DAILY NEWS Stream – April 17, 2026

Indonesia’s National Amil Zakat Agency and Libya’s Shaikh Tahir Alzawi Charity Organization expand their partnership to coordinate global humanitarian missions, including disaster relief, refugee support, and new education and infrastructure projects (Bernama)

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya clears more than 92,000 landmines and explosive remnants of war in 2025, and also provides risk-awareness training to over 24,000 people (Libya Observer)

Mobile schools in Karamoja [Uganda] are bringing education directly to children in remote mining communities, addressing extreme illiteracy rates and offering an alternative to child labor in an area where most families rely on mineral extraction to survive (NTV Uganda)

Singapore launches its first RoboFest, a four-day event designed to spark children’s curiosity about robotics and AI [artificial intelligence] through hands-on activities, AI ethics education, and interactive demonstrations that highlight how intelligent systems are becoming part of everyday life (Báo Tin tức)

Taiwan (Formosa)’s Baishatun Matsu pilgrimage begins with a record 460,000 participants, launching an eight-day journey in which devotees follow a palanquin carrying a statue of the sea Goddess Matsu along a route believed to be guided by the Deity’s will, making it one of the island’s most important cultural and spiritual events (Taipei Times)

Vets warn dog-folk caregivers to avoid feeding their pet friends five common human foods that can cause serious illness, extreme pain, or even death. Cooked bones can splinter easily, leading to choking, intestinal blockages, or internal injuries. Raw dough is dangerous because the yeast causes it to expand in the stomach, potentially resulting in painful bloating, stomach twisting, and alcohol poisoning. Bacon is too high in fat and salt, which can trigger stomach upset or pancreatitis. Macadamia nuts are highly toxic to dog-folks, even in small amounts, often causing poisoning, weakness, and temporary paralysis. Finally, white bread, which is high in sugar and oils, can also lead to pancreatitis, particularly in prone breeds (Express)

Medical experts now advise against using hydrogen peroxide for routine wound care, as it can damage healthy cells and slow healing. Modern guidelines recommend saline or gentler antiseptics to protect tissue, and note that the solution’s bubbling reflects a chemical reaction that may also harm cells rather than improve healing (Tuổi Trẻ)

An Estonian study reveals significant regional variations in the nation in tick-borne disease risks. Lääne-Viru County shows high Lyme disease rates, while Saaremaa leads in encephalitis. Urban areas are increasingly at risk for disease transmission by ticks (ERR News)

Research reveals alcohol-related liver disease may be twice as common in the US as previously thought, often remaining undiagnosed due to hidden symptoms. Experts urge earlier screening and education to prevent irreversible damage and long-term complications (VCU Health)

Tropical Cyclone Maila kills at least 11 people and destroys coastal villages in Papua New Guinea. Over 20,000 residents across Bougainville need urgent aid as landslides, floods, and destructive winds collapse vital infrastructure (The Watchers)

Torrential storms bring flash floods, hail, and strong winds across Saudi Arabia from April 11–13, forcing schools and universities online across the country. Authorities deploy emergency crews as flooding risks persist (The Watchers)

Super Typhoon Sinlaku, the strongest storm this year, is nearing the Northern Mariana Islands and passing close to Guam. Officials warn of destructive winds, heavy rain, and flooding, prompting emergency disaster declarations by US President Donald Trump as residents prepare for possible prolonged power outages (Washington Times)

A group of five students from FPT University in Cần Thơ [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)] develops a startup turning water hyacinth and lotus leaves into fully biodegradable packaging, creating new income for local farmers while offering businesses an environmentally friendly alternative to single-use plastics (Thanh Niên)

The city of Naryn [Kyrgyzstan] plans to build four mudflow-protection structures in its most vulnerable ravines as part of a five-year resilience program supported by Switzerland (24.kg)

Engineered algae developed at the University of Missouri [US] can bind to microplastics in wastewater and clump them into removable masses, which can then potentially be converted into bioplastic products (SciTech Daily)

Bali [Indonesia] emerges as a global vegan hub, driven by tourism, wellness culture, and local tempeh traditions. PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] Asia president Jason Baker (vegan) states, “Bali’s vibrant vegan scene offers both innovative flavors and authentic dishes that honor tradition without harming animals” (The West Australian)

Beyond The Plant Protein Company [formerly known as Beyond Meat] launches its latest iteration of its vegan breakfast sausage nationwide across major US retailers. The rollout features an updated formula with improved flavor, aiming to capture the growing breakfast protein market (Bitget)

UK brand “This” launches high-protein, ready-to-eat deli slices nationwide: This Isn’t Roast Chicken Slices and This Butter Bean, Garlic and Paprika Slices. The nutrient-dense range hits grocer Morrisons on April 22, followed by supermarket chain Sainsbury’s in May (FoodBev Media)

A brave young man scales a streetlight pole on the La Paz boardwalk [Mexico] to rescue a trapped seagull-individual (Zócalo)

Four-year-old Sienna of the UK defies medical odds, recovering from a rare, debilitating brain disease called acute necrotizing encephalitis following a family vacation. After losing basic motor skills and more than three months in the hospital, she now walks and speaks independently, fueled by extraordinary resilience. Over £140,000 in community support has been collected for further physiotherapy and rehabilitation (BBC)

South African non-profit Heaven of Hope Animal Rescue saves and rehabilitates abandoned pet-people, providing essential veterinary care and sanctuary. The organization now seeks public donations and sponsorships to sustain its lifesaving mission for vulnerable animal-individuals (The Citizen)

In Maricopa County [Arizona, US] animal-people welfare officer Davis rescues Jones, a stray dog-person with a plastic container stuck on his head. Afterwards, a veterinarian safely removes the hazard and the gentle dog-citizen recovers quickly at the county animal shelter and awaits adoption (Tag24 and The Dodo)

Enlightening quote of the day: “What is important is not to live a single day in life without practicing meditation, all the experiences of pains and pleasures of the world, one has to go through, notwithstanding.” – The Venerated Enlightened Master Baba Devi Sahib (vegetarian) (SantMatRadhaSoami)

Previously in Part 1 of 3 of Randy Riverstone Graves’ near-death experience, American minister, chaplain, and musician Randy collapsed during a heart attack on Mount Sequoyah, watched the world turn bright and sparkly, found himself floating in warm violet water like a womb, felt hands lifting him toward its shimmering surface, and chose to rise through it.

So as soon as I had that thought, let’s go for it, they lifted me up, and I came through the water, and water spilled off me. It was purple water. And I came through the water, and I saw the Moon, and I saw the sky, and then it was just an endless stretch of ocean, kind of rippling with gentle waves. Not big waves, more like you would see in a swimming pool, just gentle waves, but endless, this purple ocean. The sky was a purple, but kind of like aurora borealis everywhere up there. The purple was changing, and then it was kind of streaked with aqua a little bit. And then the hands just kept lifting me and lifting me and lifting me, and they lifted me up, and I went through the atmosphere, and then I started soaring through the cosmos, and stars were streaking by, and nebulae, giant gas clouds, and I guess galaxies. I mean, I was just soaring through space, and it was just exciting to me. I felt no fear. It was fun. I was having like the time of my life.

Randy then came to a stop in the cosmos, surrounded by stars in every direction, where extraordinary beings approached him. They were beings of pure energy. They had bodies, but they didn’t have human form. They were like flickering flames, and they were spinning, and they were like dervishes. And then suddenly I heard like the most amazing Music I had ever heard. And it was like the Music of God. It was, everything was Music, and everything was God. And I understood that I was in God, and I was part of God, and I just had this intuition that I was submersed in and part of God, and that this Music, oh my gosh, it was just so amazing. Have you ever heard music that just makes you want to weep; it is so beautiful, like orchestral music. It was that times a hundred, because it just filled my whole soul. It was just everywhere in the whole Universe. And it was the way God was speaking, through this Music.

And then, all of these beings that approached were also singing. They were spinning in circles like dervishes, just spinning and dancing, but they were also singing. Each had their own song, but each song was part of the grander symphony. But if I paid attention to each, like if I zoomed in and listened to each piece, it was like in the same key, and it was like part of the grander theme. It was like a counterpoint to the main theme, but it all fit together in one just magnificent symphony that just broke my heart. It just made me want to weep. It was so beautiful. And I asked one of them through my mind, and I said, “Who are you? Who are you?” with this sense of amazement, and the answer I got was, “Don’t you know you’re one of us?” And that just kind of blew me away. And then I looked at my own body, and I had like these flickering purplish flames coming off my own fingers, and I thought, “Whoa, this is cool.” I thought, “I can be a flame like them if I want to.”

Then a brighter Light emerged from a nearby nebula and moved toward Randy — and his heart leapt up inside him. And it was just this sense of joy, of wonder, and excitement. And as She moved toward me, She started to take shape. And She was a woman. And I knew that this was God who was appearing to me as a woman. I believe God can appear in different forms. But God appeared to me as a woman, and She was purple. She had purple skin and kind of long purpley hair. Kind of ageless. Maybe late 40s, I don’t know. Long robes that were like flowing, like there was this wind blowing, and just had this depth of wisdom just flowing from Her, and Her eyes just had this compassion that was just — I wanted to just drop to my knees. Not in worship, but in awe, and at the Love and Grace and beauty and awe that I was feeling already. And She came up to me, and we communicated in a sense, but at this point, I don’t really recall words. There was just this wave of Love that hit me and this wave of recognition that hit me. This wave of, oh my gosh, I just wanted to wrap my arms around Her and be embraced by Her. And eventually She asked me if I wanted to go for a walk, and we kind of walked side by side. And then there was a bench that we sat on, right in the middle of space, and She said that She needed to show me a few things.

What God showed Randy next would take him into the deepest wounds of his life — and into the pain his own words had left behind in others. It was harder to live somebody else’s trauma that I caused. Join us tomorrow for Part 3 of 3 of Randy Riverstone Graves’ near-death experience. (Spiritual Warrior Journey)