DAILY NEWS Stream – May 25, 2026

Togo abolishes entry visa requirements for all African Union passport holders, granting visa-free stays of up to 30 days to boost regional integration, trade, and mobility while still requiring travelers to complete a pre-arrival online declaration and meet standard security and health rules (Togo First)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio tells Cubans in a Spanish-language message that the US is offering a “new relationship” directly with the Cuban people rather than the GAESA [Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A.]- controlled government, reiterating a US$100 million food-and-medical aid proposal tied to reforms. GAESA is a military-run business conglomerate in Cuba (New York Post)

HCM CT [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)] police uncover a suspected online fraud operation involving 85 Chinese nationals, after alleged ringleaders rented an entire hotel as a base and began setting up around 400 computers, phones and tablets for the scheme. Authorities say 17 of the group had entered Âu Lạc (Vietnam) illegally, and the case remains under investigation (Tuổi Trẻ)

US authorities shut down an India-based tech-support scam after a years-long FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] probe that led to the convictions of five India-based telemarketing fraudsters and two American executives who knowingly provided call-routing services used to defraud elderly victims of millions of US dollars (Connected to India)

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency of the UK launches a public consultation on a new framework that would create a more flexible, faster approval pathway for rare disease therapies, aiming to give earlier access to treatments for the 3.5 million people in the UK living with rare conditions (Gov.uk)

The US commits funding to establish up to 50 rapidly deployable Ebola treatment clinics in outbreak-affected areas of the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] and Uganda, aiming to expand screening, triage and isolation capacity, accelerate frontline medical and humanitarian operations, and channel support through United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’s Central Emergency Response Fund mechanism (US Department of State)

Researchers note that pairing carotenoid-rich foods like carrots, spinach, and tomatoes with fats like avocado or olive oil increases absorption up to 15 times. Studies show avocado specifically improves the conversion of beta-carotene into vitamin A. Experts say simple meal additions like walnuts or olive oil maximize vegan health benefits (Plant Based News)

British researchers discover that daily peppermint oil supplements significantly reduce systolic blood pressure in adults with mild hypertension. Natural compounds like menthol lower pressure by an average of 8.5 millimeters of mercury, offering a cheap organic remedy that could possibly prevent millions of heart disease cases worldwide (SciTech Daily)

Leading psychiatric experts urge the public to spot mental health crises early by watching for crucial warning signs like: -Withdrawing from previously enjoyed hobbies and activities -Social isolation -Sleep disruptions -Noticeable decline in personal hygiene and grooming -Increased use of alcohol or recreational drugs -Severe mood fluctuations -Expressions of worthlessness -Expressing hopelessness, a lack of purpose, or a desire to end their life Amid rising psychological distress, especially among young people, professionals emphasize that initiating open conversations as early as possible remains the most vital step in connecting vulnerable individuals to emergency support networks (AP)

India records peak electricity demand of 270.73 gigawatts on May 21 as severe heatwaves trigger localized blackouts in several regions. Demand breaks records for four straight days, exceeding government forecasts with a month of summer remaining. Coal still generates over 70% of India’s electricity (Reuters)

Heavy rain triggers flooding and landslides across northern Âu Lạc (Vietnam) on May 21. In Bắc Ninh, floodwaters isolate several mountain villages and close schools, with Xuân Lương commune worst hit. Up to 160 millimeters of rain causes floods and landslides in Lạng Sơn province, while a landslide blocks the main road to and from Tam Đảo region (VOV, Tiền Phong)

A shallow magnitude 4.4 earthquake strikes Italy’s Campi Flegrei caldera [cauldron-like depression that forms when a volcano erupts explosively or empties its underground magma chamber, causing the volcano’s summit to collapse inward] west of Naples early May 21, triggering a swarm of 12 quakes in the Gulf of Pozzuoli. Tremors prompt school closures and structural inspections of various buildings. Scientists link the activity to ongoing unrest beneath the caldera (The Watchers)

Israeli company Steakholder Foods to launch its 3D-printed vegan Perfecta line in the US. Debuting in the second half of 2026, the premium steaks replicate animal-people meat texture using advanced manufacturing technology. Whole-cut chicken and seafood formats will also be rolled out (Food Ingredients First)

US vegan seafood brand Oshi secures a US$3 million investment to launch a new whitefish fillet line and expand retail distribution to nearly 700 locations nationwide (PlanetFood.News)

Aulacese (Vietnamese) researchers successfully cultivate cordyceps mushrooms using spirulina instead of silkworm pupae. The innovative, cost-effective process creates a sustainable, nutrient-rich option for vegan consumers and allergy sufferers (Báo Giáo Dục & Thời Đại)

A Texas [US] sanctuary, My Pig Filled Life, provides a fresh start for 291 abandoned, neglected, or surrendered pig-people. The organization relies on donations and volunteers to care for the animal-individuals while promoting responsible pig-person caregiving (CBS 19)

Aline Rebeaud, a Swiss woman who became an Aulacese (Vietnamese) citizen, dedicates her life to Aulacese (Vietnamese) orphans and disabled residents through her “Maison Chance” charity network. The initiative provides accessible housing, free education, physical therapy, and vocational training, empowering thousands of disadvantaged individuals to gain independence and live full lives (Ấn Tượng VTV)

A teacher at Singapore’s Commonwealth Secondary School reduces bird-people collisions by hanging around 80 unwanted CDs outside the school’s reflective windows. The low-cost, makeshift solution successfully deters collared kingfishers before the school installs permanent, bird-safe decals later (Straits Times)

Enlightening quote of the day: “Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path.” – The Venerated Enlightened Prophet Bahá’u’lláh (vegetarian) (AZ Quotes)

In Part 1 of 2 of Diana Siccardi’s near-death experience, hypnotherapist Diana shares how a 20-minute operation turned into an out-of-body journey, where she was reunited with her beloved horse-person in the afterlife — who then pushed her back to the living. Diana moved from Germany to South Africa as a child and later formed a deep bond with a bay thoroughbred mare-individual named Titonka. The two became inseparable — Titonka would respond to Diana’s special whistle and follow her around the stable yard. But on November 29, 1995, Diana received a call that Titonka was very ill. She was taken to an animal-people hospital, but the next morning, the vet said she was too far gone to operate on and asked Diana’s permission to put her down. Diana fell into a deep depression.

Many months later, Diana needed surgery to remove a tumor from her arm. What was meant to be a 20-minute procedure lasted two and a half hours — and Diana says that, during that time, she left her body. And, I was basically, at that time, having the time of my life, because I was not in my body, and I didn’t really care what was happening to my body, either. So, the first impression I had: that I was in a pitch black tunnel, or so-called tunnel, and I was like tumbling along in a top speed towards something which I haven’t got a clue what that was. I just know that I was actually a little bit scared in the beginning, because it was just pitch black. But that scaredness only lasted a second, because, all of a sudden, I felt this great force of love coming towards me. And it is like somebody is really engulfing you, and I wasn’t scared anymore. But I was still going, as if, like in a fetal position, I was going through that tunnel. And, all of a sudden, in the distance, I saw a speck of a very bright Light, and that speck of bright Light was becoming bigger and bigger the closer I got to it. And my first impression was, “Oh, jeez, I’m going to go blind, because it is, really, that Light is so bright; it’s brighter than the Sun.” And I had a look, but I didn’t feel myself as I was looking through my physical eyes. It was like more as if I was like a consciousness, which was a very weird feeling, as if I was looking through something else, but I was still able to see, but it’s not through my physical eyes. And this Light became bigger and bigger, and it just also came nearer, and it was like it was pulling me and was warm. And, even though it is brighter than the Sun, it’s not like it’s hurting your so-called eyes or whatever you want to call it.

And then, all of a sudden, I came out of this Light, and in front of me, there was this big valley, and in this valley, it was full of horses. The colors, it was amazing. The grass is so green, so much greener than we know our grass. The sky is so much bluer than our sky. And on my right-hand side, there was like a nebula. I suppose maybe I wasn’t supposed to see what’s on the right-hand side. I don’t know, for whatever reason. And on my left, there was a waterfall and a crystal blue pond. That waterfall fell into a river. And, as I said, there were horses there, and there were trees and flowers. The Light eventually moved behind me, and the first horse that greeted me, her name was Rainchild. Now, Rainchild was another horse that died in my arms, also of colic. And I was telling her, “Where is Titonka? I need to see Titonka. I don’t have much time.”

In Part 2, Diana finally whistles for Titonka — and the reunion she had longed for unfolds in a way she does not understand at first. So, I hugged Titonka, and I tried to climb on her back, but she kept on pushing me back into the Light with her nose. Join us tomorrow for Part 2 of 2 of Diana Siccardi’s near-death experience. (The Other Side NDE)