Kyodo News Digest: Sept. 12 2026

• The UK government formally declared that Israel's occupation of the West Bank is illegal and must end. • Israeli Minister Israel Katz described the Foreign Secretary's accusations of ethnic cleansing as "outrageous lies" and "blatant interference" in a sovereign state.

• Holocaust survivor and International Auschwitz Committee president Eva Umlauf wrote an open letter calling for a ban on the far-right AfD party in Germany. • The letter was addressed to North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Hendrik Wüst, who recently proposed creating a working group to evaluate the case for a ban motion.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin attributed current European political instability and the recent election success of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Saxony-Anhalt to failures by Western globalists. • Putin stated that "everything happening in Europe right now is basically the result of system errors" regarding Western politics, security, and economics.

• Iran-backed Houthi forces seized control of Mocha, a strategically important city on the Red Sea coast of Yemen, this week. • The city is located just 50 kilometers from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime chokepoint for global shipping.

• Thousands of people gathered in New York City and across the United States on September 11, 2024, to mark the 25th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks. • Commemorative events were held nationwide to honor the memory of the victims who died during the attacks.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin attributed recent European political shifts, including a far-right victory in a German state election, to failures by Western globalists. • Putin specifically cited the strong performance of the AfD party in the Saxony-Anhalt election as evidence of systemic errors in the West.

• The Alternative for Germany party won a state election, signaling a rise in far-right political support across Europe. • Voters chose the party as a way to express discontent over issues including affordability, Russian aggression, and trade disputes with China and the United States.

• A court rejected a Trump-backed congressional map in Missouri, meaning the state is poised to revert to its former districts. • The decision follows a legal challenge to the proposed map, which critics described as a dubious election-year gambit.

• A landlord and tenant in San Francisco engaged in a fatal conflict on September 11, 2026, highlighting systemic failures in the city's housing infrastructure. • The dispute was fueled by San Francisco's rigid rent control laws, which limit how much landlords can increase monthly payments.

• Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured the city of Mokha, a key location overlooking tanker routes in the Red Sea. • The seizure allows rebels to more easily target ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical corridor for Saudi Arabian oil exports.

• Justice Minister candidate Kim Seung-won defended his decision to hire the son of a senior judge as a legislative assistant in his office. • Kim stated the hire was made through an open interview process, despite the judge's involvement in lobbying allegations concerning the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.