OND Editors 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 Welcome to the Overnight News Digest with a crew consisting of founder Magnifico, current leader Neon Vincent, regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, wader, Man Oh Man, rfall, and JML9999. Alumni editors include (but not limited to) palantir, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, ek hornbeck, ScottyUrb, Interceptor7, BentLiberal, Oke and jlms qkw. The guest editors are Doctor RJ and annetteboardman.
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BBC:Ebola outbreak can be ended in 2015: UN's Ban Ki-moon
Ebola outbreak can be ended in 2015: UN's Ban Ki-moon
The deadly Ebola outbreak can be ended "by the middle of next year" if the world speeds up its response, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said.
But he warned that although the rate of new cases was slowing in parts of West Africa, Mali - where six people have died - was now of deep concern.
And the head of the UN Ebola mission, Anthony Banbury, said the world was "far away" from beating the virus.
Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia have been worst hit by the E
BBC:Falkland Islands are Argentine signs 'regrettable'
Falkland Islands are Argentine signs 'regrettable'
Argentina's decision to display signs expressing the country's claim over the Falklands is "regrettable", a diplomatic source has said.
A law passed by the Argentine Congress says public transport must have signs saying "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (the Falkland Islands are Argentine).
The Argentine MP behind the initiative said it would reflect "our undeniable sovereignty" over the islands.
But the source said the move was a "hostile course of action".
BBC:Madagascar plague outbreak kills 40, says WHO
Madagascar plague outbreak kills 40, says WHO
An outbreak of plague in Madagascar has killed 40 people and infected almost 80 others, the World Health Organization has said.
The WHO warned of the danger of a "rapid spread" of the disease in the capital, Antananarivo.
The situation is worsened by high levels of resistance among fleas to a leading insecticide, the WHO added.
Humans usually develop the bubonic form of the plague after being bitten by an infected flea carried by rodents.
BBC:Ukraine crisis: Joe Biden warns Russia faces 'isolation'
Ukraine crisis: Joe Biden warns Russia faces 'isolation'
US Vice-President Joe Biden has warned Russia faces "rising costs and greater isolation" if it fails to respect the September peace deal in Ukraine.
Mr Biden, on a visit to Ukraine where he met President Petro Poroshenko, called on Russia to withdraw its military forces from Ukraine.
Ukrainians are marking a year since the start of the uprising which ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Amid celebrations, they paid tribute to those killed over the winter in Kiev
BBC:Nuclear talks: Iran says 'no new ideas' on table
Nuclear talks: Iran says 'no new ideas' on table
Iran's foreign minister has said he heard "no new ideas" as talks on Tehran's nuclear programme stretched into the evening in Vienna.
Mohammad Javad Zarif said he had received "no remarkable proposals to take to Tehran" after meeting US Secretary of State John Kerry for the third time in 24 hours.
Mr Kerry had cancelled plans to leave for Paris to fit in the latest talks.
The clock is ticking down to a Monday deadline for a deal.
BBC:Japan PM Shinzo Abe dissolves parliament for election
Japan PM Shinzo Abe dissolves parliament for election
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has dissolved parliament, paving the way for a snap election.
Mr Abe is seeking a new mandate for economic reforms and is delaying an unpopular increase in sales tax.
But opinion polls conducted by local media indicate low support for the PM and that many people do not understand why he has called an election two years ahead of schedule.
Japan will now head to the polls in mid-December.
Reuters:Lockheed, Pentagon ink $4.7 billion deal for eighth batch of F-35 fighters
Lockheed, Pentagon ink $4.7 billion deal for eighth batch of F-35 fighters
(Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Friday it had awarded Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) a contract valued at $4.7 billion for an eighth batch of F-35 fighter jets that lowered the average price per jet by 3.5 percent from the last contract, and 57 percent from the first batch.
The Pentagon's F-35 program office said the deal includes 29 jets for the United States and 14 for five other countries: Israel, Japan, Norway, Britain and Italy.
Once production of those jets is completed, more than 200 F-35s will be in operation by eight countries, according to the office that runs the $399 billion F-35 program for the Pentagon.
The Pentagon has signed a separate contract valued at $1.05 billion for an eighth batch of engines built by Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp (UTX.N), to power the jets. Pratt last month said the contract would lower the cost of the engines between 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent.
Reuters:Apple $450 million e-book settlement gets final court approval
Apple $450 million e-book settlement gets final court approval
(Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday gave final approval to Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) agreement to pay $450 million to resolve claims it harmed consumers by conspiring with five publishers to raise e-book prices.
During a hearing in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote approved what she called a "highly unusual" accord. It calls for Apple to pay $400 million to as many as 23 million consumers if the company is unsuccessful in appealing a ruling that found it liable for antitrust violations.
The $400 million comes on top of earlier settlements with five publishers in the case, which provided $166 million for e-book purchasers.
Apple agreed to the settlement in June, ahead of a damages trial set for two months later in which attorneys general in 33 states and territories and lawyers for a class of consumers were expected to seek up to $840 million.
Reuters:Japan's Abe: return to yen strength would lead to hollowing out, job losses
Japan's Abe: return to yen strength would lead to hollowing out, job losses
(Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday if the country returns to a period of excessive yen strength it would lead to a further hollowing out of manufacturing and job losses.
Abe, speaking to reporters, said now the yen was weakening the era of companies shifting jobs overseas was over. Abe also said he wanted to support low-income households with tax transfers to rural governments.
Reuters:Japanese military taps youth culture in recruitment drive
Japanese military taps youth culture in recruitment drive
(Reuters) - Japan's military is wooing new recruits with images of smiling soldiers posing like pop stars in a series of photo books and DVDs that tap into youth culture.
Jet pilots, navigators and sailors are among the 60 Japanese servicemen and women who pose in and out of uniform.
Video footage features a woman eating an ice-cream, another in a miniskirt, and men posing bare-chested. Uniformed personnel are pictured jumping for joy.
"I think this approach definitely helps our message to be delivered to the younger generation," Yasushi Kojima, a spokesman for Japan's maritime force, said.
Reuters:Mexico, Central America hail Obama's immigration reform
Mexico, Central America hail Obama's immigration reform
(Reuters) - Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto and Central American leaders hailed U.S. President Barack Obama's sweeping immigration reforms on Friday, with the Mexican leader calling them the "most important measures taken in several decades."
Obama's plan, unveiled on Thursday, eases the threat of deportation for some 4.7 million immigrants who are in the United States without legal documents.
"This is an act of justice which recognizes the great contribution of millions of Mexicans to the development of our neighbor," Pena Nieto told a conference in Mexico.
Most of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States come from Mexico and Central America.
Reuters:UK troops in largest armored deployment in Eastern Europe for six years
UK troops in largest armored deployment in Eastern Europe for six years
(Reuters) - Britain is carrying out its largest armored deployment in Eastern Europe for six years, in a joint exercise with Poland to reassure it in the wake of Russia's intervention in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense said on Friday.
Last month NATO-member Poland said it was drawing up a long-term plan to shift some of its military strength toward its eastern border, following Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea earlier this year.
Britain said around 1,300 of its soldiers were taking part in the bilateral UK-Polish field training exercise in southwest Poland alongside a Polish cavalry brigade and tank battalion.
"The training is designed to develop interoperability between the two armed forces and is a key demonstration of UK support to NATO reassurance measures in the region," the ministry said in a statement.
Reuters:European Parliament may propose Google break-up in draft resolution
European Parliament may propose Google break-up in draft resolution
(Reuters) - The European Parliament is preparing a non-binding resolution that proposes splitting Google Inc's (GOOGL.O) search engine operations in Europe from the rest of its business as one possible option to rein in the Internet company’s dominance in the search market.
European politicians have grown increasingly concerned about Google's and other American companies' command of the Internet industry, and have sought ways to curb their power. A public call for a break-up would be the most far-reaching action proposed and a significant threat to Google's business.
The draft motion does not mention Google or any specific search engine, though Google is by far the dominant provider of such services in Europe with an estimated 90 percent market share. Earlier on Friday, the Financial Times described a draft motion as calling for a break-up of Google.
Google declined to comment.