Sep 20, 2026, 07:00 AM UTC

US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have rejected media reports indicating that American military stockpiles are dangerously depleted due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. Addressing the claims, Trump posted on Truth Social that the United States possesses "huge amounts of 'ammunition'" while threatening leakers and journalists with long prison sentences. Previous media reports suggested that missile shortages had limited further US strikes against Iranian targets.

The administration's assurances contrast with a Pentagon oversight report submitted to Congress, which admitted to "strategic inventory bottlenecks and supply constraints" caused by prolonged operations. While official statements maintain that domestic defense manufacturing is accelerating production to restore reserves, the watchdog document highlights mounting financial costs and hardware strain on American military capabilities.

Sources: Die Zeit, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau.

Former Slovenian national team captain Aleš Čeh and striker Jan Mlakar have reflected on their respective careers and the state of Slovenian club football.

Čeh, a prominent figure in Slovenia’s international success under manager Srečko Katanec, discussed his transition into coaching after retiring as a player. Having spent over a decade assisting Katanec, including a seven-year stint in Asia, Čeh highlighted the evolving coaching landscape while keeping ties to domestic clubs like Olimpija and Maribor.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old forward Jan Mlakar detailed his third stint with Maribor. Addressing the rivalry with Olimpija, Mlakar observed that derby matches remain highly unpredictable regardless of club form.

Sources: Delo, Siol.net

US-led NATO forces executed heightened military maneuvers around Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, deploying fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, and Polish ground units. NATO representatives characterized the activity as routine efforts to refine defensive capabilities.

Concurrently, a published investigation revealed that Moscow has constructed ten covert facilities in close proximity to NATO borders. These sites reportedly feature launch pads designed for long-range kamikaze drones capable of reaching targets across Western Europe.

Meanwhile, direct exchanges between Russian and Ukrainian forces intensified. Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv, killing at least two people and wounding six others, following earlier drone damage to an industrial facility. Ukrainian forces retaliated with drone strikes in Russia's Saratov region, resulting in reported injuries.

Sources: Investor.bg, Mediapool, Nova TV.

Historical analyses continue to highlight 1989 as a pivotal year that shaped 21st-century geopolitics through interconnected global events. While European memory centers on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communist administrations across Eastern Europe, simultaneous developments in Asia altered the international order just as significantly.

In China, the military crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square consolidated single-party authority while opening the path for rapid economic expansion. Simultaneously, the complete exit of Soviet forces from Afghanistan created deep political vacuums and long-term security challenges across Eurasia. Experts argue that examining these events together demonstrates how structural shifts across Europe and Asia jointly established contemporary geopolitical dynamics.

Sources: Die Presse

Political debates over education, history, and cultural policy are intensifying across eastern Germany ahead of upcoming state elections. Educators in the region report a rise in far-right rhetoric and symbols among students, prompting Thuringia's education ministry to partner with the University of Jena to send constitutional coaches to schools to strengthen democratic values.

To address gaps in historical knowledge, Evelyn Zupke, the federal commissioner for victims of the SED dictatorship, called for mandatory school visits to East German memorial sites alongside expanded instruction on the communist era. Meanwhile, cultural funding has become a central campaign issue. In Saxony-Anhalt, the Alternative for Germany proposed stripping public funds from projects deemed anti-German, prompting concerns over future support for Holocaust memorials, theater diversity, and Bauhaus heritage.

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