On Saturday at 12:50 p.m., Polish protesters blocked traffic in front of the Medyka border crossing point (opposite the Ukrainian Shehyni border crossing point), according to the State Border Service of Ukraine.
“The restrictions apply only to trucks and may last at least six hours. Traffic for passenger cars and buses remains unchanged,” border guards said on their Telegram channel on Saturday.
“There are 681 trucks registered in the queue to leave Ukraine, and about 100 are waiting to enter, which are already in a specially equipped parking lot, and nothing will interfere with their clearance,” the message said.
The protesters’ rally is taking place one kilometer from the Polish border crossing.
The State Border Service will provide additional information about any changes or complications in traffic.
Aleksey Besciokov, who was accused in the US of administering the sanctioned Garantex crypto exchange and was awaiting extradition, has died in an Indian prison. His death was reported on September 5 by a number of Russian media outlets, citing a post by entrepreneur Sergei Mendeleev and reports on Telegram channels; according to their information, Besciokov died on August 31, but his relatives only found out about it now. There is no official confirmation from the Indian authorities at the time of publication, and the cause of death has not been disclosed.
On March 12-13, 2025, Indian authorities detained Beshchekov in the state of Kerala at the request of the United States. Indian publications and international media reported on the arrest, citing the US Department of Justice and Indian law enforcement agencies.
According to the US Secret Service, Beshchekov (along with Alexander Mira Serd) was charged with conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, and conspiracy to conduct an unregistered payment business (Eastern District of Virginia jurisdiction). On March 6, 2025, the US also seized the domains that supported Garantex’s operations.
On August 14, 2025, the US State Department announced a reward of up to $6 million for information leading to the arrest/conviction of Garantex leaders (including up to $5 million for information about Alexander Mira Serd). On the same day, the US Treasury Department updated sanctions against the network associated with Garantex (including Grinex).
Garantex was added to the US sanctions lists back in April 2022 for systematically ignoring AML/CFT requirements, and on March 6, 2025, US authorities announced comprehensive actions against the exchange’s infrastructure. Indian law enforcement officials indicated that Beshchekov, a Lithuanian citizen residing in Russia, was responsible for the technical infrastructure and approval of transactions on Garantex.
At the time of writing, there have been no official reports from the Indian authorities regarding Beshekhov’s death; public information is based on social media posts and media publications citing them. We continue to monitor statements from Indian law enforcement agencies/the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the US Department of Justice, and the defendant’s lawyers. The information will be updated when official confirmation or details of the cause of death become available.
https://www.fixygen.ua/news/20250906/v-indiyskiy-vyaznitsi-pomer-tvorets-kriptobirzhi-garantex.html
The relocation.com.ua project analyzed the Czech residential real estate market in the first half of 2025.
In January–June 2025, construction output in the Czech Republic grew by 8.5% year-on-year: building construction +7.5%, civil engineering +10.6%. At the same time, new orders for companies with 50+ employees decreased by almost a quarter (22.7%) in terms of quantity, but their total value increased by 19.6% (CZK 224.2 billion) due to large infrastructure government contracts. The estimated value of projects approved for construction amounted to CZK 224.9 billion (-19.5% y/y). Construction began on 16,295 apartments (-5.4% y/y), and 16,962 were completed (-3.3% y/y). Most of the starts were in Prague (multi-family), the Central Bohemian Region, and the South Moravian Region.
Overall, it can be concluded that production is growing, but the decline in permits and housing starts signals a restrained supply in the not-too-distant future of 2026.
Demand for rental housing remains strong, especially in Prague: modern institutional projects (BTR) show high occupancy rates, with waiting lists in some places. According to Savills estimates, as of June 2025, there were about 4,600 modern rental apartments in 81 projects in the city, with the highest concentration in the Prague 9 and Prague 5 districts.
In 2025, rental rates grew by about 6% year-on-year, but their dynamics lagged behind the growth in purchase prices.
The primary housing sales market in Prague continues to revive: in Q2 2025, 1,848 apartments were sold, the second strongest quarter since Q3 2021. The average asking price for new projects reached CZK 168,000 per sq m (≈€6,824): +2.7% q/q and almost +9% y/y.
Aggregate indicators confirm the “upward phase” of the cycle: according to Eurostat, in Q1-2025, the housing price index in the Czech Republic grew by ~9.9% y/y, and CNB analysts note that prices have exceeded long-term trends and previous highs in 2022. At the same time, housing affordability is deteriorating: according to the Deloitte Property Index 2025, Prague is among the three least affordable major European cities for purchasing new-build properties.
Monetary policy has eased: in May 2025, the CNB lowered its key 2-week repo rate to 3.50% and kept it there in August, signaling a pause in further cuts. The easing is being passed on to mortgage rates: the average real rate on new mortgages fell to 4.60% in May and 4.56% in June. At the same time, the volume of new mortgages in June reached CZK 29.4 billion, and July, according to industry reports, came in at around CZK 30 billion.
According to forecasts for the next 6-12 months, housing prices: base scenario — continued growth (low supply, pent-up demand, easing rates). The pace is likely to moderate against the backdrop of a high base and affordability constraints. Rental: demand pressure remains (migration to large cities, expensive mortgages for some households). As BTR projects are completed, local stabilization is possible, but at elevated rates.
Construction: in 2025, production will be sustained by infrastructure growth, but a decline in permits/starts will narrow housing supply in 2026, supporting prices. Mortgages: The CNB is signaling a “pause” at around 3.5% on 2W-repo; this implies a gradual further decline/stabilization of mortgage rates, but without any sharp moves. Risks include inflation in services and the external situation in the EU.
According to lawyer Oleksiy Shevchuk, a member of the association, who spoke to Interfax-Ukraine, this professional association “is intended to become the sole regulator of the industry and the basis for the future profession of lobbyist.”
The association also includes lawyers Olga Prosianuk, Oleksandr Leshchenko, Oleksandr Chernykh, head of the National Association of Arbitration Managers lawyer Oleksandr Bondarchuk, and Artem Samorodov.
Shevchuk recalled that on September 1, Ukraine officially launched the Lobbyist Transparency Register, as provided for by the law on lobbying.
The association already has offices in London and Zurich.
“The National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine is a step forward toward a culture of transparent promotion of legislative initiatives and professional standards for business representation in government,” Shevchuk emphasized.
https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/1102366.html?utm_source=telegram
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the country’s citizens to leave Belarus as soon as possible and refrain from any travel there. The ministry recommends that those already in Belarus leave “by available commercial or private means,” warning that if the situation worsens, evacuation may be difficult or impossible. This was announced at a briefing on September 5 by Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński; the relevant statements were reported by the Polish media.
According to Wronski, the Foreign Ministry “strongly discourages” travel to Belarus, “which is not a democratic country and is not friendly to the Republic of Poland,” and asks that the warning be taken very seriously. Polish media outlets indicate that citizens in Belarus are advised to leave immediately.
As noted by a number of publications, the heightened warning is related to the detention in Belarus of a Polish citizen, a Catholic monk whom Minsk accuses of espionage; the Polish side called this a “provocation” and announced consular support for the detainee. Against this backdrop, the Foreign Ministry issued a separate warning about the risks and reminded citizens of the need to strictly comply with local laws.
Earlier, Polish media outlets had already drawn attention to the restrictions and risks for Poles in Belarus, including the Foreign Ministry’s recommendation to leave the country by any means available and a warning that evacuation may not be possible in the event of a crisis.
An earthquake struck Serbia on September 5, with tremors also felt in Montenegro. According to the Seismology Sector of the Montenegrin Hydrometeorological Institute (ZHMS), the signal was registered at 14:43 local time, with the epicenter approximately 15 km east of Senica (Golija district) with an estimated magnitude of 3.7 on the Richter scale and a depth of about 7 km. The agency notes that such a tremor “could have caused only minor material damage in the epicenter zone.”
The Serbian Seismological Service clarified the parameters: according to its assessment, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 occurred in the Golija area, approximately 20 km east of Senica, with an estimated intensity of up to VI points on the MSK-64 scale at the epicenter.
No serious damage or casualties had been reported at the time of publication; reports of tremors were received from border areas of Montenegro.
