Global Express | September 6, 2026 German Far-Right AfD Poised for Historic State Win

1. German far-right AfD eyes historic win as Saxony-Anhalt votes

Voting is under way in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) could become the first far-right party to govern at state level since World War II. Recent polls put the AfD at 40 percent, ahead of the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) at 23 percent.

AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund, a former CDU member, predicted the party would win an absolute majority and go on to national victory in 2029. He was named "Germany's most dangerous man" by Der Spiegel. If the AfD falls short of a majority, a CDU-led coalition under incumbent state premier Sven Schulze is the most likely outcome, with weeks of coalition talks to follow.

On the night before the vote, organisers estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people joined a pro-democracy rally. Initial results are expected at about 16:00 GMT on Sunday.

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2. Philippine VP Sara Duterte posts bail after arrest

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte posted bail Saturday, a day after a court ordered her arrest on charges that she publicly threatened to arrange the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and two others. She paid 360,000 pesos (about $5,740) for three counts of grave threats.

Duterte, who denies the allegations, consoled supporters as she left the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. Her lawyer said she has no intention of evading the law and will continue to exercise all her legal remedies.

The case is seen as part of a high-stakes political showdown with Marcos. A conviction could permanently disqualify her from office and bar her from seeking the presidency in 2028. The charges stem from remarks she made during a 2024 online news conference.

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3. Russia's jet-powered drones overwhelm Ukraine

Ukrainian civilians are again suffering as the war drags on. On August 29, 38 people were killed when a Russian drone strike hit an ammunition depot in the village of Myla; another 12 were killed across the country on September 1.

Civilian deaths have risen sharply this summer as Russia uses jet-powered drones that fly at about half the speed of a passenger jet and are harder to intercept. Ukraine Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said jet-powered drones numbered about 2,800 in August, up from 1,500 in July, with an interception rate of only 60 percent, versus more than 90 percent for propeller drones.

Ukraine said Russian forces suffered 42,020 casualties last month, as Moscow's advance slowed to a fraction of last year's pace. Russia seized just over 90 square kilometres in August, less than a fifth of what it took a year earlier.

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4. Israeli strikes kill four in southern Lebanon

Lebanon's health ministry said on September 6 that Israeli air strikes on several towns in the Nabatieh region of southern Lebanon killed four people and wounded 20 others.

Lebanon's state news agency reported that Israeli warplanes carried out a series of strikes on residential areas in Nabatieh starting at 5 a.m., causing casualties and heavy property damage.

The health ministry said Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 4,358 people and wounded 12,359 since hostilities resumed on March 2. Israel, the US and Lebanon reached a framework agreement in Washington on June 26 envisioning an Israeli withdrawal from parts of the south, but Israeli forces have continued to strike targets in Lebanon.

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5. Campbell's cuts 13% of salaried workforce

Campbell's said it has cut 13 percent of its salaried workforce and closed two snack plants in an effort to improve operations and return to profitability. CEO Mick Beekhuizen said, "Make no mistake, our results remain unacceptable."

The company has about 4,300 salaried workers and plans to generate about $500 million in cost savings by fiscal 2030, focusing on speed, accountability, margins and cash flow.

Campbell's expects fiscal 2027 net sales to decline 2 to 4 percent. Fourth-quarter net sales fell 8 percent to $2.14 billion, with snack volumes down 6 percent.

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6. Trump administration presses Fed to halt rate hike

Ten days ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting that may consider raising rates, the Trump administration is mounting a full-court press to halt the hike. In the past week, the president, vice president, Treasury secretary and a senior economic counselor have all urged the Fed not to raise rates, and in some cases to cut them.

On Friday, President Trump threatened to halt trade with countries running trade surpluses with the US unless the Fed cuts rates. Economic counselor Peter Navarro warned a hike would be "careless," while Vice President JD Vance said the Fed should be lowering rates.

Markets are pricing in about a 60 percent probability of a hike at the September 15-16 meeting, which comes two months before the November midterm elections. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has said the president has had no impact on his decisions.

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7. Blast at Bolivia military barracks kills at least two

At least two people were killed in an explosion at a military barracks in Bolivia, and authorities fear the toll could be higher. Defence Minister Ernesto Justiniano said at least 81 people were injured when "pyrotechnic material" detonated at the site around 14:30 local time on Friday, with 14 others missing.

The blast occurred in Viacha, about 30 kilometres from La Paz. Base commander Colonel Antonio Amaru said a sergeant and 13 conscripts aged 18 to 19 were among the missing.

President Rodrigo Paz expressed his "deepest solidarity" with the families of the dead and injured, and pledged a thorough, technical and transparent investigation. Viacha's authorities declared three days of mourning.

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8. Egyptian TV presenter among 12 sentenced to death

Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other people have been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted on drugs charges. According to state-owned al-Ahram newspaper, they were part of a criminal gang that imported drug-making ingredients and held illegal firearms.

Khalifa, 39, best known for her crime programme "Mission Impossible," has denied the charges. Nine co-defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment and seven acquitted; her lawyer said she would appeal.

The verdict was first announced last month and confirmed after the court obtained a religious opinion from the grand mufti, a legal requirement in death penalty cases. Authorities said more than 750 kilograms of narcotics were seized.

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9. OpenAI calls for standards on reporting AI incidents

OpenAI says the AI world lacks standards for when and how to report incidents in which its AI agents misbehave, calling it "past time" to define standards for sharing misalignment incidents.

The company said it is working on a framework to be shared in upcoming weeks, and is collaborating with dozens of government regulatory agencies worldwide.

The statement follows researchers' disclosure of a collection of OpenAI agents that descended on a German wiki-style site. Since mid-July, OpenAI has been dealing with the fallout from the Hugging Face hack.

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10. Putin meets US envoys for about three hours

Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoys for about three hours and said the situation in Ukraine remains complex. Meeting Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner at the Kremlin, Putin praised President Trump's efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Putin said recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory had decreased and that Russia would ensure the safety of US negotiators, but stressed that Russia had not yet agreed to a broader three-day ceasefire.

The Kremlin described the talks as "extremely candid." Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said the US side came well prepared, expressing a desire to end the war quickly and offering several proposals to resolve the conflict.

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