📋 Complete Edition
Monday 17 August 2026 — every story from this day
81 stories across 7 sections
🇦🇺 Local (10)
A fake website and a deluge of CVs: the Australian firm embroiled in an FBI probe into alleged Chinese espionage
A fake website impersonating a small Brisbane consultancy called Horizzen has emerged as part of an FBI investigation into alleged Chinese espionage. Beginning
Nazi artefacts still being sold online years after trade outlawed across Australia
Three years after Australia outlawed the display and trade of items bearing Nazi symbols, Guardian Australia found military-antiques dealers openly listing helm
The messy politics of a housing crisis – podcast
This Guardian 'Full Story' podcast examines why Australia's housing crisis defies easy political fixes. Presenter Reged Ahmad speaks with economist Saul Eslake
Australian health experts fear US vaccine scepticism is catching on as ‘anything Trump says filters through’
Australian health experts are worried that American vaccine scepticism is spreading to Australia. They cite a US executive order endorsed by President Donald Tr
The PM called Sally McManus a giant of the Labor movement. Now she just wants to go birding
Sally McManus, secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, is preparing to step down at the end of the month after nearly a decade in the role. She ann
Logies 2026: Sam Pang wins gold and Sam Neill wins posthumous best actor at Australia’s TV awards
At Australia's Logie awards, comedian Sam Pang took home the Gold Logie for most popular personality, while actor Sam Neill won a posthumous best lead actor pri
As melon-gate raged, Albanese quietly cut deals in parliament. The PM should make some noise this week | Josh Butler
Columnist Josh Butler argues that while 'melon-gate' consumed public attention, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese quietly negotiated real policy deals in parliame
The Tupac question that has haunted hip-hop for 30 years
Thirty years after Tupac Shakur was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas at age 25, the unsolved killing may finally move closer to an answer. Duane
'Not where the problems are': Working holiday visa slowdown divides parties
The Albanese government has confirmed it will slow the processing of working holiday visa applications amid pressure to cut net migration. Minister Tony Burke s
Government admits NDIS reforms will impact families, downplays fears over state readiness
The federal disability minister has conceded the controversial NDIS overhaul will affect families, while downplaying fears that state-based supports will not be
🌍 World (20)
Largest Ukrainian drone attack on Russia, Moscow says 822 drones shot down
Ukraine launched its largest drone offensive yet against Russian territory, sending hundreds of unmanned aircraft deep into the country over the weekend. Russia
Hurricane Lala weakens to a tropical storm, but flooding persists in Hawaii
Hurricane Lala weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm after sweeping close to Hawaii, yet dangerous conditions remained as heavy rain and powe
‘The Mediterranean is a bridge, not a border’
Malta's Foreign Minister Chris Fearne used an appearance on Al Jazeera's Talk to Al Jazeera programme to argue that Europe must look beyond its own borders to s
Patients treated in tents after earthquake damages Indonesia hospital
A healthcare worker filmed patients being treated in makeshift tents outside Ruteng General Hospital in Indonesia after a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake dama
Belgium’s largest wildfire on record spreads towards German border
Firefighters were battling Belgium's largest wildfire on record as it tore through the High Fens nature reserve near the German border. The fire broke out on Fr
‘Limited options’ for many Iranians as war with US chokes economy
As months of war with the United States and its naval blockade of Iranian ports continued, ordinary Iranians described shrinking options for earning a living. A
As Iran War Turns Into Economic Battle, a New U.S. Strategy Recalls Old Ones
According to a New York Times report, the conflict with Iran has increasingly become an economic battle in which the United States is reviving strategies remini
How a Ukrainian Bank Worker Came to Face Life in a Russian Prison
A New York Times investigation reconstructs how an ordinary Ukrainian bank worker came to face the prospect of a life sentence in a Russian prison. The story tr
Trump envoy Kushner meets Hamas leader to push Gaza peace plan
The rare meeting comes a week after Israel rejected Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza.
Russia says at least seven killed in largest Ukrainian attack of 2026
Moscow also launched deadly strikes against Ukraine overnight, sparking fires across the capital Kyiv.
Two dead and hundreds evacuated after twin fires break out on Greek island
About 200 firefighters worked to keep the fires from converging on Salamina, with one now under control.
Teen suspect in Virginia campus shooting found hiding in closet
The attack left five injured outside a halls of residence, and the suspect was not a student there, say police.
One dead, homes swept away after Hurricane Lala lashes Hawaii
A search-and-rescue operation is under way after properties were uprooted from their foundations.
Thousands displaced by deadly Indonesia earthquake as rescue efforts continue
Hundreds of homes and public buildings have been severely damaged with at least 53 people killed.
Khmer Rouge survivor Bou Meng dies at 85
Forty-seven years after escaping the Khmer Rouge’s Security Centre 21 (S-21), Bou Meng one of the seven adult survivors of the notorious prison, died on Friday,
Australian envoy to lead Cambodia-Thailand maritime conciliation
Australian diplomat and international lawyer Katrina Cooper has been appointed chairperson of the five-member Conciliation Commission handling the maritime disp
King Sihamoni donates $100,000 to Cambodian Red Cross
King Norodom Sihamoni has donated $100,000 (400 million riel) to the Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) to support its humanitarian activities and help people in need, i
Cambodia protests Thai land allocation in occupied border village
Cambodia has protested Thailand’s allocation of land to Thai citizens in Chouk Chey village, Banteay Meanchey province, saying the move violates its sovereignty
Gala seeks funds to protect Kingdom’s elephants
With only about 400 to 600 wild Asian elephants and 71 domesticated elephants remaining in Cambodia, conservationists and government leaders are calling for lon
Decorated public official Tim Phan dies aged 76
Tim Phan, a member of the Senate and secretary of its commission overseeing public works, transport, posts, commerce, energy and urban planning, died on Friday
🤖 AI & Tech (14)
Anthropic CEO says AI backlash is ‘fundamentally a crisis of trust’
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has rejected the charge that his public warnings about AI dangers are fuelling a backlash against the industry, arguing instead that
TechCrunch Mobility: The shifting flight path of electric air taxis
This week's TechCrunch Mobility newsletter reports a decisive reshaping of the electric air-taxi industry, headlined by Archer Aviation's acquisition of its for
Woman claims her stepfather used Grok to transform childhood photo into explicit imagery
A woman identified as Jane Doe 4 has joined a lawsuit filed by three Tennessee teenagers against Elon Musk's xAI over the role its chatbot Grok allegedly played
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra Review: The Right Shape
Wired's review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, headlined "The Right Shape," assesses the latest iteration of Samsung's folding flagship
Astronomers Discover the Existence of a Black Hole Star
Astronomers have gathered the strongest evidence yet that "black hole stars" — hypothetical celestial objects that are estimated to be billions of times more lu
It’s Never Too Early to Start Planning for the Next Two Solar Eclipses
Wired's feature urges enthusiasts not to wait before planning for the next two solar eclipses visible from North America, arguing it is never too early to arran
Someone Finally Fixed Installing Apps on a Mac
Wired's story spotlights a tool that aims to fix one of the most enduring annoyances of macOS: the hassle of installing apps downloaded from outside the App Sto
Amazon is trying to crush class-action suits before they get started
Amazon emailed customers on Friday to warn of an update to its terms and conditions stating that all disputes must now be resolved through arbitration rather th
ChatGPT’s Computer History tracks your clicks and keystrokes
OpenAI's ChatGPT desktop app on macOS has added a feature called Computer History that turns a user's activity into training data. It records clicks and keystro
Rogue AI aren’t science fiction anymore
A column argues that fears of AI systems acting beyond human control are no longer speculative science fiction but a present-day concern. It points to real inst
Polaroid’s tiny instant camera is $72 and includes a free pack of film
The Polaroid Go, a compact instant camera small enough for road trips and travel, is on sale at $72 and includes a free pack of instant film. The camera produce
Matt Groening lets slip that Simpsons: Hit & Run might be making a comeback
At Disney's D23 fan event, 'The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening suggested the cult-classic game 'The Simpsons: Hit & Run' might be making a comeback, saying 'th
Have a laugh at AI’s expense by roleplaying as a chatbot
The piece reviews 'Your AI Slop Bores Me', a simple web game with two tabs: 'human' and 'LARP as an AI'. One person types a request, while another person rolepl
TerraMow V1000 Review: Show Your Lawn Some Love
Wired has published a review of the TerraMow V1000, a robotic lawn mower pitched at homeowners who want a smarter, hands-off way to care for their lawns. The re
🎮 Gaming (7)
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Becomes First Spider-Man Movie to Reach $2 Billion in Theaters
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has become the first Spider-Man film to cross $2 billion at the worldwide box office, according to IGN. The feat crowns a theatrical r
Disney Experiences Showcase: Everything Announced for Disney Parks, Disney Cruise Line, and More | D23 2026
At the Disney Experiences Showcase during D23 Expo 2026, Disney unveiled a broad slate of announcements covering its theme parks, the Disney Cruise Line and mor
'I Want to Set the Record Straight: That Is Not Happening' — Kingdom Hearts 4 Devs Say KH4 '100%' Will Not Be Delayed Past Late 2027 Launch | D23 2026
At D23 Expo 2026, the developers of Kingdom Hearts 4 made a firm statement to fans: the game will "100%" not be delayed past its late-2027 launch window. Respon
Kingdom Hearts 4 Gets Extended Gameplay Trailer Featuring Playable Mickey, Donald, and Goofy | D23 2026
During D23 Expo 2026, Square Enix showed an extended gameplay trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 that revealed playable versions of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goof
Star Wars: Smuggler's Gambit Lets You Keep Helping Hondo Ohnaka in Fortnite After You Leave Disneyland
Disney and Epic Games unveiled Star Wars: Smuggler's Gambit, an experience that connects Disneyland and Fortnite so players can keep assisting the fan-favourite
Tetsuya Nomura Teases Involvement in Kingdom Hearts Anime Series, Tells Fans to Let Their 'Imagination Run Wild' | D23 2026
At D23 Expo 2026, Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura teased his involvement in a forthcoming Kingdom Hearts anime series, telling fans to let their "imagina
D23 Deep Dive Into Kingdom Hearts Panel: Everything Announced
IGN's coverage of the D23 Deep Dive Into Kingdom Hearts panel summarises everything announced during the dedicated Kingdom Hearts presentation at the 2026 expo.
🎬 Entertainment (6)
Dwayne Johnson Describes 'Lizard Music' As "'Willy Wonka' From The Mind Of Benny Safdie," Details 5-Hour Makeup Process To Play 70-Year-Old — D23
At Disney's D23 event, Dwayne Johnson said he has begun production on 'Lizard Music', reuniting with director Benny Safdie after 'The Smashing Machine'. He desc
Former ABC News Field Producer's Wrongful Termination Lawsuit Accuses Matt Gutman Of Making Inappropriate Sexualized Comments
Former ABC News field producer Samira Said has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against ABC, The Walt Disney Co., former colle
'Hercules' Voice Actress Susan Egan Nominates Zendaya & Tom Holland For Live-Action Remake: "The World Needs It" — D23
At D23, Susan Egan, who voiced Meg in Disney's 1997 film 'Hercules', publicly nominated Zendaya and Tom Holland to lead a live-action remake, saying 'the world
Why Emmy-Nominated ‘SubwayTakes’ YouTube Star Kareem Rahma Hasn’t Written Off Traditional TV Just Yet – Contenders TV Nominees Studio
Kareem Rahma, the host of the hit YouTube show 'SubwayTakes', learned he was Emmy-nominated while underground on the New York subway, mid-interview with a man c
Johnny Depp In Talks For 'Pirates 6' Says Jerry Bruckheimer At D23; 'Top Gun' Producer Wants To Keep Paramount In Hollywood
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer said at D23 that they are in talks with Johnny Depp for 'Pirates of the Caribbean 6' and working on a screenplay. Other sources indic
Sam Mendes' Beatles Biopic Recreates 'Abbey Road' Album Cover In Behind-The-Scenes Video — Watch
Production on director Sam Mendes' ambitious four-part Beatles biopic, 'The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event', has moved to Abbey Road. Drone footage on so
▶️ Video (12)
DeepSeek V4 AI Beats Billion Dollar Systems…For Free
DeepSeek V4 has arrived and it's outperforming systems that cost billions to build — for free. This video breaks down how the open-source model achieves compara
OpenAI's ChatGPT 5.5 Instant: The Good, The Bad And The Insane
A deep dive into OpenAI's ChatGPT 5.5 Instant — the good improvements, the bad trade-offs, and the insane capabilities that nobody saw coming. The video tests r
DeepMind's Insane AI Breakthroughs With CEO Demis Hassabis
An exclusive look at DeepMind's latest AI breakthroughs, featuring a conversation with CEO Demis Hassabis. The video covers new developments in protein folding,
NVIDIA's New AI Turns One Photo Into A World That Never Breaks
NVIDIA's latest AI can take a single photograph and generate an entire explorable 3D world that maintains consistency from every angle. The technology represent
Google's AI endgame is here… everything you missed at I/O 2026
Google I/O 2026 had massive AI announcements that reshape the entire Google ecosystem. This video cuts through the noise and highlights the key reveals — from G
Claude just got another superpower...
Anthropic just dropped a major new capability for Claude. Fireship breaks down what changed, how it works under the hood, and why this makes Claude even more us
A single PR just hijacked the NPM registry...
A single pull request caused chaos in the JavaScript ecosystem by compromising the NPM registry. This video explains the vulnerability, how it was exploited, an
"The Biggest Android Update Ever"
MKBHD breaks down what Google claims is the biggest Android update ever. From generative AI integration at the OS level to radical UI changes and privacy featur
Why New Smartphone Cameras Feel Worse
Despite better hardware specs, smartphone photos increasingly look worse than older models. MKBHD investigates the trend toward computational photography over-p
Claude Code on your Phone is OFFICIAL (it changes everything)
Anthropic officially released Claude Code on mobile, bringing AI-powered coding to your phone. NetworkChuck demonstrates setting up a forever terminal, coding f
MKBHD Reviews the AI Phone Everyone's Talking About
MKBHD reviews the hottest new AI phone on the market. From on-device language models to real-time translation and AI photography — this device is pushing what a
Google Just Killed the Most Popular AI Tool in the World
Google's latest AI update has effectively killed the most popular AI tool in the world. Fireship breaks down exactly what changed, how it works, and what this m
📌 Other (12)
RBA Holds Interest Rate Steady at 4.10% in May Decision
Reserve Bank keeps cash rate unchanged as inflation remains within target band.
Big Four Banks Raise Variable Mortgage Rates Following RBA
CBA, Westpac, NAB and ANZ pass on rate changes to variable mortgage customers.
ASX 200 Hits New All-Time High on Mining and Energy Rally
Australian shares reach record levels driven by resources sector strength.
Australian Dollar Falls to Multi-Year Low Against US Dollar
AUD slides past $0.65 USD as commodity prices soften and rate differential widens.
Superannuation Balances Grow 12% Annually on Strong Investment Returns
Australian retirement savings pushed higher by robust equity and property market performance.
Property Market Shows Signs of Cooling as Auction Clearance Rates Drop
Sydney and Melbourne auction markets soften as affordability constraints bite.
Chalmers rejects Hanson’s call for more super access saying One Nation ‘wants to destroy’ scheme – as it happened
Australia's Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, used a social media post to reject a call from One Nation leader Pauline Hanson that Australians should be able to access t
Water companies in England and Wales explore ‘surge pricing’ during drought
Water companies in England and Wales could be allowed to raise bills during droughts under proposals being examined by the sector's regulator, Ofwat, in a move
‘Why did it become personal?’: furore over plans to expand Kent oyster shack
A plan by the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company (WOFC) to expand one of its seafood shacks onto a beach in the Kent seaside town of Whitstable has sparked a loc
Burnham urged to crack down on gig economy firms to protect 4m workers
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been urged to crack down on gig economy companies and protect an estimated 4 million workers who, campaigners say, are missing o
University spinout to launch water quality app for UK and US waters
A UK university spinout behind a rapid bacterial water-testing kit is planning to launch live water-quality maps for Britain and the US. Molendotech, a spinout
Interest rate dilemma for central banks as inflation rises but growth slows
Central banks across the industrialised world face a dilemma as inflation rises while economic growth slows, according to analysis by The Guardian. The Federal