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, 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.
International news as always tonight, with happy stories at the top, but it took some efforts to find them! At the very end of the diary are several stories that apply worldwide, so you might want to look there for stories on health, travel, and human rights.
But we begin with Deutsche Welle:
Ali Farhat hours ago
The Africa Cup of Nations 2023 has no real favorite, a lot of contenders and a lot of committed stars. It's shaping up to be full of surprises for soccer fans.
In 37 editions, 15 different countries have lifted the trophy. Virtually every continental powerhouse has at least won it once and some smaller countries have also been able to go all the way, like Zambia in 2012.
From the BBC (link takes you to a video):
A bear left injured and traumatised after Russian shelling of a zoo in Ukraine has arrived at his new home in Scotland.
Yampil, a 12-year-old Asiatic black bear, was one of the few animals to survive the attack in the Donetsk region.
And wildlife pictures of the week come from The Guardian.
Also from The Guardian:
Pet census reveals the most popular types of animal companions – and the names we like to call them
Rafqa Touma and Adeshola Ore
Do you have a puppy named Luna? A cat called Charlie?
According to an Australian-first pet census by Animal Welfare Victoria, you’re not alone.
Luna is the most popular pet name among dog and cat owners in the state – followed by Charlie, Max, Daisy, Coco and Bella.
Finally, it was challenging to find really happy stories in international coverage today, but this is from two days ago and it makes me happy so I wanted to include it. From Al Jazeera:
The initiative, started in 2006, addresses the shortage of psychosocial help and abundance of mental health issues in Zimbabwe.
By Ish Mafundikwa
Harare, Zimbabwe – In Zimbabwe, a country of 15 million people, there are fewer than 20 psychiatrists.
And mental health issues are rife, given a litany of trauma unaddressed for decades: first the horrors of British colonialism and the liberation struggle and then the Zimbabwean army’s killing of thousands of people in the southwestern region of Matabeleland for allegedly supporting ex-guerrillas who turned on the government after independence.
India and its inhabitants are the subject of a large number of stories, so we will start with the subcontinent tonight. From India today:
The Goa Police on Thursday said they found a handwritten letter from the service apartment where Suchana Seth, the Bengaluru CEO who allegedly killed her four-year-old son stayed. In the letter, it was written, "I cannot tolerate the court's order for my husband to meet my son."
Police has sealed the letter and sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination by a handwriting expert.
From WION:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an emotional message, announced that he is beginning an 11-day-long 'anushthan' or special ritual in the days leading up to the grand Ram Mandir consecration scheduled for January 22 in the Ayodhya temple city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
"Only 11 days are left for the consecration of Ramlala in Ayodhya. I am fortunate that I will also be a witness to this auspicious occasion. The Lord has made me an instrument to represent all the people of India during the consecration. Keeping this in mind, I am starting a special ritual of 11 days from today. I am seeking blessings from all the people. At this moment, it is very difficult to express my feelings in words, but I have tried from my side," the Indian prime minister said in a post on X social media platform.
From India Today:
In an exclusive interview, Pawan Khera, Congress's Chief Spokesperson, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hijacking the Pran Prathishtha (the consecration) of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, dismissing it as 'propaganda' and 'politics', and not a function of faith. Khera asserted that it's a personal affair between a believer and their God, and no political party should act as a middleman. He further indicated that even the Shankaracharyas, pillars of Hindu faith, have raised concerns about the ceremony not being in accordance with rituals. Khera emphasized on his party's stand on the Ram Mandir, stating that it was consistently focused on court intervention after failed amicable settlements. Khera's fiery remarks, hit out at BJP's efforts in allegedly politicizing a religious event, adds another layer to the narrative surrounding the Ram Mandir, and raises question about the line politicians should toe when it comes to faith and personal beliefs.
From The Times of India:
Arshad Afzaal Khan
In preparation for the upcoming consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the administration is taking proactive measures to ensure security and manage traffic. Three days prior to the event, residents from adjoining districts will face restrictions on movement towards Ayodhya. The authorities have instructed security forces at district borders to prevent unauthorized entry starting from January 19. Ayodhya's inspector general, Pravin Kumar, emphasized that only those invited to the ceremony will be allowed in, and efforts to remove outsiders will commence two to three days before the event.
From The Guardian:
Netflix pulls Indian film after backlash from rightwing Hindu groups
Netflix is embroiled in a backlash in India from rightwing Hindu groups over a film accused of offending religious sentiments for its depiction of a deity and a member of a traditionally vegetarian caste cooking and eating meat.
Annapoorani: the Goddess of Food, a film made in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, tells the story of a young woman of the privileged Brahmin caste, whose father cooks fooFrom d in a Hindu temple, and her aspirations to become one of India’s best chefs.
From The Print:
Mumbai Trans Harbour Link & challenges faced by big-ticket infra projects in India’s richest city
Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), or Atal Setu, is now open to the public. In Episode 1383 of Cut The Clutter, Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta looks at the big-ticket infra project being hailed as India’s longest sea bridge & what this means for Mumbaikars’ daily commute.
From East to West, then south. We begin with NBC news:
Papua New Guinea declares state of emergency after 15 killed in riot
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea declared a state of emergency after at least 15 people were killed during rioting. This comes after there was an unexpected pay cut for police and defense officers that officials say was a system glitch.
From CNN:
A Russian travel agency is advertising what appears to be the first tour to North Korea since the isolated country closed its borders due to Covid, promising a “family friendly” ski trip to a luxury resort outside the capital Pyongyang.
Like many other countries, North Korea imposed strict anti-epidemic measures and locked down its already tightly controlled borders when the pandemic began to spread worldwide in early 2020.
From The Guardian:
Oscar-winning director leads calls for inquiry into police investigative process following death of Lee Sun-kyun
A group of South Korean artists, including film director Bong Joon-ho, has called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death last month of prolific actor Lee Sun-kyun.
Lee, who played a lead role in Bong’s Oscar-winning film Parasite, died last month in an apparent suicide, at the age of 48.
From WION:
Gravitas | US Tech found in Russian weapons | How is Russia defying sanctions?
A joint study by American and Ukrainian researchers has found that more than half of Russia's imported battlefield tech is coming from the West despite sanctions. How is Russia defying global sanctions? Is it due to U.S' lax enforcement?
From Mother Jones:
An Austrian influencer with ties to the US pushed “remigration” during a closed-door meeting.
Over the past few years, the far-right has made strides across the world. In Europe alone, Italy has elected a member of the country’s neo-fascist party as head of state, far-right parties have had impressive showings in Finnish and Swedish elections, French President Emmanuel Macron has only won office after tight races with far-right candidates, and far-right parties have long held significant power in Hungary and Poland.
In Germany, the far-right Alternative für Deutschland has also enjoyed a growing base of support and power. On Wednesday, German investigative reporters published a bombshell report indicating how they intend to use it.
From The Washington Post:
A former “party prince” and an Australian-born princess are about to become the next king and queen of Denmark after the abrupt departure of a wildly popular chain-smoking queen.
In other words, it’s not just the Brits who can deliver on royal drama.
From The Guardian:
Environmental campaigners say move will threaten marine life and put biodiversity at risk
Norway is to allow mining waste to be dumped in its fjords after the government won a court case against environmental organisations trying to block the plan.
After a 15-year dispute, the private company Nordic Mining has been given the go-ahead to dispose of 170m tonnes of mining waste at the bottom of the Førde fjord, which critics say will threaten marine life and put biodiversity at risk.
From OutKick:
MIKE GUNZELMAN
A Youtuber has been arrested after pouring feces on unsuspecting people, all in the name of trying to go viral for a ‘social media prank.’
Times sure have changed from the days of ‘planking’ and people taking photos of themselves ‘Tebowing’ as they honored Tim Tebow.
From The Guardian:
People behind characters in the ITV drama describe their efforts to highlight Horizon software injustices
The ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office, on the campaign for justice by former post office operators led by Alan Bates, has caused a national outcry and led to unprecedented government action. From Computer Weekly to MPs, to the specialist forensic accountants brought in to investigate, this is how the story has played out over 20 years.
In 2004, Bates approached Computer Weekly’s (CW) investigative journalist Tony Collins over suspicions about the Horizon IT system. It would be another five years before the story saw the light of day. Since then the CW journalist Karl Flinders estimates he has written about 350 articles on the campaign.
Now we head south, to Africa, beginning with this from the Washington Post:
NAIROBI — The crew of a crashed United Nations helicopter in Somalia waited to be rescued for an hour before being kidnapped, two security officials in Mogadishu said, raising the question whether a faster response could have prevented their seizure.
The U.N. helicopter was on its way to evacuate wounded people from the town of Wisil when a mechanical problem forced it down on Wednesday. Nine people were on board: four Ukrainian crew members, two Kenyan nurses, an Egyptian working for a contractor who provides emergency medical evaluations, a Somali military doctor and a Ugandan protection officer.
From Punch (Nigeria):
The Supreme Court has set aside the lower courts’ decisions sacking the Kano State Governor, Yusuff Abba.
The tribunal had set aside Yusuf Abba of the New Nigeria Peoples Party victory after declaring 165,663 of his votes invalid. The tribunal held that the deducted votes were from ballot papers that were neither stamped nor signed.
And across the Atlantic — here is the news from South America, from the BBC:
The rate of deforestation in Brazil's Amazon fell by nearly 50% in 2023 compared to the previous year, space agency data suggests.
Brazil's environment ministry said it was the lowest recorded deforestation rate in the last five years.
Though smaller than in previous years, the deforested area is still more than six times the size of New York City.
From Al Jazeera:
Argentina economic woes: Annual inflation rate reaches 211%
Argentina's annual inflation has surged past the 200 mark to 211 percent. The country has now outpaced Venezuela, where years of hyperinflation and economic woes have provoked a mass exodus. But Argentina's new far-right President Javier Milei says things will get better but not before they get worse.
From The Guardian:
Former Suriname dictator missing after failing to turn himself in to prison
Wife of Dési Bouterse, sentenced last month to 20 years for 1982 killings of opponents, says ‘he’s not going to turn himself in’
Surinamese authorities are searching for ex-president Dési Bouterse after he failed to turn himself in to start a prison sentence for involvement in the murder of 15 political opponents in 1982, the prosecutor general’s office said on Friday.
Bouterse was ordered this week to report to jail, but his wife, Ingrid Bouterse-Waldring, told journalists outside their home early on Friday: “He’s not going to turn himself in.”
And the promised WORLD WIDE NEWS (was that ABC once? someone used that promo)...
This is from The Guardian:
Resurgence classified as grade 3 emergency by WHO, with southern Africa and Haiti among those hardest hit
From Axios:
Ivana Saric
A handful of European and Asian countries dominate a new global ranking of the world's most powerful passports, with citizens of those nations able to travel most freely throughout the world.
Why it matters: The list, released this week by Henley & Partners, highlights the growing divide between the travel privileges that people from different countries enjoy — sometimes referred to as "passport privilege."
And from Al Jazeera:
State of human rights: Report highlights violations across the world
Human Rights Watch has condemned Israeli actions in Gaza.
In its annual report, the organization calls on the international community to do more to end abuses in other hotspots affected by conflict.