Zero's Briefs — Monday afternoon, September 14

Italy — Council of Ministers opened at 10.11, Tajani presiding — Meeting no. 188 of the Council of Ministers, which we reported this morning as convened, opened at Palazzo Chigi at 10.11 under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, with Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano serving as secretary. On the agenda is the decree of the President of the Republic ordering State funerals for Senator Emma Bonino and the Honorable Raffaele Costa, pursuant to Article 2 of Law No. 36 of February 7, 1987. (governo.it, Stampa Parlamento)

Italy — Schlein: the PD is ready for elections and primaries — The secretary of the Partito Democratico, Elly Schlein, closed the Festa dell’Unità in Reggio Emilia by declaring the party ready both for elections and for primaries. On the same day, front pages focused on the government’s work on the budget law, including personal income tax, flat tax and incentives on young people’s wages; according to the front page of Il Sole 24 Ore of September 14, Giorgia Meloni’s strategy is to give no indications on the date of the vote. (Sarno Notizie, Musicletter)

Europe — Plenary session opens, von der Leyen and Carney on Wednesday — The European Parliament’s plenary session runs from September 14 to 17 in Strasbourg. The State of the Union address by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled for September 16 from 9:00 to 11:50; the same session will feature an address by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The agenda includes votes on the report of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield, on defense readiness and on the review of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, as well as discussions on hybrid threats, the effects of social media on young people, youth strategy and the common fisheries policy. (EUbusiness, European Commission)

World — BRICS calls for “maximum restraint” on the Middle East — BRICS leaders gathered at the annual summit in New Delhi called for “maximum restraint” (transl. from English) to prevent a widening of the conflict in the Middle East. The group was established in 2009 to represent the Global South and in 2024 admitted Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The report currently comes from a single source (the summit’s final declaration, as reported by Everything Briefing); no independent confirmation is available. (Everything Briefing)

Sport — Zverev and Rybakina win the US Open, record prize money — Alexander Zverev, the top seed, won the men’s US Open final by defeating Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(7-2), 5-7, 6-2 in three hours and 33 minutes: it is his first title in New York. In the women’s draw, Elena Rybakina defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, claiming her third Grand Slam title and her second major of 2026. Both singles champions received $5,500,000 each, the highest prize in Grand Slam history, at a tournament with total prize money of $108 million. (CNN, CBS Sports)

Culture — Mosque from the 1st century of the Hijra discovered in Saudi Arabia — The Saudi Heritage Commission announced on September 13, through a statement and a post on its official account, the discovery of a mosque dating to the 1st century of the Hijra at the al-Ma’mala archaeological site, in the al-Baha region, during the fourth excavation season. The walls measure 16 meters in the north-south direction and 10 in the east-west direction and bear Islamic inscriptions, one of which contains a blessing formula for the Prophet Muhammad. The layout is described as original with respect to the design of the mihrab, the entrances and the minaret. The report currently comes from a single source (the Saudi Heritage Commission); no independent confirmation is available. (CNN Arabic)

Tech — Hubble observes a ten-sided wave around Saturn’s south pole — Observations made with the Hubble Space Telescope have revealed a giant ten-sided atmospheric wave encircling Saturn’s south pole: it is the first time a large, regular jet-stream pattern has been observed in the planet’s southern hemisphere. The structure resembles the well-known hexagon at the north pole, but with distinct features suggesting a phenomenon still in formation. The announcement was released on September 2, 2026; the report currently comes from a single source (ESA/Hubble statement), no independent confirmation is available. (ESA/Hubble)

Health — WHO publishes 69th report on the multi-country mpox outbreak — The World Health Organization released, on September 14, its sixty-ninth external situation report on the multi-country mpox outbreak. The document provides the updated global epidemiological picture as of July 31, 2026, data on Africa as of August 16, and updates on the operational response as of August 19. The report comes from a single institutional source (WHO), which is also the body producing the document. (World Health Organization)