Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Vygivsky held a telephone conversation with Azerbaijani Minister of Internal Affairs Vilayat Eyvazov, according to the press service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“We discussed our partnership in the field of law enforcement. The key areas of cooperation are combating organized and transnational crime, cybersecurity, and the fight against fraud, as well as strengthening practical cooperation,” Vygivsky said following the conversation.
During the talks, the head of the Ukrainian ministry also briefed his counterpart on the current situation in the country, particularly regarding the latest Russian shelling of civilian infrastructure and attacks on the civilian population.
The parties paid special attention to joint humanitarian initiatives, particularly in the areas of healthcare, rehabilitation, and social support for the families of Ukrainian defenders.
“In the past year alone, the Republic of Azerbaijan has hosted two groups of high school students from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The students had the opportunity to learn about the country’s culture and history and broaden their horizons. In recent years, our units have also received humanitarian demining equipment and technology from Azerbaijan that ensures uninterrupted operations during power outages. We are grateful to the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan for its support of Ukraine and assistance to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. We agreed to strengthen our partnership,” Vygivsky concluded.
AZERBAIJAN, COOPERATION, Ministry of Internal Affairs, SECURITY, UKRAINE
Montenegro and Albania have been included in Forbes’ list of the best overseas destinations for retirement in 2026, according to the Experts Club information and analysis centre.
Forbes published its annual review, The Best Places To Retire Abroad In 2026, on July 31, later updating it on August 5. The publication selected 96 recommended places in 24 countries on five continents, with half of the countries represented located in Europe.
When compiling the list, Forbes took into account the cost of living, the quality and cost of healthcare, taxes, crime levels and political stability, transportation accessibility, the possibility of obtaining long-term residence status, the prevalence of the English language, as well as risks associated with climate change and natural disasters.
At the same time, no ranking from first to 24th place was compiled — the countries are presented in alphabetical order. Therefore, for example, Albania’s position near the beginning of the list does not mean that Forbes recognized it as the best country for retirees.
The list includes Albania, Argentina, Austria, Belize, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Panama, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Uruguay and Vietnam. Mauritius and Vietnam were included in the annual list for the first time.
In Montenegro, Forbes highlighted Podgorica, Bar, Perast and Tivat. The publication estimates the cost of living in the country at less than half the U.S. average, the level of serious crime as low, and the political situation as stable.
Forbes assesses the quality of healthcare as adequate, although it notes that foreigners with complex medical problems often turn to specialists in Italy or Germany.
A separate advantage of Montenegro is the possibility of obtaining a residence permit through the purchase of real estate. According to the conditions cited by Forbes for American retirees, the path to permanent residence begins with a renewable one-year residence permit, for which it is necessary to confirm pension income of more than $19,000 per year.
At the same time, Forbes draws attention to the risks of wildfires, floods and earthquakes — an especially relevant factor against the backdrop of major fires on the Adriatic coast in the summer of 2026.
In neighboring Albania, Forbes recommends considering Tirana, Durrës, Sarandë and Vlorë.
According to the publication, the cost of living there is approximately half the U.S. level. Among the advantages cited are the Mediterranean climate, the seacoast, a relatively low crime rate and a relatively simple procedure for legalizing residence.
For Americans, it is particularly convenient that they can stay in Albania for up to a year as tourists, which provides enough time to arrange a longer-term status. Forbes states that for retirement immigration, a couple will subsequently need to confirm about $20,000 in annual income from abroad.
Among the traditional European destinations, Forbes retained Portugal, Spain, Italy, France and Greece.
Portugal is assessed as a country where the cost of living is approximately one-third lower than in the United States, with relatively affordable healthcare and a comparatively simple D7 program for financially independent foreigners to reside in the country.
In Spain, expenses, according to Forbes, are approximately 30% lower than in the United States, while healthcare is characterized as high-quality and inexpensive. At the same time, the publication pays particular attention to wildfires, extreme heat and flooding. As a result, some areas, including the Costa del Sol, were removed from the list of specifically recommended locations this year, while in France, Bordeaux was removed.
Vietnam became one of the most affordable destinations: Forbes estimates living expenses at approximately one-quarter of the U.S. level. However, a significant disadvantage is the absence of a dedicated retirement visa, which means foreigners have to use successive 90-day electronic visas.
Mauritius entered the list for the first time thanks to its relatively low cost of living, affordable healthcare and a special permit for foreign retirees. Forbes estimates the cost of living at more than 50% below the U.S. level and states that a couple must confirm about $18,000 in annual retirement income.
Thus, one of the notable results of the list for the Balkans was the inclusion of both Albania and Montenegro, while Serbia was not included in the Forbes 2026 list. At the same time, this does not mean that the publication considered it less suitable for retirees: Forbes compiles an editorial selection rather than a comprehensive comparative ranking of all countries in the world.
The study itself is primarily aimed at US citizens – Forbes compares expenditure with US levels, takes into account tax treaties with the US, Social Security rules and eligibility for Medicare. For citizens of other countries, the financial, tax and immigration conditions may differ significantly.
On Monday, August 17, there will be no precipitation in Ukraine; however, most western and northern regions may experience brief showers and thunderstorms in some areas during the day, according to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center. The wind will be from the southwest at 5–10 m/s. Nighttime temperatures will range from 15–20°, and daytime temperatures from 26–31°.
In Kyiv, no precipitation is expected, with a southwest wind at 5–10 m/s. Nighttime temperatures will range from 18–20°, and daytime temperatures will be around 30°.
According to the Boris Sreznevsky Central Geophysical Observatory, the highest daytime temperature on August 17 in Kyiv was recorded in 2010 at 35.7°C, and the lowest nighttime temperature was 6.4° above zero in 1885.
On Tuesday, August 18, moderate rain and thunderstorms are expected in the western regions and, during the day, also in most northern regions as well as in the Vinnytsia and Odesa regions; at night, significant rain and thunderstorms are expected in the Zakarpattia region and in some parts of the Volyn, Lviv, and Chernivtsi regions.
During the day, some areas may experience hail and squalls of 15–20 m/s.
The rest of the country will remain dry.
The wind will be from the south; during the day in the western regions, it will shift to the northwest at 7–12 m/s.
Temperatures will range from 15–20° at night to 28–33° during the day. In the west of the country, temperatures will range from 11–16° at night to 19–24° during the day.
In Kyiv, no precipitation is expected at night, with brief showers and thunderstorms during the day. The wind will be from the south, 7–12 m/s. Temperatures will range from 18–20° at night to around 30° during the day.
The Experts Club analytical center analyzed the latest ranking of the world’s top universities, the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026 (ARWU), known as the Shanghai Ranking. Mainland China became the largest university system by the number of higher education institutions represented in the ARWU, known as the Shanghai Ranking. The top 1,000 included 234 universities from mainland China compared with 187 universities from the United States.
At the same time, the United States continues to be significantly more strongly represented at the very top of the ranking.
The full list of countries and territories by the number of universities in ARWU 2026 (in descending order by the number of universities):
Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are counted separately here, in accordance with ShanghaiRanking’s territorial breakdown.
The structure of the ranking shows the further strengthening of Asia. In addition to mainland China, among the systems with the largest representation are South Korea with 29 universities and Japan with 26. Taiwan is represented separately with 12 universities, Hong Kong with eight and Macao with two.
ARWU evaluates more than 2,500 universities worldwide, but publishes only the top 1,000. Unlike a number of other global rankings, it focuses primarily on scientific and research performance rather than student reviews, reputation among employers or the quality of student life.
The final score is based on six criteria: alumni who are Nobel Prize and Fields Medal laureates account for 10% of the score; such laureates among staff – 20%; Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers – 20%; publications in Nature and Science – 20%; papers indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index – another 20%; and academic performance per capita of an institution – 10%.
For ARWU 2026, the Highly Cited Researchers list released in December 2025, publications in Nature and Science for 2021–2025, as well as papers indexed in Web of Science in 2025, were used.
Therefore, the Shanghai Ranking is more accurately regarded primarily as an indicator of the research strength of universities and national scientific systems, rather than as a direct assessment of the quality of education or learning conditions for students.
No Ukrainian university was included among the world’s top 1,000 universities in this ranking.
Ukrainian high school students won one gold and two silver medals at the 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026), which took place August 9–16 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
A total of 375 students from 97 countries participated in the competition. Over the course of two competition days, participants solved complex algorithmic programming problems.
Vladislav Khalin achieved the best result among Ukraine’s representatives. He scored 398.32 points, placed 16th in the overall individual rankings, and received a gold medal.
Ilya Shevchenko, with a score of 336.44 points, placed 58th and received a silver medal. Daria Perekopskaya brought home another silver medal for Ukraine, scoring 333.01 points and placing 62nd.
The fourth member of the Ukrainian team, Daria Lobas, placed 198th with a score of 219.04 points.
First place in the individual rankings of the 2026 IOI went to Qiwen Xu of China, who scored 498.27 points out of a possible 600.
The International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) is one of the most prestigious international subject-based Olympiads for high school students. The competition is held annually and is designed to test skills in algorithmic thinking, programming, and solving complex computational problems. Unlike team sports tournaments, the official IOI results are determined primarily on an individual basis.
According to official IOI statistics, Ukrainian high school students have won 110 medals throughout the history of their participation, including 14 gold, 44 silver, and 52 bronze.
The official results of the 2026 IOI have been published by the International Olympiad in Informatics statistical system.
computer science, EDUCATION, high school student, OLYMPIAD, UKRAINE
The IDS Ukraine Group of Companies (trademarks “Morshynska,” “Mirgorodska,” and “Alaska”) has called it illogical for the National Agency for Asset Tracing and Management (ARMA) to conduct a comprehensive audit of its financial and asset status during the competitive selection process for a new corporate rights manager.
The day before, ARMA announced the start of an audit of the financial and asset status of eight legal entities within the IDS Ukraine group (specifically, PJSC “Mirgorod Mineral Water Plant,” PJSC “Morshyn Mineral Water Plant ‘Oscar,’” and LLC “IDS Aqua Service”) prior to the transfer of the asset to the new manager. The agency sent requests to the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), the State Tax Service (STS), and banks seeking details on cash flows since December 2022, an analysis of the over 1 billion UAH reported by the company to be in its accounts, and verification that former owners subject to sanctions have no influence.
“Conducting this audit is directly related to preparations for the repeat tender. Its goal is to prevent a situation in which the new manager receives the asset without complete information about the status of accounts, cash flows, and other material circumstances affecting its economic value,” ARMA explained.
The group of companies noted that the repeat tender was announced in advance, and potential participants are relying on figures that have already been made public; therefore, the measures initiated by the agency will not provide any practical benefit for the tender.
“The repeat tender was announced as early as July 10, 2026, and the deadline for submitting bids is August 22. Announcing an audit just a few days before the deadline for submitting documents is illogical, since its results will not be known until after the submission period has ended and will in no way assist the participants in the tender,” the statement said in response to ARMA’s published position.
IDS Ukraine emphasized that as of August 14, none of the group’s companies had received any official requests from ARMA, and that the audit of business transactions falls under the jurisdiction of other government agencies, which regularly carry out such measures. The company also noted that only the group’s corporate rights are under seizure, not its property or bank accounts.
Regarding the agency’s statement about the possible continued influence of former beneficiaries, the company noted that all shareholders—including those subject to sanctions and holding Russian citizenship—have been completely removed from management and have had no access to income or dividend payments since 2022, as confirmed by the State Tax Service.
“We emphasize that since 2022, none of the company’s shareholders has received dividends. This is officially recorded in the financial statements and confirmed by letters from the State Tax Service of Ukraine. Furthermore, this year, the Main Directorate of the State Tax Service in Lviv Oblast, based on a court ruling, collected 240 million UAH in net profit for 2022–2023 from PrJSC “Morshyn Mineral Water Plant ‘Oscar’” (part of the IDS Ukraine group),” IDS added.
According to the group, more than 50% of the shares are held by international investors: the Patarkatsishvili family (34.83%), the Georgian government (7.73%), and minority shareholders (7.45%). At the same time, the company’s net asset value rose from 2.097 billion UAH as of the date of the seizure in June 2022 to 3.928 billion UAH by the end of 2025, while the group’s total value in the case before the High Anti-Corruption Court was estimated at over 8 billion UAH.
As previously reported, in the fall of 2022, ARMA, pursuant to a court decision, assumed management of the corporate rights, industrial designs, and trademarks of the IDS Ukraine group’s companies. In April 2023, “Carpathian Mineral Waters” was selected as the asset manager for “Morshynska,” but the transfer of the asset into its management never took place. In March 2025, ARMA announced the termination of the agreement on the grounds that it had not been implemented.
In November 2025, ARMA announced a tender to select a company to provide interim management of IDS Ukraine’s assets—including production facilities, logistics, and the uninterrupted operation of its enterprises.
The terms of ARMA’s tender were criticized by a number of companies ready to participate in the competition to manage IDS Ukraine’s assets. Geological Investment Group LLC, Verkhnodniprovsk Oil Extraction Plant LLC, and Individual Entrepreneur Vsevolod Omelianovych Bilas filed a complaint with the Antimonopoly Committee (AMCU) and requested the removal of discriminatory requirements in the tender documentation, which artificially restrict competition and effectively bar most Ukrainian companies from participating in the management of the group’s assets.
Among such ARMA requirements, potential bidders cited the requirement to have at least 15 highly specialized professionals (engineers, power engineers) on staff, whose higher education records must be listed in the Unified State Electronic Database on Education (EDEBO). However, the database contains complete information on diplomas only for those issued after 2000. Additionally, a contest participant must have “production of non-alcoholic beverages” as its primary business activity, which precludes the participation of professional management companies and consortia specializing in asset management.
Separately, it was noted that direct competitors of IDS Ukraine were admitted to the tender, which is prohibited by the new law “On ARMA” (which took effect after January 30, 2026).
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) accepted a complaint from potential tender participants.
In September 2024, the Ministry of Justice filed a lawsuit with the High Anti-Corruption Court seeking to transfer the assets of IDS Ukraine and other assets belonging to Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven, Andriy Kosogov, and the company Rissa Investments Limited to the state budget. Specifically, this involves 100% of the shares in PJSC “Mirgorod Mineral Water Plant,” PJSC “Morshyn Mineral Water Plant ‘Oscar,’” PJSC “Industrial and Distribution Systems” (IDS), as well as 100% of the shares in LLC “IDS Aqua Service,” LLC “Moschnost,” PE “IVA,” and SE “NOVA.COM,” which are indirectly owned by Rissa Investments Limited.
In October 2024, IDS Ukraine called on the Ministry of Justice to prohibit ARMA from taking any actions to transfer part of the assets to the management company and to carry out nationalization under a scenario favorable to the state.
On December 25, 2025, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) granted the petition filed by potential participants in the tender to select an asset manager for IDS Ukraine and ordered the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) to launch a pre-trial investigation into the abuse of authority by ARMA’s management during the selection of a manager for the IDS Ukraine group of companies. According to the High Anti-Corruption Court’s decision in Case No. 911/13129/25, the complaint filed by an attorney from Asters Law Firm on behalf of New World Value Fund Limited regarding the inaction of NABU officials—specifically, their failure to enter information about a criminal offense into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations—was granted.
In May 2026, ARMA again announced a tender to appoint an asset manager for IDS Ukraine with a nominal value of corporate rights exceeding 53 million UAH, but received only one bid.
In July 2026, ARMA announced the launch of a repeat tender. The subject of the procurement included the corporate rights of several group companies at once. Specifically, the tender included 2,045,145 shares of PrJSC “Mirgorod Mineral Water Plant” (with a total nominal value of 21.47 million UAH), a 100% stake in the authorized capital of LLC “Moschnost” held by PrJSC “Morshyn Mineral Water Plant ‘Oscar’” (16.18 million UAH), as well as stakes in LLC “IDS Aqua Service” (990,000 UAH),
PJSC “Industrial and Distribution Systems” (4.5 million UAH), the Cypriot company International Distribution Systems Limited (8.8 million UAH), PP “IVA,” and DP “Nova.com” (1.5 million UAH).
The acting head of ARMA told Interfax-Ukraine in a comment that the collection of bids on the Prozorro platform will continue until August 22, and the electronic system may set the date for the tender to select a manager for the seized corporate rights of the IDS Ukraine group for early September 2026.
