OND is a community feature on Daily Kos, consisting of news stories from around the world, sometimes coupled with a daily theme, original research or commentary. Editors of OND impart their own presentation styles and content choices, typically publishing each day near 12:00AM Eastern Time.
OND Editors consisting of founder Magnifico, regular editors jlms qkw, Bentliberal, wader, Oke, rfall, and JML9999, alumni editors palantir and ScottyUrb, guest editors maggiejean and annetteboardman, and current editor-in-chief Neon Vincent, along with anyone else who reads and comments, informs and entertains
Editorial Note:As events continue to unfold in the Middle East Changes happening by the minute stories of the Crisis have been omitted. Meanwhile elsewhere........
BBC:US marines killed in Afghan attack on Camp Bastion
US marines killed in Afghan attack on Camp Bastion
At least two US marines have been killed in an attack on Camp Bastion, a major base for international forces in southern Afghanistan, US officials say.
They say assailants used small arms, rockets and mortars to attack the perimeter of the camp in Helmand.
The UK's Prince Harry is currently based at Camp Bastion on his second Afghan tour of duty.
Nato told Reuters that the prince was on the base at the time of the attack but was "never in any danger".
BBC:Legionella bug found at Llandrindod Wells hospital
Legionella bug found at Llandrindod Wells hospital
A hospital's water system has been flushed through after part was found to contain legionella, the bacteria which can cause Legionnaires' disease.
The bug was discovered at Llandrindod Wells Hospital in Powys following concerns over water quality.
Bottled water was used for washing until the water system was cleaned through on Friday.
Powys Teaching Health Board said there had been no reported cases of anyone being affected by the bacterium so far.
BBC:Nicaragua frees US citizen Jason Puracal after appeal
Nicaragua frees US citizen Jason Puracal after appeal
A US national who spent two years in prison in Nicaragua has been freed and allowed to leave the country, a spokesman for his family says.
Jason Puracal was found guilty of drug trafficking and money laundering in 2011 and sentenced to 22 years in jail.
Human rights groups had long maintained his prosecution had been unjust.
On Wednesday, an appeals court ordered his release, arguing that his defence had not been allowed to introduce evidence in his favour.
BBC:South Africa vows clampdown on Marikana mine unrest
South Africa vows clampdown on Marikana mine unrest
South Africa's government has announced a raft of measures to clamp down on continuing unrest in the mining sector.
It warned it would crack down "very swiftly" on anyone involved in an illegal gathering or carrying weapons.
However, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe said that this did not amount to a state of emergency.
The move came as striking workers at the Marikana platinum mine rejected a pay offer from the management and some unions threatened a general strike.
BBC:India opens retail to global supermarkets
India opens retail to global supermarkets
India's government has once again cleared a controversial plan to open up its lucrative retail sector to global supermarket chains.
Last year, the government suspended a similar plan after fierce opposition from its allies and political rivals.
International firms such as Walmart and Tesco will now be able to buy up to a 51% stake in multi-brand retailers.
Analysts say the government has reintroduced the measure in an effort to revive a flagging economy.
BBC:Russian Duma expels anti-Putin MP Gennady Gudkov
Russian Duma expels anti-Putin MP Gennady Gudkov
Russia's parliament has voted to expel an outspoken opponent of President Vladimir Putin by a two-to-one margin over alleged business dealings.
Gennady Gudkov, who joined mass protests against political corruption over the winter, denied the allegations and called the vote a farce.
He in turn accused pro-Putin MPs of pursuing business interests while sitting in the State Duma.
Analysts say the vote is being seen as part of a crackdown on dissent.
Reuters:A comedown may be waiting after Fed high
A comedown may be waiting after Fed high
(Reuters) - Comparing the Federal Reserve to a rehab clinic offering addicted investors a synthetic high has been a favorite of Wall Street wags ever since the first round of Fed stimulus nearly four years ago. The punch line is that you always need more and more to get the same high and each bout of euphoria is followed by a crashing comedown.
After the frenetic reaction brought about by the announcement of the Fed's latest stimulus program - $40 billion pumped into the U.S. economy each month - the coming week is likely to bring a more sober period for markets as investors digest what it means in the longer run and turn their attention to the remainder of the year.
That will include rancorous U.S. elections in November, wrangling over taxes and spending cuts and a slowdown in corporate earnings.
"Right now we have this short-term euphoria. But then the question is where do we go from here," said Frank Fantozzi, chief executive of Planned Financial Services, an independent wealth manager in Cleveland. "I think after a week or so, if the underlying economic data doesn't change, you're going to see the market drop a bit and we'll continue to plod along until the election."
Reuters:Appeals court weighs donor secrecy of outside spending groups
Appeals court weighs donor secrecy of outside spending groups
(Reuters) - Two conservative groups asked the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington on Friday to allow tax-exempt organizations that pump millions of dollars into election ads in the weeks leading up to the November 6 vote to keep the names of their donors secret.
The Center for Individual Freedom and the Hispanic Leadership Fund are appealing a March federal court ruling that required the organizations, known for their tax code as 501(c) groups, to disclose previously anonymous donors if they run so-called issue ads in the weeks before the election.
Such ads are nuanced to make no overt call for election or defeat of specific candidates but, for instance, talk about their voting records. That way these groups can keep donors anonymous under tax and campaign finance laws that allow such secrecy as long as politics is not the groups' chief activity.
The two groups ultimately want the courts to reinstate the Federal Election Commission rules protecting the names of donors. They were quashed by a lower court earlier this year in a case was brought by Democratic congressman Chris Van Hollen.
Reuters:Taliban Afghan attack kills two U.S. troops, Prince Harry unhurt
Taliban Afghan attack kills two U.S. troops, Prince Harry unhurt
(Reuters) - Two U.S. Marines were killed and other Americans were wounded on Friday during a Taliban attack on a base in southern Afghanistan where Britain's Prince Harry is stationed, U.S. officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A spokesman for NATO-led forces in Afghanistan said Harry was on the base at the time of the attack but was unharmed.
"Prince Harry was never in any danger," spokesman Martyn Crighton said, adding that the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) would investigate whether his presence on the base had motivated the attack.
The attack involved rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and small-arms fire, with insurgents breaching the perimeter of Camp Bastion in volatile Helmand province, U.S. officials said.
Reuters:State court ruling deals blow to U.S. bank mortgage system
State court ruling deals blow to U.S. bank mortgage system
(Reuters) - The highest court in the state of Washington recently ruled that a company that has foreclosed on millions of mortgages nationwide can be sued for fraud, a decision that could cause a new round of trouble for the nation's banks.
The ruling is one of the first to allow consumers to seek damages from Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, a company set up by the nation's major banks, if they can prove they were harmed.
Legal experts said last month's decision from the Washington Supreme Court could become a precedent for courts in other states. The case also endorsed the view of other state courts that MERS does not have the legal authority to foreclose on a home.
"This is a body blow," said consumer law attorney Ira Rheingold. "Ultimately the MERS business model cannot work and should not work and needs to be changed."
Reuters:RUSAL woos Chinese investment in Siberia
RUSAL woos Chinese investment in Siberia
(Reuters) - Russia's RUSAL (0486.HK), the world's largest aluminum producer, wants Chinese companies to consider investing in new smelting projects in Siberia, a senior executive of the metal company said.
China, which accounts for 44 percent of global aluminum consumption, needs to invest in new production projects to meet increasing demand over the next 5 to 10 years, Oleg Mukhamedshin, head of RUSAL's equity and strategic development, told a Metal Bulletin aluminum conference in Moscow on Friday.
"RUSAL proposes that China considers Siberia as an alternative (to domestic projects)," Mukhamedshin said.
Siberia has the benefit of access to hydro energy as well as proximity to China, while RUSAL, controlled by businessman Oleg Deripaska, has bauxite resources and alumina capacity, Mukhamedshin said. Delivery from Russia's Far East ports to Shanghai takes from four to eight days.
Reuters:U.S. renews waivers of Iran sanctions for Japan, EU nations
U.S. renews waivers of Iran sanctions for Japan, EU nations
(Reuters) - The United States has renewed waivers on Iran sanctions for Japan and 10 European countries because they cut their purchases of the OPEC nation's crude oil, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday.
The renewal means banks in the 11 countries have been given a second 180 day reprieve from the threat of being cut off from the U.S. financial system under the sanctions designed to choke funding to Iran's nuclear program.
The West suspects Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran insists the program is for civilian purposes.
The sanctions law President Barack Obama signed in 2011 requires a review every six months of the waivers, which were given to all of Iran's major buyers throughout 2012.
gigaom.com:T-Mobile may not get the iPhone 5, but it’s getting its SIM cards
T-Mobile may not get the iPhone 5, but it’s getting its SIM cards
Even though it’s never officially offered the device, T-Mobile has long supported the iPhone on its 2G networks by simply selling its customers SIM cards they can slot into their handsets. The new iPhone 5, however, uses new nano-SIM technology – try as hard as you like but you won’t be able to cram a T-Mo SIM into the Apple device.
Apparently that will change in mid-October. Both TMoNews and The Verge have tracked down information suggesting T-Mobile will begin selling the nano-SIM in mid-October. TMoNews got its hands on internal T-Mobile SIM materials that show that nano-card will be available mid-next month, and The Verge spotted a tweet from T-Mobile customer service stating T-Mobile is “looking at getting them mid October.”
This is hardly a surprise since T-Mobile has been actively luring iPhone owners of all makes over to its network where they can wallow in the carrier’s unlimited and cheap big-bucket data plans. The big catch is that in most of T-Mobile’s footprint customers can only access 2G speeds on the iPhone. Gobs of cheap data aren’t much use if you can only download them at sub-dial-up speeds.
But that’s changing, and quickly. T-Mobile is overhauling its networks, aligning them with the 3G and 4G radios embedded in the iPhone and most other North American GSM devices. iPhone customers can already access its HSPA+ network in New York City, Las Vegas and Seattle, and T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray has said the carrier will have a “material” footprint of HSPA+ in iPhone friendly bands by the end of the year. (Ray will share more details on T-Mobile’s network transformation at GigaOM’s Mobilize conference next week).