DAILY NEWS Stream – April 07, 2025

US and the Democratic Republic of the Congo discuss a minerals deal that Congolese President Tshisekedi says could make his country safer (AP)

Lebanon and Syria sign border deal to ease tensions (VTV.vn)

US sanctions six officials from China and Hong Kong for suppressing pro- democracy supporters in Hong Kong (Reuters)

Analysis: President Trump’s tariff chaos actually makes sense in the big picture. They’re part of a plan to rebuild US manufacturing and keep the dollar dominant, echoing a 1950s-style global trade system where America’s allies get benefits but follow US economic leadership (Money & Macro)

US President Trump’s administration will cancel over US$500 million in funding to Brown University [US] over anti-Jewish protests and “anti-American” teachings (AP)

President Trump supports proxy [remote] voting in Congress for new parents caring for newborns (AP)

US Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] finds US$4.3 billion in unused COVID-era funds and is returning them to their proper place in the Treasury (DOGE)

US-Mexico border arrests reached an all-time low in March 2025 thanks to President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration (Vietnam-Plus)

US Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] head Elon Musk says the US Institute of Peace tried to delete 1,000 gigabytes of data to “cover their crimes,” including funding Taliban and Iraqi leaders, in latest example of government waste and abuse (Newsweek)

American pastor prays for tech billionaire Elon Musk’s protection at a Town Hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin, amid attacks and death threats tied to his role in the Department of Government Efficiency [DOGE] (FOX 5 Atlanta)

“I hope they see this segment”: US Efficiency Commissioner Elon Musk reveals he and President Trump’s team have identified the leaders behind the violent Tesla car dealership attacks and are coming after them to hold them accountable (Fox News; Gateway Pundit)

Dangerous animal sedative Xylazine found in illegal drugs in the US, especially near the Mexico border, raising alarm (Al Día)

Dangerous dragon worm [guinea worm] parasite reappears in Vietnam after more than 20 years. The disease spreads through meat and water, and the only cure is to carefully extract it after a year… and hope it doesn’t burst, releasing millions of larvae into the bloodstream (Báo Thanh Niên)

US State of Utah bans fluoride from public drinking water over brain toxicity concerns, aligning with MAHA [the Make America Healthy Again] movement led by President Trump’s Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Fox News)

Shingles vaccine is linked to a 20% lower risk of dementia in older adults, UK study finds (Euronews)

More than half of the UK’s butterfly species are in long-term decline, survey finds (BBC)

The illegal gorilla body parts trade in northeastern Nigeria is bigger than previously thought and deadlier to the critically endangered primates than previously acknowledged, investigation finds (Mongabay)

Dutch city Nijmegen bans meat ads in public spaces and endorses the Plant Based Treaty for a global vegan food system, becoming the world’s 37th city and the Netherlands’ second city to do so, following Amsterdam – which was the first European capital to endorse the vegan treaty – in February 2024 (Vegconomist)

European Commission commits to creating a plant-based protein plan to boost local vegan protein production (Vegconomist)

Vietnam gives animal welfare handbooks to members of parliament to help improve animal protection laws and limit the dog and cat meat trade (Vietnam Investment Review)

Korean biotechnology firms embrace the vegan trend with non-animal ingredients in products and lab-grown organoids [mini-organs] for drug and cosmetic testing, boosting business from ethical consumers (ChosunBiz)

Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Tshopo province bans the capture and trade of gray parrots to fight wildlife trafficking (Mongabay)

Bollywood [Hindi movie] stars pledge their support to PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] India: Celebrities including Shahid Kapoor (vegetarian), Jacqueline Fernandez (vegetarian), and many more are advocating for animals (The Times of India)

Elevating quote of the day: “We humans are easily prone to sins of thought. Therefore God, knowing that sinful deeds follow from sinful thoughts, has ordained that purity of mind must be our primary concern.” – The Venerable Saint Basil the Great (vegetarian)