17 August 2026, in sixty words

President Trump has threatened to bomb Oman, a US ally, if it "gets in the way" of American efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as a 60-day deadline for a wider Iran peace deal expired without agreement.

Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank welcomed their third child, a baby girl, on August 3 in Lisbon.

The cost of DDR5 computer memory has soared by nearly 500% in the last 12 months, with some kits now ten times their lowest-ever price.

The American president told the Pentagon on Sunday to massively scale down joint training operations with South Korea to save money.

The seven-year deal aims to lift production of the sea-launched weapon from 60 units annually to over 1,000 missiles.

Ministers must make a final decision on the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields after Scottish judges overturned their 2023 approval.

The Russian embassy in London warned the UK it will pay a higher price for its growing involvement in the war.

Apple is changing its data collection consent prompts after Germany's Federal Cartel Office said the design favoured Apple's own apps.

London's main stock market slid to its lowest point in over three weeks after businesses selling everyday goods took a hit.

The Reform UK deputy leader called it arrogant to try halting global warming, following an extreme summer that led to thousands of fatalities.

The National Bureau of Statistics, China's data agency, blamed the poor July figures on extreme heat and heavy rain.

Harvard Medical School researchers calculate that 182 deaths across ten launch dates could be tied to distracted drivers searching for tracks.

Harris Dickinson was spotted filming a scene for the upcoming Beatles biopic, recreating the iconic Abbey Road album cover.

Jim Shannon, a 71-year-old DUP MP, is charged with common assault involving a woman, stemming from an alleged incident on 1 October 2023.

On Monday, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance a US-backed Gaza peace initiative.

US President Donald Trump stated on Monday that he would launch an attack on Oman should the country impede Washington's pursuit of a peace agreement with Iran.

Scientists at the University of Bath found "incredibly high concentrations" of spice in illegal cannabis gummies seized by Wiltshire Police.

Reform UK's Robert Jenrick announced that people on long-term benefits who are fit to work would need to do 20 hours of community work each week.

The British currency has now strung together three consecutive weeks of growth, partly driven by surprisingly strong economic performance in June.

The new cash values the two-year-old company at $5.4bn, more than four times its price tag in January.

Microsoft is removing the COPILOT() function from Excel, which previously enabled users to articulate tasks using ordinary language to obtain AI-generated outcomes.

At least 2,325 individuals have now died in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to the ongoing Ebola epidemic, the most lethal the nation has ever experienced.

India is considering allowing banks and payment companies to charge businesses a small fee on some UPI transactions, potentially ending a decade of free digital payments.

The Ferrari Luce, the brand's first electric vehicle, fetched $40 million at a charity auction, setting a new record for a new car sold publicly.

Virgin's plans for as many as 20 round trips each day connecting London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam have progressed.

Following public criticism, a new Arabic bookshop located in central London took down copies of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf that had been on display.

By Sunday afternoon, over 180,000 households in Hawaii remained without electricity, following Hurricane Lala's proximity to the Big Island.

Jamie Dimon, head of US bank JP Morgan, urged Chancellor John Healey not to raise taxes on banks' profits in his first budget.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham unknowingly communicated with an individual who was impersonating Susie Wiles, Donald Trump's chief of staff.

Goldman Sachs, a major investment bank, believes a US interest rate increase in September is "very unlikely." A weak job market, easing inflation and low retail sales have eased pressure on the central bank, making an immediate rate increase seem too aggressive.

Hollywood is seeing a rise in new AI film studios, backed by major companies like Google and Disney, which are making movies using rapidly advancing AI models.

A train derailment in Wickford, Essex, on Friday caused extensive damage to 1.5 miles of track and infrastructure.

Donald Trump's envoy Jared Kushner held rare talks with Hamas's political chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday, trying to restart a stalled Gaza ceasefire plan.

Police forces across the UK confiscated 7,049 illegal e-bikes in the year ending May 19, an 83% increase from the previous year's 3,858.

A customer who submits quarterly solar panel export claims received £38,611.59 from British Gas in May instead of an expected £300.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's Minister of National Security, made the comments on a podcast with former Gaza hostage Rom Braslavski, which surfaced on Sunday.

Rory McIlroy finished the St Jude Championship in 66th place, 25 strokes behind winner Scottie Scheffler.

Data suggests Meghan Markle's lifestyle brand As Ever had more online visitors last month than King Charles's Highgrove shop.

Entry-level nursing jobs in London have plummeted, even as more students are training in the capital.

Six people died and four were hurt in the Russian region of Belgorod overnight, with its acting governor attributing the casualties to Ukrainian missile strikes.

PlayStation has patented an AI system creating fake accounts that act like children to spot users trying to make dangerous contact.

New signing Karim Adeyemi scored his first goal for Barcelona on Sunday in their 5-2 pre-season friendly victory against FC Basel.

Hayden Panettiere, known for US TV shows Heroes and Nashville, passed away at 36, her father confirmed.

Manchester United's significant threat from set-pieces last season may change following Casemiro's departure.

The Portuguese club agreed an initial €10 million fee with Barcelona, plus €2 million in potential add-ons.

Brazilian team Sao Paulo has contacted Jamie Vardy about joining them on a free transfer after he left Cremonese.

Manchester City are set to offload midfielder Rodri, who will join Barcelona for a fee potentially reaching £65 million.

England cricketer Harry Brook admits he doesn't know if an incident in Wellington, where he was punched by a bouncer, cost him the Test captaincy.

Thirty US states demand major changes to how young people use Instagram and Facebook.

Between 17th and 23rd August, over 25 new PlayStation 5 games are launching, including titles like The Sinking City 2 and Mortal Shell 2.

Donald Trump stated that the United States intended to "substantially reduce" its joint military exercises with South Korea, attributing this decision to his positive relationship with Kim Jong Un.

Reform UK's proposed ban on nearly all welfare payments would also include EU nationals who have settled status here.

The actor, 63, is reportedly in discussions to reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow for a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

This morning, a multi-vehicle collision near Manchester Airport led to the closure of the M56 eastbound, with one car overturning and another igniting.

After weeks of extreme heat, temperatures across the UK will drop by around 2 to 4C below average by the end of this week.

Asking prices for new homes in Kensington and Chelsea have dropped by over £95,000 in a single month as competition heats up among sellers.

The deal, completed on Monday, significantly boosts Stripe's presence in the growing market for artificial intelligence tools.