📈 In the morning session, the Moscow Exchange Index (IMOEX) saw an increase of 0.6%.

⚠️🇹🇼 A new bill has been introduced in the U.S. Congress aimed at deepening ties with Taiwan.

⚠️🇬🇧 Britain is developing an updated version of its action plan in case of war, amid fears of an attack from a hostile state, reports The Daily Telegraph.

⚠️🛢 Trump stated that the collapse in oil prices increases pressure on Russia and raises the chances for a peaceful deal with Ukraine.

⚠️✴️🇺🇸 Florida has withdrawn and postponed indefinitely its bill concerning a BTC reserve. This decision follows Arizona's earlier veto on a similar BTC reserve bill.

🌕 Gold prices rose by 5% over the past two days. BBG reports on the resurgence of demand from China as the market rebounds following the holidays. For more details, visit the article here.

⚠️🇺🇸 Google must sell two of its businesses that assist websites in buying, selling, and managing online advertising, following a judge's ruling that the company illegally monopolized these markets, announced the U.S. Department of Justice. For more details, visit the article here.

🚫🛢🇪🇺🇷🇺 The European Commission aims to completely ban imports of Russian gas into the EU by 2028. A roadmap for phasing out imports of Russian energy sources will be unveiled on May 6. The comprehensive plan for the total ban on Russian gas imports to EU countries is set to be presented in June, according to BBG.

⚠️ NATO and the EU are initiating programs to prepare for a military conflict with Russia, according to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Meanwhile, Britain is developing an updated version of its action plan in the event of a war with a hostile state, as reported by The Daily Telegraph.

⚠️ Export prices for Russian steel have fallen to levels not seen since the crisis of 2022, according to a report by Kommersant.

🚨 Hong Kong's central bank has conducted interventions in the foreign exchange market for the first time in a long while to maintain the trading band for the HKD against the USD, as established by the central bank.

⚠️🇹🇷 The Turkish lira has hit a historic low against the dollar, with the exchange rate reaching 38.6 (USDTRY = 38.6).

⚠️🛢🇺🇸 Amid a significant drop in oil prices, hedge funds are selling energy sector stocks at the fastest pace in a decade, according to Goldman Sachs.

⚠️🇷🇺 The acquisition of Azbuka Vkusa adds to the already high uncertainty regarding dividends for Magnit in 2024, according to experts from Vedomosti.

🚫✴️🇰🇪 A Kenyan High Court has ordered World to delete biometric data of local users, ruling that the data collection violates privacy rights. The judge has also prohibited World from further biometric data collection in Kenya.

🚀 Bernstein predicts that by 2029, corporations will purchase an additional BTC worth $330 billion.

⚠️🇷🇺 Russia's GDP fell for the first time since 2022, with a seasonal adjustment indicating a 0.3% decline in the first quarter of 2025, following a 1.3% growth in the last quarter of 2024, according to Raiffeisenbank analysts. This downturn could influence a potential reduction in the key interest rate during the summer, as reported by Vedomosti.

🚨 OpenAI has decided against transitioning into a commercial organization. The company will maintain its focus on public benefit, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. For more details, visit the full article here: WSJ.

🥔 Prices for potatoes in Russia have surged 2.8 times due to a shortage, according to a report by Ъ.

🇦🇹 Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI) is moving forward with the sale of its Russian subsidiary, Raiffeisenbank. The bank is in discussions with several interested parties, according to a press release from the group.

⚠️ The Moscow Exchange Index (IMOEX) experienced a decline of 1% during the morning session, dropping from a previous increase of 0.6%.