The organizers of the first International “Charitable Italy – Ukraine” Competition (Sostenitori dell’Ucraina in Italia) have extended the deadline for submitting applications through October 5, 2026, the Association of Ukrainian Philanthropists announced.
The announcement of the results and the awards ceremony are scheduled for late October 2026. The competition is being held as the international stage of the National Competition “Charitable Ukraine-2025: Charity in Defense of Ukraine.”
The goal of the initiative is to recognize charitable and volunteer organizations, informal communities, socially responsible businesses, and individuals in Italy who provide humanitarian, financial, social, educational, and cultural assistance to Ukraine and Ukrainians.
The organizers also hope that the competition will help strengthen the Ukrainian community in Italy and foster cooperation among volunteers, charitable organizations, businesses, and local communities that support Ukraine.
Eligible participants include charitable, volunteer, and civic organizations; formal and informal associations; socially responsible companies; and individuals who are located or registered in Italy and provide support to Ukraine.
Applications may be submitted not only by the philanthropist or organization itself. Ukrainian aid recipients, as well as any legal entities or individuals who consider a specific candidate worthy of the award, may also nominate Italian volunteers and organizations.
The competition features four categories: “Philanthropist of the Year—Non-Governmental Organization,” “Philanthropist of the Year—Individual,” “Ukrainians for Their Homeland,” and “Goodness Starts with You.” The latter category is intended for children’s and youth initiatives aimed at assisting Ukraine and fostering a culture of philanthropy.
Applications are accepted in Ukrainian or Italian. The completed application form can be sent in Word format to the organizing committee’s email address, konkurs@blagoukraine.org, or submitted via the online form.
The Italian-Ukrainian cultural association Futura Nostra in Rome serves as the organizing partner for the competition in Italy.
The Ukrainian Philanthropists Association announced the first “Charitable Italy – Ukraine” competition, to be held in late May–early June 2026. The deadline for submissions was originally set for September 1, but the organizers decided to extend the campaign by more than a month.
On September 10, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) announced its intention to enter into a contract with insurance company “VUSO” (Kyiv) for employee health insurance, according to the Prozorro electronic procurement system.
With an expected cost of the service at 144.389 million UAH, the company’s bid amounted to 129.174 million UAH.
Insurance Company “Kraina” also participated in the tender—its bid was 2 UAH lower, but it was rejected.
Other participants in the tender included Insurance Company “Universalna” (UAH 129.826 million), “Arsenal Insurance” (UAH 144.159 million), and “INGO” (UAH 144.252 million).
As previously reported, on August 11, 2025, the NBU awarded the contract for employee health insurance to VUSO Insurance Company; on June 4, 2024, Universala Insurance Company was the winner of the tender.
VUSO Insurance Company was founded in 2001. It is a member of the Motor Transport Insurance Bureau of Ukraine (MTIBU) and the Ukrainian Insurance Federation (UIF), a participant in the Direct Claims Settlement Agreement, and a member of the Nuclear Insurance Pool.
According to the NBU, the company ranked third in premiums written among Ukraine’s non-life insurers as of the end of 2025.
In January–August 2026, Ukraine increased imports of aluminum and aluminum products by 31.7% compared with the same period last year, reaching $453.439 million.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine, aluminum and aluminum product imports totaled $64.792 million in August.
Exports of aluminum and aluminum products in January–August of this year rose by 25.3% compared to the same period last year, reaching $123.934 million; in August, they totaled $14.369 million.
As previously reported, in 2025 Ukraine increased imports of aluminum and aluminum products by 15.3% compared to 2024, reaching $514.098 million. Exports of aluminum and aluminum products in 2025 rose by 22.9% to $152.919 million.
Aluminum is widely used as a structural material. The main advantages of aluminum are its light weight, formability, corrosion resistance, high thermal conductivity, and the non-toxic nature of its compounds. In particular, these properties have made aluminum extremely popular in the production of cookware, aluminum foil in the food industry, and for packaging. The first three properties have made aluminum the primary raw material in the aviation and aerospace industries (though it has recently been displaced by composite materials, primarily carbon fiber). After construction and packaging production—aluminum cans and foil—the energy sector is the largest consumer of this metal.
For a more detailed overview of global aluminum production from 1970 to 2024, watch the video on the Experts Club YouTube channel.
ALUMINUM, EXPERTS CLUB, EXPORTS, IMPORTS, METALLURGY, UKRAINE
According to Fixygen, Bitcoin’s volatility remains at historically low levels, despite significant fluctuations in flows into cryptocurrency ETFs, shifting expectations regarding Fed interest rates, and sharp price swings on individual trading days.
An analysis by Glassnode shows that one of the most important factors behind the decline in monthly realized volatility has been the increase in the share of Bitcoin held by long-term holders. This metric better explains changes in volatility than the cryptocurrency’s market capitalization, open interest in derivatives, funding rates, or trading volume, according to The Block.
In other words, it is no longer just the market size that matters, but also the structure of BTC holders.
Bitcoin, which previously circulated largely among speculative investors and traders, is increasingly concentrated among long-term holders, ETFs, companies, and other participants who trade much less frequently.
This may reduce the number of coins constantly involved in trading and decrease the market’s sensitivity to short-term fluctuations in demand.
At the same time, more than 71% of the total Bitcoin supply is currently in profit, according to data cited by Bitfinex analysts.
This figure is approaching the historical average of approximately 74.7%. Analysts note that a sustained move above this level in previous cycles has often coincided with the market’s transition from a bear market to a more sustained bull market.
At the same time, the high proportion of coins in profit has a dual effect. On the one hand, it reflects an improvement in the financial situation of Bitcoin holders. On the other hand, it creates a potential supply that could enter the market in the event of further price increases, as investors begin to take profits.
On September 12, Bitcoin is trading around $77,000, remaining well below its 2025 all-time high.
At the same time, the market infrastructure itself is changing. Spot ETFs have become one of the largest channels of institutional demand, public companies are building multibillion-dollar Bitcoin reserves, and the share of long-term holdings is increasing.
This is gradually bringing Bitcoin closer to traditional financial assets in terms of investor structure, although the cryptocurrency’s absolute volatility remains significantly higher than that of most major stock indices or government bonds.
According to Bitfinex analysts, the current situation is, for now, more consistent with consolidation with upside potential than with a confirmed new bullish breakout.
Thus, the shift in Bitcoin’s ownership structure may gradually alter the familiar pattern of cryptocurrency cycles. If an increasing portion of the supply remains held by ETFs, corporations, and long-term investors, future cycles may become less volatile, although it is still too early to completely rule out significant price fluctuations for Bitcoin.
On September 11, 2026, in the Romanian city of Turda, located in Transylvania near Cluj-Napoca, the ancient Roman castrum of Potaissa—one of the most significant military fortresses of Roman Dacia—was officially opened to the general public. Prior to this, following the completion of restoration work, the site had been accessible primarily to organized groups.
The castrum was built around 168–170 CE for the 5th Macedonian Legion, which was deployed to Dacia during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The military base covered an area of about 23.4 hectares, measured approximately 573 by 408 meters, and was designed to house several thousand Roman soldiers.
In 2024, Potaissa was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the serial site “Frontiers of the Roman Empire—Dacia.” The entire Romanian complex comprises 277 individual sites of the ancient Roman defensive system, stretching over 1,000 km.
The project to restore and adapt the castrum for tourism has been in the works since 2016; the agreement for European funding was signed in 2018, and the main work was completed in 2024. According to the Turda City Hall, the final cost of the restoration work amounted to 22.97 million lei excluding VAT, while the total investment, including other expenses, was estimated at approximately 30 million lei, or about 6 million euros. Most of the funding came from European funds.
For visitors, the remains of the Principia Legion command building, Roman roads, bastions, gates, and thermal baths have been restored and preserved. The tour of the ancient baths is organized in a particularly unusual way: a protective structure has been built over the archaeological remains, featuring a system of suspended walkways with a total length of about 230 meters, allowing visitors to view the ruins from above without damaging them.
At the same time, a significant portion of Potaissa still remains underground. Archaeologist Sorin Nemeti told Romania’s ProTV that of the nearly 24 hectares, about 1 hectare has actually been excavated to date. Archaeologists already have an idea of the complex’s underground layout, but a complete study of such a site could take many more decades. Thousands of artifacts related to the daily life of Roman soldiers have been discovered during the excavations.
For Ukrainian tourists, Potaissa is relatively close. From the Romanian side of the Porubne–Siret border crossing to Turda, it is about 338 km by road. The distance from Lviv is approximately 480 km, and from Kyiv—about 830 km by road. Travel time depends significantly on border crossing wait times.
The most practical route from Ukraine is by car via Chernivtsi and the Porubne–Siret border crossing, then through Suceava toward Transylvania and Turda. Without a car, you can take a bus via Suceava and Cluj-Napoca. The nearest major international airport is in Cluj-Napoca, about 39 km from Turda; buses run from the airport to the city, and the trip takes about 20–40 minutes. Since Ukrainian airspace is currently closed to civilian aviation, this option is primarily relevant for travelers arriving in Romania from other European countries.
In August 2026, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) fined PJSC “USG Insurance Company” 30.8 million UAH for violating legal requirements regarding the prevention and counteraction of money laundering and terrorist financing. According to the regulator, the violations concerned the improper organization and conduct of initial financial monitoring.
In particular, the NBU identified shortcomings in the company’s internal documents regarding financial monitoring, the conduct of due diligence on customers, and the application of a risk-based approach.
The regulator also pointed out shortcomings in the additional screening of politically exposed persons (PEPs), as well as in the provision of information and documents to the National Bank upon its requests.
In addition to the fine, the insurance company received a written warning for violating requirements regarding the preparation and submission of statistical reports on financial monitoring.
The enforcement actions against SK “USG” were part of a series of measures taken by the NBU in August against one bank and four non-bank financial institutions. The total fines imposed by the regulator on the five companies exceeded 50 million UAH.
Specifically, the NBU simultaneously fined the state-owned “Ukrgasbank” 17.6 million UAH, “Max Credit” LLC 1.08 million UAH, “FC Goal” LLC 391,000 UAH, and “Zaporizhsvyazservis” PJSC 255,000 UAH.
USG Insurance Company has been operating in the Ukrainian insurance market for over 20 years. The company was founded in 2000 and has been part of the international Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) since 2008. The company is 100% foreign-owned and operates in the main segments of non-life insurance, including auto insurance, property insurance, liability insurance, travel insurance, and corporate risk insurance. Pavlo Nelga serves as Chairman of the Board.
