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South Korean stocks enjoyed a much-needed rally Thursday after a two-day rout as chip giant Samsung reported an eye-watering profit surge thanks to AI-driven demand, though the rest of Asia was mixed and oil held steep gains on fresh Middle East worries.

A French teenager was fined in Singapore Thursday after pleading guilty to a public nuisance charge for a straw-licking stunt that landed him in hot water in the city state.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald says Ben Stokes has "a lot of good cricket left in him" and believes England's new Test coach should lure him of international retirement for the Ashes.

Shares in China's Zhongji InnoLight fell in the first few minutes of its Hong Kong debut Thursday, after raising at least US$6.8 billion in the city's biggest IPO since 2019.

Liverpool won their second straight match under new coach Andoni Iraolo as they beat Wrexham 1-0 in a pre-season friendly at Yankee Stadium in New York on Wednesday.

Under banners emblazoned "Solidarity" and "We stand together with victims", a group of South Korean women digital detectives dredges the internet for a scourge of illegal AI-enabled pornography.

Up to 23 people were feared dead on Thursday after a major earthquake in Japan, with four bodies now pulled out from the tangled wreckage of a shopping mall ripped apart by a suspected massive gas explosion.

A federal jury on Wednesday convicted novelist Salman Rushdie's assailant of "engaging in an act of terrorism" for the bloody August 2022 attack at a New York cultural center.

South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics posted on Thursday a massive 19-fold jump in second-quarter operating profit from last year, buoyed by sustained AI-driven demand for memory chips.

Australia's cyber safety watchdog took court action Thursday against Telegram, alleging the global messaging platform had failed to remove terrorism material.

The United States military launched "powerful" strikes on Iran on Thursday, in retaliation for Tehran's attacks targeting US bases in Jordan as the Middle East war reignited and again drew in the Islamic republic's proxies.

Roberto De Zerbi said he wants in-demand midfielder Lucas Bergvall to stay at Tottenham, but cannot guarantee the Sweden World Cup player a starting role.

New Zealand's top diplomat Winston Peters drew the ire of Beijing's ambassador in Wellington on Thursday after telling a lawmaker of Chinese descent to "go back to your own country".

Alex de Minaur launched his Washington Open title defense with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday to set an all-Australian clash with teen Cruz Hewitt.

US branch share register to close during December 2026

Japan's Strategic Investment Advances Lofdal to Next Phase of Development with Non-Dilutive Pre-FID Project Funding

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / Pinetree Capital Ltd. (TSX:PNP) ("Pinetree" or the "Company") today announced its financial results for the three month period ended June 30, 2026. All financial information provided in this press release is unaudited and all figures are in $'000 except per share amounts and shares outstanding.

CRANBROOK, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / Eagle Plains Resources Ltd. (TSXV:EPL)(OTCQB:EGPLF) ("EPL" or "Eagle Plains" or "the Company") has received approval from the TSX Venture Exchange to amend the term of 2,220,750 outstanding common share purchase warrants which were issued in connection with a non-brokered private placement completed in August, 2023, (see EPL news release dated August 3rd, 2023). The warrants have a current expiry date of August 2nd, 2026.

LONDON, UK / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / A new scientific review has found that nutritionally sound vegan dog food, vegan cat food and vegetarian pet diets are generally well digested and broadly comparable to conventional meat-based diets. The review, published in the journal Animals, examined 31 existing studies assessing the digestibility of vegan, vegetarian and plant-based pet diets and ingredients in dogs and cats.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / The Dream Team, the digital marketing mentorship community founded by Darren Ewert and Mike Dreher, today announced that its global membership base has reached a new milestone in 2026, marking another year of growth for the ten-year-old organization built inside Enagic's distributor network.

MONTREAL, QC / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / First Canadian Graphite Inc. (TSXV:FCI)(OTCQB:GRAPF) ("FC graphite" or the "Company")reports assay results back from ALS Laboratories from its Phase I Beep Mat prospecting and sampling program on Zone 13 at its flagship Lac Guéret South Project in Québec's Côte-Nord region.

HONG KONG / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSXV:SGQ)(HK:1878) ("SouthGobi" or the "Company") announces that the Company's board of directors will approve the financial results of the Company and its subsidiaries for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2026 on Friday, August 14, 2026. These results will be released on Friday, August 14, 2026.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / Tectonic Metals Inc. ("Tectonic" or the "Company") (TECT:TSXV)(TETOF:OTCQX)(FRA:T15B) today announced the appointment of Ms. Keren Yun as Vice President, Investor Relations. The Company also announced equity grants pursuant to its equity plans.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / Rio Grande Resources Ltd. (CSE:RGR)(OTCQB:RGRLF) ("Rio Grande" or "RIO" the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has entered into a marketing services agreement with LFG Equities Corp. ("LFG") to provide strategic marketing consulting services designed to increase awareness of the Company within the investment community.

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / New Horizon Aircraft Ltd. ("Horizon Aircraft" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:HOVR), an advanced aerospace company developing one of the first hybrid-electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, announces that management will participate in the following August investment conferences:

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / Polaris Renewable Energy Inc. (TSX:PIF) ("Polaris Renewable Energy" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that its board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of US$0.15 per common share outstanding.

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / Polaris Renewable Energy Inc. (TSX:PIF) ("Polaris Renewable Energy" or the "Company"), is pleased to report its financial and operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026. This earnings release should be read in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis, which are available on the Company's website at www.PolarisREI.com and have been posted on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The dollar figures below are denominated in US Dollars unless noted otherwise.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / Alset AI Ventures Inc. (TSXV:GPUS)(OTCQB:GPUSF)(FSE:1R60,WKN:A40M0J) ("Alset AI" or the "Company"), an artificial intelligence ("AI") venture company advancing innovation through strategic investment and cloud computing solutions, is pleased to announce that it has engaged DS Market Solutions Inc. ("DS Market") to provide equity trading advisory and liquidity provider services in accordance with applicable policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") and applicable securities laws.

Successful Stage 1 Validation on SAGA's Titanium-Vanadium-Iron Mineralization is a Significant Step Toward Advancing Optimization and Commercial Deployment of Temas' Proprietary RCL TechnologyHighlightsTemas Resources Corp. ("Temas") and SAGA Metals Corp. ("SAGA") have successfully completed an independent Stage 1 metallurgical validation program utilizing Temas' proprietary Regenerative Chloride Leach ("RCL") Platform Technology on representative samples from SAGA's titanium-vanadium-iron mineralization.The results exceeded program objectives, achieving titanium recoveries of up to 90.8%, iron recoveries of up to 91.5%, and vanadium recoveries of up to 97.4% during two-stage RCL testing, demonstrating excellent extraction of critical minerals from multiple feed types.By meeting all Stage 1 objectives, the validation program supports a positive Gate 1 decision to advance into the Detailed Bench Optimization Program (Stage 2), representing an important next step toward pilot-scale demonstration and potential commercial deployment.The program validates the application of the RCL Platform on third-party titanium-vanadium-iron mineralization, providing further evidence of the commercial scalability of Temas' proprietary processing technology.The ilmenite concentrate produced the strongest titanium extraction, achieving 90.8% recovery, while iron extraction remained consistently above 86% across all samples and vanadium extraction exceeded 94% in every test.Results demonstrate the versatility of the RCL Platform across multiple titanium-bearing feedstocks, supporting future commercial opportunities through technology licensing, strategic processing partnerships and joint venture arrangements.Stage 2 optimization will focus on further improving recoveries while advancing process design toward mini-pilot scale demonstration.The successful validation represents another important milestone in Temas' strategy of building a global critical minerals technology business capable of providing environmentally responsible processing solutions for mining companies worldwide.Why this Matters to Investors1) Another Step Toward Commercializing the RCL PlatformThis successful validation demonstrates that Temas' proprietary RCL Platform can be successfully applied to third-party critical mineral deposits, supporting the Company's strategy of developing a scalable technology licensing business in addition to its wholly owned mineral assets.2) Independent Validation Demonstrates Strong Technical PerformanceThe RCL Platform achieved titanium recoveries of up to 90.8%, iron recoveries of up to 91.5%, and vanadium recoveries of 97.4%, further validating the effectiveness of the technology across multiple titanium-vanadium feed materials.3) Clear Commercial Development PathwayCompletion of Stage 1 testing and advancement into Stage 2 optimization establishes a defined pathway toward pilot-scale demonstration and potential commercial deployment, creating opportunities for future technology licensing, processing partnerships and long-term recurring revenue.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / CoTec Holdings Corp. (TSXV:CTH)(OTCQX:CTHCF) ("CoTec" or the "Company") notes that MagIron LLC ("MagIron"), a U.S.-based company in which it owns an approximately 17% fully diluted equity interest, has announced a series of senior leadership changes and the completion of an additional insider capital raise to support the ongoing development of its project.

Offering nearly 3 MWh of energy with up to 7 MW of continuous power for demanding data center, AI infrastructure and critical-power applicationsInitial deliveries targeted for Q2 2027 from Electrovaya's Jamestown, NY manufacturing facility, designed to support 48E Investment Tax Credit eligibility

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / July 30, 2026 / Sun Peak Metals Corp. (TSXV:PEAK)(OTCQB:SUNPF) ("Sun Peak" or the "Company") today provides an update on exploration activities across its 100%-owned Saudi Arabian portfolio covering 1,072 km2 within the highly prospective Arabian-Nubian Shield.