Welcome to the Overnight News Digest with a crew consisting of founder Magnifico, regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, Chitown Kev, eeff, Magnifico, annetteboardman, Besame, jck, and JeremyBloom. Alumni editors include (but not limited to) Interceptor 7, Man Oh Man, wader, Neon Vincent, palantir, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse (RIP), ek hornbeck (RIP), rfall, ScottyUrb, 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, sometimes09OP0az 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.
From Global News:
From NPR:
Finland, which has held the title of happiest country for six years running, is now looking to teach the rest of the world a thing or two.
The Nordic country is hosting a four-day happiness masterclass in June, and its tourism board says 10 lucky applicants will get to go for free. Others will be able to study (and hopefully cheer) up virtually when it later becomes available online.
From the NY Post:
This surprise find is becoming part of one home’s scenery.
A TikTok user has gone viral after coming upon a huge hole underneath his kitchen floor — and deciding to make it part of his home.
Creator @MortyLad has racked up millions of views on the platform after discovering an 18th-century water well in his kitchen floor, and documenting every step of the process in which he excavates and incorporates it into the overall aesthetic.
From Reuters:
VILLANUEVA DE VIVER, Spain, March 24 (Reuters) - Spain's first major wildfire of the year raged in the eastern Valencia region on Friday, destroying more than 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of forest and forcing 1,500 residents to abandon their homes, authorities said.
An unusually dry winter across parts of the south of the European continent has reduced moisture in the soil and raised fears of a repeat of 2022, when 785,000 hectares were destroyed in Europe - more than double the annual average for the past 16 years, according to European Commission (EC) statistics.
From The Guardian:
Discreet removal causes social media outrage with claims timepiece is worth €80,000 and he is ‘president of the rich’
Emmanuel Macron has sparked social media outrage after eagle-eyed television viewers spotted him removing his “luxury” watch midway through an interview over his fiercely contested pension changes.
The television appearance on Wednesday came one day before more than 1 million protesters – 3 million according to unions – demonstrated around France to oppose his government raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.
And in much the same theme, this from NDTV:
The high-end fashion label Christian Dior is a famous brand everywhere in the world. This popular brand appears to be a favourite of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's 'beloved daughter Kim Ju-ae too.
According to a report by The Washington Post, Kim Ju-ae, who is thought to be about 10 or 11 years old, was photographed by North Korean state media attending yet another missile launch with her father last week. Kim Ju Ae was wearing a black quilted jacket. The Hwasong-17 test launch was overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter on March 16.
From CNN:
A male zebra broke loose in South Korea’s capital on Thursday, trotting down busy roads and back alleys for hours before being tranquilized and returned to a zoo.
Videos on social media showed 3-year-old Sero galloping through the Gwangjin district of Seoul amid heavy traffic, strolling down narrow alleys in residential neighborhoods, and passing zebra crossings as it scuttled around the city.
From NBC News (AP):
A group of primary school students was seen sitting on the road and some of them sustained hand injuries.
HONG KONG — Four passenger buses and a truck collided near a Hong Kong road tunnel Friday and 87 people were injured, including children. Most of the injuries were minor.
The accident occurred after midday near a tunnel entrance on Tseung Kwan O Road in Lam Tin, a residential area in Kowloon. A taxi carried out a “careless lane change” and the other vehicles could not stop in time, causing the collision, senior police inspector Lee Pok-kit said.
From the Deccan Herald:
It does not lend any credit to India’s democracy that the country’s most prominent Opposition leader has been disqualified from parliament for an offence which in normal discourse would not be considered important enough to invite such a serious punitive response from the system. It would lower the stature and credibility of the system and push the country into the ranks of authoritarian regimes that hound Opposition leaders and critics and take out all legal wares and other means to silence them and to ensure that they do not participate in the political process.
From Deutsche Welle:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warned he could not be directly involved in the government's controversial plans to overhaul the judiciary.
Gali Baharav-Miara warned Netanyahu of potential legal consequences and described his intervention as "illegal," noting a conflict of interest given Netanyahu's ongoing trial over alleged corruption.
From ABC News (AP):
A popular gay social networking application has issued a warning to its users in Egypt, as police impersonate community members to target and arrest LGBTQ+ individuals through digital platforms
CAIRO -- A popular gay social networking application said Friday that it is issuing a warning to its users in Egypt, as police impersonate community members to target LGBTQ+ individuals.
Users in Egypt will see the following warning appear in Arabic and English when they open the app:
“We have been alerted that Egyptian police is actively making arrests of gay, bi, and trans people on digital platforms. They are using fake accounts and have also taken over accounts from real community members who have already been arrested and had their phones taken. Please take extra caution online and offline, including with accounts that may have seemed legitimate in the past.”
From NPR:
The man who was celebrated as a hero in the movie Hotel Rwanda for saving lives during the Rwandan genocide has been released from prison.
Senior Biden administration officials confirmed to reporters that Paul Rusesabagina had been released from prison in the capital of Kigali late Friday evening. He was accompanied by U.S. Embassy officials and moved to the residence of Qatar's ambassador.
From euronews.com:
A court in London has convicted three people for a "horrific" plot that tested Britain's new modern slavery laws.
Nigerian Senator Ike Ekweremadu, 60, and his wife Beatrice, 56, were found guilty in an organ-harvesting scam. Another Nigerian, Dr Obinna Obeta, was also found guilty and described at the trial as the "medical middleman".
Jurors at the Old Bailey, Britain's top criminal court, heard how a 21-year-old man from a remote village in Nigeria was tricked into believing he was travelling to the UK for a job.
From France24: