Russian ombudsman Yana Lantratova stated that consultations with representatives of the US First Lady are ongoing regarding the delivery of humanitarian aid and evacuation from Oleshky, despite the lack of confirmation for these claims.
Nine people, including two children, were killed in the city of Erie. The shooter died during a shootout with police.
In the first nine months of 2026, European Union states increased their purchases of liquefied natural gas from Russia by 9.5%, spending nearly 8 billion euros on it.
Poland has introduced enhanced security measures in educational institutions following several incidents involving knives. Law enforcement officers detained 76 people and conducted checks at nearly 50,000 educational facilities.
Ukrainian delegation unable to continue meeting with US after Donald Trump's unexpected announcement of agreement with Russia.
Poland's Government Centre for Security admitted the error: the air threat warning was sent to residents of Lubuskie Voivodeship instead of Lublin Voivodeship.
K9 units facilitated the detection of prohibited substances in a postal shipment from the US and in the luggage of a vehicle at the border with Romania.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo called the agreement on fuel supplies from Russia to the US a terrible disappointment, but believes it will not change global prices.
The Ukrainian parliament has adopted a decision aimed at changing the strategy for the use of natural resources. The Verkhovna Rada supported a bill establishing an export duty of 300 euros per tonne for unprocessed granite, gabbro, labradorite and basalt. The main goal of this initiative is to stimulate the processing of raw materials in Ukraine, which will allow for the creation of new jobs and an increase in foreign currency inflows to the budget.
Ksenia Orinchak, founder of the National Association of the Mining Industry of Ukraine, explained in an interview with the publication "Kommersant Ukrainian" why selling raw materials abroad is disadvantageous for the economy. According to her, this practice deprives domestic enterprises of a significant portion of potential profit. Instead, if the stone is processed in Ukraine, it can be sold at a higher price, which will increase tax revenues and ensure employment for the population.
The expert cites specific figures: after processing, the value of the stone can increase three to four times compared to the price of unprocessed raw material.
Today, one of the main buyers of Ukrainian labradorite is China. There, the raw material is sawn, polished and turned into expensive materials for construction and finishing. According to the data cited in the material, Ukrainian stone also reaches Russia through the Chinese market. As a result, the added value from processing, as well as the jobs created and taxes paid, remain abroad, specifically in the aggressor country.
The introduction of the duty is expected to change this situation by encouraging companies to process resources locally rather than exporting them in their primary form.
«У цьому рішенні я бачу ситуацію, вигідну для всіх: виграють і держава, і бізнес» (In this decision, I see a situation that is beneficial for everyone: both the state and business win), Orinchak noted in an interview with the publication "Kommersant Ukrainian".
In Orinchak's view, the future of the Ukrainian mining sector lies not only in extraction but also in building a complete production cycle — from raw material to finished product. Among the promising areas, she highlights the defence, medical, aerospace and energy industries. In particular, in her opinion, Ukrainian titanium could become the basis for the production of complex aviation equipment.
«Наступні 50 років — це лише переробка. Саме там найбільша маржа» (The next 50 years are about processing only. That is where the biggest margin is), the expert emphasised.
At the same time, the development of processing capacities requires investment and access to financial resources. As one of the solutions, Orinchak proposes cooperation between companies and the use of toll raw materials, where the owner of the resource agrees with another enterprise on its processing.
Currently, the law on the introduction of the duty is awaiting the president's signature. Thus, the new export rules have not yet come into force.
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