DAILY NEWS Stream – January 19, 2026

Japan and the Philippines sign two major defense agreements in Manila [the Philippines] on January 15, including a logistics-sharing pact for their armed forces, alongside a US$6 million Japanese security assistance package to support maritime patrol infrastructure in the Philippines (Tuổi Trẻ)

The United States announces the start of phase two of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, launching a process of “full demilitarization and reconstruction” of the territory. US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff says the US government will form a Palestinian technocratic committee to manage Gaza during the transition (VnExpress)

Iran reopens its airspace after a nearly five-hour shutdown. The closure forced airlines to reroute or cancel flights, with carriers from India, Russia, Europe, and the Persian Gulf region (Reuters)

The US announces a broad freeze on immigrant visa processing for 75 countries starting January 21, citing stricter enforcement of “public charge” rules — a standard that bars applicants likely to rely on US government benefits. The pause affects nations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East (Fox News)

UK Immigration Enforcement conducts record-high illegal working raids, up 77% since the government took power [July 2024 to end of December 2025], resulting in an 83% surge in arrests (Gov.uk)

India, Spain, Italy, Poland, Germany and Australia urge their citizens to leave Iran as nationwide protests intensify and security deteriorates (Tuổi Trẻ)

Japan records only 1.09 million new adults turning 20 on Coming-of-Age Day [annual event celebrating youth reaching legal adulthood], the second-lowest figure ever, highlighting the country’s accelerating demographic decline (Báo Tin Tức)

A UK study finds grief after a pet’s death can match the severity of losing a human family member (The Guardian)

Dengue cases from January 2 to 9 decline in Hanoi [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)] compared to the previous week [42 versus 49 cases], though health authorities continue surveillance to prevent resurgence (Lao Động)

McMaster University [Canada] researchers help revive failing antifungal drugs using the rediscovered molecule butyrolactol A as a potent “adjuvant” that clogs mission-critical proteins in drug-resistant fungi like Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida auris (SciTech Daily)

Researchers in Australia warn tests show the annual ingestion of microplastics can reach approximately 363,000 particles for individuals consuming 300 milliliters of coffee (at a temperature of 60°C) daily from polyethylene-based plastic cups (VnExpress)

The Dominican Republic faces rising depression rates, affecting over a half million people, as officials report a nearly 5% prevalence. The government has been expanding the network of mental health professionals in recent years, with a shortage of psychiatry specialists still being experienced (De Ultimo Minuto)

Severe storm floods hit Victoria [Australia], closing Great Ocean Road, as flash flooding sweeps cars to sea, cuts power to thousands, and triggers coastal emergency warnings (Reuters)

Wildfires across central and southern Chile kill two and displace over 2,100 people as fires burn over 3,800 hectares amid heat, wind, drought, and La Niña conditions (The Watchers)

A huge snowstorm causing near-zero visibility triggers a 30-vehicle pileup on an interstate highway in Indiana [US] shutting the road for hours. The crashes injure several and trap one truck driver who is eventually rescued (The Watchers)

A series of three small earthquake swarms shake the Kīlauea summit [Hawaii, US], the most notable seismic activity since the volcano’s eruptions began in December 2024. The shallow quakes signal possible magma pressure shifts at the summit (The Watchers)

Three family members in Lee County [US] are arrested on animal-people cruelty charges after deputies find 53 dog-people at their home, about half of them dead (WTVM)

Thailand deploys emergency cloud-seeding flights— using aircraft to spray substances like dry ice into clouds to trigger rain— to reduce hazardous PM2.5 air pollution (Báo Tin Tức)

Azerbaijan’s wind and solar electricity generation rose by 26.7% in 2025 compared to 2024, reaching a combined 769.5 million kilowatt-hours (AZERTAC)

Conservationists warn that a rapidly growing global trade in wild-caught ants is putting many ant species at risk, calling for urgent international protections after authorities in Kenya seized more than 5,000 endemic ants from traffickers (Mongabay)

Korean startup Solarstic unveils ultra-thin solar panels integrated directly into EV [electric vehicle] bodies at the Consumer Electronics Show [CES] in Las Vegas [US], adding up to 30% more range and reducing charging needs (Tuổi Trẻ)

China-based Tuya Smart rolls out Aura, a three-wheeled AI [artificial intelligence] pet-care robot at CES. Designed to look after pet-folk when caregivers are away, Aura can navigate the home, interact with dog- and cat-people, dispense treats, record photos and videos of them, and use an artificial intelligence [AI]-based “emotional translator” to send animal-person mood updates to their human family (Báo Tin Tức)

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories [US] develop a new algorithm that lets neuromorphic computers—hardware modeled on the brain’s neural networks— solve complex physical equations using minimal energy (1 Thế Giới)

Food corporation Mondelēz International ends funding for animal-people testing across all its brands (including Oreo, Cadbury, and Ritz) after a PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] campaign backed by over 63,000 supporters (Vegan Food & Living)

Hòa Hảo Buddhists in An Giang Province [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)] share free vegan meals, water, and medicines with pilgrims and visitors during major religious festivals in the Phú Tân district. Nationwide, the Hòa Hảo Buddhist Church shows compassion by donating around US$24.74 million in community aid in 2025 (Cổng thông tin điện tử Đảng Cộng Sản Việt Nam)

US vegan brand Beyond Meat enters the beverage market with Beyond Immerse sparkling protein drinks offering vegan pea protein fiber and electrolytes in a limited release. Flavors include peach mango, lemon lime, and orange tangerine (Athletech News)

Louisa County High School [Virginia, US] students repair and refurbish donated cars to gift to single mothers for reliable transport. The students learn valuable automotive technology skills through this program that is in partnership with nonprofit Giving Words (VnExpress)

Pakistan lifts import curbs, thus once again allowing Afghan goods through all ports. The ban was instituted following a conflict between the two nations in October 2025 (Afghanistan International)

Firefighters rescue a pig-person trapped in pool in City of Norman [Oklahoma, US] after slippery sides prevent his escape (Yahoo News)

Enlightening quote of the day: “All time is wasted that is not spent in seeking God.” – The Venerated Enlightened Master Lahiri Mahasaya (vegetarian) (A-Z Quotes)

The angels communicate to me that I do not have to go back to the body. It is a choice, and if I choose it, I will be able to complete what my individual soul had come to Earth for. It wasn’t mandated. It wasn’t necessity. It was the opportunity. American psychologist Brooke Grove shares how she experienced multi-organ failure and slipped into a coma, encountered a realm of light and angels, and returned with powerful spiritual gifts.

In 2010, Brooke was a 25-year-old master’s student in clinical psychology suffering from severe autoimmune disease. While completing her graduate studies, Brooke’s health deteriorated, sending her to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine for answers. Four specialists told her to take extra doses of her medications. Unbeknownst to anyone, her liver was failing. The Tylenol [pain reliever brand] she used caused her liver to go toxic, taking her lungs and kidneys with it. She fell, suffered a traumatic brain injury, and slipped into a coma.

All of a sudden, I see from above all of these doctors in hazmat suits working on this human, and I’m very much “me” in the state of consciousness from above. And as I’m beginning to try to get back in or toward the body – [I was] yanked up at the speed of light out of the Earth realm into a space I can only describe as the juiciest, brightest, most luminescent, iridescent cosmos. The first lights that I am greeted by are lights that are very familiar and very sacred to me. They were these jewel tones, these beautiful, breathtaking jewel tones — an amethyst, a ruby, and a very beautiful emerald. And the only feeling that came through was Divine unconditional love. And it held me in a way I had never been held on the Earthwalk [life’s journey]. I felt mothered and received with a tenderness that had never come close to me as a human. I had been a complex trauma survivor since my very early youth. In this space, I was held by it, but I was also one with it.

Brooke felt a magnetic pull toward a fierce ultraviolet white light. Her angels told her she could go to that light or return to complete her soul’s purpose. The angels communicate to me that I do not have to go back to the body. It is a choice, and if I choose it, I will be able to complete what my individual soul had come to Earth for. However, if I reunified with the light and Creator, then inevitably the aspects of my soul that had split from this Source being and had certain duties to live out and to gain wisdom through, it would opt eventually to return. And as a complex trauma survivor, as someone who had endured tremendous amounts, decades of grief and loss and pain, I did not want to go back to that. But I also didn’t want to repeat it.

The angels showed Brooke an image of Earth as luminous as the Creator’s light. Around it [Earth] were a bunch of figures, humanoid-like, and they were all connected in a circle. And from that circle emanated this very beautiful halo-like citrine color. And it was very evident that they were transmitting something to the Earth that was amplifying her vibration, her frequency, her intelligence. They did let me know that what I was witnessing would not happen for approximately 10 years. And it was intuitively understood and known that I was to hold with those other beings that light, and that that light somehow was medicine for all of the trauma and all the things I had been through.

And so at that point, I tell the angelics, I want to go back. I don’t know. I don’t know why, but I really want to go back for that. That’s what I signed up for. And they were like, “Absolutely.” And they were like, “However,” – with the gentlest way you can say this in light and feeling and sensation – “Should you choose to return, it will not get easier. That 10-year window is significant, not just for you, but all of humanity. And we want to be very transparent that it’s going to hurt.” And I’m like, “It’s all good. I’m all here for it. Take me back.”

As Brooke chose to return, her consciousness was catapulted back into her broken body. Suddenly, it’s as if I’ve been thrown into cement. I realize instantaneously, in a bit of panic after leaving this space of radical unconditional love, suddenly I’m in this concrete-like feeling, and I can’t move. So I was strapped down and intubated. I couldn’t communicate, and I couldn’t move. I sit in this state for as long as I sat in a coma. I sat for 3 days in a coma — three days locked in without anyone aware that I was back.

When discovered, doctors told her she needed a liver transplant immediately. During her recovery, Brooke saw colorful energy moving everywhere. She asked her angels to show her how to use her hands for healing. It was really just placing the hands on the organs. But the vibration and the color and the intensity that would come through was profound. Within 3 weeks of beginning to do this in the ICU [Intensive Care Unit], I was transitioned to a lower level of care. When I hit spontaneous remission, and by spontaneous remission, that’s really the medical term for “We don’t know how you healed, but you fully healed.” And so when they come in to tell me that miraculously the liver has fully healed, my liver count [had been] 200,000. You were supposed to be dead somewhere over 100 to 140. An optimal liver count is like 40ish range, [so] 200,000, that’s significant damage. And then the lungs spontaneously healed, the kidneys spontaneously healed. So, as I’m about to exit the hospital in a wheelchair, because they force you to use a wheelchair and I didn’t want to use a wheelchair because I had taught myself to walk, he [the doctor] comes to the wheelchair. And he’s just like, “I don’t know what to say. And I’m still perplexed as to how it happened, and I do not use this term lightly.” And he’s like, “You are a miracle.” And he’s like, “Something protected you, something that defies science.”

Brooke’s liver remained optimal for 14 years. But integration was difficult. You might have a beautiful awakening experience, or a transformative experience, but if you’re coming back to a body that has significant damage to it, you are going to have to purge that to make space for the new information. I did not understand that back then. So, it’s taken the better part of these 14 years to really be able to step into my Divine Feminine power where all is welcomed, where all is God, where nothing is judged, where my identity is not my wounding – those are things that happened, they’re not who I am. (Loss and Found Podcast)