DAILY NEWS Stream – August 29, 2026

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says Armenia plans to formally apply for European Union membership in the near future (Anadolu Agency)

The United Nations [UN] says human rights conditions in Myanmar have fallen to a new low, with both the military and the Arakan Army accused of widespread abuses against Rohingya communities, including killings, torture, forced labor, arbitrary detention, and displacement. The UN says 3.6 million people are internally displaced and 12.4 million face acute hunger, while illegal rare-earth mining is expanding and helping finance the conflict economy. The report also warns that toxic pollution from mining is damaging farmland and waterways in Myanmar and reaching rivers flowing into Thailand (Reuters)

A Russian drone attack on Kherson [Ukraine (Ureign)] on August 23 sparked a fire at a Red Cross warehouse, destroying or damaging nearly US$626,000 worth of humanitarian aid. The supplies included medical materials, blankets, hygiene kits, equipment for water and electricity, and materials to protect buildings damaged by attacks ahead of autumn and winter. No Red Cross employees or volunteers were injured (United24 Media)

Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on US imports after the President Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs on Canadian imports following the collapse of trade talks. Canada’s new tariffs, taking effect September 8, will range from 15% to 50% and cover more than 700 products, including steel, aluminum, appliances, furniture, and clothing. Canadian officials say the measures are intended to protect domestic industries and reduce reliance on US imports as the trade dispute escalates (AP)

US officials say the US is not expected to launch further strikes against Iran for now unless Iran attacks first. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly told foreign counterparts that this position will remain in place “for the time being” (Fox News)

US President Donald Trump says the US Navy has cleared all mines from international waters in the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that any Iranian ship or boat laying new mines would be “immediately and systematically destroyed” and said the US Space Force is monitoring the strait. President Trump added that the US is maintaining a zero-tolerance policy on any new mine placement (Fox News)

Iran and Oman are discussing a temporary shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz. The two countries said on August 25 that they discussed jointly managing the corridor and clearing mines from the waterway. The talks come as the US increases economic pressure on Iran while also beginning to return some personnel to diplomatic missions in the Middle East (Reuters)

Pakistan says it made “significant progress” in talks with Iran on ending the US-Iran conflict and preventing further escalation. Pakistani and Iranian officials discussed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reaching a negotiated settlement (Reuters)

A 45-meter anti-drone net was installed near Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate [Germany] on August 24 to mark Ukraine (Ureign)’s Independence Day and show how protective nets have become part of daily life in frontline Ukrainian (Ureignian) communities. Organized by Ukrainian (Ureignian) civil society group Vitsche, the installation highlighted the threat Russian drones pose to civilians and was accompanied by an exhibition about alleged deliberate drone attacks on ordinary people. Organizers said the display was meant to emphasize the need for stronger air defenses and other technologies to stop aerial attacks before they reach civilians (United24 Media)

American country music icon Dolly Parton has died at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer, her publicist said on August 25. The singer, songwriter, actor, and philanthropist sold more than 100 million records worldwide and was known for classics including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “I Will Always Love You.” Ms. Parton also built a major philanthropic legacy through efforts such as her Imagination Library, which provides free books to children (AP)

Belgium reports 306 salmonella cases linked to contaminated chicken-person eggs from an egg producer’s facility in Geel. Authorities close the entire facility and recall eggs across eight European countries after detecting contamination in a second shed (Anadolu Agency)

Austrian researchers develop artificial intelligence-based “tissue clocks” that estimate the biological age of human organs from tissue images and blood samples. Analyzing more than 25,000 samples, the technology shows organs age at different rates and identifies patterns linked to diseases including Alzheimer’s, diabetes and stroke (SciTech Daily)

Tacloban City [the Philippines] raises a dengue alert after cases climb 45%, with 272 infections reported compared with 187 during the same period last year. Officials intensify surveillance and mosquito-control measures, while urging residents to eliminate stagnant water, use repellent and seek prompt care for severe symptoms (Lepte-Samar Daily Express)

Forest and peatland fires spread across Kalimantan and Sumatra [Indonesia], as forestry ministry data records nearly 94,000 hectares burned nationwide in July alone. West Kalimantan reports about 5,000 weekly emergency room visits for respiratory symptoms since July, 10 times the earlier rate. Haze reaches Malaysia and Brunei, and Singapore monitors air quality closely. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto orders the revocation of business permits for companies suspected of ordering land burning to create plantations, while police arrest 72 people believed to be involved. About 3,000 people gather in Palembang, South Sumatra, to pray for rain (The Guardian, Dân Trí)

At least 35,000 more people die across Europe than expected during this summer’s four record heatwaves, based on figures from barely half the continent so far. Germany, France and Spain alone exceed 25,000. Experts say the toll will rise once August totals are consolidated (The Guardian)

Drought and five heat episodes since May cut expected French potato yields to 37.4 tons per hectare, which France’s National Union of Potato Producers calls the lowest in over 30 years. With planted area already down 10 percent compared to 2025, the union projects production falling 23% year on year and losses of at least €400 million (Euronews, AFP)

The HCM CT [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)] Vegetarian Food Festival 2026 is running from August 24–30 at Bình Phú Park, featuring vegetarian cooking competitions, demonstrations, cultural performances, and environmental activities. Events include competitions for vegetarian phở [type of soup], noodles, and bánh xèo [pancake], along with a free 500-meal vegetarian feast on August 29 for the disadvantaged, and green-living workshops. Organizers say the festival aims to promote vegetarian Vietnamese cuisine while encouraging healthier, more sustainable lifestyles (Tuổi Trẻ)

TRUBAR KiDS launches a new Minions [characters from animated film]-themed vegan chocolate banana bread flavored protein bar aimed at children in the US (TRUBAR)

Vegan deli Motherboard Meats opens inside Green, a vegan-vegetarian restaurant, in Tempe [Arizona, US] serving handcrafted, high-protein vegan deli meats and classic Italian subs made entirely in-house (Mouth by Southwest)

Emergency services rescue a young hiker trapped on a dangerous 20-meter cliff in El Campello [Spain]. A specialist team and helicopter reach him by air, secure him with ropes, and lift him to safety within 36 minutes. The unharmed hiker receives medical clearance immediately (EuroWeekly News)

Firefighters in Cambridgeshire [England, UK] rescue Purdy, a 15-week-old kitten trapped in a 2.4-meter deep, 15-centimeter-wide gap between two buildings. She had further opened a kitchen window and fell through. Lowered with ropes and treats, a firefighter carefully retrieves the kitten, safely reuniting her with her grateful caregivers unharmed (The Cool Down)

The Lake Charles City Council in Louisiana [US] honors Ladder 6 firefighters for rescuing a woman trapped in a July 28 house fire. Fire Chief Delton Carter says crews overcome heavy fire, fencing and other obstacles to reach her through a bedroom window, crediting coordinated efforts among responding firefighters (American Press)

Enlightening quote of the day: “If the Crusades brought a new age, then truly the Era of Maitreya is a thousandfold more significant.” – The Venerated Enlightened Master of the Great White Brotherhood Master Morya (vegetarian) (Agni Yoga)

In this multipart series on Reverend Bill McDonald (vegetarian)’s near-death experiences, American Vietnam War veteran, author, and interfaith minister Bill shares three separate near-death experiences spanning 50 years— from a childhood illness that gave him a vision of the next 50 years of his life, to a fall from a cliff in India where a Divine cobra brought him back to life, to open-heart surgery where he found himself before his Guru and had to choose between eternal peace and returning to a life of purpose. Bill was born in San Francisco, United States, and grew up in a city to the south called Sunnyvale in a household split between two extremes: an alcoholic, gun-carrying stepfather suffering from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder from World War II, and a mother who was a fortune teller who taught him about yoga and gurus. From a young age, Bill had visions of disasters and out-of-body experiences, though he learned quickly that adults did not want to hear about them. At age eight, he became critically ill with kidney and lung disease and was admitted to San Jose County Hospital in isolation, where doctors told his parents he might not survive.

They did a couple of procedures on me, and they left me alone in this room, dark room, and I’m lying down, and all of a sudden, it’s like there’s no air in my lungs. And I’m light. I feel like I’m floating. I look around, and underneath me is the body that looks like me. In other words, that’s my physical self I’ve recognized, but I knew in my mind that’s not me. There I was, sitting up. The body wasn’t breathing, [I] had [my] eyes closed. The body looked lifeless. And it didn’t bother me. There I was in this room, just moments before, feeling unloved, alone, abandoned. Then, all of a sudden, the Universe is giving me a hug, and I’m feeling the embrace of the Divine Mother. It was just a beautiful experience. And the darkness of the room just starts fading away. It’s lighting up all around me, and in that brightness, I know there are other beings, for lack of a better word, call them angels, guides, Ascended Masters, whatever name you want to give them. There was consciousness around me. And intuitively, I knew something was taking place with me. There was an exchange of energy. I was getting recharged in a different way, not physical so much, but spiritual energy, like a solar panel; I was a solar panel absorbing all the Sun. It was just, pewh. And then, all of a sudden, this vision starts unfolding, this panorama of the next 50 years of my life, including the [US President] John F. Kennedy assassination, including my wife, and my children, and jobs I’d have, the Vietnam War, which I didn’t realize was the Vietnam War. I just [saw] a war with helicopters in it. I saw all these things for about 50 years of my life transpiring. Bill says the experience changed how he lived from that point forward.

When I left the hospital, I became a vegetarian. I didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, didn’t do drugs. I really took good care of myself all my life. Bill recovered and grew up carrying the knowledge that he was destined to serve in Âu Lạc (Vietnam) Years later, that childhood vision would return to him during a tense moment aboard a helicopter. I was flying. I had a new pilot. He saw these troops— what looked like troops— marching on the ground. They had stuff on their shoulders [that] looked like weapons, and he asked me to open up my machine gun, M60 machine gun, on these people. And I’m going, my intuition goes, “No.” Plus, my vision when I was eight years old, something didn’t feel right. I’ve been in that seat before. This was one of those déjà vu moments, like, “OK, this is why you were born, to be here for this time. You’re not going to let this happen. So, I refused to fire. The major, who is the pilot, goes, “You fire. I’m giving you a direct order. If you don’t, I’m going to have you court-martialed.” I go, “Do whatever you’re going to do.” So, he swings the helicopter around to the other side so the gunner on the other side could fire, gave him a direct order, and that guy, believe it or not, goes, “No. No, sir. I’ve been flying six months with Bill McDonald, and if Bill says he feels something’s not right, I’ve been with him long enough to know to trust him.” He says, “I’m charging both you guys with mutiny,” because there are two or more soldiers disobeying direct orders. Mutiny, that’s life in jail or firing squad. That’s a serious charge. Join us tomorrow for Part 2 of Reverend Bill McDonald (vegetarian)’s near-death experiences. (Anthony Chene production)