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Overnight News Digest: Ramadan Begins [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-02-28
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 (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.
Pictures of Africa and Africans come from the BBC.
Tonight begins Ramadan, and tomorrow fasting begins. From Al Jazeera:
Ramadan Mubarak 2025: Hear greetings in different languages Here is how to wish someone during the holy month of Ramadan in different languages around the world. Following the sighting of the crescent by the moon-sighting committee on Friday, Saudi Arabia has announced that the first day of fasting will be Saturday, March 1. Other countries follow their own moon sightings, and the crescent moon was not sighted in Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and several other countries across Asia making the first day of Ramadan March 2.
From CNN:
Don’t drink water only when you’re thirsty and other expert-backed hydration tips By Monica Haider For many Muslims around the world, the holy month of Ramadan is a time for spiritual reset. Fasting during the month may be one of the most physically difficult challenges to endure. Muslims refrain from consuming any food or liquid from dawn until sundown — when one can break the fast and share the experience at an evening meal with family and friends. If you’re committed to fasting this Ramadan, here are some expert-backed ways to ensure you’re getting enough nutrients and hydration this Ramadan season.
From the Associated Press:
Morocco urges people to not buy sheep for Eid al-Adha celebrations SAM METZ and AKRAM OUBACHIR Byand OULAD SLAMA, Morocco (AP) — Sheep come running when Larbi El Ghazouani pours alfalfa and straw into their troughs twice a day. The 55-year-old farmer had counted on selling the bulk of his 130 sheep to Moroccans preparing for early June’s Eid Al-Adha holiday, but now his hopes are unraveling and he expects to lose around half of his investment. That’s because, in a surprising break from tradition, King Mohammed VI on Wednesday urged Moroccans to forgo buying sheep to be sacrificed during this year’s holiday amid record inflation and climate change. A seven-year drought has decimated the country’s livestock, causing sheep prices to surge beyond the reach of working class families.
From the New York Times:
As Ramadan Nears, Syrians Feel the Pinch of a Cash Shortage By Raja Abdulrahim The Assad dictatorship is out, but Syria’s economy is in chaos after a civil war and recent policy shifts. The situation is putting a damper on a typically festive season. Days before the start of Ramadan, lines of people snaked down the stairs outside a bank in Syria’s capital, Damascus, waiting for hours to withdraw the equivalent of about $15 for the requisite holiday shopping. The new government has imposed severe daily withdrawal limits of about that amount at Syrian banks, dampening what would usually be a festive time as many struggle to buy even the basics for the holy fasting month. Below the fold, the rest of the news, beginning with a spate of stories from the Middle East and other Muslim countries.
From CNN:
From euronews:
France to 'reexamine' 1968 migration pact with Algeria amid diplomatic tensions By Estelle Nilsson-Julien French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced on Wednesday that his government will be "reexamining" a 1968 migration pact which has historically made it easier for Algerians to settle in France. Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded firmly to Bayrou on Thursday, warning that the country would not accept being "addressed with ultimatums, warnings or threats”.
From Al Jazeera:
Blast at Taliban-linked Pakistani seminary kills six people, injures 20 A religious scholar is killed at the influential seminary. Does this signal a growing threat from the armed group ISKP? By Abid Hussain Islamabad, Pakistan – A suicide bombing at a mosque in northwestern Pakistan has killed at least six people, including a prominent religious scholar, and injured at least 20, according to authorities. The mosque is located inside the Darul Uloom Haqqania seminary in Akora Khattak, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Police said the attack occurred just after Friday prayers had concluded and appeared to target Hamid-ul-Haq, the leader of the religious political party Jamiat Ulema Islam-Sami (JUIS), who was killed.
Thematic arrangement of stories this evening seems appropriate. Disasters, both natural and manmade, are the next focus.
We begin with this, from The Guardian:
Cop16 nature summit agrees deal at 11th hour but critics say it is not enough UN biodiversity conference in Rome ends with fragile accord but questions remain over whether funding will emerge Phoebe Weston The task of halting nature loss by 2030 is slipping out of reach, ministers have warned, as countries from around the world came to a hard-won compromise on nature finance after marathon negotiations in Rome. Delegates at the UN biodiversity conference – known as Cop16 – broke into applause after finally reaching a deal in the Eternal City following a night of tense and painstaking discussions. Cop16 president Susana Muhamad wept as she brought down the gavel on the agreement outlining a roadmap for nature finance. The agreement broke a deadlock at UN talks seen as a test for international cooperation in the face of geopolitical tensions.
Also from The Guardian:
White Island volcano eruption: criminal convictions for island owners thrown out Twenty-two people died in the 2019 New Zealand disaster, mostly US and Australian cruise ship passengers on a walking tour The owners of an island volcano in New Zealand where 22 tourists and local guides died in an eruption had their criminal conviction for failing to keep visitors safe thrown out by a judge on Friday. The release of the decision followed a three-day hearing last October for the owners’ company at the high court in the city of Auckland where they appealed against the charges laid by New Zealand’s workplace health and safety regulator after the 2019 eruption of Whakaari, also known as White Island.
From Al Jazeera:
More than 20 people missing in India’s Uttarakhand after avalanche Authorities say at least 25 people remain trapped after avalanche hits a work camp, burying dozens under the snow. At least 25 people are missing after an avalanche struck the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, authorities say. Blizzard-like conditions caused the avalanche on Friday near a highway in the state’s Chamoli region, adjoining Tibet.
From the Independent:
Russian tourists die after being swept away by tide in shark-infested waters of popular diving spot One found floating unconscious and the other seen being attacked by sharks Maroosha Muzaffar One was believed to have drowned while the other was found being attacked by sharks, his right arm severed.
From the BBC:
US cuts send South Africa's HIV treatment 'off a cliff' Mayeni Jones in Pretoria & Khanyisile Ngcobo in Johannesburg The US government's sudden decision to axe funding for HIV programmes is a "wake-up call" for South Africa, the country's health minister has told the BBC. Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, responding to US termination notices issued late on Wednesday, said the cuts could lead to deaths, but he had instructed state-funded clinics to ensure no patient went without life-saving drugs. There is chaos as many affected organisations scramble to find alternative help for some 900,000 HIV patients by the end of the day.
A few about Politics and Foreign Relations, beginning with the Bangkok Post:
US issues security alert for Thailand Advisory notes deadly Erawan Shrine incident that followed deportation of Uyghurs in 2015 The United States Embassy in Bangkok on Friday issued a security alert for its citizens in Thailand, a day after the deportation of a group of Uyghurs to China. “Similar deportations have prompted violent retaliatory attacks in the past,” the notice posted on the embassy website said.
From the BBC:
Cook Islands China deal riles allies as West's grip loosens Katy Watson The Cook Islands may be small but the ambitions of its leader are mighty. A range of deals Prime Minister Mark Brown signed with China without consulting the public or New Zealand – an ally to which the Cooks is closely tied – has caused increasing irritation and concern. The agreements are the first of their kind with a country that is not a traditional ally. They cover infrastructure, ship-building, tourism, agriculture, technology, education and, perhaps crucially, deep-sea mineral exploration.
This is from The Guardian:
China’s defence ministry warns Taiwan ‘we will get you, sooner or later’ Threat after Taipei announces bigger military drills appears to mirror a line from children’s film Ne Zha 2 Helen Davidson in Taipei China’s defence ministry spokesperson has warned Taiwan “we will come and get you, sooner or later”, after Taipei announced an expansion of military exercises. The threat was delivered in a press conference on Thursday, but grabbed attention inside China for its apparent mirroring of a line from the record-breaking children’s movie Ne Zha 2.
From the Telegraph (via Yahoo!news):
North Korea refuses to repatriate dead from Ukraine for fear of civil unrest Julian Ryall North Korea is refusing to repatriate the bodies of troops killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine because it fears anger from families could lead to civil unrest. is refusing to repatriate the bodies of troops killed fighting forbecause it fears anger from families could lead to civil unrest. South Korean intelligence officials estimate that about 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed, while about 2,700 have sustained injuries.
From CNN:
Hundreds of thousands protest across Greece over deadly train crash Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in cities and towns across Greece on Friday to demand justice on the second anniversary of the country’s deadliest-ever train crash, and striking workers grounded flights and halted sea and train transport. Fifty-seven people were killed when a passenger train filled with students collided with a freight train on February 28, 2023, near the Tempi gorge in central Greece.
From euronews:
Hungary's clampdown on Pride march sparks backlash NGOs and human rights activists in Hungary have condemned the government's proposed clampdown on this year's Pride march in Budapest. In a speech last week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hinted that his administration would crack down on the event, saying it would be "a waste of time and money" for its organisers to make their usual preparations.
From NBC News:
Austrian centrist parties reach deal to govern without far right For the first time since the late 1940s, Austria has a three-party government, which will take office on Monday if all parties approve the deal. VIENNA — Austria’s three main centrist parties in parliament reached a deal to form a coalition government without the far-right Freedom Party that won the last parliamentary election five months ago. In a deal that should bring to a close Austria’s longest wait for a new government since World War II, the center-right, liberal and center-left parties unveiled a program including tax increases on banks and energy companies, spending cuts and immigration curbs.
From The Guardian:
Labour’s aid cuts are morally wrong. Here’s why they make no economic sense either Larry Elliott Aid was soft power but also good for business: as countries get richer, they buy exports. Strategically, this is very short-sighted Get right down to it and there are two reasons for thinking that cuts to Britain’s aid budget to pay for defence are a seriously bad idea. The first is that people will die as a result. There will be less money to respond to humanitarian crises and less money for vaccination programmes and hospitals. Realpolitik is being blamed for the decision, but realpolitik doesn’t make it right. But there are also economic arguments for rich countries providing financial support to less well-off nations, which were summed up succinctly in last year’s Labour party manifesto. This document could not have been clearer. International assistance, it said, helps make “the world a safer, more prosperous place”.
From Politico:
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