Browsing: National
Gold prices marched to record levels above $5,100 yesterday, as investors sought a safe haven amid international political tension, and silver and platinum also scaled all-time highs. Spot gold was up 1.9% at $5,076.43 an ounce by 11:37am ET after hitting a record $5,110.50. US gold futures for February delivery gained 1.9% to $5,074.10. “Gold prices continue to be supported by elevated geopolitical and economic uncertainty. Central banks remain strong buyers as they diversify foreign exchange reserves and reduce reliance on the US dollar,” said Ryan McIntyre, president at Sprott Inc. “In addition, investor inflows into physically backed exchange-traded funds have resumed, with holdings up approximately 20% year over year,” McIntyre added. Adrian Ash, head of research at online marketplace BullionVault said: “A wave of new first-time investing is driving this move in precious metals. It’s led by private investors across Asia and Europe, rushing to build their personal holdings of gold and silver.” Analysts at Societe Generale anticipate gold will reach $6,000/oz by year-end, though they caution this may be a conservative estimate with scope for further gains. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley said the rally could continue, highlighting a bull-case target of $5,700. Spot silver scaled a new record high of $113.61 an ounce. Prices broke the $100 mark on Friday as retail investor and momentum-driven buying added to tightness in physical markets for the precious and industrial metal. “Momentum is strong, with Chinese silver prices at a notable premium to London prices, indicating further gains in the short term are possible. However, such high prices should reduce industrial demand,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.Spot platinum rose by 3% to $2,849.60 an ounce after touching a record $2,918.80 while spot palladium climbed by 6.2% to $2,135.22, the highest levels since 2022. Source link
The Spanish government intends to adopt a plan to regularize the status of undocumented migrants, which could benefit up to 500,000 people, the Spanish government spokesperson and Minister of Social Security Elma Saiz said on Tuesday.She explained that the measure aims to boost the Spanish economy, as it would allow around half a million people who have resided in Spain for at least five months and arrived before Dec. 31, 2025, to obtain legal status and work in any sector and anywhere in the country. Spain, like other European countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, is facing an influx of irregular migrants, most of whom come from Africa. Source link
At least 11 people have died as a result of a severe snowstorm that swept through nearly 40 US states. Local authorities explained Monday that more than 800,000 people are still without power, noting that more than 17,000 flights have been canceled. Schools in major cities have closed or switched to remote learning. They indicated that the effects of the storm could last for days, or even weeks, and that nearly 90 million people across the country have been warned of the “bitter cold.” Authorities also issued warnings of up to 10 centimeters of snow in Washington, D.C., and up to 30 centimeters in New York and New Jersey. New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani announced at a press conference yesterday (Sunday) that the bodies of five homeless people had been found in the open, indicating that the death toll could rise. Several regions of the United States have been experiencing a historic winter storm known as “Vern” for days, stretching from Texas to the Northeast, putting more than 213 million Americans under weather warnings, with deaths recorded as a result of heavy ice and massive snow accumulations. Source link
US President Donald Trump said that he’s raising reciprocal tariffs and auto duties on South Korea to 25% from 15%. Trump stated via Truth Social that US trade deals are of vital importance to the country. He noted that in each of these agreements, the United States moved to lower tariffs in accordance with the specified terms and naturally expects its trading partners to follow suit. However, he added, the South Korean legislature is failing to meet its obligations to the US. “President Lee and I reached a great deal for both Countries on July 30, 2025, and we reaffirmed these terms while I was in Korea on October 29, 2025. Why hasn’t the Korean legislature approved it?” Trump wrote. Trump noted that the Korean Legislature hasn’t enacted their historic trade agreement, which is their prerogative, prompting him to increase tariffs on automobiles, lumber, pharmaceuticals, and all other reciprocal tariffs, from 15% to 25%. The Korean presidential office said it had not been officially notified about Trump’s tariff hikes. “There has been no official notification or explanation of the details from the US government so far,” the presidential office said in a press notice shared by Yonhap News Agency. Source link
Climber Alex Honnold waves from the top of Taipei 101 after successfully free soloing the building An American climber took on Taiwan’s tallest building yesterday, becoming the first person to scale Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net.Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-storey tower to watch Alex Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix. After an hour-and-a-half, he successfully made it up 1,667 feet before triumphantly rappelling down to reunite with his wife, Sanni McCandless Honnold. Speaking at a press briefing afterwards, Honnold said “time is finite”, and people should “use it in the best way”. “If you work really hard… you can do hard things,” Honnold added. Honnold has conquered some of the world’s most intimidating rock faces and rose to global fame in 2017 after he climbed Yosemite’s “El Capitan”, lauded among his peers as the pinnacle of technical difficulty on the massive granite monolith. It had always been a dream of Honnold’s to add scaling Taipei 101 to his list of achievements he told reporters, adding that his first request had been rejected. He did not offer more details about why this was the case. Source link
Bangladesh yesterday said it was “surprised” and “shocked” that India had allowed fugitive former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to make a public address in New Delhi. Hasina, 78, fled to neighbouring India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising ended her 15-year rule. She made her first public speech since then in an audio address in Delhi on Friday. “The government and the people of Bangladesh are surprised and shocked,” Dhaka’s foreign ministry said. “Allowing the event to take place in Delhi and letting mass murderer Hasina openly deliver her hate speech… constitute a clear affront to the people and the government of Bangladesh.” – Source link
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada has “no intention” of pursuing a free trade deal with China.”We have no intention of doing that with China or any other non-market economy,” he told reporters on Sunday in Ottawa. “What we’ve done with China is to rectify some issues that have developed in the last couple of years.” Carney said that under the continental trade pact, known as CUSMA, Canada cannot pursue free trade agreements with non-market economies – ones driven more by government than market forces without prior notification. Carney’s remarks come one day after US President Donald Trumpآ threatened to impose 100 per cent tariffsآ on Canada if it goes through with a trade deal with China. ( Source link
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that a private plane carrying eight people crashed shortly after takeoff from Bangor International Airport in Maine.The fate of the eight people on board was not immediately known, and no official details were available. A government official stated that a large fire broke out after the crash, noting that the plane had arrived in Maine after a flight from Texas. The FAA said that the twin-engine Bombardier Challenger 600 jet crashed during takeoff from Bangor Airport, adding that it would investigate the incident in cooperation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). This incident comes amid a severe snowstorm sweeping across the northeastern United States. Temperatures in Maine have dropped well below zero, with light snowfall causing a significant decrease in visibility. Source link
At least 11 people were killed and 12 others injured in an armed attack at a football field in the Mexican city of Salamanca, local authorities said. Mayor Cesar Prieto said in a post on Facebook that a woman and a child were among those injured in what he described as a “regrettable and cowardly” attack. The incident took place in the Loma de Flores area during a social gathering. Prieto described the attack as a a sign of a severe social breakdown, adding that it was part of a broader wave of violence that state has been experiencing. Source link
People attend an outdoor party on the frozen Kyiv Reservoir, also known as the Kyiv Sea, to stay warm and lift spirits after a night of…