23 August 2026, in sixty words

Microsoft paid out nearly $6.8 billion in dividends to shareholders on August 20, 2026, the largest single distribution among 26 companies that day.

The US Navy is considering changing the name of an aircraft carrier, previously set to honour Black Pearl Harbor hero Doris Miller, to potentially honour Donald Trump instead.

Slovakia's national security service, the NBU, found multiple security issues in 279 new NERO R-ONE speed cameras, including SMS-activated Russian backdoors and unsecure live feeds.

A Twitch streamer has filed a proposed class action lawsuit in California, claiming Amazon and Twitch use his live broadcasts and videos to train AI models.

The DR Congo government and M23 rebels agreed a plan for peace talks after five days of meetings in Switzerland.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen crashed at the final corner on Sunday's opening lap of the Dutch Grand Prix.

Manchester City came from behind to win their first Premier League game under new boss Enzo Maresca at the Etihad.

AI has been employed by researchers to find the DNA pattern of a crucial genetic "initiator" responsible for activating genes.

Using the common stomach medication for extended periods can change how your body absorbs certain nutrients.

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has been named Germany's footballer of the year for 2026.

London is now Europe's largest data centre market, but locals are clashing with plans for more as they take up space needed for homes.

Cleveland Police on Sunday named the five Passat occupants killed in Saturday's A66 crash: Michael Robert Cahill, 23; Jacob Matusiak, 23; Makai Saddington, 18; Theo Rae, 17; and Cole Robert Worthy, 16.

Israeli strikes across Gaza have thrown fresh doubt on the stalled ceasefire, days after Jared Kushner visited to advance the American peace plan.

Iran has declared that any country joining new American sanctions will be treated as an enemy, as Washington prepares to announce further economic measures on Monday.

The US has imposed 50% tariffs on about £14.6bn of Canadian goods, with Canada’s prime minister vowing to match them.

Nordic walking, a low-impact activity, works over 80% of your muscles, burning more calories and boosting heart health more than a normal stroll.

Residents near Buckles Lane in Essex, home to over 800 caravans, worry that new planning rules could worsen its size problems.

Soldiers in a US Army unit in Georgia can receive a four-day pass to play Grand Theft Auto VI if they commit to serving for at least two additional years.

Andrey Kelin, Russia's ambassador to the UK for over seven years, left his post last month without a replacement being named.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is recruiting a natural gas trader to build a team for its increasing fuel and power needs.

Anthropic, the company behind Claude AI, is reportedly running an A/B experiment that changes how its AI model interprets effort levels.

Football pundit Tony Cascarino believes Brentford's Igor Thiago will top the Premier League goalscoring charts this season.

A 17-year-old girl died in a sword attack at Brinell School in Fagersta, central Sweden, on Friday.

Nepalese officials are considering renaming Annapurna I, which is known as the world's deadliest peak, to "Nimsdai Annapurna" in honour of the late mountaineer.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's sacked defence minister, believes President Zelensky has questions about corruption in his inner circle.

A power outage at CrossCountry's control centre in Birmingham on Sunday, August 23, has led to widespread cancellations across its network.

This is the sixth commercial vessel seized by Somali pirates since April, marking a resurgence in attacks.

About 3.3 billion people will see the partial lunar eclipse on August 27-28, with Earth's shadow covering 96% of the moon.

Experts say that even small lifestyle changes can have huge benefits for your health and longevity at any age.

Sexually transmitted infections don't always appear in genitals, with 402,000 new diagnoses in 2025 highlighting the need to recognise other signs.

The 4% energy bill rise, predicted by Cornwall Insight, will apply during the first half of winter after a 13% jump in July.

The yearly mango season is a significant trading period for many retailers across Yorkshire, driving people to buy whole boxes.

Email scams, also known as "Friday afternoon fraud", trick homebuyers into sending deposit money to criminals instead of their solicitors.

Nvidia is increasing prices for its AI chips by more than 15% for some of its biggest customers, according to reports.

After parts of the UK saw temperatures exceed 23C on Friday, the Met Office has now told people to prepare for a rapid drop.

Over 1,000 UK schools closed or sent pupils home early last summer as classrooms became stifling in 30C heat.

Experts say our fascination with hoarder clean-up videos comes down to curiosity, a craving for control, and relatability.

New research shows that killers of black people in London are more likely to avoid justice than those who target white people.

Opposition fighters and a rescue worker say 14 people died in military air strikes on a monastery in Myanmar on Friday.

Andy Burnham's idea to move power and money from London might find its blueprint in Bilbao, Spain, which rebuilt its economy.

Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei has threatened "earthquake-like" retaliation if US President Donald Trump takes further action.

Thomas Markle has spoken about Meghan and Harry's return to the UK, saying he found out about it in a "heartbreaking way".

French President Emmanuel Macron pledged increased support for Ukraine, including new interceptor missiles, after a conversation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday.

Around 10,000 prospectors came to Cheporor, western Kenya, following the sale of three grams of gold by 33-year-old Manasse Lomachar, which fetched 36,000 Kenyan shillings.

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed told close aide Natalie Harp that Donald Trump, 80, "needs his rest".

Syria condemned an Israeli attack on Beit Jinn village, near Damascus, which reportedly hit a civilian vehicle and injured several people.

Margarita Reutt, a 32-year-old from Sochi, was detained after a bomb killed Robert Shageev, a Russian Black Sea fleet submarine commander, in Sevastopol on 13 August.

Bride Sarah Burwin received a surprise video message from Andy Burnham after she asked him not to disrupt her wedding at Number 10 North.

Actress Lucy Davis, known for The Office, spoke publicly for the first time since revealing her incurable breast cancer diagnosis on 11 August.

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi believes his new-look side are not yet a cohesive unit after their 3-0 defeat to Brentford in their opening match.

Britain's energy firms say struggling households need extra government help with their bills this winter.

Serious sexual and violent offenders released from prison will face geographical limits, often just a few miles wide, from October.

A small UK power plant was taken offline last month by a cyber attack, though the government says the wider energy system was never at risk.

Mayors across England will receive new authority to overturn local council planning decisions concerning proposals for developments exceeding 150 homes.