September 8, 2026

MIDDLE EAST WAR | Day 193.

• Mohsen Rezaei, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Sunday that Iran has deployed new ballistic missile capability, the Qassem Bassir – originally announced last year – and that the missile had been fired at a U.S. warship. U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to the missile attack, and officials noted that the U.S. warships evaded the Iranian strike. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,655 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Following a weekend in which hostilities were suspended amidst visits to both Moscow and Kyiv by U.S. envoys seeking a renewed push to end the Russia-Ukraine war, at least two people were killed, and 16 others were wounded, early today in Russian airstrikes on Kyiv and southern Ukraine's Odesa region. Reports also note that at least two people were killed in overnight Ukrainian strikes on Russia-occupied Crimea. [more]

SEPTEMBER 11 | Ahead of this week's 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, New York City released more than 170,000 pages of previously undisclosed records today showing that city officials knew at the time that the air around the collapsed World Trade Center buildings was unsafe to breathe despite repeated assurances to the contrary to the public. [more]

U.S. FUEL PRICES | According to motor club AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas was $4.14 heading into the Labor Day holiday weekend – almost a dollar higher than at the same point last year and surpassing the previous record high, set in 2012, of $3.82 for the holiday. [more]

U.S. DRUG WAR | The U.S. military's Southern Command said yesterday that its forces struck a floating refueling station that supported illicit drug trafficking operations at sea in the Eastern Pacific yesterday. According to U.S. officials, the vessel was linked to the Ecuadoran criminal group Los Choneros. [more]

FLORIDA | National Transportation Safety Board investigations are ongoing today into a Sunday incident in which an Amazon cargo jet ran off a runway while landing at Miami International Airport, killing five people in vehicles outside the airport's property. [more]

HAWAII | Schools and government offices are closed today on the Hawaiian islands of Kauai, Niihau, and Oahu ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Lowell, which is expected to pass nearby today dropping as much as 24 inches of rain on some areas. Forecasters have also warned of the possibility of damaging winds, mudslides, tornadoes, and dangerous riptides associated with the storm. [more]

NEW MEXICO | Among dozens of social media posts made by President Donald Trump in the early hours of yesterday's Labor Day holiday were several suggestions that the state of New Mexico be renamed "New America." New Mexico Governor Michelle ​Lujan Grisham responded to Trump's posts, saying the state's name "isn't ​up for debate — it's been ours since before the United ​States existed." [more]

U.S. AND CANADA | New Canadian import tariffs ranging from 15% to 50% on about $20 billion worth of U.S. goods went into effect this morning. The move follows similar recent duties imposed on Canadian goods by U.S. President Donald Trump and comes amidst the two countries' ongoing and escalating trade disputes. [more]

SAUDI ARABIA AND YEMEN | In what analysts characterize as a major escalation, Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebel forces exchanged airstrikes over the weekend, with Houthi strikes on southern Saudi regions wounding more than 70 people and igniting fires at several oil facilities. Reports cite Houthi officials as saying the strikes were in response to a Saudi attack on a prison in northern Yemen in which at least seven people are believed to have been killed. [more]

GERMANY | The far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, political party won 43.8% of the vote in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt's elections on Sunday, narrowly falling short of an absolute majority that would have allowed the party, which is classified by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency as an extremist group in some regions of the country, to independently form the first far-right state government since the Nazi era. [more]

GREENLAND AND EUROPEAN UNION | Following repeated threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to take control of Greenland, the European Union has offered €200 million in E.U. support for the Danish semi-autonomous territory over the next two years to help mitigate the effects of climate change, boost internet connectivity, and improve hydropower plants, fisheries, and education. [more]

SYRIA | According to International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi, a recently inspected nuclear facility operated under the government of ousted former Syrian President Bashar Assad was configured to produce fissile material for possible use in nuclear weapons. The IAEA is reportedly working with Syria's current government to make plans for the disposition of the nuclear material found at the site. [more]

JAPAN AND CHINA | China has announced new import restrictions on Japan-produced dichlorosilane – a key chemical used in the production of computer chips – accusing Japan of violating anti-dumping regulations and harming China's domestic industry. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara protested against the move and said Tokyo would "respond appropriately" to avoid unfair harm to Japanese companies. [more]

ISRAEL AND LEBANON | The Lebanese Health Ministry says at least 12 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes yesterday on the southern Lebanon village of Kfar Rumman. Israeli officials say several Hezbollah-linked militants were targeted in the attack and that reports of civilian casualties related to the attack are being investigated. [more]

U.K., ISRAEL, AND WEST BANK | The U.K. government has announced plans to ban the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. British Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the move is not intended to be a boycott of all Israeli goods, but rather a targeting of "the expansion of these settlements, which are illegal under international law, in the West Bank." [more]

AUSTRALIA | Under new laws proposed by the Australian government today, social media users over the age of 16 would be given a choice to opt out of algorithms that determine what is shown on their social media feeds. [more]

HUNGARY AND RUSSIA | Without specifying the underlying activity that prompted the move, Hungarian officials today ordered 10 members of Russia’s diplomatic mission to leave the country for engaging in "activities in Hungary that are unacceptable for diplomats under the Vienna Convention." [more]

RUSSIA AND NORTH KOREA | The first-ever road bridge between Russia and North Korea was inaugurated yesterday, linking the border cities of Rason in North Korea and Khasan in Russia. The opening comes amidst the countries' expanding cooperation, which has included North Korea providing troops and ammunition to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine. [more]

NEPAL | Following the August 26 glacial collapse and related flooding and mudslides in the Himalayan region, Nepal observed a national day of mourning yesterday to commemorate the more than 1,300 people killed in the disaster and 5,000 others that remain missing. [more]

INDONESIA | A 25-hour continuous eruption of Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano that began Sunday morning coated local areas with ash and promoted the temporary closure of seven airports and the shifting of school classes to remote learning in affected regions. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1504, Michelangelo's David – considered one of the defining sculptural works of the Renaissance – was unveiled to the public in the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy. [more history]