OND Editors OND is a community feature on Daily Kos, 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 12:00AM Eastern Time.
OND Editors consist of founder Magnifico, regular editors jlms qkw, maggiejean, wader, tbd, rfall, and JML9999, alumni editors oke,palantir, BentLiberal and ScottyUrb, guest editor annetteboardman, and current editor-in-chief Neon Vincent. We invited our readers to comment & share other news.
BBC:Dilma Rousseff to address Brazilians over protests
Dilma Rousseff to address Brazilians over protests
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is set to address the nation over the country's worst unrest in two decades.
Earlier on Friday she held an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss how to end more than a week of protests.
They began as demonstrations over transport fare rises in Sao Paulo, but quickly grew into nationwide rallies against corruption and other issue.
More than a million people are reported to have taken part in demonstrations on Thursday in about 100 cities.
BBC:Syria conflict: Rebels 'have new weapons'
Syria conflict: Rebels 'have new weapons'
Syrian rebels say they have received new weapons that could lead to "changes" in the fighting in the country's civil war.
Speaking ahead of a meeting of the "Friends of Syria" group of nations on Saturday, Louay Meqdad, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army, declined to give details of the weapons to reporters.
He said they had not come from the US.
The US announced last week that it would provide Syrian rebels with "direct military aid".
BBC:Singapore haze hits record high from Indonesia fires
Singapore haze hits record high from Indonesia fires
Pollution levels soared for a third day in a row in Singapore, as smoky haze from fires in Indonesia shrouded the city state.
The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hit 401 at 12:00 on Friday (04:00 GMT) - the highest in Singapore's history.
The index also reached 400 in one part of Indonesia, which is readying helicopters and cloud-seeding equipment in an effort to tackle the fires.
Indonesia has said it is unfair to blame it solely for the forest fires.
BBC:India floods: Death toll in Uttarakhand 'passes 500'
India floods: Death toll in Uttarakhand 'passes 500'
The death toll from flooding and landslides following heavy monsoon rains in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand has passed 500.
The state's Chief Minister, Vijay Bahuguna, said 556 bodies had been seen floating or buried in "slush", and that the army was working to recover them.
The charity Action Aid says 5,000 people are missing in the area.
Many of those stranded in the mountainous region are Hindu pilgrims visiting local shrines.
BBC:Central Calgary evacuated as flood threatens city
Central Calgary evacuated as flood threatens city
Authorities have ordered the evacuation of central Calgary as flooding has left swathes of the city underwater.
Torrential rain and floodwaters have washed away roads and bridges around Alberta's largest city and have caused landslides elsewhere in the province.
Both rivers that flow through Calgary, the Bow and Elbow, have flooded.
Police say they are checking reports of two bodies in the Highwood River. At least one other person is reported to be missing.
BBC:Street View: Google given 35 days to delete wi-fi data
Street View: Google given 35 days to delete wi-fi data
Google has been given 35 days to delete any remaining data it "mistakenly collected" while taking pictures for its Street View service, or face criminal proceedings.
But the UK Information Commissioner's Office did not impose a fine.
Its investigation into Google reopened last year after further revelations about the data taken from wi-fi networks.
During that inquiry, additional discs containing private data were found.
Google had previously pledged to destroy all data it had collected, but admitted last year that it had "accidentally" retained the additional discs.
Reuters:Putin warns on arming Syrian rebels as conflict widens
Putin warns on arming Syrian rebels as conflict widens
(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin cautioned the West on Friday against arming Syrian rebel forces, which he said included "terrorist" groups, and warned that a swift exit by President Bashar al-Assad risked creating a dangerous power vacuum.
"If the United States ... recognizes one of the key Syrian opposition organizations, al-Nusra, as terrorist ... how can one deliver arms to those opposition members?" Putin told a panel with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "Where will they end up? What role will they play?"
Putin defended his own country's arm sales to the embattled Syrian government as "entirely legal, repeating Russia's position that outsiders should not determine the fate of Assad and Syria.
"If Assad goes today, a political vacuum emerges - who will fill it?" Putin said at a later news conference with Merkel. "Maybe those terrorist organizations. Nobody wants this - but how can it be avoided? After all, they are armed and aggressive."
Reuters:Facebook admits year-long data breach exposed 6 million users
Facebook admits year-long data breach exposed 6 million users
(Reuters) - Facebook Inc has inadvertently exposed 6 million users' phone numbers and email addresses to unauthorized viewers over the past year, the world's largest social networking company disclosed late Friday.
Facebook blamed the data leaks, which began in 2012, on a technical glitch in its massive archive of contact information collected from its 1.1 billion users worldwide. As a result of the glitch, Facebook users who downloaded contact data for their list of friends obtained additional information that they were not supposed to have.
Facebook's security team was alerted to the bug last week and fixed it within 24 hours. But Facebook did not publicly acknowledge the bug until Friday afternoon, when it published an "important message" on its blog explaining the issue.
A Facebook spokesman said the delay was due to company procedure stipulating that regulators and affected users be notified before making a public announcement.
Reuters:Russia's Putin announces investment plan, mood gloomy
Russia's Putin announces investment plan, mood gloomy
(Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin unveiled a $13 billion investment plan on Friday to build new roads and railways by tapping a reserve fund, hoping to revive Russia's economy and avoid stagnation.
But in a speech setting out moves to curb inflation, boost economic growth and tighten control of under-performing state firms, he failed to allay investors' concerns over an economy that is sliding towards recession.
With growth slowing and inflation high, even the promise of a lucrative energy deal with China valued at $270 billion could not lift the gloom at Russia's answer to Davos.
Putin was less upbeat than in previous years at the annual business forum in his hometown of St Petersburg, an event meant to show Russia is a good place to invest, and acknowledged the economy faced problems a year into his third spell as president.
Reuters:U.S. files criminal charges against Snowden over leaks: sources
U.S. files criminal charges against Snowden over leaks: sources
(Reuters) - The government has filed sealed criminal charges against former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who admitted leaking secrets about classified U.S. surveillance programs, U.S. sources said on Friday.
A U.S. Justice Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a criminal complaint had been filed against Snowden, who disclosed documents detailing U.S. telephone and internet surveillance efforts.
Another U.S. source, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was preparing to seek Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong, where he is believed to be in hiding.
Earlier, the Washington Post reported that U.S. prosecutors have filed a sealed criminal complaint charging Snowden with espionage, theft and conversion of government property. The Post also reported that the United States has asked Hong Kong to detain Snowden on a provisional arrest warrant.
Reuters:More U.S. senators concerned by Shuanghui-Smithfield deal
More U.S. senators concerned by Shuanghui-Smithfield deal
(Reuters) - More U.S. senators on Friday raised concerns about a Chinese company's plan to buy U.S. pork company Smithfield Foods Inc (SFD.N), particularly in light of restrictions that China continues to place on imports of U.S. meat.
"This review must be thorough and take into account the full range of national security interests," the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Finance Committee said in a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman.
"In particular, we urge that due consideration be given to the impact of the transaction on food safety in the United States," added Senators Max Baucus, a Montana Democrat and the committee's chairman, and Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican.
That echoed a demand made on Thursday by 15 of the 20 members of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Reuters:BOJ's Kuroda: Markets will stabilize over time
BOJ's Kuroda: Markets will stabilize over time
(Reuters) - Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda on Friday stressed that financial markets will likely stabilize over time, reflecting improvements in Japan's economy.
But Kuroda warned that uncertainty surrounding the world's third-largest economy remains high, and that the central bank will carefully watch market developments.
"Japan's economy is likely to resume a moderate recovery as overseas growth picks up moderately and domestic demand remains resilient due to the effect of monetary easing and various stimulus measures," Kuroda said at a conference in Tokyo.
"We will make policy adjustments as needed, examining both upside and downside risks to the economy and prices," he said.
CNN Money:Pending law would block Tesla sales in New York
Pending law would block Tesla sales in New York
Tesla's battle with dealership owners is coming to a head in New York, where legislators are considering a bill that would block the electric-car maker from directly selling vehicles in the state.
Tesla said in a statement Friday that if the bill passes, it will be "put out of business in New York," with all employees in the state losing their jobs.
The bottom line for New York consumers and New York suppliers is that if this bill passes, special interests in Albany will once again have gotten their way while robbing New Yorkers of choices in the marketplace," Tesla (TSLA) said.
The current legislative session was originally scheduled to conclude on Thursday, but work continued in both the Senate and Assembly on Friday, and it is unclear when it will end.