The main events by the morning: April 4

• The probability of Trump's victory is growing before our eyes. According to the latest WSJ data, the former president is ahead of Biden in 6 of the 7 most «competitive» states. Historically, they have been the most active confrontation between running candidates. 

• The Russian authorities and NOVATEK will allocate about 24.3 billion rubles for the development of new equipment for LNG production. These funds will be distributed in stages until 2030. The roadmap includes a list of 22 types of equipment in demand in the production of liquefied natural gas. It is expected that these investments will help to increase LNG production threefold, reaching a volume of 100 million tons by 2030.

• Microsoft plans to end support for the Windows 10 operating system by 2025 and charge for updates. Initially, it was planned to collect fees only from corporate customers, but then Microsoft decided to extend this measure to all users. The cost of extending support will increase every year: the first year – $61, the second – $122, the third – $244. However, Microsoft has not yet confirmed this information.

• «Even with the conclusion of political agreements, the rapid lifting of sanctions will not happen.» This was stated by the head of the Russian International Affairs Council, Ivan Timofeev, pointing to the example of Iran, which has been living under American sanctions for 45 years. It is assumed that Russia may also be preparing for a long-term existence under sanctions. 

• Russian winemakers have proposed to impose a 200% duty on wine from NATO countries, and the government will consider this idea. Last year, duties on wine from unfriendly countries have already been increased from 12.5% to 20%, and this new rate will be valid for the whole of 2024. Moreover, the prices of imported wine have increased due to exchange rate fluctuations and production problems.

• The unemployment rate in Russia fell to a new historical low of 2.8% in February. In January, the figure was 2.9%. In its latest key rate review, the Bank of Russia noted that labor market tensions have increased.