Bird of the Day, theme 'No Branch Wood'

Today's Bird of the Day; daily community event. Theme: #NoBranchWood.

FFXIV Gpose snapshots from Moonfire Faire

Final Fantasy XIV players share gpose screenshots and event outfits during the seasonal Moonfire Faire celebration.

Nicholas Hoult cast as Gilderoy Lockhart in HBO Harry Potter season 2

Variety reports Nicholas Hoult will play Gilderoy Lockhart in season 2 of HBO's Harry Potter series.

Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight, aided by a new moon

Perseid meteor shower peaks early morning 12, 13 August; observers could see more than 100 meteors per hour, aided by a new moon and darker skies.

ICE plans to buy gloves that deliver electric shocks, AP reports

AP says ICE may spend up to $20 million to equip officers with gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks.

Total solar eclipse crosses parts of Europe tonight

Moon passes between Earth and sun on 12 Aug; totality crosses Spain and Iceland; UK will see a deep partial eclipse peaking around 19:13 BST.

UEFA Super Cup, Paris Saint‑Germain vs Aston Villa

Kvaratskhelia opened for PSG in Salzburg; Desire Doue scored a 62nd-minute winner after a VAR offside check.

Bob Iger to buy Los Angeles Lakers, sources say

ESPN sources report Bob Iger and Josh Kushner are set to buy the Lakers for about $12 billion, a record NBA price.

Spider‑Man: Brand New Day, early audience praise and fan reactions

Fans report strong reactions to Spider‑Man: Brand New Day as the film opens, with praise for its personal story and setup beats.

ProPublica: General Dynamics' $533M artillery plant produced no usable shells

ProPublica reports General Dynamics' Texas factory cost taxpayers $533 million but failed to produce any usable artillery shells.

Darline Graham and Ralph Norman advance to South Carolina GOP runoff

NYT: Deported migrant faces indefinite detention in Eswatini

Russell Westbrook announces NBA retirement

Former MVP Russell Westbrook retires after 18 seasons, leaving with 209 career triple-doubles.

The End of Oak Street, David Robert Mitchell’s new dinosaur film

Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor star in Mitchell’s Spielberg‑style suburban dino adventure opening Aug 14; early reviews mixed but excited.

WHO says Congo Ebola outbreak on track to eclipse deadliest one

WHO warns the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo could surpass the prior outbreak that killed over 11,000 people.

Xbox CEO praises The Elder Scrolls 6 after internal playthrough

Asha Sharma says she watched a live playthrough and called The Elder Scrolls 6's scale and story 'incredible' amid union protests at Bethesda.

Kingdom Hearts D23 panel to livestream Aug 15

Disney will livestream the Kingdom Hearts D23 panel on Aug. 15 at 4:30 PM PT, featuring developers and Haley Joel Osment.

Trump sued over $100,000 early‑access Truth Social product

Two media groups sued Trump and Truth Social over a $100k/month service selling advance access to presidential posts.

Compliant Technologies markets the G.L.O.V.E. shock glove

Manufacturer Compliant Technologies advertises the G.L.O.V.E., a contact 'de‑escalation' glove the company says incapacitates in seconds.

International Youth Day, theme 'Different Contexts, Common Aspirations'

The UN marks International Youth Day highlighting youth engagement and this year's theme of shared aspirations across diverse contexts.

Phantom Blade Zero to headline a PlayStation State of Play next week

Sony confirmed a dedicated State of Play deep dive for Phantom Blade Zero and released a long gameplay trailer; pre‑orders are live.

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave highlights older playable unit with a gun

New details for Fortune's Weave reveal a playable older woman unit armed with firearms

X‑Men ’97 season 2 finale

Season 2 finale sees Apocalypse return and Rogue make an apparent ultimate sacrifice, leaving fans stunned.

Astronomers discover black hole 'star'

A solar-system-sized red object billions of light years away is labeled a black hole ‘star’ by researchers.

Leagues Cup, Tigres beat Vancouver on penalties

Tigres UANL advanced after a 1-1 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps, winning the penalty shootout after seven rounds.

NBA announces 2026 NBA Cup group play schedule

Group play begins Oct. 20; NBA Cup final is Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Beyond The Gates, Aug 12: Dani admits feelings; Andre confronts Bill

Tonight’s episode has Dani admitting attraction to Bill while Andre seeks a showdown with him, per recaps.