The main events by the morning: May 20

• Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi killed in a plane crash. The Iranian Foreign Minister and the governor of East Azerbaijan province were on the crashed board along with the president. The causes of the crash are still unknown. First Vice President Mohber will serve as President of Iran until the elections. The Tehran Stock Exchange suspended operations after the news of the death of the president. 

• The Ministry of Energy announced the upcoming lifting of the ban on gasoline exports from Russia. The government plans to lift the ban imposed on March 1, since during its operation gasoline reserves have been formed at refineries and oil depots, fully covering domestic needs.

• Libya is seeking to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Russia. The country's authorities expressed a desire to «give a powerful impetus» to relations with the Russian Federation. Currently, the countries already have connections in various fields such as economy, trade, education, energy, food and medicine.

• Finland may partially open its borders with Russia if the law «on expulsion» is adopted. This bill will tighten measures to provide asylum to refugees. According to the Finnish Prime Minister, the country wants to normalize the refugee situation, but the opening of borders will depend on Russia's actions.

• Trade between Russia and India reached a new record in the first quarter of 2024. The figure amounted to $17.5 billion, and March was the main month for contributions. The previous record was set in the second quarter of 2023 and amounted to $17 billion. Over the past two years, trade between India and Russia has grown by almost 4.4 times.

• Gold has reached a new historical high, reaching $2,454 per troy ounce. The demand for gold in the global economy continues to grow as countries increase their reserves, which leads to higher prices. China is especially actively transferring its assets from securities to gold.