According to Serbian Economist, the mountain river Drina in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina was again blocked by a large accumulation of floating waste near the barriers of a hydroelectric power plant in the vicinity of the city of Visegrad, media reported, citing local activists and utility services.
During the winter, rubbish washed away by flooded rivers and tributaries accumulates near the protective line of the hydroelectric facility, forming “islands” of plastic bottles and other household and construction waste. Machinery is working to clear the riverbed, but activists note that the problem recurs every year.
Euronews specifies that some of the waste may come from illegal landfills not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also in neighboring Serbia and Montenegro, which gives the problem a cross-border character and requires coordination between the countries of the Drina basin.
According to estimates cited in publications, the volume of waste entering the dam area during peak periods can be measured in thousands of cubic meters, with activists claiming that medical materials are also found among the waste.
The average employment rate of Ukrainian refugees aged 20-64 in European countries in mid-2025 was 57%, including self-employment and informal work, which is 22 percentage points (pp) lower than the comparable figure for citizens of the host country, according to a UNHCR survey on the integration of Ukrainian refugees into the labor market.
“The results vary significantly: countries bordering Ukraine tend to have the highest employment rates, while Western and Northern European countries show significantly lower rates, even when differences in refugee profiles are taken into account,” the document, which is based on data from 6,817 respondents, notes.
According to the publication, 3% of those aged 20-64 (or 5% of those in work) are self-employed or entrepreneurs.
It is noted that proficiency in the local language is one of the strongest predictors of employment, and a longer stay in the host country is also associated with improved access to the labor market.
According to the data, Estonia and Hungary lead in terms of employment, with 72% and 71% respectively, followed by the United Kingdom (69%), Poland (68%), Bulgaria (67%), the Czech Republic (66%), and the Netherlands (64%).
Spain (61%), Italy (58%), Lithuania (57%), France (53%), Romania (50%), Moldova, Ireland, and Belgium (46% each) are close to the average.
According to the survey, the employment rates of Ukrainian refugees are significantly lower in Sweden (43%), Finland (40%), Denmark and Germany (39% each), Norway (37%), and Switzerland (29%).
“However, the problem of underemployment remains widespread. Nearly 60% of working refugees report that they are working below their skill level, and they are almost twice as likely as citizens of the country to hold low-skilled jobs,” the UNHCR document states.
According to the document, more than a third of refugees with higher education work in low-skilled professions, compared to 7% of citizens of the host country. According to the researchers, this mismatch between skills is likely to be the main reason for the 40% median wage gap between refugees and host countries.
It is also noted that, unlike employment rates, underemployment does not improve significantly over time when language, sector continuity, education, and labor market barriers are taken into account, indicating the presence of structural barriers that require targeted intervention.
According to UNHCR, reducing gaps in employment and productivity will lead to significant macroeconomic benefits: if average national targets are achieved, this could increase annual GDP growth by up to 0.7 percentage points in some countries, especially those with large refugee populations and significant productivity gaps.
Among other findings of the study, adults aged 50-64 are about 10 percentage points less likely to be employed than those who are younger. Men are 7 percentage points more likely to be employed than women. Having a vocational diploma increases the probability of employment by about 5 percentage points compared to those with only a secondary education. However, higher degrees provide only limited additional benefits—about 10 percentage points overall—with little difference between bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Living with young children under the age of 6 reduces the probability of employment by 11 percentage points, which is consistent with other studies that identify childcare constraints as a significant barrier.
At the same time, living alone increases the probability of employment by 8 percentage points.
Surprisingly, living with elderly people (65+) is associated with a 6 percentage point increase in the probability of employment, suggesting that most elderly people may not require intensive care from household members, but rather provide support with household chores.
In terms of language, respondents who report at least some knowledge of the local language are 13 percentage points more likely to be employed than those who do not know it at all or have only minimal knowledge. It is noteworthy that a higher level of language proficiency does not seem to provide additional advantages, which means that the types of jobs available to Ukrainian refugees (mostly low-skilled) may not require a high level of language proficiency.
Finally, the study notes that there is a clear link between the likelihood of finding employment and the time elapsed since arrival. Although there is no significant difference between arrivals in the last six months and those in the last year, the probability of employment increases by 10 percentage points relative to the baseline for those who arrived 1–2 years ago, by 14 percentage points for those who arrived 2–3 years ago, and by 20 percentage points for those who arrived more than three years ago.
According to updated UNHCR data, the number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe as of January 16, 2026, was estimated at 5.349 million (5.311 million as of December 11), and 5.898 million (5.860 million) worldwide.
In Ukraine itself, according to the latest UN data for the end of 2025, there were 3.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), compared to 3.340 million in July and 3.76 million in April.
Ukrposhta has issued a new postage stamp to mark the 30th anniversary of the Ukrainian Antarctic station Akademik Vernadsky, which was transferred to Ukraine by the United Kingdom exactly 30 years ago on February 6, 1996, under the name Faraday, and was later renamed.
“Today we are launching the first corporate stamp after rebranding, so we are taking the new stamp to the station to make everything modern. Thank you to everyone who worked on this issue. I want to wish the expedition all the best,” said Ihor Smelyansky, CEO of Ukrposhta, during the special cancellation.
It is noted that for the first time in the history of the station, the 31st Ukrainian Antarctic expedition, which will last from 2026 to 2027, will be led by meteorologist Anzhelika Hanchuk, who was a member of the 27th Ukrainian expedition in 2022-2023 and was involved in meteorological, oceanographic, and other research at the station.
“My task this year, as with other base commanders, will be to ensure that our station functions and all tasks are completed,” said Anzhelika Hanchuk, head of the upcoming 31st Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition.
On the eve of the expedition, Yevhen Dykyi, director of the National Antarctic Scientific Center, noted that since 2018, there has been a real gender breakthrough in the Ukrainian Antarctic program.
From an unspoken ban on women participating in expeditions for almost 20 years to the first female base commander. In total, 13 female polar explorers have worked in annual expeditions since 2018, and 11 in seasonal expeditions.
Ukrposhta added that the stamp has a circulation of 630,000 copies, and the nominal value on the postage stamp is indicated by the letter “U,” which is equivalent to 24 hryvnia. The stamp has an unusual shape—it is round, and the margins of the sheet feature a photo of the station and the Ukrainian ship Noosfera.
NAEK Energoatom plans to complete the construction of all planned second-level protective structures (concrete structures against drone strikes and missile debris) for important elements of Ukraine’s operating nuclear power plants in 2026, according to the company’s CEO Pavlo Kovtonyuk.
“The first is passive protection of critical elements of nuclear power plants. It consists of several levels, and the first level (gabions and big bags – ER) is already complete. The second level is nearing completion. This work is being carried out according to the approved schedules and plans,” Kovtonyuk said in a conversation with journalists during a trip to one of the nuclear power plants, specifying that the construction of level 2 structures at all nuclear power plants is planned to be completed within the current year.
He noted that the second aspect is active protection provided by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Energoatom is allocating funds to purchase the necessary systems for such protection of the sky near nuclear power plants. Kovtonyuk did not specify the amount of funding for protection work and the funds allocated to the military, noting that “plans and projects agreed with the General Staff are financed without restrictions.”
Regarding the third level of protection (including underground structures designed to withstand direct missile strikes), the head of Energoatom noted that such projects can be considered individually.
“The third level involves very large-scale work, which can be considered as local projects. There is an example at one of the nuclear power plants where certain elements are protected by the third level. As for scaling, we will consider this possibility,” Kovtonyuk commented.
The claim that mushrooms help lower cholesterol is generally consistent with scientific logic, but requires important clarifications: the effect depends on the type of mushroom, overall diet, and individual tolerance, and the evidence base in humans is still limited.
The discussion was prompted by a comment from a gastroenterologist, who said that the chitin contained in mushrooms can lower cholesterol by binding dietary lipids and reducing their absorption in the intestine. In practice, the mechanisms are more often described in terms of the dietary fiber in mushrooms as a whole, including beta-glucans and chitin-like components: dietary fiber can bind bile acids and parts of lipids in the intestines, increasing their excretion, which causes the body to use more cholesterol to synthesize new bile acids.
The data on mushrooms indicate potential, but do not guarantee a strong effect in everyone. For example, a review in the journal Food & Function (RSC, 2024) notes that button mushrooms (A. bisporus) and some other mushrooms demonstrate the ability to bind bile acids in digestion models, but clinical data are limited and inconsistent. The same review mentions studies in which daily consumption of approximately 150-200 g of fresh champignons or oyster mushrooms was associated with a reduction in total and/or LDL cholesterol.
However, mushrooms are valuable not only for their potential effect on lipids. They usually provide dietary fiber and a number of micronutrients (B vitamins, selenium, copper, potassium), and vitamin D in mushrooms increases significantly with UV treatment.
The idea that mushrooms “should not be eaten” with potatoes, bread, or legumes has no strict scientific confirmation as a universal rule. The problem is more often something else: mushrooms contain mannitol (FODMAP group, polyols), which in some people, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome, can increase gas and bloating. If you add a large portion of starchy foods or legumes to mushrooms, the overall “burden” on digestion may increase, and discomfort becomes more likely, but this is a matter of individual tolerance and portion sizes, not a prohibition.
Practical conclusion: mushrooms can be considered a useful component of a balanced diet and a source of dietary fiber, but they should not be used to “treat cholesterol.” For high cholesterol, the key factors remain overall nutritional profile, physical activity, and doctor’s recommendations (including therapy, if necessary).
New Zealand’s Active Investor Plus investor residency visa program has seen increased interest from foreign capital since the rules were changed: as of January 19, 2026, Immigration New Zealand had received 532 applications covering 1,709 applicants (including family members) representing 33 nationalities.
According to INZ data, the minimum investment “potential” of the applications submitted is estimated at NZ$3.16 billion, with 392 applications already receiving approval in principle and 159 applications completed with the issuance of residence visas. The volume of investments already committed under issued residence visas amounts to NZ$926.2 million, with most of the funds going to Invest New Zealand-approved managed funds and bonds.
The most active applicants are US citizens (201 applications), followed by China (86), Hong Kong (69), Germany (37), Singapore and Taiwan (26 each). The statistics also include the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Switzerland, the Netherlands, as well as Russia (3 applications) and Ukraine (1 application).
The reformed rules have been in effect since April 1, 2025, and provide for two categories of investment: Growth (minimum NZD 5 million for 3 years, more “active” and risky instruments, including managed funds and direct investments in business) and Balanced (NZD 10 million for 5 years, a mixed portfolio with the possibility of lower-risk instruments). The package of changes also includes a reduction in the investment threshold compared to the previous settings, the removal of the English language requirement, and the relaxation of certain immigration conditions for investors choosing more active investments.
