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In its Gold Demand Trends report for the full year 2023, the industry group said that purchases by central banks maintained a "breakneck pace," reaching 1,037 tons, almost matching the 2022 record.
"Even though it [central bank purchases] is not so strong as it was in 2022, it is substantially higher than prior to 2022 and it exceeded our expectations," said John Reade, market strategist at the WGC. "It is a very impressive number," he added.
Purchases by central banks are expected to slow down by around 200 tons in 2024 but remain higher than prior to 2022, according to Reade. The strategist noted, however, that demand for gold among central banks could actually accelerate.
The WGC report highlighted that global gold jewelry consumption was steady in 2023 - at 2,092 tons - due to a 17% post-Covid increase in demand in China and despite high gold prices. Meanwhile, purchases of gold bars and coins declined by 3% as European demand continued to tumble. The report also showed that global gold exchange traded funds (ETFs) saw a third consecutive annual outflow in 2023, shedding 244 tons. According to the WGC, annual mine production last year increased to 3,644 tons, but fell short of the 2018 record.
Gold prices hit a record $2,135.4 per ounce in December and have held above the psychological level of $2,000 so far this year. Experts say the rally will continue as lingering uncertainty about the prospects for the global economy in the wake of recession fears and heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East spur safe-haven demand for the metal.
'100 Million Fire Ants On The March' Ten days that changed the world. by ELIZABETH NICKSON FEB 3 [Link]
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"...Here’s what happened in just one week.
The Canadian federal court ruled that the declaration of the Emergency Act was counter to the Constitution. Exactly one month before the Statute of Limitations was to run out on civil cases. There are instructions how to sue the government everywhere now. Did they freeze your account? Arrest you? The logistician Tamara Lich was arrested and held in jail without charge for months, and she is going to be rich. She started as a logistics manager for a trucking company and she may just run for Prime Minister. This is a genuine peoples’ movement.
Protests/Uprisings currently ongoing in:
America
Germany
UK
Scotland
Canada
France
Belgium
Austria
Spain
Italy
Lithuania
Poland ..."
"...Canada’s chief technology officer is accused of manipulating, destroying files at CBSA relating to ArriveCan, another Liberal Party ‘innovation’ meant to pay off funders and supporters. Over sixty of the contracts were funded and nothing was done. Auditor-General’s report due on February 12th.UK Government suspended free trade negotiations with Canada, due to a lack of progress. The Liberal government is so broken, it can’t do its job.
The cannabis industry launched by the Canadian government to ‘save’ the economy is crashing.
International student visas in Canada cut by one-third.
Danielle Smith of Alberta doubles Alberta’s oil production.
Trudeau’s Liberals considering ‘rebranding” carbon taxes.
Railyard workers join truckers and farmers in Germany. 69% of Germans support the protest.
Italian farmers are riding out in Italy to support farmers in Germany and France.
Truckers in France dump foreign wine imports.
Farmers digging up highways into Paris and spraying police with manure.
Trudeau booed outside mosque in Quebec. Chased down the road. “Shame on you”. He can’t go anywhere in public without someone shouting at him.
Twenty-two specific Articles of Impeachment filed against Fani Willis. Further, she is said to owe money to the State of Georgia. Nineteen of those charges are with regard to her attack on Trump. She is charged with launching it in order to advance her political career. The Georgia State Senate voted 30-19 to create a special committee to investigate Fani Willis. It will consist of six Republicans and three Democrats and can require testimony under oath. This case was considered the most serious against Trump.
Canada’s Health Minister expresses doubt over eligibility for medically assisted dying MAID over mental health issues. Joe Biden and Pfizer’s plan to make Taylor Swift and her footballer Kelse campaign for him outed on all social media to hilarity and mockery.
Protestors outside Nancy Pelosi’s house tell her to go back to China.
Seventy percent of Americans support Texas erected barriers at the border.
Donald Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize again.
House Republicans voted to advance effort to impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas.
NASDAQ to cut hundreds of jobs. New York Community Bancor’s stock crashed, trading halted. Net Zero, DEI, ESG cripple the economy.
Russian banks post record profit.
Mark Cuban in trouble with federal officials over DEI.
Florida will no longer allow trans people to change their sex on their driver’s licenses.
Calgary, Alberta is moving towards re-allowing plastic bags and straws.
Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons has dropped charges against a doctor who gave COVID-19 vaccine exemptions to patients.
Ron DeSantis announces that DEI no longer has a place in public universities.
Illinois declines to remove Trump from ballot.
Paypal to cut 2500 jobs. Paypal’s “misinformation fine” backfires, as rivals pick up market share. Loses 30% on shares as of Jan 30.XI promises Biden China wouldn’t interfere in 2024 election.
Evergrande faces liquidation after talks with top creditors break down. More bailouts for property sector didn’t work.
Joy Reid caught on a hot mic saying Joe Biden is “starting another fucking war”.
Ukraine says corrupt officials stole $40 million.
Trudeau and Singh plot electoral reform legislation making it easier to cheat.
New Hampshire and Maine ban geoengineering overflights.Alberta introduces parental rights legislation.
Arbitrator finds that the City of Toronto’s mandatory vaccination policy was no longer reasonable after 1 September 2022, and unvaccinated employees must be reimbursed.
Payouts coming for unvaccinated Alberta health care workers.
Arkansas is removing voting machines.
Pennsylvania Republicans have filed a lawsuit alleging Biden and Gov Josh Shapiro violated the U.S. Constitution when they loosened voting restrictions. (I’ve studied the 2020 voting in Penn., it was stolen hard, by unions, by members of the Masonic Order in Delaware County, by the Democrats) Andrew Cuomo was found guilty by a U.S. Justice Department investigation of sexually harassing 13 employees.
U.S. regulator launches probe into tech giants’ AI investments.
Last week was crowned by a constitutional crisis in the U.S. Seven hundred thousand truckers and farmers on the way to the southern border. Every Republican led state is behind them. The 10th Amendment means that the Feds have to protect the States against an invasion and late last week ten FBI luminaries sent a letter to the President stating that this is an invasion, “alarming and perilous” and that America stands on a precipice.
No wonder billionaires like Zuck are building three hundred million dollar bunkers under their estates.
Zuck funded the stolen election and he made the crackpot decision to suppress any questioning of Covid 19 and the vaccines. I was put on a time out on Facebook so many times, I was permanently down-ranked for three years. And I am a teeny tiny little fish. There are so many bigger ones with access to constitutional law foundations itching for an adventure.
Zuck was forced to apologize on Wednesday to concerned parents. This is just the beginning of his life-long adventure in retribution.
In Calgary, Tucker Carlson brought down the house by calling Trudeau a weird little cross-dresser and urged Canadians to stand up. Hey, what happened to the trucker convoy inflamed the whole world and triggered today. A hundred million fire ants. All mad, all educated. All those truckers and farmers in their trucks? They are reading. And not the mainstream press. The alternatives. Us.
The whole world is being reborn.