Gold hits record high as Trump announces tariffs on steel and aluminium

Gold has reached a record high and aluminium prices rose after Donald Trump said he would impose new 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports into the US, rattling financial markets.As investors rushed for a safe haven for their money, the spot price of gold rose by more than 1% to $2,896 (£2,336) an ounce on Monday morning, above the record high set on Friday. Gold has been rising in recent weeks, amid concerns over the impact of Trump’s policies. It has gained 10% since the start of the year, after ending 2024 at $2,623 an ounce.Aluminium prices also rose, as investors worried that the tariffs could lead to supply problems and hit economic growth, which would reduce demand for the metal

Asil Nadir, Polly Peck tycoon turned fugitive, dies aged 83

Turkish Cypriot businessman Asil Nadir, once a fugitive from justice for stealing millions from his British Polly Peck conglomerate, has died, a social media post by his wife said. He was 83. The news was confirmed to the Times newspaper by his British lawyer Giles Bark-Jones.Nadir was being treated at a hospital in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot enclave in northern Cyprus and died overnight, Turkish media reported hospital officials as saying.Once one of Britain’s richest men and a Conservative party donor, Nadir was accused of stealing from Polly Peck – a fruits-to-electronics conglomerate that had a meteoric rise in the 1980s – to fund a lavish lifestyle including purchases of antiques, racehorses and country houses

Major outage hits TPG, Vodafone, iiNet, Internode and Kogan customers amid wild NSW weather

One of Australia’s largest internet providers has been hit with a major outage, leaving thousands businesses and individuals without broadband access.In a statement on Monday evening, TPG Telecom said it was working to resolve a “technical issue”, which was causing disruption to its fixed broadband services for consumer and business customers.“This issue is affecting broadband services for TPG, Vodafone, iiNet, Internode and Kogan fixed internet customers,” they said.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email“Our technical teams have identified the issue and are working to restore services as quickly as possible for all customers.“We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused

AI race must be led by ‘western, liberal, democratic’ countries, says UK minister

The artificial intelligence race must be led by “western, liberal, democratic” countries, said the UK technology secretary in a veiled warning over China’s role in the contest, before a global AI summit in Paris.Peter Kyle spoke as political leaders and tech company bosses gather in France, and after the emergence of a new Chinese force in AI, DeepSeek, rattled US investors and upended assumptions about Silicon Valley’s leadership in the technology.The tech minister told the Guardian he would use the summit to explain why Britain should be at the forefront of developing AI.As well as allowing global leaders and companies to “come together and learn from each other”, the summit would give the UK a chance to show why it had the “skills and the scientific pedigree” that were “going to be essential if western, liberal, democratic countries are to remain at the forefront of this critical technology”, he said.Kyle added that AI would have an impact on every part of the economy and society, including national security and defence

England win has fans dreaming again as Borthwick’s plans come together | Robert Kitson

After it was all over on Saturday night, England’s players peeled away to seek out their loved ones in the stands. Fin Smith’s parents, Andrew and Judith, were awaiting their match-winning boy and the shared family embrace, when it came, was among the more heartwarming things you’ll see in sport all year. All those unsung hours on school and club touchlines, all those youthful ups and downs, distilled into a tight group hug of the purest emotional joy.In a strange way it also captured the tangled charm of the Six Nations. Andrew Smith is a proud Scot who met his wife – whose father Tom represented Scotland and the British & Irish Lions – at a post-match curry night in the clubhouse at London Scottish

AFL welcomes six more players to millionaires’ club as market booms for top-end talent

Six more AFL players have elevated themselves into the millionaires’ row after the league announced its 2024 financial results and reported a surplus of $45.4m.Twenty-five players earned $1m or more last season, an increase on the 19 reported for the previous year, in a trend that highlights the impact of the long-term growth in the size of the salary cap but also the booming market for top-end talent.AFL Commission chair Richard Goyder cited record attendance and membership and the launch of the Tasmania Devils as major achievements during 2024. “The game is strong across Australia thanks to every fan and every person who chooses to be involved in our sport, and there is a place for everyone in our game,” he said