Member Info for mrtibbles

They are rival gangs — with many different characters. From new-age pastors to old-school smugglers, and from diplomats to the Zimbabwean president’s niece, Al Jazeera’s latest investigation, Gold Mafia, has uncovered a band of criminals driving gold smuggling and money laundering worth billions of dollars in Southern Africa.

An investigation by Al Jazeera has revealed some of Southern Africa’s largest gold-smuggling operations, exposing how these gangs help criminals around the world launder billions of dollars while aiding governments in circumventing international sanctions.

Gold Mafia, a four-part series by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit) based on dozens of undercover operations spanning three continents, and thousands of documents, also shows how government officials and businesspeople are profiting off the illegal movement of gold across borders.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/23/gold-mafia-looting-southern-africa

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/23/gold-mafia-godmen-conmen-president-niece

Thank you Gonez, the piece was from Kitco I was aware of the date/ day after I posted but thought it was clear anyway.

POG

Any information that is revealed tomorrow in the Fed’s statement or Powell’s press conference most certainly will shape market sentiment regarding gold’s price. If the Fed reveals a rough date in which they will begin to cut rates it could be highly supportive of gold pricing and bring a conclusion to the recent decline of $155 from the highs or nearly a 50% retracement from the October rally which took gold from just above $1820 to just over $2150.

https://www.kitco.com/commentaries/2023-12-12/Inflation-eases-and-investors-wait-for-FOMC-to-conclude-tomorrow.html

https://thegoldforecast.com/

Thank you Sotolo,

I appreciate that some regard these forums as just for trading talk and this post may be regarded as "off topic" but that said this forum has always been about making members whatever their market expedience feel that they aren't alone by providing friendly support regarding their investment decisions and much more besides.

I listen to the world news most nights as it gives an insight and coverage of a much broader range of news and events which just isn't broadcast on main stream media during the day.

There are some really interesting programmes which feature ordinary people from all over the world and it makes you realise that would vast majority of people are all pretty decent, have much the same ambitions and concerns and in the main would get along with one another were it not for the bitter and bigoted opinions of so many of the world politicians and leaders

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w172yzrrxxk9085 (NFP, Lithium mining, Food prices )

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0cgql8f/big-oil-v-the-world

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0925ydp

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct2z3j

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct4y0l (tackling (loneliness)

In 1998, Russia’s President Boris Yeltsin shocked the nation with a last-minute decision to speak at the reburial of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, 80 years after their murder.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct4xh6

Tibbs

No need to be concerned Sotolo. most of us have been here in the past so what will be will be, but at least we aren't being bombed to bits like so many poor innocent unfortunates during the season of goodwill!

This prediction might happen in 2024 or it might not,

Gold's push above $2,000 in the last few weeks of 2023 could herald an even bigger move in 2024, according to the latest report from the World Gold Council (WGC).

In its 2024 outlook, the WGC analysts said they see three potential scenarios that could impact gold prices next year. In a recent interview with Kitco News, Joseph Cavatoni, North American markets strategist at the WGC, said that much of what happens in gold will be driven by the Federal Reserve and its potential rate cuts.

https://www.kitco.com/news/2023-12-11/Gold-is-poised-for-new-all-time-highs-in-2024-World-Gold-Council.html

I pushed the right buttons then,tee hee!

Forget about the traders and braggers on here who always claim to get it right, if they did would they really bother trying to boost their egos by bragging on a free forum, of course they wouldn't!

Long term holders have been here before and this is why they have considerable holdings at averages that some of the claimed experts on here would envy if only they knew!

The price of gold will soon rise again and as soon as the market realises that Centamin has turned a corner then so will the share price, just wait and see!

Don.t be concerned by a temporary drop in the POG based on job's report that chose to interpret people returning to work after from on strike as new jobs creation rather than the reinstatement of already existing jobs.

The vast majority of these gold sales were for paper and on cfd contacts , not the real stuff which central banks are still buying with great enthusiasm.

According to those big banks the POG is forecast to rise again above and beyond $2000 , the Sukari excess waste clearance contact is in its final stages and there is increasing optimism and enthusiasm amongst those carrying out the exploration of the blocks around Sukari and in the Nugrus region that they they could offer very promising reserves.

not real gold just paper and

An interesting and reassuring update on environmental issues-

Centamin's Doropo Gold Project is currently in the definitive feasibility study phase (“DFS”), which includes a detailed environmental and social impact assessment (“ESIA”), stakeholder engagement and a formal permitting and approvals process, which adheres to national regulatory requirements and international good practice, these processes will continue through H1 2024.

Doropo is located outside the Comoe National Park.

The main project development area and infrastructure hub is located more than 35km from the boundary of the park. Doropo involves mining several satellite deposits, with the closest deposit located 7km from the park boundary and the majority located around the infrastructure hub.

Over the last two years, Centamin has conducted comprehensive ecological baseline studies both within the project development area and on areas within the eastern limit of the Comoe park.

These studies confirm that the Doropo Project is located in an area of degraded habitat of low biodiversity sensitivity – the landscape has been significantly disturbed by agricultural land use. Working in cooperation with the national park authority, they have confirmed that core habitat for species of high conservation significance - such as the elephant - are located in the central areas of the park and are not known to range to the east of the park, which is the closest boundary to Doropo.

As a priority, Centamin is committed to uphold its ESG and Environmental policy commitments. In consultation with the relevant authorities, a strategy is actively being developed to avoid direct impacts to the conservation integrity of the Comoe National Park through the sensitive design and development of the Doropo Gold Project; we hope to create opportunities to not only safeguard the conservation integrity of the park but also to be recognised as a valued conservation partner.

For reference, there is a link to the NI43-101 Doropo PFS Technical Report, published in August 2023. The DFS is due for publication mid-2024.

https://www.centamin.com/media/2989/2023-doropo-ni43-101-technical-report.pdf

Tibbs

Surely then with such a personally tailored and proven trading strategy using your your bespoke algo's there would seem to be little reason to waste your time by being bored on any forum's at all.

Possibly though you derive some satisfaction from clogging up forums boasting about your trading successes!

Steve,

You decided to follow the opinion of Reuters , CNBC, F.T . BLS,CNN and a few more and yes this time it turned out right.

global bitcoin mining is highly dependent on fossil fuels, with worrying impacts on water and land in addition to a significant carbon footprint.

according to study results, published by the united nations university and earth’s future journal, during the 2020–2021 period, the global bitcoin mining network consumed 173.42 terawatt hours of electricity. this means that if bitcoin were a country, its energy consumption would have ranked 27th in the world, ahead of a country like ****stan, with a population of over 230 million people. the resulting carbon footprint was equivalent to that of burning 84 billion pounds of coal or operating 190 natural gas-fired power plants. to offset this footprint, 3.9 billion trees should be planted, covering an area almost equal to the area of the netherlands, switzerland, or denmark or 7% of the amazon rainforest.

during this time period, bitcoin's water footprint was similar to the amount of water required to fill over 660,000 olympic-sized swimming pools, enough to meet the current domestic water needs of more than 300 million people in rural sub-saharan africa. the land footprint of worldwide bitcoin mining activities during this period was 1.4 times the area of los angeles.

the un scientists report that bitcoin mining heavily relies on fossil energy sources, with coal accounting for 45% of bitcoin's energy supply mix, followed by natural gas (21%). hydropower, a renewable energy source with significant water and environmental impacts, is the most important renewable source of energy of the bitcoin mining network, satisfying 16% of its electricity demand. nuclear energy has a considerable share of 9% in bitcoin’s energy supply mix, whereas renewables such as solar and wind only provide 2% and 5% of the total electricity used by bitcoin.

china, by a large margin, has been the biggest bitcoin mining nation. to offset the carbon emissions from china's coal-intensive bitcoin mining operations in 2021–2022, about 2 billion trees should be planted, covering an area equivalent to the sum of portugal and ireland or 45,000 times the area of central park in new york city. aside from china, the world’s top 10 bitcoin mining nations in 2020–2021 included the united states, kazakhstan, russia, malaysia, canada, germany, iran, ireland, and singapore.

https://unu.edu/press-release/un-study-reveals-hidden-environmental-impacts-bitcoin-carbon-not-only-harmful-product

9 Dec 2023

Prominent UK Human Rights Lawyer Daniel Machover says:

- Genocide Convention MUST BE INVOKED at International Court of Justice

- ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan has “FAILED IN ONE OF HIS MAIN DUTIES” to create a deterrent for Israel’s crimes against Palestinians

- Netanyahu CAN be arrested

Daniel Machover is a leading British human rights lawyer who has represented clients in some of the most high profile civil cases in the UK including the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Daniel is a partner at London law firm Hickman and Rose and a co-founder of Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights. He has previously managed to obtain arrest warrants in the UK for former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni and former Israeli general Doron Almog, who are both accused of war crimes against Palestinians under occupation.

Mark Seddon is a former UN Correspondent for Al Jazeera Television who also served as a speechwriter to the former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPQqKAcXJBY

Boycotts against Israel in US can be punished by law

Two months into the Israel-Hamas conflict, the boycott of Israeli companies and products has grown exponentially in the US, mirroring the increase in pro-Palestine protests. The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions or BDS movement, which began in 2005 in the Occupied West Bank, has long been a tool for Palestinians to take non-violent action. But more than half of US states have laws in place banning such a boycott, something that doesn't apply in other countries. Yasmine El-Sabawi reports.

https://rb.gy/ua9q1u

Egypt relies heavily on revenues from Ukrainian and Russian tourists, so when the war broke out in February 2022, its economy was hit hard. The number of yearly tourists from both countries plummeted from 35 to 40 percent, according to local figures. Egypt is also the world’s leading importer of wheat. When prices soared as a result of the war, the country’s economy bore the brunt.

In the ten years Sisi has been in power, Egypt and its 105 million inhabitants – largely reliant on a steady drip of Saudi Arabian aid – have been plagued by poverty.

https://rb.gy/1ru9bm

Marking the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Dr.Malki: The rights of the Palestinian people have been violated for 75 years, foremost among them the right to life.

Speaking at the Doha Forum, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has addressed the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza and the international community’s response.

Here are the highlights of his remarks:

UNSC is paralysed by geopolitical divisions, its credibility undermined by the inability to pass a resolution urging a Gaza ceasefire.

Serious efforts are needed to bring global institutions to better address global challenges, such as the Gaza war.

We have never seen so many civilian casualties in such a short period during my mandate at the UN. The situation is quickly deteriorating into catastrophe, with potentially irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole and peace and security in the region.

I will not give up on trying to forge a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

https://rb.gy/mounft

Mostafa al-A’sar, a non-resident fellow with the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, a non-profit that focuses on Arab voices in policy debates, said el-Sisi wanted to be re-elected before imposing crippling austerity measures.

He explained that el-Sisi wants the legitimacy of a new electoral victory to justify tamping down any dissent that may erupt from his economic policies.

“He’s doing this election to restore his legitimacy,” he told Al Jazeera.

During the last 10 years, el-Sisi has borrowed from foreign creditors to finance several projects such as a new administrative capital. His spending spree has quadrupled Egypt’s foreign debt, which needs more than $28bn to meet repayments next year only.

https://rb.gy/hj5r26

Thatcher was popular in the United States, and her political soul mate, President Ronald Reagan, did not nearly inspire the same amount of hatred. It's difficult to imagine the death of an American politician being met with similar protests.

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" The original Judy Garland version of the Wizard of Oz classic that celebrates the death of the wicked witch has reached #1 in UK iTunes and has sold almost 30,000 copies thanks to an online campaign by people who are celebrating the death of Britain's only female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher.

LONDON April 12, 2013 Thatcher died from a stroke at the age of 87. Many people mourned that woman that Prime Minister David Cameron said "saved our country."

But many others think of Thatcher and explode in fury, blaming her for polarizing the country, violently cracking down on her opponents and pursuing policies that increased inequality.

Her critics took to Facebook to encourage people to buy a song that equated her with the wicked witch – and they have responded in droves.

https://tinyurl.com/ujbtc3dn

thatcher was a force of devastation, who destroyed british industry and laid waste to communities that have never recovered; who sold the country’s fortunes to a deregulated financial sector and encouraged a speculative culture with disastrous consequences; and whose premiership was defined by the pitched battles of the 1984 miners’ strike, by inner city riots and by the social unrest over the hated poll tax that eventually led to her political demise in 1990.

in foreign affairs, she dismissed the apartheid-fighting africa national congress in south africa as “a typical terrorist organisation” and refused to back sanctions against the ****** state, and drank tea with augusto pinochet while the former chilean military ruler was being held under house arrest in london as part of an investigation into human rights abuses.

thatcher pursued policies that caused great suffering to millions of ordinary working class men and women in this country, she decimated the uk manufacturing base, causing unprecedented mass unemployment by using virtual police state methods to suppress the miners’ strike. the miners were effectively starved back to work, these were very cruel and heartless policies!

in former mining villages in northern england there were widespread celebrations, with pubs declaring happy hours as they were inundated with jubilant drinkers, including many veterans of the miners’ strike.

thatcher drew comparison between the fight to defeat the miners and the war with argentina two years earlier, saying: “we had to fight the enemy without in the falklands. we always have to be aware of the enemy within, which is much more difficult to fight and more dangerous to liberty.”

david hopper, the general secretary of the durham miners association, who also celebrated his 70th birthday on monday, said he was simply pleased to have outlived thatcher.

“it looks like one of the best birthdays i have ever had. there’s no sympathy from me for what she did to our community. she destroyed our community, our villages and our people,” said hopper.

“our children have got no jobs and the community is full of problems. there’s no work and no money and it’s very sad the legacy she has left behind.

“she absolutely hated working people and i have got very bitter memories of what she did. she turned all the nation against us and the violence that was meted out on us was terrible.”

Craig Hemke the editor and publisher of the TFMetals report.

Taking delivery; what every central bank except the fed is doing

https://tinyurl.com/yp47ar2h