Oct 12, 2026, 10:30 AM UTC

Former Slovenian national team captain Aleš Čeh and Maribor forward Jan Mlakar have shared insights into their careers and the domestic football landscape ahead of key fixtures in Slovenia.

Čeh, a former midfielder who captained Slovenia during its qualification for major international tournaments, reflected on his long coaching career alongside Srečko Katanec, which included seven years working in Asia. Čeh expressed a deep connection to Olimpija Ljubljana and Austrian side Grazer AK while emphasizing his respect for Maribor.

Meanwhile, Ljubljana-born forward Mlakar discussed his third spell at Maribor, clarifying that he was never close to joining his hometown club. Mlakar noted that while rival Olimpija is currently dealing with internal struggles, upcoming derby matches provide a chance for competing teams to transform their season momentum.

Sources: Delo, Siol.net

German security agencies are investigating over 100 cases of suspected state-sponsored sabotage and espionage, according to regional law enforcement data. Investigations into a thwarted August explosive drone plot targeting Ukrainian transport aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport have linked the operation's logistics directly to an operative from Russia's military intelligence service, the GRU.

During a public parliamentary hearing, German intelligence chiefs warned that Moscow is waging a covert shadow war aimed at destabilizing democratic institutions. Reported tactics include drone reconnaissance over sensitive sites, infrastructure disruption, undersea cable damage, and disinformation campaigns. Authorities also cautioned that foreign agents may have pre-positioned explosive caches inside Germany, while noting additional espionage threats from China and domestic extremists.

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

Russian ground advances across Ukraine have largely halted, according to independent frontline mappers, contradicting claims from Moscow. Tracking data from the Institute for the Study of War and DeepState indicated net zero territorial changes over four weeks in September. Meanwhile, Ukrainian counterattacks near Oleksandrivka have liberated over 745 square kilometers since January.

With ground momentum stalled, Moscow has escalated long-range strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure ahead of winter. Prime Minister Serhij Koreckyj confirmed recent attacks marked the largest wave targeting power plants since last spring, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noting energy sites around Kyiv were heavily targeted. The strikes coincide with a decline in Ukraine's drone interception rate, which fell from 92 percent in May to 83 percent in September.

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

Historians increasingly define 1989 as the foundational turning point for twenty-first-century global politics, extending far beyond European borders. While Western narratives primarily emphasize the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of state socialism across Eastern Europe, concurrent events in Asia and the Middle East proved equally decisive in reshaping international relations.

In China, the government crackdown at Tiananmen Square secured single-party control, establishing the framework for state-managed economic expansion that eventually elevated Beijing into a dominant global economic power. Concurrently, the Soviet military withdrawal from Afghanistan marked a critical retreat in Moscow's international sphere of influence, accelerating the ultimate dissolution of the USSR. Collectively, these simultaneous developments dismantled the post-World War II balance of power and laid the groundwork for today's multipolar world.

Sources: Die Presse

US President Donald Trump has warned the European Union of potential high tariffs and trade restrictions if Brussels deepens ties with Ottawa through a proposed associate membership status. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently suggested creating the unprecedented associate role for Canada amid growing trade friction between Washington and Ottawa.

Trump characterized the initiative as "ridiculous" and cautioned that strengthening European-Canadian economic relations could be viewed as a hostile action toward the United States, potentially triggering severe duties or targeted trade halts. However, he indicated that punitive measures could be avoided if European intentions remain constructive.

The proposal follows comments by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who questioned whether Ottawa's strategic alignment now favors Europe over the US.

Sources: 444, HVG, Telex.