The price of gold continues to reach new heights. On Monday, January 26, the metal broke through the milestone of $5,000 (€4,217) per troy ounce (31.1 grams) for the first time — a further sign that investors are flocking to what's generally perceived to be a safe-haven asset amid rising geopolitical tensions.
US President Donald Trump argues that the US economy is disadvantaged in global markets and wants to reduce the trade deficit through tariffs. Taken together, the 27 member states of the European Union form the United States' largest trading partner. Below are the key questions and answers on trade disputes and mutual dependence.
What happened to gold and silver prices over the past week? After surging to a record high above $5,580 (€4,705) per ounce on Thursday, gold suffered its steepest one‑day decline in years on Friday, dropping by around 9%. The sell-off didn't stop there.
France on Monday adopted a 2026 government budget, following months of negotiations and no-confidence motions in Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's minority government. "France finally has a budget," Lecornu wrote on X after the vote, hailing a "parliamentary compromise" which "curbs public spending" and "does not hike taxes for households and businesses."
Dean Karlan (in blue shirt) meets with a group of refugees in southwest Uganda to hear about their experience with a program that offers loans to help them "graduate" from poverty. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR KYEGEGWA, Southwest Uganda — Economist Dean Karlan was perplexed.
DAVE DAVIES, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Dave Davies. It hasn't happened much in recent years, but there have been times when the U.S. economy has experienced the kind of convulsive upheaval that threatens the jobs and life savings of millions of people.