Gold rose to its highest in two
weeks on Tuesday, steered by firmer crude oil prices, although a
stronger dollar prevented prices from regaining $600 for now.
 Other metals took heart from gold's strength, with silver
and palladium extending Monday's run up to five-week peaks and
platinum at a two-week high.
 Spot gold hit a high of $597.50 an ounce during Asian
trade, but slipped back to $595.20/596.20 by 0922 GMT, unchanged
from New York's late-traded levels on Monday.
 Buoyant base metals markets, crude oil back over $60 a
barrel and ongoing geopolitical nervousness over North Korea
were providing a cushion of support underneath gold prices,
traders said.
 "We also feel there is some good physical demand for gold
that is underpinning the price," David Holmes, director of
precious metals sales at Dresdner Kleinwort, said.
 That, coupled with the possibility that economic data out
during the week could cause a touch of dollar weakness, had
triggered short-covering.
 "But what we haven't seen is people piling in saying: we
must have gold. That's the missing part. There isn't a new
generation of people coming in and paying whatever the offer
is," Holmes added.
 Exporters in Turkey reported that September gold jewellery
exports were down more than 30 percent year on year, to 8.4
tonnes.
 Analysts who track historical price patterns to predict
future moves said gold must hurdle the psychological $600/oz
barrier to avoid becoming trapped in a congested trading area.
 Failure to do so could send gold sliding back down towards
$575 or even $540, Standard Bank London said in a note.
 Bullion prices have slipped steadily since hitting a 26-year
peak at $730 an ounce in May, with each rally attempt since then
resulting in progressively lower peaks.
 Analysts said an upcoming meeting of oil producers (OPEC) to
finalise a deal to cut crude output could be a make or break
trigger for gold prices.
 Traditionally gold's correlation to oil prices has been
relatively weak, but it has strengthened in recent weeks.
 U.S. crude oil futures rose for a fourth session on
Tuesday to hover above $60 a barrel on Tuesday.
 Ebullient base metals markets -- tin, nickel and zinc have
all hit fresh record highs in recent days -- also helped
sentiment in gold.
 News that North Korea had conducted a nuclear test last week
helped push up prices.
 Platinum rose to $1,092/1,097 an ounce, from
$1,083/1,088 late in New York.  Palladium hit a five-week
high of $324. Prices were last unchanged at $320/325.
 Silver also hit a five-week high of $11.87 an ounce,
before slipping back to $11.79/11.86, slightly off its late New
York level of $11.81/11.88.