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 consisting of founder Magnifico, regular editors maggiejean, wader, Man Oh Man, side pocket, rfall, and JML9999, alumni editors palantir, Bentliberal, Oke, jlms qkw, Interceptor7, and ScottyUrb, guest editor annetteboardman, and current editor-in-chief Neon Vincent, along with anyone else who reads and comments, informs and entertains you.
BBC:Elite Hacker Barnaby Jack 'overdosed on drugs'
Elite Hacker Barnaby Jack 'overdosed on drugs'
A world-renowned hacker, who died in San Francisco in July, overdosed on a mix of heroin, cocaine and other drugs, a coroner's report shows.
New Zealand-born Barnaby Jack was found dead in his bed a week before he was scheduled to give a talk at an event.
An autopsy revealed that "acute mixed drug intoxication" led to his death, San Francisco's medical examiner said.
Mr Jack rose to fame after a 2010 demonstration, in which he hacked a cash machine, making it give out money.
BBC:Panama Canal dispute: Spain in talks to resolve row
Panama Canal dispute: Spain in talks to resolve row
The Spanish government is in talks with Panama to try to resolve a row over the expansion of the Panama Canal.
Spain's public works minister Ana Pastor will fly to Panama this weekend, following a meeting between diplomats on Friday.
Work began on the expansion of the shipping hub in 2009, but it has gone over-budget by $1.6bn (£1bn).
The group behind the project, led by Spain's Sacyr, has threatened to halt work unless the extra money is paid.
BBC:Nearly million people displaced by CAR conflict - UN
Nearly million people displaced by CAR conflict - UN
The number of internally displaced people in the Central African Republic (CAR) has more than doubled to 935,000 since December, the UN says.
Around 500,000 have fled their homes in the capital Bangui alone - almost half the city's population. Some 60% of those displaced are children.
The UN also warned the escalating violence was hampering efforts to reach "those in need of urgent assistance".
The conflict has pitted Christian and Muslim militias against each other.
BBC:Syria crisis: Ships in new bid to collect chemical arms
Syria crisis: Ships in new bid to collect chemical arms
Norwegian and Danish ships are due to set sail again from Cyprus in a fresh bid to collect Syria's chemical arms.
Their first attempt was aborted after Syrian officials failed to deliver the toxic chemicals to the collection point in the Syrian port of Latakia.
Bad weather, shifting battle lines, and road closures were blamed for the missed 31 December deadline.
Removing the most toxic chemicals is the first step of a deal to eliminate Syria's chemical arsenal by mid-2014.
BBC:Tunisia's parliament voting on milestone constitution
Tunisia's parliament voting on milestone constitution
Tunisia's national assembly has begun voting on a long-delayed new constitution.
It is to be voted on article by article and politicians hope it will be adopted by 14 January - the third anniversary of the 2011 revolution.
The hope is that its adoption will help end the stalemate between the country's opposing political factions.
The assassinations of two opposition figures last year pushed the country into a dangerous political crisis.
BBC:Tunisia's parliament voting on milestone constitution
Tunisia's parliament voting on milestone constitution
Tunisia's national assembly has begun voting on a long-delayed new constitution.
It is to be voted on article by article and politicians hope it will be adopted by 14 January - the third anniversary of the 2011 revolution.
The hope is that its adoption will help end the stalemate between the country's opposing political factions.
The assassinations of two opposition figures last year pushed the country into a dangerous political crisis.
Reuters:U.S. waived laws to keep F-35 on track with China-made parts
U.S. waived laws to keep F-35 on track with China-made parts
(Reuters) - The Pentagon repeatedly waived laws banning Chinese-built components on U.S. weapons in order to keep the $392 billion Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter program on track in 2012 and 2013, even as U.S. officials were voicing concern about China's espionage and military buildup.
According to Pentagon documents reviewed by Reuters, chief U.S. arms buyer Frank Kendall allowed two F-35 suppliers, Northrop Grumman Corp and Honeywell International Inc, to use Chinese magnets for the new warplane's radar system, landing gears and other hardware. Without the waivers, both companies could have faced sanctions for violating federal law and the F-35 program could have faced further delays.
"It was a pretty big deal and an unusual situation because there's a prohibition on doing defense work in China, even if it's inadvertent," said Frank Kenlon, who recently retired as a senior Pentagon procurement official and now teaches at American University. "I'd never seen this happen before."
The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, is examining three such cases involving the F-35, the U.S. military's next generation fighter, the documents show.
Reuters:Obama directs new gun background check measures
Obama directs new gun background check measures
(Reuters) - The Obama administration on Friday proposed two new gun control regulations aimed at clarifying restrictions on gun ownership for the mentally ill and strengthening a database used for background checks before firearm purchases.
The measures are the latest step in a year-long push by President Barack Obama to tighten U.S. gun laws in the wake of a school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children were killed.
Obama tried last year to bring in sweeping new gun control measures in the aftermath of that shooting, but most of his proposals were defeated in Congress. He has pledged to continue working on the issue despite that setback.
Obama had directed his officials to take steps that do not require approval from Congress, such as Friday's two proposals.
Reuters:Fed no less committed to stimulus after cut to QE: Bernanke
Fed no less committed to stimulus after cut to QE: Bernanke
(Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve is no less committed to highly accommodative policy now that it has trimmed its bond-buying stimulus, Ben Bernanke said on Friday in what could be his last speech as Fed chairman.
Bernanke, who steps down as head of the U.S. central bank at month's end, gave an upbeat assessment of the U.S. economy in coming quarters. But he tempered the positive signs in the housing sector, financial markets and fiscal policies by repeating that the overall recovery "clearly remains incomplete" in the United States.
In what came as a surprise to some, the Fed decided last month to cut its asset-purchase program, known as quantitative easing, or QE, by $10 billion to $75 billion per month. It cited a stronger job market and economic growth in its landmark decision, which amounted to the beginning of the end of the largest monetary policy experiment ever.
But that decision "did not indicate any diminution of (the Fed's) commitment to maintain a highly accommodative monetary policy for as long as needed," Bernanke said at an American Economic Association forum in a snow-swept Philadelphia.
Reuters:South Sudan talks start slowly as U.S. pulls out more staff
South Sudan talks start slowly as U.S. pulls out more staff
(Reuters) - South Sudan's government and rebels finally began talks to end weeks of bloodletting on Friday after days of delay as the United States ordered out more of its embassy staff.
However, there was no face-to-face meeting, and fighting was reported near the key town of Bor, suggesting that a halt to clashes between President Salva Kiir's SPLA government forces and rebels loyal to former vice president Riek Machar is still a long way off.
Neighboring countries fear that the fighting, which quickly spread out from the capital Juba last month along ethnic faultlines, could destabilize East Africa, and the regional IGAD grouping is mediating the peace talks in Ethiopia.
The talks had been scheduled to begin in Addis Ababa on January 1, and made a slow start on Friday.
Reuters:Ex-finance minister wins disputed Madagascar election
Ex-finance minister wins disputed Madagascar election
(Reuters) - Former finance minister Hery Rajaonarimampianina won Madagascar's first presidential election since a coup in 2009 but his closest rival said the vote was rigged, raising concerns the island could remain mired in political turmoil.
The electoral commission said on Friday that Rajaonarimampianina, the candidate backed by outgoing President Andry Rajoelina who spearheaded the coup nearly five years ago, won 53.5 percent of the December 20 vote.
He beat Jean Louis Robinson, who ended up with 46.5 percent and has demanded a recount. Robinson's camp has filed almost 300 complaints to the electoral court, which has to rule on the commission's provisional result by January 19.
Celebrations were muted in the capital, Antananarivo, where Rajaonarimampianina had struggled to win support in the first round.
Reuters:Chinese icebreaker stuck after helping in Antarctic rescue
Chinese icebreaker stuck after helping in Antarctic rescue
(Reuters) - A Chinese icebreaker that helped rescue 52 passengers from a Russian ship stranded in Antarctic ice found itself stuck in heavy ice on Friday, further complicating the 9-day "roller-coaster" rescue operation.
The Snow Dragon had ferried the passengers from the stranded Russian ship to an Australian icebreaker late on Thursday. It now had concerns about its own ability to move through heavy ice, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.
"It will attempt to maneuver through the ice when tidal conditions are most suitable during the early hours of 4 January 2014," AMSA said.
The Australian icebreaker carrying the rescued passengers, the Aurora Australis, will remain on standby in open water in the area "as a precautionary measure", the rescue agency said.
IBD:Original Cheerios go GMO-free
Original Cheerios go GMO-free
General Mills (GIS), the maker of cereals and other packaged foods, said it's changed the sourcing for its original Cheerios brand cereal and will no longer use genetically modified corn and beet sugar, which some activists believe could have harmful effects. The company said it didn't change the cereal's basic formula and has never used GMO oats. The switch applies only to original Cheerios, not varieties such as Honey Nut and Apple Cinnamon. Shares fell 0.3% to 49.26.