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Former US Chief of Staff: We slaughtered huge numbers of innocent people in Iraq and other countries (video) Arab And InternationalIraqBreakingU.S. MilitarySyria 2024-05-10 // 00:17 Shafaq News Former Chief of Staff of the US Army, Mark Milley, acknowledged that the United States of America killed many innocent civilians in the wars in which it participated. Milley was commenting on the war that Israel has been waging in the Gaza Strip for more than 7 months, in which about 35,000 Palestinians were killed, on the sidelines of his participation in an artificial intelligence exhibition in Washington. He said: “Before we all disavow what Israel is doing, and I am horrified by the death of innocent people in Gaza, we should not forget that we, the United States, killed many innocent people in Mosul (Iraq) and in Raqqa (Syria).” The former military official added: “The United States killed 12,000 innocent French civilians. And here we are on the 80th anniversary of Normandy. We have destroyed 69 Japanese cities, in addition to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” Milley continued: "We slaughtered people in huge numbers, innocent people who had nothing to do with their government, men, women and children." He continued: "War is a terrible thing. But if it has any meaning, if it has any moral sense, there must be a political goal, and it must be achieved quickly and at the lowest cost." Video Clip: https://media.shafaq.com/media/arcella_v/اركان.mp4 https://shafaq.com/ar/عربي-ودولي/ر-يس-ال-ركان-ال-مريكي-السابق-ذبحنا-عدادا-ها-لة-من-الابريا-في-العراق-وغيره-من-البلدان-فيديو

I would be surprised if they manage 1 of these issues let alone 2. Bunch of fools

With the extension of its legislative recess.. Will the Iraqi Parliament succeed in resolving the budget and the president? PoliticsParliamentBreakingLegislative RecessFederal BudgetElection Of The President 2024-05-10 // 09:55 Shafaq News / The Iraqi Council of Representatives decided to extend its first legislative term for the third legislative year of the fifth electoral cycle for a period of 30 days in light of the continuing disagreements to choose a new speaker of the Council, and waiting for the Council of Ministers to send the 2024 budget schedules to Parliament for passage. The House of Representatives said in a statement yesterday, Thursday, that “based on Article 58 of the Constitution, the Presidency of the House of Representatives decided to extend the first legislative term of the third legislative year, the fifth electoral session, for a period of thirty days.” This comes after a member of the Parliamentary Legal Committee, Raed Al-Maliki, announced yesterday, Thursday, that the House of Representatives will enter its legislative recess, starting tomorrow, Friday (today). Extraordinary session Al-Maliki told Shafaq News Agency, “The House of Representatives ended the first legislative term of the third legislative year on Thursday, and starting tomorrow, Friday, the House will enjoy the legislative recess until next June.” He explained, "The second legislative term will begin next June 9, and therefore the House of Representatives will enjoy the legislative recess for only one month." He pointed out, "If the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives is agreed upon or the budget tables are sent to the House, Parliament will hold an extraordinary or emergency session to discuss any important event during the legislative recess." The Shiite coordination framework announced, after a meeting in Maliki’s office last Monday, its intention to hold a session devoted to choosing a speaker for Parliament after the expiry of a deadline it set of one week, at a time when three Sunni alliances (Sovereignty, Resolve, and National Resolution) announced their support for the framework’s position. The position of Speaker of the House of Representatives is a Sunni share, according to the prevailing political custom in Iraq since the formation of the political system after the year 2003, while the position of Prime Minister goes to the Shiites, and the President of the Republic goes to the Kurds. Parliament failed in four attempts to elect a replacement for Al-Halbousi due to the lack of consensus on a single candidate, in light of the Sunni fragmentation and the coordination framework’s insistence on nominating new figures or keeping Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, the first deputy speaker of Parliament, as acting president. It is noteworthy that three Sunni candidates are currently competing for the position: Salem Al-Issawi, who received 97 votes during the first session held last January, Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, who received 48 votes, and Talal Al-Zubaie, who received one vote. Optimism to resolve the budget In this context, MP Kamel Al-Ugaili says, “Choosing a new speaker for the House of Representatives is up to the other component, which is their share, and they must agree on a personality to move forward with, and that the members of Parliament are waiting for the opinion of the Sunnis to resolve this issue.” Regarding the budget file, Al-Ugaili pointed out during his talk to Shafaq News Agency, “Most projects will slow down if the budget schedules are not approved so that the government can proceed with its clearly visible development work that has touched the needs of citizens, and it is expected that the budget file will be resolved during this month.” The financial and economic advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, explained that “the delay in the budget does not mean that the House of Representatives is far from the circle of communication with the executive authority, broad consultation, exchange of information, and access to the country’s financial details.” Saleh confirmed to Shafaq News Agency, yesterday, Thursday, “In fact, the House of Representatives is fully informed and appreciates the importance of the time frame for making estimates and building the necessary precise practical and professional applications, especially in the 2024 and 2025 budget.” In turn, the Parliamentary Finance Committee revealed, yesterday, Thursday, the reasons for the government’s failure to vote on the 2024 budget schedules and send them to the House of Representatives. According to committee member Muhammad Nouri, the budget law schedules were supposed to be presented in the previous session of the Council of Ministers, but they were postponed due to the increase in government spending, the large deficit within the budget, and the government’s overrun of the original 2023 budget. The MP explained to Shafaq News Agency, “The government is currently looking to reduce unnecessary expenditures by making financial transfers and expanding non-oil financial revenues, in addition to that the government is also working to reduce the percentage of the deficit in the general budget for the year 2024, which exceeded more than 80 trillion dinars.” It is likely that “the budget law schedules will be presented in the next session of the Council of Ministers and we are awaiting their approval and sending them to the House of Representatives.” Earlier, Acting Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, agreed with the Prime Minister, Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, on the necessity of completing the schedules of the budget law for the year 2024, and expediting their sending to the House of Representatives for the purpose of discussing and voting on them, due to their connection to the lives of citizens and their focus on investment spending for new projects. Political and popular circles have been waiting for five months for the approval of Iraq’s budget for the year 2024, the largest and most deficit in its history, amid fears that it will cause financial and economic problems that the government is unable to address, especially after the sudden change in the total amount reaching 228 trillion dinars and a deficit exceeding 80 trillion. . The repercussions of the president's crisis The crisis in choosing a new president for the Iraqi Parliament cast a shadow on the performance of the Council, as performance is linked to what is on the agenda of the House of Representatives, and with the delay in choosing a new speaker, the House of Representatives was unable to perform many of its duties and the laws proposed on its agenda, according to the writer and political analyst, Saeed Al-Badri. Al-Badri added to Shafaq News Agency, “Parliament has enacted laws, some of which are for achievement and others are to fill the void. The most important law that has been legislated is the law against prostitution and homosexuality, given its connection to the value system of the Iraqi people. As for the main suspended laws, they are many, the most prominent of which is the oil and gas law and other laws related to With Iraqi sovereignty, defining powers, and developing some public sectors, these remained in the Council’s drawers.” He asserts, “The House of Representatives faces great challenges, and the political blocs and their representatives must decide to elect a president capable of moving the stagnant waters and advancing the work of the House, which needs a lot of development.” Legislative recess Regarding the legislative recess, the legal expert, Ali Al-Tamimi, explains that “the Iraqi constitution was frank and clear regarding the legislative recess of the House of Representatives in the text of Article 57 of the Constitution, which said that the House of Representatives has an annual session with two legislative terms lasting 8 months. The bylaws determine how they are held and the term does not end.” The session in which the budget is presented only after its approval, and this text is the ruling in determining the legislative term, duration, and recess.” Al-Tamimi added to Shafaq News Agency, “Also, Article 58 of the Constitution said that the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or 50 members of the Council have the right to call the House of Representatives to extraordinary sessions, and it will be limited to the topics that called for it, so the issue of convening and disrupting “It will be returned to Parliament by voting on it in accordance with Article 59 of the Iraqi Constitution.” He continues his speech, “Because Article 59 of the Constitution stipulates that the quorum for the sessions of the House of Representatives is achieved by the presence of an absolute majority of its members, and decisions are taken by a simple majority, which is half the number of attendees plus one after the quorum is achieved, it is a matter of discretion with the presence of a large number of suspended laws estimated at up to 170 laws.” https://shafaq.com/ar/سیاسة/مع-تمديد-عطلته-التشريعية-هل-سينجح-البرلمان-العراقي-بحسم-الموازنة-والر-يس

Al-Hakim: Iraq's future cannot be mortgaged to volatile oil prices PoliticsBreakingOilAmmar Al-HakimThe Future Of IraqFind Alternatives 2024-05-10 // 03:08 Shafaq News / The leader of the National Wisdom Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, called on Friday to search for other alternatives to oil to support the economy in Iraq, stressing that the country’s future cannot be mortgaged to volatile crude prices. This came from a joint press conference held with the head of the local government in Muthanna Governorate, Muhannad Al-Attabi, the president and members of the governorate council, a number of members of the House of Representatives from the governorate, directors of service departments and security leaders. Al-Hakim said in his conference, “There are those who deliberately thwarted the transfer of powers to local governments when they sent the powers without instructions, training, and preparation, and the behavior of some governors distorted the experience, which created an excuse to restore powers to the center.” He added, "The issue contains a lot of injustice when you compare local governments as a young experience to ministries that are more than 100 years old, calling for protecting the powers of the governorates and for there to be a pause in cooperation with local governments to restore rights." Al-Hakim also pointed out the relationship between services and satisfaction with the political system, so local governments are in the line of defense, and we stressed the importance of proper planning, priorities, and timing. He also called for referring projects to reputable companies to complete them with high quality and acceptable costs, and the importance of accompanying the project with a timetable for work, completion, what has passed, and what remains. Al-Hakim warned of the decline in oil prices, saying: We must search for alternatives, as the future cannot be mortgaged to volatile oil prices. The leader of the National Wisdom Movement stressed the necessity of completing lagging local and ministerial projects to avoid extinction and double losses, calling for attention to strategic projects, including the Jumaimah port, which changes the reality of the governorate, noting the importance of the development road and its contribution to the development of Muthanna Governorate. Al-Hakim stressed on confronting drugs and their frightening spread, describing this as “a great challenge that everyone must face, and the necessity of distinguishing between traffickers and drug users, as the latter is sick and needs a sanatorium while the former is a criminal who needs to be imprisoned, and mixing them turns the drug user into traffickers.” https://shafaq.com/ar/سیاسة/الحكيم-لا-يمكن-رهن-مستقبل-العراق-ب-سعار-النفط-المتقلبة

The Iraqi Parliament extends its legislative term for a month PoliticsMuhammad Al-HalbousiBreakingIraqi ParliamentLegislative Chapter 2024-05-09 // 14:15 Shafaq News / The Presidency of the Iraqi Council of Representatives decided, on Thursday, to extend the first legislative term for a period of thirty days. The presidency stated in a brief statement that the decision was based on Article 58 of the Constitution. Constitutional Article 58 - Secondly stipulates: “The legislative term of the House of Representatives’ session shall be extended for no more than thirty days, in order to accomplish the tasks that require this, based on a request from the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or fifty members of the House.” . On November 21, 2023, the Presidency of the House of Representatives decided to officially terminate the membership of the Speaker of the House, Muhammad Al-Halbousi, based on a Federal Court decision against the backdrop of a lawsuit filed against him by Representative Laith Al-Dulaimi, in which he accused him of forging his (Al-Dulaimi’s) resignation from membership in the House of Representatives. As a result, the Federal Court ruled to terminate their membership (Al-Halbousi and Al-Dulaimi). The Iraqi Council of Representatives failed several times to choose a president to succeed Muhammad al-Halbousi, due to the heads of the political blocs not agreeing on the alternative candidate. https://shafaq.com/ar/سیاسة/البرلمان-العراقي-يمدد-فصله-التشريعي-مدة-شهر

For the third day in a row... oil prices rise EconomyBreakingOil PricesTo Rise 2024-05-09 // 21:35 Shafaq News / Oil prices rose in early trading today, Friday, for the third day in a row, halting a series of losses that brought prices to their lowest levels in more than a month and a half. The improvement in prices coincides with a decline in US oil inventories with an increase in refinery consumption and Chinese imports alongside Side by side, negotiations to reach a truce in Gaza faltered. The incentives increased in recent sessions, thanks to indicators of an improvement in the Chinese economy and indicators of a recovery in demand in the two largest economies in the world, along with the failure to reach an agreement during the negotiations aimed at stopping the fighting in the Gaza Strip, which supported prices to their highest levels since the end of April. the past. US West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices rose, with futures rising by 0.6 cents to $79.82. Benchmark Brent crude rose beyond futures contracts to reach $84.4, an increase of 0.55 cents per barrel for futures contracts for July delivery. The current levels of oil are the highest recorded by the two crude oils at settlement since the end of April, after a series of declines. https://shafaq.com/ar/اقتصـاد/لليوم-الثالث-تواليا-ارتفاع-سعار-النفط

Funicolare ( cable-car) Naples superclassic Sung by world-famous lyric singer Luciano Pavarotti - RIP who was not from Naples but from Modena, Emilia-Romagna region in the North...So his accent is not typically Neapolitan....Near Modena there's Maranello, the village where they make Ferrari cars.....Not too far ( in S.Agata Bolognese near Bologna) there's also the Lamborghini car plant https://lyricstranslate.com/en/funiculi-funicula-funiculi-funicula.html

The Iraqi Central Bank informs France of the plan to restructure government banks EconomyCentral Bank Of Iraq 2024-05-09 // 09:12 Shafaq News / The Central Bank of Iraq confirmed, on Thursday, that the plan to restructure government banks will change the map and reality of the banking sector in Iraq. A statement from the bank received by Shafaq News Agency stated, “The Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, received the French Ambassador to Baghdad, Patrick Durel, and the meeting dealt with ways to strengthen banking relations between the two countries, and His Excellency the Governor gave a comprehensive explanation of the relations and economic conditions, as well as the government’s directions.” “In consolidating the foundations of the national economy and diversifying it in light of the state of security stability achieved in Iraq.” The meeting also clarified "the plan to restructure government banks, which enjoys support and regular follow-up by the Prime Minister, indicating that this plan will change the map of the banking sector and its reality in Iraq." The Governor of the Central Bank also pointed to "the rapid developments in organizing, monitoring and analyzing foreign transfer operations and covering foreign trade in accordance with best international practices and standards, which are receiving great praise and attention from international and regional organizations." For his part, the French ambassador expressed satisfaction with the developmental and economic developments he observed in Iraq, especially during his tour of the provinces, expressing his country's readiness to strengthen and develop banking relations with Iraq. The ambassador explained that the economic relations between the two countries are growing at the level of entry of French companies and the use of their expertise in investment projects. The French ambassador invited the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, after making the necessary arrangements, to visit the financial and banking institutions in France, especially the Central Bank of France. It is noteworthy that the Central Bank of Iraq owns deposits and accounts with the Central Bank of France, and they have had distinguished cooperation relations over many years. https://shafaq.com/ar/اقتصـاد/المركزي-العراقي-ي-طلع-فرنسا-على-خطة-هيكلة-المصارف-الحكومية

Neapolitan endearing nickname for Marisa https://lyricstranslate.com/en/maruzzella-maruzzella-nickname-marisa-neaples.html

Ungrateful Heart https://lyricstranslate.com/en/core-ngrato-ungrateful-heart.html

Pizza ( funny lyrics)....A 5 story high wedding cake etc https://lyricstranslate.com/en/pizza-pizza.html-11 Between 1875 and the First World War millions and millions of Italians left their country, coming mainly from the southern regions and directed mainly to the Americas, just from Campania they were nearly one million. They had with them the desire to live in a better world, and brought their own culture and customs, including food ... and Pizza! For Neapolitans, Pizza is a religion, and this simple, tasty and nutritious dish soon gained the favor of Americans as well: the first pizzeria opened in New York in 1895. Within a few decades, pizza became, together with pasta, among the most popular foods in the United States and later in Canada, to become, nowadays, a universal dish https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizza

Soul And Heart Another classic with tens of renditions https://lyricstranslate.com/en/anema-e-core-heart-and-soul.html-1

The Mother of all classic Naples songs Enrico Caruso - O Sole Mio ( O sun of mine)...Lots and lots of versions ( including the one by Elvis Presley "It's now or never" that my parents used to have)... A sort of Nat'l anthem for us Italians whenever we're abroad.....Gets us moved when we hear it ( whatever version) and we're not in our country......Happened to me as well.....No matter what part of Italy (north, center, south) we are from....We get to cry when we hear this while abroad cos this means home to us What a wonderful thing a sunny day The serene air after a thunderstorm The fresh air, and a party is already going on… What a wonderful thing a sunny day. But another sun, that’s brighter still It’s my own sun that’s in your face! The sun, my own sun It’s in your face! It’s in your face! When night comes and the sun has gone down, I start feeling blue; I’d stay below your window When night comes and the sun has gone down. But another sun, that’s brighter still It’s my own sun that’s in your face! The sun, my own sun It’s in your face! It’s in your face! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/'O_sole_mio The one version my parents used to have

Soldier in love (old classic) https://lyricstranslate.com/en/o-surdato-nnammurato-soldier-love.html

You Tell Her (in Neapolitan dialect) Toni Esposito - percussion Old song (composed 1930 ) revisited Contemporary artist (Alan Sorrenti ) version....Fantastic rendition of an already beautiful song Tell this to your friend that I lost my sleep and my thoughts, that I always think of her that she’s my whole life, and there’s something I’d like to tell her myself but I cannot tell her this [Refrain:] I love her a lot, I love her more than a lot. You tell her this I won’t ever forget her, she’s a passion, stronger than a chain that torments my soul and doesn’t let me live Tell her that she’s a rose of May, that is much more beautiful than a sunny day. From her lips that are fresher than violets I still want to hear That she’s in love with me (refrain) A glistening teardrop is about to fall, tell me for a moment, who do you think of? With such sweet eyes thyself alone is staring at me. Let’s do away with these masks let us speak the truth I love you a lot, I love you more than a lot. It’s you this chain that will not ever break. Gentle dream my flesh is yearning for, I seek after you like the air, I need you in order to live Saw him (Sorrenti) eons ago at the beginning of his career and he was extremely good ( like in this track and others)....Then through the years his music became more and more commercial / very easy-listening and less and less interesting....Unfortunately.....He even rec'd disco dance tunes.....Money is ( sometimes) a bxxxh.....

Tu vuoi fa' l'Americano ( you wanna act as an American)...Composed after 2nd WW ( many US soldiers in Naples....There's still a big US base in the Bagnoli area) https://lyricstranslate.com/en/tu-vuo-fa-l039americano-youd-be-american.html

Enzo Gragnaniello ( contemporary artist)...Just like the 1st song this old Neapolitan classic has had many artists performing it through a long period of time Little Stairway ( beautiful song ...And this one is a great version)....His singing is so intense https://lyricstranslate.com/en/scalinatella-little-stairway.html

Sung and played by Roberto Murolo - RIP... Song got performed through time by many artists A true classic of the old Neapolitan song tradition This song tells about a Neapolitan man who wants to come back to Naples after the Second world war but he's afraid of seeing Naples, destroyed after bombings. https://lyricstranslate.com/en/munasterio-e-santa-chiara-nunnery-santa-chiara.html-0

It is sad. You can't arrest someone for violating their oath of office when they have never signed the affidavit they took it. That leaves other options that will not be pretty. A political purge is what we need. And before anyone says "They have rights" let's understand that they have committed High crimes and misdemeanor's against the Constitution and the American people. If executing is to harsh then they can be stripped of their office, pension or retirement and imprisoned. Better yet give them a choice: The rest of their lives in prison or a short walk off a plank.

You never know, thanks for sharing 👍

This song....And the lyrics....Breath-taking ....And much more....Shivers......An absolute masterpiece One of my faves Worth noting he rec'd this album when he was so very young (only 21)......Died / disincarnated at 26.... This song makes me always cry......I know....Gettin' old ...Turned 67 11 days ago

Nothing major just seeing those numbers over and over this year, at first I was like nah my bday what ever...but then I kept seeing them everywhere I look, it started to get a bit crazy so I'm like ok let me think, am I gonna die... Nooo, I at least got 10 more years lol... What possibly could it be... Maybe it's the dinar ... I dunno...but I would like to think with all that's going on with Iraq right now that it would be for Iraq it's been 25+ yrs it's about time they get theirs you know

Here's some more articles related to the above... TNT via Tishwash: The House Of Representatives Decides To Extend Its 1st Legislative Term By 30 Days. ARTICLE: The Presidency of Parliament decided, today, Thursday, to extend the first legislative term of the House of Representatives by 30 days. The Parliament’s Media Department stated in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that “based on Article 58 of the Constitution, the Presidency of the House of Representatives decided to extend the 1st legislative term, for the 3rd legislative year, in the 5th electoral cycle, for a period of 30 days. Tishwash: Publishes The Text Of Al-Sudani’s Request To Guterres To End UNAMI’s Work In Iraq. ARTICLE: Our agency publishes the text of the request of the PM Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, to permanently end the work of the United Nations mission in Iraq. Al-Sudani indicated in his letter, a copy of which was obtained by {Al-Furat News}, that “the justifications for the presence of a political mission in Iraq are no longer available, especially after more than 20 years have passed since the democratic transition & overcoming great & diverse challenges.” CandyKisses: A Call For The Sudanese To Remove The US Forces From Iraq. ARTICLE: The head of the organizing body of the popular movement for the Belt and Road, Hussein al-Karawi, on Friday, called on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to speed up the removal of US forces from Iraq. Al-Karawi told Al-Maalouma that “the Iraqi people & the resistance will not remain silent in the face of US violations of Iraqi autonomy & the abuses it commits against Iraq.” Al-Karawi predicted that “the US forces will be subjected to blows from the resistance, if they do not comply with the faitaccompli & leave Iraq, pointing out that America continues its encroachments on Iraq & its autonomy.” CandyKisses: Setting the opening dates of 5 projects within the bottleneck package. ARTICLE: The Ministry of Construction, Housing and Municipalities announced on Friday the opening dates of 5 projects within the package of breaking traffic jams. The ministry’s spokesman, Istabraq Sabah, said in a statement seen by “Economy News”, that, “The ministry is proceeding with projects to break traffic jams & implement the commitment listed for the projects of the first package within the government program,” noting that “the projects of the first package consist of 16 projects & on more than one area on the sides of Karkh and Rusafa.” Sabah explained that “the Fine Arts Bridge and Cordoba Intersection have been opened & two other projects are in the process of opening, the 1st project is the Shaljia Bridge & it is hoped that it will be opened this month, as well as the project to link the Mohandessin neighborhood inside, which includes two bridges, the first on the side of the engineers & the 2nd on the inside side & a small bridge linking them, as work is underway on it and will be opened in the coming period.” He added that “next June, will witness the opening of the bridge linking from a beautiful area to the street neighborhood jihad – Bab Al-Muadham & in July will open bridges Aden and Sanaa,” noting that “the rest of the projects will be opened successively.” “A number of water & sanitation projects will be inaugurated this year, in addition to finalising a number of residential complexes that fall under low-cost housing in the southern & central provinces,” he said. CandyKisses: Gold Is Heading For Its Best Weekly Performance In A Month. ARTICLE: Gold prices rose during trading, on early Friday, heading towards recording the best weekly performance since the 5th of April, after economic data strengthened bets that the Federal Reserve (US central bank) will cut interest rates. By 0212 GMT, spot gold was up 0.2 percent at $2,350.87 an ounce, after hitting a more than two-week high earlier. Prices have risen about 2.2% since the start of the week. U.S. gold futures rose 0.7% to $2,356.90. Data on Thursday showed the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased more than expected last week. Traders are likely to start the Federal Reserve’s easing cycle in September. Lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding the yellow metal. Data from the US Producer Price Index & CPI are due next week. Among other precious metals, spot silver rose 0.2% to $28.38 an ounce & is on track to record its best weekly performance since April 5 as well. Platinum rose 0.6% to $983.78 & palladium rose 0.5% to $971.50. Both metals are heading for weekly gains.