A fact base you can check, line by line

Reference pages on policy, markets, science and culture — written so you can verify them. Confirmed facts and single-source claims are kept in separate sections, every figure carries its source, and where reports disagree we record the disagreement instead of picking a side. This edition is written in English, not translated into it.

Developing

South Korea Aug 13, 20:40 · Media · 5 sources

BIGBANG's 20th Anniversary Single 'BiiiG'

YG Entertainment announced that BIGBANG will release a new single, 'BiiiG', on 19 August 2026 — the group's 20th debut anniversary to the day. It is their first release as a full group in four years and four months, since 'Still Life' era track 'Spring Summer Fall Winter' in April 2022, and will be followed by the 'BIGBANG 2026-2027 WORLD TOUR <XX : COSMOS>'.

19 Aug 2026 (scheduled)'BiiiG' released on the group's 20th debut anniversary; world tour to follow.10 Aug 2026YG Entertainment officially announces the 19 August release of 'BiiiG'.

International Aug 13, 12:00 · Media · 3 sources

BIGBANG World Tour 'XX : COSMOS'

BIGBANG's 20th anniversary world tour. The officially published schedule opens at Goyang Stadium, South Korea on 21-23 August 2026, followed by Oakland, East Rutherford, Paris, London, Taipei, Singapore, Hanoi, Sydney, Bangkok and four Japanese cities. Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila and Kaohsiung are listed for 2027 as 'coming soon'.

2027 (TBA)Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila, Kaohsiung.Nov-Dec 2026Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, Fukuoka.

South Korea Aug 13, 10:20 · Media · 4 sources

K-pop Releases and Comebacks — August 2026

A date-ordered list of K-pop albums and singles released or scheduled in August 2026, including Red Velvet's 'Velvet Summer' (3 Aug), Stray Kids' 'This & That' (7 Aug), BIGBANG's 20th anniversary single 'BiiiG' (19 Aug), Enhypen (21 Aug) and NCT 127 (24 Aug). Only entries confirmed by both an English release listing and Korean press coverage are included.

24 Aug 2026 (scheduled)NCT 127 — 'Blingy'.21 Aug 2026 (scheduled)Enhypen — 'The Sin: Bliss'.

Settled · Reference

Settled Total Solar Eclipse of 12 August 2026 A total solar eclipse crossed a narrow band from the Arctic through eastern Greenland and western Iceland to northern Spain on 12 August 2026. It was the first totality over mainland Spain since 1905 and over Iceland since 1954, and one of the few this century to cross mainland Europe. Maximum duration was 2 minutes 18 seconds. Aug 13, 21:40 Reference Black Holes — What They Are and How We Photographed One A black hole is an object whose gravity is strong enough that not even light escapes. The boundary beyond which light cannot escape is called the event horizon. In April 2019 the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration released the first image of a black hole, at the centre of the galaxy M87. Aug 13, 21:40 Closed Artemis II — First Crewed Lunar Flyby Since Apollo NASA's Artemis II launched on 1 April 2026 carrying four astronauts on an approximately ten-day flight around the Moon, splashing down in the Pacific on 10 April. It was the first time humans travelled beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Aug 13, 21:40 Settled Fed Holds Rates in July 2026 — but the Dots Point Up The Federal Open Market Committee kept the federal funds target at 3.50–3.75% on 29 July 2026. The three dissenters preferred a 0.25-point increase, not a cut. That follows the June meeting, where the median year-end projection was raised to 3.875% and the 2026 PCE inflation forecast was lifted from 2.7% to 3.6%. Aug 13, 20:40 Settled BLACKPINK — DEADLINE (Album and World Tour) BLACKPINK released their third mini album 'DEADLINE' on 27 February 2026, their first album-level activity as a full group in about three years and five months since 'BORN PINK' (September 2022). The album shares its name with the DEADLINE World Tour, which ran from Goyang, South Korea on 5 July 2025 to Hong Kong on 26 January 2026. Aug 13, 20:40 Settled Bank of Japan Raises Policy Rate to 1% The Bank of Japan raised its uncollateralized overnight call rate target to around 1.0 percent on June 16, 2026, then held it there on July 31. The votes were 7–1 and 8–1; board member Takata Hajime dissented both times, proposing a further hike to 1.25 percent in July. Aug 13, 02:00 Settled ECB Rate Decisions in 2026 The European Central Bank raised its three key policy rates by 25 basis points on 11 June 2026, then held them at its 23 July meeting. The deposit facility rate stands at 2.25%, main refinancing operations at 2.40% and the marginal lending facility at 2.65%, with energy prices tied to the Middle East situation cited as an inflation risk. Aug 13, 00:50