Meloni continued to defend the proposed 30% cap on non-Italian-speaking pupils, insisting Mattarella had issued similar circulars as education minister, a claim Avvenire disputed and Il Fatto contrasted with Fratelli d'Italia's 2024 rejection of a Lega proposal.
Attention shifted overnight to Rome, where a 22-year-old rope-access worker fell ten metres during night works at the Colosseum. Prosecutors opened a manslaughter inquiry after finding his harness was not clipped to the safety line. The site initially remained open, prompting CGIL protest, before Culture Minister Giuli ordered closure and Meloni called the death unacceptable.
By afternoon coverage moved to New York: a Russian helicopter briefly violated Polish airspace, Iran's Pezeshkian displayed photos of children killed in raids as the US delegation walked out, and Zelensky called Putin the patient zero of war urging more sanctions.