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• 2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine
  • Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists conduct peace talks as fighting rages in eastern Ukraine. (Reuters)
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo launches a campaign against Hutu rebels. (AFP via Yahoo! News)
• Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
  • A monitoring group claims that ISIL has reportedly released a video showing the execution of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto. (Al Jazeera)

• Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501
  • France orders an official investigation into the crash of AirAsia Flight 8501 which had a French copilot flying the aircraft at the time of its crash. (AFP via France 24)

• Italian presidential election, 2015
  • Voters elect Sergio Mattarella President of Italy. (Corriere della Sera)
• Richard von Weizsäcker, who was president of West Germany from 1984 to 1990 and became the first president of reunified Germany from 1990 to 1994, dies at the age of 94. (Deutsche Welle)
• Queensland state election, 2015
  • The Liberal National Party of Queensland loses its parliamentary majority, with outgoing Premier Campbell Newman losing his own seat of Ashgrove. It is unclear whether the Australian Labor Party, led by Annastacia Palaszczuk, has won an outright majority or if the result is a hung parliament. (ABC News Australia)

• 2015 Australian Open
  • In tennis, American Serena Williams defeats Maria Sharapova of Russia in straight sets in the Women's Singles final. It is the sixth Australian Open crown and 19th Grand Slam singles title for the current world #1. (AAP via MSN) (The Guardian)
• 2015 AFC Asian Cup
  • In football, host nation Australia defeats South Korea 2–1 in the final of the Asian Cup. (ABC News Australia) (ABC News)
• In golf, Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who does not turn 18 until 24 April, becomes the youngest golfer of either sex to be ranked number 1 in the world, surpassing the previous record of Tiger Woods by nearly four years. (New Zealand Herald)
• In American football, The Board of Selectors for Pro Football Hall of Fame announces the induction of eight individuals as the 2015 induction class which will formally enter the Hall in August. The inductees are Junior Seau, Jerome Bettis, Charles Haley, Will Shields, Tim Brown, and Mick Tingelhoff as players, and Bill Polian and Ron Wolf as contributors. (NBC Sports)

Kenji Goto allegedly beheaded

• Nominated by Everymorning (talk · give credit)

• Oppose, blurb says it all, "allegedly". I'm skeptical that they ever even had Goto or Yukawa, the shadows in the pic didn't look right. --AmaryllisGardener 23:17, 31 January 2015 (UTC)
• Comment: This is why we have the ongoing section. Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#Timeline_of_recent_events (which is linked to in the Ongoing section) covers these events. Spencer 02:00, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose a blurb that says "allegedly". Even if there is confirmation, I think the ongoing listing covers this. 331dot (talk) 03:44, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose Even if this was confirmed, I think we haven't been posting the other beheadings by ISIS? --MASEM (t) 03:48, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Support if we get a confirmation. Huge story, and has now tied a very large country with ISIS conflict.--Johnsemlak (talk) 06:04, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Support - huge story. international coverage.--BabbaQ (talk) 13:30, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose. We can't have an item every time ISIS kills someone, even if it's a Westerner and on video. Sad as it is, ISIS beheading people is a frequent event. There's no indication of why this particular incidence should be treated differently. There's already a link to a relevant article in Ongoing Events. Modest Genius 18:48, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose should be covered by the ongoing item. The Rambling Man (talk) 19:01, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

RD: Geraldine McEwan

• Nominated by JuneGloom07 (talk · give credit)

• Weak oppose she was a popular British actress for a certain generation, but her single BAFTA really fails to elevate her to the "top of the field" RD notability. P. S. She wasn't Joan Hickson... The Rambling Man (talk) 21:55, 31 January 2015 (UTC)
• Support Miss Marple? Mapp and Lucia, Henry V, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves? A Bafta? Definitely a very recognizable face, even to Americans who didn't necessarily know her name. μηδείς (talk) 22:10, 31 January 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose, I wouldn't say she's a "recognizable face" to Americans, when I think of "Miss Marple actress", I think of Joan Hickson. Not seeing the importance Geraldine has for RD. --AmaryllisGardener 22:15, 31 January 2015 (UTC)

Be aware, please, that's not what I said. I said her face was recognizable to Americans, not that she was solely identified with Miss Marple. Again, I'd like to hear more from our friends acrost the pond. μηδείς (talk) 22:24, 31 January 2015 (UTC)

• Weak oppose along the likes of TRM. One BAFTA may be significant, but the current shape of the article doesn't give an impression of how important she was as an actress - it's all rote details like rolls and the like. While her key role is memorable, I don't think that's sufficient alone here. --MASEM (t) 22:17, 31 January 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose as she doesn't seem to meet the criteria. 331dot (talk) 03:45, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Weak support. Had she accepted the damehood that she reportedly turned down in 2002, her notability quotient would presumably be higher - but, in any case,a very well known and respected actress to UK TV, film (Wallace and Gromit, etc.) and theatre audiences. Article not the greatest, though. Ghmyrtle (talk) 14:59, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

Sergio Mattarella

• Nominated by PanchoS (talk · give credit)

• Oppose for now, article needs better references. The Rambling Man (talk) 21:57, 31 January 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose as no where near as notable as Weizsäcker, whom I have opposed below. μηδείς (talk) 22:26, 31 January 2015 (UTC)

You do realize that these two nominations are of two different types, one is ITNC and the other is RD? ;) I agree that it would help to have better references though the president part is fine in principle. --Tone 22:41, 31 January 2015 (UTC)

Well, in the distant future, when Mattarella has some accomplishments as president, we can look at them. Otherwise, it's a ceremonial post, and we should never have posted the resignation of the prior holder of this office. And where's the discussion by which this became a part of ITNR? μηδείς (talk) 23:48, 31 January 2015 (UTC)

It was unilaterally added here, as a result of this "discussion". Mogism (talk) 23:57, 31 January 2015 (UTC)

I'm wondering why you are now questioning the posting of changes in head of state when it has been done somewhat consistently the entire time I have been here. I in no way am suggesting any nefarious motive but I am just curious as to why now. 331dot (talk) 03:47, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

I assume you are questioning me? So far as I can tell, "presidents" in Europe are like Vice Presidents in the US. Stand-ins when trhe Prime Minister is too busy. Kind of like how Joe Biden attended the Charlie Hebdo unity march, because president Obama was too busy campaigning in Berlin. μηδείς (talk) 04:44, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

The President of Italy is not like the Vice President of the US, and it is not just a ceremonial post. Among the other things he dissolves the Parliament and names the PM: please note that, while in some cases he has "hands tied" in other cases he has not, and he can decide whether or not to dissolve Parliament, and who to name as PM (as it happened e.g. with Mario Monti a few years ago). Anyway, Mattarella is going to be sworn on February 3rd: we may wait for Tuesday to write something like Sergio Mattarella is sworn as the 12th President of Italy. --Jaqen (talk) 10:30, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

There shouldn't be any need for support as this is on ITNR, but for some reason people are questioning this. It's the succession of a new head of state, ergo should be posted. I am agnostic on whether we should post now or when he actually assumes the office. Modest Genius 18:51, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

Better referenced than when I first looked. I questioned it because it was sub-standard, nothing else. The Rambling Man (talk) 21:08, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

• I will post now, since the top news in the ITN box is kind of old already. --Tone 22:06, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

RD: Carl Djerassi

• Nominated by The Herald (talk · give credit)

• Weak oppose. Subject appears to be notable, but the article could use some more references. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 17:51, 31 January 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose until the maintenance tag is resolved. The Rambling Man (talk) 21:58, 31 January 2015 (UTC)

RD: Richard von Weizsäcker

• Nominated by The Herald (talk · give credit)

• Support. Seems to meet DC2 as a former head of state, and additionally the first of a reunified Germany. Article seems in OK shape. 331dot (talk) 14:02, 31 January 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose, article's in bad shape right now. Will support after reffing is done. --AmaryllisGardener 14:03, 31 January 2015 (UTC)

• Now support, thank you, Zwerg Nase, for the major improvement to this article! :) --AmaryllisGardener 21:13, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

• Support. Article looks okay. Seems to meet DC2. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 17:49, 31 January 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose per AmaryllisGardener. Huge swaths of text have no reference at all, if that is fixed, consider this vote equivalent to an enthusiastic support. But unless and until article quality issues are corrected, it should not be on the main page advertising itself as the best we have to offer. --Jayron32 21:22, 31 January 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose the article is "not" in OK shape. Solve the referencing issues and we can think again. The Rambling Man (talk) 22:00, 31 January 2015 (UTC)

What referencing issues are you referring to? 331dot (talk) 03:52, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

Sorry, I thought you might have looked at the article. For instance, the entire "Early life" section is completely unreferenced. "Other activities (selection)" section is entirely unsourced. "List of state visits" section has not one single reference. I apologise, I thought it was obvious what the referencing issues were. The Rambling Man (talk) 09:40, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

I did look at it, as I look at each nominated article; please don't assume that what is obvious to you is obvious to everyone else. I saw many references at the bottom of the page so I initially thought that was sufficient. 331dot (talk) 11:26, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

Yes, that's a problematic approach, just basing a decision on sheer volume of references. The Rambling Man (talk) 11:55, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

Thanks for the unsolicited opinion about my approaches. That isn't what I solely based my decision on but I don't really think this page is for analyzing my decisions. 331dot (talk) 12:11, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

No, but worth admins closing ITN candidates understanding that your support isn't based on whether an article is correctly referenced, just has lots of references. Certainly significant here. The Rambling Man (talk) 19:12, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

I'm sorry I'm not as familiar with referencing as you are. Frankly I didn't think the sections without references were just made up and that perhaps the references were just not properly placed or something. Perfect should not be the enemy of good. 331dot (talk) 22:03, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

Nobody mentioned perfect. Someone mentioned whole sections without a single reference. Your frankness is laudable but doesn't help improve the content of Misplaced Pages, does it? The Rambling Man (talk) 22:15, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

Your sarcasm toward other, especially new users, hardly helps improve Misplaced Pages. I don't see a need to comment further. 331dot (talk) 22:18, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

Then why did you? I called you out for supporting a sub-standard article and now you get all pissy? Noted. The Rambling Man (talk) 22:24, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

Everyone has their opinions on what the standard is for article quality to be ITN. Keep in mind that mine and yours focus on referencing especially. --AmaryllisGardener 22:29, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

• Oppose regardless of quality, the role was ceremonial. I was studying German in high school and university during the entire time of his presidency, and he never played a role comparable to any of the Helmuts. μηδείς (talk) 22:07, 31 January 2015 (UTC)
• Support per nom. —Jonny Nixon - (Talk) 05:31, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Support. I support this. I will try and go into the library later on and reference the article through biographies. Zwerg Nase (talk) 11:08, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Comment – Although von Weizsäcker is a famous name in Germany (and in German history), I don't believe it's widely known in the English-speaking world (although, since Richard studied in Britain, perhaps he's more widely known there). OTOH, he was a head of state – at a key time. Undecided. Sca (talk) 13:55, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Support - Major political figure in an important country at an important time. Maybe not widely known in the UK, but sufficiently well-known that his omission from RD would seem extremely strange. Ghmyrtle (talk) 14:52, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Please re-assess!!: I included a lot of references to the early life and political career sections, mostly from German biographies. They might not be ideal since they are inconvinient for English speaking readers but on the other hand they have more academic reliability than internet sources. Also added some english news items as references. Good to go? Zwerg Nase (talk) 18:49, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Support. Meets DC2 and the article now seems to be sufficient. Modest Genius 18:53, 1 February 2015 (UTC)
• Comment referencing is now mediocre rather than shoddy, good work from those who want to improve articles here, well played. The Rambling Man (talk) 21:11, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

Good work on the sarcasm. I am quite new to editing Misplaced Pages. If in the past 13 years that Weizsäcker was alive and Misplaced Pages was around no one cared to produce a decent article about one of the world's major leaders than maybe I am not to blame if my references that I put together in a couple of hours are not up to highest standards. I still feel that the article is now in a shape that allows it to go on the Main Page. Zwerg Nase (talk) 21:26, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

Don't let other users get you down; thanks for your work. 331dot (talk) 22:03, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

it wasn't sarcasm, the improvement is good, but there are plenty of other tags to fix. The Rambling Man (talk) 22:21, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

• Conditional Support the article has been quite nicely updated, 5kb of new text. There remain just a few cn tags--I'll change to support from my oppose once these are addressed.

μηδείς (talk) 22:32, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

Thanks for the tags! I believe I got them all. Concerning the state visit table: I believe it could simply be erased from the article, but I did not want to make that decision by myself. If it stands in the way of him going to RD because it is not referenced, we might just kick it out for the moment until I can find references for every trip? But that might take some time and I believe we should put him in RD now since it's already quite embarassing that it takes Misplaced Pages 2 days to put him on the Main Page... Zwerg Nase (talk) 23:01, 1 February 2015 (UTC)

I hid the section by commenting it out. The nomination can go forward and the section can be easily restored once we have sources. (Marked Ready). μηδείς (talk) 03:42, 2 February 2015 (UTC)

So when will it appear? Zwerg Nase (talk) 09:20, 2 February 2015 (UTC)

• Support – Per Zwerg. Sca (talk) 14:40, 2 February 2015 (UTC)
• Posted The Rambling Man (talk) 14:46, 2 February 2015 (UTC)

January 30

Portal:Current events/2015 January 30

January 30, 2015 (2015-01-30) (Friday) edit history watch Armed conflicts and attacks Sectarianism in Pakistan Sunni militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban kill at least 40 people and injure 50 in a bombing at a Shiite mosque in the Shikarpur District of Pakistan's Sindh province. (BBC) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Islamic State fighters kill Kurdish commander Brigadier General Shirko Rauf and five other peshmerga soldiers in heavy fighting in Iraq's Kirkuk province. (AFP via The Guardian) 2014–15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine The Government of Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists call off peace talks that were to be held in Minsk. (Reuters) Artillery fire kills at least twelve civilians in Donetsk. (AP) Business and economy Greek government-debt crisis The new Greek government, represented by finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, meets with Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the head of the Eurogroup, and declares that Greece now rejects any further cooperation with its main international lenders known as the troika (the Eurogroup, the IMF, and the ECB); instead, it wants to negotiate directly with other European countries. (Deutsche Welle) Health The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that this season's influenza hospitalizations of 65-year-old and older Americans hit a record high since the 2005-2006 season. (AP) International relations Israel announces plans to build 430 new settler homes in the West Bank. (AFP via Al Arabiyah) Law and crime A judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia upholds the conviction of five men in connection with the Srebrenica massacre. (BBC) Los Angeles police arrest American hip hop mogul Suge Knight on suspicion for murder in relation to the January 29 hit-and-run incident in Compton, California. (CNN) Justice Minister Michael Masutha paroles South African apartheid-era death squad commander Eugene de Kock, nicknamed "Prime Evil", after having served 20 years for killing activists. (BBC) Politics and elections Zhelyu Zhelev, who became the first democratically elected president of Bulgaria, dies at 79. (Euronews) (Novinite) King Salman of Saudi Arabia names a new cabinet and replaces officials in several key government positions, removing two sons of the late monarch Abdullah from their regional governorships in the process. (Ahram Online) Science and technology Two balloonists, Troy Bradley of the United States and Leonid Tiukhtyaev of Russia, are crossing the Pacific Ocean in the Two Eagles gas balloon and have surpassed the distance and duration records for straight gas balloons. They are set to land in Mexico on Saturday. (BBC) The German Chemical Society's Angewandte Chemie International Edition publishes research from chemist Donald Fleming of the University of British Columbia announcing the confirmational discovery of a new form of chemical bond, the vibrational bond. (Scientific American) RD: Geraldine McEwan Duplicate nomination, see above. Thryduulf (talk) 13:05, 1 February 2015 (UTC) 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: Geraldine McEwan (talk · history · tag) Recent deaths nomination (Post) News source(s): BBC The Guardian Credits: Nominated by The Herald (talk · give credit) Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Misplaced Pages 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: English actress known for Miss Marple, the Agatha Christie sleuth and a BAFTA Awardee.  - The Herald (here I am) 12:46, 1 February 2015 (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. RD: Zhelyu Zhelev Article: Zhelyu Zhelev (talk · history · tag) Recent deaths nomination (Post) News source(s): Novinite, Fox News, Yahoo Credits: Nominated by TDKR Chicago 101 (talk · give credit) Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Misplaced Pages article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.Nominator's comments: Former head of state. Very notable for a RD tag --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 22:42, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Support. Not only a head of state, but notable as the first non-communist one in Bulgaria. Seems to meet DC2. 331dot (talk) 23:18, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Support in principle, but the article is poorly referenced and has an orange tag at the top of it. Formerip (talk) 23:21, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Support, notable head of state. --AmaryllisGardener 23:27, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose, fix the orange tag before you nominate. Seattle (talk) 03:18, 31 January 2015 (UTC) There is no obligation to fix tags before a nomination. In fact, nominations often motivate improvements. --331dot (talk) 03:49, 31 January 2015 (UTC) I think we do need to include additional references at least to a degree where it is reasonable to remove the orange tag. That doesn't necessarily mean creating an impeccably referenced article. There's also some material under "Author" which looks to me like original research. Someone should investigate that and remove it if it is. Formerip (talk) 13:15, 31 January 2015 (UTC) I don't disagree; my only point was that tags do not need to be fixed in order to be nominated as Seattle's rationale suggests. 331dot (talk) 13:58, 31 January 2015 (UTC) OK, my misunderstanding. Formerip (talk) 14:13, 31 January 2015 (UTC) I might work on it tomorrow. That said, opposes based on article quality usually say something like "Oppose, until the article is improved.", not blaming the nominator. --AmaryllisGardener 04:22, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose article needs a lot of work before it is considered of sufficient "quality" for the main page. The Rambling Man (talk) 09:55, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Comment I've cleaned up and added refs to the article, I don't know if it's good enough for The Rambling Man or Seattle yet though. --AmaryllisGardener 13:47, 31 January 2015 (UTC) For me there's still about 30% unreferenced, so no, but thanks for your efforts so far, much better than those who blindly have supported without bothering to read and assess the quality of the article. The Rambling Man (talk) 21:54, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Election of the AU Chairperson Article: Chairperson of the African Union (talk · history · tag) Blurb: ​ Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is elected as the Chairperson of the African Union. (Post) News source(s): Reuters, ABC News, Bloomberg, BBC News Credits: Nominated by Alifazal (talk · give credit) Article updatedNominator's comments: President Mugabe is elected as the new Chairman of the continental union at the age of 90. He had also led the AU's predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity (in 1997-8). I believe this is a Recurring Event under the Elections section - the EU acts as a precedent. The event is significant as evidenced by its coverage in the major media houses. Ali Fazal (talk) 12:41, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Comment. This is not ITNR so I have removed it. If it is thought that the AU should be added that should be discussed at ITNR's talk page. I'm not sure the AU is equal in stature to the EU in terms of structure or influence on its member countries. 331dot (talk) 14:36, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose As far as I can tell, this is equivalent to the EU's rotating presidency, which we do not post. It's a largely ceremonial role (AU Chairperson doesn't have much power) which changes regularly, and the holder is always more notable as a head of state than as AU chairperson. The actual leader of the AU is the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (yes, it's confusing that they're both called "chairperson", just as it's confusing that the EU has four presidents), currently Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. If we did post AU leadership news, that position is the one to post (next election/appointment in 2016). Smurrayinchester 15:30, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Strong Oppose - let's not give him any publicity or legitimacy. Mjroots (talk) 19:56, 30 January 2015 (UTC) This strikes me as a weak reason to oppose. Regardless, I do oppose as well because the actual head of the African Union, like in the European Union, is the head of the Union Commission, not the chairperson. Bzweebl (talk • contribs) 20:00, 30 January 2015 (UTC) @Mjroots:I agree that is a poor reason to oppose; very little would be posted if we only posted things about good people or good events. Publicity and legitimacy are not our concern; only what meets criteria for posting. 331dot (talk) 22:08, 30 January 2015 (UTC) That's a completely irrelevant and invalid reason to oppose. We are not here to make judgments about Mugabe or attempt to deny him publicity. There are good reason to oppose this, but that isn't one. Neljack (talk) 22:23, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Comment. I totally disagree with Mjroots. Whilst the editor is entitled to his/her own opinion; I believe it goes against the grain of Misplaced Pages's NPOV policy. It may appear thus as untoward and biased - given the fact that Zimbabwe was a former colony of this editor's country of residence and therefore not befitting. The fact of the matter is that Mugabe has been elected by the continent's leaders and will serve his mandate. I have made a proposal at the ITN/R talkpage and would appreciate if you could take a look. Ali Fazal (talk) 23:44, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Maybe the reason is a weak one, but the opposition is still strong. As for Mugabe being elected, that is only because he rigged the last election that enabled him to be in a position to be the head of state elected to chairman of the AU. Mugabe is an international pariah, and should be treated as such, even by Misplaced Pages. Doing so does not break NPOV because Misplaced Pages would merely be following the rest of the world. Mjroots (talk) 07:53, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Misplaced Pages should not be used to make judgements of any kind. We can certainly tell people what RS state, but we aren't here to add or detract from any status Mugabe has. 331dot (talk) 10:53, 31 January 2015 (UTC) I haven't denied the opposition from other editors to this nomination. Forgive my digression, but I'd like to state this for the record. What I meant regarding the NPOV was that both extreme views ought to be included on Misplaced Pages without bias i.e. his status as a nationalist hero and the other controversies. And that is why I disagree with your rationale of giving him "publicity or legitimacy; and Wikiepdia treating him as such" Why should Misplaced Pages ONLY follow the "rest of the world?" By saying this, you exclude those who disagree with your POV. As for the 2013 elections, the AU declared it as free whilst others questioned its legitimacy. Therefore, from an NPOV both views ought to be expressed here. Since yesterday's announcement, the page hits on both these articles: AU Chair and Mugabe increased by 394% and 196% respectively. This shows the level of interest of our readers has increased. Numbers don't lie and I hope these statistics will enable you all to re-consider your prior decision. Ali Fazal (talk) 13:12, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Weak Oppose Not an "election election" with voting open to average citizens, seems like kind of a backroom thing. Not sure if this will impact anything significantly. But, it can't hurt putting it in ITN. Busy Moose (talk) 19:09, 1 February 2015 (UTC) Oppose linked article is not updated adequately, it's just a list.... The Rambling Man (talk) 21:14, 1 February 2015 (UTC) January 29 Portal:Current events/2015 January 29 January 29, 2015 (2015-01-29) (Thursday) edit history watch Armed conflicts and attacks 2014 Sydney hostage crisis A coronial inquest into the siege at the Lindt Cafe in the center of Sydney begins. The inquest hears that one hostage was killed by gunman Man Haron Monis while another was killed by fragments of a bullet or bullets fired by New South Wales Police Force officers. (The Australian) (BBC) Taliban insurgency Taliban attacks across Afghanistan kill 17 people. (AP) An Afghan national kills three American contractors at Hamid Karzai International Airport, the lone shooter was also killed in the incident. (Bloomberg) Moro insurgency in the Philippines Philippines President Benigno Aquino III distances himself from a botched raid against a terrorist, Zulkifli Abdhir, that killed around 50 people, including police officers and Abdhir, while pledging support for a peace process with the Moro people. Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno urges the public to continue to support the peace treaty. (The New York Times) Iraqi insurgency (2011–present) Several attacks around Baghdad including bombings and shootings kill at least sixteen people. (The New York Times) Sinai insurgency Ansar Beit al-Maqdis claims responsibility for widespread attacks on Egyptian army and police targets throughout the Sinai Peninsula killing at least 25 people. (Ynet News) Shia insurgency in Yemen Shiite Houthi rebels seize a Yemeni military base south of the capital, Sana'a, where U.S. military advisers once trained Yemeni counterterrorism forces to fight Al-Qaeda in the south of the country. Forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh had manned the captured base. (Wall Street Journal) The Paraguayan People's Army kills a German couple who lived on a ranch near Yby Yaú in northern Paraguay. (Deutsche Welle) Business and economy The Philippine economy grew by more than 6% in 2014 making it the second fastest growing economy in Asia after China. This is the longest sustained growth period in the country since the 1950s. (Economic Times) Disasters and accidents A Nieto Express propane gas tanker truck explodes near the loading dock of a maternity and children's hospital (Hospital Materno Infantil Cuajimalpa) in Mexico City, collapsing much of the hospital with at least three deaths and 70 people injured, 22 of whom are children. (AP) (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Australia) (New York Daily News) Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Without recovering any physical evidence, including the data recorders, Malaysia officially declares the loss of Flight 370 over the Indian Ocean an accident meaning that victims families can seek compensation. (USA Today) Heavy snowfall in northern England leads to the closures of hundreds of schools, roads and Manchester Airport. (BBC) Law and crime Dutch police arrest a fake gunman who disrupted the Netherlands news broadcaster NOS after storming into the studio and demanding airtime. (BBC) American hip hop music mogul Suge Knight drives a vehicle into a crowd in Compton, California near Los Angeles resulting in the death of a pedestrian in what authorities are calling a hit and run. (NBC News) (UPI) (Twitter) RD: Rod McKuen Article: Rod McKuen (talk · history · tag) Recent deaths nomination (Post) News source(s): NY Times Billboard The Independent Credits: Nominated by Medeis (talk · give credit) Updated by FriarTuck1981 (talk · give credit), Rothorpe (talk · give credit) and Bede735 (talk · give credit) Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Misplaced Pages 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: Prolific songwriter, poet, author, twice nominated for Academy Award, once for Pulitzer Prize, including theme "Jean" to The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and lyricist for number 1 hit and record selling (more than 10,000,000) single "Seasons in the Sun" μηδείς (talk) 05:18, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Support. Article seems more than adequate. How many other twentieth century poets made a bestseller list? "We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun." = Smerdis of Tlön - killing the human spirit since 2003! 05:25, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Support for prompt RD posting. Newyorkbrad (talk) 16:32, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Support, if only for the "lifetime ear-worm" that was the 1973 Terry Jacks hit. Martinevans123 (talk) 16:38, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Support - aduqate article. ready.--BabbaQ (talk) 18:47, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Marked ready per above comments. Marked FriarTuck1981, Rothorpe, Bede735 as updaters. μηδείς (talk) 19:23, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Posted. Spencer 02:05, 1 February 2015 (UTC) Sinai attacks Article: January 2015 Sinai attacks (talk · history · tag) Blurb: ​ Attacks by Islamist militants in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, kill 32 people. (Post) News source(s): Reuters The Guardian The Japan Times Sydney Morning Herald Zee News Credits: Nominated by Fitzcarmalan (talk · give credit) Nominator's comments: One of the deadliest attacks in the Sinai insurgency so far. The last one (which was the deadliest) wasn't posted for lack of attention even though the article was in good shape. This one may need some expansion, but I won't work on it until tomorrow, if no one gets there. Fitzcarmalan (talk) 23:52, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Support - definitely notable. --BabbaQ (talk) 18:49, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Support - A very easy to read article.Monopoly31121993 (talk) 19:34, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose article is very easy to read because it has little to no content, just an intro and a list of names. Expand beyond a stub and perhaps it's worth consideration. The Rambling Man (talk) 20:39, 31 January 2015 (UTC) I don't want this to die out like the previous Sinai nomination, and therefore I've marked it. Three more sections were added to the article: casualties, damage and reactions (domestic and foreign). Any further recommendations? Fitzcarmalan (talk) 19:07, 1 February 2015 (UTC) Sorry, still oppose, the majority of the article and its bytes is a seriously over-heaped section on the reaction. Without the super-heavy reaction section, you have 270 words about the event itself. That's sub-stub. The Rambling Man (talk) 21:17, 1 February 2015 (UTC) Marked header again. To be honest, this may be the first time I hear that "bytes" defined article quality (it's just that there are many refs in the reactions section), but I think it looks fairly good now. Now I hope you don't expect me to build a B-class, or even C-class, article so soon, do you? This is still a developing story, despite being two days old. I'm currently fishing for details to add, and this is all I can find for now, unless you want to discuss the merits. Fitzcarmalan (talk) 01:31, 2 February 2015 (UTC) RD: Colleen McCullough Article: Colleen McCullough (talk · history · tag) Recent deaths nomination (Post) News source(s): New York Times, CNN, CNBC Credits: Nominated by Everymorning (talk · give credit) Updated by Medeis (talk · give credit) Article updated Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Misplaced Pages 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: According to the New York Times, The Thorn Birds "became an international best seller and inspired a hugely popular television mini-series". It also sold 30 million copies worldwide (see CNN link). This seems to indicate that McCullough was a very important figure in her field. Everymorning talk 20:39, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose I've tagged items in the article which currently remain unreferenced, there are plenty of things that need addressing. Otherwise she was a highly popular author and worthy of consideration here, particularly with The Thorn Birds. The Rambling Man (talk) 21:04, 30 January 2015 (UTC) support on notability.--Johnsemlak (talk) 21:22, 30 January 2015 (UTC) support in principle, hugely notable writer of historical fiction; will be personally unable to contribute to article improvements myself before Sunday. μηδείς (talk) 22:10, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Support; the article is what it is, especially since the author apparently kept mostly to herself; what she's known for is her books. The article on The Thorn Birds is much better. She's still a novelist who's a household name wherever English is spoken. - Smerdis of Tlön - killing the human spirit since 2003! 05:33, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Support for prompt RD posting, although additional referencing would be good. Newyorkbrad (talk) 16:34, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Ready I have added about 700b of sourcing, removed some farcical or circular claims, and hidden material like the Candice Bergen 1996 TV adaptation Mary & Tim for which there are no sources. The article is untagged as of this edit. It might be appropriate to add others as updaters based on the history. μηδείς (talk) 20:29, 31 January 2015 (UTC)  Done --Jayron32 21:25, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Gunman storms Dutch TV station There will be no consensus to post what is a minor incident of limited significance. Stephen 03:09, 30 January 2015 (UTC) 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: Nederlandse_Omroep_Stichting#2015_gunman_incident (talk · history · tag) Blurb: ​ A gunman claiming to represent a 'hacker collective' stormed Dutch TV station Nederlandse Omroep Stichting demanding air time before submitting to Dutch Police. (Post) Alternative blurb: ​ Gunman storms Dutch TV station Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. News source(s): NOS, BNR, Express, NBC, etc. Credits: Nominated by Pratyeka (talk · give credit) Nominator's comments: Temporally significant as violence in the context of European media following the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris earlier this month. prat (talk) 00:06, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose, no deaths as far as we know, and the hostage/shooting situation is already over with. --AmaryllisGardener 00:14, 30 January 2015 (UTC) You seem to be opposing on two points, but I don't understand your argument. First, you say you oppose because there were no deaths... but death is not a requirement for news! Second, it is not ongoing news. However, I don't think 'ongoing' is a requirement either? Therefore, I cannot follow your argument. prat (talk) 00:22, 30 January 2015 (UTC) My point was that if it was ongoing, then some fatalities may occur. And I don't think this is getting very much attention from the news, at least not so far. --AmaryllisGardener 00:26, 30 January 2015 (UTC) There is significant global media coverage... certainly the US, across Europe, and even here in Australia. Remember, this event is only a few hours old. The question of fatalities still seems irrelevant to me. prat (talk) 00:38, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose While interesting, the event is rather insignificant in that there is virtually no national or international repercussions. But thank you for putting forward the nomination - we definitely don't get enough around here lately. Mamyles (talk) 00:49, 30 January 2015 (UTC) I would again query whether national or international repercussions are needed for an event to be 'in the news'. prat (talk) 01:03, 30 January 2015 (UTC) What is required is for an event to be judged as significant by the community. I'm not sure if you have or not but please review WP:ITN for some general guidelines. National and international repercussions certainly help; merely being in the news is not sufficent. --331dot (talk) 02:13, 30 January 2015 (UTC) OK, WP:ITN states under Purpose the following points, all of which I believe suit this nomination very well. To help readers find and quickly access content they are likely to be searching for because an item is in the news. To showcase quality Misplaced Pages content on current events. To point readers to subjects they might not have been looking for but nonetheless may interest them. To emphasize Misplaced Pages as a dynamic resource. This is the real spirit of the thing... and the nomination suits it. prat (talk) 02:29, 30 January 2015 (UTC) That is the purpose, not the criteria, which is further down that page. --331dot (talk) 02:52, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Right, the criteria is presently an unstructured waffle that self-reports as subjective. Its main two points, 'quality' and 'significance' are inherently POV. prat (talk) 02:59, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose Thank you for the nomination, but I don't think this is that significant an event given its circumstances. --331dot (talk) 02:15, 30 January 2015 (UTC) How can you consider an armed incident in the context of European media insignificant within a month of the Charlie Hebdo shootings? There is even linking commentary from officials. prat (talk) 02:29, 30 January 2015 (UTC) The only connection I see to Charlie Hebdo is that media security was discussed; I don't see any other connection from what I looked at. --331dot (talk) 02:52, 30 January 2015 (UTC) Sigh. prat (talk) 02:59, 30 January 2015 (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. January 28 Portal:Current events/2015 January 28 January 28, 2015 (2015-01-28) (Wednesday) edit history watch Armed conflicts and attacks Israeli–Lebanese conflict Following a January 18 airstrike against a Hezbollah convoy, Hezbollah targets an Israeli military convoy near the Lebanon border at the Shebaa farms area, killing two and wounding another seven. While the Israeli military responds with artillery fire upon several South Lebanon border villages and Shebaa Farms, Hezbollah responds with mortar shells. Cross fire fighting kills a Spanish UN peacekeeper in the town of Ghajar. (CNN) (BBC) (Reuters) Business and economy The Chinese yuan becomes the fifth most-highly-used currency in the world. (AP) The US Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James picks the Boeing 747-8 for the next replacement of Air Force One. (Reuters) Disasters and accidents A Vietnamese military Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter crashes in southern Ho Chi Minh City killing four people. (AFP via Straits Times) Law and crime The High Court of Australia finds that a group of 157 Sri Lankan asylum seekers were legally detained by Australian authorities at sea. The government acted lawfully and the group is not entitled to damages. (ABC News Australia) A federal judge in Albuquerque, New Mexico sentences an ex-Los Alamos physicist Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni, who pleaded guilty in 2013 to offering to spy on the US to help Venezuela develop a nuclear weapon, to five years imprisionment. (AP) (AP) The President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena reinstates former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake who had been sacked by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. (Reuters) Politics and elections Akram Hasson becomes leader of Israel's former government party Kadima and thus the first Druze ever to lead a Jewish party. (Israel National News) Science and technology Discoveries of exoplanets The Astrophysical Journal publishes research from the University of Rochester and the University of Leiden announcing the discovery of either a brown dwarf substellar object or a gas giant exoplanet titled J1407b. The object is the first known nonstar to have a super ring system. (AFP via ABC News Australia) RD:Yves Chauvin Article: Yves Chauvin (talk · history · tag) Recent deaths nomination (Post) News source(s): NYT RSC Credits: Nominated by The Herald (talk · give credit) Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Misplaced Pages 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: French chemist and 2005 Nobel Prize laureate  - The Herald (here I am) 16:50, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Improve The last update prior to his death was October 2013, the current update consists of citations (good) and a mere mention he has died. The article could use better formatting into sections, and an explicit rationale for his posting given, since it is standing policy that we don't post people just because they got the Nobel. μηδείς (talk) 19:36, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Support: Looks fine to me. —Brigade Piron (talk) 11:25, 1 February 2015 (UTC) January 27 Portal:Current events/2015 January 27 January 27, 2015 (2015-01-27) (Tuesday) edit history watch Armed conflicts and attacks Libyan Civil War (2014–present) Five gunmen at the Libyan Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli attack with at least ten dead. The hotel was previously the location in 2013 where a former prime minister was abducted. (AP) Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israeli security forces claim that Hezbollah and forces loyal to the President of Syria Bashar al-Assad are responsible for firing rockets from Syrian territory onto the Golan Heights into the mount Hermon sky resort. (Xinhua) Arts and culture Pope Francis holds a private meeting with a transsexual man and his fiancée at the Vatican. (The Daily Mail) Disasters and accidents The death toll from the January 26 crash of a Hellenic Air Force F-16 fighter jet in southern Spain rises to eleven. (AP) January 2015 nor'easter New England sees the worst of the blizzard with Boston, Massachusetts covered in two feet of snow. (AP) Science and technology American 1964 Nobel Prize-winning physicist Charles Hard Townes, who helped invent the now-ubiquitous laser, dies at the age of 99. (AP) Sports 2015 AFC Asian Cup Australia wins 2–0 against United Arab Emirates to advance to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final for the second consecutive time. (Daily Mail) 2015 Corinthia Hotel attack Article: 2015 Corinthia Hotel attack (talk · history · tag) Blurb: ​ A terror attack at a hotel in Tripoli, Libya kills ten people. (Post) News source(s): Christian Science Monitor, Wall Street Journal, CTV News, BBC Credits: Nominated by Everymorning (talk · give credit) Article needs updatingNominator's comments: An ISIS-affiliated group has claimed responsibility for the attack (see CS Monitor link above). The event itself has received coverage from around the world. Everymorning talk 16:03, 28 January 2015 (UTC) support but it would be nice to see an actual article about the event and not the hotel. It would probably be considered part of the Libyan Civil War (2014–present) and it looks like there's additional text and references hereMonopoly31121993 (talk) 16:54, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Here you go. APK whisper in my ear 17:06, 28 January 2015 (UTC) support - definitely. notable attack.--BabbaQ (talk) 22:38, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Suppprt but think the article's a bit too thin at this point (even considering the expansion after Monopoly's comment above). --MASEM (t) 22:43, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Suppprt - major terrorist attack. -Zanhe (talk) 03:26, 29 January 2015 (UTC) The article is handsome, but light on prose, especially the body text, and has only three sources, so I am marking unupdated for now, but it really should go up as soon as it can be a little improved. μηδείς (talk) 19:31, 31 January 2015 (UTC) Michelle Obama refuses to wear veil in Saudi Arabia this was oddly a really big thing in the news for about an hour; happily withdrawn, and collapsing for the sake of space μηδείς (talk) 19:28, 31 January 2015 (UTC) The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it. Snow close. Spencer 07:09, 28 January 2015 (UTC) 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: Michelle Obama (talk · history · tag) Blurb: ​ In a show of feminist solidarity, Michelle Obama refuses to veil herself on a state visit to Saudi Arabia. (Post) News source(s): Yahoo News (AP) Credits: Updated and nominated by Medeis (talk · give credit) Nominator's comments: An American First-Lady refuses to bow to misogynistic Saudi custom μηδείς (talk) 04:57, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose - A non-Muslim doesn't do a thing expected of Muslims. Next you'll be telling me her husband won't be making Hajj. This is a non-story. AlexTiefling (talk) 05:23, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Strong oppose - Non-story. --MASEM (t) 05:40, 28 January 2015 (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. RD: Charles Hard Townes Article: Charles Hard Townes (talk · history · tag) Recent deaths nomination (Post) News source(s): Berkeley University News Center Credits: Updated and nominated by TDKR Chicago 101 (talk · give credit) Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Misplaced Pages article are always presumed to be important enough to post (see this RFC and further discussion). Comments should focus on whether the quality of the article meets WP:ITNRD.Nominator's comments: A Nobel Prize-winning physicist. Very notable for a RD. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 01:28, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Support as he's a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, therefore important in his field. Article needs a bit of work, though. --AmaryllisGardener 01:30, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose as of yet. The article hasn't got the required three full prose paragraph minimum even for a new article: it's just a bare list. Also, there's long-standing precedent that having won a Nobel is not by itself sufficient for a listing. μηδείς (talk) 01:38, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Article has been expanded with more sources. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 01:52, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Yes, the article has been improved somewhat, but things like the unsourced "2012 - Boy Scouts of America named their Webelos SUPERNOVA award for Townes" don't help. μηδείς (talk) 03:21, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Okay I removed that information because I found it unmeaningful. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 04:10, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Support per AmaryllisGardener. Article looks fine to me now. Mamyles (talk) 04:48, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Support Nobel Prize winning. Enough. --Rsrikanth05 (talk) 11:47, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Precedent here seems to suggest that it is not. 331dot (talk) 11:48, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Support. Clear cut RD case. Article looks fine. Modest Genius 13:53, 28 January 2015 (UTC) I have removed my oppose, since the claims now present are supported, but it's still quite a small article. μηδείς (talk) 16:48, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Support - top scientist in his field (laser), Nobel Prize winner. Article is decent. -Zanhe (talk) 03:24, 29 January 2015 (UTC) Support for RD. (As a minor point, note that "Charles Townes" or "Charles H. Townes" appear most commonly in sources, not the form with the full middle name.) Newyorkbrad (talk) 18:34, 29 January 2015 (UTC) Posted --ThaddeusB (talk) 19:30, 29 January 2015 (UTC) January 2015 nor'easter At this point there's a federal meteorologist apologizing for the misforecast, and nothing out of the ordinary for New England. μηδείς (talk) 01:15, 28 January 2015 (UTC) 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: January 2015 nor'easter (talk · history · tag) Blurb: ​ A nor'easter cripples the Northeastern United States. (Post) News source(s): NPRWaPo Credits: Nominated by Muboshgu (talk · give credit) Updated by LightandDark2000 (talk · give credit) and Epicgenius (talk · give credit) Nominator's comments: The predictions were for a blizzard of historic proportions. It looks like that we won't get it quite that badly, but it's still a significant disruption. States of emergency are underway. There were travel bans overnight. And we have our first death. – Muboshgu (talk) 13:35, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose - Not a significant one. WaPo report do not reports the issue, but on the bad weather.  - The Herald (here I am) 13:49, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Wait until the storm has concluded or nearly so and its effects can be better judged. I live in the affected area and it is significant but we should have a better handle on what the effects are before judging if it should be posted or not. 331dot (talk) 13:50, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose for now - If it turns out that this weather event is highly unusual then maybe; but a weather forecast is just that. A forecast. Pedro :  Chat  13:54, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Wait until the storm is over. It may just be a regular winter storm. Epic Genius (talk) 15:09, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Comment The proposed blurb is sensationalist. The storm did not "cripple" anywhere, the authorities prepared weeks for this and there is so far a very low death toll. Most "crippling," such as shutting down the New York City subway, was done in anticipation and possible over-preparedness of the storm. Mamyles (talk) 15:28, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Comment the BBC are referring to this as "Storm Juno", that would appear to be more appropriate than "a nor'easter". But in any case, it seems like the US was well prepared for this and as such is not really a stupendously interesting item, so weak oppose. The Rambling Man (talk) 16:28, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Naming a winter storm is a construct of The Weather Channel, and the use is discouraged among meteorologists. It's more a marketing ploy than an encyclopedic reference, but we still could use it somewhere for identification. Mamyles (talk) 16:36, 27 January 2015 (UTC) "...but we still could use it somewhere for identification." But not on the Main Page, please. -- tariqabjotu 17:06, 27 January 2015 (UTC) In that regard, nor should we use "nor'easter". The Rambling Man (talk) 19:31, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Wait, per Epic Genius. --Rsrikanth05 (talk) 16:34, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose for now This storm was well-forecasted, and everyone that had power to took steps to reduce risks to residents (eg the entire shutdown of NYC yesterday). Yes much of the NE is shut down, but it is not like a surprise of the like. If the storm hit, stranded thousands and risked serious loss of life, that would be different. I agree with the wait comments that if something serious does happen, we can include it then --MASEM (t) 16:35, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose this was a huge bust in comparison to the predictions of NYC's "biggest storm ever". The current headlines are "snow job", "meteorologists apologize", "analyse modesl". Thery're getting 12" in Boston, which happens regularly during what is called winter. Support There's a state of emergency in several states. This should be seen as comparable to a large hurricane, thus the new naming attempts. Busy Moose (talk) 18:46, 27 January 2015 (UTC) While there is a state of emergency, it is not because they were unprepared, but to make sure critical services like fire/ambulances/etc. have the necessary priority/rights of way to deal with emergencies or the like (take the street parking ban NYC enacted), as well as to restore life to normal as soon after the snow has stopped. --MASEM (t) 18:49, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Doesn't matter. The shut down of this region has economic ripple effects across the world and will for a few days. Busy Moose (talk) 00:02, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose - Not only is the language in the blurb melodramatic, it's also not true. The snowmageddon has failed to materialise. AlexTiefling (talk) 18:55, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Your assessment might be correct in certain areas (NYC) but many places are getting large amounts of snow. 30 inches in Massachusetts for example. 331dot (talk) 19:12, 27 January 2015 (UTC) There is also no power on the entire island of Nantucket along with significant flooding and near-hurricane force winds. 331dot (talk) 19:18, 27 January 2015 (UTC) But ultimately it's just unpleasant weather, something that the US and many other parts of the world see regularly. This is in no way more notable than any other snow storm that might put a few people out. Moreover, it now looks like the powers that be are being criticised for overplaying the whole thing. The Rambling Man (talk) 19:31, 27 January 2015 (UTC) That (the criticism at the overreaction) might be the story for ITN at the end of the day , but damned if you do, damned if you don't. It's winter, blizzards happen, this is nowhere close to the worst blizzard the NE has seen. --MASEM (t) 19:35, 27 January 2015 (UTC) You both might be totally correct and I'm not saying this should be posted. I was only saying that some areas have indeed gotten what was initially predicted. 331dot (talk) 19:37, 27 January 2015 (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. Alberto Nisman (slight return) Articles: Secretaría de Inteligencia (talk · history · tag) and Alberto Nisman (talk · history · tag) Blurb: ​ Argentine president Cristina Kirchner announces the dissolution of the Secretaría de Inteligencia, following the suspected murder of Alberto Nisman. (Post) Alternative blurb: ​ Argentine president Cristina Kirchner announces the dissolution of the Secretaría de Inteligencia, following the death of Alberto Nisman. News source(s): BBC Credits: Nominated by FormerIP (talk · give credit) Both articles need updatingNominator's comments: "Suspected murder" may now be fair, based on statements from government officials, including the president. But, for the morbidly cautious, I have added an altblurb anyway. We seriously under-represent Latin America on ITN. Formerip (talk) 00:05, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose - We'll still wait until the official dissolution of that agency and the foundation of the promised other. Kirchner's words don't become official until things happen officially. --George Ho (talk) 03:45, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Support. Major development. If David Cameron said he was going to dissolve MI-5 or Obama said he was going to disband the CIA, it would be stupendous news. Kirchner may just have signed her own death warrant. Abductive (reasoning) 04:44, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose All that has been announced is that the President will propose a bill to replace the agency with a new one. It would be highly misleading to say that she has "announce the dissolution of the Secretaría de Inteligencia" when, as I understand it, she has no such power and the dissolution will only happen if Congress approves the bill she is going to propose. Also, the blurb should refer to her as "Cristina Fernández de Kirchner", not Cristina Kirchner, as that is the title of her article and she is widely referred to as such - indeed the BBC article linked to refers to "Ms Fernandez", rather than "Ms Kirchner". Neljack (talk) 07:18, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose the story that keeps on giving, per Neljack. The Rambling Man (talk) 07:37, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose until the bill is passed and/or signed. This is just a proposal. 331dot (talk) 11:09, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Comment The article Secretaría de Inteligencia has not been updated. Cambalachero (talk) 21:03, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Support We've got Kirchner saying this was a murder to set her up, the lead investigative journalist fleeing the country, the victim shot point blank in the forehead (go ahead, try to do that yourself) and the country's top secret spy agency dissolved, the last of which alone would normally merit a posting. μηδείς (talk) 01:19, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Support altblurb. Big story, the dissolution of the MI-5 of CIA would be on ITN, so why not this? --AmaryllisGardener 01:22, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Weak support We didn't post this death earlier because the details were murky - they are now clearer in the direction of state sponsored assassination. And per Medeis, a spy agency dissolved alone is noteworthy. But, it seems to me that if this event is notable it should have its own article. Mamyles (talk) 04:58, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose per the many occasions when ITN has decided against posting announcements or proposals as opposed to actions or outcomes. Bencherlite 12:24, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Support alt blurb. Shutting down a country's intelligence agency is a big deal - imagine if this was Obama shutting down the CIA. The issue is murky, but this specific action is clear and provides a good point to post the story. Modest Genius 13:56, 28 January 2015 (UTC) Support, per Modest Genius and others. —Brigade Piron (talk) 11:27, 1 February 2015 (UTC) Support, dissolution of that agency is important news. --Jenda H. (talk) 22:33, 1 February 2015 (UTC) January 26 Portal:Current events/2015 January 26 January 26, 2015 (2015-01-26) (Monday) edit history watch Armed conflicts and attacks Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Kurdish fighters recapture at least 90% of Kobanî, Syria. (CNN) Arts and culture India honors billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates and his wife Melinda with the Padma Bhushan award for their work on improving health in developing countries. (Reuters) Business and economy 2014–15 Russian financial crisis Standard & Poor's ratings agency cuts Russia's credit rating to junk status due to the impact of falling oil prices and sanctions. (Wall Street Journal via The Australian) (Bloomberg) Disasters and accidents January 2015 nor'easter The blizzard begins as an ongoing winter storm across the Central and Eastern United States. States of New Jersey through New York and New England enact blizzard warnings. (The Telegraph) (NOAA) (AP) The blizzard causes the cancellation of over 6,000 flights, the cancellation of public transport services in New York City and Boston, and the Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo ordering of cars off the road in thirteen counties. (NBC News) An F-16 jet belonging to the Hellenic Air Force crashes in southern Spain during a NATO exercise, killing ten people and injuring 21. (Bloomberg) Law and crime The U.S. Secret Service recovers a flying drone from the lawn at the White House. (AP) The US FBI arrests three alleged Russian Foreign Intelligence Service spies working in the United States. The three men sought secrets about US economic plans and proposed sanctions against Moscow. (The Telegraph) The US Eastern District Court of Virginia convicts a disgruntled former CIA officer, Jeffrey Alexander Sterling, of leaking secrets to a reporter. All nine charges he faced stem from a secret CIA mission to derail Iran's nuclear weapons program. (AP) Politics and elections Chinese authorities name Huang Lixin as the Communist Party Secretary of Nanjing, following the investigation and dismissal of former party chief Yang Weize. Huang becomes the first woman in city history to take the top office. (Jiangsu News) A single day after the radical-left SYRIZA party wins the Greek elections, it forms an anti-austerity coalition government with the right-wing Independent Greeks. (BBC) Religion The Church of England ordains Libby Lane as their first female bishop, at York Minster, United Kingdom. (AP) Sports 2015 Hong Kong Marathon A 24-year-old man dies in a hospital after his collapse and subsequent head injury just one hundred meters from the finish line. (RTHK) 2015 AFC Asian Cup South Korea defeats Iraq 2–0 to advance to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup Final. (Skysports) RD: R. K. Laxman Article: R. K. Laxman (talk · history · tag) Recent deaths nomination (Post) News source(s): TOI India Today IBN Credits: Nominated by The Herald (talk · give credit) Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Misplaced Pages 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: Most notable Indian cartoonist  - The Herald (here I am) 14:01, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Support: Easily the most notable Indian cartoonist - winner of the Padma Vibhushan (second highest civilian honour) and Ramon Magsaysay Award. His cartoons appeared daily in the Times of India, which is the largest selling English-language daily in the world with a readership of 7.643 million. Chocolate Horlicks (talk) 16:59, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Support Article is in good shape, seems clearly at the top of his field. --Jayron32 17:16, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Support. I guess he must be the most read English language political cartoonist of all time, and the article looks fine. Formerip (talk) 17:57, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Support One of India's most well known cartoonists, with President paying tribute too. --Rsrikanth05 (talk) 20:11, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Support pending article fixes on qualifications, but there's a paragraph under "Other creations" and "Personal life" that need sourcing. (Also, I know there's a ref on the blockquote but the ref# is not appearing for me. Dunno if this needs to be checked for template change?) --MASEM (t) 21:20, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose article is not in a fit state for main page, many unreferenced claims need citations. The Rambling Man (talk) 22:14, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Support -article is indeed in good shape, and notable.--BabbaQ (talk) 23:34, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Support. Seems to be very important to their field. 331dot (talk) 11:10, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Weak Support - per Jayron. Death of someone at the top of a field is notable, although I'm not sure if he's at the top in a national rather than international sense. Busy Moose (talk) 18:49, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Posted - thanks for the article improvements. --ThaddeusB (talk) 21:04, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Post-posting support, good work not he article, if only some of those early supporters had even bothered looking at the article and improve it, we could have been doing this a while ago. The Rambling Man (talk) 21:16, 27 January 2015 (UTC) RD Demis Roussos Article: Demis Roussos (talk · history · tag) Recent deaths nomination (Post) News source(s): Le Figaro Telegraph (UK) Recent deaths of any person, animal or organism with a Misplaced Pages 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. EugεnS¡m¡on(14) ® 11:25, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Support Just coming on here to nominate this myself. The artist sold more than 60 million records, which to me qualifies him for RD. The article does need some work though which needs to be fixed before it gets linked to from the main page. Miyagawa (talk) 13:05, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Support, in my view his work with Aphrodite's Child alone would warrant his posting. A pop icon of the '70s. Martinevans123 (talk) 13:23, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Support subject to article quality meeting the required standard. Major pop icon of the mid-1970s. Mjroots (talk) 16:06, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose solely on article quality grounds. Would support if article was up-to-snuff (I don't like to bold the support part when the article quality is poor, it can mislead posting admin into thinking this is good enough to post.) --Jayron32 17:19, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Could you clarify what you think needs doing? And/or even add appropriate template(s)/tag(s)? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 17:30, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Well, the two sections covering his career are completely unsourced. Formerip (talk) 17:47, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Thanks. It gets a bit lonely in the Valley of Sadness.... Martinevans123 (talk) 19:40, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Amending vote to full Support article is fixed up, and looks good enough for the main page. No problem seeing this make the RD list! --Jayron32 15:32, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Oppose per Jayron. I won't tag the article, not being familiar with him. But it strikes my interest that he's associated with Vangelis and the Blade Runner soundtrack. Neveretheless, that's a bit short of the needs of RD. He's not included in list of best-selling music artists. μηδείς (talk) 21:21, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Conditional support based on Jayron's article quality concerns -- too much unsourced. --MASEM (t) 21:22, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Praise be for some attention to article quality. Roussos was prolific and notable so a reasonable call for RD but I was shocked by how poor the article was. Glad to see some sense prevailing rather than the usual bandwagon of support. I'll happily support once the article is improved beyond the C-class we have right now with bags of unreferenced info. The Rambling Man (talk) 21:31, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Guess that depends on your definition of "attention". Martinevans123 (talk) 21:39, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Support upon article improvement. I also came here to nominate this. A very notable singer in the Middle East as well. Fitzcarmalan (talk) 21:44, 26 January 2015 (UTC) Support upon article improvement. --BabbaQ (talk) 23:34, 26 January 2015 (UTC) I can see that some article improvement is underway. Support as soon as the job is done. Formerip (talk) 00:16, 27 January 2015 (UTC) A number of editors have now made improvements. The article has 34 refs. Martinevans123 (talk) 12:34, 27 January 2015 (UTC) Posting. Good work with the updates. --Tone 16:07, 27 January 2015 (UTC) References Nominators often include links to external websites and other references in discussions on this page. It is usually best to provide such links using the inline URL syntax rather than using <ref></ref> tags, because that keeps all the relevant information in the same place as the nomination without having to jump to this section, and facilitates the archiving process. For the times when <ref></ref> tags are being used, here are their contents: