SINGAPORE, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Gold was headed for its largest weekly gain in nearly eight months on Friday and the euro hovered at a 13-month low as Russia lowered its threshold for using nuclear weapons and fired a hypersonic ballistic missile at Ukraine.
The risk of escalation also sent European gas prices to a one-year high and pushed investors towards safe havens, underpinning German debt and putting the Swiss franc on course for its first weekly rise in two months.
In Asia on Friday, chipmakers led stocks a little higher after Nvidia (NVDA.O), ouched a record high in U.S. trade on solid earnings, with shares in Taiwan (.TWII), and South Korea (.KS11) up more than 1% and the Nikkei (.N225), opens new tab gaining 0.8%.
Gold was steady at $2,677 an ounce and up more than 4.5% for the week so far while bitcoin , stood on the brink of breaking above $100,000 for the first time.
Assets linked to Adani Group companies remained under pressure, with dollar bonds nursing losses following chairman Gautam Adani's indictment for fraud by U.S. prosecutors.
Russia on Tuesday lowered its threshold for using nuclear weapons and overnight responded to the U.S. and UK allowing Kyiv to strike Russian territory with western weapons by firing a hypersonic intermediate-range missile at Ukraine's Dnipro.
"Those weapons typically carry nuclear warheads," said analysts at ANZ Bank, noting the attack sent oil prices higher.
"The exchange indicates the war has entered a new phase, raising concerns around disruptions to supply."
Brent crude futures are up nearly 4.5% on the week and edged up to touch a two-week high of $74.44 a barrel in Asia trade.
The euro has been friendless and down for seven of the past eight weeks as Europe faces U.S. tariffs, slowing growth, the collapse of Germany's government and strains in France's government over its 2025 budget.
"There doesn't seem to be anything on the plus side of the euro ledger just at the moment," said National Australia Bank's head of FX research, Ray Attrill.
At $1.0469 the common currency is close to breaking support at last year's low of $1.0448. European stocks (.STOXX) are also headed for a fifth weekly drop in a row, while world stocks (.MIWD00000PUS) are up 1% this week.
The dollar index eyed a weekly gain of 0.4% and traded at 107.05. S&P 500 futures were flat. Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields held at 4.432%, more or less steady on the week.
Markets imply about a 58% chance of a Fed cut, down from 83% a week earlier.
Data in Japan showed core inflation held above the central bank's 2% target in October, keeping pressure for a rate rise. Markets are pricing about a 57% chance of a 25 basis point Bank of Japan rate hike in December and the prospect has injected some volatility and even support for the yen .
The yen, down 4% this quarter, was trading firmer at 154.38 per dollar in morning trade.
"Together with speculation about (finance ministry) intervention, I think selling on upticks on dollar/yen is quite decent," said Keita Matsumoto, head of financial institution sales and solutions at Citigroup Global Markets Japan in Tokyo.
"Our investor clients and corporate clients are rather sellers of dollar/yen close to 155."
A Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro has killed at least four people and injured 19, sparking a fire in a hotel and nearby buildings.
M23 rebel leaders have arrived in Qatar for further talks with mediators, following an earlier meeting between the presidents of DRC and Rwanda.
Elon Musk’s xAI has acquired his social media platform X in a $33 billion all-stock deal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested placing Ukraine under temporary UN administration before negotiations on a peace deal can begin.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum as part of a regional tour focused on migration and security cooperation.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has filed a lawsuit to stop Elon Musk from giving $2 million to voters ahead of the state’s Supreme Court election, calling it a violation of state election laws.
Severe storms have brought deadly floods to the Texas–Mexico border, killing at least four people and forcing hundreds into shelters.
M23 rebel leaders have arrived in Qatar for further talks with mediators, following an earlier meeting between the presidents of DRC and Rwanda.
Elon Musk’s xAI has acquired his social media platform X in a $33 billion all-stock deal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested placing Ukraine under temporary UN administration before negotiations on a peace deal can begin.
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilots, monitoring a Chinese navy warship as it navigated Australian waters, were alerted to a live-fire exercise via a civilian radio broadcast, defense officials revealed on Tuesday.
As the world shifts toward clean energy at an ever-accelerating pace, large economies are scrambling to secure reliable supply chains for rare earth minerals. These minerals, once seen as mere industrial components, have become a political tool in the global power struggle
Russian forces carried out a drone attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, late Wednesday, injuring at least twenty one people and causing structural damage, according to Ukrainian officials.
A devastating overnight drone attack on Kyiv, attributed to Russian forces, resulted in the deaths of three people, including a five-year-old child, and left ten others injured.
The Trump administration is importing eggs from Türkiye and South Korea to address shortages and record-high prices caused by a severe bird flu outbreak.
Elon Musk’s xAI has acquired his social media platform X in a $33 billion all-stock deal.
Popular coffee brands are negotiating price hikes with retailers due to a sharp rise in arabica costs, with some supermarket shelves running out of stock. Prices may increase by up to 25% as companies grapple with supply chain pressures.
Zhang Yiming, the founder of Bytedance and owner of TikTok, has become China’s richest person, according to multiple wealth rankings. Bloomberg Billionaires Index places him as the world’s 24th wealthiest individual, with his fortune estimated between $57.5 billion and $65.5 billion.
Canada has suspended Tesla rebate payments and barred the automaker from future EV incentives due to U.S. tariffs. Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland said the freeze will remain until claims are individually reviewed.
China has strongly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's recent executive order, which threatens to impose a 25% tariff on all goods imported to the U.S. from any country that imports oil from Venezuela.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has filed a lawsuit to stop Elon Musk from giving $2 million to voters ahead of the state’s Supreme Court election, calling it a violation of state election laws.
Severe storms have brought deadly floods to the Texas–Mexico border, killing at least four people and forcing hundreds into shelters.
M23 rebel leaders have arrived in Qatar for further talks with mediators, following an earlier meeting between the presidents of DRC and Rwanda.
Elon Musk’s xAI has acquired his social media platform X in a $33 billion all-stock deal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested placing Ukraine under temporary UN administration before negotiations on a peace deal can begin.
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