CBS News
U.K. prime minister condemns far-right rioting sparked after fatal stabbing: “This is not a protest”
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer strongly condemned an attack Sunday on a hotel housing asylum seekers that saw at least 10 police officers injured, one seriously, describing it as “far-right thuggery,” as more violence broke out across the country in the wake of a stabbing rampage at a dance class that left three girls dead and many more wounded.
In a statement from 10 Downing Street on Sunday afternoon, the prime minister vowed that the authorities will “do whatever it takes to bring these thugs to justice” and that justice will be swift.
“I guarantee you will regret taking part in this disorder, whether directly or those whipping up this action online and then running away themselves,” he said. “This is not a protest, it is organized, violent thuggery and it has no place on our streets or online.”
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Starmer was speaking after another day of far-right violence, which was particularly acute in the north of England town of Rotherham where police struggled to hold back hundreds of rioters who sought to break into a Holiday Inn Express hotel being used as accommodation for asylum-seekers.
Before bringing the riot under some sort of control, police officers with shields had faced a barrage of missiles, including bits of wood, chairs and fire extinguishers. A large bin close to a window of the hotel was also set alight but the small fire was extinguished.
South Yorkshire Police, which is responsible for Rotherham, said at least 10 officers have been injured, including one who was left unconscious.
“The behaviour we witnessed has been nothing short of disgusting. While it was a smaller number of those in attendance who chose to commit violence and destruction, those who simply stood on and watched remain absolutely complicit in this,” said Assistant Chief Constable Lindsey Butterfield. “We have officers working hard, reviewing the considerable online imagery and footage of those involved, and they should expect us to be at their doors very soon.”
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Far-right agitators have sought to take advantage of last week’s stabbing attack by tapping into concerns about the scale of immigration in the U.K., in particular the tens of thousands of migrants arriving in small boats from France across the English Channel.
Tensions were also running high Sunday in the northeastern town of Middlesbrough, where some protesters broke free of a police guard. One group walked through a residential area smashing the windows of houses and cars. When asked by a resident why they were breaking windows, one man replied, “Because we’re English.” Hundreds of others squared up to police with shields at the town’s cenotaph, throwing bricks, cans and pots at officers.
Starmer said anyone targeting people for the color of their skin or their faith is far-right.
“People in this country have a right to be safe, and yet we’ve seen Muslim communities targeted, attacks on mosques, other minority communities singled out, Nazi salutes in the street, attacks on the police, wanton violence alongside racist rhetoric, so no, I won’t shy away from calling it what it is: far-right thuggery,” he said.
The violence over the past days, which has seen a library torched, mosques attacked and flares thrown at a statue of wartime leader Winston Churchill, began after false rumors spread online that the suspect in the dance class stabbing attack was an asylum-seeker, fueling anger among far-right supporters.
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Suspects under 18 are usually not named in the U.K., but the judge in the case ordered Axel Rudakubana, born in Wales to Rwandan parents, to be identified, in part to stop the spread of misinformation. Rudakubana has been charged with three counts of murder, and 10 counts of attempted murder.
Hundreds of people have been arrested in connection with the disorder and many more are likely as police scour CCTV, social media and body-worn camera footage. However, police have also warned that with widespread security measures in place, with thousands of officers deployed, other crimes may not be investigated fully.
With so many arrests, the courts will face a challenge in processing all the charges at a time when the criminal justice system is overstretched, following years of austerity and the COVID pandemic. In May, the National Audit Office warned that the courts faced a backlog of more than 60,000 cases, while the government said last month that thousands of inmates would have to be released early to ease prison overcrowding.
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Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions for England and Wales, said extra lawyers have been deployed over the weekend and will work “around the clock” over the coming days to ensure justice is served. He said he has directed prosecutors to make immediate charging decisions where key evidence is in place.
“I am determined that we will act swiftly and robustly, giving the courts maximum ability to pass sentences that reflect what has occurred,” he said.
Many of the demonstrations over the past week were organized online by far-right groups, who mobilize support with phrases like “enough is enough,” “save our kids” and “stop the boats.”
Rallying cries have come from a diffuse group of social media accounts, but a key player in amplifying them is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a longtime far-right agitator who uses the name Tommy Robinson. He led the English Defense League, which Merseyside Police has linked to the violent protest in Southport on Tuesday, near the scene of the stabbing attack.
Yaxley-Lennon, 41, was banned from Twitter in 2018 but allowed back after it was bought by Elon Musk and rebranded as X. He has more than 800,000 followers. He currently faces an arrest warrant after leaving the U.K. last week before a scheduled hearing in contempt-of-court proceedings against him.
Nigel Farage, who was elected to parliament in July for the first time as leader of Reform U.K., has also been blamed by many for encouraging — indirectly — the anti-immigration sentiment. He has sought to link many of the problems the country faces, such as in health and housing, on the big annual increases in the country’s population.
President Biden is in Arizona on Friday to issue a formal presidential apology to Native American communities for the atrocities committed against Indigenous people during a 150-year era of forced federal Indian boarding schools. The president’s remarks are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. EDT.
The president chose to speak at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, although his apology is for all tribal communities that suffered. From 1819 through the 1970s, the federal government and religious institutions established boarding schools throughout the country to assimilate Alaska Native, American Indian and Native Hawaiian children into White American culture by forcibly removing them from their families, communities and belief systems. Many children who attended these boarding schools endured emotional and physical abuse, and hundreds of them died.
“I’m heading to do something that should have been done a long time ago,” Mr. Biden told reporters before boarding Marine One on Thursday afternoon. “Make a formal apology to the Indian nations for the way we treated their children for so many years.”
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The Department of the Interior, run by the first Native American Cabinet secretary, Deb Haaland, conducted the first-ever federal investigation into the Indian federal boarding school era. It revealed that more than 500 American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian children’s deaths occurred at 19 of the federal Indian boarding schools, and identified 53 marked and unmarked burial sites at school sites nationwide. The federal government often contracted with Presbyterian, Catholic and Episcopalian religious institutions to run the schools.
The report found that when children failed to meet standards or broke rules, they were subjected to corporal punishment, including “solitary confinement; flogging; withholding food; whipping; slapping; and cuffing.” Oftentimes, older children were forced to inflict punishment on their younger classmates.
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Arizona on Thursday, Haaland’s voice broke.
“For more than a century, tens of thousands of Indigenous children, as young as 4 years old, were taken from their families and communities and forced into boarding schools run by the U.S. government and religious institutions,” Haaland said. “This includes my own family. For decades, this terrible chapter was hidden from our history books. But now, our administration’s work will ensure that no one will ever forget.”
How to watch President Biden’s remarks at the Gila River Indian Community
- What: President Biden delivers an apology on behalf of the country for atrocities at federal Indian boarding schools.
- Date: Friday, Oct. 25, 2024
- Time: 1:30 p.m. EDT
- Location: Gila River Indian Community in Arizona
- Online stream: Live on CBS News in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device.
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If you’ve paid any attention to the precious metals market recently, you’re likely aware that gold has been on an impressive upward trajectory since the start of the year. On January 1, gold was trading at $2,063.73 per ounce. Fast forward to today (October 25, 2024), and the price of gold is sitting at $2,734.46 per ounce. This represents an increase of $670.73 per ounce, amounting to a growth rate of approximately 33% in a little over 10 months. This significant growth has captured the attention of investors and market analysts worldwide, as gold’s performance defies predictions and underscores its historic role as a stable store of value.
The recent rally becomes even more noteworthy when compared to gold’s prior record highs. Just this August, the price reached $2,525 per ounce — a milestone that marked a new peak at the time. However, gold’s price was far from plateauing at that point. The price of gold continued to surge, eventually surpassing that mark by over $200 per ounce. This upward movement has established the past year as a standout year for gold, drawing investors who may have initially seen these peaks as ceiling prices, but who now view gold’s price potential as far more expansive than anticipated.
But while there’s no question that gold has offered some of the biggest returns over the past year, many investors are questioning what, precisely, is driving this sustained surge. So why is the price of gold so high right now? That’s what we’ll break down below.
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Why is the price of gold so high right now?
Here are a few of the factors that have been pushing gold’s price to new heights over the last year.
Central banks are buying in
A primary force behind gold’s recent bull run is the purchasing activity of central banks worldwide. Central banks, particularly those in emerging economies, are increasing their gold reserves as a hedge against economic uncertainty and to diversify their holdings away from traditional fiat currencies. This sustained buying pressure from such powerful market participants has created a strong foundation for price appreciation and signals a broader shift in institutional attitudes toward gold as a strategic asset.
Investors are capitalizing on short-term gains
In addition to central banks, individual investors have been flocking to gold, seeing an opportunity for both short-term and long-term gains. With gold prices rising so quickly, gold has become an attractive asset for speculative trading as well as a safer, longer-term investment. So, some investors are now seeking quick returns by betting on the momentum of gold’s climb to earn rapid profits, while others continue to rely on gold’s stability.
The rush of buying and trading activity creates a feedback loop, further driving demand and prices up. This blend of trading activity has been a core factor in the consistent upward price movement over the past year, illustrating gold’s dual role as both a stable store of value and a source of near-term market excitement.
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More investors are diversifying
Ongoing geopolitical tensions, including election year uncertainties, are also playing into gold’s price surge. Elections can influence market sentiment by adding uncertainty, often triggering interest in safe-haven assets like gold. Additionally, global economic slowdowns and international conflicts, such as those involving energy trade disputes, have introduced more volatility in the global market, leading investors to seek refuge in gold.
With each spike in uncertainty, gold’s appeal as a safe, non-correlated asset increases, attracting investors looking to hedge against potential market downturns. For many, gold remains a reliable safeguard, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone in diversified portfolios, especially during periods of unpredictability.
The limited supply also plays a role
The limited supply of gold has also contributed to its recent price surge. Gold is a finite resource, after all, and mining new gold is both costly and time-intensive. As demand grows from both investors and industrial sectors, the pressure on gold’s limited supply intensifies, elevating its value.
Technological advancements in sectors like electronics and green energy have also increased gold’s utility. Gold is used in electronic components, medical devices and emerging green technologies, creating steady industrial demand. This expanding industrial application is a lesser-known but increasingly important factor, reinforcing gold’s value beyond traditional uses.
The bottom line
The remarkable ascent of gold prices in 2024 can be attributed to a perfect storm of global economic and political factors. Central banks’ substantial purchases, investors’ pursuit of both security and short-term gains, geopolitical uncertainties and the finite nature of gold itself have converged to create a robust and sustained rally.
Looking ahead, many analysts believe that gold’s trajectory may continue upward, especially if central banks and industrial sectors sustain their interest and if global uncertainties persist. While the current price surge may eventually stabilize, investors and analysts alike are continuing to keep a close eye on this precious metal right now, as gold continues to set new records and play a vital role in today’s dynamic economic landscape.
At 56, Kim Hale is reigniting her passion for dance, sharing her journey on social media and embracing the motto, “Dreams have no deadlines,” as she pursues a role on Broadway.
Hale, who has over 13 million likes on TikTok, said she has always loved the stage and the energy that New York City brings,
“It just feels like a city where you can dream big,” said Hale.
Hale’s dream of performing on Broadway began in her early years, driven by her passion for expressing herself through movement. She pursued that ambition into her 20s and 30s, but eventually left New York, finding the constant rejection difficult to handle. Reflecting on that time, she acknowledges that she was more vulnerable then. Relocating to California, Hale remained connected to dance, teaching and working for renowned dancer and actor Debbie Allen.
“The biggest gift I got was working for Debbie Allen, and being able to be in her world, which taught me that you can take the skills of dance and apply them to anything,” said Hale.
Hale was around dance, but she wasn’t dancing, and it turns out, that is what her heart still wanted.
“It took COVID. It took the loss of both of my parents. It took skin cancer to get me to step back into a dance studio,” said Hale.
With encouragement from a friend, Hale enrolled in a hip-hop class and “ended up loving it,” saying that each class helped her reconnect with herself.
Hale began sharing her journey on social media, where her posts took off. Broadway choreographer Jerry Mitchell commented on one of her videos, telling her, “Dreams have no deadlines.” It’s a mantra she holds close.
“I just held onto that,” she said.
In May, Hale got to perform in a special showing of “Chicago,” though she doesn’t see it as her official Broadway debut.
“I want to audition and book a show because I prepared for it. I was ready when opportunity met preparation, and I got it,” she said.
For Hale, her return to New York and pursuit of a Broadway role is about more than just achieving a dream.
“The goal is to see what I’m capable of,” she said. “You have to do the work. You have to be ready. But I believe that if it’s meant for me, it will happen. And if it’s not, maybe there’s something bigger out there.”
