🔋 Trump spends billions on EV mineral supply

Despite previous anti-EV stances, Trump unveiled a $3-billion federal investment in critical minerals projects across the US. This move aims to secure domestic supply chains and reduce reliance on China for minerals like lithium and cobalt. Key funding includes a $1.4-billion Pentagon loan to Sila Nanotechnologies for battery materials production. Lithium Americas also secured $435 million from the DOE for its Thacker Pass project in Nevada. This push aligns with Project Vault, a $12 billion initiative to stockpile vital minerals for US industry.

🎬 Batwara 1947 opens slow against tough competition

Sunny Deol's film, Batwara 1947, registered a morning occupancy of 7.54% on its first day. This performance, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, placed it behind its competitor, Awarapan 2, in morning occupancy figures. Compared to his 2025 film Jaat's 8.62% and 2026's Border 2 at 19.46%, the response was lukewarm. The film will now face a big battle against Emraan Hashmi’s movie during the Independence Day weekend. All eyes are on the potential footfall improvement during the evening and night shows.

🤰 Antibodies linked to tough pregnancy outcomes in SLE

Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) testing positive for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) faced higher risks during pregnancy. The study, conducted at a Chinese hospital, looked at 441 singleton pregnancies across 410 SLE patients from January 2013 to January 2024. Overall, 17.9% of pregnancies had aPL positivity, while 16.1% experienced an adverse outcome. Patients with positive aPLs showed 2.56-fold higher odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to those without. The research suggests focused management is needed for those with lupus anticoagulant and specific IgG antibodies. 🤰

🎬 Lokesh Kanagaraj's DC hits top 3 opening week

Lokesh Kanagaraj's film DC is showing strong momentum at the box office. It is starring Sanjana AK and Wamiqa Gabbi and is currently running in theaters. After one week, the film has achieved a net collection of 41.65 crore at the Indian box office. This places DC as the third-highest opening week in Kollywood for 2026, behind Jana Nayagan and Karuppu. The film will now face competition from Suriya’s Vishwanath & Sons. 🍿

🔬 HIV vaccine design gets a precision upgrade

Researchers found that vaccine nanoparticles with high avidity boost immune responses in mice. The study was conducted by teams from Scripps Research, the University of Texas Medical Branch, and IAVI. Greater repetitiveness led to a longer-lasting response, with more memory B cells and antibodies produced. This shows that overall 'grip' on B cells helps them compete better in germinal centres. Vaccine developers can now use nanoparticle architecture as another key design factor for HIV vaccines. 🔬

🔬 Chemists might be misreading carbon material defects

Researchers suggest that chemists might be misassigning defects in carbon-based materials based on spectral analysis. The team at Chiba University, Japan, used DFT to compare simulated and experimental data from materials heated at 1200°C or above. Specifically, a peak at around 285eV was found to originate from sp2 carbon defects, not just sp3 carbon as previously thought. This could mean previous studies on carbon materials need careful reinterpretation by the scientific community. The findings offer a fundamental guide for designing better carbon materials, like those for CO2 capture. 🔬

🕷️ Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits massive box office milestones

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has become the fastest film in history to surpass the $700 million mark in North America. The Tom Holland starrer achieved this, placing it at $704.6 million domestically. This film surpassed Black Panther's domestic haul in just 13 days, making it the 6th highest-grossing film. Globally, it reached $1.8 billion worldwide in just 15 days since its July 31 release. The movie is projected to hit $900 million domestically and may challenge The Force Awakens' record. 🚀

🔭 Rare stellar stream reveals dark matter in distant galaxy

Scientists discovered a rare extragalactic stellar stream, a thin, curved band of stars, in the galaxy UGC 9050-Dw1. This discovery was made by researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Copenhagen. The stream was observed 115 million light-years away and its findings were published in Nature on August 12, 2026. By modeling the stars' orbits, the team used this stream to measure the galaxy's dark matter content. Future telescopes like the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope promise to find more such streams.

🧐 7 Arrested in Jharkhand Exam Scam Raids

CID officials conducted raids across Jharkhand in connection with a massive exam scam investigation. Seven individuals were subsequently arrested during these operations. The scam reportedly involved irregularities in the examination process over several months. This probe aims to uncover the full extent of the malpractice within the educational sector. Authorities are expected to continue the investigation to identify more involved parties. 🧐

😡 Twitch streamers angry over default Amazon AI training opt-in

Twitch is facing major backlash because a new setting allows Amazon to use streamer content for AI training. This issue surfaced on August 12, 2026, when livestreaming reporter Zach Bussey revealed the default setting. The setting, called “training for generative AI,” was enabled by default, prompting creator outrage on X. Twitch clarified that the platform itself is not training GenAI, but the option pertains to Amazon's models.

⚖️ Brazil starts trade fight with US tariffs

Brazil has initiated a reciprocity process against the United States regarding existing tariffs. This action involves Brazil challenging trade policies implemented by the US government. The dispute centers around specific tariff rates and trade agreements dating back to earlier negotiations. This move reflects ongoing tensions in international trade relations between the two major economies. The next steps will involve detailed discussions and potential retaliatory measures from both sides. ⚖️