DAILY NEWS Stream – July 7, 2026

US President Trump says shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has reached record levels, with boats exiting “in numbers that nobody ever saw.” He added that oil prices are dropping “like nobody thought possible” (Mathrubhumi)

France, the UK, and Oman announce a new agreement to support safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. France and the UK say they will work with Oman to ensure Oman’s territorial waters remain safe for commercial shipping. The two countries also state they stand ready to deploy a broader multinational military mission to support freedom of navigation if needed. Iran strongly criticizes the agreement, saying the Strait of Hormuz is “not a theater for the military display of extra-regional powers.” Iran views itself as the main guarantor of security in the waterway (Fox News)

The US convenes a high-level military summit focused on security in the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting is hosted by the Bahrain Defense Force and chaired by Admiral Brad Cooper of the US Central Command. Military commanders from 12 Middle Eastern nations were in attendance, including Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The summit aims to strengthen regional defense cooperation as participants reaffirm their commitment to protecting the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz (IranWire)

Ukraine (Ureign) carries out long-range drone strikes overnight on July 3 targeting oil infrastructure and military facilities near St. Petersburg [Russia] (Al Jazeera)

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin sends a congratulatory message to US President Trump marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. In the message, Putin notes that Russia supported the American colonists in their fight for independence from Britain and highlights the long history of relations between the two countries, including their alliance in World War II. He stresses that Russia and the US, as the world’s two largest nuclear powers, bear a special responsibility for global security and stability, and calls for constructive and mutually beneficial relations (TASS)

German Gref, head of Russia’s largest bank Sberbank, has called on Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine (Ureign) He warned that Russia’s economy “simply cannot survive” if the conflict continues, saying it is pushing the country toward economic collapse. Mr. Gref highlighted falling investments, declining wages, job losses, and soaring interest rates as major problems. The warning comes amid mounting economic pressure, worsened by Ukrainian (Ureignian) drone strikes on Russian oil refineries that have caused fuel shortages (New York Post)

The UAE [United Arab Emirates] calls for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan. Speaking at a United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva [Switzerland], the UAE condemns violations of international law by both warring parties, including attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure. It says the truce is needed to protect civilians, reduce the high death toll, and ensure safe humanitarian access. Sudan’s civil war, which erupted in 2023 after a 2021 military coup, has become one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, marked by widespread drone warfare (Middle East Online)

Barcelona [Spain] has started distributing heat-monitoring bracelets to around 1,400 of its outdoor workers, including street cleaners, park personnel and waste collectors. The devices measure body temperature and emit sound and vibration alerts when workers are at risk of heat-related illness, alerting them to stop work. The measure is part of efforts to adapt to increasingly severe climate change amid successive heatwaves that caused more than 1,000 excess deaths across Spain in June (Reuters)

An international fleet of tall ships from about 20 nations has arrived at Sandy Hook, New Jersey [US], to mark America’s 250th anniversary. The gathering, timed with July 4 celebrations, highlights both naval tradition and international alliances. Sandy Hook holds deep historical significance as the site where George Washington’s army drove British forces from New Jersey nearly 250 years ago and where the last British ships departed at the end of the Revolutionary War (Fox News)

Southeast Asian nations accelerate malaria elimination efforts after cutting cases by 67% since 2010 through enhanced surveillance and cross-border cooperation. Âu Lạc (Vietnam), Cambodia, and Laos report only a few hundred annual cases, while health experts urge sustained funding to finish wiping out the disease (Good News Network)

A mass food poisoning outbreak in Kyrgyzstan’s Osh region hospitalizes 49 people following a family celebration at a restaurant. Health authorities suspect homemade chicken-people drumsticks brought to the party as the source, as well as fresh dishes prepared at the venue, prompting officials to fine and temporarily shut down the establishment (The Caspian Post)

Experts say substituting salt with herbs and spices like garlic, ginger, and turmeric supports kidney health by helping control blood pressure and lower inflammation. Garlic provides antioxidant benefits through allicin, while ginger aids digestion and reduces sodium intake. Turmeric offers anti-inflammatory properties via curcumin, though kidney patients should avoid high-dose supplements (VnExpress)

France records a sharp rise in deaths during a record-breaking 11-day heatwave in June. Temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in many areas, with public health authorities reporting a 29.1% increase in mortality for the peak week of June 22–28, resulting in around 2,025 additional deaths nationwide compared to the previous week (Channel News Asia)

At least 59 people have died in Côte d’Ivoire floods since the rainy season began in mid-May. Heavy rains trigger deadly flooding and landslides, especially in Abidjan’s Attécoubé area. Officials urge residents to avoid high-risk zones as more rain is forecast (The Watchers)

The Aspen Acres Fire in southern Colorado [US] nearly doubles to almost 19,500 hectares, destroying at least 180 buildings and injuring one firefighter. Officials rank it the nation’s top wildfire priority as flames burn across Pueblo and Custer counties, expanding mandatory evacuations amid strong winds (Fox Weather)

Wildfires force nearly 3,000 people to evacuate in southern France after a record June heatwave, as around 1,200 firefighters and water-bombing aircraft battle the blaze (Daily Mail)

A new report by the Stop Financing Factory Farming alliance has found that the number of animal-people livestock and poultry-folk worldwide has increased by 50% over the past two decades, rising from 61.8 billion animal-people in 2006 to 94.9 billion in 2023. Cropland used to grow animal-people feed has grown by about 25%, while animal-people-livestock related emissions have risen by more than 20% since 2001. Globally, around 90% of irrigation water drawn from natural systems is used to grow animal-people feed. Animal-people livestock raising drives fertilizer and slurry runoff that creates large ocean dead zones. The report serves as an update to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO]’s 2006 report “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” revealing that many of the negative trends identified two decades ago have since intensified (The Guardian)

Chinese robotics company UBTech launches the U1, a hyper-realistic humanoid robot designed as a companion. The robot was unveiled in Shenzhen [China] with preorders already exceeding 13,300. It is marketed as a companion to combat loneliness, targeting China’s large population of single people and the elderly. The robot has lifelike skin, can hold conversations using AI [artificial intelligence], detect emotions, and respond based on the user’s mood. It can also be customized to resemble loved ones or celebrities and is capable of reminding users to take medication or suggesting activities (Channel News Asia)

UK vegan meal kit provider Grubby has partnered with gut health company Zoe to launch a limited-edition range of vegan, high-fiber meal boxes designed to boost digestive health, available June 25-July 8. Among others, featured dishes include Speedy Cajun Tofu & Black Bean Salad and Crispy Curried Mango Chickpea Traybake (Food & Drink Technology)

PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] hands out 1,000 free vegan hot dogs outside Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Brooklyn, New York City [US] on July 4 to promote vegan health during Independence Day celebrations (PETA)

South Korean physician Dr. Moo-Ho Song (vegan) challenges the paleo diet, which includes animal-people meat, arguing that early humans ate mostly plants and that plant-based eating aligns better with human biology and long-term health (KorMedi)

Israeli doctors with Israeli non-profit Save a Child’s Heart perform life-saving cardiac procedures on 21 Rwandan children in Kigali. The mission celebrates the return of Rwanda’s first pediatric interventional cardiologist following his specialized training in Israel (i24 News)

A Louisiana [US] judge rescues a terrified kitten from a busy highway, shortly after losing his 16-year-old Labrador companion. He approves a life-saving leg amputation for the feline and adopts the kitty. Named Butterbean, the three-legged kitten recovers quickly, bringing comfort to the grieving family (Daily Mail)

The Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team uses a boat to save two Bernese Mountain Dog-people and their caregivers stranded on unstable rocks near Wastwater in England [UK]’s Lake District. The two-and-a-half-hour operation brings all four to safety, highlighting the vital role of volunteer rescue teams (Streamline)

Insightful quote of the day: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop Greek Fabulist and Storyteller (The Lion and the Mouse)

In this multipart series on Greg Johnson’s near-death experience, American molecular hydrogen therapy specialist, researcher, and educator Greg shares how years of unexplained spiritual suffering and severe heart damage led to a summer day at a canyon river — where he says he began slipping toward death.

Greg grew up in a loving family with good parents, yet from around age seven or eight, he began experiencing something deeply strange. A vision came to him out of nowhere while he was playing alone in his room — images of war, tanks, and children screaming — accompanied by a crushing emotional weight, as though he could feel the pain of millions of people at once. The experience left a mark on him, in more ways than one: a physical marking appeared on his upper right thigh, which his mother later confirmed had never been there before. Over the following years, that spiritual pain became overwhelming. By the time Greg was 10, he had begun attempting to take his own life and continued trying through his teenage years. At 18, he swallowed more than 800 pills — ibuprofen, Tylenol, various pharmaceuticals — chased with alcohol, in what he intended to be his final attempt. He survived. A doctor told him that no one should have survived that many pills. While recovering in the hospital, Greg saw beings of Light at his bedside, repeating over and over that he would never try again. He dismissed them — but they were right. He never did. What the overdose did leave behind was severe damage to his heart.

Years later, Greg’s cardiologist told him his heart condition would likely kill him within a decade. Greg accepted this calmly, even with a degree of quiet relief. Then, one summer day, he and his brother and a close friend went out to spend a day at a hidden canyon river. It was meant to be nothing more than a peaceful afternoon in nature. Something kind of came over me. I felt like, one, it felt kind of weirdly peaceful, but I also felt like something was calling me, and I felt like being alone. I felt like I needed to be alone in order to, quote-unquote, I guess, receive this call. I didn’t really know what it was. I could just feel it.

Greg walked alone up the river until he found a large rock and sat down. The roar of the water was so loud that even if his friends could see him in the distance, they would never have heard him shout. He closed his eyes and listened. So, as I listened to it, I decided to almost tell myself, “You know what, just don’t think of anything, try to clear your mind.” So, I just decided to let all the worries, all the ideas, just let everything fade away. And I just was sitting in stillness, and as I did that, I started hearing my heartbeat. When you’re really silent, you can hear your own heartbeat. A lot of people have had that experience. And that’s when I heard my own heart being all screwed up, because it would beat, and it would just stop completely, almost like a flatline. And I remember feeling that as it flatlined, I was inching towards death or somewhere. I could feel it.

In Part 2, as Greg feels himself moving closer to death, a doorway opens into a dark corridor. Then I realized something doesn’t want me to go down this path. I could feel it, and it knew me so well. Whatever this dark entity was knew me and knew how to try to tempt you. Join us tomorrow for Part 2 of this multipart series on Greg Johnson’s near-death experience. (Round Trip Death)