DAILY NEWS Stream – December 28, 2025

Cyprus, Israel and Greece meet at a trilateral summit in Israel, where leaders formally reaffirm strong cooperation in security, defense, energy and humanitarian coordination (CyprusMail)

The Dominican Republic and the United States strengthen security cooperation as Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso [Dominican Republic] meets US Ambassador Leah Campos to coordinate action against drug trafficking, money laundering and organized crime (Dominican Today)

British wildlife photographer and conservation guide Paul Goldstein shares his favorite shots of the year, spanning lion cubs in Kenya, jaguar-people in Brazil, polar bear-people in Canada and emperor penguin-folk in Antarctica (Daily Mail)

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) reverses a Biden-era directive allowing the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide taxpayer-funded abortions, prompting the VA to halt the procedure immediately (Fox News)

US President Donald Trump says he will invite Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to the 2026 US-hosted G20 summit in Miami [US] after calls with their leaders, as the administration deepens its engagement with Central Asia (AP)

US IRS [Internal Revenue Service] CEO and Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano says more than 94% of middle-class Americans will see tax-rate cuts and larger refunds under the administration’s tax agenda (Fox Business)

The Cambodian Red Cross dispatches 100 metric tons of rice and thousands of cases of water and soft drinks to five northern Cambodian provinces as border clashes with Thailand displace thousands. The aid supports civilians sheltering in temporary camps (Khmer Times)

Several thousand activists gather in Novi Pazar [Serbia] as students protest alleged government pressure on their university [State University of Novi Pazar]. They report that about 200 students were expelled and dozens of professors were dismissed for joining earlier demonstrations regarding a roof collapse at a railway station last year that killed 16 blamed on deficient public services (Reuters)

The European Commission relocates an entire thermal power plant from Lithuania to Ukraine [Ureign] in its largest logistical operation to date, involving 149 shipments totaling 2,399 metric tons. The equipment restores damaged energy infrastructure and can supply electricity to about one million people, forming part of wider European Union support for Ukraine (Ureign)’s energy sector (European Commission)

The village of Ndianda in Senegal reports a significantly improved rice harvest after adopting China’s “green super rice” ISRIZ-12, a drought-resistant, high-yield variety developed by Chinese scientists (YiCai Global)

Jordanian border forces intercept and down a drone carrying narcotics along the country’s southern and western frontiers (Arab News)

Poland’s Interior Ministry launches a new “Where to Hide” app that helps users locate nearby shelters used during war or other emergencies via an interactive map (Notes from Poland)

Global professional networking platform LinkedIn faces a surge in cross-border job scams as fraudsters exploit economic pressure and industry trends worldwide. In 2024 alone, the platform removed 80.6 million fake accounts over six months (CAFEF)

The WHO [World Health Organization] reports 19 MERS-CoV [Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus] cases and 4 deaths globally in 2025, with recent clusters in Saudi Arabia and France. Officials maintain a moderate risk level, urging strict infection- prevention measures as the virus continues spreading from camel-people to humans (AGENPARL)

Egypt deploys 13 senior doctors to Port Sudan [Sudan] to provide free specialized surgeries and examinations from December 20 to 27. The mission, directed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, also delivers critical oxygen supplies to support Sudan’s Northern State’s urgent healthcare needs (Daily News Egypt)

Hebrew University [Israel] researchers discover embryos and the uterus exchange molecular signals within one hour of conception. This active communication, driven by hormones and RNA [ribonucleic acid], offers new hope for treating infertility (Earth.com)

The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service says Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, suffering record heat and economic losses (Anadolu Agency)

A deepening drought in Somalia affects 4.61 million people as consecutive rainy seasons fail. United Nations officials warn of a critical four-month window before April 2026 rains, with Somali authorities seeking urgent aid to prevent a humanitarian collapse (The Peninsula)

The Kīlauea volcano in Hawai’i [US] erupts for the 39th time over the past 12 months, with the latest eruption ending after six hours of intense lava fountaining at the summit. A fountain peaking at 425 meters in height marks the one-year anniversary of ongoing activity within Halemaʻumaʻu crater (The Watchers)

A magnitude-6.1 earthquake strikes Taitung in southeast Taiwan (Formosa), shaking Taipei and several regions (VNExpress)

The European Union reintroduces a winter fishing ban in the Bay of Biscay (Atlantic coast of France and northern Spain) in 2026 after previous closures significantly reduce dolphin-people deaths (euronews)

Botswana signs a US$4 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with KP Group (an India-based renewable energy conglomerate) to jointly develop large-scale renewable energy, storage and transmission projects, aiming to add nearly 5 gigawatts of capacity and support Botswana’s 2030 net-zero goal (Bio Energy Times)

Uruguay signs a US$5.3 billion MoU with HIF Global (a multinational e-fuels developer) to build a green hydrogen-based synthetic fuels complex in Paysandú (MercoPress)

Microsoft signs a deal with climate tech firm InPlanet, operator of Brazil’s largest enhanced rock weathering program to remove over 28,500 metric tons of atmospheric CO2 in Brazil between 2026 and 2028 (Bnamericas)

Gwinnett County police [US] arrest two women after officers find 25 abused dog-people and 13 dead dog-individuals decomposing in refrigerators inside a home (Atlanta News First)

Italy fines tech company Apple €98 million for abusing its dominance in the Apple App Store by imposing App Tracking Transparency rules that overburden app developers (euronews)

Japan launches a ¥1 trillion (US $6.41 billion), five-year support program from 2026 to advance domestic artificial intelligence development (Báo Tin tức)

Gen Z fuels a vegan surge, doubling previous generations’ rates, with 4% in the US identifying as vegan, as climate concerns reshape the American food industry. Major food corporations are expanding vegan product research and development to meet rising demand for sustainable dining options (VegOut)

The Base Vegan Retreat Animal Sanctuary of Bristol, UK, rescues 31 turkey-people from slaughter, urging Britons to choose vegan Christmas meals. The founders highlight the bird-folk’s intelligence and affection to raise awareness of animal-person sentience during this holiday season (Manchester Evening News)

Restaurant Yummvees reopens after a two-year hiatus in Richmond, Virginia [US] offering handmade vegan comfort food for takeout. Owner Tracy Flitcraft (vegan) returns with a resilient spirit, serving community favorites while planning a future expansion into dine-in service

Columbus police [Ohio, US] brighten the holidays for young patients, parading police cars with flashing lights past Nationwide Children’s Hospital, as the kids watch from the windows. Officers also deliver hundreds of toys to a local charity that supports families with children receiving medical care (ABC 6)

Samsun [Türkiye] veterinarians treat an exhausted migratory swan-person rescued from the Kızılırmak Delta. After surviving infection and fatigue, the bird-individual nears full recovery for a planned release back into the wild (Daily Sabah)

Kinnaird Law School launches one of Pakistan’s first-ever international animal rights courses at the university-level for 2026. The landmark curriculum trains future lawyers in global legal frameworks to bridge domestic welfare gaps and advance advocacy (ProPakistani)

It was very bright and very warm, and a feeling of love and forgiveness and tolerance and euphoria, just total euphoria. And I felt my mother and my brother and a grandfather whom I hadn’t thought of for years, who died when I was one. American reconstructive surgeon Dr. Mark McDonough shares how he died during surgery and experienced Heaven’s peace after a devastating fire took his mother and brother’s lives.

Mark was 16 in August 1976 when fire tore through his family’s home. His father was away on business in San Francisco. Mark woke to intense heat and bright orange light. He rescued two brothers through windows but couldn’t reach his mother and youngest brother on the opposite side of the house. Running out of oxygen, Mark tried the front door, but the metal had swollen in the heat. Firemen found him blocking the back door with burns over 60-70% of his body and only a 20% chance of survival. From the moment I regained consciousness on the way to the hospital in the ambulance, I could hear and knew something terrible was happening. I was in an incredible amount of pain and was worried about my mother and brother that I hadn’t been able to get out of the house. But I honestly prayed that God would take my life. I was in so much pain and so afraid and overwhelmed with reality, and I just kept saying, “Please Jesus take me in your arms. Please take me.”

Ten days later, during his first surgery, Mark experienced anesthesia awareness— conscious but paralyzed. I heard doctors talking, and then I could feel pain in my stomach and my arms. And someone lifted my arm off the table, let it drop to the side, and blood was dripping down off my arm. I realized I was awake, and they had started surgery. And that — wait a minute, I’m not supposed to feel anything. The only thing that I’d been looking forward to for 10 days was that you would be put to sleep and I wouldn’t have to feel the pain. (Wow.) And that was the first opportunity to be relieved of the pain. So, I was very aware that I was not asleep and was feeling every little detail of the surgery. The doctors became concerned, too, and said, “We’re losing copious amounts of blood. Let’s hold up, figure out what’s going on here.” And that was an overwhelming fear that I couldn’t move a muscle and communicate to them that I’m feeling this because I was under a medically induced paralysis. I could feel this scraping down my abdomen and around my flanks, and the blood dripping down off the table,

and praying, “Dear Jesus, please take me, take me, take me, take me.” And then all of a sudden, I was pain-free, as if I was floating above my body. It would be in a position like a La-Z-Boy recliner with my knees partly flexed, my arms resting at the sides and I’m just sort of hovering, and I could feel this gentle warm light come over me. And it was sort of like lying on the beach with your eyes closed. You can feel the warmth and the softness, and you can see the light through your lids. But it was very bright and very warm and a feeling of love and forgiveness and tolerance and euphoria, just total euphoria. And I felt my mother and my brother and a grandfather whom I hadn’t thought of for years, who died when I was one. And I just felt this total sense of peace that everything was exactly as it should be. Everything always has been as it should be, is, and always will be. It’s a perfectly orchestrated plan of God’s. And I just started laughing to myself, just so happy and euphoric.

But then there was a sudden awareness that “not yet.” I could see in my mind this gentle slope toward the brightness and the light and the warmth, and I was floating toward that direction. But also knowing that somewhere out there is another side I won’t return from yet. But it’s not my time. It was like there was a board meeting, and it was understood this wasn’t yet my time to be with God, although I was with Him.

There was going to be some pain and a lot of surgeries to recover from. I had that knowledge, that soon in the injury, that this was going to be a big recovery. Mark’s burn unit director, Dr. Frat, became his spiritual warrior, teaching him to focus on what remained rather than what was lost. Inspired by Dr. Frat’s compassion, Mark became a physical therapist, then returned to medical school to become a reconstructive surgeon—eventually working alongside Dr. Frat in the same burn unit where he was once a patient.

If I can find someone else that I can turn to and offer some kind of help to someone else who is in a similar situation, and that has always been the most rewarding part of medicine to me – sharing my experience. Once they ask me how I got my scars, I know they’re moving forward out of their own pain, and they’re aware again of all those that surround us.

Elevating quote of the day: “O SON OF SPIRIT! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.” The Venerated Enlightened Prophet Bahá’u’lláh (vegetarian)