Oct 12, 2026, 10:30 PM UTC

At a United Nations conference in Geneva, 128 member states reached a consensus on defining autonomous weapon systems. Simultaneously, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that autonomous machine targeting of humans risks "crossing a moral red line."

In parallel, Germany's Defense Ministry confirmed that while ultimate human authority over military force remains essential, weapon systems may utilize partially autonomous functions in specific scenarios without step-by-step human intervention. To preserve technological sovereignty, the Bundeswehr declined to use software from US vendor Palantir, choosing instead to build an internal AI platform for rapid data processing and decision-making.

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

Former Slovenian national team captain Aleš Čeh and forward Jan Mlakar have shared insights into their careers and the landscape of domestic football. Čeh, a prominent figure in Slovenia's qualification campaigns under head coach Srečko Katanec, spent over a decade working as Katanec's assistant, including a seven-year stint coaching in Asia. He highlighted his ties to Olimpija Ljubljana and Austrian side Grazer AK, alongside his regard for Maribor.

Separately, Mlakar discussed returning to Maribor for a third tenure. Despite his Ljubljana roots, the 27-year-old stated that he was "never close to signing" with rival club Olimpija. Mlakar expressed confidence in Maribor's leadership while noting that upcoming derby fixtures offer struggling teams an opportunity to reset their season momentum.

Sources: Delo, Siol.net

German security services and state authorities are investigating over 100 cases of suspected state-sponsored sabotage and espionage. Tactics range from drone reconnaissance over military sites and transport infrastructure disruption to cyber disinformation campaigns and concealed weapon caches.

Investigators recently linked a foiled August drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport directly to Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU. The explosive-laden drone targeted Ukrainian transport aircraft stationed at the hub. During a parliamentary hearing, heads of Germany's intelligence agencies warned that Moscow is conducting an escalating "shadow war" aimed at destabilizing democratic institutions and society, while also highlighting foreign influence operations from China. Officials cautioned that hybrid operations increasingly combine physical sabotage with digital influence efforts.

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

Russian ground forces have seen their offensive momentum stall across Ukraine, despite official claims of progress from Moscow. Recent mapping updates from the Institute for the Study of War and DeepState reflect virtually net-zero territorial shifts, while Finland's Black Bird Group reported Russian gains of 133 square kilometers in August were counterbalanced by Ukrainian localized counterattacks. Ukrainian troops have regained over 745 square kilometers and 26 settlements in the Oleksandrivka sector since January.

With ground advances constrained, Russian forces have escalated long-range aerial bombardment targeting Ukrainian power and heating plants ahead of winter, particularly around Kyiv. Prime Minister Serhij Koreckyj confirmed recent attacks were the largest against energy assets since last winter. Concurrently, Ukrainian air defense efficiency against incoming drones fell to 83 percent in September from 92 percent in May.

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

Historians are increasingly framing the events of 1989 as the crucial foundation of contemporary global politics. While Western perspectives traditionally emphasize the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Eastern European communism, broader historical analyses highlight simultaneous shifts in Asia and the Middle East that redefined global power dynamics.

In China, the crackdown on Tiananmen Square demonstrations reinforced authoritarian governance, paving the way for Beijing's state-driven economic emergence. Concurrently, the final withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan marked the decline of Moscow's international reach and accelerated the collapse of the Soviet Union. Together with European geopolitical transformations, these developments dismantled the Cold War framework and laid the groundwork for today's multipolar global order.

Sources: Die Presse