Welcome to the Overnight News Digest with a crew consisting of founder Magnifico, regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, Chitown Kev, eeff, annetteboardman, jck, Rise above the swamp, and Besame. Alumni editors include (but are not limited to) Man Oh Man, wader, palantir, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse (RIP), ek hornbeck (RIP), ScottyUrb, Interceptor 7, Neon Vincent, Doctor RJ, BentLiberal, Oke (RIP) and jlms qkw.
OND is a regular 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 12:00 AM Eastern Time.
Please feel free to share your articles and stories in the comments.
I don’t want to focus too much on the Ukraine/Russia situation, which of course dominates the international news, so we will get it out of the way first. If you want to know what else is going on, just jump below the fold.
From the Daily Beast:
As Ukrainian forces continue to make gains against the Russian army, whispered grievances about Vladimir Putin have begun to fly around the Kremlin about the war and efforts to avoid celebrating his birthday, which falls on Friday.
“It quickly became clear that we’re better off not holding any celebrations right now—it’s not the time,” one source close to the Kremlin told Meduza. “Governors are even thinking about cutting back on this year's [winter] holiday celebrations; nobody has extra money lying around.”
From Reuters (via Yahoo! News):
PARIS (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Vladimir Putin, is in a politically "very fragile" position due to Russia's military setbacks in Ukraine, Belarus' exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on Friday.
Speaking just before a jailed Belarusian rights activist co-won the Nobel Peace Prize, Tsikhanouskaya - who herself had been mentioned as a possible winner this year - also said Belarusians deserved global recognition for standing up to "a dictator".
Also from Reuters:
- U.N. body targets 'P5' member for the first time
- Follows closure of human rights groups in Russia
- Vote follows big defeat for West against China
From Business Insider:
- Over half of Ukraine's deployed tank force may be armor captured from fleeing Russian forces.
- UK intelligence said Ukraine is believed to have captured over 1,000 tanks and armored vehicles.
- These hauls have come as Russian forces rapidly retreat from their positions in various regions.
From Politico:
Most nuclear experts and former officials NatSec Daily spoke to don’t think President JOE BIDEN’s comparison of today’s dangers to the Cuban missile crisis and the impending threat of nuclear “Armageddon” is overblown. Some actually say it’s spot on, and arguably not alarmist enough.
“This crisis is more dangerous than the Cuban missile crisis,” ANDY WEBER, a former assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological programs, told NatSec Daily. There wasn’t a “hot war” in 1962 like there is now, he said, and Russia’s military doctrine allows for the use of nuclear weapons when faced with an existential threat, “which is how he has defined Ukraine.”
Sort of related is this from The Hill:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the international community to recognize Japanese claims to four disputed islands that Russia has controlled for more than half a century.
From Al Jazeera:
Superyacht linked to Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov is estimated to be worth $500m.
A superyacht linked to a Russian billionaire sanctioned over his alleged ties to Vladimir Putin has anchored in Hong Kong amid efforts by Western authorities to seize assets belonging to Moscow’s elite.
The Nord, a megayacht believed to be owned by steel magnate Alexey Mordashov, has been located in the Chinese city since its arrival from Russia’s Vladivostok on Wednesday.
From CNBC:
Europe is facing a tough winter, as inflation and energy prices continue to rise. The continent also faces tough decisions following its scorching hot summer.
From the BBC:
By Rowenna Hoskin and Matt McGrath
The world has finally agreed on a long-term plan to curb carbon emissions from flying.
At a meeting in Montreal, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), pledged to support an "aspirational" net zero aviation goal by 2050.
The plan, seen as a compromise by many, was accepted by the 193 countries who are members of ICAO.
From the Washington Post:
BRUSSELS — The mood in European diplomatic circles this week could be summed up in two words: “Really, Germany?”
After years of listening to German government lectures on austerity, and a summer when some turned down their air conditioning in part to help correct a Germany-driven reliance on Russian natural gas, European Union leaders, officials and diplomats were flummoxed over Germany’s $200 billion plan to protect its residents and companies from high energy prices.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
THANASSIS STAVRAKIS and SRDJAN NEDELJKOVIC
KYTHIRA, Greece (AP) — Strong winds hampered efforts around two Greek islands Friday to find at least 10 migrants believed to be missing at sea after shipwrecks left at least 23 people dead, officials said.
A dinghy and a sailboat sank in two separate incidents late Wednesday and early Thursday off the islands of Lesbos, near the coast of Turkey, and Kythira, south of the Greek mainland — prompting a dramatic nighttime rescue, with survivors hauled to safety up cliffs.
From the BBC:
Trade minister Conor Burns has been sacked from the government after a complaint of serious misconduct.
Mr Burns, 50, has also had the Tory whip removed while allegations of inappropriate behaviour during the party conference are investigated.
Downing Street said the prime minister "took direct action on being informed of this allegation".
Other news reports say the man in the following story was upset that the authorities would not let him meet the Pope (there is no explanation in this CBS News story, which is the most recent one I could find):
An American tourist visiting the Vatican smashed two ancient Roman busts on Wednesday. The man was reportedly in a "state of agitation" when he threw the two busts, according to the Vatican.
The suspect is believed to be around 60 years old had been in Rome for three days when he visited the Vatican, which is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and where Pope Francis lives and works.
Now to Africa, beginning with this from the BBC:
By Omar Wally
A red toy motorbike sits in the corner of Mariam Kuyateh's home gathering dust.
It was meant for her 20-month-old son, Musa, but he passed away in September.
He is one of the 66 children in The Gambia who are thought to have died after being given a cough syrup that had been "potentially linked with acute kidney injuries", according to the World Health Organization.
From Politico:
All passengers, including U.S. citizens and residents, who have been in Uganda in the last 21 days will be flown to airports in New York, Newark, Atlanta, Chicago or Washington.
By Krista Mahr and Oriana Pawlyk
The Biden administration will reroute passengers coming to the U.S. who have been in Uganda to five designated airports for additional health screenings, the government said on Thursday, as an Ebola outbreak in the east African nation widens.
All passengers, including U.S. citizens and residents, who have been in Uganda in the last 21 days will be flown to airports in New York, Newark, Atlanta, Chicago or Washington, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection will conduct the screening, according to a notification from the U.S. Embassy in Uganda.
From Reuters:
NAIROBI, Oct 7 (Reuters) - African Union-led peace talks proposed for this weekend to try to end a two-year-old conflict in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region have been delayed for logistical reasons, Tigray forces and two diplomatic sources said on Friday.
Reporting by Nairobi Newsroom; Editing by Frances Kerry, William Maclean and Toby Chopra
From the Times of Israel:
Suspect uploaded footage of murder to social media; unclear how the victim ended up in the West Bank, with some claiming he was kidnapped
By Jack Mukand
A gay Palestinian man living under asylum in Israel was murdered and beheaded Wednesday in the West Bank city of Hebron. The unnamed suspect, who was arrested by Palestinian Authority police near the scene of the crime soon after committing it, recorded the act in a video that he uploaded to social media before his capture.
The victim was 25-year-old Ahmad Abu Murkhiyeh, who according to reports on Ynet and Channel 12 had been living in Israel for the past two years as an asylum-seeker after authorities acknowledged his life would be in danger if he returned to Palestinian territory.
From NBC News:
An “underlying disease” related to surgery she had when she was 8, had caused Amini to lose consciousness, the report said.
By Hyder Abbasi
A young woman whose death triggered weeks of violent unrest in Iran did not die due to blows to the head and limbs but from multiple organ failure, a coroner's report said Friday.
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old from Iran’s Kurdistan region, died in custody after she was detained last month by morality police in Iran’s capital, Tehran, for allegedly failing to fully cover her hair and defying the country’s strict dress codes. Three days later, she was dead.
From CNN:
Amnesty International says a 16-year-old girl protesting against Iran's oppressive laws was beaten to death by Iranian security forces. The government denies these claims. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh reports.
From USA Today:
Kim Hjelmgaard
- Protests in Iran were sparked by the killing of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in custody after being arrested by Iran's "morality police."
- There have been mass arrests of students, journalists, activists, artists, sports figures and celebrities.
- USA TODAY communicated with Iranian protesters over an encrypted channel. This story publishes their testimony in their own words.
From Al Jazeera:
Pakistan is still reeling from record flooding that killed nearly 1,700 people and cost the country about $40bn.Disease and damage to farming communities have prompted warnings of another, deadlier disaster in the weeks and months to come.
Al Jazeera's Osama Bin Javaid reports from Jamshoro, Pakistan.
From the Associated Press (via Yahoo! News):
NEW DELHI (AP) — India's government on Friday said it has rescued about 130 Indian workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia after they were lured by agents for fake job opportunities in the information technology sector in Thailand.
Arindam Bagchi, the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, said some fraudulent IT companies appear to be engaged in digital scamming and forged cryptocurrencies. The Indian workers were held captive and forced to commit cyber fraud, he told reporters.
From NBC News:
Lee Ki Sik, commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, told lawmakers that it’s “desirable” for BTS members to fulfill their military duties to ensure fairness.
South Korea’s military appears to want to conscript members of the K-pop supergroup BTS for mandatory military duties, as the public remains sharply divided over whether they should be given exemptions.
From Al Jazeera:
North Korea has dramatically increased the number of its missile tests.
It's conducted six in just 12 days, including an intermediate-range ballistic missile that landed off Japan's eastern coast on Tuesday.
The U.S., Japanese and South Korean militaries responded with live-fire drills a day later, and the Pentagon repositioned an aircraft carrier off the Korean Peninsula.
From Reuters (via Yahoo! News):
By Daphne Psaledakis and David Brunnstrom
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Friday imposed new sanctions following North Korea's latest missile launches this week, targeting a fuel procurement network that Washington said supports Pyongyang's weapons programs and its military.
From NPR:
The famous statues on Rapa Nui — also known as Easter Island — have suffered "irreparable" damage in a fire, local authorities said.
A photo shared by the municipality of Rapa Nui on social media shows several charred statues in the aftermath of a blaze that swept through around 250 acres of an area called Rano Raraku, which includes the stone sculptures known as moai.
From The Guardian:
Large area destroyed in September, as environmental criminals raced to wreck the region before possible change of president
Amazon deforestation has soared ahead of Brazil’s environmentally vital presidential election, with an area almost the size of Greater London lost last month alone.
Government satellites show a 1,455-sq km area of rainforest was destroyed in September, as environmental criminals raced to wreck the region before a possible change of president could bring Jair Bolsonaro’s era of destruction to an end.