DAILY NEWS Stream – January 5, 2026

UK food blogger Sadia Badiei (vegan) shares seven tips for Veganuary: 1. Don’t worry about what you can’t eat, focus on what you can incorporate into your meals instead.

2. Don’t become fixated on protein.

3. Soy ranks amongst the finest vegan protein options.

4. For flavorful meals, ensuring every dish packs a punch with fat, acid, salt, and sweetness.

5. Your gut will need time to get used to things (some bloating or digestive discomfort maybe experienced initially due to higher fiber intake)

6. Fill half your plate with fruit or veg, dedicate a quarter to grains or starchy foods, and reserve the remaining quarter for vegan proteins like beans, lentils or tofu.

7. Don’t let self-doubt derail your efforts (Mirror)

Japan provides US $52.8 million to Ukraine (Ureign) under Phase 4 of its Emergency Recovery Program, supporting demining, energy repairs, and water system restoration (United24 Media)

Hong Kong Customs signs its first Mutual Recognition Arrangement with Peru, strengthening trade ties and expanding Authorized Economic Operator (trusted customs fast-track) cooperation (Bastille Post Global)

Japan grants Egypt US$22 million to build a first-of-its-kind dive support vessel for the Suez Canal Authority [Egypt]. The vessel, built in Japan, supports diving, towing, and search and recovery operations, reinforcing long-standing bilateral cooperation and strengthening navigation safety, emergency response and marine rescue capacity (Insight)

Bulgaria adopts the euro on January 1, 2026, replacing the lev after extensive preparations and European Union (EU) approval. With this accession, 21 EU states share the currency, enhancing mobility, trade, and economic integration across Europe (European Commission)

A US federal appeals court allows the Trump administration to enforce a law withdrawing Medicaid [free or low-cost health insurance] funding to major abortion provider Planned Parenthood in 22 states and Washington, D.C., pending further court review (The Guardian)

US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awards US$250 million to 11 World Cup host US states and the National Capital Region to strengthen drone-detection and mitigate Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (drone) capabilities ahead of the 2026 FIFA [International Federation of Association Football] World Cup from June to July 2026 (DHS)

The US Treasury sanctions individuals and entities in Iran and Venezuela for enabling the Iran-Venezuela weapons trade, targeting networks that support Iran’s drone and missile programs and bolster Venezuela’s conventional weapon capabilities (US Treasury)

German influencer and animal-people rights activist Malte Zierden (vegan) urges a ban on New Year’s fireworks, warning they cause severe stress, panic and injuries to animal companions and wildlife. He highlights widespread unreported suffering, supports an active national petition for prohibition, and argues that compassion— not tradition—should guide how society treats animal-persons during celebrations (Euronews)

France bans the production and sale of cosmetics and most clothing containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” from January 1, 2026 (Báo Tin tức)

Âu Lạc (Vietnam) begins enforcing new national penalties on January 1, 2026, fining individuals US$114-US$190 for using e-cigarettes or heated tobacco and requiring confiscation. Allowing others to vape or use heated tobacco on one’s premises carries fines of US$190-US$380, with organizations paying double (Dân Việt)

A Dutch teen wakes from routine knee surgery speaking only fluent English and believing he is in the US and unable to recognize his parents or understand his native Dutch language. Doctors diagnose Foreign Language Syndrome after ruling out neurological causes, with under 10 such cases reported worldwide (The Daily Jagran)

Egypt will now allow citizens to receive treatment at private hospitals with costs covered by the state under the Universal Health Insurance system (Daily News Egypt)

Eating salad before main courses stabilizes blood sugar levels by creating a natural fiber barrier that slows carbohydrate digestion and prevents glucose spikes say experts (Lao Động)

Wildfires in the hills of the Santiago [Chile] district of Las Condes scorch over 470 hectares and blanket the city in smoke, prompting authorities to deploy helicopters and ground crews to protect homes, infrastructure, and forests (Viory.video)

Wyoming [US] forests face multiple crises as climate change, Pine beetles, and disease kill trees across over 12,000 square kilometers and create ghost forests covering up to 35% of the state’s forested land (Cowboy State Daily)

A New Zealand study warns estuaries in Auckland [New Zealand] degraded by sediment and nutrients emit more methane during climate change-driven heatwaves compared to healthy, sandy, unpolluted estuary ecosystems in the city. The latter can absorb more carbon dioxide and show higher resilience (Eastern Times)

Three waterspout tornadoes simultaneously strike the Mazarrón coast [Spain], damaging piers and wrecking boats in the harbor while causing debris to dangerously fly around during the storm (The Sun)

In Myanmar’s Bago region, architectural studio Blue Temple and the Housing Now Construction Company partner to build modular bamboo houses that resist earthquakes and cost about the price of a smartphone (Tuổi Trẻ)

Colombian scientist Dr. Elisabeth Restrepo Parra, PhD wins Colombia’s 2025 National Inventor Prize for creating an organic battery made from agro-industrial waste such as sugarcane residues, banana peels, and avocado seeds. Her team’s prototype offers a low-cost, locally sourced energy-storage option and highlights new clean-tech potential for Colombian agriculture (Colombia One)

Young Atlantic salmon-people appear in the Mersey, Goyt, and Bollin [UK] rivers for the first time in a decade, signaling a major environmental recovery (Good News Network)

A young puppy in the US is abandoned twice within four weeks and now urgently needs a permanent, stable home. Rescuer Suzette Hall of the rescue group Logan’s Legacy 29 is restoring his health in preparation for his eventual adoption by a safe, loving family (Mirror)

Two people are arrested in Grand Junction [US] in connection with an animal-people cruelty case where 10 puppies were found dead and 21 other animal-individuals were discovered neglected in a hot camper trailer (Western Slope Now)

New York State Police [US] arrest two people after an investigation finds multiple deceased animal-individuals inside their former Williamstown residence (Newport Dispatch)

Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [US] develop a window-sized device that passively extracts drinking water from air using a hydrogel that absorbs vapor at night and releases it by day, producing up to 161 milliliters of potable water daily without electricity (Noticias Ambientales)

Being vegan boosts gut and heart health and reduces inflammation and cholesterol while lowering disease risk and supporting weight loss with fiber-rich foods (Tyla)

Victoria [British Columbia, Canada] tops ranking of vegan-friendly Canadian cities based on having 186 vegan restaurants and 47 vegan stores and demonstrating positive online sentiment (Vancouver Island Free Daily)

A woman rescues an abandoned four-week-old puppy found alone in the woods. DNA results amaze the caregiver, revealing the “Catahoula” [breed of working dog-people] lookalike is actually a rare cross between an Australian Shepherd and a Beagle-person (Mirror)

Luxembourg City [Luxembourg] adds 38 beds at the Findel emergency shelter for homeless adults as temperatures may drop to minus 6 degrees Celsius around the New Year period (RTL Today)

Indian non-profit People For Animals rescues four leopard cubs around 5 to 7 days old abandoned near Tavarekere [Bengaluru, India] due to human activity and are working with the Karnataka Forest Department for possible reunification with the mother (The Hans India)

Thoughtful quote of the day:

“Look, but see nothing; listen, but hear nothing; yet, grasp the true essence of the situation.”

– Venerated Enlightened Master and Philosopher Guiguzi (breatharian)

I could see my wife through the wall, through the back of my head, and I said, “Well, this is different. I must have died.”

American Ralph Jensen describes dying during a massive heart attack and cardiac arrest, during which he says he met Lord Jesus Christ (vegetarian) and was shown visions of existence before birth, the creation of Earth, and God’s plan of salvation.

Ralph, 51, woke at 3 am on Friday, the 13th of 2004, with severe chest pain and congestion. His wife called the emergency services number while their son crossed the street to get their neighbor, Spencer Olsen, to give Ralph a priesthood blessing. As Spencer knelt beside him, answering the operator’s questions, Ralph’s condition worsened.

I was yelling and holding my chest, “Help me. Please help me.” It felt like my chest was going to explode. As I was rolling off the pillows face down on the bed, the pain went away, and I said, “This is not good. I bet I’m dying.” I said a prayer there, “God help me,” kind of a thing, and then I was out of pain. I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t shut my eyes and why I couldn’t speak, why I couldn’t move. I didn’t know I’d died. I noticed that I could see through the walls, and it was daylight outside. I could see my daughter in the next room had our dog to stay away from the paramedics.

As the pain vanished, Ralph became aware of two men dressed in white standing near his bed. I was standing looking at myself leaning, well I wasn’t really leaning, but I was next to the wall, to the door in the bathroom, and I could see my wife through the wall, through the back of my head, and I said, “Well, this is different. I must have died.” I asked the two men if I could go back. I said, “This is great. I’ll stay if I have to, but I’d rather go back because… and they said, “Yes,” and told Spencer Olsen what to say. So, then I crawled back in myself, and I’m aware of all this, just like if you walked from one room to another. It was really kind of fun. I floated over and started going back into my body. I could feel my body getting warm. I could feel it go out my fingers and toes and my head. But as soon as it accomplished all of that, the pain came back like getting hit with a Mack truck [semi-trailer truck].

Paramedics transported Ralph to the hospital, where doctors worked to break up the blood clot. Two hours later, around 5:45 am, Ralph went into cardiac arrest again. For 12 minutes, medical staff performed CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), fracturing multiple ribs and his sternum, and shocked him repeatedly.

I saw my wife. My first wife had died in a car accident five years earlier, and my parents had died. The first thing they told me, they said, “You’ve already got permission to stay, so what are you doing here? We have more to get done for the Second Coming than we have time for, and all you’re doing is getting in our way. So, would you please go back to where you’re supposed to be and let us get back to work?”

After I talked to my family, my attention was diverted to this man, and he was standing a little ways back.

As I was walking back to this man, the Holy Ghost was there, and He said, “That’s the Savior.” I thought, “OK, all things change knowing Who He was instead of a guide.” I went to the floor, and I had two challenges: one was, I couldn’t get there soon enough, and the other is, I couldn’t go deeper than the floor to bow to my Lord. Then, He asked me to come to Him. Then, it was easy to stand. I stood, and I walked over to Him. I gave Him a hug, and we parted and we were quite close together, a couple of feet maybe. So, I’m looking up into His eyes. And He looks at me, and He says, “Where’s your heart?” Now that doesn’t mean where is this heart here, that means, “Where are my values?” The Bible tells us that where your treasure is, that’s where your heart is. In other words, what you value is where your heart is. The question was basically: Am I first, or is the world first in your life? Where is your heart? Since I’m so imperfect, my life kind of went before me, and I thought, “How can I stand here looking into His face and say I’m with You, when I was so imperfect?” I didn’t answer Him and He just smiled. He took me on a tour of His life like Scrooge seeing his Christmas past. I got to go back in the past to the pre-mortal and watch Him be there. I got to watch Him — He’s the Creator of the Earth so I got to watch Him build the Earth, and I got to see Adam and Eve in the Garden. Then I got to watch Him be born in the manger, and live His life and die, His resurrection. While He was dead for the three days, He was in the spirit world. I got to see all of that. If you want to know what my experience was, you read the scriptures and everything you read, I saw and everything in between what you read I saw.

The Savior never condemned me for all my weaknesses. I did — but He didn’t. He praised me for the things I’d done right. He has a great sense of humor; He has a very contagious, welcoming, warming personality — a great smile. He laughs. He’s very friendly. So, understand that He’s a very personal, loving Individual. He is our mediator between God and us, and that’s why we pray to the Father in His Name.

I know through the Holy Ghost that these things are true.