DAILY NEWS Stream – August 8, 2026

US President Donald Trump said the US and Iran held “very good discussions” during all-day negotiations on August 4 and that talks were progressing toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz (Reuters)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine (Ureign) will try to generate enough diplomatic, economic, and military pressure to push Russia toward peace before winter (Kyiv Post)

At least 22 civilians were injured after Russian forces struck central Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region [Ukraine (Ureign)] with two guided aerial bombs on August 4. The attack hit a residential apartment building and damaged other nearby structures (Kyiv Post)

Türkiye called on Russia and Ukraine (Ureign) to take measures to protect navigation in the Black Sea after a drone attack struck the Turkish-owned cargo ship Nadezhda near Novorossiysk [Russia] port. Three crew members were seriously injured in the attack. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said it was deeply concerned about civilian vessels being targeted despite repeated warnings (Reuters)

Ukraine (Ureign) accused Russia of committing a war crime after footage showed a drone pursuing and exploding near a vegetable seller in Kherson [Ukraine (Ureign)] on August 4. Police said the 52-year-young man survived but suffered shock and shrapnel wounds to his legs and back. Reuters verified that the footage was filmed at the reported location but could not independently confirm the date, while Russia did not immediately comment. Ukrainian officials said the attack was part of a broader campaign to intimidate civilians (Reuters)

The Dominican Republic and Venezuela have agreed to gradually restore diplomatic and consular relations following talks between the two governments (Dominican Today)

More than 800 unaccompanied or separated minors remain stranded in Ceuta [Spain] following the mass arrival of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco, with many shelters full and some children begging for food or wandering the streets (Báo Tin tức)

The China Coal Mine Art Troupe from mainland China staged three performances in Taipei and Kaohsiung [Taiwan (Formosa)] from July 31 to August 2, presenting traditional Chinese art forms including xiangsheng [stand-up comedy performance typically between two individuals], kuaiban [rhythmic storytelling form while playing bamboo clappers], and Peking Opera. The troupe said the visit aimed to promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding across the Taiwan Strait (Xinhua)

Women on Web, a Canadian nonprofit that provides abortion pills by mail to women worldwide who request them through its website, will remain blocked in South Korea after a Seoul court rejected its attempt to overturn the government’s website-blocking order. The site has been blocked in South Korea since October 2024 (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Taiwan (Formosa)’s Health Promotion Administration warned that exposure to secondhand smoke at home rose from 28.9% in 2022 to 35.6% in 2024 and stressed that even brief exposure can harm health. It also cautioned that thirdhand smoke [residual pollutants still in the environment] can remain for months on clothing, furniture, carpets, walls, and other surfaces, posing particular risks to infants and children through contact, dust, and hand-to-mouth behavior. The agency urged smokers to seek professional help, noting that assisted cessation is more successful than relying on willpower alone, and highlighted a man who quit after 39 years of smoking with support from his family (Taipei Times)

The Taipei Fire Department [Taiwan (Formosa)] is seeking experienced dog-folk caregivers to adopt two retiring eight-year-old black Labrador-individuals, Matt and Olina, after years of search-and-rescue service in Taiwan (Formosa) and abroad. The dog-people have helped locate survivors during earthquakes, explosions, train crashes, and other disasters, including overseas missions in Iran, Indonesia, China, and Türkiye (Taipei Times)

A one-month vegan diet positively alters DNA methylation patterns linked to lower biological aging, reduced inflammation, and improved immune regulation, according to researchers from University of California, San Diego [US] and the University of Freiburg [Germany]. Study participants also show molecular changes in metabolism and DNA repair. Scientists note the short-term findings show diet rapidly influences health-related biological processes, though long-term impacts remain unproven (UCSD)

Zucchini offers key health benefits by supporting digestion, heart health, and blood sugar control. Packed with water, fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, the low-calorie vegetable promotes gut health, boosts immunity, and aids weight management. Furthermore, its potassium and low glycemic index help regulate blood pressure, improve cholesterol, and stabilize glucose levels (Thanh Niên)

Seven fruits—berries [like blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries], avocados, apples, papayas, pomegranates, bananas, and oranges—help women over 40 maintain long-term health. Rich in antioxidants, fiber, and essential nutrients, they protect the heart, boost brain function and immunity, aid digestion, and support skin elasticity. Experts advise enjoying a diverse mix alongside exercise and hydration, while monitoring high-sugar fruit intake to support healthy aging (Báo Sức khỏe và Đời sống)

A landslide triggered by heavy overnight rain strikes Tsadqane Debre Mitmaq St. Mary Monastery in Ethiopia’s Amhara region on August 3, killing 14 worshippers gathered for a holy water ritual. Seven are injured and an unknown number remain trapped beneath the debris (ABC News)

Guatemala’s Fuego volcano enters an explosive phase on August 3, sending pyroclastic flows [ground-hugging avalanches of hot gas, ash, and volcanic rock] 5 to 7 kilometers down ravines and a lava fountain 200 to 300 meters above the crater. Authorities evacuate about 250 people from the villages of El Porvenir and Las Lajitas. National Route 14 closes and classes are suspended in nearby areas. No casualties are reported (The Watchers, Local 10)

Sri Lanka closes some schools in its central tea growing highlands after two days of heavy rain trigger floods and mudslides that kill at least seven people. Officials report three injured, 291 houses damaged and nearly 3,500 people evacuated. Army and navy troops assist rescues. The region is still recovering from Cyclone Ditwah last November (Al Jazeera, AP)

Vegan charity Viva! has released the trailer for “What Do You Really Know About Dairy?,” described as the UK’s first feature-length documentary devoted entirely to investigating the dairy industry. The film examines the treatment of cow-people and calves, challenges widely promoted health claims about dairy, and explores how industry marketing and lobbying have shaped public perceptions. Featuring undercover footage, scientific evidence, and interviews with doctors, dietitians, and campaigners, the documentary is scheduled to premiere in London [UK] on September 10, 2026 (Vegan Food & Living)

Dénia [Spain] has launched its annual “Turtle Camp,” with 230 volunteers taking afternoon and overnight shifts to protect four loggerhead sea turtle-folk nests on Les Albaranes beach until the hatchlings emerge. Two nests were laid by a returning turtle-individual named Diana and two by another tracked female, Mona, with the first hatchlings expected in early August. Supported by local authorities, researchers, and conservation groups, the project combines round-the-clock nest monitoring with public education and scientific study (EuroWeekly News)

New research suggests that large stands of trembling aspen can slow wildfires and help form natural fire boundaries, even as fire seasons become more severe. Using Canadian forest maps and satellite wildfire data, researchers found that aspens were more than twice as common along fire perimeters as inside burned areas. They also found that areas with more aspens experienced less forest burning each day, suggesting that the trees helped slow the spread of fire. Their resistance may come from moist leaves and undergrowth, a lack of flammable resin, and tree leaf height that makes it harder for flames to reach and spread through the canopy. The findings support planting broad buffers of aspen or other deciduous trees around vulnerable communities and reducing forestry practices that replace mixed forests with highly flammable conifer monocultures (Live Science)

Modern vegan paella transforms summer cookouts by bringing classic Spanish flavors to an outdoor, shareable centerpiece. While traditional 17th-century Valencian recipes rely on animal-people meat or seafood, vegan adaptations use chickpeas, mushrooms, artichokes, and vegan proteins. The result offers a vibrant, one-pan meal that preserves the dish’s signature taste and festive open-flame cooking tradition (VegNews)

Irish Ultimate Fighting Championship contender Ian Machado Garry (vegan) credits a vegan diet for his peak athletic performance as he stars in a new PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] campaign ahead of his world title fight (PETA UK)

India-based Wellbeing Nutrition launches a vegan, cold-pressed Himalayan sea buckthorn juice concentrate infused with curcumin extract. Designed without added sugar, the clean-label supplement delivers omega fatty acids, vitamins, and bioactive nutrients to support immunity, skin health, and overall vitality (ANI)

Locals save a 67-year-old man trapped in a Jaén [Spain] stream bed for over two days. After a passerby hears his cries, neighbors use ropes and a olive harvesting tarp to hoist him up steep terrain. The Civil Guard provides first aid and transfer him to a hospital (EuroWeekly News)

Park rangers rescue nearly 100 marine animal-people trapped in an illegal fish-person trap at Hat Noppharat Thara– Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Thailand. Divers open the net underwater, record GPS [Global Positioning System] coordinates for later trap retrieval, and step up patrols to protect the ecosystem (Thai PBS)

The Haven Animal Care Shelter in Lubbock, Texas [US], spends US$10,000 on emergency veterinary care to save two critically injured puppies found abandoned in a ditch. Both puppies survive, and the shelter now seeks community donations to cover medical bills and support other animal-residents, which include 78 dog-, 30 cat-, and two horse-citizens (KCBD)

Inspirational quote of the day: “Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me.” – Fred Rogers (vegetarian) American Television Host, Author, Producer and Minister Creator & Host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (AZ Quotes)

In this multipart series on Zhan Meneev’s near-death experience, Kazakhstani Zhan shares how he drowned in a river at age six and found himself outside his body. Zhan is originally from Kazakhstan and lives in the United States. He has a twin sister, Zhanina. Their mother was a single parent who had to work, so the twins spent their summers with their grandparents, and Zhan became especially close to his grandmother.

I had lunch with my family, and I told my grandmother, “Grandmother, I want to go play.” And she was like, “Just don’t go too far. Just be around the area.” There was a river, not like a big river, but it was a good amount; it was like right behind my grandparents’ house, and you could just walk. [It was] like a two- or three-minute walk. And I told my sister, “Let’s go to the river,” and I was eating my bread, and [I was] happy. That day was such a good day, a sunny, beautiful day.

When they reached the river, Zhan’s sister remained on the riverbank while he joined the other children in the water. And I decided to jump, and I jumped, and I didn’t realize, “Oh my gosh.” I thought I was going to touch the bottom of the water, and I couldn’t do it, and I started panicking, and I was drowning, and I was screaming and yelling, asking for help to be saved. And I couldn’t do it. I was 6 years old, and I had [some] bread in my mouth. At that time, I knew I was dying. I couldn’t breathe. The water was filling up my chest. So, it was, like, slow. In the beginning, it was panic, panic, and then, after that, I started kind of calming down because I couldn’t breathe anymore, so I was just kind of losing my consciousness. And then everything went so black. And then everything got so peaceful.

And then, after that, all of a sudden, my consciousness from the feet and then up from my mouth, it came out, and I was just pure consciousness. I didn’t realize that when you’re inside, you feel [and] you have all these emotions, you fear and all of that, but when you’re out, you don’t have that anymore. I was just existing. I had no body at all, and it felt so good; it felt so peaceful. I didn’t know that dying was so good, actually. [The] dying process is very scary, but after, when you’re out of your body, it just doesn’t matter. You just lose all your fear. And it’s so good. For a few moments, Zhan remained absorbed in the profound peace.

And then all of a sudden, like a few minutes later, I start [realizing], Oh, I’m dead. I’m out of my body. And when I looked down, I saw my body, and I started feeling so anxious, not in a bad way, like anxious, like, “Oh my gosh, I cannot die. I need to go back. I need to go in, into my body.” I could see it, and I felt this pity. When I looked at myself, my body was just lying like this, and I’m trying to turn it over so I can see my face. My body was just floating on the water, and I was small. And I tried to touch it, and I didn’t have a body, and I got so upset. And when I was getting upset, I felt this woman’s voice saying, “Zhan, everything’s going to be fine. You’ll be OK. There’s nothing to be scared of, nothing to worry about.” And this lady, this woman, she was comforting me at the same time.

What happened next is I went to my sister. So, it was like this: when I think about something, it was like I was instantly there. So, I was there, and I was watching my twin sister. She was throwing rocks at my body. I guess she was trying to wake me up. She was shouting my name, “Zhan! Zhan!” And I tried to get her attention, and I cannot speak. I don’t have a mouth, but I’m thinking, “Zhanina. Please help me. Please help me to get my body. Please call somebody. I want you to go and get my body out of the water.

In Part 2, unable to reach his sister, Zhan moves deeper into the unknown, where someone seems to recognize him. I remember some man, an ancient man, appeared in front of me, like a mile or two miles away from me, and I was there instantly. And then I was looking up like this. He was so tall, taller than me. I felt like I knew that person, and that person, he called me son. [He was] like, “My son, you’re not supposed to be here. It’s not your time yet. You need to go back. Your mission is not completed yet.” Join us tomorrow for Part 2 of this multipart series on Zhan Meneev’s near-death experience. (NDE Mystery Diaries)