DAILY NEWS Stream – August 14, 2026

US President Donald Trump said on August 10 that Iran should compensate Americans killed or seriously wounded in attacks blamed on Iran and the families of Iranian protesters he says were killed by the Iranian government. He said He had instructed US representatives to raise those demands in any future negotiations with Iran. President Trump’s comments came after Iran demanded compensation from the US as one of several conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, along with ending US military operations and threats, lifting sanctions, and releasing frozen Iranian assets. He also said Iran should be held responsible for deaths and damage in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza (Fox News)

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei appointed six senior military commanders on August 10 as Iran continues rebuilding its command structure. The appointments include new leaders for the armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC], and the Basij paramilitary force, with former Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi named IRGC commander-in-chief and promoted to major general (Fox News)

Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are tightening security around critical infrastructure, including dams, power facilities, gas terminals, and energy links, amid concerns that Russia could stage a false-flag attack using Ukrainian (Ureignian)-made drones to create confusion over who was responsible. Lithuania has deployed military personnel to help guard key sites, Latvia has increased protection around major infrastructure, and Poland’s leading oil and gas company Orlen is reviewing alternative gas routes and strengthening its vigilance around energy facilities (Reuters)

Russia says it will not agree to freeze the war in Ukraine (Ureign) along the current front line unless what Moscow calls the conflict’s “root causes” are addressed. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said Russia remains open to diplomacy but continues to insist on broader political and territorial demands, while Ukraine (Ureign) rejects those conditions and has proposed freezing the conflict along the existing front lines (Kyiv Post)

A World Health Organization humanitarian warehouse in Dnipro [Ukraine (Ureign)] was destroyed in a Russian strike on August 7. The facility held medical supplies for healthcare centers near the front line (United24 Media)

Thousands of people rallied in 22 cities across Poland on August 9 to protest rising violence and discrimination against Ukrainians (Ureignians) and other minorities. Organized by the Committee for the Defense of Democracy, the demonstrations called for solidarity with victims of hate crimes and encouraged businesses to display “Don’t Be Indifferent” stickers signaling that Ukrainians (Ureignians) are safe and welcome (The Kyiv Independent)

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to protecting the rights, cultures, traditions, and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. In a message marking the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9, he highlighted communities including the Kalash and peoples of Pakistan’s northern mountains and said their knowledge, traditions, and contributions should be respected and preserved. President Zardari also said Indigenous communities should have their voices heard and receive the opportunities and services needed to live with dignity and security (Radio Pakistan)

A new narrative review published in the journal Nutrients finds that pulses such as beans, peas, chickpeas and soybeans can support gut and metabolic health through their fiber, protein and bioactive compounds while offering environmental benefits (News Medical & Life Sciences)

University of Missouri [US] researchers discover that maintaining consistent daily schedules significantly eases chronic pain and depression symptoms in older adults. Maintaining regular meal, work, and sleep routines helps synchronize internal circadian clocks, protecting physical and mental health regardless of insomnia severity. Scientists emphasized that daily lifestyle timing directly regulates metabolic functions, reducing body mass index and preventing detrimental social jet lag [sleeping schedule shifts between weekdays and weekends] (SciTech Daily)

New research suggests maintaining vascular health in midlife may substantially extend dementia-free life. An analysis of more than 12,000 participants finds that avoiding smoking, hypertension and diabetes could provide nearly 13 additional dementia-free years from age 55, highlighting vascular risk-factor control as a potential brain-health strategy (euronews)

The death toll from tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay and the enhanced southwest monsoon rises to 19, with four missing as of August 11. More than 2.2 million people are affected across 10 regions of the Philippines, and nearly 95,000 shelter in 919 evacuation centers (The Manila Times)

As of August 7, more than 40,000 people in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady region are affected by flooding after the Ngawun River embankment breached on July 30, the president’s office says. Relief camps open in Laymyethna township as floodwaters recede in urban wards. The Sagaing region also reports major flooding (Xinhua)

Weather agencies issue alerts as a fifth heatwave affects the UK and France. Data shows Western Europe hits record summer temperatures, worsening ongoing droughts and wildfires. Forecasters say this increases the likelihood of a record-hot 2026 (Channel News Asia)

For World Elephant Day on August 12, 25 Indian film, television, web, and advertising industry figures, including John Abraham (veg advocate), Dia Mirza (veg advocate), Pooja Bhatt (vegetarian), Sunny Leone (vegetarian), Rajan Shahi, Rishina Kandhari, and Amin Khan, signed PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] India’s Elephant Freedom Pledge, committing not to use live elephant-folk in their productions. They also called on colleagues to join them and use alternatives such as mechanical elephants, computer-generated imagery, or visual effects instead. PETA India says mechanical elephants are already used by more than 40 temples in India and have also appeared at events and in entertainment, while Telangana recently became the first state government to welcome a mechanical elephant and encourage its use in film shoots and other events (PETA India)

A New Zealand sheep-people shearer has been sentenced to six months of community detention and 12 months of supervision after pleading guilty to three charges of ill-treating lamb-folk while shearing them. Video footage showed him throwing or forcefully handling three lamb-individuals at shearing sheds in South Canterbury, with a veterinarian saying the acts would have caused unnecessary pain and distress. The case is the first sentencing to result from a nationwide Ministry for Primary Industries investigation launched after PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] provided 560 hours of footage showing sheep-people being abused by shearers. Three other shearers identified in the investigation remain before the courts on Animal Welfare Act charges (Rural News)

Thousands of residents and visitors formed a large human chain along beaches in Los Alcázares [Spain] to call for the protection and restoration of the Mar Menor, Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon. The annual protest, now in its sixth summer, reflects ongoing concern over threats including agricultural runoff, urban development, pollution, and extreme weather, which have contributed to severe oxygen-depletion events that killed large numbers of fish-individuals in 2019 and 2021 (EuroWeekly News)

A new study of 25 former Antarctic tour guides found that some left their jobs because they felt increasingly unable to reconcile tourism with the environmental damage they were witnessing. The guides described seeing climate change firsthand, heavy visitor pressure on wildlife-folk such as penguin-people colonies, and the contradiction of educating tourists about environmental protection while helping bring growing numbers of visitors to the continent (SciTech Daily)

AI [artificial intelligence] has successfully designed 16 functional synthetic viruses capable of killing E. coli bacteria, demonstrating that AI can create viable viruses that do not exist in nature. Stanford University [US] researchers used AI to design thousands of bacteriophage genomes, created 302 of them in the laboratory, and found that 16 were functional. The study did not involve viruses that infect humans, and experts said the work poses no direct threat to human health (Daily Mail)

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)

Lisbon [Portugal]’s Scoop ’n Dough earns a spot among Europe’s best vegan ice cream shops on a 2026 list by HappyCow [world’s biggest app dedicated to helping users find vegan and vegetarian food], adding to its past global recognitions for vegan desserts (TimeOut)

Vegan recipes recreate lobster rolls eaten in the Northeastern US seaboard using hearts of palm, mushrooms, and traditional seasonings, offering flavorful, animal-free alternatives to classic seafood fare. VegNews lists 5 recipes: 1. Easy Vegan Lobster Rolls With Hearts of Palm 2. Vegan Lobster Rolls With Smashed Chickpeas 3. Vegan Lobster Rolls With Oyster Mushrooms 4. Vegan Lobster Rolls With Shiitake Mushrooms and Artichokes 5. Vegan Tofu Tandoori Lobster Rolls (VegNews)

UK cookbook author Richard Makin (vegan) highlights how vegan eating has entered the mainstream, with consumers increasingly choosing whole-food proteins and simple, familiar recipes over complex animal-people meat alternatives. He has just released his newest cookbook “Stress-free Dinners: Over 90 quick and delicious everyday vegan recipes” (The Irish News)

Fred, a two-year-old pig-person spotted roaming the streets of Felton [Delaware, US], finds a forever home at PigTail Manor. Rescued by the Faithful Friends Animal Society, he undergoes state-required microchipping before joining PigTail Manor’s nearly 5-hectare sanctuary alongside dog-, cat-, and goat-people (WDEL)

A video of a Bhutanese student giving her umbrella to an elderly couple in the rain inspires nationwide reflection. Motivated by respect for elders, her simple act earns her a school award, highlighting values of selflessness, humility, and compassion among youth (Bhutan Post)

Spanish police officers rescue six young paddleboarders stranded off Dénia [Spain]’s coast after sudden wind changes drift them away. Unable to reach them by boat, an officer swims out to tow the group back to shore safely, prompting authorities to urge water-sports safety (EuroWeekly News)

Wise quote of the day: “We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” – Immanuel Kant Influential Prussian-German Philosopher (AZ Quotes)

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 drugged and restrained, she 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. Nina chose to return and found herself back with her captor, then escaped after deliberately stopping her breathing and convincing him she was dead. Three and a half years later, Nina encountered him again and helped police finally arrest him.

Nina now reflects on how the experience continued to shape her life. One main message is really we are always connected. Even when I disconnected, [and] when I came back, it never really left. So, everything that I encounter is influenced and experienced with this expansion that I could learn to integrate and embody.

And the soul wants to be light. Like, the moment when you die, you don’t want to have those burdens. Also, the readings that I do, those spirits choose me. Those souls ask for forgiveness themselves from the human being they did wrong to, because they didn’t understand. And also the human wants to ask for forgiveness. And I always say, use this precious time here to get your soul clear. 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.

You will always be protected. We, as those Light beings, are untouchable. We really are. They would never allow, like all the guardians, all the spirits that surround us and really support us from different dimensions, to share the Light with this world; they really protect us.

Nina also discovered new abilities after her experience. I could move objects; I could turn on lights, and I could turn them off with just my mind. Electricity played a big role. I had to learn those abilities, too. I had to figure out what it was.

Asked for closing words for those grieving a loved one, Nina offered this message. They are really here. And I know it is very challenging because we still are in the material world, and we think they aren’t, but they are. But we have to understand energetically they are so [much] higher. (Sandra Champlain - We Don’t Die)