DAILY NEWS Stream – September 19, 2026

The Saudi-led coalition said Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca [Saudi Arabia] on September 15 before it entered prohibited airspace over Islam’s holiest city. Security alerts were issued in Mecca and other Saudi cities (Al Jazeera)

The US House of Representatives voted on September 15 to block continued military action against Iran without congressional approval, its third such vote, with seven Republicans joining all Democrats. The measure would still need Senate approval and US President Donald Trump’s signature to become law, and President Trump would almost certainly veto it. The US Congressional Budget Office estimates the war had cost more than US $38 billion by August 1, 2026, with ongoing costs of US$2–3 billion a month (AP)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for the creation of a new European Security Council, bringing together EU [European Union] leaders and partners such as the UK, Ukraine (Ureign), Norway and Canada to coordinate responses to security threats. The proposal comes amid escalating Russian attacks and doubts over US security commitments, but its membership, powers and approval process have yet to be detailed. She also proposed stronger EU coordination against cyberattacks and sabotage and joint investment in military capabilities, while remaining aligned with NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] (Politico)

Âu Lạc (Vietnam)’s General Secretary and President Tô Lâm met His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand on September 15. This was the first visit to Âu Lạc (Vietnam) by a Thai monarch since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1976. They agreed to strengthen trade, investment, education, cultural exchanges, tourism and transportation links, building on the two nations’ upgraded diplomatic partnership announced in 2025 (VnExpress)

Senior military commanders from the US, Israel and seven Arab countries met privately in Germany to discuss the Iran war and regional security, US news outlet Axios reported, citing two Israeli officials. US Central Command confirmed the gathering, which reportedly included assurances that American forces would remain in the region and discussions on expanding shipping through the Strait of Hormuz (Axios)

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had held “very good” private talks with Chinese officials about cutting economic ties with Iran as part of a US campaign to isolate Iran financially. Mr. Bessent also said the United Arab Emirates had stopped financial transactions and trade with Iran (Fox News)

An attack on the Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia off Oman’s Musandam coast caused an engine-room fire, prompting the Omani navy to evacuate 23 crew members, while two remained missing, Oman’s Maritime Security Center said. The tanker was being towed to an Omani port. US Central Command accused Iran of striking the vessel with a drone after an earlier attack had disabled it, disputing Iran’s claim that the tanker had hit a mine (Fox News)

US diesel prices rose to an all-time high of US$6.27 per gallon on Tuesday, up from US$3.69 a year earlier, as the war with Iran tightened global fuel supplies, US business newspaper The Wall Street Journal reported. California’s average reached US$8.21 per gallon (Fox News, The Wall Street Journal)

Human rights organization Amnesty International says Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, rape and enforced disappearance, during the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” protest crackdown. The protests began after Mahsa Amini died in police custody following her arrest for allegedly violating compulsory hijab [head covering] rules, and grew into broader demands for women’s rights and political freedom. Amnesty International identified 377 protesters and bystanders who died, including 56 children, and named 87 officials it considered responsible. It urged the United Nations to establish a mechanism to prosecute those most implicated, warning that the January 2026 crackdown followed the same pattern on an even deadlier scale (Amnesty International, France 24)

Kosovo’s parliament approved a new government led by Albin Kurti on September 13, ending three months of deadlock over forming a government (Al Jazeera)

Cambodia and Thailand presented their claims over a disputed 27,000-square-kilometer area in the Gulf of Thailand to a five-member international conciliation panel in Singapore. Cambodia initiated the United Nations-backed process after Thailand withdrew from a 2001 joint-development framework; the area may hold oil and gas worth an estimated US$300 billion (Channel News Asia)

Lamb’s quarters, often removed as a common garden weed, is an edible plant whose tender leaves can be cooked like spinach. The leaves provide protein, iron, calcium, riboflavin, and vitamins A and C, while the plant’s small black seeds can be dried, ground into flour, or cooked like a grain. Closely related to quinoa, lamb’s quarters grows readily in disturbed soil and produces abundant seeds, allowing new plants to sprout year after year (EverFood YouTube channel)

Daily nut consumption of 30 to 35 grams may reduce high blood pressure risk by up to 25%, according to a systematic meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Researchers reviewed dietary interventions for cardiovascular health and also found that eating about 28 grams of nuts daily was associated with a 20% lower hypertension risk (Plant Based News)

Taking the stairs often instead of an elevator may lower the risk of cardiovascular death by 39%, a study suggests. Researchers analyzed nine studies involving nearly 500,000 people and found frequent stair climbing was associated with 24% lower all-cause mortality. They said even brief activity can benefit heart health, although stair climbing may not suit everyone (New York Post)

A new study links higher blood levels of the popular brain supplement tyrosine, an amino acid, with shorter lifespan in men. Researchers analyzed health and genetic data from more than 270,000 UK Biobank participants, finding elevated tyrosine levels were associated with nearly one-year lower life expectancy. The association was not observed in women, and researchers stressed it does not prove causation (New York Post)

The Panama Canal plans to cut traffic to an average 29.5 vessels a day from October, down 18% from August, as El Niño-driven drought lowers Gatun Lake. The waterway carries about 5% of global maritime trade (The Guardian)

A wildfire forces nearly 700 people to evacuate by sea from the Milna area on Croatia’s Brač Island overnight on September 12–13. Coast guard, rescue, tourist and private boats join the operation. No deaths are reported; one elderly woman is hospitalized in critical condition after falling off of a vessel during the evacuation (Daily Mail)

Wind-driven wildfires scorch hillsides around Positano, Amalfi, Agerola and Vico Equense on Italy’s Amalfi Coast and Sorrento Peninsula on September 14–15. Firefighters and three Canadair water bombers battle the flames. No injuries are reported. Some Agerola residents evacuate as flames near homes (Reuters)

More than 330,000 olive ridley sea turtle-individuals arrived at La Escobilla beach sanctuary in Oaxaca, southern Mexico, to lay their eggs in a mass nesting event known as an “arribada,” Spanish for “arrival.” Officials said the gathering occurred in less than 48 hours and was the sixth of the season, which began in March (The Guardian)

UK retail giant Frasers Group bans wild animal-person exotic skins across its brands, joining luxury fashion leaders to accelerate the global industry shift toward sustainable, vegan leather alternatives (PETA UK)

UK vegan meat brand THIS adopts the Vegetarian Society Approved Vegan Certification across its product range, beginning with mushroom bites, mushroom tofu and fillet steak. The independent certification mark provides consumers with a quick visual assurance that products meet vegan standards while improving transparency and making vegan shopping easier (Grocery Trader)

Digital creator Alexis Nikole Nelson (vegan) of Columbus [Ohio, US] will debut her vegan cookbook, “Happy Snacking, Don’t Die,” on September 22, pairing a sustainable foraging guide with vegan recipes alongside a national speaking tour (Cleveland.com)

Israeli veterinarian Dr. Galia Melman-Shalev receives the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s 2026 Companion Animal Welfare Award after rescuing and treating hundreds of dog-, cat- and horse-people near the Gaza border following the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Working with her husband and volunteers, she also reunited animal-folk with evacuated families (Ynet Global)

Duane Hook of Ohio [US] specializes in rescuing cat-people stranded in trees, using his climbing skills to safely retrieve them. During one rescue, he reached Pepper, a frightened black cat-person, fed and comforted him, then carried him safely down. A Marion [Ohio] rescue organization later took Pepper in (KSL)

Texas [US] firefighters rescue two puppies trapped beneath a sidewalk near an elementary school in Harris County. Little York Fire Department and animal-welfare officers spend two hours digging in extreme heat, saving eight-week-old Sparky and Flame. A third puppy that was also trapped in the deep void unfortunately did not make it and passed on (The Animal Rescue Site)

Insightful quote of the day: “Real art is religion, a search for the beauty of GOD deep in all things.” – Emily Carr Cherished Canadian Artist (LibQuotes)

In this two-part series on Carolina Fahlbusch’s near-death experience, Colombian-born intuitive transformational guide and researcher Carolina shares how she experienced leaving her body during a childhood motorcycle crash, felt completely at peace, and returned with what she describes as a lasting “attunement.”

Long before she had the words to describe it, Carolina experienced something as a child that would change her outlook on life. She was riding as a passenger on a motorcycle driven by a teenage boy. And we were driving on this motorcycle, and a stone presented itself, and he lost control over the bike. It landed on my body, but I was out of the body before that happened.

For a long time, Carolina didn’t know how to classify what had happened to her. She later learned about the work of Dr. Raymond Moody, a researcher who coined the term “near-death experience.” His work described recurring features in people’s accounts, including profound peace and the sensation of being outside the body. Carolina says learning about these features helped her recognize her own experience as a near-death experience.

So, I was a child. It was a childhood near-death experience. And for a long period of time, I didn’t actually know how to term it until I found out about the science that Dr. Moody talks about. So that’s how I came to find out, “Oh my gosh, that was not an out-of-body experience. It was really a near-death experience.” I only remember that we started going up, and that’s it. From that moment on, the next thing that I remember was already hovering above and watching him trying [to] wake me up, very concerned, “Wake up! Wake up!” And trying to see if I was still breathing and all of that stuff. And so, that was that experience. It was completely peaceful. I could see there was concern and a lot of agitation there. And I was totally fine with it. It was perfect. Everything was OK. Everything was all right. [My] emotions were OK.

And so, the next thing that I remember then is also coming back into the body, opening my eyes, looking at the face of his, and he was bleeding. And I was like, “Oh my gosh, are you OK? You’re bleeding.” So, that was also kind of funny there. It’s like, “Yeah, I almost died, but I’m concerned about his face, bleeding.” But, I mean, the most important parts of it are the ones that you cannot describe or say with words so easily. I could also see other things. I could see that there were people watching us, because we were in the middle of the street, and there were houses. And I saw that some people came out to look, but nobody came also to help. And I also registered that, because everybody was very concerned but didn’t act. So, I also noticed that. So, it was also this kind of looking deeper into people’s feelings and world, a little bit.

Carolina says she felt no pain during the crash and felt completely OK when she returned to her body. I popped out of the body before I could feel any pain whatsoever. And when I came back, I was completely OK. Nothing was [wrong] with me [physically], really. That was also very magical, kind of. It was just an attunement. That’s how I like to view it.

In Part 2, Carolina reflects on an unexplained gap in her memory and the sense of expansiveness she experienced outside her body. And then also, the other thing is that I popped out of my body before the bike landed on me, and the next thing that I remember, he was taking it off of my body. So there is this linear time gap. Join us tomorrow for Part 2 of this two-part series on Carolina Fahlbusch’s near-death experience. (Life Death & Beyond YouTube channel)