Sep 22, 2026, 07:00 PM UTC

Former Slovenian national football team captain Aleš Čeh and striker Jan Mlakar have shared insights on their careers and the domestic game ahead of the derby between NK Maribor and Olimpija Ljubljana.

Čeh, who captained Slovenia during its qualification for major international tournaments, reflected on his transition into coaching. Following his playing career, he served as an assistant to manager Srečko Katanec for over a decade, including a seven-year stint working in Asia.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old forward Jan Mlakar detailed his third tenure with NK Maribor. Expressing confidence in the club's direction, Mlakar noted that although rivals Olimpija Ljubljana are currently experiencing a domestic crisis, derby matches offer struggling teams a chance to rebuild momentum.

Sources: Delo, Siol.net

Historical analyses continue to highlight 1989 as a crucial turning point defining contemporary global geopolitics. While Western narratives primarily associate the year with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communist rule across Eastern Europe, parallel developments in Asia fundamentally reordered international power dynamics.

China's military crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square preserved single-party control while laying the groundwork for state-directed market expansion. Simultaneously, the Soviet Union's military withdrawal from Afghanistan created a power vacuum that generated enduring regional volatility. Observers emphasize that these concurrent historical shifts established contrasting trajectories for democratic and autocratic governance, forming the structural foundation for modern strategic rivalries among major powers.

Sources: Die Presse

Danish intelligence services have warned that Russia is preparing potential sabotage operations targeting European industrial facilities. The alert coincides with heightened security concerns across the continent following investigations into incendiary devices discovered at Leipzig airport in Germany. German authorities identified two suspects linked to Moscow, including a Belarusian national who obtained a Schengen visa through Italy without entering the country.

Simultaneously, military operations continue to focus on critical infrastructure. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced an escalated campaign targeting Ukraine's power grid. In response, Ukrainian forces have maintained long-range drone strikes against Russian oil refineries, disrupting domestic fuel supplies and forcing Moscow to import petroleum products from abroad.

European leaders emphasized that hybrid threats will not be tolerated, signaling coordinated defensive measures across member states.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica.

Tensions near the Strait of Hormuz have intensified following a series of military engagements between the United States and Iran. According to US Central Command, American forces destroyed five Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels after Iranian forces targeted US naval ships.

In response, Tehran fired 20 missiles at US military facilities in Jordan and claimed to have struck six vessels, including three tankers and an aircraft carrier. Meanwhile, US intelligence warned that Iranian forces may further escalate the regional conflict.

US President Donald Trump stated that Tehran faces "great difficulty" while noting that maritime traffic remains open after emergency crews contained a tanker fire.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, Il Messaggero, La Repubblica.

At least five civilians were killed and 16 others wounded after Russian forces carried out nearly 60 bombardments across five districts in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region within a 24-hour period, according to local emergency services.

The heaviest casualties occurred in the Kamianske district, where three people died and five sustained injuries. In Pavlohrad, shelling claimed two lives and left seven people wounded. Drone strikes and artillery fire also caused additional casualties and damaged civilian infrastructure in the Nikopol district. Firefighters and emergency crews deployed across the affected areas to extinguish blazes and evaluate structural damage. Local officials continue to inspect the sites as emergency responses remain ongoing across the region.

Sources: Ziarul de Gardă