Day: October 8, 2025

China’s central bank aids gold’s record-setting run with 11-month buying streak

Media Library

Even after a record-setting run, the price of gold appears poised for further gains, as China’s central bank extended its buying streak to an 11th straight month and demand for the safe-haven asset continues to grow amid an ongoing US government shutdown. Advertisement Spot gold prices in London surpassed the benchmark US$4,000 per ounce on Wednesday morning, hitting a new high after an identical breach by gold futures in New York on Tuesday. The surge comes as investors seek reliable sources of return in an unpredictable global economy. Assets backed…

‘I can touch the clouds’: how it feels to cross the world’s highest bridge

Media Library

As a safety worker for bungee jumps and rope swings, Mr Fu has spent a lot of time standing on bridges. But his new job, working at the new Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Southern China, takes the cake. “The view from the bridge is fantastic,” he tells the Guardian. “Beneath the bridge flows the Beipan River, with Huajiang Village nearby and a waterfall as well. It is very exciting – the bridge is very high, and many visitors come. Standing on it yourself feels thrilling as well.” The new…

Indonesia’s financial buffers under pressure from Prabowo’s spending plans

Media Library

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Indonesia is increasingly turning to rarely used cash buffers to fund President Prabowo Subianto’s economic plans, raising concerns about the country’s ability to deal with shocks at a time of growing fiscal risks. Over the past five weeks, Indonesia has announced plans to use Rp286tn ($17.2bn), or 62.5 per cent, of accumulated cash reserves of Rp457.5tn to boost liquidity in the banking system and establish new village co-operatives. These cash…

Global investors stage cautious return to Chinese start-ups

Media Library

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. International investors are returning to China’s start-up scene, with a series of small venture capital fundraisings marking the first signs of a thaw for a sector hit by geopolitical tensions and a tech crackdown. People familiar with the fundraising efforts said several of the country’s top VC funds were close to raising as much as $1.1bn in total dollar-denominated funds this year. Source Code Capital, an early investor of TikTok…

Kidney transplant after blood type conversion may improve access to organs

Media Library

Scientists from China and Canada have successfully transplanted a human kidney after the organ’s blood type was converted from type A to the universal type O using special enzymes for the first time. Advertisement After being transplanted into a recipient who had been diagnosed with brain death, the enzyme-converted kidney functioned for at least two days without signs of hyperacute rejection. This conversion could overcome the barrier of having to match donor and recipient blood type for transplants, which could help shorten waiting list times as the world grapples with…