DAILY NEWS Stream – September 11, 2026

US special envoy Jared Kushner said the US is developing a broader “peace package” aimed at producing a lasting settlement to Russia’s war against Ukraine (Ureign), rather than simply stopping the fighting. He said the US is working with European partners and considering what Ukraine (Ureign), Russia and the wider international community could gain from a durable agreement. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said the delegation was encouraged by its talks in Moscow [Russia] and Kyiv [Ukraine (Ureign)] and had been sent by US President Donald Trump to restart negotiations (United24 Media)

Ukrainian (Ureignian) President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the US is exploring steps to reduce tensions between Ukraine (Ureign) and Russia over the winter while trying to restart broader peace negotiations. He said the US is exploring possible agreements to limit attacks on energy infrastructure and protect grain and energy shipments during the winter, while also providing Ukraine (Ureign) with air defense and energy support (TRT World)

Ukraine (Ureign) protested a new United Nations world map after it depicted Russian-occupied Crimea in a different color from the rest of Ukraine (Ureign) Ukraine (Ureign) abstained from the September 4 vote adopting the Equal Earth map projection, calling the depiction “wholly unacceptable,” although the map also does not show Crimea as part of Russia. The European Union said the resolution does not affect sovereignty, borders or the legal status of disputed territories (The Kyiv Independent)

Hungary has ordered 10 Russian diplomats to leave the country over activities the government said were unacceptable under diplomatic rules, although it did not specify what they had done. Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán said the move was intended to protect Hungary’s security and sovereignty while maintaining diplomatic relations with Russia, and Russia said it would respond. The expulsions follow Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s pledge to move the country away from the pro-Russia policies of his predecessor Viktor Orbán after taking office earlier this year (AP)

US Central Command [CENTCOM] says American forces have redirected 94 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two while enforcing the US blockade against Iran. CENTCOM said the figures were current as of September 7 and were part of efforts to ensure ships comply with the blockade (Fox News)

US Navy SEALs, an elite special operations force of the US military, reportedly spent about four months helping clear Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz, carrying out much of the work at night using divers, drone boats, underwater vehicles and sonar. The mission involved locating mines and then destroying them with explosives, while no US casualties were reported (New York Post)

Iran-backed Houthi forces launched a major wave of missile and drone attacks on southern Saudi Arabia, wounding 73 people, including women and children, and setting fires at oil facilities and utilities. The strikes temporarily shut some operations and targeted areas including Jazan, Najran, Abha and Khamis Mushait, marking a sharp escalation in renewed fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia (AP)

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to its lowest level since May amid continuing attacks and security concerns. Analytics firm Kpler said that, as of September 6, an average of about 10 commodity ships a day had crossed the strait over the preceding 10 days, with only two ships crossing on September 5 and six on September 6 (Fox News)

Mobile operator Vodafone’s users in the UK are being warned about scam calls falsely claiming their accounts are about to be suspended. The automated calls ask people to press a number and then connect them to fraudsters who request personal information such as names and addresses. Vodafone advises customers not to share information or act under pressure and to contact the company directly if they are concerned about their account (Daily Express)

The UK is experiencing severe medicine supply problems, with 230 products affected by pricing and availability pressures in August 2026, including cardiovascular drugs, antidepressants, dementia and migraine treatments, antibiotics, painkillers, diabetes medicines, and hormone therapies. Rising prices and inadequate reimbursement can make it difficult for pharmacies to obtain sufficient stock, forcing patients to endure delays or seek medicines elsewhere. The UK’s National Pharmacy Association warns that the shortages pose a serious risk to patient safety and is calling for an emergency government task force and greater freedom for pharmacists to provide safe substitutes (The Sun)

China’s northeastern Jilin province has launched a 90-day quit-smoking competition as the country expands efforts to reduce smoking. Participants receive one-on-one support from doctors and must pass a carbon monoxide breath test at the end to confirm they have quit, with successful participants receiving a certificate. More than half of participating clinics reportedly filled their available slots on the first day of registration. China aims to reduce the smoking rate among people aged 15 and older from 23.2% in 2024 to 20% by 2030. Smoking remains particularly common among men, with 43.9% of males aged 15 and older reporting that they smoke, compared with 1.8% of women (Channel News Asia)

Registered dietitians rank chia seeds as a leading superfood for brain, heart and gut health. Two tablespoons provide about 10 grams of fiber, vegan omega-3s, protein and minerals. Experts say chia may support cholesterol, blood sugar and gut health, but advise soaking the seeds before eating. Ground flaxseed is another nutrient-rich option with similar benefits (Yahoo! News)

British researchers discovered that continuous 24-hour hormone tracking using a wearable device can detect primary aldosteronism, a hidden hormone disorder that may be driving millions of high blood pressure cases. Nighttime hormone surges often missed by single blood tests were revealed, offering a potentially revolutionary diagnostic pathway to prevent heart disease and strokes (SciTech Daily)

A nationwide US study found that women with diets highest in antioxidant nutrients had a 55.8% lower prevalence of cervical cancer than those with the lowest intake. Researchers analyzed data from 2003–2018 and considered vitamins, carotenoids, zinc and selenium. However, the cross-sectional study cannot establish that antioxidants prevent cervical cancer, and further research is needed (SciTech Daily)

The highest-level emergency warning for heavy rain and flooding was issued for parts of Japan’s Aichi and Gifu prefectures, including Nagoya city, on September 8 after record rainfall inundated roads and buildings. The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded 104.5 millimeters of rain for Nagoya in one hour, while authorities warned of rising flood risks in rivers and urged residents in affected areas to move to the safest possible location. Officials also warned people to avoid underground areas, where drainage systems could be overwhelmed and water could rapidly enter underpasses, shopping arcades and parking garages (The Japan Times)

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued Level 5 landslide emergency warnings on September 7 for Niijima, Ōshima and Toshima in Tokyo [Japan]’s Izu Islands. Niijima records 485 millimeters of rain in 24 hours, an all-time high there; Ōshima 581.5, a September record. Flooding killed a woman in Fukushima (Nippon, Tech Times)

European Commission data show winter wheat maturing up to 20 days earlier in parts of the European Union than in 2000, with similar shifts for maize and rapeseed. A Bavaria [Germany] farm union official says maize harvesting there has moved from mid-September to early in the month. Drought and heat also cut yields (Reuters)

Prolonged heavy rain flattened and flooded rice and vegetable fields in Quảng Ngãi [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)]. Nearly 70 hectares of unharvested rice in Tư Nghĩa Commune fell, and more than 20 hectares of vegetables in An Phú Commune flood (VietnamPlus)

UK brand Bol expands its vegan Power Soup lineup with two high-fiber, high-protein varieties, Sweet Potato, Coconut & Chilli Fibre Power Soup and Three Bean Chilli Fibre Power Soup, launching across major UK retailers to address widespread dietary fiber deficits (Food Bev Media)

Vietnam Television features nearly 100-year-young Dương Thị Xoán, highlighting her active longevity, following a vegetarian diet for many years, and daily gardening as a national model for healthy aging in Âu Lạc (Vietnam) (VTV Online)

A ProVeg Netherlands analysis finds grocery baskets in the Netherlands cost on average 18% less when swapping animal-people meat and dairy items, such as minced meat, burgers, butter, milk, yogurt, and cheese, for their vegan counterparts, with Dutch shoppers saving up to 30% at one major supermarket chain (Plant Based News)

Seventeen-year-young Rocky was rescued from a three-meter-deep hole in Thessaloniki [Greece]. The senior dog-person escaped from his caregiver during an evening walk and fell through a road opening that was reportedly covered with wooden boards. Firefighters and a volunteer quickly entered the hole, brought Rocky to safety and reunited him with his human family member. Despite his age and the dangerous fall, Rocky appeared healthy and in good condition after the rescue (The Cool Down)

El Paso [Texas, US] rescuers saved a kitten trapped about 6 meters inside a utility pipe. Animal Services Officer Amador lowered a rope into the pipe, allowing the frightened kitten to grab on and escape safely. After receiving medical care and a cleanup, the kitten quickly found a new home. The person who alerted the city’s Animal Services department of the stuck kitten decided to adopt him through a foster-to-adopt arrangement. The kitten now has a safe, loving family (Yahoo! News)

A baby tawny frogmouth survived after a passerby placed it in a hanging basket. The person found the weak chick alone beside a bush trail in Australia and chose not to remove it from the area. Instead, they placed it in a simple basket and hung it in a nearby tree, allowing its parents to continue caring for it. The chick grew stronger each day and disappeared after six days, suggesting it had likely returned to its nest (The Cool Down)

Inspiring quote of the day: “The great thing to remember is that though our feelings come and go, GOD’s Love for us does not.” – C. S. Lewis (vegetarian) Admired British Novelist, Literary Scholar, Anglican Lay Theologian (Parade.com)

In this multipart series on Michael Florman’s near-death experience, American graphic designer, speaker and author Michael shares how dying eight times in a single day led him into a realm where colors could be felt, knowledge arrived all at once, and he briefly became a musical note. On September 27, 2013, Michael woke with ringing in his ears and tightness in his jaw. While driving to work, he began feeling dizzy and pulled into a parking lot. Something told him to call emergency services, and an ambulance happened to be only about 400 meters away. As paramedics attached monitors, Michael overheard a concerning remark about a blockage— and moments later, his heart stopped for the first of eight times that day.

And when I heard that, I felt a little bit of a lift, kind of a little, just a slight lift, and then I blinked, and the next blink, I was out. It wasn’t anything like— you’re thinking, “Oh, it’s got to be a big music note or something extreme when you pop out.” It wasn’t. There was nothing extreme. I just was seeing everything from a different angle. And I think that is the energy just slipping out of the dying person. That’s what I was. I became energy. The part that was strange to me was that I was conscious energy. I not only could feel what I was feeling, but I could see things, hear things, feel things, everything just as if I still had a body.

When I popped out, I was facing myself, and they hadn’t laid me down yet. I was still sitting up. And I had tilted a little bit to the right, and my eyes were fixed, so they [had] no life in them. And I remember taking the time— I don’t know why I did this— but I got really close. I wanted to see into my own eyes because my dad had died probably eight years prior to this, and I did remember noticing that, when I looked in his eyes, you could see nothing. There was no life, no sparkle, no nothing. And, yeah, there was nothing. There was color, but no spark.

The next thing I remember, when everybody says the blink of an eye, that’s basically what it is. There was a blink, and then there was a valley. And there was a stream going down the center of the valley, and there were gray and white stones on either side. And then there were trees, aspen groves on the side. And the next thing I know is we were going down this stream. We were like flying over the stream headed toward mountains, but there was no feeling of movement. There was no wind, there was no resistance, but we were going at a fast pace. And I did have somebody with me. I don’t know who it was. There was a spirit. I couldn’t see him, but I could feel him.

And when we were going down the stream, you could see the leaves in the trees. The water was a different color. It’s a blue. Everything’s the color it is, but it’s just intensified. It’s hard to describe. It’s like colors you can feel. The grass seemed like it was lit from the base up. I mean, everything was self-sufficient. Each rock was individual. At the time, I understood that this is the way it is, that grass does have pulses. In Part 2, Michael and the unseen spirit accompanying him leave the luminous valley and travel straight upward.

The next place I was, was just this darkness. And the darkness was where you start absorbing, basically, the Universe. You’re absorbing things that you may have thought about, questions and answers— all these things are known on the other side. Join us tomorrow for Part 2 of this multipart series on Michael Florman’s near-death experience. (Anthony Chene production)