Zero's Briefs

Europe — CDU rejects AfD’s request on postal voting — Thorsten Frei, named by ZDF as the Union’s parliamentary group leader, spoke out against the AfD’s proposal to abolish postal voting in Germany: according to Frei, current rules allow for the maximum possible participation and require no changes. He spoke in Berlin ahead of the CDU presidium’s first meeting with Chancellor and party leader Friedrich Merz after the summer break. Only source available: ZDF.

News — Over 200,000 households without power in the Baltic region — After the weekend storms, on the morning of August 24 more than 120,000 households were still without electricity in Lithuania and over 87,000 in Latvia, according to data from national grid operators cited by ZDF. The report currently comes from a single source; no independent confirmation available.

News — Record average ocean temperature: 21.1 degrees — On Saturday, the world’s oceans recorded a record daily average temperature of 21.1°C. The figure was released during the 7:30 a.m. news bulletin on RTL on August 24, 2026 and is currently the only source available: today’s sources do not identify the agency that produced the measurement.

Economy and Markets — 50% tariffs on Canadian goods, Carney summons press — Since Saturday, August 22, wine, furniture and hockey sticks are among the Canadian goods hit by a 50% U.S. tariff, applied to roughly $20 billion in exports. Prime Minister Mark Carney outlined Ottawa’s response at a press conference on Parliament Hill. The report comes from a single source, WORLD Radio’s newscast with material from the Associated Press and The Canadian Press.

Economy and Markets — Uniper signs long-term gas deal with Equinor — German energy group Uniper has concluded a long-term natural gas supply contract with Norway’s Equinor. The announcement was reported on the afternoon of August 24 by ZDF based on the company’s statement: single source, duration and volumes not specified.

Sports — Serie A, opening matchday favors away teams — Juventus won 1-0 at Frosinone, Milan 2-1 away at Torino, Lecce 2-0 at Venezia; Atalanta beat Sassuolo 2-1. Official results from Lega Serie A cited in the TorreSette press review, currently the only source available.

Culture — Plovdiv showcases its just-concluded excavation season — The Regional Archaeological Museum of Plovdiv is hosting, through the end of the year, the exhibition “Discoveries 2025 – Threshold Between Worlds,” inaugurated on August 11, 2026 and dedicated to the most significant finds from the latest campaign in the city and the region. The exhibition is built around two themes, daily life and the afterlife in ancient societies. Only source: the BTA news agency.

Film & Entertainment — “The Odyssey” becomes the highest-grossing R-rated film — The Universal title collected $113.6 million in its fourth worldwide weekend and surpassed “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($1.33 billion), reaching $1.352 billion. In the same period, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” reached $1.67 billion overall as of August 10. Data from film studios and Comscore tracking reported by Deadline.