Gold prices breached the $2,700 threshold for the first time in two weeks on Friday, on track for their biggest weekly gain in over a year, as safe-haven demand outweighed dollar strength and lower expectations of a U.S. rate cut next month. Bullion has gained over 5% this week, poised for its best weekly performance since last October, when the Middle East conflict first ignited, sparking a rally that pushed gold to multiple record highs. Gold's surge this week has been propelled by the intensifying Russia-Ukraine crisis, lifting prices more than $173 from last Thursday's two-month low of $2536.71.