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Dissent against war grows in Israel’s military as reservists from elite unit join protest movement

A small group of reservists from Israel’s elite military intelligence unit joined a call for an immediate return of the hostages in Gaza even if it requires an immediate end to the war, in a sign of a growing protest movement after more than 18 months of war.

The public letter, with more than 250 signatories, says the war “is currently mainly serving political and personal interests and not security interests.”

“The continuation of the war doesn’t contribute to any of the declared objectives, and will lead to the death of hostages, (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers, and of innocents,” the authors wrote.

The letter was written by reservists and retirees from Israel’s elite Unit 8200, the biggest military intelligence unit. It also criticizes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stated plans to defeat Hamas and return the remaining 59 hostages held in Gaza.

To continue governing, the prime minister requires the support of coalition partners from far-right parties who have threatened to quit the government should the war end.

“The government didn’t take responsibility for the catastrophe, and doesn’t admit that it has no plan or solution for the crisis,” the authors wrote. “We join the call of the air crews to all Israeli citizens to take action and demand, everywhere and in any way, the return of the hostages now and the cessation of the fighting.”

The new public protest comes a day after hundreds of air force retirees and reservists published a similar letter in major newspapers in Israel, saying “the war mainly serves political and personal interests and not security interests.”

Israel has a relatively small standing military, but a much larger reserve corps upon which it relies during an extended conflict. A growing protest movement within the reserves could potentially affect the Israeli military’s ability to conduct an extended campaign in Gaza.

While the two letters criticized the continuation of the war, the signatories have not refused to serve.

Within hours of the first letter’s release on Thursday, the Israeli military announced that it had fired the air force reservists who had signed the letter and was analyzing the signatures to see how many more were still in the military. An IDF official said most of the signatories are not active reservists.

The commander of the Israel Air Force, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, criticized the letter in his own missive published Friday.

“The messages which appear in the proclamation express a lack of trust and damage the cohesion within the force,” Bar wrote. “Such publication has no place during wartime as IDF soldiers and commanders are risking their lives.”

‘Funded by foreign money’

Netanyahu slammed the new protest letter and attempted to cast the authors as a tiny minority.

“They were written by a small group of bad apples, operated by organizations funded by foreign money, which have one goal – topping the right-wing government,” Netanyahu said in a statement, without providing any evidence of his claims of foreign influence.

But Netanyahu’s statement acknowledged that the protest letters were coming from multiple parts of the military, and mentioned a potential similar letter from the navy. “Once again those same letters: one time on behalf of pilots, another time on behalf of navy graduates, and other times under different names,” he said.

The prime minister tried to downplay the significance of the letters despite recent polls showing that nearly 70% of the Israeli public supports an end to the war in order to free the remaining hostages.

“This isn’t a trend. This isn’t an influx. This is a small group of retired personnel, who are loud, anarchist and disconnected,” he said.

The move to clamp down on the public protest appeared aimed at stemming increasingly vocal discontent among reservists and preventing a repeat of 2023, when waves of reservists said they would refuse to serve in protest of Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul efforts.

Nearly all of those reservists ultimately answered call-ups they received after Israel was attacked on October 7, but that wartime unity has begun to falter as the war has dragged on.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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South Korea’s ousted Yoon moves back to apartment with 11 pets and security personnel

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol moved back on Friday with his wife and their 11 dogs and cats to their apartment in an upscale district of Seoul, close to the prosecutors’ office where the impeached leader worked before entering politics.

Yoon and his wife Kim Keon Hee, known for their love of pets, are beginning a new life after he was impeached for a failed attempt to impose martial law and removed from office.

Under Yoon, South Korea passed a bill to ban the eating and selling of dog meat in the country. The number of pets they own grew from four dogs and three cats at the start of his presidency, and now include a retriever that is a retired service dog adopted by Yoon in 2022.

The couple’s 164 sq meter apartment is located in a complex in the glitzy “Gangnam” area south of the Han river, and some neighbors have raised concerns about the return of a man who so polarized the nation during his stint in office.

As many as 50 presidential security service personnel will be deployed to guard the couple, who are entitled to protection for at least five years, according to South Korean media reports.

The three 37-story towers that make up the Acrovista complex are home to more than 750 households. Previously, South Korean presidents have moved into detached houses after leaving office, which have afforded much greater privacy.

The security arrangement in the crowded residential property where they will now live is believed to have been one of the reasons that delayed their move back to the private home by a week after he was stripped of the presidency.

Some neighbors have also fretted about their complex becoming a magnet for crowds of supporters and critics the couple might attract, local media reported, though others posted a welcome banner at the building entrance.

Yoon said he had to declare martial law to raise the alarm about his opponents’ unrelenting obstruction of political process that paralyzed government.

The Acrovista complex is built on the site of the country’s worst human-caused disaster – the collapse of a major department store in 1995 that killed 502 people and injured nearly 1,000 others.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Halcones Precious Metals Closes Final Tranche of Life Offering and Announces Non-Brokered Offering

Halcones Precious Metals Corp. (TSX-V: HPM) (the “Company” or “Halcones”) announces that it has closed the second and final tranche of its previously-announced private placement of units (the “Offering”) of the Company (the “Units”) pursuant to which the Company issued 7,707,200 Units at a price of $0.07 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $539,504 (the “Final Tranche”). Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company (“Common Share”) and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a “Warrant”). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.10 per Common Share for a period of 36 months following the date of issuance. Together with the first tranche of the Offering, the Company has issued an aggregate of 31,152,200 Units for gross proceeds of $2,180,654.

The Offering was led by Clarus Securities Inc. and iA Private Wealth Inc., as co-lead agents, on behalf of a syndicate of agents (collectively, the “Agents”) that included Red Cloud Securities Inc. and Haywood Securities Inc.

The Company plans to use the net proceeds of the Final Tranche to continue the exploration work on its Polaris Project as well as for general corporate working capital purposes.

In connection with the Final Tranche, the Agents received an aggregate cash fee equal to $37,765.28. In addition, the Company issued to the Agents, 539,504 non-transferable compensation warrants (the “Compensation Warrants”). Each Compensation Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price equal to $0.07 for a period of 36 months from the date hereof.

The Common Shares and Warrants issued pursuant to the Final Tranche are not subject to a statutory hold period pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws as the Final Tranche was completed pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI 45-106. The Final Tranche remains subject to final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Non-Brokered Offering

Further to the closing of the Offering, Halcones announces a non-brokered private placement financing of up to 7,150,000 units (the “NB Units”) to be priced at $0.07 per NB Unit for gross proceeds of up to $500,500 (the “NB Offering”).

Each NB Unit will be comprised of one Common Share and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a “NB Warrant”). Each NB Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.10 per Common Share for a period of 36 months following the completion of the NB Offering. Securities issued under the NB Offering are expected to carry a hold period of 4 months and one day from the date of issue as may be required under applicable securities laws.

The Company plans to use the aggregate net proceeds of the NB Offering to continue the exploration work on its Polaris project as well as general corporate working capital purposes.

The NB Offering is scheduled to close on or about April 22, 2025 and is subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Certain insiders of the Company may acquire NB Units in the NB Offering. Any participation by insiders in the NB Offering would constitute a ‘related party transaction’ as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”). However, the Company expects such participation would be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value subscribed for by the insiders under the NB Offering, nor the consideration for the NB Units paid by such insiders, will exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization.

A material change report including details with respect to the related party transaction is not expected to be able to be filed less than 21 days prior to the closing of the NB Offering as the Company has not received confirmation of the participation of insiders in the NB Offering and the Company deems it reasonable in the circumstances so as to be able to avail itself of potential financing opportunities and complete the NB Offering in an expeditious manner.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under 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.

About Halcones Precious Metals Corp.

Halcones is focused on exploring for and developing gold-silver projects in Chile. The Company has a team with a strong background of exploration success in the region.

For further information, please contact:

Vincent Chen, CPA
Investor Relations
+1 (778) 990-9433
vincent.chen@halconespm.com
www.halconespreciousmetals.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information

This press release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, regarding the Offering, NB Offering, the Company’s intended use of proceeds from the Offering and NB Offering, the approval of the Offering and NB Offering by the TSXV, the Company’s ability to explore and develop its Polaris project and the Company’s future plans. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. Forward- looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Halcones, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; risks associated with operation in foreign jurisdictions; ability to successfully integrate the purchased properties; foreign operations risks; and other risks inherent in the mining industry. Although Halcones has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Halcones does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Source

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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What are Rare Earth Elements Used For?

There are 17 rare earth elements (REEs) in all — 15 lanthanides plus yttrium and scandium. It’s a fairly diverse group, with each rare earth mineral having different applications, pricing and available supply.

However, REEs are often placed in the same basket because they do not occur separately from each other in nature. Aside from that, separation is tricky — before modern methods were available, the process was too difficult and expensive to pursue.

Despite the market’s complexity, it’s worth taking a closer look at the different rare earths and their uses. As global governments take steps to meet energy transition goals, demand is expected to grow immensely, creating opportunities for investors with knowledge of the sector. Read on to learn more about this important group of critical metals.

In this article

    Are rare earth elements really rare?

    Many rare earth investors will be familiar with the adage that rare earth minerals are not that rare — in fact, according to the US Geological Survey, most rare earths are more plentiful in the Earth’s crust than gold, silver and platinum.

    As of 2024, there were more than 90 million metric tons of rare earth reserves. Rare earths can be found in carbonatite deposits, alkaline igneous systems, ion-adsorption clay deposits and monazite-xenotime-bearing placer deposits.

    The key point to note is that even though REEs are relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust worldwide, “minable concentrations are less common than for most other mineral commodities,” as per the US Geological Survey.

    In terms of the availability of specific elements, lanthanum and cerium are relatively abundant in rare earths mineral deposits, while neodymium and praseodymium are much less so; meanwhile, erbium, ytterbium and lutetium are rare. Yttrium is as common as lanthanum and cerium in some types of deposits, but scandium is also very rare.

    Rare earth minerals are usually divided into ‘heavy’ and ‘light’ varieties based on their atomic weight. While the concentration of different REEs varies within each given deposit, every deposit is usually dominated by either heavy or light rare earths, with some elements being much more abundant.

    What is the difference between rare earth minerals, rare earth elements and rare metals?

    Rare earth elements and rare earth metals refer to the specific category of 17 elements on the periodic table, and rare earth minerals refers to the minerals, such as monazite, that contain these metals.

    While some use the phrase rare earth minerals to refer to the metals themselves, rare earths are not minerals in the strict sense of the term. Due to their chemical properties, the 17 rare earth elements are classified as metals on the periodic table. However, rare earth elements are not found as pure metals in nature, but are rather locked up in minerals that are mined and refined to obtain the metals.

    The term rare metals instead refers to a loosely defined group of resources, including tantalum, niobium, indium, zirconium and gallium. These metals are genuinely rare and valuable, but they are not members of the REE category. However, their important use in technologies such as microtechnologies, superconducting magnets, touch screens and new energy technologies can often lead them to be confused with rare earth elements.

    How are rare earths used in manufacturing and industry?

    As mentioned, although REEs are grouped together in the ground, their applications vary widely.

    In the light rare earth category, cerium is used as a polishing agent for different types of glass, including LCD screens. Cerium is the most abundant rare earth, and is about as common in the Earth’s crust as copper.

    Lanthanum is used as a catalyst for refining petroleum and to improve the alkali resistance of glass, especially in camera lenses. This light REE is also used to make the carbon arc lights used by the motion picture industry.

    Europium is used in chemical formulations for LEDs, CRT displays and florescent bulbs.

    As for heavy rare earths, yttrium is also used in LEDs and florescent bulbs. While erbium has several uses, it’s most commonly used to make glass optical fibers as it can amplify network signals.

    As mentioned earlier, one of the REEs that is rare in terms of mine supply is scandium, a critical metal that is as strong as titanium, as light as aluminum and as hard as ceramic. There are a number of new applications emerging for scandium, including alloys for high-end sports equipment, as well as for automotive and airplane parts.

    Rare earths are also critical to modern defense systems and military equipment such as radar, guidance systems, precision-guided munitions, lasers, satellites and night vision goggles.

    Several rare earth metals are essential to rare earth magnets, which you can learn more about below.

    What are rare earth magnets and how are they used?

    Rare earth magnets are stronger in terms of weight or volume than any other magnet type. The REEs praseodymium, neodymium, samarium and dysprosium are often used in rare earth magnets, which are finding increasing uses, especially when space is limited.

    Magnets made from neodymium, boron and iron, called neodymium magnets, are the strongest available, and these magnets can be found in the motors of wind turbines, as well as electric vehicles. Fellow rare earth elements dysprosium or terbium are sometimes added to neodymium magnets to improve their ability to operate at high temperatures.

    Samarium-cobalt magnets are favored in military applications such as jet engines and missile systems because these magnets can operate at extremely high temperatures.

    Praseodymium and dysprosium are also commonly used in industrial magnets in order to improve coercivity and resistance to corrosion.

    One of the most promising markets for rare earth magnets is electric vehicle motors. However, it’s important to note that permanent neodymium magnets are not strictly necessary to the construction of any electric vehicle. In fact, Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model S main motor does not contain any type of magnet.

    How will rare earth elements be used in the future?

    Applications for rare earth magnets are rapidly growing as new technologies evolve. However, lack of secure supply has driven some industries to seek out alternative technologies that don’t require REE magnets.

    Still, rare earth magnets are not going away anytime soon. REEs are an important part of the technology that drives modern life. They can be found in smartphones, computers and televisions, and are an important component in green energy technologies such as wind turbines and many electric vehicle motors. Plus, their role in defense technology makes rare earth sources critical.

    Understanding the different types of rare earths is the first step toward making an investment in this space. It’s also useful to understand rare earth supply and demand dynamics, from the top-producing countries to the nations with the top rare earth reserves. Being aware of the outlook for the rare earth industry can also help investors make the right moves.

    For investors who decide they are interested in the longer-term potential for the rare earth metals sector, there are plenty of ways to invest in rare earths, including the biggest rare earth companies and the top rare earth stocks.

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

    This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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    Crypto Market Recap: Bitcoin Stages a Comeback as Tariff Negotiations Continue

    Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (April 9) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

    Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

    At the time of this writing, Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$82,060.13 and up 7.2 percent in 24 hours. The day’s range has seen a low of US$76,842.48 and a high of US$82,665.31.

    Bitcoin performance, April 9, 2025.

    Chart via TradingView.

    Bitcoin is back to trading near levels seen earlier in the week following an announcement from the White House that tariffs against most countries will be paused for 90 days, after which reciprocal tariffs will be lowered to 10 percent. China is an exception — tariffs against the country have been boosted immediately to 125 percent.

    Ethereum (ETH) is priced at US$1,633.44, an 11.9 percent increase over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday low of US$1,459.15 and a high of US$1,661.40.

    Altcoin price update

    • Solana (SOL) is currently valued at US$118.54, up 14.3 percent over the past 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$104.09 and a high of US$119.68 on Wednesday.
    • XRP is trading at US$2.03, reflecting an 11.8 percent increase over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency recorded an intraday low of US$1.79 and a high of US$2.06.
    • Sui (SUI) is priced at US$2.24, showing an increaseof 13.9 percent over the past 24 hours. It achieved a daily low of US$1.09 and a high of US$2.26.
    • Cardano (ADA) is trading at US$0.6308, reflecting a 12.8 percent increase over the past 24 hours. Its lowest price on Wednesday was US$0.5597, with a high of US$0.64.

    Crypto news to know

    Trump’s tariff shock wipes US$2 billion from US Bitcoin stash

    The US government’s Bitcoin holdings have dropped by nearly US$2 billion in value since April 2 — dubbed “Liberation Day” by President Donald Trump — following a steep market selloff triggered by tariff announcements.

    According to Arkham Intelligence, the 198,012 BTC held by federal agencies declined in value from US$17.24 billion to US$15.21 billion in just under a week as Bitcoin slid from over US$87,000 to below US$77,000.

    An executive order made by Trump in March established a strategic Bitcoin reserve sourced from seized assets, further tying federal coffers to price swings in the cryptocurrency. The losses come as the administration ramps up global economic pressure, testing the volatility of its newly created digital reserve.

    Digital asset regulations under scrutiny at congressional hearing

    The Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) held a hearing on Wednesday to examine why current regulations may not apply to digital asset activities, and to explore which of these activities trigger US securities laws. Members of the subcommittee also discussed how Congress can address challenges through legislative action that reduces legal uncertainty while encouraging innovation.

    At the hearing, Rodrigo Seira, special counsel to law firm Cooley, told the subcommittee that current securities laws are not flexible enough to account for digital assets, citing a long list of crypto projects that have tried and failed to register their products with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

    “It is clear that the current securities regulatory framework is not a viable option to regulate crypto. It fails to achieve its stated policy goals,” Seira said in his opening remarks.

    “(T)he idea that crypto projects can come in and register with the SEC is demonstrably false.”

    Seira admitted that it is critical to apply federal regulations to crypto promoters; however, “virtually no crypto projects have successfully registered their tokens under federal securities laws and lived to tell the tale.”

    Representative Bryan Steil, head of the subcommittee, praised the progress that lawmakers have made, mentioning last week’s passing of the STABLE Act in the House of Representatives, before directing the subcommittee to the next stage of the process, namely comprehensive digital asset market structure legislation.

    Pakistan taps Bitcoin mining and AI to solve power woes

    Pakistan is turning to Bitcoin mining and AI data centers as a solution for its surplus electricity problem, aiming to repurpose excess power into revenue-generating infrastructure.

    Bilal Bin Saqib, head of the country’s Crypto Council, told Reuters that mining sites will be selected based on regional energy overcapacity, with former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao advising on the initiative.

    Despite regulatory ambiguity, Pakistan ranks among the top 10 countries in global crypto adoption and boasts over 15 million users. The move also emphasizes youth blockchain upskilling and fostering innovation in fintech through regulatory sandboxes to boost exports and economic resilience.

    Kraken, Mastercard bring crypto spending to 150 million merchants

    Crypto exchange Kraken is teaming up with Mastercard (NYSE:MA) to roll out crypto debit cards across the UK and Europe, enabling users to spend digital assets at more than 150 million merchants.

    The partnership builds on Kraken Pay, which allows seamless crypto-to-fiat transactions in over 300 currencies.

    The new physical and digital cards — set to launch in the coming weeks — are aimed at expanding crypto’s real-world utility and normalizing digital asset payments.

    Kraken CEO David Ripley views this as a critical step toward integrating crypto into everyday commerce, while Mastercard has underscored its commitment to innovating in digital finance and supporting blockchain initiatives.

    Binance to delist 14 tokens

    Binance announced on Tuesday (April 8) its decision to delist 14 tokens — BADGER, BAL, BETA, CREAM, CTXC, ELF, FIRO, HARD, NULS, PROS, SNT, TROY, UFT and VIDT — from its platform on April 16.

    The decision follows a comprehensive evaluation that included a review of project commitment and trading volume. The outcome also incorporated the results of Binance’s newly introduced ‘Vote to Delist’ mechanism, which allows users to vote on potentially underperforming tokens based on their BNB holdings.

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

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

    This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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    Canadian Election Candidates Unveil Plans to Fast Track Mining and Energy Projects

    With Canada’s energy and critical minerals sectors at a crossroads, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has unveiled a sweeping plan to overhaul the country’s resource project approvals process, fast tracking 10 major projects and pledging over US$1 billion in funding to open up Ontario’s mineral-rich Ring of Fire region.

    At a Monday (April 7) press conference held in Terrace, BC, Poilievre introduced his “One-and-Done” policy — a streamlined permitting system aimed at eliminating regulatory bottlenecks and cutting multi-year wait times, which he blames for stalling development and weakening Canada’s global economic position.

    Under the proposal, a new Rapid Resource Project Office would act as a centralized hub to manage all regulatory approvals across the federal and provincial levels. Each project would be subject to a single application and environmental review, with decisions promised within a year and a target of six months.

    “After the Lost Liberal decade, Canada is poorer, weaker, and more dependent on the US than ever before, especially as a market for our natural resources,” Poilievre said in a release. “My ‘One-and-Done’ rule will quickly and safely unleash Canada’s natural resources by rapidly approving the projects Canadians need more of now: mines, roads, LNG terminals, hydro projects, and nuclear power stations, so we can stand on our own two feet and stand up to the Americans.’

    LNG Canada, Ring of Fire projects top Conservative agenda

    Among the most significant commitments is the LNG Canada Phase II expansion in Northern BC, which would double liquefied natural gas output from 14 million to 28 million metric tons annually.

    The expansion has faced numerous delays due to emissions caps and concerns over power supply.

    A Conservative government, Poilievre said, would repeal federal legislation he calls obstructive — notably Bill C-69, which he brands the “No Pipelines – No Development Law” — and lift the emissions cap that could impede Phase II.

    Also at the top of Poilievre’s list is development of the Ring of Fire — a vast area in Northern Ontario rich in chromite, nickel, cobalt and other critical minerals essential for electric vehicles and defense technologies.

    Three weeks ago, Poilievre pledged that a Conservative government would approve all federal permits for Ring of Fire projects within six months and commit C$1 billion over three years to build a long-awaited access road connecting mineral deposits and Indigenous communities to the provincial highway network.

    “We could boost our economy with billions of dollars, allowing us to become less dependent on the Americans, while our allies overseas would no longer have to rely on Beijing for these metals, turning dollars for dictators into paychecks for our people,” Poilievre said at the time, emphasizing the importance of supply chain security.

    He also said companies operating in the Ring of Fire would be allowed to redirect a portion of their federal corporate taxes directly to local Indigenous groups, a move he argues would foster economic reconciliation and local buy in.

    Nine other projects slated for acceleration

    In addition to LNG Canada Phase II and the Ring of Fire road, Poilievre named nine other projects that his government would prioritize for review and approval:

    • Northern Road Link (Ontario): A key multi-use road to connect Ring of Fire deposits, under review since 2023.
    • Sorel-Tracy port terminal (Québec): A new terminal in the St. Lawrence industrial corridor.

    Each of these projects has faced lengthy delays under the current review framework, Poilievre said, and would be reviewed immediately to identify and remove administrative barriers.

    Carney outlines ‘One Project, One Review’ agenda

    At a campaign stop in Calgary, Alberta, Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader Mark Carney introduced the ‘One Project, One Review’ policy, which is intended to expedite approvals for major mining projects in Canada.

    The initiative aims to eliminate redundant federal and provincial environmental assessments by recognizing provincial evaluations, thereby streamlining the permitting process. The policy is designed to accelerate the development of critical minerals, such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, which are essential for clean energy technologies.

    By reducing regulatory delays, the government would seek to enhance Canada’s competitiveness in the global mining sector and support its transition to a sustainable energy future.

    Carney told the crowd his goal is to make Canada an ‘energy superpower.’

    “We are going to aggressively develop projects that are in the national interest in order to protect Canada’s energy security, diversify our trade, and enhance our long-term competitiveness — all while reducing emissions,” Carney explained in a written statement on Wednesday (April 9). “We can lead the energy transition while ensuring affordable energy at home and building the strongest economy in the G-7.”

    He pledged to expand Canada’s critical mineral exploration tax credit to cover minerals used in defense, semiconductors, energy and cleantech. Carney also plans to broaden eligible exploration expenses to include technical studies and extend the clean manufacturing tax credit to support brownfield site development.

    ‘This is huge,” Pierre Gratton, CEO of the Mining Association of Canada, told Bloomberg. “It includes an awful lot of stuff that we’ve been advocating for for a while, and not getting.”

    He added, “This could really help increase Canadian production of critical minerals in the short- to medium-term.”

    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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    King Charles and Queen Camilla pay a surprise visit to recovering Pope Francis during Italy trip

    King Charles and Queen Camilla paid a surprise visit to the recovering Pope Francis on Wednesday during a state visit to Italy that coincided with the British royal couple’s 20th wedding anniversary.

    The pope met privately with the royals, the Vatican said in a statement.

    “During the meeting, the Pope expressed his good wishes to Their Majesties on the occasion of their wedding anniversary and reciprocated His Majesty’s wishes a speedy recovery of his health,” the Vatican said.

    The 88-year-old pontiff has been recovering from a life-threatening bout of pneumonia which landed him in hospital for five weeks in February and March. Charles, meanwhile, has been battling cancer since last year.

    Wednesday’s meeting came as a surprise after Buckingham Palace announced last month that the royals would postpone a planned state visit to the Vatican because of the pope’s ill health.

    However, Francis had appeared to be in good spirits Sunday at his first public appearance since being released from hospital just over two weeks ago.

    The pope smiled as he greeted crowds in the Vatican, sitting in a wheelchair and wearing what appeared to be a nasal cannula to help with his breathing.

    In a photo circulated by the royal family of Francis greeting the royal couple Wednesday, the pontiff was not wearing the breathing aid.

    Charles and Camilla are in Italy on a four-day state visit. They received a full ceremonial welcome on Tuesday, meeting President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace before viewing a fly-past by aerial acrobatics teams from the Italian and British air forces.

    Earlier Wednesday, Charles met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and became the first British monarch to address a joint session of the Italian parliament.

    The trip comes less than two weeks after Charles was briefly hospitalized after experiencing “temporary side effects” from a scheduled cancer treatment, according to Buckingham Palace. While causing him to cancel a day’s worth of engagements, the king’s side effects were not out of the ordinary, according to a royal source, and he appeared to recover quickly.

    In February last year, Charles revealed he had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer and stepped away from public duties for several months for treatment. He resumed official engagements in April last year after doctors said they were “very encouraged” by his progress.

    This post appeared first on cnn.com

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    US and Russia swap prisoners in deal that released Ksenia Karelina

    Russian-American woman Ksenia Karelina, who was serving a 12-year prison sentence for treason in Russia, was released as part of a prisoner exchange that saw her swapped for an accused smuggler held in the US.

    US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X early on Thursday that Karelina had been released and was on her way to the United States.

    “American Ksenia Karelina is on a plane back home to the United States. She was wrongfully detained by Russia for over a year and President Trump secured her release,” Rubio said on X.

    He added the president would “continue to work for the release of ALL Americans.”

    Karelina was exchanged for Arthur Petrov, a dual Russian-German citizen who was being held in the US on charges of criminal offences related to export control violations, smuggling, wire fraud and money laundering, Russian state news agencies reported Thursday, quoting the FSB, the Russian security agency.

    The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the exchange happened in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. The ministry said in a statement that the fact that Russia and the US chose Abu Dhabi as the location for the swap reflected “the close friendship between them and the UAE.”

    The ministry said it was hoping “these efforts will contribute to supporting efforts to reduce tensions and promote dialogue and understanding, thus achieving security and stability at the regional and international levels.”

    Petrov was charged for criminal offenses related to export control violations, smuggling, wire fraud and money laundering, according to the US Justice Department.

    He was arrested in August 2023 in Cyprus at the request of the US and was extradited to the US in August 2024. He was 33 at the time.

    According to the Justice Department, Petrov was allegedly smuggling US-made microelectronics to Russia where they were used to manufacture weapons and other equipment for the Russian military.

    The US put export controls on many parts that could be used to make weapons after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, an effort to cut Russia off from Western technology.

    The exchange happened as Russian and US officials were meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, to discuss embassy operations.

    12 years for $50 charity donation

    Karelina, then 33, was sentenced in August. She was convicted of treason after she made a donation of just over $50 to a US-based charity supporting Ukraine.

    Her trial was held in the same court in Yekaterinburg where Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison last July.

    Gershkovich was released in a historic prisoner swap that included former US Marine Paul Whelan, the prominent Putin critic and a permanent US resident Vladimir Kara-Murza, and the Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.

    They were exchanged for a number of Russia citizens held in several countries, including convicted assassin Vadim Krasikov.

    Karelina is a Los Angeles resident and amateur ballerina who became a US citizen in 2021. She entered Russia in January 2024 but the US did not learn of her arrest until February 8, 2024.

    According to a website run by her supporters, Karelina traveled to Russia to visit her 90-year-old grandmother, sister, and parents, intending to return to her home in Los Angeles after two weeks.

    Karelina’s release marks the second release of an American citizen from Russia since Trump returned to the White House. Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained in Russia for more than three years, was released in February. He was swapped for the accused Russian money launderer Alexander Vinnik.

    The US is tracking over half a dozen Americans detained in Russia, the US official said. Among them is Stephen Hubbard who has been officially declared by the US as wrongfully detained. Hubbard, 72, was sentenced to six years and 10 months in Russian prison last year for allegedly fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine.

    This post appeared first on cnn.com

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    More than 200 dead after Dominican Republic nightclub disaster, as search for survivors ends

    Dominican Republic authorities have ended their rescue operation and turned to recovery efforts following the collapse of a nightclub roof on Tuesday, which left more than 200 people dead.

    The deadly incident in the early hours of Tuesday morning at the Jet Set nightclub sent shockwaves around the country, with three days of mourning declared in the wake of the disaster.

    The removal of bodies from the wrecked building accelerated overnight Wednesday into Thursday after civil protection services removed a large chunk of debris, according to Snayder Santana, an engineer from the Dominican Republic civil protection services.

    According to Santana, the majority of the bodies recovered overnight were female and are still being identified.

    An official statement from the country’s Emergency Center Operations on Wednesday said that “all reasonable possibilities of finding more survivors” had been exhausted, and the focus of the operation is now on recovering bodies.

    “In the last days, rescue teams have worked uninterrupted to remove debris, helping the wounded and rescuing people alive,” the statement posted on X said.

    It continues, “However, having exhausted any reasonable possibility of finding more survivors, the operation is now in a different phase, nonetheless sensitive and crucial: the recovery of human bodies with due respect and the dignity that every victim deserves.”

    Juan Manuel Méndez, the director of the operations center, said in a press conference that no one had been pulled alive from the rubble since Tuesday.

    It remains unclear how many people are unaccounted for.

    Hundreds of rescue workers had spent two days combing through the remains of the nightclub after its roof collapsed around 1 a.m. on Tuesday during a performance of merengue artist Rubby Pérez and his orchestra, authorities said. Pérez’s body was recovered from the scene on Wednesday morning, emergency services said.

    The death toll from the incident rose to 218 on Thursday, Méndez said. He added that 189 people had been rescued alive from the rubble. The previous death toll was put at 184.

    The cause of the disaster is currently undetermined. The nightclub was built more than 50 years ago, according to local media reports, and has the capacity to hold up to 500 people.

    Health minister Victor Atallah said most of the trauma injuries suffered by those killed were blows to the head. “The majority of the people who died, died instantly. Many were sitting down; the ceiling hit them in the head and chest,” he said, according to local newspaper El Caribe.

    The Jet Set nightclub is one of the Caribbean nation’s most famous venues and its Monday night events are especially well attended. The nightclub is considered more upscale, attracting high-profile party-goers. Two former Major League Baseball players were in attendance at the venue when the collapse happened, and are among those confirmed dead.

    Aerial footage showed the venue with a wide, gaping hole in the middle of the building where the audience would have been located during the performance.

    Desperate families were seen outside the destroyed venue on Wednesday, hoping that their loved ones would be rescued from the debris. Local news footage on Wednesday showed some searching for the names of their loved ones in lists hanging on a field hospital outside the venue, while others went from hospital to hospital in search of news.

    Dominican President Luis Abinader declared three days of mourning following the disaster. He traveled to the nightclub later Tuesday morning with First Lady Raquel Arbaje to express their condolences to families of the victims.

    This post appeared first on cnn.com

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