Zero's Briefs

Italy — Landings in Italy halved in 2026 — About 17,000 migrants have landed in Italy since the start of the year, less than half compared to the last two years. In July, 2,179 arrivals were recorded, and in the first seven months 5,247 repatriations were carried out, according to Interior Ministry data reported by ANSA.

Italy — Meloni visits the Carabinieri in Val di Susa — The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, accompanied by the Commander General of the Carabinieri Corps, visited the “Salvo D’Acquisto” barracks to meet personnel deployed for public order duties during the No Tav clashes of July 25 in Val di Susa. Source: Governo.it.

Italy — Giorgetti outlines decree on prices and Ilva — Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti outlined at a press conference a decree-law concerning oil prices and the situation of Ilva S.p.A., currently under extraordinary administration. Sole source: Governo.it, no independent confirmation available.

Europe — New EU rules on AI transparency — As of August 2, 2026, European rules designed to help citizens recognize when they are interacting with artificial intelligence or exposed to content generated by it, in order to protect them from disinformation or deception, have come into force. Sole source: European Union.

Foreign Affairs and Geopolitics — Russian ship spills eight hundred thousand barrels in the Arabian Sea — A tanker linked to Russia’s “shadow” fleet has released about 800,000 barrels of oil into the Arabian Sea. Omani authorities have launched a response to secure the vessel Caroline Bezengi and limit the impact on the marine ecosystem. Sole source: Kyiv Independent, no independent confirmation available.

News in Brief — A tractor hits an aircraft at Capodichino — A ramp vehicle struck an aircraft on the Naples-Palermo flight shortly before takeoff at Capodichino airport. Passengers were unharmed. Sole source: Il Messaggero.

Economy and Markets — Canada seeks a deal before the 50 percent tariff — Ottawa is racing to reach a trade agreement with the United States before a new 50 percent tariff takes effect. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said aluminum prices could pave the way for a deal with Trump. Sole source: Bloomberg.

Economy and Markets — Banco BPM halts merger with MPS — Banco BPM’s board of directors unanimously halted consultations on the proposed merger with MPS. Sole source: SoldiOnline.it.

Health — People live longer but in worse health — A study published in The Lancet Public Health by the University of Washington shows that between 1990 and 2023 global life expectancy rose from 64.6 to 73.8 years, while years spent in poor health increased from 8.8 to 10.7; in the United States the gap is 14 years, the widest among high-income countries. The report does not provide details on the study’s sample or methodology. Source: SIUrO.

Tech & AI — Jeff Dean leaves Google after twenty-seven years — Google’s chief scientist, Jeff Dean, announced his resignation after 27 years with the company, according to reporting by CNBC, the sole source for this story.

Tech & AI — EU opens tender for seven AI factories — The European Commission has launched a call for tenders to build up to seven “AI Gigafactories” in Europe, aiming to expand computing capacity for training and running advanced artificial intelligence models. Sole source: European Union.

Cinema & Entertainment — Ticket sales open for Venice 83 — Online ticket sales for the public of the 83rd Venice Film Festival opened on August 11 at 3 p.m. The festival runs at the Lido from September 2 to 12, 2026, under the direction of Alberto Barbera. Source: La Biennale di Venezia.

On This Day — Ten days of mandatory AI transparency — On August 2, 2026, the European Union’s new rules on the transparency of artificial intelligence systems came into force, designed to help citizens recognize when they are interacting with AI or exposed to content generated by it. Source: European Union.