Gold (XAU/USD) trades with a bullish bias at the start of the first full trading week of 2026, as heightened tensions between the United States (US) and Venezuela drive fresh safe-haven demand. At the time of writing, XAU/USD trades around $4,420, up nealry 2% on the day. Over the weekend, the US launched a major military operation in Venezuela, carrying out air and ground strikes that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. US President Donald Trump said the US would temporarily “run” Venezuela. “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper ... (full story)