Why Countries Are Stocking Up on Gold

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As risk has escalated, central banks have bought more gold to stash in reserve. A widening Middle East war could add to the urgency.

Screenshot taken from this NYT article. | Gold bars stored at the Bank of England. | Bank of England | Credits: Unavailable
Central banks around the world have bulked up their reserves of gold, a safe but cumbersome investment that has been revived in popularity by intensifying geopolitical tensions and concerns over inflation.

This year, the price of gold exceeded $5,000 per troy ounce for the first time in history. One major reason prices have soared — doubling in a year and a half — is the demand from emerging economies: The central banks of Poland, Turkey, India and China have been some of the biggest buyers of gold in the past several years.

The shock to the global financial system from the war in the Middle East has underlined again how some central banks turn to gold during times of stress.

Central banks have continued to add to their holdings of gold since the conflict began in late February, including those in China, Poland, the Czech Republic and Uzbekistan, according to data from the World Gold Council. In March, China’s central bank bought more gold than it had in more than a year. Guatemala also bought gold in March, for the first time in about six months, the council said. » | Eshe Nelson | Eshe Nelson, who reported from London, has written about central banks and financial markets for more than a decade. | Friday, May 1, 2026

Where in the World Is All That Gold Stored?: As central banks buy more gold, where to put all that heavy metal is an increasingly important question. Reserves must be secure and ready to trade in a crisis. »

Trump Tells Merz to ‘Fix His Broken Country’ in New Attack on German Chancellor

THE GUARDIAN: US president’s latest outburst comes a day after he suggested a ‘possible reduction’ in US troops in Germany

Donald Trump has again lashed out at Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, saying he should focus on “fixing his broken country” and trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war – and spend less time “interfering” in Iran.

“The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!),” Trump wrote in a social media post.

Merz should instead focus on “fixing his broken Country,” he wrote, “especially Immigration and Energy, and less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat, thereby making the World, including Germany, a safer place!”

Trump’s latest outburst came a day after he suggested the US military presence in Germany was being reviewed, with a “possible reduction” of troops under consideration. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin and Jakub Krupa | Thursday, April 30, 2026

Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady

Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady - From her humble beginnings as a grocer's daughter, Margaret Thatcher fought her way through the sexist prejudices of the 1970s to become the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1979.

Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady (2012)
Director: Alan Byron
Stars: Tony Benn, Gyles Brandreth, Michael Brunson
Genre: Documentary, Biography, History
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Release Date: August 24, 2012 (United States)

Rising Costs Forcing 3m UK Households to Skip Meals, Which? Report Finds

THE GUARDIAN: Consumer insight tracker shows 85% are worried about food prices and a majority think the economy will deteriorate

Three million UK households are being forced to skip meals as consumers resort to drastic measures to deal with rising costs, according to a Which? report published on Thursday.

The conflict in the Middle East and subsequent surge in oil and raw material prices has led to businesses preparing to raise prices, putting more pressure on household finances and hitting consumer confidence.

The Which? consumer insight tracker for the month to 10 April shows a fall in consumer confidence to -62. This is the lowest level since the peak of the cost of living crisis in 2022 and down from -56 the previous month.

Most adults – 71% – believe the UK economy will deteriorate in the next 12 months, with only 9% predicting it will get better. And 85% are now worried about food prices, up from 83% in February.

To manage rising costs, families are compromising on their shopping and eating habits, with 43% buying cheaper products, 37% purchasing more supermarket-branded budget items and 31% buying extra items when on sale.

On top of that, one in 10 UK households are now skipping meals and one in seven are going without some foods. » | Claudia Efemeni | Thursday, April 30, 2026

Venezuela Without Maduro | ARTE.tv Documentary

Apr 28, 2026 | Three months after Nicolás Maduro's kidnapping by US special forces, Venezuelan civil society is reawakening and challenging the regime openly. Demonstrators are criticising the government and demanding the release of political prisoners, and oil industry trade unions want to see change.

Venezuela Without Maduro | ARTE.tv Documentary Available until: 24/03/2029

The Real Reason UAE Left OPEC - Explained by Andreas Krieg

April 29, 2026

London: The Money-laundering Capital of the World

Michael Lambert explains.

La guerre au Moyen-Orient risque de jeter plus de 30 millions de personnes dans la pauvreté

LE FIGARO : Le conflit va tout particulièrement affecter « l’Afrique subsaharienne et certains pays en Asie », ou encore «les petites îles en développement». Les populations vont souffrir des « coûts d’énergie, du manque d’engrais, ce qui va avoir un impact énorme dans les mois à venir ».

Le conflit en Iran, en provoquant une flambée des prix de l'énergie, menace de jeter plus de 30 millions de personnes dans la pauvreté à travers le monde, a souligné mercredi 29 avril l'administrateur du Programme des Nations unies pour le développement (PNUD), Alexander De Croo.

« Nous avons fait une étude après six semaines de guerre et notre estimation était que, même si la guerre s'arrêtait à ce moment-là, une population de 32 millions sera poussée dans la précarité dans 160 pays », a-t-il fait valoir en marge du G7 développement à Paris. « C'est le développement en marche arrière », a-t-il déploré. « Cela prend des décennies pour construire des sociétés stables, pour développer une économie locale, ça prend une guerre de quelques semaines pour détruire ça ». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 29 avril 2026

Steve Rosenberg: Stalin Rehabilitated, NATO 'Fragmented': What Today's Russian Papers Are Saying.

Apr 29, 2026 | In today’s Russian papers: Stalin rehabilitated, Soviet jeans remembered, Nato “fragmented” and Moscow wondering “will Nato’s foundation stone, the Article 5 principle of collective security, work?”

Canada Setting Up Investment Fund to Distance Economy From U.S.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The sovereign wealth fund announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney will be far smaller than ones in other oil producers like Norway and the Middle East.

Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada said Monday that his country would establish a pool of money similar to those used by major oil exporters like Norway to make investments as he seeks to make the Canadian economy less dependent on the United States.

Known as a sovereign wealth fund, it will focus on investments in Canadian infrastructure and will be operated like a private company. Canadians will also be able to invest in the fund.

Sovereign wealth funds are large pots of investment money that are generally managed independently, though they sometimes receive broad direction from governments about where they can put their funds.

In creating one of it own, Canada is following the lead of other countries, among them oil-rich nations in the Middle Eastern.

“This will be a Government of Canada fund, but more importantly, it will be a people’s fund, it will be your fund,” Mr. Carney told reporters in Ottawa. “Many countries that are blessed with natural resources, like Norway, have them. Canada has not until now.” » | Ian Austen | Reporting from the steam locomotive hall at a science and technology museum in Ottawa where Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke.| Monday, April 27, 2026

Steve Rosenberg: Reading Vladimir Putin.

Apr 28, 2026 | What should we read into Vladimir Putin’s latest comments to lawmakers that “fixating on prohibitions…is counterproductive”? Plus, today’s Russian papers report “Investment crisis becoming difficult to mask” and “Big pessimism of small business” in Russia.

Jared Yates Sexton on the Worldwide Energy Crisis Caused by Trump’s Wars on Iran (and the Pope)

Apr 27, 2026 | Author Jared Yates Sexton joins Anthony Davis to discuss the worldwide energy crisis caused by Trump’s war on Iran and how he is haemorrhaging support whilst unwittingly encouraging a green energy revolution in the face of rising oil and gas prices – only on The Weekend Show.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

Richard Wolff: Petrodollar Decline Unravels the US Empire

Apr 26, 2026 | Prof. Richard Wolff discusses how the Iran War undermines the petrodollar and the US-led international economic system that has sustained the US empire.

Starving to Pay Rent: The Brutal Reality of the Cost of Living Crisis | 60 Minutes Australia

Apr 26, 2026 | As the fallout from the Iran conflict triggers unprecedented fuel shortages and crippling inflation across the world, everyday Australians are being pushed to the brink. Struggling families are skipping meals to survive, desperate farmers are abandoning their crops, and top economists are warning of an imminent, severe recession. The devastating reality of the cost-of-living crisis is exposed.

Michael Hudson: Iran War Ignites Global Financial Armageddon

Apr 25, 2026 | Prof. Michael Hudson, a world-renowned classical economist, discusses why the war against Iran has changed the global economy permanently.

Si le blocage d’Ormuz « perdure encore deux ou trois mois », la France entrera « dans une ère de pénurie énergétique », prévient le patron de TotalEnergies

LE FIGARO : Le patron de TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanné, appelle à renforcer la « résilience » des chaînes d’approvisionnement énergétique face aux tensions dans le détroit d’Ormuz, en plaidant notamment pour de nouveaux investissements dans les infrastructures de transport, dont des oléoducs.

Le patron de TotalEnergies Patrick Pouyanné a appelé vendredi à la « résilience » face au blocage du détroit d'Ormuz, évoquant des investissements « probablement dans de nouveaux pipelines » afin de réduire la dépendance à ce passage maritime stratégique. Affirmant qu'il sera difficile de se passer du pétrole issu du Golfe, « très bon marché », Patrick Pouyanné a plaidé pour l'émergence d'alternatives au détroit d'Ormuz. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 25 avril 2026

Britain Should Seek to Rejoin EU, Says Civil Servant Who Led Brexit Department

THE GUARDIAN: Philip Rycroft says promises on issues from economics to immigration have not lived up to expectations

Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | Anti-Brexit protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in April. Photograph: James Veysey/Shutterstock
Britain should start talking about rejoining the EU, according to a former senior civil servant who ran the Brexit department.

Philip Rycroft, who was permanent secretary of the Department for Exiting the EU, said the “argument was there to be won” about going back into Europe, adding that a “clear-headed appraisal of what is in the country’s best interests” was needed. However, he said rejoining the bloc could be a “long and windy” road.

“Most economic analysis suggests that we have taken a significant hit to GDP as a result of leaving the single market,” he wrote in the Times. “The precise number, and the impact on our export performance to the EU and beyond, might be subject to debate, but no one can credibly claim that we have marched to the sunny uplands of sustained economic growth as a consequence of Brexit.”

Rycroft said the promises of the Brexit campaign on issues from economics to immigration had not lived up to expectations. “The great promise of a comprehensive trade deal with the USA now seems like an impossible dream,” he said.

“Chill winds don’t just blow through the international trading order. The postwar certainties that underpinned our security as a nation are visibly crumbling. With a hot war on the European mainland perpetrated by a revanchist Russia and an increasingly disengaged America, it is beyond peradventure that we must look to solidarity with our friends and neighbours in Europe to secure our defences.”

He concluded: “The argument is there to be won. It is time to talk about rejoining. It might be time to knock on the EU’s door.” » | Rowena Mason and Lisa O’Carroll | Friday, April 24, 2026

It is to be hoped that this gentleman will apologize to the British electorate for leading them down the primrose path! — © Mark Alexander

ran War Has Drained U.S. Supplies of Critical, Costly Weapons

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Pentagon’s rush to rearm its Mideast forces makes it less ready to confront potential adversaries like Russia and China, administration and congressional officials say.

Since the Iran war began in late February, the United States has burned through around 1,100 of its long-range stealth cruise missiles built for a war with China, close to the total number remaining in the U.S. stockpile. The military has fired off more than 1,000 Tomahawk cruise missiles, roughly 10 times the number it currently buys each year.

The Pentagon used more than 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles in the war, at more than $4 million a pop, and more than 1,000 Precision Strike and ATACMS ground-based missiles, leaving inventories worrisomely low, according to internal Defense Department estimates and congressional officials.

The Iran war has significantly drained much of the U.S. military’s global supply of munitions, and forced the Pentagon to rush bombs, missiles and other hardware to the Middle East from commands in Asia and Europe. The drawdowns have left these regional commands less ready to confront potential adversaries like Russia and China, and it has forced the United States to find ways to scale up production to address the depletions, Trump administration and congressional officials say.

The conflict has also underscored the Pentagon’s overreliance on excessively expensive missiles and munitions, especially air-defense interceptors, as well as concerns about whether the defense industry can develop cheaper arms, especially attack drones, far more quickly. » | Eric Schmitt and Jonathan Swan | Reporting from Washington | Thursday, April 23, 2026

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Trump Says He Will ‘Probably Put a Big Tariff on the UK’ If It Doesn’t Drop Digital Services Tax

THE GUARDIAN: US president accuses UK of thinking it can ‘make an easy buck’ from US tech companies, weeks after warning that UK–US trade deal can be changed

Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on the UK if it does not drop its digital services tax on US social media firms.

The digital services tax, introduced in 2020, imposes a 2% levy on the revenues of several major US tech companies.

Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office on Thursday, the US president said: “We’ve been looking at it and we can meet that very easily by just putting a big tariff on the UK, so they better be careful.

“If they don’t drop the tax, we’ll probably put a big tariff on the UK.”

The tax targets companies whose worldwide revenues from digital activities exceed £500m ($673m), with more than £25m of the revenues from UK users.

Trump argued the laws, which have long been a source of tension in US-UK relations, targeted “top companies in the world”. » | Press Association | Friday, April 24, 2026

150 Millionen Barrel: Jakarta vereinbart große Ölimporte aus Russland

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Indonesiens Präsident Prabowo Subianto vereinbarte die Lieferung nach einem Treffen mit Wladimir Putin in Moskau. Die Einfuhr soll den Bedarf bis Jahresende sichern.

Indonesien will in diesem Jahr 150 Millionen Barrel Rohöl aus Russland einführen. Das sagte Vize-Energieminister Yuliot Tanjung am Freitag laut Reuters vor Journalisten. „Es wurde vereinbart, dass die Gesamtmenge an Rohöl, die wir aus Russland importieren werden, bei rund 150 Millionen Barrel liegt, um unseren Bedarf bis Jahresende zu decken“, sagte Yuliot. Offen sei nur noch die Abwicklung der Einfuhr.

Die Vereinbarung folgt auf ein Treffen von Präsident Prabowo Subianto mit dem russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin in Moskau in der Vorwoche. Der Sondergesandte des Präsidenten für Energie und Umwelt, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, erklärte am Donnerstag laut der staatlichen indonesischen Nachrichtenagentur Antara, Russland habe zunächst zugesagt, 100 Millionen Barrel zu einem Sonderpreis zu liefern sowie weitere 50 Millionen Barrel bei Bedarf. Djojohadikusumo ist der Bruder des Präsidenten. Über das Liefervolumen für Flüssiggas sei noch nicht entschieden, sagte Yuliot laut Reuters. » | Peter Steiniger | Freitag, 24. April 2026