Zero's Briefs

World — Yemen, fighting spreads between Taiz and Hodeida — On September 5, Yemen Monitor reports that four warplanes struck Houthi positions and convoys in the areas of al-Barah, al-Barasha, al-Kadaha, Maqbanah and near Hays, and cites a toll attributed to the AFP news agency of about 129 dead: 66 government soldiers, 62 Houthi fighters and one civilian. These are attributed figures, not independently verified. The same source indicates 917 families displaced in the western sector of Taiz and another 57 families, about 400 people, in the districts of Hays, al-Jarahi and Jabal Ras. The president of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, stated that state forces will not allow control of the Bab al-Mandab strait (Al Hadath).

World — UN General Assembly votes to abandon the Mercator projection — The resolution “Correct the map”, presented by Togo and supported by members of the African Union, was approved with 164 votes in favor, 6 abstentions and the sole vote against from the United States; the text is not binding. The Mercator projection dates back to 1569 and had been developed for navigation; according to the source, Africa has a surface area about 14 times larger than Greenland, which on that map can appear similar in size. The news currently comes from a single source, the New York correspondence of Tagesschau; no independent confirmation available.

Europe — France, over a billion for farmers after the summer drought — The French government announced on September 4 a plan exceeding 1 billion euros for the liquidity and production recovery of farms affected by drought, heat waves and wildfires, with two stated objectives: compensating for exceptional losses and facilitating the purchase of fodder, seeds and plants. According to the French Ministry of Agriculture, the national average temperature in July 2026 was 24.9 °C, 65% of the territory faced a drought described as unprecedented, 95 departments had water restrictions and 79 were classified as in crisis at the summer peak; the aid for nitrogen fertilizers, 145 million, is extended to December 31, 2026. Single institutional source, the one providing the measure.

Europe — Mobile phone ban in French schools extended to high schools — Since the start of the 2026 school year, the mobile phone ban, in effect since 2018 in primary schools and collèges, also applies to high schools (lycées); Emmanuel Macron presented the measure during a visit to the Lycée Chaptal in Mende. The same source reports the extension for September and October of fuel aid to various sectors, with road haulage initially excluded and trade associations in negotiations. News from a single source, Nachrichten.fr; no independent confirmation available.

News — Washington State, wildfire emergency and open fire ban until September 30 — The 2026 season began on May 7 and has burned about 425,000 acres, equal to 172,000 hectares. Governor Bob Ferguson declared a wildfire emergency across the entire state and imposed a ban on open fires until September 30; the state legislature allocated 120 million dollars for firefighting in 2026, double the previous year. The Storm Prediction Center issued a rare extremely critical risk warning for much of eastern Washington. The data collection, drawn from the governor’s office communications and federal bulletins, is available on Wikipedia: single source, no independent confirmation.

Tech — NHTSA opens review of Cybercab self-certification — On September 4, 2026, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a review procedure, called an Audit Query, on the certification with which Tesla declares the Cybercab’s compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards. The action follows the commercial launch in Austin, Texas, of driverless taxis. The announcement comes from the federal regulator; the manufacturer describes the Cybercab as a two-passenger vehicle designed for full autonomy and without a steering wheel or pedals.

Film & Entertainment — Creative Arts Emmys in Los Angeles — The awards for the technical and creative categories are given out over the weekend of September 5-6 in Los Angeles and precede the main ceremony on September 14; among the nominees mentioned are Bad Bunny and Taylor Swift. The information appears in the agenda of the EFE news agency, picked up by Infobae: single source, no independent confirmation available.