<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/gold-rises-as-us-government-shutdown-deepens-global-growth-concerns-192633">Gold prices</a> held firm on Monday, supported by worries over a slowdown in global economic growth and uncertainties around Sino-US trade war, but a strong dollar limited the safe-haven metal's appeal.

Spot gold was marginally lower at $1,312.76 per ounce, as of 0254 GMT, while US gold futures fell 0.2 per cent to $1,316.50 per ounce.

"Global growth worries, the absence of positive signs in US-China trade (talks) and reduction in the euro-zone growth forecasts have laid a strong foundation for gold in the longer run," said Benjamin Lu, an analyst with Singapore-based Phillip Futures.

"There are a lot of headwinds for gold in the near-term from the six-week rally in US equities and a vigorous dollar."

Investors are looking ahead to trade talks between Beijing and Washington this week with a delegation of US officials travelling to China for the next round of negotiations. US President Donald Trump said last week that he had no plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping before a March 1 deadline to achieve a trade deal.

Trump has vowed to increase US tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports if the two sides cannot reach a deal by 12:01 a.m. (0501 GMT) on March 2.

Trade tensions between the world's top two economies have rattled financial markets since last year and also boosted the appeal of the US dollar as a safe-haven.

The dollar index was hovering near a more than one-month high touched in the previous session.

A stronger greenback makes dollar-denominated gold more expensive for holders of other currencies.

Gold slumped to a more than 1-1/2-year low in mid-August to $1,159.96 on rising interest rates and a strong dollar. But, tumultuous stock markets and expectations of a pause in interest rate hikes this year helped gold touch a nine-month high at $1,326.30 in late January.

Tighter financial conditions since last September make further interest rate hikes seem much less necessary than just a few months ago, San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly said on Friday.

While gold is supported by the Fed's dovish policy, prices will likely remain range-bound until there is clarity on the trade front and US government shutdown, OANDA analyst Edward Moya said in a note.

SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, saw outflows for five straight sessions last week.

Talks on border security funding collapsed after Democratic and Republican lawmakers clashed over immigrant detention policy as they worked to avert another US government shutdown.

Meanwhile, palladium fell 0.5 per cent to $1,395 an ounce.

Spot silver dropped 0.2 per cent to $15.79, while platinum was down 0.5 perc ent at $794.

Gold prices held firm on Monday, supported by worries over a slowdown in global economic growth and uncertainties around Sino-US trade war, but a strong dollar limited the safe-haven metal's appeal.

Gold prices held firm on Monday, supported by worries over a slowdown in global economic growth and uncertainties around Sino-US trade war, but a strong dollar limited the safe-haven metal's appeal. Spot gold was marginally lower at $1,312.76 per ounce, as of 0254 GMT, while US gold futures fell 0.2 per cent to $1,316.50 per ounce. "Global growth worries, the absence of positive signs in US-China trade (talks) and reduction in the euro-zone growth forecasts have laid a strong foundation for gold in the longer run," said Benjamin Lu, an analyst with Singapore-based Phillip Futures. "There are a lot of headwinds for gold in the near-term from the six-week rally in US equities and a vigorous dollar." Investors are looking ahead to trade talks between Beijing and Washington this week with a delegation of US officials travelling to China for the next round of negotiations. US President Donald Trump said last week that he had no plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping before a March 1 deadline to achieve a trade deal. Trump has vowed to increase US tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports if the two sides cannot reach a deal by 12:01 a.m. (0501 GMT) on March 2. Trade tensions between the world's top two economies have rattled financial markets since last year and also boosted the appeal of the US dollar as a safe-haven. The dollar index was hovering near a more than one-month high touched in the previous session. A stronger greenback makes dollar-denominated gold more expensive for holders of other currencies. Gold slumped to a more than 1-1/2-year low in mid-August to $1,159.96 on rising interest rates and a strong dollar. But, tumultuous stock markets and expectations of a pause in interest rate hikes this year helped gold touch a nine-month high at $1,326.30 in late January. Tighter financial conditions since last September make further interest rate hikes seem much less necessary than just a few months ago, San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly said on Friday. While gold is supported by the Fed's dovish policy, prices will likely remain range-bound until there is clarity on the trade front and US government shutdown, OANDA analyst Edward Moya said in a note. SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, saw outflows for five straight sessions last week. Talks on border security funding collapsed after Democratic and Republican lawmakers clashed over immigrant detention policy as they worked to avert another US government shutdown. Meanwhile, palladium fell 0.5 per cent to $1,395 an ounce. Spot silver dropped 0.2 per cent to $15.79, while platinum was down 0.5 perc ent at $794.

Gold holds steady on global growth concerns; trade talks in focus

Venezuela's most successful financial operations in recent years have not taken place on Wall Street, but in primitive gold-mining camps in the nation's southern reaches.

With the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/humanitarian-aid-is-a-big-lie-venezuelan-vice-president-196432">country's economy in meltdown</a>, an estimated 300,000 fortune hunters have descended on this mineral-rich jungle area to earn a living pulling gold-flecked earth from makeshift mines.

Their picks and shovels are helping to prop up the leftist government of President Nicolas Maduro. Since 2016, his administration has purchased 17 tonnes of the metal worth around $650 million from so-called artisan miners, according to the most recent data from the nation's central bank.

Paid with the country's near-worthless bank notes, these amateurs, in turn, supply the government with hard currency to purchase badly needed imports of food and hygiene products. This gold trade is a blip on international markets. Still, the United States is using sanctions and intimidation in an effort to stop Maduro from using his nation's gold to stay afloat.

The Trump administration is pressuring the United Kingdom not to release $1.2 billion in gold reserves Venezuela has stored in the Bank of England. US&nbsp;officials recently castigated an Abu Dhabi-based investment firm for its Venezuela gold purchases, and have warned other potential foreign buyers to back off.

The existence of Maduro's gold program is well-known. How it functions is not.

To get a glimpse inside, Reuters tracked Venezuela's gold from steamy jungle mines, through the central bank in the capital of Caracas to gold refineries and food exporters abroad, speaking with more than 30 people with knowledge of the trade. They included miners, intermediaries, merchants, academic researchers, diplomats and government officials. Almost all requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, or because they feared retribution from Venezuelan or US&nbsp;authorities.

What emerges is the portrait of a desperate experiment in laissez-faire industrial policy by Venezuela's socialist leaders. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/venezuela-shifts-oil-ventures-accounts-to-russian-bank-document-and-sources-196318">US&nbsp;sanctions have hammered the nation's oil industry</a> and crippled its ability to borrow. The formal mining sector has been decimated by nationalization. So Maduro has unleashed freelance prospectors to extract the nation's mineral wealth with virtually no regulation or state investment.

The Bolivarian Revolution now leans heavily on ragtag labourers such as Jose Aular, a teenager who says he has contracted malaria five times at a wildcat mine near Venezuela's border with Brazil. Aular works 12 hours daily lugging sacks of the earth to a small mill that uses toxic mercury to extract flecks of precious metal. Mining accidents are common in these ramshackle operations, workers said. So are shootings and robberies.

"The government knows what happens in these mines and it benefits from it," said Aular, 18. "Our gold goes into their hands."

Maduro has also received a crucial assist from Turkish President Recep Erdogan, a fellow strongman who has likewise sparred with the Trump administration.

Venezuela sells most of its gold to Turkish refineries, then uses some of the proceeds to buy that nation's consumer goods, according to people with direct knowledge of the trade. Turkish pasta and powdered milk are now staples in Maduro's subsidized food program. Trade between the two nations grew eightfold last year.

But scrutiny is intensifying as Venezuela's politics reach the boiling point. In recent days, many Western countries have recognized Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido as the South American nation's rightful president.

Maduro's adversaries have called on foreign buyers of Venezuela's precious metal to stop doing business with what they say is an illegitimate regime.

"We are going to protect our gold," opposition legislator Carlos Paparoni told Reuters in an interview.

Gold fever

The gold road begins in places like La Culebra, an isolated jungle area in southern Venezuela. Here, hundreds of men labour in crude mining operations that would be at home in the 19th century. They excavate mineral-laden dirt with picks in hand-dug tunnels, hauling it out with pulleys and winches.

Their activity is laying waste to fragile forest ecosystems and spreading mosquito-borne diseases. Miners complain of shakedowns by military forces sent to guard the region, whose homicide rate is seven times the national average. Venezuela's ministries of defence and information did not respond to requests for comment.

Miner Jose Rondon is used to hardship. Now 47, he arrived in 2016 from northeast Venezuela with his two adult sons. His bus driver's salary could not keep pace with Venezuela's hyperinflation, which the International Monetary Fund projects will hit 10 million per cent this year.

The three men net roughly 10 grams of gold monthly from backbreaking work. Still, it is roughly 20 times what they could earn back home.

"Here I do much better," said Rondon, resting in a crude bunkhouse strung with hammocks.

Gold in hand, miners head to the town of El Callao to sell their nuggets. Most buyers are unlicensed, small-scale traders working in cramped shops fitted with alarms and steel doors.

"The state is buying gold, everyone is buying gold, because it's what is doing well," said Jhony Diaz, a licensed wholesaler in Puerto Ordaz, 171 kilometres (106 miles) north of El Callao. Diaz says he buys gold from traders and resells every three days to the central bank.

Because Venezuela's currency, the bolivar, is worthless every hour someone holds it, the state pays a premium over international prices to make it worthwhile for those who could smuggle gold out of the country to exchange for dollars.

Traders who sell to Diaz end up with bricks of cash to carry back to El Callao and other gold-rush towns to pay miners, who use it to buy food, supplies and send whatever is left to their families.

Gold purchased by the government is smelted in the nearby furnaces of Minerven, the state-run mining company, according to a high-ranking employee. It is then transported to the vaults of the central bank in the capital Caracas, 843 kilometres (524 miles) away.

The gold does not stay there long. The central bank's gold reserves have plummeted to their lowest levels in 75 years. Venezuela is selling the artisan metal as well as existing reserves to pay its bills, according to two high-ranking government officials.

The main buyer these days is Turkey, the officials said.

Turkish alliance

Maduro's gold program has developed in tandem with his deepening relationship with Turkey's Erdogan. Both leaders have been criticized internationally for cracking down on political dissent and undermining democratic norms to concentrate power.

A November 1 executive order signed by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump bars US&nbsp;persons and entities from buying gold from Venezuela. It does not apply to foreigners. Ankara has assured the US&nbsp;Treasury that all of Turkey's trade with Venezuela is in accordance with international law.

Venezuela in December 2016 announced a direct flight from Caracas to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. The development was surprising given low demand for travel between the two nations.

Trade data show those planes are carrying more than passengers. On New Year's Day, 2018, Venezuela's central bank began shipping gold to Turkey with a $36 million air shipment of the metal to Istanbul. It came just weeks after a visit by Maduro to Turkey.

Shipments last year reached $900 million, according to Turkish government data and trade reports.

Venezuela's central bank has been selling its artisan gold directly to Turkish refiners, according to two senior Venezuelan officials. Proceeds go to the Venezuelan state development bank Bandes to purchase Turkish consumer goods, the officials said.

Gold buyers include Istanbul Gold Refinery, or IGR; and Sardes Kiymetli Mandele, a Turkish trading firm, according to a person who works in Turkey's gold industry as well as a Caracas-based diplomat and the two senior Venezuelan officials.

In an interview with Reuters, IGR CEO Aysan Esen denied the company has been involved in any Venezuelan gold deals. In a written statement, she said she met with Venezuelan and Turkish officials in Istanbul in April to offer her views on compliance with international regulations.

Esen said she advised the Turkish government that working with Venezuela "would not be right for leading institutions or the state."

As for Sardes Kiymetli Mandele, no one at its Istanbul offices responded to inquiries from Reuters.

Turkish consumer products, meanwhile, are making their way to Venezuelan tables. In early December, 54 containers of Turkish powdered milk arrived at the port of La Guaira near Caracas, according to port records seen by Reuters.

The Istanbul-based shipper, Mulberry Proje Yatirim, shares an address with Marilyns Proje Yatirin, a mining company that signed a joint venture with Venezuela's state mining firm Minerven last year, according to filings with a Turkish trade registry gazette in September.

The companies did not respond to a request for comment.

Even Maduro's critics acknowledge he has pulled off a neat trick of alchemy: By compensating hard-pressed citizen miners with inflation-ravaged bolivars and obtaining precious metal in return, he has found a way to spin straw into gold.

Venezuelan economist Angel Alvarado, an opposition lawmaker, said "dark operations and unusual mechanisms of commercial exchange," are among the few tools Maduro has left.

"There is a desperation to stay in power at all costs," Alvarado said.

Venezuela's most successful financial operations in recent years have not taken place on Wall Street, but in primitive gold-mining camps in the nation's southern reaches.

Venezuela's most successful financial operations in recent years have not taken place on Wall Street, but in primitive gold-mining camps in the nation's southern reaches. With the country's economy in meltdown, an estimated 300,000 fortune hunters have descended on this mineral-rich jungle area to earn a living pulling gold-flecked earth from makeshift mines. Their picks and shovels are helping to prop up the leftist government of President Nicolas Maduro. Since 2016, his administration has purchased 17 tonnes of the metal worth around $650 million from so-called artisan miners, according to the most recent data from the nation's central bank. Paid with the country's near-worthless bank notes, these amateurs, in turn, supply the government with hard currency to purchase badly needed imports of food and hygiene products. This gold trade is a blip on international markets. Still, the United States is using sanctions and intimidation in an effort to stop Maduro from using his nation's gold to stay afloat. The Trump administration is pressuring the United Kingdom not to release $1.2 billion in gold reserves Venezuela has stored in the Bank of England. US officials recently castigated an Abu Dhabi-based investment firm for its Venezuela gold purchases, and have warned other potential foreign buyers to back off. The existence of Maduro's gold program is well-known. How it functions is not. To get a glimpse inside, Reuters tracked Venezuela's gold from steamy jungle mines, through the central bank in the capital of Caracas to gold refineries and food exporters abroad, speaking with more than 30 people with knowledge of the trade. They included miners, intermediaries, merchants, academic researchers, diplomats and government officials. Almost all requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, or because they feared retribution from Venezuelan or US authorities. What emerges is the portrait of a desperate experiment in laissez-faire industrial policy by Venezuela's socialist leaders. US sanctions have hammered the nation's oil industry and crippled its ability to borrow. The formal mining sector has been decimated by nationalization. So Maduro has unleashed freelance prospectors to extract the nation's mineral wealth with virtually no regulation or state investment. The Bolivarian Revolution now leans heavily on ragtag labourers such as Jose Aular, a teenager who says he has contracted malaria five times at a wildcat mine near Venezuela's border with Brazil. Aular works 12 hours daily lugging sacks of the earth to a small mill that uses toxic mercury to extract flecks of precious metal. Mining accidents are common in these ramshackle operations, workers said. So are shootings and robberies. "The government knows what happens in these mines and it benefits from it," said Aular, 18. "Our gold goes into their hands." Maduro has also received a crucial assist from Turkish President Recep Erdogan, a fellow strongman who has likewise sparred with the Trump administration. Venezuela sells most of its gold to Turkish refineries, then uses some of the proceeds to buy that nation's consumer goods, according to people with direct knowledge of the trade. Turkish pasta and powdered milk are now staples in Maduro's subsidized food program. Trade between the two nations grew eightfold last year. But scrutiny is intensifying as Venezuela's politics reach the boiling point. In recent days, many Western countries have recognized Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido as the South American nation's rightful president. Maduro's adversaries have called on foreign buyers of Venezuela's precious metal to stop doing business with what they say is an illegitimate regime. "We are going to protect our gold," opposition legislator Carlos Paparoni told Reuters in an interview. Gold fever The gold road begins in places like La Culebra, an isolated jungle area in southern Venezuela. Here, hundreds of men labour in crude mining operations that would be at home in the 19th century. They excavate mineral-laden dirt with picks in hand-dug tunnels, hauling it out with pulleys and winches. Their activity is laying waste to fragile forest ecosystems and spreading mosquito-borne diseases. Miners complain of shakedowns by military forces sent to guard the region, whose homicide rate is seven times the national average. Venezuela's ministries of defence and information did not respond to requests for comment. Miner Jose Rondon is used to hardship. Now 47, he arrived in 2016 from northeast Venezuela with his two adult sons. His bus driver's salary could not keep pace with Venezuela's hyperinflation, which the International Monetary Fund projects will hit 10 million per cent this year. The three men net roughly 10 grams of gold monthly from backbreaking work. Still, it is roughly 20 times what they could earn back home. "Here I do much better," said Rondon, resting in a crude bunkhouse strung with hammocks. Gold in hand, miners head to the town of El Callao to sell their nuggets. Most buyers are unlicensed, small-scale traders working in cramped shops fitted with alarms and steel doors. "The state is buying gold, everyone is buying gold, because it's what is doing well," said Jhony Diaz, a licensed wholesaler in Puerto Ordaz, 171 kilometres (106 miles) north of El Callao. Diaz says he buys gold from traders and resells every three days to the central bank. Because Venezuela's currency, the bolivar, is worthless every hour someone holds it, the state pays a premium over international prices to make it worthwhile for those who could smuggle gold out of the country to exchange for dollars. Traders who sell to Diaz end up with bricks of cash to carry back to El Callao and other gold-rush towns to pay miners, who use it to buy food, supplies and send whatever is left to their families. Gold purchased by the government is smelted in the nearby furnaces of Minerven, the state-run mining company, according to a high-ranking employee. It is then transported to the vaults of the central bank in the capital Caracas, 843 kilometres (524 miles) away. The gold does not stay there long. The central bank's gold reserves have plummeted to their lowest levels in 75 years. Venezuela is selling the artisan metal as well as existing reserves to pay its bills, according to two high-ranking government officials. The main buyer these days is Turkey, the officials said. Turkish alliance Maduro's gold program has developed in tandem with his deepening relationship with Turkey's Erdogan. Both leaders have been criticized internationally for cracking down on political dissent and undermining democratic norms to concentrate power. A November 1 executive order signed by US President Donald Trump bars US persons and entities from buying gold from Venezuela. It does not apply to foreigners. Ankara has assured the US Treasury that all of Turkey's trade with Venezuela is in accordance with international law. Venezuela in December 2016 announced a direct flight from Caracas to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. The development was surprising given low demand for travel between the two nations. Trade data show those planes are carrying more than passengers. On New Year's Day, 2018, Venezuela's central bank began shipping gold to Turkey with a $36 million air shipment of the metal to Istanbul. It came just weeks after a visit by Maduro to Turkey. Shipments last year reached $900 million, according to Turkish government data and trade reports. Venezuela's central bank has been selling its artisan gold directly to Turkish refiners, according to two senior Venezuelan officials. Proceeds go to the Venezuelan state development bank Bandes to purchase Turkish consumer goods, the officials said. Gold buyers include Istanbul Gold Refinery, or IGR; and Sardes Kiymetli Mandele, a Turkish trading firm, according to a person who works in Turkey's gold industry as well as a Caracas-based diplomat and the two senior Venezuelan officials. In an interview with Reuters, IGR CEO Aysan Esen denied the company has been involved in any Venezuelan gold deals. In a written statement, she said she met with Venezuelan and Turkish officials in Istanbul in April to offer her views on compliance with international regulations. Esen said she advised the Turkish government that working with Venezuela "would not be right for leading institutions or the state." As for Sardes Kiymetli Mandele, no one at its Istanbul offices responded to inquiries from Reuters. Turkish consumer products, meanwhile, are making their way to Venezuelan tables. In early December, 54 containers of Turkish powdered milk arrived at the port of La Guaira near Caracas, according to port records seen by Reuters. The Istanbul-based shipper, Mulberry Proje Yatirim, shares an address with Marilyns Proje Yatirin, a mining company that signed a joint venture with Venezuela's state mining firm Minerven last year, according to filings with a Turkish trade registry gazette in September. The companies did not respond to a request for comment. Even Maduro's critics acknowledge he has pulled off a neat trick of alchemy: By compensating hard-pressed citizen miners with inflation-ravaged bolivars and obtaining precious metal in return, he has found a way to spin straw into gold. Venezuelan economist Angel Alvarado, an opposition lawmaker, said "dark operations and unusual mechanisms of commercial exchange," are among the few tools Maduro has left. "There is a desperation to stay in power at all costs," Alvarado said.

How Venezuela turns its useless bank notes into gold

Gold worth over Rs 110 crore was seized from smugglers by customs officials at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport during the last year, according to an official statement issued Wednesday.

A total of 340 cases of gold smuggling, an increase of 58 per cent as compared to the cases filed in 2017, were registered by the customs in 2018, it said.

In these, 402.48 kilograms of gold, valuing Rs 113.83 crore, were seized and 262 persons were arrested, the statement issued by the customs said.

There were 57 cases of smuggling of foreign currencies during the year, in which forex worth Rs 22.27 crore were seized. A total of 38 persons were arrested in these cases, it said.

In 2017, there were 215 cases of gold smuggling at the Delhi airport. The customs officials seized 242.5 kilograms of the yellow metal in these cases and arrested 143 people.

In 35 cases of forex smuggling during 2017, a total of 18 persons were arrested and foreign currencies worth Rs 10.75 crore were seized.

"A comparative analysis reveals that there was a 58 per cent increase in the number of gold smuggling cases booked which resulted in a 65.90 per cent increase in the quantity of smuggled gold seized," the Delhi customs said.

Similarly, a 62.85 per cent increase in the number of foreign currency cases booked resulted in a 107.05 per cent increase in the value of foreign currency seized, it said.

"The increase in gold smuggling cases show that people still consider it as a safe investment option. There is a strong need to deter people's love for gold," a senior customs official said.

There was also seizure of narcotics at the Delhi airport in the last year.

"Whereas there were no cocaine seizures during 2017, three foreign nationals were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, during 2018.

These cases involved the seizure of 2.35 kilograms of cocaine worth approximately Rs 13.50 crore in the international narcotics market," the customs department said.

A total of 340 cases of gold smuggling, an increase of 58 per cent as compared to the cases filed in 2017, were registered by the customs in 2018, an official statement said.

Gold worth over Rs 110 crore was seized from smugglers by customs officials at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport during the last year, according to an official statement issued Wednesday. A total of 340 cases of gold smuggling, an increase of 58 per cent as compared to the cases filed in 2017, were registered by the customs in 2018, it said. In these, 402.48 kilograms of gold, valuing Rs 113.83 crore, were seized and 262 persons were arrested, the statement issued by the customs said. There were 57 cases of smuggling of foreign currencies during the year, in which forex worth Rs 22.27 crore were seized. A total of 38 persons were arrested in these cases, it said. In 2017, there were 215 cases of gold smuggling at the Delhi airport. The customs officials seized 242.5 kilograms of the yellow metal in these cases and arrested 143 people. In 35 cases of forex smuggling during 2017, a total of 18 persons were arrested and foreign currencies worth Rs 10.75 crore were seized. "A comparative analysis reveals that there was a 58 per cent increase in the number of gold smuggling cases booked which resulted in a 65.90 per cent increase in the quantity of smuggled gold seized," the Delhi customs said. Similarly, a 62.85 per cent increase in the number of foreign currency cases booked resulted in a 107.05 per cent increase in the value of foreign currency seized, it said. "The increase in gold smuggling cases show that people still consider it as a safe investment option. There is a strong need to deter people's love for gold," a senior customs official said. There was also seizure of narcotics at the Delhi airport in the last year. "Whereas there were no cocaine seizures during 2017, three foreign nationals were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, during 2018. These cases involved the seizure of 2.35 kilograms of cocaine worth approximately Rs 13.50 crore in the international narcotics market," the customs department said.

Gold worth over Rs 110 crore seized at Delhi airport in 2018

Gold prices hit a six-month high on Wednesday as concerns over global growth and a partial government shutdown in the United States fuelled risk aversion, prompting investors to seek refuge in the metal.

Spot gold climbed 0.3 per cent to $1,271.85 per ounce as at 0429 GMT. The metal hit $1272.56 in early trade, its highest since June 20.

US&nbsp;gold futures were up 0.3 per cent at $1,275.8 per ounce.

Investors are uneasy about global economic growth and are seeking gold as a safe-haven, said Yuichi Ikemizu, Tokyo branch manager at ICBC Standard Bank, adding the sharp sell-off in stock markets has also lent support.

"We always see good demand for gold in the year-end. I would not be surprised if we see gold surpass $1,300 in the near future."

Asian equities were shaky following a Christmas eve US&nbsp;stocks plunge. Wall Street has dropped sharply in recent weeks on concerns over weaker economic growth, compounded by political instability in the United States after a partial government shutdown.

The US&nbsp;Senate has been unable to break an impasse over&nbsp;Trump's demand for more funds for a wall on the border with Mexico, and a senior official said the shutdown could continue until January 3.

Tensions between the White House and the US&nbsp;Federal Reserve over monetary policy tightening also weighed on sentiment in the wider markets.

President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;largely laid the blame for economic headwinds on the Fed, openly criticizing its chairman, Jerome Powell, whom he appointed.

"The latest move on gold should be a stark reminder to investors that gold in any form should be an essential part of any long-term investment strategy as again they yellow metal has proven its weight when markets turn turbulent," Stephen Innes, APAC trading head at OANDA in Singapore, said in a note.

Among other metals, silver rose 0.5 per cent to $14.80 per ounce, while platinum rose 0.3 per cent to $784.50.

Palladium was up 0.5 per cent to $1,252.24 per ounce.

Gold prices hit a six-month high on Wednesday as concerns over global growth and a partial government shutdown in the United States fuelled risk aversion, prompting investors to seek refuge in the metal.

Gold prices hit a six-month high on Wednesday as concerns over global growth and a partial government shutdown in the United States fuelled risk aversion, prompting investors to seek refuge in the metal. Spot gold climbed 0.3 per cent to $1,271.85 per ounce as at 0429 GMT. The metal hit $1272.56 in early trade, its highest since June 20. US gold futures were up 0.3 per cent at $1,275.8 per ounce. Investors are uneasy about global economic growth and are seeking gold as a safe-haven, said Yuichi Ikemizu, Tokyo branch manager at ICBC Standard Bank, adding the sharp sell-off in stock markets has also lent support. "We always see good demand for gold in the year-end. I would not be surprised if we see gold surpass $1,300 in the near future." Asian equities were shaky following a Christmas eve US stocks plunge. Wall Street has dropped sharply in recent weeks on concerns over weaker economic growth, compounded by political instability in the United States after a partial government shutdown. The US Senate has been unable to break an impasse over Trump's demand for more funds for a wall on the border with Mexico, and a senior official said the shutdown could continue until January 3. Tensions between the White House and the US Federal Reserve over monetary policy tightening also weighed on sentiment in the wider markets. President Donald Trump largely laid the blame for economic headwinds on the Fed, openly criticizing its chairman, Jerome Powell, whom he appointed. "The latest move on gold should be a stark reminder to investors that gold in any form should be an essential part of any long-term investment strategy as again they yellow metal has proven its weight when markets turn turbulent," Stephen Innes, APAC trading head at OANDA in Singapore, said in a note. Among other metals, silver rose 0.5 per cent to $14.80 per ounce, while platinum rose 0.3 per cent to $784.50. Palladium was up 0.5 per cent to $1,252.24 per ounce.

Gold climbs to six-month peak on waning risk appetite

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/firm-dollar-weighs-on-gold-amid-global-growth-risks-184712">Gold prices rose </a>slightly on Tuesday ahead of a key US Federal Reserve meeting, as speculation that signs of economic turbulence may prompt the central bank to put brakes soon on its monetary tightening cycle kept the dollar under pressure.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is widely expected to raise interest rates at its two-day meeting starting later in the day, but the focus will be on its outlook for 2019.

"Investors are hoping gold prices will go up further after the meeting," said Brian Lan, managing director at dealer GoldSilver Central in Singapore, adding that $1,251 would be the next level that gold will likely test with support at $1,245.

Spot gold was up 0.2 per cent at $1,248.14 per ounce at 0436 GMT, while US gold futures inched 0.1 per cent higher to $1,252.2 per ounce.

Meanwhile, the dollar index inched lower after losing 0.4 per cent on Monday, amid speculation the Fed will soon hit the pause button to its monetary tightening cycle in the face of rising risks to global growth.

Lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion and weigh on the dollar.

"The US dollar remains the prime mover for gold prices in the current term," Benjamin Lu, a commodities analyst with Phillip Futures in Singapore, said in a note.

"Though upside potential for gold prices faces impediment from a vigorous dollar, looming economic uncertainties will present optimistic conditions for safe-haven assets beyond 2018."

Also supporting the bullion, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/asia-stocks-slide-as-global-growth-worries-deepen-184957">Asian share markets slumped </a>on Tuesday, while Wall Street stocks skidded to their lowest levels in more than a year in the previous session.

Spot gold may rise into a range of $1,253-$1,258 per ounce, according to Wang Tao, a Reuters market analyst for commodities and energy technicals.

Among other precious metals, silver was up 0.1 per cent at $14.67 per ounce, while platinum fell 0.3 per cent, to $791.10 per ounce

Spot palladium slipped 0.2 per cent to $1,255.95 per ounce after touching a record high of $1,269.5 in the previous session.

Gold prices rose slightly on Tuesday ahead of a key US Federal Reserve meeting, as speculation that signs of economic turbulence may prompt the central bank to put brakes soon on its monetary tightening cycle kept the dollar under pressure.

Gold prices rose slightly on Tuesday ahead of a key US Federal Reserve meeting, as speculation that signs of economic turbulence may prompt the central bank to put brakes soon on its monetary tightening cycle kept the dollar under pressure. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is widely expected to raise interest rates at its two-day meeting starting later in the day, but the focus will be on its outlook for 2019. "Investors are hoping gold prices will go up further after the meeting," said Brian Lan, managing director at dealer GoldSilver Central in Singapore, adding that $1,251 would be the next level that gold will likely test with support at $1,245. Spot gold was up 0.2 per cent at $1,248.14 per ounce at 0436 GMT, while US gold futures inched 0.1 per cent higher to $1,252.2 per ounce. Meanwhile, the dollar index inched lower after losing 0.4 per cent on Monday, amid speculation the Fed will soon hit the pause button to its monetary tightening cycle in the face of rising risks to global growth. Lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion and weigh on the dollar. "The US dollar remains the prime mover for gold prices in the current term," Benjamin Lu, a commodities analyst with Phillip Futures in Singapore, said in a note. "Though upside potential for gold prices faces impediment from a vigorous dollar, looming economic uncertainties will present optimistic conditions for safe-haven assets beyond 2018." Also supporting the bullion, Asian share markets slumped on Tuesday, while Wall Street stocks skidded to their lowest levels in more than a year in the previous session. Spot gold may rise into a range of $1,253-$1,258 per ounce, according to Wang Tao, a Reuters market analyst for commodities and energy technicals. Among other precious metals, silver was up 0.1 per cent at $14.67 per ounce, while platinum fell 0.3 per cent, to $791.10 per ounce Spot palladium slipped 0.2 per cent to $1,255.95 per ounce after touching a record high of $1,269.5 in the previous session.

Gold ticks up as dollar stays under pressure ahead of Fed meeting

Gold prices held steady near a five-month peak hit early on Monday, supported by a disappointing US&nbsp;jobs report that fuelled speculation that the Federal Reserve may stop raising interest rates sooner than expected.

Spot gold was up 0.1 per cent at $1,248.96 per ounce, as of 0432 GMT, after hitting its highest since July 11 at $1,250.55 earlier in the session.

US&nbsp;gold futures rose 0.1 per cent to $1,254.2 per ounce.

US&nbsp;non-farm payrolls increased by 155,000 jobs last month, below economists' median forecast of 200,000 jobs and the wage increase was softer than expected.

Some Fed policymakers have struck a cautious tone about the economic outlook, possibly flagging a turning point in its monetary policy.

Gold tends to gain when rate hike expectations recede because lower rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion. Lower interest rates also tend to weigh on US&nbsp;yields and the dollar, in which gold is priced.

"There is also some safe-haven demand coming back in gold," said Argonaut Securities analyst Helen Lau.

The dollar slipped against the yen and the euro, while global stocks extended their slump on worries over slowing growth and fears that a fresh flare-up in tensions between US&nbsp;and China could quash chances of a trade deal.

"A number of tailwinds are in place for it (gold) to move significantly higher during the month including falling US interest rates, a declining or at least a stalling dollar, wobbly US&nbsp;equity markets," INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir said in a note.

"Over the course of December, we see prices trading between $1,230-$1,285 per ounce."

Meanwhile, holdings in SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.20 per cent to 759.73 tonnes on Friday.

Spot gold may rise into a range of $1,258-$1,266 per ounce, as it has broken a resistance at $1,245, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao.

Among other precious metals, spot silver was down 0.2 per cent at $14.59 per ounce, while palladium slipped 0.6 per cent to $1,217.10.

Platinum fell 0.3 to $787.80 per ounce. Prices had slipped to their lowest level since September&nbsp;12 to $779 in the previous session.

Gold prices held steady near a five-month peak hit early on Monday, supported by a disappointing US jobs report that fuelled speculation that the Federal Reserve may stop raising interest rates sooner than expected.

Gold prices held steady near a five-month peak hit early on Monday, supported by a disappointing US jobs report that fuelled speculation that the Federal Reserve may stop raising interest rates sooner than expected. Spot gold was up 0.1 per cent at $1,248.96 per ounce, as of 0432 GMT, after hitting its highest since July 11 at $1,250.55 earlier in the session. US gold futures rose 0.1 per cent to $1,254.2 per ounce. US non-farm payrolls increased by 155,000 jobs last month, below economists' median forecast of 200,000 jobs and the wage increase was softer than expected. Some Fed policymakers have struck a cautious tone about the economic outlook, possibly flagging a turning point in its monetary policy. Gold tends to gain when rate hike expectations recede because lower rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion. Lower interest rates also tend to weigh on US yields and the dollar, in which gold is priced. "There is also some safe-haven demand coming back in gold," said Argonaut Securities analyst Helen Lau. The dollar slipped against the yen and the euro, while global stocks extended their slump on worries over slowing growth and fears that a fresh flare-up in tensions between US and China could quash chances of a trade deal. "A number of tailwinds are in place for it (gold) to move significantly higher during the month including falling US interest rates, a declining or at least a stalling dollar, wobbly US equity markets," INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir said in a note. "Over the course of December, we see prices trading between $1,230-$1,285 per ounce." Meanwhile, holdings in SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.20 per cent to 759.73 tonnes on Friday. Spot gold may rise into a range of $1,258-$1,266 per ounce, as it has broken a resistance at $1,245, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao. Among other precious metals, spot silver was down 0.2 per cent at $14.59 per ounce, while palladium slipped 0.6 per cent to $1,217.10. Platinum fell 0.3 to $787.80 per ounce. Prices had slipped to their lowest level since September 12 to $779 in the previous session.

Gold rate stabilizes post five-month peak on easing rate hike view

Akshay Kumar is back at making you swell with patriotism as the poster of his upcoming film Gold released today. After a successful performance in PadMan that was aimed at raising awareness for menstruation-related issues, Akshay will bring to theatres the story of India’s first gold medal after independence at the Olympics.&nbsp;

The film is directed and written by Reema Kagti and will release on the Independence Day, that is August 15, 2018. It will mark the debut of TV star Mouni Roy in Bollywood.&nbsp;

Sharing the poster, co-producer and actor Farhan Akhtar wrote: "All victories begin with a dream. It fills me with immense joy to present to you the official poster of #Gold, a film that is very close to my heart. Releasing 15th August."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
All victories begin with a dream. 
 
It fills me with immense joy to present to you the official poster of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gold?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gold</a>, a film that is very close to my heart. <a href="https://t.co/xfX84ihQhw">pic.twitter.com/xfX84ihQhw</a>
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) <a href="https://twitter.com/FarOutAkhtar/status/1006711542874824704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The trailer for the film was released last year and had got everyone curious. The crew has shot the film in London and Patiala.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Post Gold, Akshay will be seen in Kesari which is again a period film based on the Battle of Saragarhi. Akshay is seen donning a different avatar for the role with Parineeti Chopra playing a pivotal role.&nbsp;

Directed and written by Reema Kagti, 'Gold' releases on August 15, 2018.

Akshay Kumar is back at making you swell with patriotism as the poster of his upcoming film Gold released today. After a successful performance in PadMan that was aimed at raising awareness for menstruation-related issues, Akshay will bring to theatres the story of India’s first gold medal after independence at the Olympics. The film is directed and written by Reema Kagti and will release on the Independence Day, that is August 15, 2018. It will mark the debut of TV star Mouni Roy in Bollywood. Sharing the poster, co-producer and actor Farhan Akhtar wrote: "All victories begin with a dream. It fills me with immense joy to present to you the official poster of #Gold, a film that is very close to my heart. Releasing 15th August." All victories begin with a dream. It fills me with immense joy to present to you the official poster of #Gold, a film that is very close to my heart. pic.twitter.com/xfX84ihQhw — Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) June 13, 2018 × The trailer for the film was released last year and had got everyone curious. The crew has shot the film in London and Patiala. Post Gold, Akshay will be seen in Kesari which is again a period film based on the Battle of Saragarhi. Akshay is seen donning a different avatar for the role with Parineeti Chopra playing a pivotal role.

Akshay Kumar looks intense in the new poster for 'Gold'

Gold&nbsp;prices remained&nbsp;locked&nbsp;just&nbsp;below&nbsp;$1,300 an ounce on Tuesday as investors waited for clues on the pace of US&nbsp;interest rate rises from a&nbsp;Federal Reserve&nbsp;meeting this week.

A&nbsp;Fed&nbsp;statement and press conference expected from 1800 GMT on Wednesday could push&nbsp;gold out of the tight range of around $1,290-$1,305 in which it has been trapped since mid-May.

Gold&nbsp;is highly sensitive to interest rates because higher rates push up bond yields, making non-yielding&nbsp;gold&nbsp;less attractive, and tend to strengthen the dollar, increasing the cost of&nbsp;gold&nbsp;for buyers using other currencies.

Investors expect the&nbsp;Fed&nbsp;to increase rates on Wednesday but will be looking for hints at future policy. A more aggressive stance on monetary tightening would hurt&nbsp;gold.

"We are waiting for the FOMC," said Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen, referring to the&nbsp;Fed's policy committee.

Gold&nbsp;prices have tended to fall ahead of previous rate rises but recover afterwards, he said. "We're still erring towards the potential for a move higher here."

Spot&nbsp;gold&nbsp;was down 0.1 per cent at $1,298.15 an ounce at 1021 GMT, while US gold&nbsp;futures for August delivery were 0.1 per cent lower at $1,302 an ounce.

The dollar and US&nbsp;bond yields were also largely flat.

Adding to the wait-and-see mood for&nbsp;gold&nbsp;were expectations that the European Central Bank will signal a winding down of its vast bond-buying programme at a&nbsp;meeting&nbsp;on Thursday. This would likely help&nbsp;gold&nbsp;by boosting the euro and weakening the dollar.

Japan's central bank will also meet on June 14-15.

Gold&nbsp;did not react strongly to a pledge by the leaders of the United States and North Korea to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

The joint statement signed at the end of a summit in Singapore gave few details on how this goal would be achieved.

Gold&nbsp;is traditionally used as a safe place to invest money during times of uncertainty, and growing tensions over Korea have added to demand.

In other precious metals, silver was down 0.2 per cent at $16.86 an ounce after hitting a seven-week high of $16.95 on Monday.

Platinum was 0.2 per cent higher at $905.80 an ounce and palladium was down 0.3 per cent at $1,019 an ounce.

A Fed statement and press conference expected from 1800 GMT on Wednesday could push gold out of the tight range of around $1,290-$1,305 in which it has been trapped since mid-May

Gold prices remained locked just below $1,300 an ounce on Tuesday as investors waited for clues on the pace of US interest rate rises from a Federal Reserve meeting this week. A Fed statement and press conference expected from 1800 GMT on Wednesday could push gold out of the tight range of around $1,290-$1,305 in which it has been trapped since mid-May. Gold is highly sensitive to interest rates because higher rates push up bond yields, making non-yielding gold less attractive, and tend to strengthen the dollar, increasing the cost of gold for buyers using other currencies. Investors expect the Fed to increase rates on Wednesday but will be looking for hints at future policy. A more aggressive stance on monetary tightening would hurt gold. "We are waiting for the FOMC," said Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen, referring to the Fed's policy committee. Gold prices have tended to fall ahead of previous rate rises but recover afterwards, he said. "We're still erring towards the potential for a move higher here." Spot gold was down 0.1 per cent at $1,298.15 an ounce at 1021 GMT, while US gold futures for August delivery were 0.1 per cent lower at $1,302 an ounce. The dollar and US bond yields were also largely flat. Adding to the wait-and-see mood for gold were expectations that the European Central Bank will signal a winding down of its vast bond-buying programme at a meeting on Thursday. This would likely help gold by boosting the euro and weakening the dollar. Japan's central bank will also meet on June 14-15. Gold did not react strongly to a pledge by the leaders of the United States and North Korea to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. The joint statement signed at the end of a summit in Singapore gave few details on how this goal would be achieved. Gold is traditionally used as a safe place to invest money during times of uncertainty, and growing tensions over Korea have added to demand. In other precious metals, silver was down 0.2 per cent at $16.86 an ounce after hitting a seven-week high of $16.95 on Monday. Platinum was 0.2 per cent higher at $905.80 an ounce and palladium was down 0.3 per cent at $1,019 an ounce.

Gold locked below $1,300 as market braces for Federal Reserve meeting

Gold prices eased on Friday on profit-taking, after breaking above $1,300 in the previous session when US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's decision to call off a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un triggered safe-haven buying.

Spot gold was down 0.2 per cent at $1,302.18 per ounce at 0312 GMT, after gaining nearly 1 per cent in the previous session in its biggest one-day percentage rise since April 11. It remains on track for a weekly advance.

US&nbsp;gold futures for June delivery fell 0.2 per cent to $1,301.80 per ounce.

"It is normal for some profit-taking to ensue after a surge (in prices). Still, gold appears to be anchored in the $1,300-range, especially with the recent uptick in geopolitical tensions," said OCBC analyst Barnabas Gan.

"The sustained uncertainty over (US-North Korea) negotiations will likely add further upside to gold prices given safe-haven demand," Gan said.

Gold is often seen as a safe investment during times of political and financial uncertainty, alongside the Japanese yen.

The dollar regained its footing on Friday after dropping to a 2-week low versus the yen in the previous session, as North Korea said it was open to resolving issues with the United States after Trump on Thursday called off a summit with the North, citing Pyongyang's "open hostility".

A stronger dollar makes dollar-denominated gold more expensive for holders of other currencies.

The North's conciliatory remarks and commitment to US-North Korea talks had eased some concern about the crisis and pressured gold, said Helen Lau, an analyst at Argonaut Securities.

Meanwhile, Trump's threat to impose tariffs on auto imports drew strong criticism abroad and at home where US&nbsp;business&nbsp;groups and members of his own Republican Party warned of damage to the industry and raised the prospect of a global trade war that would harm American interests.

Elsewhere, eurozone growth could slow further and uncertainty is on the rise but the bloc's expansion remains solid and broad-based, European Central Bank policymakers concluded in April, the minutes of the meeting showed on Thursday.

Among other precious metals, silver fell 0.3 per cent to $16.57 an ounce, while platinum edged down 0.1 per cent to $908.50 an ounce after touching its highest since May 14 at $914.30 in the previous session.

Palladium climbed about 0.2 per cent to $976.10 an ounce.

All three of those metals were on course for weekly gains.

Spot gold was down 0.2 per cent at $1,302.18 per ounce at 0312 GMT, after gaining nearly 1 percent in the previous session

Gold prices eased on Friday on profit-taking, after breaking above $1,300 in the previous session when US President Donald Trump's decision to call off a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un triggered safe-haven buying. Spot gold was down 0.2 per cent at $1,302.18 per ounce at 0312 GMT, after gaining nearly 1 per cent in the previous session in its biggest one-day percentage rise since April 11. It remains on track for a weekly advance. US gold futures for June delivery fell 0.2 per cent to $1,301.80 per ounce. "It is normal for some profit-taking to ensue after a surge (in prices). Still, gold appears to be anchored in the $1,300-range, especially with the recent uptick in geopolitical tensions," said OCBC analyst Barnabas Gan. "The sustained uncertainty over (US-North Korea) negotiations will likely add further upside to gold prices given safe-haven demand," Gan said. Gold is often seen as a safe investment during times of political and financial uncertainty, alongside the Japanese yen. The dollar regained its footing on Friday after dropping to a 2-week low versus the yen in the previous session, as North Korea said it was open to resolving issues with the United States after Trump on Thursday called off a summit with the North, citing Pyongyang's "open hostility". A stronger dollar makes dollar-denominated gold more expensive for holders of other currencies. The North's conciliatory remarks and commitment to US-North Korea talks had eased some concern about the crisis and pressured gold, said Helen Lau, an analyst at Argonaut Securities. Meanwhile, Trump's threat to impose tariffs on auto imports drew strong criticism abroad and at home where US business groups and members of his own Republican Party warned of damage to the industry and raised the prospect of a global trade war that would harm American interests. Elsewhere, eurozone growth could slow further and uncertainty is on the rise but the bloc's expansion remains solid and broad-based, European Central Bank policymakers concluded in April, the minutes of the meeting showed on Thursday. Among other precious metals, silver fell 0.3 per cent to $16.57 an ounce, while platinum edged down 0.1 per cent to $908.50 an ounce after touching its highest since May 14 at $914.30 in the previous session. Palladium climbed about 0.2 per cent to $976.10 an ounce. All three of those metals were on course for weekly gains.

Gold slips, but demand keeps prices above $1,300

Japan seems to be enjoying a spoonful of gold in their meals these days. The country has taken to adding gold to their food for a healthy living and to promote longevity.&nbsp;

According to reports, restaurants in Tokyo are serving gold-infused meals for around $300 a serving. Over the past year, Japan has estimated to have consumed 8 kilograms of gold. The total global production of gold was estimated at 3.15 thousand metric tons in 2017 according to global statistics portal Statista.&nbsp;

While Japan's love for gold grows, its economy has taken a dip for the first time in a decade. Japan's fondness for the precious metal is based on the belief that its consumption promotes long and healthy life. Medieval alchemists also reportedly shared the same belief and prescribed portable gold for treating a variety of ailments.&nbsp;<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Df4Edf5uYM" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

In India too, health benefiting concoctions like Chyawanprash, a mix of herbs and immunity-boosting foods, are believed to contain small quantities of metals like silver and gold.&nbsp;

Over the year, Japan is reported to have seen food trends like gold-covered sushis, gold flaked ice creams among others.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

In India too, health benefiting concoctions like Chyawanprash are believed to have small quantities of metals like silver and gold

Japan seems to be enjoying a spoonful of gold in their meals these days. The country has taken to adding gold to their food for a healthy living and to promote longevity. According to reports, restaurants in Tokyo are serving gold-infused meals for around $300 a serving. Over the past year, Japan has estimated to have consumed 8 kilograms of gold. The total global production of gold was estimated at 3.15 thousand metric tons in 2017 according to global statistics portal Statista. While Japan's love for gold grows, its economy has taken a dip for the first time in a decade. Japan's fondness for the precious metal is based on the belief that its consumption promotes long and healthy life. Medieval alchemists also reportedly shared the same belief and prescribed portable gold for treating a variety of ailments. In India too, health benefiting concoctions like Chyawanprash, a mix of herbs and immunity-boosting foods, are believed to contain small quantities of metals like silver and gold. Over the year, Japan is reported to have seen food trends like gold-covered sushis, gold flaked ice creams among others.

Watch: Japanese have consumed nearly 8 kgs of gold in their meals 

Reeling from the adverse effects surging imports, Sri Lanka today proposed a 15 per cent tax on gold.

The country has been grappling with a deficit in trade and an increased pressure on its exchange rate.

The tax has been reintroduced after five years owing to a rapid spike in imports.

A finance ministry official noted that it is believed that some duty-free imported gold in Sri Lanka is being smuggled out to other countries that have high customs duties in place.&nbsp;

According to reports, Sri Lanka, this year, has already imported gold equivalent to the total amount of its imported precious metal in the year 2016 estimated at 8,000 kilograms. Last year the country imported over 15,000 kilograms of gold.&nbsp;

Sri Lanka's foreign exchange outflow that facilitated such humongous import gold has also caused damage to its foreign reserves and the value of its rate of currency. 
&nbsp;

Sri Lanka's foreign exchange outflow that facilitated such humongous import gold has also caused damage to its foreign reserves

Reeling from the adverse effects surging imports, Sri Lanka today proposed a 15 per cent tax on gold. The country has been grappling with a deficit in trade and an increased pressure on its exchange rate. The tax has been reintroduced after five years owing to a rapid spike in imports. A finance ministry official noted that it is believed that some duty-free imported gold in Sri Lanka is being smuggled out to other countries that have high customs duties in place. According to reports, Sri Lanka, this year, has already imported gold equivalent to the total amount of its imported precious metal in the year 2016 estimated at 8,000 kilograms. Last year the country imported over 15,000 kilograms of gold. Sri Lanka's foreign exchange outflow that facilitated such humongous import gold has also caused damage to its foreign reserves and the value of its rate of currency.

Sri Lanka's new tax on gold aims at curbing imports

Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej, is a festival celebrated by the Hindus and Jains. According to the Hindu calendar, this auspicious festival falls on the third day of the Hindu month of Vaisakha.&nbsp

This festival is also celebrated as the birthday of Lord Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. One might also find it interesting that on this day, Ved Vyas commenced writing the Mahabharata.

This year it is being observed on April 18.

Hindus believe that the day of Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious one for buying gold and jewellery. One anticipates good fortune and success in financial areas while shopping or investing in gold during this time.

While Pandavas were in their exile, it was on this holy day that Lord Krishna blessed them with the Akshaya Patra or the vessel that never goes empty. Several notable personalities including Basaveshwara, Ramanujacharya, Adi Shankaracharya and Swami Chinmayananda were all born on Akshaya Tritiya.

Once Sudhama, the childhood friend of Krishna wished to meet Krishna later in his life after having fathered several children and suffering in poverty. Sudhama knew that Krishna always liked beaten rice (poha). Therefore he bundled some of it in a cloth and hung it on his back during a long and tedious journey to Krishna’s abode. Krishna gave his friend a royal welcome and had three mouthfuls of the poha that Sudhama got for him.

Sudhama did not ask for any favour during that time and thus returned home. To his utter surprise, the entire household was found transformed like a heaven overflowing with all wealth and prosperity that would suffice for more than a lifetime. Thus, it was on Akshaya Tritiya that Krishna blessed his poor devotee with such an incomparable wealth.

The auspicious timings for purchasing gold are as follows:

Morning 5.57 am to 9.09 am 
Morning 10.45 am to 12.21 pm 
Afternoon 3.33 pm to 06.45 pm 
Evening 8.08 pm to 12.20 am

Hindus believe that the day of Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious one for buying gold and jewellery.

Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej, is a festival celebrated by the Hindus and Jains. According to the Hindu calendar, this auspicious festival falls on the third day of the Hindu month of Vaisakha. This festival is also celebrated as the birthday of Lord Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. One might also find it interesting that on this day, Ved Vyas commenced writing the Mahabharata. This year it is being observed on April 18. Hindus believe that the day of Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious one for buying gold and jewellery. One anticipates good fortune and success in financial areas while shopping or investing in gold during this time. While Pandavas were in their exile, it was on this holy day that Lord Krishna blessed them with the Akshaya Patra or the vessel that never goes empty. Several notable personalities including Basaveshwara, Ramanujacharya, Adi Shankaracharya and Swami Chinmayananda were all born on Akshaya Tritiya. Once Sudhama, the childhood friend of Krishna wished to meet Krishna later in his life after having fathered several children and suffering in poverty. Sudhama knew that Krishna always liked beaten rice (poha). Therefore he bundled some of it in a cloth and hung it on his back during a long and tedious journey to Krishna’s abode. Krishna gave his friend a royal welcome and had three mouthfuls of the poha that Sudhama got for him. Sudhama did not ask for any favour during that time and thus returned home. To his utter surprise, the entire household was found transformed like a heaven overflowing with all wealth and prosperity that would suffice for more than a lifetime. Thus, it was on Akshaya Tritiya that Krishna blessed his poor devotee with such an incomparable wealth. The auspicious timings for purchasing gold are as follows: Morning 5.57 am to 9.09 am Morning 10.45 am to 12.21 pm Afternoon 3.33 pm to 06.45 pm Evening 8.08 pm to 12.20 am

Akshaya Tritiya 2018: Significance, importance and timing

If everything had gone according to the schedule, Kangana Ranaut's period drama <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kangana-ranauts-look-as-rani-laxmibai-from-the-sets-of-manikarnika-has-piqued-our-curiosity-23281">Manikarnika: Queen Of Jhansi&nbsp;</a>would have released on April 27th. But now, as the film has faced innumerable delays, the makers have decided to release the film on August 15th. Rani's Jhansi's biopic will now clash with Akshay Kumar starrer Gold, which is a biopic as well on Hockey legend Dhyanchand.&nbsp; 
 
According to a report in Times Of India, the film was pushed ahead because its shooting schedule got disrupted in December.<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-kangana-ranaut-suffers-a-ligament-tear-on-the-sets-of-manikarnika-24860"> Kangana got injured while filming an action scene </a>and had to take two weeks of bed rest to completely recover. The VFX work had started in the meantime, but certain scenes were yet to be filmed.&nbsp; 
 
“Apart from technical reasons, the content of the film, which revolves around the first war of Indian independence, makes it viable for an August 15 release. This also got instant thumbs-up from everyone involved in the project. Given that it’s a long weekend, both Gold and Manikarnika can sail through which is the reason the producers have chosen to bring out the film on Independence Day. Had that not been the case, then it would have been a cause of concern,” said a source close to the film.&nbsp; 
 
Gold features Akshay Kumar and Mouni Roy and has been directed by Reema Kagti. The film is being produced by Excel Entertainment. Manikarnika is being directed by debutant director Krish.&nbsp;

Both the films are set to release on August 15th.

If everything had gone according to the schedule, Kangana Ranaut's period drama Manikarnika: Queen Of Jhansi would have released on April 27th. But now, as the film has faced innumerable delays, the makers have decided to release the film on August 15th. Rani's Jhansi's biopic will now clash with Akshay Kumar starrer Gold, which is a biopic as well on Hockey legend Dhyanchand. According to a report in Times Of India, the film was pushed ahead because its shooting schedule got disrupted in December. Kangana got injured while filming an action scene and had to take two weeks of bed rest to completely recover. The VFX work had started in the meantime, but certain scenes were yet to be filmed. “Apart from technical reasons, the content of the film, which revolves around the first war of Indian independence, makes it viable for an August 15 release. This also got instant thumbs-up from everyone involved in the project. Given that it’s a long weekend, both Gold and Manikarnika can sail through which is the reason the producers have chosen to bring out the film on Independence Day. Had that not been the case, then it would have been a cause of concern,” said a source close to the film. Gold features Akshay Kumar and Mouni Roy and has been directed by Reema Kagti. The film is being produced by Excel Entertainment. Manikarnika is being directed by debutant director Krish.

Kangana Ranaut's 'Manikarnika' to clash with Akshay Kumar's 'Gold'

Gaurav Solanki on Saturday won India's first gold in the men's boxing event at this edition after an emphatic performance against Northern Ireland's Brendan Irvine in the 52 kg category as his all-out aggression proved too hot to handle for Irvine.&nbsp

Solanki won the final 4-1 on a split decision.

Solanki used his long reach to good effect and pushed Irvine to be on the defensive from the outset as high block meant that Irvine struggled to land his punches whenever he tried to be aggressive.

Meanwhile, Amit Panghal won silver in his maiden Games after losing to England' Yafai Galal in the final of the 46-49 kg category.&nbsp

Amit looked visibly tired in the second and third round after dominating the first round. Galal eventually won the bout 3-1 by a split decision in what was an extremely close contest.

The 22-year-old had won bronze at the Asian Championships last year and also took part in the world championships, where he lost in the quarterfinals.

The legend of MC Mary Kom grew bigger as she became the first Indian woman boxer to claim a Commonwealth Games gold and was joined by Gaurav Solanki (52kg) and Vikas Krishan (75kg) in the top-finishers' group for India's best ever haul at the mega-event here on Saturday.

Apart from Amit Panghal, settling for silver medal Manish Kaushik (60kg) after losing closely-contested bouts here.&nbsp

India will be going back with eight boxing medals from the current edition, one more than their previous best at the 2010 Delhi Games.

The star of the day was without a shred of doubt Mary Kom (48kg) -- a 35-year-old five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist.&nbsp

She was competing in her debut Commonwealth Games, also perhaps her last, and made it a memorable one with yet another dominating performance to claim a unanimous verdict of 5-0 over Northern Ireland's Kristina O'Hara in the final.

Solanki won the final 4-1 on a split decision.

Gaurav Solanki on Saturday won India's first gold in the men's boxing event at this edition after an emphatic performance against Northern Ireland's Brendan Irvine in the 52 kg category as his all-out aggression proved too hot to handle for Irvine. Solanki won the final 4-1 on a split decision. Solanki used his long reach to good effect and pushed Irvine to be on the defensive from the outset as high block meant that Irvine struggled to land his punches whenever he tried to be aggressive. Meanwhile, Amit Panghal won silver in his maiden Games after losing to England' Yafai Galal in the final of the 46-49 kg category. Amit looked visibly tired in the second and third round after dominating the first round. Galal eventually won the bout 3-1 by a split decision in what was an extremely close contest. The 22-year-old had won bronze at the Asian Championships last year and also took part in the world championships, where he lost in the quarterfinals. The legend of MC Mary Kom grew bigger as she became the first Indian woman boxer to claim a Commonwealth Games gold and was joined by Gaurav Solanki (52kg) and Vikas Krishan (75kg) in the top-finishers' group for India's best ever haul at the mega-event here on Saturday. Apart from Amit Panghal, settling for silver medal Manish Kaushik (60kg) after losing closely-contested bouts here. India will be going back with eight boxing medals from the current edition, one more than their previous best at the 2010 Delhi Games. The star of the day was without a shred of doubt Mary Kom (48kg) -- a 35-year-old five-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist. She was competing in her debut Commonwealth Games, also perhaps her last, and made it a memorable one with yet another dominating performance to claim a unanimous verdict of 5-0 over Northern Ireland's Kristina O'Hara in the final.

CWG 2018: Gaurav Solanki wins gold, Amit Panghal, Manish Kaushik settle for silver

Indian wrestler Sumit Malik won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 125 kg category as his opponent, Sinivie Boltic of Nigeria was ruled out of the final due to an injury at the 21st Commonwealth Games on Saturday.

Among others, Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik went down to Aminat Adeniyi of Nigeria 3-6 in a nervous bout to end her golden dreams. She will try for bronze now also Vinesh Phogat defeated Rupinder Kaur of Australia in the 50kg freestyle to enter final.

Somveer defeated Australia's Jayden Lawrence 7-0 for a victory by fall in the 86kg freestyle to set up a clash for the bronze medal.

India so far India has claimed total 59 medal, 25 gold medals, 16 silver and 18 bronze medals.

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Wrestling wins the nation another Gold ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SumitMalik?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SumitMalik</a> claimed Gold in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CG2018Wrestling?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CG2018Wrestling</a> Men's Freestyle 125 kg bout against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SinivieBoltic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SinivieBoltic</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamNigeria?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamNigeria</a>! Sumit earlier bt <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TayabRaza?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TayabRaza</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamPakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamPakistan</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KoreyJarvis?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KoreyJarvis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamCanada?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamCanada</a> on his way to the Finals!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Congratulations?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Congratulations</a> Sumit!! <a href="https://t.co/KZJpSfXZuI">pic.twitter.com/KZJpSfXZuI</a>
— IOA - Team India (@ioaindia) <a href="https://twitter.com/ioaindia/status/985068520919764992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On his way to the final bout, he defeated Pakistan's Tayab Raza 10-4. Also, he made an incredible comeback to win this bout against Korey Jarvis of Canada.

Initially, he was lagging 0-2 behind but then he came from behind to draw 3-3 with Jarvis and in the end, he flipped Jarvis to win 6-4 in the end.

<img alt="PTI4_14_2018_000082B.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/sports/PTI4_14_2018_000082B.jpg" width="770" />

Indian wrestler Sumit Malik won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 125 kg category

Indian wrestler Sumit Malik won the gold medal in the men's freestyle 125 kg category as his opponent, Sinivie Boltic of Nigeria was ruled out of the final due to an injury at the 21st Commonwealth Games on Saturday. Among others, Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik went down to Aminat Adeniyi of Nigeria 3-6 in a nervous bout to end her golden dreams. She will try for bronze now also Vinesh Phogat defeated Rupinder Kaur of Australia in the 50kg freestyle to enter final. Somveer defeated Australia's Jayden Lawrence 7-0 for a victory by fall in the 86kg freestyle to set up a clash for the bronze medal. India so far India has claimed total 59 medal, 25 gold medals, 16 silver and 18 bronze medals. Wrestling wins the nation another Gold ?#SumitMalik claimed Gold in #CG2018Wrestling Men's Freestyle 125 kg bout against #SinivieBoltic of #TeamNigeria! Sumit earlier bt #TayabRaza of #TeamPakistan & #KoreyJarvis #TeamCanada on his way to the Finals!#Congratulations Sumit!! pic.twitter.com/KZJpSfXZuI — IOA - Team India (@ioaindia) April 14, 2018 × On his way to the final bout, he defeated Pakistan's Tayab Raza 10-4. Also, he made an incredible comeback to win this bout against Korey Jarvis of Canada. Initially, he was lagging 0-2 behind but then he came from behind to draw 3-3 with Jarvis and in the end, he flipped Jarvis to win 6-4 in the end.

CWG 2018: Wrestler Sumit Malik wins gold in 125kg category

Manika Batra continued her prolific run at Commonwealth Games as she clinched her their gold medal after she battled her way to claim her maiden singles title in Gold Coast.

Batra, who carved herself a piece of history, had a dominating 11-7, 11-6, 11-2, 11-7 win over Singapore's Meingyu Yu in women's singles final.&nbsp;

With this, she became the first Indian woman to win table tennis gold in women's singles at Commonwealth Games.

Manika seemed to be India's biggest revelation in Gold Coast as she cruised her way into the third table tennis finale today.&nbsp;

She overcame world number four and a three-time Olympic medallist, Tianwei Feng of Singapore 12-10, 5-11, 11-8, 5-11, 5-11, 11-9, 13-11 in the semi-final round.&nbsp;

It was her second consecutive win against the top seed after scalping victory in the team event as well.

This was her third medal in Gold Coast with silver being the other which she had claimed alongside Mouma Das in women's doubles on Friday.&nbsp;

Batra's gold feat also made her the first Indian woman to bag two gold medals in table tennis at Commonwealth Games.&nbsp;

Batra defeated Singapore's Meingyu Yu in women's singles final

Manika Batra continued her prolific run at Commonwealth Games as she clinched her their gold medal after she battled her way to claim her maiden singles title in Gold Coast. Batra, who carved herself a piece of history, had a dominating 11-7, 11-6, 11-2, 11-7 win over Singapore's Meingyu Yu in women's singles final. With this, she became the first Indian woman to win table tennis gold in women's singles at Commonwealth Games. Manika seemed to be India's biggest revelation in Gold Coast as she cruised her way into the third table tennis finale today. She overcame world number four and a three-time Olympic medallist, Tianwei Feng of Singapore 12-10, 5-11, 11-8, 5-11, 5-11, 11-9, 13-11 in the semi-final round. It was her second consecutive win against the top seed after scalping victory in the team event as well. This was her third medal in Gold Coast with silver being the other which she had claimed alongside Mouma Das in women's doubles on Friday. Batra's gold feat also made her the first Indian woman to bag two gold medals in table tennis at Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth Games: Manika Batra becomes first Indian woman to win TT single's gold

Power paralifter Sachin Chaudhary on Tuesday won bronze to take India's overall medal tally to 21 at 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

He claimed the medal in men's heavyweight final at the Carrara Sports Arena 1.

It is also the first medal from the country's para-athletic contingent.&nbsp;

On a day where three other Indian para-powerlifters reached finals, Chaudhary went the distance in his 10-man final and finished with a combined effort of 181 points.&nbsp;

Nigeria's Abdulazeez Ibrahim won gold and silver went to Malaysia's Yee Khie Jong.

Last year, Chaudhary won a silver medal at the Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai with a career-best lift of 200.&nbsp;

He also represented India at the 2012 Summer Paralymics where he finished ninth in the men's -82.50kg event. 
&nbsp;

He claimed the medal in men's heavyweight final

Power paralifter Sachin Chaudhary on Tuesday won bronze to take India's overall medal tally to 21 at 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. He claimed the medal in men's heavyweight final at the Carrara Sports Arena 1. It is also the first medal from the country's para-athletic contingent. On a day where three other Indian para-powerlifters reached finals, Chaudhary went the distance in his 10-man final and finished with a combined effort of 181 points. Nigeria's Abdulazeez Ibrahim won gold and silver went to Malaysia's Yee Khie Jong. Last year, Chaudhary won a silver medal at the Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai with a career-best lift of 200. He also represented India at the 2012 Summer Paralymics where he finished ninth in the men's -82.50kg event.

CWG 2018: Power paralifter Sachin Chaudhary wins bronze, takes India's medal tally to 21

Indian weightlifter Punam Yadav won the sixth gold medal at the Commonwealth Games winning in the Women's 69kg weightlifting event.&nbsp;

The previous five medals have also been won in the same category so far. Yadav lifted a total of of 222kg (100 snatch and 122 clean and jerk) to beat England's Sarah Davies - her closest competitor - to take her second medal at the Commonwealth Games.&nbsp;

She had previously won the bronze medal in Glasgow Games in 2014.&nbsp;

On Sunday, England's Sarah Davies took silver with 217 kg, while Apolonia Vaivai (216 kg) got bronze.

22-year-old Yadav finished after lifting 100kg in her final attempt in the snatch and then sweapt a clean and jerk lifting 118 kg in her first attempt. In a close contest, she failed to lift 122kg in her second clean and jerk attempt, but a clean lift on the third saw her confirm the medal.

Yadav had claimed a silver at last year's Commonwealth Championships last year, her first event after making the jump from 63kg to 69kg category.

Earlier Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Sanjita Chanu (53kg), Sathish Sivalingam (77kg) and Venkat Rahul Ragala (85kg) had claimed gold medals in the ongoing edition.&nbsp;

The previous five medals have also been won in the same category so far. Yadav lifted a total of of 222kg (100 snatch and 122 clean and jerk) to beat England's Sarah Davies

Indian weightlifter Punam Yadav won the sixth gold medal at the Commonwealth Games winning in the Women's 69kg weightlifting event. The previous five medals have also been won in the same category so far. Yadav lifted a total of of 222kg (100 snatch and 122 clean and jerk) to beat England's Sarah Davies - her closest competitor - to take her second medal at the Commonwealth Games. She had previously won the bronze medal in Glasgow Games in 2014. On Sunday, England's Sarah Davies took silver with 217 kg, while Apolonia Vaivai (216 kg) got bronze. 22-year-old Yadav finished after lifting 100kg in her final attempt in the snatch and then sweapt a clean and jerk lifting 118 kg in her first attempt. In a close contest, she failed to lift 122kg in her second clean and jerk attempt, but a clean lift on the third saw her confirm the medal. Yadav had claimed a silver at last year's Commonwealth Championships last year, her first event after making the jump from 63kg to 69kg category. Earlier Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Sanjita Chanu (53kg), Sathish Sivalingam (77kg) and Venkat Rahul Ragala (85kg) had claimed gold medals in the ongoing edition.

CWG 2018: Weightlifting gold rush continues, Punam claims 5th for India

Indian weightlifter Sathish Kumar Sivalingam won gold in the men's 77 kg category on Day 3 of the Commonwealth Games here on Saturday.

Sivalingam successfully lifted 173 kg in his second clean and jerk attempt to bring India yet another gold in weightlifting.

He lifted a total of 317 kg to beat England's Jack Oliver, in what was a close fight.

Sivalingam also became India's fifth weightlifter to win a medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games.

Earlier, Sanjita Chanu and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu made India proud by bagging gold medals in the in the women's weightlifting 53 kg category event and 48 kg category event respectively.

Deepak Lather won bronze in the men's 69 kg category on Day 2.

Meanwhile, weightlifter P. Gururaja on Day 1 won silver in the 56 kg category.

India currently ranks third in the medal tally with five medals.

Australia and England are leading with 41 and 23 medals respectively.

Sivalingam successfully lifted 173 kg in his second clean and jerk attempt to bring India yet another gold in weightlifting.

Indian weightlifter Sathish Kumar Sivalingam won gold in the men's 77 kg category on Day 3 of the Commonwealth Games here on Saturday. Sivalingam successfully lifted 173 kg in his second clean and jerk attempt to bring India yet another gold in weightlifting. He lifted a total of 317 kg to beat England's Jack Oliver, in what was a close fight. Sivalingam also became India's fifth weightlifter to win a medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games. Earlier, Sanjita Chanu and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu made India proud by bagging gold medals in the in the women's weightlifting 53 kg category event and 48 kg category event respectively. Deepak Lather won bronze in the men's 69 kg category on Day 2. Meanwhile, weightlifter P. Gururaja on Day 1 won silver in the 56 kg category. India currently ranks third in the medal tally with five medals. Australia and England are leading with 41 and 23 medals respectively.

CWG 2018: Sathish Sivalingam bags India's third gold

Austrian star Marcel Hirscher finally bagged Olympic gold when he produced a brilliant slalom run to storm to a dominant victory in the men&#39;s alpine combined on Tuesday.

Alexis Pinturault claimed silver for France with his team-mate Victor Muffat-Jeandet taking an astonishing bronze after finishing 29th fastest in the opening downhill.

Hirscher, 28, has been the outstanding skier in the World Cup in recent years, his 55 career wins the bedrock of a startling six consecutive overall crystal globes.

Already guaranteed to go down in alpine history as one of the best skiers of all time, Hirscher had said he was after an &quot;amazing&quot; Olympic gold to cap his career, his previous best a slalom silver from Sochi four years ago.

But he had also played down his expectations in the combined following a couple of mediocre downhill training runs.

There was to be no messing on a downhill course shortened because of blustery winds, however, and the canny Austrian took full advantage of the abbreviated run to finish an impressive 12th fastest, 1.32sec off German Thomas Dressen&#39;s lead time.

Come to the slalom, a discipline in which he has won six times this season on the World Cup circuit, Austria&#39;s favourite sporting son stepped up to the gate and promptly delivered the fastest time of 45.96sec.

It was an aggressive yet measured piece of skiing that gave him a combined time of 2min 06.52sec, 0.23sec ahead of Pinturault, with Muffat-Jeandet at 1.02sec.

&quot;I was the favourite after the downhill,&quot; said Pinturault, who was 10th fastest in the speed event and started his slalom with a 0.28sec lead over Hirscher.

&quot;But after what Marcel has shown since the start of the season, especially in slalom, it was very tough for me to be able to come close.

&quot;I&#39;m just very happy,&quot; said Pinturault, winner of Bormio&#39;s World Cup combined in December. &quot;He was just stronger than me today.&quot;

Muffat-Jeandet laid down a slalom run just one-hundredth of a second slower than Hirscher, paying the price for a big mistake on the top third of the downhill.

&quot;I was so annoyed by the downhill,&quot; he said.

&quot;But at the end of the day I stayed very focused. I always believed in it.&quot;

Austrian slalom specialist Marco Schwarz was fourth, one place ahead of American Ted Ligety, who was seeking a third Olympic gold medal having won the combined back in Torino in 2006.

The Norwegian threat petered out disappointingly despite two-time former world combined champion Aksel Lund Svindal finishing second fastest in the downhill.

Svindal, 35, was a non-starter in the slalom, while team-mate Kjetil Jansrud, fourth fastest in the downhill, eventually came in seventh, 2.15sec off the pace and one place behind a third Frenchman, Thomas Mermillod Blondin.

Among the top eight, Austrian pair Vincent Kriechmayr and reigning Olympic downhill champion Matthias Mayer, along with Italian duo Dominik Paris and Peter Fill, all failed to finish the slalom course.

&nbsp;

Alexis Pinturault claimed silver for France with his team-mate Victor Muffat-Jeandet taking an astonishing bronze after finishing 29th fastest in the opening downhill

Austrian star Marcel Hirscher finally bagged Olympic gold when he produced a brilliant slalom run to storm to a dominant victory in the men's alpine combined on Tuesday. Alexis Pinturault claimed silver for France with his team-mate Victor Muffat-Jeandet taking an astonishing bronze after finishing 29th fastest in the opening downhill. Hirscher, 28, has been the outstanding skier in the World Cup in recent years, his 55 career wins the bedrock of a startling six consecutive overall crystal globes. Already guaranteed to go down in alpine history as one of the best skiers of all time, Hirscher had said he was after an "amazing" Olympic gold to cap his career, his previous best a slalom silver from Sochi four years ago. But he had also played down his expectations in the combined following a couple of mediocre downhill training runs. There was to be no messing on a downhill course shortened because of blustery winds, however, and the canny Austrian took full advantage of the abbreviated run to finish an impressive 12th fastest, 1.32sec off German Thomas Dressen's lead time. Come to the slalom, a discipline in which he has won six times this season on the World Cup circuit, Austria's favourite sporting son stepped up to the gate and promptly delivered the fastest time of 45.96sec. It was an aggressive yet measured piece of skiing that gave him a combined time of 2min 06.52sec, 0.23sec ahead of Pinturault, with Muffat-Jeandet at 1.02sec. "I was the favourite after the downhill," said Pinturault, who was 10th fastest in the speed event and started his slalom with a 0.28sec lead over Hirscher. "But after what Marcel has shown since the start of the season, especially in slalom, it was very tough for me to be able to come close. "I'm just very happy," said Pinturault, winner of Bormio's World Cup combined in December. "He was just stronger than me today." Muffat-Jeandet laid down a slalom run just one-hundredth of a second slower than Hirscher, paying the price for a big mistake on the top third of the downhill. "I was so annoyed by the downhill," he said. "But at the end of the day I stayed very focused. I always believed in it." Austrian slalom specialist Marco Schwarz was fourth, one place ahead of American Ted Ligety, who was seeking a third Olympic gold medal having won the combined back in Torino in 2006. The Norwegian threat petered out disappointingly despite two-time former world combined champion Aksel Lund Svindal finishing second fastest in the downhill. Svindal, 35, was a non-starter in the slalom, while team-mate Kjetil Jansrud, fourth fastest in the downhill, eventually came in seventh, 2.15sec off the pace and one place behind a third Frenchman, Thomas Mermillod Blondin. Among the top eight, Austrian pair Vincent Kriechmayr and reigning Olympic downhill champion Matthias Mayer, along with Italian duo Dominik Paris and Peter Fill, all failed to finish the slalom course.

Austria grabs first Gold as Marcel Hirscher wins men's alpine combined title

Short-track speed skater Lim Hyo-jun claimed a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/swedens-kalla-charlotte-wins-first-gold-medal-of-winter-olympics-32404">first gold medal</a> for South Korea on Saturday as the hosts made a triumphant start to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

Lim got Korea off the mark on the first full day of action in the men&#39;s 1500m in front of an ecstatic, near-capacity 12,000 crowd at the Gangneung Ice Arena.

In a frenetic final the 21-year-old saw off Dutch world record-holder Sjinkie Knegt with Semen Elistratov, one of the Russians competing as an independent, in third.

With South Korea&#39;s President Moon Jae-in watching, together with American Vice-President Mike Pence, Lim delivered the goods to further embellish Korea&#39;s dazzling record in the sport with their 22nd short track title.

Korea had two shots at the target but Hwang Dae-heon crashed out of the final, causing a collective groan from the home supporters.

Canada&#39;s Sochi 2014 champion Charles Hamelin scraped into the nine-skater climax in a four-way photo-finish in his semi-final, but there was to be no repeat for the bearded 33-year-old as he picked up a penalty.

Short-track speed skater Lim Hyo-jun claimed a first gold medal for South Korea

Short-track speed skater Lim Hyo-jun claimed a first gold medal for South Korea on Saturday as the hosts made a triumphant start to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Lim got Korea off the mark on the first full day of action in the men's 1500m in front of an ecstatic, near-capacity 12,000 crowd at the Gangneung Ice Arena. In a frenetic final the 21-year-old saw off Dutch world record-holder Sjinkie Knegt with Semen Elistratov, one of the Russians competing as an independent, in third. With South Korea's President Moon Jae-in watching, together with American Vice-President Mike Pence, Lim delivered the goods to further embellish Korea's dazzling record in the sport with their 22nd short track title. Korea had two shots at the target but Hwang Dae-heon crashed out of the final, causing a collective groan from the home supporters. Canada's Sochi 2014 champion Charles Hamelin scraped into the nine-skater climax in a four-way photo-finish in his semi-final, but there was to be no repeat for the bearded 33-year-old as he picked up a penalty.

Lim strikes first gold for Olympic hosts South Korea

Amid PadMan promotions, Akshay Kumar has released the first teaser of his upcoming film Gold. Directed by Reema Kagti, the film has Akshay Kumar essaying the role of Balbir Singh. Gold chronicles the story of India&rsquo;s first ever gold medal win in the Olympics, which came at the 1948 London Olympics.

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Abhi tak India chup tha. Ab hum log bolega aur duniya sunega. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoldTeaser?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoldTeaser</a> Out Now.<a href="https://twitter.com/excelmovies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@excelmovies</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FarOutAkhtar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FarOutAkhtar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ritesh_sid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ritesh_sid</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/kagtireema?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kagtireema</a> <a href="https://t.co/sypgWtBwck">pic.twitter.com/sypgWtBwck</a>
&mdash; Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) <a href="https://twitter.com/akshaykumar/status/960508988851924992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The film also features Amit Sadh, Kunal Kapoor and TV actress Mouni Roy makes her Bollywood debut with this one. Gold has been produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh SIdhwani and is set to release on Independence day.&nbsp;

Akshay Kumar is essaying the role of Balbir Singh.

Amid PadMan promotions, Akshay Kumar has released the first teaser of his upcoming film Gold. Directed by Reema Kagti, the film has Akshay Kumar essaying the role of Balbir Singh. Gold chronicles the story of India’s first ever gold medal win in the Olympics, which came at the 1948 London Olympics. Abhi tak India chup tha. Ab hum log bolega aur duniya sunega. #GoldTeaser Out Now.@excelmovies @FarOutAkhtar @ritesh_sid @kagtireema pic.twitter.com/sypgWtBwck — Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) February 5, 2018 × The film also features Amit Sadh, Kunal Kapoor and TV actress Mouni Roy makes her Bollywood debut with this one. Gold has been produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh SIdhwani and is set to release on Independence day.

Gold Teaser: Akshay Kumar's new film looks like an engaging sports drama

Akshay Kumar is on vacation in Cape Town,&nbsp;South Africa.

He kickstarted his holiday with a picture of daughter&nbsp;Nitara &quot;meeting an old friend&quot; -- Valentino 2.0.&nbsp;

Valentino is the son of his house help in Cape Town.&nbsp;

&quot;Happiness Is... meeting an old friend and starting exactly where you left off :) Nitara meets Valentino 2.0,&quot; Akshay tweeted.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Happiness Is... meeting an old friend and starting exactly where you left off :) Nitara meets Valentino 2.0 ?? <a href="https://t.co/geGFyH1h72">pic.twitter.com/geGFyH1h72</a>
&mdash; Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) <a href="https://twitter.com/akshaykumar/status/944773160586633217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Akshay had introduced Valentino to his Twitter followers last year.

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Boys &amp; girls,meet Valentino,my house help&#39;s son here in Cape Town. Everyone&#39;s favourite in the house,he&#39;s blessed with an infectious spirit?? <a href="https://t.co/5cietThAO2">pic.twitter.com/5cietThAO2</a>
&mdash; Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) <a href="https://twitter.com/akshaykumar/status/814726539057111040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
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After his holiday, Akshay will be promoting his upcoming movie &quot;Pad Man.&quot;&nbsp;

Pad Man has been described as a movie about a superhero who does not have superhero powers or wears a cape&nbsp;-- but who kicked off India&#39;s sanitary pad revolution.&nbsp;

The movie is inspired by Arunachalam Muruganantham, also known as India&rsquo;s &ldquo;Menstrual Man&rdquo;.

The school dropout-turned-welder invented a machine that makes inexpensive, sterilised sanitary pads, enabling low-income women to launch local businesses making and selling pads.

Akshay Kumar&#39;s wife Twinkle Khanna is a co-producer of the film.&nbsp;

The movie will release on January 26.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Akshay posted a picture of daughter Nitara 'meeting an old friend' Valentino 2.0

Akshay Kumar is on vacation in Cape Town, South Africa. He kickstarted his holiday with a picture of daughter Nitara "meeting an old friend" -- Valentino 2.0. Valentino is the son of his house help in Cape Town. "Happiness Is... meeting an old friend and starting exactly where you left off :) Nitara meets Valentino 2.0," Akshay tweeted. Happiness Is... meeting an old friend and starting exactly where you left off :) Nitara meets Valentino 2.0 ?? pic.twitter.com/geGFyH1h72 — Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) December 24, 2017 × Akshay had introduced Valentino to his Twitter followers last year. Boys & girls,meet Valentino,my house help's son here in Cape Town. Everyone's favourite in the house,he's blessed with an infectious spirit?? pic.twitter.com/5cietThAO2 — Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) December 30, 2016 × After his holiday, Akshay will be promoting his upcoming movie "Pad Man." Pad Man has been described as a movie about a superhero who does not have superhero powers or wears a cape -- but who kicked off India's sanitary pad revolution. The movie is inspired by Arunachalam Muruganantham, also known as India’s “Menstrual Man”. The school dropout-turned-welder invented a machine that makes inexpensive, sterilised sanitary pads, enabling low-income women to launch local businesses making and selling pads. Akshay Kumar's wife Twinkle Khanna is a co-producer of the film. The movie will release on January 26.

Holidaying in South Africa, Akshay Kumar understands what happiness is

Producer Ritesh Sidhwani says, contrary to reports, the Akshay Kumar-starrer Gold is not a biopic on former hockey player Balbir Singh Sr.

It was being reported that the film is based on the life of hockey player Balbir Singh - played by Akshay - who was a part of the team that won the first Olympic medal for India as a free nation in 1948. 
 
Sidhwani clarified that his forthcoming film, co-produced by Farhan Akhtar under their production house Excel Entertainment, is a story based on true events, not a biopic. 
 
&quot;It is not a biopic. It is a completely fictional story but it is set against a real backdrop between 1933-48 India about what the country was, the sports... About hockey. It is not based on any character,&quot; Sidhwani told PTI in an interview here. 
 
&quot;We have set it in real events so people (often) confuse it with a biopic. It talks about the era in which we achieved Independence and what happened with sports, (primarily) hockey at that time. It is not about a particular character and Akshay is not even playing (hockey in the film). He plays the manager,&quot; he added.

Sidhwani said it was director of the film, Reema Kagti, who chose the National Award-winning actor for Gold. 
 
&quot;When Reema came to us with the story, it was on her wish list to go to an actor. And our job as producers is to take her to that actor, so we did that. Akshay was her choice,&quot; he said.&nbsp;It is for the first time that Excel Entertainment has teamed up with Akshay.

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A poster of the film that was released by the makers. (Twitter)
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&quot;He is the most professional actor. He is dedicated and focused on his work. He comes on the sets and is there till you don&#39;t finish the shoot. It is not that he will go and sit in his vanity van or have meetings or talk to people. 
&quot;He is a terrific person. It was a pleasure to work with him. I think this is the beginning of many associations,&quot; Sidhwani said. 
 
The film, also featuring Amit Sadh and Mouni Roy in key roles, is set to be released on August 15. 
 
Gold&nbsp;is the first sports film to be backed by their banner. Sidhwani said it will be followed by another sports story, based on the Rio Paralympics silver medallist, Deepa Malik. The project is already in the works.

The next most-talked about film is Zoya Akhtar-directed Gully Boy, featuring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt.

&quot;We are doing a story on a hip-hop artiste (referring to the film). It is not based on anyone&#39;s life. It is inspired by the hip-hop circuit that exists in the underground of this city.

&quot;We start shooting in January. Most of the film will be shot on real locations in Mumbai, we are not going to shoot much on the sets,&quot; the producer said.&nbsp;

It was being reported that the film is based on the life of hockey player Balbir Singh.

Producer Ritesh Sidhwani says, contrary to reports, the Akshay Kumar-starrer Gold is not a biopic on former hockey player Balbir Singh Sr. It was being reported that the film is based on the life of hockey player Balbir Singh - played by Akshay - who was a part of the team that won the first Olympic medal for India as a free nation in 1948. Sidhwani clarified that his forthcoming film, co-produced by Farhan Akhtar under their production house Excel Entertainment, is a story based on true events, not a biopic. "It is not a biopic. It is a completely fictional story but it is set against a real backdrop between 1933-48 India about what the country was, the sports... About hockey. It is not based on any character," Sidhwani told PTI in an interview here. "We have set it in real events so people (often) confuse it with a biopic. It talks about the era in which we achieved Independence and what happened with sports, (primarily) hockey at that time. It is not about a particular character and Akshay is not even playing (hockey in the film). He plays the manager," he added. Sidhwani said it was director of the film, Reema Kagti, who chose the National Award-winning actor for Gold. "When Reema came to us with the story, it was on her wish list to go to an actor. And our job as producers is to take her to that actor, so we did that. Akshay was her choice," he said. It is for the first time that Excel Entertainment has teamed up with Akshay. A poster of the film that was released by the makers. (Twitter) × "He is the most professional actor. He is dedicated and focused on his work. He comes on the sets and is there till you don't finish the shoot. It is not that he will go and sit in his vanity van or have meetings or talk to people. "He is a terrific person. It was a pleasure to work with him. I think this is the beginning of many associations," Sidhwani said. The film, also featuring Amit Sadh and Mouni Roy in key roles, is set to be released on August 15. Gold is the first sports film to be backed by their banner. Sidhwani said it will be followed by another sports story, based on the Rio Paralympics silver medallist, Deepa Malik. The project is already in the works. The next most-talked about film is Zoya Akhtar-directed Gully Boy, featuring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. "We are doing a story on a hip-hop artiste (referring to the film). It is not based on anyone's life. It is inspired by the hip-hop circuit that exists in the underground of this city. "We start shooting in January. Most of the film will be shot on real locations in Mumbai, we are not going to shoot much on the sets," the producer said.

Akshay Kumar's 'Gold' not a biopic on any hockey player, clarifies producer Ritesh Sidhwani

Double Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar on Sunday clinched a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Johannesburg, South Africa.&nbsp;

He returned to international wrestling after a gap of almost three years.&nbsp;

The Indian wrestler defeated New Zealand&#39;s Akash Khullar in the final of the men&#39;s 74-kilogram freestyle category.

India&rsquo;s other wrestler in the same category, Parveen Rana, also won a bronze medal.

Soon after the victory, Sushil took to his Twitter handle and dedicated the win to his coach and motherland.

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It&rsquo;s a very proud and emotional moment for me as I have returned to the mat on international level after a gap of 3years. I want to dedicate this Gold medal won in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Commonwealthwrestlingchampionship?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Commonwealthwrestlingchampionship</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SouthAfrica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SouthAfrica</a> to my guru and to my Nation. JaiHind????
&mdash; Sushil Kumar (@WrestlerSushil) <a href="https://twitter.com/WrestlerSushil/status/942356148526628864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Sushil won bronze in 2008 Beijing Olympics and then followed it up with a silver at the 2012 London Games.

With this win, Sushil clinched his fifth title at the Commonwealth level.

The Indian wrestler returned to international wrestling after a gap of almost three years.

Double Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar on Sunday clinched a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Johannesburg, South Africa. He returned to international wrestling after a gap of almost three years. The Indian wrestler defeated New Zealand's Akash Khullar in the final of the men's 74-kilogram freestyle category. India’s other wrestler in the same category, Parveen Rana, also won a bronze medal. Soon after the victory, Sushil took to his Twitter handle and dedicated the win to his coach and motherland. It’s a very proud and emotional moment for me as I have returned to the mat on international level after a gap of 3years. I want to dedicate this Gold medal won in #Commonwealthwrestlingchampionship at #SouthAfrica to my guru and to my Nation. JaiHind???? — Sushil Kumar (@WrestlerSushil) December 17, 2017 × Sushil won bronze in 2008 Beijing Olympics and then followed it up with a silver at the 2012 London Games. With this win, Sushil clinched his fifth title at the Commonwealth level.

Sushil Kumar wins gold at Commonwealth Wrestling Championships

Television actor Mouni Roy is all praise for her co-star Akshay Kumar in Gold, saying his sincerity towards work is inspirational. 
 
Roy is making her Bollywood debut with the sports biopic, which is reportedly based on the life of hockey player Balbir Singh Sr, who was in the team that won the first Olympic medal for India as a free nation in 1948. 
The movie has been directed by Reema Kagti and produced by Excel Entertainment.

Asked about her experience of sharing screen space with Akshay, Mouni said, &quot;(It was) wonderful. He is so sincere in every shot. You feel so lucky to just stand in the same frame as him and I have learnt something every day on the film set.&quot; 
 
&quot;I have immense love and respect for him. I am so glad to be a part of the film.&quot; 
 
The actor was speaking at the Lux Golden Rose Awards here last night. 
 
On reports of signing Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt- starrer Brahamastra, Mouni said, &quot;We will cross the bridge when we come to it.&quot;

The actor, meanwhile, has exited from the successful Naagin&nbsp;TV series, which is now gearing up for its third installment. 
 
Asked about the actor replacing her in the Ekta Kapoor-produced drama, Mouni said she has no idea, but is excited to find out who will be the new face for the series. 
 
When mentioned about reports of TV star Surbhi Jyoti replacing her, she said, &quot;I genuinely don&#39;t know. I really feel she is a good actress and she will do a great job.&quot;

The actor, however, made it clear that it is not a permanent adieu to television, which she calls her home. 
 
&quot;I will do everything. I will never leave TV, it&#39;s my home. I have said this over and over again. I am very possessive about it,&quot; she said.

&quot;TV has given me everything. I have a lot of respect for television, its actors and the people. We literally work like farmers, day and night to create something beautiful. There&#39;s no way I am going to leave TV,&quot; she added.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Roy is making her Bollywood debut with the sports biopic, which is reportedly based on the life of hockey player Balbir Singh Sr

Television actor Mouni Roy is all praise for her co-star Akshay Kumar in Gold, saying his sincerity towards work is inspirational. Roy is making her Bollywood debut with the sports biopic, which is reportedly based on the life of hockey player Balbir Singh Sr, who was in the team that won the first Olympic medal for India as a free nation in 1948. The movie has been directed by Reema Kagti and produced by Excel Entertainment. Asked about her experience of sharing screen space with Akshay, Mouni said, "(It was) wonderful. He is so sincere in every shot. You feel so lucky to just stand in the same frame as him and I have learnt something every day on the film set." "I have immense love and respect for him. I am so glad to be a part of the film." The actor was speaking at the Lux Golden Rose Awards here last night. On reports of signing Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt- starrer Brahamastra, Mouni said, "We will cross the bridge when we come to it." The actor, meanwhile, has exited from the successful Naagin TV series, which is now gearing up for its third installment. Asked about the actor replacing her in the Ekta Kapoor-produced drama, Mouni said she has no idea, but is excited to find out who will be the new face for the series. When mentioned about reports of TV star Surbhi Jyoti replacing her, she said, "I genuinely don't know. I really feel she is a good actress and she will do a great job." The actor, however, made it clear that it is not a permanent adieu to television, which she calls her home. "I will do everything. I will never leave TV, it's my home. I have said this over and over again. I am very possessive about it," she said. "TV has given me everything. I have a lot of respect for television, its actors and the people. We literally work like farmers, day and night to create something beautiful. There's no way I am going to leave TV," she added.

Mouni Roy all set to make her Bollywood debut opposite Akshay Kumar, says she will never leave TV

Gold edged up in early trade on Friday as investors resorted to bargain hunting after the yellow metal dropped below its recent trading range to hit the lowest in more than four months overnight.&nbsp;

Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at $1,248.86 an ounce, by 0328 GMT, after hitting its lowest since July 26 at $1,243.71 in the previous session.&nbsp;The metal was down for a third straight week, headed for its biggest weekly decline since early May.&nbsp;U.S. gold futures were 0.2 percent lower at $1,250.70.

&quot;Even as the dollar is firmer, there seems to be a bit of bargain hunting around. I do, however, think that the pressure is on the downside and rallies will still be sold&quot;, a Hong Kong-based trader said.&nbsp;The dollar inched higher on Friday, as the passage of a bill to temporarily extend U.S. government funding raised investors&#39; optimism that a tax reform bill would also pass.&nbsp;

The greenback took a brief knock earlier this week on concerns over a government shutdown, and as U.S. President Donald Trump raised tensions in the Middle East after he recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.&nbsp;The Islamist group Hamas urged Palestinians on Thursday to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response to Trump&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as its capital.&nbsp;

&quot;Gold might have found some support in that but it seems to be just the dollar strength across the board now heading into the end of the year&quot;, the trader said.&nbsp;The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, suggesting a rapid tightening of the labor market that bolsters expectations the Federal Reserve will raise benchmark interest rates next week.

Higher U.S. interest rates tend to boost the dollar, making greenback-denominated gold more expensive for holders in other currencies.&nbsp;Markets will be eyeing the U.S. non-farm payrolls report due later in the day, which will be last employment report before the Fed meeting next week.&nbsp;

&quot;Market-watchers are likely positioning for an FOMC rate hike next week. Overnight, the improvement in risk appetite considering the postponing of the U.S. partial government shutdown and further progress in Brexit talks should buoy market sentiment into the next week&quot;, said OCBC analyst Barnabas Gan.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Asian shares on Friday rallied for a second session as investors awaited major economic data, and cryptocurrency bitcoin shot above $16,600 to its highest ever.&nbsp;Spot gold may drop more to $1,239 per ounce, according to Reuters technicals analyst Wang Tao.&nbsp;Silver rose 0.3 percent to $15.77 an ounce, after slipping to its lowest since mid-July on Thursday.&nbsp;Platinum climbed 0.3 percent to $894 an ounce, while palladium was 0.1 percent lower at $1,012.25.&nbsp;

Gold, the precious yellow metal dropped to its lowest in last four months. Even the U.S. gold futures were lower than expected

Gold edged up in early trade on Friday as investors resorted to bargain hunting after the yellow metal dropped below its recent trading range to hit the lowest in more than four months overnight. Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at $1,248.86 an ounce, by 0328 GMT, after hitting its lowest since July 26 at $1,243.71 in the previous session. The metal was down for a third straight week, headed for its biggest weekly decline since early May. U.S. gold futures were 0.2 percent lower at $1,250.70. "Even as the dollar is firmer, there seems to be a bit of bargain hunting around. I do, however, think that the pressure is on the downside and rallies will still be sold", a Hong Kong-based trader said. The dollar inched higher on Friday, as the passage of a bill to temporarily extend U.S. government funding raised investors' optimism that a tax reform bill would also pass. The greenback took a brief knock earlier this week on concerns over a government shutdown, and as U.S. President Donald Trump raised tensions in the Middle East after he recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Islamist group Hamas urged Palestinians on Thursday to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response to Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as its capital. "Gold might have found some support in that but it seems to be just the dollar strength across the board now heading into the end of the year", the trader said. The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, suggesting a rapid tightening of the labor market that bolsters expectations the Federal Reserve will raise benchmark interest rates next week. Higher U.S. interest rates tend to boost the dollar, making greenback-denominated gold more expensive for holders in other currencies. Markets will be eyeing the U.S. non-farm payrolls report due later in the day, which will be last employment report before the Fed meeting next week. "Market-watchers are likely positioning for an FOMC rate hike next week. Overnight, the improvement in risk appetite considering the postponing of the U.S. partial government shutdown and further progress in Brexit talks should buoy market sentiment into the next week", said OCBC analyst Barnabas Gan. Meanwhile, Asian shares on Friday rallied for a second session as investors awaited major economic data, and cryptocurrency bitcoin shot above $16,600 to its highest ever. Spot gold may drop more to $1,239 per ounce, according to Reuters technicals analyst Wang Tao. Silver rose 0.3 percent to $15.77 an ounce, after slipping to its lowest since mid-July on Thursday. Platinum climbed 0.3 percent to $894 an ounce, while palladium was 0.1 percent lower at $1,012.25.

Gold rises on bargain hunting after slumping to over four-month low

Two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who was back on the mat after the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, won a gold medal in men&#39;s 74-kilogram freestyle competition of National Wrestling championship in Indore.

Back in action after three-long years, Kumar fought for just two minutes and 33 seconds in total on the mat as he battled only two of his initial round bouts before three of his challengers in the quarterfinal, semifinal and final.

Meanwhile, India&#39;s single woman Olympic medal winner Sakshi Malik and wrestler Geeta Phogat also achieved a gold medal each 62kg and 59 kg categories respectively of women&#39;s wrestling on the second day of the competition.

Even popular &#39;Dangal girl&#39; Geeta&#39;s husband Pawan Kumar also managed to end on top in 86kg.

The championship was started on November 15 at Khel Prashal here.

The 62nd Senior National Wrestling Championship, organized by the Madhya Pradesh Wrestling Association, was a three-day-long event.

Around 800 wrestlers, 100 coaches and 50 technical officials from all over India participated in the mega event.&nbsp;

Even popular 'Dangal girl' Geeta's husband Pawan Kumar also managed to end on top in 86kg.

Two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, who was back on the mat after the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, won a gold medal in men's 74-kilogram freestyle competition of National Wrestling championship in Indore. Back in action after three-long years, Kumar fought for just two minutes and 33 seconds in total on the mat as he battled only two of his initial round bouts before three of his challengers in the quarterfinal, semifinal and final. Meanwhile, India's single woman Olympic medal winner Sakshi Malik and wrestler Geeta Phogat also achieved a gold medal each 62kg and 59 kg categories respectively of women's wrestling on the second day of the competition. Even popular 'Dangal girl' Geeta's husband Pawan Kumar also managed to end on top in 86kg. The championship was started on November 15 at Khel Prashal here. The 62nd Senior National Wrestling Championship, organized by the Madhya Pradesh Wrestling Association, was a three-day-long event. Around 800 wrestlers, 100 coaches and 50 technical officials from all over India participated in the mega event.

National Wrestling Championship: Sushil Kumar wins gold

Demand for<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-wallet-investment-in-gold-stocks-or-fds-6122" target="_blank"> gold j</a>umped in India this week on account of Dhanteras and Diwali, but high prices took some sheen off the yellow metal&rsquo;s lure during the key festival period this year.

Demand in the world&rsquo;s second-largest gold consumer usually strengthens during the final quarter as the country gears up for the wedding season soon after the festivals when buying bullion is considered auspicious.

After poor sales during Dussehra festival, demand improved significantly over the last two weeks, but was still 15 per cent lower than last year&rsquo;s Diwali, said Nitin Khandelwal, chairman of All Indian Gems &amp; Jewellery Trade Federation.

&ldquo;In some regions, demand was nearly 30 per cent lower than normal, but in others, it was at par compared with last year. Overall for the country, demand was down around 15 per cent.&rdquo;

Local gold rates were at a premium of up to $2 an ounce over official domestic prices this week, unchanged from last week.

&ldquo;Consumers were price sensitive and buying less gold than last year. They had a very tight budget,&rdquo; said Mangesh Devi, a jeweller in the western state of Maharashtra.

Gold prices in India have risen nearly 8 per cent so far in 2017.

&ldquo;This year, my husband&rsquo;s business is down due to GST (Goods and Services Tax). That&rsquo;s why I reduced spending on gold,&rdquo; said Sangeeta Pardesi, a housewife, who buys gold on Dhanteras every year.

The launch of the GST in July, which transformed India&rsquo;s 29 states into a single customs union, has hit small and medium-size businesses and consumers overall.

Elsewhere in Asia, there was a slight uptick in demand for physical gold, with benchmark spot gold rates headed for a weekly decline after touching a one-week low of $1,276.22 an ounce on Thursday, pressured by a firmer dollar [GOL/].

&ldquo;There was some buying as prices fell, especially around the $1,280 level,&rdquo; said Ronald Leung, chief dealer at Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong.

However, investors remained cautious, awaiting direction on economic policy and market reforms during the 19th Communist Party Congress in China which kicked off on Wednesday and were also focused on the upcoming elections in Japan, he added.

In top consumer China, premiums charged ranged between $8 and $12 per ounce over the benchmark this week, compared with $9-$14 a week earlier.

Premiums of 50 cents were being charged in both Hong Kong and Singapore this week versus the 40 cents-$1.10 and 50-60 cents levels respectively in the previous week.

In Tokyo, gold continued to be sold flat versus the benchmark.

After poor sales during Dussehra festival, demand improved significantly over the last two weeks

Demand for gold jumped in India this week on account of Dhanteras and Diwali, but high prices took some sheen off the yellow metal’s lure during the key festival period this year. Demand in the world’s second-largest gold consumer usually strengthens during the final quarter as the country gears up for the wedding season soon after the festivals when buying bullion is considered auspicious. After poor sales during Dussehra festival, demand improved significantly over the last two weeks, but was still 15 per cent lower than last year’s Diwali, said Nitin Khandelwal, chairman of All Indian Gems & Jewellery Trade Federation. “In some regions, demand was nearly 30 per cent lower than normal, but in others, it was at par compared with last year. Overall for the country, demand was down around 15 per cent.” Local gold rates were at a premium of up to $2 an ounce over official domestic prices this week, unchanged from last week. “Consumers were price sensitive and buying less gold than last year. They had a very tight budget,” said Mangesh Devi, a jeweller in the western state of Maharashtra. Gold prices in India have risen nearly 8 per cent so far in 2017. “This year, my husband’s business is down due to GST (Goods and Services Tax). That’s why I reduced spending on gold,” said Sangeeta Pardesi, a housewife, who buys gold on Dhanteras every year. The launch of the GST in July, which transformed India’s 29 states into a single customs union, has hit small and medium-size businesses and consumers overall. Elsewhere in Asia, there was a slight uptick in demand for physical gold, with benchmark spot gold rates headed for a weekly decline after touching a one-week low of $1,276.22 an ounce on Thursday, pressured by a firmer dollar [GOL/]. “There was some buying as prices fell, especially around the $1,280 level,” said Ronald Leung, chief dealer at Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong. However, investors remained cautious, awaiting direction on economic policy and market reforms during the 19th Communist Party Congress in China which kicked off on Wednesday and were also focused on the upcoming elections in Japan, he added. In top consumer China, premiums charged ranged between $8 and $12 per ounce over the benchmark this week, compared with $9-$14 a week earlier. Premiums of 50 cents were being charged in both Hong Kong and Singapore this week versus the 40 cents-$1.10 and 50-60 cents levels respectively in the previous week. In Tokyo, gold continued to be sold flat versus the benchmark.

Festive glitter brightens gold demand in India

Norway&#39;s Karsten Warholm announced himself as one of the sport&#39;s brightest new powerhouses as he recorded a magnificent gun-to-line triumph to lift the world 400 metres hurdles title in the pouring rain on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old former decathlete demonstrated all the strength he has acquired from competing in the multi-event discipline as he led from the first hurdle and held off his pursuers on the home straight to win in 48.35 seconds.

Still effectively a novice at the &quot;man-killer&quot; event, the youngster clasped his face in disbelief as it dawned that he had beaten Turkey&#39;s European champion Yasmani Copello (48.49) into the silver medal position.

Warholm also spoiled Olympic champion and favourite Kerron Clement&#39;s dream of becoming the first man to win three world titles at the discipline as the 31-year-old American had to settle for bronze in 48.52.

It was the first track victory at any World Championships by a Norwegian since Ingrid Kristiansen&#39;s 10,000 metres triumph in Rome in 1987 and Warholm&#39;s smile of incredulity said it all.

&quot;I truly don&#39;t believe it. I&#39;ve worked so hard for this but I don&#39;t know what I&#39;ve done. This is an amazing feeling,&quot; he told the 55,000-strong crowd after somebody gave him a Viking helmet to wear on his lap of honour.

&quot;I found the helmet in the crowd and it just felt right. I thought it was suitable for the occasion. It is cold and wet like Norway so I guess it suited me!&quot;

Warholm had been touted as one of the bright new faces of global athletics all year, especially after sending his compatriots into raptures at his home Bislett Games in Oslo in June when he triumphed, breaking the national record in 48.25 seconds.

That he should finish just a 10th of a second outside that mark on a wretched night with the rain tumbling down and puddles on the track suggest it was a superior run.

&quot;I&#39;m world champion, that&#39;s crazy. A lot of hard work and dedication has got me here so thank you to my coach (Arve Hatloy) for getting me in a position to challenge for a world title.&quot;

Warholm, world champion in the octathlon just three years ago, decided on a simple tactic from the gun, taking out the pace as hard as he could and holding on for dear life.

It was a joyous ride, which only really looked as if it might be upset in the run-in by Qatar&#39;s little-known Abderrahaman Samba who was timing his run well until hitting the last barrier.

&quot;I got out well and managed to hold it really well,&quot; said Warholm. &quot;I&#39;m so proud of my performance. I hope people back in Norway are as happy as I am.

&quot;Decathlon gave me a really good base coming into the hurdles. All the credit goes to my coach for making me a world class hurdler.&quot;

What had looked almost certainly like a medal-winning run turned into a seventh-place finish for Samba as Turkey&#39;s Cuban-born Copello cashed in to finish second.

Clement had said how much he enjoyed the challenge of the youngsters but his bid faltered as he stuttered before the last.

&quot;My legs just weren&#39;t there off the last hurdle and that cost me the gold. You can see I came off it pretty badly. On another day I would have won but I&#39;m happy to add another medal,&quot; Clement said.

He had, though, only praise for the man who looks like the future of the event.

&quot;He is a talent and showed that today,&quot; Clement said.

It was the first track victory at any World Championships by a Norwegian since 1987

Norway's Karsten Warholm announced himself as one of the sport's brightest new powerhouses as he recorded a magnificent gun-to-line triumph to lift the world 400 metres hurdles title in the pouring rain on Wednesday. The 21-year-old former decathlete demonstrated all the strength he has acquired from competing in the multi-event discipline as he led from the first hurdle and held off his pursuers on the home straight to win in 48.35 seconds. Still effectively a novice at the "man-killer" event, the youngster clasped his face in disbelief as it dawned that he had beaten Turkey's European champion Yasmani Copello (48.49) into the silver medal position. Warholm also spoiled Olympic champion and favourite Kerron Clement's dream of becoming the first man to win three world titles at the discipline as the 31-year-old American had to settle for bronze in 48.52. It was the first track victory at any World Championships by a Norwegian since Ingrid Kristiansen's 10,000 metres triumph in Rome in 1987 and Warholm's smile of incredulity said it all. "I truly don't believe it. I've worked so hard for this but I don't know what I've done. This is an amazing feeling," he told the 55,000-strong crowd after somebody gave him a Viking helmet to wear on his lap of honour. "I found the helmet in the crowd and it just felt right. I thought it was suitable for the occasion. It is cold and wet like Norway so I guess it suited me!" Warholm had been touted as one of the bright new faces of global athletics all year, especially after sending his compatriots into raptures at his home Bislett Games in Oslo in June when he triumphed, breaking the national record in 48.25 seconds. That he should finish just a 10th of a second outside that mark on a wretched night with the rain tumbling down and puddles on the track suggest it was a superior run. "I'm world champion, that's crazy. A lot of hard work and dedication has got me here so thank you to my coach (Arve Hatloy) for getting me in a position to challenge for a world title." Warholm, world champion in the octathlon just three years ago, decided on a simple tactic from the gun, taking out the pace as hard as he could and holding on for dear life. It was a joyous ride, which only really looked as if it might be upset in the run-in by Qatar's little-known Abderrahaman Samba who was timing his run well until hitting the last barrier. "I got out well and managed to hold it really well," said Warholm. "I'm so proud of my performance. I hope people back in Norway are as happy as I am. "Decathlon gave me a really good base coming into the hurdles. All the credit goes to my coach for making me a world class hurdler." What had looked almost certainly like a medal-winning run turned into a seventh-place finish for Samba as Turkey's Cuban-born Copello cashed in to finish second. Clement had said how much he enjoyed the challenge of the youngsters but his bid faltered as he stuttered before the last. "My legs just weren't there off the last hurdle and that cost me the gold. You can see I came off it pretty badly. On another day I would have won but I'm happy to add another medal," Clement said. He had, though, only praise for the man who looks like the future of the event. "He is a talent and showed that today," Clement said.

Norway's Karsten Warholm wins 400m hurdles gold

Gold on Thursday held steady near two-month highs hit the session before, bolstered by safe-haven demand triggered by rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. 
North Korea dismissed on Thursday warnings by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump that it would face &quot;fire and fury&quot; if it threatened the United States as a &quot;load of nonsense&quot;, and outlined detailed plans for a missile strike near the Pacific territory of Guam.

&quot;(Safe-haven demand) has settled down to a certain extent, but the market is still expecting more news to come,&quot; said Brian Lan, managing director at gold dealer GoldSilver Central in Singapore.

&quot;North Korea doesn&#39;t seem like they&#39;re going to back down and the US&nbsp;has also made a very strong stance this time.&quot;

Geopolitical risk can boost demand for assets seen as safe-havens such as gold.

Spot gold had eased 0.1 per cent to $1,276.40 per ounce at 0322 GMT. The precious metal climbed 1.3 per cent in the previous session, its biggest gain since mid-May, and touched $1,278.66 an ounce, it highest level since June 14. 
 
US&nbsp;gold futures for December delivery rose 0.2 per cent to $1,281.90 per ounce on Thursday.

Asian stocks steadied and US&nbsp;Treasury bond prices fell slightly on Thursday as the risk aversion triggered by tensions between the United States and North Korea began to settle.

&quot;Amid all the sabre-rattling, we expect gold prices to continue to move higher and likely cross the $1,300 an ounce mark in relative short order,&quot; said INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir.

The market was also waiting for data that would offer clues about the extent to which the strengthening US&nbsp;labour market is spilling over into inflation.

&quot;Investors tend to be more cautious ahead of economic data, especially when the prices are high. They might take profits first and wait to see what&#39;s going to happen before they move into the market again,&quot; said GoldSilver&#39;s Lan.

In other precious metals, silver was nearly flat at $16.90 per ounce after hitting its highest since June 15 earlier in the session.

Platinum was also almost unchanged at $971.75 per ounce. In the previous session, it marked its highest since April 21 at $980.60. 
Palladium prices were flat at $891.00 per ounce.

The market was also waiting for data that would offer clues about the extent to which the strengthening US labour market is spilling over into inflation.

Gold on Thursday held steady near two-month highs hit the session before, bolstered by safe-haven demand triggered by rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. North Korea dismissed on Thursday warnings by US President Donald Trump that it would face "fire and fury" if it threatened the United States as a "load of nonsense", and outlined detailed plans for a missile strike near the Pacific territory of Guam. "(Safe-haven demand) has settled down to a certain extent, but the market is still expecting more news to come," said Brian Lan, managing director at gold dealer GoldSilver Central in Singapore. "North Korea doesn't seem like they're going to back down and the US has also made a very strong stance this time." Geopolitical risk can boost demand for assets seen as safe-havens such as gold. Spot gold had eased 0.1 per cent to $1,276.40 per ounce at 0322 GMT. The precious metal climbed 1.3 per cent in the previous session, its biggest gain since mid-May, and touched $1,278.66 an ounce, it highest level since June 14. US gold futures for December delivery rose 0.2 per cent to $1,281.90 per ounce on Thursday. Asian stocks steadied and US Treasury bond prices fell slightly on Thursday as the risk aversion triggered by tensions between the United States and North Korea began to settle. "Amid all the sabre-rattling, we expect gold prices to continue to move higher and likely cross the $1,300 an ounce mark in relative short order," said INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir. The market was also waiting for data that would offer clues about the extent to which the strengthening US labour market is spilling over into inflation. "Investors tend to be more cautious ahead of economic data, especially when the prices are high. They might take profits first and wait to see what's going to happen before they move into the market again," said GoldSilver's Lan. In other precious metals, silver was nearly flat at $16.90 per ounce after hitting its highest since June 15 earlier in the session. Platinum was also almost unchanged at $971.75 per ounce. In the previous session, it marked its highest since April 21 at $980.60. Palladium prices were flat at $891.00 per ounce.

Gold inches down from near-two month high

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