Today's Top Stories - September 6, 2026

This Sunday morning’s three-minute briefing follows four developments that can shape the day ahead: fighting around the Strait of Hormuz, flight disruptions after an Indonesian volcano erupted, a pivotal state election in Germany, and fresh diplomacy over Ukraine.

The latest exchange between Iran and the United States is centered on the waterway that carries a major share of global energy shipments. Al Jazeera’s live report says Iran claims it targeted U.S. warships with ballistic missiles, while the United States has released video of an Iranian tanker sinking in the Gulf of Oman. The Strait remains largely closed to commercial traffic, with a temporary route agreed by Iran and Oman but no lasting resolution. 12

Indonesia has suspended operations at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport after ash from Mount Anak Krakatau spread over the capital. The airport operator said the disruption affected 301 flights, including 58 international services. Six airports suspended operations, and the eruption produced ash reported as high as fifteen thousand meters in some areas. Indonesia’s disaster agency said there was no imminent tsunami risk. 3

Voters in Saxony-Anhalt are choosing a state parliament in an election that could test the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD. DW reports that the AfD is polling near forty percent, ahead of the center-right Christian Democratic Union. Other major parties have ruled out governing with the AfD. A majority for the AfD would be an unprecedented postwar result for a right-wing populist party in a German state; otherwise, coalition arithmetic will decide what comes next. 4

In Moscow, U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin for about three hours. ABC News reports that the White House described the talks as substantive and said plans for next steps could be announced in the coming weeks. The envoys are expected to meet Ukrainian officials in Kyiv on Sunday. No peace agreement has been announced, and major differences over territory remain. 5

This briefing separates reported actions from claims that remain disputed. The immediate watch points are whether shipping through Hormuz can resume, whether volcanic ash clears enough for flights, how Germany’s vote changes coalition pressure, and whether the Moscow-Kyiv meetings produce a concrete proposal.