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Venezuela is gearing up for the launch of US-backed political transition talks on Saturday, but the absence of Nobel Peace Prize-winning opposition figure Maria Corina Machado has left her base skeptical.

US oil giants are set to report blowout profits Friday at a time when lofty gasoline prices are stressing consumers and exacerbating President Donald Trump's worries about upcoming midterm elections.

Anthropic's artificial intelligence (AI) models "gained unauthorized access" to three outside organizations during testing that was supposed to keep them away from "real-world" systems, the company said on Thursday.

The bison carried on grazing peacefully as the flames approached, imperturbable despite the fires ravaging the land around their wildlife park west of Madrid.

A man whose teenage son shot dead four people at a US high school was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday in a rare case of a parent convicted over a shooting carried out by their child.

Transaction establishes a banking foundation for Freedom's integrated financial and digital ecosystem in Türkiye

Single-tranche financing carries one full warrant per Unit at $0.12, issues less than half the Units contemplated under the previously announced offering, creates no freely tradeable stock at closing, and is expected to include insider participation. Proceeds are directed to the next phase of exploration at the Mesa Arc Project (New Mexico) and the Green River Project (Utah). The Company's previously announced offering, comprising a LIFE Financing and a concurrent financing, has been cancelled due to market conditions.NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Strategic Transaction to Position Thunder Bay North for Development, Strengthen Capital Markets Profile and Create a New Critical Minerals Growth PlatformNot for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.HighlightsA strategic business combination with Springbok Ventures, a Fiore Group-backed company focused on critical minerals in OntarioCreation of a growth-oriented critical minerals platform focused on domestic critical minerals in Canada with the ability to pursue future acquisitions and strategic opportunitiesMinimum C$5 million concurrent financing of subscription receiptsPartnership with the Fiore Group, one of Canada's leading mining groupsContinued advancement of the Thunder Bay North Critical Minerals ProjectAddition of the Maude Lake Property in Ontario as an exploration asset

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2026 / Battery X Metals Inc. (CSE:BATX)(OTCQB:BATXF)(FSE:5YW0, WKN:A41RJF) ("Battery X Metals" or the "Company") an energy transition resource exploration and technology company, announces that, further to its news release dated May 13, 2026 announcing the engagement of bullVestor Medien GmbH ("bullVestor") to provide digital marketing and investor awareness services aimed at increasing market awareness of the Company and its business (the "Engagement"), the Company and bullVestor have entered into an amendment to the Corporate Awareness Engagement Agreement (the "Amendment Agreement"), effective July 30, 2026.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS NEWS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY OF THE SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "U.S. SECURITIES ACT") OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR AN EXEMPTION FROM SUCH REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE. THIS NEWS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OR SALE OF SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2026 / Fountain Asset Corp. (TSXV:FA) ("Fountain" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Geoff Barratt as a director and the new Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and the appointment of Mr. Michael Shuh as a director of the Company, each effective as of July 31, 2026.

MONTREAL, QC / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2026 / First Canadian Graphite Inc. (TSXV:FCI)(OTCQB:GRAPF) ("FC graphite" or the "Company") has received regulatory approval to the property option agreement dated July 15, 2026 and amended July 29, 2026 for the right to earn a 100% interest in 51 contiguous mining claims located in Northern Quebec. To earn a 100% interest, the Company has agreed to pay $30,000 cash, issue an aggregate of 1,200,000 common shares at a deemed price of Cdn. $0.40 per share, and incur or fund $500,000 in exploration expenditures, as follows:

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

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2026 / Grid Metals Corp. (TSXV:GRDM)(OTCQB:MSMGF) ("Grid" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has received conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") for its previously announced transaction with Avenir Minerals Limited ("Avenir"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, for a joint venture on the Company's Falcon West Cesium Property (the "Property") located in southeastern Manitoba, Canada as announced by the Company on July 20, 2026.

ORLANDO, FL / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2026 / Unusual Machines, Inc. (AMEX:UMAC), a leading manufacturer of NDAA-compliant drone components, today announced participation in the following August investor conferences:

The United States Air Force and the F-35 Joint Program Office to expand use of Blade Diagnostics proprietary engine maintenance platform to F-35 engines

NORTH YORK, ON / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2026 / ZTEST Electronics Inc. ("ZTEST" or the "Company") (CSE:ZTE)(OTCID:ZTSTF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dave Barnett as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective August 24, 2026. Mr. Barnett has served as an independent director of the Company since July 2024 and currently serves as Chair of the Board.

at Cerro Grande: Hole AG_CG_PH2_003 ("Hole 3") has commenced drilling at the Cerro Grande skarn target, collared approximately 100 metres along strike from the Phase I discovery hole, AG_GC_002 (see news release here), and planned to a total depth of 450 metres.Hole 3 objectives: confirm and expand the five known skarn horizons at Cerro Grande while testing for additional mineralized horizons in previously untested limestone.Hole 2 (AG_CG_PH2_002) continues to advance: now at ~300 metres of its planned 700-metre depth, with core from the copper-bearing intervals disclosed in the Company's July 28, 2026 release being cut and shipped to ALS Laboratories in Hermosillo. A further update will follow.

IRVINE, CA / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2026 / Allied Universal®, a leading security and facility services company, is proud to announce that during the second quarter of 2026, its security professionals performed exceptional acts of bravery and heroically saved lives while on duty at client locations across North America.

CENTENNIAL, CO / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2026 / Nepra Foods Inc. (CSE: NPRA)(FSE: 2P6)(OTCQB: NPRFF) ("Nepra Foods" or the "Company"), a food and beverage company focused on product innovation, manufacturing and consumer wellness products, is pleased to announce that it has filed its audited annual financial statements, management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A"), and related CEO and CFO certifications (collectively, the "Annual Filings") for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026. The Annual Filings have been filed on SEDAR+ and posted on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") and OTCQB websites.

SASKATOON, SK / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2026 / Abasca Resources Inc. ("Abasca" or the "Company") (TSXV:ABA) is pleased to announce that it has closed the non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") previously announced on July 20, 2026. Pursuant to the Offering, the Company has issued 10,000,000 flow-through common shares of the Company (the "FT Shares", and each common share of the Company, a "Common Share") at a price of $0.25 per FT Share to raise gross proceeds of $2,500,000; and 2,500,000 non-flow-through Common Shares (the "NFT Shares") at a price of $0.20 per NFT Share to raise gross proceeds of $500,000.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2026 / Faraday Copper Corp. ("Faraday") (TSX:FDY)(OTCQX:CPPKF) is pleased to announce it has filed its management information circular (the "Circular") and related proxy materials (the "Meeting Materials") to Faraday shareholders (the "Shareholders") in connection with the special meeting of Shareholders to be held virtually at 9:00am Pacific Time on August 25, 2026 (the "Meeting"). The Meeting is intended to approve an ordinary resolution (the "Share Issuance Resolution") approving the issuance of Faraday common shares to a wholly owned subsidiary of BHP Group Limited ("BHP") as consideration for the previously announced transaction (the "Transaction") whereby Faraday will acquire from BHP the San Manuel property ("San Manuel"), adjacent to Faraday's Copper Creek project ("Copper Creek"), in Arizona, USA. The Meeting Materials are mailed to Shareholders of record as of July 20, 2026, and can also be accessed on Faraday's website at www.faradaycopper.com and its SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

HONG KONG, HK / ACCESS Newswire / July 31, 2026 / SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:SGQ)(HK:1878) ("SouthGobi" or the "Company") announces an update on its upcoming special meeting of shareholders which is scheduled to be convened on Thursday, August 27, 2026, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (i.e. Friday, August 28, 2026 in Hong Kong) (the "Meeting").

(NYSE American:CMCL)(AIM:CMCL)(VFEX:CMCL)

Brazil star Casemiro sang the praises of new Inter Miami teammate Lionel Messi on Thursday, calling his former La Liga rival a "god of football."

US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas, calling it a critical step toward a new Palestinian government in Gaza.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas, calling it a critical step toward a new Palestinian government in Gaza.

Amazon beat analysts' expectations on Thursday when it reported growth in overall revenue and sales, particularly in its cloud, artificial intelligence and chips divisions.

Apple beat market expectations in its latest results on Thursday, capping Tim Cook's final earnings report as CEO with a strong showing, although the outlook for the current quarter disappointed investors.

A clinical Alex de Minaur defeated fellow Australian Cruz Hewitt 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals in his Washington Open title defense.