DAILY NEWS Stream – October 21, 2026

In a report published October 17, US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said about 97% of ships seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz had passed without being hit by Iranian projectiles, maintaining that the waterway remained open despite attacks. The command said about 400 merchant ships had crossed in the preceding seven days, while US forces helped Gulf partners ship more than 100 million barrels of crude oil. Captain Hawkins said US forces were also maintaining a blockade on Iranian trade, with exceptions for authorized humanitarian shipments (Fox News)

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi said on October 17 that Egypt would take “any measure” to defend Saudi Arabia against attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis if the kingdom requested assistance (Fox News)

Pakistan and Oman exchanged six cooperation documents during their eighth Joint Ministerial Commission session, covering visa exemptions for diplomatic and official passport holders, archives, broadcasting, information technology, telecommunications and media cooperation. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi in Pakistan, with both sides welcoming stronger bilateral ties and emphasizing dialogue and diplomacy to address regional tensions (Geo News)

About 550,000 people reportedly protested across France on October 17 over rising living costs, education funding and proposed cuts to pensions and public services. Most demonstrations were peaceful, but some groups set fires, looted stores and attacked public buildings, with more than 2,400 people arrested nationwide. In central France, Limoges’ historic town hall was severely damaged by a deliberately set fire, with much of its roof collapsing, local authorities said (New York Post, Fox News, DW)

A barn owl-person unable to fly after the feathers on both wings were cut off was rescued in HCM CT [Âu Lạc (Vietnam)] on October 13. Rescuers sought veterinary treatment for hypothermia and injuries near the wing bones. City forest protection officials have contacted the rescue center to arrange further care and eventual release into the wild (Dân trí)

Cambodia has arrested and dismissed 77 police officers over their alleged involvement in online scams, Cambodian Interior Ministry spokesperson Ren Ratana said (Soha)

Sri Lanka suffered a nationwide blackout on October 17 after its national electricity grid shut down, possibly because solar power generation exceeded electricity demand, officials said. The national system operator announced that the power transmission system had been fully restored later that day (Channel News Asia, Daily Mirror)

Unpredictable weather can irritate the nose and throat. VnExpress outlines protective steps: avoid sudden temperature changes; stay hydrated and use saline nasal drops or sprays as directed; reduce exposure to dust and respiratory viruses; and maintain healthy sleep and balanced meals (VnExpress)

Health officials in Belmont County, Ohio [US], are raising awareness as Lyme disease cases continue to rise. The county recorded 189 cases as of October 1, among Ohio’s highest totals. Spread by infected blacklegged ticks, the disease can cause fever, fatigue, headaches, joint pain and sometimes an expanding rash. Officials urge using repellent, wearing protective clothing, checking for ticks and seeking medical care for symptoms (The Times Leader)

In an interview at a lung health conference in Nairobi [Kenya] on October 10–11, the WHO [World Health Organization] Director-General’s Special Envoy for Chronic Respiratory Diseases José Luis Castro urged African governments to raise awareness of chronic respiratory diseases, improve early diagnosis and adopt policies for cleaner air, smoke-free environments and appropriate medical care (New Vision)

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes near Khuzdar, Balochistan province [Pakistan], on October 17, at a depth of 10 kilometers. The United States Geological Survey confirms the tremor; one man died from rockfall and several houses were damaged (UOL News, Dawn)

Wildfires ravage Southern California [US], forcing thousands to evacuate. The Norte Fire burns nearly 2 square kilometers, damaging or destroying six homes. Other blazes threaten communities as strong winds, extreme heat and precautionary power cuts disrupt services (ABC News Australia)

Iguazú Falls on the Argentina–Brazil border reaches a record flow of 15 million liters per second, 10 times normal, after heavy rains linked to the El Niño weather pattern. Argentine authorities temporarily close visitor areas for safety (The Guardian)

American Prairie, a nonprofit working to restore and protect native grasslands in Montana [US], now has a conservation herd of 1,016 bison-people, surpassing 1,000 for the first time in its more than 20-year history. The organization manages over 603,000 acres [244,031 hectares] toward its goal of protecting 3.2 million acres [1.295 million hectares] of prairie habitat (Good News Network)

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest fell about 42% to 3,335 square kilometers between August 2025 and July 2026, the lowest 12-month total since records began in 1988. Forest loss in Brazil’s Cerrado savanna also declined about 24% to 5,517 square kilometers, its lowest level since monitoring began in 2001. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has pledged to end deforestation by 2030 (Reuters)

Residents near fracking operations in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta region report cancers, miscarriages, birth defects and other illnesses they suspect are linked to pollution from fracking, though local research is insufficient to establish the cause. Doctors and Indigenous communities are calling for health monitoring and greater transparency as oil and gas extraction expands (The Guardian)

The UK government has committed more than £60 million to a mission designed to remove two defunct satellites from orbit by 2032, helping protect active satellites that support navigation, weather forecasts and communications. Scheduled to launch from Scotland in 2029, a new debris-removal spacecraft will use robotic claws to capture the two satellites and lower them into Earth’s atmosphere to burn up. The mission aims to become the first to remove multiple satellites using a single spacecraft (Gov.uk)

Penn State University hosts “Plant Powered PSU,” a free plant-based food event at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in State College, Pennsylvania [US], on October 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. Visitors will enjoy tastings, student exhibits, interactive activities, recipes and prize drawings highlighting sustainable eating (PSU.edu)

British brand Vivienne Westwood showcases FEVVERS, a bird-free feather alternative, in three looks from its Spring/Summer 2027 collection at Paris Fashion Week in France. The company’s Creative Director Andreas Kronthaler highlights cruelty-free innovation in fashion (PETA UK)

Soy curls offer a versatile, protein-rich alternative to animal-people meat. Made from whole soybeans, these shelf-stable strips develop a chewy, chicken-like texture when rehydrated. They provide protein, fiber, healthy fats, and isoflavones, with no added preservatives (VegNews)

Beachgoers rescue an 80-year-young woman from drowning at Arenal-Bol beach in Calpe [Spain] on October 14. Gabriel, 73, swam 20 meters offshore to help, while a British tourist, Brian, assisted and a Spanish couple called emergency services (EuroWeekly News)

Colombia’s Constitutional Court unanimously banned slaughter of animal-people not for human consumption solely due to extreme old age, striking down a 1989 legal provision. The ruling, reported on October 16, emphasizes animal-citizen sentience and strengthens duties of care and protection (Noticias Ambientales)

Jude, a nine-year-old lurcher dog-person in England [UK], has waited 428 days, as of October 18, for adoption after an RSPCA [Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] rescue. The 2026 Adoptober campaign seeks his permanent home (BBC/ The Cool Down)

Insightful quote of the day: “If we are to leave a beautiful world for you and your grandchildren, we have to take seriously the fact that creation does not belong to us; we are part of creation. We cannot do what we like with Earth, water, and other human beings. GOD expects us to keep the Earth in good condition.” – Mercy Amba Oduyoye Ghanaian Methodist Theologian (Earth Hope)

In Part 1 of this three-part series on Kim Keel’s near-death experience, Kim recounts the troubled life that led to her overdose and the unfamiliar desert where she found herself afterward. Kim described herself as wild and violent for most of her life. She spent her juvenile years locked up, ran with a pagan motorcycle gang, and became deeply involved in drugs, alcohol, and witchcraft. She recalled a Ouija board predicting that she would take her own life. She also described demonic torment that left her unable to enter her bedroom. As a child, she saw three long, skinny figures in her bedroom doorway. At nine, something tried to drag her off her bed until the door burst open and a sparkling haze, which she recognized as GOD’s glory, filled the room.

In her 30s, Kim was drunk from morning to night, popping pills, and violent toward her children. Overwhelmed by regret over cruel things she had said to her son and other past actions, she decided to end her life. Believing she was going to hell anyway, she took a large amount of medication and lay down in bed, expecting to be in hell in about 10 minutes. I knew I was going to be in hell. And that’s the last thing I remember. Next thing I know, I’m pushing something out of the way, and I’m stepping over something, and I’m in the desert, and I’m like, “Well, what the heck is this place? Well, I never believed in any purgatory, and this isn’t Heaven, and I’m not in hell.” And there’s an empty barn right there in front of me with this white picket fence. And I’m looking around. The light is different. There’s no Sun, but it’s lit up. The ground beneath Kim looked like sawdust. To her right stood her mother, who was still alive on Earth. Bewildered to see her there, Kim approached her without speaking a word.

She said, “Look, go to Jesus, Kim. Go to Jesus.” And she pointed me to Jesus, and I’m like, “Oh, I don’t want to see Him, man. I know what I had done to get here.” So we walked up to the barn, and there’s this kid sitting on the right side of the barn. This little 12-year-old-looking little kid, dark brown, curly hair, and He’s sitting there on— I don’t know what He’s sitting on, a rock or stump or something— but He’s sitting there with His back against the barn, and He’s got the Bible in His hand, and He’s teaching these older men. […] And I’m just standing there like, “What in the world? That’s Jesus. Why does He look like a kid?”

Leaving the group behind, Kim walked along the white picket fence that separated her from the barn. At its end, she prepared to take another step. And I heard, “One more step,” behind me, “you’ll be in outer darkness, and you’re not coming back.” And I put my foot down. Outer darkness? That sounds like hell. So I stopped, and I turned around.

In Part 2, Kim finds herself face to face with Lord Jesus Christ (vegetarian) As she stands before Him, she fears she will be sent to hell. And all of a sudden, He just nods His head down, and He smiled. This is where I tripped. He smiled at me. Join us tomorrow for Part 2 of this three-part series on Kim Keel’s near-death experience. (Touching The Afterlife YouTube channel - Thank you)