(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Overnight News Digest April 12, 2026 [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2026-04-12 Welcome to the Overnight News Digest with a crew consisting of founder Magnifico, regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, Chitown Kev, eeff, annetteboardman, FarWestGirl, Besame,and jck,. 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, JeremyBloom, 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. NPR The Great Green Wall's one of the world's most ambitious eco-projects. Is it working? There's little to hint at the fact that this lifeless 2.5-acre plot was once meant to be one tiny brick in one of the world's most ambitious environmental projects: Africa's Great Green Wall. This multi-billion dollar project was launched by the African Union in 2007. The plan: to plant a "wall" of trees spanning the entire width of Africa — 4,350 miles long and 10 miles wide — to fight desertification in the Sahel, the arid region to the south of the Sahara desert. The Wall's vision was boundless, and its backers called it a "new world wonder." It would re-green nearly 250 million acres of land across 11 countries. Eighteen years later, vast amounts of money have been spent, yet most of the planned Wall remains no more green than Abdi Guelleh's barren field. What began as one of the world's most ambitious ecological undertakings has in many ways devolved into a cautionary tale of poorly planned projects, lacking in local participation and entangled in a labyrinth of opaque financing. NPR The U.S. military says it will blockade Iranian ports as Iran peace talks collapse ISLAMABAD — The U.S. military said on Sunday that it will soon block ships from Iranian ports. It comes after the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement in highly anticipated face-to-face peace talks, according to Vice President Vance, who is serving as Washington's lead negotiator. "The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. And I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the U.S. ... They have chosen not to accept our terms," Vance said at a press conference in Islamabad, before boarding Air Force Two to leave the country. Asked what the major sticking point had been that led to the breakdown in negotiations, Vance said: "The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon." Reuters US blockade of Iran will be major military endeavor, experts say WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - A U.S. naval blockade of Iran is a major, open-ended military endeavor that could trigger fresh retaliation from Tehran and put tremendous strain on an already ​fragile ceasefire, experts say. President Donald Trump, in a social media post after no deal emerged from peace talks this weekend in Islamabad, said the U.S. Navy "will begin ‌the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz." If Trump's strategy succeeds, he would eliminate Iran's greatest point of leverage in negotiations with the ​United States and clear the strait again for global trade, potentially lowering oil prices. But a blockade, experts say, is an act of war that requires an open-ended commitment of a significant number of ​warships. "Trump wants a quick fix. The reality is, this mission is difficult to execute alone and likely unsustainable over the medium to long-term," said Dana Stroul, a former senior Pentagon official during the Biden administration now at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. AP News At least 100 dead in Nigeria after air force ‘misfire’ on market, sources say MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — A Nigerian Air Force strike targeting jihadi rebels hit a local market in northeastern Nigeria, killing over 100 civilians including children and injuring many others, a rights group and local media reported on Sunday. Officials confirmed a misfire without providing details. Amnesty International cited survivors as saying that at least 100 people were killed in the airstrike on Saturday on a village in Yobe state, near the border with Borno state, which is the epicenter of the jihadi insurgency that has ravaged the region for over a decade. Such misfires are common in Nigeria, where the military often conducts air raids to battle armed groups who control vast forest enclaves. At least 500 civilians have died since 2017 in such misfires, according to an AP tally of reported deaths. Security analysts point to loopholes in intelligence gathering as well as insufficient coordination between ground troops, air assets and stakeholders. AP News Peru’s voters face choice of 35 contenders for ninth president in 10 years LIMA, Peru (AP) — A former minister, a comedian and a political dynasty heiress are among the 35 candidates hoping to become Peru’s ninth president in just 10 years. Sunday’s election is taking place during a surge in violent crime and corruption, fueling widespread discontent among voters, who largely view candidates as dishonest and unprepared for the presidency. Many of the candidates have responded to the crime concerns with wide-ranging proposals, including building megaprisons, restricting food for prisoners and reinstating the death penalty for serious crimes. Voting is mandatory for Peruvians from the ages of 18 to 70. More than 27 million people are registered, and of those, about 1.2 million are expected to cast ballots from abroad, mainly in the United States and Argentina. A candidate needs more than 50% of votes to win outright. Hindustan Times US-Iran war LIVE: Trump says Iran ‘is in very bad shape’ but ceasefire ‘holding well’ US-Iran war live updates: Intelligence firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence says all vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has stopped following the latest escalation, reported AP. It reported that movement ceased after US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the US would impose a blockade on the waterway. The firm added that two ships already exiting the strait reportedly turned back after the post. US-Iran war live updates: US President Donald Trump has voiced strong criticism of NATO, saying the alliance failed to support the United States and warning that Washington’s role in the bloc may come under review. “I’m very disappointed in NATO. They weren’t there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO and they weren’t there for us... I think that’s going to be under very serious examination,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The Guardian New Zealand’s North Island braces for Cyclone Vaianu with thousands ordered to evacuate Thousands of New Zealanders were ordered to evacuate their homes on Saturday as the country’s North Island braced for Cyclone Vaianu, which authorities warned could cause coastal flooding and landslides. Vaianu, forecast to bring heavy rain and winds of up to 130 km/h (80 mp/h), was expected to hit on Sunday, then pass west of the remote Chatham Islands on Monday, the country’s weather forecaster said. Several regions were under emergency declarations on Saturday, with authorities ordering evacuations in some parts of Whakatāne, population 37,150, about 430km (270 miles) north of national capital Wellington. “Residents should plan to be away for at least two days,” the Whakatāne district council posted on Facebook. On coastal areas, the storm could cause landslides, storm surges, waves of up to 13m and coastal flooding, it said. The Korean Times More European offshore wind power firms exit Korea European companies with extensive experience in offshore wind power are leaving Korea or downsizing their operations here, fueling uncertainty over the government's plan to shift from fossil fuels to renewable sources. Corio Generation, a British offshore wind power firm owned by Macquarie, disbanded its Korean unit last month following its withdrawal from joint offshore wind projects in Busan and Ulsan. Earlier this year, Germany’s RWE quit offshore wind projects in Taean County, South Chungcheong Province, and Sinan County, South Jeolla Province. These European companies largely attributed their withdrawals and downsizing to worsening profitability in the global offshore wind market, partly due to recent moves by the U.S. government that have weakened the sector. Reuters Swalwell suspends campaign for California governor amid sexual assault allegations NEW YORK, April 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell on Sunday said he was suspending his campaign for governor of California, as ​he faces calls from fellow Democratic lawmakers and dozens of his former staffers to leave Congress following accusations of sexual assault. "To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, ‌I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past," Swalwell wrote in a post on X, without elaborating. "I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made - but that's my fight, not a campaign's." The post did not address the calls for him to leave Congress. Swalwell's congressional office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Swalwell, who had been a front-runner for the governorship of the U.S.' most populous state, ​ended his campaign two days after The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN reported that a woman who previously worked in Swalwell's district office accused him of two nonconsensual sexual encounters. Reuters (Business) Safe-haven dollar gains as peace talks falter, US to blockade Hormuz SINGAPORE, April 13 (Reuters) - The safe-haven dollar advanced broadly in early Asian trade on Monday, as ​peace talks between the U.S. and Iran broke down and the U.S. Navy ‌prepared a blockade of Iranian ports. "Early and thin FX trading this morning is showcasing a risk-off mood, with the broad-based rally in the USD in response," analysts from Westpac ​wrote in a research note. The U.S. dollar index , which measures the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, held steady at 99.056, near its highest level since April 7. Against the ⁠yen , ​the U.S. dollar was up 0.4% at 159.83 yen ​as yields on Japan's benchmark 10-year government bonds jumped 5.5 basis points to 2.49%, the highest level in ​almost three decades. USA Today [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/4/12/2377598/-Overnight-News-Digest-April-12-2026?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/