DAILY NEWS Stream – April 4, 2025

Israel urges Hamas to surrender in exchange for safe passage of the group’s leaders out of Gaza, while promising to secure the region and implement US President Trump’s plan to “voluntarily evacuate” Palestinians to nearby Arab nations (VnExpress)

US President Trump is growing “impatient” with Russia’s Putin over his refusal to commit to a ceasefire, says Finland’s President Alexander Stubb after meeting Mr. Trump in Florida [US]. The leaders agreed to strengthen ties, including a US deal to buy Finnish icebreaker ships for Arctic security (Sky News Australia)

Putin’s limo explodes in a fireball on a Moscow [Russia] street, raising new assassination fears just days after Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said “Putin will die soon” (The Sun; GB News; Mint)

Ukraine is not preparing for elections, as all parties agree voting can only happen after martial law ends, says President Zelenskyy’s parliamentary faction leader Davyd Arakhamia, dismissing rumors of a July 2025 election (Kyiv Independent)

US President Trump announces the “decimation” of Iran-backed Houthi “terrorists” in Yemen and tells them: “Stop shooting at US ships and we will stop shooting at you” (Sky News Australia; Fox News)

US President Trump warns Iran “there will be bombing” and secondary tariffs if they refuse a nuclear disarmament deal (Sky News Australia)

The US and Denmark will hold their first high-level talks since US President Trump’s election win during NATO’s April 4 foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels [Belgium]. Discussions will likely focus on Greenland, which President Trump has vowed to “take control” of for “international security” (Financial Times)

US auto union boss Shawn Fain praises President Trump’s tariffs and criticizes Democrats for failing to protect workers from “corporate greed” and unfair competition (Fox News)

US President Trump signs an order to crack down on ticket scalping [where online scammers buy large numbers of event tickets and resell them at high prices]. It strengthens the Better Online Ticket Sales [BOTS] Act, ensures fair pricing, and increases government oversight (Sky News australia)

President Trump’s administration may cancel up to US$9 billion in Harvard University funds over alleged antisemitism and failure to protect Jewish students (The Guardian)

US Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] boss Elon Musk says the agency’s next target is corrupt members of Congress who got “strangely wealthy” despite earning under US$200,000 per year (Sky News Australia)

A US appeals court backs the Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE], allowing funding cuts at USAID [US Agency for International Development] to resume (Fox News)

A Satanic leader is tackled to the ground and arrested after attacking a Christian counter-protester during a failed “Black Mass” at the Kansas [US] Statehouse (New York Post)

Most French people support banning hunting on Sundays, shortening hunting season, and banning hunting with dogs over animal welfare and safety concerns, new study finds (RFI)

Police say South Korea’s worst forest fire ever was caused by a worship ritual at an ancestral grave, with a 50-year-old suspect facing trial (Tuổi Trẻ)

Myanmar holds a nationwide minute of silence to honor the victims of the catastrophic earthquake as the death toll exceeds 2,700 (Al Jazeera)

Hundreds of apartments in HCM CT [Vietnam] have cracked walls due to the massive earthquake in Myanmar over 2,000 kilometers [1,250 miles] away (Thanh Niên)

A Malaysian man in Bangkok [Thailand] named Kong Han Meng carried an elderly woman down 40 floors during the 7.7-magnitude Myanmar earthquake (Tuổi Trẻ)

China’s Yunnan Province reports severe damage from Myanmar earthquake aftershocks (VẤN ĐỀ HÔM NAY)

US: 7 dead, hundreds of thousands without power after storms pound the Midwest region (Sky News Australia)

Tornado warning is issued in the State of New Jersey [US] as severe storms hit Northeast after slamming the Midwest (The New York Times)

Severe storms on the Greek islands Paros and Mykonos shut down schools and halt traffic due to widespread flooding and destruction (AP)

Volcano erupts in Iceland south of the capital Reykjavik, forcing evacuation of nearby town Grindavik (Al Jazeera)

Malaysia: Gas pipeline leak sparks huge fire on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur, injuring more than 100 people (Al Jaeera)

Wildfires in Eastern California [US] force evacuation of 800 homes as winds complicate firefighting efforts (AP)

Pollution is turning Africa’s Lake Victoria, the world’s largest tropical lake, green with algae blooms, with some areas so depleted of oxygen that they have become “dead zones” (VnExpress)

US: Plane crashes into a home in Brooklyn Park [Minnesota]. No passengers survived, but all residents are safe. Officials are investigating the cause and how many people were aboard the small aircraft (Báo Mới; Fox News)

Chinese social media app RedNote is suspected of secretly collecting user data, including location, audio, and images, even when not in use, sparking global concerns (Tuổi Trẻ)

11 tips for seniors to protect themselves from digital threats and scams: 1) Be cautious of scams and fraud, which are the number one digital threat for seniors. 2) Verify websites and email addresses to ensure they are trusted and reputable before engaging. 3) Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. 4) Don’t click on links from unfamiliar sources, including in emails, texts, or social media messages. 5) Use passwords to protect devices and accounts. 6) Learn to recognize signs of AI [artificial-intelligence]- generated content, including deep fake images and voice cloning scams trying to impersonate someone you know. 7) Apply “street smarts” to online behavior. 8) Stay in touch with tech-savvy family and friends for advice. 9) Share login information only with a trusted helper who can assist with security concerns. 10) Use free senior technology training programs, like OATS [Older Adults Technology Services] in the US. 11) Stay informed about good “digital hygiene” practices and current online threats (Fox News)

State of Virginia [US] Governor Glenn Youngkin [Republican] signs two animal protection laws improving transparency in animal testing and increasing the chances of primates being sent to sanctuaries instead of being killed after experiments (PETA)

Seoul [South Korea] primary and secondary schools will ban frog dissections over concerns about animal cruelty and child psychological trauma (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan): “Gratefully present the Virtuous Government Shining World Leadership Award to Seoul and the Government of South Korea with High Esteem and Praise for your loving law that protects the helpless, meek, and harmless innocent frog-people, with tears of thanks and gladness. By God – Grace, may your country go ever forward with Blessed Grandeur. Love Korea.”

Prudent quote of the day: “Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools speak because they have to say something.” – Unknown