New Delhi: The rates of gold and silver surged by over 1 per cent to hit fresh record highs on Tuesday, driven by safe-haven demand, notably due to escalating US-Venezuela tensions. 

MCX gold February futures rose 1.2 per cent to an all‑time high of Rs 1,38,381 per 10 grams and were up 1.01 per cent as of 10.48 am.

MCX silver surged 1.7 per cent to a record high of Rs 2,16,596 per kilogram and was up 1.30 per cent as of 10.48 am. The dollar index had declined 0.20 per cent during the session, making gold cheaper in overseas currencies.

Heightened geopolitical uncertainty, notably escalating US‑Venezuela tensions, has underpinned the rally, analysts said.

The US Coast Guard this month seized a super tanker under sanctions carrying Venezuelan oil and tried to intercept two more Venezuela‑related ships over the weekend, heightening tensions, according to multiple reports.

“Safe haven bidding is featured to start a holiday‑shortened trading week, amid heightened geopolitical tensions,” Rahul Kalantri, VP Commodities, Mehta Equities Ltd, said.

Intensifying US-Venezuela tensions and the killing of a Russian army general in a bomb attack on Monday increased geopolitical risk and supported gold and silver, Kalantri said.

Both precious metals also gained after cooling-off US inflation and no bigger surprise from the Bank of Japan policy meetings last week, he added.

Gold has support at the Rs 1,35,550-1,34,710 zone, while resistance is at the Rs 1,37,650-1,38,470 levels.

Silver has support at Rs 2,11,150-2,10,280 zone while resistance is at Rs 2,13,810, 2,14,970 levels, the analyst said.

Aggressive central bank buying, expectations of US Fed rate cuts, concerns over the impact of US tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and robust inflows into gold and silver ETFs drove the gold and silver prices this year.

Domestic spot gold prices have surged 76 per cent year‑to‑date and international gold prices almost 70 per cent in 2025, on track for their strongest annual performance since 1979.

Both domestic and international prices of silver have gained about 140 per cent YTD.

New Delhi: A social media post is going viral that claims, from 1st April 2026, the Income Tax Department will have the authority to access your social media, emails, and other digital platforms to curb tax evasion.

A post is being circulated by an X handle IndianTechGuide. Fact-checking agency PIB has refuted the social media claim. PIB has stated that the claim being made in this post is misleading.

Can Income Tax Department Access Your Social Media, Emails, Other Digital Platforms?

PIB further explained, the provisions of section 247 of the Income Tax Act 2025 are strictly limited to Search and Survey operations. Unless a taxpayer is undergoing a formal search operation due to evidence of significant tax evasion, the department has no power to access their private digital spaces. 

A post by @IndianTechGuide claims that from April 1, 2026, the Income Tax Department will have the ‘authority’ to access your social media, emails, and other digital platforms to curb tax evasion.#PIBFactCheck

_The claim being made in this post is #misleading! Here’s the real_ pic.twitter.com/hIyPPcvALF
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) December 22, 2025

It added, the powers cannot be used for routine information gathering/processing, or even for cases under scrutiny assessment. These measures are specifically designed to target black money and large-scale evasion during search and survey, not the everyday law-abiding citizen

PIB said that the power to seize documents and evidence during search and survey operations has existed since the 1961 Act.

How to get messages fact-checked by PIB

If you get any such suspicious message, you can always know its authenticity and check if the news is for real or it is a fake news. For that, you need to send the message to https://factcheck.pib.gov.in. Alternatively you can send a WhatsApp message to +918799711259 for fact check. You can also send your message to pibfactcheck@gmail.com. The fact check information is also available on https://pib.gov.in.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a pill version of the weight-loss drug Wegovy, according to pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk.

It is the first pill of its kind to receive approval from the regulator, marking a new era for weight-loss drugs.

Wegovy’s Danish makers Novo Nordisk said the once-daily pill was a “convenient option” to the injectable and would provide the same weight loss as the shot. It comes after Wegovy was approved by the FDA specifically for weight loss.

Others like Ozempic, which has similar weight-loss effects, were primarily approved for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.

The BBC has contacted the FDA for comment.

The Wegovy pill showed an average weight loss of 16.6% during Novo Nordisk’s trials, the firm said on Monday.

A third of around 1,300 participants experienced 20% or greater weight loss in the same trial, it added.

The pill is expected to be launched in the US in early January 2026.

“Patients will have a convenient, once-daily pill that can help them lose as much weight as the original Wegovy injection,” said Mike Doustdar, the firm’s chief executive.

The pill version of Wegovy could give Novo Nordisk’s sales a boost after a challenging year which saw its shares slide as it warned over its profits.

The company has faced intense competition in the weight-loss market from rival drugmakers like Eli Lilly.

Novo Nordisk’s shares rose by almost 10% in after-hours trade in New York after the announcement.