Sep 13, 2026, 12:30 PM UTC

Ahead of upcoming regional elections in eastern Germany, state governments and federal officials are rolling out initiatives to counter political extremism and strengthen democratic education. Thuringia's education ministry announced a partnership with the University of Jena to deploy "constitutional coaches" to schools, aiming to assist educators in addressing anti-democratic tendencies among students.

The move follows warnings from teachers in eastern states who report an increasing prevalence of far-right symbols, Nazi salutes, and nationalist songs in classrooms. In a related push for historical awareness, federal commissioner for SED victims Evelyn Zupke urged state governments to make student visits to former East German memorial sites compulsory. Meanwhile, cultural institutions face scrutiny as the Alternative for Germany party in Saxony-Anhalt proposes defunding initiatives deemed "anti-German," raising concerns for local theaters and historical commemoration sites.

Sources: Correctiv, Der Spiegel, DW, FAZ, Tagesschau

The US Supreme Court has temporarily permitted construction to resume on President Donald Trump’s planned $400 million ballroom at the White House. In a 5–4 decision, the conservative majority granted an emergency petition from the administration, lifting a lower court injunction that had halted the project.

Chief Justice John Roberts issued a brief order to give the court time to evaluate the government's full appeal against a lawsuit brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The court noted that the administration demonstrated a strong likelihood of dismissing the challenge. Although the procedural ruling does not constitute a final judgment on the legal merits, major structural work could be finished before the legal dispute is fully resolved.

Sources: Der Standard, Die Zeit, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau

German law enforcement agencies are investigating more than 100 incidents of suspected state-sponsored hybrid activity across the country, according to regional police data and intelligence reports. These operations range from unauthorized drone reconnaissance over military installations to physical sabotage targeting railway networks and undersea cables, alongside digital disinformation campaigns.

Recent investigative progress has focused on a failed August drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport targeting Ukrainian cargo planes, which security officials have traced directly to an operative from Russia's military intelligence service, the GRU. German intelligence agencies also warn that foreign operatives may have pre-positioned hidden weapon stockpiles inside Germany to facilitate future infrastructure attacks.

Sources: Correctiv, Der Standard, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau

Ukrainian soldiers from the 82nd Air Assault Brigade are conducting reconnaissance and strike operations in the Zaporizhzhia region while enduring intense physical fatigue and mental strain. Operating from evacuated civilian homes, these remote pilots hide vital equipment, including Starlink satellite terminals, inside residential gardens to evade detection by Russian forces.

Opposing units actively track electronic signals to pinpoint Ukrainian command nodes. Upon identification, these locations are targeted with heavy artillery and loitering munitions. To mitigate these threats, the drone crews frequently change their positioning and refine camouflage techniques to maintain continuous frontline surveillance and strike capabilities.

Sources: Die Presse

US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have rejected media reports alleging that depleted missile stockpiles restricted recent military actions against Iran. Reports from US media outlets, including CNN and The Washington Post, suggested that dwindling interceptor inventories forced a pause on further strikes. Responding on Truth Social, Trump asserted that the United States maintains "massive amounts of 'munitions'" and stated that domestic defense production is accelerating rapidly.

Trump also threatened individuals who leak unauthorized military intelligence with severe prison sentences. The public statements follow reports indicating that Trump questioned Hegseth after classified stockpile figures were published. Pentagon officials reiterated that current military inventories remain sufficient to fulfill all ongoing strategic and defensive missions.

Sources: Die Zeit, FAZ, ORF