DAILY NEWS Stream – June 5, 2026

Ukraine (Ureign) has received a new German-supplied IRIS-T [InfraRed Imaging System Tail/Thrust Vector-Controlled] air defense system as Ukraine (Ureign) faces intensified Russian aerial attacks and warns of a growing shortage of interceptor missiles, with Ukraine (Ureign)’s President Zelenskyy urging continued US and European support while Russia threatens new strikes on the capital (Kyiv Independent)

Estonia has installed its first fixed counter-drone detection systems along the southeastern border with Russia, beginning a nationwide rollout aimed at strengthening surveillance as part of Estonia’s ongoing eastern border modernization program (ERR)

The companies Meta, Snap, ByteDance, and Alphabet agree to pay millions of US dollars to settle a Kentucky [US] school district’s lawsuit alleging their social media platforms harmed students’ mental health, even as the companies deny wrongdoing, in a case that comes amid more than a thousand similar suits filed by US school districts (Báo Tin Tức)

Rising fuel prices linked to the Middle East crisis are driving a surge in carpooling, with BlaBlaCar, a major international ride-sharing platform, reporting hundreds of thousands of new drivers and sharp passenger growth in India as commuters seek cheaper, more comfortable alternatives to buses and trains (France 24)

Philippine Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada is arrested on corruption charges tied to a multibillion-peso [tens of millions of US dollars] flood-control corruption scheme with prosecutors alleging he personally received over 573 million pesos, about US$9.2 million, in kickbacks (Channel News Asia)

A primary school in Derby [UK] has introduced formal “conversation classes” after teachers report that young pupils are increasingly struggling with basic face-to-face communication, a trend linked to heavy smartphone use and reduced real-world social interaction (EuroWeekly News)

The UK, US, and Australia announce a new project under their AUKUS trilateral partnership to develop cutting-edge underwater drone technology by 2027 to help protect critical subsea cables and pipelines amid rising concerns over Russian and Chinese underwater activity (euronews)

Cilantro, an ancient herb dating back to Egypt, is highlighted by research linking it to reduced inflammation, lower anxiety, improved blood-sugar control, antibacterial effects, and even epileptic seizure-delaying properties (The Independent)

A psychiatric hospital near Paris [France] utilizes therapy donkey-people to help patients struggling with depression, anxiety, autism, and schizophrenia rebuild confidence. Through walking and grooming, the animal-assisted treatment reduces loneliness, boosts self-esteem, improves communication skills, and offers a vital complement to traditional psychiatric medication (AP)

On World No Tobacco Day 2026 [May 31], the World Health Organization [WHO] launches a campaign exposing how tobacco companies use flavors and digital marketing to hook millions of teenagers worldwide. Health officials urge governments to tighten regulations on e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches to protect future generations from addiction (WHO)

A rare dust storm sweeps northeast China on May 31, as winds up to 148 kilometers per hour cut visibility to less than 100 meters in Harbin, toppling trees, damaging buildings, and downing power lines. The system spawns a tornado in Jilin province, with heavy rain and hail in some areas as extreme heat collides with a cold front (The Watchers)

Researchers at McMaster University in Canada link everyday air pollution to poorer brain health. Adults with higher long-term exposure to fine particles and traffic-related nitrogen dioxide score lower on memory and thinking tests, with brain scans showing subtle changes, especially in women — and the links appear even in Canada’s relatively clean air (ConsumerAffairs)

Melting sea ice may have pushed the Arctic Ocean past a tipping point, draining it of a key nutrient that feeds the tiny plankton at the base of the food chain, the University of Edinburgh [Scotland, UK] reports. Analyzing over 20 years of data, researchers found nitrate levels falling steadily since around 2009 due to sea ice loss, threatening marine life across the region and weakening the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide (University of Edinburgh, SciTech Daily)

The Dead Sea is shrinking by about 1.2 meters each year due to water diversion, mineral extraction, and climate-driven drought, causing more than 6,000 sinkholes to form and threatening the region’s unique hypersaline ecosystem (Thời báo VTV)

Aulacese (Vietnamese) children showcase climate-action artwork and youth-led environmental initiatives at a national exhibition in Hà Nội [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)], highlighting young people’s messages about protecting nature, reducing plastic waste, and strengthening community resilience to climate change (Thanh Niên)

A 13-year-old student in HCM CT [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)] has developed AI [artificial intelligence] tools that utilize classroom cameras or teacher computers to detect early signs of depression and emotional distress among classmates, earning recognition for using technology to support student well-being (Thanh Niên)

Taiwan (Formosa) launches its 2026 International Plant-Based Festival in Singapore to promote vegetarian cuisine, its agricultural products, and sustainable food culture. The event, which included cooking demonstrations, kicks off a series of veg-related cultural and industry exchanges between the two nations in Singapore running through September (RTI)

UK vegan charity Viva! announces a crowdfunding campaign to finance a documentary called “What Do You Really Know About Dairy?” challenging the false narratives of the dairy sector. The project aims to examine the inaccurate health claims made by the industry lobby and the enormous harms to animal-people welfare (Viva!)

Many popular toothpastes contain hidden animal-derived ingredients like animal-derived glycerin or propolis from bees. To avoid these, consumers can choose vegan brands like Dr. Bronner’s, Boka, Hello, Twice, Better & Better, Quip, Attitude, Fang, Made By Dentists, and Cocolab. Experts advise carefully checking ingredient lists, as some brands produce both vegan and non-vegan formulas (VegNews)

The Hwange Project delivers donated uniforms from Haberdashers’ Monmouth school in the UK to over 400 students in three Zimbabwean schools. The pre-loved clothing relieves struggling families, boosts student well-being, and strengthens their sense of belonging at school (Monmouthshire Beacon)

The second annual “Run for Charity” event in Phnom Penh [Cambodia] draws nearly 2,000 participants and raises US$25,900. Organized to celebrate International Children’s Day, all proceeds support free child healthcare at the Cambodia-based Kantha Bopha hospitals (Khmer Times)

The cruise ship Silver Whisper diverts course off Oregon [United States] to rescue a 74-year-young solo sailor stranded in nine-meter waves whose sailing ship was inoperable. The crew successfully recovers the injured mariner from his disabled vessel and delivers him to Vancouver [Canada] (Daily Mail)

Thoughtful quote of the day: “What a man takes in by contemplation, that he pours out in love.” – Meister Eckhart German Theologian (BrainyQuote)

In Part 1 of 2 of April Smith’s near-death experience, American coach and counselor April shares how she flatlined for eight minutes during childbirth and was taken to Heaven. April describes her younger self as a “wild child” with little direction. She got saved at 18 after crying out to God in a moment of desperation, though her faith was initially surface-level. Over the years, God deepened her walk through a series of powerful dreams and answered prayers — including the miraculous survival of her premature daughter Honesty, born at five months and weighing 1 pound 6 ounces [624 grams], after doctors warned April that her baby faced serious complications and later said they did not know what else they could do for her.

When April became pregnant with her fourth child, Troy, she felt ashamed of how quickly it had happened and privately considered an abortion. God intervened with two signs — first through a Christian television broadcast on being fruitful and multiplying, and then during a New Year’s Eve church service, when a preacher stopped mid-sermon, came down among the pews, and then came to April with a sobering word. He warned her not to go through with the abortion and revealed that her life still carried a purpose she did not yet understand. The message shook April deeply. She dropped down, repented, and says that was the end of that experience.

April went on to carry Troy, but because of a cervical cancer issue, she required a cesarean section procedure. During the procedure, she became convinced the medical team had given her too much epidural medication — a feeling her nurse dismissed. When they laid her back on the table, she could barely breathe. She told her husband she loved him and that if she didn’t make it, she wanted him to know that. Moments after Troy was delivered, April flatlined. According to her medical records, she was gone for approximately eight minutes.

I could, however the Lord does what the Lord does, I could feel my spirit separating from my body and to the point to where it’s like floating but then I was in the doorway of the operating room and I could see my body laying on the table and I could see the doctors like trying to do whatever they were doing and then my doctor, she was a woman doctor, she literally jumped on my chest and she started doing this and I’m in the doorway in the spirit because it was an out-of-body experience and even then I was like what is she doing? Why is she jumping on me like that? And I remember me saying that.

And then, next thing you know, it’s like I was no longer in the doorway, and it was like I was just brought to this place, and it was just like these tall gates, and they literally, at these tall gates, it was like pearls or something at the end. And as I’m like — I wasn’t even walking, I can’t even explain it, it was just like a movie where you literally just are gliding through the scenes. And I came to this place and it was like this field of flowers and it was not a flower that I have seen here on Earth and literally every thing was in sync and what I mean by that is like I can’t even explain the singing but it was just so in sync and the flowers would move with the singing and it was like the gates would move with the singing and everything was in sync, it was going back and forth and back and forth. And then literally it went to like a different pattern, like breathing, and so it literally, like when it was breathing, everything breathed in together, everything breathed out together. And that experience — thank you Holy Spirit, thank you Holy Spirit. I was there, and the Spirit of the Lord told me that I was in Heaven.

In Part 2, April describes what happened after she realized she was in Heaven, and the voice that told her she had to go back and tell people what she had seen. I wasn’t even thinking about my husband I was leaving behind, I wasn’t thinking about my children at that moment. In that moment, I have never ever in my earthly life experienced that much peace. Join us tomorrow for Part 2 of 2 of April Smith’s near-death experience. (Godformation)