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, JeremyBloom, and doomandgloom. Alumni editors include (but not limited to) Interceptor 7, Man Oh Man (RIP), 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 since 2007, 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 hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying the post-holiday without fighting for whatever toy is “hot”. I went to a Santa Claus parade, and apart from the horizontal snow I had a wonderful view.
But on to tonight’s diary — as always the lighter news is above the fold, gloomier stuff below. We begin with a video (which you should watch if you are interested in such things, as am I), from Deutsche Welle:
Move over
Halloween! It's time for Dziady, a Slavic tradition that dates back to pagan, pre-Christian times.
From The Guardian (I am sure someone is making a movie about them!):
Trio given leave to stay in their abandoned convent near Salzburg until further notice, church officials say
Three octogenarian nuns who gained a global following after breaking out of their care home and moving back to their abandoned convent near Salzburg have been given leave to stay in the nunnery “until further notice” – on condition they stay off social media, church officials have said.
The rebel sisters – Bernadette, 88, Regina, 86, and Rita, 82, all former teachers at the school adjacent to their convent –
broke back into their old home of Goldenstein Castle in Elsbethen in September in defiance of their spiritual superiors.
From DW:
The European Space Agency (ESA) plans on sending a German astronaut to the moon as part of the "Artemis" mission.
This was announced by the head of the European Space Agency (ESA), Josef Aschbacher, on the sidelines of the ESA Ministerial Council meeting in Bremen.
From the NY Times:
A South Korean man accused of stealing a Choco Pie and a mini custard cake was acquitted after a prosecution that drew widespread criticism.
The goods he was accused of stealing cost about 70 cents. Proving his innocence cost more than $9,000.
It began one early morning in January 2024 when a security guard took two popular South Korean snacks from a company’s office fridge. One, a Choco Pie, cost about 30 cents, and the other, a mini custard cake, cost about 40 cents. Later that month, the company accused him of theft, leading to his prosecution.
From Al Jazeera:
India are expected to bid for the 2036 Olympic Games but the 2030 Commonwealth Games must first cover for past mistakes.
Organisers are confident they can avoid the calamities of last time when India hosts the Commonwealth Games, but there are many challenges for a country that also has Olympic ambitions.
Ahmedabad, in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat, was confirmed Wednesday as the venue for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
A few art bits of news below the fold, then we get to some of the darker stuff.
ART NEWS
From the NY Times:
From Jan. 14, visitors to the museum from outside the European Economic Area will pay 45 percent more for entry to help finance its ambitious renovation plan.
Tourists visiting the Louvre Museum in Paris already have to cope with long entry lines, overcrowded galleries and, occasionally, robbers stealing masterpieces from its halls.
Now, some also face a sharp jump in ticket prices.
On Thursday, the Louvre’s board agreed to increase prices by 45 percent for visitors outside the European Economic Area, including Americans, as part of efforts to raise funds to overhaul the beleaguered institution.
From the Associated Press:
PARIS (AP) — A man arrested by French police earlier this week is thought to be the fourth member of the team that stole France’s crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, the Paris prosecutor said Friday, meaning that the entire gang that carried out the brazen heist is now believed to have been caught.
Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, whose office is heading the investigation, said the 39-year-old man has a criminal record, with six previous convictions, including for receiving stolen goods, for which he was given a 2-month suspended prison sentence in 2010.
From the NY Times:
At least four works by a famous convicted forger have been discovered in Japan. Transparency about the mistakes, however, has sparked as much curiosity as scandal.
By Ephrat Livni
The Tokushima Modern Art Museum in Japan was duped in a major art fraud more than 25 years ago, and it just closed the case last week, when it published an investigation into an early Cubist painting that turned out to be a fake by a famous forger.
The museum had one of four forgeries recently discovered in Japan, all now said to be by Wolfgang Beltracchi, who was convicted in Germany in 2011 for faking masterworks and who now says he painted in the styles of more than 100 artists.
From the Wall Street Journal (behind a paywall, I’m afraid):
Pope Leo XIV visited the ruins of a basilica that archaeologists now say hosted the Council of Nicaea
IZNIK, Turkey—Archaeologist Mustafa Şahin spent years studying the area around Lake Iznik, near Istanbul. Eventually, he realized that the biggest treasure was hidden in the lake itself.
An aerial photo taken in 2014 revealed the unmistakable layout of a church below the surface of the water. More recent findings strongly suggest it wasn’t just any church, but the venue of one of the most important events in Christian history: the Council of Nicaea, a gathering that produced a foundational statement of the faith that is still recognized by most Christians around the world.
From DW (link is to a video):
4 hours ago
About 92 million tons of textile waste are thrown away each year around the world. In Nairobi, a group of young designers wants to raise awareness about waste textiles while also showing the value of used clothing.
Mountains of discarded clothes from Europe and the US are piling up at Nairobi's Dandora dumpsite, as Kenya struggles with textile waste. Imported second-hand clothes meant for resale at Gikomba market often end up in landfills. Local designers are fighting back by upcycling these garments into fashion pieces, urging global brands and consumers to take responsibility for the growing waste crisis.
Now to the gloomier stuff…
We begin with African News, with this Opinion column from Al Jazeera:
The vote is carefully managed from start to finish so that only one outcome is possible: a longer lease on power for el-Sisi.
The voting results will not only decide the composition of the next parliament but will also determine whether, and for how long, the rule of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will be extended.
The vote comes amid an economic crisis and growing public frustration, raising the stakes for a president desperate to secure his long-term political survival.
From DW:
Despite the rejection of a US-promoted ceasefire, international pressure could be the chance for a halt in fighting and increased access to humanitarian aid. But are the warring parties ready to lay down their weapons?
On Thursday, the
European Parliament found unusually strong words for the escalation of the war and the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan. Members of the European body passed a resolution which states that the grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights committed by both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), could constitute acts of
genocide.
The body also mulled halting a free trade agreement with the United Armed Emirates (UAE) over allegations that European weapons are being resold via Abu Dhabi to the paramilitary RSF. The UAE is widely thought to be a main backer of the militia, a claim which the Emirati government has strongly denied.
Now on to Eurasia, from west to east, beginning with Opinion from Al Jazeera:
I saw firsthand how Robbie Gibb’s influence shaped political coverage and helped create the crisis that has now toppled the broadcaster’s leadership.
By Ben de Pear
TV Journalist and Executive Producer, founder of Basement Films, Former Editor of Channel 4 News.
The resignations of BBC Director General Tim Davie and Director of News Deborah Turness over a Panorama edit of a 2021 speech by United States President Donald Trump have plunged the United Kingdom’s national broadcaster into one of the deepest crises in its history.
But the scandal did not begin with a single programme or a single misjudgement. Close to the centre of this crisis is Robbie Gibb, a man who has spent more than a decade shaping the BBC’s political coverage, zig-zagging between the BBC and the Conservative government while advancing his own partisan project that has distorted the corporation’s journalism on Brexit, Trump and, eventually, Gaza.
From The Guardian:
UK had been pushing to join €150bn Safe fund, a loan scheme that is part of bloc’s drive to rearm Europe
Keir Starmer’s attempt to reset relations with the EU have suffered a major blow, after negotiations for the UK to join the EU’s flagship €150bn (£131bn) defence fund collapsed.
The UK had been pushing to join the EU’s Security Action for Europe (Safe) fund, a low-interest loan scheme that is part of the EU’s drive to boost defence spending by €800bn and rearm the continent, in response to the growing threat from Russia and cooling relations between Donald Trump’s US and the EU.
From DW:
Philippines ex-leader Rodrigo Duterte will remain in detention in the Netherlands, appeals judges said. Duterte faces charges of crimes against humanity linked to the brutal "war on drugs" during his term in office.
The International Criminal Court ruled Friday that former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will remain in detention after appeals judges rejected a request for his provisional release.
Duterte faces charges of crimes against humanity linked to alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings during his brutal campaign against drugs while he was president and earlier mayor of the southern city of Davao, the International Criminal Court revealed in September.
Also from DW:
5 hours ago
The far-right AfD party is launching a new youth organization. Experts expect it to be as radical as its predecessor, which German security authorities declared to be right-wing extremist.
Jean-Pascal Hohm is young and well-groomed: a neatly shaved neck, a side part, tidy clothes and an affable demeanor. When he takes to the podium in the Brandenburg state parliament, the 28-year-old lawmaker usually sports a suit and tie.
Hohm is far from being a household name across Germany, but that could soon change. He is slated to head the new youth organization of the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD), which is to be founded on November 29 and 30 in the city of Giessen, a just north of Frankfurt.
From CNN:
Pope Leo XIV condemned the use of religion for justifying “war,” “violence” or “fanaticism” on Friday – instead urging Catholics to mobilize their faith and unify others “regardless of ethnicity, nationality, religion or personal perspectives.”
The pontiff called on worshippers to enable “dialogue and cooperation” between different communities and see the humanity in others, as he commemorated a significant church anniversary in Turkey.
Another story about religion from North Korea is further down in the diary.
From Al Jazeera:
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being staged in United States, Canada and Mexico, with Washington, DC hosting December’s draw.
Iran is to boycott next week’s World Cup finals draw in Washington because the United States refused to grant visas to several members of the delegation, the Iranian football federation announced on Friday.
“We have informed FIFA that the decisions taken have nothing to do with sports, and the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw,” the federation’s spokesperson told state television.
From the NY Times:
Residents of Wang Fuk Court apartments had raised concerns about flammable foam panels and scaffold netting, but the government did not take decisive action.
More than a year before a fire devoured a complex of high-rise towers in Hong Kong, residents alerted officials about potential fire safety violations on a renovation project there.
This week, their worst fears came true in one of the deadliest infernos in Hong Kong’s history.
The fire that started on Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court, a housing complex with about 2,000 apartments, killed at least 128 people by Friday’s tally and injured 78 others. About 200 people are unaccounted for.
Also from the NY Times:
William Li had no idea there was a fire ripping through his building when it started on Wednesday afternoon. There were no fire alarms and no signs of smoke inside his apartment.
Then, he got a call from his wife, who heard about the blaze while she was at work. “You need to go,” she said.
From DW:
Pyongyang boasts of crushing underground churches, but defectors and rights groups say secret worship persists despite harsh crackdowns and severe punishments.
North Korea is continuing its crackdown on underground churches, with dissident media reporting that the authorities are "patting themselves on the back for bringing religion under control."
The Seoul-based DailyNK news site reported on November 18 that its sources within North Korea say the regime is confident that it has "practically exterminated" underground churches and worship groups.
From the Americas, south to north, beginning with Al Jazeera:
Al Jazeera visualises Venezuela’s political and economic landscape, its oil riches and migration crisis amid recent US-Venezuela tensions.
The United States has designated Venezuela’s so-called Cartel de los Soles a “foreign terrorist organization”, and United States President Donald Trump says he plans to combat Venezuelan drug trafficking by land operations, marking the latest escalations in US-Venezuela tensions.
Washington alleges Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro heads the organisation, which, the US says, is involved in widespread corruption and drug trafficking. Maduro denies the accusations amid growing fears of potential US military action in the region, and his government has called the cartel an “invention”.
Also from Al Jazeera:
The lead-up to Sunday’s vote has been marred by finger-pointing and fears of election manipulation by campaign rivals.
By Jared Olson
Incriminating audio. A military demanding oversight. And a powerful leader from abroad, trying to sway voters to the right.
Those are just three of the scandals that have made Sunday’s presidential election in Honduras one of the most closely watched votes in the country’s history.
Finally one from The Guardian I thought about putting above the fold but I figures we could end on a slightly positive note:
The Canadian PM’s breakthrough oil deal with Alberta cost him a cabinet minister and will still face stiff opposition
When the people of the Haida nation won a decades-long battle for recognition that an archipelago off the coast of British Columbia in Canada was rightfully theirs, it was a long overdue victory.
The unprecedented deal with the provincial and the federal governments meant the Haida no longer had to prove that they had Aboriginal title to the land of Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai, “the islands at the boundary of the world.”
