Neural Newscast

AI-powered news, human-reviewed. This is Neural Newscast.

Neural Newscast Global. I'm Andrew Lindbeck. Today is August 18, 2025.

On this day in 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified by Tennessee,

securing women's suffrage and granting American women the right to vote nationwide.

International headlines coming up.

Terencial rains and flash floods have devastated northern Pakistan, killing hundreds and sweeping

away entire villages. Here's Monica Kellan with more.

Hundreds of people die as torrential rains, flash floods and landslides sweep across

northern Pakistan. Entire villages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgut Baltistan wash away overnight,

with homes, roads and bridges destroyed. Rescue teams evacuate thousands to higher

ground as swollen rivers cut off remote valleys.

Officials report dozens still missing and warn of more rain this week.

Schools and markets close and power and water systems fail in multiple districts.

Pakistan's disaster agency urges people to move to safer areas, saying lives come first.

The government pledges emergency funds and rapid rebuilding.

A major hurricane offshore is driving dangerous waves and currents along the U.S. East Coast,

officials warn.

Here's Samuel Green with more.

A powerful Category 4 hurricane errand drives life-threatening surf and rip currents

along the U.S. East Coast.

Forecasters warn large breaking waves and strong longshore currents threaten beaches

from Florida to New England.

Coastal impacts peak through the weekend, even if the storm stays offshore.

officials urge swimmers and surfers to stay out of dangerous water and heed flags and lifeguards mariners face hazardous seas and shifting winds

beach erosion and minor coastal flooding are possible at high tide the national hurricane center calls the conditions life-threatening for any one entering the surf

President Biden and Ukraine's leader meet at the White House in a high-stakes session about

long-term aid and air defense support. Here's Daniel Grove with more.

President Joe Biden hosts Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House today

for high-stakes talks. The agenda centers on long-term U.S. military aid, air defense,

and economic support. Officials discuss new air defense interceptors,

artillery ammunition, and training commitments.

They also weigh a multi-year security framework to lock in support beyond annual budgets.

Zelensky seeks more patriot systems to counter Russian strikes on power and cities.

Biden aims to reassure NATO allies that U.S. backing endures.

The outcome could reshape Ukraine's battlefield prospects and Europe's security for years.

Thousands are fleeing Gaza City, after orders and fears of a new Israeli offensive, officials and witnesses say.

Here's Cassandra Joyce with more.

Thousands of Palestinians leave Gaza City fearing a renewed Israeli offensive and ordered evacuations.

Families stream south on foot and by cart, carrying bags and children.

Israel signals a next phase of the war against Hamas and circulates maps directing residents below Gaza City.

The Israeli military says the moves aim to protect civilians while targeting militants.

Palestinian officials warn of worsening shortages of water, fuel, and medical care.

Israeli protesters, meanwhile, rally against plans that could entrench occupation.

Regional tensions rise as aid groups call for safe corridors and a sustained ceasefire.

A BBC team witnessed masked settlers attack a Palestinian farm near Hebron while filming

harassment claims.

Here's Laura Navarro with more.

Masked men storm a Palestinian farm and the occupied West Bank during an interview,

scattering workers and smashing equipment.

The attack happens near Hebron as a BBC crew films a farmer describing repeated harassment.

Witnesses say at least five masked settlers charged the field,

hurlstones and slash irrigation lines.

Israeli police in the army later arrive. No arrests are reported at the scene.

Palestinian officials condemn rising settler violence this year.

An Israeli spokesperson says security forces will investigate and enforce the law.

Bolivia's presidential race moves to a runoff after no candidate secured an outright victory in early counts.

Here's Thomas Golding with more.

Bolivia's presidential race heads to a runoff after no candidate wins outright.

Early results show centrist Senator Rodrigo Paz leading the field,

outpacing right-wing front runners but falling short of 50%.

The runoff will decide control of a polarized nation facing inflation pressures and political

gridlock.

He has campaigns on institutional reform and economic stability.

His right-wing rivals focus on crime, mining policy, and a tougher stance on protests.

Election officials say final certified results will set the runoff date in the coming weeks.

Putin has floated a land-for-peace idea reportedly discussed with Trump, shifting pressure to

Ukraine's leadership.

Here's Nathaniel Cohen with more.

Russia's president proposes a land-for-peace deal, shifting pressure onto Ukraine's leader.

In Alaska, Vladimir Putin tells Donald Trump that Ukraine should hand over the remaining

Donbass territory to end the war.

The proposal targets areas Russia does not fully control.

It reframes talks from ceasefire terms to borders and sovereignty.

The move puts Volodymyr Zelensky on the spot to reject or negotiate. It also tests Western

unity on territorial concessions. Kiev continues to insist on full restoration of its 1991 borders.

This is Nathaniel Cohen for Neural Newscast.

Breaking news is up next.

A UK smuggling case ended with prison sentences after cannabis worth millions was found hidden inside wooden flooring shipments.

Here's Lydia Holmes with more.

Two men go to prison for smuggling 9 million pounds of cannabis into northern Ireland, hidden in wooden flooring.

Investigators identify the operation and arrest Udong Oyang and Gary Hahn after tracking consignments.

Officers intercept the shipments, uncovering tightly packed cannabis concealed within pallets of floorboards.

A court hears the pair help coordinate logistics and deliveries to mask the drug's origin.

Judges hand down custodial sentences, underscoring the scale and planning involved.

Authorities say the case disrupts a significant supply line and protects communities.

One official calls the concealment method sophisticated, but says it failed under scrutiny.

This is Lydia Holmes for Neural Newscast.

Now let's share the latest from abroad.

Myanmar plans to hold a general election despite an ongoing civil war and concerns about participation and legitimacy.

Here's Robert Klein with more.

Myanmar plans its first general election since the 2021 military coup, even as war rages.

Large swaths of the country sit under opposition control, complicating voter access and ballot security.

The junta, led by senior general Min-ang-haling, seeks to legitimize its rule through the polls.

Ethnic armed groups and the shadow national unity government reject the process and hold

territory.

Election logistics, staffing, transport and communications face severe disruption.

Millions displaced by fighting may struggle to vote.

Rights groups warn the vote risks entrenching military power without broad participation.

This is Robert Klein for Neural Newscast.

Let's check in on the economic outlook.

.

UK officials are studying replacing stamp duty with a proportional property tax in a potential

overhaul of housing levies.

Here's Ethan Wells with more.

The UK Treasury weighs replacing stamp duty with a new proportional property tax.

Officials study a levy on homes sold for more than £500,000 alongside a broader overhaul

of council tax.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares the ground for tax changes in this autumn's budget.

ministers ask for modeling on who pays more or less and how revenue shifts across regions the plan aims to reduce distortions from one-off stamp duty bills and tie taxes more closely to property values

Washington State's data center boom is creating tax windfalls but straining energy and water

supplies in rural counties. Here's Jason Miller with more. Washington's data center boom

delivers big tax windfalls and new strains on utilities. In Grant County, 29 facilities

push annual property taxes up 1-277% to $54 million over nearly two decades.

Quincy uses its share to build a school, hospital, and fire station,

with plans for a soccer complex.

But the growth pressures the grid and water supplies,

complicating clean energy goals,

and stirring local opposition.

Government Bob Ferguson convenes a state work group

with a December 1 deadline for policy recommendations.

This is Jason Miller for Neural Newscast.

You're listening to Neural Newscast.

Fresh insights every day.

Catch up on past episodes anytime at nnewscast.com.

Innovation and tech trends are next.

Congress is poised to block state-level AI regulation for a decade, reshaping compliance

for businesses across the U.S. Here's Kara Swift with more.

Congress moves to block state oversight of artificial intelligence for 10 years, reshaping compliance

for every business.

The federal bills provision prevents individual states from regulating how companies build or use AI systems.

That means firms must police themselves on data use, model training, bias, and validation.

AI already runs in CRMs, cybersecurity tools, chat platforms, and customer products.

Shadow adoption widens risk.

With no state guardrails, companies need clear policies, audits, and incident response now.

As one CIO warns, trust requires verification.

NIST issues new control overlays designed to strengthen cybersecurity for AI systems across agencies and companies.

Here's Benjamin Carter with more.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology releases new control overlays to secure AI systems.

The guidance maps concrete cybersecurity steps to common AI risks, from data poisoning to model theft.

It helps agencies and companies integrate AI into existing NIST frameworks without guesswork.

The overlays cover development, deployment and monitoring, with controls for transparency,

testing, and human oversight.

The goal is simple.

Cut AI failures and attacks before they spread.

One line stands out.

Build, test, and verify before you trust.

This is Benjamin Carter for Neural Newscast.

From the Science Desk, here's what's new.

Researchers report new findings about how quasicrystals assemble, solving a long-standing materials puzzle.

Here's Nathaniel Cohen with more.

Scientists report new evidence for how quasicrystals assemble, resolving a puzzle first posed in 1982.

These solids show ordered patterns that never repeat, built from pentagons, decagons, and other shapes.

The team finds local atomic rules can drive long-range order without a repeating lattice.

That means atoms don't need a global blueprint to form non-repeating structures.

The result clarifies how these materials grow and stay stable.

It could guide designs for tougher alloys, novel coatings, and heat-resistant components

in future devices.

This is Nathaniel Cohen for Neural Newscast.

Now, let's share the latest in health.

A nurse has resigned, describing dangerous understaffing at a children's cancer unit

and warning of risks to patient safety. Here's Lauren Navarro with more.

A former nurse at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children says the cancer unit is

dangerously understaffed. She resigns after months of exhaustion and worry for patients.

She describes colleagues as broken and burnt out. Families wait longer for chemotherapy and

vital monitoring. Fewer...

Fewer nurses means miss breaks, rushed care, and rising safety risks.

Senior staff cover extra shifts, but the gaps persist.

The whistleblower urges urgent hiring better rotas and emotional support to keep skilled nurses at the bedside and children safe.

A cash transfer program in rural Kenya dramatically reduced infant deaths by helping families meet basic needs, researchers find.

Here's Isabella Wright with more.

A simple change in rural Kenya saves babies, lives, and it isn't medical.

Researchers test a massive program that gives families cash and support.

Parents buy food, safe water, and bed nets.

They keep clinic visits.

Infant deaths drop.

Children grow stronger.

Mothers report less stress.

The impact is concrete and immediate.

Small monthly payments and guidance help families meet basic needs and prevent illness.

It's a reminder.

Stability and dignity are powerful medicine for the youngest lives.

This is Isabella Wright for Neural Newscast.

For a science update, here's what's new.

A promising gene therapy shows early signs of restoring vision for people with inherited retinal disease in early trials.

Here's Amelia Richardson with more.

A new gene therapy shows it can restore vision for people with inherited retinal disease.

Andrew, diagnosed in childhood, donates his skin cells to help researchers develop a personalized treatment for him and his young daughter.

Scientists reprogram his cells into retinal tissue and correct the faulty gene in the lab.

Surgeons then deliver edited cells to the back of the eye in a single procedure.

Early results show sharper light perception and improved mobility tests.

Andrew calls it a second chance, and trials now expand to more patients.

This is Amelia Richardson for Neural Newscast.

Updates on climate and conservation.

Climate and energy concerns grow as communities weigh data center development against grid

and water limits in Washington State.

Here's Steven Summers with more.

Washington's data center boom delivers big tax windfalls and new strains on utilities.

In Grant County, 29 facilities push annual property taxes up 1,277% over nearly two decades.

Quincy uses its share to build a school, hospital, and fire station.

with plans for a soccer complex.

But the growth pressures the grid and water supplies,

complicating clean energy goals and stirring local opposition.

Governor Bob Ferguson convenes a state work group

with a December 1st deadline for policy recommendations.

This is Stephen Summers for Neural Newscast.

Breaking news is up next.

Music

Two men were jailed after investigators found sophisticated smuggling of cannabis, concealed in wooden floor shipments.

Here's Jessica Palmer with more.

Two men go to prison for smuggling 9 million pounds of cannabis into Northern Ireland, hidden in wooden flooring.

Investigators identify the operation and arrest Udong Uyang and Gary Hahn after tracking consignments.

Officers intercept the shipments, uncovering tightly packed cannabis concealed within pallets of floorboards.

A court hears the pair help coordinate logistics and deliveries to mask the drugs.

Origin

Judges hand down custodial sentences, underscoring the scale and planning involved.

Authorities say the case disrupts a significant supply line and protects communities.

One official calls the concealment method sophisticated, but says it failed under scrutiny.

This is Jessica Palmer for Neural Newscast.

Global Stories Shaping Our World

A proposal by Russia's leader suggesting Ukraine's allied territory refocuses pressure on Kiev and tests western unity.

Here's Samuel Green with more.

Russia's president proposes a land for peace deal, shifting pressure onto Ukraine's leader.

In Alaska, Vladimir Putin tells Donald Trump that Ukraine should hand over the remaining Donbass territory to end the war.

The proposal targets areas Russia does not fully control.

It reframes talks from ceasefire terms to borders and sovereignty.

The move puts Volodymyr Zelensky on the spot to reject or negotiate.

It also tests Western unity on territorial concessions.

Kiev continues to insist on full restoration of its 1991 borders.

This is Samuel Green for Neural Newscast.

Turning to our next story.

That wraps our coverage for this hour.

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