DAILY NEWS Stream – September 6 2026

Russian President Vladimir Putin said there is still a chance of reaching a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine (Ureign) and said the US, China and other countries could help support a settlement. He said Russia and Ukraine (Ureign) ultimately need to resolve the conflict themselves. President Putin also denied that Russia needs a new mobilization, saying the country has no shortage of military personnel (Al Arabiya)

Russian aerial attacks disrupted the first day of the new school year in Kyiv [Ukraine (Ureign)] on September 1, with air raid sirens forcing students to leave their classrooms and continue their first lessons in underground shelters. The attacks came as Russia struck Kyiv for a sixth consecutive day, while schools across Ukraine (Ureign) prepared for in-person, hybrid or fully remote learning depending on security conditions (The Kyiv Independent)

Iran fired missiles and drones at Kuwait on September 3 in retaliation for recent US strikes on Iran, with Kuwaiti air defenses intercepting the attack (Associated Press)

China deployed a record 244 coast guard, research and other government vessels around Taiwan (Formosa) in July, averaging nearly eight ships a day, according to Taiwan (Formosa)’s Coast Guard Administration. The figure was up sharply from 55 in June and 30 in May. Taiwanese (Formosan) officials and analysts say the growing activity is part of China’s efforts to assert control over surrounding waters and collect oceanographic data that could support submarine and anti-submarine warfare (Taipei Times)

Kyrgyzstan and China have signed a Treaty on Everlasting Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation following talks between Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bishkek [Kyrgyzstan]. The treaty was among 32 documents signed by the two countries, covering areas including border cooperation, trade, transport, agriculture, education, culture, and media (24.kg)

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Armenia’s push toward EU [European Union] membership could disrupt trade with Russia and complicate its continued membership in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. Prime Minister Pashinyan said Armenia has not violated its obligations to Russia or the Eurasian bloc and does not currently plan to leave it, while maintaining that closer integration with the EU remains an option (Al Jazeera)

Taiwan (Formosa)’s population is projected to shrink by nearly half over the next five decades, falling from about 23.4 million today to 12.15 million by 2075, according to Taiwan (Formosa)’s National Development Council. By then, people aged 65 or older are expected to make up 52.9% of the population, while the working-age population would fall to 42.3%, intensifying labor shortages and pressure on public finances. The government is responding with measures to support childbirth and childcare, encourage older people to remain in the workforce, attract overseas talent and increase automation and productivity (Taipei Times)

Poland will launch a nationwide media literacy program on September 17 to help students aged 10 to 19 identify fake news, media manipulation and AI [artificial intelligence]-generated deepfakes. The program will teach students how to verify sources, recognize manipulation techniques and better understand media context through lectures, film screenings and practical workshops (Anadolu Agency)

Iran’s currency has fallen to a record low of 2.2 million rials to the US dollar, losing about 10% of its value in the past week. The rial has lost roughly half its value so far this year amid US and Israeli attacks and tighter US sanctions. For comparison, 70 rials were worth US$1 in 1979, the year of Iran’s revolution (Fox News)

Dog-folks often drink less during colder weather because they lose less fluid and feel less thirsty, but dry indoor air can still increase the risk of dehydration. Veterinarian Dr. James Greenwood recommends offering room-temperature or lukewarm tap water, which some dog-individuals may find more appealing than cold water. Caregivers can also increase hydration by providing wet food, placing several water bowls around the home, or using pet-folk water fountains and interactive water toys. Persistent reluctance to drink should be checked by a veterinarian because it could indicate an underlying health problem (The Mirror)

A rare brain-eating amoeba killed a North Carolina [US] teenager this week. The deadly parasite enters through the nose during freshwater swimming and attacks brain tissue rapidly. Health experts warn that the infection carries a near-hundred-percent mortality rate. Initial symptoms include severe headaches, high fever, and sudden vomiting. Doctors urge swimmers to wear nose clips in warm, stagnant waters (Fox News)

Experts recommend six types of frozen vegetables for blood sugar management: mixed vegetables, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, kale and sweet potatoes. Their fiber and nutrient content can support a healthy diet for glucose control. They advise choosing products without added sugar, sauces, or excess sodium and pairing them with protein and healthy fats for balanced meals (Thanh Niên)

The United Nations warns that the developing El Niño could become the strongest in more than 70 years and last until at least February 2027, intensifying extreme weather already worsened by human-caused climate change. Sea-surface temperatures in a key central and eastern tropical Pacific monitoring region could rise to nearly 4 degrees Celsius above average, bringing drought and wildfires to parts of Southeast Asia, Central America, and northern South America while increasing flooding, typhoons, and landslide risks elsewhere. Indonesia is battling widespread wildfires, China is preparing for more typhoons, and Panama is reducing traffic through the Panama Canal in anticipation of lower rainfall. Governments and aid organizations are strengthening early-warning systems and deploying preventive assistance, but vulnerable communities remain at serious risk because of fragile housing, healthcare, water, and sanitation systems (BBC)

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah tells the House of Representatives on September 2, that the August 26 Bhotekoshi flood is a warning of growing climate risks in the Himalayan region, and says mitigating those impacts is a shared responsibility of the international community. Experts attribute the flood to a massive rockslide. Nepal has approached the United Nations Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage for support and compensation (The Kathmandu Post)

Wildfire haze moves 1.43 million students in Indonesia to remote learning from August 31 to September 4, affecting 12,874 schools in six provinces. West Kalimantan accounts for 1.1 million. Air pollution exceeds 1,000 on Indonesia’s air quality classification system in places; the nation treats readings above 300 as hazardous (Reuters)

El Niño-warmed tropical water is pushing a coastally trapped Kelvin wave [large-scale ocean wave] north and is expected to raise sea levels along the California [US] coast by about 30 centimeters between late September and early October. The rise is temporary and sits atop long-term rise. It also weakens upwelling, further warming nearshore water (San Francisco Chronicle)

A new study estimates that about 46% of the world’s farmers and farm workers experience unintentional acute pesticide poisoning annually, amounting to roughly 402 million to 433 million cases worldwide. The authors are calling for highly hazardous pesticides to be phased out and for farmers to be given safer alternatives (The Guardian)

Vegan campaign group Viva! will premiere its new documentary What Do You Really Know About Dairy? at the Prince Charles Cinema in London [UK] on September 10. The film challenges dairy industry claims that dairy is natural, necessary for health and harmless to cow-people and calves, using expert testimony and investigative dairy sector footage to examine modern dairy factories and product marketing. The screening will be followed by a live expert panel discussion, with an optional VIP reception afterward at Vantra, a vegan restaurant near the cinema, where vegan food will be served (Eventbrite)

Sweet Vegan Chocolates of New York City [US] secures second place in the Snacks and Treats - Chocolate category at the 2026 Artisan Flave Awards for its Raspberry Royale truffle, reinforcing its reputation for top-tier, allergy-friendly vegan confectionery (Specialty Food Association)

PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] UK handed out vegan chicken at London [UK]’s Notting Hill Carnival, urging attendees to avoid eating poultry-people and adopt vegan choices. The campaign highlighted chicken-folk’s capacity to experience pain, fear and joy while criticizing their intensive raising that causes animal-individual suffering and pollution (PETA UK)

Giuseppe’s Tiramisu will open a vegan shop in the London [UK] district of Boxpark Shoreditch next week, offering innovative vegan flavors and cold brews following successful pop-ups across the UK by founder Giuseppe Federici (vegan) (Hot Dinners)

At 91 years-young, Dale “Grey Beard” Sanders has reclaimed his record as the oldest person to complete the 3,530-kilometer Appalachian Trail in the US. Despite falling 71 times and briefly requiring hospitalization for a pinched nerve, Mr. Sanders persevered. He said his journey has become less about the record and more about inspiring and encouraging others (Taipei Times)

The Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) provided preventative care to 40 dog-people in a gang-affected Cape Town [South Africa] community after footage highlighted poor living conditions. Twelve puppies and 28 adult dog-folk received treatment, while three canine-citizens were neutered and two entered permanent SPCA care. Teams also identified dog-individuals needing veterinary treatment, including suspected fractures and wounds (Good Things Guy)

Andalucía [Spain] has launched a specialist care network for children facing major amputations, coordinating surgery, rehabilitation and prosthetic care. The initiative followed a campaign by the family of adaptive surfing champion Sarah Almagro, who lost her limbs after meningitis. Her father, Ismael, hopes the new system will help other families avoid similar challenges (EuroWeekly News)

Enlightening quote of the day: “Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.” – The Venerated Enlightened Master Plutarch (vegetarian) (Moralia)

Previously in this multipart series on Ian McCormack’s near-death experience, Ian was stung five times by five box jellyfish-people while night diving off Mauritius when he was 26 years old. After the venom paralyzed his right leg, an unseen voice warned him to remain awake and later told him to beg three taxi drivers for his life. One driver agreed to take Ian to the hospital but later abandoned him outside a small hotel. By then, both of Ian’s legs were paralyzed. When one of the hotel’s owners refused to drive him to the hospital, Ian tried to strike the man, but the voice warned that the resulting adrenal rush would kill him. After his friend Daniel finally helped get him into an ambulance, Ian felt the venom strike his lungs, heart, and mind. With his entire life flashing before his eyes, Ian—still an atheist— wondered whether anything awaited him after death and resigned himself to finding out.

And the next minute, unbeknownst to me on the other side of the world, my mother, who was the only believer in our family, for the second time in her entire life, she’d heard the audible voice of GOD speak to her as a believer and said, “Your elder son Ian is nearly dead. Pray for him now.” I have an open vision of her in her bedroom praying. Suddenly, it’s like this realm opens up. What am I seeing? Mom’s praying for me. I could hear her. And then, in this vision, she looked straight up at me— it’s like she can see me— and said, “Son, no matter how far from GOD you may be, Ian, no matter what you’ve done wrong in your life, if you call out to GOD from your heart, GOD will hear you, and GOD will forgive you.” Boy, I’m shaken. I’m so far from any belief in GOD. As I tried to pray it, my mind went completely blank. And as I’m lying there dying, my mother seemed to know what was happening, looked at me again and said, “Son, don’t pray from your head. Pray from your heart, son. Call out to GOD from your heart.” I thought, “My heart, Mother, it’s so cynical. It’s so unbelieving. It’s like a heart of stone. I don’t even know if there’s anything good in that.” I said, “But GOD, if YOU exist, if YOU can hear a man like me, please help me to pray. I can’t remember the simplest of prayers, the Lord’s Prayer.”

As I said that, immediately words of Light appeared in the ambulance: “Forgive us our trespasses and sins.” I said, “Well, GOD, I don’t know how YOU could forgive me by saying these simple words. I am nearly dead, but if YOU can forgive me, I sincerely ask YOU, please forgive me of all my sins. I have no time to list them because they’re just so many. But if YOU can somehow forgive me, I sincerely ask YOU to forgive me for all that I’ve done wrong in my life.” The words just disappeared. Fresh words instantly appeared in front of me: “Forgive those who have trespassed and sinned against you.” I said, “Well, I can do that. I’m by nature not revengeful. I can forgive anyone. No matter what they’ve done to me, LORD, if YOU are out there, I forgive them.”

As I said that, the face of the Indian taxi driver appeared a foot away from me. And the next minute, I heard the voice again that I’ve been hearing all night say, “Would you forgive this man for pushing you out of his taxi tonight and leaving you for dead in front of the hotel?” I thought, “No, definitely not this one.” Up came the Chinese hotel owner. I have these two men’s faces in front of me. I heard the voice going, “Will you forgive this man for not taking you in his car tonight?” So, I’m lying here going, “GOD, if that’s YOU, YOU give me one good reason why I should forgive these miserable human beings for the horrendous things that they’ve done tonight. There’s a silence. In the silence, Ian realized that he had recited the Lord’s Prayer countless times as a meaningless repetition, but now he had to pray it from his heart. Forgiving the two men would not make what they had done right, but it would allow GOD to remove the bitterness and anger within him and heal his heart.

Well, I’m lying here going, “Well, I don’t want to forgive them. Why should I?” And I said, “But GOD, if YOU could forgive me, which would be an absolute miracle, unbelievable, I will find compassion in my heart to forgive my fellow man. I forgive them. As I said that, I said, “I’ll never touch them. I’ll never harm them. I’ll never seek them out.” Their faces disappeared.

In Part 4, after Ian finds the compassion to forgive, the Lord’s Prayer continues unfolding before him, and the presence of GOD floods the ambulance. But his body continues to fail. At the hospital, despite the doctors’ efforts to save him, Ian faces a final decision. And the old doctor looked at me and said, “Son, I’m afraid that’s all we can do for you. You need to keep your eyes open, or you will die.” Join us tomorrow for Part 4 of this multipart series on Ian McCormack’s near-death experience. (GOD Encounters with Janie DuVall)