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

In a soggy field between Amsterdam and The Hague, farmer Sander Roeleveld ploughs a small white combine harvester into his crops, gathering a grain never before harvested in the Netherlands: rice.

Japan toughened on Thursday requirements for foreigners wanting to obtain permanent residency, as part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's push to tighten immigration controls.

When 20-year-old Muscovite Artyom Allabut stumbled on videos of Russian street choirs, he got goosebumps and decided to join one, finding a sense of togetherness and escapism.

Mu Xinyue called it "the happiest moment of my life" after she became the first woman to win an Asian Games gold medal in eSports.

The UK government is facing mounting pressure to end a £330-million contract between the National Health Service and AI giant Palantir, as doctors, lawmakers and campaigners warn of ethical risks.

The EU will discuss further ways to boost migrant deportations Thursday, as a group of nations forges ahead with divisive plans to send failed asylum-seekers to return centres outside the bloc.

Fishermen along Latin America's Pacific coast are reeling in half-empty nets as ocean warming aggravated by El Nino causes tuna, anchovies and other top catches to migrate to cooler waters.

Screenwriter Reed Van Dyk was leafing through a magazine one day in 2012 when he came across an article about the human cost of war that stopped him in his tracks.

Chase Meidroth's three-run homer sent the Chicago White Sox into the second round of the Major League Baseball playoffs Wednesday while an Alec Bohm 10th-inning home run kept the Phillies alive at Atlanta.

French security forces on Wednesday detained over 600 people while dozens of police and gendarmes were wounded as protests that have seen blockades of high schools and violent clashes escalated, the interior minister said.

Switzerland's glaciers, which are disproportionately impacted by climate change, have lost nearly 20 percent of their mass in five years, experts said Thursday, with 2026 registering the second-biggest melt on record.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2026 / Torq Resources Inc. (TSXV:TORQ)(OTCQB:TRBMF) ("Torq" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that in addition to the closing of its private placement for gross proceeds of $1.7m on September 16, 2026 the ("Private Placement"), it has closed its previously announced shares for debt settlement (see September 10, 2026 news releases) (the "Debt Settlement") and issued 2,261,120 Shares to two directors, 240,018 Shares to arm's length creditors and 8,081,182 Units (identical to those in the Private Placement) to arm's length creditors to settle an aggregate of $529,116 of debts. Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Share") and a Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant") exercisable until October 1, 2029, to acquire a Share for C$0.10. The debts primarily relate to accrued interest on the Company's $2.8m loan facility and both the principal and accrued interest on an $84k promissory note alongside settlement of certain accrued director wages.

Japanese Supplier Working With GA-ASI on Communications Payload for MQ-9B

WINNIPEG, MB / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2026 / Medicure Inc. ("Medicure" or the "Company") (TSXV:MPH)(OTC PINK:MCUJF), a company focused on the development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products for patients and prescribers in the United States market, today announced the granting of stock options (the "Options") to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company to purchase a total of 150,000 common shares of the Company at a price of $2.88 per common share. The Options vest in three equal installments on the first, second and third anniversary of the date of grant and are exercisable for a period of five years from the date of grant. The Options have been granted in accordance with the terms of the Company's current stock option plan. The grant of Options is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2026 / Immutable Holdings Inc. (CBOE:HOLD)(OTCQB:IHLDF) ("Immutable Holdings" or the "Corporation"), is pleased to provide a general corporate update regarding its digital asset holdings, capital management activities and ongoing strategic review.

All amounts in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

DENVER, CO / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2026 / Golden Minerals Company ("Golden Minerals," "Golden" or the "Company") (OTCQB:AUMN and TSX:AUMN) is pleased to announce that effective today, Mr. Keith Laskowski has been appointed to the position of Executive Vice President of Exploration and Ms. Barbara Henderson has been appointed to the position of Corporate Secretary. Both Mr. Laskowski and Ms. Henderson have been hired on a consulting basis.

TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2026 / CUNICO METALS INC. ("Cunico" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that a recently completed HeliTEM airborne electromagnetic survey has identified strong conductors in both the Horden Extension Zone and the northeastern sector of its 100%-owned Véronneau Property, located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec. The conductors occur in geological settings prospective for nickel-copper-platinum group element (PGE) mineralization, including the differentiated gabbro-pyroxenite sill of the Horden Extension Zone and interpreted komatiitic sequences in the northeastern sector.

Partnership combines ID TECH's unattended payment hardware portfolio with SFEY's payment platform and certification expertise to accelerate deployment across Europe.

TORONTO, ON AND LONDON, UK / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2026 / Sintana Energy Inc. (TSX-V:SEI)(AIM:SEI)(OTCQX:SEUSF) ("Sintana" or the "Company") is pleased to announce, further to a public press release from Trago Energy Pty Ltd ("Trago"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Custos Energy (Pty) Ltd. ("Custos"), that Trago has entered into an agreement with Harmattan Energy Limited, an affiliate of Chevron Corporation ("Chevron'), in respect of its 10% participating interest in Petroleum Exploration License 90 ("PEL 90"). Sintana maintains a 49% indirect interest in Trago.

CALGARY, AB / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2026 / Bocana Resources Corp. (TSXV:BOCA)(Frankfurt:VC1) ("Bocana" or the "Company") provides the following update regarding the proposed acquisition transaction previously announced on July 20, 2026, together with updates on certain other corporate initiatives.

ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2026 / Akkodis, a global digital engineering consulting company, today announced the completion of its acquisition of SOGECLAIR's engineering activities dedicated to Airbus; SOGECLAIR is a leading international engineering and technology company specializing in aerospace, defense and mobility.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2026 / Core Critical Metals Corp. ("CCMC" or the "Company") (TSXV:CCMC) is pleased to announce that, at its annual general and special meeting of shareholders held on September 28, 2026 (the "Meeting"), shareholders approved the special resolution authorizing the previously announced statutory plan of arrangement under Division 5 of Part 9 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) among the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, 1595789 B.C. Ltd. ("Spinco1") and 1595792 B.C. Ltd. ("Spinco2"), pursuant to which the Company will spin out its Senneville Project to Spinco1 and its Timmins Nickel Project to Spinco2 (the "Arrangement"). The Arrangement was approved by 100% of the votes cast by shareholders at the Meeting. All other matters put before shareholders at the Meeting were also approved.

RENO, NV / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2026 / Saphira, Inc. is excited about future prospects for its Bright Star Property after the announcement by Equinox Gold that it obtained a positive Record of Decision on its South Railroad Mine project. Equinox (until recently Orla Mining) has also announced that it has started construction of the Dark Star and Pinion gold mines from which it will produce 130,00 oz. of gold per year. Equinox says that these two mines have a net present value of $1.7 billion, at a 5% discount rate and $4500/oz gold price.

Revenue increased approximately 1,670% year over year during the Company's first full fiscal year of large-scale carbon credit trading.Record fiscal 2026 revenue of $55.9 million, up approximately 1,670% year over yearCompleted first full fiscal year of large-scale carbon credit tradingExpanded trading and project development operations across Europe, Latin America and North AmericaTotal assets increased 42% to $9.6 million from $6.8 millionConverted $7.0 million of convertible notes and accrued interest into 10.6 million shares of common stockAll financial amounts are stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

Rio Increases land Position at Winston Gold-Silver Project in New Mexico Within Proximity of its Planned Drill Program at Poverty Creek

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2026 / Hillcrest Energy Technologies (CSE:HEAT)(OTCQB:HLRTF)(FSE:7HI) ("Hillcrest" or the "Company") today announced that Don Currie, Chief Executive Officer, will present at the Cantech Investment Conference on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at the Arcadian Loft, 401 Bay Street, Toronto.

Rig now on site, approximately 3.0 km northwest of the Wedge Mine, with drilling expected to commence at Tribag in the coming days; Phase 3 drilling continues at the Wedge Mine

Construction of Phase 1, the Thorold Facility's first commercial-scale biocarbon production line, has reached mechanical and electrical substantial completion, clearing the way for the Facility's transition to commercial operationsThe Thorold Facility now moves into end-to-end commissioning, with commercial ramp-up targeted through October with production and revenue increasing through calendar year-end 2026When the Thorold Facility begins producing renewable natural gas ("RNG") it will be the first in the world to produce RNG and biocarbon simultaneously from wood waste

Click Media, a GameSquare Company, Driving Growth at Creator Led Commerce BusinessHungryboy Hot Sauce has sold more than $1 million since November 2025

Acquisition adds proven PzF™ thin-film surface modification technology, specialized blood- and tissue-contacting device expertise and a West Coast testing facility