In January–August of this year, Ukrainian companies increased their imports of copper and copper products by 13.3% in monetary terms compared to the same period last year—to $139.044 million.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine, exports of copper and copper products rose by 22.7% over the eight-month period, reaching $75.529 million.
In August, copper imports totaled $15.771 million, while exports totaled $9.646 million.
As previously reported, in 2025, Ukrainian companies increased imports of copper and copper products by 23.2% in monetary terms compared to 2024—to $173.453 million—while exports of copper and copper products rose by 17.7%—to $103.848 million.
Copper is widely used in electrical engineering, in the manufacture of pipes, for creating alloys, in medicine, and in other industries.
Previously, the Experts Club information and analytical center released a video on global copper production and leading producing countries – https://youtube.com/shorts/_h8iU50z8C0?si=a-XkgGEfeUxseQNa
According to Fixygen, there are still no signs of a broad shift of capital from Bitcoin to alternative cryptocurrencies, despite periodic rallies in individual tokens and Ethereum’s strengthening.
According to CoinMarketCap data as of September 12, 2026, the Altcoin Season Index stands at about 40 points out of 100, which is significantly below the 75-point threshold at which the market is considered to have entered a full-fledged altseason. Bitcoin’s dominance stands at about 58.7%, while Ethereum’s is 11.6%.
CoinMarketCap defines altseason as a period when at least 75% of the top 100 cryptocurrencies—excluding stablecoins and certain asset-backed tokens—have outperformed Bitcoin over the past 90 days.
BlockchainCenter’s alternative index also does not yet indicate an altseason: its value stands at around 33 points, while the required threshold is 75.
According to CoinGecko, the total market capitalization of the cryptocurrency market stands at approximately $2.76 trillion. Bitcoin remains the largest asset with a market cap of about $1.55 trillion.
Bitcoin’s high market share indicates that a significant portion of new capital continues to be concentrated in the largest and most liquid crypto asset. This trend is driven by U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, corporate BTC purchases, and investor caution regarding less liquid tokens.
However, this situation differs from the classic cryptocurrency cycles of previous years, when, following strong growth in Bitcoin, capital would sequentially flow first into Ethereum, then into major altcoins, and finally into more speculative assets with smaller market capitalizations.
Certain altcoins have periodically outperformed Bitcoin significantly in the current cycle as well; however, so far these have been isolated instances rather than broad-based growth across the entire segment.
Ethereum has strengthened its position in recent months: its market share has grown from about 9% three months ago to around 11%, but this is not yet enough to trigger a full-scale rotation of capital away from Bitcoin.
Regular consumption of very hot tea or coffee may increase the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus by about three times, according to the Experts Club Information and Analytical Center, based on the results of a study by researchers at the University of Oxford published in the International Journal of Cancer.
The researchers analyzed data from 977,282 adult residents of the United Kingdom from two large projects — the Million Women Study and UK Biobank. The average follow-up period was 14.2 years in the first group and 11.1 years in the second. During this time, 2,348 cases of esophageal cancer were identified, including 1,045 cases of squamous cell carcinoma and 1,303 cases of adenocarcinoma.
Participants themselves indicated the temperature at which they preferred to drink tea and coffee — warm, hot or very hot.
Compared with those who preferred warm drinks, people who regularly drank them “very hot” had a 3.17 times higher risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. For the “hot” category, the risk was also elevated, although to a lesser extent. The scientists found no association between beverage temperature and the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
The number of drinks was a separate factor. Among people who consumed six or more cups of hot tea or coffee per day, the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was approximately 71% higher than among those who drank fewer than six cups, even after taking preferred beverage temperature into account.
At the same time, the study does not mean that coffee or tea themselves are carcinogens. The authors consider repeated thermal damage to the lining of the esophagus to be the most likely mechanism.
The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the consumption of beverages above 65°C as “probably carcinogenic to humans” — Group 2A — back in 2016. This refers specifically to the high temperature, not to the composition of the beverage.
The Oxford researchers note that approximately 13–17% of participants in the two British cohorts preferred their beverages “very hot,” while around 43–44% consumed six or more hot drinks daily.
According to the authors’ calculations, around 14% of cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the United Kingdom could potentially be prevented if people who prefer very hot drinks reduced the temperature at least to the “hot” category.
At the same time, the results should be interpreted cautiously. The study is observational and shows a statistical association rather than proving a direct cause-and-effect relationship. In addition, beverage temperature was determined on the basis of participants’ self-assessment rather than measured with a thermometer.
The authors also emphasize that the absolute risk of the disease remains relatively low. Among nearly 1 million participants, 1,045 cases of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were recorded over more than a decade of follow-up. Therefore, a threefold increase in relative risk does not mean that the disease will develop in every third person who regularly drinks very hot tea or coffee.
The most practical conclusion of the study is simple: there is no need to give up coffee or tea, but the drinks should be allowed to cool slightly before consumption.
The main proven risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma also include smoking and alcohol consumption. The International Agency for Research on Cancer emphasizes that these remain among the main causes of the disease in many countries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ranked 21st in the 2026 ranking of the 50 most influential Jews in the world, compiled by the Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post.
In the overall table, The Jerusalem Post calls Zelensky “the Jewish face of Ukrainian resistance,” while a separate article about the Ukrainian president is titled: “The Jewish president who became the face of Ukraine’s resistance.”
The authors of the ranking note Zelensky’s role in leading the country during the full-scale war with Russia, advancing Ukraine toward membership in the European Union, and developing new approaches to warfare, in particular drone technologies.
The Jerusalem Post also draws attention to the Jewish origins of the Ukrainian president and repeated attempts by the Russian authorities to combine accusations of “Nazism” against Ukraine with the fact that its president is Jewish.
The publication recalls that Zelensky’s relatives were killed during the Holocaust, while his paternal grandfather fought against Nazi Germany during World War II. Zelensky himself has repeatedly said that his Jewish background is part of his biography but does not define his political activity.
Zelensky has repeatedly appeared in The Jerusalem Post’s annual ranking. In 2022, after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he took first place, and the publication then named him the most influential Jew of the year. In the 2024 ranking, the Ukrainian president was in 23rd place. Thus, in 2026 he rose by two positions compared with the ranking two years earlier.
The Jerusalem Post gave first place in its 2026 ranking to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Every year, the publication includes politicians, entrepreneurs, scientists, public figures, representatives of the technology industry, culture and religious organizations who, in the editorial board’s assessment, exert significant influence on global processes.
Primary source — The Jerusalem Post, 50 Most Influential Jews of 2026 ranking.
In August 2026, the National Bank of Ukraine imposed a fine of 17.6 million UAH on the state-owned Ukrgasbank for violating financial monitoring laws.
According to an NBU statement dated September 8, the regulator identified shortcomings in the bank’s application of a risk-based approach and in its conduct of due diligence on customers.
In particular, the National Bank pointed to the bank’s failure to take necessary measures in a timely manner regarding certain customers and its failure to apply enhanced due diligence measures to customers classified as high-risk business relationships.
Another reason for the fine was Ukrgasbank’s failure to properly provide information and documents in response to the regulator’s requests.
“Ukrgazbank” was the only bank against which the NBU imposed sanctions in August for violations of financial monitoring legislation. At the same time, the regulator fined four non-bank financial institutions, including the insurance company “USG,” 30.8 million UAH.
“Ukrgazbank” is one of Ukraine’s largest banks and is state-controlled. The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine owns 94.9409% of its shares.
As of the end of 2025, the bank reported a profit of 4.9 billion UAH, compared to 3.4 billion UAH a year earlier. Its assets at the end of the year totaled 215.2 billion UAH, an increase of 8.2% over the year, and its share of the Ukrainian banking system’s total assets reached 5.4%. Ukrgasbank’s share of the banking system’s loan portfolio was 8.5%.
The bank has been operating since 1993 and provides corporate, retail, and investment banking services, as well as financing for energy, infrastructure, and environmental projects.
According to the Relocation project, the European Commission has proposed new rules that will allow EU cities and regions to restrict short-term apartment rentals through Airbnb, Booking, and other platforms in areas with a severe shortage of affordable housing.
The Affordable Housing Act was presented by the European Commission on September 9, 2026, and must now be reviewed by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. This is not about a blanket ban on short-term rentals across the entire European Union, but rather about creating a common legal framework within which local authorities can impose restrictions where they can demonstrate the negative impact of tourist rentals on the housing market.
According to the draft, an area may be designated a “housing-stressed zone” if the cost of an average apartment is equivalent to at least eight years of disposable income per capita, this ratio has been rising over the past ten years, and the housing shortage is likely to persist for at least another three years. If the housing-to-income ratio reaches ten years, the requirement for this ratio to have increased over the previous ten years will not apply.
However, high prices alone will not be sufficient. To impose restrictions, local authorities will have to prove that short-term rentals have, for at least three years, significantly worsened housing affordability or increased housing costs in a specific area, and that less restrictive measures are not capable of solving the problem with the same effectiveness.
The restrictions should primarily apply to apartments used for commercial purposes that are not the owner’s primary residence. Renting out one’s primary residence to tourists is proposed to be exempt from such restrictions. When assessing the commercial nature of the activity, authorities will be able to consider the number of apartments owned by a single owner and the frequency with which they are rented out.
Thus, cities will be able to impose limits on the volume of short-term rentals, restrict the use of investment apartments for accommodating tourists, or apply other measures; however, these must be geographically limited, justified, and proportionate to the problem. Transitional periods must be provided for existing, legally compliant properties. The maximum initial duration of the restrictions will be five years, after which the need to maintain them must be reviewed.
The new proposals supplement the European regulation on transparency in short-term rentals, which already entered into force on May 20, 2026. It requires the registration of properties and the transfer of data by platforms to local authorities, and also allows for the removal of listings with missing or invalid registration numbers.
The European Commission notes that the number of short-term rental properties in the EU increased by approximately 93% between 2018 and 2024, and such apartments now account for about a quarter of the EU’s tourist accommodation supply. At the same time, housing prices in the EU have risen by more than 60% since 2013, and rents by approximately 20%.
The new rules are likely to have the most significant impact on tourist destinations with both high demand for housing and limited hotel supply—specifically, Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Rome, Florence, Venice, and other popular cities.
For tourists, the downside of these restrictions could be rising accommodation costs. In its own impact assessment of the Affordable Housing Act, the European Commission explicitly acknowledges that a reduction in the number of apartments available for short-term rentals could limit the choice of tourist accommodations and lead to higher prices, especially in places where the hotel market is already operating near full capacity.
As a point of reference, the European Commission cites the experience of New York, where, following a de facto ban on a significant portion of short-term rentals, the average cost of a hotel room, according to a study, increased by approximately $14–19 per night, and the additional revenue for hotels over the first 18 months was estimated at $2.1–2.9 billion. The study’s authors found that the revenue growth was primarily driven by higher rates rather than an increase in the number of nights sold.
The U.S. findings cannot be directly applied to Europe, as the structure of hotel supply varies significantly from city to city. However, for a major European tourist destination where a hotel room or apartment currently costs 150–200 euros per night, a comparable increase in absolute terms would mean an additional 7–13% in accommodation costs.
According to our estimates, assuming moderate restrictions that merely reduce the number of professional Airbnb listings, the average impact on tourists would most likely be 5–7%. In popular areas with strict restrictions and a shortage of hotel rooms, the increase could be 5–10%, and during holidays, trade shows, and peak tourist season, it could temporarily exceed 10–15%.
For example, if an apartment currently costs 120 euros per night, a 5–10% surcharge would mean an additional 6–12 euros per day or 42–84 euros for a week’s stay. For a property costing 200 euros per night, a 10% increase would raise a tourist’s expenses by approximately 140 euros for a week-long trip.
At the same time, the effect on permanent residents is expected to be the opposite. The European Commission anticipates that returning a portion of tourist apartments to the long-term rental market will increase the housing supply and slow the rise in rental rates. The impact assessment cites a study from Barcelona: in neighborhoods with an average level of Airbnb presence, its impact was associated with an approximate 2% increase in long-term rentals and a 4.4% rise in housing costs, while in neighborhoods with the highest concentration of tourist rentals, the effect reached 7% and 17%, respectively.
