Zero's Briefs

Foreign Affairs and Geopolitics — Algeria breaks off relations with the Emirates — The Algerian foreign ministry announced on 10 September 2026 the severance of diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates. According to the Algérie Presse Service agency, the decision came after the means to preserve bilateral relations had been exhausted. TSA Algérie reports that the Emirati ambassador was received by the ministry and given a 48-hour deadline.

Foreign Affairs and Geopolitics — Rome to host the Israel-Lebanon round on the 15th and 16th — According to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, picked up by LaPresse and the Malta News Agency, the eighth round of talks between Israel and Lebanon, with US participation, will be held in Rome on 15 and 16 September, focused on the withdrawal of Hezbollah from the disengagement areas. According to The National, no breakthrough is expected before Israel’s elections next month.

News — Japan approves relief package for Kumamoto earthquake — The Japanese government adopted on 5 September 2026 a support package for daily life and business activities affected by the Kumamoto earthquake, following the 4 September meeting of the reconstruction and recovery headquarters. The announcements are published by the Prime Minister’s Office and picked up by the Jiji Press agency.

Economy and Markets — ECB raises deposit rate to 2.50% — On 10 September the European Central Bank raised its three key interest rates by 0.25 points: the deposit rate to 2.50%, the main refinancing rate to 2.65%, and the marginal lending rate to 2.90%, effective from 16 September. Eurozone inflation rose to 3.3% in August, the highest level since September 2023 (Il Post, Altroconsumo).

Health — EMA reviews injectable iron-based medicines — The pharmacovigilance committee PRAC of the European Medicines Agency has launched a review of iron-based medicines administered by injection, over the risk of hypophosphataemia and bone complications; the procedure may affect the benefit-risk assessment of the class (Torrinomedica, RIFday).

Sport — French federation withdraws support for Infantino — The executive committee of the Fédération française de football decided unanimously on 10 September to withdraw its backing for Gianni Infantino’s re-election bid, which it had supported on 29 June. “trust placed in the FIFA president has been broken” (transl. from French), said president Philippe Diallo. Sweden, Scotland, Italy and Belgium had already done the same; the election is set for 18 March 2027 in Rabat (franceinfo, AIP).

Sport — Platense reaches Libertadores quarter-finals for the first time — The 67th Copa Libertadores entered the quarter-finals with Estudiantes-Corinthians, LDU Quito-Palmeiras, Fluminense-Platense and Flamengo-Independiente del Valle. Platense is taking part for the first time in its history in an international tournament; Brazil is the most represented country with four clubs (La Nación, beIN Sports).

Culture — Booker shortlist arrives on 22 September — The final shortlist for the 2026 Booker Prize, chosen by a jury chaired by Mary Beard from a longlist of 13 titles out of 163 submissions, will be announced on Tuesday 22 September at the Southbank Centre in London. The winner will be named on 9 November at Old Billingsgate; the prize is worth £50,000 (The Booker Prizes, Literary Hub).

Film & Entertainment — Emmys on Monday, “The Pitt” leads with 25 nominations — The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on Monday 14 September at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, the first woman to host solo in fifteen years. “The Pitt” leads with 25 total nominations, 12 in the major categories; the Creative Arts Emmys were awarded on 5 and 6 September across 101 categories (NBC Insider, Good Morning America).

Film & Entertainment — Venice 83 closes after Golden Lions for Clooney and Burstyn — The 83rd Venice Film Festival, with 21 films in competition and a jury chaired by Maggie Gyllenhaal, ends on 12 September. The Golden Lions for lifetime achievement went to George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn; Ukraine’s foreign ministry criticised the inclusion in competition of Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s “DAU”, a selection defended by the Biennale (La Biennale, Wondernet Magazine).

Tech & AI — OpenAI says it has reached its research intern — The company states it has achieved its 2026 target of an “automated research intern,” a system that performs defined tasks under human supervision, and aims for an automated researcher by March 2028. The announcement came after the acknowledgment of a misalignment incident; these are the company’s own claims, not verified by independent assessments (TuttoTech, Dataconomy IT).

Tech & AI — Dispute over authorship of Navier-Stokes proof — OpenAI claims to have produced a potential proof concerning the Navier-Stokes equations using ten thousand agents over 88 hours, and specified it does not intend to claim the one-million-dollar prize from the Clay Mathematics Institute. Mathematician Tristan Buckmaster has alleged an attempt to obstruct a competing study; the result has not been validated by peer review (Avvenire di Calabria, The Neuron).

Number of the Day — 3,275 kilometers over twenty-one stages and four countries — That is the length of the 81st Vuelta a España, which set off on 22 August from Monaco with a time trial and finishes on 13 September in Granada, with around 58,000 meters of total elevation gain and 184 riders from 23 teams at the start. Favorite Tadej Pogacar withdrew after a crash in stage eight (Olympics.com, Eurosport).

This Day in History — Twenty-five years since the September 11, 2001 attacks — The attacks caused 2,977 deaths in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania; in the United States the date is Patriot Day, marked with flags at half-staff and a minute of silence at 8:46 a.m. Eastern time. New York’s medical examiner’s office has, over twenty-five years, identified more than 1,600 people, in many cases from bone fragments (ZDFheute, National Day Calendar).