DAILY NEWS Stream – August 13, 2026

Iran says an agreement with Oman defining new shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz is in its final stages but insists the waterway will not reopen unless the US meets additional conditions. These include compensating Iran for US attacks, lifting sanctions and the blockade, ending military threats, freeing Iranian assets, and halting attacks on Iran and its regional allies (Reuters)

Âu Lạc (Vietnam) General Secretary and President Tô Lâm arrived in Sydney on August 9 for a state visit to Australia through August 12 at the invitation of Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn. The visit is his first to Australia in his new role and the first by a top Âu Lạc (Vietnam) leader since the two countries upgraded relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2024. The two sides are expected to discuss cooperation in technology, energy transition, and high-skilled workforce training. Several cooperation agreements are also expected to be signed during the visit (VnExpress)

Russia launched more than 200 drones and several types of missiles at Ukraine (Ureign) overnight into August 9, with the Odesa region the main focus of the attack. Ukraine (Ureign)’s Air Force said it shot down or suppressed 174 drones and five Banderol loitering munitions, while strikes were recorded at 22 locations (UNITED24 Media)

India and Bhutan have reaffirmed plans to deepen cooperation in power and water resources, including hydropower development, renewable energy, cross-border electricity trade, transmission links, flood forecasting, and management of trans-boundary rivers (DD News)

Nigeria has formally rejoined the World Energy Council to strengthen its participation in global discussions on international energy policy, investment, and sustainability. The council says Nigeria’s renewed membership will support the nation’s efforts to expand electricity access, strengthen energy security, and develop natural gas assets (ThisDay)

More than 8 million school-age children in Sudan remain out of school because of the nation’s internal conflict, while nearly three-quarters of schools in Darfur [Sudan] have been damaged, destroyed, or otherwise made unusable, according to the UN [United Nations]. More than half of the country’s teachers have gone unpaid, and since 2024 the UN has documented at least 67 attacks on schools and 154 cases of schools being used for military purposes. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed warned that the conflict is threatening the future of an entire generation, although the UN and its partners have helped more than one million Sudanese children return to some form of learning this year (Al Jazeera)

The Tanzania Prisons Service says it has strengthened measures to ensure pregnant women and mothers in custody with their children receive safe accommodation, healthcare, and appropriate support while in prison (Daily News)

A balanced microbiome drives gut health, aiding digestion, and producing nutrients. Beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus acidophilus thrive on a fiber-rich, vegan diet featuring berries, kale, oats, fermented foods, and resistant starches. Conversely, processed animal-people meats and refined carbohydrates can harm healthy gut flora. While probiotics offer potential benefits, experts advise consulting health professionals before using supplements (VegNews)

A six-year study reveals that combining excess abdominal fat with low vitamin D levels boosts early death risks for adults over 50 by 123%. Visceral fat traps vitamin D, impairing the body’s ability to regulate chronic inflammation. Consequently, health experts urge older adults to manage waistlines and restore vitamin D levels to help prevent severe metabolic and cardiovascular diseases (SciTech Daily)

Nutritionists confirm garlic’s sulfur compounds combat kidney inflammation while improving blood pressure and insulin sensitivity. Experts recommend crushing fresh garlic, resting it 10 minutes before cooking, and substituting pure garlic powder for salt. To protect kidneys effectively, integrate garlic into a balanced, vegan diet alongside regular medical checkups (Thanh Niên)

A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, killing at least 111 people, injuring at least 87, damaging over a thousand buildings, and leaving people trapped under debris in several cities. The epicenter was near San José del Palmar in Chocó, and the quake was also felt in Ecuador and Panama, where only minimal damage was reported. Authorities said it was Colombia’s strongest earthquake in the 21st century, and rescue teams continued searching collapsed buildings as officials warned of aftershocks. Flights were suspended at several airports and Colombia declared an emergency to speed funding for the response and recovery (AP News)

Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall on China’s eastern coast on August 9, bringing torrential rain and powerful winds while authorities warn of flooding and landslides. The storm affects Zhejiang, Shanghai and surrounding provinces. Nearly 1,400 Shanghai flights are cancelled, while officials evacuate vessels, strengthen flood responses and issue geological-disaster warnings (Channel News Asia)

Severe storms sweep across Brazil’s state of Rio Grande do Sul on August 6, damaging 114 municipalities and producing winds of about 120 kilometers per hour, hail and a confirmed tornado. One person dies and five are injured, while 2,306 people are displaced. Fallen trees, damaged roofs, power outages and disruptions affect homes and public facilities across the state (The Watchers)

Indonesia closes all entrance gates to Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java on August 8, as a wildfire has burned 196 hectares since August 3. Hundreds of personnel, water-bombing helicopters and drones tackle the blaze (The Jakarta Post)

Family-owned restaurant Borreguitas serves affordable, 100% vegan Mexican classics like tacos, burritos, and jackfruit chicharrón in Pomona [California, US]. Founded by a mother and her daughters to offer healthy community meals, the popular eatery will expand with a café next door this fall (ABC 7)

Vegan MMA [Mixed Martial Arts] fighter Ahmed Labban of Lebanon appears on a billboard advertising Croatia’s ZeGeVege Festival and promoting the vegan diet ahead of the September 4-6 event in Zagreb (Plant Based News)

India’s vegan food market projects over 30% annual growth through 2030, driven by rising health awareness and a 39% adult vegetarian baseline. The country’s traditional cuisine— rich in lentils, grains, and legumes—provides a natural vegan framework (CNBC TV18)

A 15-member medical team from the Saudi government’s humanitarian organization KSRelief provides free heart surgeries for 30 Indonesian children at the M. Djamil Central General Hospital in Padang [Indonesia]. The team also delivers daily clinical training lectures to doctors and nurses at the hospital to improve pediatric cardiac surgery services (Arab News)

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service in Shropshire, England [UK], free a hedgehog-person trapped in a concrete drain with help from volunteers from the Cuan Wildlife Rescue, which takes in the animal friend for care afterwards. The same day, firefighters from the service also rescue three kittens who fall through the roof of an abandoned building (The Cool Down)

Canadian residents sustain minor burns while successfully rescuing their dog companions from a flame-engulfed vehicle during the fast-moving Bald Range wildfire in Summerland, British Columbia. Firefighters then evacuate the individuals— the last residents to leave (Global News)

Enlightening quote of the day: “So long as one does not enquire into the real nature of the soul, it remains obscure due to ignorance. So long as the actions (karmas) are being performed, the mind persists in its disposition to activity (karmas) and a mind so disposed binds down the Soul to the body.” – The Venerated Enlightened Master Lord Adinath (Rishabhanatha) (vegan) First Tirthankara of Jainism (Bhagavata Purana)

Previously in this multipart series, 20-year-old Nina Ashborne was kidnapped in Berlin by a man posing as a police officer. After being drugged with ether and restrained, Nina reached a moment when she knew she was going to die, left her body, and passed through a dark, spiraling tunnel into a realm of profound Love, where she encountered what she understood to be her Holy Spirit. Choosing to return, Nina found herself back in the car with her captor. Remembering a lesson from Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, Nina deliberately stopped breathing and said she prevented her heart from beating, leading her captor to believe she was dead. When he carried her out and turned toward the trunk, Nina seized her chance, jumped up, and started running.

I noticed that it was very dark on the sides of me, so I realized I was in the woods somewhere. And then, ahead of me, I saw a little light, and I was just running towards the light. I thought he was behind me, so I ran faster. So, I came out of the woods, and there was a main road. Because it was winter, it was just sunset, and there was one car coming towards me. It was a very wide road, and I could not afford them not to stop. See, from their perspective, there was a woman running out of the woods and running onto the street. So, I was afraid they would drive around me. So, I decided I had to jump on their hood. I have to make sure they stop. So, I did. I jumped on their hood. And it was an older couple. And as soon as they stopped, I was lying on the hood. Then I ran to the passenger side, opened the door, and all I could do was kiss her hands. I survived. I survived. I survived.

There was a cab driver in the back behind them, and he stopped. He had no choice. And he said, “What’s going on?” And they said, “Well, she just ran out of the woods, and she said she got kidnapped.” And he said, “Is he still there?” And I said, “Yes.” And he said, “OK, I’ll go.” And I said, “No, no, no, no, no.” At this moment, the perpetrator came up the hill with no lights on, so nobody could see his license plate. And the cab driver said, “I will follow him.” And then my shock came in, and I begged him not to. So he got away.

Remembering Miss Marple’s line that a perpetrator always returns to the scene of his crime, Nina decided to keep returning to the spot. Every Saturday night, I went to the same place. Three and a half years later, he came again. He approached me again, and he said, “I have to arrest you.” I have goosebumps still. He did not recognize me. And I had this card that looked like a business card from the police department, with a case number, and they said, “As soon as you see him, give us a call.” So when he approached me standing there, my knees were shaking, my heart was boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, beating. And I just looked at him, and I said, “I have no time to play.” And I walked away. I went to the phone booth, and I called them, 12 cops, big ones, small ones [came] and they arrested him. Nina says the man was already wanted by police, who had not known his identity. She says the ordeal revealed a strength in her that allowed her to protect other women and bring peace to other families, despite having once seen herself as shy and dreamy.

In Part 4, Nina reflects on how her near-death experience continued to shape her life, transforming how she understood connection, the soul, and how to live here on Earth. If you can forgive, do it. And this alignment with your spirit is so important because you can be such a light on Earth. You just give the light. Join us tomorrow for Part 4 of this multipart series on Nina Ashborne’s near-death experience. (Sandra Champlain - We Don’t Die)