Unpopular opinion: Trump is already a "lame duck," and once he's dealt with, American support for Ukraine will grow. Europe is gaining strength, with a maximum of two years left until the "European military conveyor" is fully operational.

Some experts believe that the U.S. is refining techniques for a future "maritime blockade" of China, drawing lessons from its experiences with Venezuela, Cuba, and now Iran. mt in max

China and Taiwan's Kuomintang agree to restore direct flights, streamline product imports, establish party contact mechanisms, and initiate youth exchange programs, signaling a shift from traditional "carrot" approach. Read more

Meta developing AI version of Mark Zuckerberg for internal staff interactions, FT reports. The initiative aims to improve internal communication. Further information available here.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the United States' substantial financial contributions to NATO, calling the expenditures absurd. mt in max

April 13, 2026 – The U.S. will initiate a naval blockade of Iran at 17:00 MSK, ending Russia’s Easter ceasefire. The start of the official U.S. corporate earnings season is underway. OPEC’s monthly oil market report is scheduled for release at 14:00 MSK, followed by Russia’s trade balance for February at 16:00 MSK. U.S. March existing home sales data are due at 17:00 MSK. Corporate earnings results from AFLT and a Goldman Sachs report are expected at 14:30 MSK.

Michael Selig, head of the CFTC, highlighted the role of prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi in combating misinformation, emphasizing their higher accuracy relative to traditional public opinion polls during the 2024 U.S. elections. In December 2025, Kalshi published a study revealing that predictions based on user-bet data on its platform outperformed Wall Street analysts' forecasts for inflation.

Iran's Ministry of Energy projects that the country's damaged refinery facilities will be restored to 80% capacity within one to two months. More details available at mt в max.

U.S. consumer sentiment index declines to fresh lows as inflation expectations accelerate, Bloomberg reports.

U.S. equities Secondary Markets; S&P 500 Earnings Grow 12.6% in Q1 2026 The S&P 500's earnings growth rate for the first quarter of 2026 currently stands at 12.6%, representing the sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit year-over-year increases. Most companies within the index have reported actual earnings surpassing analyst forecasts, with aggregate earnings growth potentially reaching 19% by the end of Q1 2026, the strongest since Q4 2021, according to FactSet. The upcoming "earnings season" in the U.S. is set to begin next week.

Hungarian Prime Minister Orban announced that he expects the Druzhba oil pipeline (#TRNFP) to reopen immediately after Hungary's elections, contingent on Ukraine's actions, in response to a question from RIA Novosti. mt in max

Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of violating Easter ceasefire; similar incidents reported during last year's holiday period. mt in max

Saudi Arabia reports East-West pipeline restored to approximately 7 million bpd; energy facilities and pipeline, previously damaged by attacks, now operational. Ongoing restoration at Khurais oil field. (Link:

max.ru

Canada is reducing its dependence on the United States and prioritizing its own companies, according to Prime Minister Carney.

Former President Trump warns China of potential major issues if it supplies weapons to Iran. For more information, visit mt in max.

Iran, U.S. and Pakistan Launch New Trilateral Talks TEHRAN, Iran — A new round of trilateral discussions has begun among Iran, the United States and Pakistan. For more details, visit mt in max.

President Trump announced that the Strait of Hormuz would soon be open, with empty ships racing to the U.S. to load up. He criticized fake news for suggesting the opposite, that the U.S. is losing.

Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz have reached an impasse, according to the Financial Times. Talks could resume as early as today or tomorrow, Nour News reports. mt в max

Former President Trump vows to prevent Iran from imposing tariffs on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. mt in max

U.S. intelligence reports indicate China intends to supply Iran with new air defense systems in the coming weeks, including portable surface-to-air missile systems, CNN reports. mt в max

Emirates Global Aluminium, the Middle East's leading aluminum producer, has declared force majeure on supplies. More details here

MOSCOW, Oct 27 (Dow Jones) — President Vladimir Putin has ordered the relevant commission to review accelerated development programs for artificial intelligence in key sectors by the end of the year. He also instructed the Russian government and regional authorities to develop a national plan for AI implementation. More details

Kamala Harris signals potential 2028 presidential bid, saying, "I am not done." Hunter Biden challenges Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. to cage match. More details available at mt in max.

Iranian channels and social media reports suggest the U.S. has approved the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets. Allegedly, officials from Qatar and South Korea are coordinating to transfer these funds to Iran soon. No confirmed, reliable sources have verified the information. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf stated the release of funds was a prerequisite for negotiations.mt в max

Kamala Harris announces bid for 2028 presidency. Axios reported in December 2025 that Harris had initiated unofficial preparations for the upcoming election. mt in max

Securitize, a tokenization platform owned by BlackRock, has integrated the TRON blockchain. More details available on the mt in max website.

Novorossiysk port partially resumes oil and fuel loading at Sheskharis terminal, RTRS reports. Further details available at here.

PJSC Polyus announces dividend for 2025 at 56.8 rubles per share; shareholders' meeting scheduled for May 6; record date set for May 18.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the U.S. may suspend negotiations on Ukraine by August, depending on whether Moscow and Kyiv can reach an agreement. The decision is influenced by a U.S. internal political deadline ahead of fall congressional elections, tentatively scheduled for August. mt in max

Experts surveyed by Kommersant expect no recovery in Russia's new heavy truck market this year amid continued low demand. Factors contributing to the outlook include high loan interest rates, rising vehicle prices, and stagnation in logistics and construction sectors. Some buyers are switching to used machinery. Read more on Kommersant or visit mt in max.

European Union increases Russian gas imports amid Middle East crisis, reports Financial Times. Further insights available on mt в max.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticizes WhatsApp's encryption, stating it may be the "biggest deception in history" and alleging that the platform reads user messages and shares data with third parties, contrary to company claims. Durov emphasizes that Telegram has never engaged in such practices and never will. WhatsApp remains banned in Russia and is owned by Meta, which has been designated as extremist by Russian authorities.

U.S. Department of Energy to tender 30 million barrels from strategic reserves; Japan to release oil from reserves in May. mt in max

Hungary — Former U.S. President Donald Trump endorses Viktor Orban ahead of parliamentary elections, stating, "I was proud to support Viktor during his reelection in 2022, and it is an honor to do so again." For more information, visit mt in max.

Japan's Producer Price Index for March rose 0.8% month-over-month, up from 0.1%, and increased 2.6% year-over-year, versus 2.1% previously.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf states time is running out, citing three unaddressed violations of peace proposal by US and Israel.

Kirill Dmitriev met with U.S. officials, discussing Ukraine and economic cooperation amid upcoming expiration of Russian oil sanction relief, which Semafor reports Trump is likely to extend.

Hezbollah Member of Lebanese Parliament Ali Fayyad said the group rejects direct negotiations with Israel until a ceasefire is reached. Previously, reports indicated that mutual attacks are expected to continue during Israel-Lebanon talks. Israel remains open to discussions, while Lebanon opposes. mt in max

Russia's Central Bank considering criminal liability for unlicensed crypto activities, targeting exchanges, brokers, and exchangers, Deputy Chairman Vladimir Chistyukhin says. Administrative liability will be applied to financial intermediaries. Offering professional currency services without a license could lead to criminal charges. More details available at RBC.

Russia's Rostelecom held a board meeting chaired by Dmitry Medvedev to review 2025 financial results. — release mt in max

China's Foreign Minister signals willingness to bolster relations with North Korea. mt in max

Tesla developing new smaller, more affordable electric crossover model, aiming to become the company's lowest-cost vehicle, sources say. more details available at Reuters and via mt in max.

WB Bank explores creation of proprietary ATM network; decision anticipated by end of 2026, says Chairman Georgiy Gorshkov. WB Bank is owned by Wildberries founder Tatiana Kim. Details in max

Authorities confirm Bashkiria segment in Bashneft excluded from forecast privatization plan; sale not currently scheduled.

FESCO reports 2025 net loss of 3.16 billion rubles, reversing previous year's 25.4 billion ruble profit, IFRS basis. More details at report.

North Korea conducts tests of new weapons, state news agency reports. For more details, visit mt in max.

Hedge funds are closing short positions in U.S. stocks at the fastest pace in six years, Goldman Sachs said. For more information, visit Bloomberg.

Russia offers sanctioned LNG to Asia at a 40% discount, according to Bloomberg. . More insights by .

Mixed flows continue in spot Bitcoin ETFs amid a lack of significant crypto-specific catalysts; uncertainty remains over Iran situation. Cryptocurrency trading volumes on exchanges have declined by 50% from peak levels in 2025. mt in max

Russian forestry industry leaders propose a three-year moratorium on bankruptcies amid challenging market conditions. Participants cite falling prices, rising logistics costs, and a strong ruble as key threats to the sector. — Ъ; mt в max