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 (dark green when in dark mode) appears under each daily section – it includes transcluded Portal:Current events items for that day. You can discuss ITN candidates under the header.

Broad Peak Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey sign the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. Shootings at a residence and a school in Nonthaburi province, Thailand, leave at least nine people dead. A consortium led by the Public Investment Fund purchases video game publisher Electronic Arts in a leveraged buyout. An avalanche on Broad Peak (pictured) in Pakistan kills ten climbers. Ongoing: Iran war (Lebanon war) Russo-Ukrainian war timeline Recent deaths: Jimmy Cricket Bruno Campanella Sydney Towle Nadhira Al Harthy Bilgesu Erenus Paula Alí 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 featured 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 items marked (Ready). For more guidance, check WP:ITN/A. If satisfied, post the item and change the header to (Posted). Where there is no consensus, close the discussion section and change the header to (Closed). If the article's quality remains poor, leave a brief note explaining why to encourage and assist others in fixing it. 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.

Structure

This page contains a section for each day and a sub-section for each nomination. Eight days of current nominations are maintained – older days are archived.

To see the size and title of each section, please expand the following section size summary.

• Archives of posted stories

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August 10

Portal:Current events/2026 August 10

August 10, 2026 (2026-08-10) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Russo-Ukrainian war
  • Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
    • Russian state media claims that at least 13 people were killed, including a child, and 39 others were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, Tartarstan, Russia. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

• 2026 Colombia earthquake
  • A M_w 7.4 earthquake strikes Chocó Department, Colombia, causing widespread and heavy damage, and killing at least 80 people. (El Pais)
• Wildfires in 2026
  • A recent wildfire at the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, Indonesia, is extinguished after 550 ha (1,400 acres) were burnt. However, new hotspots are also reported near the caldera. (Reuters)
• The Philippine civil defense office reports that at least 16 people were killed across Luzon, including seven in Baguio, by floods, landslides and weather-related accidents after nine days of heavy monsoon rain, while three others remain missing. (AFP via RFI)

Health and environment

• 2026 Ebola epidemic
  • The World Health Organization reports that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo started in February before its declaration, with some cases attributed to malaria and typhoid. (Al Jazeera)

International relations

• Colombia–Israel relations, Colombia–Syria relations
  • Colombia becomes the second country to recognize the Golan Heights, a region in southwestern Syria that has been under Israeli occupation since 1967, as part of Israel's sovereignty. (The Jerusalem Post)

Politics and elections

• 2026 Russian legislative election
  • Upon petition from Rodina, the liberal Yabloko party is barred from participating in the 2026 Russian legislative election on charges of unregistered funding, copyright infringement and extremism by the Supreme Court of Russia. (The Moscow Times)

Law and crime

• Murder of Mir Raza Ali
  • In Pakistan, the Sindh government announces that a judicial commission headed by a judge of the Sindh High Court would investigate businessman Mir Raza Ali's death. The decision followed a recommendation by the Sindh Assembly. (Dawn)

• Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization president Thongchai Yenprasert is killed in a shooting at a government building in Nonthaburi province, Thailand. Former parliament member Chalong Riewrang is taken into custody. (BBC News) (Thairath)

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Colombian earthquake

Article: 2026 Colombia earthquake (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ A magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes Chocó Department, Colombia, leaving at least 111 people dead and 464 injured. (Post)

News source(s): AP

Credits:

• Nominated by Natg 19 (talk · give credit)

Nominator's comments: Still developing story, death toll will probably increase. Natg 19 (talk) 15:57, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

Support but id just wait a couple hours so that we document impacts a bit better before posting. Masem (t) 16:40, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support, as notable as the last few 7+ Magnitude earthquakes that were posted to ITN. I do not think waiting will be necessary as this will probably take a few hours to be approved anyways.

Snosibsnob (talk) 17:04, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

Support but wait a few hours relating to article quality per Masem. Notability is present, and intenational coverage is major. Magnitude 7+ earthquakes have been posted on ITN before, one example being the 2026 Venezuela earthquakes which happened back in June. CastleFort1 (talk) 19:54, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

August 9

Portal:Current events/2026 August 9

August 9, 2026 (2026-08-09) (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Middle Eastern crisis
  • Gaza war
    • Gaza peace plan
      • Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects a United States-led plan for peace accepted by Hamas, saying Israel will not withdraw forces until Hamas fully disarms. (AFP via RFI)
  • Yemeni civil war
    • At least eleven people are killed and at least 40 others are injured in a Houthi missile and drone attack on Mokha, Taiz Governorate, Yemen. (MENA via The New Arab)
    • The Governor of Al-Hudaydah Governorate, Yemen, survives an assassination attempt after the Houthis shelled his residence in Al Khawkhah district. (Yemen Online)
• Mali War
  • 2026 Mali offensives
    • Around ten Malian soldiers are reportedly killed in a Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin attack in central Mali. (AFP via Arab News)
• Sudanese civil war
  • Blue Nile campaign
    • Mass graves of 25 civilians executed by the Rapid Support Forces are discovered in Kurmuk in Sudan's Blue Nile region. (Sudan Tribune)

Disasters and accidents

• 2026 Canadian wildfires
  • Police report that a woman was killed while evacuating the Summerland wildfire in British Columbia, Canada, which has burned more than 13,600 hectares (34,000 acres) and forced over 20,000 people to evacuate. (AFP via RFI)
• 2026 Pacific typhoon season
  • Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in eastern China, evacuating 1 million people and cancelling 1,300 flights from Shanghai. Monsoon rains are also reported in parts of the Philippines, causing flooding. (South China Morning Post) (The New York Times) (AP)
• At least 16 migrant workers are killed in a major fire at a sofa manufacturing factory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
• Six people, all members of the same family, are killed after an intoxicated truck driver collides head-on with their vehicle in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, India. (The Hindu)
• Five people are killed, at least three others survive, and five are still missing in a landslide that hits a residential area in Baguio, Philippines. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Health and environment

• 2026 cyclosporiasis outbreak, Salmonellosis in the United States
  • Taylor Farms extends its recalls to products containing jalapeños after they were linked to the ongoing salmonellosis outbreak in the United States. Taylor Farms currently has a recall for iceberg lettuce linked to cyclosporiasis. (Ars Technica) (HuffPost)
• The Hong Kong Observatory records 36.9 °C (98.4 °F) in the city, the highest temperature since records began in 1884. (AFP via Malay Mail)

International relations

• Russia–Syria relations
  • Russia and Syria reach a memorandum of understanding to reorganize Russia's presence on the Syrian coast, including transferring civilian facilities to Syrian state management and converting Russian military bases into joint training centers. (SANA)

Law and crime

• At least eleven people are killed and two others are injured in three separate shootings in Cape Town, South Africa. (AA)
• Suspected crime boss Daniel Kinahan is arrested upon arrival at Baldonnel, County Dublin, Ireland, following his extradition from the United Arab Emirates, and is brought to the Special Criminal Court in Dublin. Kinahan is charged with directing the operations of a criminal organisation from 2015 to 2017. (RTÉ)

Politics and elections

• Impact of the 2026 Iran war on Iran
  • Iranian state media reports that Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has met president Masoud Pezeshkian last July, his first publicly reported meeting since taking over, amidst ongoing speculation about his health and future. Additionally, a rare video is released of him. (Middle East Monitor) (Reuters) (Shafaq)

Sports

• 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup
  • In association football, Malawi's women's national football team defeats Ghana 2–1 at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in the quarter-finals at Al Medina Stadium in Morocco, qualifying for the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil and will make their debut at the tournament. (Nyasa Times) (Ghanaweb) (ESPN)
• 2026 CONCACAF U-20 Championship
  • Mexico defeats the United States 2–0 at the Estadio Azteca to win the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, its second in a row after winning the previous one. (ESPN)

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RD: Don Nelson

Article: Don Nelson (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): ESPN

Credits:

• Nominated by Natg 19 (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Article needs work, but a major coach/player in the NBA. Natg 19 (talk) 18:58, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

RD: Ben Jones

Article: Ben Jones (American actor and politician) (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): Variety

Credits:

• Nominated by Useless Niamh (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: American actor and politician known for playing Cooter Davenport in The Dukes of Hazzard. Useless Niamh (talk) 15:05, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

• Needs work as the filmography is completely unsourced.

Snosibsnob (talk) 17:07, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose Entire sections lack any sourcing – Muboshgu (talk) 19:12, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

2026 Tour de France Femmes

Article: 2026 Tour de France Femmes (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ In cycling, Demi Vollering wins the women's Tour de France. (Post)
Alternative blurb: ​ In cycling, Demi Vollering wins the Tour de France Femmes.

News source(s): Le Monde AP BBC

Credits:

• Nominated by Turini2 (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Alibene567 (talk · give credit), WL Pro for life (talk · give credit), Tomrtn (talk · give credit), Tinoano (talk · give credit) and PNwood213 (talk · give credit)

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

 Turini2 (talk) 20:37, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

Race summary in lead is done, stages to be finished UK time tomorrow. Turini2 (talk) 20:38, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

I've tagged the section for the missing stages to alert other editors as well. Left guide (talk) 02:34, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

Race prose done, ready for everyone's review and thoughts. Turini2 (talk) 13:21, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support, everything including the prose looks comprehensive to me. I’d prefer the altblurb. What an event! orangesclub 🍊 19:08, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

RD: Oleksii Yukov

Article: Oleksii Yukov (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s):

Credits:

• Nominated by Avessa (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:ITNQUALITY.

 Avessa (talk) 19:10, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

• Article seems alright, but the bare link sources should be formatted, and "In 2013" needs a citation. I added an example of the way you can format these. ~Maplestrip/Mable (chat) 07:05, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

August 8

Portal:Current events/2026 August 8

August 8, 2026 (2026-08-08) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• 2026 Iran war
  • 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
    • The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company says that one of their vessels was attacked by a missile while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz during the early hours. No injuries were reported. (Khaleej Times)
    • Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr says that Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States lifts sanctions against the country, ends the naval blockade, and halts military action against the country. (Al Jazeera)
• Russo-Ukrainian war
  • Kyiv strikes
    • Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy reports that a 3-year-old boy and his grandparents were killed by a drone strike by Russian forces in Kyiv. (Reuters)
• Sudanese civil war
  • Darfur campaign
    • Darfur governor Minni Minnawi says that the SAF-allied Joint Forces have repelled an attack in Sudan's West Darfur state. (Sudan Tribune)
  • Kordofan campaign
    • A tribe leader in the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan accuses the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North of launching attacks on Otoro villages in Kauda. Additionally, four aid workers are reported to be detained. (Sudan Tribune)

Disasters and accidents

• Wildfires in 2026
  • 2026 United States wildfires
    • 2026 Utah wildfires
      • The National Interagency Fire Center reports that two people were killed yesterday in a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane helicopter crash in Fishlake National Forest, Utah, U.S., while trying to battle the Widemouth 2 fire. (The New York Times) (The Hans India)
  • 2026 Canadian wildfires
    • In Canada, British Columbia declares a state of emergency after 105 wildfires were reported across the province. (DW)
• 2026 Pacific typhoon season
  • Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, which encompass the entirety of Okinawa Prefecture and parts of Kagoshima Prefecture. Additionally, China shuts down ports and ferry routes in preparation for the typhoon. (The Japan Times)
• A helicopter crashes in Tijuca National Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, killing three Colombian tourists and the pilot. (AFP via Gulf News)
• Satellite images show that the British-sanctioned oil tanker Caroline Bezengi, believed to be part of the Russian shadow fleet, which was carrying 1 million barrels of oil, is leaking oil and sinking further off the coast of Oman, after an explosion was reported on the vessel on June 8. The oil leaks have reportedly reached the shore of Al-Qibliyah Island. (AP)

International relations

• 2026 Morocco–Spain border incident, Italy–Spain relations
  • Spain imposes temporary border checks on travelers from Italy after Italy introduced similar controls on arrivals from Spain amid a dispute over migration policy following the mass arrival of migrants in Ceuta. (AP)

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(Ready) RD: Xaysomphone Phomvihane

Article: Xaysomphone Phomvihane (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s):

Credits:

• Updated and nominated by GreenLipstickLesbian (talk · give credit)
• Updated by ~2026-43612-07 (talk · give credit) and Spencer (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Laotian politician, president of the National Assembly, and son of revolutionary Kaysone Phomvihane. GreenLipstickLesbian💌🧸 07:05, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

Support Article is of sufficient quality for RD. --MtPenguinMonster (talk) 09:23, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

Support, sufficient quality. CMD (talk) 01:47, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support Appropriate depth of coverage; fully referenced. Spencer^T•C 02:17, 10 August 2026 (UTC)
• Comment It's a remarkable name which will stand out at RD. I was curious what it meant and find that a literal translation is "Triumph of Fulfilled Blessings of the Sublime Abode" and that it's Buddhist in nature. The article doesn't explain this though. Andrew🐉(talk) 06:55, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

Please don't gawp at non-Western names @Andrew Davidson:.--Launchballer 10:22, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

Do we explain the meaning of the many western people whose names come from Hebrew in the Bible? Some of those are just as ornate. I can't see this as a necessity. Unknown Temptation (talk) 16:52, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

Yes, we do explain the meaning of other names. For example, the first entry in RD currently is Jimmy Cricket whose article explains that "He chose the name "Jimmy Cricket" after the Walt Disney character Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio."

In this case, the subject's father was born Nguyễn Cai Song but then took the name Kaysone Phomvihane. I'm not sure if that was for political or cultural reasons or what but communist leaders often seem to rebrand themselves. For example, Ho Chi Minh was born Nguyễn Sinh Cung, and I'm not sure what that was all about either (I'm interested in him because he used to work in a local pub, as it happens!) These things may matter and so it's good to have them explained.

Andrew🐉(talk) 18:37, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

Jimmy Cricket isn't his legal name, its his stage name. Its relevant to his career to know this. The fact that nobody has written anything about Xaysomphone having a different name prior just sounds like evidence his name simply did not change. Snosibsnob (talk) 19:40, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support Article looks good. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 16:54, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

August 7

Portal:Current events/2026 August 7

August 7, 2026 (2026-08-07) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Middle Eastern crisis
  • 2026 Iran war
    • 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
      • Operation Urja Suraksha
        • Indian shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal reports that more than 4,000 seafarers from India have been repatriated and 62 Indian vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war. (Lokmat Times) (India New England News)
      • The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company reports that 15 of its vessels have been attacked by missiles or drones while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz since the war with Iran started on February 28. (Reuters)
  • Gaza war
    • Israeli incursions in the West Bank during the Gaza war
      • Israeli forces withdraw from the Qalandiyah refugee camp and Kafr 'Aqab neighborhood in occupied West Bank following a two-day raid, with Palestinian Authority reporting 51 injuries. (Haaretz)
  • Yemeni civil war
    • Houthi attacks in Marib, Yemen, kill at least eight government soldiers and two civilians and injure 26 others, as the group launches missiles, drones and shelling against military positions, residential areas, and refugee camps. (AFP via The Manila Times)
• Russo-Ukrainian war
  • Odesa strikes
    • A Russian drone strike hits the Chornomorets Stadium in Odesa, Ukraine, with Odesa Oblast governor Oleh Kiper reporting that two people are injured in the strikes. (Kyiv Independent)
• Sudanese civil war
  • Kordofan campaign
    • Sudanese armed forces repel a surprise drone attack by the Rapid Support Forces in Dilling, South Kordofan. Additionally, five civilians are reported to be killed in El Obeid, North Kordofan. (Sudan Tribune)

Disasters and accidents

• Twenty people are killed and several others are injured after a fuel tanker overturns in Bangui, Central African Republic. (Xinhua)
• Sixteen people are killed and dozens others are injured in two separate road accidents in Sylhet Division and Bogra District, Bangladesh. (Xinhua)

Health and environment

• 2026 United States cyclosporiasis outbreak
  • Michigan health officials lift an advisory against the consumption of lettuce in the U.S. state after reporting a decline in cases of cyclosporiasis, which is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis. (Reuters)
• Brazil's National Institute for Space Research reports that deforestation of the Amazon rainforest fell to 2,874 square kilometres (287,400 ha) from August 2025 to July 2026, a 37% annual decline and the lowest level since the institute's satellite monitoring began in 2016. (AFP via The Straits Times)

International relations

• International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, United States and the Russo-Ukrainian war
  • The United States Senate votes 86–11 to pass a bill imposing sanctions on Russia's energy revenues, financial institutions, officials, and shadow fleet, while authorizing tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and gas. The legislation will head to the U.S. House of Representatives for a vote. (Reuters)
• Pakistan–Saudi Arabia relations, Pakistan–Turkey relations, Saudi Arabia–Turkey relations
  • Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey mutually sign the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, declaring that an attack on one will constitute an attack on all three. (Al Arabiya)
• Mexico–Peru relations
  • The governments of Mexico and Peru reinstate diplomatic relations after agreeing to allow former Peruvian prime minister Betssy Chávez to seek asylum in Mexico. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Crime in Karachi
  • Murder of Mir Raza Ali
    • A judge of the Karachi High Court in Pakistan allows the exhumation of Mir Raza Ali's body. (Dawn)
• 2026 Nonthaburi shootings
  • Nine people are killed, including the shooter, and 15 others are injured in a shooting spree between a home and the Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi province, Thailand. (AP) (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

• Inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella
  • Abelardo de la Espriella is sworn in as the president of Colombia after winning the presidential election in June. (AP)

Science and technology

• Investigation of UFO reports by the United States government
  • The U.S. defense department releases more classified videos and files of unidentified flying objects, including an incident in the Gulf of Oman in 2021 when United States Air Force pilots encountered a swarm of "cold orbs", describing each orb as measuring around 4 feet (1.2 metres) in diameter and moving in irregular patterns. (BBC News)

Sports

• 2026–27 Ukrainian Premier League
  • The Ukrainian Premier League's FC Chornomorets Odesa announces on Telegram that its match against FC Kolos Kovalivka is postponed after its home stadium was hit by a Russian strike. (Intent)

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(Closed) RD: Jorge Messi

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: Jorge Messi (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): AP

Credits:

• Created and nominated by QalasQalas (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Stub Article needs a lot of work to be expanded, but is well covered. QalasQalas (talk) 21:47, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose. Nowhere near ready for the main page in its current state. Natg 19 (talk) 22:07, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

Oppose as there is a current deletion request. History6042 😊 (Contact me) 02:24, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose As per point 1 of the RD rules: "Not currently nominated for deletion or speedy deletion". The C of E God Save the King! (talk) 11:48, 10 August 2026 (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.

Viruses generated by AI

Bacteriophage ΦX174 was the experiment's starting point.

Article: Evo (AI) (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ The AI Evo is used to systematically design and generate viable bacteriophage genomes for the first time. (Post)
Alternative blurb: ​ The foundation model Evo is used to systematically design and generate viable bacteriophage genomes for the first time.

News source(s): ABC, Al Jazeera,BBC, CNN, FT, Guardian, NYT, Science, The Times, Times of India

Credits:

• Created and nominated by Andrew Davidson (talk · give credit)

Article updated

Nominator's comments: There's widespread coverage of this breakthrough in which a genomic AI was used to design viruses which were then created and tested. I didn't find a suitable article initially and so have created one. Note also that the US government issued a "New U.S. Government Policy for Stopping High-Risk Life Sciences Research" last week... Andrew🐉(talk) 22:51, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose Not again.... I don't think any of the trivial science factoid deserve a blurb. NotKringe (talk) 23:04, 7 August 2026 (UTC)
• I'm not always a fan of Andrew's noms, but this seems interesting. Just not sure if it meets ITNSIGNIF. Natg 19 (talk) 00:34, 8 August 2026 (UTC)
• Oppose, new medical treatments are researched daily, but until they pass regulatory review and approval it's just hype for a particular set of models. Stephen 01:22, 8 August 2026 (UTC)
• Oppose, firstly blurb is wrong. The AI did not generate viable viruses, it made the code and researchers then generated the viruses from this code. Secondly, this is not new, Artificial gene synthesis has been around for a couple of decades. CMD (talk) 07:33, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

• I've tweaked the blurb to address your first point. On the second point, the breakthrough here is that the AI generates complete genomes not just a gene. All the coverage seems to say that this is new. For example, the NYT article starts For the first time, scientists have used artificial intelligence to create new kinds of viruses, raising hopes for medical advances while also raising the disturbing possibility that the technology could someday be used to invent dangerous pathogens. The BBC says It is the first time whole genomes have been successfully designed by AI. Andrew🐉(talk) 08:18, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

  The key caveats in those statements are "have used artificial intelligence to" and "by AI". It is a new use for AI, not a new process itself. CMD (talk) 09:54, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

  That's not a caveat, it's a central feature of the story. The point is that the AI makes it much easier to vibe-code a virus and that may be both good or bad. And note that both the software and its training corpus are open source. When I checked GitHub I noticed that they had been forked many times already. It's quite incredible that the US govt repeatedly goes to war over WMD but then vainly tries shutting this stable door after the horse has bolted. Andrew🐉(talk) 10:10, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose AI has been involved in chemical and biochemical applications for a long time including searching out specific products. That its being used to create viruses (both from beneficial and possibly harmful uses) is not really a massive change in the approach to this tech. Masem (t) 12:28, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

  Here's a selection of expert assessments quoted by reliable sources:

  1. Prof Patrick Cai, chair of synthetic genomics at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, said the study was an "important milestone". (BBC)
  2. “The breakthrough achieved is significant,” Jordi García Ojalvo, professor of systems biology at the Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona, said (CNN)
  3. “The importance of Brian Hie’s landmark paper cannot be overstated,” said Adrian Woolfson, a genomics expert who is chief executive of the DNA synthesis company Genyro. “It is biology’s Wright Brothers moment...” (FT)

  The nay-sayers provide no such evidence to support their opinion that the topic is trivial, hype or not new. Citations seem needed.

  Note also that ITN is currently blurbing a school shooting, an avalanche, a border incident and a minor earthquake. There's nothing very new about those events, is there? Why is there a double standard for STEM topics?

  Andrew🐉(talk) 20:09, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support ALT – ITNSIGNIF is met (looking at News sources; I also spotted a Nature article), article quality is appropriate, I can't find a reason to oppose this. Pretty rare to get science news that allows us to feature work about both biology and computer science. I recommend trying to push away the AI marketing and focus on the actual science. ~Maplestrip/Mable (chat) 07:51, 10 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support At this point it is becoming harder to doubt or deny ITN is biased against scientific topics. — Preceding unsigned comment added by ~2026-39411-22 (talk) 15:27, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support ALT even if I am not particularly happy to say so. On one hand I really do not think it would be good for ITN to be flooded with every bit of AI hype that gets scooped up by the news cycle, but this is a legitimate development in biotech, AI involvement or not. It's clearly being reported in a large number of news sources, and while this topic is not 'trivial' that is not a requirement for ITN.

Snosibsnob (talk) 17:19, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

(Posted) Mecca Joint Defence Agreement

Article: Mecca Joint Defence Agreement (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey sign a trilateral collective-defence pact, the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. (Post)

News source(s): The Associated Press, Al Jazeera, BBC, The Times of India

Credits:

• Nominated by UCinternational (talk · give credit)

 UCinternational (talk) 13:14, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• why is this notable and ITN-worthy? _-_Alsor ⭐️⭐️ (talk) 13:17, 7 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support It's not everyday that three countries sign a mutual defense agreement. ArionStar (talk) 14:21, 7 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support – Nice work to Yahya0071 and others for putting this article together. It seems comprehensive and of really good quality! Sources listed in the nomination indicate ITNSIGNIF is met. Everything looks ready to go :) ~Maplestrip/Mable (chat) 14:24, 7 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support, significantly newsworthy, article quality is good enough. Could use a combined map. CMD (talk) 14:30, 7 August 2026 (UTC)
• Comment The pact seems unconvincing because it extends an existing defense pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and that doesn't seem to have stopped Iran attacking the latter. There also been skirmishes between Iran and Pakistan but none of these countries seem keen to escalate to all-out war. Andrew🐉(talk) 14:45, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  And yet Pakistan has sent thousands of troops and and fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in response to Iran's attacks. Nfitz (talk) 20:12, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  Those tit-for-tat strikes by Iran and Pakistan were carried out in Jan 2024 well before the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement was even signed in Sept 2025. ~2026-43564-91 (talk) 23:53, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Comment - I do not know enough about this pact to comment on it directly and need further clarification. The article states that countries will come to each other's aid in the event of attack, BUT is this just rhetoric or is there specific provisions for exactly what would happen? In other words, is this a symbolic agreement, or something more like NATO? Harizotoh9 (talk) 16:03, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  The agreement obviously impacts the ongoing 2026 Afghanistan–Pakistan war. ArionStar (talk) 16:17, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Support on significance. Setarip (talk) 23:12, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

@Admins willing to post ITN: anyone? Four death-related blurbs now. ArionStar (talk) 23:04, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

Support on significance.Wi1-ch (talk) 23:08, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

• Strong Support, the signing of defense pacts is relatively rare. In addition, this one holds even more significance than usual because with Turkey as a NATO member and Pakistan as a strong Chinese ally this alliance transcends the current international blocs which could have all sorts of consequences. --SpectralIon 01:00, 9 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support per above. Vetrenarisisum (talk) 18:01, 9 August 2026 (UTC)
• Posted Stephen 01:25, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

RD: William Orbit

Article: William Orbit (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): The Guardian

Credits:

• Nominated by 2026-43389-23 (talk · give credit)
• Updated by PHShanghai (talk · give credit) and Aeternus (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: English musician and music producer ~2026-43389-23 (talk) 12:57, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Support. Article is sufficient quality and sourced. Bloxzge 025 (talk) 17:44, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Support Article is of sufficient quality for RD. --MtPenguinMonster (talk) 23:50, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Support Ready to be posted. Blythwood (talk) 22:26, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

(Posted) Thailand school shooting

Article: 2026 Nonthaburi shootings (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ Shootings at a school and a residence in Nonthaburi province, Thailand, kill at least 9 people and injure 15 others. (Post)

News source(s): CNA Reuters

Credits:

• Nominated by ~2026-43588-17 (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Bloxzge 025 (talk · give credit)

Nominator's comments: Four dead, 15 injured in Thailand school shooting. — Preceding unsigned comment added by ~2026-43588-17 (talk) 06:13, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Converted this into a formal nom for the temp user who "added" this to the page. Blurb needs workshopping (if this is found to meet ITNSIGNIF). Natg 19 (talk) 07:00, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Support. Nine fatalities is a lot for a school shooting. Bloxzge 025 (talk) 07:43, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support per Bloxzge above. This is getting a lot of coverage from major news outlets (on the front page of the BBC), although it must be noted that school attacks in Thailand aren't exactly rare TNM101 (in solidarity · chat) 07:53, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  Honestly, there's not that much on that list. Also, it is the nation's worst mass killing since 2022. Bloxzge 025 (talk) 07:59, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  It should be noted that most of these school shootings were done by adults who were either unrelated to the school or were the parents. This shooting being done by student and with this much casualties made it unprecedented. NotKringe (talk) 08:00, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  eg it feels like the equivalent of Sandy Hook (student themselves responsible for it as they currently believe). Masem (t) 11:53, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support This seems to be a notable incident, and the article is minimally sufficient. --Kiril Simeonovski (talk) 08:02, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Support While "school attack" in Thailand is not that rare, a school shooting commited by student and with this much casualties is unprecedented. Still, I think the article needs some touch before posting. NotKringe (talk) 08:03, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Support per above This post was made by orbitalbuzzsaw gang (talk) 08:31, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support - A major incident that is making front pages around the world. GenevieveDEon (talk) 09:21, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Support High death count, unusual location. Setarip (talk) 12:38, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

@Admins willing to post ITN: BangJan1999 14:47, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Comment. I know the article is titled "shootings" but shouldn't it be "shooting?" Jessintime (talk) 15:22, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  No, the shooter from what I’ve read murdered his grandparents before going to the school. Chorchapu (talk | edits) 15:28, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  Thank you Jessintime (talk) 15:41, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Posted Note that I've made the blurb more concise. Schwede66 15:51, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  Comment The current blurb is linking to the page for the main Debsirin School, which is misleading since it's the Nonthaburi branch of Debsirin School specifically that the incident took place, and that these "branch school" are treated as a separate one in Thailand instead of a subsidiary. NotKringe (talk) 01:55, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

The shooting is mentioned on the Debsirin School article, so I am not sure why this is misleading. Natg 19 (talk) 02:01, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

What I think is misleading is that the Debsirin School page is about the boy's school in Bangkok, wheas Debsirin Nonthaburi School is a unisex school in Nonthaburi, which is a completely different place. NotKringe (talk) 02:02, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

I've changed "Debsirin School" to "a Debsirin School branch" which I think makes the relationship clearer. Left guide (talk) 02:06, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

August 6

Portal:Current events/2026 August 6

August 6, 2026 (2026-08-06) (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Middle Eastern crisis
  • Gaza war
    • Ugandan authorities approve a measure to send troops from Uganda to the Gaza Strip as part of the International Stabilization Force proposed by the Board of Peace to secure the enclave following the war. (NBC News)
  • Yemeni civil war
    • The Houthis announce a military offensive against Saudi-backed government forces in Marib Governorate and Hadhramaut Governorate, with over 30 soldiers being killed in two missile attacks. (Al Jazeera)
• Russo-Ukrainian war
  • Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
    • Ukrainian forces launch drone attacks on two oil refineries in Russia, the Yaroslavl refinery and a Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Bashkortostan, causing large fires at the facilities. (BBC News)
  • Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
    • Six people are killed in Russian airstrikes across Ukraine, including three civilians in Kharkiv Oblast, while a total power outage occurs in the city of Kherson after critical infrastructure was targeted overnight by Russian drones. (Al Jazeera) (Antikor)
• Ethiopian civil conflict
  • 2026 Ethiopia–TPLF clashes
    • It is reported that the situation on the border between Ethiopia and Sudan is calm following recent clashes between the Ethiopian Army and Tigray People's Liberation Front that sparked fears of a new conflict four years after a peace agreement was signed in 2022 to end the war in Tigray. (Sudan Tribune)
• Haitian conflict
  • The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti reports that 613 people were killed and 375 others injured between March 6 and July 31 amid intensifying gang violence across the country. (Carribean Broadcasting Corporation)
• 2026 Damascus bus bombing
  • Two people are killed and 13 others are injured when an explosive device detonates on a passenger minibus in Jaramana, Syria. (AA)

Business and economy

• Proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance
  • The Competition and Markets Authority of the United Kingdom clears Paramount Skydance's US$110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, while culture secretary Lisa Nandy declines a public-interest review after receiving commitments on editorial independence. (AA)

Disasters and accidents

• Civil officials state that ten children passengers are reported missing after a wooden boat capsized on the Lulua River, Demba Territory, Kasai-Central, Democratic Republic of the Congo.(AA)
• Six people are killed and 19 others are injured after a bus crashed in Constantine Province, Algeria. (Xinhua)

Health and environment

• 2026 Ebola epidemic
  • Congolese health authorities monitor passengers from a boat near Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, after a traveler died from Ebola complications. (The Washington Post)

International relations

• 2026 Morocco–Spain border incident
  • Ceuta mayor-president Juan Jesús Vivas confirms that at least 100 people died during last week's migrant surge into the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta, while around 3,500 to 5,000 undocumented migrants remain in the city. (Reuters)

Law and crime

• Mexican drug war
  • Iguala mass kidnapping
    • Former Guerrero governor Ángel Aguirre Rivero is arrested on charges of forced disappearance and obstruction of justice. He is accused of ordering the concealment of security camera footage that showed police intercepting a bus carrying students in Iguala in 2014, who have never been found. (Reuters)

---

RD: Martha Rivers Ingram

Article: Martha Rivers Ingram (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): Vanderbilt University News

Credits:

• Nominated by ~2026-43809-31 (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: American billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist. ~2026-43809-31 (talk) 16:13, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support Article is comprehensive and well sourced.

Snosibsnob (talk) 17:23, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

RD: Jerney Kaagman

Article: Jerney Kaagman (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): Nu.nl

Credits:

• Nominated by Maplestrip (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Singer of Earth and Fire ~Maplestrip/Mable (chat) 11:29, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Not Ready as the discography is unsourced. Snosibsnob (talk) 17:04, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Death was announced yesterday (August 6). Article needs a bit of work, but is largely cited. This is actually my first nomination, heh. ~Maplestrip/Mable (chat) 11:29, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Sydney Towle

Article: Sydney Towle (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): New York Times, People USA Today.

Credits:

• Updated and nominated by Jishara (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Towle was an American social media influencer best known for documenting her journey with cancer. She died on August 5th, but it was announced on August 6th. Jishara (please ping upon response) (talk) 15:29, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

Support Well-sourced - and if you don't nominate for DYK I will.--Launchballer 16:06, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

I plan to write my noms for the week later today! I'd love your eyes on this and/or others. Jishara (please ping upon response) (talk) 16:09, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

@Launchballer: nommed her. Jishara (please ping upon response) (talk) 19:37, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

Support Definitely agree. I added her name to 2026 deaths in the United States and List of Dartmouth College alumni. RIP Sydney Towle! ~2026-43402-61 (talk) 16:30, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support Article in good shape. RIP Sydney. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 19:32, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

Support Article is of sufficient quality for RD. --MtPenguinMonster (talk) 00:35, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Posted. --PFHLai (talk) 12:10, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

August 5

Portal:Current events/2026 August 5

August 5, 2026 (2026-08-05) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Middle Eastern crisis
  • 2026 Iran war
    • 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
      • Iran and Oman reach an agreement understanding on geographic coordinates for shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. (Reuters) (Euronews)
  • 2026 Lebanon war
    • 2026 Israel–Lebanon ceasefire
      • Talks between Israel and Lebanon are on pause following alleged leaks and will resume tomorrow. (Al-Monitor)
    • Hezbollah–Israel conflict
      • The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says they have launched strikes in southern Lebanon after alleged ceasefire violations by Hezbollah. (The Times of Israel)
      • Two Israeli soldiers are killed in action and four others are wounded in an improvised explosive device bombing in Majdal Zoun, South Governorate, Lebanon. (Anadolu Ajansı)
  • Gaza war
    • IDF chief Eyal Zamir visits the Gaza Strip to conduct an assessment in the enclave. He also states that the military will continue to operate proactively. (The Jerusalem Post)
• Russo-Ukrainian war
  • Kyiv strikes
    • Russian forces launch dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at Kyiv, Ukraine, killing at least 17 people, including eight civilians at a railway station in Kyiv Oblast, and wounding dozens more. None of the missiles were intercepted by Ukrainian forces due to a shortage of Patriot missiles, according to president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (The Guardian)

Disasters and accidents

• Five people are killed after two vehicles collided head-on and burst into flames on the Stuart Highway, Australia. (Xinhua)

Health and environment

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves Moderna's mRNA influenza vaccine for people aged 50 and older. (Time) (Reuters)

International relations

• International sanctions against Iran
  • The United States Treasury Department lifts sanctions against Fly Baghdad, which were previously imposed in 2024 over its links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force. (Al-Monitor) (Reuters)
• Pastoral trips made by Pope Leo XIV, Argentina–Holy See relations, Holy See–Peru relations, Holy See–Uruguay relations
  • The Holy See Press Office announces Pope Leo XIV will make an apostolic journey to Argentina, Uruguay, and his home country of Peru, in November, marking his first trip to Latin America in his papacy. (AP) (Holy See)

Law and crime

• Crime in Karachi
  • Murder of Mir Raza Ali
    • Sindh Police detain 19 people for questioning as part of the investigation into the murder of Karachi entrepreneur and Wafflix founder Mir Raza Ali. (Daily Pakistan) (ARY News)
• Far-right politics in Germany
  • The Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Hamburg, Germany, convicts seven members and one supporter of a right-wing extremist group called Last Defense Wave and sentences them to prison for attempted murder, arson, aggravated assault, and being members of a terrorist organisation for planning and carrying out arson and bomb attacks on asylum seeker shelters. (AP)
• War on drugs, Illegal drug trade in Latin America, Crime in Spain
  • The Spanish Civil Guard and the Ecuadorian National Police announce they have arrested 44 people and confiscated 21 tons of cocaine as part of a multiyear investigation on a drug trafficking ring financed by investors in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP)
• A drone loaded with explosives is found and defused at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany, while a cargo Boeing 757 had a collision with another supposed UAV at the same airport. (Reuters) (DW)

Politics and elections

• Aftermath of the July Uprising
  • Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina announces that she plans to return to the country from exile in New Delhi, India, despite facing a death sentence for her role during a violent crackdown on protesters that led to her resignation two years ago. (Sky News)

---

(Posted) RD: Bilgesu Erenus

Article: Bilgesu Erenus (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s):

Credits:

• Updated and nominated by GreenLipstickLesbian (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Turkish playwright and activist; her death was announced on August 5th. GreenLipstickLesbian💌🧸 08:20, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support Good quality, decently broad coverage. Yakikaki (talk) 20:05, 8 August 2026 (UTC)
• Posted. Black Kite (talk) 10:42, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

RD: Daniel Bernard

Article: Daniel Bernard (businessman) (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): Retail Detail, Le Monde

Credits:

• Nominated by Chorchapu (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Normantas Bataitis (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: French businessman, former CEO of Carrefour. Article looks good sourcing-wise but is a bit short. I plan to expand the section about his time a Carrefour because currently it’s only 1 sentence. Chorchapu (talk | edits) 12:08, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose Insufficient depth of coverage at present. Spencer^T•C 01:18, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

(Reviewers' attention required) RD: Philip Ruppe

Article: Philip Ruppe (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): Mining Gazette

Credits:

• Nominated by TDKR Chicago 101 (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Strattonsmith (talk · give credit) and Adflatuss (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Article updated and well sourced. Death announced on this date. --TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 16:44, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

Got a source that isn't WP:NEWSMAX?--Launchballer 21:22, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

Yahoo TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 01:10, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

I tried and couldn't find one so far. The Yahoo ref is actually just the same as the Newsmax article, but just using Yahoo as the "aggregator"? (dunno what it's called) Natg 19 (talk) 03:18, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

I see, but I feel if Yahoo is reusing it, it should be reliable no? TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 05:06, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

Syndicated content takes on the reliability of its original publisher, in this case Newsmax.--Launchballer 10:13, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

@Natg 19: & @Launchballer: Found another obit from his funeral home I believe -> New obit. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 14:34, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

"Ruppe, the Republican who represented Michigan's 11th District from 1967 to 1979, died in August 2026 at 99, according to Newsmax." I don't think so.--Launchballer 15:31, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

@Launchballer:: found another one Obituary :) TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 15:44, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

Looks like WP:UGC to me.--Launchballer 16:07, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

@Launchballer: Here’s another one too. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 00:23, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

Are you trying to be funny? It says right there "Source: Wikipedia public record" ~2026-37099-58 (talk) 20:57, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

How about The Daily Mining Gazette? https://www.mininggazette.com/news/local-news/2026/08/farewell-to-an-icon/ -- PFHLai (talk) 01:36, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

I was just gonna bring that one up @Launchballer: & @Natg 19: TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 01:55, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

This source looks fine to me. Natg 19 (talk) 07:06, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Comments: I see two things needed here: (1) Reduced use of NewsMax as a source in the wikibio. (2) Support votes here on ITN/C from uninvolved editors. --PFHLai (talk) 11:11, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

  @PFHLai: Newsmax info removed and replaced with more reliable sources. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 22:01, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

  • Glad to see NewsMax completely replaced. Thanks! With more than 600 words of prose, this wikibio is more than long enough to qualify. Formatting looks right. Footnotes can be found in expected spots. Earwig has no complaints. There are no eye-catching problems. This wikibio is READY for RD. --PFHLai (talk) 11:34, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

• I am confused on his date of death. There is one reference that says Sat 8/1, but the rest say Monday 8/3. Which is correct? Natg 19 (talk) 22:12, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

  @Natg 19: So apparently, he did in fact die on August 1, but the first obits that came out erroneously reported his death date as August 3. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 22:31, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

  @Natg 19: Early obits cited the obituary that erroneously cited his date of death as August 3. His newest obituary from The Washington Post corrected this with the death date of August 1. I've added a note explaining this on his article. TDKR Chicago 101 (talk) 22:36, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

(Closed) SpaceX lunar impact

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.

---

The trajectory of the booster   , Moon    and Earth   .

Article: 2026 SpaceX lunar impact (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ A Falcon 9 rocket stage hits the moon near its Einstein crater. (Post)

News source(s): BBC, NYT

Credits:

• Nominated by Andrew Davidson (talk · give credit)
• Created by Kencf0618 (talk · give credit)

Article needs updating

Nominator's comments: This is about to happen in 20 minutes and is getting live coverage as the impact is a sure thing. The image is a placeholder as I'm hoping that there will be some good PD images of the plume from NASA. Note that it's good to alert people in advance about astronomical events so they have an opportunity to view them as they happen.

Note also that there is some scientific significance as the BBC explains, This is exciting for scientists, because we know it's happening, and we know the speed and the mass of the rocket stage that will crash into the Moon. We don't normally know that for meteors that crash into the Moon every day. That means scientists will have a lot more information as they study the debris that will be caused by the collision. By studying the light that is reflected from that material, scientists can determine its composition - helping them understand how the Moon has developed and how planetary systems evolved and were formed billions of years ago. Andrew🐉(talk) 06:16, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose - too soon. Literally hadn't even happened when nominated. Hours later, still not confirmed that it happened. Not seeing huge coverage - at CBC it seems to be about 50 sories down the page with the lead being Gaza and the number 2 story being Ukraine. Nfitz (talk) 09:04, 5 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support The live BBC scrolling coverage of this serendipitious bit of science notes that it'll take day and weeks for the data to be analysed. Probably 15 minutes of fame territory, and definitely nevertheless science. kencf0618 (talk) 11:20, 5 August 2026 (UTC)
• Why does the nomination has a photo that will almost not be used in the blurb? Howard the Duck (talk) 11:43, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

The nomination explains that the picture is a placeholder. It’s the Einstein crater which has an interesting backstory. See also pics or it didn’t happen. Andrew🐉(talk) 12:30, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support as per kencf0618. 2600 etc (talk) 11:55, 5 August 2026 (UTC)
• Article is currently a stub. ~Maplestrip/Mable (chat) 11:44, 5 August 2026 (UTC)
• Oppose Article is a stub. --MtPenguinMonster (talk) 11:54, 5 August 2026 (UTC)
• Oppose as Article is a stub, coverage seems to be relatively minor, and while interesting space debris hitting the moon is not a particularly notable event on its own.

Snosibsnob (talk) 16:19, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support on notability It's not everyday that a rocket hits the Moon. ArionStar (talk) 17:22, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

  The issue is that its not "a rocket", its a discarded upper stage. Its space debris. Very different to, say, Chandrayaan's landing failure. Snosibsnob (talk) 18:30, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose Piece of debris hits rock. If we blurbed for every time space debris hit something, Wikipedia would be endorsed by every garbage company in the country. ~2026-43371-41 (talk) 21:37, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

Oppose The impact is not planned nor it was for scientific purposes. Even the blurbed article barely has enough content to explain why this is significant to begin with. NotKringe (talk) 00:02, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

Strong oppose really? at a loss for words for this one. Should we make articles for all the S-IVBs that crashed into the moon too? Scuba 02:57, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose Pretty cool event, but the fact that it wasn't planned severely undermines the significance of this to me. --SpectralIon 03:09, 6 August 2026 (UTC)
• Oppose interesting but i don't think it's too significant, which is reflected by the article being nom'd for deletion. Vetrenarisisum (talk) 03:21, 6 August 2026 (UTC)
• Update Pictures of the crash site have been taken by the Korean satellite, Danuri, but they don't seem to be free so we'll have to wait for NASA images from the LRO. In the meantime, we have an interesting illustration of the trajectory thanks to Phoenix7777. Andrew🐉(talk) 22:21, 6 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support, a notable space event. The fact that the page is at AfD is not surprising or relevant to this discussion, any editor can nominate any article. Randy Kryn (talk) 23:47, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

This is not correct. We cannot post anything that is at AfD on the main page, so until that is closed, this article is not postable. The article does not have any other major issues. Usually, orange and red level tags are considered major enough to block posting to ITN. (From WP:ITNBLURB) Natg 19 (talk) 01:28, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose – Now that the article has been expanded to start-class, and I've done a bit of copy-editing on it to get a feel for it, I am not convinced that it is of sufficient quality for a frontpage feature on ITN. ~Maplestrip/Mable (chat) 08:31, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Oppose per above. Setarip (talk) 12:44, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Oppose - Pure science trivia. Interesting to some, but trivial. Harizotoh9 (talk) 13:01, 7 August 2026 (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.

August 4

Portal:Current events/2026 August 4

August 4, 2026 (2026-08-04) (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Middle Eastern crisis
  • 2026 Iran war
    • 2025–2026 Iran–United States negotiations
      • 2026 Iran war ceasefire, Qatar as a mediator in conflict
        • Mediators from Qatar reports that progress has been made in efforts to end the war between the United States and Iran. (Reuters)
    • 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis
      • The Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Minoan Pioneer is reported to be missing in the Strait of Hormuz after it was struck by a unknown projectile northeast of Oman. (Seatrade Maritime News) (Al Arabiya) (Haaretz)
      • Shipping data from Kpler reports that Iraq has exported over 30 million barrels of crude oil through the strait between July 4 and August 4. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
    • It is reported that the United States Army has used most of its ATACMS and Precision Strike missiles during the war in Iran including Operation Epic Fury. (Military Times) (Reuters)
  • Gaza war
    • Casualties of the Gaza war
      • A mass funeral is held for 112 bodies that were recovered from a Israeli strike in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City during the early weeks of the war. (Haaretz)
  • Red Sea crisis
    • Yemen's internationally recognized government says a projectile attack sank the Indian-flagged cargo ship MSV Faize Noore Oliya in the Red Sea near the coast of Hodeidah, with all 14 crew members rescued. (AFP via Arab News)
• Sudanese civil war
  • Darfur campaign
    • Rapid Support Forces senior commander and brigadier general Mahdi Adam Ismail, also known as Jebel Moon, is confirmed to be killed during clashes with the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Joint Forces in West Darfur, Sudan. His death is confirmed by Sudan Liberation Movement leader and Darfur governor Minni Arko Minnawi. (Sudan Tribune) (Sudan Nabaa)

Health and environment

• 2026 Ebola epidemic
  • Health Canada announces it has given Moderna the green light for authorization to launch a clinical trial for a mRNA Ebola vaccine aimed at targeting the Bundibugyo strain of the ebolavirus. (CBC)
• 2026 European heatwaves
  • Austria records 41 °C (106 °F) in Vienna, the highest temperature in the country's history, as a heat wave also brings wildfires and historically low Danube water levels. (Xinhua)
• The Bradley Creek fire in North Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada destroys 250 homes on the North Okanagan Indian reservation in a night with 150km/h winds.(Global News)

International relations

• Brazil–United States relations
  • The United States revokes the visa of Brazilian ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti to reciprocate Brazil's denial of visas to two U.S. diplomats. The State Department says the action does not expel Viotti from the country. (AFP via New Straits Times)

Law and crime

• Colombian conflict
  • The Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace charges 27 former FARC members, including ex-commander Timoleón Jiménez, with crimes against humanity and sexual violence committed during the conflict, including killings, disappearances, displacement, and rape. (AFP via The Manila Times)
• Kyrgyz president Sadyr Japarov signs a law banning the use of cremation for deceased human bodies in Kyrgyzstan. (AKIPress) (Kabar)
• South Sudanese police arrests 60 suspected gang members in a series of operations targeting criminal gangs, drug trafficking, and youth delinquency in Juba. (Sudans Post)
• Four people are killed and four others are injured in a shooting spree by a rogue Russian soldier in Sevastopol, Russian-occupied Crimea. (CBS News)

Sports

• In basketball, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) announces that the expansion team in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., will be called the Sirens. The organization will debut in 2028. (The Athletic via The New York Times)

---

RD: Dory Funk Jr.

Article: Dory Funk Jr. (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): LA Times

Credits:

• Nominated by ~2026-43386-47 (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: WWE Hall of Fame wrestler. R.I.P. ~2026-43386-47 (talk) 02:54, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose multi unsourced paragraphs. Natg 19 (talk) 20:03, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

(Reviewers' attention needed) RD: Robby Albarado

Article: Robby Albarado (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): DRF

Credits:

• Nominated by ~2026-43386-47 (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Waluigithewalrus (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Two-time Preakness Stakes winning jockey. R.I.P. ~2026-43386-47 (talk) 02:54, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Need a sentence in the main prose to mention the date and place of birth with a footnote or two with REFs. --PFHLai (talk) 02:55, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Bruno Campanella

Article: Bruno Campanella (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): Il Messaggero

Credits:

• Updated and nominated by Gerda Arendt (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Grimes2 (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Italian conductor, especially for Bel Canto opera. The article was a sourceless stub. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 13:21, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support Article quality is sufficient. QuicoleJR (talk|edits) 19:11, 6 August 2026 (UTC)
• Posted. --PFHLai (talk) 15:22, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

RD: Lloyd Robertson

Article: Lloyd Robertson (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): CTV

Credits:

• Nominated by Useless Niamh (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Wellington Bay (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Canadian journalist and anchor for CTV National News. Useless Niamh (talk) 15:08, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support. 41 years total is an impressive amount of time for someone to do journalism. Urbanracer34 (talk) 00:09, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

Support per Urbanracer. Bloxzge 025 (talk) 01:53, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

• The Honours section has no prose, but a string of largely unsourced bullet-points. Footnotes and sources for the DoB are also missing from the main prose.^{There is now a footnote for the DoB. --PFHLai (talk) 22:16, 9 August 2026 (UTC)} Please add more REFs. --PFHLai (talk) 16:23, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

(Posted) Buyout of Electronic Arts

Article: Leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts (talk · history · tag)
Blurb: ​ The $55 billion leveraged buyout of video game publisher Electronic Arts by a consortium led by the Public Investment Fund is completed. (Post)
Alternative blurb: ​ Video game publisher Electronic Arts was purchased by the Public Investment Fund in a leveraged buyout.
Alternative blurb 2: ​ A consortium led by the Public Investment Fund purchases video game publisher Electronic Arts in a leveraged buyout.

News source(s): The Verge, BBC, CNBC

Credits:

• Nominated by Masem (talk · give credit)
• Created by ElijahPepe (talk · give credit)
• Updated by Ryan York (talk · give credit)

Article updated

Nominator's comments: deal was completed today after all regulatory approvals. Masem (t) 21:06, 4 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose the quality is there, however I don't see how this is notable enough. It's the PIFs biggest acquisition, but they are throwing a lot money around, especially in the entertainment sector. While it is the largest leveraged buyout in history, I don't really see how that's notable, especially given that it's not very large compared to other recent acquisitions and mergers. There also doesn't seem to much, if any impact, on the games industry, especially with the precedent from Microsofts acquisition of Activision. V. L. Mastikosa (talk) 02:49, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support That list you linked says it's the second largest consummated merger in the past three years (when you exclude companies buying themselves). GreatCaesarsGhost 13:16, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

  its also believed to be the largest leveraged buyout to date as reported by multiple sources in the target article. (EA taking on $20b in debt for this) Masem (t) 13:36, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

  Oppose. The fact that it's an LBO (a specific type of commercial transaction) doesn't add to its significance in any way. This is basically a large buyout. Per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_mergers_and_acquisitions#2020s it's only the 15th or 16th largest buyout since 2020. This isn't important enough to post on main page. QueensanditsCrazy (talk) 02:41, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  Oh oops I didn't see that that page was updated! This transaction is the 18th largest since 2020s. Add in 24 more >- 55bn transactions in the 2010s (nominal, not inflation adjusted!), 17 in the 2000s, and 9 in the 1990s gets you that this is the 68th largest corporate buyout since the 1990s. Ie. Not even close to the largest in recent memory. QueensanditsCrazy (talk) 02:44, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose This topic is not notable enough considering ITN is for global events. CatPerson987 (talk) 05:06, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

  ITN isn't "for global events," but also, this literally is a global event. An American company that trades throughout the world is bought by a Saudi organization? I mean, there's no ITN requirements for a subject to be internationally relevant, but this is as international as ITN items get so I am confused by this statement. ~Maplestrip/Mable (chat) 11:49, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

• Oppose I'm not seeing the significant coverage. Yes, there is a BBC article, but I don't see it in the scores of articles on their main page. It is however number 8 in their business section, where the lead is a Starbucks promotion in Korea. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Nfitz (talk • contribs)

  we dont use placement of news relative to print or web sources as a metric, only that it is in the news. But this is also a general problem on business mergers, that the news attention is typically at the onset of the announcement to merge, and not when it actually happens. Even here, there was more news coverage last week when when the final regulatory approval ftom the EU was granted, making the actual completely a point of trivia from a news standpoint but under ITN, the point where we would normally post. Masem (t) 12:30, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

• "expected to be completed ... around June 2026. As of January 2026, the transaction was reported to be in its final stages." Article doesn't seem to be appropriately updated yet. I think we should have high quality standards for featuring articles of this type. ~Maplestrip/Mable (chat) 11:47, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

  I know yesterday it was more clear the deal was approved, done one seemed to have removed that. Masem (t) 12:26, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

  I've returned that statement as well as eliminated the unneeded paragraph now that no longer applies. Masem (t) 12:37, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

  Support – Thanks, Masem! I think we need more detail about the implications (analysis?) of this merger, but either way, we have an in-depth article on a subject that is on Reuters and the Guardian, so all seems good to me. ~Maplestrip/Mable (chat) 13:16, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

  have added an impact section as layoffs are projected along with a refocus on popular franchises. That will likely be fleshed out in the coming weeks. Masem (t) 15:42, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

  The "Closure and impacts" is short but great. A fine example of the kinds of improvements I hope ITN can inspire and I hope it can be expanded more. Currently, the Responses section only has responses from 2025. Ideally, this would be updated as well. ~Maplestrip/Mable (chat) 08:36, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  I can tell you in following the story that since it was considered inevitably going to go through (at least, considering within the US and who was involved) that the deal being completed didn't raise a lot of further opinions (Again, why I think that business mergers need to be considered at the point of the announcement when the most coverage will be, rather than the conclusion, barring lawsuits or regulatory body denials to prevent them, but that's not the point here). Also, no actual factual events have happened that we can document yet. There's rumors flying of studios being sold off but not from any yet reputable sources (compared to the Bloomberg source for the likely layoffs). Even with the Microsoft/Activision merger, it wasn't until weeks and months later that the impacts started to be clear. Masem (t) 11:45, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

Support - big news in the gaming industry, which is one of the largest forms of entertainment out there. Quality is there and we serve a purpose to our readers by posting this. — Knightoftheswords 12:42, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support, per Maplestrip and Masem. The Saudi government purchasing one of the largest entertainment companies out there is huge news. Loytra^✨ 14:42, 5 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support Massive transaction, major political importance and likely to have at least some effect on the gaming industry and the Saudi Arabian economy. Article quality is also sufficient. QuicoleJR (talk|edits) 18:00, 5 August 2026 (UTC)
• I am generally opposed to posting business news, however, we did post the announcement of the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft in 2022. Natg 19 (talk) 18:42, 5 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support As business news goes this is quite significant. Chorchapu (talk | edits) 19:27, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

Support Since this is some of the most high-profile takeover by the PIF in quite awhile, and is getting noticable buzz due to the clashing "inclusivity" public image between EA and PIF. NotKringe (talk) 23:58, 5 August 2026 (UTC)

Support Article is of sufficient quality for ITN. --MtPenguinMonster (talk) 00:46, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support Not just significant in the gaming industry, but also politically with the PIF. Article is good. Vetrenarisisum (talk) 03:24, 6 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support on notability While I agree with some of the oppose comments that LBOs and other business deals are normally not significant enough for ITN, the instrumental involvement of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund (PIF) in buying out Electronic Arts makes this an unusual event. As QuicoleJR points out, this carries importance for both the gaming industry worldwide and Saudi Arabian foreign policy and fiscal policy. Oppius Brutus (talk) 12:36, 5 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support Significant transaction that has large implications for the video game industry as well as political importance due to PIF involvement. Article is in good shape for ITN. MidnightMayhem (talk) 18:59, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

Oppose on notability. It's not on the front page of https://www.nytimes.com/section/business/dealbook, https://www.bbc.com/business, nor anywhere on Aljazeera.com when I try searching. It's clear that this is just industry relevant but not broader relevant. This is routine business happenings, we don't post all the business news on this page. QueensanditsCrazy (talk) 19:20, 6 August 2026 (UTC) — Duplicate !vote: QueensanditsCrazy (talk • contribs) has already cast a !vote above.

we do not require nor expect ITN items to be front page news, nor are news on the front page necessarily good ITN items. Masem (t) 20:10, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

It shows you that it's not really in the news. Also, it's not even the largest gaming buyout ever: per the BBC article cited in the nom, "The deal ranks as the second-biggest acquisition in gaming history, after Microsoft's $69bn purchase of Activision Blizzard, the company behind Call of Duty..." The fact that it's an LBO is not significant for our audience - it just means that PIF borrowed money to complete the transaction. The BBC article cited in original nom is pretty detailed but the Verge or CNBC article are both pretty scant on analysis. Overall this is a nothing burger in the broader financial world. I suppose it's important in the Saudi financial world but cmon our scope as Wikipedia is larger than that. This subject is not big enough to merit inclusion on the front page. QueensanditsCrazy (talk) 02:36, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

See my above comment, it's abotu the 68th largest corporate buyout since the 1990s. This transaction simply isn't big enough or wide-reaching enough to merit significant ongoing coverage (reminder that this is a criteria for ITN inclusion is that the effects will last a while and can be covered by sources. What more is there for journalists to say about this??).QueensanditsCrazy (talk) 02:45, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

How many of those 67 buyouts were subject to a stand-alone article in our encyclopedia? Even if they all had been of sufficient public interest to warrant an article, I think ~2 ITN features each year about a massive financial buyout would've been fine. But we only post what we write anyway, and this is one we've written. It's a bit of a WP:OSE argument to oppose an article because its subject doesn't win in the total numbers game. ~Maplestrip/Mable (chat) 08:40, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

I don't oppose posting because it fails the numbers game. I oppose the posting because it is not notable enough outside a specific industry segment. I'm merely pointing out that one of the arguments in favor of posting, ie. that it wins the numbers game, is merely Wikipedia:HTRIVIA. The difference between a LBO and a regular M&A transaction is just trivia. QueensanditsCrazy (talk) 17:03, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

ITN is not a news ticker, we do not rely on what other news sites or newspapers are putting at the top of the headlines. Its also been as long as its covered in some way by recent news. And outside of print, we cannot judge topic placement on websites due to numerous things (personalization, geolocation serving, etc.) We just require that it is covered in reliable news sources and the article properly updated to reflect. And also, many of those RSes identify this as the largest known leveraged buyout to date, with EA taking on $18b in debt (at a interest rate of $1.8b a year) that they have to cover. Masem (t) 11:48, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

RSes identify this is a very large LBO yes but the difference between LBO and any other merger & acquisition is, in my view, not important enough to merit an article on the front page. To make a sports analogy this is like saying a player achieved the highest batting average ever or the most number of interceptions ever. It's just financial trivia that yes contributes to notability, but not enough to merit a front page slot. QueensanditsCrazy (talk) 14:19, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

That's a poor analogy. Those two records have stood for 100 and 50 years, respectively, and are effectively unassailable. The active leader in interceptions has less that half the record, and he's 37 years old. GreatCaesarsGhost 16:45, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support Will be of great interest to our readers. Hawkeye7 (discuss) 20:59, 6 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support per Oppius Brutus and others above. Flip^andFlopped ㋡ 05:21, 7 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support The acquisition of one of the biggest video games companies in the world is significant, as the announcement was not posted. ArionStar (talk) 14:32, 7 August 2026 (UTC)
• Oppose Not notable outside the industry. Nosferattus (talk) 16:47, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  so why are sources like BBC, CNBC and others like Reuters The Guardian, and Variety covering it to some degree? I would agree that if this was only coming from gaming and tech sites, sure, that's too narrow. But this has been well in the major financial news and has political connections (as Jared Kushner's group is also involved) Masem (t) 22:50, 7 August 2026 (UTC)

  So the President's son-in-law's private equity firm has bought 5% of a major company? That's nowhere near direct enough to make it major enough to put on front page. Besides, the RSes cited only give Kushner and Affinity Partners passing mention in a couple sentences. Affinity Partners has only 5bn AUM (total!!!) whereas the LBO was for 55bn; clearly Affinity Partners here is only the tail being wagged by PIF the dog, so to speak. The RSes don't imply that Kushner or Affinity was a major driver in making this investment happen. This is nothing more than the usual Trump administration conflict of interest, it's not clear to me that this even is the biggest one they've done. I don't see much political relevance here. Oppose QueensanditsCrazy (talk) 03:54, 8 August 2026 (UTC) — Duplicate !vote: QueensanditsCrazy (talk • contribs) has already cast a !vote above.

  You've now !votes 3 times. You should strike your other opposes. Masem (t) 04:03, 8 August 2026 (UTC)

• @Admins willing to post ITN: Can we get a determination on this before time runs out please? Thanks, QuicoleJR (talk|edits) 16:01, 9 August 2026 (UTC)
• Posted adapted version of Alt1. Spencer^T•C 01:14, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

August 3

Portal:Current events/2026 August 3

August 3, 2026 (2026-08-03) (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Middle Eastern crisis
  • Gaza war
    • Gaza peace plan
      • A Board of Peace envoy meets Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urges a halt in strikes across the Gaza Strip. However, they also announce that Israel will not withdraw from the enclave until Hamas completely disarms. (The New Region) (The Washington Post)
    • Casualties of the Gaza war
      • The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that dozens of children and civilians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza over the weekend, violating the ongoing ceasefire. (Xinhua)
      • Two Palestinian civilians are killed in an Israeli missile strike near a mosque which targeted a civilian vehicle southwest of Gaza City. (Middle East Eye)
    • Gaza war hostage crisis
      • The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim that they have killed Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander Mahmoud Fatair, who took part in the abduction of Rom Braslavski, in the Deir al-Balah area of the Gaza Strip during the Nova music festival massacre on October 7, 2023. (The Jerusalem Post)
    • The IDF claim that they have killed two Hamas militants in separate airstrikes in central Gaza and the Shati camp in Gaza City respectively, violating the ongoing ceasefire. (The Times of Israel)
  • Red Sea crisis
    • Shipping data shows that two tanker ships carrying oil from Saudi Arabia, the Suezmax Malta-flagged Lesvos and the VLCC Desh Vaibhav, have exited the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. (Reuters)
• Russo-Ukrainian war
  • Attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war
    • At least seven people, including three children, are killed and 40 others are injured when drone debris falls on a crowded beach in Gelendzhik, Krasnodar Krai, Russia. (CNN)

Disasters and accidents

• 2026 Venezuela earthquakes
  • The death toll from the two earthquakes that hit Venezuela in June exceeds 6,000 people according to figures from lawmaker Jorge Rodríguez. (Reuters)
• At least fourteen people are killed in a series of floods in southern India. (Reuters)
• Guatemala's disaster agency declares a nationwide orange alert following a major eruption of Fuego volcano and begins evacuating two nearby villages. (AFP via RNZ)

Health and environment

• 2020–2026 H5N1 outbreak
  • Scotland's NatureScot denies a 2026 licence for hunting northern gannets on Sula Sgeir, citing possible harm to the local gannet population after recent bird-flu deaths. (AFP via RFI)
• 2026 European heatwaves
  • Italy experiences its fourth heatwave of the summer with the health ministry issuing red alerts for a record 25 cities. (AA)
• 2026 United States cyclosporiasis outbreak
  • Michigan, U.S., reports the first two deaths of the current cyclosporiasis outbreak, which is caused by cyclospora cayetanensis. (AP)

Law and crime

• COVID-19 pandemic in Poland
  • The Polish health ministry appeals a Brussels court ruling that ordered the country to accept and pay approximately €1.3 billion for unwanted COVID-19 vaccine doses produced by Pfizer and BioNTech. (Politico EU)
• South African news outlets report that over 170 people have been murdered in the Western Cape, South Africa in the past 2 weeks. (Independent Online)

Politics and elections

• Human rights in Russia
  • Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin, who attempted to contest the 2024 presidential election on a platform against the Russo-Ukrainian war, announces that he has fled the country to France following growing pressure on him and his family. (The Moscow Times)

Sports

• 2026 WTA Tour
  • 2026 Mubadala DC Open
    • In tennis, Alexandra Eala becomes the first Filipino player and the first player from Southeast Asia to win a WTA Tour title after defeating Jessica Pegula 4–6, 6–4, 6–0 to win the women's singles title at the 2026 Washington DC Open. (AFP via RFI) (ESPN)
• In horse racing, Churchill Downs Incorporated and the New York Racing Association announce a new championship series for 3-year old Thoroughbreds beginning in 2027, involving the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, but notably omitting the traditional middle leg of the U.S. Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes. (Courier Journal) (The Daily Gazette)
• Major League Soccer, the top flight of men's soccer in the U.S. and Canada, announces that Larry Berg, currently a co-owner of Los Angeles FC (LAFC) in that league, will succeed Don Garber as league commissioner at the start of 2027. Berg will sell his interest in LAFC before assuming his new position. (AP) (The Guardian)

---

(Posted) RD: Paula Alí

Article: Paula Alí (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s):

Credits:

• Updated and nominated by GreenLipstickLesbian (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Cuban stage, film, and tv actress. Died this Monday in Havana. GreenLipstickLesbian💌🧸 06:13, 6 August 2026 (UTC)

• Support 3165 characters (522 words) "readable prose size" and sourced. Grimes2 19:22, 6 August 2026 (UTC)
• Support Article quality is sufficient. QuicoleJR (talk|edits) 13:31, 8 August 2026 (UTC)
• Posted. Black Kite (talk) 10:39, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

RD: Mateusz Bąk

Article: Mateusz Bąk (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): https://gdansk.tvp.pl/94674253/mateusz-bak-1983-2026

Credits:

• Nominated by Abcmaxx (talk · give credit)

Article needs updating
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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Polish footballer, Lechia Gdańsk legend. Article very undercited and I have orange tagged it, needs updating on his post-playing years and death, but plenty of sources available if any of the footballing editors would like to expand the article. Abcmaxx (talk) 08:15, 4 August 2026 (UTC)

• Not ready due to sourcing issues. QuicoleJR (talk|edits) 16:02, 9 August 2026 (UTC)

(Posted) RD: Jimmy Cricket

Article: Jimmy Cricket (talk · history · tag)
Recent deaths nomination (Post)

News source(s): BBC News

Credits:

• Updated and nominated by ItsShandog (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:ITNQUALITY.

Nominator's comments: Northern Irish comedian. ItsShandog (talk) 16:36, 3 August 2026 (UTC)

• Comment style section totally unsourced, but if his act had several motifs for several decades, it's bound to be mentioned in sources. Unknown Temptation (talk) 18:13, 3 August 2026 (UTC)

  Cited. ItsShandog (talk) 08:47, 4 August 2026 (UTC)

• Posted to RD Appropriate depth, citation issues resolved. Spencer^T•C 01:08, 10 August 2026 (UTC)

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