DAILY NEWS Stream – August 12, 2026

US Vice President JD Vance said on August 8 that the US has made “some progress” in negotiations with Iran in recent days but cautioned that Tehran has not yet agreed to everything US President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking. He said the talks are focused partly on maximizing oil and gas traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and on whether Iran is willing to make longer-term changes that could improve relations with the US (Fox News)

A commercial vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center (Fox News)

Bahrain urged the UN [United Nations] Security Council to compel Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and halt attacks on commercial shipping after a reported strike on an ADNOC [Abu Dhabi National Oil Company] tanker transiting the waterway (Fox News)

Yemeni government forces struck Houthi positions across several front lines after a series of recent Houthi attacks on forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government (Fox News)

Puerto Rico began water rationing on August 7 in response to an intense drought. Tens of thousands of residents in seven municipalities, including the capital of San Juan, are affected, with different areas taking turns going without running water for 48 hours at a time. Nearly 68% of the island is experiencing drought conditions, while the Carraizo reservoir is at critically low levels and San Juan recorded its driest July on record. The rationing is expected to continue at least through the end of August, and authorities are deploying water trucks with priority for hospitals and long-term care facilities (Reuters)

Ghana and Malta have launched Project Ethics, a partnership to strengthen ethics education and values-based learning for children and young people through curriculum support, teacher training, digital tools, storytelling resources, and pilot programs in schools. Ghana’s revised curriculum will integrate ethics education from kindergarten through primary and junior high school, with the initiative emphasizing integrity, citizenship, critical thinking, responsible decision-making, and service (B&FT)

The US plans to provide an additional US$242 million for Ebola response and preparedness efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC] and Uganda, bringing its direct Ebola assistance to more than US$512 million. The funding will support surveillance, detection, treatment, border screening, community engagement, and other humanitarian needs as the outbreak in eastern DRC remains concerning and cross-border risks keep Uganda on heightened alert (APA News)

A Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS [UNAIDS] report reveals global HIV [Human Immunodeficiency Virus] infections and AIDS [Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome]- related deaths have reached 30-year lows. Multiple countries achieve significant transmission cuts or meet key treatment targets. Following an HIV prevention injection’s 100% trial efficacy, international partners aim to supply three million people with lenacapavir by 2028 (Good News Network)

During digestion, soluble fiber absorbs water to form a thick gel that slows sugar absorption and keeps you full longer. Simultaneously, this nutrient binds to bad cholesterol for excretion while nourishing beneficial gut bacteria. Key soluble fiber sources include oats, chia seeds, green peas, okra, and unpeeled apples. Drinking enough water daily maximizes its benefits (Báo Sức khỏe và Đời sống)

Neurologists warn that headaches waking you at night or worsening by morning can sometimes signal serious health risks. Positional changes during sleep can increase intracranial pressure from critical conditions. Poor sleep quality, sleep apnea, hypertension, or medication overuse also trigger these episodes. Seek urgent care if accompanied by vomiting, blurred vision, weakness, seizures, or worsening severity. Early detection enables timely treatment and protects your overall health (Thanh Niên)

Australian aerial firefighting crews are helping battle wildfires in Greece and France during Europe’s increasingly intense fire season, with several Australian operators deploying aircraft, pilots, and ground teams across the region. The crews work closely with firefighters on the ground, using aircraft to slow advancing fires and create containment lines, with some missions lasting up to 10 hours. Demand for Australian expertise is growing as Europe experiences longer, hotter, and more severe wildfire seasons (Neos Kosmos)

British Columbia [Canada] declares a province wide state of emergency as a fast-moving wildfire forces over 20,000 residents to evacuate communities near Okanagan Lake. The uncontrolled blaze destroys homes and prompts aerial rescues, with officials warning of extreme, unpredictable weather conditions feeding the fire (Reuters)

Heavy rain floods homes and collapses walls in Granada [Spain] on August 7, turning streets into torrents. Afterwards, emergency crews clear debris and restore roads (EuroWeekly News)

Mount Etna’s eruptive phase sends ash across eastern Sicily [Italy], prompting a red aviation alert. Catania’s Vincenzo Bellini Airport suspends arriving flights until midday on Saturday, August 8; departures continue normally. Ash falls on Ragalna, Adrano, and Nicolosi and a new vent opens at about 2,750 meters on the mountain. No casualties are reported (EuroWeekly News, Al Jazeera)

Pilgrim’s slaughterhouse in Ashton-under-Lyne, near Manchester [UK], which activist Joey Carbstrong (vegan) says killed about 750,000 pig-individuals a year and used high-concentration carbon dioxide gas to take lives, has been completely demolished after closing in 2023. Mr. Carbstrong argues that his team’s undercover investigation of the facility’s CO2 gas chamber, published by The Guardian in May 2023, and the resulting publicity helped push the site toward closure. He says the closure also removed significant slaughter capacity and may have contributed to a nationwide decline in UK pig-folk slaughter, while presenting the demolition as evidence that investigations, public pressure, and consumer choices can influence the animal-people meat industry (Plant Based News, The Guardian)

A new study by Israeli and US scientists found that the 2021 Mediterranean oil spill may have exposed 75.4% of marine species in the most heavily affected areas to petroleum compounds at toxic or potentially lethal levels. The 2021 spill polluted the entire 190-kilometer Mediterranean coastline of Israel and also affected Lebanon; researchers say visible signs such as dead or tar-covered animal-folks may significantly underestimate the ecological damage because smaller organisms and early life stages can be seriously harmed underwater without leaving obvious evidence (Báo Tin tức)

Taiwan (Formosa)’s giant-tree forests are among the world’s most carbon-dense ecosystems, with a 2024 survey estimating that one old-growth valley stores about 1,384 metric tons of carbon per hectare, excluding the trees’ extensive root systems (Taiwan News)

Đà Nẵng [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)] has approved a plan to transition its bus fleet from fossil fuels to electricity and green energy, aiming for all buses operating in urban areas to use clean energy by 2030 (Lao Động)

Actress Prajaktta Mali of India adopts a vegan lifestyle after experiencing adverse health reactions to dairy products, seeking blessings at temples as she transitions to a cruelty-free routine (MENAFN)

Vegan PDRN [polydeoxyribonucleotide] skincare gains momentum in the Philippines, with brand Dermlab+ by Fresh introducing its new Lumi Rejucare skincare line, with rose vegan PDRN that offers superior absorption, skin recovery, and cruelty-free benefits compared to traditional salmon-based formulas (Manila Bulletin)

Slovak researchers develop a 100% vegan jerky using oyster mushrooms, creating a nutritious, low-sugar alternative to animal-people meat snacks through the Slovak University of Agriculture’s innovation incubator (The Slovak Spectator)

A thermal imaging drone helps Arvada [Colorado, US] police locate a missing nine-year-old autistic boy in nearby woods. Spotted barefoot on a bridge, the boy quickly reunites with his family. The successful rescue demonstrates the rising reliance on drone technology for finding missing autistic children nationwide (Daily Mail)

Humanitarian non-profit Qatar Charity supports the “Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Limb Fitting” project run by the Restoring Hope Society in Jordan and Gaza. Providing prosthetic limbs, medical care, and therapy, the initiative helps Palestinian child amputees regain mobility, rebuild confidence, and successfully reintegrate into their families and communities (ReliefWeb)

During a 40°C heatwave, Hungarian road worker Árpád Nagy shares his water with a thirsty stork-person by the roadside. The heartwarming moment goes viral online. Mr. Nagy urges people to help wildlife-folk during extreme heat, noting that even small acts can save an animal friend’s life (UA.News)

Inspirational quote of the day: “A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.” – Patricia Neal American Oscar-winning Actress (Positivity.org)

Previously in this multipart series, 20-year-old Nina Ashborne was kidnapped in Berlin [Germany] by a man posing as a police officer. After being handcuffed, drugged with ether, gagged, and restrained, Nina reached a moment when she knew she was going to die. As she began to leave her body, she heard an intense sound from within, described her energy gathering inward, and passed through a dark, spiraling tunnel before finding herself somewhere beyond physical life.

There was an emptiness, but this emptiness was, if I wanted to put colors on [it], it’s really difficult to say it was this or it was that because it’s none of it, and yet it is all. So, we are limited with our words to describe [it]. It was like a huge ocean of a void, like emptiness, and yet there were those sparkles of golden whiteish Light. And it was a forever, like [an] infinite exhale and an infinite inhale simultaneously, and yet it was none of that. And I was in it; I became part of it. I was the ocean, and yet I was part of the whole. And it was this Love. You feel so touched inside of you and outside of you, above you, below you, beyond you, and you just know, right, this is it. This was the source that gave me life, and I am it. I am it.

And then this voice appeared. And here again, when I say voice, it’s not like a voice, and yet it is, like a communication on a very telepathic level. And it would ask me, “Are you ready to come?” It was like, “Wait. Before we continue, so, Who are You?” I was so amazed. And It said, “I am your Holy Spirit.” And there was no doubt, it was me, and I [was] part of the whole. And I thought, I can dwell in that. Or it’s not even a thought, but when I recall this moment, it was really like, OK, that’s it. Here we are. It’s beautiful. There’s so much Love. This is it. And then it asked me again, “Are you ready to come?” And I said, “No, I have to tell the people.” And then, boom, in less than a second, we disconnected, and it felt like dropping down.

And, I remember that I wanted to say, “No, no, this was a wrong decision,” but the decision was made, and I found myself back in the car. There’s my body. I am in my body, and I’m 100% clear, absolutely awake, absolutely aware. I know exactly that I’m in this situation. And he put pressure on my chest. He was counting. Recalling a lesson from Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, which her mother often watched, Nina remembered that a mirror held to the nose and mouth could reveal whether someone was breathing.

And all I thought was, “Don’t breathe. Don’t let your heart beat. Don’t.” And I didn’t. And I was in 100%, whatever I is, I as a source, I as a part of the Divine existence, in 100% charge of this vessel. And I didn’t breathe. I didn’t let my heart beat. He was convinced I was dead. He carried me out. And when he walked to the trunk, I didn’t know where I was. I didn’t know I was in the forest. I just knew I would have one moment, just one, and I had to be very aware. So, when he walked to the trunk and [I heard] the noise from this trunk, I thought, “Now,” and I jumped up.

In Part 3, Nina makes a desperate attempt to escape her captor and find her way to safety. I noticed that it was very dark on the sides of me, so I realized I’m in [the] woods somewhere, and then, ahead of me, I saw a little light, and I was just running towards the light. Join us tomorrow for Part 3 of this multipart series on Nina Ashborne’s near-death experience. (Sandra Champlain - We Don’t Die)