• Gold rises 0.1% to $4,492.51 with record high of $4,525.19.
• Silver gains $72.27 touching all-time peak of $72.70.
• Thin year-end liquidity exaggerats recent price moves.

Gold surged past the $4,500-an-ounce mark for the first time on Wednesday, while silver and platinum also scaled record highs, as investors piled into precious metals on safe-haven demand and expectations that US interest rates will fall further next year.

Spot gold rose 0.1% to $4,492.51 per ounce by 0359 GMT, after touching a record high of $4,525.19 earlier in the session. US gold futures for February delivery climbed 0.3% to a record high of $4,520.60.

Silver gained 1.2% to $72.27 an ounce, after hitting an all-time peak of $72.70 earlier, while platinum jumped 3.3% to $2,351.05 after rising to a historic high of $2,377.50.

Palladium climbed almost 2% to $1,897.11, its highest level in three years.

“Precious metals have become more of a speculative narrative around the idea that, with de-globalisation, you need an asset that can act as a neutral go-between, without sovereign risk particularly as tensions between the US and China persist,” said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive.

Thin year-end liquidity exaggerated recent price moves but the broader theme was likely to endure, with gold targeting $5,000 over the next six to twelve months and silver potentially pushing toward $80 as markets respond to key psychological levels, Spivak added.

Gold has surged more than 70% this year, its biggest annual gain since 1979, driven by safe-haven demand, expectations of US rate cuts, robust central-bank buying, de-dollarisation trends and ETF inflows, with traders pricing in two rate cuts next year.

Silver has jumped more than 150% over the same period, outpacing gold on strong investment demand, its inclusion on the US critical minerals list and momentum buying.

Gold and silver have “been hitting the accelerator pedal this week” with fresh record highs, reflecting their appeal as stores of value amid expectations of lower US rates and lingering global debt, said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.

Platinum and palladium, primarily used in automotive catalytic converters to reduce emissions, have surged this year on tight mine supply, tariff uncertainty, and a rotation from gold investment demand, with platinum up about 160% and palladium gaining more than 100% year to date.

“What we’re seeing in platinum and palladium is largely catch-up,” Spivak said adding that the thin nature of those markets leave them vulnerable to sharp swings, even as they broadly track gold, once liquidity returns.

Kate Hudson got candid about one of her career “what ifs,” turning down a role in the original Spider-Man film.

The Oscar-nominated actress recently confirmed once and for all that she was offered a part in the first installment of Sam Raimi’s webslinger franchise.

While reading a fan-submitted question on Watch What Happens Live! on Monday, December 22, host Andy Cohen asked, “Did you really turn down the role of Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man, and do you regret it?”

“Yes, I did,” the Almost Famous star replied. “Now when I look back, it’s one of those things where I’m like, ‘That would have been nice to be in the Spider-Man movie.'”

However, she explained that passing on the role led her to a different opportunity, which she treasured a lot.

“At the same time, I did a movie called The Four Feathers. I got to meet Heath Ledger, who became a very good friend, and I had an experience I never would have had otherwise,” the 46-year-old actress and singer said. “So part of me feels like life happens exactly the way it’s supposed to, and I’m grateful for it.”

She admitted there’s a small part of her that wonders what might have been.

“I do look at that and think, ‘Aww, it would have been fun to be her,'” Hudson added.

When Cohen pointed out that the role would have meant appearing in not just one film but an entire trilogy, she responded, “I know, I know!”

What role Kate Hudson was asked to play in Spider-Man?

Hudson was reportedly offered the part of Mary Jane Watson in Raimi‘s 2002 film, but she turned it down, and Kirsten Dunst was eventually cast a month before filming began.

Dunst, 43, went on to play the role in all three movies alongside Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in that trilogy.

Taylor Swift is opening up about why one of the most emotional and fan-favourite moments of the Eras Tour means so much to her. 

In episode six of her Disney+ docuseries The End of an Era, the singer reflects on the nostalgia and personal connection behind performing 22 each night and reviving a look that longtime fans instantly recognise.

During the episode, Swift explains that the moment is rooted in the original Red Tour, where the song became closely tied to a playful, carefree image. 

“The 22 moment stems from a hat that I wore on the Red Tour,” Swift says as footage shows her in a white T-shirt reading “Not a lot going on at the moment,” paired with glittery shorts and a black fedora. 

“So, I wanted to really bring back that moment of just kinda like, have a moment with a fan, where I actually get close with them.”

That idea comes to life throughout the tour as Swift kneels down, hugs young fans, and places the fedora on their heads during the performance.

According to Swift, the child she shares the moment with is never chosen in advance by her. 

“I’ve got people in the audience scouring the crowd for the first couple of ‘eras,’ trying to find a kid who knows every single word to the songs and having the time of their life at this show,” she explains. 

She adds that “that kid basically is like a representative of every kid in that crowd that night.”

Swift also points out how different each interaction can be, depending on the child. Some become shy under the massive spotlight, while others instantly light up. 

“It could be, like, a little kid that gets really shy when all of a sudden they’re seeing 60,000 people for the first time,” she says. 

“Or, it could be, there are kids that just like bloom under the bright lights, and they’re like, ‘Oh my God I’m a pop star now.’”

For Swift, these brief exchanges are powerful reminders of why she performs. 

“Everything’s going on around us and somehow we’re able to just have this moment be completely between us,” she says. “We’re just meeting each other and everyone else kind of disappears for a second. It just reminds me why I do it.”

The Eras Tour has featured countless versions of this now-iconic 22 moment, each one different but equally meaningful. 

Fans can see more behind-the-scenes insight in the final two episodes of The End of an Era, now streaming on Disney+.