Deutsche Welle
The AfD emerged as the strongest force in Thuringia and nearly tied with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Saxony, substantiating fears of a political shift to the right in parts of former Communist East Germany.
Following the results, AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla demanded a role in the regional governments, claiming a mandate for a center-right coalition including their party and the conservative CDU. The CDU has rejected any collaboration with the AfD though, maintaining a so-called political firewall against the far-right which rules out any ties to that party.
Before the elections, both labor unions and business representatives expressed concerns over the potential economic fallout of an AfD victory. Investors could be deterred, fearing instability and an unwelcoming environment.
Olaf Zachert, an investor specializing in rescuing distressed companies, had warned, for example, that "capital is a shy deer," and potential investors wouldn't invest in regions where they don't feel welcome. He told DW that a rise in AfD support would make many investors think twice before committing to new ventures in Saxony and Thuringia.
This is an open thread where everyone is welcome, especially night owls and early birds, to share and discuss the happenings of the day. Please feel free to share your articles and stories in the comments.
BBC
Joe Biden has said Benjamin Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure a hostage deal and ceasefire with Hamas, amid reports suggesting a new proposal would be sent to the Israeli prime minister as "final".
The US president and Kamala Harris, his vice-president, met negotiators in the Situation Room to hammer out a proposal, as protests engulfed Israel on Monday over the weekend deaths of six hostages in Gaza.
Asked whether Mr Netanyahu was doing enough, Mr Biden replied "no". He added that the US would not give up, and would "push as hard as we can" for a deal.
US officials have categorised this latest proposal as a "take it or leave it deal", the Washington Post reported.
BBC
The US has seized a plane belonging to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, claiming it was bought illegally for $13m (£9.8m) and smuggled out of the country.
According to the US justice department, the Falcon 900EX aircraft was seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to the US state of Florida.
It is unclear how and when the plane ended up in the Dominican Republic. Tracking data showed it leaving La Isabela airport near the capital Santo Domingo on Monday, arriving at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida soon after.
There was no immediate comment from Mr Maduro or Venezuela's government over the matter.
Deutsche Welle
A Brazilian Supreme Court panel on Monday upheld a decision to suspend Elon Musk's social media platform X in the country, according to the court's website.
Last Friday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the platform blocked.
Since the decision, Musk and his supporters have tried to paint de Moraes as a renegade and an authoritarian censor of political speech.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told CNN Brazil he was "satisfied" with the Supreme Court's decision.
He added that the Brazilian judiciary "may have given the important signal that the world is not obliged to put up with Musk's far-right ideology just because he is rich."
Al Jazeera
The United Kingdom says it will suspend 30 out of 350 arms exports licences to Israel, citing a “clear risk” they could be used in serious breaches of international humanitarian law.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy told parliament on Monday that the partial ban covers items “which could be used in the current conflict in Gaza” against Hamas but did not include parts for F-35 fighter jets.
He said the decision to suspend the licences did not amount to a blanket ban or an arms embargo, adding that the UK continues to support Israel’s right to self-defence in accordance with international law.
Soon after the Labour Party won the general election in July, Lammy said he would update a review on arms sales to Britain’s ally Israel to ensure they complied with international law.
Al Jazeera
Protests have erupted across Israel, accompanied by a general strike, after the recovery of six bodies of captives held by Hamas and other Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war on October 7.
Despite Israel’s military saying the captives were killed by Hamas shortly before Israeli soldiers reached them, the outpouring of public anger has focused squarely on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet’s repeated failures to finalise a ceasefire that might see the captives return home.
How big is this? Very big.
On Sunday evening, about 300,000 people took to the streets, closing down roads and demanding the government change its course of action to save the remaining captives still in Gaza, who are estimated to number 100.
And on Monday, Histadrut, Israel’s largest trade union — it represents about 800,000 workers — called a one-day general strike. It was backed by Israel’s main manufacturers and entrepreneurs in the high-tech sector. As a result, large parts of Israel’s economy were shut down for several hours before a labour court ordered protesters to return to work at 2:30pm (11:30 GMT).
The Guardian, US
Two US military service members were “physically attacked” in the port city of Izmir in western Turkey on Monday by members of an anti-American youth group, authorities said.
Fifteen suspected assailants were detained in the attack on the two service members, who were dressed in civilian clothing at the time of the incident. Five other US service members joined in the incident after seeing the violent encounter, officials said.
Those detained were members of the
Turkey Youth Union (TGB), a youth offshoot of the nationalist opposition Vatan Party. Police intervened in the incident and authorities are conducting an investigation, officials said.
The Guardian, UK
Conservative politicians have started to be seen as “weird”, and few members of the public – even including the party’s own voters – are able to identify the Tory leadership candidates, research suggests.
Asked who had the best chance of winning the next election for the Tories, 70% of respondents either said they did not know or that they thought none of the candidates could win – with James Cleverly given the greatest chance, on 8%, followed by Priti Patel.
Multiple focus groups of former Tory voters suggested that those who switched their vote at the last election were not inclined to back to the
Conservatives any time soon.
The Guardian, Europe
A husband who allegedly drugged his wife and invited more than 80 strangers to rape her at their home for almost a decade went on trial on Monday in a case that has shocked France.
Fifty men accused of taking part in the abuse of the woman are also on trial at the court in Avignon. More than a dozen feminists dressed in black protested outside the courthouse as the trial opened.
Police say Dominique Pélicot crushed sleeping tablets and anti-anxiety medication and mixed it into his wife Gisèle’s evening meal or in her wine at their home in Mazan, near Carpentras in Provence. The father of three recruited men to rape and sexually abuse her from a online chatroom, where members fantasised about performing sexual acts on non-consenting partners.
The Guardian, International
Growing up near the historic mud-brick city of Agadez, Niger’s gateway to the Sahara, Mariam Issoufou was always inspired by the majestic adobe structures around her. The 27-metre-high minaret of the city’s mosque, the tallest mud-brick structure in the world, has stood on the sandy horizon since the 16th century. But Issoufou never imagined that becoming an architect, and building such things herself, was a possibility.
“There were no role models,” she says. “I didn’t know of any architects in Niger, let alone any women in the field.”
When she had the chance to study in the US in the 1990s, it was the dawn of the tech era, and computers seemed like the most promising route to a stable career. “So I became a software engineer. I worked in the industry for almost 10 years, and didn’t like a minute of it.”
AP News
WASHINGTON (AP) — Several cars at the back of a motorcade carrying Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz crashed while heading from the airport to a campaign stop in Milwaukee on Monday, but Walz was unhurt.
President Joe Biden called and spoke to Walz a short time later, as the president was traveling to a separate campaign stop in Pittsburgh with Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris’ campaign said that she also spoke with her running mate by phone after the crash and that he was not injured.
The Harris campaign said the crash involved cars near the rear of the motorcade. Walz, who is also the governor of Minnesota, was riding closer to the front.
USA Today
As Hurricane Gilma approached Hawaii, a mother, her daughter and their pets found themselves dangerously in its path while sailing through the Pacific Ocean.
Raging seas and high winds battered the stranded vessel, which bore a French flag. A man, who authorities later said was the sailboat's captain, was dead.
For the woman and her child, the situation was growing increasingly dire. But in a climactic moment that could have come straight from a blockbuster disaster film, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Navy teamed up for a daring rescue in the middle of a turbulent storm.
By the end of the treacherous, days-long operation, both the woman and the girl were rescued, as were their pet cat and tortoise, the Coast Guard said in a news release.
…
It's not clear how he died or why the boat was in the path of the hurricane in the first place.
NPR
The brain needs a lot of energy — far more than any other organ in the body — to work properly. And aging and Alzheimer’s disease both seem to leave the brain underpowered.
But an experimental cancer drug appeared to re-energize the brains of mice that had a form of Alzheimer’s — and even restore their ability to learn and remember.
The finding, published in the journal Science, suggests that it may eventually be possible to reverse some symptoms of Alzheimer’s in people, using drugs that boost brain metabolism.
The results also offer an approach to treatment that’s unlike anything on the market today. Current drugs for treating Alzheimer’s, such as lecanemab and donanemab, target the sticky amyloid plaques that build up in a patient’s brain. These drugs can remove plaques and slow the disease process, but do not improve memory or thinking.
The crew of the Overnight News Digest consists of founder Magnifico, regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, Chitown Kev, jeremybloom, Magnifico, annetteboardman, Rise above the swamp, Besame and jck. Alumni editors include (but not limited to) eeff, 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.
