Zero's Briefs

Italy — Mattarella signs new electoral law — The President of the Republic has signed the electoral reform approved by the Chamber of Deputies; opposition parties are preparing appeals to the Constitutional Court over the majority bonus. The news currently comes from a single source (ANSA news agency); no independent confirmation available. ANSA.

World — Trump and Putin reach agreement on Russian diesel — Following a phone call between the two presidents, Washington has suspended sanctions on Russian diesel for six months; Russia has pledged to supply up to 4.8 million tonnes of diesel fuel to world markets. Zelensky criticized the agreement. ANSA.

World — Drones strike Rostov oil terminal — Overnight, a drone attack caused a fire at the NZNP terminal in Russia’s Rostov region, which has a design capacity of around 2.5 million tonnes per year; the local governor reported more than 50 drones shot down since the previous evening. Ukrainska Pravda.

World — US sanctions International Criminal Court, EU calls for withdrawal — The measures, announced on October 9, exclude the Court from the US financial system. The European Union expressed regret and urged Washington to lift them; the United States has postponed their entry into force by six months. Council of the European Union.

Europe — Czechs vote for Senate and local elections — Czechs began two days of voting on Friday to renew a third of the Senate’s seats and local administrations, the first electoral test for Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. The news currently comes from a single source (Associated Press); no independent confirmation available. The Washington Post.

Sport — F1, Singapore GP: Antonelli seventh in Sprint — The Sprint Race of the Singapore Grand Prix was held on Saturday starting at 11:00 Italian time; driver Antonelli finished in seventh place. OA Sport.

Tech — South Korea launches K-AI Package for Africa — At the KOAFEC conference in Seoul, South Korea unveiled a funding package for data centers and cloud computing access aimed at African startups, with an initial capacity of 20 megawatts expandable up to 200. The news currently comes from a single source (KOAFEC conference, South Korean government); no independent confirmation available. Innovation Village.

News — Hurricane Simon strengthens to Category 4 off Mexico — The cyclone reached Category 4 strength in the early hours of today, with sustained winds of 220 kilometers per hour; it is expected to reach Mexico’s west-central coast between Saturday and Sunday, with torrential rains forecast in five states. La Jornada.