Prices for gold and other precious metals are rising steadily on Monday amid reports that the U.S. and Iran have reached agreements that will bring an end to hostilities in the Middle East and resume shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Representatives of the two countries will sign a memorandum of understanding on June 19 in Switzerland, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced on social media platform X.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz will be open to shipping and that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports will be lifted.
Against this backdrop, oil prices are falling, and traders are revising their forecasts regarding the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) future policy. Expectations of a rate hike by the U.S. central bank amid rising inflationary pressures have contributed to the recent decline in the price of gold. The prospect of higher rates traditionally puts pressure on the precious metals market, as investments in these assets do not generate interest income.
The spot price of gold, as of 1:15 p.m. local time, rose 2.8% to $4,338.06 per ounce. August gold futures on the Comex rose 2.9% to $4,360.20 per ounce.
“Market participants are pricing out the likelihood of a Fed rate hike following the decline in oil prices, which is providing support for the precious metal,” notes UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.
“In the near term, I expect some consolidation in the market until there is greater clarity on the Fed’s stance later this week,” the expert says.
The next meeting of the U.S. central bank will take place on June 16–17. It will be Kevin Warsh’s first as Fed chair. The consensus forecast by experts, as cited by Trading Economics, predicts that the U.S. central bank will keep its benchmark interest rate in the range of 3.5–3.75%.
The spot price of silver rose 4% during Monday’s trading to $70.66 per ounce, platinum rose 3.3% to $1,774.89 per ounce, and palladium rose 4.8% to $1,344.06 per ounce. Prices for gold and other precious metals are rising steadily on Monday
The Odesa Investment Congress 2026, dedicated to Ukraine’s investment potential and a new regional development strategy, will take place on July 10, 2026, in Odesa, the event organizers announced.
The UBC national-level congress, organized by the DMNTR media group, will be held in Odesa for the first time. SPATIUM Group will serve as the event’s general partner.
The Odesa Investment Congress will bring together developers, investors, architects, urban planners, government officials, representatives of the banking sector, business leaders, brokers, designers, and the international community.
The congress will focus on investment trends for 2027–2030, new regions for development, investment opportunities, project risks and return on investment, the preservation of UNESCO heritage in the context of modern urban development, accessibility, the redevelopment of industrial zones, apart-hotels, a new architectural code, as well as the role of medicine, wellness, and recreational architecture in the economies of Ukrainian cities.
The event program includes four thematic halls, panel discussions, a press conference, a presentation of SPATIUM investment projects, a gala evening, a Fashion Show, and a special Vasyl Kandinsky Award.
A separate program for guests is scheduled for July 9 and 11. It will include visits to construction sites, presentations, and a dinner.
Participants in the event include representatives of the development market and investors from various regions of Ukraine, including SPATIUM, Zezman, Hephaestus, Kreator-Bud, KADORR, SAGA, Aquareli, Two Academics, Stolitsa Group, Sigma+, Vlasne Misto, and other companies.
The organizers note that the goal of the Odesa Investment Congress is to demonstrate how Ukraine is transforming, where investments are flowing, and which regions may become growth hubs in the coming years.
The event will take place on July 10, 2026, at the SPATIUM hotel in Odesa from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
To participate as a VIP guest, speaker, or partner, please call: 044 461 91 28. Detailed information about the congress is available on the website: www.ubc-ua.info/oic.
The event is organized by the DMNTR media group. The general partner is SPATIUM Group.
The Open4Business project is the event’s information partner.
The Adidas sports brand has returned to Kharkiv after a four-year hiatus; a discount store has opened at 199 Heroiv Kharkiva Street, according to a post on LinkedIn by Igor Marinich, CEO of Adidas Ukraine.
“After four years in a ‘frozen’ state since the start of the full-scale war, we are once again opening our doors to all our customers and athletes in our wonderful, athletic, incredibly brave, and Ukrainian city of heroes—Kharkiv!” he wrote.
Marinich also emphasized that the safety of employees and customers remains a key priority for the company.
As reported, in February 2024, Adidas closed all its retail locations in Ukraine due to the security situation, but began restoring the network’s operations as early as July 2022. In Kharkiv, the brand’s stores had previously also operated in the “Karavan” and “Dafi” shopping centers.
In Ukraine, the chain is managed by the state-owned enterprise “Adidas-Ukraine,” which is owned by Adidas AG. According to OpenDataBot, by the end of 2025, the company increased its revenue by 28% to 2,996,893,000 UAH, while net profit halved to 43.310 million UAH in 2025 compared to 94.205 million UAH in 2024.
A decree by the President of Kyrgyzstan titled “On Measures to Improve the Tax System and Tax Administration” will provide a range of tax incentives for entities in the IT sector, as well as those engaged in creative and artistic activities, the country’s tax service announced on Friday.
Specifically, IT workers, artificial intelligence and app developers, bloggers, remote workers for foreign companies, and startup founders will be exempt from taxes for a period of 5 years.
In addition, this category will be subject to a preferential income tax rate of 5% and social security contributions of 12%.
This measure will enable Kyrgyzstan to become a regional hub for the development of IT, artificial intelligence, and creative industries, attracting talented professionals, innovative companies, and investments from around the world, the statement emphasizes.
The preferential tax regime will help entrepreneurs allocate more funds to business development, the implementation of new technologies, and the enhancement of domestic companies’ competitiveness.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced the discovery of evidence of long-standing U.S. government funding of more than 120 biological laboratories in over 30 countries worldwide, including Ukraine.
“After months of searching through intelligence community archives and files, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is revealing new evidence of long-term U.S. government funding of over 120 biological laboratories in more than 30 countries,” according to a statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
According to the statement, some of the laboratories funded by the U.S. government have worked or continue to work with dangerous and highly contagious pathogens, and in some cases have conducted gain-of-function research.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence also stated that among such facilities are laboratories in Ukraine, which, according to U.S. intelligence assessments, could be vulnerable to risks of seizure, damage, or attacks amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to Gabbard, information about the existence, location, and funding of these laboratories has long been concealed from the public.
“Politicians, so-called medical professionals such as Dr. Fauci, and members of the Biden administration’s national security team lied to the American people about the existence of U.S.-funded and supported biolabs,” the agency’s press service quoted Gabbard as saying.
She also reported that she had issued new directives to the intelligence community to intensify the collection of information on such laboratories and related institutions abroad.
The statement notes that the new data also includes information on clinical trials conducted at these facilities, which, according to the agency, raises ethical, financial, and security concerns.
According to reports, on May 25, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting federal funding for research on pathogen gain-of-function worldwide.
It is worth noting that Hubbard released this information a few days before her resignation.
As reported, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is stepping down from her post to support her husband in his battle with an “extremely rare form of bone cancer,” according to Fox News. Her last day at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is expected to be June 30.
Source: https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2026/4163-pr-10-26
In January–May 2026, Ukraine increased imports of nickel and nickel products by 15% compared to the same period last year, reaching $9.171 million.
In May, imports of nickel and nickel products totaled $2.294 million.
At the same time, exports of nickel and nickel products for January–May of this year amounted to $192,000, compared to $443,000 for the first five months of 2025. In May, nickel exports totaled $8,000.
As reported, Ukraine reduced imports of nickel and nickel products by 2.7% in 2025 compared to 2024, down to $26.011 million. Exports of nickel and nickel products totaled $1.420 million, compared to $602,000 in 2024.
Nickel is used in the production of stainless steel and for nickel plating. Nickel is also used in battery production, powder metallurgy, and chemical reagents.
