logo
Gold glitters as mistrust spreads

Gold glitters as mistrust spreads

Straits Times19 hours ago

Gold has flooded into America since Mr Trump's election, prompting speculation that US government agencies might be stockpiling it. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PIXABAY
A decade ago, I asked officials at the New York Federal Reserve if I could peek at their gold reserves. They refused point blank.
The reason? Fed officials have long taken pride in having the world's biggest gold vault, dug 24m down into Manhattan's bedrock. But they prefer to keep it discreet, partly because many of the vault's 507,000 bars belong to countries such as Germany and Italy. Silence was literally golden.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Canada drops digital tax that infuriated Trump to restart trade talks
Canada drops digital tax that infuriated Trump to restart trade talks

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Canada drops digital tax that infuriated Trump to restart trade talks

Canada has withdrawn its digital services tax on technology companies such as Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc. PHOTO: REUTERS Canada has withdrawn its digital services tax ( DST ) on technology companies such as Meta Platforms and Alphabet in a move to restart trade talks with the US. 'Rescinding the DST will allow the negotiations to make vital progress and reinforce our work to create jobs and build prosperity for all Canadians,' Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a social media post on June 29. On the afternoon of June 27, US President Donald Trump said he was ending all trade discussions with Canada, one of its largest trading partners, in retaliation for the digital tax. He also threatened to impose a fresh tariff rate within a week. Instead, Mr Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed the countries will restart negotiations and try to agree on a deal by July 21, according to a statement. For Canada, the economic stakes of those discussions are huge. About three-quarters of its exports go to the US, including the vast majority of its oil and many other commodities, as well as most of the cars and trucks it produces. But the US also has something on the line: Canada is the largest buyer of US products. In 2024 , the US exported about US $440 billion (S$561 billion) of goods and services to its northern neighbor and imported US $477 billion from it, according to US government data. The first payment for Canada's digital tax was supposed to be due on J une 30. The tax, which was passed into law i n 2024 by the previous government of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was meant to charge 3 per cent of the digital services revenue a firm makes from Canadian users above C$20 million ( S$18.6 million) in a calendar year. It would have cost large technology companies billions of dollars. A number of countries, including the UK, has such taxes in place. Instead, Canada will suspend the payments that were due on J une 30 and will create legislation to repeal the digital tax entirely, the finance department said. Following Mr Trump's post, Canadian business groups and politicians reiterated their calls for the Mr Carney's government to drop the tax. Opponents had long argued the levy would increase the cost of digital services and invite retaliation from the US. But some saw the digital tax as a bargaining chip for Mr Carney's government in its negotiations with the US. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

South Korea overtakes US in cosmetics exports, trailing only France
South Korea overtakes US in cosmetics exports, trailing only France

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

South Korea overtakes US in cosmetics exports, trailing only France

SEOUL - South Korea's cosmetics exports have climbed to second place globally, surpassing those of the United States for the first time in 2025 and is now trailing industry powerhouse France, data showed on June 30 . According to the South Korea International Trade Association (Kita) , South Korea exported US $3.61 billion (S$460.4 billion) worth of cosmetics from January to April 2025 , narrowly edging out the United States' US $3.57 billion. This marks South Korea's first time overtaking the US in beauty exports, after its exports in the January–March 2025 period, which totalled US $2.58 billion, had lagged behind America's US $2.72 billion. South Korea's cosmetics exports have been rising at a blistering pace. Last year, South Korea's cosmetics exports totaled US $10.3 billion, outpacing Germany's US $9.08 billion to become the world's third-largest exporter, behind France and the US. While France and the US recorded growth of 6.3 per cent and 1.1 per cent, respectively, South Korea's exports surged by 20.3 per cent. This upward momentum has carried into 2025 , with monthly exports climbing from US $750.8 million in January 2025 to US $885.9 million in February, US $939.9 million in March and US $1.03 billion in April 2025 . The ongoing rise of K-beauty is set to push further into emerging markets in Europe and the Middle East, including Poland, Ireland, Belgium and the United Arab Emirates. According to data from the Kita, exports to Poland from January to May 2025 surged 121 per cent to US $111.8 million, up from US $50.4 million a year earlier, while exports to the UAE rose 74 per cent to US $99.3 million from US $57 million over the same period. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Scottish MPs raise fears of people being killed by seagulls amid spate of attacks
Scottish MPs raise fears of people being killed by seagulls amid spate of attacks

Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Scottish MPs raise fears of people being killed by seagulls amid spate of attacks

An MP said aggressive seagull behaviour is a real concern for many, including businesses and tourists. PHOTO: UNSPLASH Scottish MPs raise fears of people being killed by seagulls amid spate of attacks The Scottish government has said a seagull summit will be held to discuss ways to tackle the birds' aggressive behaviour, amid reports of multiple attacks on people and warnings that someone could be killed, the British media reported. A politician has even called for the abolition of a nature agency, which is responsible for the control and conservation of the birds, because of its conflict of interest. In a debate in the Scottish Parliament on June 26, MP Rachael Hamilton said Scots have been left 'scared, attacked and traumatised' by the seagulls' actions. She said 'aggressive' seagulls had attacked seven children within one month in 2025 in the town of Eyemouth alone, leaving a girl with injuries to the scalp and 'blood running down her face', The Scotsman newspaper reported. 'Aggressive seagull behaviour continues to cause a real concern amongst businesses, amongst tourists, amongst everybody that has anything to do along the harbour,' she said, referring to Eyemouth which is located in her constituency. 'And it is not just a seasonal nuisance. It is a serious, growing health risk. It's a safety risk, particularly for children and elderly residents.' Another MP, Mr Douglas Ross, warmed that people are at risk of losing their lives over the 'growing problem' of 'nuisance' gulls. He said while others would often 'smirk' when hearing that the Scottish Parliament is discussing the problems around gulls, the reality is that the birds' attack on people is an 'extremely serious issue'. He said voters in this Moray constituency have expressed worries of leaving their homes for fear of being 'divebombed', reported Sky News. Others, he said, suffered from lack of sleep and other health issues due to the noise caused by the birds. Mr Ross also blamed Scotland's nature agency NatureScot of having a conflict of interest. He pointed out the agency is responsible for both the licensing to control birds and the conservation of avians. 'The time has come to break up NatureScot. There is a clear conflict of interest in the fact they are responsible for considering licences to control gulls but are also responsible for protecting bird numbers,' said Mr Ross, adding that the government should take prompt action before someone was killed by a gull attack. Describing the issue as 'deadly serious', Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie promised to hold a seagull summit in the north of Scotland. He attributed the birds' behaviour to people feeding them, and called on people to stop doing so. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store