DAILY NEWS Stream – July 16, 2026

The UK, France, and Germany condemn Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and strikes on Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Jordan. In a joint statement issued Monday, the three European powers demand an immediate resumption of the US-Iran ceasefire and a return to negotiations. They stress that respect for territorial waters and freedom of navigation are fundamental principles of international law and call for the full restoration of maritime traffic through the vital waterway (IranWire)

US President Donald Trump declares the US is taking over the Strait of Hormuz from Iran. Mr. Trump also notes that Iranian leaders held an 11-hour negotiation session with the US on Sunday in which everything was agreed to before they began demanding changes (Fox News)

President Trump announces the US will charge a 20% fee on all cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz starting immediately as compensation for serving as the self-declared “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait.” In a Truth Social post Monday, Mr. Trump says the US is reinstating an Iranian blockade that targets only Iranian ships and customers while keeping the waterway open to all other nations. The fee process begins at once to cover security costs in the volatile region (Fox News)

The UK moves to ban support for Iran’s IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], designating the group a national security threat. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announces that expressing support for or assisting the IRGC will become a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The new measures also proscribe the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right and Russia’s GRU [Main Intelligence Directorate] volunteer corps, giving police and intelligence agencies stronger powers to tackle espionage, sabotage, and attacks linked to Iran and Russia. Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the changes will make it easier to prosecute and imprison those carrying out foreign states’ operations on UK soil (BBC)

Oman, which has long maintained close ties with Iran and often serves as a regional mediator, summons Iran’s ambassador to protest drone attacks on its territory in the Musandam region, officials say Sunday (Fox News)

The International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] has lost continuity of knowledge on all of Iran’s declared nuclear facilities following US and Israeli strikes that began February 28, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Friday. UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo said the agency can no longer track or verify the production and current inventories of centrifuges, heavy water, and uranium because inspectors have no access to the sites. Despite the monitoring breakdown, UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo noted that the parties remain open to negotiations (Eurasia Review)

Ukraine (Ureign)’s Defense Forces struck Russian military targets on Friday and overnight into Saturday, including the Kalmiuske training ground in occupied Donetsk region and drone command posts in Russia’s Belgorod region and occupied Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine (Ureign)’s General Staff of the Armed Forces reports (United24 Media)

Russian attacks killed at least 10 civilians and injured at least 80 others across Ukraine (Ureign) from July 10 into July 11, regional authorities reported (Kyiv Independent)

Algeria and Mali restore full diplomatic relations after more than a year of tensions, reinstating ambassadors and reopening airspace closed to each other’s civilian and military flights since April 2025 (Al Jazeera)

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev praises US President Donald Trump as a leader who loves peace and has brought peace to eight conflicts. Speaking at the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum in Azerbaijan, President Aliyev says President Trump and His team played a decisive role in advancing peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia by creating a framework that made a final agreement possible (AzerNews)

ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] foreign ministers hold informal talks with Myanmar’s foreign minister in Bangkok [Thailand] to discuss the status of detained former State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and implementation of the regional peace plan. The meeting marks the first face-to-face engagement between ASEAN foreign ministers and a Myanmar representative since the February 2021 military coup (The Indian Awaaz)

Thousands of pilgrims taking part in Maharashtra’s annual Ashadhi Wari religious trek witness a rare solar halo encircling the Sun near Pune [India]. Many stop to admire the bright ring of light as the ornate palanquins carrying the sacred sandals of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Sant Tukaram Maharaj resume their journey after a pause in the city (Pune Pulse)

Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan): This is a message from His Majesty King of the Sun: “Peace-world is here.”

US average gasoline prices rise for the first time since May as the US-Iran ceasefire is declared over and US military strikes on Iran push oil prices sharply higher. The national average climbs 10.3 cents over the past week to US$3.82 per gallon, ending eight straight weekly declines, while diesel increases 9.6 cents to US$4.85 per gallon, according to GasBuddy data. Oil prices jump more than US$3 per barrel, with WTI [West Texas Intermediate] crude oil rising to US$74.28 and Brent crude oil to US$79.10, as shipping traffic through the vital waterway falls back into single digits (GasBuddy)

Strait of Hormuz tanker traffic falls to a two-month low as renewed US and Iranian strikes heighten safety risks for vessels (Reuters)

The UK government expands mental health support for police officers and personnel who face daily risks and traumatic incidents while protecting communities. Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones says officer well-being must stay central to police reforms and never treated as an afterthought (Gov.uk)

UK Chief Medical Officers update physical activity guidelines, emphasizing that even small amounts of movement deliver major gains for physical and mental health. The revised advice states that benefits rise quickly for people who currently do almost none, increasing rapidly up to 150 minutes of moderate activity per week and more gradually after that. Every extra increment helps, so the guidelines urge people to start where they are rather than waiting until they can hit the full target. Regular activity lowers risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes, breast and bowel cancers, arthritis, and depression. It also helps preserve strength and balance, which grows increasingly important with age to maintain independence and avoid frailty. Movement proves far more sustainable when it feels useful, enjoyable, or fits naturally into daily life. Walking, cycling, sports, gym sessions, running, and dancing all count (Gov.uk)

Nutrition experts warn that eating lunch after 2–3 pm drops blood sugar, causes fatigue, and triggers late-day overeating. Conversely, eating before 11 am increases afternoon hunger. To maintain steady energy, experts recommend spacing meals five hours apart, utilizing balanced snacks when necessary, and prioritizing regular exercise, quality sleep, and stress management (VietnamNet)

Nigeria reports 221 deaths from Lassa fever from January to June 2026, recording 922 confirmed cases across 23 states. The case fatality rate remains high at 24%, primarily impacting Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue states (Outbreak News Today)

Experts say perfectionists, chronic overthinkers, highly sensitive people, control-oriented individuals, those who constantly blame themselves, people who rely heavily on others, and those with childhood family trauma may be more vulnerable to anxiety disorder. These traits can keep the brain in a prolonged state of stress, leading to excessive worry, sleep problems, physical symptoms, and avoidance behaviors. Persistent symptoms that disrupt daily life should be evaluated by a mental health professional (VnExpress)

Typhoon Bavi makes landfall in Zhejiang province [China], flooding towns and farmland. Authorities evacuate more than 2.8 million people, with 2.2 million from Zhejiang. The province’s Hangzhou airport cancels 327 flights, and neighboring Shanghai cancels 684. China allocates US$5.88 million in relief for Zhejiang and Fujian provinces (Reuters, Xinhua)

Flash floods devastate southeast Missouri [US], killing one person and prompting over 350 rescues after nearly 305 millimeters of rain falls in 12 hours. Emergency teams save campers at a summer camp and residents as rivers overflow and roads close (St. Louis Public Radio)

South Korea triggers the top tier of its newly revised heatwave warning system for the first time on July 12, covering the cities of Gyeongsan and Pohang. Temperatures in Gyeongsan reached 39.9°C the previous day. Officials urge people to stop outdoor work, warning the heat endangers even healthy adults (Korea Herald)

Âu Lạc (Vietnam)’s Đắk Lắk province approves support of up to 200 million đồng (about US$7,600) for fishing boat owners who decommission vessels they no longer plan to use for fishing in the area. The policy, effective July 13, 2026, through the end of 2030, also provides livelihood assistance and vocational training support to help boat owners and crew shift to more sustainable jobs (VOV)

Veggie Fest Chicago 2026 returns to Lisle, Illinois, on August 8–9, offering free admission to an expected 40,000-plus visitors. The event celebrates vegetarian and vegan food and offers wellness education and information on sustainable living (Travel and Tour World)

Indonesia’s vibrant cuisine easily transforms into flavorful vegan dishes, using simple swaps like tempeh, jackfruit, and shiitake mushrooms to recreate authentic, bold spices without using animal-people meat (VegNews)

UK retailer Marks & Spencer expands its Plant Kitchen range with a soya-based Vegan No Chicken Kiev, targeting flexitarian and vegan shoppers with a vegan version of the classic meal (Ad Hoc News)

Firefighters rescue a man trapped for 45 minutes inside an underground trash container in Arganda del Rey [Spain], after he climbs in to retrieve keys but cannot climb back out. A neighbor hears his cries and calls emergency services (EuroWeekly News)

The US Alaska National Guard rescues four people during four wilderness missions on July 2 and 3. Crews evacuate two critically ill patients from remote locations, rescue two stranded hikers, and use helicopters and aircraft in nearly 21 hours of flight operations (US Department of War)

Animal-people rescuer Daryl Strawberry saves a duck-person named Pepper, who was abandoned at a park, malnourished, and unable to fly. Daryl endures a fall into water trying to catch Pepper and encounters a flash flood during his rescue operation. Pepper is recovering well (The Cool Down)

Enlightening quote of the day: “All concepts, and all affairs of past, present, and future, should be seen as dust on a mirror – when the dust is gone, true nature naturally becomes clearly visible.” – The Venerated Enlightened Master His Holiness Daman Hongren (vegetarian) (Terebess.hu)

Previously in Parts 1 and 2 of this multipart series on John Paul Martinez’s near-death experience, childhood pain and a longing for belonging drew John into gang life. After being shot in the head, he says he entered “the outer darkness.” He later returned to the streets, was arrested again, and—after an unexpected release— was given the number for a Christian men’s home. Now, riding on the freeway with his mother, John suddenly hears a Voice.

And all of a sudden, I heard this Voice. I’d never heard GOD’s Voice before. But this Voice said, “For the wages of sin is death.” It was pretty much like a whisper to me, but the things that were said were so powerful that they shook me. Then, all of a sudden, this fear came over me. That same fear came over me again. And I remember just weeping and crying in the car. And I don’t cry. I don’t weep or anything like that. I remember my mother driving. And she looked at me, and she said, “What’s wrong?” And I told her, I go, “I just can’t do it anymore. If I go back, I’m going to die.”

John called the men’s home from a payphone. They had no room, but told him they would make room. When he arrived, he was surprised and intrigued to find tattooed, bald-headed men at a Christian men’s home. One of them embraced him and welcomed him inside. A few weeks later, John entered the sanctuary and began praying for the first time in his life.

I started praying, and started praying and it seemed like something came down from above and just touched me, touched my heart, and touched my mind. And I just remember weeping and crying, man. You’ve got to understand, there were, like, 42 other men, all coming from gang backgrounds. And I’m crying. I’m weeping. I kept on praying and kept on praying, and I remember getting up and turning around, and nobody was there. I walk out of the sanctuary, and everybody’s standing there. I asked them. I said, “How long was I in there for?” They told me that I [had been] praying for about six or seven hours. I had a moment with GOD. I had a moment with GOD where I just felt like HE wrapped HIMSELF around me and that HE loved me and that HE told me that I was forgiven and that all my sin was washed away.

And about a month or so later, I had another encounter like that, where I was at the same place, crying and weeping and asking GOD what is it that HE wanted me to do with my life now that I was here serving HIM? I remember HE spoke to me through the Bible, Isaiah 61, I believe, where HE said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and HE has anointed me to preach the gospel.” And I started going through all these different emotions again. I started feeling like I was inadequate. I wasn’t schooled. I wasn’t studied. I started saying, “GOD, how can YOU choose me? YOU know my background. YOU know where I came from. YOU know all the things that I did. YOU know the stuff I did in prison.” And I heard HIS Voice say, “But still, I called you.”

John says he has now served the Lord for 20 years, led over 17,000 people to the Lord, seen gang members give their lives to the Lord, and witnessed people healed of cancer and sickness. He reflects on what the journey of forgiveness and freedom has meant to him.

I think forgiving yourself is a decision that the individual has to make. I’m just saying, for my life, I know what I’ve done, and I know how many people I hurt. So, I had to ask GOD for healing because the wounds were deep. The wounds were deep within my heart about all the horrible things I did. But I knew the decision was for me, saying, “GOD, I need to be healed from unforgiveness, and I need to forgive others as well.” And GOD did that process within me and made me free.

From my experiences, this is how people usually get brought to me, is because they also see me, and they know that I’ve been through it. They see the tattoos. They see the scars. So, it helps them because they know that I’ve been through it. And if GOD can pull me out, they know that they can be pulled out as well.

What I see right now is I see a world that’s broken. I see a world that’s hurt, and I believe that everybody is searching for something. The reason why I say that is because I was part of the world. But I believe the [only] way that the world can be reconciled or be healed from those things is to seek GOD. Seek GOD for direction. Seek GOD for wisdom. Seek GOD for daily counsel. I believe HE’ll help, and I believe HE’ll answer. (Anthony Chene production)