Oct 3, 2026, 09:30 AM UTC

Former Slovenian national team captain Aleš Čeh and striker Jan Mlakar have reflected on their football careers and the ongoing rivalry between NK Maribor and Olimpija Ljubljana.

Čeh, who captained Slovenia during manager Srečko Katanec's era, discussed transitioning into coaching after retiring as a player. He spent over a decade as Katanec's assistant manager, including seven years working in Asia. Despite his long-standing ties to Olimpija and Austrian side GAK, Čeh emphasized his continued respect for Maribor.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Ljubljana native Jan Mlakar has rejoined Maribor for a third tenure. Commenting on the upcoming derby against Olimpija, Mlakar noted that although Olimpija is currently experiencing internal difficulties, struggling opponents remain unpredictable and dangerous in derby fixtures.

Sources: Delo, Siol.net

Historical retrospectives identify 1989 as the pivotal year establishing the framework for twenty-first-century geopolitics. While Western narratives traditionally center on the fall of the Berlin Wall, simultaneous developments in Asia fundamentally reshaped global power structures. China's crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square solidified single-party rule while enabling its deep integration into the global economy. Concurrently, the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan generated a long-term security vacuum across South and Central Asia. Together, these concurrent historical developments dismantled the Cold War binary paradigm, accelerating the transition toward today's complex multipolar international order.

Sources: Die Presse

A total of 128 United Nations member states in Geneva have established a formal definition for autonomous weapon systems, marking progress toward international regulation. The agreement comes amid warnings from the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding machines independently targeting humans.

Concurrently, Germany's Ministry of Defence clarified its military artificial intelligence policy. Official concept documents reveal that certain weapon systems may execute tasks independently under defined conditions, although officials reaffirmed that ultimate military force decisions remain human-controlled. To ensure technological sovereignty, the German armed forces also decided to develop an in-house AI data analysis platform rather than using software from US contractor Palantir.

Sources: Correctiv, Der Spiegel, Der Standard, Die Zeit, ESUT.

Russia launched overnight ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, killing at least two people and injuring six others following a strike on a British American Tobacco facility in northern Ukraine. In response, Ukrainian forces targeted industrial infrastructure in Russia's Saratov and Samara regions with drones. Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishev confirmed that air defense systems intercepted "dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles," though a fire erupted at the Kuibyshev oil refinery.

Concurrently, NATO forces led by the United States conducted heightened military maneuvers surrounding Russia's Kaliningrad enclave. The operations involved Polish ground units as well as American and Norwegian aircraft. Addressing queries regarding the exercises, NATO reiterated that it "is a defensive alliance" required to continually maintain and enhance operational readiness.

Sources: Investor.bg, Mediapool, Nova TV

US Central Command has conducted widespread strikes against Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz, following an attempt by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to deploy naval mines and fire ballistic missiles at two American warships. According to military statements, the deployed naval mines have since been completely neutralized.

The confrontation expanded to commercial shipping when US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on September 5. The military operations follow public warnings from US President Donald Trump threatening retaliatory attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure and civilian utilities should maritime transport disruptions persist. Analysts highlight that the evolving conflict reflects modern energy warfare strategies, where belligerents increasingly target commercial fleets and civilian grids alongside conventional military assets.

Sources: Investor.bg, Mediapool, Nova TV