📋 Complete Edition
Thursday 20 August 2026 — every story from this day
86 stories across 7 sections
🇦🇺 Local (10)
Roblox commits to privacy overhaul after eSafety discovers adults can contact children via gaming platform
Australia's eSafety commissioner found that adults could still see child accounts on Roblox and send connection requests without parental consent, and that chil
Critics of Labor’s tax changes claim rents could climb by up to 30%. Here’s why they probably won’t
Critics claimed Labor's property-tax reforms could push rents up by as much as 30%, but the article explains why that alarm is overblown. Property groups Nation
A ‘shiny, dangling carrot’ lured Jesse into gambling. He says Labor’s reform won’t stop others being sucked in
The piece profiles Jesse Murphy, a former gambler who quit betting nearly two years ago, describing how VIP gambling managers lured him with free bets, tickets
A fifth of older Australians who contested AI-determined home support funding got more after human review
Almost one-fifth of older Australians who contested an algorithm-determined Support at Home funding allocation received more after a human review. The departmen
The NDIS is undergoing a major overhaul. This is what the changes could mean for you
The NDIS is undergoing a major overhaul as part of a bill that passed the Senate with 63 amendments backed by Labor and the Coalition. The government aims to cu
In Big Walk, players just walk and talk – and find joy along the way: ‘Some stories we’ve heard are punch-in-the-gut beautiful’
The story reports on House House, the Melbourne studio behind the hit Untitled Goose Game, and its new game Big Walk, where the only goal is walking and explori
Peta Murphy called for gambling reform three years ago. Her husband says Labor’s changes fall ‘well short’
The husband of late Labor MP Peta Murphy, Rod Glover, said the government's gambling reform 'falls well short' of what she called for in a landmark 2023 report,
Labor thinks it can win elections defending super. For Hanson, it’s just another way to deprive Taylor of political oxygen
This analysis covers the political fallout from One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's interventions, including a policy to slash tobacco excise by 75% to combat il
Australia was famous for having no guns – what happened? Do we have a gun problem now? | First Dog on the Moon
This is an editorial cartoon by First Dog on the Moon reflecting on Australia's reputation for gun control, asking 'what happened' and whether the country now h
I have seen the raw grief of a family who lost a son to gambling. Labor’s stitch-up shows politics is broken | David Pocock
In an opinion piece, independent Senator David Pocock writes that the gambling reform deal cut between the prime minister and the Coalition is a huge disappoint
🌍 World (24)
Seven people, mostly foreign tourists, killed in helicopter crash in Kenya
A helicopter ferrying tourists on a safari crashed in remote Samburu County in northern Kenya on 19 August 2026, killing all seven people on board, including si
Zambia opposition leader to challenge Hichilema election victory in court
Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile said he will challenge the country's presidential election result in court, alleging fraud in the contest that gave in
Iran's hardline parliament raises concerns with 'foreign infiltration' plan
Iran's hardline-dominated parliament approved the broad outlines of a plan to combat foreign "infiltration," with a focus on academia, media and the cultural se
Canada pledges $50m aid to Lebanon and condemns Israeli 'unlawful invasion'
Canada's Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai visited Lebanon to announce new humanitarian aid programmes for families affected by the
Brazil bus crash kills at least 23 and injures five in Parana state
At least 23 people were killed and five injured when a bus carrying patients and healthcare workers to hospitals collided head-on with a truck in the early hour
North Korea leader's sister denies talks with 'hostile' US
Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, denied any ongoing communication between her brother and US President Donald Trump, saying she was unawa
Hamas condemns 'new war crime' as Israel kills 10 in crowded Gaza hubs
Israeli strikes killed at least 10 Palestinians in two attacks on 19 August 2026, one targeting the municipal police headquarters in Gaza City and another on Nu
US pressure on Israel needed for peace in Syria
A day after a suspected Israeli attack on the Abu al-Duhur airbase near Idlib in northwest Syria, US Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack suggested creating a "dec
Cambodia's Demining Authority Faces Funding Squeeze as Donors Shift Priorities
International donors are becoming less able to fund mine clearance operations across Asia, including in Cambodia, as major humanitarian crises in Gaza, Ukraine,
Cambodia Closes 600 Scam Centres, Sends 4,000 Suspects to Court
Cambodian authorities shut down 605 criminal sites linked to technology-enabled online scams and referred 4,147 suspects to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, acco
Israel confirms soldiers fired at car in which Hind Rajab was killed and opens criminal investigation
The five-year old Gaza girl initially survived the attack and pleaded for help but her body was recovered later with those of six of her relatives.
Sacked Ukrainian defence minister calls for presidential election
Martial law has been in place in Ukraine since February 2022, under which elections are suspended.
Israel opens up bids for highly-sensitive West Bank settlement project
Israeli plans to build on the area east of Jerusalem - which would divide the occupied West Bank in two - have long been internationally condemned.
South Korea shortens war games with US, citing Washington request
It comes after Trump announced plans to curtail joint military exercises with South Korea, citing a "very good" relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.
Ukrainian man arrested in Croatia over Nord Stream pipeline blasts
The man is alleged to have been one of the scuba divers who planted explosives on the pipelines in 2022.
Ecuador intelligence chief and five Americans killed in Kenya helicopter crash
Michele Sensi-Contugi, and his wife Stephany Hollihan among the seven people killed in the crash.
Cambodia’s Demining Authority Faces Funding Squeeze as Donors Shift Priorities
Associated Press reported on August 18, 2026, that international donors are becoming less able to fund mine clearance organisations across Asia, including in Ca
Khmer Analysts Divided Over Appointment of Kem Sokha’s Daughter as Special Envoy to Prime Minister Hun Manet
The appointment of Kem Monovithya, daughter of Kem Sokha, as a special envoy to Prime Minister Hun Manet has drawn differing assessments from Cambodian analysts
Svay Rieng breaks ground on new sports stadium
Construction of a new stadium in Svay Rieng province officially began on Monday, marking a major step in the province’s efforts to strengthen its sports infrast
Kem Monovithya’s new role tests Cambodia’s political reconciliation and opposition’s future
While the overseas opposition has condemned Kem Sokha’s daughter for “betraying the opposition alliance” for joining the CPP-led government, domestic analysts a
Singapore looks to deepen agricultural trade and food-security cooperation with Cambodia
Singapore could expand trade and food security ties with Cambodia as the Kingdom’s trade with Thailand declines sharply, with Senate Second Vice-President Thun
PM suspends Coconut School demolition, orders site review
Prime Minister Hun Manet has ordered the immediate suspension of any demolition involving structures linked to Coconut School in the Kirirom area of Kampong Spe
Mine clearance continues despite funding challenges
Cambodia’s humanitarian mine action sector continues to receive strong national and international support despite funding challenges faced by Cambodian Self Hel
Govt moves driving licences to blockchain platform
Cambodia has integrated driving licence and road transport business permit data into a blockchain-based database for the verify.gov.kh document verification pla
🤖 AI & Tech (14)
Gwyneth Paltrow allegedly set to throw dinner in honor of Sam Altman
Tech outlet Puck reported that actress and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow is sending invites for a private, off-the-record dinner in the Hamptons honoring OpenAI
AI was supposed to win people over by now — it hasn't
TechCrunch reported that despite AI's technological progress, its public reputation is worsening, citing a Pew Research study showing 52% of Americans are more
Google packs Search and Gemini with new AI study tools
Google announced a suite of new AI study tools across Search and Gemini on 19 August 2026, including AI-generated interactive visuals, 3D simulations, a dedicat
Researchers say OpenAI revoked their access to limited cyber program
Several cybersecurity researchers reported on 19 August 2026 that OpenAI had suddenly revoked their access to the Trusted Access for Cyber (TAC) program, which
Meet the startup helping Wall Street put a price on AI compute
Startup Silicon Data, which just closed a $30 million Series A, aims to become the reference price for GPU rental and build an index that a Wall Street futures
T-Mobile 'chopped a cable' to expel Chinese hackers from its network
Bloomberg reported that T-Mobile cybersecurity staff identified and expelled Chinese government-backed hackers from the Salt Typhoon group from its network in 2
Time's running out! Save $300 on your TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass until August 21
This is a promotional article by TechCrunch Events advertising that the lowest prices for passes to its Disrupt 2026 conference end on August 21, 2026 at 11:59
Nielsen is leaning more on wearables to hear what people are watching
Nielsen announced 'a number of key enhancements' to its ratings that rely more on information gathered from partners' wearable devices, as part of efforts to me
Google Gemini is getting a dedicated student hub
Google is rolling out a dedicated student hub in its Gemini AI assistant, a one-stop repository for collecting research in a study notebook, creating flashcards
Watch Valve set up the Steam Frame in its own leaked videos
Valve leaked several videos on its ARM Steam client after an update showing the Steam Frame's unboxing, setup process and various accessories, which were quickl
The wearable future is stuck in weird, experimental, existential limbo
Columnist Victoria Song recounts sitting down with Google to discuss its vision for the next generation of wearables, describing the wearable future as stuck in
Grab an iPad Air M4 for its lowest price since the June increase
This is a deal roundup from The Verge noting the iPad Air M4 is available at its lowest price since a June price increase, and highlighting deals on Garmin's sa
OpenAI hit the brakes. Now what?
OpenAI announced it had slowed the pace of some AI development while tightening security and safeguards, including a two-week pause in reinforcement-learning tr
GTA VI keeps leaking ahead of its gameplay premiere
Clips of what appears to be Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay hit the internet ahead of Rockstar Games' deep-dive premiere on Netflix next week and the game's long-a
🎮 Gaming (7)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta Will Fix Issues That Have Plagued the Series for the Better Part of a Decade
The IGN article discusses the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta, reporting that it is designed to address long-standing technical and design issues t
Latest Xbox Console Updates Include Extremely Belated Profile Badge if You Bought an Xbox One Back in 2013
The article reports on a new round of Xbox console updates that add an extremely belated profile badge for users who purchased an Xbox One back when it launched
Speed Racer: The Complete Series Collector's Edition on Blu-Ray Is Up for Preorder (and on Sale at Amazon)
The article announces that Speed Racer - The Complete Series Collector's Edition on Blu-Ray is now available for preorder, and is being offered at a discounted
John Cena Reveals the Touching Reason Why Warner Bros.' Initial Decision to Shelve Coyote vs Acme Didn't Devastate Him
John Cena, a star of the long-gestating animated film Coyote vs. Acme, explained to IGN the touching personal reason why Warner Bros.' initial decision to shelv
Xbox Special Edition Translucent Green Controller Price, Release Date Leaked
The article reports that details of an Xbox Special Edition translucent green controller have leaked ahead of any official announcement, revealing its apparent
Insidious: Out of the Further Review
This is IGN's review of Insidious: Out of the Further, an entry in the horror franchise, evaluating the film and giving it a score as of mid-2026. It is an ente
Google Pixel 11 Pro Review
This is IGN's review of the Google Pixel 11 Pro smartphone, published in mid-2026, evaluating the device across design, display, camera, performance and value,
🎬 Entertainment (6)
Alison Hurbert Burns & Bruna Papandrea's Made Up Stories Launch Australian Production House The Set Up
Former Binge content chief Alison Hurbert-Burns, who commissioned Colin From Accounts, is teaming with Bruna Papandrea and Steve Hutensky's Made Up Stories to l
Charlie Hunnam Gets 'Sons Of Anarchy' Gang Back Together For FX Meta-Series 'Legends'
FX has ordered Legends, a meta-thriller developed and executive produced by Charlie Hunnam, who will also star, alongside Jonathan Groff. The series reunites mu
José Suárez Dies: Telemundo Executive Was 55
José Suárez, president and general manager of Telemundo 31, Telemundo 49, and Telemundo Ft. Myers Naples, died at age 55. He died on Wednesday, August 19, follo
Jane Curtin Boards 'Little Five' Film From Anne Hathaway's Somewhere Pictures & Pigasus Pictures
Jane Curtin will join the cast of Little Five, from Anne Hathaway's Somewhere Pictures and Pigasus Pictures, playing Dean Weston, a formidable academic leader a
Daniel Roher, Lord Miller Set Universal Pictures Adaptation Of Forrest Brazeal Novel 'Paradox Inc.'
Lord Miller (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller) is set to produce a feature adaptation of Forrest Brazeal's forthcoming debut novel Paradox Inc. for Universal Pi
Anna Camp, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Finn Jones & Martin Marquez To Star In Off-Broadway's '2:22 — A Ghost Story'
Anna Camp, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Finn Jones and Martin Marquez are set to lead the New York premiere of the Olivier-nominated play 2:22 A Ghost Story. Produced
▶️ 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.
Virgin Australia apologises to disability advocate removed from flight over wheelchair motor
Virgin Australia apologized to disability advocate Shane Hryhorec after he said he was "humiliated" and removed from a Sydney flight over the storage of the mot
Defence joins search for missing bushwalker – as it happened
This is an Australian political news live blog published on 19 August 2026, whose headline reports that the Australian Defence Force joined the search for a mis
Australia's drop in real wages is a disaster. But the profits of major corporations are doing just fine | Grogonomics
Columnist Greg Jericho argues that Australia's real wages are falling badly while major corporate profits remain strong, citing that over the past year inflatio
Jaecoo owner Chery takes 'next step' in UK push with R&D centre
Chinese carmaker Chery, which makes the Jaecoo and Omoda brands, announced it will open a new research and development centre in Bedfordshire, England, in late
US treasury doubles debt buyback to steady bond market amid inflation fears
The US Treasury said it is doubling its buyback of government debt in an effort to steady the bond market, after yields on 10-, 20- and 30-year Treasury notes h
Lewes derailment: images show track defect before incident on hottest day
An interim report by the UK's Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) into a train derailment near Lewes, East Sussex, on 13 August found that a track defect