Indian Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar stated that India has provided Ukraine with 19 shipments of humanitarian aid, including 160 metric tons of cargo consisting of generators, medicines, and medical equipment.
According to a correspondent for “Interfax-Ukraine,” he made these remarks at a press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga on Thursday in Kyiv. Jaishankar noted that he would meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later that day and convey greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“To date, we have provided 19 shipments of humanitarian aid, including 160 metric tons of generators, medicines, medical equipment, and other items. Minister Sibiga and I will discuss what further steps can be taken in this regard,” the minister said.
He expressed regret and condolences regarding the death of an Indian citizen two days ago as a result of an attack in Kyiv. Jaishankar noted that, in India’s view, “solutions will not emerge on the battlefield.”
“Every day of the conflict means only more deaths and more destruction. It is clear that the parties involved must find a way forward. But if India can help in any way, we are ready,” the foreign minister emphasized.
He added that this was the focus of today’s conversation with the Ukrainian foreign minister.
The sides also discussed attacks on commercial shipping.
TAS Agro Pivden LLC has begun planting winter wheat, with 9,800 hectares set aside for it this year, the company reported on Facebook.
“After thorough soil preparation, in accordance with the farm’s chosen technology, we have begun sowing one of the main crops for the upcoming harvest,” the company said in a post on Friday.
The company noted that crop development, winter hardiness, and future yield potential will depend on the quality of execution at each stage of preparation.
The “TAS Agro” agricultural holding is part of the “TAS” Group, founded in 1998. The group’s business interests span the financial (banking and insurance segments) and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as manufacturing, real estate, and venture capital projects.
Serhiy Tihipko is the founder of “TAS” and the beneficial owner of the “TAS Agro” agricultural holding.
More than half of all notaries in Ukraine are concentrated in Kyiv and the country’s four largest regions, according to an Experts Club analysis based on data from the Unified Register of Notaries.
As of the end of August 2026, there were 6,156 notaries in Ukraine. Of these, 3,162, or about 51.4%, were registered only in Kyiv and the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv and Odesa regions.
Kyiv remains the absolute leader, with 1,365 notaries. Thus, the capital accounts for more than 22% of all specialists in the country, meaning that in practice every fifth Ukrainian notary is based there.
There are 460 notaries registered in the Kharkiv region, 457 in the Dnipropetrovsk region, 449 in the Lviv region, and 431 in the Odesa region.
According to Experts Club, this structure reflects the high concentration of demand for notarial services in the country’s largest economic and business centers, where real estate transactions, corporate deals, inheritance cases and other legally significant transactions are concentrated.
At the same time, the highest growth rates over the past year were recorded not in major centers, but in frontline regions with a low comparison base.
In the Luhansk region, the number of notaries increased from 4 to 22, or 5.5 times. In the Kherson region, it rose from 33 to 84, or 2.5 times. In the Donetsk region, the figure increased from 48 to 63, and in the Zaporizhzhia region, from 114 to 147.
One of the reasons for this dynamic was changes to the rules governing the work of private notaries. Since June 2025, specialists whose workplaces are located in territories of possible or active hostilities have been allowed to change the address of their workplace within their region while retaining the notarial district specified in their registration certificate.
Thus, the formal increase in the number of notaries in frontline regions partly reflects not the emergence of new demand, but the adaptation of professional infrastructure to wartime conditions and the relocation of specialists.
Egyptian authorities are tightening control over the real estate market and ensuring developers fulfill their obligations to buyers, which in the medium term could lead to further consolidation of the development market and support housing prices in projects by large companies.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ordered the creation of a special commission to inspect projects under construction in all provinces of the country. The commission is tasked with monitoring compliance with deadlines for handing over apartments to buyers, the fulfillment of contracts, and the construction of the engineering and utility infrastructure specified in the projects.
The president also ordered that companies which have received buyers’ money but failed to fulfill their obligations be held accountable.
On September 2, Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli held a separate meeting dedicated to regulating the real estate market. The government has been tasked with compiling a complete list of stalled projects, identifying the reasons for missed deadlines, and determining the liability of market participants.
Tighter oversight is part of a broader reform of the Egyptian real estate market. The government is drafting a law to establish the Egyptian Federation of Developers, which is set to become the industry’s sole professional regulator.
It is also proposed to classify developers based on their financial capacity, the scale of their completed projects, and their operational capabilities. The authorities hope this will restrict market access for companies that lack sufficient financial or technical resources.
At the same time, Egypt is discussing the use of escrow accounts for projects under construction. This model provides that buyers’ funds are deposited into a separate bank account for a specific project and may be used primarily for its construction. However, at this time, the mandatory use of escrow accounts across the entire market cannot yet be considered a definitively implemented rule.
Tighter regulation could have several implications for real estate prices.
In the short term, the presidential decree itself is unlikely to lead to a noticeable change in prices. It primarily increases developers’ accountability for contracts already signed and project completion deadlines.
However, if the classification of developers, stricter financial oversight, and additional requirements for the use of buyers’ funds are enshrined in law, the cost of developing new projects may rise. Weaker companies will be forced to raise more equity or bank financing rather than funding construction almost exclusively through pre-sales.
This is particularly important for Egypt, where installment plans offered by developers have become one of the main tools for selling housing. In recent years, down payments on new projects have often been less than 10% of the apartment’s cost, while installment terms have increased to eight to ten years.
According to Knight Frank, the average down payment for residential projects analyzed by the firm was approximately 7.2%, and the average installment period reached 8.5 years. This model allows developers to maintain high sales volumes but simultaneously increases their dependence on a steady inflow of funds from new buyers.
JLL noted in the second quarter of 2026 that Egyptian developers continued to offer more flexible payment plans to maintain housing affordability and ensure cash flow for construction. At the same time, approximately 4,500 new residential units were completed in Cairo during the second quarter, which was lower than in previous quarters.
Under these conditions, stricter requirements may reduce the number of aggressive projects where sales significantly outpace construction. This could lead to a reduction in supply from small developers and a subsequent market concentration around large companies with sufficient capital.
For buyers, the outcome may be twofold. On the one hand, the risk of construction delays and loss of invested funds should decrease. Apartments in projects by large, proven developers may command a price premium precisely because of their reliability.
On the other hand, stricter requirements for capital, banking support, and infrastructure will be factored into the cost of new projects. Therefore, the new rules are more likely to support prices than to drive them down.
The Egyptian market is already experiencing significant price pressure. According to Knight Frank, the average housing price in New Zayed was approximately 102,000 Egyptian pounds per square meter, and in New Cairo—about 85,200 pounds per square meter. In El Sheikh Zayed, prices have risen by approximately 24.7% since January 2024.
Construction costs remain an additional factor. In the first half of 2026, the Egyptian construction sector faced pressure due to inflation, high interest rates, energy costs, imported materials, and the dependence of some expenses on exchange rates.
Therefore, the most likely scenario is not a decline in prices but a shift in the market structure: fewer weak developers, greater oversight of presales, and a further increase in the market share of large companies.
At the same time, price growth may become more uneven. Reliable projects in Cairo, New Cairo, New Zayed, on the North Coast, and in other sought-after locations will be able to maintain a price premium, while troubled projects with delays will find it more difficult to attract buyers solely through deep discounts and extended installment plans.
In the long term, stricter regulation could also be a positive factor for foreign buyers. Increased market transparency, the classification of developers, and oversight of contract compliance reduce one of the main risks of purchasing real estate during the construction phase—the risk of delayed project completion.
Thus, the new measures taken by the Egyptian authorities are unlikely to make housing cheaper. More likely, they will increase market reliability by imposing stricter requirements on developers, which could support the value of high-quality new construction projects and accelerate the exit of financially weak companies from the market.
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According to “Serbian Economist”, early parliamentary elections in Serbia are scheduled for October 25, 2026, according to local media reports.
Previously, President Aleksandar Vučić had mentioned two possible dates—October 18 or 25. Now, Serbian publications such as Blic, Danas, and others are reporting that October 25 has been chosen. The National Assembly is expected to be dissolved in the coming days, after which the campaign is set to officially begin.
The main question is whether the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) will be able to retain its majority amid protracted protests and growing support for the student movement.
Recent polls paint a very mixed picture. According to Faktor Plus, in the spring the SNS had about 46% support, while a potential student-led slate had about 29%. More recent surveys have shown that the gap may be even smaller: in July, CRTA estimated support for the student list at 44.9% and for the SNS at 35.7%. At the same time, other polls, as before, put the SNS at 45–47%.
At this point, a brief analysis is as follows:
SNS / the bloc centered on Vučić—the favorite, with a projected range of 36–47%
The Student List—the main competitor, with potential support of approximately 29–45%, but highly dependent on polls
Ivica Dačić’s SPS—5–7%, a likely coalition partner
The pro-European opposition—may achieve a notable result overall but remains fragmented
Mi—Snaga Naroda, NPS, SSP, ZLF, Nova DSS—are fighting to clear the electoral threshold and influence the future coalition
The baseline scenario for now is as follows: the SNS will most likely remain the leading force, but the election could be the most competitive in recent years.
Insurance Company “Ukrainian Insurance Group” (USG, Kyiv) collected UAH 1.944 billion in gross premiums in January–June 2026, which is 0.62% more than in the same period a year ago; net premiums decreased by 2.24% to UAH 1.699 billion, while net earned premiums rose by 28.13% to 1.807 billion UAH.
This was reported by the rating agency “Standard-Rating” in its announcement regarding the renewal of the company’s financial stability rating at the “uaAAA” level on the national scale, based on its performance for January–June 2026.
According to the report, premiums from individual policyholders decreased by 11.66% over the first half of the year to 1.050 billion UAH, while premiums from reinsurers, on the contrary, increased by 20.68% to 3.811 million UAH. At the same time, the share of individual policyholders in gross premiums was 54%, while the share of reinsurers was 0.20%.
Premiums ceded to reinsurers for the first half of 2026 rose by 26.31% to 244.702 million UAH. Consequently, the reinsurers’ share of insurance premiums increased by 2.56 percentage points to 12.59%.
The total amount of insurance payments and claims settled by PJSC “USG Insurance Company” over the six-month period amounted to UAH 1.327 billion, which is 47.29% higher than in the corresponding period of 2025. At the same time, the claims ratio rose by 21.62 percentage points to 68.24%.
USG Insurance Company’s operating profit for the first half of 2026 increased 7.57-fold compared to the same period in 2025, reaching 148.433 million UAH, while net profit rose 2.55-fold to 217.345 million UAH.
As of July 1, 2026, the company’s assets decreased by 3.76% to 4.042 billion UAH, equity increased by 23.47% to UAH 1.142 billion, liabilities decreased by 11.44% to UAH 2.9 billion, and cash and cash equivalents increased by 37.47% to UAH 279.149 million.
The RA notes that as of the reporting date, the insurer had formed a portfolio of financial investments totaling 2.176 billion UAH, consisting of government bonds and municipal bonds, as well as deposits in banks with high credit ratings. Liquid assets collectively covered 84.65% of the insurer’s liabilities.
As previously reported, the controlling shareholder of “IC ”USG” is the Vienna Insurance Group, an international insurance group headquartered in Austria, which is represented by 50 companies in 30 countries and is the leader in the Central and Eastern European insurance market.
