Zero's Briefs

World — Tehran claims control over Hormuz — The Iranian government has stated that the Strait of Hormuz remains “under the control and management of Iran,” in response to claims by US President Donald Trump regarding American control of the strait. The report currently comes from a single source (TheStreet, citing a US agency); no independent confirmation available.

Italy — Yellow alert for storms and flood risk — The Civil Protection Department has issued a yellow weather alert bulletin for August 13 for rain and storms, with an additional yellow alert for flood risk in Calabria, on the Ionian side. The report currently comes from a single source (Meteo.it); no independent confirmation available.

Economy and Markets — Wendy’s soars on delisting rumors — Wendy’s shares rose more than 13 percent after a Financial Times report indicated that investor Nelson Peltz was preparing an offer to take the company private, with the involvement of co-investors Flynn Group and BlueFive Capital. Wendy’s stated that it would fulfill its fiduciary duties. Source: CNBC, citing the Financial Times report.

Economy and Markets — Daiwa cuts target on SpaceX — Daiwa Capital Markets has lowered its price target for SpaceX from $175 to $140. Source: CNBC, citing Daiwa’s research note.

Tech — Google launches Pixel 11 with Tensor G6 chip — Google unveiled on August 12 the new Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL, featuring the new Tensor G6 chip, upgraded cameras and Gemini AI features such as Magic Capture. The report currently comes from a single source (Tech Startups, citing a Google statement); no independent confirmation available.

Culture — Ancient DNA recovered from cave walls in Spain and Portugal — A group of researchers has extracted ancient human DNA directly from the walls of eleven sites in Spain and Portugal, including traces linked to ancient hunter-gatherers of Western Europe, opening new prospects for identifying the authors of prehistoric cave art. The report currently comes from a single source (ARTnews, citing a study published on The Conversation); no independent confirmation available.

Cinema and Entertainment — Locarno Pro honors ‘Spring Story’ and restoration with Godard — The Locarno Film Festival awarded ‘Spring Story’ by Gabriela Guillermo and Irina Raffo two industry prizes, while the Locarno Heritage Restoration Contest 2026 went to ‘Nous sommes tous encore ici’ from 1997, a film featuring a rare on-camera appearance by Jean-Luc Godard. Sources: The Hollywood Reporter and an official statement from the Locarno Film Festival.

Cinema and Entertainment — Locarno’s Open Doors honors three films on Africa — The Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors program, dedicated this year to the African continent, split the main prize of 50,000 Swiss francs among projects from Uganda, Somalia and Ghana. Sources: The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.