Alain Corbani, head of mining at Montbleu Finance and manager of the Global Gold and Precious Fund, sees the gold price reaching US$5,000 per ounce in the near term.
He sees real interest rates and the US dollar as the key factors to watch, but noted that other elements are also adding tailwinds.
Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Sen. Lindsey Graham announced Wednesday that President Donald Trump has approved a Russian sanctions bill designed to pressure Moscow to end its war with Ukraine.
Graham revealed the development in a post on X, describing it as a pivotal shift in the U.S. approach to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
‘After a very productive meeting today with President Trump on a variety of issues, he greenlit the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that I have been working on for months with Senator Blumenthal and many others,’ Graham said.
‘This will be well-timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace and Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent.’
According to the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, the bipartisan legislation is designed to grant Trump sweeping, almost unprecedented, authority to economically isolate Russia and penalize major global economies that continue to trade with Moscow and finance its war against Ukraine.
Most notably, the bill would require the United States to impose a 500% tariff on all goods imported from any country that continues to purchase Russian oil, petroleum products or uranium. The measure would effectively squeeze Russia financially while deterring foreign governments from undermining U.S. sanctions.
‘This bill will allow President Trump to punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil fueling Putin’s war machine,’ Graham said.
‘This bill would give President Trump tremendous leverage against countries like China, India and Brazil to incentivize them to stop buying the cheap Russian oil that provides the financing for Putin’s bloodbath against Ukraine.’
Graham said voting could take place as early as next week and that he is looking forward to a strong bipartisan vote.
The move on the Russian sanctions bill follows another sharp escalation in America’s clampdown on Moscow. Earlier Wednesday, U.S. forces reportedly seized an oil tanker attempting to transport sanctioned Venezuelan oil to Russia.
Graham publicly celebrated the seizure in another post on X, describing it as part of a broader winning streak of U.S. intervention aimed at Venezuela and Cuba.
In the post, he also took aim at critics such as Sen. Rand Paul, who has opposed the bill, arguing that it would damage America’s trade relations with much of the world.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a presidential memorandum directing the U.S. to withdraw from 66 international organizations, ordering executive departments and agencies to cease participation in and funding of entities the administration says no longer serve U.S. interests.
The memorandum follows a State Department review ordered earlier this year under Executive Order 14199 and applies to 35 non-United Nations organizations and 31 United Nations entities, according to the White House.
In the memorandum, Trump said he reviewed Secretary Rubio’s findings and determined it is ‘contrary to the interests of the U.S. to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support’ to the listed organizations.
The order directs all executive departments and agencies to take immediate steps to effectuate the withdrawals as soon as possible. For United Nations entities, withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to the extent permitted by law.
The administration framed the move as part of Trump’s broader ‘America First’ agenda aimed at restoring American sovereignty and ending taxpayer support for organizations it views as wasteful, ineffective or contrary to U.S. interests.
Review of additional international organizations remains ongoing, according to the White House.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the withdrawals fulfill a key commitment of Trump’s presidency.
‘Today, President Trump announced the U.S. is leaving 66 anti-American, useless, or wasteful international organizations,’ Rubio said in a post on X. ‘Review of additional international organizations remains ongoing.’
Rubio said the administration concluded the institutions were ‘redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity.’
‘It is no longer acceptable to be sending these institutions the blood, sweat, and treasure of the American people, with little to nothing to show for it,’ Rubio said. ‘The days of billions of dollars in taxpayer money flowing to foreign interests at the expense of our people are over.’
The list includes organizations involved in areas such as climate, energy, development, governance, migration and gender policy, according to the White House. The White House published the full list alongside the order.
Rubio said the withdrawals reflect a shift in how the administration views international engagement.
‘We will not continue expending resources, diplomatic capital, and the legitimizing weight of our participation in institutions that are irrelevant to or in conflict with our interests,’ Rubio said. ‘We seek cooperation where it serves our people and will stand firm where it does not.’
The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Former Vice President Al Gore on Wednesday condemned President Donald Trump’s move to withdraw the U.S. from United Nations-linked climate initiatives.
Gore claimed in a post on X that ‘the most significant challenge of our lifetimes’ is ‘the climate crisis.’
‘The ongoing work of the IPCC, UNFCCC, and other global institutions remains essential to safeguarding humanity’s future,’ he asserted, referring to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
‘By withdrawing from the IPCC, UNFCCC, and the other vital international partnerships, the Trump Administration is undoing decades of hard-won diplomacy, attempting to undermine climate science, and sowing distrust around the world,’ he wrote.
Trump issued a memorandum ordering U.S. withdrawal from the two initiatives that Gore mentioned as well as scads of other entities.
The president’s memorandum lists the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change under a grouping of ‘Non-United Nations Organizations.’ But the website ipcc.ch states, ‘The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.’
In the memorandum, the president declared that he has ‘determined that it is contrary to the interests of the United States to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support to the organizations listed in section 2 of this memorandum.’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, ‘As this list begins to demonstrate, what started as a pragmatic framework of international organizations for peace and cooperation has morphed into a sprawling architecture of global governance, often dominated by progressive ideology and detached from national interests.’
Gore, who served as vice president alongside Democratic President Bill Clinton, lost the 2000 presidential contest to Republican George W. Bush.
The seizure of a Russian-linked oil tanker in the North Atlantic has highlighted ‘worry’ among NATO and Nordic-Baltic governments over dark fleet vessels and the type of crews onboard, according to a maritime intelligence analyst.
U.S. military and Coast Guard personnel boarded the Marinera between Iceland and the U.K. Wednesday as it operated under deceptive shipping practices, including flying a false flag and violating sanctions.
According to Reuters, Russian authorities demanded the humane treatment and repatriation of the crew members.
Windward maritime intelligence analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann claimed the Marinera’s ownership had just been transferred to Burevestmarin LLC, a Russian company.
‘We do not know the status of these sailors and seafarers, who are Russian nationals,’ Wiese Bockmann told Fox News Digital. ‘That lack of clarity is common with dark fleet tankers.
‘The Marinera did have its ownership transferred to a newly formed Russian company, with the registered owner, ship manager and commercial manager being Burevestmarin LLC.’
She also suggested NATO and the Nordic-Baltic 8+ group of governments have been ‘worried’ about sanctioned oil tankers with unauthorized personnel onboard, including ‘armed guards.’
‘Increasingly, and I know the Nordic Baltic 8+ governments are worried about the fact that you are having unauthorized people also on board, also known as armed guards,’ Wiese Bockmann said. ‘But it is highly irregular.
‘Armed guards are rarely seen and typically used on ships that are transiting the Gulf of Aden or the Red Sea and are therefore assessed as at risk from attack by Houthis or pirates,’ she added.
After the seizure, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected Russian demands for special treatment of the Marinera’s crew during her regular briefing Wednesday.
‘This was a Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel that had transported sanctioned oil,’ Leavitt said.
‘The vessel was deemed stateless after flying a false flag, and it had a judicial seizure order. And that’s why the crew will be subject to prosecution.’
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was ‘closely following’ the situation, according to the state-run TASS news agency.
Wiese Bockmann noted that dark fleet crews are often multinational, typically involving a Russian master with Chinese, Indian or Filipino crew members.
‘There is a blurring of commercial and military shipping around the dark fleet,’ she said. ‘What we’re seeing now is something that has really only emerged in the last six or seven months.’
European authorities have also begun holding crews accountable, particularly when captains are ‘facilitating dangerous deceptive shipping practices, such as spoofing and going dark,’ she explained.
‘The EU recently sanctioned the captain of a tanker who refused orders from the Estonian navy (Jaguar) to be stopped for inspection last May. And the French charged a captain over his refusal to comply with orders and failure to justify a flag’s nationality after authorities intercepted a dark fleet tanker in the Atlantic last October,’ Wiese Bockmann added.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, a second vessel, the M. Sophia, was also boarded in international waters near the Caribbean while en route to Venezuela.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Wednesday called on Congress during a Senate hearing to impeach two federal judges, making his most elaborate case yet for imposing the extraordinary sanction on a pair of closely scrutinized jurists.
Cruz acknowledged that impeaching federal judges is exceedingly rare — 15 have been impeached in history, typically for straightforward crimes like bribery — but the Texas Republican argued it was warranted for judges James Boasberg and Deborah Boardman.
‘Rarer still, until now, were the deeper offenses the framers feared most — judges who, without necessarily breaking a criminal statute, violate the public trust, subvert the constitutional order or wield their office in ways that injure society itself,’ Cruz said. ‘That is why, throughout history, Congress recognized that impeachable misconduct need not be criminal.’
Cruz, a Senate Judiciary Committee member with an extensive legal background, said the House needed to initiate impeachment proceedings over controversial gag orders Boasberg signed in 2023 and a sentence Boardman handed down last year in the case of Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s attempted assassin.
Impeachment proceedings must be initiated in the House and typically run through the House Judiciary Committee.
Russell Dye, a spokesman for the GOP-led committee, said ‘everything is on the table’ when asked if Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, was open to the idea. If the House were to vote in favor of impeachment, it would then advance to the Senate. Two-thirds of senators would need to vote to convict the judges and remove them, a highly improbable scenario because the vote would require some support from Democrats.
Cruz’s counterpart at the hearing, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., defended the judges and accused Republicans of threatening impeachment as an effort to intimidate the judiciary because it routinely issues adverse rulings against the Trump administration.
‘There was a time when I’d have hoped a Senate Judiciary subcommittee would not be roped into a scheme to amplify pressure and threats against a sitting federal judge,’ Whitehouse said. ‘But here we are.’
In the case of Boardman, a Biden appointee, the judge sentenced Sophie Roske, who previously went by Nicholas Roske, to eight years in prison after the Department of Justice sought a 30-year sentence. Roske pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Kavanaugh. Boardman said she factored into her sentence that Roske identified as transgender and therefore faced unique adversity.
Cruz argued Democrats’ concerns about threats that judges have faced for ruling against President Donald Trump fell on deaf ears, in his view, because they did not speak out about Boardman’s leniency toward Roske.
‘My Democrat colleagues on this committee do not get to give great speeches about how opposed they are to violence against the judiciary, and, at the same time, cheer on a judge saying, ‘Well, if you attempt to murder a Supreme Court justice, and you happen to be transgender, not a problem. We’re going to deviate downward by more than two decades,” Cruz said.
In the case of Boasberg, former special counsel Jack Smith subpoenaed several Republican Congress members’ phone records while conducting an investigation into the 2020 election and Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Smith sought gag orders so that the senators would not immediately be notified about the subpoenas, and Boasberg authorized those orders.
Prosecutors seeking gag orders is not unusual, but senators have layers of protection from prosecution under the Constitution. The targeted Republicans have decried the subpoenas, saying their rights were violated.
Smith and an official representing the federal courts have both said that Boasberg was not notified that the subpoenas and gag orders were related to members of Congress.
Rob Luther, a law professor at George Mason University, was a witness for Republicans at the hearing and said Boasberg still should not have signed the gag orders without knowing who they applied to. Luther cited stipulations included in the orders.
‘One must ask on what basis Judge Boasberg found that the disclosure of subpoenas would result in destruction of or tampering with evidence, intimidation of potential witnesses, and cause serious jeopardy to the investigation, end quote,’ Luther said. ‘Did Judge Boasberg merely rubber stamp the requested gag order, or was he willfully blind?’
Smith’s actions also aligned with a DOJ policy at the time that did not require the special counsel to alert the court that the subpoenas targeted senators, a point raised by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., during the hearing. Luther said the policy did not matter.
‘DOJ policy does not supplant federal law,’ he said.
2025 marked a turning point for investment in the cannabis sector, shifting the focus toward operational resilience and consolidation after a sluggish 2024.
Key market drivers included an upswing in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity as stronger multi-state operators (MSOs) acquired distressed assets, alongside pivotal regulatory developments.
The central theme for the year was the expected US federal shift to Schedule III, a policy rollercoaster that culminated in an executive order to expedite rescheduling, focusing investor flows into scaled, cashflow-positive MSOs.
Internationally, incremental legalization in Europe, particularly the momentum in Germany, broadened the global footprint and provided new export channels for North American producers.
Within market trends, profitability pivoted away from bulk flower to high-margin consumables, with infused pre-rolls and edibles driving category growth and supporting a rerating of resilient operators.
After 2024’s punishing drawdowns, cannabis navigated a high-stakes policy rollercoaster in 2025.
The sector bottomed in Q1 as anticipated US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) rescheduling hearings were delayed, but ignited in late Q3 and Q4 as the narrative shifted toward a decisive executive-led reclassification.
This momentum culminated in US President Donald Trump’s December 18 executive order, which expedites rescheduling and CBD access. It triggered a parabolic surge followed by a violent ‘sell the news’ correction.
“Cannabis is not just a volatile sector or industry. It is the most volatile place,” said Dan Ahrens, managing director and portfolio manager of the AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF (ARCA:MSOS). “It just proves the point, once again, that we really, really need this federal reform to be officially completed.”
Indeed, 2025 brought plenty of ups and downs. The year opened with Schedule III buzz, which came after prior Department of Health and Human Services recommendations and initial DEA scheduling proposals from late 2024; however, proceedings ground to a halt after the DEA postponed a key January hearing by over 180 days due to administrative turnover, bias claims and leadership gaps post-election. These disruptiosn kept Section 280E tax penalties in place and banking access frozen, keeping margins for MSOs compressed.
Meanwhile, House spending bills included language prohibiting the Department of Justice (DoJ) from spending any funds on rescheduling efforts, while Senate Farm Bill revisions redefined hemp to exclude intoxicating derivatives like delta-8 THC, capping them at trace levels and effectively imposing a nationwide hemp ban on high-potency alternatives.
The MSOS ETF’s portfolio construction exemplified the broader trend of investor flows concentrating into scaled, cash-flow-positive MSOs amid reform volatility. The fund’s top three holdings — Curaleaf Holdings (CSE:CURA,OTCQX:CURLF), Trulieve Cannabis (CSE:TRUL,OTCQX:TCNNF) and Green Thumb Industries (CSE:GTII,OTCQX:GTBIF) — accounted for over 68 percent of its total holdings as of December 31, underscoring confidence in these operators as resilient proxies for US cannabis maturation while smaller single-state players face dilution.
MSOS managers reinforced the shift in the year’s third quarter by trimming three underperformers from the ETF: 4Front Ventures (CSE:FFNT), Lowell Farms (CSE:LOWL) and Gold Flora.
Despite stalls in momentum, Trump kept hope alive in the cannabis sector throughout the year.
In September, he called cannabis reform an “80-20 issue” with broad public backing, and posted a Truth Social video promoting CBD for seniors and suggesting Medicaid coverage.
Those moves, alongside Representative Greg Steube’s (R-FL) Marijuana 1-to-3 Act, aimed at legislatively shifting cannabis to Schedule III, drove a surge in Q3 without any underlying procedural progress.
As mentioned, the December 18 executive order injected fresh life into the sector, directing the DoJ and DEA to expedite cannabis rescheduling to Schedule III, while launching a CMS Innovation Center pilot for federal health programs to cover hemp-derived CBD as early as April 2026, with up to US$500 annual reimbursement for eligible patients.
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz previously endorsed Medicare reimbursement for CBD therapies during his confirmation hearings, framing them as “low-risk, high-impact” options for age-related ailments.
2025 brought incremental legalization or medical frameworks in multiple jurisdictions, including Czechia, Malta, Poland, Switzerland and Luxembourg, broadening the investable global footprint.
This continental momentum has directly boosted North American producers through export ramps and licensing deals, with Canadian licensed producers capturing 43 percent of Germany’s Q2 imports alone.
The country’s CanG framework and adult‑use reform, which came into effect in April 2024, have made it Europe’s most important legal market, with 2025 medical sales expected to see explosive year-on-year growth.
In 2025, cannabis companies pivoted toward operational resilience and product innovation amid persistent commoditization pressures. After 2024’s wholesale flower price declines, down roughly 32 percent since 2021 by some estimates, stronger MSOs like Tilray Brands (TSX:TLRY,NASDAQ:TLRY) are demonstrating pricing power through branded products and category expansion into edibles, vapes and infused pre-rolls.
Deal flow rebounded from 2024’s US$1.17 billion trough, with US transactions reaching US$2.1 billion.
Against that backdrop, cash-rich MSOs pursued distressed roll-ups in oversupplied states like California and New York, with Vireo Growth’s (CSE:VREO,OTCQX:VREOF) acquisitions in Minnesota and New York exemplifying the trend, achieving critical mass with premium valuations amid hemp restrictions.
Private equity and creative deal structures dominated in the cannabis market, preparing operators for federal reform, while consolidating fragmented retail.
2025 marked a transformative year for cannabis, with regulatory breakthroughs and market maturation set against the backdrop of volatility. Trump’s execuctive order has brought new life into the sector in the US with the promise of not only banking and tax relief, but also bipartisan momentum for normalization; however, investors remain cautious.
“Everybody is waiting for it to be real and for it to be completed. Because even though we think the executive order was huge … nothing’s complete yet. Nothing’s official yet,” explained Ahrens.
Looking to 2026, he emphasized that the path forward for cannabis isn’t a straight line, but rather a series of volatile ‘waves’ tied to incremental regulatory milestones. Ahrens anticipates that while the finalization of Schedule III should trigger an initial move, it is merely the first domino; subsequent upside depends on the DoJ providing clear guidance for state-legal adult-use programs and the eventual passage of banking reform.
While he does foresee cannabis stocks uplisting to major exchanges, and Big Pharma companies beginning to make acquisitions in the space, Ahrens remains cautious about timing, noting that even with a signed order, large institutional banks will likely keep the ‘blockade’ in place until the legal ink is truly dry.
Ultimately, while 2025’s executive action has established a concrete foundation for federal reform in the US, the cannabis sector remains poised in a state of high-stakes volatility, with its full maturation dependent on official completion of milestones in 2026 and beyond.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
The growing prevalence of chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes is driving increasing innovation in medical device technology. In 2024 alone, 30 new devices were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Wearable medical devices and the use of artificial intelligence in medical technology are two key trends in this sector.
Investors who want exposure to this wave of growth may want to consider NASDAQ small-cap medical device stocks. Below is a list of the top NASDAQ medical device companies based on year-on-year gains.
All data was compiled on December 31, 2025, using TradingView’s stock screener, and the medical device makers listed below had market caps between US$50 million and US$500 million at that time.
Year-on-year gain: 50.86 percent
Market cap: US$173.24 million
Share price: US$3.50
MDxHealth is a commercial-stage precision diagnostics company specializing in molecular tests for urologic cancers, particularly prostate cancer, using genomic, epigenetic and exosomal technologies. Its US headquarters and operations are located in Irvine, California.
The company offers non-invasive and tissue-based diagnostic assays that run on standard PCR platforms.
In September, MDxHealth acquired Exosome Diagnostics from Bio-Techne (NASDAQ:TECH) for US$15 million, adding the ExoDx Prostate urine test to its portfolio. The deal also includes a CLIA-certified clinical laboratory and related assets. The deal is expected to generate over US$20 million in revenue in 2026.
Year-on-year gain: 50.13 percent
Market cap: US$269.6 million
Share price: US$5.82
KORU Medical Systems develops and manufactures medical devices and supplies in the US and internationally, with a focus on mechanical infusion products. Its Freedom Syringe Infusion System first received FDA clearance in 1994.
Based on this system, its primary products include the Freedom60 and FreedomEdge syringe infusion systems, Precision Flow Rate Tubing and High-Flo Subcutaneous Safety Needle Sets.
KORU Medical Systems submitted a 510(k) premarket notification to the FDA on December 30, 2025, seeking clearance for its FreedomEdge system to deliver Phesgo — a HER2+ breast cancer targeted biologic — subcutaneously, targeting infusion centers to cut chair time and boost efficiency.
The company stated this is part of its strategy to expand the indications of FreedomEdge to the wider oncology infusion center market.
Year-on-year gain: 1.71 percent
Market cap: US$86.81 million
Share price: US$1.19
Vivani Medical is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing miniature, long-term subdermal drug implants using its proprietary NanoPortal technology to treat chronic conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Headquartered in Alameda, California, Vivani focuses on GLP-1 implants that provide steady drug release over six months to improve adherence and tolerability compared to daily pills or weekly injections.
In August, Vivani Medical reported positive Phase 1 results from its LIBERATE-1 trial of the NPM-115 exenatide implant, confirming safety and steady drug release for obesity treatment without major side effects.
The company plans to rapidly advance its NPM-139 semaglutide implant after it achieved preclinical results of sustained 20 percent weight loss. It is planning a Phase 1 clinical study in the first half of 2026.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
(TheNewswire)
Crown Porphyry-Stockwork Drill Targets Confirmed
Vancouver, British Columbia, January 7th, 2026 TheNewswire Prismo Metals Inc. (‘Prismo’ or the ‘Company’) (CSE: PRIZ,OTC:PMOMF) (OTCQB: PMOMF) is pleased to announce it has received final assay results for samples taken at the Silver King Project from the Crown porphyry target area located on the east side of the property (Fig. 1).
Click Image To View Full Size
Figure 1. Map showing the location of the Crown porphyry and stockwork and Black Diamond replacement exploration targets at the Silver King project. Claim boundaries are shown in yellow.
Overlimit silver assays have been received for the samples taken in late 2025, showing high grade silver mineralization associated with quartz-sulfide veins hosted by the Crown porphyry (Fig 2, Table 1). These assays provide evidence for a high-priority drill target, especially when taken in conjunction with the high gold assays reported previously for the stockwork intrusion (see the News Release of Dec. 3, 2025).
‘Prismo optioned Silver King with existing drill targets around the historically significant high-grade silver mine. Based on the geology and its location in a well mineralized region, we believed that additional mineralization was also likely present. Our work in the second half of 2025 indicates that we were correct, and we now have exceptional drill targets at the Crown porphyry and adjacent Black Diamond replacement areas,’ stated Craig Gibson, Chief Exploration Officer of the Company. He added, ‘With the high-grade gold assays reported in December and the copper assays at the Black Diamond replacement, we now have a very significant precious-metal and copper target at Silver King similar to other areas in this well mineralized district that includes the Magma mine and the Resolution copper deposit.’
‘These additional assay results along with the IP survey information continue to enhance and support our exploration thesis of the Silver King mine and surrounding areas,’ stated Gordon Aldcorn. ‘This modern-day review has yielded additional drill targets and prospective structures to our program in this already very strategically located project.’
Table 1. Assay results for selected samples from the Crown porphyry stockwork
|
Sample |
Location |
Easting |
Northing |
Width m |
Au g/t |
Ag g/t |
Cu % |
Pb % |
Zn % |
|
544559 |
Crown porphyry |
492681 |
3687905 |
0.5 m |
0.02 |
18.91 |
0.02 |
0.07 |
0.04 |
|
544561 |
Crown porphyry |
492673 |
3687904 |
2 m |
0.02 |
177 |
0.07 |
0.37 |
0.02 |
|
544563 |
Crown porphyry |
492613 |
3687848 |
0.5m |
0.03 |
176 |
– |
0.09 |
0.01 |
|
544591* |
Crown porphyry |
492799 |
3687851 |
1.0 |
5.19 |
46.44 |
0.05 |
0.21 |
0.06 |
|
544592* |
Crown porphyry |
492793 |
3687823 |
1.0 |
4.06 |
13.97 |
0.02 |
0.10 |
0.07 |
*Assays previously released in News Release of December 3, 2025.
Click Image To View Full Size
Figure 2. Precious metal and copper assays from the Crown porphyry
and the Black Diamond replacement body at the Silver King Project.
IP Survey
The Company also completed a pole-dipole IP survey over a part of the Silver King project in December 2025. This survey was designed to provide some additional 3-dimensional data for areas identified during the initial gradient array survey (see News Release dated December 3, 2025). This new survey confirmed the presence of important chargeability and resistivity anomalies at the Silver King project. The Silver King silver mine appears to be associated with a large low resistivity anomaly located on the contact of the Silver King diorite porphyry (Fig 3). There is also low resistivity anomalies associated with the Crown porphyry and near the replacement mineralization at Black Diamond (Fig 3). The highest chargeability anomalies appear to be associated with the altered country rocks along intrusive contacts, but a chargeability high is also associated with the Crown porphyry stockwork intrusion. The anomaly associated with the Crown porphyry is particularly interesting and can be traced from shallow levels to about 300 meters in depth.
Click Image To View Full Size
Figure 3. IP resistivity map at a depth of 75 meters, overlain on geology and showing the Silver King glory hole (black line), Black Diamond replacement body in red, and the Crown porphyry-stockwork in magenta.
Click Image To View Full Size
Figure 4. IP chargeability at a depth of 75 meters, overlain on geology and showing the Silver King glory hole (black line), Black Diamond replacement body in red, and the Crown porphyry-stockwork in magenta.
Drilling Update
Alain Lambert, CEO of Prismo commented: ‘The results announced today confirm the vast exploration potential at Silver King. While we look forward to drilling these new targets in the future, our plans remain unchanged. Our immediate priority is to undertake our fully funded drill program, as previously announced. This drill campaign will primarily focus on the historic Silver King mine site and will be about 2,000 meters. The objective is to test the upper half of the steeply dipping pipelike Silver King mineralized body as well as potential mineralization adjacent to the dense stockwork that was the focus of historic mining.’
Mr. Lambert added: ‘We are pleased with the steady progress on the permitting front. The collaboration of Forest Service officials demonstrates a clear commitment to supporting mining activities in Arizona.’
Prismo recently announced that the Forest Service, the federal surface land management entity for Silver King, had determined that the Company’s proposed drill plan meets the regulatory requirements for processing, and that such plan is complete, as described in the regulations at 36 CFR 228.4(c).
The Forest Service is currently proceeding with the environmental analysis pursuant to 36 CFR 228(a)(5) in conformity with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This analysis is proceeding as a Categorical Exclusion, the lowest level of environment reviews applicable to projects that are not expected to have a significant effect on the environment, such as Silver King.
QA/QC
Samples were analyzed by SGS, an internationally recognized analytical lab, with preparation at the Tempe, Arizona facility and analyses at the Burnaby laboratory. Prismo inserts controls samples consisting of a standard pulps and a coarse blanks in the sample stream, and the lab also inserts control samples.
Qualified Person
Dr. Craig Gibson, PhD., CPG., a Qualified Person as defined by NI-43-01 regulations and Chief Exploration Officer and a director of the Company, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release.
About Prismo Metals Inc.
Prismo (CSE: PRIZ,OTC:PMOMF) is a mining exploration company focused on advancing its Silver King, Ripsey and Hot Breccia projects in Arizona and its Palos Verdes silver project in Mexico.
Please follow @PrismoMetals on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube
Prismo Metals Inc.
1100 – 1111 Melville St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3V6 Phone: (416) 361-0737
Contact:
Alain Lambert, Chief Executive Officer alain.lambert@prismometals.com
Gordon Aldcorn, President gordon.aldcorn@prismometals.com
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ‘intends’ or ‘anticipates’, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘should’, ‘would’ or ‘occur’. This information and these statements, referred to herein as ‘forward-looking statements’, are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management’s expectations and intentions with respect to, among other things: the timing, costs and results of drilling at Silver King; and the intended use of any proceeds raised under recent financings.
These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things: the potential inability of the Company to utilize the anticipated proceeds of the Private Placement as anticipated; and those risks set out in the Company’s public disclosure record on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.com) under the Company’s issuer profile.
In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that the Company will use the proceeds of the Second Tranche as currently anticipated and on the timeline currently expected.
Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward- looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such 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 and forward- looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial outlook that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.
Copyright (c) 2026 TheNewswire – All rights reserved.
News Provided by TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia
(TheNewswire)
Anchors to:
3.50 m@ 1.40 g/t Au and 2.30% Zn (162.50 m to 166.00 m)
including:
0.70 m @ 5.97 g/t Au,18.4 g/t Ag and 10.8% Zn.
4.50 m@ 2.00 g/t Au, 5.75 g/t Ag and 1.22% Zn(188.00 m to 192.50 m),
including:
0.50 m @ 3.30 g/t Au,17.8 g/t Ag and 6.84% Zn (188.00 m to 188.50 m),
2.40 m @ 3.00 g/t Au and 0.78% Zn (190.10 m to 192.50 m), and
0.55 m @ 12.15 g/t Au, 16.1 g/t Ag and 2.66% Zn (191.10 m to 192.50 m).
Drill hole LBX25-096
3.85 m @ 1.92 g/t Au and 0.13% Zn (38.70 m to 42.55 m),
including:
0.60 m @ 2.78 g/t Au, 6.30 g/t Ag and 0.62% Zn (40.60 m to 41.20 m), and
55 m @ 9.59 g/t Au, 5.50 g/t Ag and 0.11% Zn (42.00 m to 42.55 m).
TORONTO, ONTARIO (January 7, 2026) – TheNewswire – LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: LME | OTC: LMEFF | FSE: 5YD) (‘LAURION’ or the ‘Corporation’) is very pleased to report assay results of the first two drill holes from recent diamond drilling at the A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone at the Ishkōday Project, located in the Beardmore–Geraldton Greenstone Belt of north-western Ontario, approximately 220 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.
The current drill program focuses on the A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone, a structurally controlled gold-base metal corridor where historic drilling, surface work, and more recent LAURION drilling demonstrate repeated gold, silver, zinc, and copper mineralization along strike and at depth.
‘These results reinforce what we have been methodically building at Ishkōday — a structurally controlled gold-zinc system with repeated mineralization along a coherent corridor,‘ stated Cynthia Le Sueur Aquin, President and CEO of LAURION. ‘The combination of higher-grade intervals within broader mineralized zones, supported by both historic and recent drilling, gives us confidence that our targeting approach is working as intended. As we continue drilling, our focus remains on understanding continuity, structure, and scale.’
Drill hole LBX25-095 was designed to test a segment of the A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone structural corridor supported by proximal historic drill holes 90-41 and 90-49, as well as modern LAURION drill holes LBX20-021 and LBX20-017. Historic drill hole 90-41 intersected multiple gold-bearing intervals at various depths, including 0.55 m grading 3.69 g/t Au and 1.70% Zn, 0.55 m grading 11.88 g/t Au, 8.0 g/t Ag and 8.6% Zn, and deeper intersections including 0.91 m grading 1.63 g/t Au,16.0 g/t Ag, 0.16% Cu and 6.7% Zn, 0.66 m grading 2.12 g/t Au, 14.0 g/t Ag and 10.3% Zn, and 5.36 m grading 0.44 g/t Au, 6.16 g/t Ag and 4.28% Zn (Orient Resources Inc., Sturgeon River Property Diamond Drill Program Report, Claude Larouche, 1990). Nearby historic drill hole 90-49 returned 0.31 m grading 3.87 g/t Au and 1.73 m grading 3.46 g/t Au, 20.36 g/t Ag and 3.72% Zn (Orient Resources Inc., Claude Larouche, 1990). More recent drilling confirmed continuity of mineralization within the same corridor, including 14.08 m grading 0.89 g/t Au in drill hole LBX20-021 and additional gold-silver intervals in LBX20-017 (LAURION press release dated July 28, 2020).
Drill hole LBX25-095 intersected multiple gold-and-zinc-bearing intervals hosted within sheared and altered volcanic rocks consistent with the main A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone geological framework.
Reported assay results include 2.60 m grading 1.84 g/t Au from 27.40 to 30.00 m, including 0.60 m grading 7.25 g/t Au, 1.00 m grading 1.02 g/t Au from 45.30 to 46.30 m, and several broader intervals of lower-grade gold with elevated zinc.
A mid-depth mineralized zone returned 3.50 m grading 1.40 g/t Au and 2.30% Zn from 162.50 to 166.00 m, including a higher-grade interval of 0.70 m grading 5.97 g/t Au, 18.4 g/t Ag, 0.22% Cu and 10.8% Zn from 163.05 to 163.75 m.
Deeper in the hole, drilling intersected 4.50 m grading 2.00 g/t Au, 5.75 g/t Ag and 1.22% Zn from 188.00 to 192.50 m, including 0.50 m grading 3.30 g/t Au,17.8 g/t Ag and 6.84% Zn, 2.40 m grading 3.00 g/t Au, and 0.55 m grading 12.15 g/t Au,16.1 g/t Ag and 2.66% Zn.
Drill hole LBX25-096, located approximately 52 metres east of LBX25-095, was designed to test the eastern continuation of the same structurally controlled mineralized corridor. Targeting for LBX25-096 was informed by proximal drill holes LBX12-006, LBX20-020, and LBX22-089, which intersected gold-bearing mineralization within the same stratigraphic and structural package. Notably, drill hole LBX20-020 returned broad gold-bearing intervals including 6.86 m grading 0.47 g/t Au and 10.84 m grading 0.48 g/t Au, demonstrating mineralized width and continuity and supporting step-out drilling to the east (LAURION press release dated July 28, 2020). Drill hole LBX25-096 subsequently intersected multiple gold-bearing intervals within this corridor, including 3.85 m from 38.70 m to 42.55 m grading 1.92 g/t Au, including a higher-grade interval of 0.55 m from 42.00 m to 42.55 m grading 9.59 g/t Au, and a shallow interval of 1.15 m from 8.35 m to 9.50 m grading 2.14 g/t Au, including 0.50 m from 9.00 m to 9.50 m grading 4.76 g/t Au.
Gold mineralization at Ishkōday occurs within an orogenic gold framework and is commonly accompanied by silver, consistent with orogenic systems globally. In addition, localized enrichment in silver and base metals reflects polymetallic mineralizing events that are overprinted and locally modified by the orogenic gold event. These observations align with structural and geochemical interpretations supporting a multi-phase mineralizing history, as outlined in the Keaton Strongman Report 2024 on the Ishkōday: Ancestral structural controls between Archean epithermal and orogenic gold mineralization.
TABLE Of ASSAYS FOR DRILL HOLES LBX25-095 AND LBX25-096
|
Hole ID |
From (m) |
To (m) |
Core Length (m) |
Au (g/t) |
Ag (g/t) |
Zn (%) |
|
LBX25-095 |
27.40 |
30.00 |
2.60 |
1.84 |
0.45 |
0.02 |
|
including |
27.90 |
28.50 |
0.60 |
7.25 |
1.10 |
– |
|
LBX25-095 |
45.30 |
46.30 |
1.00 |
1.02 |
0.25 |
0.15 |
|
LBX25-095 |
91.25 |
95.25 |
4.00 |
0.11 |
0.25 |
0.01 |
|
LBX25-095 |
132.10 |
132.60 |
0.50 |
0.27 |
1.40 |
1.27 |
|
LBX25-095 |
135.20 |
135.70 |
0.50 |
0.53 |
6.10 |
0.24 |
|
LBX25-095 |
141.00 |
141.60 |
0.50 |
0.13 |
1.00 |
0.13 |
|
LBX25-095 |
143.80 |
147.80 |
4.00 |
0.12 |
1.71 |
0.17 |
|
LBX25-095 |
145.00 |
147.80 |
2.80 |
0.14 |
2.16 |
0.21 |
|
LBX25-095 |
162.50 |
166.00 |
3.50 |
1.40 |
4.27 |
2.30 |
|
Including |
163.05 |
163.75 |
0.70 |
5.97 |
18.40 |
10.80 |
|
LBX25-095 |
167.20 |
169.35 |
2.15 |
0.21 |
1.36 |
0.18 |
|
LBX25-095 |
188.00 |
192.50 |
4.50 |
2.00 |
5.75 |
1.22 |
|
Including |
188.00 |
188.50 |
0.50 |
3.30 |
17.80 |
6.84 |
|
Including |
190.10 |
192.50 |
2.40 |
3.00 |
4.80 |
0.78 |
|
Including |
191.1 |
192.50 |
0.55 |
12.15 |
16.10 |
2.66 |
|
LBX25-096 |
8.35 |
9.50 |
1.15 |
2.14 |
5.18 |
0.61 |
|
Including |
9.00 |
9.50 |
0.50 |
4.76 |
8.40 |
1.35 |
|
LBX25-096 |
10.90 |
11.40 |
0.50 |
0.52 |
0.70 |
0.02 |
|
LBX25-096 |
35.75 |
36.25 |
0.50 |
0.31 |
1.70 |
0.02 |
|
LBX25-096 |
38.70 |
42.55 |
3.85 |
1.92 |
2.41 |
0.13 |
|
Including |
40.60 |
41.20 |
0.60 |
2.78 |
6.30 |
0.62 |
|
Including |
42.00 |
42.55 |
0.55 |
9.59 |
5.50 |
0.11 |
|
LBX25-096 |
98.20 |
98.70 |
0.50 |
0.47 |
1.80 |
0.03 |
|
LBX25-096 |
106.80 |
108.50 |
1.70 |
1.19 |
1.49 |
0.07 |
|
Including |
106.80 |
107.30 |
0.50 |
3.14 |
2.20 |
0.07 |
|
LBX25-096 |
118.70 |
121.60 |
2.90 |
0.28 |
3.65 |
1.41 |
|
Including |
118.70 |
119.20 |
0.50 |
0.90 |
14.90 |
8.18 |
|
LBX25-096 |
129.60 |
130.10 |
0.50 |
2.22 |
10.10 |
3.05 |
|
Name |
Elevation |
Azimuth |
Dip |
Easting |
Northing |
Depth (m) |
|
LBX25-095 |
332.5 |
124 |
-47 |
446115.3 |
5512416 |
201 |
|
LBX25-096 |
331.4 |
125 |
-45 |
446168 |
5512429 |
168 |
|
TOTAL |
369 |
Mineralization on the A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone is interpreted to be controlled by the interaction of north–south-trending quartz-gold extensional veins and northeast–southwest-trending sulphide-rich shear veins. Reactivation of earlier sulphide zones during later deformation, locally associated with magnetite-rich assemblages, provides a structural framework that explains repeated gold enrichment, localized grade enhancement within wider base metal envelopes, and strong strike continuity beneath cover.
The current drilling on the A-Zone/McLeod/CRK Zone has focused on refining LAURION’s understanding of the geometry, continuity, and structural controls of the mineralized system. Ongoing work by the LAURION’s technical team and independent consultants is centred on consolidating historical and modern drilling, validating geological interpretations, and strengthening the 3D structural framework. This work is intended to ensure that any future technical milestones are based on a robust, well-constrained geological model, while preserving strategic flexibility as the Ishkōday Project continues to evolve.
Sampling and QA/QC Protocols
All drill core is transported and stored inside the core facility located at the Ishkōday Project in Greenstone, Ontario. LAURION employs an industry standard system of external standards, blanks and duplicates for all of its sampling, in addition to the QA/QC protocol employed by the laboratory. After logging, core samples were identified and then cut in half along core axis in the same building and then zip tied individually in plastic sample bags with a bar code. Approximately five or six of these individual bags were then stacked into a ‘rice’ white material bag and stored on a skid for final shipment to the laboratory.
All core samples were shipped to the ALS facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario, which were then prepared by ALS Global Geochemistry in Thunder Bay and analyzed by ALS Global Analytical Lab in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Samples are processed by 4-acid digestion and analyzed by fire assay on 50 g pulps and ICP-AES (Inductively Coupled Plasma – Atomic Emission Spectroscopy). Over limit analyses are reprocessed with gravimetric finish.
A total of 5% blanks and 5% standard are inserted randomly within all samples. 5% of the best assay result pulps were sent for re-assays. All QA/QC were verified, and no contamination or bias have been observed. The remaining half of the core, as well as the unsampled core, is stored in temporary core racks at the core logging facility in Beardmore and moved to the core storage facility at the Ishkōday Project.
Note: QA/QC review of standards and duplicates indicates analytical results are reliable. One zinc standard adjacent to a high-grade zinc interval returned elevated values consistent with expected analytical behaviour following high-grade samples.
Qualified Person
The technical contents of this release were reviewed and approved by Jean-Philippe Paiement, P.Geo, MSc, a consultant to LAURION and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc.
The Corporation is a mid-stage junior mineral exploration and development company listed on the TSXV under the symbol LME and on the OTCPINK under the symbol LMEFF. LAURION now has 278,716,413 outstanding shares, of which approximately 73.6% are owned and controlled by insiders who are eligible investors under the ‘Friends and Family’ categories.
LAURION’s emphasis is on the exploration and development of its flagship project, the 100% owned mid-stage 57 km2 Ishkōday Project, and its gold-rich polymetallic mineralization.
LAURION’s chief priority remains maximizing shareholder value. A large portion of the Corporation’s focus in this regard falls within the scope of its mineral exploration activities and more specifically, advancing the Ishkōday Project. A consequence of LAURION’s success and advancement over the past several years is that the Corporation has become positioned as an acquisition target for appropriate potential acquirors. Accordingly, the Corporation’s Board of Directors is aware that possible strategic alternatives and transactional opportunities may arise and/or could be procured in the short or medium terms. The Corporation will promptly issue a press release if any material change occurs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc.
Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin – President and CEO
Tel: 1-705-788-9186 Fax: 1-705-805-9256
Douglas Vass – Investor Relations Consultant
Email: info@laurion.ca
Website: http://www.LAURION.ca
Follow us on: X (@LAURION_LME), Instagram (laurionmineral) and LinkedIn ()
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Corporation’s current expectations regarding future events including with respect to LAURION’s business, operations and condition, management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions, the Corporation’s ability to advance the Ishkōday Project, the nature, focus, timing and potential results of the Corporation’s exploration, drilling and prospecting activities in 2026 and beyond, including the Corporation’s diamond drill program described in this press release and the Corporation’s other planned activities for the Ishkōday Project for the remainder of 2026, and the statements regarding the Corporation’s exploration or consideration of any possible strategic alternatives and transactional opportunities, as well as the potential outcome(s) of this process, the possible impact of any potential transactions referenced herein on the Corporation or any of its stakeholders, and the ability of the Corporation to identify and complete any potential acquisitions, mergers, financings or other transactions referenced herein, and the timing of any such transactions. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events and future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements could differ materially from those projected herein including as a result of a change in the trading price of the common shares of LAURION, the TSX Venture Exchange or any other applicable regulator not providing its approval for any strategic alternatives or transactional opportunities, the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future prices of gold and/or other metals, possible variations in grade or recovery rates, failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, the failure of contracted parties to perform, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors disclosed in the Corporation’s publicly filed documents. Investors should consult the Corporation’s ongoing quarterly and annual filings, as well as any other additional documentation comprising the Corporation’s public disclosure record, for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable law, the Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. All sample values are from grab samples and channel samples, which by their nature, are not necessarily representative of overall grades of mineralized areas. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on the assay values reported in this press release.
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