Kazakhstan chairs first meeting of OTS Central Banks Council
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired the first OTS Central Banks Council meeting in Astana, calling for greater financial cooperation amid global economic shifts.
Central banks around the world expect their gold holdings as a proportion of their reserves to increase over the next five years while expecting their dollar reserves to be lower, a survey by the World Gold Council (WGC) showed.
Gold demand from central banks has risen significantly over the past three years despite its price rally to consecutive records. It hit an all-time high of $3,500.05 an ounce in April, up 95% since February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Seventy three central banks responded to WGC's survey, carried out between 25 February and 20 May, and 76% of these expect their gold holdings to be higher in five years compared with 69% last year.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents expected central banks' dollar-denominated reserves to be lower in five years compared with 62% last year.
"Gold’s performance during times of crisis, portfolio diversification and inflation hedging are some key themes driving plans to accumulate more gold over the coming year," WGC said in a release.
Central banks have accumulated more than 1,000 metric tons of gold in each of the last three years, WGC said, adding that this represented a significant rise from the 400-500 ton average in the preceding decade.
"This marked acceleration in the pace of accumulation has occurred against a backdrop of geopolitical and economic uncertainty," WGC said.
A record 95% of respondents think central bank gold reserves will increase over the next 12 months, up from 81% last year, according to WGC's survey, which also showed the Bank of England remains the most popular location for their gold reserves.
Potential trade conflicts and tariffs were cited by 59% of central banks in the survey as relevant to the management of their reserves, the survey showed.
"A larger percentage of these came from emerging markets and developing economies - 69% - than advanced economy respondents - 40%", the council said.
Pakistan will begin its first freight train service to Russia from Lahore on June 22. The route is part of the INSTC and aims to connect Pakistan's rail network with Central Asia, establishing a new trade corridor via Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan.
Peace is no longer a dream. It is a discussion. On the streets of Baku and Yerevan, it is also a question, of trust, of foreign interests, and of who truly wants it.
Israeli strikes have reportedly targeted areas near the residences of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the New York Times, citing local witnesses.
Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has cancelled certain flights scheduled for 13th and 14th June amid recent escalation of situation in the Middle East and the closure of airspace in several countries for security reasons.
The Israeli military has issued an evacuation advisory for Iranian civilians living near weapons production sites and associated infrastructure within Iran. The message was shared on the social media platform X in both Arabic and Farsi by an official military spokesperson.
Global oil demand will continue rising until around 2030, even as China’s consumption peaks in 2027, driven by low U.S. gasoline prices and slower EV adoption, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday.
Oil prices rose on Tuesday, with analysts saying that uncertainty would keep prices elevated, even as there were no concrete signs of any production losses stemming from the Iran-Israel conflict.
Donald Trump's media company has filed for a Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded fund (ETF), prompting fresh concerns over potential conflicts of interest as the U.S. President remains active in both politics and cryptocurrency ventures.
Dozens of public companies, including one founded by Donald Trump, are adding bitcoin to their balance sheets, betting big on crypto amid soaring prices and political backing from the U.S. President.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has warned that its profits will take a hit due to new U.S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, after the company paused shipments to the American market in response to new 25% import tax hikes.
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