The US will send the USS Gerald R. Ford home after a record deployment of about 10 months, easing strain on roughly 4,500 sailors but reducing military firepower in the Middle East as tensions with Iran persist. The carrier, one of three in the region alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush, is expected to return to Virginia around mid-May for repairs after extended operations and mechanical issues.

Central banks increased gold purchases to the fastest pace in more than a year in Q1, with net official-sector buying rising to 244 tons from 208 tons in the previous quarter, according to estimates from the World Gold Council. Poland, Uzbekistan and China were the largest reported buyers, while some institutions sold an estimated 115 tons, including Turkey, Russia and Azerbaijan for policy-related reasons. The net increase came despite gold price volatility, with bullion hitting a record near $5,600 in late January before falling about 12% in March. Much of the central bank buying is unreported and estimated using trade data and research.

AUSTRALIA FOREIGN MINISTER WONG: WE ARE COMMITTED TO COOPERATE WITH CHINA IN AREAS INCLUDING ENERGY SECURITY