Politics & World Affairs — September 20, 2026

Germans vote in state elections. Polls opened in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where expected gains for the far-right AfD could determine whether Chancellor Friedrich Merz survives politically.

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DOJ charges 16 over voting. The Justice Department charged 16 people across multiple states with alleged illegal voting and election crimes ahead of the midterms, including eight noncitizens in Texas.

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Houthis fire missile at Riyadh. Saudi Arabia confirmed Yemen's Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh, the first attack on the capital in the current escalation, prompting nationwide emergency alerts.

The kingdom's emergency alerts warned of a "hostile aerial threat," according to AP News, and the launch drew a response beyond Saudi borders: the U.S. State Department issued security warnings following the attempted strike. The targeting of Riyadh marks a shift in the rebels' reach during the ongoing escalation, extending the threat to the seat of the Saudi government rather than areas closer to Yemen.

AP News · Read more →