Oct 10, 2026, 10:00 PM UTC

Former Slovenian national team captain Aleš Čeh and striker Jan Mlakar have provided perspectives on their football journeys and the upcoming Eternal Derby between Olimpija Ljubljana and Maribor. Čeh, who captained Slovenia during its acclaimed qualification era under manager Srečko Katanec, detailed his subsequent coaching career, which included over a decade as Katanec's assistant across Europe and Asia. Meanwhile, 27-year-old Ljubljana-born forward Mlakar has rejoined Maribor for his third stint at the club. Speaking ahead of the rivalry match, Mlakar reaffirmed his commitment to Maribor despite his hometown origins, noting that while Olimpija currently faces an internal crisis, derby matches often offer struggling teams a chance to reverse their fortunes.

Sources: Delo, Siol.net

German intelligence agencies and state police authorities are investigating over 100 suspected foreign hybrid attacks, with evidence increasingly pointing toward Russian state involvement.

During a parliamentary hearing, security directors warned that Russian operatives may have cached weapons and explosives within Germany to facilitate future sabotage operations. Concurrently, investigators probing a foiled August drone attack targeting Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport traced the logistics to an operative connected to Russia's GRU military intelligence service.

The incidents under review across federal states encompass unauthorized drone overflights, railway disruptions, damaged undersea cables, and disinformation campaigns. Security officials emphasized that these tactics form part of a coordinated effort by Moscow to destabilize democratic institutions and deepen societal divisions.

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

Transport Minister Dávid Vitézy announced that a private equity fund linked to businessman Lőrinc Mészáros has returned 2.27 billion forints to the state treasury. The reimbursement follows an official review of a 64.5 billion forint transaction authorized under former minister János Lázár, during which the state acquired three electronic toll management entities.

Following the recovery of assets, Hungarian authorities are turning their attention to historical state procurement contracts involving IT entrepreneur Gábor Emőri. Emőri spent over a decade developing and operating Hungary's national electronic toll network, becoming one of the largest private beneficiaries of state technology contracts. Investigators are auditing previous agreements to determine if further state funds can be reclaimed.

Sources: 444, HVG, Telex.

Russian ground offensives across Ukraine have largely halted despite claims of success from Moscow, according to frontline tracking data. Independent mapping by DeepState and the Institute for the Study of War reported virtually no net territorial shifts over the four weeks leading to late September. While Russian forces captured roughly 133 square kilometers in August, Ukrainian counterattacks reclaimed territory near Oleksandrivka.

With ground momentum stalled, Moscow has escalated long-range strikes against Ukrainian power and heating plants ahead of winter. Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhij Koreckyj confirmed that recent bombardment targeting the Kyiv region represented the largest assault on energy infrastructure since spring. The renewed campaign comes as Ukrainian air defense interception rates fell from 92 percent in May to 83 percent in September.

Sources: Deník N, Ekonomický deník, Respect, Seznam Zprávy.

Extreme heat continues across Western and Southern Europe as Italy experiences its fourth major heatwave of the season. Italian health authorities issued red alerts for all 27 major cities, including Messina and Reggio Calabria, advising citizens to avoid sun exposure between 11:00 and 18:00 following at least four heat-related deaths.

Temperature records are falling across the continent, with Austria registering an all-time high of 40.8 degrees Celsius near Vienna. In France, health officials reported over 7,300 excess deaths associated with 52 heatwave days between May and July. Meteorological services in France and the United Kingdom warn of an additional heat spike approaching 40 degrees Celsius, while prolonged drought conditions heighten wildfire risks following record-high temperatures in July across several global regions.

Sources: Aftenposten, Berlingske, DR, TV 2 Nyheter, VG (Verdens Gang).