Author: space4knews

Following the September 6, 2026 election results in Magdeburg, Ulrich Sigmund (left), a candidate from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, alongside party chair Alice Weidel on September 8, 2026, in Kathmandu. Germany’s far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieved a historic victory in the state election of Saxony-Anhalt in eastern Germany. According to exit polls and preliminary results, AfD secured nearly 44 percent of the vote, establishing itself as the largest party in the state. This marks the first time since World War II that a far-right party has come this close to power at the German state level. The result is seen as a major blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. Compared to the previous election, the CDU vote share is projected to drop drastically by more than half, falling to approximately 17.4 to 18.5 percent.

American President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and billionaire businessman Elon Musk, among others, have expressed support for AfD’s victory. How significant is AfD’s success in German politics? Due to Germany’s history under Nazi rule, mainstream parties have long maintained a ‘firewall’ policy to distance themselves from far-right parties. AfD has been accused of being anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, and an extremist far-right group, and German intelligence agencies have classified the Saxony-Anhalt branch similarly. Therefore, the party’s rise close to state power is viewed as a political earthquake in Germany. AfD has also grown highly popular on a national scale. Recent national polls show it capturing 28 percent of the vote, surpassing Chancellor Merz’s coalition.

The party advocates a tough stance on immigration, calls for halting aid to Ukraine, proposes abandoning the euro, and seeks improved relations with Russia. Why is support for AfD increasing? AfD positions itself as a strong alternative to established political parties. During the campaign, it focused on immigration crises, the economy, security, and German identity as key issues. This time, AfD nominated 35-year-old Ulrich Sigmund as its lead candidate. Sigmund described the election result as ‘historic,’ stating, ‘We have made history in this country. People have shown that things cannot continue as before.’ He sees this victory as the first stepping stone towards gaining power ahead of the 2029 national elections. AfD’s national co-chair Alice Weidel called the result ‘sensational.’

Trump, Musk, and Russian Support: U.S. President Donald Trump shared an image of the election results on social media platform Truth Social without any caption. Both Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have previously pressured German parties to break the ‘firewall’ with AfD. Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s presidential special envoy, shared a screenshot of Trump’s post expressing happiness over AfD’s ‘practical historic victory.’ Billionaire Elon Musk congratulated AfD, posting ‘Sehr gut’ (very good) in German on social platform X after Alice Weidel shared the election results. Candidate Sigmund thanked Musk and expressed hopes for ‘strong cooperation’ in the future.

France and Poland Respond: A Serious Turning Point for Europe: European neighbors have voiced significant concern about AfD’s success. France’s Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad described it as a ‘serious moment’ for Europe. ‘We must never forget our history,’ Haddad warned. Critics are particularly alarmed by AfD’s conciliatory stance toward Russia. If AfD assumes control of the state government, it would gain influence over state intelligence and security agencies, raising fears across Europe and especially among neighboring countries such as Poland and the Baltic states. However, despite securing 44 percent of the vote, AfD did not obtain a majority in the 83-seat parliament (which requires 42 seats), and other parties may attempt to form a broad coalition to keep it out of government. (With agency contributions)

September 7, Kathmandu – More than 170,000 passengers are stranded at eight airports in Indonesia after a volcanic eruption disrupted flights. The airports temporarily suspended operations due to volcanic ash in the airspace. The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in the capital, Jakarta, was the first to close early Sunday morning after volcanic ash from Anak Krakatoa was detected in the surrounding airspace.

According to Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation, 1,558 flights have been delayed. The airports are expected to remain closed until 9 a.m. local time on Monday. Officials reported that the volcanic eruption began late Friday night, followed by ongoing seismic activity in the region, accompanied by lava spews and loud explosions. Additional eruptions occurred early Sunday morning. The ministry noted that flight disruptions particularly affected routes to and from Singapore, as well as international destinations including Doha, Sydney, and Kuala Lumpur.

September 7, Kathmandu – A fuel tanker caught fire on the Sanandaj-Hamedan highway in Iran, resulting in the deaths of 11 people and injuring seven others. According to the IRNA news agency, the incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday near the entrance of Sanandaj city. The tanker, carrying 20,000 liters of gasoline, collided from behind with a minibus. The collision triggered an explosion that killed the drivers of both vehicles.

Following the accident, the governor of Kurdistan province declared two days of public mourning throughout the region. Mohammad Jabbari, the chief justice of Kurdistan, confirmed that a legal case has been registered to investigate the cause of the incident. Preliminary investigations indicate that a technical fault caused problems with the fuel tanker’s brakes.

Kathmandu, September 7 – Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has claimed that the United States and its allies have reached a state of desperation following a powerful response from the Iranian military. He made this assertion during a parliamentary address on Sunday.

“After the Iranian military launched strong attacks on US bases, the United States and its allied countries have become completely desperate,” Ghalibaf stated.

He accused the opposing side of using artificial intelligence to create battlefield images and videos based solely on slogans. Speaker Ghalibaf urged the US to understand that the time for limited responses has ended. He emphasized that the recent Iranian attacks carried out in these operations are only the beginning.

“If the United States has not yet understood the situation, it must realize—before it is too late—that the rules of the game have changed,” he warned. Ghalibaf further claimed that Iran’s upcoming retaliatory actions would be even more intense. On Saturday, the US and Iran conducted retaliatory strikes against each other’s vessels.

September 7, Kathmandu – For the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion, special envoys from the US President have arrived in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Kyiv. The two sides held talks at St. Sophia Cathedral. Ahead of the meeting, President Zelensky expressed readiness for discussions aimed at bringing the war to a close, emphasizing that security guarantees are essential for sustainable peace after the conflict.

Earlier on Saturday, these American envoys visited Moscow and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin described the Moscow discussions as “open” and “constructive.” Due to the inability to land flights, the envoys traveled by train from Poland to Kyiv. During the ongoing talks, both Russia and Ukraine agreed not to attack each other’s capitals while discussions continue.

On Sunday, Zelensky wrote on social media, “Ukraine has always been and will remain constructive.” He added, “We are eager to bring the end of the war closer.” Despite approaching talks, attacks between Russia and Ukraine continued. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched attacks using 108 drones and small cruise missiles, while Ukraine claimed to have shot down 82 drones and six missiles. Ukraine also confirmed that it targeted Russian oil refineries and airports.

The Israeli military initiated retaliatory strikes in southern Lebanon on Sunday after a Hezbollah drone attack, warning residents of Arab Salim to evacuate the area. According to the military, two drones launched by Hezbollah targeted Israeli soldiers stationed in the security zone of southern Lebanon, but no Israeli personnel were reported injured.

Lebanese officials reported that four individuals were killed in Israeli counterstrikes conducted Saturday across southern and eastern regions. The Israeli military began its operations after Hezbollah targeted its troops with drone attacks, urging residents of Arab Salim to move to safer locations.

“A terrorist organization named Hezbollah launched two drone attacks targeting Israeli Defense Forces soldiers deployed in the security zone of southern Lebanon,” the Israeli military stated in a press release. It confirmed that no Israeli soldiers were harmed.

As a precondition for further military action, the Israeli military warned residents of Arab Salim to evacuate the area. “You are located near Hezbollah terrorist bases or infrastructure, against which the IDF is conducting operations,” the statement posted on Telegram in Arabic read. Following this Iran-backed attack by Hezbollah, Lebanon is once again embroiled in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict.

The eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano on Sunday morning has led to the temporary cancellation of flights at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, from 5:30 AM to 9:30 AM. The airport closure affected approximately 209 flights and around 22,800 passengers. Additionally, flights bound for Hong Kong, Sydney, Amsterdam, Seoul, Doha, and Kuala Lumpur also experienced disruptions. There have been no reports of human casualties from the eruption, but volcanic ash has spread over Jakarta, Banten, West Java, and areas of Lampung in Sumatra. (September 7, Jakarta, RASAS/AP)

The Indonesian vulcanology and geological agency reported that Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait, erupted at 3:53 AM for about 30 seconds. Monitoring cameras captured lava flames emerging simultaneously with the explosion. Although no casualties have been reported so far, authorities have not ordered evacuations. However, local residents and tourists have been advised to maintain a minimum distance of three kilometers from the active volcanic crater.

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport announced the temporary suspension of flight operations between 5:30 AM and 9:30 AM on Sunday morning. This led to flight cancellations and delays, contributing to increased passenger congestion at the airport. According to officials, around 209 flights and 22,800 passengers were affected. The most impacted routes include busy domestic flights to Makassar in South Sulawesi and international flights to Singapore. There were also cancellations, delays, and schedule changes affecting flights to Hong Kong, Sydney, Amsterdam, Seoul, Doha, and Kuala Lumpur.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Indonesia stated that it is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the airport, airlines, air navigation services, and meteorological agencies. Around 170 aircraft remained parked overnight on the apron due to the suspension. Civil Aviation Director-General Lukman F. Lais emphasized that passenger safety remains the top priority in all operational decisions. Airlines are attempting to resume services, but additional delays or schedule adjustments may occur. Authorities urge passengers to check the latest flight status with their airlines before heading to the airport and to avoid traveling to the airport unless necessary.

Indonesia’s volcanic agency and Australia’s Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center identified two ash clouds in satellite images. One ash cloud moved northeast, reaching approximately 20,000 feet (6,100 meters), which has affected parts of Jakarta, Banten, and West Java. The other ash cloud rose to about 50,000 feet (15,200 meters) and spread westward and northwestward, impacting Banten, Lampung, Bengkulu provinces, southern Sunda Strait, and the western Indian Ocean region of Sumatra. Anak Krakatau means ‘Child of Krakatau’ and is a volcanic island formed after the catastrophic 1883 Krakatau eruption. In 2018, an eruption at Anak Krakatau triggered a landslide underwater that caused a tsunami, resulting in at least 430 deaths in Java and Sumatra. Scientists explained that a large portion of the volcano’s southwest flank collapsed into the sea, displacing massive volumes of water. Currently, Anak Krakatau remains on the second-highest alert level in the four-tier warning system. Experts note that continued eruption activity has reduced the volcano island to about one-quarter of its original size.