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Thailand’s embattled prime minister was suspended from duty Tuesday and could face dismissal pending an ethics probe over a leaked phone call she had with Cambodia’s powerful former leader.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 38, has only held the premiership for 10 months after replacing her predecessor, who was removed from office. Her suspension brings fresh uncertainty to the Southeast Asian kingdom, which has been roiled by years of political turbulence and leadership shake-ups.

Thailand’s Constitutional Court accepted a petition brought by a group of 36 senators who accused Paetongtarn of violating the constitution for breaching ethical standards in the leaked call, which was confirmed as authentic by both sides.

The court voted to suspend Paetongtarn from her prime ministerial duties until it reaches a verdict in the ethics case. Paetongtarn will remain in the Cabinet as culture minister following a reshuffle.

Paetongtarn has faced increasing calls to resign, with anti-government protesters taking to the streets of the capital Bangkok on Saturday, after the leaked call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen over an escalating border dispute sparked widespread anger in the country.

The scandal prompted the Bhumjaithai party, a major partner of the prime minister’s government, to withdraw from the coalition last week, dealing a major blow to her Pheu Thai party’s ability to hold power. Paetongtarn is also contending with plummeting approvals ratings and faces a no-confidence vote in parliament.

In the leaked call, which took place on June 15, Paetongtarn could be heard calling former Cambodian strongman Hun Sen “uncle” and appeared to criticize her own army’s actions after border clashes led to the death of a Cambodian soldier last month.

The Thai prime minister could be heard telling Hun Sen that she was under domestic pressure and urged him not to listen to the “opposite side,” in which she referred to an outspoken Thai army commander in Thailand’s northeast.

She also added that if Hun Sen “wants anything, he can just tell me, and I will take care of it.”

Her comments in the leaked audio struck a nerve in Thailand, and opponents accused her of compromising the country’s national interests.

Following the ruling, Paetongtarn said she accepts the court’s decision and that her intention “was truly to act for the good of the country.”

“I want to make it clear that my intentions were more than 100% sincere — I acted for the country, to protect our sovereignty, to safeguard the lives of our soldiers, and to preserve peace in our nation,” she said in a press conference Tuesday.

“I also want to apologize to all my fellow Thais who may feel uneasy or upset about this matter,” she added.

Thailand and Cambodia have had a complicated relationship of both cooperation and rivalry in recent decades. The two countries share a 508-mile (817-kilometer) land border – largely mapped by the French while they occupied Cambodia – that has periodically seen military clashes and been the source of political tensions.

In the wake of the scandal, Paetongtarn tried to downplay her remarks to Hun Sen, saying at a press conference she was trying to diffuse tensions between the two neighbors and the “private” call “shouldn’t have been made public.”

The prime minister said she was using a “negotiation tactic” and her comments were “not a statement of allegiance.”

Paetongtarn became prime minister last year after the Constitutional Court ruled that her predecessor Srettha Thavisin had breached ethics rules and voted to dismiss him as prime minister.

The same court also dissolved the country’s popular progressive Move Forward Party, which won the most seats in the 2023 election, and banned its leaders from politics for 10 years.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Parents of 1,200 children in the Australian state of Victoria are being advised to get them tested for infectious diseases after a childcare worker was charged with more than 70 offenses including sexual assault.

Officials issued the call after Victoria Police announced the arrest of Joshua Dale Brown, 26, who is accused of sexually abusing eight children between the ages of 5 months and 2 years at a childcare center in Melbourne in 2022 and 2023.

All of the offenses relate to the eight alleged victims, who attended one center, but police haven’t ruled out other potential victims at 19 other childcare centers he’s known to have worked since 2017.

Victoria Police Acting Commander Janet Stevenson said Brown’s name was being publicized so that parents could check if their child came into contact with him.

“It’s very important to ensure that every parent out there that has a child in childcare knows who he is and where he worked,” Stevenson said in a news conference Tuesday.

Victoria Police’s Sexual Crime Squad began investigating in May of this year after detectives discovered child abuse material, authorities said. Police then executed a search warrant at Brown’s home, leading to his arrest. Police then worked to identify the alleged victims.

“Last week, we notified eight families that we had charged Brown with sexually offending against their children,” Stevenson said.

“As you could imagine, this was deeply distressing for the families to hear. We worked with our partner agencies to put all supports in place to assist them through this difficult period.”

Brown had a valid “Working with Children Check,” a compulsory screening for people engaging in child-related work in Australia, Stevenson said. Some of the childcare centers Brown worked at for “a very short period of time.”

Health authorities and police have identified and contacted around 2,600 families whose children attended the childcare centers where Brown worked, Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath said during the news conference.

About 1,200 children are being recommended to undergo testing for infectious diseases, McGrath said.

“We are recommending that some children undergo testing for infectious diseases due to potential exposure risk in that period. We do understand that this is another distressing element to the situation, and we’re taking this approach as a precaution,” McGrath said.

He declined to say what diseases the children are being asked to test for but said they can be treated with antibiotics.

Brown is accused of sexually assaulting children as well as producing and transmitting child abuse material, among other charges, according to authorities. The eight alleged victims attended the Creative Gardens Early Learning Centre in Point Cook, a suburb of Melbourne. Police did not disclose the gender of the victims.

Detectives are also examining evidence of possible offenses at another childcare center in Essendon, northwest Melbourne, “as a priority,” according to the news release.

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said she was “sickened” by the allegations.

“They are shocking and distressing, and my heart just breaks for the families who are living every parent’s worst nightmare, and as a parent too, I can only imagine the unbearable grief and pain the affected families are experiencing right now,” Allan said.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees humanitarian and civil efforts in Gaza, released two revealing conversations between Gaza residents and officers from the Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) for Gaza.

The Gaza residents, who COGAT — an Israeli  says were at humanitarian aid distribution sites, told a CLA officer about how Hamas tries to disrupt the aid system through violence and manipulation. The testimonies reveal that ‘Hamas fires at Gaza residents near the aid distribution sites, spreads false claims about IDF fire, publishes fabricated data about large numbers of casualties, and circulates fake footage,’ according to COGAT.

State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce acknowledged Hamas’ use of violence to ‘interfere with aid deliveries to the people of Gaza.’

‘This is how Hamas operates — they deliberately fire at people and want it to appear as though the army is the one shooting, so that no one will approach the aid distribution areas,’ one Gaza resident told a CLA officer, according to COGAT’s translation.

Another Gaza resident told a CLA officer that Palestinians trying to get aid ‘encounter thugs on the way’ and that ‘those thugs definitely kill 2, 3, 5 people.’

Fox News Digital was unable to independently verify the identities of the residents.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.- and Israel-backed group,  has faced backlash over reports of violent and even deadly incidents around its secure sites. In response to the videos released by COGAT, a GHF spokesperson said that ‘Hamas is working to destroy the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation because our model is working.’

GHF has pushed back on claims that Palestinians are being killed at its sites. However, it does say that Hamas has killed some of its staff members, ‘put bounties on our American workers and threatened civilians for accepting aid.’

‘To date, there has not been a single casualty at or in the surrounding vicinity of any of our sites. Many of the alleged incidents had no correlation to our sites but deliberate misinformation orchestrated by Hamas-controlled [Gaza] Health Ministry,’ a GHF spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

Despite the backlash, the GHF is encouraging other organizations — including its critics — to join its mission to bring aid to the people of Gaza while ensuring Hamas does not get its hands on it.

‘Ultimately, the solution is more aid. If other groups would join us, we could scale up… We could also collaborate with the U.N. and other groups on other means while ensuring their aid reaches the right people,’ the GHF spokesperson said.

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Iran’s foreign minister is vowing that ‘the doors of diplomacy will never slam shut’ following the Trump administration’s airstrikes — a statement an Iran expert says shows that Tehran is trying to buy time. 

Abbas Araghchi was quoted as making the remark to CBS News after President Donald Trump told reporters last Wednesday that the U.S. would meet with Iranian officials this week. 

‘I don’t think negotiations will restart as quickly as that,’ Araghchi added. ‘In order for us to decide to reengage, we will have to first ensure that America will not revert back to targeting us in a military attack during the negotiations. And I think with all these considerations, we still need more time.’  

Behnam Ben Taleblu, the senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Iran Program, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that ‘Tehran’s strongest weapon when it is weak is actually diplomacy. 

‘Negotiating to buy time and bail out the regime is an art form for Iranian political elites. Even when done from a position of weakness, one reason Tehran will not shut the door on talks is because it seeks to prevent widening military action from stiffening the spine of domestic dissidents at home. 

‘No doubt, the Islamic Republic will cause a ruckus about engaging in negotiations post-strike, but ultimately agreeing to talk when it has been conventionally bested on the battlefield does mean its mission accomplished,’ Taleblu added. 

Trump said following the conclusion of a NATO summit in the Netherlands last week that ‘I could get a statement’ that Iran is ‘not going to go nuclear.’ 

‘We’re probably going to ask for that… but they’re not going to be doing it anyway. They’ve had it,’ Trump added.  

‘We’re going to talk to them next week, with Iran. We may sign an agreement, I don’t know. To me, I don’t think it’s that necessary. I mean, they had a war. They fought. Now they’re going back to their world. I don’t care if I have an agreement or not. The only thing we would be asking for is what we’re asking for before about, we want no nuclear [program]. But we destroyed the nuclear,’ Trump also said.  

‘If we got a document, it wouldn’t be bad. We’re going to meet with them. Actually, we’re going to meet with them,’ the president continued. 

However, Trump then wrote on Truth Social Monday that he is not talking to Iran. 

‘The administration and namely our special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has been in communication both directly and indirectly with the Iranians. That communication continues. The president himself has not talked to Iran, which he pointed out in his Truth statement,’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added later Monday. 

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The No. 2 House Republican is dismissing Elon Musk’s attacks on President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ after the tech billionaire once again jumped into the public fray over the legislation.

‘His criticism has been consistently off-base,’ House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital on Monday. 

‘You know, this is a bill that will create millions of jobs. And, you know, you go back and look at what happened in 2017 when we lowered rates and created a good atmosphere to create jobs, then we saw millions of jobs get created. And we’re at the point again today where the economy is waiting for this bill.’

Musk, who criticized the House version of the bill before appearing to back off, has launched another tirade against the legislation this week while it’s being pushed through the Senate.

‘It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS, that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!! Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people,’ Musk posted on X.

But Scalise told Fox News Digital, ‘We’re moving fast to get it done because of the positive impacts it will have on our economy.’

The Senate is expected to pass the legislation sometime Wednesday, after which it is poised to move back to the House of Representatives.

An earlier version passed the House in late May by just one vote, but the two chambers must now sync up to get a bill on Trump’s desk by the Fourth of July.

Two sources told Fox News Digital on Tuesday morning that House GOP leaders are still planning for a 12 p.m. House Rules Committee meeting to advance the bill.

The House Rules Committee is the final gateway before most legislation gets a chamber-wide vote.

That could tee up a procedural vote on the bill as early as Wednesday morning, and final passage by Wednesday evening or Thursday.

‘I’ve always said failure’s not an option because, you know, there have been many times where the bill could have fallen apart. And it didn’t, because we always stayed focused on getting it done,’ Scalise said. ‘And that’s that’s where all the focus needs to be right now.’

But the Senate’s various modifications to the bill have angered both moderate and conservative Republicans. 

Moderates are wary of the Senate measures that would shift more Medicaid costs to states that expanded their programs under ObamaCare, while conservatives have said those cuts are not enough to offset the additional spending in other parts of the bill.

‘We’re having a lot of conversations with our members, and we are following what changes are being made to the bill because some could help fix some of those issues,’ Scalise said.

‘We’re definitely aware of the concerns from our members. But there are a lot of other members that do want to get this bill passed for the president and recognize that the bulk of what we sent over to them is still intact.’

Asked if he was optimistic about the timeline as of early Monday evening, Scalise said, ‘The plan is still to bring members back and have votes as early as Wednesday morning.’

The legislation is a 940-page bill advancing Trump’s agenda on taxes, the border, defense, energy and the national debt.

Fox News Digital reached out to Musk for comment via email to Tesla.

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President Donald Trump warned that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a ‘monster that might have to go back and eat Elon,’ after tech billionaire Elon Musk intensified his attacks on Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ 

‘DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t that be terrible?’ Trump told the media Tuesday morning as he departed for a trip to the Florida Everglades to visit a new migrant detention center. ‘He gets a lot of subsidies. But, Elon was very upset that the EV mandate is going to be terminated.’ 

His response followed a question regarding whether he would deport Musk, who is originally from South Africa. Trump responded, ‘I don’t know, we’ll have to take a look.’

Trump previously told the media in June that his relationship with Musk changed when the president began discussing plans to eliminate the electic vehicle mandate, which would affect Musk’s signature electric company, Tesla. Trump signed a trio of congressional resolutions on June 12 ending California’s restrictive rules for diesel engines and mandates on elective vehicle sales, with Trump celebrating that his signature ‘will kill the California mandates forever.’

‘When you look at it … not everybody wants an electric car,’ Trump continued in his remarks regarding Musk on Tuesday morning. ‘I don’t want an electric car. I want to have maybe gasoline. Maybe electric, maybe a hybrid. Maybe some day a hydrogen. You have a hydrogen car, it has one problem: it blows up.’ 

Musk shot back in response to a video clip of Trump’s remarks Tuesday morning that he would not continue escalating the feud ‘for now.’

‘So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now,’ Musk posted X. 

Musk intensified his feud with former close ally Trump this week in a political warning to lawmakers that he will work to unseat them if they vote in support of Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’

‘Anyone who campaigned on the PROMISE of REDUCING SPENDING , but continues to vote on the BIGGEST DEBT ceiling increase in HISTORY will see their face on this poster in the primary next year,’ Musk posted to X Monday evening. 

The message was accompanied by an image of Pinocchio sitting on fire and the caption, ‘LIAR Voted to increase America’s DEBT by 5,000,000,000.00’

Musk previously served as a special government employee with the Trump administration to help lead DOGE, frequently attended Cabinet meetings and joined Trump during public events. Musk’s tenure with DOGE wrapped up at the end of May, as negotiations over the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ intensified in Congress. 

The budget reconciliation bill, if passed, will advance Trump’s agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt. The legislation is currently before the Senate. 

Musk found himself aligned with a handful of Republican lawmakers, like Kentucky’s Sen. Rand Paul, who have spoken out against the legislation, arguing it would increase the debt ceiling by $5 trillion. 

Musk’s post threatening to primary Republicans who vote in support of the legislation was followed by a late-night Truth Social message from Trump suggesting, ‘DOGE take a good, hard, look’ at how government subsidies assist Musk-owned businesses such as Tesla and SpaceX. 

‘Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa. No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!’ Trump posted after midnight Tuesday.

The post continued, ‘Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one.’

Trump added in comment to the media from the White House Tuesday morning that Musk is ‘upset is that he’s losing his EV mandate.’

‘He could lose a lot more than that,’ Trump added. ‘I can tell you right now.’ 

Musk first remarked in May that he was ‘disappointed’ Trump’s ‘one big beautiful bill’ passed the House, arguing it ‘undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,’ before publicly working to rally Republican lawmakers to ‘kill the bill’ in messages posted to X. 

‘Call your Senator, Call your Congressman,’ Musk said amid a flurry of similar posts June 4. ‘Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL.’

Musk had kept his criticisms of the legislation quiet in recent days, including posting messages in support of the Trump administration as anti-ICE riots raged in Los Angeles in June. Musk reignited his criticisms of the bill Monday as the July 4 deadline to pass the ‘big beautiful bill’ looms over Washington this week. 

‘It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!! Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people,’ Musk posted to X Monday afternoon. 

‘What’s the point of a debt ceiling if we keep raising it?’ Musk asked in another post early Tuesday morning. Adding in another: ‘All I’m asking is that we don’t bankrupt America.’

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Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough reportedly has advised that a provision prohibiting Medicaid funds from supporting Planned Parenthood and other clinics that provide abortions can stay in President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill.’ 

Senate Republicans revised the provision on Friday from blocking Medicaid funding to abortion providers for a full 10 years to just one year. The parliamentarian’s assessment that the provision could remain without jeopardizing the budget package from passing the upper chamber of Congress along party lines was championed by pro-life advocates. 

‘The One Big Beautiful Bill Act that stops forced taxpayer funding of the abortion industry has been retained in the Senate bill, as we were confident it would, though for one year. This is a huge win,’ Susan B. Anthony Pro-life America’s President, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. ‘Taxpayers should never be forced to funnel their hard-earned dollars to Big Abortion. This funding currently hits almost $800 million annually.’

The provision’s inclusion, meanwhile, was condemned by Democrats as essentially clearing the defunding of Planned Parenthood. 

‘Republicans will stop at nothing in their crusade to take control of women’s bodies and deny them the right to make their own health care decisions,’ Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said in a statement. ‘Republicans are trampling the law to force their extremist ideology onto the American people.’

The Hyde Amendment, introduced in the 1970s, has long prohibited federal dollars from paying for most abortions, with some exceptions. Planned Parenthood, which also provides other women’s health services, such as gynecological exams, contraception and STI testing, reported receiving approximately $792.2 million in taxpayer-funded grants, contracts and Medicaid reimbursements during the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Republicans say the loophole essentially results in taxpayers subsidizing abortions. Planned Parenthood reported performing 402,000 abortions during that fiscal year. 

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., defended the provision during Monday’s vote-a-rama session as ‘establishing a commonsense protection of taxpayer dollars by prohibiting abortion providers from receiving Medicaid funds for one year.’ 

‘There was a time when protecting Americans’ tax dollars from supporting the abortion industry was an uncontroversial, nonpartisan effort that we could all get behind,’ Hyde-Smith said on the Senate floor. ‘Even if we had opposing views on protecting the dignity of human life, this provision does not target any one entity. If a medical provider wishes to stay within the Medicaid program, it should simply cut elective abortion procedures from its services.’ 

Hyde-Smith, chair of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus, spoke out against an amendment introduced earlier Monday by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., to strike the provision from the GOP’s $3.3 trillion budget package. 

Murray’s amendment ultimately failed by a 49-52 vote, according to the Washington Examiner. 

Murray claimed the one-year ban on Medicaid funds for abortion providers would ‘cut millions of women off from birth control, cancer screenings, essential preventive health care – care that they will not be able to afford anywhere else, and it will shutter some 200 healthcare clinics in our country.’ 

‘This is a long-sought goal of anti-choice extremists—no surprise, it is overwhelmingly unpopular with the American people,’ Murray said. ‘But Republicans are bent on ripping away any access to abortion care, and happy to cut off this lifesaving care. No matter that women may not have another place to get the care that they can afford, or another place they can get any care at all!’

She pointed to a Congressional Budget Office assessment to argue that ‘defunding’ Planned Parenthood would cost taxpayers $52 million over the next ten years. That was based on the 10-year Medicaid block in an earlier version of the bill passed by the House. 

This budget provision comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that states have the power to block Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood clinics in a major pro-life victory. 

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Uranium market watchers know that Canada’s Athabasca Basin is among the world’s richest uranium jurisdictions and hosts several of the highest-grade uranium deposits on the planet.

Spanning close to 100,000 square kilometers of the Canadian Shield of Northern Saskatchewan and Alberta, the Athabasca Basin is a major contributor to Canada’s status as the second largest uranium producer and the third largest country by uranium reserves.

Unsurprisingly, the region is home to the world’s largest uranium mine, Cigar Lake. The mine reports average grades of 14.69 percent U3O8 and accounts for 14 percent of global uranium production.

First commissioned in 2014, Cigar Lake is operated by uranium major Cameco (TSX:CCO,NYSE:CCJ), which holds a 54.547 percent stake in the mine, as part of a joint venture with Orano Canada at 40.453 percent and TEPCO Resources at 5 percent. Ore from the underground mine property is processed at Orano’s McClean Lake mill, located 70 kilometers from the mine.

Uranium was first discovered in the Athabasca Basin in 1934, and today the region remains a major hot spot for uranium exploration. In recent years, a number of Athabasca Basin uranium companies have made exciting new discoveries, sparking a staking rush by others looking to get in on the action.

Athabasca Basin uranium exploration companies

1. ATHA Energy (TSXV:SASK,OTCQB:SASKF)

ATHA Energy has an extensive uranium exploration pipeline across Canada, including in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin. At 3.8 million acres, ATHA’s land package in the Athabasca Basin includes the Gemini project, a basement-hosted near-surface uranium deposit with uranium intercepts of between 6,190 and 96,600 parts per million.

The company also holds a 10 percent carried interest in exploration projects operated by NexGen Energy (TSX:NXE,NYSE:NXE) and IsoEnergy (TSX:ISO).

2. Azincourt Energy (TSXV:AAZ,OTCQB:AZURF)

Azincourt Energy has two uranium projects in Canada, one of which is its East Preston joint venture project near the southern edge of the Western Athabasca Basin. Azincourt has an 86.5 percent interest, with the remainder held by Skyharbour Resources. The 20,647 hectare property is adjacent to Skyharbour’s minority-owned Preston project.

Azincourt says it is targeting basement-hosted unconformity-related uranium deposits in two prospective conductive, low-magnetic-signature corridors. The company is planning for a fall 2025 geophysics exploration program at East Preston in preparation for a potential winter 2026 diamond drill program.

3. Baselode Energy (TSXV:FIND)

Baselode Energy’s strategy is developing assets near the Athabasca Basin with similar geology. Its ACKIO near-surface uranium discovery at its Hook project is located directly adjacent to the Athabascan Basin. First discovered by the company in September 2021, the ACKIO near-surface uranium prospect is more than 375 meters along strike, and more than 150 meters wide.

Baselode has identified at least nine separate uranium pods, or small bodies of mineralization, on the project. Drill results from its summer 2024 exploration program were released in May 2025, demonstrating the potential for further expansion of the known uranium mineralization at ACKIO.

4. CanAlaska Uranium (TSXV:CVV)

CanAlaska Uranium is a project generator with interests in a portfolio of assets in the Athabasca Basin covering 1.24 million acres. The company is advancing its West McArthur joint venture with Cameco, which is situated near the McArthur River mine in the Eastern Athabasca Basin. CanAlaska owns 85 percent of the project.

CanAlaska’s 2025 C$12.5 million drill program at West McArthur is aimed at expanding and delineating the high-grade Pike Zone uranium discovery.

Earlier this year, the company completed the first drilling in over 10 years at its wholly owned Cree East deposit in the south-eastern portion of the Basin. The drill program was fully funded by Nexus Uranium (CSE:NEXU,OTCQB:GIDMF) as part of an option earn-in agreement to earn up to 75 percent interest in the project.

5. Denison Mines (TSX:DML)

Uranium miner Denison Mines’ direct ownership interests in the Athabasca Basin region covers approximately 384,000 hectares. The company has a 22.25 percent stake in the McClean Lake mine and mill joint venture project operated by Orano Canada.

Denison’s flagship project in the region is Wheeler River, considered the largest undeveloped uranium project in the eastern region of the Athabasca Basin. Wheeler River hosts the high-grade Phoenix and Gryphon deposits.

According to a 2023 feasibility study, Phoenix hosts a proven and probable resource of 219,000 metric tons at an average grade of 11.7 percent uranium for 53.3 million pounds. The company plans to develop the deposit as an in-situ recovery operation.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is slated to conduct hearings for the project’s environmental assessment and license on October 8 and December 8 to 12, 2025. If approval is granted, the company is looking to break ground in early 2026 and commence production by the first half of 2028.

As for the Gryphon deposit, Denison has evaluated it as a conventional mine in a pre-feasibility study. The company conducted a field program in the first quarter 2025 that may be used for a future feasibility study.

6. F3 Uranium (TSXV:FUU,OTCQB:FUUFF)

F3 Uranium has three exploration properties in the western region of the Athabasca Basin: the advanced-stage Patterson Lake North project, which hosts the JR discovery, as well as the early-stage Minto and Broach projects.

In February 2025, the company launched a drill campaign at its Patterson Lake North project followed by ground geophysical exploration programs at its Broach and Minto projects. F3 Uranium raised C$7 million in flow-through shares in May 2025, which will go towards further exploration of its uranium projects.

7. Forum Energy Metals (TSXV:FMC,OTCQB:FDCFF)

Forum Energy Metals has numerous wholly owned and joint venture projects hosting new discoveries of high-grade unconformity-related uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin. So far in 2025, the company’s focus has been on the Northwest Athabasca (NWA) project, a joint venture between Forum at 45.4 percent, NexGen Energy at 25.3 percent, Cameco at 18 percent and Orano Canada at 11.3 percent.

Early in the year, Forum announced an option agreement allowing Global Uranium (CSE:GURN,OTCQB:GURFF) to earn up to 75 percent of Forum’s stake in the property by spending C$20 million in exploration expenditures at NWA.

In April, Global Uranium completed a diamond drilling program and ground geophysical surveys on the project, which intersected elevated radioactivity and alteration systems distinct to unconformity-type uranium mineralization.

8. IsoEnergy (TSX:ISO)

IsoEnergy has a portfolio of projects and joint ventures in the Eastern Athabasca Basin, and its main focus is the Hurricane deposit at its wholly owned Larocque East uranium property.

The company discovered Hurricane in 2018 and it now stands as the world’s highest-grade indicated resource of uranium. A 2022 resource estimate reported an indicated high-grade resource of 63,800 metric tons grading 34.5 percent uranium for 48.61 million pounds of contained uranium.

IsoEnergy’s summer exploration program will include drilling to test potential resource expansion at Larocque East as well as exploration at its other Athabasca Basin projects.

9. NexGen Energy (TSX:NXE,NYSE:NXE)

NexGen is another uranium mining company with a large land package in the basin, including its development-stage Rook I project.

Rook I has a measured and indicated resource estimate of 256.7 million pounds contained uranium from ore grading an average of 3.1 percent U3O8. The 2021 feasibility study outlines an 11.5 year initial mine life with up to 29.2 million pounds of U3O8 production per year for the first five years.

The Federal Environmental Impact Statement for Rook I was accepted in January 2025, and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has proposed hearing dates for the project on November 19, 2025, and February 9 to 13, 2026. NexGen plans to immediately begin construction activities following final federal approval.

10.Paladin Energy (TSX:PDN)

Paladin Energy’s Patterson Lake South (PLS) project hosts the large, high-grade and near-surface Triple R deposit, which has the potential to produce both uranium and gold. The company acquired it as part of its acquisition of Fission Uranium in 2024. Paladin also holds six early-stage uranium projects in the basin.

PLS’s mineral reserve estimate includes probable reserves of 93.7 million pounds from 3 million metric tons of ore at an average grade of 1.41 percent U3O8. The 2023 feasibility study demonstrates life of mine production of approximately 9 million pounds U3O8 per year over a 10 year mine life.

The company released positive drill results from its winter drill program on the Saloon East zone in June 2025 showing the potential to further grow the resource base of the property outside of the Triple R deposit. The project is advancing through the environmental permitting process.

11. Purepoint Uranium (TSXV:PTU)

Purepoint Uranium has an extensive uranium portfolio, including six joint ventures and five wholly owned projects all located in the Athabasca Basin.

Purepoint has a significant joint venture relationship with IsoEnergy (TSX:ISO) that includes a 50/50 joint venture agreement to explore 10 uranium projects across 98,000 hectares in the eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin. The partners launched a 2025 drill campaign in May at the Dorado project, which will include approximately 5,400 meters across 18 holes, targeting high-priority electromagnetic conductors for uranium mineralization.

Its joint ventures also include the Hook Lake uranium project in the Patterson region, in which it owns a 21 percent interest alongside Cameco and Orano Canada, which both hold 39.5 percent.

12. Skyharbour Resources (TSXV:SYH,OTCQX:SYHBF)

Skyharbour Resources is another junior mining company with an extensive portfolio of uranium exploration projects in the Athabasca Basin, comprising 36 uranium projects over 614,000 hectares. The company’s core projects include its 57.7 percent owned Russell Lake project — a joint venture with Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) — and its wholly owned Moore project.

Skyharbour’s 49,635 hectare Preston uranium project in the western portion of the Athabasca Basin is the subject of a 7,000 meter 2025 summer drill campaign being conducted by its joint venture partner, Orano Canada. Orano is the majority owner and operator at the project at 53.4 percent, while Skyharbour owns a minority interest of approximately 25.6 percent. The remainder is held by Dixie Gold.

13. Standard Uranium (TSXV:STND,OTCQB:STTDF)

Standard Uranium is an emerging project generator that holds interest in over 94,476 hectares in the Athabasca Basin, including its flagship Davidson River project in the southwest region of the basin.

In spring 2025, Standard Uranium partnered with Fleet Space Technologies Canada on three ExoSphere Multiphysics survey grids across the Warrior, Bronco and Thunderbird conductors at Davidson River. The surveys will provide important data for upgrading drill targets across the property through imaging of density anomalies in the basement rock.

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

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Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Monday (June 30) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) is priced at US$107,538, up 0.2 percent in the last 24 hours. The day’s range for the cryptocurrency brought a low of US$106,831 and a high of US$107,802 at the opening bell.

Bitcoin price performance, June 27, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Ethereum (ETH) closed at US$2,510.38, up by 3.1 percent over the past 24 hours and its highest valuation of the day. Its lowest valuation on Monday was US$2,443.56.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) was priced at US$156.95, up by 4.1 percent over 24 hours. Its highest valuation as of Monday was US$158.34, and its lowest was US$150.53.
  • XRP was trading for US$2.29, up by 5.5 percent in 24 hours and its highest valuation on Monday. The cryptocurrency’s lowest valuation was US$2.17.
  • Sui (SUI) is trading at US$2.82, showing an increaseof 0.5 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation was US$2.75, and its highest valuation was US$2.83.
  • Cardano (ADA) is priced at US$0.5829, up by 4.8 percent in the last 24 hours and its highest valuation of the day. Its lowest valuation on Monday was US$0.5589.

Today’s crypto news to know

REX to launch Solana staking ETF this week

The REX-Osprey Solana and Staking ETF is set to launch on Wednesday (July 2), as confirmed by issuer REX Shares on Monday. Analysts had predicted this news was imminent just days before its release.

This fund, the first US-staked cryptocurrency ETF, will enable investors to hold Solana and generate yield through staking, potentially fostering wider institutional adoption of cryptocurrency.

REX’s launch comes after thoughtful consideration by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The commission had previously asserted that the company’s unique C-Corp business structure could be in conflict with Rule 6c-11 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which governs how ETFs operate and are regulated. REX updated its prospectus with positive feedback, securing regulatory approval for the fund.

OSL soars after buying Canadian crypto firm Banxa

OSL Group (HKEX:0863), a Hong Kong-listed digital asset platform, saw its shares spike 10 percent after announcing it had acquired Canadian crypto payments firm Banxa. The acquisition supports OSL’s ambitious global expansion strategy, which includes applying for stablecoin licenses as new regulatory frameworks emerge.

Finance Chief Ivan Wong explained that acquiring Banxa would enhance OSL’s cross-border payments capabilities and boost its role in the growing stablecoin market.

Hong Kong’s stablecoin bill, set to take effect on August 1, is a major catalyst for this expansion, with Chinese giants already showing interest. OSL is already licensed in Australia, with deals in Japan, Europe and Indonesia soon to close. The company aims to be a key stablecoin issuer in Asia and beyond.

Metaplanet strengthens Bitcoin treasury with fresh bond issuance

Tokyo-based Metaplanet (OTCQX:MTPLF,TSE:3350) has added another 1,005 BTC to its corporate treasury, pushing its total holdings to 13,350 BTC. To further build its crypto war chest, the company announced a zero-interest bond issuance worth US$208 million, designed to finance additional Bitcoin purchases.

Metaplanet is well known for its aggressive Bitcoin strategy, which has made it one of the world’s largest corporate holders of the cryptocurrency. Just last week, the hotel and investment firm raised US$515 million through an equity issuance to support its Bitcoin ambitions.

At current market prices around, Metaplanet’s Bitcoin stash is worth well over US$1.4 billion.

The Blockchain Group expands Bitcoin holdings and capital pool

Paris-based the Blockchain Group has further strengthened its Bitcoin treasury with the purchase of 60 BTC for around 5.5 million euros, boosting its holdings to 1,788 BTC.

The firm also raised about 600,000 euros by exercising warrants, allowing it to buy an additional 6 BTC.

Blockstream CEO Adam Back invested in the firm’s share offering, subscribing to over 2.1 million new shares, while French asset manager TOBAM contributed nearly 143,000 euros, supporting the purchase of 13 more BTC.

The company conducted an “ATM-type” capital increase with TOBAM, raising 4.1 million euros to fund 41 BTC.

Altogether, the Blockchain Group has secured a BTC yield of roughly 1,270 percent so far this year, with gains amounting to about 46.7 million euros.

Backed Finance launches tokenized stock product

Backed Finance, a company focused on bridging traditional financial assets like stocks and ETFs onto blockchain through tokenization, announced the launch of its tokenized stocks product, xStocks, on Monday.

60 stocks are now accessible on Bybit, Kraken and several Solana DeFi protocols, providing users with exposure to traditional stocks through blockchain infrastructure.

‘xStocks represent a monumental leap forward in democratizing access to financial markets,’ said Adam Levi, co-founder of Backed, in a press release. ‘By bringing familiar assets onto the blockchain with unprecedented accessibility, we are not just bridging traditional finance and DeFi; we are building the foundational blocks for a truly open, efficient, and inclusive global financial system where everyone can participate in wealth creation.’

Chainlink rolls out Automated Compliance Engine

Chainlink announced an early access rollout of its Automated Compliance Engine on Monday.

Built on the Chainlink Runtime Environment and launched in collaboration with Apex Group, GLEIF and ERC-3643 Association, the system automates the process of checking and enforcing financial rules for both traditional and blockchain-based financial activities, making it easier for established financial institutions to use new blockchain technologies in a compliant and safe way.

Topnotch Crypto launches adaptive yield contracts

Topnotch Crypto has launched its new adaptive yield contracts, which the company says are aimed at helping crypto investors maintain returns despite ongoing market volatility.

The contracts use proprietary predictive yield-switching artificial intelligence to automatically rotate customer funds between cloud mining and staking, depending on which is more profitable in real time.

The company’s strategy analyzes a range of on-chain data, from network congestion to staking rates, to continuously optimize yields. Unlike many passive strategies, the adaptive yield approach gives investors exposure to multiple cryptocurrencies to spread out risk. Another highlight is Topnotch’s use of geothermal and solar energy, which helps keep costs down while supporting sustainability goals.

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

RUA GOLD Inc. (TSXV: RUA, OTCQB: NZAUF, WKN: A40QYC) (‘RUA GOLD’ or the ‘Company’) announces the grant of 145,417 deferred share units (‘DSUs’) to non-executive directors of the Company at a deemed price of $0.68 per DSU, in accordance with the Company’s DSU Plan dated July 24, 2024. The DSUs are subject to a one-year vesting. Each DSU entitles the holder to receive one Common Share at the time the holder ceases to be a director of the Company.

About RUA GOLD

RUA GOLDis an exploration company, strategically focused on New Zealand. With decades of expertise, our team has successfully taken major discoveries into producing world-class mines across multiple continents. The team is now focused on maximizing the asset potential of RUA GOLD’s two highly prospective high-grade gold projects.

The Company controls the Reefton Gold District as the dominant landholder in the Reefton Goldfield on New Zealand’s South Island with over 120,000 hectares of tenements, in a district that historically produced over 2Moz of gold grading between 9 and 50g/t.

The Company’s Glamorgan Project solidifies RUA GOLD’s position as a leading high-grade gold explorer on New Zealand’s North Island. This highly prospective project is located within the North Islands’ Hauraki district, a region that has produced an impressive 15Moz of gold and 60Moz of silver. Glamorgan is adjacent to OceanaGold Corporation’s biggest gold mining project, Wharekirauponga.

For further information, please refer to the Company’s disclosure record on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

RUA GOLD Contact

Robert Eckford

Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +1 604 655 7354

Email: reckford@RUAGOLD.com

Website: www.RUAGOLD.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations 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

Click here to connect with RUA GOLD Inc. (TSXV: RUA, OTCQB: NZAUF, WKN: A40QYC) to receive an Investor Presentation

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