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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Wednesday that it is investigating Nike for allegedly discriminating against white workers.

The agency that polices discrimination in the workplace filed an action in federal court in Missouri to compel the publicly traded athletic shoe and apparel giant to produce information in response to a subpoena the agency served on the company last fall, according to court filings reviewed by NBC News.

The EEOC said it was investigating allegations that the company’s mentorship and training programs and its personnel decisions gave nonwhite employees preferential treatment that amounts, according to the agency, to discrimination against white workers.

Nike is the world’s largest sportswear and apparel company, with nearly 80,000 employees and revenues of around $51.4 billion in 2024.

The allegations were not made by workers at Nike who believed they had been the targets of unfair treatment, however, as is typically the case in EEOC investigations.

Instead, the court filings show that this case stems from a commissioner’s charge brought by then-commissioner Andrea Lucas herself in May 2024, and based on publicly available information such as Nike’s own annual “Impact Reports” and information on its public website.

The EEOC’s request that a judge enforce the subpoena is the latest instance of the Trump administration using a federal agency that is typically charged with preventing and responding to discrimination against nonwhite Americans, and deploying it instead to protect what it says are the underrepresented interests of white people.

Nike has objected in court to many of the EEOC’s demands to documents over the last several months, arguing that they are vague, overly broad, and seek information dating back to well before the period in question.

“This feels like a surprising and unusual escalation,” a Nike spokesperson said. “We have had extensive, good-faith participation in an EEOC inquiry into our personnel practices, programs, and decisions and have had ongoing efforts to provide information and engage constructively with the agency.”

The spokesperson added that Nike has shared “thousands of pages of information and detailed written responses” in connection with the agency’s inquiry and said the company is in the “process of providing additional information.” Nike will respond to the agency’s petition, the spokesperson said.

Lucas was appointed chair of the EEOC by President Donald Trump in November 2025 after serving as a commissioner since 2020, when the president nominated Lucas to the agency.

The agency said it filed the subpoena enforcement action after “first attempting to obtain voluntary compliance with its investigative requests.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

For at least two decades, former Amazon executive Dave Clark ended his work week the same way: a standing Friday date night with his wife, Leigh Anne.

Over dinner, the Clarks would talk through the “peak and pit” of their weeks. The ritual often revolved around Amazon, where Clark played a central role in building the logistics infrastructure that helped launch the e-commerce era.

During those years, Leigh Anne was a sounding board for her husband. In the process, she had a front-row seat to Amazon’s growth from what she called “a baby to a behemoth.”

By the time Clark left Amazon in 2022, he was CEO of the Worldwide Consumer division and one of billionaire founder Jeff Bezos’ top lieutenants.

Dave Clark at Auger headquarters Monday.David Jaewon Oh for NBC News

But these days, Fridays for the Clarks look very different.

Their dinner date has morphed into afternoon cocktails — a bourbon with Diet Coke for her and a Manhattan for him. And the conversation isn’t focused on Amazon anymore. It’s about Auger, the supply-chain startup they run together.

In their first joint interview from Auger’s Seattle office, the Clarks described how their marriage and complementary skill sets are shaping the company.

“We’ve been together for so long that we kind of just read each other’s minds,” Leigh Anne said. Working together, she said, “felt like a natural fit.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Japan announced that it has successfully retrieved mineral-rich seabed sediment from nearly 6,000 meters below the ocean’s surface near the remote island of Minamitorishima.

Officials say the technical milestone could help reduce the country’s dependence on China.

The work was carried out by deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu, which collected the sediment as part of a government-backed test program aimed at assessing the feasibility of mining rare-earths-bearing mud from the deep ocean.

According to Japan’s Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Chikyu departed last month for Minamitorishima — about 1,950 kilometers southeast of Tokyo — and arrived at the test site on January 17.

The first batch of sediment was recovered on February 1.

“It is a first step toward industrialization of domestically produced rare earth in Japan,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a statement posted on X. “We will make efforts toward achieving resilient supply chains for rare earths and other critical minerals to avoid overdependence on a particular country.”

Rare earths are essential in the high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics and defense systems. China currently dominates global production and processing of heavy rare earths, giving Beijing significant influence over prices and supply, a vulnerability that has increasingly worried world governments.

Japan’s latest test comes amid heightened geopolitical tension in the region.

Tokyo has grown more concerned about potential supply disruptions after China recently suspended exports of certain dual-use goods to Japan. While rare earths were not explicitly named, the move raised fears that Beijing could use its control over critical minerals as leverage as it has in the past.

Japanese researchers first identified rare-earth-rich mud deposits around Minamitorishima in the 2010s. Since then, the government has funded research, development and feasibility studies under its Strategic Innovation Promotion Program, focusing on whether those resources could support a domestic supply chain.

The current trial is designed to test not only the ability to retrieve sediment from extreme depths, but also the logistics of deep-sea mining. Officials cautioned that the work is still at an early stage. Details such as the concentration of rare earth elements in the retrieved mud and the overall recovery rates are still being analyzed. Moving toward commercial production would require demonstrating the entire process, from seabed extraction to separation and refining.

Japan plans to continue testing through mid-February. If the trials are successful, larger-scale demonstrations could follow, potentially including the construction of a dedicated processing facility on Minamitorishima later this decade.

US targets rare earths security with Project Vault

While Japan pushes deeper into rare earths supply diversification, developments in the US underscore how deeply critical minerals policies are shaping markets on both sides of the Pacific.

On Monday (February 2), the Trump administration rolled out Project Vault, a roughly US$12 billion strategic critical minerals reserve aimed at reducing US dependence on China for rare earths and other essential metals.

The initiative, anchored by a US$10 billion loan from the US Export‑Import Bank and about US$2 billion in private capital, is designed to stockpile strategic materials like rare earths, cobalt and lithium.

The program’s backers say the reserve will function much like America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve, offering a buffer against global supply disruptions and insulating manufacturers from price shocks that have plagued markets during recent US-China trade tensions. Analysts say the effort signals an ongoing shift toward industrial policy that treats critical minerals as strategic assets, even as completion details and long‑term execution remain uncertain.

The financial markets responded quickly. Shares of Australian rare earths producer Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC,OTCQX:LYSDY) rallied more than 3 percent on Tuesday (February 3), closing at AU$15.25, reflecting renewed investor interest tied to the policy news and the broader rare earth narrative.

Lynas’ recent movements come against a backdrop of broader gains in non‑Chinese mineral producers, as investors reposition around supply chain security and government policy support.

Rare earths stocks more generally saw upticks in the US market after the country’s critical minerals plan came into focus, with producers like MP Materials (NYSE:MP) and USA Rare Earth (NASDAQ:USAR) gaining on reports of increased government engagement in critical mineral sourcing.

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Elon Musk’s Neuralink has captured the public’s attention and imagination with its futuristic vision of connecting the human brain to computers.

Neuralink has drawn interest to the brain computer interface (BCI) sector with its N1 implant, which is undergoing human trials in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and ALS.

Musk’s company is far from the only one developing BCI tech to assist users with conditions such as SCIs, ALS and neurological disorders.

‘The number of new firms entering the space and the amount of venture funding being distributed to startups surpasses any other product category we have seen in the 25 years we have been covering the neurotechnology industry,’ Neurotech Reports stated in June 2025.

As Neuralink continues to make strides, investors are wondering how to get a piece of the action by investing in the neurotechnology venture.

Because it is privately held, Neuralink stock isn’t accessible to the average person — but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get exposure to this future-looking medical research company. Read on to learn how to participate in the growth of this exciting business, and other BCI firms you can invest in.

In this article

    What is Neuralink?

    Neuralink is a neurotechnology startup that was founded in 2016 by Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Musk and a team of eight scientists and engineers in 2016.

    It was first reported on in 2017, and two years later, in June 2019, the company held and streamed its public launch event to showcase the technology it is developing: an innovative brain-computer interface.

    Instead of using traditional electrodes, which, according to a company whitepaper, can be bulky and damaging to brain tissue, Neuralink’s BCI uses “ultra-thin threads” that are implanted into the brain using a robotic device that resembles a sewing machine. Once implanted, the electrodes develop a BCI, stimulating the brain and monitoring activity, and the threads connect to a custom-designed chip that can read data from groups of neurons.

    Musk announced the coin-sized Telepathy chip, with over 1,000 electrodes 20 times finer than hair, in January 2024.

    Potential uses of BCI technology include helping paralyzed individuals regain control of their limbs and restoring vision. Musk told his audience during Neuralink’s 2019 launch event that this technology could have a wide range of applications in medicine, such as restoring sensory and motor function in people with spinal cord injuries or neurological disorders. Additionally, an early goal of development is translating neuron signals into computer commands, which would allow humans to control devices like computers and smartphones with their brainwaves.

    Musk has claimed that BCI could even facilitate direct communication between humans and machines, although some members of the neuroscientific community are skeptical.

    Other experts have suggested that Neuralink’s work is not necessarily novel, as Dr. Jason Shepherd, an associate professor of neurobiology at the University of Utah, told Business Insider in 2020. “All the technology that he showed has been already developed in some way or form,’ he said. ‘Essentially, what they’ve done is just package it into a nice little form that then sends data wirelessly.”

    Other experts in the field have ethical concerns about how Neuralink is conducting its clinical trials and the broader implications of disregarding established standards.

    “If you decide to play with fire in a house, you increase the risk threshold not only of yourself but of the whole house,” Marcello Ienca, a professor of ethics of AI and neuroscience at Technical University of Munich, told Forbes in 2024. “My fear is that Neuralink’s disregard for the ethical aspects of their technology may cause a backfire effect for the entire neurotechnology community.”

    How much is Neuralink worth?

    Neuralink was valued at around US$9.7 billion as of June 2025, but as a privately held business, much of its financial information is kept under wraps. That said, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) documents containing information about its funding rounds provide some insight.

    The earliest came in 2017, when the company raised US$27 million out of a planned US$100 million in a Series A funding round. In April 2019, SEC filings show the company acquired US$39 million out of a planned US$51 million in a Series B funding round. A limited amount of information has been made available to the public, and the identities of the investors have not been publicly disclosed. However, some news outlets have speculated that funding could have come from a combination of venture capitalists, or from Musk himself and the Neuralink team.

    In 2021, Neuralink received what was then its largest amount of money to date, raising US$205 million in a funding round led by tech investment firm Vy Capital. Other participants included Google Ventures, the venture capital arm of Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL); OpenAI CEO Sam Altman; Fred Ehrsam, co-founder of Paradigm and Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN); and Ken Howery, co-founder of PayPal Holdings (NASDAQ:PYPL) and Founders Fund.

    In May 2023, as Neuralink faced public backlash over accusations of animal mistreatment, it received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to run the first human trial of its brain implant. Just months later, in August, Neuralink closed a US$280 million funding round led by Founders Fund. The filing was amended in November 2023 to reflect an additional US$43 million, bringing the total to US$323 million.

    Most recently, the company announced the closure of a US$650 million Series E funding round in June 2025.

    Is Neuralink approved for human trials?

    In May 2023, Neuralink received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to run the first human trials of its brain implant. The company opened a patient registry in early 2023 that allowed people who had at least one of a qualifying list of conditions to volunteer for upcoming clinical trials. It is also approved for human trials in Canada, Great Britain and the UAE.

    The first US study, dubbed PRIME — Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface — is specifically focused on patients with cervical spinal cord injuries or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It has an estimated primary completion date of January 2026 and is estimated to be fully completed by January 2031.

    The study’s first participant, a patient with quadriplegia, received the implant on January 28, 2024; Musk reported a quick recovery and ‘promising neuron spike detection’ the following day.

    A month later, Musk said the patient, who is named Noland Arbaugh, could control a cursor mentally. Arbaugh shared 100-day positives in May 2024, calling it a success over prior tech. One of the largest benefits is that it allows him to operate his computer and other devices lying down, while he needed assistance for setup and repositioning with prior devices. He explained that the change gives him more freedom to live on his own time.

    The study’s next two participants were a patient who became paralyzed following a spinal cord injury from a diving accident and another who lost use of his limbs to ALS. The company issued an update on their progress in February 2025, with all three patients touting positive changes following the procedure.

    As of January 2026, Neuralink has now implanted devices in 21 trial participants across the US, Canada, the UK and the UAE.

    The UAE-PRIME trial began recruiting in May 2025 via the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, while the GB-PRIME study launched in Great Britain two months later.

    Neuralink is also conducting the CONVOY study in the US, announced in November 2024, testing the use of the implant to control an investigational assistive robotic arm. It is open to participants of the PRIME study.

    Meanwhile, the company received FDA breakthrough device designation for Blindsight, a capability being developed to generate visual perception by activating brain areas responsible for visual function, as well as for its speech restoration technology, in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Blindsight trials aimed at restoring vision for the blind are reportedly planned to begin soon in the UAE.

    Looking ahead, Musk says the company will begin high-volume chip production in 2026. In a January update, Neuralink shared plans to improve the implant, including raising electrodes from 1,000 to 3,000. It is also investigating a change to the surgical procedure that would reduce invasiveness by inserting the implant’s threads through the dura mater, the brain’s tough outer membrane.

    How to invest in Neuralink?

    With Neuralink continuing to move forward, how can investors get a piece of this up-and-coming technology?

    The firm has yet to go public, so purchasing Neuralink stock is not an option for many investors. However, there are still ways for investors to potentially profit from Neuralink’s growth before it goes public.

    The vast majority of Neuralink’s funding has come from venture capitalists and a handful of billion-dollar companies. Investors can gain indirect exposure to Neuralink before its IPO by buying publicly traded companies that have invested in the company. This includes Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), which has funded Neuralink via its subsidiary Google Ventures. This strategy captures potential upside from Neuralink’s growth.

    Those who qualify as accredited investors could also potentially invest in a Neuralink funding round. According to the SEC, an accredited investor must have a net worth of at least US$1 million, not including the value of their primary residence, or an annual income of at least US$200,000 for individuals and US$300,000 for married couples. There must also be a reasonable expectation of the same level of income in the year of filing.

    Individuals can also qualify as accredited investors if they are investment professionals in good standing. In that case, the SEC’s guidelines indicate that they need to hold either a general securities representative license, an investment advisor representative license or a private securities offerings representative license.

    Entities like banks, insurance companies or investment firms with total assets of at least US$5 million may also qualify as accredited investors. Certain types of entities, such as private business companies and small business investment companies, may be exempt from the standard asset value requirements for accredited investor status.

    It’s also worth noting that Neuralink is just one of several companies currently working on developing BCI technology:

      The potential for BCI to impact various industries such as robotics, medicine and biotech has generated a growing amount of interest and excitement. Additionally, heightened interest in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector has led to more research and exploration in related fields, and has attracted increased investment in fields benefiting from AI advancements, including robotics and medicine.

      AI is also being used as a tool to help discover new insights and make moves that might not have been possible without its use. Scientists in California have even developed a brain implant capable of decoding and vocalizing inner speech.

      Finally, one of the simplest ways to gain exposure to Neuralink would be through an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that invests in companies related to BCI technology. While there isn’t an ETF that exclusively focuses on BCIs, there are funds that offer exposure to related themes.

      In the health sector, some options covering similar themes include medical device ETFs and the iShares Healthcare Innovation ETF (LSE:HEAL,OTCPK:BLKIF), a fund that consists of companies that are developing new and innovative healthcare technologies.

      Two other options are the Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF (NASDAQ:BOTZ), which includes companies that are involved in the development of robotics and AI, and the ARK Innovation ETF (ARCA:ARKK), which focuses on disruptive technologies across multiple industries, including healthcare and robotics.

      As with any investment decision, it’s important to perform due diligence on available options, including comparing ETFs, to ensure they align with one’s investment goals.

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

      This post appeared first on investingnews.com

      ~ Previously announced Light-Duty divestiture providing non-dilutive capital that strengthens Westport’s cash position~

      Westport Fuel Systems Inc. (‘Westport’) (TSX:WPRT Nasdaq: WPRT), a supplier of alternative fuel systems and components for the global transportation industry, today announced that it has received $6.5 million (Euro 5.5 million) as part of its previously announced sale of the Light-Duty segment. The escrow payment was triggered under the terms of the sale agreement following the achievement of a defined post-closing milestone.

      ‘This milestone payment reflects continued progress in the post-closing steps of our Light-Duty business divestiture,’ said Elizabeth Owens, Chief Financial Officer at Westport. ‘While additional payments are expected as the transaction phases are completed, this interim payment strengthens our cash position today to support ongoing operations and our strategic initiatives. We remain disciplined in executing the remaining elements of the divestiture process along with our ongoing operational efficiency improvements.’

      Additional information relating to the Light-Duty divestiture can be found in news releases posted on Westport’s website HERE.

      About Westport
      Westport is a technology and innovation company connecting synergistic technologies to power a cleaner tomorrow. As a leading supplier of affordable, alternative fuel, low-emissions transportation technologies, we design, manufacture, and supply advanced components and systems that enable the transition from traditional fuels to cleaner energy solutions.

      Our proven technologies support a wide range of clean fuels – including natural gas, renewable natural gas, and hydrogen – empowering OEMs and commercial transportation industries to meet performance demands, regulatory requirements, and climate targets in a cost-effective way. With decades of expertise and a commitment to engineering excellence, Westport is helping our partners achieve sustainability goals—without compromising performance or cost-efficiency – making clean, scalable transport solutions a reality.

      Westport is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. For more information, visit Westport.com.

      Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements
      This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the receipt and timing of additional milestone-based payments related to the divestiture of our Light-Duty business, the impact of the Euro 5.5 million escrow release disclosed herein, expectations regarding our cash position, and our ongoing operational and strategic initiatives, including efficiency improvements. These forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on both the views of management and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include those related to the completion of remaining post-closing obligations connected to the Light-Duty divestiture, the timing and satisfaction of conditions required for any additional milestone payments, general economic conditions of and access to the capital and debt markets, solvency, governmental policies and regulation, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, supply-chain factors and other risks and assumptions described in our most recent Annual Information Form and other filings with securities regulators. Readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of publication. We disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in these forward looking statements except as required by National Instrument 51-102. The contents of any website, RSS feed or twitter account referenced in this press release are not incorporated by reference herein.

      Contact Information
      Westport Investor Relations
      T: +1 604-718-2046

              

      News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

      This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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

      Osisko Metals Incorporated (the ‘Company’ or ‘Osisko Metals’) (TSX: OM,OTC:OMZNF; OTCQX: OMZNF; FRANKFURT: OB51) is pleased to announce the successful closing of its previously-announced ‘bought-deal’ private placement financing, pursuant to which the Company issued an aggregate of 11,812,000 common shares of the Company that will qualify as ‘flow-through shares’ (within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) (the ‘Flow-Through Shares’) at a price of C$1.27 per Flow-Through Share for gross proceeds to the Company of C$15,001,240 (the ‘Offering’).

      The Company will use an amount equal to the gross proceeds from the sale of the Flow-Through Shares under the Offering to incur eligible ‘Canadian exploration expenses’ that will qualify as ‘flow-through critical mineral mining expenditures’ (as both terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada)) (the ‘Qualifying Expenditures‘), in respect of the Company’s projects in Canada. The Qualifying Expenditures will be incurred on or before December 31, 2027 and will be renounced by the Company to the initial purchasers of the Flow-Through Shares with an effective date no later than December 31, 2026.

      The Offering was co-led by Canaccord Genuity Corp. and BMO Capital Markets.

      The Company understands that Agnico Eagle Mines Limited and Hudbay Minerals Inc., two of its existing strategic investors, along with Toronto-based fund Rosseau Asset Management Ltd., have purchased, as part of a follow-on transaction to the issuance of the Flow-Through Shares, all of the Common Shares issued under the Offering at a price of C$0.85 per Common Share for an aggregate purchase price of approximately C$10 million.

      The Flow-Through Shares issued under the Offering are subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date hereof, pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws. The Offering remains subject to final acceptance of the Toronto Stock Exchange.

      This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the ‘U.S. Securities Act‘), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

      About Osisko Metals

      Osisko Metals Incorporated is a Canadian exploration and development company creating value in the critical metals sector, with a focus on copper and zinc. The Company acquired a 100% interest in its flagship project, the past-producing Gaspé Copper mine, from Glencore Canada Corporation in July 2023. The Gaspé Copper project is located near Murdochville in Québec’s Gaspé Peninsula. The Company is currently focused on resource expansion of the Gaspé Copper system, with current Indicated Mineral Resources of 824 Mt grading 0.34% CuEq and Inferred Mineral Resources of 670 Mt grading 0.38% CuEq (in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). For more information, see Osisko Metals’ November 14, 2024 news release entitled ‘Osisko Metals Announces Significant Increase in Mineral Resource at Gaspé Copper‘. Gaspé Copper hosts the largest undeveloped copper resource in eastern North America, strategically located near existing infrastructure in the mining-friendly province of Québec.

      In addition to the Gaspé Copper project, the Company is working with Appian Capital Advisory LLP, through the Pine Point Mining Limited joint venture, to advance one of Canada’s largest past-producing zinc mining camps, the Pine Point project, located in the Northwest Territories. The current mineral resource estimate for the Pine Point project consists of Indicated Mineral Resources of 49.5 Mt at 5.52% ZnEq and Inferred Mineral Resources of 8.3 Mt at 5.64% ZnEq (in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). For more information, see Osisko Metals’ June 25, 2024 news release entitled ‘Osisko Metals releases Pine Point mineral resource estimate: 49.5 million tonnes of indicated resources at 5.52% ZnEq’. The Pine Point project is located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, close to infrastructure, with paved road access, an electrical substation and 100 kilometers of viable haul roads.

      For further information on this news release, visit www.osiskometals.com or contact:

      Don Njegovan, President
      Email: info@osiskometals.com
      Phone: (416) 500-4129

      Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

      This news release contains ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always, using phrases such as ‘expects’ or ‘does not expect’, ‘is expected’, ‘interpreted’, ‘management’s view’, ‘anticipates’ or ‘does not anticipate’, ‘plans’, ‘budget’, ‘scheduled’, ‘forecasts’, ‘estimates’, ‘potential’, ‘feasibility’, ‘believes’ or ‘intends’ or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results ‘may’ or ‘could’, ‘would’, ‘might’ or ‘will’ be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking information. This news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to, among other things: the ability for the Company to obtain the final approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange; the anticipated use of proceeds of the Offering; the tax treatment of the Flow-Through Shares; the timing of incurring and renunciation of the Qualifying Expenditures; and the ability to advance the Company’s properties (and results thereof); and Gaspé Copper hosting the largest undeveloped copper resource in eastern North America.

      Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management, in light of management’s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, including, without limitation, assumptions about: general market conditions impacting the Company; the ability of exploration results, including drilling, to accurately predict mineralization; errors in geological modelling; insufficient data; equity and debt capital markets; future spot prices of copper and zinc; the timing and results of exploration and drilling programs; the accuracy of mineral resource estimates; production costs; political and regulatory stability; the receipt of governmental and third party approvals; licenses and permits being received on favourable terms; sustained labour stability; stability in financial and capital markets; and availability of mining equipment and positive relations with local communities and groups. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, risks relating to the ability of the Company to obtain required approvals, the ability of the Company to complete further exploration activities, including drilling; the results of exploration activities; risks relating to mining activities; risks relating to the global economic climate and metal prices; environmental risks; changes in tax and regulatory regimes; and community and non-governmental actions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information are set out in the Company’s public disclosure record on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) under Osisko Metals’ issuer profile. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

      News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

      This post appeared first on investingnews.com

      SpaceX on Monday acquired xAI, the artificial intelligence startup that also owns the X social media platform, in a deal combining two companies owned by Elon Musk.

      Musk in a news release said that the combination would aim to pursue AI data centers in outer space.

      The deal comes on the verge of SpaceX’s highly anticipated initial public offering, which is expected to occur later this year.

      The deal creates ‘the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform,’ Musk said in a statement.

      The combined company will become the world’s most valuable private company, worth more than $1.2 trillion, Bloomberg News reported. NBC News has not been able to verify the valuation, and the companies did not respond to requests for comment.

      Musk went on to say that space would be a crucial avenue for building advanced artificial intelligence.

      ‘In the long term, space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale,’ Musk wrote. ‘The only logical solution therefore is to transport these resource-intensive efforts to a location with vast power and space.’

      Musk also offered an ambitious timeline for starting to develop AI from space. He’s failed to meet many of the previous goals he set for his companies.

      “My estimate is that within 2 to 3 years, the lowest cost way to generate AI compute will be in space,” he wrote in Monday’s news release.

      SpaceX already conducts rocket tests using reusable parts, provides cellular phone and data services to T-Mobile customers, and is working with NASA to return humans to the moon in the near future.

      Meanwhile, xAI, Musk’s bid to get in on the AI boom, has reportedly soared to a more than $200 billion valuation. Along the way, the company and its AI bot, Grok, have drawn criticism. Recently, the company limited its image generation technology after users said it was creating sexualized deepfakes. A number of state attorneys general and the European Union are investigating the company.

      Musk’s companies have often been intertwined, but Monday’s deal brings them even closer together. Another one of Musk’s companies, Tesla, has invested in xAI and uses some of its technology.

      Musk merged his social media site X with xAI in early 2025, but the tie-up between xAI and SpaceX marks the largest combination to date of Musk’s vast business projects.

      Founded in 2002, SpaceX has helped catapult Musk to the ranking of richest person in the world, with a net worth of more than $670 billion. The company has quickly become a critical supplier of satellite-based internet around the world, with more than 9,000 satellites orbiting Earth, used by both consumers and governments. SpaceX also holds multiple NASA contracts.

      This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

      ILC Critical Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: ILC,OTC:ILHMF) (OTCQB: ILHMF) (FSE: IAH0) (‘ILC’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement (the ‘Offering’) of up to 100,000,000 common shares at CAD$0.025 per share to raise gross proceeds of up to CAD$2,500,000. There are no warrants attached to this placement.

      Proceeds of the private placement will be used partly to enable the Company to invest in growing its Southern African and Canadian operations and partly for general working capital purposes. If ILC decides to exercise its option, the Company may use part of the proceeds to exercise the option to acquire Lepidico (Mauritius) Ltd. (‘Lepidico Mauritius’) with a final net amount payable of around CAD$450,000. Lepidico Mauritius owns 80% of the company in Namibia that owns the Karibib project.

      A table showing approximate split of proceeds if the full CAD$2.5 million is raised is as follows :

      Amount CAD$ Percentage
      Final payment to acquire Lepidico Mauritius
      (if option exercised)
      450,000 18.0
      Exploration expenditure in Namibia* and Canada 950,000 38.0
      Non arms length parties – Management fees 440,000 17.6
      Working Capital 660,000 26.4
      Total 2,500,000 100.0

       

      *Assumes Lepidico Mauritius option exercised

      Payments to persons conducting Investor Relations activities are expected to be appreciably less than 10% of the gross proceeds of the Offering. Any such Investor Relations engagements will be filed with the TSX Venture Exchange (‘TSXV’), in accordance with their policies.

      Closing of the Offering is subject to acceptance by the TSXV. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of issuance under applicable Canadian securities laws. The Company may pay finders fees on a portion of the placement, as permitted by TSXV policies and applicable securities laws.

      It is anticipated that some directors and insiders will participate in this Offering. The issue of shares (to the extent subscribed for by insiders) constitute ‘related party transactions’ pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (‘MI 61-101’), as the subscribers include directors of the Company. The Company is exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval in connection with the shares in reliance on the exemptions contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, respectively, as the fair market value of the shares to be issued to directors and insiders does not exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization.

      About ILC Critical Minerals Ltd.

      ILC Critical Minerals Ltd., formerly International Lithium Corp., has exploration activities in Ontario, Canada, with intentions to expand into Southern Africa. It has projects at various stages, ranging from Definitive Feasibility Study at Karibib in Namibia (note that ILC currently has an option only and is treating this as historic information at this point and not a current resource for ILC) to Preliminary Economic Assessment at Raleigh Lake to Pre-Drilling at Wolf Ridge. The primary target metals in Canada are lithium, rubidium and copper. There are three projects (two in Ontario and one in Ireland) in which ILC has sold its share, but where the Company stands to receive future payments from either a resource milestone being achieved or from a Net Smelter Royalty. In Namibia the Karibib project contains lithium, rubidium and cesium.

      While the world’s politicians remain divided on the future of the energy market’s historic dependence on oil and gas and on ‘Net Zero’, there is in any scenario an ever-increasing and significant demand for electricity driven by AI and data centres, and by a likely unstoppable momentum towards electric vehicles and grid-scale electricity storage. All of these contribute to rising demand for lithium, copper, and other metals. Rubidium is also a critical metal, strategic for high-precision clocks, space technology, and improving the performance of certain types of solar panels. ILC has seen the politically driven, increasingly urgent push by the USA, Canada, the EU, and other major economies to safeguard their supplies of critical minerals and to become more self-sufficient. The Company’s Canadian and Southern African projects, which contain lithium, rubidium, cesium and copper, are strategic in this regard.

      The Company’s key mission for the next decade is to generate revenue for its shareholders from lithium, rubidium and other critical minerals while also contributing to the creation of a greener, cleaner planet and less polluted cities.

      This includes optimizing the value of ILC’s existing projects in Canada as well as finding, exploring and developing projects that have the potential to become world-class deposits. The Company announced that it regards Southern Africa as a key strategic target market and, in addition to Namibia, it has applied for and hopes to receive EPOs in Zimbabwe. The board hopes to make further announcements on the portfolio developments over the next few weeks and months.

      The Company’s interests in various projects now consist of the following, and in addition, the Company continues to seek other opportunities:

      Name Metal Location Stage Area in Hectares Current Ownership Percentage Future Ownership % if options exercised and/or residual interest Operator or JV Partner
      Raleigh Lake Lithium
      Rubidium
      Ontario Dec 2023 : PEA for Li completed Apr 2023 Maiden Resource Estimates for Li and Rb 32,900 100% 100% ILC
      Rubicon + Helikon + Exclusive Prospecting Licence Lithium
      Rubidium
      Cesium
      Karibib, Namibia 2021 : Feasibility Study completed for Li, Rb and Cs under JORC 29,500 0 % 80% Lepidico; ILC if option exercised
      Firesteel Copper, Cobalt Ontario Initial Drilling 6,600 90% 90% ILC
      Wolf Ridge Lithium Ontario Pre-Drilling 5,700 0% 100% ILC
      Mavis Lake Lithium Ontario May 2023
      Maiden Resource 
      Estimate
      2,600 0% 0%
      (carries an extra earn-in payment of AUD$ 0.75 million if resource targets met)
      Critical Resources Limited (ASX:CRR)
      Avalonia Lithium Ireland Drilling 29,200 0% 0%
      2.0% Net Smelter Royalty
      GFL Intl Co Ltd. (owned by Ganfeng Lithium Group Co. Ltd)
      Forgan/
      Lucky Lakes
      Lithium Ontario Drilling < 500 0% 0%
      1.5% Net Smelter Royalty
      Power Minerals Limited 
      (ASX: PNN)

       

      The Company’s primary strategic focus at this point is on the Raleigh Lake Project, comprising lithium and rubidium, and the Firesteel copper project in Canada, as well as obtaining EPOs and mineral claims in Zimbabwe. The Karibib projects in Namibia, including further development of the EPL there, will be a high priority if ILC decides to exercise its option and remain involved.

      The Raleigh Lake Project now encompasses 32,900 hectares (329 square kilometres) of mineral claims in Ontario and represents ILC’s most significant project in Canada. To date, drilling has occurred on less than 1,000 hectares of the Company’s claims. A Preliminary Economic Assessment was published for ILC’s lithium at Raleigh Lake in December 2023, with a detailed economic analysis of ILC’s separate rubidium resource still pending. This showed, for the lithium only and not yet taking into account the rubidium, a Post-tax NPV of CAD$342.9 million and a Post-tax IRR of 44.3% p.a. This was based on a spodumene price of US$2,350 per tonne. As at February 2, 2026 the spot spodumene price was US$ 1,965 per tonne. Raleigh Lake is 100% owned by ILC, free from any encumbrances and royalties. The Raleigh Lake Project boasts excellent access to roads, rail, and utilities.

      A continuing goal has been to remain a well-funded, strategically run company that turns ILC’s aspirations into reality. Following the disposal of the Mariana project in Argentina in 2021, the Mavis Lake project in Canada in 2022, and the Avalonia project in 2025, ILC has continued to generate sufficient cash inflows to advance its exploration projects.

      With increasing demand for high-tech rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, energy storage, and portable electronics, lithium has been dubbed ‘the new oil’. It is a key part of a green, sustainable economy. By positioning itself on projects with significant resource potential and solid strategic partners, ILC aims to become a preferred lithium and critical minerals resource developer for investors and to continue building value for its shareholders throughout the 2020s, the decade of battery metals.

      On behalf of the Company,

      John Wisbey
      Chairman and CEO
      www.ilccm.com

      For further information concerning this news release, please contact info@ilccm.com or ILC@yellowjerseypr.com, or telephone +1 236 358 9100

      _______________________________________________________________________________________

      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.

      Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

      Except for statements of historical fact, this news release or other releases contain certain ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information or forward-looking statements in this or other news releases may include: the timing of completion of any offering and the amount to be raised, the likelihood or otherwise of the Company exercising its option on Lepidico Mauritius, the outcome of and issues around the arbitration involving Lepidico Namibia, the effect on results of anticipated production rates, the timing and/or anticipated results of drilling on the Karibib or Raleigh Lake or Firesteel or Wolf Ridge projects, expected commodity prices, the expectation of resource estimates, preliminary economic assessments, feasibility studies, lithium or rubidium or cesium or copper recoveries, modeling of capital and operating costs, results of studies utilizing various technologies at the company’s projects, the Company’s budgeted expenditures, government permits or approval for licences and licence renewals, future plans for expansion in Southern Africa and planned exploration work on its projects, increased value of shareholder investments in the Company, the potential from the Company’s third party earn-out or royalty arrangements, the future demand for lithium, rubidium, cesium and copper, and assumptions about ethical behaviour by our joint venture partners or shareholders in our projects or third party operators of projects or royalty partners. Such forward-looking information is based on assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those discussed in the sections entitled ‘Risks’ and ‘Forward-Looking Statements’ in the interim and annual Management’s Discussion and Analysis which are available at www.sedarplus.ca. While management believes that the assumptions made are reasonable, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking information. Forward-looking information herein, and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on expectations, estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the time of such statements, are subject to significant business, economic, legislative, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions change.

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

      To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282473

      News Provided by TMX Newsfile via QuoteMedia

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      Questcorp Mining Inc. (CSE: QQQ,OTC:QQCMF) (OTCQB: QQCMF) (FSE: D910) (the ‘Company’ or ‘Questcorp’) has chosen Peter W. Walcott and Associates Limited of Coquitlam, BC to undertake the permitted 10 to 15 line km induced polarization (IP) survey at the Company’s 1,168 hectare North Island Copper project near Port Hardy on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

      The IP survey will concentrate on the historic Marisa Zone, a porphyry copper target last explored in the 1990’s. Surface sampling and a preliminary 12.3-line km IP survey identified an interesting chargeability anomaly that was followed up by a five-hole, 376.43 diamond drilling program. Two of the five holes hit interesting copper values including down hole intervals of 0.078% copper over 56.39 metres in DDH92-01 and 0.041% copper over 70.71 metres in DDH92-03 in an altered quartz diorite. Copper grades were increasing with depth in DDH92-03. The Company plans to follow up these historic results. Source: Geophysical and Diamond Drilling Report on the Marisa Property by G.J. Allen and P.G. Dasler dated 1992-Feb-29 for Great Western Gold Corporation.

      ‘As copper prices continue to climb due to demand and supply issues, the importance of the North Island Copper project increases,’ commented Questcorp President & CEO, Saf Dhillon. ‘We feel the 1992 preliminary drill results demand further exploration, especially with copper grades increasing with depth to the bottom of one of the historic drill holes. Our setting in the right rocks between the historic Island Copper Mine and NorthIsle Copper and Gold Inc. (CSE: NCX), further attests to the potential of Questcorp’s North Island Copper project.’

      The 2026 IP survey will run lines at the same azimuth, spaced midway between the 1973 IP survey lines to tighten the coverage over the area. Walcott hopes to incorporate the historic IP with the 2026 data to generate new chargeability and resistivity subsurface elevation plans, along with the 2026 psuedosection lines. The plans and sections will be utilized to generate drill targets for a follow-up drill program. Walcott is expected to mobilize to the property mid-February, with completion anticipated prior to month end.

      Questcorp cautions investors a Qualified Person has not verified the historical exploration data and further cautions the presence of copper mineralization on the NorthIsle Copper and Gold and the BHP properties is not necessarily indicative of similar mineralization on the North Island Copper property.

      The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by R. Tim Henneberry, P. Geo (BC), a Director of the Company and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

      About Questcorp Mining Inc.

      Questcorp is engaged in the business of the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in North America, with the objective of locating and developing economic precious and base metal properties of merit. The Company holds an option to acquire an undivided 100-per-cent interest in and to mineral claims totalling 1,168.09 hectares comprising the North Island Copper property, on Vancouver Island, B.C., subject to a royalty obligation. The Company also holds an option to acquire an undivided 100-per-cent interest in and to mineral claims totalling 2,520.2 hectares comprising the La Union project located in Sonora, Mexico, subject to a royalty obligation.

      Contact Information

      Questcorp Mining Corp.
      Saf Dhillon, President & CEO
      Email: saf@questcorpmining.ca
      Telephone: (604) 484-3031

      This news release includes certain ‘forward-looking statements’ under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the geophysical surveys will be completed as contemplated or at all and that such statements 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 statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

      To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282479

      News Provided by TMX Newsfile via QuoteMedia

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      The silver price remains historically high despite a recent pullback, and many silver stocks haven’t kept pace.

      Silver’s strong performance over the past year is the result of a perfect storm of factors, including an entrenched supply deficit, growing industrial demand, a weakening US dollar and deepening geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

      For these reasons, investors are flocking to silver for both its safe-haven status and its developing role as a critical metal in energy, artificial intelligence and defense technologies.

      As of early February, the silver price was trading in a range of US$70 to US$80 per ounce, while the Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF (ARCA:SILJ) was trading between about US$31 to US$32 per share.

      SILJ tracks small-cap and mid-cap producers, developers and explorers that derive most of their revenue from silver. The profit margins of this segment of the silver-mining industry are the most sensitive to rising silver prices, hence SILJ tends to outperform the price of physical silver during bull markets.

      Why is there a lag between the silver price and silver stocks?

      During a presentation at the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference (VRIC), held from January 25 to 26, Peter Krauth, editor of Silver Stock Investor and Silver Advisor, looked at the performance of silver stocks relative to the price of physical silver, honing in on the silver-mining exchange-traded funds.

      ‘So we actually have had negative leverage in silver stocks versus silver. If you look back over one year, two years, we’re essentially even. You’ve gotten no reward for taking on additional risk by being in the silver stocks.’

      Why are silver stocks, particularly those on the SILJ, lagging behind the performance of the physical metal?

      Krauth explained that valuation models for these stocks are still factoring in silver prices at US$25 to US$30, even though last quarter the price was averaging around US$70 per ounce. “They essentially almost all need to be revalued because silver is so much higher, and that hasn’t happened yet,” he said.

      “I think they’re going to have to redo their calculations for gold and silver miners.”

      “That caps their earnings. Well, the good news for speculators, investors and mining stocks is that those hedges expire,” said Penny, who believes that the relative outperformance of the silver stocks to the silver price will “kick in soon.’

      When will silver stocks catch up to the silver price?

      Penny is looking for those hedges to expire over the first few quarters of the year.

      “Then that’s where these mining stocks, the profits are just going to go through the roof. I mean, even if we pull back to the mid US$60s — not expecting that — but even if that were to happen, these mining stocks are not pricing in US$60 silver. They’re still pricing in sub-US$50 silver. So a lot of upside potential here for the mining stocks,” he said.

      Barton is also looking for a move sooner rather than later, especially with earning calls coming up.

      “I think we have a catch-up trade coming. I think it’s coming soon. So if no one has taken advantage of this yet, I think you need to act like now,” said Barton, who later added, “Assuming the silver price could stay above, you know, US$75 an ounce or so, that should blow out expectations. And I think it’ll be a really nice trade. I really do.”

      But that won’t be the end of the party for silver. Krauth sees strong potential over the next two or three years for a “dramatic run” for the silver sector. And like his peers, he sees that run starting soon.

      “I think what we’re going to see is over the next few quarters, as those projects, producers, cashflows, get revalued at higher input prices, we’re going to see the profit margins really explode and expand,” he said. “We’re going to see when those numbers get reported, the market is going to start to appreciate that and start to re-rate a lot of these stocks.”

      Rick’s rules for silver sector profits

      Rick Rule, investment guru and proprietor at Rule Investment Media, is already making plays in this latest silver bull market, leveraging the profits he’s made in physical silver to better position himself for the next stage.

      “My reasoning being as follows: if silver goes nowhere for a year, if it stays rangebound, the best silver producers are discounting US$45 silver a year from now, if the price is at US$75 or US$80 they’ll be discounting US$75 or US$80 silver, which means the stock will be up 50, 60, 70 percent,” he explained.

      “The speculative outlook for the silver stocks seemed to be better than the speculative outcome for silver. If silver stays flat for a year, by definition, silver won’t give me any return. But if it stays flat, the silver stocks would give me 50 or 60 percent so it was a better speculative outcome,’ Rule added.

      What did he do with the rest of his gains from his physical silver investment? He parked 25 percent in physical gold. “That’s how I save. I maintain liquidity in US currency, and I save in gold,” said Rule.

      The other 25 percent went into oil and gas stocks. “As you know, my motto is that I buy hate and I sell love. Silver was loved, so I sold it. Oil and gas were hated, so I bought it.”

      Both Krauth and Barton are on board with Rick’s Rules for silver investment.

      “(Rule) has had for a long time a significant position in physical silver, and has sold a good portion of that because he is looking for value all the time and not sitting still. And he decided that those proceeds were going to go to where he saw value,” said Krauth. “And that’s part of my thesis going forward as well — that the value, or the unrealized value, in the silver space is now, especially in the miners.”

      Barton also sees value in this strategy. “I have been selling some physical silver, and I’ve been putting it into oil stocks, and I’ve been putting it into gold and silver miners because they have not played that catch-up trade, right?,” he said. “Spot gold and silver are relatively expensive compared to very good silver and very good gold miners. So that could be a place where you could take some profits and rotate into the next leg up.”

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

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