(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Overnight News Digest: On the Road Again... [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-03-31 We begin with the Americas, with this from the Globe and Mail: The RCMP is less than the sum of its parts. It must change, or die JUSTIN LING Justin Ling is a freelance investigative journalist. On April 18, 2020, the small town of Portapique was turned into a war zone by one of its own. Corporal Aaron Patton walked down Orchard Beach Drive, the night illuminated by the street’s burning homes. Gunshots rang out. Bodies lay in the street. Still, Cpl. Patton walked forward, identifying survivors in the wreckage. He radioed back with a critical piece of information: The killer “has a car that looks like a police car.” From CBS News: Ecuador police defuse bomb strapped to guard by suspects demanding extortion money Ecuadoran explosives experts defused a bomb on the streets of Guayaquil that criminals had strapped to a security guard after his employer refused to pay protection money, police and media said. In a video released by the police late Thursday, the man is seen with packages taped to his chest — tubes and wires sticking into the air. Africa News, beginning with this, from ESPN: Oscar Pistorius denied parole over killing of Reeva Steenkamp Former Olympic and Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius was denied parole Friday and will have to stay in prison at least another 16 months after it was decided that he had not served the "minimum detention period" required to be released after his murder conviction for the 2013 killing of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The parole board hearing Pistorius' application ruled that he would be able to apply again in August 2024, South Africa's Department of Corrections said in a statement. The board cited a clarification on Pistorius' sentence that was issued by South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal three days ago, according to the statement. From Deutsche Welle: Pirates attack Danish ship in Gulf of Guinea, kidnap crew 17 hours ago The French navy found the hijacked Monjasa Reformer in the Gulf of Guinea, but six members of its crew had been kidnapped. An oil and chemical tanker hijacked in the Gulf of Guinea has been located off the coast of Sao Tome and Principe, but part of the crew has been kidnapped, its owners said on Friday. The Danish-owned Liberian-flagged Monjasa Reformer disappeared after pirates boarded it over the weekend. From Africa News: ICC: Putin's arrest warrant worries South Africa Pretoria could be forced to arrest the Russian president in respect of its obligations vis-à-vis international justice, in particular the Rome Statute. The government of Cyril Ramaphosa does not hide its concern. Since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on March 17 against Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, all eyes have been on South Africa. From CNN: CNN Hero of the Year Nelly Cheboi returned to Kenya with plans to lift more students out of poverty By Allie Torgan Just weeks after being named the 2022 CNN Hero of the Year, Nelly Cheboi traveled more than 7,000 miles to bring her award home. Far from the lights, cameras, and celebrities who surrounded her at the gala event in New York City, Cheboi was greeted by her own heroes: the students she serves in rural Mogotio, Kenya. “I felt a lot of hope just bringing the award to the kids,” Cheboi said. “For me, and for the community here, it really means a lot to be celebrated, to be seen.” From Al Jazeera: Tunisia to cut water supplies to citizens overnight amid drought The drought-hit country announced other tight restrictions on water usage as it braces for another baking summer. x YouTube Video Tunisia will cut off water supplies to citizens for seven hours a night in response to the country’s worst drought on record, state water distribution company SONEDE has said. The drought-hit country announced other tight restrictions on water usage – as it braces for another baking summer – including a ban on the use of potable water for irrigating farmland or green spaces, or for cleaning public areas or cars. Asian News: From Al Jazeera: x YouTube Video From Deutsche Welle: x YouTube Video From the Tribune (India): Home Minister Amit Shah speaks to Bengal governor over violence during Ram Navami procession Clashes broke out between two groups in the Kazipara area of Howrah district during Ram Navami festivities Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday spoke to West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose over the violence during a Ram Navami procession in Howrah and took stock of the situation, sources said. During the telephonic conversation, the home minister sought to know the prevailing situation in the state, particularly in the violence-hit areas of Howrah. From WION: Fugitive Amritpal Singh releases new video, says 'will soon appear before world' Radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh has now released a new video in which he said that he is not a fugitive and the pro-Khalistani preacher will soon appear before the world. The separator Sikh preacher has been on the run for the last 13 days after the police launched a crackdown against members of his unit. x YouTube Video From Al Jazeera: Stampede at Ramadan food distribution centre kills 11 in Pakistan Women and children die when people panic and push each other to collect food in Karachi, officials say. A stampede at a Ramadan food distribution centre in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi has killed at least 11 people, all women and children, according to police and rescue officials. Several people were also injured in Friday’s incident, which happened when hundreds of people panicked and started pushing each other to collect food outside a factory. Some of them fell into a nearby drain, police official Mughees Hashmi said. From CNN: At least 35 killed after falling into underground stepwell in Indian temple Jessie Yeung , Manveena Suri and Vedika Sud Byand At least 35 people were killed Thursday after falling into a stepwell at a Hindu temple in central India after its floor covering collapsed, according to local officials. The incident happened at the Shri Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in the city of Indore, in Madhya Pradesh state. The stepwell’s covering had collapsed “due to the heavy load” on top, according to the state’s chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. From the Times of Israel: Gallant caught in limbo as Netanyahu delays formal dismissal Defense minister conducts business as usual, as PM tries to balance between far-right coalition allies, more moderate partners and the US Five days ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to fire his defense minister set off a wave of spontaneous mass protests and a general strike that threatened to paralyze the country, forcing the leader to suspend his divisive plan to overhaul the judicial system. But Netanyahu never even sent Defense Minister Yoav Gallant a formal termination letter, a spokesperson for Netanyahu said. As of Friday, Gallant — whose criticism of Netanyahu’s planned judicial changes led to his dismissal — was still on the job. Gallant’s aides said it was business as usual at the Defense Ministry. From Al Jazeera: Palestinians in Gaza condemn Israeli occupation on Land Day Hundreds take part in annual commemorative event demonstrating Palestinian commitment to resisting Israeli occupation. By Maram Humaid Gaza Strip – Hundreds of Palestinians have gathered in the Gaza Strip to mark Land Day, an annual commemoration demonstrating their steadfastness in fighting Israeli occupation. The rally on Thursday in the east of the besieged enclave saw people holding Palestinian flags and banners reading, “We won’t forget our homeland” and “We won’t forget our right of return”. From Politico: A traumatic Israeli ‘awakening’ By NAHAL TOOSI Welcome back to Global Insider’s Friday feature: The Conversation. Each week a POLITICO journalist will share an interview with a global thinker, politician, power player or personality. This week, POLITICO’s Nahal Toosi talks to Israeli national security expert Shira Efron about the country’s latest crisis of democracy. For months, numerous Israelis have protested the agenda of their country’s new far-right ruling coalition. Over the weekend, the tensions exploded. Minutes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defense minister, who had spoken out against a plan to overhaul the judiciary, protesters swarmed the streets. By Monday, so many workers went on strike that flights were canceled, Israeli embassies closed and there were serious questions about the readiness of Israel’s military. And European News: From The Guardian: ‘Absurdity to a new level’ as Russia takes charge of UN security council Monthly rotation of presidency of 15-member council has been unaffected by Ukraine war Julian Borger In Ukraine, Moscow is pursuing an unprovoked war of aggression. In The Hague, Vladimir Putin is facing an arrest warrant for war crimes. But at the UN, Russia is about to take charge of a powerful international body, the security council. From Saturday, it will be Russia’s turn to take up the monthly presidency of the 15-member council, in line with a rotation that has been unaffected by the Ukraine war. From CNN: A Wagner soldier returned home after fighting for Russia. Days later he was a murder suspect Josh Pennington , Tim Lister and Ivana Kottasová Byand A convicted murderer who was allowed to leave prison in Russia to join the Wagner private military company and fight in Ukraine was arrested within days of returning home on suspicion of killing an elderly woman. Ivan Rossomakhin was already a repeat-offender when he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for murder in 2020. He was released last year after signing up to fight for Wagner. From France24: Russia 'has no right' to tell Finland what to do: Europe Minister Tytti Tuppurainen Armen GEORGIAN Talking Europe interviews Tytti Tuppurainen, Finland's minister for European affairs, following the Hungarian parliament's ratification of Helsinki's application to join NATO. Finland and Sweden both applied nearly a year ago, in what was seen as a huge shift in European security. But obstacles have slowed down the two countries' progress on that path towards the Atlantic Alliance. Tuppurainen also touches on her country's energy transition and the main issues in the upcoming parliamentary election in Finland on April 2. Asked how much of a setback it is for Finland to have Sweden left out of NATO for now, Tuppurainen responds: "It was our priority to enter NATO together. We started this process hand in hand and Sweden is our closest partner. It would have benefited NATO the most to have us both entering simultaneously. But here we are, in a different situation. This was not our choice. And we have to be humble, as applicant states. But since it looks like Finland is going to be in NATO before Sweden, then of course Finland will try to help Sweden to also join as soon as possible." From the BBC: King Charles at Hamburg memorial for Allied wartime air raids By Sean Coughlan King Charles stood shoulder to shoulder with Germany's president as he remembered those who died in Allied bombings in Hamburg in World War Two. On the third day of his state visit, the King laid a wreath at the ruins of St Nikolai church as a symbol of reconciliation. From the Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis visits pediatric oncology ward at hospital, baptizes newborn baby By Zelda Caldwell, Hannah Brockhaus While staying at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital where he is undergoing treatment for bronchitis, Pope Francis paid a visit Friday to the pediatric oncology ward and baptized a newborn patient. The Holy See reported that the Holy Father spent about half an hour in the ward, where he distributed “rosaries, chocolate eggs, and copies of the book ‘Jesus Was Born in Bethlehem of Judah.’” From euronews: Man ends his life after an AI chatbot 'encouraged' him to sacrifice himself to stop climate change By Imane El Atillah A Belgian man reportedly ended his life following a six-week-long conversation about the climate crisis with an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. According to his widow, who chose to remain anonymous, *Pierre - not the man’s real name - became extremely eco-anxious when he found refuge in Eliza, an AI chatbot on an app called Chai. 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