Latest news with #TobyYoung
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
One of Britain's wokest councils has banned staff referring to parents as mum and dad
Merton Council in South London has warned its employees not to make assumptions about a child's biological parents 'MUM & DAD' BAN One of Britain's wokest councils has banned staff referring to parents as mum and dad Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ONE of Britain's wokest councils has banned staff referring to parents as mum and dad. Officials say 'caregivers' is more appropriate. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up They also advise workers to avoid using the adjectives 'young' and 'old'. Merton Council in South London has warned its employees not to make assumptions about a child's biological parents. Bosses claim not saying the words 'mother' and 'father' helps to 'recognise diverse family formation'. The council's 27-page inclusive language guide — obtained by The Sun using Freedom of Information laws — also tells employees not to use 'young', 'old' or 'mature' for fear of being ageist. It also advises workers to use 'person-centred language' — and avoid gendered phrases such as 'man the desk'. The guidance, drawn up by the debt-stricken council's equality and diversity team, also warns: 'Avoid making assumptions about preferred names or nicknames without asking the individual first.' Free Speech Union boss Lord Toby Young said: 'I'm amazed that Merton Council has time for this nonsense. "I can only assume fly-tipping and potholes aren't a problem in Merton.' A council spokeswoman insisted: 'We aim to communicate with understanding and without making assumptions.'
Khaleej Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Investing in gold can take various formats as safe haven appeal continues
In case you missed it, the price of gold hit an all-time high a few months ago when it reached $3,500 an ounce. Prices have climbed almost 30 per cent within the last 12 months amid a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. Gold is traditionally seen as a 'safe haven' so in times of uncertainty, people invest in it. While it may have since dropped from its all-time high, it is trading within a range of around $3,300 to $3,400 as investors remain cautious. Physical gold There are multiple ways of investing in the precious metal. Some people like to hold physical gold but of course this comes with security risks, or costs involved in paying a company to store it securely for you. Mirza Zuhaib Baig is the founder of Just Gold, a Shariah-compliant digital gold platform. He said that last year, everyday investors purchased about 1,186 tonnes of gold bars and coins, worth roughly $91 billion. 'That is more metal than China, the world's top producer, mines in a whole year. So plenty of households still keep physical gold, whether at home or in a safe-deposit box.' And what about gold jewellery? Some see that as a good proxy for investing in gold. Jewellery is the largest segment of demand (1,877 tonnes in 2024, 44 per cent of total demand). 'Yes and no,' says Toby Young, a digital assets strategist. 'Yes, because it has more than one use — a store of value and also something you can wear or use, and no because why would you have a piece of jewellery made which would incur extra costs and charges, and may not be to everyone's taste?' Funds For those looking to invest in gold without buying it physically, there are funds that buy gold but let you invest in them via shares. One popular type are exchange traded funds (ETFs) which have lower costs than traditional mutual funds. The biggest gold ETF is called SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) which owns real gold bars that sit in HSBC's high-security vault in London. The fund posts a daily list of every bar's serial number, weight, and refiner so anyone can see the metal backing their shares. There are also Shariah-approved physical-gold ETFs such as Albilad Gold ETF or TradePlus Shariah Gold Tracker. Gold miners Another way to gain exposure is by investing in companies that mine gold, which include Newmont Corporation and Barrick Gold. Rather than invest directly in a mining company, there are funds and ETFs available that invest in a basket of mining stocks. For example, VanEck Gold Miners ETF is a fund that invests in major gold miners. It also has a fund of smaller gold miners but this comes with added risk. Be aware that it's expensive and complex to mine gold and companies face huge energy and labour costs. Digital gold One exciting development is digital gold, which refers to buying small fractions of physical gold online, usually via apps or online exchanges. Legitimate digital gold platforms will back every unit you buy with physical gold held in a vault. Always check if the platform is regulated and audited, and where the gold is stored. Just Gold's app lets anyone start with Dh10 and own fractional gold stored in a local vault. 'Lower entry tickets and no storage worries make fractional digital gold attractive, especially to younger, mobile-first investors,' says Mirza Zuhaib Baig. Other platforms include SafeGold and BullionVault. Tokenised While digital gold exists online, tokenised gold goes one step further and puts your units on the blockchain in the form of tokens. Many 'real world assets' are being tokenized like property, jets and even racehorses. Gold is now part of this growing list. 'It enables fractional ownership, which can come at a lower price than an ounce, or kg of gold. Some platforms offer fractions of a gram. It is definitely a world that is expanding at the moment, and allows for wider ownership too,' adds Young. The value of gold-backed tokens such as Tether Gold is growing rapidly. Each token can be split into milligrams, so investors can start with the cost of a coffee instead of buying a 1-ounce coin. 'Younger savers who are comfortable with crypto wallets prefer tapping 'Buy 0.05 g' on a phone to visiting a bullion dealer,' adds Baig. Future moves With global trade uncertainty, a weakening dollar, and sticky inflation, gold continues to attract investors seeking stability. Many central banks are also hoarding gold to diversify their reserves. Gold remains a protection against inflation and serves as a portfolio diversifier. But what about price predictions? JP Morgan predicts $3,675 by the end of the year, but crossing $4,000 next year. While Goldman Sachs has a $3,700 price target by the end of 2025. Scott E. Campbell, director at Global Investment Opportunities, says: 'There is a strong case that gold will rise to $3,700 a troy ounce by the end of 2025 as central banks buy many tonnes of the precious metal every month. My opinion is that still more growth to be had over the next 12-24 months.'
The Guardian
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
What links a prosecco cocktail and raw beef? The Saturday quiz
1 Which of Shakespeare's female characters has the most lines?2 What is the only shipping forecast area named after a person?3 Which high street chain was sold for £1 in June?4 Where does the bánh mì sandwich come from?5 Which TV presenter was horseracing's champion lady rider in 1990?6 What irritant has the botanical name Urtica dioica?7 Which Conservative peer's father drafted the 1945 Labour manifesto?8 What is Africa's largest antelope?What links: 9 Prosecco and peach cocktail; sliced raw beef; brownish-orange hair?10 Cutting; doglike; millstone; before millstone; wise judgment?11 American Dad; I'm a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here; Jeopardy; Police Squad; Up Pompeii?12 First class (62%); second class (41%); third class (25%); crew (24%)?13 Abcoulomb; defence; hijack; nope; stupid?14 Servant of God; Venerable; Blessed?15 Altai; Buryat; Chukchi; Evenki; Kalmyk; Nenets? 1 Rosalind (As You Like It).2 FitzRoy.3 Poundland.4 Vietnam.5 Clare Balding.6 Stinging nettle.7 Toby Young (son of Michael Young).8 Eland (Giant eland).9 Named after Venetian painters: Bellini; Carpaccio; Titian.10 Name origins of teeth: incisor; canine; molar; pre-molar; wisdom.11 TV series with exclamation marks in their titles.12 Approximate survival rates on the Titanic.13 Words starting with three consecutive letters.14 Stages before sainthood in Catholic church canonisation.15 Russian Indigenous peoples.
Scottish Sun
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Fury as fear of mass migration branded ‘terrorist ideology' in official govt training papers
The news has sparked fury with free speech activists BOATS FEAR 'TERROR STANCE' Fury as fear of mass migration branded 'terrorist ideology' in official govt training papers Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CONCERN about mass migration is a 'terrorist ideology' that requires deradicalisation, official government training documents state. A course hosted by the anti-extremism programme Prevent lists 'cultural nationalism' as a belief that should trigger alarm. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Toby Young, head of the Free Speech Union is furious with the decision to brand concern about mass immigration as 'terrorist ideology' Credit: PA:Press Association It includes a view that 'Western culture is under threat from mass mig-ration and lack of integration by certain ethnic or cultural groups'. The news has sparked fury with free speech activists, including Toby Young, head of the Free Speech Union. In a letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, he writes: 'Now that 'cultural nationalism' has been classified as a subcategory of extreme right-wing terrorist ideology, even mainstream, right-of-centre beliefs risk being treated as ideologically suspect, despite falling well within the bounds of lawful expression.' The Home Office said: 'Prevent is not about restricting debate or free speech, but preventing those suscept-ible to radicalisation.' It comes after 1,194 illegal migrants arrived on small boats last Saturday. The leader of Labour's Red Wall faction said Sir Keir Starmer should consider reforming ECHR laws blamed for letting an Albanian criminal stay here due to his son not liking chicken nuggets abroad. Backbencher Jo White said: 'We need to be looking at things like ECHR article eight. "I don't think anything should be off the table. 13 migrants jumped from the back of a lorry at a Sainsbury's distribution centre in South East London
The Irish Sun
07-06-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Fury as fear of mass migration branded ‘terrorist ideology' in official govt training papers
CONCERN about mass migration is a 'terrorist ideology' that requires deradicalisation, official government training documents state. A course hosted by the anti-extremism programme Prevent lists 'cultural nationalism' as a belief that should trigger alarm. Advertisement 2 Toby Young, head of the Free Speech Union is furious with the decision to brand concern about mass immigration as 'terrorist ideology' Credit: PA:Press Association It includes a view that 'Western culture is under threat from mass mig-ration and lack of integration by certain ethnic or cultural groups'. The news has sparked fury with free speech activists, including Toby Young, head of the Free Speech Union. In a letter to Home Secretary The Home Office said: 'Prevent is not about restricting debate or free speech, but preventing those suscept-ible to radicalisation.' Advertisement It comes after 1,194 illegal migrants arrived on small boats last Saturday. The leader of Labour's Red Wall faction said Sir Keir Starmer should consider reforming ECHR laws blamed for letting an Albanian criminal stay here due to his son not liking chicken nuggets abroad. Backbencher Jo White said: 'We need to be looking at things like ECHR article eight. "I don't think anything should be off the table. Advertisement Most read in The Sun 13 migrants jumped from the back of a lorry at a Sainsbury's distribution centre in South East London 2 1,194 illegal migrants recently arrived on small boats in one day Credit: PA
