China said on Friday tension over North Korea had to be stopped from reaching an "irreversible and unmanageable stage" as a U.S. aircraft carrier group steamed toward the region amid fears the North may conduct a sixth nuclear weapons test.
The 100-day trade talks announced after a Sino-American presidential summit last week will aim to deal with decades of thorny trade issues, leaving some U.S. business leaders wary that the short timeline might yield superficial results.
Oil rose towards $56 a barrel on Monday, supported by another shutdown at Libya's largest oilfield, tension over Syria following the U.S. missile strike and signs that an OPEC-led supply cut is helping to clear excess supplies.
Gold charged to a fresh 5 month high at $1,269 during early trading on Friday after reports were released that the U.S military launched an airstrike on Syria which soured risk appetite.
Oil prices hit a one-month high on Friday after the United States fired missiles at a Syrian government airbase, sending shockwaves through global markets and raising concerns that the conflict could spread in the oil-rich region.
The safe-haven yen climbed against the dollar and euro on Friday and the ruble tumbled, after the United States launched cruise missiles at an airbase in Syria, raising tensions with Russia.
Wholesale London prices for physical gold jumped $15 from a drop to $1,384 per ounce Tuesday morning, gaining after the Interfax news agency in Russia reported two "objects" being fired in the Mediterranean, towards the sea's eastern coast.
Gold, silver and Brent oil rose and European stocks declined after reports of missile launches in the Mediterranean. Russian radar detected two ballistic "objects" that were fired toward the Syrian coastline from the central part of the sea.
