Japan’s Takaichi Says She’ll Visit Trump This Spring After Call

Israeli media is reporting that Israel and the United States have reached an understanding to give Hamas a two-month ultimatum to finally and fully disarm. The reports say the agreement came immediately after an overnight meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago at the start of the week.

The move is being described as a fixed deadline rather than an opening for negotiations. Israeli and US teams are already reportedly working simultaneously to determine what they describe as "practical disarmament." This after Hamas has effectively been defeated since it launched the brutal Oct.7, 2023 terror assault on southern Israel.

Source: Washington Post/Getty Images

Another key focus is the dismantling of Hamas's underground tunnel network throughout Gaza, which Israeli officials consider a core element of the group's military strength.

Hamas has throughout the Gaza war proven itself effective in guerilla and insurgency tactics, utilizing small teams to maneuver quickly in and out of the tunnels, even at times taking out IDF tanks with IEDs. Sometimes bombs are even attached to Israeli armor vehicles by hand in these ambushes, after which a Hamas militant darts back into an underground tunnel, as has been demonstrated in various videos.

Sources quoted by Israel Hayom said Israeli officials doubt Hamas that would be willing or able to relinquish most of its weapons or military capabilities within the two-month window.

From the perspective of Hamas leadership, the moment it fully gives up its weapons means the group is effectively dead and will have no more influence to govern in the future.

But this is also exactly what the US-Israeli plan and the ceasefire calls for: the effective end of Hamas rule in governance in the Gaza Strip forever.

PM Netanyahu while giving media interviews during his December US trip described that Hamas still possesses "around 60,000" Kalashnikov rifles and "hundreds of kilometers" of tunnels.

He has vowed that Hamas disarmament can be achieved "the easy way" or the hard way - that is through military force. But as of last summer, Hamas was insistent that it will never give up its weapons.

There's also the possibility that Hamas leadership won't be able to induce all of its fighters and 'ground troops' to give up their weapons - again, as they would fear being tracked down and killed by Israeli forces.

Source: Zero Hedge

Gold and silver prices are higher in early U.S. trading Friday, with silver sharply up. Safe-haven demand is featured amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Both metals continue to experience high daily price volatility. February gold was last up $51.00 at $4,393.00. March silver prices were up $2.692 at $73.29.

Trump warns Iran's military not to attack Iranian protesters. President Trump said the U.S. will come to the rescue of Iranian protesters if they are attacked by Islamic Republic authorities. "If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue," Trump said in a Truth Social post early Friday and as reported by Bloomberg. "We are locked and loaded and ready to go." Iranian Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani responded on X, saying the U.S. "should be mindful of their soldiers' safety." The Trump post, around 3 a.m. Washington time and late morning in Iran, came after protests over a currency slump and soaring prices spread beyond Tehran to cities nationwide. The Iranian currency, the rial, hit a record low on Sunday and worsened an economic crisis in a country already beset by crippling international sanctions. Clashes have broken out between civilians and security forces and at least seven people have been killed in four cities in recent days, according to the AP.

Global stock markets starting 2026 on strong note. European equity markets extended their rally on the first trading day of 2026, with benchmark indices pushing to fresh record highs despite thin liquidity following the New Year holiday. Gains were led by defense stocks, underpinned by persistent geopolitical tensions and expectations of increased military spending across the region. The STOXX 50 climbed 1.1% to a new all-time high of 5,850 points, while the broader STOXX 600 rose 0.5% to a record 596 points. The FTSE 100 surged around 1% on the first trading day of 2026, breaking above the symbolic 10,000-point level for the first time in its history. The DAX in Frankfurt rose 0.4% to approach 24,600 in the first trading session of 2026, setting fresh record high. The Hong Kong Hang Seng surged 708 points, or 2.8%, to finish at a six-week high of 26,384 on Friday, rebounding from previous weakness amid widespread sector strength. Meantime, India's BSE Sensex closed about 0.67% firmer at 85,762 on Friday, an all-time high, supported by broad-based buying across most sectors. Looking ahead, global investors are searching for fresh catalysts, with close attention on the U.S. interest rate outlook, while geopolitical developments remain a key backdrop for market sentiment. U.S. stock indexes are pointed to higher openings today.

U.S. Treasury market remains flat. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury held around 4.10% on the first trading day of 2026, as Treasury market activity remained thin following the holidays. Investors continue to weigh the Federal Reserve's interest rate path this year, focusing on upcoming economic releases, including December payrolls due next week, which could shed light on the U.S. labor market and its implications on interest rates. Earlier this week, minutes from the Federal Reserve's FOMC's December meeting showed growing openness among policymakers to easing monetary policy if inflation continues to cool. However, FOMC officials remained divided over the timing and scale of potential cuts. Traders are pricing in two Fed rate cuts in 2026. Markets are also watching Fed leadership, with President Trump set to name Powell's successor early this year amid speculation of a dovish pick.

The key outside markets today see the U.S. dollar index slightly up. Crude oil prices are weaker and trading around $57.00 a barrel. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note is presently 4.11%.

Technically, February gold futures bulls' next upside price objective is to produce a close above solid resistance at the contract/record high of $4,584.00. Bears' next near-term downside price objective is pushing futures prices below solid technical support at $4,200.00. First resistance is seen at the overnight high of $4,414.80 and then at $4,433.00. First support is seen at the overnight low of $4,337.30 and then at $4,300.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 7.0.

March silver futures see this week's price action still appearing to have produced a big and bearish buying exhaustion tail, whereby the bulls run out of gas at the high and prices back way off to close near the daily low. Silver also saw a big and bearish "key reversal" down on the daily bar chart Monday. The bulls' next upside price objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at Monday's record high of $82.67. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $67.50. First resistance is seen at the overnight high of $74.21 and then at $75.00. Next support is seen at $72.00 and then at the overnight low of $70.515. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 7.0

Source: Kitco

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Source: fxempire

Source: Bloomberg

The Treasury market in 2025 had its best year since 2020 as US trade policy shifts curtailed economic activity and the Federal Reserve cut interest rates in response to weakening labor-market conditions.

At the same time, Treasury yields remained confined to ranges in place roughly since the end of the Fed's historic 2022-2023 tightening cycle. The 10-year, for example, ranged from 3.86% to 4.81%, its narrowest band since 2021.

Yield declines were biggest for short maturities, and the 30-year increased slightly, amid expectations at year-end that the Fed was likely to cut rates further in 2026.

During the year, in which US President Donald Trump took office in January, the Treasury market drew support from economic uncertainty created by the turbulent roll-out of tariffs, broadly mounting expectations for Fed rate cuts, and a record six-week government shutdown that curbed growth.

Meanwhile, yields faced upward pressure from the dire long-term fiscal outlook, predictions that tariffs would cause inflation, and indications of accommodative financial conditions including record highs for US stock-market benchmarks and robust corporate bond issuance.

The Trump administration's drive to change the leadership of the Fed in pursuit of lower interest rates drove short-term Treasury yields lower and long-term ones higher, reflecting concern about unwarranted rate cuts keeping upward pressure on inflation.

For 2026, most Wall Street interest-rate strategists expect stable-to-higher Treasury yields as the Fed's rate-cutting cycle comes to an end.

Source: Bloomberg Europe

Global central banks are now trading gold at a rate never seen before in history, as illegal exports strip billions from national revenues and weaken foreign exchange reserves, according to reporting by the Financial Times.

The problem comes mainly from Madagascar, an island where central bank governor Aivo Andrianarivelo said produces up to 20 tonnes of gold each year, worth literally $2.8 billion at current prices, yet almost none of it appears in official trade records.

Madagascar targets gold smuggling networks draining state revenues

Aivo said criminal groups involved in the gold trade operate with aircraft, helicopters, and advanced transport systems that allow metal to leave the country undetected. "The criminal gangs, they have aircraft, helicopters, very sophisticated means of transportation," he said. "Our strategy is to reduce the gold trafficking business in Madagascar."

As Cryptopolitan extensively reported throughout 2025, gold rallied by more than 60 percent and crossed $4,300 per troy ounce, becoming one of the top 5 most-traded assets globally. In countries where mining happens outside formal systems, authorities link the trade to environmental destruction, polluted rivers, human trafficking, and funding for armed groups.

Madagascar now joins a growing list of countries where central banks and finance ministries are running domestic buying programs to get back control of the market. According to Aico, they're trying to pull small-scale miners into regulated markets by offering official purchase channels instead of leaving them dependent on smugglers.

Buying programs spread as prices fuel illegal gold mining

Countries including Ecuador, the Philippines, and Ghana are expanding similar schemes. David Tait, chief executive of the World Gold Council, said artisanal and small-scale miners produce up to 1,000 tonnes each year, with large volumes entering illegal trade. "It's anybody's guess how much gold goes to bad actors, but even if you take a guess at 50 percent, it is an enormous amount of money," David said.

Rising prices also increase criminal income and environmental damage. "It could be apocalyptic, it really could, a law of unintended consequences of a rally to $10,000," David said.

In Ghana, the government launched a centralized buying body called GoldBod in 2025 as mercury use and water pollution from mining turned into a political crisis. Officials say more than 60 percent of the country's waterways are now contaminated due to mining tied to gold.

In Ecuador, where drug gangs have shifted into mining for cash, the government is expanding a buying program launched in 2016. A new buying station is set to open in Zamora in January. Diego Patricio Tapia Encalada, head of investments and international settlements at the Central Bank of Ecuador, said fast payments attract miners. "The price is important because then we incentivise the miner not to go to other channels," Diego said, adding that payments are made within 48 hours.

For Madagascar, higher prices increase pressure to control a sector long beyond state reach. "One of the objectives is to make gold benefit Madagascar, and to legitimise the business," Aivo said. "That is the main goal, to make it more transparent." The central bank plans to raise reserves from one tonne to four tonnes, a target unchanged after a new government took power in October.

The bank buys output from artisanal miners and ships it overseas for refining. The metal can then be sold for foreign currency or added to reserves. The potential impact is large. Despite widespread production, gold does not appear among Madagascar's top recorded exports, which include vanilla, cloves, clothing, and nickel.

Not all programs succeed. Marc Ummel, head of raw materials at SwissAid, said weak traceability has caused failures. "Most of them do not have good due diligence mechanisms," Marc said, pointing to cases in Sudan and Ethiopia, where central banks bought illegally mined supply from the Tigray region.

There are working models. In Mongolia, a buying program running for over 30 years helped eliminate mercury use because stations test for contamination. Enkhjin Atarbaatar, director general of financial markets at the Bank of Mongolia, said artisanal mining was widespread in the 1990s, but most production now comes from small or mid-sized firms. Selling gold remains a key source of foreign currency.

As prices stay high, regulation grows harder. Diane Culillas, chief executive of Swiss Better Gold, said all output reaches markets regardless of legality. "The gold always finds its way to market," she said. New tracing tools may help. Ecuador is testing isotope scanners to identify ore origins. "If you do this now, in 10 years there'll be only tiny amounts of gold going in the bad guys' directions," David said.

Source: CryptoSlate