Faced with an escalating crisis and ever-louder calls from his MPs that someone had to take responsibility for the Mandelson scandal, the PM’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, is gone.
That the government changed course reveals the deep peril Starmer is in.
Faced with a chorus of anger from MPs that showed no sign of abating, No 10 offered a scalp.
The hope will be that Mr McSweeney’s departure from the heart of the No 10 operation will go some way to satisfying some of his MPs who were demanding a reset.
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Baroness Harman, typically a government loyalist, led the charge on our Electoral Dysfunction podcast when she warned the prime minister that blaming Mandelson for misleading him was not enough.
She argued that to save his premiership, he had to take responsibility by clearing out those who had advised Starmer to appoint Mandelson to Washington, embarking on a genuine programme to clean up politics as he promised in the manifesto and bringing forward action tackling violence against women and girls.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown, backing Starmer as a “man of integrity” on Saturday, said the situation was “serious” and suggested the Labour leader had been “too slow to do the right things” to clean up politics in the wake of the Peter Mandelson row.
This weekend, the PM has clearly heeded some of the unsolicited advice, but make no mistake that the departure of McSweeney comes from a position of acute weakness.
From Wednesday: ‘Of course’ I have confidence in McSweeney
This is about a prime minister sacrificing his closest ally in No 10 in the hope that he can remain in post.
In the longer-term, it might only serve to weaken him further now that his key ally and fixer has gone. He has just lost the backbone of his operation.
There will undoubtedly be more blood-letting, and allies of McSweeney say he was one of a number of people to advise the PM on Mandelson’s appointment – he provided advice but was not the one who made the decision.
McSweeney was a powerful force in the party, with a great many allies across the whole of government.
The rise and fall of McSweeney
There will be anger from many that the man who masterminded the election win and got Keir Starmer into the Labour leader position and then into No 10 has been cut adrift.
As one former colleague of McSweeney texted me soon after the news broke, “[Morgan] was not just a brilliant colleague but a moral and decent man who supported his staff through thick and thin. The PM should have put this down as a mistake and rejected his resignation.”
McSweeney said in his resignation statement that he took “full responsibility” for advising the PM to appoint Mandelson.
“In public life, responsibility must be owned when it matters most, not just when it is most convenient. In the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside.”
Keir Starmer thanks McSweeney
There will be some in his party who believe the PM cannot recover from this scandal, that it has gone too far to be repaired with the country and with the Labour Party.
McSweeney’s departure will not solve that.
One minister told me after McSweeney’s departure that the mood remained “frenetic” with MPs unsure how this would all play out, although the minister also thought it would “help Keir for a bit”.
What is clearer is that the No 10 operation is now in full-blown survival mode. But past experience shows that when that operation goes into free fall, it’s near impossible to stabilise.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared that the “war on protein is over” during his address to thousands of cattle ranchers in Nashville this week.Ā
Speaking in a “fireside chat” with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) president Buck Wehrbein, Kennedy said that “beef is back on the menu.”
The two discussed “the importance of meat protein,” according to an HHS news release about the Thursday event.
It was the ranchers who Kennedy commended for being “essential partners in advancing the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans and restoring a food pyramid grounded in real nutrition.”
The trade show attracted over 9,400 attendees, which included industry professionals as well as ranchers.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., at left, spoke to cattle ranchers in Nashville about protein, beef and federal dietary guidance.(@HHSGov via X)
The secretary thanked America’s cattle ranchers “for producing real, nutrient-dense food, stewarding our land and sustaining rural communities,” per the release.
Wehrbein said the cattlemen and women in the room appreciated Kennedy for “making certain that beef remains at the center of the plate for the nation’s consumers.”
The speech came one day after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee welcomed Kennedy to the Volunteer State.
The two discussed recent state actions to advance the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda, including banning Red 40 from school meals and restricting the purchase of candy and sugary drinks with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The event drew more than 9,400 attendees from across the cattle and beef industry, according to organizers.(@HHSGov via X)
“Under President [Donald] Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, Tennessee is leading the way to create innovative, responsible solutions that strengthen families and improve health outcomes,” said Lee, according to the HHS statement.
“I’m grateful for this administration’s commitment to asking hard questions and challenging the status quo so that every Tennessean can live a healthier life.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the NCBA. The HHS declined to provide additional comment.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming a variety of protein foods from animal sources, including red meat.(iStock)
The 2025ā2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming “a variety of protein foods from animal sources, including eggs, poultry, seafood and red meat.”
The guidelines also recommend getting protein from certain plant-based foods, “including beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy.”
A cattle rancher rounds up black angus cattle in McCook, Nebraska.(Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
The report advises avoiding too much saturated fat consumption, limiting it to 10% of total daily calories ā and a doctor previously told Fox News Digital that balancing protein sources is essential.
Working in poultry, fish and plant proteins “helps lower saturated fat intake, supports healthy cholesterol levels and still allows flexibility and enjoyment in everyday eating,” said Dr. Craig Basman, a cardiologist at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey.
In Panchmahal city of Gujarat, a student slapped a female teacher. When the student came late for the exam, the teacher asked him the reason for being late. On this the student said who are you to ask? My family members don’t ask me and slapped the female teacher on the cheek.
This incident took place at Smt. S.J.Dave Public High School of the city. The entire incident committed by the student was captured in the CCTV camera. After the incident, the teacher lodged a police complaint against the student, Jog and four of the 15-20 others.
Female teacher complained to police
In the complaint given by the female teacher to the police, it was also told that other people including the student had threatened her. Based on the complaint, the police have detained three accused. After the arrest, the police took the accused along and recreated the entire incident in the presence of the teacher.
A look at the whole matter
This incident happened with the female teacher on January 24. SJ Dev High School is in Shera, Panchmahal, Gujarat. Class 12th examinations were being conducted in the school. Mohammad Khan Ansari, a class 12 student, arrived late to take the exam. When the female invigilator asked him the reason for the delay, the student got angry. She said, āNobody asks me anything at home, who are you to ask questions?ā
Saying this, Mohammad Khan Ansari first slapped the teacher and then pushed him. At this time some students get up from their seats and take Mohammad Ansari out.
The student arrived with his father after the incident.
Two days after the incident, Mohammad Khan reaches the school with his father and 20 other people, where he threatens to file a case or see if the matter escalates. However, he told the police that they had come only to apologize.
Whereas the truth is that they were threatening the teacher that she lives alone in the city and threatened to see her. The controversy escalated after CCTV footage of the case surfaced and an FIR was registered on Tuesday (February 3). Police arrested Mohammad Khan Ansari, but he got bail from the court on the very first day.
Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old Palestinian womanĀ detained in the United States by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency since March, has been rushed to a hospital after a medical episode, according to media reports.
Kordia is being held in Texas after being detained as part of US President Donald Trumpās crackdown on pro-Palestine protests on college campuses across the country.
Her legal team said she was targeted for her protest against Israelās genocidal war in Gaza near Columbia University in New York in 2024, but the federal government said she was arrested for allegedly overstaying her student visa.
Since her hospitalisation on Friday, Kordiaās legal team and family said they have not been able to speak with her and do not know her whereabouts.
Here is everything we know about Kordia and why she continues to remain in detention:
Who is Kordia?
Kordia grew up in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah before coming to the US in 2016. She arrived on a visitorās visa, staying with her mother, a US citizen, in Paterson, New Jersey, home to one of the largest Arab communities in the country.
She later transitioned from a tourist visa to a student visa, according to her habeas corpus petition.
After her mother applied for Kordia to remain in the US as the relative of a citizen, her green card application was approved in 2021. However, she received incorrect advice from a teacher that led to her student visa expiring in 2022, according to her lawyers.
Before her arrest, Kordia worked as a server at a Middle Eastern restaurant on Palestine Way in New Jersey and helped to care for her autistic half-brother.
Kordia was moved to protest against Israelās war due to personal loss. Since the start of the war in October 2023, Kordia said, more than 200 of her relatives have been killed.
Israel has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded more than 170,000 in a war that human rights groups, a United Nations commission and a growing number of scholars said amounts to genocide. Since a āceasefireā began in October, Israel has killed more than 500 Palestinians and continues to impose curbs on the entry of aid into Gaza.
If deported, Kordia would be handed over to the Israeli government.
Pro-Palestinian protesters take over Butler Library on the campus of Columbia University on May 7, 2025 [Ryan Murphy/Reuters]
Why was Kordia arrested?
She was first arrested in April 2024 during a protest outside the gates of Columbia University, but the case was soon dropped.
On March 13, 2025, Kordia showed up at the ICE headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, for what she believed to be routine immigration questions. She was detained there, āthrown into an unmarked van and sent 1,500 miles [more than 2,400km] awayā, Kordia wrote in the USA Today newspaper last month.
Kordia was neither a student at Columbia University nor a part of political circles.
āThough I was not a student, I felt compelled to participate. After all, Israel, with the backing of the United States, has laid waste to Gaza, forcibly displacing my family, killing nearly 200 of my relatives,ā she wrote in USA Today.
Today, Kordia is the only person who remains in detention from the Columbia campus demonstrations. She has been held at Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.
A leader of the protests, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student with Algerian citizenship and a US green card, and others have been released. Khalil, however, is still in a legal battle to remain in the US with his American wife and child. Last month, an appeals court panel dismissed a lawsuit Khalil filed challenging his detention and deportation order. The judges concluded that the federal court that ordered Khalilās release last year lacked jurisdiction over the matter.
Lawyers for Leqaa Kordia, second from right, say sheās been targeted by US immigration enforcement because she participated in pro-Palestinian protests [File: Craig Ruttle/AP Photo]
What are the charges against Kordia?
The US government has called Kordiaās money transfers to relatives in the Middle East evidence of possible ties to āterroristsā.
Kordiaās lawyers have continuously argued for her release, saying she was targeted by federal officials for her participation in pro-Palestinian protests.
The federal government has maintained that the case against Kordia is of overstaying a student visa.
āHer arrest had nothing to do with her radical activities,ā the Department of Homeland Security said in April. āKordia was arrested for immigration violations due to having overstayed her F-1 student visa, which had been terminated on January 26, 2022, for lack of attendance.ā
Writing in USA Today last month, Kordia said she does not consider herself either a leader or an activist.
āI am a devout Muslim who is deeply committed to my faith and community. Iām a Palestinian woman who enjoys playing the oud, making pottery and hiking,ā Kordia wrote. āSpeaking out against what rights groups and experts have called a genocide is my moral duty and ā I thought ā a constitutionally protected right for all in this country. Except, it seems, when that speech defends Palestinian life.ā
An immigration judge has called for Kordiaās release twice. However, it has been repeatedly blocked through a series of procedural and administrative moves.
ā[The] Trump administration has exploited rarely used procedural loopholes to keep me confined, a practice now being challenged in federal district courts across the country, with many finding the practice unconstitutional,ā Kordia wrote.
Demonstrators march after the arrest of Palestinian student protester Mahmoud Khalil at Columbia University on March 10, 2025 [Jeenah Moon/Reuters]
How has Kordia lived in ICE detention?
Since Kordia was moved to the ICE detention facility in Alvarado in March, she has been facing a range of issues, from sleeping on a bare mattress on the floor to being denied religious accommodations, including halal meals.
āInside the ICE facility where Iām being held, conditions are filthy, overcrowded and inhumane,ā Kordia wrote in her piece for USA Today. āFor months, I slept in a plastic shell, known as a āboat,ā surrounded by cockroaches and only a thin blanket. Privacy does not exist here.ā
Last year, when Kordiaās cousin Hamzah Abushaban visited her a week after her arrest, he told The Associated Press news agency in an interview that he was taken aback by the dark circles under her eyes and her state of confusion.
āOne of the first things she asked me was why she was there,ā Abushaban said. āShe cried a lot. She looked like death.ā
Rights groups and some Democratic Party leaders have called her a āpolitical prisonerā, condemning the way her case has proceeded.
State Representative Salman Bhojani said the conditions at the detention facility were āsuffocatingā.
Kordiaās dorm, he said, had 60 mattresses crammed into a space designed for 20 women.
āShe does not even have clothing that fully covers her body. Community organizations have tried to provide more appropriate clothing and have been turned away,ā Bhojani said. āMale staff enter the dorm at any time, leaving her body exposed in violation of her religious obligations.ā
Calling for her release, Amnesty International noted that ICE has ārepeatedly violatedā Kordiaās religious rights. āShe has been served almost no halal meals, forcing her to eat food that doesnāt meet her dietary requirements and causing significant weight loss,ā the human rights group said in a statement.
āDuring Ramadan, staff refused to let her save food for when she could break her fast, forcing her either to go hungry or to break her fast early,ā Amnesty said. āShe has not been provided with clothing suitable for prayer or a clean prayer space.ā
People participate in a protest organised by Columbia University students and professors against President Donald Trumpās immigration policies and demand that the school establish itself as a sanctuary campus [File: Amr Alfiky/Reuters]
Why was Kordia hospitalised?
On Friday, Abushaban said he heard about Kordiaās hospitalisation in the morning from a person formerly detained with his cousin.
Kordia had fallen, hit her head and suffered a seizure in a bathroom at the Prairieland Detention Center, he told The Dallas Morning News newspaper.
In a statement on Saturday, Kordiaās attorneys and family members demanded answers from the Department of Homeland Security and Prairieland Detention Center regarding her health and whereabouts.
ā[Kordia] was reportedly hospitalised yesterday morning after fainting and having a seizure at the Prairieland Detention Center,ā the statement said, adding: āNeither her legal team nor family have been provided answers about where she has been hospitalised, the specifics of her health status, and whether and how ICE will ensure her health upon discharge from the undisclosed, off-site hospital.ā
āWe have since learned that she is expected to spend another night there, but we still have not been able to speak with her directly or have any confirmation of what brought her to the hospital in the first place,ā the statement said.
The family members told US media that they called all hospitals in the vicinity but could not locate Kordia.
Students protest outside Columbia University on the two-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel and start of Israelās war on Gaza [File: Ryan Murphy/Reuters]
What were the Columbia protests about?
In 2024, pro-Palestinian student encampments at Columbia University helped ignite a global movement against Israelās genocidal war on Gaza.
The protest sites, however, were broken up after Columbia University allowed hundreds of New York City police officers on campus, leading to dozens of arrests.
The student protesters demanded an end to Israelās war in Gaza and the universityās divestment from companies linked to the Israeli military.
Columbia University imposed severe punishments, including expulsion and revocation of academic degrees, on dozens of students who participated in the protests. University President Nemat āMinoucheā Shafik, who was criticised for the handling of the student protests, stepped down.
The protests also put Columbia at odds with the Trump administration, whose officials alleged anti-Semitism on campus. Campaigners said the campus crackdown violated US free speech rights.
Trump also cancelled millions of dollars in federal funding for the university, accusing it of failing to protect Jewish students. Later, Columbia settled and agreed to pay $200m to the government over three years. In exchange, the Trump administration agreed to return parts of the $400m in grants it froze or terminated.
The 15 feet high golden colored bronze statue of US President Donald Trump is lying in a bad condition after the controversy. This statue has the iconic pose of Donald Trump with his fists raised and raised. This statue, which was completed a year ago, has not been installed yet. After all, why is it so that the artist who made the statue says that payment for it has not been made yet. This pose was actually a proof of his survival by raising his fist after surviving the attack on Trump in 2024. It has been made on the same theme.
Trump’s statue is as tall as a two-storey building
The size of this statue of Trump is equal to a two-storey building. A base of 6 thousand pounds i.e. 2720 kg was to be installed in it. Its price is 3,60,000 dollars. According to the report of Times Now, it was built by Trump’s supporters. Sculptor Alan Cottrill says $92,000 is still outstanding.
The statue was completed in 4 months
According to the artist who prepared this statue, it took one month to make the statue, but it took about three months to finish it. 73-year-old Cottrill said that it would be stupid to install it without paying and I am not stupid.
What is the controversy regarding the statue?
Actually, the $PATRIOT meme coin came into the market for sale in November 2024. Donald Trump won in the same month. Trump launched his own cryptocurrency $TRUMP in January before being sworn in and unveiling the Don Colossus statue associated with $PATRIOT. Due to this, there was a sharp decline in the price of cryptocurrency. However, trading of $PATRIOT continues. Its price has fallen by 95%. This statue is known as Don Colossus. It was built by crypto investors.
President Donald Trump reacted on Sunday after Team USA Olympic skier Hunter Hess sparked outrage over his comments about representing the country at the Milan Cortina Games.
Trump made a scathing post on social media, calling Hess a “real loser.”
Hunter Hess of Team United States reacts after competing in the Menās Ski Superpipe Final on day two of the Dew Tour at Copper Mountain on Feb. 25, 2023 in Copper Mountain, Colorado.(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
“U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesnāt represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics,” he wrote.
“If thatās the case, he shouldnāt have tried out for the Team, and itās too bad heās on it. Very hard to root for someone like this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
“Miracle on Ice” star Mike Eruzione also took issue with Hessā remarks. He wrote on X that Hess shouldnāt have put on the uniform if he felt the way he felt. The former menās ice hockey Olympian later deleted his post.
Hessā comments came as the Trump administration faced backlash over the use of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in illegal immigrant operations. An incident with ICE agents in January left one person dead in Minnesota. The woman was identified as Renee Good. Border Patrol agents also had a deadly encounter with Alex Pretti.
Hunter Hess reacts during the menās ski halfpipe final at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort in Aspen, Colorado. It happened on Jan. 9, 2026.(Dustin Satloff/U.S. Ski and Snowboard/Getty Images)
Those incidents were apparently used as the catalyst for the comments from Hess, and his teammate Chris Lillis. Hess said he had “mixed emotions” about representing the U.S.
“It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. Itās a little hard. Thereās obviously a lot going on that Iām not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people arenāt,” Hess said.
“I think, for me, itās more Iām representing my friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like Iām representing it. Just because Iām wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything thatās going on in the U.S.
President Donald Trump during an announcement in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.Ā (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me getting here.”
Rohit Paudel Statement: Nepal cricket team captain Rohit Paudel said after the defeat in the close match against England that his team has come to cause one or two upsets in the T20 World Cup. Paudel said that when we were coming for the World Cup, we had decided that we are not just going to participate but will make every possible effort to win.
Rohit Paudel said that his team can cause an upset in this World Cup.
New Delhi. Nepal cricket team missed out on creating history in the T20 World Cup. The team led by Rohit Paudel was going to pull off an upset against two-time world champions England but Sam Karna broke their dream in the last over. Despite the heart-breaking defeat, Nepal’s captain says that his team will try to cause one or two upsets in this World Cup. Rohit said that his intention is not just to participate in this World Cup but he has come with the confidence of victory.
England tackled the challenge of Nepal in a very exciting match of T20 World Cup Group C and finally registered a close four-run victory. Nepal had come very close to creating history by causing an upset in this match. He scored 180 runs for six wickets in reply to England’s 184 runs for seven wickets.
Rohit Paudel said that his team can cause an upset in this World Cup.
Nepal captain Rohit Paudel said that they are not just taking part in the tournament but will try to cause one or two upsets, the evidence of which was clearly visible in their spirited performance against England. He said, ‘The players performed their best. I am so proud of him. When we came to this World Cup, we came with the belief that we did not come here just to participate. Although the result was not in our favor, but in terms of effort we gave 100 percent in every department. Sam Curran bowled very well in the last over. We will improve it.
Lokesh Bam (39 not out in 20 balls) performed brilliantly and kept Nepal’s hopes of an upset victory alive, but could not win in the last over. In the last over, Nepal needed 10 runs to win, but the boundary could not be reached for Nepal. In this way his brilliant performance with the bat ended with a close defeat. Sam Curran bowled continuous yorkers in the last over and Nepal’s team could score only five runs. But still more than 17,000 fans were present at Wankhede Stadium and they saw Nepal perform much better than their potential.
Active in journalism for about 15 years. Studied from Delhi University. Interested in sports especially cricket, badminton, boxing and wrestling. Covered IPL, Commonwealth Games and Pro Wrestling League events. From February 2022…read more
Interest in gold has skyrocketed in recent weeks, with the price of one ounce hitting an all time high of $5,600 on January 29 before settling back to just under $5,000 on Sunday.
As economic conditions fluctuate and geopolitical tensions rise, more individuals are seeking gold as a secure investment.
In this visual explainer, Al Jazeera breaks down how gold value is determined, the prices of gold coins in different markets, and the countries holding the largest reserves.
How is the value of gold measured?
Understanding the value of a gold item requires knowing its weight in troy ounces alongside its purity in karats.
(Al Jazeera)
Weight (in troy ounces)
The weight of gold and other precious metals like silver and platinum is commonly measured in troy ounces (oz t). One troy ounce is equal to 31.1035 grammes.
At $5,000 per troy ounce, 1 gramme of gold is worth about $160, and a standard 400-troy-ounce (12.44kg) gold bar costs $2m.
Troy ounces are different from regular ounces, which weigh 28.35 grammes and are used to measure everyday items including foods.
Purity (in karats)
Karat or carat (abbreviated as āKā or āctā) measures the purity of a gold item. Pure gold is 24 karats, while lower karats such as 22, 18, and 9 indicate that the gold is mixed with less expensive metals like silver, copper, or zinc.
To determine the purity of gold, jewellers are required to stamp a number onto the item, such as 24K or a numeric value like 999, which indicates it is 99.9 percent pure. For example, 18K gold will typically have a stamp of 750, signifying that it is 75 percent pure.
Some typical values include:
24 karat ā 99.9% purity ā A deep orange colour, is very soft, never tarnishes and is most commonly used for investment coins or bars
22 karatĀ ā 91.6% purity ā A rich orange colour, moderate durability, resists tarnishing and most often used for luxury jewellery
18 karat ā 75% purity ā A warm yellow colour, high durability, will have some dulling over time and most often used in fine jewellery
9 karat ā 37.5%purity ā A pale yellow colour, has the highest durability, dulls over time, used in affordable jewellery
Other karat amounts such as 14k (58.3% purity) and 10k (41.7% purity) are often sold in different markets around the world.
When you buy jewellery, the price usually depends on the dayās gold spot price, how much it costs to make, and any taxes.
If you know the itemās exact weight in grammes and the goldās purity in karats, you can calculate the craftsmanship cost on top of that.
You typically cannot negotiate the spot gold price, but you can often haggle over the craftsmanship costs.
The price of gold has quadrupled over the past 10 years
Gold has been valued for thousands of years, serving various functions, from currency to jewellery. The precious metal is widely regarded as a safe haven asset, particularly in times of economic uncertainty or market volatility.
Up until 1971, the United States dollar was physically defined by a specific weight of gold. Under the classical gold standard, for nearly a century, from 1834 until 1933, you could walk into a bank and exchange $20 for an ounce of gold.
In 1933, amid the Great Depression, the price was raised to $35 per ounce to stimulate the economy.
In 1971, under President Richard Nixon, gold was decoupled from the dollar, and its price began to be determined by market forces.
Over the past 10 years, the price of gold has quadrupled from $1,250 in 2016 to around $5,000 today.
(Al Jazeera)
How is the price of gold determined in different countries?
Gold is priced globally based on the spot market, where one troy ounce is traded in US dollars on exchanges such as London and New York. Local prices vary as the dollar rate is converted into domestic currencies, and dealers add premiums for minting, distribution and demand.
Taxes and import duties further influence the final cost: India adds 3 percent GST, while the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates impose none on gold investments.
Different countries produce unique gold bullion coins and bars, each with its own distinct features and cultural significance. Notable examples include the Gold Eagle from the US, the Gold Panda from China, and the Krugerrand from South Africa.
Which countries have the most gold reserves?
The US leads global gold reserves with 8,133 tonnes, nearly equal to the combined total of the next three countries. Germany is in second place with 3,350 tonnes, and Italy comes in third with 2,451 tonnes.
The graphic below shows the top 10 countries with the largest gold reserves.
FIRST ON FOX: Chinese-funded infrastructure projects across the Pacific Islands may appear civilian on the surface but could provide future military access for Beijing, senior members of a bipartisan congressional advisory commission warned in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.
Senior members of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said runways, ports and other facilities financed by the Peopleās Republic of China are often “dual use” and part of a broader strategic pattern that blends economic investment with long-term security objectives.
“When you see a broader trend of militarization of the regionā¦ you see a lot of activities that suggest there are at least some security and military-related interests involved,” commission chair Randall Schriver said. “Even if itās declared for civilian useā¦ it is by its very character dual-use and could be used for military purposes.”
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Woleai runway project in Yap State. Representatives of a Chinese company hold a banner on stage. May, 2025.(Cleo Paskal)
Schriver warned that Chinaās investments in the Pacific should not be viewed in isolation. “We know that China is very ambitious. We know that even civilian infrastructure projects often have strings attached,” he said. “In many instances, those involve access for the Chinese military.”
Commission Vice Chair Michael Kuiken said Beijing frequently pairs infrastructure financing with financial leverage. “Thereās a cycle of debt diplomacy here,” Kuiken said. “China loads these islands up with debt and then uses their position of weakness to gain accessā¦ to build runways, to do things with respect to ports.”
“Itās a cycle that we see over and over again,” he added, calling it “a flywheel of debt diplomacy. Thereās a vicious rinse-and-repeat cycle here. And whether itās Taiwan, Palau, Micronesia or the Solomon Islands, it is a playbook that the Chinese go back to every time.”
Image shows an LRAD being tested in Guam, Dec. 2025.Ā (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Angel Campbell)
US response came too slowly, commission says
Schriver acknowledged Washington was slow to recognize the security implications of Chinaās expansion in the region.
“In a word, yes,” he said when asked whether the U.S. reacted too slowly.
He noted the timing coincided with major U.S. military investments in Guam, even as Chinese projects advanced nearby. “While this was happening, the Chinese were making inroads in the Pacific Islands ā¦ with great proximity to Guam,” he said, describing the island as central to U.S. logistics and combat operations.
Asked what would signal a shift from civilian infrastructure to operational military use, Schriver said some warning indicators are already visible.
Chinese labourers work at a construction site. June 22, 2005.(Claro Cortes IV CC/CCK/Reuters)
“The practice of undersea cable cuttingā¦ has been very provocative,” he said, describing it as activity that could be tied to military contingencies.
He also warned that visible deployments of Chinese military aircraft to Pacific facilities would mark a major escalation, citing a pattern previously seen in the South China Sea.
The runway at Woleai in Yap State, part of a Chinese-backed infrastructure project in the Federated States of Micronesia.(Cleo Paskal)
“Weāve seen a particular pattern that wouldnāt surprise us at all to see in other parts of Oceania,” Schriver said.
Kuiken urged lawmakers to increase scrutiny and transparency. “The thing members can do most easily is just ask the intelligence community for imagery and for intelligence reports ā¦ raise the alarm, shine a light on it and expose the activities,” he said.
Kuiken also revealed the future hearing focused on undersea infrastructure and security risks in the region.
“Data is the lifeblood of the global economy these days,” he said. “Those cables are a vital source of informationā¦ and those are really quite aggressive actions and need to be exposed.”
Policy recommendations and next steps
The commission has proposed a broader U.S. response, including increased Coast Guard cooperation and expanded support for Pacific Island nations to strengthen resilience against security threats and economic pressure.
Palau- October 6, 2015: Palau is an island in the Philippine Sea, Northern Pacific Ocean.(iStock)
Schriver referenced a “Pacific Island Security Initiative” recommendation aimed at combining economic, law enforcement and defense engagement.
Kuiken described the approach as “a layered cake.” “We want there to be a civilian aspectā¦ a law enforcement pieceā¦ and a military piece,” he said. “You sort of need to do all of them in order to really be effective and really to combat the influence of the Chinese in this space.”
Efrat Lachter is a world reporter for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent to efrat.lachter@fox.com.
