Oct 13, 2026, 04:30 AM UTC

Former national team captain Aleš Čeh and striker Jan Mlakar have provided insights into Slovenian football traditions and domestic rivalries. Čeh, who captained the national squad during their historic qualification era under head coach Srečko Katanec, transitioned into coaching and spent over a decade as Katanec’s assistant, including seven years working in Asia. Expressing affection for former clubs Olimpija Ljubljana and Grazer AK, Čeh maintained respect for rival side Maribor.

Concurrently, 27-year-old Ljubljana native Jan Mlakar has rejoined Maribor for a third spell at Ljudski vrt. Clarifying that he was "never close to signing" with hometown club Olimpija Ljubljana, Mlakar voiced confidence in Maribor's leadership under Zlatko Zahović and Darko Milanič, noting that derby matches give struggling clubs a prime opportunity to rebuild momentum.

Sources: Delo, Siol.net

Russian ground operations across Ukraine remained largely stagnant through late September, despite claims of battlefield progress from Moscow. Independent mapping evaluations indicate near-zero net territorial changes over a four-week period, with limited Russian advances offset by localized Ukrainian counteroffensive maneuvers. Data from the Black Bird Group noted small Russian territorial gains of roughly 133 square kilometers in August, countered by Ukrainian forces liberating territory in sectors such as Oleksandrivka.

With frontline momentum constrained, Russian forces have escalated long-range aerial strikes against critical energy infrastructure, targeting heating and power stations ahead of winter. Prime Minister Serhij Koreckyj confirmed that recent bombardments marked the largest assault on energy assets since last winter, with Kyiv remaining a focal point. Meanwhile, Ukrainian interception rates for incoming drones dropped to 83 percent in September from 92 percent recorded in May.

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

Historians increasingly view 1989 as the foundational turning point of 21st-century global politics, extending far beyond European borders. While Western narratives traditionally focus on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of European communism, simultaneous developments in Asia and the Middle East fundamentally reshaped global power dynamics.

In Beijing, the suppression of protests at Tiananmen Square solidified state control, creating the autocratic framework that underpinned China's subsequent economic rise. Simultaneously, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan marked a decisive retreat for Moscow, accelerating the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union. Together, these convergent developments dismantled the bipolar Cold War architecture and established the complex multipolar order governing contemporary international relations.

Sources: Die Presse

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Donald Trump offered contrasting approaches to international affairs.

Macron described ongoing Gaza peace efforts as a "shameful spectacle" and condemned Israeli violations in the West Bank. In response, Donald Trump defended unilateral action over international consensus, stating, "while others talk, I act." Trump warned he would "annihilate" Iran, predicted Cuba's imminent collapse, and highlighted American access to Venezuelan oil reserves.

On the sidelines of the assembly, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez approached Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to request a formal bilateral meeting regarding Venezuela.

Sources: Canarias7, El Mundo, La Vanguardia.

A fourth prolonged heatwave is affecting large parts of Southern and Western Europe, prompting public health warnings and record-breaking temperatures.

In Italy, health authorities placed all 27 major cities under top-level red heat alerts as temperatures neared 40 degrees Celsius, following at least four heat-related deaths. Meanwhile, Austria recorded its highest temperature on record, reaching 40.8 degrees Celsius near Vienna. In France, health officials reported over 7,300 excess deaths linked to 52 days of extreme heat conditions since mid-June. Forecasters warn that both France and the United Kingdom are preparing for another surge toward 40 degrees Celsius, worsening severe drought and wildfire conditions across the region.

Sources: Aftenposten, Berlingske, DR, TV 2 Nyheter, VG