Oct 2, 2026, 09:30 PM UTC

Former Slovenian national team captain Aleš Čeh and forward Jan Mlakar have shared insights into their careers and the rivalry between NK Maribor and Olimpija Ljubljana. Čeh, who captained Slovenia during its prominent era under manager Srečko Katanec, discussed his transition into coaching, including a decade-long assistant role with Katanec that included seven years in Asia. While maintaining affection for Olimpija and Austria's GAK, Čeh highlighted his lingering respect for Maribor.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Ljubljana native Mlakar has returned to Maribor for a third stint. Mlakar expressed confidence in Maribor's leadership and commented on Olimpija's current internal struggles, warning that derby matches remain unpredictable regardless of form.

Sources: Delo, Siol.net

Historical analyses highlight 1989 as a pivotal year that shaped contemporary global geopolitics through three major international events. While European memory centers heavily on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communist rule in Eastern Europe, simultaneous developments across Asia redefined global balances of power.

In China, the government suppressed pro-democracy demonstrations at Tiananmen Square, consolidating single-party political rule while preparing the nation for rapid economic integration worldwide. Concurrently, the departure of Soviet armed forces from Afghanistan created a security vacuum, deeply destabilizing South and Central Asia for subsequent decades. Analysts conclude that these interconnected developments dismantled the bipartite Cold War framework, laying the groundwork for the modern multipolar international system.

Sources: Die Presse

Hungarian Transport Minister Dávid Vitézy confirmed the recovery of 2.27 billion forints (€5.7 million) for the state from a private equity fund associated with businessman Lőrinc Mészáros.

The repayment follows an official audit into state acquisitions of electronic toll system companies worth 64.5 billion forints authorized during the tenure of former minister János Lázár.

Following the financial recovery, government scrutiny has expanded to include state contracts linked to IT entrepreneur Gábor Emőri. Emőri spent 12 years developing and operating key components of the national toll infrastructure. Officials are currently reviewing historical procurement agreements to evaluate whether additional public funds can be retrieved.

Sources: 444, HVG, Telex

Kosovo forensic authorities and the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) have begun the identification phase for mortal remains exhumed from three sites in the northern municipality of Zubin Potok. The exhumation process, which concluded on August 21, uncovered the remains of at least 23 individuals believed to be victims of the 1998–1999 Kosovo conflict.

Samira Krehić, head of the ICMP's Western Balkans program, stated that recovering the remains marks only the initial step of a complex procedure. Experts will now extract DNA profiles from recovered bone samples and compare them against genetic reference samples provided by families of missing persons. Kosovo's Governmental Commission on Missing Persons is coordinating the effort alongside international forensic partners.

Sources: Gazeta Tema, Koha.

New EU regulations extending temporary protection for displaced Ukrainians until March 2028 have come into effect, incorporating provisions linking residency rights to military service obligations.

In the Czech Republic, authorities are addressing labor market fraud through the police unit Kobra 26, which is investigating agency employment chains and undeclared work. Officials caution that tax evasion surrounding foreign labor could cost the state billions of korunas.

Meanwhile, official travel to Ukraine has stirred political friction in Prague. Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Barbora Urbanová visited Kyiv following an unapproved request to parliament's organizational committee, a rejection Speaker Tomio Okamura claimed was not politically motivated. Concurrently, Chief of General Staff Miroslav Hlaváč is awaiting defense ministry authorization to attend an upcoming security conference in Ukraine.

Sources: Ekonomický deník, iROZHLAS, Respect, Seznam Zprávy