Star Metro - News from Calgary, Canada, USA and around the world

The Pacific nation of Marshall Islands cited its history as a nuclear test ground as it criticized China's ballistic missile test that landed in the Pacific Ocean.

The US government's shock moves to restrict access to top artificial intelligence systems from Anthropic and OpenAI have sparked growing interest in open-source models -- especially ones from China.

South Korean chip giant SK hynix is expected on Thursday to set the price for its mega US listing that could be one of the world's largest stock sales.

Restrictions on children's use of social media in the European Union could come as early as this summer, as a long-awaited expert report next week is expected to recommend limiting minors' access to online platforms.

Oil prices extended their surge Thursday as Donald Trump said the US ceasefire with Iran was over and ordered fresh strikes against the country following attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Standing knee-deep in coastal waters, environmentalist Andrea Pimentel guides workers as they drive bamboo poles into the seabed to block sediment from choking the tidal channel sustaining a mangrove forest.

Graham Platner, a scandal-plagued Democratic Senate nominee whose insurgent rise had drawn comparisons to Donald Trump, ended his campaign Wednesday after a rape allegation threatened to derail one of his party's best chances of flipping a Republican-held seat.

The expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams has offered more of a chance to continents that were previously underrepresented at the tournament, but a glance at the quarter-final line-up tells a familiar tale.

Japan kept university student fly-half Ryunosuke Ito in their starting line-up named Thursday to face Ireland in the Nations Championship, as head coach Eddie Jones returns from suspension.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / Core Silver Corp. (CNSX:CC)(FSE:8ZR)(OTCQB:CCOOF) ("Core Silver") and Arcus Development Group Inc. (TSXV:ADG) ("Arcus", and together with Core Silver, the "Companies") are pleased to announce that, further to their joint news releases dated April 27, 2026 and June 17, 2026, they have entered into an arrangement agreement dated July 9, 2026 (the "Agreement") for an at-market business combination. Pursuant to the Agreement, Core Silver will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Arcus (each whole such common share, an "Arcus Share", and collectively, the "Arcus Shares") on a 1:1 basis (the "Exchange Ratio") in an all share transaction pursuant to a court-approved plan of arrangement (the "Transaction").

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / Core Silver Corp. (CNSX:CC)(FSE:8ZR)(OTCQB:CCOOF) ("Core Silver") and Arcus Development Group Inc. (TSXV:ADG) ("Arcus", and together with Core Silver, the "Companies") are pleased to announce that, further to their joint news releases dated April 27, 2026 and June 17, 2026, they have entered into an arrangement agreement dated July 9, 2026 (the "Agreement") for an at-market business combination. Pursuant to the Agreement, Core Silver will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Arcus (each whole such common share, an "Arcus Share", and collectively, the "Arcus Shares") on a 1:1 basis (the "Exchange Ratio") in an all share transaction pursuant to a court-approved plan of arrangement (the "Transaction").

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / Talent acquisition firm The Caldwell Partners International Inc. (TSX:CWL)(OTCQX:CWLPF) today issued its financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2026, ended May 31, 2026 and announced a 50% increase in its quarterly dividend. All references to quarters or years are for the fiscal periods unless otherwise noted and all currency amounts are in Canadian dollars.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / Rio Grande Resources Ltd. (CSE:RGR)(OTCQB:RGRLF) ("Rio Grande" or "RIO" the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has granted a total of 775,750 stock options (the "Options") and 776,795 restricted share units (the "RSUs"), collectively, (the "Awards"), to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company pursuant to the Company's Long-Term Incentive Plan. The grants were approved by the Board of Directors on July 8, 2026. The Awards are intended to align the interests of management, directors, employees and consultants with those of shareholders while supporting the Company's long-term growth strategy.

HOUSTON, TX AND TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / Park Lawn Corporation ("Park Lawn" or "PLC"), is pleased to announce that, effective June 22, 2026, it acquired substantially all of the assets of Mercer - Adams Funeral Service located in Bethany, Oklahoma ("Mercer-Adams"). This transaction further strengthens Park Lawn's presence in the Oklahoma market through the addition of one (1) stand-alone funeral home in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / SKY GOLD CORP. ("Sky" or the "Company") (TSX.V:SKYG) (US:SRKZF) is pleased to present gold and multi-element assay results from drill core, rock, vein and soil sampling on its 100%-owned Evening Star Project in Walker Lane Gold Trend, Nevada.

Milestone Strengthens Karbon-X's European Regulatory Infrastructure and Expands Its Operational Capabilities Within the World's Largest Compliance Carbon Market

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

BETA's advanced flight controls system will provide maximum precision, stability, safety and efficiency for Horizon Aircraft's Cavorite X7 hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / Hillcrest Energy Technologies Ltd. (CSE:HEAT)(OTCQB:HLRTF)(FRA:7HI) ("Hillcrest" or the "Company") today announced that it has entered into a Letter of Intent ("LOI") with Equipmake plc ("Equipmake"), a UK-based developer and manufacturer of high-performance electric motors and inverters for e-mobility applications. The LOI establishes a framework for a joint development program under which the parties would work together to integrate Hillcrest's proprietary Zero Voltage Switching ("ZVS") inverter technology into a defined Equipmake powertrain product line.

HERMOSILLO, MX / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / Tocvan Ventures Corp. (the "Company" or "Tocvan") (CSE:TOC)(OTCQB:TCVNF)(WKN:TV3/A2PE64) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement (the "Agreement") with Colibri Resources Corp. ("Colibri") to acquire the remaining 49% interest in the two original Pilar mining concessions (the "Concessions") (collectively, the "Transaction"). Upon closing, Tocvan will hold 100% ownership of its flagship Gran Pilar Gold-Silver Project in Sonora, Mexico (the "Project").

Partnership highlights the expansion of "Level Unlocked" brand bringing nutrition education, elite training and mentorship to a global community of young performersDairy MAX named Official Performance Partner of the 2026 World of Dance Summit and the Naming Rights Partner of the World of Dance Master Class Initiative taking place from July 7 to 10, 2026

TERREBONNE, QC / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / Loop Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq:LOOP), a clean technology company whose proprietary technology enables the infinite recyclability of PET plastic and polyester fiber, today announced that it will release its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2027 after the market closes on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

MONTREAL, QC / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / First Canadian Graphite Inc. (TSXV:FCI)(OTCQB:GRAPF) ("FC graphite" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the successful virtual annual and special general meeting of shareholders was held on July 7, 2026. A total of 16,292,900 common shares (approximately 36.23% of the outstanding common shares) were represented in person or proxy.

Processed tonnage increased 39% quarter-over-quarter and 78% year-over-year, as the Nueva Recuperada plant sustained nominal capacity through the quarter.Gold production rose 55% quarter-over-quarter and 233% year-over-year, with silver up 40% and 75% respectively.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp. (TSXV:PGE)(OTCQB:PGEZF)(FSE:J0G) (the "Company", or "Stillwater") is pleased to announce commencement of its largest exploration program to date at the Stillwater West critical minerals project in Montana, including the addition of a third drill rig, mobilization of field crews, and multiple technical initiatives supporting continued resource growth and project advancement.

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / Gabriel Resources Ltd. (TSXV:GBU) ("Gabriel" or the "Company") announces that Mr. Dragos Tanase has resigned from his positions as Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Company with immediate effect.

- 5,000 metres of directional drilling planned to target three mineralized zones below the current mine workings

HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights:Drill rig, camp, and crews fully mobilized to Golden Lion property; drilling now underway.Drilling focused on Golden Lion Main Zone (GL1), where final 2021 holes returned best-ever intercepts - GL21-024 66 m of 1.36 g/t gold and 11 g/t silver and GL21-025 11.3 m of 5.4 g/t gold and 62 g/t silver (see News November 16th, 2021).Property-scale MobileMT airborne electromagnetic survey completed, totaling 264 line-kilometres.MobileMT data processing and inversion underway; results to help guide follow-up geochemical, geological and ground geophysical surveys to begin shortly.President & CEO Alex Walcott will participate in a live webinar hosted by the Ore Group on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

5,000 to 7,000 metres of drilling to test continuity, seek higher-grade zones, and define next-stage targets

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / GMV Minerals Inc. (the "Company" or "GMV") (TSX-V:GMV)(OTCQB:GMVMF) is pleased to announce that drilling is proceeding well at its Mexican Hat Gold project in SE Arizona. The Company is now drilling its 17th diamond drill hole with a total of 3,250 meters completed to date. These have been tested over 540 meters of strike length of the deposit, and from surface up to 340 meters depth.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 9, 2026 / Apex Critical Metals Corp. (CSE:APXC)(OTCQX:APXCF)(Euronext Access Paris:MLAPX)(FWB:KL9) ("Apex" or the "Company"), a mineral exploration company focused on advancing its strategic 100%-controlled Rift Rare Earth Project (the "Rift Project") within the Elk Creek Carbonatite Complex in southeastern Nebraska, U.S.A., is pleased to announce that Euronext Paris has approved the admission of the Company's common shares (ISIN: CA03753D1042, CUSIP: 03753D104) (the "Common Shares") for trading on Euronext Access Paris. Trading of the Common Shares on Euronext Access Paris is expected to commence on July 9, 2026 under the symbol "MLAPX".