DAILY NEWS Stream – February 16, 2025

US President Trump’s special envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler warns Hamas not to test the President ahead of Saturday ultimatum, in which ALL hostages must be returned by 12 pm on February 15, 2025 or else “all hell is going to break out” in Gaza again (Fox News)

Russian military convoy blocked by Syrian troops from entering Russia’s Tartus naval base in Syria (TWZ)

US President Trump says Ukraine NATO membership is “not practical” (Sky News Australia)

Ukraine’s return to pre-2014 borders is “unrealistic,” says US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (Sky News Australia)

Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba promises to increase investment in the US to an unprecedented US$1 trillion; President Trump has strongly welcomed Japanese companies’ investments (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)

“Big con job”: President Trump blasts the Department of Education, asserting “something’s really wrong” after a recent report ranked America 40th in education despite spending more per pupil than any other country in the world (Sky News Australia)

“Makes sense”: Republicans and Democrats unite behind President Trump’s plan to stop making pennies, as they cost more than their value to make (Fox News)

US President Trump scores legal victory as His defamation lawsuit against Pulitzer Prize board members is allowed to continue. The President’s case, filed in 2022, challenges awards given for “now-debunked” Russia-Trump collusion stories, with the President’s attorney Quincy Bird saying, “President Trump is committed to holding those who traffic in fake news, lies and smears to account” (Fox News)

US Judge O’Toole restores President Trump’s offer to pay 2 million federal workers to quit, marking “the first of many legal wins for the President” in downsizing the government, the White House says (Fox News)

No longer taken advantage of: President Trump orders “unified” foreign policy front, directing the State Department to uphold His “America first” agenda and make reforms to hire the most qualified staff (Fox News)

President Trump secures release of three detainees, including Belarusian journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Andrei Kuznechyk and one unnamed American, from Belarus. “This is a joyous day for Andrei, his wife, Alesya, and their two young children. After more than three years apart, this family is together again thanks to President Trump,” says Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President and CEO Stephen Capus (Reuters)

President Trump places priority on human life, says American commentator Jesse Watters, reacting to the President securing the release of American hostage Marc Fogel from a Russian prison (Fox News)

President Trump congratulates Tulsi Gabbard (vegan) for winning Senate approval to be Director of National Intelligence, saying “she’s a woman of great common sense” who will “provide the American people with transparency, eliminate corruption, shrink the bloated bureaucracy, and restore honesty, integrity, and trust to the National Security State,” and adding “there’s nobody like her for this job,” so it was a “very easy” decision to choose her (Sky News Australia)

President Trump welcomes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services after he gains final Senate approval, and says “there’s no better person to lead our campaign of historic reforms and restore faith in American healthcare,” as Secretary Kennedy promises to get dangerous chemicals out of Americans’ food, water, and the environment to “Make America Healthy Again” (FOX 13 Seattle)

US: Vice President Vance proves pivotal in pushing through President Trump’s most embattled nominees, utilizing his experience and connections as a senator to win support for Tulsi Gabbard (vegan), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and many others (The Hill)

“We will hold you accountable”: US Attorney General Pam Bondi announces lawsuits against New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James for breaking federal law by protecting illegal immigrants (Sky News Australia)

US Congress now has a DOGE [Delivering on Government Efficiency] Caucus to help President Trump and Efficiency Commissioner Elon Musk streamline the federal government, chaired by Republican Congressmen Pete Sessions and Aaron Bean and Republican Senator Joni Ernst (NPR)

US: DRAIN THE SWAMP Act seeks to move Washington DC bureaucracy “out of crazy town,” requiring federal agencies to relocate about one-third of headquarters-based employees to increase accountability and sell any extra office space to save taxpayer money, says House DOGE [Delivering on Government Efficiency] co-founder Aaron Bean (Fox News)

Senate DOGE [Delivering on Government Efficiency] Caucus Chair Joni Ernst [Republican-Iowa] exposes millions of dollars of waste at the United States Agency for International Development [USAID] – including US$20 million for an Iraqi version of the children’s TV show Sesame Street - and blasts Washington DC insiders for blocking transparency efforts instead of preventing waste (Joni Ernst)

Indonesia launches free nationwide health check-up program entitling all citizens to a free screening on their birthday. Costing around US$183 million, it is Indonesia’s largest-ever health initiative (Reuters)

Italian billionaires targeted by AI [artificial intelligence] phone scam impersonating the voice of Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, which asked for help to “free Italian journalists kidnapped in the MIddle East.” At least one target was tricked into transferring €1 million to an account in Hong Kong after falsely believing they would be reimbursed by the Bank of Italy (The Guardian)

Belgium will use confiscated drug money to finance the battle against drug gangs (The Brussels Times)

Hong Kong developing tighter controls on tobacco with several measures, including potential ban on flavored cigarettes in 2026, to be submitted in April 2025 (VTV.vn)

EU to invest €50 billion to “supercharge” AI [artificial intelligence] innovation, adding to a €150 billion investment pledge from the private sector over the next five years (Science Business)

Men are experiencing a global decline in sperm count, which has dropped by over 50% from 1973 to 2018, due to a combination of factors, including: a) Lifestyle choices, like poor diet, lack of exercise, alcohol consumption, smoking, and drug use; b) Exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides and heavy metals, as well as plastics and other chemicals in the home; c) Chronic stress due to busy lifestyles and inadequate sleep; d) Heat exposure, worsened by global warming; e) Certain medications, including some treatments for arthritis or depression (VnExpress; Mayo Clinic)

Studies show broccoli and broccoli sprouts may help prevent and treat cancer thanks to high sulforaphane content, which shrinks tumors and targets cancer stem cells (The Moss Report)

Japan: Avalanche strands more than 100 tourists in hot-spring resort area in Fukushima (VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY)

India: More than 1,100 dead sea turtles wash up along Tamil Nadu state’s coastline, prompting increased wildlife patrols and crackdown on fishing operations (The Guardian)

More than 30 critically endangered Darwin’s frogs born in London [UK] haven after their parents were rescued from deadly chytrid fungus threat in Chile (Báo An Giang)

Japanese students develop advanced robots for nuclear power facilities to troubleshoot problems deep within reactors (VTV24)

Japanese billionaire Kazuo Inamori shares 4 secrets to being successful: 1) Love your work, or learn to love it: Enjoying your work leads to personal growth and success. 2) Your mindset attracts your life experiences: Positive thinking draws opportunities, while negativity limits progress. 3) Success depends on your way of thinking: A proactive mindset drives innovation and overcomes limitations. 4) Improve a little every day: Small, consistent progress eventually leads to great achievements. Keeping a diary to track your progress helps. (VnExpress)

Rectifying quote of the day: “The noble person is not bitter toward Heaven and does not blame others.” – The Venerated Enlightened Master Mencius (vegetarian)