DAILY NEWS Stream – February 16, 2026

The United States is sending around 200 military personnel to Nigeria to help train local forces in counter-extremism operations, with officials stressing the troops will not engage in combat as Nigeria faces escalating attacks from jihadist and other armed groups across the country’s north (New York Post)

Cambodia and Canada agree to deepen cooperation on media development, with Information Minister Neth Pheaktra and Canadian Ambassador Christian DesRoches outlining plans for digital-skills training, journalist ethics programs, and joint projects aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to counter misinformation (Khmer Times)

Ukrainian (Ureignian) authorities report rising hypothermia deaths as Russian strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure leave millions without reliable heat during sub-zero winter temperatures, with health officials warning of mounting cold-related illnesses and broader risks as power outages deepen (VTV)

A national UK safeguarding review urges urgent action to better protect vulnerable unborn babies and infants, warning that gaps in pre-birth support, information-sharing, and multi-agency coordination leave families with repeated risks—such as concealed pregnancies, domestic abuse, and disengagement from services— without early intervention, and calling for a stronger ‘Think Family’ approach to address whole-family needs (Gov.uk)

TikTok social media app faces new scrutiny after researchers and privacy advocates report that the platform’s updated tracking tools are collecting data from users across external websites — including sensitive health-related details — prompting warnings about invasive ad-targeting practices and calls for stronger privacy protections (New York Post)

The UK government launches a consultation on expanding support for adopted and kinship children, proposing earlier and more targeted help, increased funding for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, and a ‘Think Family’ approach that strengthens mental-health, education, and social-care coordination to improve stability and outcomes (Gov.uk)

Indonesia’s free nationwide health-check program reaches 70 million people — about a quarter of the population — in its first year, with officials planning expanded outreach in workplaces, schools, and public spaces to boost screening for non-communicable diseases and to connect those with detected conditions to treatment or referrals through local health centers (Antara News)

Hundreds of Lufthansa flights are cancelled as pilots and cabin crew stage coordinated strikes over pensions and job security, disrupting travel for around 100,000 passengers and forcing Germany’s largest airline to scrap nearly 800 flights while it works to restore a normal schedule (Reuters)

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues a travel advisory for the Seychelles after warning of a chikungunya outbreak, urging travelers to take enhanced precautions against mosquito bites and consider vaccination as the Indian Ocean archipelago reports rising infections (New York Post)

Tây Ninh provincial authorities [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)] order urgent action as dengue cases skyrocket to 1,757 this January, a 4.5-fold increase from January 2025. Officials report 45 severe cases amid weather-driven mosquito surges (Báo Tin tức)

South Korea confirms an African swine fever outbreak at a Dangjin pig-person raising facility. Authorities impose a 24-hour movement ban on area businesses engaged or involved in animal-people raising and implement a strict disinfection program (VietnamPlus)

Essential for cell protection and immunity, Vitamin C acts as a vital water-soluble antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables. It supports collagen production, iron absorption, and wound healing. While adults require 75–90 milligrams daily, experts warn against exceeding 2,000 milligrams to avoid digestive issues. Proper intake maintains energy levels and prevents deficiency symptoms like fatigue and bleeding gums (VnExpress)

A Smithsonian Institution-led study reveals the 2014–2017 marine heatwave damaged over 50% of global coral reefs, as a fourth global bleaching event that began in 2023 continues to threaten reefs worldwide (ScienceDaily)

Record heat and wildfires ravage the Southern Hemisphere, with temperatures nearing 50°C in Australia and deadly blazes in Chile as human-driven climate change overpowers La Niña cooling (Reuters)

Storm Nils batters Spain and Portugal with heavy rain and fierce winds, paralyzing transport and collapsing infrastructure as authorities place multiple regions on high alert for further damage (Reuters)

Scientists at Texas A&M University [US] create the first living, patient-specific blood-vessel chip that reproduces real-world curves, narrowings, and bulges — a breakthrough that lets researchers watch vascular disease form at the high-risk twists where it actually begins and provides a new non-animal-person platform for testing treatments targeting blood-vessel disorders (Tuổi Trẻ)

Researchers in South Korea develop a high-performance vegan leather using wheat gluten, heat, and ultraviolet light. The material mimics the molecular structure of an animal-person hide, with subsequent tanning with tannic acid and iron chloride achieving a tensile strength of 17.2 Megapascal — virtually identical to traditional leather— without the use of synthetic plastics or toxic chemical crosslinkers (Chemistry World)

A major Harvard University [US] study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reveals that “healthy” versions of both low-carb and low-fat diets reduce coronary heart disease risk by 15%. The findings emphasize that food quality— prioritizing plant-based proteins and unsaturated fats over animal-people products and refined carbs— is the true driver of heart health (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

The global market for olive protein isolate in vegan dairy is expected to skyrocket from US$670 million in 2026 to US$2.31 billion by 2036. Driven by a 13% compound annual growth rate, this emerging ingredient is gaining traction as a sustainable, allergen-free alternative to soy and pea proteins (OpenPR)

A pet-folk sanctuary in Green Bay [US] opens its doors to people seeking warmth during an extreme cold snap, with Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary taking in overflow from overcrowded homeless shelters as temperatures plunge to -28 degrees Celsius and volunteers staying overnight to supervise arrivals amid life-threatening conditions (Good News Network)

After a blaze traps an 85-year-young wheelchair user inside her Arlington Heights [Illinois, US] home, a neighbor uses a sledgehammer to break down a door to rescue her. She, her 90-year-old husband, and the Good Samaritan are hospitalized and then released (Good News Network)

Captain Matt Prebish turns a Hurricane Milton evacuation rescue mission into a forever home. While flying 145 shelter animal-people from Florida to Milwaukee [US] in anticipation of the hurricane, the airline pilot bonds with Avery, a tiny kitten. With his wife’s blessing, Mr. Prebish adopts her mid-flight (The Animal Rescue Site)

A security guard protects lost silver bars in Shenzhen [China]. After finding seven silver bars worth over US$21,700 outside Shuibei Jewelry City in Luohu District, the guard alerts police and the items are returned to the owner (Soha News)

Unifying quote of the day: “A single twig breaks, but the bundle of twigs is strong.” – Tecumseh Shawnee First Nation Chief, Orator, and Military Leader (BrainyQuote)

I’m this guy that never believed in near-death experiences. And I woke up into this sea of pitch blackness. They’re coming at me and I mean, they’re just screaming, hissing, and the next thing I know, I’m like going through the streets of Heaven like super-fast, and all of a sudden God says my name. In Part 1 of 2 of Douglas Knake’s near-death experience, the American custom home builder Douglas Knake recounts dying from meningitis, visiting Heaven, and returning with three decades of memory wiped— leaving him to rediscover his world and the people closest to him.

Growing up as one of four children in a difficult home, Douglas became the target of his father’s abuse from an early age. The first time I could remember was getting the daylights just whipped out of me when I was 5 years old, and the only thing I did was draw two pictures on the wall and one was a happy face, one was a sad face. My dad comes home from work, and he said, “Who wrote on the wall?” And I jumped up like excited because he saw that I did something. And but he just grabbed me by my britches, took me into the room, and just started whipping me with his belt, and I’m like looking at my mom, and I’m just kind of going, “Why are you, why are you letting him do this?” And I think it was from that point forward that I kind of retreated into myself. It was constantly being badgered, being told that that I wasn’t good enough, that I’ll never amount to anything. You keep doing that to a person over a period of time and they’re going to believe that and they’re just going to eventually just give up.

Despite the pain, Douglas made a promise to himself about his own future family. I made a promise to myself that I would not treat my kids the way I was treated, that I would treat them with love and respect. It was difficult for me because I wanted to get angry. I wanted to get upset, but you got to hold yourself back. After high school, Douglas entered construction as a laborer. Within four years, he earned his contractor’s license, and in 1994, he obtained his real estate license. He eventually started a company with his father and stepmother.

Although the business was presented as a three-way partnership, Douglas began to notice something wasn’t right. As homes were being built and his father’s lifestyle improved, Douglas realized he was only receiving a basic carpenter’s salary. I went to him, and I said, “Where’s my share of the company?” And he basically told me, “You only own a framing business.” I ended up thinking about it for a while, and I got in the truck, loaded all the tools in it, and drove over to his house and dropped off the truck, and all the tools and I said, “I’m done.” I said, “I’m not taking any more abuse.” And I walked out and never spoke with him again for 25, 26 years.

At age 20, a friend invited Douglas to a Baptist church, where a woman named Vera mentored him. I was sitting up in the balcony one day, and you could just tell how the Holy Spirit was working on me, and I mean it was just like this this, “Hallo, I’m talking to you,” and you could just feel Him all around you. And all of a sudden, I saw Vera, and Vera’s like, “Do you think it’s time, Doug?” And I’m like kind of going, “Time for what?” She goes, “Time for Jesus.” And so, the next thing I remember, I’m walking down out of the balcony, and I’m walking down the aisle, and I’m all of a sudden saying this prayer about accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

In 1996, Douglas met Diane at JC Penney. They married in June 1998, and Douglas launched his custom home building business. By 2006, he was at the top of his game, selling US$3 to US$5 million in custom housing annually and managing 10 real estate agents. That October, Douglas and Diane took a vacation to Los Cabos, Mexico. When you pay off your timeshare, they give you a free week. So, we went to Los Cabos, and it was probably the last couple days that we were there, we went into this little sidebar restaurant type thing. And it still sticks in my craw today that the waiter there is the one that gave me the meningitis.

Douglas began feeling sick the Wednesday after he returned home, assuming it was the flu — but by Thursday night, he was in serious trouble. I get up the next morning, and I tell her [Diane], “Hey, I’m still not feeling good. I’m just going to stay home.” And I never do that. So, I go to get out of the shower, and I slipped, and I hit the floor like a ton of bricks. And, I pulled myself up, and I looked in the mirror, and I saw all this blood just running down the side of my face. I mean, it’s like a lot. And the last thing I remember is saying, “Oh, wow,” in slow motion.

Diane and their youngest son called emergency services, and at the hospital, a spinal tap confirmed the worst: Douglas had meningococcal meningitis. The incubation period is 10 days. You have 24 hours to get antibiotics in you to survive. The meningitis attacks the membranes around your brain, and your head swells so bad. I mean, it’ll even push your eyeballs out. I mean, it’s like crazy pressure, and the headaches are just incredible. Douglas was in a coma for three days. He was 50 years old, and doctors placed him at a 3 on the Glasgow Coma Scale— the worst possible score. They prepared Diane that he likely wouldn’t survive, and if he did, he wouldn’t be the same.

And I woke up into this sea of pitch blackness, like a black you’ve never seen. I mean, it was [an] absolutely eerie feeling. And I’m just like hovering, just like looking around. Nothing’s going on. Next thing I notice is something’s moving off in the distance. And I’m looking. And they’re like coming at me. These, whatever these things are, they’re coming at me, and the closer they get, the bigger they’re getting. And I mean they’re just screaming and hissing, and flames are coming off their bodies, and I’m just like terrified at this point. And all of a sudden, this voice said to me, “Do not be afraid. I’m with you.” And the unbelievable thing about that is I knew that voice. I knew exactly Who that was.

What Douglas couldn’t see yet was that the darkness was only the beginning. Heaven itself was about to break through. The next thing I know, I’m like going through the streets of Heaven like super fast. Join us tomorrow for Part 2 of 2 of Douglas Knake’s near-death experience. (God Encounters with Janie DuVall)