Sep 21, 2026, 04:00 AM UTC

US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have rejected media reports indicating that American military ammunition reserves are running low due to operations against Iran. CNN previously reported that missile depletion influenced military planning. In a post on Truth Social, Trump asserted that the military maintains "huge amounts of 'ammunition'" and threatened journalists and leakers with severe prison sentences.

However, a report submitted to the US Congress by an independent Pentagon watchdog contradicted these administration statements. The assessment cited "strategic inventory bottlenecks and supply constraints" resulting from the conflict, while detailing rising costs and operational strain on US forces.

Sources: Die Zeit, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau.

The United States Supreme Court has allowed construction on President Donald Trump’s proposed $400 million White House ballroom to temporarily resume while legal challenges continue.

A five-justice conservative majority, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, lifted a lower court order that had halted the project. The lawsuit, brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, argues that the expansion causes irreversible damage to the historical integrity of the executive mansion.

Although the justices indicated that the administration is likely to succeed in court, they emphasized that the decision does not constitute a final legal ruling on the project's merits. The interim order enables construction crews to potentially complete the building's structural frame before lower courts issue a definitive verdict.

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

German law enforcement and intelligence agencies are investigating more than 100 suspected incidents of foreign state-sponsored hybrid warfare across the country, according to regional police surveys and security reports.

Reported activities encompass unauthorized drone flights over military installations, railway sabotage, damaged undersea cables, and disinformation campaigns using manipulated videos. Security officials increasingly suspect Russian intelligence services, specifically the military intelligence unit GRU, of directing these covert operations.

A key focus involves an attempted explosive drone attack near Ukrainian transport aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August. Investigators have linked the operation's logistics directly to a suspected GRU operative. Intelligence agencies warn that Moscow's activities aim to destabilize democratic institutions, disrupt critical infrastructure, and deepen social divisions, with concerns that weapon caches may be hidden within Germany for future sabotage.

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

Ahead of upcoming state elections in eastern Germany, political debates surrounding education, historical memory, and cultural funding have intensified across the region.

In Thuringia, the education ministry partnered with the University of Jena to introduce constitutional coaches to support democratic education, following reports from educators about rising far-right rhetoric and symbols among students. To strengthen historical awareness, Evelyn Zupke, the federal commissioner for victims of the communist dictatorship, proposed making student visits to East German memorial sites mandatory alongside expanded classroom instruction.

Concurrently, cultural policy has become a major campaign issue. In Saxony-Anhalt, the Alternative for Germany proposed stripping public funds from initiatives it labels anti-German, raising concerns among observers regarding future support for Bauhaus heritage sites, Holocaust memorials, and local theaters.

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

Authorities in the German capital region dealt with multiple security developments involving airport disruptions, police searches, and intelligence oversight.

At Berlin Brandenburg Airport, police temporarily evacuated a terminal to inspect potential hazardous materials. In a separate incident at the airport, a 22-year-old traveler was remanded in custody after assaulting an employee when two late-arriving passengers were denied boarding.

In Berlin, special police unit Ferrum executed search warrants targeting four suspects, seizing a concealed handgun, live ammunition, a blank-firing pistol, and body armor.

Concurrently, scrutiny mounted regarding intelligence protocols after reports revealed that the Federal Intelligence Service failed to share critical information about the radical network of suspect Abdul B. with Berlin authorities prior to an attack.

Sources: Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, FAZ, Tagesschau