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Trump threatens ‘massive’ China tariffs, sees ‘no reason’ to meet with Xi

President Donald Trump has called off efforts to arrange a meeting with President Xi Jinping after China tightened export controls on rare earth minerals this week. 

‘Some very strange things are happening in China!’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. ‘They are becoming very hostile, and sending letters to Countries throughout the World, that they want to impose Export Controls on each and every element of production having to do with Rare Earths, and virtually anything else they can think of, even if it’s not manufactured in China.’

‘We’ve never seen anything like this,’ Trump added. 

‘One of the Policies that we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States of America. There are many other countermeasures that are, likewise, under serious consideration.’

The president said his relationship with China over the past six months has been ‘very good’ and called the crackdown on exports ‘surprising.’ 

‘I have always felt that they’ve been lying in wait, and now, as usual, I have been proven right!’ he added. 

The administration had suggested Trump might meet Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later this month in South Korea, but ‘now there seems to be no reason to do so,’ he said.

Over the past few decades, China has captured a dominant position in the rare earth minerals and magnets industry and now uses that control — vital for electronics worldwide — as political leverage.

‘There is no way that China should be allowed to hold the World ‘captive,’ but that seems to have been their plan for quite some time, starting with the ‘Magnets’ and, other Elements that they have quietly amassed into somewhat of a Monopoly position, a rather sinister and hostile move, to say the least,’ Trump added. 

The world’s two largest economies have been locked in trade negotiations for months, imposing tit-for-tat tariffs on each other.

China announced Thursday it is expanding export controls on five additional rare earth metals — holmium, erbium, thulium, europium and ytterbium — adding to the seven restricted in April.

China also restricted exports of technology used to refine rare earth minerals.

China cited national security concerns for the restrictions. ‘Rare-earth-related items have dual-use properties for both civilian and military applications. Implementing export controls on them is an international practice,’ a Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said.

Rare earth metals are essential for both commercial goods — including electric cars, household appliances, lithium batteries and camera lenses — and critical to the U.S. defense industry.

Rare earths are also used to produce semiconductors vital for artificial intelligence processing.

As of 2024, China mines about 60 percent of the world’s rare earth minerals and processes nearly 90 percent, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Trump administration has invested heavily in domestic rare earth mining and processing to reduce U.S. dependence on China.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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White House turns to expanding Abraham Accords after Israel-Hamas ceasefire

Now that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire and hostage deal, the White House is shifting focus to its next diplomatic goal: expanding the landmark Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states.

‘There’s a lot of positive momentum that will pick up,’ a senior administration official told reporters Thursday evening after the deal was signed. ‘Hopefully this will lead to much better sentiment and the opportunity to expand the Abraham Accords — to really just change the tone in the region.’

During President Donald Trump’s first administration, the accords brought the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco into normal relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia had been next on the list.

‘We passed on to the Biden administration that Saudi was ready to go if they engaged,’ said the official. ‘A deal could have been done in six months. We outlined the parameters of their interests and wished them luck. But they didn’t focus on that for a couple of years. Then a lot happened in the region — October 7 and the war in Gaza created a black cloud and shifted sentiment. The mood today is certainly better than it was even a few days ago.’

An official pointed to a range of countries that could be next in line for normalization. ‘I think there’s a lot of opportunity to get back to work on Saudi-Israel normalization, and on Indonesia-Israel,’ the official said. ‘We were talking with Mauritania last time. You’ve got Algeria, Syria, Lebanon. There’s a whole host of countries — and now there are more formal relations with Qatar. We’re going to start that trilateral mechanism very soon.’

Israel began drawing down its troop presence in Gaza on Friday under phase one of the agreement but will continue to occupy roughly 53% of the territory until the next phase. Hamas has 72 hours to release the remaining hostages, living and dead.

Roughly 200 U.S. troops already stationed in the Middle East will be sent to Israel to oversee the ceasefire and ensure humanitarian aid flows into Gaza. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized ‘Up to 200 U.S. personnel, who are already stationed at CENTCOM, will be tasked with monitoring the peace agreement in Israel, and they will work with other international forces on the ground.’

Saudi Arabia has long insisted that normalization with Israel must be tied to tangible progress toward Palestinian statehood — though that condition has never been clearly defined. The kingdom is also seeking a formal U.S. defense assurance as part of any broader regional deal.

The U.S.-brokered 20-point ceasefire proposal stops short of guaranteeing Palestinian statehood but suggests that, as Gaza reconstruction proceeds and the Palestinian Authority reasserts control in the enclave, ‘the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people.’

An administration official acknowledged that the agreement remains fragile and that deep mistrust persists between Israel, Hamas and other Arab governments.

‘It was important for [Trump] to send another message to the Arab mediators — and through them to Hamas,’ the official said. ‘He wanted them to know he was standing behind every principle and aspect of the Trump 20-point plan for peace, guaranteeing that everyone involved would act in good faith and keep their commitments.’

‘There’s just a lot of mistrust between the Israelis and Hamas, and also among some of the other Arab governments,’ the official added. ‘For all the obvious reasons.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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RemSense Technologies

Investor Insight

With its flagship platform, virtualplant, already in commercial use across high-value industrial assets, and a growing global footprint through strategic partnerships, RemSense offers investors a unique opportunity to back a scalable, revenue-generating business at the forefront of digital transformation in the resource and infrastructure sectors.

Overview

RemSense Technologies Limited (ASX:REM) is an Australian technology company enabling digital transformation across resource-heavy industries through advanced asset visualisation and drone services. Originally established in 2006 as a developer of drone systems for the defence and industrial sectors, the company expanded into professional drone services in 2012.

In 2019, RemSense made a strategic expansion into high-resolution 3D asset capture and visualisation, culminating in the development of its flagship product, virtualplant. This strategic shift aligns with macro trends in digital transformation, particularly in asset-heavy industries like energy, resources, infrastructure and utilities. The company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2021.

RemSense is ideally positioned to leverage the growing adoption of digital twin technologies, particularly across mining, oil & gas, manufacturing, utilities, defence, marine and aerospace industries. These sectors are increasingly embracing digital tools to improve safety, reduce costs, and manage assets more efficiently, creating strong and expanding demand for RemSense’s solutions.

In the first half of FY25, RemSense reported $3.12 million in revenue, representing a 178 percent increase over the same period in FY24. The company also recorded its first-ever net profit of $796,892 and achieved positive operational cashflow of $365,539 – a turning point that demonstrates both commercial traction and disciplined financial execution.

Strategic partnerships with Chevron, Newmont Mining and Woodside Energy highlight RemSense’s growing reputation among Tier-1 clients and its ability to scale internationally. These engagements are not pilot programs, but are real, revenue-generating contracts that reinforce RemSense’s value proposition.

Company Highlights

  • Profitable Growth: Delivered $3.12 million in revenue in H1 FY25 – a 178 percent increase year-over-year
  • Tier-1 Client Base: Trusted by major global operators including Chevron, Newmont and Woodside Energy for digital twin and drone technology services.
  • Flagship Platform – virtualplant: A scalable, cutting edge digital twin solution providing real-time operational insights for industrial facilities and infrastructure.
  • Strong legacy drone operations: RPAS Services features CASA-certified pilots and a fleet of custom-engineered drones supporting multiple industrial applications.
  • Serving Critical Industries: Solutions deployed across energy, resources, utilities and infrastructure sectors undergoing rapid digital transformation.
  • Secured Landmark Shell Energy Contract – First major deal with Shell Energy, showcasing the power of its virtualplant platform and Sentient Computing’s 3D technologies. The project marks a key milestone in RemSense’s global expansion, delivering a transformative digital solution to enhance commissioning accuracy, efficiency, safety, and asset performance.

Key Products and Services

Virtual Plant

Virtualplant is RemSense’s flagship digital platform. It’s a high-resolution 3D asset visualisation solution that allows users to explore and interact with industrial facilities remotely, as if on site. By combining drone-based photogrammetry, terrestrial LiDAR, and 360-degree imaging, virtualplant creates immersive, detailed, interactive models of infrastructure such as gas plants, processing facilities and offshore vessels.

The platform supports a wide range of critical functions including remote inspection, maintenance planning, training, safety management, and compliance documentation. It reduces the need for site travel, improves asset visibility, and helps clients identify and address risks before they become costly failures.

Virtualplant is already deployed in high-value applications. In October 2023, Woodside Energy engaged RemSense to create a visual twin of one of its floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels. In 2024, Chevron signed a series of global services agreement with RemSense to use the platform for photogrammetry scanning at gas plants in South Asia, Northwest Australia and USA, with a total contract value of more than AU$800,000. These projects reflect the platform’s global relevance and enterprise-grade capabilities.

Additional features enhance the platform’s utility:

  • vTag uses AI to automatically identify and tag equipment based on nameplate data, linking it to asset registers in systems like SAP and IBM Maximo.
  • vDetect automatically identifies physical defects such as corrosion, helping prioritise maintenance.
  • vConnect enables real-time integration with external monitoring and data platforms, creating a unified interface for visual and operational intelligence.

These capabilities make virtualplant more than a visualisation tool, as it becomes a central intelligence layer in clients’ asset ecosystems.

RPAS (Drone) Services

RemSense has a strong legacy in drone operations, with CASA-certified pilots and a fleet of custom-engineered drones equipped with high-end imaging and sensing tools. These drone services support asset inspections, geophysical and vegetation surveys, water sampling, environmental monitoring, traffic studies, and building condition assessments.

Drone data is often the first step in creating virtualplant models. This seamless integration of field data acquisition and platform-based analysis ensures RemSense delivers a complete, end-to-end digital solution for industrial clients.

Management Team

Ross Taylor – Non-executive Chairman

Ross Taylor chartered accountant with a global finance background having worked in London, Australia, New York and Tokyo. He has held senior roles at Deutsche Bank, Bankers Trust and Barclays Capital. His experience in international capital markets brings strong governance and financial oversight to RemSense’s board.

Warren Cook – Managing Director & CEO

With over 25 years of experience in technology development and commercialisation, Warren Cook has led projects in mining, energy and environmental sectors across more than a dozen countries, including Australia, US, Brazil, Canada, France, Indonesia, South Africa and the UK. He was the CEO of acQuire Technology Solutions, delivering information management software solutions for the resources industry.

John Clegg – Non-executive Director

John Clegg has been a chartered accountant since 1965 and has supported more than 50 companies through IPOs, restructures, and strategic growth initiatives. Following his 16-year tenure at Arthur Young & Co (now Ernst & Young), he shifted focus to startup ventures, offering directorship and consulting services. As a seasoned investor, director, consultant and mentor to senior executives, Clegg has left a significant mark on numerous ventures.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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5 Best-performing Canadian Oil and Gas Stocks of 2025

Oil prices weakened in Q3 as global supply outpaced demand and inventories swelled.

Brent crude fell 1.7 percent to end the quarter at US$65.90 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate dropped to US$62.33. Deloitte’s latest energy report attributes the decline to rising stockpiles and OPEC+’s early decision to unwind production cuts, adding 1.37 million barrels per day in October.

The US Energy Information Administration noted supply exceeded demand by 1.6 million barrels per day between May and August, pointing to continued stock builds ahead.

“OPEC+ discipline is still somewhat unpredictable — its production signals are becoming more tactical rather than structural,” Isaev wrote. “On the other hand, US shale is adjusting to price signals with a focus on capital restraint instead of just ramping up volume. LNG shipments to Europe and Japan are turning into geopolitical tools, not just simple commercial agreements.”

As for how that could affect energy stocks, he stated, ‘The advantage will go to those (companies) who can skillfully navigate this complexity, foresee critical turning points, and invest their capital with both accuracy and creativity.’

Despite the market volatility, the five top-performing oil and gas stocks on the TSX and TSXV have seen share price growth over Q3 2025. All year-to-date performance and share price data was obtained on October 9, 2025, using TradingView’s stock screener, and oil and gas companies with market caps above C$10 million at that time were considered.

1. Falcon Oil & Gas (TSXV:FO)

Year-to-date gain: 156.25 percent
Market cap: C$221.83 million
Share price: C$0.205

Falcon Oil & Gas is an international oil and gas company specializing in the exploration and development of unconventional oil and gas assets, with interests in assets in Australia, South Africa and Hungary.

The company has a 22.5 percent interest in the Beetaloo joint venture, with Tamboran Resources (NYSE:TBN,ASX:TBN) owning the remainder.

On September 30, Falcon announced it entered into a definitive agreement to be wholly acquired by joint venture partner Tamboran. The combination will create a company with roughly 2.9 million net prospective acres across Australia’s Beetaloo Basin and a projected market cap of US$500 million.

The deal is expected to close in Q1 2026.

Falcon’s share price spiked to a year-to-date high of C$0.21 on October 1.

2. Imperial Oil (TSX:IMO)

Year-to-date gain: 37.78 percent
Market cap: C$63.58 billion
Share price: C$123.56

Calgary-based Imperial Oil is a prominent Canadian energy company involved in the exploration, production, refining and marketing of petroleum products. With a history spanning over 140 years, Imperial operates diverse assets across Canada, including oil sands, conventional crude oil and natural gas assets.

In early August, Imperial released its Q2 2025 results, reporting net income of C$949 million, down from C$1.29 billion in Q1, as weaker upstream realizations and downstream margin capture weighed on results.

Despite lower earnings, the company posted its strongest Q2 upstream production in over three decades, averaging 427,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe/d), led by record output at Kearl. Refinery capacity utilization averaged 87 percent amid major turnaround work

During the quarter, Imperial also launched Canada’s largest renewable diesel facility, located in Alberta, and returned C$367 million to shareholders through dividends.

Shares of Imperial climbed through much of Q2 and Q3, and reached a year-to-date high of C$130.94 on September 16.

3. Athabasca Oil (TSX:ATH)

Year-to-date gain: 30.91 percent
Market cap: C$3.49 billion
Share price: C$7.03

Athabasca Oil is focused on developing thermal and light oil assets within Alberta’s Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. The company has established a substantial land base with high-quality resources. Its light oil operations are managed through its private subsidiary, Duvernay Energy, in which the company holds a 70 percent equity interest.

On July 24, Athabasca Oil reported its Q2 2025 results, highlighted by steady production and continued shareholder returns. The company produced an average of 39,088 boe/d, up 4 percent year-over-year. It generated C$127.6 million in adjusted funds flow during the quarter, down from C$165.75 in Q2 2024.

Capital spending totaled C$73 million, largely directed to expanding the company’s cornerstone Leismer project.

Additionally, Athabasca has repurchased 24 million shares year-to-date, reinforcing its “commitment to returning all thermal oil free cash flow to shareholders in 2025.” Its free cash flow from the segment totaled C$66 million in Q2.

A modest uptick in benchmark crude prices supported a stock bump for Athabasca Oil during the second week of October. Shares reached a year-to-date high of C$7.18 on October 8.

4. Parex Resources (TSX:PXT)

Year-to-date gain: 28.68 percent
Market cap: C$1.81 billion
Share price: C$18.80

Headquartered in Calgary, Parex Resources is a Colombia-focused oil and gas producer with six oil-producing assets and one non-operational asset.

Parex’s Q2 results, released on July 30, highlighted an average output rate of 42,542 boe/d, with July production rising to 44,450 boe/d. The company said it is on track to meet its full-year guidance of 43,000 to 47,000 boe/d.

Parex also announced a third quarter dividend of C$0.385 per share.

‘As we enter the second half of the year, strong near-field exploration results in the Southern Llanos, combined with the ramp-up in development drilling, are expected to drive a steady step-up in production through year-end,’ the company stated.

On October 1, the company shared a production update, reporting it averaged 44,000 boe/d in Q3.

Shares of Parex climbed throughout the Q3 to a year-to-date high of C$19.68 on September 25.

5. MEG Energy (TSX:MEG)

Year-to-date gain: 27.4 percent
Market cap: C$7.63 billion
Share price: C$30.50

MEG Energy is an energy company solely focused on in-situ thermal oil production in the southern Athabasca oil region of Alberta, Canada. Utilizing innovative enhanced oil recovery projects, including steam-assisted gravity drainage extraction methods, the company aims to increase oil recovery responsibly while reducing carbon emissions.

In May, Strathcona Resources (TSX:SCR) made an unsolicited C$4.1 billion offer for MEG, a move company executives at MEG quickly denounced. In a subsequent press release shared on June 16, MEG called the offer “inadequate, opportunistic, and NOT in the best interests of MEG or its shareholders.”

In mid-September MEG again urged shareholders to reject a revised offer from Strathcona and instead consider an August offer from Cenovus Energy (TSX:CVE).

On October 8, MEG announced that Cenovus increased its bid to C$8.6 billion, and again suggested shareholders accept the offer.

Following the increased bid, Shares of MEG rose to a year-to-date high of C$30.50 on October 9.

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Locksley Announces Major Advancement at Mojave as Structural Mapping Expands Scale of Antimony Target with a 400% Increase in Target Strike Length

Locksley Resources, Ltd. (ASX: LKY,OTC:LKYRF; OTCQX: LKYRYF) announced that recent structural mapping has significantly expanded the scale of its target mineralized corridor at the Desert Antimony Mine (DAM) Prospect. A new parallel structural target was also identified in this mapping, enhancing the potential for a larger mineralized system across multiple zones. Locksley believes this expanded target enhances Mojave’s position as a strategic U.S. critical minerals hub, aligned with accelerating domestic supply-chain initiatives. The structural geology mapping was completed late in the third calendar quarter of 2025. Additional details can be found here: https:cdn-api.markitdigital.comapiman-gatewayASXasx-research1.0file2924-03006166-6A1289419&v=undefined .

‘This second structural mapping program at our Mojave Project has markedly advanced our geological understanding of the project and confirmed the substantial exploration potential of this critical district,’ said Kerrie Matthews , Locksley Resources CEO. ‘The sixfold expansion of the Desert Antimony Mine (DAM) target horizon has fundamentally changed the scale of the opportunity, demonstrating the potential for a much larger mineralized system than originally contemplated. These outstanding results strongly validate our rapid exploration and development strategy.’

In addition to the expansion of Locksley’s antimony target, the mapping also identified several other key opportunities:

  • Regional mapping identified lamprophyre dykes, highlighting potential for additional critical mineral occurrences including carbonatites.
  • Mojave emerging as a district-scale critical minerals hub, strategically aligned with accelerating U.S. onshoring policies.
  • High grade silver assays up to 216 g/t Ag returned from Hendricks Prospect, alongside anomalous Zn, Pb and Cu, including a broader polymetallic system.

The company said that a third phase structural mapping program is expected to commence next month to continue building geological understanding of the project as well as identify new targets.

Locksley Resources ( https://www.locksleyresources.com.au ) is an Australian-based explorer focused on critical minerals and base metals, with assets in both the U.S. and Australia . The company is actively advancing its U.S. Asset, the Mojave Project, in California , targeting rare earths elements (REE) and antimony (The Desert Antimony Mine). The company also has a strategic collaboration with Rice University to develop DeepSolv for domestic processing of North American antimony. This agreement is a cornerstone of Locksley’s U.S. Critical Minerals and Energy Resilience Strategy to accelerate ‘mine-to-market’ deployment of antimony in the U.S.

Contact: Beverly Jedynak , beverly.jedynak@viriathus.com , 312-943-1123; 773-350-5793 (cell)

View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/locksley-announces-major-advancement-at-mojave-as-structural-mapping-expands-scale-of-antimony-target-with-a-400-increase-in-target-strike-length-302580390.html

SOURCE Locksley Resources

News Provided by PR Newswire via QuoteMedia

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Crypto Market Update: Altcoins Retreat as Bitcoin ETFs See US$2.7 Billion of Inflows

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (October 10) as of 9:00 a.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ether and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin and Ether price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$121,578, down by 1.6 percent in 24 hours. The cryptocurrency’s lowest valuation of the day was US$119,967, and its highest was US$123,548.

Bitcoin price performance, October 10, 2025.

Chart via TradingView

Bitcoin may be trading near record highs, but one of its most respected on-chain indicators suggests the rally could still have significant room to run possibly as far as US$180,000.

The Mayer Multiple, a long-term metric that compares Bitcoin’s current price to its 200-week moving average, remains well below levels that have historically marked market tops.

“Bitcoin is at all-time highs and the Mayer Multiple is ice cold,” crypto analyst Frank Fetter wrote on X (formerly Twitter). According to Fetter, Bitcoin would need to climb to around US$180,000 before the indicator flashes “overbought” conditions, implying that the current cycle could still have room to expand.

The indicator’s historical context adds weight to that view. During Bitcoin’s 2017 and 2021 peaks, the Mayer Multiple surged well above 2.4, signaling excessive market exuberance before major corrections followed.

This time, the pattern looks different. The Multiple’s highest level in the current cycle—1.84 in March 2024, when Bitcoin neared US$72,000—never approached prior extremes, according to Glassnode data. Analysts see this moderation as a sign of a more sustainable advance.

Despite these encouraging on-chain signals, not everyone is convinced the path higher will be smooth. Short-term traders remain divided on whether Bitcoin can maintain momentum into the final quarter of the year.

Trader Tony “The Bull” Severino argued that Bitcoin may be entering a decisive 100-day window. Writing on X, Severino pointed to the Bollinger Bands indicator on Bitcoin’s weekly chart, which has tightened to levels not seen before. He noted that Bitcoin’s recent inability to hold above US$126,000, after briefly testing the upper band, could signal a short-term pullback before any sustained breakout.

Ether (ETH) also slid after last week’s rally, but has since recovered some of its losses. It was up by 0.7 percent over 24 hours to US$4,365.58. Ether’s lowest valuation on Friday was US$4,285.77, and its highest was US$4,401.99.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) was priced at US$222.58, an increase of 1.1 percent over the last 24 hours and its highest valuation of the day. Its lowest valuation on Friday was US$217.57.
  • XRP was trading for US$2.83, trading flat over the last 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$2.78, and its highest was US$2.84.

Derivatives trends

The crypto derivatives market saw heavy liquidations over the past 24 hours, totaling roughly US$674 million, according to Coinglass data. Long positions accounted for US$505 million of that amount, while short positions made up US$169 million, marking one of October’s sharpest liquidation waves.

Among major assets, Bitcoin long liquidations reached US$116 million, compared to US$68.22 million in shorts, indicating that overleveraged bullish traders bore the brunt of the latest downturn. Ether long positions were liquidated for US$146 million, against US$34.54 million in shorts, reflecting a similar shakeout of optimistic bets amid heightened volatility.

Despite the sell-off, futures open interest for Bitcoin rose 0.23 percent in the last four hours to US$90.19 billion, suggesting that traders are gradually re-entering positions or maintaining leverage at elevated levels.

Ether futures open interest also ticked up 0.22 percent to US$59.53 billion, showing that market participants remain engaged even after widespread liquidations.

Bitcoin’s relative strength index (RSI) at 72.15 indicates that the asset remains in overbought territory, potentially signaling near-term price swings or corrective moves. Still, the market’s resilience near the US$120,000 level points to continued speculative interest.

Today’s crypto news to know

XRP, DOGE, SOL slip as US$2.7 billion flows into Bitcoin ETFs

Major altcoins faced losses Friday as traders took profits from Bitcoin’s record-breaking rally, even as spot ETF demand remained strong.

Bitcoin briefly dipped to around US$120,000 overnight before stabilizing near US$122,000, while Ether erased its weekly gains with a 2.4 percent drop.

Solana, XRP, Dogecoin, and Cardano each slid up to 3 percent, according to CoinDesk data. Despite the retreat, US-listed Bitcoin ETFs drew US$2.72 billion in inflows this week, highlighting resilient institutional appetite.

The ETF surge underscores Bitcoin’s growing role as a “digital safe-haven,” especially as gold surged above Us$4,000 an ounce. However, a possible pullback to the US$107,000–US$115,000 range could be imminent ahead of the Federal Reserve’s October 29 policy meeting.

EU dismisses ECB’s call for new stablecoin rules

The European Commission said Friday that existing crypto regulations under MiCA are adequate to handle stablecoin risks, pushing back on calls from the European Central Bank for stricter oversight.

According to a Reuters report, the ECB had urged Brussels to introduce new safeguards against “multi-issuance” models, where stablecoins minted outside the EU could be treated as interchangeable with those issued within.

Industry groups, including members like Circle, asked the Commission to formally clarify that multi-issuance is allowed under current rules.

In a statement to Reuters, the Commission said MiCA already provides a “robust and proportionate framework” and that further guidance will be published soon.

The ECB’s main concern is that redemptions from non-EU tokens could drain reserves inside the bloc, posing systemic risks. Stablecoin issuers countered that their reserve structures already mitigate such threats.

Bitcoin ETFs extend Uptober gains as Ethereum products lose momentum

US spot Bitcoin ETFs posted another strong day Tuesday, with US$197.8 million in net inflows, reinforcing Bitcoin’s dominance as institutional investors rotated away from Ethereum products.

Data from SoSoValue showed total Bitcoin ETF assets climbing to US$164.79 billion, representing nearly 7 percent of Bitcoin’s market cap.

BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (NASDAQ:IBIT) led inflows with US$255 million, extending its lead over rivals as total assets surpassed $97 billion. Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (BATS:FBTC) and Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (NYSEARCA:GBTC) saw outflows of US$13 million and US$45 million, respectively.

The renewed demand follows a surge of US$1.19 billion in inflows earlier this week, the highest since July, with BlackRock again accounting for the majority.

Bitcoin has gained over 10 percent in October, peaking at US$126,080 before easing to $121,000. Meanwhile, Ethereum ETFs snapped their eight-day inflow streak with US$8.7 million in withdrawals, reflecting a temporary pause after a strong start to the month.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Silver Storm Secures US$7 Million Samsung Financing to Restart Mexican Silver Mine

Canadian miner Silver Storm Mining (TSXV:SVRS,OTCQB:SVRSF) has signed a US$7 million offtake prepayment deal with Samsung Construction and Trading (HKEX:028260) and two of its subsidiaries to help restart production at its La Parrilla silver mine complex in Durango, Mexico.

Under the agreement announced Friday (October 10), Samsung and subsidiaries will provide the financing through a secured prepaid facility over 18 months.

Samsung will receive 100 percent of the lead-silver and zinc concentrates produced at La Parrilla over a two-year period under the offtake agreement. The financing is secured through a corporate guarantee, a share pledge, and first-ranking security on La Parrilla’s assets.

Silver Storm said the facility carries an interest rate of the one-month Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) plus 4.75 percent, with a six-month grace period for interest and capital repayments.

Repayments will then be made in equal monthly installments over the following 12 months, potentially offset through concentrate sales.

“The company has sufficient liquidity to complete the planned restart and rehabilitation activities at La Parrilla,” said Silver Storm President and CEO Greg McKenzie. “Samsung’s involvement as a guaranteed purchaser for the concentrates reflects the confidence of a leading industry participant in our path forward and provides Silver Storm with another partner that is committed to bringing La Parrilla back into operation.”

The company added that the proceeds will go toward mill rehabilitation and upgrades, underground development, and working capital for the restart phase.

Once a prolific producer of silver and base metals, the La Parrilla complex includes a 2,000-metric-ton-per-day mill and several underground mines.

The company expects operations to resume in the first half of 2026.

The project’s revival is seen as a key milestone for Silver Storm, which holds a 100 percent interest in La Parrilla and the San Diego Project, another large undeveloped silver asset in Durango.

Samsung’s participation, meanwhile, underscores the continued interest of major industrial players in securing critical mineral supply chains.

Offtake financing deals of this nature provide both upfront capital for miners and stable sourcing arrangements for buyers, which is an increasingly common structure in metals markets amid rising demand for silver and other transition-linked minerals.

In recent days the price of silver has reached record highs of US$51 per ounce, alongside sister metal gold which surpassed the US$4,000 level. As the precious metals suite continues to trend higher more sidelined and shuttered projects could be brought online.

Shares of Silver Storm rose 3.30 percent to C$0.235, following the Friday announcement.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Ardently pro-Israel Dem Sen John Fetterman congratulates Trump for ‘historic peace plan’

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a staunch supporter of Israel, congratulated President Donald Trump on Wednesday shortly after the commander in chief announced in a Truth Social post that Hamas and Israel agreed to phase one of a peace plan.

Fetterman said that he and the president are both unflinchingly committed to the U.S. ally.

‘I congratulate @POTUS on this historic peace plan that releases all the hostages. Now, enduring peace in the region is possible. Our parties are different but we have a shared ironclad commitment to Israel and its people,’ the senator noted on X while including a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post.

Israel launched a war effort in the wake of the heinous Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in which terrorists committed atrocities including murder, rape and kidnapping. 

Trump, who has been brokering a peace deal, declared in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, ‘I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. 

‘All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!’ the president added.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and others have said Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize for the deal, but GOP Rep. Randy Fine argued that the award would be insufficient if lasting peace is obtained, instead suggesting that presidential term limits should be abolished.

‘The Nobel Peace Prize isn’t enough. If every living hostage is returned and lasting peace in the Middle East is secured, we should repeal the 22nd Amendment and thank the Lord for every day @realdonaldtrump can be our President. There will never be another one like him,’ he said in a post on X.

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White House brutally mocks Kamala Harris’ ‘cackle’ after former VP drops F-bomb, suggests admin is ‘crazy’

The White House issued a blistering response to former Vice President Kamala Harris after she suggested the administration is filled with ‘crazy’ ‘mother—ers.’

‘Kamala Harris should listen to an audio recording of her cackle of a laugh before calling anyone crazy,’ White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital in a Tuesday statement.  

Desai was responding to clips spreading like wildfire on social media of Harris speaking at an invite-only event in Los Angeles Monday where she took an apparent jab at the Trump administration while addressing 

‘There’s so much about this moment that is making people feel like they’ve lost their minds. When, in fact, these mother—ers are crazy,’ Harris said Monday during an event in Los Angeles called ‘A Day of Unreasonable Conversation.’ 

‘I call this, ‘The Freedom Tour,” she added, according to the Hollywood Reporter. 

Harris did not identify the Trump administration by name during her remarks. Her comments followed her discussing why she wrote her latest memoir, ‘107 Days,’ which walks readers through the unprecedented 2024 election, when then-President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and passed the mantle to Harris as the Democrat Party attempted to thwart a second Trump administration. 

‘One of the other reasons I wrote it is history is going to write about this,’ Harris told attendees. ‘And it was important to me that that be told with my voice being present. And I would say that that everyone, we are living history right now. And you all as storytellers are living this. You’re not passive observers. You know that. You’re living it.’ 

‘And I’m gonna ask you that all the emotions that we are feeling, give those emotions, give that experience to those people that you are writing about and writing for. It gets back to my point about helping people just put a label on it, even if it doesn’t change the circumstance,’ she continued. 

Harris is in the midst of a book tour to promote the memoir, making stops in New York City, Houston, San Francisco and other cities before also taking the tour to Canada and the U.K. later in October and November. 

The event in Los Angeles was not included on her official book tour agenda. ‘A Day of Unreasonable Conversation’ is an annual event in Los Angeles that brings together ‘creators of culture – television writers, artists, producers, executives, and digital storytellers’ to cultivate a ‘meaningful connection between those shaping pop culture and those driving social change,’ according to the event’s website. 

Harris’ laugh and public remarks that were dubbed ‘word salads’ by critics have long been mocked by Trump’s orbit, including President Donald Trump calling Harris ‘laughing Kamala’ from the 2024 campaign trail, as well as the campaign running ads spotlighting Harris’ laugh and instances of her past rambling remarks at the time. 

‘She’s worse than Bernie Sanders,’ Trump said during an interview on Fox News in July 2024, just days after Biden dropped out of the race. ‘Now, she’s trying to come back. She got rid of the laugh, I noticed. I haven’t seen the crazy laugh. She’s crazy. That laugh? That’s a laugh of a crazy person. But I noticed she’s not using that laugh anymore. Somebody convinced her, ‘Don’t, just don’t laugh. Don’t laugh under any circumstances.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Harris’ office for additional comment related to her ‘crazy’ comment in Los Angeles and the White House’s response but did not receive replies. 

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Federal judge undercuts Trump’s executive order on ‘radical gender ideology’

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from forcing recipients of federal teen pregnancy prevention grants to follow new rules targeting ‘radical indoctrination’ and ‘gender ideology.’

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, said President Donald Trump’s order was ‘motivated solely by political concerns, devoid of any considered process or analysis, and ignorant of the statutory emphasis on evidence-based programming.’

The ruling marked a victory for Planned Parenthood affiliates in California, Iowa and New York, who sued to try to block enforcement of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy change. The ruling will apply to all organizations that receive grants. 

HHS, which oversees the program, declined to comment on Tuesday’s ruling.

HHS had previously said in a policy document issued in July that the guidance for the program ‘ensures that taxpayer dollars no longer support content that undermines parental rights, promotes radical gender ideology, or exposes children to sexually explicit material under the banner of public health.’

Planned Parenthood affiliates argued the new directives conflicted with the program’s requirements and were so vague that it was unclear how to comply.

Howell agreed, writing in her ruling that the HHS policy provided ‘incomprehensibly vague’ requirements and ‘seemingly relied on irrelevant ideological factors, and did not justify its change in position.’

The changes to the pregnancy prevention program were part of a series of executive orders Trump signed on his first day back in the White House.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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