Zero's Briefs

World — London opens the door to SCALP missile production in Ukraine, Kremlin reacts — British Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv on 24 August, his first foreign trip as head of government; London is expected to announce the transfer to Ukraine of classified information on the British components of the long-range SCALP missile, ahead of assembly lines to be set up jointly with France. The Storm Shadow/SCALP missile has an official range of about 560 kilometres. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the decision extremely negative and said Russian military personnel are gathering data to identify and destroy production sites, according to the Interfax agency (Ukrainska Pravda; Obozrevatel). In July 2026 Emmanuel Macron had already authorised the production in Ukraine of a package of French weapons (Dialog.UA).

Italy — Ten years since the Central Italy earthquake: Mattarella calls for the reconstruction to be completed — On 24 August 2016 at 3.36 am a magnitude-6 earthquake centred between Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto struck Lazio, Marche, Umbria and Abruzzo: 299 dead, 365 injured and more than 40,000 displaced, according to the statement by the President of the Republic, who called the earthquake a warning on the need for prevention (ANSA). Giorgia Meloni arrived in Amatrice in the afternoon, laid a laurel wreath and met with the victims’ relatives; the mass was celebrated by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi (LaPresse). A citizens’ committee objected to the change in the historic time of the mass (Sky TG24).

Sport — Serie A, Roma open with a 4-0 win over Fiorentina — The first matchday of the Italian championship closed on Monday 24 August with the late kick-offs: Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma beat Fiorentina 4-0 at the Olimpico, with a hat-trick from Donyell Malen and three assists from Paulo Dybala; Lazio won 1-0 in Bologna with a goal from substitute Davide Frattesi, and Juventus won 1-0 in Frosinone. On the transfer market, the sports press reports interest from Aston Villa in Rafael Leao and an attempt by Napoli to sign Gabriel Jesus (SiamoilNapoli; Tifo Granata).

News — Venezuela, two months after the double earthquake reported toll stands at 6,509 victims — On 24 June 2026 Venezuela was hit by two quakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, with effects concentrated in the coastal state of La Guaira. The toll reported on 25 August stands at 6,509 victims. The report currently comes from a single source, an editorial roundup of tolls released by Venezuelan authorities (TorreSette); no independent confirmation is available and no official document could be consulted.

Film & Entertainment — Emmys, the final voting round is open: ceremony on 14 September — The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on 14 September 2026 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, hosted by Mariska Hargitay; the date was moved to Monday to avoid overlapping with NBC’s sports schedule. The nominations, announced on 8 July, are led by “The Pitt” with 25 nominations and the final season of “Hacks” with 24, a record for a comedy series in a single season (Deadline; Television Academy). Final voting opened on 17 August; the Creative Arts Emmys will be awarded on 5 and 6 September across 101 categories (IndieWire).

Culture — The Venice Glass Week reaches its tenth edition: more than 200 events — From 12 to 20 September 2026, Venice, Murano and Mestre will host the tenth edition of the festival dedicated to glass, with more than 200 exhibitions, installations, talks and workshops, the Murano Illumina il Mondo initiative and two international hubs dedicated to established and emerging artists. The report currently comes from a single source, the programme released by the organisers (Il Giornale dell’Arte); no independent confirmation is available.

Health — Drugs, a week for regulators: an accelerated approval in the United States, a withdrawn application in Europe — The regulatory roundup published on 24 August summarises official actions on human medicines over the past seven days: the US Food and Drug Administration adopted an accelerated approval and two guidance documents on generic drugs; at the European Medicines Agency, a direct communication to healthcare professionals and the withdrawal of a marketing authorisation application were recorded; the UK’s MHRA ordered a precautionary recall of a batch. The report currently comes from a single source (The Pharma Letter); no independent confirmation is available and the product names are not specified in the material available.

World — United States, rumours of 200,000 visas to be revoked — According to reports in the US press picked up in Italy on 25 August, the Trump administration is reportedly considering revoking around 200,000 tourist or business visas granted between 2016 and 2026 to foreign nationals who applied for asylum after entering the country. No formal measures have been announced. The report currently comes from a single source, an editorial press roundup (TorreSette); no independent confirmation is available.