Morning Must Reads: August 25

The Good, the Bad, the Beyoncé

Beyoncé delivered a mind-bogglingly perfect medley of tracks from her self-titled album, dancing around the stage at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, as Jay Z and Blue Ivy watched from the sidelines. She was clearly having more fun than anyone else in the room

Burger King Eyes Canada Move

The fast-food giant is reportedly in talks to buy Canadian chain Tim Hortons, a deal aimed at lowering taxes by moving its base outside the U.S.

American Held in Syria Is Freed

The U.N.-facilitated release of writer Peter Theo Curtis from an al-Qaeda affiliate comes days after the execution of American journalist James Foley

Actor-Director Richard Attenborough Dies at 90

The acclaimed actor and Academy Award–winning director of 1982’s Gandhi, whose film career on both sides of the camera spanned 60 years, died at age 90; British Prime Minister David Cameron called him “one of the greats of cinema”

6.0-Magnitude Quake Strikes Northern California

The largest earthquake to hit California’s Napa Valley in 25 years struck near the Bay Area, prompting Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency; at least 87 people were injured early Sunday morning and power outages were reported

Pediatricians’ Rx for Schools: Later Start Times

The American Academy of Pediatrics wants to prescribe later start times for teens, saying that delaying the start of the school day until at least 8:30 a.m. would help curb their lack of sleep, which has been linked to poor health, bad grades, car crashes and other problems

Men More Likely to Make Dumb Decisions at U.S. Open

Male tennis players embarrass themselves more often than their female counterparts, according to a new study that analyzed data from line-call challenges; the authors chalk up these gender differences to overconfidence, pride and shame

Man Arrested After Climbing Brooklyn Bridge for Photos

A 24-year-old was arrested on Sunday after scaling the top of the Brooklyn Bridge, where he took the opportunity to snap some photos with his iPhone; the stunt comes about a month after two American flags on the iconic structure were replaced with white flags

Civil War Hangs Over Ukraine on Its Independence Day

While President Petro Poroshenko gave an emotional address to citizens and oversaw a military parade in Kiev, Ukrainian prisoners of war were marched by pro-Russian separatists through the streets in rebel-held parts of the east, to jeers and bottle throwing

2 People Die of Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo

The two deaths of Ebola in Congo are unrelated to the outbreak in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria that has killed more than 1,400 people; Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi said Sunday: “This epidemic has nothing to do with the one in West Africa”

American Swimmer Katie Ledecky Leaves Her Mark in Australia

The 17-year-old wiped almost six seconds off her own world record in the 1,500-m freestyle to win her fifth gold medal of the Pan Pacific championships, rounding off a phenomenal season of competition

Sony Says User Data Safe After PS Network Attack

It’s been a rough weekend for Sony, with reports of hackers hitting its huge Playstation network and a bomb threat made against a flight carrying a top Sony executive in the U.S. Sony says none of the data of its 53 million Playstation users was compromised

Get TIME’s The Brief e-mail every morning in your inbox