U.S. interception of Skipper tanker signals harder line on Venezuela
Washington’s seizure of a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil shows a shift from financial sanctions to direct maritime action, further straining relatio...
Gold prices edged higher on Monday after slipping to their lowest level in more than a month, supported by a weakening U.S. dollar and easing geopolitical tensions that have tempered safe-haven demand.
Spot gold rose 0.5% to $3,290 per ounce by 06:13 GMT, recovering from its lowest point since 29 May earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures also gained 0.4%, reaching $3,301.
Market sentiment was buoyed by easing trade friction between the U.S. and China, as well as improving geopolitical conditions. This shift boosted risk appetite and lifted global equities, while weighing on the dollar, which fell 0.3%. A softer dollar typically supports gold by making it cheaper for buyers using other currencies.
“There is less of a ‘doom and gloom’ outlook surrounding both tariff talks and events in the Middle East, which is relegating gold to play second fiddle to risk assets,” said Tim Waterer, Chief Market Analyst at KCM Trade.
Asian stock markets strengthened, and Wall Street futures pointed higher as traders responded to diplomatic progress. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday cited key breakthroughs in negotiations over rare earth shipments from China and said several trade deals could be finalized by the 1 September Labor Day deadline.
In a related development, Canada rescinded its planned digital services tax on U.S. tech companies just hours before implementation, a move aimed at reviving stalled trade talks with Washington.
Meanwhile, a ceasefire between Iran and Israel appeared to be holding after 12 days of conflict, contributing to the broader decline in safe-haven demand.
Waterer noted that while gold found support from a weakening dollar, the $3,250 level remains a key technical threshold.
“Any breach of this level could see losses accelerate towards the $3,200 level,” he added.
Gold’s performance continues to be weighed by stable global conditions and a high-interest-rate environment, which dulls the appeal of non-yielding assets like bullion.
In other precious metals, spot silver gained 0.5% to $36.16 per ounce, platinum rose 2% to $1,366.63, and palladium increased 1.6% to $1,151.36.
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, has said that Ukraine has not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of children it alleges were taken illegally to Russia, despite the issue being discussed during talks in Istanbul.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has offered condolences to President Donald Trump following an ISIS attack near the ancient city of Palmyra that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter, Syrian and U.S. officials said Sunday.
Iran has rolled out changes to how fuel is priced at the pump. The move is aimed at managing demand without triggering public anger.
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices.
The U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to a range of 3.50% to 3.75% following its two-day policy meeting, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday, 10 December.
China has carried out a major test of a new “super wireless” rail convoy, a technology that could reshape the future of heavy-haul transport.
Paramount Skydance (PSKY.O) has launched a $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O). The escalation follows a high-stakes battle that had appeared to end last week when Netflix secured a $72 billion deal for the studio giant’s assets.
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