Latest news with #FS
RTHK
6 days ago
- Business
- RTHK
HK has growth potential in digital finance: FS
HK has growth potential in digital finance: FS Paul Chan said a policy statement for digital asset development will be issued soon. File photo: RTHK Financial Secretary Paul Chan said on Sunday that digital finance is among the areas Hong Kong can develop in the long run, adding that the government will issue its second policy statement on digital asset development by the end of the month. Chan said the statement is needed in light of "the latest developments and a change in situations". The minister said officials will announce the government's vision and policy directions on how they will help combine digital asset innovations with traditional financial services. Writing on his weekly blog, Chan said the policy statement will also touch on raising the flexibility and safety of digital assets in real economic activities. He noted that in August, the SAR will implement a licensing regime for stablecoins, which are virtual assets meant to maintain a stable value relative to assets such as actual currencies. The secretary said many market participants are interested in this and the Monetary Authority will handle licence applications as quickly as possible. "It is estimated that the total market value of global stablecoins is about US$240 billion, and the global stablecoin trading volume exceeded US$20 trillion last year," Chan said. "With the booming development of the digital asset market, the market demand for stablecoins is expected to increase further." Chan went on to say that while the global equity market has faced a lot of uncertainties so far this year, Hong Kong stood out being as the local bourse was robust and rose by around 20 percent. He said there have been funds from places such as the US, Europe and the Middle East flowing into the Hong Kong market, for initial public offerings as well as refinancing.
Daily Mirror
06-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
EU train station which could see 594-mile train journeys from the UK
A new direct train service from St Pancras International could stretch as far as Milan in Italy, as Italy's state railway invests in services through the Channel Tunnel An exciting new service may provide Brits with a new way to visit Italy that doesn't involve flying. Currently, the Eurostar allows Brits to travel with convenience to a few key destinations around Europe, including Paris, Lille, Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Italy's state railway has announced plans to run between London and Paris by 2029 as part of a €1bn (£860m) investment in services through the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone, Kent, and beyond. Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS) says it will use trains modelled after its Frecciarossa express services in continental Europe - an alternative to Eurostar. FS raised the prospect of longer links from London, including to Marseille and Milan via Lyon. The new services are facilitated by a planned terminal redesign of London's St Pancras. London St Pancras Highspeed, the company responsible for the station, hoped a redesigned terminal could attract new railway operators to compete with Eurostar, reported the Times. The prospective route would see trains depart from London St Pancras station to Milano Centrale - Milan's main train station. The Italian station opened in the early 1930s to replace an older, smaller station. There are 24 tracks at Centrale, with a soaring glass and metal arched roof over the platforms. The imposing design of the building was intended to showcase the dominance of then-Prime Minister Mussolini's fascist regime, according to Italia Rail. In addition to being one of the most grand train stations in design, Milano Centrale is the second-largest station in Italy - behind Roma Termini. In addition to being a hub for international travellers, the station offers regular daily service to cities throughout Italy. In fact, over 320,000 people pass through the station each day. On the platform level of the station, there are shops and restaurants, as well as an information office for confused or curious travellers. There is also a Sala Freccia Club across from Track 21, for travellers with a Gold or Platinum CARTAFRECCIA card or an Executive or AV Salottino ticket. There is also a Sala Blu next to track four, for passengers with disabilities who need special assistance. The lowest level of the station has shops and restaurants to kill time between trains. On the mezzanine and upper levels there are more shops and restaurants. The ground level of Milano Centrale is where travellers can find a ticket office, the KiPoint left luggage facility, a post office, and most of the shops and restaurants in the station. Travellers can also access the Centrale Metro station without leaving the building, and just outside of the train station are the boarding points for several city bus and tram lines.
Cision Canada
03-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Graphite One's Graphite Creek Project Approved for FAST-41 Federal Permitting Dashboard
Graphite One becomes the first Alaskan Critical Mineral mining project on the FAST-41 Dashboard FAST-41 status follows completion of Graphite One Feasibility Study funded by a $37.3M award under the Defense Production Act G1 enters Permitting Phase as Presidential Critical Mineral Executive Order calls for "Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production" and "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential" VANCOUVER, BC, June 3, 2025 /CNW/ - Graphite One Inc. (TSXV: GPH) (OTCQX: GPHOF) (" Graphite One", the " Company", or "G1"), is pleased to announce that the Company's Graphite Creek project – the upstream anchor for G1's complete U.S.-based advanced graphite supply chain (" Graphite Creek")– has been accepted as a "covered project" onto the FAST-41 Permitting Dashboard. Graphite One's project is the first Alaskan mining project to be listed on the FAST-41 Dashboard. "The approval of Graphite Creek as FAST-41's first Alaskan mining project is a major step for G1 and our complete U.S.-based supply chain strategy," said Anthony Huston, CEO of Graphite One. "With President Trump's Critical Mineral and Alaska Executive Orders, Graphite One is positioned at the leading edge of a domestic Critical Mineral renaissance that will power transformational applications from energy and transportation to AI infrastructure and national defense." Graphite One's domestic supply chain is planned to produce graphite concentrate from the Graphite Creek deposit North of Nome, Alaska and Anode Active Material at a facility to be constructed in Warren, Ohio, subject to financing (the " Project"). FAST-41 status follows publication of Graphite One's Feasibility Study (" FS") on April 23, 2025, which, with the support of the Department of Defense Production Act (DPA) award, was completed 15 months ahead of schedule. The annual graphite concentrate capacity of the Graphite Creek Mine in the FS was increased from that in the 2022 Pre-Feasibility Study (" PFS") – from 53,000 tpy to 175,000 tpy while maintaining a 20-year mine life. Measured plus Indicated Resources increased to 322% of the PFS resource. The FS projects a post-tax internal rate of return of 27%, using an 8% discount rate, with a net present value of $5.03 billion and a payback period of 7.5 years. FAST-41 streamlines the permitting process by providing improved timeliness and predictability by establishing publicly posted timelines and procedures for federal agencies, reducing unpredictability in the permitting process. FAST-41 also provides issue resolution mechanisms, while the federal permitting dashboard allows all project stakeholders and the general public to track a project's progress, including periods for public comment. The action drew strong support from Alaska's leading public officials: "America's dependency on foreign minerals and metals is a drag on our economy and a danger to our national security," said Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy. "As the largest natural graphite deposit in the nation, adding Graphite Creek to the FAST-41 Permitting Dashboard sends a strong signal that Alaska is key to U.S. Critical Mineral development." "Graphite One's addition to the FAST-41 permitting dashboard is yet another indication that this project is a national priority of strategic importance," said Senator Lisa Murkowski. "There is no question that developing the largest natural graphite deposit in all of North America is far better for our economy, security, and competitiveness than importing the entirety of our supply from unstable nations like Mozambique. I thank the Trump administration for adding Graphite One to the dashboard and look forward to the day this project comes online." "I want to congratulate Graphite One, which has achieved this milestone thanks to funding from the Defense Production Act, something I have been working on relentlessly in the Senate since the project's inception," said Senator Dan Sullivan. "This project has the potential to open up our state's abundant reserves of critical minerals and metals, which would also be very significant for our country's national security. We must end America's dependence on China for critical minerals, like graphite, resources that are necessary for alternative energy and sources and critical defense technologies. Thankfully, President Trump understands our state's great potential, and is determined to help unleash our vast resources and create good paying jobs to Alaskans. Graphite One's FAST-41 status is great news for our state and our country." "Securing our supply chains for critical minerals is a core priority and requires a whole of government approach." said Alaska Congressman Nick Begich. "Our national security, sovereignty, and continued self-determination require that we take action, and Graphite One is leading the way." Graphite One's Complete U.S.-Based Supply Chain Strategy The Project is planned as an integrated business operation to produce lithium-ion battery anode materials and other graphite products for the U.S domestic market on a commercial scale using primarily natural graphite from Alaska. The Project combines the operation of an advanced graphite manufacturing facility to be located in Warren Ohio with the supply of natural flake graphite from the Company's proposed Graphite Creek Mine in Alaska. The resources associated with the Company's Alaska State mining claims were cited by the U.S. Geological Survey in January 2022 as America's largest natural graphite deposit 1, and in 2023, "as among the largest in the world." This precedes the FS-verified deposit amount increase. The Ohio manufacturing facility received a $325M Letter of Interest from the EXIM Bank in September 2024. About the Permitting Council and FAST-41 Established in 2015 by Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), the Permitting Council is a federal agency charged with improving the transparency and predictability of the federal environmental review and authorization process for certain critical infrastructure projects. The Permitting Council is comprised of the Permitting Council Executive Director, who serves as the Council Chair; 13 federal agency Council members (including deputy secretary-level designees of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Army, Commerce, Interior, Energy, Transportation, Defense, Homeland Security, and Housing and Urban Development, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chairs of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation); and the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The Permitting Council coordinates federal environmental reviews and authorizations for projects that seek and qualify for FAST-41 coverage. FAST-41 covered projects are entitled to comprehensive permitting timetables and transparent, collaborative management of those timetables on the Federal Permitting Dashboard. FAST-41 covered projects may be in the energy production, electricity transmission, energy storage, surface transportation, aviation, ports and waterways, water resource, broadband, pipelines, manufacturing, mining, carbon capture, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and machine learning, high-performance computing and advanced computer hardware and software, quantum information science and technology, data storage and data management, and cybersecurity sectors. The Permitting Council also serves as a federal center for permitting excellence, supporting federal efforts to improve infrastructure permitting including and beyond FAST-41 covered projects to the extent authorized by law, including activities that promote or provide for the efficient, timely, and predictable completion of environmental reviews and authorizations for federally-authorized infrastructure projects. Qualified Person Jason Todd, with Barr Engineering Co. is the primary qualified person for the Feasibility Study incorporated in the NI 43-101 technical report that is available under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at and the Company's website. Mr. Todd is a Qualified Person as defined under 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release. About Graphite One Inc. GRAPHITE ONE INC. (TSX‐V: GPH; OTCQX: GPHOF) continues to develop its Graphite One Project (the " Project"), with the goal of becoming an American producer of high grade anode materials that is integrated with a domestic graphite resource. The Project is proposed as a vertically integrated enterprise to mine, process and manufacture high grade anode materials primarily for the lithium‐ion electric vehicle battery market. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "Anthony Huston" (signed) For more information on Graphite One Inc., please visit the Company's website, On X @GraphiteOne Neither the 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 Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, including those related to the Fast 41 listing and the anticipated impact of the FAST-41 status, any statements related to the planned production of any mineral reserves and resources, the construction of the Warren, Ohio facility, and events or developments that the Company intends, expects, plans, or proposes are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward ‐ looking information can be identified by the use of forward ‐ looking terminology such as "proposes", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "projects", "plans", "is planning", "intends", "assumes", "believes", "indicates", "to be" or variations of such words and phrases that state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The Company cautions that there is no certainty that the Fast 41 listing will impact the Company as set forth in this press release, that the Graphite Creek Project produces the minerals set out in the FS or that the facility will be built in Warren, Ohio. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at
RTHK
01-06-2025
- Business
- RTHK
Mediation body enhances investors confidence: FS
Mediation body enhances investors confidence: FS Paul Chan says the mediation body helps strengthen Hong Kong's status as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre. File photo: RTHK Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Sunday said setting up an international mediation body in Hong Kong helps enhance the city's competitiveness as an international financial, trade and shipping centre. Last week, a total of 33 countries signed the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation at a ceremony held in the SAR. Writing on his blog, Chan said authorities will push forward relevant work at full speed, and strive to put the organisation into operation as early as the end of this year. He said an efficient, fair and trusted dispute resolution mechanism is crucial for promoting more international investment and trade, and it helps boost investor confidence. Chan said Hong Kong has gained trust from different parties under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, and is taking advantage of the SAR's unique role as the only common law jurisdiction within the nation. He added that the mediation body helps strengthen Hong Kong's status as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre in the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, Chan pointed out that Hong Kong's economic and trade ties with Global South countries have been deepening, since Asia's first Saudi Arabia exchange-traded fund was listed in the SAR in 2023. He said Hong Kong has had frequent exchanges with Saudi Arabia's financial market, and that there has been more cooperation with Global South countries on aspects such as innovation and technology, the digital economy and tourism.
Cision Canada
27-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
FREEMAN GOLD PROVIDES CORPORATE UPDATE
VANCOUVER, BC , May 27, 2025 /CNW/ - Freeman Gold Corp. (TSXV: FMAN) (OTCQB: FMANF) (FSE: 3WU) (" Freeman" or the " Company") is pleased to provide a corporate update on fiscal 2025 activities for the Lemhi Gold Project (" Lemhi", or the " Project"). On October 16, 2023, Freeman released a robust Preliminary Economic Assessment (" PEA") of the Project as completed by Ausenco Engineering Canada ULC (" Ausenco"). On February 10, 2025, the Company awarded a lump sum Feasibility Study (" FS") of Lemhi to Ausenco. The FS is expected to be completed and announced in late Q1 2026. To support the FS, the Company embarked on several activities, including: a phase IV metallurgical program building on the previous three phases completed; expansion and infill drilling to increase and convert inferred ounces to measured and indicated for inclusion in the FS; a geotechnical work program; and an update of pricing assumptions to reflect current market conditions. The revised pricing assumptions were integrated into an updated price sensitivity analysis completed by Ausenco and Moose Mountain Technical Services. The Lemhi PEA outlined a high-grade, low-cost, open pit operation with an average annual production of 80,100 ounces of gold in the first eight years. The production strategy envisions phased development utilizing a carbon-in-leach (" CIL") processing facility. As mentioned above, Freeman updated the pricing assumptions of the PEA to increase the base case from US$1,750/oz Au to US$2,200/oz Au which resulted in a post-tax NPV 5% US$329 million, a post-tax IRR of 28.2% and payback of 2.9 years. Lemhi also has further strong leverage to higher prices and at US$3,400/oz Au, the Project has a post-tax NPV 5% of US$876 million, a post-tax IRR of 57.4% and payback of 1.6 years. As the Company moves forward towards a construction decision, Freeman has advanced permitting initiatives including collecting three years of baseline water quality data required for a state mining permit. To support Lemhi's advanced development, Freeman appointed David Keough to its Board. Mr. Keough has over 35 years of experience in the mining industry and as Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Goldrock Inc., he successfully permitted the Lindero gold project, subsequently acquired by Fortuna Silver Mines Inc., for construction. In the coming weeks and months, the Company looks forward to providing updates on the geotechnical, metallurgical, and resource expansion and upgrade drill programs that will be part of the FS. The Company anticipates increasing both the size of and confidence in resources at Lemhi through the current drill program. Furthermore, metallurgical test work will build on three earlier phases of work that indicated > 95% of contained gold is recoverable using a traditional CIL process and that the significant coarse gold found at Lemhi is amenable to gravity separation. These new work streams will be key components in what Freeman expects to be a robust and economically compelling FS. The Lemhi project will also benefit from President Trump's Executive Order to fast-track and revitalize American mineral production. Lemhi is uniquely positioned to provide broad economic benefits to the State of Idaho and create hundreds of local jobs. About the Company and Project Freeman Gold Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the development of its 100% owned Lemhi Gold property. The Project comprises 30 square kilometres of highly prospective land, hosting a near-surface oxide gold resource. The pit constrained National Instrument 43-101 (" NI 43- 101") compliant mineral resource estimate is comprised of 988,100 ounces gold (" oz Au") at 1.0 gram per tonne (" g/t") in 30.02 million tonnes (4.7 million tonnes Measured (168,800 oz) & 25.5 million tonnes Indicated (819,300 oz)) and 256,000 oz Au at 1.04 g/t Au in 7.63 million tonnes (Inferred). The Company is focused on growing and advancing the Project towards a production decision. To date, 525 drill holes and 92,696 m of drilling has historically been completed (Murray K., Elfen, S.C., Mehrfert, P., Millard, J., Cooper, Schulte, M., Dufresne, M., NI 43-101 Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment, dated November 20, 2023; The recently updated price sensitivity analysis (see Freeman's news release dated April 9, 2025) shows a PEA with an after-tax net present value (5%) of US$329 million and an internal rate of return of 28.2% using a base case gold price of US$2,200/oz; Average annual gold production of 75,900 oz Au for a total life-of-mine of 11.2 years payable output of 851,900 oz Au; life-of-mine cash costs of US$925/oz Au; and, all-in sustaining costs of US$1,105/oz Au using an initial capital expenditure of US$215 million*. *Note: Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature, that it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. The technical content of this release has been reviewed and approved by Dean Besserer, P. Geo., the VP Exploration for the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. On Behalf of the Company Bassam Moubarak Chief Executive Officer Neither the 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 Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the future operations and activities of Freeman, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the Feasibility Study, including the timing of expected completion, exploration at Lemhi and related programs, including the results thereof, and resource expansion and the conversion of inferred resources to the measured and indicated category. 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. Forward-looking statements reflect beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Freeman, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to complete proposed exploration work, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Freeman does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE Freeman Gold Corp.
