Zero's Briefs

Italy — Veneto votes on the popular end-of-life law — The Veneto Regional Council votes today on the popular initiative law on end-of-life care: if approved, it would be the fourth Italian region to regulate the matter and the first led by the center-right. Nationally, the issue divides the majority: at the end of July Forza Italia obtained a postponement to early September of the deadline for amendments, and the Senate group leader Stefania Craxi reaffirmed the commitment to a national law. (Il Post, Today.it)

Europe — Ceuta one month later, 1,600 officers in the enclave — One month after the massive influx of migrants, 1,600 personnel from the Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil are deployed in Ceuta. Groups of protesters opposed to the increase in arrivals attempted to block the delivery of meals organized by the Red Cross, and a camp set up on a beach was partly set on fire; on July 31 the authorities had suspended the Feria scheduled for August 1-8. Demonstrations are planned today in several Spanish cities. (CNN en Español, ANSA, cronologia)

Europe — In France the mobile phone ban reaches high schools — As of September 1, the ban on phone use in French schools, in force from preschool to middle school since 2018, extends to high schools. Several institutions did not have time to amend their internal regulations, since the provision arrived only in early July. As of the same date, all businesses must be able to receive electronic invoices, and the PFAS tax takes effect: 100 euros for every hundred grams significantly discharged into water. (info.gouv.fr, Zinfos974, Le HuffPost)

Foreign Affairs and Geopolitics — Nicaragua postpones November elections to 2028 — During the night of September 1, the Nicaraguan Parliament approved a reform that extends the term of elected officials from six to seven years, postpones to 2028 the vote scheduled for November 2026, and bans opposition parties and candidates from participating. According to El País, ratification requires a second legislative session set for January 18, 2027; the session was held in León, according to Deutsche Welle about 90 kilometers from Managua. (EL PAÍS, DW)

Foreign Affairs and Geopolitics — Zelensky warns airlines and insurers over Russian skies — In a September 1 address, the Ukrainian president warned airlines, insurers and users of Russian airports of the risks in Russian airspace, which he said would become effectively closed during the war; he added that Ukraine does not threaten civil aviation. He also reported that strikes on Moscow and Saint Petersburg were suspended on August 25, 26 and 27 at the request of the United States. (Presidenza ucraina, Ukrainska Pravda)

Foreign Affairs and Geopolitics — Anadolu reports resignation of US Army Secretary — According to the morning briefing of the Turkish agency Anadolu, Dan Driscoll submitted to President Donald Trump his resignation as US Army Secretary after months of friction with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the future direction of the armed forces and the removal of senior officers; the account is attributed by the agency to the Wall Street Journal. Also according to Anadolu, the Mecca defense agreement among Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia would have launched the process toward a new regional security and cooperation architecture: the claim remains a reconstruction by the agency, not a verified fact. The news currently comes from a single source (Anadolu — Turkish state agency); no independent confirmation available.

News in Brief — Large landslide on Monviso near the Quintino Sella refuge — On the evening of September 1, a large landslide broke off from Monviso, in the province of Cuneo, affecting the area of the Quintino Sella refuge and part of the trail toward Pian del Re. The helicopter of the Piedmont regional service, which had taken off from Turin on a night mission, was unable to land due to suspended dust and the instability of the slope. The refuge reported the failure of a foreign hiker to arrive; Alpine Rescue search operations resumed at dawn. (Adnkronos, IlNazionale, Italpress)

News in Brief — Two dead and one missing after Grand Canyon flood — The flash flood that struck the Bright Angel Creek and North Kaibab Trail area in Arizona on August 29 caused two deaths; one hiker is still missing, according to public broadcaster KNAU. The water damaged the park’s only water pipeline serving tourists and residents, and more than sixty people were evacuated from Phantom Ranch, tagesschau reports. (KNAU, tagesschau)

Economy and Markets — US manufacturing ISM falls to 54.6 — The manufacturing ISM index came in at 54.6% in August, one percentage point below July’s 55.6%: it remains above the 50% threshold indicating expansion. July construction spending fell 3.8% year-on-year, with the private component at -5.5% and the public component at +1.8%, while job openings remained substantially unchanged. ADP data and August nonfarm payrolls figures are due on September 4. (EconCurrents, Charles Schwab)

Health — France sets 31-day cap on first sick leave prescriptions — As of September 1, except for exemptions, sick leave prescriptions in France cannot exceed 31 days on first issuance and 62 days in case of extension. The measure applies to doctors, dental surgeons and midwives; the certificate will have to indicate the medical elements justifying the work stoppage. The government’s stated aim is more regular medical monitoring. (info.gouv.fr, Canal FM)

Tech & AI — European Union classifies ChatGPT as a search engine — European authorities have classified ChatGPT as a search engine, a step that changes its regulatory scope within the Union; the classification was made known on September 1. On the same day the US Federal Trade Commission accused Amazon of charging unwarranted amounts to more than a million advertisers, and Berlin authorities announced they will not pay the ransom demanded by a group of cyber extortionists. The news currently comes from a single source (Tech Startups); no independent confirmation available.

Cinema & Entertainment — Venice pre-opening with the restoration of Tinto Brass — On the evening of September 1, in the Sala Darsena at the Lido, the restored 4K version of “Col cuore in gola” was presented, directed by Tinto Brass in 1967 and starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Ewa Aulin, with graphic consultancy by Guido Crepax. The restoration was carried out by the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia - Cineteca Nazionale with the support of Netflix; the film had already screened out of competition at the Mostra in 1967. (Biennale, VeraClasse, FilmSerieCanzoni)

Sport — Italy-Sweden in Brno in the volleyball Europeans quarterfinals — At 7pm today, in Brno, Czech Republic, Italy takes on Sweden in the quarterfinals of the women’s volleyball European Championship. In Italy the round of sixteen of the Coppa Italia is being played, with Sassuolo-Frosinone at 3pm and Udinese-Venezia at 6pm, while at Flushing Meadows the second round of singles at the US Open continues, having begun on September 1. The main draw opened on August 30 and closes on September 13. (ANSA, WTA, ATP)

Society — The European Union’s population will decline from 2029 — The Commission’s third Report on demographic transformation, drafted by the Joint Research Centre, indicates that the Union’s population has peaked and will begin to decline in 2029: from the current 450.6 million to about 445 million in 2050 and to 398.8 million in 2100, an overall decline of 11.7%, with nearly one in three Europeans aged 65 or over by the end of the century. Eurostat projections estimate an average loss of 1.2 million working-age people per year between 2025 and 2050; without migration it would be 2.4 million. (Voce Alta, Demografica)

Number of the Day — 840.8 million dollars against 10.4 billion — These are Egypt’s exports to China in the first half of 2026, up nearly 200%, and imports from China in the same period, according to the statistics agency CAPMAS. The ratio between the two figures remains roughly one to twelve. (Al Jazeera)

On This Day — Two hundred years since the rediscovery of the Blue Grotto — 1826 marks the modern rediscovery of Capri’s grotto, the starting point of the island’s international myth. The bicentenary is at the center of the exhibition at the Certosa di San Giacomo, open until October 18 and curated by Massimo Osanna and Luca Di Franco. (Sud Notizie)