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Overnight News Digest [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-12-22
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.
We start out with Daily Beast coverage:
Wild Videos Show Rogue Wave Wreak Havoc on Cruise Stomach-churning footage of massive waves battering the vessel in the North Sea have gone viral. Josh Fiallo A rogue wave and high winds combined to briefly knock out power and the navigation system on a luxury Norwegian cruise Thursday, Danish authorities and the ship’s owner said. Authorities’ update comes as stomach-churning footage of massive waves battering the vessel in the North Sea have gone viral, including a clip of the rogue wave that reportedly shattered windows and knocked out power aboard the MS Maud.
And here’s the video mentioned (wow):
x YouTube Video
From USA Today:
CO2 from Grindavik volcano is tiny compared to amount produced by humans | Fact check Kate S. Petersen The claim: Grindavik Iceland volcano eruption released more CO2 than humans ever have A Dec. 19 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) makes a sweeping claim about the environmental impact of a volcanic eruption in Iceland. "And more co2 released by Mother Nature in one event than mankind has ever done since our existence," reads the post in a caption that accompanies legitimate media coverage of the event.
From USA Today:
Tasmania's elephant seal 'Neil the Seal' becomes a viral sensation across the world Saman Shafiq A 1,300-pound southern elephant seal in Tasmania, affectionately known as "Neil the Seal," has become a viral internet sensation on the island state and across the world with his antics and adventures. One minute the naughty seal is taking a nap in front of a woman's car blocking her from accessing the car and the next he's playing with traffic cones and knocking down a fence of a real estate company in the small town of Dunalley.
There is a lot of news from Africa this evening, so that is where we’ll begin. First up is this, from the Washington Post:
Somalia says U.S. drone strike killed mastermind of attack on Americans By Katharine Houreld NAIROBI — A U.S. drone strike has killed a senior Somali militant accused of masterminding a 2020 attack on a military base in Kenya that killed three Americans, a top Somali official told The Washington Post on Friday. Moalim Ayman, who led a unit in the militant al-Shabab group responsible for terrorist attacks in Kenya and Somalia was killed by a drone in Jilib town in southern Somalia on Dec. 17, Information Minister Daud Aweis said.
From the BBC:
Sudan war: General Burhan blames fall of Wad Madani on 'negligence' By Wedaeli Chibelushi Sudan's army chief has lambasted "negligent" commanders after a rival paramilitary group captured the strategic city of Wad Madani. The army had been criticised for leaving the capital of Gezira state, without putting up a fight.
From Al Jazeera:
DR Congo’s provisional election results show lead for President Tshisekedi Electoral authorities announce results of voting by diaspora in the US, Canada, South Africa, Belgium and France. Democratic Republic of the Congo has begun to announce the results of general elections marred by chaotic organisation and credibility concerns. Electoral authorities on Friday announced the results of voting by diaspora Congolese in South Africa, the United States, Canada, Belgium and France ahead of the release of the full outcome on Saturday.
Also from Al Jazeera:
Last set of French troops exit Niger as Sahel sheds Parisian influence The exit is the third time in 18 months that French troops have been sent packing from a country in the Sahel. The last French troops in Niger have withdrawn, marking an end to more than a decade of French operations to fight armed groups in West Africa’s Sahel region. “Today’s date … marks the end of the disengagement process of French forces in the Sahel,” Niger army Lieutenant Salim Ibrahim said on Friday.
Two stories on the same subject, but with very different approaches. First up, the BBC:
New £38,700 visa rule will be introduced in early 2025, says Rishi Sunak Plans requiring people to earn £38,700 a year before bringing family to the UK will be introduced in early 2025, Rishi Sunak has said. The rise from the current £18,600 level was announced earlier this month and had been scheduled for the spring. However, the government has rowed back and now says the increase will come in two stages.
The Guardian’s take:
‘Sign of weakness’: Home Office U-turn on visa salary threshold divides Tories Rightwing factions criticise decision to raise minimum salary to £29,000 in spring, rather than £38,700 Peter Walker Rightwing Conservatives have expressed concern at the decision to U-turn on more than doubling the minimum salary needed for British nationals bringing foreign relatives to the UK, in yet another sign of the party’s continued splits on migration. In a surprise and low-key announcement on Thursday evening, the Home Office said the threshold would still rise significantly from the current £18,600, but to £29,000 instead of the £38,700 initially announced earlier this month.
From France 24:
From Deutsche Welle:
France grounds plane over suspected 'human trafficking' 1 hour ago French officials grounded a Nicaragua-bound plane carrying over 300 Indians following an anonymous tip-off on "human trafficking." Police in France were questioning two men after authorities grounded a flight to Nicaragua carrying more than 300 Indian passengers over suspected "human trafficking," prosecutors said on Friday. According to a statement from the Paris prosecutor's office, an anonymous tip-off signaled that the flight, which had flown in from the United Arab Emirates was carrying people who could be victims of human trafficking.
From NPR:
Japan's government is mired in the worst corruption scandal in three decades LEILA FADEL, HOST: Japan's government is mired in the worst corruption scandal in three decades. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is struggling with allegations that politicians in his ruling party violated campaign finance laws, and the outcome could have a lasting impact in Japan and beyond. Here's NPR's Anthony Kuhn.
Also from NPR’s Anthony Kuhn:
Party bosses fall in Japan's worst political corruption scandal in decades SEOUL, South Korea — Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Friday replaced two of its top executives, as part of a purge related to the worst corruption scandal to rock the country in three decades. The outgoing executives were in charge of policy and parliamentary affairs. They belonged to an LDP faction — a sort of party within a party — formerly led by the late ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
From Deutsche Welle:
Japan approves record $56 billion military spending 11 hours ago Japan has approved record levels of defense spending in a major shift from its postwar approach to military spending. Japan will also loosened arms export controls for the first time in nearly a decade. Japan's defense spending will increase by more than 16% next year under a record military budget. With Japan facing a regional threat in the shape of North Korea, the cash injection is intended to accelerate the deployment of long-range cruise missiles.
From the NY Times:
Japan Relaxes Export Restrictions to Sell Patriot Missiles to U.S. The policy change could shore up American supplies of the weapon, allowing Washington to send more to Ukraine to help in its war against Russia. By Motoko Rich and Hisako Ueno and The move by Tokyo follows a change in Japan’s restrictions on the export of weapons, rules that have been in place for most of the post-World War II era. After a meeting of Japan’s National Security Council on Friday, Yoshimasa Hayashi, the chief cabinet secretary, told reporters that the country could now sell Patriot missiles made under license from American companies.
From The Guardian:
Interview ‘I’m very proud of him’: Sebastien Lai on Hong Kong, accountability and his father Jimmy’s trial Helen Davidson in Taipei Sebastien Lai hasn’t spoken to his father in three years, but says he supports the stance the veteran pro-democracy activist has taken Sebastien Lai is sitting in a downtown coffee shop, on a blustery day in Taipei. The 28-year-old was only recently married, but is spending much of his time flying around the world advocating for his father’s freedom. Days earlier, his father, Jimmy Lai, the prominent media mogul and democracy activist, went on trial in Hong Kong. Lai senior is accused of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the 2020 national security law, and conspiring to publish seditious material, under a colonial-era sedition law. He faces up to life in prison for the more serious charges.
From the New York Post (I know, I know):
Video of Chinese doctor punching elderly patient in head during surgery sparks outrage By Chris Nesi A disturbing viral video circulating online this week purports to show a Chinese surgeon repeatedly punching an 82-year-old patient in the head during a procedure. The alleged incident occurred in 2019 at an ophthalmology hospital in the southwestern Chinese city of Guigang run by the company Aier China.
From NPR:
What to know about Argentina's deregulation protests Amanda Aronczyk Argentina's new president was inaugurated less than two weeks ago. And in that time he has made a stunning number of changes to the country's economic landscape. SCOTT DETROW, HOST: This week the new president of Argentina, Javier Milei, deregulated an enormous swath of his country's economy. The impact of this so-called economic shock therapy is already being felt and being met with opposition. Planet Money's Amanda Aronczyk has the story.
From CBS News:
A boulder blocking a Mexican cave was moved. Hidden inside were human skeletons and the remains of sharks and blood-sucking bats. BY KERRY BREEN Researchers carrying out work at a Mayan burial site in Mexico said this week they found a sealed-off cave that contained human skeletons, along with the remains of over 20 types of animals — including tiger sharks, blood-sucking bats and multiple reptiles. The research work is being conducted in Tulum by Mexico's federal Ministry of Culture, through the country's National Institute of Anthropology and History, according to a news release from the institute.
And finally, a pair of Christmas stories from war zones you might have missed, beginning with this, from the Associated Press:
Grieving and often overlooked, Palestinian Christians prepare for a somber Christmas amid war It’s normally a moment of pure joy for the Rev. Khader Khalilia: the excitement, the giggles, the kisses, as his young daughters — in their Christmas pajamas — open their gifts. But this year, just the thought of it fills Khalilia with guilt. “I’m struggling,” said the Palestinian American pastor of Redeemer-St. John’s Lutheran Church in New York. “How can I do it while the Palestinian children are suffering, have no shelter or a place to lay their heads?”
From the BBC:
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