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Overnight News Digest [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-04-18
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.
Photos of the week this week from the Daily Journal.
I decided to look at some different news sources tonight, so this diary is weighted to the Far East and Pacific Islands, although there are some other items. As always, cheerier stories above the fold.
From CNN:
This remote Pacific island nation just got its first ATMs Kathleen Magramo By The Pacific paradise of Tuvalu is one of the most remote nations in the world, surrounded by bountiful exotic fish and colorful corals. Located between Australia and Hawaii, the country is so isolated that all transactions, either by locals or visitors, have only ever been done in cash.
From sci.news:
Giant Freshwater Crayfish Lived in New Zealand 20 Million Years Ago The fossil record of freshwater crayfish is surprisingly sparse, comprising mostly trace fossils, some body fossils and rarely gastroliths. Paleontologists from Flinders University, the University of New South Wales, Canterbury Museum and the University of Canterbury have now discovered that a tiny molar on mandibles (jaws) of Gondwanan freshwater crayfish has a hard robust apatite layer that may well facilitate fossilization. They’ve found eight jaw fragments from fossil freshwater crayfish that lived in New Zealand during the Early Miocene epoch. Prehistoric freshwater crayfish grew up to about 25 cm long, compared to about 8 cm for today’s New Zealand species. “Crayfish were an important creature in ancient environments,” said Dr. Paul Scofield, senior curator at Canterbury Museum.
From Travel and Tour World:
Qantas Chronicles 90 Years of Flying from Australia to the World with Historic Tributes to Its First International Flight and Global Expansion Qantas is proudly commemorating a landmark chapter in aviation history—90 years since its first international flight, a testament to its pioneering spirit and enduring role in connecting Australia to the world. From its humble beginnings in 1935 to becoming a global leader in long-haul travel, the airline has carried the nation’s identity across continents and through generations. From Brisbane to the World: A Journey That Began with Two Passengers
It was on 17 April 1935 that Qantas etched its name into history by operating Australia’s first-ever international passenger flight, journeying from Brisbane to Singapore. That inaugural flight, aboard a de Havilland DH86 aircraft, took three and a half days and included 16 refuelling and stopover points. The passenger count? Just two—but it was the beginning of an era.
Reuters Photo Gallery from the Honolulu Star Advertiser:
Indonesian woman turns to mangroves to fight rising tides Indonesia, an archipelago of thousands of islands, has about 81,000 km of coastline, making it particularly vulnerable to rising seas and erosion. Sea levels on the country's coasts rose an average of 4.25 millimeters annually from 1992 to 2024.
From the Catholic News Agency:
Faith on the streets: Holy Week plays in the Philippines depict passion of Jesus Christ By Valerie Joy Escalona Every Holy Week, streets across the Philippines transform into open-air stages for one of the country’s most unique and deeply rooted Catholic traditions: the “Senákulo,” a dramatic reenactment of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This age-old practice is not just theater but an opportunity to evangelize people right where they are — on the streets. Families, parishes, and entire “barangays” spend weeks preparing for the street plays, which have become a powerful expression of Filipino faith and cultural identity.
From the New York Times:
France Acknowledges Devastating Effect of Debt Imposed on Haiti for Freedom After two centuries, a contrite tone from President Emmanuel Macron, though no talk of reparations for French actions that thwarted the development of its former colony. By Roger Cohen and Ségolène Le Stradic President Emmanuel Macron of France said on Thursday that it was time to “recognize the truth of history,” 200 years after King Charles X recognized the independence of Haiti but demanded that its former French colonists be paid an enormous sum for that freedom. As a result, Haiti became the only country in the world where the descendants of enslaved people were forced over generations to compensate the descendants of their former colonial masters.
From the South China Morning Post:
Pupy the elephant finds new home in Brazil sanctuary after 30 years in Argentine zoo The 35-year-old African elephant arrived ‘in perfect health’ and will remain in an outdoor shed while she begins to adapt to her new home Pupy the elephant arrived at her new home in a sanctuary in Mato Grosso, Brazil, on Friday following a 2,700km (1,680-mile) overland journey from a zoo converted into an ecological park in Argentina’s capital where she had spent 30 years in conditions criticised by activists. The Buenos Aires mayor’s office said in a statement that the last elephant living in the Argentine city’s “Ecopark” arrived at her destination in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest “in perfect health”.
From Economic Times (India):
Pacific islands battle dengue fever outbreak, Samoan boy dies in Auckland hospital The outbreak in the above-mentioned Pacific islands has prompted health officials to issue travel advisory and residents to take precautions against dengue fever which is spread by mosquitos in tropical climates. New Zealanders heading to the Pacific Islands these school holidays are being told to take precautions as dengue cases surge. From news.com.au: Australia in the middle of a ‘great workplace realignment’ The “great workplace realignment” is upon us and businesses across the country have been warned to expect a major “wake-up call”. Australia is now in the midst of what is being dubbed the “great workplace realignment”, meaning companies across the country are on the brink of massive change. For many Aussie workers, 2025 has been marked by a frustrating power struggle between employers and employees centred around the growing push to get more people back into the office. From news.com.au:
‘Idiots’ take on waves as deadly conditions kill four across Australia Videos uploaded to social media show people clearing not heeding warnings from surf lifesavers as massive swells claim lives across the country. People have flocked to NSW beaches on Good Friday, despite dangerous conditions killing four people across the country. Videos uploaded to social media show people clearing not heeding warnings from surf lifesavers about massive swells.
From the South China Morning Post:
In Japan, ‘friendship marriages’ provide partnership outside societal norms More couples are choosing such an option despite it contradicting their sexual orientation, citing reasons such as social security benefits Three years have passed since Satsuki and Minato, who are in their 30s and live in the Chugoku region of western Japan, agreed to enter into a nonsexual “friendship marriage”.
From East Asia Forum:
Indonesia’s terrorist networks are adapting, not disappearing Muhammad Makmun Rasyid Since 2023, Indonesia has experienced a ‘Zero Attack Phenomenon’ — a period with no large-scale terrorist attacks. Far from signalling the end of terrorism, it reflects an evolving threat which is moving online to radicalise lone-wolf actors. In response, authorities must focus on improving digital literacy, blocking extremist content online and strengthening transnational responses to physical attacks and radicalisation patterns. Since the bombing of a police station in West Java in December 2022, Indonesia has not experienced any major terrorist attacks for over two years. Aggressive counterterrorist operations, strict surveillance of extremist networks and deradicalisation programs are often credited as the primary drivers maintaining national security stability. But terrorism in Indonesia has not been eradicated — it has evolved.
From the South China Morning Post (SCMP):
From Bandung to Brics: Indonesia’s evolving quest for Global South autonomy Seven decades after hosting a summit that birthed the Non-Aligned Movement, Indonesia prioritises pragmatic ties over grand gestures Amy Sood , to chart a path free from the Cold War’s suffocating binaries. In April 1955, a city in West Java became the unassuming stage for a revolution in diplomacy. Leaders from 29 nations across Asia and Africa, most newly independent, converged in Bandung, Indonesia , to chart a path free from the Cold War’s suffocating binaries.
From France 24:
Man from Pakistan's persecuted religious minority lynched by Karachi mob A mob, which included many members from the anti-blasphemy political group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), on Friday lynched a member of Pakistan's persecuted Ahmadiyya minority in the port city of Karachi. Hundreds of radical Islamists stormed the streets chanting slogans, enraged that Ahmadis were allegedly offering Friday prayers. A mob beat to death a member of Pakistan's persecuted Ahmadiyya minority on Friday after hundreds of radical Islamists surrounded their place of worship in the port city of Karachi, police said. A mob, many from the anti-blasphemy political group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), stormed through the narrow streets of Saddar neighbourhood chanting slogans, enraged that Ahmadis were allegedly offering Friday prayers.
From The Guardian:
The Guardian view on Sudan’s third year of conflict: a war against civilians Editorial The ambitions of two generals and the interests of other states have led to the massacre of adults and children already forced to flee their homes Sudan has begun its third year of civil war in the bleakest manner imaginable: mourning the massacre of hundreds of civilians and relief workers in displacement camps in Darfur. What began as a power struggle between generals has led to the killing of tens of thousands of people and widespread sexual and ethnic violence. The International Rescue Committee says the result is the biggest humanitarian crisis ever recorded: 640,000 people face catastrophic hunger. Basic services and infrastructure, already woefully inadequate, have been destroyed. “One thing that has been consistent since day one,” the Sudanese activist and commentator Dallia Mohamed Abdelmoniem observed this week, “[is that] it’s a war on civilians. Now, I think we’ve become so desensitised to it, that doesn’t make much of a difference any more. There’s no impact.”
From the BBC:
'Child in arms, luggage on my head, I fled Sudan camp for safety' Gladys Kigo The 700,000 residents of Sudan's Zamzam camp were already among the world's most destitute people when they were attacked by paramilitary fighters last week. Two decades of conflict in the Darfur region, which intensified after civil war broke out across the whole of Sudan two years ago, meant they had already fled their homes to find safety and shelter.
From The Guardian:
Congo boat disaster death toll rises to 148, with more than 100 still missing Fire broke out during onboard cooking before wooden vessel capsized with 500 passengers aboard The death toll from a boat fire and capsizing in the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this week has risen to 148 with more than 100 people still missing, officials said on Friday. About 500 passengers were on board the wooden boat when it capsized on Tuesday after catching fire on the Congo River in the country’s north-west.
From the BBC:
Former Credit Suisse boss to run for Ivory Coast president Wedaeli Chibelushi & Nicolas Négoce Former Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam is to run for president in Ivory Coast's forthcoming election, his party has confirmed. Thiam, 62, was the only candidate vying to represent the country's main opposition party, the PDCI.
From France 24 (link is to a video):
'We aren't scared': Meet the Turkish students defying Erdogan The first trials of those arrested during recent anti-government protests in Turkey are expected to open this Friday. The rallies were sparked by the arrest one month ago of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, seen as a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The student-led protests began on the campus of Istanbul University, where young people say they won't be scared off the streets. FRANCE 24's reporters Andrew Hilliar, Julie Dungelhoeff and Amar al-Hameedawi went to meet them.
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