Oct 13, 2026, 07:00 AM UTC

Former Slovenian national team captain Aleš Čeh and forward Jan Mlakar have shared perspectives on domestic football rivalries and career milestones. Čeh, who led the national team during its celebrated era under head coach Srečko Katanec, reflected on his transition to coaching. He spent over a decade assisting Katanec, including seven years working in Asia, while maintaining respect for rival Maribor alongside his affection for Olimpija Ljubljana and Grazer AK.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Ljubljana native Jan Mlakar has returned to Maribor for a third spell at Ljudski vrt. Addressing rumors, Mlakar stated that he was "never close to signing" with his hometown club, Olimpija Ljubljana. He expressed trust in Maribor’s leadership team of Zlatko Zahović and Darko Milanič, adding that upcoming derby matches offer struggling teams an ideal opportunity to regain momentum.

Sources: Delo, Siol.net

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned a Russian attack on a train near the Ukrainian-Polish border, warning the strike was designed to "intimidate" and sow division among European allies. In response, the bloc extended its sanction regime against Moscow.

The diplomatic moves occurred alongside reported claims by US President Donald Trump that Kyiv and Moscow had agreed to pause strikes on energy infrastructure. However, intense combat persisted across the region. Shelling in Ukraine's Kherson region killed two people and injured 14 others, while Ukrainian drone attacks wounded seven people in Sochi and Russia's Belgorod region. In domestic political developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree dismissing the country's prosecutor general.

Sources: CDM.

More than 300 defense experts and officials gathered in Sarajevo for the fourth Sarajevo Security Conference to examine European security challenges under the theme "Europe's security in a divided world."

During the event, Major General Karsten Stoye of EUROCONTROL highlighted low-altitude drones as the primary challenge facing European airspace management over the next five years. Meanwhile, NATO Rear Admiral Van Zanten stressed the increasing importance of artificial intelligence and uncrewed surface vessels in modern naval strategy.

In parallel, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina officials hosted the "First Balkan Shield 2026" defense fair, showcasing military hardware from domestic, Slovenian, Turkish, Chinese, and Egyptian manufacturers. FBiH representatives announced plans to construct two additional defense factories following a doubling of domestic military production over the past three years.

Sources: Avaz, FENA, HRT Vijesti, Index, Klix

An investigation published by The Wall Street Journal has highlighted the role of Kimberly Guilfoyle, the US Ambassador to Greece, and energy lobbyist Christos Marafatsos in promoting a major regional gas agreement. In March 2026, Guilfoyle met with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Tirana alongside Marafatsos and executives from the Greek infrastructure group Aktor. One month after the meeting, Aktor secured a $6 billion contract to supply natural gas to Albania.

The reporting points to overlapping roles, noting that Marafatsos provided advice to Guilfoyle while simultaneously representing private energy interests. The arrangement has raised questions regarding the boundaries between American diplomatic advocacy, commercial lobbying, and Greek corporate expansion across Southeastern Europe.

Sources: Gazeta Tema, Koha

Russian forces carried out nearly 60 attacks across five districts in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region over a 24-hour period, leaving five people dead and 16 others wounded, according to local emergency services.

The heaviest casualties were recorded in the Kamianske district, where shelling killed three residents and injured five. In Pavlohrad, two individuals died while seven sustained injuries. Additional artillery fire targeted the Nikopol district, injuring civilians and igniting multiple fires across local infrastructure.

Emergency responders and firefighters were deployed across the affected areas to extinguish blazes, rescue trapped individuals, and assess structural damage caused by the shelling. Russian forces continue regular bombardments of eastern and central Ukrainian regions as the conflict progresses.

Sources: Ziarul de Gardă.