DAILY NEWS Stream – February 7, 2025

Negotiations for Phase 2 of Gaza ceasefire have begun, Hamas says. This part of the three-phase deal will focus on the release of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza (Thanh Niên)

Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sangiampongsa thanks Israel’s President Herzog for helping free five Thai hostages from Hamas, with Thailand and Israel to strengthen relations as a result (The Nation)

United Nations Relief and Works Agency [UNRWA] delivers bulk of aid in Gaza as hundreds of aid trucks enter daily from Egypt and Jordan (United Nations)

President Trump says the US could “take over” Gaza and “permanently” resettle Palestinians in a safer area where they can live in peace, while transforming Gaza into a well-developed haven for the “world’s people,” during White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who called the proposal “an idea worth paying attention to” (SBS)

Taiwan and China need to talk to each other to achieve peace given the “multifold changes” in the international situation, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te says, calling for dialogue instead of confrontation (Reuters)

Colombia calls on illegal immigrants in the US to return home, promising to provide supportive loans as President Petro seeks to cooperate with US President Trump (VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY)

Hundreds of US government websites shut down, including USAID [United States Agency for International Development], as President Trump and Efficiency Commissioner Elon Musk move quickly to downsize the federal government (France 24)

Analysis: President Trump’s pro-energy agenda will unleash American jobs and energy security, following on the huge success of His first term, says former Secretary of Energy and former Texas Governor Rick Perry (Fox News)

Top President Trump nominees advance: Senate confirms Attorney General Pam Bondi, while Intelligence Director nominee Tulsi Gabbard (vegan) and Health Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy both pass committee and are ready for a full Senate vote (BBC)

Analysis: President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (vegan) showed integrity by refusing to call whistleblower Edward Snowden a traitor during her Senate hearing, despite pressure from both parties. Mr. Snowden exposed the NSA [National Security Administration] spying on Americans in 2013, revealing violations of privacy rights. He did not seek to harm the US and even limited disclosures, but was trapped in Russia by the Obama administration. Journalist Glenn Greenwald (vegan) says Ms. Gabbard’s stand proves she won’t bow to Washington pressure and is the right choice to clean up US intelligence agencies, as President Trump intended (Megyn Kelly)

US journalist David Marcus: Liberal media’s lies to protect Biden were even worse than you think, from burying Hunter’s laptop story to covering up Biden’s obvious mental decline. They misled Americans, pushing the “lie of the century.” Now exposed, they feign excuses, but the American public sees through them. Their credibility is gone, thanks to real journalists revealing the truth (Fox News)

American seer Reverend Brandon Biggs shares prophetic vision from the Lord warning that “rats” have infiltrated the US government, including some near President Trump. He prays for President Trump to have wisdom to identify them. He also warns of a coming “Red Dawn” and urges believers to pray over Cuba and the Biden administration, which he claims issued corrupt pardons. Mr. Biggs says he can’t share more details, instructed by the Lord for his safety (Last Days)

Vietnam: Over 1,500 suspected measles cases recorded during the 9-day Tết [Lunar New Year] holiday, but no major infectious disease outbreaks reported (Truyền Hình Đồng Tháp)

More rodents are infesting cities worldwide as scientists say warmer temperatures mean more rat babies due to extended mating season (AP)

Greece temporarily closes schools on island of Santorini due to earthquakes, with more than 200 small quakes shaking the region (VTV.vn)

Italy: Streets turn into raging rivers as heavy rains hit Sicily and Tuscany, causing widespread flooding in Zafferia village (VTV.vn)

World’s first “wall-of-turbines” gets US$107 million funding boost for offshore deployment in Norway by 2029, to generate up to 2.5 times more energy than standard three-blade wind turbines (Interesting Engineering)

Study finds India doubled its tiger population in a little over a decade and credits conservation efforts (AP)

Punjab [India] cracks down on illegal greyhound races and dog fights, with 30 illegal races shut down thanks to PETA India’s complaints and demands for stricter laws (MyIndMakers)

China’s lithium-air battery breakthrough achieves 960-hour life, 95.8% efficiency using 1,3-dimethyl imidazolium iodide as a catalyst, potentially bringing more viable, high-capacity energy storage (Interesting Engineering)

US: Democratic and Republican senators unite to reduce animal testing in government research costing US$5.5 billion annually, proposing a bill for faster approval of non-animal methods like cell-based research, computer models, and lab-grown tissues, which are more reliable, cost-effective, and humane (KPVI)

Analysis: We should all try to eat like people in rural Papua New Guinea: Plant-based diets centered on vegetables [like leafy greens] and legumes [like lentils and beans], producing a healthy gut microbiome bringing weight loss, better cholesterol, blood sugar control, and reversal of damage done by standard Western meat diets (MedicalXpress)

Insightful quote of the day: “In a full heart, there is room for everything, and in an empty heart, there is room for nothing.” – Antonio Porchia