Gold prices continued their downward trend across global commodity exchanges as investors digested the decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise benchmark interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. Spot bullion fell 1 percent during international trading sessions to reach $4,249 per ounce, reflecting heightened market pressure driven by tighter monetary policy conditions. Gold prices decline on Federal Reserve rate decision actions as elevated borrowing costs increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding precious metals across major financial trading desks.
News
Nepal has raised the number of people missing after the Aug. 26 floods to 6,150 following updated district-level verification. The previous count stood at 5,179, meaning authorities added 971 names to the national total. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported the revised figures as search and identification work continued. Authorities have recovered 1,403 bodies since the disaster. They have formally identified 105 of those victims.
Health
South Kivu has reported no new Ebola cases since May, adding to evidence of improvement in some affected areas. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said recent trends offered encouraging signs after months of widespread transmission. He also said the outbreak continues to expand and cause deaths. Health authorities have identified cases across 62 health zones, underscoring large differences between provinces. Declining transmission in some locations has occurred alongside sharp increases elsewhere in the country.
Preliminary testing detected Legionella DNA in a cooling tower at Yankee Stadium as New York City investigates a Legionnaires’ disease cluster in the South Bronx. The city had confirmed 11 cases by Tuesday night, including one death. Three people remained hospitalized. The New York City Health Department identified 10 cooling towers with positive preliminary PCR results across ZIP codes 10451 and 10456, which cover parts of Melrose and Morrisania.
The World Health Organization has urged a wider Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as transmission continues across several provinces. Congo had recorded 6,250 confirmed cases and 3,039 deaths by Sept. 1, according to the latest government figures. The outbreak has affected 60 health zones in six provinces. Authorities have also recorded 1,439 recoveries, while the case fatality rate stands at 48.6%.
Automotive
German luxury sports car manufacturer Porsche announced an agreement with labor representatives on Monday to reduce its workforce by an additional 5,000 positions by 2035 as part of a restructuring program. The decision brings total planned job eliminations across the company to approximately 9,000 positions, representing roughly 21 percent of its 42,066 workforce. Company leadership confirmed that Porsche to cut 5,000 more jobs under restructuring plan negotiations following months of talks between management and labor councils. The initiative aims to bolster operational efficiency as the vehicle producer confronts declining market share in Asia, elevated global tariffs, and sluggish demand for electric vehicles.