The Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture forecasts a 6% increase in harvest in 2025 compared to last year due to an increase in grain crops, said Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Oleksiy Sobolev.
“Overall, this year’s harvest is expected to be slightly higher — about 6% higher than last year. The growth will be primarily due to grain crops — approximately 59 million tons are expected, compared to 56 million tons last year,” he said in an interview with Forbes Ukraine.
The oilseed harvest will remain at last year’s level. We expect a harvest of about 79 million tons of grain and oilseeds combined.
The minister noted that farmers sowed 4.8 million tons of winter crops this year (74% of the forecast) and harvested 37.6 million tons of grain (73% of all sown areas).
He emphasized that in 2025, the harvest in Ukraine will be collected later. This is reflected in the skewed GDP growth in the second half of the year, as part of the money that went into the first half of the year will go into the second half due to weather conditions.
In Q2 2025, average housing prices in Hungary rose by 17.9% year-on-year and 5.1% quarter-on-quarter according to the aggregate index of the National Bank of Hungary. In Budapest, the increase was 23.1% year-on-year and 6.3% quarter-on-quarter, in cities outside the capital – 18.7% year-on-year and 5.9% quarter-on-quarter, in rural areas – 10.7% year-on-year and 2.8% quarter-on-quarter, according to the latest issue of the MNB House Price Index for Q2.
According to Eurostat, in Q2 2025, the aggregate housing price index in the EU rose by 5.4% y/y and 1.6% q/q, indicating that Hungary is outperforming the European average. At the same time, the number of housing transactions in Hungary fell by 5.7%, indicating rising prices amid declining activity.
In Q1 2025, the MNB recorded double-digit price growth both nationally and in the capital, against the backdrop of a revival in mortgage lending and a number of subsidized programs.
The acceleration of prices in the second quarter in the capital and major cities, accompanied by a decline in transactions, points to a market where demand is mainly sustained by improvements in real household incomes and supportive measures, as well as a shift in supply from short-term rentals to long-term formats amid increasing regulation, especially in Budapest.
The baseline scenario for Q4 2025 is a slowdown in growth to 3-4% q-o-q nationwide and 4-5% q-o-q in Budapest amid seasonality and partial profit-taking. A more moderate trajectory is expected for 2026: 6–9% y-o-y nationwide and 8–11% y-o-y in the capital, provided that support programs and stable rates are maintained. Risks of a slowdown include a possible tightening of mortgage conditions and a slowdown in real incomes; risks of acceleration include the expansion of subsidized mortgages and additional restrictions on short-term rentals in tourist areas. The assessment is based on the dynamics of the MNB index, Eurostat statistics on transactions, and reports from the regulator on income support policy.
On the night and morning of November 10, fog with visibility of 200-500 m (level I hazard, yellow) is expected in Ukraine, except for the northern part of the country, according to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center.
“Weather conditions may complicate traffic,” the report said.
According to Serbian Economist, the Serbian parliament has passed a special law that accelerates preparations for the development of the site of the former Yugoslav National Army General Staff Headquarters in central Belgrade, which was damaged by NATO strikes in 1999. The developer is Affinity Global Development, an investment company founded by US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The project, worth about $500 million, involves the construction of a hotel, apartments, offices, and retail space, as well as a memorial space for the victims of the bombing.
A 99-year lease agreement with the Serbian government was signed in May 2024. In November 2024, the site was stripped of its protected cultural heritage status, paving the way for the project to go ahead. The adopted lex specialis simplifies and speeds up the issuance of permits and other administrative procedures, the authorities noted.
The opposition and relevant organizations criticize the decision, citing the cultural value of the complex and legal risks. Europa Nostra has included the General Staff Headquarters in its list of the seven most vulnerable European heritage sites of 2025. Radio Liberty notes that the law was passed with the votes of the ruling party, despite protests and an investigation into possible falsification of the document used to remove the protective status.
Affinity Global Development’s public statements and official communications do not mention the hotel brand, number of rooms, number of floors, room area, parking, or exact completion date. International agencies limit themselves to describing the functional mix without specifications. When official materials on the TEP and branding appear, the editorial staff of Serbian Economist will clarify the data.
The government is promoting the project as an investment and revitalization of Belgrade’s central location. Critics believe that the demolition and new construction will damage the modernist legacy of architect Nikola Dobrovic and the public memory of the events of 1999.
https://t.me/relocationrs/1705
US President Donald Trump has said that representatives of his administration will not participate in the G20 summit, which will take place on November 22-23, 2025, in Johannesburg, citing “violations of the rights” of white South Africans. He announced this on the social network Truth Social, and his position has been reported by leading publications.
According to Trump, holding G20 meetings in South Africa is a “disgrace,” and the country’s authorities allow the murder and illegal seizure of land from Afrikaners. The South African side called such statements unfounded and “regretted” the US decision.
South Africa will chair the G20 in 2025, with a leadership meeting scheduled for November 22-23 in Johannesburg.
The Trump administration has previously signaled a tough stance on South Africa, including public statements on the situation surrounding white farmers, which have been criticized by the expert community and South African officials.
boycott, G20, SOUTH AFRICA, SUMMIT, US
The National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” has received modern industrial equipment from Schneider Electric for the creation of multifunctional stands that simulate the operation of technological process automation systems. The complexes are designed to train students in the fields of automation, computer-integrated technologies, and robotics, according to KPI.
According to the university, the delivery includes new-generation programmable logic controllers, operator panels, relay devices, indicators, and other industrial automation tools, which will allow students to practice their skills in designing and testing control systems in conditions close to real production.
In addition, teachers and students are provided with academic access to the SEE Electrical Expert software package from IGE+XAO for the development of electrical diagrams and documentation. KPI reports that specialized training in working with the software will take place in September 2025.
As Mikhail Bubnov, CEO of Schneider Electric in Ukraine, said: “It is important for us that Ukrainian students work with the same equipment and software as engineers in modern factories. These stands allow students to practice the full cycle of training as an automation engineer — from circuit design and PLC programming to commissioning and diagnostics. We will continue to support university laboratories and educational programs because this is a direct investment in the human resources needed to rebuild the industry.”
Schneider Electric is a global provider of energy management and industrial automation solutions with approximately 160,000 employees and a partner network in more than 100 countries. In 2024, the group’s revenue was approximately €38 billion, and in the third quarter of 2025, it was €10 billion, with organic growth of 9%. The company notes sustained demand from data centers and industrial automation.
SEE Electrical Expert is professional software for electrical design developed by the IGE+XAO Group, which provides training and academic programs for universities.
NTU “KhPI” is one of the oldest technical universities in Ukraine, founded in 1885. According to the university, it has 10 educational and scientific institutes, 103 departments, and over 15,000 students. The university is consistently ranked among the top five Ukrainian universities in the QS rankings.
