(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Overnight News Digest: Friday night elsewhere [1] ['A Pagan In Arizona', 'Bill In Portland Maine'] Date: 2026-08-21 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. Pictures of the week from The Guardian; and from the same source, Australia’s national photographic portrait prize. There isn’t too much “fun” news for above the fold; the majority of stories are more serious and those are down below. We begin with a story from CNN: World’s oldest person Ethel Caterham celebrates 117th birthday By Sadie Andrew The world’s oldest person, British woman Ethel Caterham, celebrated her 117th birthday on Friday. Caterham, who lives in a care home in Surrey, about 25 miles outside London, is the first British person ever to live to 117, according to Guinness World Records (GWR). From The Guardian: First ever Fat Marmot Week to kick off in effort to raise money for research Researchers hope contest – similar to Fat Bear Week – starting Monday will be latest wildlife watching craze Monday sees the start of what researchers hope will be the latest wildlife watching craze – Fat Marmot Week. Last winter was tough for marmots living high in the Colorado mountains, where researchers say two-thirds of one population died while hibernating because of insufficient snow cover. And an opinion piece from The Guardian: The Guardian view on the export of fossils: they deserve national treasure status Editorial Scientific specimens are being sold to foreign museums or snapped up by the super-rich. They should have the same legal protections as works of art As Sir David Attenborough has observed, “there’s nothing more magical than finding a shiny shell and knowing you’re the first person to have seen it for 150 million years”. Senior museum figures are campaigning for fossils to be classed as national treasures, according to the Waverley criteria, which control the export of objects considered culturally important to the nation. But the rules only cover natural treasures that are “made”, excluding fossils. These calls come after a private collection from the Jurassic Coast was sold to the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi for a reported eight-figure sum. Both the Natural History Museum in London and Amgueddfa Cymru (Museum Wales) were offered the 318 fossils, but they didn’t have the funds. Unlike countries such as Brazil and Mongolia, where fossils belong to the state, Britain relies largely on a voluntary code of conduct. From CNBC: ‘Perfect storm’ brews for global food supply this winter as grain prices soar Jenni Reid Key Points Russian and Ukrainian strikes on infrastructure in the Black Sea region are continuing to pressure wheat prices, compounding global food security concerns. Analysts warn farmers may not be able to plant their usual levels of crops this winter as they face profitability and financing pressures, jeopardizing next year’s supply. Extreme weather is a major complicating factor, from extreme heat and unseasonable downpours to the coming El Niño weather event. From Al Jazeera: El Nino set to be most intense ‘for over a century’: UK forecasters Met Office predicts ‘unprecedented’ sea surface temperature rise of 3C (5.4F) plus will heighten extreme weather risks. The impact of this year’s El Nino event is expected to be the most intense in more than a century, United Kingdom forecasters have warned. The effect of the event will drive the risk of drought, high temperatures, intense rainfall and other extreme weather effects, the Met Office said in a statement issued on Friday. From KOMO News: Father abandons 7-year-old on Mount Fuji to reach summit by EMMA KOPPELMAN (TNND) — A 48-year-old father from Nagoya, Japan, was reprimanded by police after leaving his 7-year-old son alone on Mount Fuji while continuing a climb toward the summit with his older child. The father was climbing Mount Fuji’s Fujinomiya Trail on Aug. 20 with his two sons, ages 7 and about 12 or 13. The younger boy became tired around the sixth station, roughly 2,500 meters (8,000 feet) above sea level. The father told the child to “wait here” and continued climbing with the older son. From The Guardian: ‘She’s not afraid of anyone’: the prison writings of one of Hong Kong’s last outspoken democracy activists Chow Hang-tung has been detained since 2021, and written about everything from clothes to Tiananmen Square and the meaning of freedom Amy Hawkins In one essay written from prison, Chow Hang-tung worries about her hairstyle before court appearances because there are no combs or mirrors in her cell. “In a place like prison, where anything that is personal is stripped away, it’s even more important to hold on to every means by which you can express yourself,” she writes. “Don’t let uniform, depersonalised rules, dress codes, schedules, and behavioural requirements grind down your edges and mould you into a ‘model citizen’”. From TWZ.com: China’s Massive New Artificial Island In The South China Sea Emerges, Primed For Militarization What was a submerged reef a year ago is now a 1,500 acre artificial island with a large runway under construction, as China’s militarization of the South China Sea accelerates. Ian Ellis-Jones This time last year, Antelope Reef was mostly submerged underwater and barely visible unless you were steaming past at low tide. New satellite imagery, provided to TWZ by Vantor, showcases what the People’s Republic of China (PRC) can construct after 10 months of nonstop dredging: a nearly 1,500-acre artificial island with a deep-water port, 2,000-plus-foot quay capable of berthing warships, and the beginnings of a 10,000-foot-long military-grade runway. Hardly recognizable today, Antelope Reef has become the latest, and one of the largest, man-made outposts in Beijing’s aggressive campaign to militarize and dominate the South China Sea. The “first phase” of construction is now complete, according to a report from Reuters, following the departure of a fleet of dredgers that have been on station for months. Vantor, a spatial intelligence company, shared the images, dated August 11, with TWZ that show the results of the rapid transformation in detail, which you can view in high resolution below. From the NYTimes: Swiss Tourist Sentenced to Prison After Violating ‘Day of Silence’ in Bali The 26-year-old received a yearlong sentence from a court on the Indonesian resort island after he flouted a sacred Hindu ritual and insulted it on Instagram. By Ryley Ober A Swiss tourist is serving a yearlong sentence on the Indonesian resort island of Bali after prosecutors say he violated a sacred Hindu ritual and insulted it on Instagram. Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, 26, a construction worker from Switzerland, was found guilty of breaking Indonesian law by posting a provocative video to his Instagram story about the Day of Silence, known locally as Nyepi, on March 19. During this 24-hour period, locals and tourists alike are required to remain in their homes or hotels, keep lights dim and minimize noise, and are urged to perform quiet meditation. From Al Jazeera: Myanmar military bombing kills 14 at Buddhist monastery, opposition reports More than 100 people were in the monastery for a religious retreat, according to a local resident. A military air strike has killed 14 people at a Buddhist monastery in central Myanmar, an opposition group and a local resident have reported. The attack occurred in Swel Le Oh village in Myaung township, about 75 kilometres (47 miles) west of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, Nway Oo, a spokesperson for the Civil Defense and Security Organization of Myaung Township (CDSOM) said Friday. From the Astana Times: Kazakhstan’s First Kurultai Campaign Puts Competing Policy Priorities in Focus BY DANA OMIRGAZY Kazakhstan’s first campaign for the new Kurultai has brought all seven registered political parties into a national political debate, with televised discussions and public meetings highlighting their policy priorities ahead of the Aug. 23 vote. A campaign built around debate The campaign has emphasized televised debates. Over four weeks, representatives of all seven parties took part in discussions broadcast by Qazaqstan TV, Channel 7, Jibek Joly and 24KZ. Different formats covered topics ranging from education and human capital to economic growth, social policy and regional development. From Al Jazeera: Outrage in India over death of six-year-old ‘slapped’ by his teacher Andhra Pradesh’s regional minister of education says he is taking legal action with a committee against those responsible. Authorities in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh have launched an investigation after a six-year-old child collapsed and reportedly died after he was slapped by his teacher in a school classroom. The incident was captured on a security camera in the school in Visakhapatnam in the southeast Indian state, before being shared widely by local media on Thursday. The incident is already causing an uproar around corporal punishment in the country. Another from Al Jazeera: Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan’s family accuses gov’t of defying hospital order Khan’s sister and personal physician describe a chaotic night in which officials gave conflicting accounts of his whereabouts. By Abid Hussain Islamabad, Pakistan — Uzma Khanum had not seen her brother in nearly a year. When she finally did, in a borrowed office in the government-run PIMS hospital in the Pakistani capital past midnight on Friday, he stood up in shock and told the doctors around him, “This is my sister, I’m meeting her after 10 months.” The country’s Supreme Court had on Tuesday ordered Pakistani authorities to transfer former Prime Minister Imran Khan to the privately run Shifa International Hospital by midnight on Thursday, from Adiala jail, three years after he was imprisoned on a slew of charges. From The Print (India): Former Afghan President won’t send daughter abroad. He’s asking Taliban to reopen schools Hamid Karzai said that he has been speaking to Taliban officials, urging them to ease the restrictions on girls’ education “whenever the opportunity comes.” Sagrika Kissu New Delhi: Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s statement saying that he won’t send his daughter to school abroad has gone viral. The statement comes against the backdrop of Taliban’s ongoing ban on girls’ education beyond sixth grade in Afghanistan. “As a father, it is my responsibility to provide them with the best education. The best one can have. Especially for girls. But as a citizen of Afghanistan, it is also my responsibility to have my own country ready for educating girls in our own environment, in our own culture, in our own historical perspective, in our own languages,” Karzai said. “If I take my daughter out abroad, it will mean we have given up on this right.” From CNN: From Al Jazeera: Closure of al-Makha port leaves workers and traders fearing for the future Houthi attacks on Yemen’s al-Makha port forced it to suspend operations, leaving workers jobless and forcing traders to pay higher transportation costs for goods. Taiz, Yemen – Mohammed Al-Homaidi, a labourer in his 30s, has been working at the al-Makha (Mocha) port in western Yemen since its reopening in 2021. Even though he was reliant on a daily wage, his earnings provided a decent standard of living for his family. From Al Jazeera: Nord Stream bombing suspect to Hollywood fixer: Who is Volodymyr Zhuravlev? German authorities allege that Ukrainian scuba diver Volodymyr Zhuravlev was involved in the Nord Stream explosions. It could be a Hollywood script – with a twist. Croatian authorities on Wednesday arrested Ukrainian diver Volodymyr Zhuravlev in connection with the 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines that connected Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, while he was on the set of a Hollywood film under production. From CNBC: NATO member Romania scrambles F-16 fighter jets to destroy drone near critical European gas project Chloe Taylor Romania’s president has accused Russia of deploying a marine drone that its military destroyed on Thursday after it was spotted close to a major natural gas development. The development marks yet another incident in which Russia’s war in Ukraine has potentially spilled beyond the country’s borders, underscoring risk to critical infrastructure. From the Associated Press: Hungary drained its waters for generations. Now drought is exposing the cost By JUSTIN SPIKE GÁRDONY, Hungary (AP) — A fisherman disembarked from his boat in a small harbor on Lake Velence in Hungary last week, trudging up the dock plank that had become extremely steep as the water receded to record lows. Árpád Selmeci said navigating even a small fishing boat on Hungary’s third-largest lake is becoming increasingly difficult as the water level has ebbed to around 20 centimeters (8 inches), well below the 150 centimeters (5 feet) optimal for August. Swimming beaches across the lake, once popular with tourists, have been closed. From Deutsche Welle: Germany investigates arms cache found in woods near Berlin Karl Sexton Handguns and ammunition were found in a forest near Berlin last year. German authorities suspect they were to be used for assassinations on behalf of Russian intelligence. Security authorities in Germany uncovered a cache of handguns in a forest near the capital, Berlin, last year, which they believe was intended to be used to carry out assassinations on behalf of Russia, according to reports on Friday. The daily Süddeutsche Zeitung and public broadcasters NDR and WDR reported that one suspect was arrested in Romania. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said German authorities were in touch with their Romanian counterparts about the suspect’s potential extradition. From CNN: One killed, several injured in sword attack at Swedish school An 18-year-old man armed with a sword attacked students at a Swedish high school on Friday, killing one person and injuring three, and police shot and detained him as media reported the attacker was a former student at the school. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon at the Brinell high school in the central Swedish town of Fagersta, which has about 13,000 residents. The school had just reopened after summer recess, and for some students, it was their first day. Police told a press conference that the suspect was an 18-year-old man whom they shot and took into custody on suspicion of murder. From Vatican News: Lourdes bans Society of St. Pius X Masses, covers Rupnik art ahead of pope’s visit by Justin McLellan One of the world’s most iconic Catholic shrines has become a lightning rod for church controversy ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s visit there in September. Two recent decisions by Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes-Lourdes, France, have positioned the Marian shrine at Lourdes as a microcosm for church issues that have made headlines in recent months, placing them in the spotlight ahead of the pope’s visit there at the end of September. From the NYTimes: Prince Harry and Others Told to Pay Daily Mail Publisher $13 Million Harry and six other high-profile figures lost a privacy lawsuit against Associated Newspapers. They may eventually have to pay more than twice the initial sum, a judge said. By Stephen Castle Prince Harry and six other high-profile figures in Britain were ordered on Friday to make an initial payment of £9.54 million, about $13 million, to the publisher of The Daily Mail, after they lost a privacy case against the company. In July the group of claimants, which included the singer Elton John and the actress Liz Hurley, failed in its efforts to sue the publisher, Associated Newspapers, over allegations of phone hacking and intruding into its members’ private lives between 1993 and 2011. From The Conversation: Jason Arday and the new politics of plagiarism After a meteoric rise to the top ranks of British academia, scholar Jason Arday was found dead at his London home on Aug. 14, 2026. Arday had spent weeks fighting plagiarism accusations. The way they took on a life of their own in the media ecosystem is a stark reminder of the steep price people can pay in a culture that has made originality a kind of moral virtue. From Al Jazeera: After GERD, can Egypt shape Ethiopia’s next Nile dams? The projects mark a new test for Egypt after it failed to prevent construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Egypt’s response to Ethiopia’s new Nile dam plans is centred on diplomacy, international pressure and cooperation with Sudan, rather than trying to stop construction outright. However, the experience of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has exposed the limits of Cairo’s influence. The revival of three proposed Blue Nile hydropower projects – Karadobi, Mandaya and Beko Abo – will test whether Egypt can turn more than a decade of opposition into practical leverage over how Ethiopia develops the river. From Al Jazeera (link is to a video): Can a humanitarian disaster be averted in Somalia? The UN warns of another hunger crisis, with millions at risk of starvation Somalia is yet again unable to feed its people, with about six million facing high levels of hunger on a scale not seen in years. The World Food Programme (WFP) says a combination of drought, conflict and displacement means many Somalis are not getting enough to eat. One more from Al Jazeera: Libya rivals test a new path towards unity, 15 years after Gadaffi downfall Fifteen years since Tripoli fell to rebels, Libyan parties are finally working towards unity. By Anas El Gomati In April, Libya’s rival legislatures agreed for the first time in more than a decade on a budget of 190 billion dinars, almost $30bn, split between the two rival camps in the country. Fifteen years after Muammar Gaddafi’s downfall in Tripoli this week, the United States-backed budget captures both the divisions that shape Libya and an emerging space that could incentivise cooperation between the country’s two authorities. From DW: And we finish tonight with yet another from Al Jazeera: [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/21/800087838/community/overnight-news-digest-friday-night-elsewhere-9/ 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/