Commodities: Fresh high for gold
Gold leapt to a new record high Friday as an energy crisis in South Africa saw the country's miners cut back production in order to save power.
The February futures contract added $4.90 to $910.70 an ounce in New York, but had hit $924.30 earlier in the session.
State-run utility Eskom indicated that loads for key industrial consumers will be reduced to "survival levels" or switched off totally for the next two to four weeks a sit struggles to meet demand.
Elsewhere, silver, copper, platinum and palladium were all higher.
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It was a second day of gains on the oil markets as hopes that the US fiscal stimulus package announced by President Bush Thursday will help the economy sent crude above $90.
US light crude for March delivery jumped $1.30 to $90.71 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, although that was off its best of the day at $91.37.
Sentiment improved again on the news that congressional leaders and Bush have finally agreed on a $150bn fiscal stimulus package of tax breaks and incentives.
That soothed fears that a US recession could seriously dent demand for the black gold.
