DAILY NEWS Stream – December 19, 2025

José Antonio Kast, leader of Chile’s Republican Party, wins the presidency with about 58 percent of the vote, defeating Jeannette Jara of the Communist Party, in an election shaped by concerns over crime, immigration, and economic challenges (Al Jazeera)

South Korea and Laos elevate ties to a comprehensive partnership during a Seoul summit, signing extradition and criminal justice treaties to combat transnational crime. Leaders also pledge cooperation on infrastructure, critical minerals, and climate action (Korea Herald)

The UAE (United Arab Emirates) and Serbia sign a Memorandum of Understanding on political consultation in Abu Dhabi [UAE], strengthening coordination and expanding cooperation across sectors (dubaieye)

Dutch company, Loop Biotech, develops the world’s first biodegradable coffin from mushroom mycelium and hemp fibers. Grown in a week, it decomposes within six weeks, enriches soil, avoids harmful chemicals, and offers a sustainable alternative to traditional coffins (inbox.lv)

German police arrest five men suspected of plotting a vehicle attack at a Lower Bavaria Christmas market. Authorities classify the plan as attempted murder, assume Islamist motivation, and stress the threat was stopped early (euronews)

Thousands march in Budapest [Hungary] after child abuse scandal at state juvenile facility (euronews)

Israel bans mobile phones in primary schools from February 2026 (Dân Trí)

Climate change expands mosquito and tick habitats, pushing vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, West Nile virus, and malaria into new regions of Europe and North America, increasing infection risks and pressuring public health systems to strengthen surveillance and prevention (The European Sting)

A major study finds even light smoking (2–5 cigarettes daily) sharply raises heart disease and death risks, with effects lasting decades, underscoring warnings that no level of smoking is safe (VTV Online)

Natural ways to improve sleep are gaining attention. Melatonin-rich fruits signal the body to rest, enhancing sleep duration and depth. Tart cherries, kiwis, grapes, goji berries, pineapples, strawberries, bananas, tomatoes and oranges contain or boost melatonin production. Experts suggest small evening portions, emphasizing this supports, but doesn’t replace, medication for chronic disorders (Sức khỏe & Đời sống)

Flash floods kill at least 21 in Morocco’s coastal Safi province. Torrential rain inundated homes and swept away cars. The disaster follows seven years of drought and hits as heavy rain continues (Reuters)

Türkiye faces a geological crisis as massive sinkholes surge on the Konya Plain. Scientists link the appearance of hundreds of these holes to climate change, excessive groundwater pumping for agriculture, and declining rainfall (Accuweather)

Emergency bushfires strain Western Australia (WA) amid communication failures. About 250 firefighters have been battling multiple blazes near Warradarge and Mogumber, with the Warradarge blaze consuming at least 7,000 hectares of scrub and farmland. Emergency WA’s website crashed for over two hours, leaving residents without critical updates, though push notifications remained active on its app (ABC News Australia)

Storm Emilia hits Málaga [Spain] with heavy hail and flooding. Streets in Alfarnate and Villanueva del Trabuco turn white, as rainfall also triggers localized inundation, trapping one driver. Weather warnings remain in effect, and more downpours are forecast throughout the week of December 15-21 (Sur in English)

Heavy snow and strong winds disrupt transport across northern Japan. Airports cancel flights, and high-speed rail services halt. Authorities warn residents of continued hazardous conditions and urge limited travel (Japan News)

Police in Everett, Washington [US] rescue Binny, a twoyearold Pitbull-person cross, from a locked suitcase abandoned in a dumpster. She receives urgent care at a shelter, recovers steadily, and authorities arrest one individual suspected of committing the crime (Batampena)

Customs officials at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, India seize a whitecheeked gibbon-person, a monkey-individual, and a hornbill-person from passengers arriving from Bangkok, Thailand. The travelers are arrested under India’s Wildlife Protection Act (Yahoo)

Shenzhen Metro [China] debuts the world’s first artificial intelligence guide-dog robot at Huangmugang Station, trialing navigation and voice assistance for visually impaired passengers, with expansion of use planned after evaluation (VOV)

Mount Sinai School of Medicine [US] researchers unveil V2P, an artificial intelligence tool linking genetic mutations to diseases. It is projected to improve diagnosis speed and accuracy, aid in drug discovery, and advance precision medicine for rare and complex conditions (SciTech Daily)

Vegan challah [sweet bread] takes the spotlight during Hanukkah, as bakers replace eggs and honey with vegan alternatives to create rich, fluffy loaves, offering traditional and inventive flavors that rival classic versions (VegNews)

British electronic music group Massive Attack wins a PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] award for serving fully vegan food at eco-focused concerts, recently pushing Britain’s largest indoor arena to adopt an all-vegan menu for its performance and thus cutting food-related emissions (PETA UK)

India: Surat, Gujarat industrialist creates vegan leather from state of Himachal Pradesh’s apple waste for global market (The Blunt Times)

A ninth-grade student in Âu Lạc (Vietnam)’s Quang Tri province turns in a wallet with the equivalent of nearly US$900 to police, who locate and return it to its owner, drawing praise for his honesty and civic responsibility (Dân Trí)

Tempe, Arizona [US] police and firefighters rescue a dog-person struggling in a canal, using a catch pole to pull him to safety, before transporting him to an emergency veterinary clinic for evaluation (12 News)

Qatar Red Crescent Society [Qatar] medical convoy restores eyesight for thousands in Niger (Qatar Tribune)

There is not a single part of me that will ever fear death again, because it is the most beautiful, miraculous love-filled homecoming. It wasn’t anything that you would think of as being scary or uncomfortable. It was bliss. It was like being home. American businesswoman and former workaholic Anastasia Wesselink Moellering shares how she died during a dental procedure and discovered that life on Earth is brief, the soul is already complete, and our purpose here is to experience unconditional love.

Anastasia grew up in extreme poverty in rural Michigan, in a toxic and abusive home. As an only child, she often didn’t know if she’d have a meal, electricity, or a phone. Determined to escape that life, she climbed the corporate ladder, married, had two children, and became a vice president while living in Chicago. She poured herself into work and motherhood, always go-go-go, until a routine dental appointment changed everything. In December 2019, Anastasia went in for an invasive multi-hour dental procedure. The dentist gave her gas to relax her into a twilight state— awake but not fully conscious.

I started to have this very unusual sensation. I began to experience this feeling of coming up out of my body when I was breathing and then falling right back into it. And the next breath I would rise back up again and I would fall back into my body. I took one more breath and my entire body just rose up and it felt like I was floating 2 or 3 feet (60 or 90 centimeters) above my body. I was in the ceiling looking down at my body and I thought to myself, “What am I doing up here?” “Am I dead?” And with those two thoughts combined, I flipped upside down and I am now staring inches from the ceiling tiles. I had my eyes closed or an aperture came down and I was gone. I was no longer in the dentist’s office. When I opened my eyes, I was in this buttery, warm, rich, cozy, blissful, complete place that paradoxically was also dark, in what I call “the void.” Anastasia found herself in absolute darkness— not frightening, but warm and complete.

It was like this awareness and this knowing that I’m connected to this Oneness, this bliss, this completeness, and I’m as much a part of it as it is a part of me, and there is no separating it. I call this place “the Oneness” because it was really clear to me in this place that it represented every single soul that had ever and will ever exist and that in this place all experiences of every soul were absolutely accessible. It was as if I was expanding into it. I was having this connection to all of these experiences of all of these souls on Earth and otherwise. And I was a part of it. And all of those experiences were a part of me. And because there’s no time, there isn’t a past or a present, there just was. I didn’t have any desire to come back. There was really no awareness of my physical life while I was there.

Suddenly, she was snapped back. As I’m expanding into this Oneness, I am suddenly snapped back into my body. I opened my eyes and I was very disoriented. All I remember in that moment was this desire to hold on to this infinite connection, this love, because it felt like sand through my hands just slipping away.

Her dentist was standing over her, very concerned. She never learned if she’d been gone seconds or minutes. The experience left her with unshakable knowing. Over time, she lost interest in corporate success, eventually resigned, and opened a wellness studio to help others connect with their souls.

Coming back from my NDE (near-death experience) I can say without a shadow of a doubt I don’t question what the reason of life is anymore. Our purpose for being here is to experience, and ultimately to experience unconditional love. We are here in this physical body because our soul just wants to know what it is like to have this physical experience.

Insightful quote of the day: “When a deep injury is done us, we never recover until we forgive.” — Alan Paton South African Novelist and Anti-Apartheid Activist