitbro (talk) 12:26, 21 December 2020 (UTC)
• Oppose This feels like Joey's identical hand scheme from Friends - there's no THERE there. It is a function of planetary motion that sometimes they'll be closer to each other than other times. There is nothing remotely noteworthy about the occasions on which it happens. GreatCaesarsGhost 13:30, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  That is what an eclipse is, when they're closer than an average of a sixtieth of a Moon width somewhere on Earth and the Moon height is slightly under the average miles you get total solar eclipses. Nothing more special than that, the separations in miles are still completely unremarkable but they're still posted cause they look cool. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 13:43, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  How are eclipses unremarkable? People can't STOP remarking on them. You know how many remarks I heard about the last total solar eclipse? I want to say it was 1000x more than remarked on the great conjunction, but 1000x zero is still zero. Eclipses "looking cool" is still something, and something is more than nothing. GreatCaesarsGhost 15:29, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  The separation in miles is unremarkable and there's no closeness actually there (I haven't seen the episode). And you don't think the pic looks cool if you click on it? Nothing beats a total solar eclipse, if that's the minimum eye candyness standard then no one should ever post other astronomical events again but they have i.e. the longest annular eclipse of the millennium and a featureless circle of 0.03 Sun widths crossing the Sun (which I thought was cool too but I'm biased) Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 15:41, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support Pop science inspires people! People who don’t normally care astronomy are talking about this and getting excited. Zagalejo^^^ 13:59, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

I'm not any more excited today than usual. I don't feel any effects at all from this great event, but then at the moment it's cloudy where I live. Nevertheless, this conjunction seems suboptimally impactful. – Sca (talk) 14:05, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

But modern astrologers feel something. If a drug ever runs out we should just scam them with fake drugs and they won't feel the difference. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 14:56, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

"Modern astrologer" – an oxymoron? – Sca (talk) 15:13, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

"person of unusual confirmation bias", "person who swallowed the in-universe stuff", "astrologer who happens to still be alive", "differently worldviewed". The differently worldviewed take offense at your dismissal of things like geocentrism, ghosts, flat earthism, terrorism and global cooling" and would prefer that you call them "heterodox realitists" Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 15:31, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

Not exciting as baseball's older cousin but so what... Howard the Duck (talk) 14:08, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

There have been people so unexcited about the only local total solar eclipse in >150 years future and past that they didn't bother to step into the darkness for a moment to see. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 14:16, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment. Count Iblis (talk) 15:11, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  And that proves what exactly? Are you aware of just how many Google Doodles there are? I'm not opposed to this nomination, but if "subject of a Google Doodle" were a criterion we'd also have blurbed "Zinaida Serebriakova's 136th birthday", "Remembering Sudan, the last male northern white rhino", "Bahrain National Day 2020", "Marie Popelin’s 174th birthday" and "the unification of Transylvania, Banat, Crișana, and Maramureș with the Romanian Kingdom on this date in 1918" this month alone. The existence of a Google Doodle isn't any kind of mark of significance, it's Google's equivalent of our Featured Articles section and just means that some Google employee took an interest in the topic. ‑ Iridescent 15:30, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  True, though Sudan was posted as an RD Scaramouche33 (talk) 15:45, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  Sudan was posted as RD when he died in March 2018. The Google Doodle marking the event was yesterday. ‑ Iridescent 16:10, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  The Google Doodle is itself international news, being featured in multiple sources [10]; [11]. Besides the great conjunction, these stories also highlight the fact that this is the winter solstice and make something of the Christmas Star aspect too. These points are all timely and are clearly what's actually in the news. Meanwhile, our blurbs are stale astronomical items, being from 5 days and 16 days ago. ITN is failing while Google is succeeding. Andrew🐉(talk) 16:11, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  Good point. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 16:15, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

• Weak support on the basis that we have sources like the BBC, NASA, and CBS News covering the event as a rare astronomical (not astrological) thing, last visible just under 400 years ago, and something that should be possible to see w/ naked eye under clear skies. As long as we're not treating it like as astrological event but the rarer astronomical one, that's fine. Article seems ready. --Masem (t) 15:56, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

Of course. Astrology shouldn't be mentioned. Cape Verde or Mauritania and "parts of Oceania" were apparently the best places to go if one wanted to try to see it with the Great Red Spot on closest day. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 16:02, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

• Comment So far I've counted 16 supports and 10 opposes, How much do we need for a concesus? Scaramouche33 (talk) 17:03, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  I'd have thought that was enough but I'm no longer in a position to judge, having !voted myself. Despite the claims above that it's an "uninteresting" event for professional astronomers, I find that opposition generally weak. It is certainly in the news, across the world, it's a very rare event and although the event has no impact on the bodies themselves, neither do the frequently occurring eclipses yet we post them without hesitation.  — Amakuru (talk) 17:27, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  Professionals only get paid to extend the boundary of current knowledge, and don't look through telescopes with eyes anymore and use false color infrared/radio etc a lot, and things eyes can't see like extreme physics from outside the solar system and cosmology and exoplanets are big right now so it's not surprising that some professionals don't have a looking with their eyes hobby anymore. Stuff eyes can see has been studied to death already. Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 18:07, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

• Support Interesting and unusual, as others have said. My reservation was the astrology nonsense, but now that section has been removed from the article I'll support.-- P-K3 (talk) 17:35, 21 December 2020 (UTC)
• Jeeeeeeez admins have posted dead American dudes that have more opposition than this one. Where's a rogue admin when you need one? Or does someone have to tagged this as ready and we'd wait for another day? Howard the Duck (talk) 17:47, 21 December 2020 (UTC)
• Support Notable, all over the news, and we've got a decent article as well. Davey2116 (talk) 17:53, 21 December 2020 (UTC)
• Posted. I think there's a rough consensus to post this; some proportion (exact proportion impossible to guess) of opposes were to quality which seems to no longer be an issue, and to astrology nonsense that has now been removed. Also, oldest hook is over 2 weeks old, ITN needed some fresh air. No one expressed an opinion about which blurb to use, so I went with Alt 2, because Alt 3 was too long (someone else changed to Alt 3, which seems to me to be about 2% worse, so meh), and I don't think "easily visible" is quantifiable enough. Not sure if this is actually photogenic or not; if anyone finds a free image that isn't two dots of light, the image could stand to be updated too. --Floquenbeam (talk) 18:08, 21 December 2020 (UTC)
• Post-posting support - been in the news cycle for a week or two, easily visible to the naked eye (although it was more impressive IMO watching them get closer and closer over the past 6 months). I'm not sure why the scientific value is relevant seeing as we post eclipses that hold next to zero scientific value today. As for image, NASA imagery is public domain is it not? Their webpage on the conjunction. - Floydian ^τ _¢ 18:58, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  Regarding the image above; it is basically illegible at all resolutions and on all screens unless you click on it to expand; we tend to not include such images in the ITN box, for similar reasons why maps are usually not included on main page posts. It looks like a black rectangle with some random smudges on it. If there's an image of the conjunction at better resolution that lets us see the planets and identify them at scale, that would be great. But dim smudges on a black rectangle isn't really helping our readers. --Jayron32 19:49, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  Is it too small to crop? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 20:14, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

  No joke - can we run the Kepler sketch? GreatCaesarsGhost 00:30, 22 December 2020 (UTC)

  Sure why not, it's just drawing lines between consecutive conjunctions with the "ruler" being the plane of Earth's orbit and even people who didn't believe in astrology measured in signs degrees minutes seconds back then, like a 12 30 60 60 version of British money. I might be remembering some other early to mid 1600s quote but I think it was Kepler who told the non-believing members of his profession to keep their mouth shut cause astrology is the teat of astronomy or something like that (meaning astrology paid the bills so they could afford to research and eat and making horoscopes for hire was something they were almost uniquely qualified for, no other job would need their skills). Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 01:10, 22 December 2020 (UTC)

• Post-posting declaration Woe is us! InedibleHulk (talk) 20:00, 21 December 2020 (UTC)
• Post-posting support Been all over the news for the past week, is unique and interesting, and the article is in good shape. Mlb96 (talk) 21:47, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

Wake me when the 'great' part of the conjunction is over. I don't want to get over-excited.
– Sca (talk) 22:35, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

Different people like different things, it's prominent in the news and not only just in tabloids like the NY Post and Daily News so why not? Also it removed another space item over half month old.Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 22:45, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

Stop dealing with Sca. This same guy dismissed the Times as a reference for newsworthiness here. Well, it is not the NY Post and Daily News (or perhaps the Sun) so... perhaps the 36k pageviews yesterday and 192k for December all came from boring people? I dunno. That's certainly a lot more than 50% of those found in WP:ITNR. Howard the Duck (talk) 23:07, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

Could be 40 obsessive astronomers and 40 compulsive astrologers checking for updates 2400 times each. InedibleHulk (talk) 00:33, 22 December 2020 (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.

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