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Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Wednesday (October 29) as of 9:00 a.m. UTC.

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

Bitcoin and Ether price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$113,072, a 0.8 percent decrease in 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$113,083, and its highest was US$116,041.

Bitcoin price performance, October 29, 2025.

Chart via TradingView

Bitcoin (BTC) and the broader cryptocurrency market are showing signs of renewed investor appetite after softer-than-expected US inflation data helped lift global risk sentiment.

In a post on X, blockchain analytics CryptoQuant said a “risk-on” tone has returned across major asset classes following the release of the September Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, which showed inflation rising 0.3 percent, slightly below consensus forecasts.

The modest increase from August reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve could pursue a more accommodative stance at its next policy meeting.

The cooler inflation print appears to have reignited appetite for growth and speculative assets, marking a shift from the defensive tone that dominated markets earlier this quarter. Analysts noted that the CPI data has strengthened hopes of near-term rate cuts.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin researcher Axel Adler Jr. said on X that market data also point to improving sentiment across major exchanges. The exchange net-spread, which measures the difference between stablecoin inflows and BTC/ETH outflows, remains in positive territory.

This suggests that cash inflows are dominating, while Bitcoin and Ether are being withdrawn from exchanges, a sign that selling pressure is continuing to ease.

Ether (ETH) was priced at US$4,007.40, a 1.5 percent increase in 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$3,946.84, and its highest was US$4,171.07

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) was priced at US$198.51, trading flat over the last 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$191.75, and its highest was US$202.69.
  • XRP was trading for US$2.63, similarly trading flat over the last 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$2.58, while its highest was US$2.68.

Fear and Greed Index snapshot

Chart via CoinMarketCap.

CMC’s Crypto Fear & Greed Index has begun to recover from last week’s slump, now sitting at 39, up from 29 a week ago, as market sentiment inches closer to neutral territory. The improvement marks a gradual shift in investor mood following a prolonged stretch of “fear” that lasted seven consecutive days—the longest since April.

The rise suggests that traders are slowly regaining confidence amid Bitcoin’s breakout above the US$115,000 level after nearly two weeks of range-bound trading between US$103,000 and US$115,000. While the index still reflects caution, its steady climb signals that market anxiety is easing and that investors are beginning to price in optimism ahead of the expected Federal Reserve rate cut.

Crypto derivatives and market indicators

Bitcoin derivatives metrics suggest traders remain cautious but less defensive than before.

Liquidations for Bitcoin futures totaled roughly US$2.43 million in the past four hours, with long positions still comprising the majority—a sign that some traders continue to take profits amid uncertain short-term momentum. Ether saw similar trends, with US$4.28 million in liquidations, also dominated by long positions.

Futures open interest for Bitcoin edged down 0.42 percent to US$73.87 billion, while Ether’s slipped -0.08 percent to US$48.22 billion, indicating a slight cooling in leveraged activity following the recent price uptick.

Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s relative strength index (RSI) of 50.60 indicates neutral momentum, suggesting that traders are holding back from aggressive positioning as markets digest recent macro data and await clearer direction.

Today’s crypto news to know

21Shares files for Hype ETF

Swiss asset manager 21Shares has filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to launch a passive ETF tracking the Hype token, marking its first product since agreeing to be acquired by FalconX.

The SEC has yet to act on several pending filings amid limited staffing during the US government shutdown. Hype, the native token of the Hyperliquid network, has surged more than 1,500 PERCENT over the past year, ranking as the 11th largest cryptocurrency.

21Shares said Coinbase and BitGo will serve as custodians for the fund’s holdings.

The firm currently manages over US$11 billion in crypto-linked products and expects the FalconX deal to accelerate ETF adoption through combined market infrastructure.

Western Union picks Solana for global stablecoin rollout

Western Union announced plans to issue a US dollar stablecoin on the Solana blockchain, marking one of the largest traditional finance moves into digital assets to date.

Dubbed USDPT, the stablecoin will be custodied by Anchorage Digital and begin rolling out in 2026 across Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, regions where remittances and mobile money use are strongest.

Western Union said USDPT will integrate directly with its existing fiat payment network, letting users move funds between on-chain and cash outlets without intermediaries or FX fees.

The company plans to maintain its 4,500 global corridors while adding blockchain rails for faster settlement.

CEO Devin McGranahan described the move as “the next evolution” in its 175-year history of cross-border transfers. Global remittance flows currently total about US$860 billion annually.

Australia to classify stablecoins as financial products

Australia’s securities regulator has formally categorized stablecoins, tokenized assets, and wrapped tokens as financial products requiring licensing under existing law.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) announced the update this week, granting firms until June 2026 to transition into compliance.

The decision extends full consumer protections to stablecoin users and allows the agency to act against misconduct in the sector.

Service providers will now need Australian Financial Services licenses, while custody standards are being updated to include digital holdings.

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

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

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Saga Metals Corp. (‘SAGA’ or the ‘Company’) (TSXV: SAGA,OTC:SAGMF) (OTCQB: SAGMF) (FSE: 20H), a North American exploration company advancing critical mineral discoveries, is pleased to confirm the full mobilization of exploration crews and equipment for its highly anticipated major diamond drill program at the 100% owned Radar Titanium-Vanadium-Iron (Ti-V-Fe) Project in southeastern Labrador, Canada.

With site preparations now in the final stages of completion, SAGA is ready to mobilize the rest of its exploration team as drilling is set to commence in early November, targeting the expansion of known oxide mineralization at the Radar project and advancing toward a maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) over the Trapper Zone.

This major program represents a key milestone in delineating the project’s potential as a strategic domestic source of titanium, vanadium, and high-grade iron ore—minerals critical for defense, aerospace, renewable energy storage, and advanced steel production.

Figure 1: Radar Project’s Trapper Zone depicting a 3+ km Total Magnetic Intensity (TMI) anomaly from the 2025 ground survey and the oxide layering trend. The Trapper Trail (in black) will be the target of the planned 15,000 m diamond drilling program aimed at establishing Saga’s maiden mineral resource estimation.

Final Camp and Equipment Preparations:

With the geologists and drilling team set to arrive in the coming days, SAGA’s on-site team is working through the final stages of camp preparations including personnel and kitchen trailer placement as well as furnishing a full core shack, cutting shack and logging facility.

Figure 2: Brandon Sainsbury and Saga Technicians building core facility in Cartwright

Figure 3: Saga’s team from Cartwright preparing the metal core racks on site.

Meanwhile, the Gladiator Drilling crew from Springdale, Newfoundland has been doing final checks and maintenance on the Duralite 800 drill and associated equipment. They are currently packing up and loading the trailers for mobilization.

Figure 4: Gladiator Drilling team finalizing drill maintenance prior to mobilization to the Radar Project

‘The Gladiator crew is busy at the shop today getting ready for the upcoming drill program for Saga Metals in Labrador,’ stated Josh Blundell, CEO of Gladiator Drilling. ‘We are incredibly privileged and excited about being part of the team with Saga Metals and drilling the Trapper zone at the Radar Project. We had great success drilling the Hawkeye zone earlier this year and look forward to doing what we do best once again, putting rocks in the box.’

Drill Program Objectives:

The Phase 1 Trapper Zone drill campaign will target:

  • Grade continuity across a 3 km strike length.
  • Oxide layering widths and continuity to depths of about 200 metres.
  • Integration of structural insights from trenching and drilling into collar orientation and drill design.
  • Initial drilling of 1,500-2,500 m in 6-10 holes, each about 250 m in depth will be completed before the December break.
  • Test both the North and South sections of the Trapper zone prior to the break in order to fully grasp grade, width and structure prior to initiating the detailed grid and drill sections in 2026 for the purposes of a mineral resource estimate.
  • Drilling will be complemented by metallurgical sampling through the winter, with core from both the Hawkeye and Trapper zones undergoing detailed metallurgical testing.

Figure 5: Trapper base map – Oriented to base line in which 100-meter drill sections have been laid out across the Trapper Zone, perpendicular to the magnetite-oxide layers (seen above as magnetic highs on TMI anomaly from the 2025 ground survey ).

Outlook on Phase 1 of Drilling at the Trapper Zone:

Phase 1 drilling at the Trapper Zone builds on significant milestones from 2025, including:

  • Hawkeye drilling success: maiden drill program in early 2025, featuring a 2,209-metre, seven-hole diamond drill campaign across the Hawkeye Zone. The program intersected broad zones of titanomagnetite-rich oxide layering, with cumulative intersections displaying consistent grades of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), vanadium pentoxide (V 2 O 5 ) and iron (Fe).
  • Metallurgical readiness: Ongoing petrographic and mineralogical studies by Dr. Al Miller confirm those primary magmatic textures favourable for downstream processing.
  • Exploration momentum: Expanded property vision with preliminary metallurgical insights and confirmation of large-scale oxide continuity across the Dykes River intrusive complex.

Together, these achievements support SAGA’s strategy of advancing Radar toward resource definition and positioning it as a potential cornerstone critical minerals project in North America.

Advancing the Radar Project

The Radar Property spans 24,175 hectares and hosts the entire Dykes River intrusive complex (~160 km²), a unique position among Western explorers. Geological mapping, geophysics, and trenching have already confirmed oxide layering across more than 20 km of strike length, with mineralization open for expansion.

Vanadiferous titanomagnetite (‘VTM’) mineralization at Radar is comparable to global Fe–Ti–V systems such as Panzhihua (China), Bushveld (South Africa), and Tellnes (Norway), positioning the Project as a potential strategic future supplier of titanium, vanadium, and iron to North American markets.

Figure 6: Radar Property map, depicting magnetic anomalies, oxide layering and the site of the 2025 drill program in the Hawkeye zone. The Property is well serviced by road access and is conveniently located near the town of Cartwright, Labrador. A compilation of historical aeromagnetic anomalies is overlaid by ground-based geophysics as shown. SAGA has demonstrated the reliability of the regional airborne magnetic surveys after ground-truthing and drilling in the 2024 and 2025 field programs.

‘With the final team members mobilizing and the Gladiator drill rigs ready for the Trapper Zone, we’re on the cusp of transforming Radar from discovery to resource. The 3+ km oxide trend we’ve sampled and trenched is now ready for systematic drilling, and Phase 1 will give us the grade, width, and structural clarity needed to design the full 15,000-metre grid for our maiden MRE in 2026. The camp is built, the core shack is furnished, and the community of Cartwright has been our biggest supporter since day one. This is execution season for SAGA, and we look forward to providing updates along the way,’ stated Michael Garagan, CGO & Director of SAGA .

Investor Relations Agreements

SAGA has re-engaged Think Ink Marketing Data & Email Services (‘ Think Ink ‘) to provide corporate awareness and digital marketing services commencing on November 1, 2025.

Think Ink will leverage its expertise in native and display advertising, video content distribution, social media coverage, and targeted email marketing to enhance the Company’s digital presence and expand market awareness in exchange for cash consideration in the amount of USD$100,000. The IR Agreement has an initial term of 31 days unless earlier terminated or renewed in accordance with its terms. The Company may renew the IR Agreement for successive 31-day periods upon providing notice to Think Ink.

Compensation to Think Ink does not include any securities of the Company, and Think Ink does not hold any interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company. Think Ink is at arm’s length to the Company and has no relationship with the Company outside of this engagement.

Think Ink Data & Email Services, Inc., is a California-based marketing firm established in 1991 that provides its customers with a complete range of marketing services that span both digital and direct mail venues. With its digital services ranging from data appending, email marketing and pay-per-click online banner and native ads, Think Ink helps its clients to reach a network of potential investors.

For further information about Think Ink Marketing, please contact: Claire Stevens, 310-760-2616, 3308 W. Warner Ave, Santa Ana CA 92704, Email claire@thinkinkmarketing.com .

Qualified Person

Paul J. McGuigan, P. Geo., is an Independent Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information disclosed in this news release.

About Saga Metals Corp.

Saga Metals Corp. is a North American mining company focused on the exploration and discovery of a diversified suite of critical minerals that support the global transition to green energy. The Radar Titanium Project comprises 24,175 hectares and entirely encloses the Dykes River intrusive complex, mapped at 160 km² on the surface near Cartwright, Labrador. Exploration to date, including a 2,200m drill program, has confirmed a large and mineralized layered mafic intrusion hosting vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM) with strong grades of titanium and vanadium.

The Double Mer Uranium Project, also in Labrador, covers 25,600 hectares featuring uranium radiometrics that highlight an 18km east-west trend, with a confirmed 14km section producing samples as high as 0.428% U 3 O 8 and uranium uranophane was identified in several areas of highest radiometric response (2024 Double Mer Technical Report).

Additionally, SAGA owns the Legacy Lithium Property in Quebec’s Eeyou Istchee James Bay region. This project, developed in partnership with Rio Tinto, has been expanded through the acquisition of the Amirault Lithium Project. Together, these properties cover 65,849 hectares and share significant geological continuity with other major players in the area, including Rio Tinto, Winsome Resources, Azimut Exploration, and Loyal Metals.

With a portfolio that spans key minerals crucial to the green energy transition, SAGA is strategically positioned to play an essential role in the clean energy future.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Mike Stier, Chief Executive Officer

For more information, contact:
Rob Guzman, Investor Relations
Saga Metals Corp.
Tel: +1 (844) 724-2638
Email: rob@sagametals.com
www.sagametals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service 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 Disclaimer

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as ‘will’, ‘may’, ‘should’, ‘anticipates’, ‘expects’, ‘believes’, and similar expressions or the negative of these words or other comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the exploration of the Company’s Radar Project. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, environmental risks, limitations on insurance coverage, inherent risks and uncertainties involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, particularly given the early-stage nature of the Company’s assets, and the risks detailed in the Company’s continuous disclosure filings with securities regulations from time to time, available under its SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements only as expressly required by applicable law.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/597af781-7eff-4799-ae2f-50aa279d01d2

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/91bf9c41-2270-4c5b-92b0-7e02b06ee974

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2e615d60-b1e1-4799-8fe5-b4bb4056f2a6

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/917e2382-2508-494a-b53e-29eb20cadb3e

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/424a434b-189a-4004-8ec6-4d50a29151bb

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/86cbf955-a8b3-4c40-9946-fa2cd038ac31

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Sankamap Metals Inc. (CSE: SCU) (‘Sankamap’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce the completion of data processing and reports from Expert Geophysics for the 374 line-kilometer Airborne Magnetotelluric EM Survey (‘Mobile MT’) completed in July 2025. The survey covered 3,500 hectares of Sankamap’s 4,500-hectare (‘Ha’) Kuma property (‘Kuma’) (populated areas excluded) located 37 kilometers (‘km’) southeast of Honiara in south-central Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.

CEO John Florek commented:

‘We are very encouraged by the results of the airborne geophysical survey, which reveal clear signatures consistent with porphyry-style mineralization. The strong alignment between these geophysical features, surface geochemistry, and alteration mapping gives us greater confidence in the continuity of mineralization at depth and helps refine our upcoming drill targets.’

Highlights

  • The results of the Mobile MT survey at Kuma reveals a broad 5 x 2 km ring-shaped zone of high conductivity that flanks a central 2 x 3 km highly resistive feature (see Figure 2), with the conductive feature spatially correlating to the mapped lithocap.
  • Geophysical data indicate potential for multiple intrusive centers and porphyry systems, while the alignment of magnetic and conductive trends suggests structural controls or fluid pathways associated with mineralization.
  • The resistive and conductive trends display typical porphyry signatures, similar to other economic porphyry systems currently being mined.

The results from the 2025 Mobile MT survey delineate resistive and conductive features consistent with porphyry, epithermal, and skarn-style mineral systems. The geophysical data further corroborate earlier surface exploration findings at the Kuma property, which delineated a well-developed lithocap exceeding two kilometers in extent. Hyperspectral analysis has outlined extensive phyllic, argillic, and advanced argillic alteration zones, while grab sampling has returned impressive assay results of up to 11.7% copper (‘Cu’) and 13.5 g/t gold (‘Au’), underscoring the strength and continuity of mineralization within the system.

The Kuma Project is strategically located along a highly prospective trend that hosts several major deposits; Lihir containing 71 Moz Au1 (310 Mt containing 23 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t Proven+Probable (‘P&P’), 520 Mt containing 39 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t indicated, 81 Mt containing 5 Moz Au at 1.9 g/t measured, 61 Mt containing 4.9 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t Inferred) and Panguna containing 19.3 Moz Au + 5.3 Mt Cu2 (1.5 Mt containing 16.1 Moz Au at 0.33 g/t and 4.6 Mt Cu at 0.3 % Indicated, 300 Mt containing 3.2 Moz Au 0.4 g/t and 0.7 Mt Cu Inferred), both share geological similarities to the Kuma project.

Technical Discussion

Porphyry Cu-Au systems can exhibit a broad spectrum of electromagnetic (EM) responses, reflecting different host rocks, alteration styles, erosional levels and geological conditions unique to each system. For example, systems with intact lithocaps, which is potentially the case at Kuma, often differ from those with eroded or exposed mineralized cores, producing either predominantly conductive or resistive EM signatures.

As at Kuma, most calc-alkaline porphyry systems exhibit elevated electrical conductivity, largely attributable to extensive pyritic halos and mica-rich alteration zones that envelop a potassic core (as displayed in Figure 2 and 3). This core typically appears as a distinctly resistive feature, reflecting zones of magnetite or K-feldspar alteration characterized by relatively low sulfide concentrations.

In July 2025, Expert Geophysics was engaged to conduct a 374 line-kilometer airborne geophysical survey (Mobile MT), which was flown along north-south lines at 100-meter intervals (Figure 1).

The final geophysical data processing has been completed. Sankamap, together with Expert Geophysics and independent geophysical consultants familiar with this type of data, have reviewed the results. The survey highlights several significant geophysical features that will assist in defining the next phase of exploration and drill targeting.

Figure 1: Kuma property and lithocap extent with Mobile MT survey flight lines.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11623/272353_a2474b4434dceb50_002full.jpg

The geophysical models reveal a highly conductive feature that forms a continuous ring-shaped zone flanking a central resistive body. This conductive anomaly appears consistent with a potassic intrusive core or a resistive intrusive complex at depth. Notably, the highest conductivity corresponds with surface zones of advanced argillic and clay-mica alteration (Figure 2).

The conductivity and resistivity highs coincide with a previously mapped annular topographic depression, suggesting potential preferential erosion within the propylitic alteration zone surrounding a core of phyllic-altered rocks (Figure 2). The alignment of these geophysical, geological, and geomorphological features supports a coherent porphyry-style hydrothermal model, with a resistive intrusive core surrounded by conductive alteration halos and erosional depressions marking outer alteration zones.

The integration of these datasets provides a strong 3D framework for ongoing exploration and drill targeting.

Figure 2: Apparent conductivity map from Mobile MT survey on the Kuma property at -200m elevation.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11623/272353_a2474b4434dceb50_003full.jpg

Figure 3: Resistivity section at 8919250 mN from Mobile MT survey on the Kuma property.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11623/272353_a2474b4434dceb50_004full.jpg

Strategic Plan

  • Acquisition and deployment of drilling equipment underway in preparation for the January 2026 drilling campaign.

Kuma Property

  • Target Refinement: Ongoing analysis of newly released geophysical and geological datasets to define and prioritize high-quality drill targets.
  • Pad & Camp Construction: Scheduled to begin in late November.
  • Field Visit: Planned for early November to ground-truth targets, verify geological interpretations, and finalize logistics.
  • Drilling Program: Inaugural campaign to commence in January 2026, marking a key milestone in advancing the Kuma Project toward discovery.

Fauro Property

  • Prospecting activities to begin, following up on additional magnetic highs associated with elevated gold and copper values (see press release dated July 16, 2025).

Corporate & Investor Relations

  • Upcoming exploration milestones to serve as key catalysts for shareholder value creation.
  • Targeted marketing campaign underway to showcase the company’s exploration potential and investment opportunity.

Grant of Options

Subject to regulatory approval, the Company has granted 2,250,000 stock options to its directors, officers and consultants, exercisable for five years at a price of $0.30.

About Sankamap Metals Inc.

Sankamap Metals Inc. (CSE: SCU) is a Canadian mineral exploration company dedicated to the discovery and development of high-grade copper and gold deposits through its flagship Oceania Project, located in the South Pacific. The Company’s fully permitted assets are strategically positioned in the Solomon Islands, along a prolific geological trend that hosts major copper-gold deposits; including Newmont’s Lihir Mine, with a resource of 71.9 million ounces of gold¹ (310 Mt containing 23 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t P+P, 520 Mt containing 39 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t indicated, 81 Mt containing 5 Moz Au at 1.9 g/t measured, 61 Mt containing 4.9 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t Inferred).

Exploration is actively advancing at both the Kuma and Fauro properties, part of Sankamap’s Oceania Project in the Solomon Islands. Historical work has already highlighted the mineral potential of both sites, which lie along a highly prospective copper and gold-bearing trend, suggesting the possibility of further, yet-to-be-discovered deposits.

At Kuma, the property is believed to host an underexplored and largely untested porphyry copper-gold (Cu-Au) system. Historical rock chip sampling has returned consistently elevated gold values above 0.5 g/t Au, including a standout sample assaying 11.7% Cu and 13.5 g/t Au2; underscoring the area’s significant potential.

At Fauro, particularly at the Meriguna Target, historical trenching has returned highly encouraging results, including 8.0 meters at 27.95 g/t Au and 14.0 meters at 8.94 g/t Au3. Complementing these results are exceptional grab sample assays, including historical values of up to 173 g/t Au3, along with recent sampling by Sankamap at the Kiovakase Target, which returned numerous high-grade copper values, reaching up to 4.09% Cu. In addition, limited historical shallow drilling intersected 35.0 meters at 2.08 g/t Au3, further underscoring the property’s strong mineral potential and the merit for continued exploration. With a commitment to systematic exploration and a team of experienced professionals, Sankamap aims to unlock the untapped potential of underexplored regions and create substantial value for its shareholders. For more information, please refer to SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), under Sankamap’s profile.

1. Newcrest Technical Report, 2020 (Lihir: 310 Mt containing 23 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t P+P, 520 Mt containing 39 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t indicated, 81 Mt containing 5 Moz Au at 1.9 g/t measured, 61 Mt containing 4.9 Moz Au at 2.3 g/t Inferred)

2. Historical grab, soil and BLEG samples from SolGold Kuma Review June 2015, and SolGold plc Annual Report 2013/2012

3. September 2010-June 2012 press releases from Solomon Gold Ltd. and SolGold Fauro Island Summary Technical Info 2012

QP Disclosure

The technical content for the Oceania Project in this news release has been reviewed and approved by John Florek, M.Sc., P.Geol., a Qualified Person in accordance with CIM guidelines. Mr. John Florek is in good standing with the Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (Member ID:1228) and a director and officer of the Company.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

s/ ‘John Florek’
John Florek, M.Sc., P.Geol
Chief Executive Officer
Sankamap Metals Inc.

Contact:
John Florek, CEO
T: (807) 228-3531
E: johnf@sankamap.com

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not approved nor disapproved this press release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release constitute ‘forward-looking statements’ or ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable securities laws including, without limitation, the timing, nature, scope and details regarding the Company’s exploration plans and results at its projects. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as ‘may’, ‘would’, ‘could’, ‘will’, ‘intend’, ‘expect’, ‘believe’, ‘plan’, ‘anticipate’, ‘estimate’, ‘scheduled’, ‘forecast’, ‘predict’ and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘would’, ‘might’ or ‘will’ be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company’s current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.

Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/272353

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President Donald Trump’s tariffs are hitting toy giants Mattel and Hasbro as the critical holiday season nears. Still, both companies see a successful year end ahead.

“This quarter, our U.S. business was again challenged by industry-wide shifts in retailer ordering patterns,” CEO Ynon Kreiz said on Mattel’s recent earnings call. “That said, consumer demand for our products grew in every region, including in the U.S.”

During the most recent quarter, which ended Sept. 30, Mattel said sales slipped 6% globally, led by a 12% decline in North America. International sales rose 3%.

Some of the company’s top performing categories included Hot Wheels and action figures, primarily from the “Jurassic World,” Minecraft and WWE franchises.

Other Mattel brands saw a drop in sales, however, including Barbie and Fisher-Price.

With retail stores waiting until the last minute to assess the level of tariffs that would apply to their holiday orders, Kreiz said “since the beginning of the fourth quarter, orders from retailers in the U.S. have accelerated significantly.”

Retailers “expect strong demand for the holiday and they are restocking,” he added.

Meanwhile, rival toy giant Hasbro’s revenue jumped 8% in the quarter and it raised its financial guidance for the rest of the year.

Key drivers of that included “Peppa Pig” and Marvel franchise toys, as well as the Wizards of the Coast games.

Hasbro “managed tariff volatility with agility” and used price hikes to protect its margins, said Gina Goetter, the company’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer.

The company remains “firmly on track” to achieve its financial targets.

“As we calculate the various scenarios of where that absolute rates will play out, we’re really putting all of our levers to work,” she said on the company’s recent earnings call.

“From how we think about pricing, how we’re thinking about our product mix, how we’re thinking about our supply chain, and how we’re managing all of our operating expenses to mitigate and offset the impact” of tariffs, she said.

For its part, Hasbro also saw “softness” in the U.S. during the quarter due to retail chains waiting longer to place holiday orders, but said momentum is accelerating as the season gets underway.

In July, Mattel’s chief financial officer, Paul Ruh, said that the company was raising prices because of tariffs.

“We have implemented a variety of actions that will help us withstand some of those headwinds and those include … supply chain efficiencies and some pricing adjustments, particularly in the U.S.,” Ruh said on the company’s earnings conference call.

“So with that array of actions, we’re able to withstand some of the uncertainty that is mostly coming in the top line,” Ruh said. “Our goal is to keep prices as low as possible for our consumers.”

Still, Kreiz said that “consumers are buying our products and the toy industry is growing.”

He also said that consumers are taking price hikes in stride and those increases haven’t hurt demand: “We are not seeing any slowdown in consumer demand so far.”

Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks said the company has also raised some prices, but it was “pretty surgical” in what it chose to adjust.

“In terms of ongoing pricing, I think we just kind of have to see how the holiday goes and the consumer holds up,” he told analysts on the company’s earnings call.

Cocks also cautioned that there may be a two-tier economy forming, something other executives and economists have observed in recent months.

“Right now, I think it’s really kind of a tale of two consumers. The top 20%, particularly in the U.S., continue to spend pretty robustly,” he said. “The balance of households are watching their wallets a bit more.”

On Friday, the Labor Department released the latest consumer price index data, which showed that inflation is rising at a 3% annual pace, up from August’s 2.9%.

In May, Kreiz told CNBC that approximately half of the company’s toys were sourced from China.

Beijing has faced some of the steepest tariffs from Washington of any U.S. trade partner, as Trump has rolled out his disruptive trade agenda this year.

Mattel’s Ruh said the company continued to adjust its supply chains in response to shifting global tariff policies.

“We will be continuing to work with our retailers to make sure that the product is on the shelf,” he said.

At the same time, Hasbro’s Goetter said the company is diversifying its supply chains away from high-tariff countries.

“By 2026, we expect approximately 30% of our total Hasbro toy and game revenue will be sourced from China and 30% of our revenue will be based in the U.S., as we opportunistically lean into our U.S. manufacturing capacity,” she said.

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California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris both remarked in the past few days that they’re keeping their options open for potential 2028 presidential runs. 

‘Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise,’ Newsom told ‘CBS News Sunday Morning’ when asked if he would give ‘serious thought’ to a 2028 presidential run after the 2026 midterms. ‘I’d just be lying. And I’m not — I can’t do that.’

‘I have no idea,’ Newsom said of whether he would decide to run, adding that he has not let academic struggles from across his life prevent him from working to ascend the political ladder. ‘The idea that a guy who got 960 on his SAT, that still struggles to read scripts, that was always in the back of the classroom, the idea that you would even throw that out is, in and of itself, extraordinary. Who the hell knows? I’m looking forward to who presents themselves in 2028 and who meets that moment. And that’s the question for the American people.’

Newsom long has been floated as a likely Democrat nominee for the presidency, most notably after the unprecedented 2024 race when President Joe Biden dropped out of the running amid heightened concerns over his mental acuity, and then-Vice President Harris took up the mantle in his absence. President Donald Trump ultimately swept the seven battleground states and won the popular vote and the Electoral College. 

Harris also left the door open to a potential 2028 presidential run while speaking with the BBC in an interview that aired Saturday. Harris is a longtime California Democrat who has served as San Francisco district attorney, the California attorney general, and a U.S. senator representing California before ascending the political landscape as the nation’s vice president in 2021. 

‘I am not done,’ Harris told the British outlet. ‘I have lived my entire career as a life of service, and it’s in my bones.’

Harris said during the interview that her grandnieces would see the first female president ‘in their lifetime, for sure,’ and that she could ‘possibly’ be that woman, according to the BBC. 

Harris brushed off polling that shows her as a 2028 Democrat outsider, saying during the interview that she historically has not listened to polling data.

‘If I listened to polls I would have not run for my first office, or my second office — and I certainly wouldn’t be sitting here.’

The 2024 presidential election threw the Democrat Party into a tailspin as it continues searching for its next de facto leader. Harris published a memoir in September detailing her 107 days on the campaign trail after Biden dropped out of the race, which included a handful of shots at the former president that has caused rifts within the party to grow deeper as it looks for fresh leadership. 

Both Newsom and Harris are longtime political foes of Trump, who has railed against both of them for promoting left-wing West Coast policies. 

Trump, who is term limited and in the midst of his second presidency, welcomed a potential Newsom presidential run back in May, but said the California high-speed rail project intended to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles would prevent him from proceeding in a presidential race.

‘I would love him to run for president,’ he said. ‘I’d love to see that, but I don’t think he’s going to be running because that one project alone — well, that, and the fires and a lot of other things — pretty much put him out of the race.’

The ‘one project alone’ refers to the high-speed rail project that has been plagued by delays and increased costs, with the Trump administration pulling the funding plug on the project in July. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the respective offices of Newsom and Harris Monday morning for additional comment on their 2028 remarks and has yet to receive replies. 

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Israeli authorities have confirmed they received the body of a deceased hostage from the Red Cross on Monday evening, as President Donald Trump’s 48-hour deadline looms.

The body was handed over to the IDF and Shin Bet by the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip. Hamas still has the bodies of 12 Israeli hostages in its custody. Trump’s deadline will expire Monday night. Hamas has made no mention of the identity of the deceased hostage set to be released.

‘Within the framework of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, the Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades will hand over the body of one of the occupation prisoners, which was recovered today in the Gaza Strip, at 9 PM Gaza time,’ Hamas announced in a statement.

Trump acknowledged on social media Saturday that some of the deceased hostages are ‘hard to reach.’

‘Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not,’ Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. ‘Perhaps it has to do with their disarming, but when I said, ‘Both sides would be treated fairly,’ that only applies if they comply with their obligations. Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.’

Hours before Trump’s post, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met with the families of Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, two U.S. citizens who were killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

Their bodies are among those still being held by Hamas.

‘We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in the captivity of Hamas,’ Rubio wrote in an X post. ‘We will not rest until their—and all—remains are returned.’

Authorities believed Chen, a 19-year-old dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, was kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, but was later declared dead by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Huckabee noted Rubio’s visit to Israel was ‘very productive in moving forward’ the U.S.-brokered Gaza peace plan, adding the plan cannot work until all hostages, living and deceased, are released.

Fox News’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

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Hamas says it will hand over another body of an Israeli hostage on Monday, as President Donald Trump’s 48-hour deadline looms.

If the latest body is handed over, Hamas will still have the bodies of 12 Israeli hostages in its custody. Trump’s deadline will expire Monday night. Hamas has made no mention of the identity of the deceased hostage set to be released.

‘Within the framework of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, the Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades will hand over the body of one of the occupation prisoners, which was recovered today in the Gaza Strip, at 9 PM Gaza time,’ Hamas announced in a statement.

Trump acknowledged on social media Saturday that some of the deceased hostages are ‘hard to reach.’

‘Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not,’ Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. ‘Perhaps it has to do with their disarming, but when I said, ‘Both sides would be treated fairly,’ that only applies if they comply with their obligations. Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.’

Hours before Trump’s post, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met with the families of Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, two U.S. citizens who were killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

Their bodies are among those still being held by Hamas.

‘We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in the captivity of Hamas,’ Rubio wrote in an X post. ‘We will not rest until their—and all—remains are returned.’

Authorities believed Chen, a 19-year-old dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, was kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, but was later declared dead by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Huckabee noted Rubio’s visit to Israel was ‘very productive in moving forward’ the U.S.-brokered Gaza peace plan, adding the plan cannot work until all hostages, living and deceased, are released.

Fox News’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

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Washington is barreling into its fifth week of a government shutdown, and despite a handful of payday deadlines for federal workers fast-approaching, there’s been little progress made toward turning the lights back on.

The Senate is expected to again vote on a House-passed plan to reopen the government this week but has failed to advance the continuing resolution (CR) 12 times.

As before, the legislation — which would reopen the government until Nov. 21 — is expected to fail again. The same dispute that triggered the shutdown nearly a month ago remains unresolved.

Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., want an ironclad deal to extend expiring Obamacare premium subsidies, while Senate Republicans want to address the issue only after the government is reopened.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., argued that Democrats’ position had little to do with the actual premium tax credits, nor a desire for negotiations.

‘It’s politics,’ he said.

‘Well, they’d like you to believe that it’s about healthcare,’ he said on the Senate floor last week. ‘It’s not. Republicans have been perfectly clear that we’re willing to have a discussion about healthcare, just not while government funding is being held hostage and all the federal employees that come with that. So if this were really about healthcare, Democrats would be voting in favor of the clean CR as the quickest way to reopen the government.’

In the meantime, payday deadlines for air traffic controllers, military service members, and a funding cliff for federal nutrition assistance programs are right around the corner.

Air traffic controllers are expected to miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday after being partially paid earlier this month.

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Chair Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has a bill that would fill that funding gap that is expected to be put on the floor for a vote this week. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has not yet teed it up.

Then there is the military payday coming on Oct. 31. President Donald Trump previously moved around billions in funding to cover troops’ paychecks earlier this month, but that money is not expected to cover this upcoming pay cycle.

Sen. Ron Johnson’s, R-Wis., bill to pay troops and ‘excepted’ federal workers — meaning federal workers who are currently working during the shutdown but not being paid — was blocked by Senate Democrats last week.

However, there is an effort between Johnson and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., to bring a new version of the bill to the floor. Van Hollen also tried to get his own bill to pay federal workers and troops on the floor last week but was blocked in the process.

Van Hollen, like other Senate Democrats, warned that Johnson’s version of the bill would allow Trump and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought a ‘blank check as to who they’re going to send home and who they’re going to punish by not paying.’

‘Not one of our federal employees, service members, or contractors deserves to be punished for this government shutdown,’ Van Hollen said in a statement to Fox News Digital. ‘I’m continuing to work to make sure they’re not.’

And on Nov. 1, the same day as the beginning of open enrollment for Obamacare, funding for food stamps, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is expected to run out.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats received another blow to their unified front as the shutdown drags on from an outside ally that donates millions of dollars to Democratic political action committees and candidates.

The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union of federal employees in the nation that represents over 800,000 workers, demanded that Democrats swallow the Republicans’ clean CR to reopen the government.

Everett Kelley, president of the massive union, said in an open letter on Monday that the best path forward was to, ‘Reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues,’ and ensure that every federal employee that has been working or furloughed under the shutdown receive back pay.

‘Because when the folks who serve this country are standing in line for food banks after missing a second paycheck because of this shutdown, they aren’t looking for partisan spin,’ Kelley said. ‘They’re looking for the wages they earned. The fact that they’re being cheated out of it is a national disgrace.’

‘It’s long past time for our leaders to put aside partisan politics and embrace responsible government,’ he continued. ‘A strong America requires a functioning government — one that pays its bills, honors its commitments, and treats its workforce with respect by paying them on time.’

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House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., is demanding the Department of Justice (DOJ) conduct a ‘comprehensive’ investigation into former President Joe Biden’s autopen use.

The committee’s GOP majority released a 100-page report on Tuesday morning detailing findings from its months-long probe into Biden’s White House, specifically whether his inner circle covered up signs of mental decline in the ex-president, and if that alleged cover-up extended to executive actions signed via autopen without Biden’s full awareness.

‘Faced with the cognitive decline of President Joe Biden, White House aides — at the direction of the inner circle — hid the truth about the former president’s condition and fitness for office,’ the report said.

The report also detailed a ‘haphazard documentation process’ for pardons made by Biden, which the committee argued left room for doubt over whether the former president made those decisions himself.

‘In the absence of sufficient contemporaneous documentation indicating that cognitively deteriorating President Biden himself made a given executive decision, such decisions do not carry the force of law and should be considered void,’ the GOP report said.

‘The Department of Justice should immediately conduct a review of all executive actions taken by President Biden between January 20, 2021, and January 19, 2025. Given the patterns and findings detailed herein, this review should focus particularly on all acts of clemency. However, it should also include all other types of executive actions.’

In addition to concerns about who signed off on Biden’s executive actions, Comer spent part of the report raising concerns about Hunter Biden’s role in the pardon process.

Fox News Digital previously reported that ex-Biden Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told investigators that Hunter Biden was in the room for some pardon discussions — specifically the controversial preemptive pardons the ex-president gave to his relatives.

‘It was towards the end,’ said a portion of Zients’ transcript included in the report. ‘What comes to mind is the family discussions. But I don’t know — that doesn’t mean that was it. It was the pardons towards the end, very end of the administration. And I think it was a few meetings, not many meetings.’

Comer’s report said, ‘Zients testified that President Biden included his son, Hunter Biden, in the decision-making process for and meetings about pardons.’

‘This apparently included the meeting to discuss the pardons of five Biden family members, Dr. Anthony Fauci, General Mark Milley, and the members of Congress who served on the Select Subcommittee to Investigate the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol, and their staff,’ the report said.

The Oversight Committee called a total of 14 witnesses across three months, mainly consisting of top Biden administration aides — including some who had known him for decades.

Despite nearly 47 hours of interviews and sworn depositions, however, Comer suggested he believed aides covered for Biden even in the committee room.

‘Throughout the Committee’s investigation, senior Biden White House aides presented a perspective of President Biden’s cognitive health completely disconnected from that of the American public,’ the report said.

‘Not one of the Committee’s 14 witnesses was willing to admit that they ever had a concern about President Biden being in cognitive decline. In fact, numerous witnesses could not recall having a single conversation about President Biden’s cognitive health with anyone inside or outside of the White House.’

Comer spent a significant amount of time in the report criticizing former White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor. O’Connor’s sworn deposition was among the shortest sit-downs of the investigation, with the doctor having invoked the Fifth Amendment for all questions save for his name.

In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital alongside the report, Comer called for the D.C. Health Board of Medicine to investigate O’Connor — and potentially bar him from practicing medicine.

The GOP report called O’Connor’s alleged decision to not conduct a cognitive exam with Biden during his four-year term ‘reckless’ and accused him of making ‘grossly misleading medical assessments.’

‘His refusal to answer questions about the execution of his duties as physician to the president — combined with testimony indicating that Dr. O’Connor may have succumbed to political pressure from the inner circle, influencing his medical decisions and aiding in the cover-up — legitimizes the public’s concerns that Dr. O’Connor was not forthright in carrying out his ultimate duties to the country,’ the report said.

‘The Committee recommends that the District of Columbia Board of Medicine review the actions taken by Dr. O’Connor while serving as the White House physician to President Biden for any potential wrongdoing in the medical care of the former president –– including whether Dr. O’Connor produced false or misleading medical reports to the American people.’

O’Connor’s lawyers previously told Fox News Digital that he invoked the Fifth Amendment over concerns that the scope of the committee’s probe could run afoul of doctor-patient confidentiality standards.

Biden’s allies have repeatedly denounced Comer’s probe as political and having no basis in reality. 

Multiple people who spoke with the committee have argued that concerns about Biden’s mental acuity were made worse by the media and Republican pundits, particularly after his disastrous June 2024 debate against current President Donald Trump.

In an interview with The New York Times in July, Biden affirmed he ‘made every decision’ on his own.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is tightening his grip on power by elevating younger loyalists amid growing instability inside the Kremlin as he ages, according to reports.

On Sunday, The Telegraph reported that Putin, 73, who has ruled Russia for more than two decades, is ‘running out of cards to play’ as pressure mounts both domestically and abroad. 

The Federal Security Service (FSB) also opened a criminal case against exiled businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky and 22 members of the Anti-War Committee of Russia, accusing them of plotting a seizure of power, per reports. Khodorkovsky spent a decade in a Siberian prison before founding the Anti-War Committee in 2022.

John Herbst, Senior Director of the Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council and former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, told the U.K. outlet that ‘the Kremlin is falling into paranoia.’

‘All the people around him have started thinking about a world beyond Putin, so he has arranged his own elite in a really careful way, so there are no clear seams along which it would kind of rip apart,’ Henry Hale, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University, told Fox News Digital. 

‘He also has members of his own family now that are starting to rise in the ranks. One of the ones that has gotten the most attention is Anna Evgenievna Tsivilyova, née Putina,’ Hale said. 

Tsivilyova, 52, is Putin’s first cousin once removed and currently heads the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, a state-run organization that supports Russian soldiers and veterans. 

She has also served as chair of the board of the Kolmar Group, one of Russia’s largest coal companies.

‘The younger people are being brought up by the older generation integrated seamlessly into the power pyramid,’ Hale said.

‘Putin is worried about what happens as he ages and if you don’t provide some opportunity for younger people to rise up, you know, then the regime might come under some pressure.’

‘These people can be trusted because they’re related to people close to Putin, and they can also be young and energetic. The younger people are being brought up by the older generation, integrated seamlessly into the power pyramid,’ Hale added.

In 2023, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin staged a brief mutiny, sending his fighters toward Moscow before abruptly standing down only to die weeks later in a plane crash. 

Now, the Kremlin’s focus has shifted to silencing opposition abroad. 

‘Tensions remain within the elite and Putin wants to get rid of any possible risks,’ Hale said. ‘The 2023 incident was a warning from Putin to his own elite, his own inner circle, not to dare try anything. Putin and his people are watching each other carefully and so don’t try anything funny,’ Hale added.

Recently, western sanctions, less oil revenue, and war costs could push Russia toward recession.  

The Treasury Department under President Donald Trump sanctioned Russia’s two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, escalating pressure on the Kremlin to end its war in Ukraine. 

According to reports, the Russian government could raise taxes and increase domestic borrowing to close the gap.

‘Putin has weathered the main crisis that the full-scale invasion of Ukraine brought Russia, which was the initial shock of the invasion and its failure to take Ukraine in a matter of days,’ Hale added. 

‘But war brings uncertainty and there’s a risk of disastrous defeat, underperforming expectations. All the people around him start thinking about a world beyond Putin.’

‘That said, well, I think Putin’s regime is fairly stable at the moment,’ Hale concluded.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Kremlin for comment.

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