Oct 27, 2026, 05:30 AM UTC

Former Slovenian national team captain Aleš Čeh and forward Jan Mlakar have reflected on their respective careers in recent interviews.

Čeh, who captained Slovenia during its qualification era under former manager Srečko Katanec, discussed his transition into coaching. Following his playing career, he spent over a decade as an assistant manager, including seven years coaching in Asia.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old forward Jan Mlakar outlined his third return to NK Maribor. The Ljubljana-born player addressed the team's upcoming derby against his hometown side, Olimpija Ljubljana, which currently faces domestic difficulties. Mlakar emphasized his trust in Maribor's sporting leadership and noted that underdog status can often prove advantageous in major rivalries.

Sources: Delo, Siol.net

European Union leadership has extended sanctions against Moscow following a Russian strike on a train near the Ukrainian-Polish border. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned the incident, describing it as an attempt to intimidate European nations and create internal division.

Despite claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to avoid targeting energy infrastructure, hostilities continued across several regions. Russian shelling in Ukraine's Kherson region killed two people and injured 14 others. In Russia, authorities reported seven injuries resulting from Ukrainian drone strikes in Sochi and the Belgorod region.

In domestic political developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an official decree dismissing the country's prosecutor general.

Sources: CDM (Cafe del Montenegro).

Public confidence in artificial intelligence in Italy has dropped significantly, according to a recent survey presented at the Chamber of Deputies by SWG and Fondazione Lottomatica. Positive perception fell from 68 percent in 2020 to 49 percent, while public concern nearly doubled to 45 percent.

The shift coincides with growing scrutiny over AI's broader economic and societal impact. Media outlets highlighted concerns regarding labor displacement, pointing to an estimated 425,000 global job losses linked to automation over three years, alongside publisher risks from automated search summaries driving "zero-click" web traffic.

Simultaneously, debate surrounds corporate governance and safety risks. While major technology firms face criticism over efforts to curb state regulation, prominent Italian figures remain central to global AI development, notably Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei amid ongoing safety discussions.

Sources: ANSA, Corriere della Sera, Il Messaggero, Il Sole 24 Ore, La Repubblica.

Russian forces have launched further drone strikes against Kyiv, injuring a civilian following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address to the United Nations General Assembly. The raids coincide with a renewed campaign by Moscow's defense ministry specifically aimed at destroying Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, retaliatory Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil facilities have caused domestic fuel shortages in Russia, forcing Moscow to import petroleum products.

In Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared that the bloc "will not tolerate attacks on EU soil" and stands ready to react. Her remarks follow German inquiries into explosive drone incidents in Leipzig, where authorities identified two suspects associated with Moscow.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica.

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called on government officials to initiate technical and legal frameworks for future national elections, despite the ongoing military conflict with Russia. Dismissed from his cabinet post by President Volodymyr Zelensky in July, Fedorov argued that advance planning is necessary to tackle complex logistical hurdles, such as ensuring voting rights for frontline soldiers, displaced citizens, and millions of overseas refugees.

Under current Ukrainian law, elections are strictly prohibited while martial law remains in effect, and the Zelensky administration has given no timeline for lifting it. However, Fedorov stressed that laying down administrative infrastructure now will enable a swift return to democratic procedures once security conditions allow.

Sources: Le Monde.