(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Overnight News Digest: Over There [1] ['View Profile', 'Bill In Portland Maine', 'Philip S Wenz'] Date: 2026-04-24 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. Cheerier/non earth-shattering news above the fold; more serious stuff below. Enjoy…? The World Press Photo Contest is highlighted in Deutsche Welle. The images are definitely worth checking out. We begin with a photo essay from National Geographic: Inside Chernobyl’s shadow community: what a nuclear disaster looks like 40 years on Photographer Pierpaolo Mittica has been documenting the passage of time at the disaster site as clean-up crews, tourists, and war, come and go in a landscape still teeming with radiation. “We are just at the beginning of the story of Chernobyl.” Photographs by Pierpaolo Mittica Text by Simon Ostrovsky Exposure is a National Geographic series that features photography from around the world that our editors love. Those who have travelled to the Chernobyl exclusion zone at least a few times since the disaster took place 40 years ago know its biggest secret. To many outsiders, it’s a time capsule of the Soviet period, frozen in that day in 1986 when reactor No. 4 blew its lid and sent clouds of radiation across Europe. But the truth is, Chernobyl is always changing. No two visits are ever the same. I travelled to the exclusion zone for the fifth time earlier this month, but it was my first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Russian troops briefly occupied the contaminated area at the start of the war. The barbed wire around the exclusion zone had always been there. But now, there is a new layer of security in the form of anti-tank trenches that have altered the landscape and Ukrainian military patrols that were there to guard against renewed hostilities in the region. Speaking of nuclear power, Canary Media has an interesting “Chart of the Week” article: Which countries lead the way on nuclear energy? The U.S. still produces more electricity from nuclear energy than any other nation, but China’s rapid buildout of new reactors is closing the gap. By Dan McCarthy Nuclear energy is experiencing a global resurgence. In the U.S. and Europe, a long-wary public has started to warm once again to the sector. Taiwan, which shuttered its last nuclear power plant last May, is looking to restart at least one facility in the wake of the energy crisis spurred by the Iran war. Fifteen years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan is now hoping to double its nuclear fleet over the next decade and a half. But which countries lead the way on this source of carbon-free energy? It depends on how you look at it. From artnet: Tourist Damages Florence’s Neptune Fountain in Pre-Wedding Stunt Authorities consider the damage “minor but significant.” Vittoria Benzine Italy’s naughty tourists are at it again. This week, officials in Florence revealed that one “young foreigner” recently caused €5,000 ($5,800) in damage while trying to grope the iconic Neptune fountain in the Tuscan capital’s Piazza della Signoria, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s home to the 700-year-old Palazzo Vecchio. The incident occurred last Saturday afternoon, according to the City of Florence, when a 28-year-old woman in town from an undisclosed country mounted the maximalist fountain’s rim and made her way towards the towering depiction of Neptune, also known as the Biancone, presiding over its center. “Her intention was to ‘touch’ the statue’s private parts as part of a sort of pre-wedding challenge,” authorities reported. Luckily, several officer happened to be nearby, and quickly intervened. From the New York Times: Venice Biennale Bars Awards for Art From Countries Accused of War Crimes The jury said it would “refrain from considering” countries whose leaders are facing charges of crimes against humanity, which would affect Israel and Russia. By Remy Tumin The Venice Biennale will not give awards to artists from countries whose leaders are facing charges of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, its jury said on Thursday in a statement apparently aimed at Israel and Russia. Artists from those countries will still be permitted to participate in the Biennale, a prestigious international art fair showcasing contemporary works, when it opens on May 9. But the jury said that it would “refrain from considering those countries,” and that their artists would not be in contention for the Golden Lion and Silver Lion awards that recognize the top talents. From The Guardian: Ice block stalls hundreds of Everest climbers at base camp Officials assessing route after serac between base camp and camp one deemed unstable and too risky for climbers A large ice block on the route just above the Mount Everest base camp has forced hundreds of climbers and local guides to delay their attempt to scale the world’s highest peak. The serac between base camp and camp one was unstable and risky for climbers, said Himal Gautam of Nepal’s department of mountaineering on Friday. From The Guardian: New global panel aims to accelerate move away from fossil fuels Scientists and economists will help countries develop plans to reduce dependence on oil, gas and coal Jonathan Watts in Santa Marta and Fiona Harvey A panel of global experts has been launched to provide scientific input for countries that want to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and manage the growing risks of high oil prices, geopolitical conflict and extreme weather damage. The initiative was announced on the opening day of a groundbreaking climate action meeting in Santa Marta, where the Colombian hosts set out a draft roadmap for their own national energy transition. From the New York Times: From Gizmondo: How Roman Sailors Repaired Ships on the Fly Far From Home The surprisingly sophisticated shipbuilding and repair techniques supported ancient navies across the Adriatic Sea. By Gayoung Lee In Pliny the Elder’s Natural History, the Roman scholar described how the Empire used a unique organic mixture to keep boats waterproof. By tracking something atypical from a 2,200-year-old shipwreck, researchers confirmed this is not just true, but that Roman shipbuilders also likely kept refurbishing their ships during their journeys. A Frontiers in Materials study published today describes how studying trapped pollen from the Roman shipwreck, designated Ilovik-Paržine 1, revealed the composition and origin of waterproof coating materials. As organic matter easily degrades over time, it was difficult for naval archaeologists to grasp a full understanding of ancient shipbuilding techniques. To overcome these challenges, the team behind the study designed an interdisciplinary analysis combining archaeology, chemistry, and palynology (the study of pollen grains). From USA Today: Axolotl love: British 10-year-old discovers endangered species in UK Drew Pittock What started out as a routine river trip for one British 10-year-old and her mother quickly turned into a journey through Mexican mythology, after the young nature enthusiast happened upon an endangered axolotl. On April 10, Melanie Hill and her daughter Evie were exploring the Ogmore River in the Welsh town of Bridgend. Evie, knee deep in the river, lifted an old mat from an embankment, revealing an axolotl that was tucked between the rocks. We begin with news from the Americas, with this from ABC News: Haiti’s new UN-backed gang-fighting force exceeds funding expectations The new U.N.-backed international force charged with combating Haiti’s violent gangs has received more pledges than the 5,500 military and police it is seeking, and Chadian troops have already deployed in the capital, Port-au-Prince By EDITH M. LEDERER UNITED NATIONS — The new U.N.-backed international force charged with combating Haiti’s violent gangs has received more pledges than the 5,500 military and police it is seeking, with Chadian troops already deployed in the capital, Port-au-Prince, the U.N. special envoy to the violence-torn country said Thursday. Carlos Ruiz Massieu told reporters after briefing the U.N. Security Council that staggered deployments from Chad and other countries are expected to continue in the coming months with all 5,500 members on the ground “between the fall and the end of the year.” From Al Jazeera: OpenAI’s Sam Altman apologises over failure to report Canadian mass shooter Tech firm suspended mass shooter’s ChatGPT account before attacks, but did not inform law enforcement. By John Power OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has apologised over his company’s failure to warn authorities about the concerning online activities of a teen who went on to commit one of Canada’s worst mass shootings. Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, went on a shooting spree in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, on February 10, killing eight people. European news now, beginning with Deutsche Welle: A booklover’s dream holiday in Scotland Elizabeth Grenier As UNESCO celebrates World Book Day on April 23, we visit a Scottish coastal town that was saved by books. Running a cozy little bookshop where readers can meet and connect over their favorite authors is a dream shared by many book nerds. But beyond the romanticized idea, the independent bookstore business is renowned for being risky, which is why most people never get to follow that dream. There is a creative and popular alternative, however: The Open Book, in the coastal town of Wigtown, Scotland, offers a “bookshop holiday” experience in which guests volunteer to run the bookstore during their one- to two-week stay at the apartment above the shop. From the New York Times: In Britain, 7 Unelected Lords Are Helping to Block an Assisted Dying Bill A small group in the House of Lords has proposed hundreds of amendments that are helping stymie a bill that was meant to legalize medically assisted death for the terminally ill. By Stephen Castle Six hundred and eighty-eight. That is the number of amendments that just seven members of Britain’s House of Lords have proposed to a bill that was meant to legalize assisted dying for the terminally ill. So many amendments have been lodged — more than 1,280 in total — that the bill now seems doomed to fail, in a rare example of the Lords, Parliament’s unelected second chamber, blocking a bill approved by the House of Commons. From the NYTimes: Europeans Ask: What Would It Mean to Defend One Another Without NATO? European Union nations have a little-known obligation to protect one another. Experts caution it is no replacement for NATO. By Steven Erlanger and Jeanna Smialek Steven Erlanger covers European security and diplomacy and reported from Berlin. Jeanna Smialek covers the European Union from Brussels. Europeans have increasing doubts that President Trump remains committed to the NATO alliance and the mutual defense it ensures. And so they are talking more seriously about their own little-known guarantee for collective defense, an article buried in the European Union’s governing documents. Long dismissed by many as unworkable and even unnecessary given the well-established NATO alliance, Article 42.7 of the E.U.’s Treaty of Lisbon obliges member states to provide military, humanitarian and financial aid to other members in case of attack. Meant to complement NATO, it has been used only once, when France invoked it after the November 2015 terrorist attacks in and around Paris. From DW: Is the far-right AfD misusing its parliamentary questions? Hans Pfeifer The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has submitted thousands of official questions in state parliaments — a right of any elected party. But critics argue that their focus is meant to pressure political opponents. In January 2024, Bavarian school principal Roland Feucht publicly urged people to join a demonstration for democracy and social diversity at his school. But his call had consequences. Several members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) submitted a so-called Kleine Anfrage in the Bavarian state parliament, accusing Feucht and other school principals of violating the political neutrality required of those working for the state. The lawmakers asked whether the Bavarian state government would initiate disciplinary action against the principal. From Le Monde: The political left is disappearing across Central Europe, despite Orban’s defeat in Hungary Social democrats no longer have any MPs in Hungary, Bulgaria or the Czech Republic; have been pushed into opposition in Slovenia; and are polling at less than 10% in Poland. Often originating from former communist parties, they first lost working-class voters to more nationalist groups, and then, in the 2010s, lost the middle class. By Jean-Baptiste Chastand Hungary’s parliamentary elections of April 12 ended in a heavy defeat for nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban and confirmed another major political trend in Central Europe: the complete disappearance of the left. Claiming to be a conservative but pro-European, Orban’s successor Peter Magyar won after crushing all other traditional opposition parties. After having participated in four governments since 1989, the Hungarian Socialist Party will not have a seat in the new Parliament that will take office on May 9. For the first time since the fall of communism, it decided not to run to maximize the chances of defeating Orban. The Democratic Coalition, which was born from a split with the Socialist Party and is led by former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, chose to remain in the race but will suffer the same fate after winning a humiliating 1.10% of the vote. News from Asia, beginning with DW: Indians forced to return home as Iran war rocks Gulf economy Murali Krishnan The Iran war has forced thousands of Indian workers to leave their jobs in Gulf nations and return home. Their future remains unclear, and now India itself is feeling the economic impact. Meera Kurian, 46, had worked in Dubai long enough to stop counting the years. Earlier this month, the hotel where she worked let her go. Occupancy had fallen sharply after the outbreak of the Iran war. She is not angry about it, and that, more than anything, captures the overall mood of returning Indian workers. From Al Jazeera: Will another film star be able to sway the election in India’s Tamil Nadu? Political experts believe C Joseph Vijay can at best be a disruptor in what has become a three-cornered contest in the key southern state.Listen (13 mins) By T A Ameerudheen Tamil Nadu, India – Standing on top of a customised van on a hot and humid afternoon in Tirunelveli, about 600km (373 miles) south of Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai in southern India, C Joseph Vijay tells his supporters his opponents have joined hands to stop him from becoming the state chief minister. “My rivals might appear different from outside, but they have only one aim: that Vijay should not become the chief minister,” says the 51-year-old actor-turned-politician to a mammoth crowd that begins to chant his name, which means “victory” in Tamil, in unison. From DW: How North Korea exploits Christianity Melissa Chan North Korea isn’t just a dictatorship — it’s a belief system. Jonathan Cheng explains how a cult of personality, rooted in Christianity, keeps the Kim dynasty in power. The first statue of Kim Il Sung — founder of the North Korean regime and grandfather of current leader Kim Jong Un — was erected on December 25th, Christmas Day. This was no accident: Kim Il Sung was actually a Sunday school teacher and born into a deeply Christian family. We will end with a few stories about health, good and bad. First from DW: WHO approves first Malaria drug for babies Muna Turki Children under five account for more than two-thirds of malaria deaths. A new drug offers hope for this vulnerable group. Ahead of World Malaria Day on April 25, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday approved the first malaria drug specifically designed for infants. The newly introduced combination of artemether and lumefantrine is the first antimalarial formulation that is safe for babies weighing less than 5 kilograms (2.2 pounds). 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