Newshour

Exit polls in Germany show the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is heading for a crushing victory in the eastern state of Saxony Anhalt.

Also on the programme: President Trump's top envoys make their first visit to Ukraine; and Ireland's greatest woman boxer bows out in glory. We'll hear from Katie Taylor's childhood hero.

(Photo: Top candidate of the far-right AfD, Ulrich Siegmund, gestures from the stage at the AfD election party after exit polls in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections in Magdeburg, Germany. Credit: Reuters)

German voters are heading to the polls in an election in Saxony- Anhalt, which could see the far- right AfD win power at a state level for the first time. The party sees the vote as a potential stepping stone to nationwide success.
Also in the programme: The top US envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are in Kyiv for their first talks in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion;
the political philosopher Francis Fukuyama worries about the future direction of American democracy; and we will hear from May el-Toukhy, one of the only two female directors competing at the Venice Film Festival about her film, premiering tonight.
(Phot0: The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund (R), and his wife, Julia Siegmund, cast their votes at a polling station in Tangermuende, Germany, 06 September 2026. Credit: EPA)

Vladimir Putin is holding talks at the Kremlin with Donald Trump's envoys, who are making a renewed push to end Russia's war with Ukraine. The Russian president told Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner that the talks raised difficult issues and expressed gratitude to Mr Trump for the diplomatic momentum.
Also in the programme: the US ambassador to Israel visits the West Bank and condemns violence by Jewish settlers; and the tennis player from the Philippines who is exciting fans at home and abroad.
(Picture: Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin in Moscow on 5th September, 2026. Credit: MIKHAIL METZEL/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)

Donald Trump's top envoys have arrived in Moscow, as part of a renewed diplomatic push to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Also on the programme, Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland party is aiming to secure a majority in the regional parliament of Saxony-Anhalt; people are still being rescued ten days after devastating floods in Nepal; and, the enduring appeal of Fleetwood Mac's most celebrated album, by the man who produced it.
(Photo: Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for Peace Missions listen as Vice President JD Vance speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran, Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS)

A US judge has declared a mistrial in the high-profile Lindsay Clancy murder trial. We hear from our reporter outside the courtroom. Also on the programme: Houthi fighters and pro-government forces in Yemen have been battling each other in some of the worst clashes for years, with at least 122 people reported to have been killed in the fighting. And months on from OpenAI's systems going "rogue" and attacking another tech company, we hear more on the latest investigation into what actually happened.
(Photo: Lindsay Clancy in courtroom, Credit: Reuters)