Neural Newscast

This is NNC, Neural Newscast, online at nnewscast.com.

Live from the Neural Newscast Global Information Center, I'm Andrew Lindbeck.

Today is August 17, 2025.

On this day in 1945, Sukarno and Muhammad Hata proclaimed Indonesia's independence from Dutch colonial rule,

launching the Indonesian National Revolution and reshaping post-World War II decolonization in Southeast Asia.

A closer look at policy and politics.

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Israel's president visits Hostages Square, urging an urgent return of captives amid nationwide protests and a strike.

Here's Cassandra Joyce with more.

Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, urges the immediate release of hostages held in Gaza.

He visits Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Sunday as families and supporters escalate pressure with a nationwide strike.

Demonstrators block major roads and intersections demanding a deal.

Herzog calls the captives return a national priority, one perspective in a wider debate

over how to balance military objectives with negotiations.

Some Israelis push for an urgent agreement.

Others warn concessions could endanger security.

The dispute remains part of ongoing discussions over strategy, timelines, and responsibility.

This is Cassandra Joyce for Neural Newscast.

Across continents, here's what's happening.

Hurricane Aaron is expanding, raising storm surge and flooding concerns across many Caribbean islands and coastal communities.

Here's Monica Kellan with more.

Hurricane Aaron grows in size and barrels toward the Caribbean today, expanding its wind field.

Forecasters say the storm weakens slightly in intensity, but remains extremely powerful and dangerous.

Tropical storm force winds now extend hundreds of miles from the center, raising flooding and surge risks.

Officials warn of life-threatening surf, rip currents, and heavy rain through the week.

Islands from the Lourdes to Puerto Rico and Hispaniola prepare shelters and clear ports.

Airlines adjust schedules and cruise routes shift.

Do not focus on the center line.

The National Hurricane Center cautions, urging rapid preparations.

A rare cloudburst in northwest Pakistan unleashes flash floods, killing hundreds and isolating

entire valleys in Berkner.

Here's Daniel Grove with more.

A rare cloudburst triggers catastrophic flash floods in Buneer, in northwest Pakistan,

killing more than 270 people.

Torrents sweep through villages on August 17, collapsing homes, blocking roads, and cutting

power.

Rescue teams recover bodies from mud and rubble.

while hundreds remain missing.

Authorities deploy army units, helicopters, and boats to reach remote valleys.

Landslides bury vehicles and isolate entire communities.

Officials warn of more rain as the monsoon continues.

Pakistan's disaster agency urges evacuees to move to higher ground,

calling the event unprecedented for the district.

This is Daniel Grove for Neural Newscast.

Now, a look at the political landscape.

Former President Trump softens his stance on an immediate Ukraine ceasefire, saying flexibility

could speed negotiations.

Here's Nathaniel Cohen with more.

Former President Donald Trump backs away from urging an immediate Ukraine ceasefire,

shifting from earlier ally positions.

He argues flexibility could speed negotiations and reduce civilian harm.

Critics warn easing pressure may strengthen President Vladimir Putin during talks and weaken Kiev's

leverage.

Supporters say a pause could save lives and open space for diplomacy.

This is one perspective in an ongoing debate over U.S. policy,

where others favor sustained military aid and tighter sanctions to shape any settlement.

This is Nathaniel Cohen for Neural Newscast.

International developments you should know.

European leaders plan to join President Zelensky at the White House to coordinate aid, air defenses, and reconstruction plans.

Here's Sophia Reid with more.

President Donald Trump hosts Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, joined by European leaders.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer plans to attend as part of the visit.

The meeting focuses on Ukraine's war effort, security guarantees, and long-term military aid.

Leaders aim to coordinate strategy ahead of key winter fighting.

They also discuss reconstruction funding and air defense supplies.

The White House signals unity with Europe,

while Kyiv seeks firm timelines and commitments to keep weapons and cash flowing.

Intense Israeli attacks drive thousands to flee Gaza City, while protests in Israel oppose occupation expansion plans.

Here's Laura Navarro with more.

Intense Israeli airstrikes drive thousands of Palestinians to flee Gaza City.

Especially the Zayyum neighborhood, Gaza civil defense reports heavy casualties and widespread destruction calling conditions catastrophic.

Residents move south as the Israel defense forces expand operations against Hamas positions.

In Israel, crowds rally in Tel Aviv in Jerusalem against a proposed plan to expand military

control over Gaza.

Protesters demand a political solution and the return of hostages.

Regional mediators warn the fighting risk wider instability and a deeper humanitarian

crisis.

This is Laura Navarro for Neural Newscast.

A look at research and innovation.

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Scientists say Irondel, once the most distant star, may actually be a tiny cluster, reshaping early universe studies.

Here's Nathaniel Cohen with more.

Astronomers now say Irondel, once called the most distant star ever found, may be a tiny star cluster.

The James Webb Space Telescope takes sharper images and spectra that reveal multiple light sources.

Irondel's light dates to roughly 900 million years after the Big Bang.

Gravitational lensing by a foreground galaxy magnifies the object, boosting its apparent

brightness.

If it is a cluster, scientists can better study how the first generations of stars formed

and enriched the early universe.

Researchers engineer bacteria as Trojan horses to deliver cancer-killing viruses directly into tumors in lab tests.

Here's Daniel Fletcher with more.

Scientists engineer bacteria to ferry cancer-killing viruses straight into tumors, evading immune defenses.

The microbes act as Trojan horses, delivering viral payloads that spread inside cancers and rupture malignant cells.

Researchers add genetic safety switches so the virus can't replicate outside tumor tissue, limiting collateral damage.

The approach aims to combine bacteria's tumor-homing ability with oncologic viro therapies punch.

Early lab and animal tests show strong tumor targeting and controlled spread.

Human trials would be the next step if safety holds.

This is Daniel Fletcher for Neural Newscast.

Fast, reliable, and powered by the future today.

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Catch every episode at NNewscast.com.

Updates from the business world.

Sanjeev Gupta prepares a pre-pack administration plan to try to save Liberty Steel's UK speciality arm ahead of a creditor showdown.

Here's Ethan Wells with more.

Sanjeev Gupta readies a last-ditch plan to save Liberty Steel's speciality Steel UK division.

He spends the weekend assembling a pre-pack administration deal ahead of a creditor showdown on Wednesday.

government officials step up contingency planning for a potential collapse within days the ss uk arm supplies high-grade steels for aerospace energy and automotive making it strategically important a failure could threaten hundreds of skilled jobs and disrupt supply chains

gupta aims to preserve operations and sell assets quickly to keep the business trading

A promised fleet of EV plants has yet to break ground, leaving hopeful towns still waiting for promised jobs and investment.

Here's Cassandra Joyce with more.

A Florida startup promises 45,000 electric vehicle jobs across six plants in Georgia, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

18 months later, Amola Automotive USA has not broken ground on any site.

Local officials in Fort Valley, Langston, and Pine Bluff courted the company with free land and municipal financing.

No taxpayer funds appear lost, but expectations remain unmet.

CEO Rodney Henry, whose background is in TV and athletic shoes, says plans continue.

Our timetable has been modified, Henry states, citing non-disclosure agreements and unspecified delays.

Economic watchdogs warn vulnerable towns risk empty promises.

This is Cassandra Joyce for Neural Newscast.

Now let's cover the latest political moves.

Former Vice President Mike Pence backs the National Guard deployment to Washington, D.C.,

and reflects on January 6 response.

Here's Monica Kellan with more.

Former Vice President Mike Pence backs President Donald Trump's new deployment of National

Guard troops to Washington, D.C.

Pence also says he wished Trump would have done more on January 6 when rioters breached

the Capitol.

The move signals Republican support for heightened security in the nation's capital.

Pence served as Trump's vice president from 2017 to 2021 and certified the 2020 election

results under pressure.

The latest deployment aims to prevent unrest and reassure residents and federal workers.

This is Monica Kellan for Neural Newscast.

Let's turn to Breaking News.

An ex-associate of a notorious serial killer recounts involvement from decades ago in chilling new remarks.

Here's Robert Klein with more.

Elmer Wayne Henley Jr. breaks his silence about aiding serial killer Dean Coral as a teenager.

Henley says he met Coral at 15 in the early 1970s and helped lure boys in Southeast Texas.

He describes grooming, threats, and payments that kept him involved.

Coral, dubbed the Candyman, is linked to dozens of murders.

Henley later killed Coral in 1973 and helped uncover the victims, reshaping one of Texas's

darkest cases. This is Robert Klein for Neural Newscast. Stories about our planet and its future.

Indigenous crews use controlled blasts to reopen salmon streams in Alaska's Tongas,

restoring habitat and culture. Here's Samuel Green with more.

Indigenous crews blast old road culverts to revive salmon streams in Alaska's Tongass National Forest.

After a U.S. Forest Service land buyback,

Tinnolingot forestry workers remove barriers buried 10 feet deep.

They set 1,200 pounds of explosives, then clear debris to reconnect habitat.

Crew Lee Jamie Daniels, 53, calls it healing the river.

The project restores fish runs, protects cultural sites,

and improves watershed resilience in the planet's largest temperate rainforest.

England faces real water shortages despite frequent rains, prompting emergency planning and usage restrictions.

Here's Stephen Summers with more.

England risks running short of water despite its rainy reputation.

During the 2022 drought, London came perilously close to supply failure as reservoirs fell and groundwater dropped.

Water companies and the government drafted emergency bans on business use.

Hotels would drain pools, ponds could dry, and offices go uncleaned.

Officials warned that another year of low rainfall might leave taps dry, exposing climate stress, population growth, and wasteful consumption.

This is Stephen Summers for Neural Newscast.

Here's today's Sports News.

Red Sox rookie Marcelo Mayer will miss the season after wrist surgery,

ending his 2025 campaign prematurely.

Here's Thomas Golding with more.

Red Sox rookie shortstop Marcelo Mayer will miss the rest of the 2025 season after wrist surgery.

The 22-year-old departs his first MLB campaign after showing flashes of power and glove.

Boston loses a key infield prospect and a developing bat as the playoff race tightens.

His recovery timeline stretches into the offseason with spring training 2026, the next target.

The club will turn to depth to cover shortstop.

This is Thomas Golding for Neural Newscast.

Stories from the world of arts and culture.

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Terrence Stamp, famed for 1960s British cinema and later blockbuster roles, has died at age 87.

Here's Lydia Holmes with more.

Terrence Stamp, the magnetic face of 1960s British cinema, dies at 87.

The London-born actor bursts to fame with Billy Budd in 1962, earning an Oscar nomination.

He later commands cult status in The Limey and Thunders as General Zod in the Superman films.

Stamps' career spans six decades, from swinging London to blockbuster villainy.

Fans remember his signature growl, Neil before Zod.

This is Lydia Holmes for Neural Newscast.

International headlines coming up.

A dramatic rescue and recovery effort continues after Pakistan's unprecedented monsoon floods

ravaged remote districts. Here's Monica Kellan with more.

A rare cloudburst triggers catastrophic flash floods in Benar in northwest Pakistan,

killing more than 270 people. Torrents sweep through villages on August 17,

collapsing homes, blocking roads, and cutting power. Rescue teams recover bodies from mud and

rubble, while hundreds remain missing.

Authorities deploy army units, helicopters and boats to reach remote valleys,

landslides bury vehicles and isolate entire communities. Officials warn of more rain as

the monsoon continues. Pakistan's disaster agency urges evacuees to move to higher ground,

calling the event unprecedented for the district. This is Monica Kellan for Neural Newscast.

Let's continue with more of today's coverage. That wraps our roundup for today.

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