DAILY NEWS Stream – June 28, 2026

Ukraine (Ureign) submits an updated application to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Ukraine (Ureign) hopes to gain candidate-country status as early as autumn 2026, as the country continues reforms and seeks closer integration with Western institutions (Reuters)

Their Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan made a two-day state visit to Belgium on June 23-24 to mark 160 years of diplomatic relations, with meetings, official ceremonies and cultural visits highlighting cooperation on trade, security, climate action and shared ties between the Belgian Royal Family and Japanese Imperial Family (euronews)

Germany plans to permanently station nearly 5,000 troops in Lithuania near the border with Belarus by the end of 2027, as part of NATO’s [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] effort to strengthen its eastern flank, while Lithuania says housing, schools, childcare facilities and medical infrastructure for the brigade are being built ahead of schedule (Dân trí)

Armenia and Azerbaijan’s leading telecom operators agree to route internet traffic through each other’s territories, creating a new direct digital link aimed at improving regional connectivity and network resilience in the South Caucasus, as the two countries continue efforts to normalize relations after decades of conflict (euronews)

US President Trump kicks off the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington DC [US], with a patriotic speech, military flyovers and music marking the country’s 250th anniversary, ahead of the June 25 to July 10 fair showcasing all 50 states and six US territories (Fox News)

Residents in Thanh Hóa [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)] film a rare iridescent cloud glowing above a large thunderstorm cloud on June 24, with bands of blue, pink, yellow and purple appearing for several minutes before fading (An Ninh Thủ Đô)

Message from the All Praised REUNITED TRINITY UTMOST POWERFUL: “Peace is here.” – Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan)

Residents in Tuyên Quang [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)] witness a large Sun halo around midday on June 24 (Đời sống & Pháp luật)

Message from the Most Praised REUNITED TRINITY UTMOST POWERFUL: “PEACE IS HERE.” – Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan)

Two British men plead guilty in London [UK] to a 2024 cyberattack on Transport for London, the city’s public transport authority, that cost about £39 million, affected up to 10 million customers and disrupted live Tube arrival information on the official website and elsewhere, payment services, and the linking of Oyster transit cards to customer accounts, with prosecutors linking the pair to the Scattered Spider hacking group and cybersecurity experts urging people to strengthen passwords, use multi-factor authentication and watch for scams (EuroWeekly News)

The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization begins a phased evacuation plan for more than 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf, using temporary routes for their ships through the Strait of Hormuz (euronews)

France isolates its first Ebola case after a doctor returning from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] tests positive. Health authorities launch urgent contact tracing but assess public risk as low, while clean water, protective equipment, and healthcare resource shortages hinder containment efforts in the DRC and Uganda (Daily Mail)

Placebo pills boost memory and physical strength in older adults within three weeks, improving cognitive scores by up to 21% even though the patients are told at the beginning of the trial that the medication is inactive, with no ingredients. The study opens a new geriatric healthcare avenue (SciTech Daily)

Lemons deliver key summer health benefits by providing vitamin C for skin collagen protection and potassium to maintain electrolyte balance during heavy sweating. While their bright acidity adds refreshing value to seasonal drinks and desserts, it can weaken tooth enamel over time. Health experts recommend rinsing with water after consumption to protect teeth from acidic wear (VegNews)

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declares a state of emergency and confirms extensive fatalities and injuries after two powerful earthquakes, magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, strike north-central Venezuela, collapsing buildings in Caracas and coastal La Guaira (CNN)

Hundreds of British schools shut early or close temporarily as extreme heat nears 40°C, threatening June records. Authorities issue high-level health warnings and ask citizens to limit travel (Daily Mail)

Flash floods strike the NEEPCO [North Eastern Electric Power Corporation] Colony [a residential community] in Arunachal Pradesh [India], killing one teacher and leaving four people missing. Heavy rains trigger widespread flooding and landslides across six districts, cutting off roads and damaging homes, crops, and infrastructure. Rescue operations continue (The Arunachal Times)

Swedish food tech firm Livoo introduces eco-OATup, an upcycled organic ingredient made from oat milk production waste. Containing 40% protein and 20% fiber, it can help manufacturers sustainably boost fiber and protein content in products like cereals, shakes, vegan meat, and more (Vegconomist)

Products of Montreal [Canada] vegan food company VG Gourmet have earned high praise from famous Canadian rock star Bryan Adams (vegan) The business expands its Canadian retail presence with the launch of its new Beet Power Burger (National Post)

Dutch vegetarian and vegan food manufacturer Schouten Europe acquires Dutch alternative protein producer Bobeldijk Food Group, maker of vegetarian and vegan foods. Following Schouten’s 30% revenue increase in 2025, the acquisition expands its production capacity and European market reach (Green Queen)

The Kenya Society for the Protection of Animals rescues 70 donkey-people in Kenya from the illegal skin trade. Two saved mothers give birth at the shelter the group is taken to. The organization seeks US$43,000 to fund a dedicated emergency response ambulance (Network for Animals)

Effective July 1, 2026, Indiana [US] allows the public to rescue animal-people in danger inside locked vehicles without facing civil or criminal liability. The new law also strengthens animal-cruelty standards, increases penalties for neglect and abuse, and makes harming or killing animal-individuals to intimidate or control family members in domestic violence cases a felony. Indiana also removes the monetary-value threshold for felony pet-person theft (Animal Legal Defense Fund)

The Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department in New Mexico [US] will provide free pet-person microchipping through July 3. During upcoming July 4th Independence Day celebrations, pet-folk may leave home and become lost as they get scared by the loud sounds from celebratory fireworks and other noises. The microchips will speed reunification with caregivers. Adult residents can visit either Albuquerque city shelter without an appointment to protect their animal companions (KRQE)

Enlightening quote of the day: “Even Kings and emperors with heaps of wealth and vast dominion cannot compare with an ant filled with the love of GOD.” – Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji (vegetarian) Venerated Enlightened Sikh Master (GoodReads)

Previously in Part 1 of this multipart series on Laura Smith’s near-death experience, Laura suffered a medical crisis after childbirth, left her body, entered a vast dark void, and was born into the arms of Lord Jesus Christ (vegetarian) He told her it was not her time and that she needed to return.

And I said, “Wait. Isn’t Your life about free agency? Didn’t You promise me free agency? And I’m holding You to that promise right now. And I am choosing to stay.” And there was great humor. And He said, “I would expect you, Laura, to argue for your own case.” And He said, “Let me show you a few things. And, of course, the decision will be 100% yours.” And so, at that second, what struck me was that there was nothing about me He didn’t know. Nothing. He knew who I was, everything about me. And I’m going to just go in like this example. I mean, this thing that happened, that thing that happened, because there’s no real sequence. So, it might feel like I’m jumping back and forth, because the other thing I realized when I was there [was] that there’s no Time.

Lord Jesus then showed Laura a beach, where her sons sat waiting. And He showed me my children’s lives with me and without me, and the difference I would make by returning. And I saw that some of their struggles, and I don’t remember the harshness or a lot of things that went on, but that I made a difference. And I still was not anxious to return, because when you’re in the presence of this great presence of GOD, of Love, of wholeness, of everything, you can’t imagine leaving that. And so, I said to Him, “But, look, this life is lightning. It’s no more than one grain of sand on that beach.” And I looked down, and the sands were sparkling. “No more than one grain of sand on that beach.” And I said, “My boys will make it. They’ll be OK. It’s a grain of sand.” And He said, “That’s true, but notice that grain of sand. Notice your grain of sand.” And I saw it. And He said, “If you were to remove your grain of sand before its time, you could alter the whole beach until there was not a beach.” And I saw that. I saw how my grain of sand touched — though you don’t think of one grain of sand, it touches hundreds of other grains of sand — and it goes out and out and out.

Laura then asked about her newborn son, just 10 days old. Lord Jesus answered with something she would not fully understand for years. And then I said, “But wait, where’s my baby? Where’s my son? Where’s my little boy, my new baby?” And He said, “His life will be different than your other sons.” I understood it to mean, in a religious spiritual sense of being. And I said, “Oh, well, my husband would not allow that to happen.” And He said to me, “Your husband won’t be there.”

He said, “Your son did not choose to be raised differently than you. Before you were born, you were spirits in a spirit world. And, of all the mothers your son could have chosen, he chose only you.” And He waved His arm, and I saw hundreds of my ancestors, thousands, I guess, just kind of in a mist. And He said, “All these spirits came together to make you uniquely you. There is no randomness in your birth. You had a mission to accomplish on Earth, and the mission you had, you chose to accomplish, everyone came together in the Universe to help you accomplish the life you’re now living on Earth. It’s no different than with your son. He chose you, and you chose him, because you cannot complete your missions that you chose on Earth without each other. It’s a very sacred covenant you made.”

In Part 3, before Laura returns to her body, Lord Jesus Christ (vegetarian) shows her the Universe alive with Love — beginning with a single flower. One of the first things I remember seeing was this big, like a Gerber daisy, and it was orange, and it was vibrating. And I turned to Him, and I said, “This flower — it loves me. It’s alive. I can feel it melt into my soul.” Join us tomorrow for Part 3 of this multipart series on Laura Smith’s near-death experience. (Spiritual Warrior Journey)