BARCELONA: Ride-hailing companies Uber and Cabify said they will stop operating in Barcelona after the regional government in northeastern Spain passed tighter regulations.
Uber said in a statement Thursday that the law requiring users of the ride-hailing apps to contract services 15 minutes beforehand was “totally incompatible with the immediacy of on-demand services.”
The regional government of Catalonia is imposing the restriction after taxi drivers went on strike for several days in Barcelona. The protest included taxi drivers blocking a major boulevard and trashing cars used by ride-hailing companies.
Cabify said that it is disappointed that authorities “gave in to the pressure and demands of the taxi sector.”
Taxi drivers are striking in Madrid for similar restrictions on ride-hailing services.
Uber, Cabify stop services in Barcelona due to tighter laws
Uber, Cabify stop services in Barcelona due to tighter laws
Gold slips over 1 percent on strong dollar, easing rate-cut bets
- Chile central bank issues first gold purchase in decades
- BMI expects silver to average $93/oz in 2026
Gold prices fell more than 1 percent on Thursday, pressured by a stronger dollar and diminishing hopes for a reduction in borrowing costs as the ongoing Iran war stoked inflation concerns.
Spot gold dipped 1.1 percent at $5,118.16 per ounce by 1:31 p.m. ET (1731 GMT). US gold futures for April delivery settled 1 percent lower at $5,125.80.
The dollar gained for a third consecutive session. The greenback is a competitive safe-haven asset, and a stronger US currency makes gold more expensive for holders of other currencies.
“The higher dollar index, rising treasury yields and lack of interest-rate cuts are the negative factors, but the conflict in the Middle East has been generating some safe-haven flows,” said Phillip Streible, chief market strategist at Blue Line Futures.
Two tankers were ablaze in Iraqi waters in an apparent escalation in Iranian attacks that have cut off Middle East energy supplies. In reaction, oil prices rose sharply for the day.
Iran will avenge the blood of its martyrs, keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and attack US bases, new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said.
Higher crude prices feed into inflation by raising transportation and production costs. Gold is considered an inflation hedge, but high interest rates weigh on it by making yield-bearing assets more attractive.
“If they can prevent oil prices from climbing further, gold should be in a good place... On the bullish side for gold, the main argument is that central bank buying and steady exchange-traded fund inflows, which have remained positive all year,” Streible added.
Chile’s central bank issued its first major gold purchase since at least 2000. In February, the bank boosted its gold reserves to $1.108 billion, up from $42 million in January, equivalent to 2.2 percent of total reserves.
Elsewhere, spot silver eased 1 percent to $84.90. Prices gained more than 146 percent last year.
Analysts at BMI wrote in a note they expect silver to average $93 per ounce in 2026, with strong investment demand consolidating the gains witnessed in 2025, and offsetting price-induced demand destruction in solar panels and jewelry.
Spot platinum lost 1.1 percent to $2,145.75, and palladium fell 1 percent to $1,620.86.
