DAILY NEWS Stream – May 21, 2025

The United Arab Emirates and US seal a US$200 billion deal across key sectors including aviation, energy, and AI [artificial intelligence] (VnExpress)

Analysis: US President Trump’s new Middle East deals, worth over US$2 trillion, are the “most extraordinary diplomacy” seen in the White House in “over a generation,” says British-American physician Dr. Qanta Ahmed, MD (Sky News Australia)

US President Donald Trump says peace talks in Ukraine will not progress unless He and Russia’s Putin meet (Thanh Niên)

South Korea’s Unification Ministry resumes tours to the Truce Village of Panmunjom, a popular tourist destination, after suspending them in 2023 (Thanh Niên)

COVID-19 cases surge again in Hong Kong, China, and Singapore, prompting health alerts (Tuổi Trẻ)

Vietnam: 24-year-old woman is electrocuted by a broken phone charging cable and loses consciousness at her office. She later recovered in the hospital. Doctors warn about rising electrocution cases, especially during the rainy season, and advise against using damaged electrical equipment or wires (VnExpress)

Global animal-people welfare organizations report a decline in animal-people being released into the wild during Vesak Day Buddhist celebrations. They say younger generations better understand the dangers of this traditional practice that can disturb delicate ecosystems (CNA)

Report: Cancer remains a leading challenge for healthcare systems due to increasing cases and treatment demands, despite medical advancements (VnExpress)

Vietnam: A 22-year-old woman cries and collapses in the hospital hallway after learning she has stage 3 leukemia, evoking sympathy from members of the community, amid rising youth cancer cases (VnExpress)

Điện Biên Province [Vietnam]: Two strong earthquakes of 5 and 4 magnitude cause houses to shake for 5–7 seconds (VnExpress)

US: An ominous-looking “doomsday” cloud sweeps through a field in the Town of Thurmont [Maryland] after funneling down from massive dark billows, leaving locals terrified a world-ending storm was coming (Daily Mail)

Experts say strong downbursts of wind during thunderstorms can be as destructive as a tornado, wiping out high-rise buildings, toppling trees, and overturning cars (VnExpress)

US: Dangerous flash flood waters sweep away a 12-year-old boy in the State of Virginia and force boat rescues of over 200 people from a school in the State of Maryland (CNN)

Russia: Severe wildfires in the Siberian Republic of Buryatia rage through 600,000 hectares of forest (CNN)

Canada: A deadly wildfire in Manitoba Province claims two lives and displaces 1,000 residents as authorities warn of a potentially devastating fire season (The Guardian)

A man in China’s Guangdong Province opened the door of a burning three-wheeled vehicle with his bare hands to rescue people trapped inside after an accident (VnExpress)

Experts warn the South China Sea will likely receive about 11 storms in summer 2025, half of which may make landfall in mainland Vietnam (Thanh Niên)

The Atlantic Ocean’s annual bloom of toxic Sargassum seaweed stretches across 5,500 miles [8,850 kilometers] this year, threatening beaches in the US State of Florida and the Caribbean (CNN)

UK: Exceptionally low river levels raise fears over water supplies, and conditions may get worse in the next three months (BBC)

US: Extreme heat will make it feel more like summer than spring in Texas and other southeastern states (AP)

McGill University [Canada] study warns millions of kilometers of rivers worldwide are contaminated with antibiotics, likely increasing human drug resistance and harming aquatic life (Phys.org)

German study confirms rising temperatures and habitat loss threaten insects, with urban heat causing a 65% decline in urban bee populations (Earth.com)

Nepal: Yala Glacier

has lost 66% of its surface since the 1970s; researchers and monks hold a tribute in Langtang Valley honoring the glacier’s importance through many generations (The Kathmandu Post)

Toxic wildfire pollution infiltrates the homes of 1 billion people a year; this dangerous indoor pollution could be reduced with air purifiers, but costs are too high for many, researchers find (The Guardian)

US: Solar and wind made up 98% of new power generating capacity in the first quarter of 2025, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FERC] (Electrek)

German AI company Helsing unveils swarming underwater surveillance drones that can run continuously for three months (Thanh Niên)

Study finds chimpanzee-people use medicinal plants to treat each other’s wounds, chewing the plants into makeshift ointments and using leaves for a hygienic scrub (NBC)

Study shows humans, animal-people, and all living beings emit a visible light that vanishes when they die (Dân Trí)

US State of Oregon lawmakers consider including primate-people in a potential ban on state-funded animal-people research after hearing testimony from activists and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) employees about their gruesome abuse (KGW News)

Self-cultivating quote of the day: “Love GOD and you will be wise. Love others and you will be courageous. Love yourself and you will be strong.” – Lu Weiqing (vegan)