By John Towfighi, CNN

New York (CNN) — Gold is having its best year since 1979.

Gold futures traded in New York have soared almost 71% this year, on pace for their best annual gain in 46 years. The last time gold had such a strong year, Jimmy Carter was president, a crisis was unfolding in the Middle East, inflation was soaring and the United States was in the midst of an energy crisis.

Today, tariffs are distorting international trade, conflict is raging with Russia’s war on Ukraine, there have been flare-ups between Israel and Iran and the US is seizing oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela. In times of uncertainty, investors turn to safe havens like gold.

Gold is considered a resilient investment, with investors expecting the yellow metal will retain its value in crisis, if inflation surges, or if currencies drop in value.

“Uncertainty remains a defining feature of the global economy,” said Joe Cavatoni, senior market strategist at the World Gold Council. “In this environment, gold has become increasingly appealing as a strategic diversifier and a source of stability.”

For some investors, gold’s flaw is that it does not pay income like bonds. But when the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates as it’s been doing over the past few months, bond yields tend to fall, making gold more appealing.

Gold futures traded around $2,640 a troy ounce at the start of this year. The yellow metal climbed above a record high $4,500 a troy ounce on Monday. Analysts at JPMorgan Chase expect prices to rise above $5,000 a troy ounce in 2026.

Gold’s increase of 71% this year has far outpaced the S&P 500, which has risen by just 18%. In 2024, gold futures gained 27% while the S&P rose by 24%.

Expectations for some Fed rate cuts in 2026 are supporting gold’s rise. A weaker US dollar is helping boost the price, too, as it makes buying gold relatively more affordable for international investors.

Gold jewelers and people who own gold jewelry are benefiting from higher prices. And the gold rush isn’t just fueled by Americans snapping up gold bars from Costco — it’s countries buying gold by the ton.

Central banks and geopolitics

Gold’s rise has been underpinned by central banks buying up more gold themselves, led by China.

One of the main reasons China’s central bank is increasing its gold holdings is to decrease reliance on American assets like US Treasury bonds and the dollar, according to Ulf Lindahl, CEO at Currency Research Associates.

The shift became noticeable after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Western governments moved to freeze Russian assets denominated in US dollars, prompting governments in Russia — as well as China — to look for ways to decrease exposure to American policy decisions, Lindahl said.

“The current wave of central-bank buying is different precisely because it is rooted in geopolitics,” Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, said in a note. “The freezing of sovereign reserves and the broader fragmentation of the global financial system have introduced a structural element to gold demand that is likely to persist for years.”

Central banks around the globe have

Por CNN en Español

El Consejo Nacional Electoral de Honduras (CNE) declaró este miércoles a Nasy “Tito” Asfura, candidato del conservador Partido Nacional, ganador de la elección presidencial del 30 de noviembre.

Días antes de las elecciones, Asfura fue respaldado por el presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump.

En un mensaje en video, las consejeras Ana Paola Hall y Cossette López dijeron que Asfura superó por un 0,74 % de la votación a su más cercano rival, Salvador Nasralla, del Partido Liberal.

De acuerdo con las consejeras, Asfura tuvo el 40,27 % de los votos por el 30,53 % de Nasralla. En tercer lugar quedó la candidata oficalista Rixi Moncada, con el 19,19% de los sufragios.

Tanto el partido de Nasralla como el oficialista Partido Libertad y Refundación (Libre) han advertido que impugnarán.

Noticia en desarrollo.

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The post El Consejo Electoral de Honduras declara a Nasry Asfura ganador de la elección presidencial; sus rivales dicen que impugnarán appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – On Wednesday, a felony charge of first-degree murder was filed against Ashlee Buzzard in connection with the death of her nine-year-old daughter Melodee.

According to the complaint, Buzzard also faces multiple special allegations including that she personally used a 9mm pistol to kill her daughter and that the nine-year-old was particularly vulnerable.

Yesterday morning, Melodee's paternal grandmother, Lilly Denes, shared with Your News Channel that the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office informed her that her granddaughter's body had been recovered and that Ashlee has been taken into custody in connection.

Investigators believe that Melodee was murdered on Oct. 9, 2025, and additional evidence connecting her mother to the crime was collected during search warrants later the same month shared Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office during a press conference Tuesday.

The image below, courtesy of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, shows the final resting place of the nine-year-old in a remote part of Wayne County, Utah.

Melodee was first reported missing after an alert school administrator reported to law enforcement that the nine-year-old home schooler had not reported in as required on October 14, 2025.

At the time, the last verified contact with Melodee was almost a year before and even the most recent photograph used by Your News Channel author was about two years old.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office noted in October of this year that Melodee's mother Ashlee was, "uncooperative with investigators" and provided "no clear explanation ... for her [Melodee's] whereabouts".

In fact, detectives did not receive any verified information about the nine-year-old's whereabouts outside of the local school district when the search started.

As the search expanded, investigators reviewed surveillance footage and interviewed eyewitnesses to piece together that the mother and daughter had rented a Chevy Malibu in Lompoc and traveled through Nevada and Utah in October before Ashlee returned to the Central Coast alone.

During the multi-day trip, both were seen wearing wigs and at some point, the license plate on the rental car was swapped with out-of-state plates.

On Dec. 6, Utah authorities were called to a reported body outside of Cainville, Utah with gunshot wounds to the head which DNA testing eventually matched to the missing nine-year-old.

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By Sana Noor Haq, CNN

(CNN) — Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and her daughter Charlotte played a festive piano duet that aired Wednesday as part of an annual Christmas service celebrating “love in all its forms,” according to Kensington Palace.

British television viewers saw the “special musical moment” between Catherine and Princess Charlotte on Christmas Eve, the palace said in a statement, adding that the piano recital was recorded last week at Windsor Castle.

The royal mother and daughter performed “Holm Sound” by the Scottish producer Erland Cooper, a composition that they “enjoy playing together at home,” the palace statement added. Cooper wrote the song for his mother, to reflect values including “nature, connection and togetherness.”

The clip formed the opening sequence of the “Together at Christmas” concert, which is hosted by the Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey, in London, and broadcast annually in the United Kingdom on December 24. In 2021, the princess hosted the first service to honor those who made a meaningful impact on their local communities at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year’s extravaganza was filmed at the Abbey on December 5, and spotlit folks from all over the UK who have “dedicated or volunteered their time to be present with others, led initiatives that bring people in their community together, or offered a helping hand to those around them,” the palace said in a statement.

On the night, the majestic, candle-lit Abbey was filled with 1,600 people connected by the “love and compassion” that “binds us all at Christmas and all year round,” the palace statement added.

British woodland trees threaded with fruits, berries and Christmas trees woven by the horticulturalist Jamie Butterworth lined the footsteps of the Abbey to create a “magical wonderland for guests from the moment they arrive.”

After the service began, carols sung by the prestigious Westminster Abbey choir rang out inside the halls of the Gothic church. A selection of British artists, including Hannah Waddingham, Griff and Katie Melua delivered musical performances, while speakers including the Prince of Wales, Kate Winslet and Chiwetel Ejiofor delivered poignant readings – all tied by the theme of “love, compassion and connection.”

Supported by the prince and princess’s Royal Foundation charity, the show also featured a special performance by young people from Platinum Performing Arts, an organization based in the British capital.

Organizers also staged 15 other “Together at Christmas” community carol services across the UK – including in Manchester, the Isle of Wight and Dyfed, in southwest Wales.

The princess has steadily returned to royal duties since being diagnosed with cancer last year. In September 2024, she announced that she had completed chemotherapy and was “doing what I can to stay cancer free.”

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™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Lianne Kolirin and Lauren Said-Moorhouse contributed reporting.

The post Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and Princess Charlotte perform piano duet for Christmas carol service appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

By Jordan D. Brown, CNN

Welcome to 5 Things PM! Would you rather give the perfect gift or receive the top item on your Christmas list? Science shows one is better for your health than the other.

Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day.

5 things

1⃣ Listen up

Most Americans feel like political leaders don’t care what they have to say. A new CNN poll asked: If you could tell figures in Washington one thing that would make life better in the US, what would it be? See what topics dominated the responses.

2⃣ ‘Arbitrary’ grading

The University of Oklahoma removed an instructor who was accused by a student of religious discrimination. The student received a failing grade on an essay that cited the Bible and argued that a “belief in multiple genders” was “demonic.”

3⃣ Test your luck

Lottery hopefuls might be asking Santa to leave a big check from Powerball under the tree tonight. Americans get another shot at a grand prize after the jackpot climbed to $1.7 billion.

4⃣ Year of extremes

Procedure transparency. Canine cosmetics. The full bush agenda. Three prolific writers define the beauty culture moments that sum up 2025.

5⃣ Matriarch appreciation

While everyone else’s stockings are hung with care, Mom’s is often the last to be filled — if at all. They make the holidays magical, but their needs can be overlooked. Here’s how to make an extra effort this year.

Watch this

Home for the holidays: Not even pouring rain could get in the way of Navy sailors reuniting with their loved ones. Thousands of families gathered at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington for the emotional homecoming.

Top headlines

• Messaging shift in response to Epstein files frustrates Trump’s orbit
• ‘Dangerous scenario unfolding’ in Southern California from potent storm lashing the entire state
• Analysis: Ukraine’s Zelensky offers peace concessions — and puts the ball in Putin’s court

Check this out

‘The bigger the celebration, the better’: Most of the world starts its Christmas countdowns on the first day of December. This country brings in the holiday a little differently — with festivities spanning months.

For CNN s