Dalaroo Metals Ltd (ASX:DAL) has completed the second tranche of its placement, lifting total proceeds to approximately A$1.75 million and strengthening its capacity to advance gold and critical minerals exploration in Côte d’Ivoire and Greenland.
The company raised around A$320,000 before costs through participation by Dalaroo board members and their related parties, following shareholder approval for the tranche.
Aurum Resources Ltd (ASX:AUE) has extended gold mineralisation beyond the current resource boundary at the BDT2 deposit within its 3.22-million-ounce Boundiali Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire.
Final assay results from the latest BDT2 campaign covered 10 diamond holes for 3,565 metres of step-out and extensional drilling, confirming that the gold system remains open along strike and at depth.
SINCLAIR GOLD LTD (ASX:SGC) has delivered further evidence of resource growth potential at its Mt Henry Gold Project in Western Australia, with step-out drilling extending mineralisation at both the Selene and Mt Henry deposits beyond the current 915,000-ounce gold resource.
The latest results come from Sinclair’s 50,000-metre resource growth campaign, where four diamond rigs are operating and assays remain pending from another 17 holes.
PLC Resources Ltd (ASX:PLC) has identified signs of a potentially larger gold system at its Rochefort prospect while defining a new regional structural target corridor across the Abbotts North Gold Project in Western Australia.
Maiden reverse circulation drilling at Rochefort returned anomalous gold of up to 0.4 g/t, accompanied by albite alteration, sulphidation and pathfinder geochemistry that strengthens toward the northwest and at depth.
Sun Silver Ltd (ASX:SS1) has expanded its Maverick Silver Project in Nevada through a strategic acquisition and new claim staking, securing control of about 15 kilometres of prospective strike along the project’s emerging northwest mineralised corridor.
The company has signed a binding agreement to acquire the 100%-owned Bayan Springs North Project from Bayan Mining and Minerals Ltd (ASX:BMM, OTC:BMMKF, FRA:7JL), subject to customary completion conditions, and has separately staked 106 additional lode mining claims covering about 8.86 square kilometres.
KAROON ENERGY LTD (ASX:KAR) has completed a major operational overhaul at its Baúna Project in Brazil, restoring production to around 22,000 barrels of oil per day and positioning the company for stronger free cash flow in the second half of 2026.
The company produced 1.08 million barrels of oil equivalent on a net revenue interest basis during the June quarter and generated sales revenue of US$116.4 million, supported by materially higher realised oil prices.
Australia’s labour market delivered a stronger-than-expected result in June, with employment surging by around 76,000 and reinforcing expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) may need to raise interest rates again this year.
The unemployment rate held steady at 4.4%, in line with forecasts, but the participation rate unexpectedly climbed 0.3 percentage points to an 11-month high of 67.0%, signalling continued strength in the jobs market.
D3 Energy Ltd (ASX:D3E, OTCQX:DNRGF) has started a two-well drilling program at the Nooitgedacht area of its wholly owned ER315 permit in South Africa, targeting an expansion of its helium and natural gas reserve base.
The company has successfully spudded the first well, NGT245 E, in the northwestern portion of ER315 in the Free State Province.
OpenAI has disclosed that two of its most advanced artificial intelligence models broke out of a controlled testing environment and autonomously compromised the infrastructure of AI development platform Hugging Face.
The company described the breach as an “unprecedented cyber incident”, offering a striking demonstration of how increasingly capable AI agents can pursue unintended pathways when given broad objectives and fewer safety restrictions.
Astral Resources NL (ASX:AAR) has delivered further high-grade gold assays from in-fill drilling at the Theia deposit, strengthening confidence in the Stage 1 mine inventory at its 100%-owned Mandilla Gold Project near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
Results from 56 reverse circulation holes covering 4,970 metres were consistent with Astral’s geological and Mineral Resource models, supporting the planned conversion of the Stage 1 inventory to the higher-confidence Measured Resource category.
Horizon Gold Ltd (ASX:HRN, OTC:HZGLF, FRA:HO0) has invited shareholders to attend an investor briefing webinar on MarketOpen Direct Connect.
Managing director and CEO Scott Williamson will provide an update on the recently released definitive feasibility study for the company’s 100%-owned Gum Creek Gold Project in Western Australia.
Novo Resources Corp (TSX:NVO, OTCQX:NSRPF, ASX:NVO, FRA:1NOR) has filed an independent technical report supporting the mineral resource estimate for the Leven Star Reef at its 100%-owned Belltopper Gold Project in Victoria, while recent drilling at Wyloo in Western Australia has confirmed a significant silver-antimony-zinc mineralised system.
The Leven Star report formalises the mineral resource announced in June 2026, with Novo confirming there are no material differences between the previously released estimate and the figures contained in the final technical documentation.
Dalaroo Metals Ltd (ASX:DAL) has strengthened the scale potential of its 100%-owned Blue Lagoon Rare Earth Project in southern Greenland after geophysical surveys confirmed extensive sediment packages reaching interpreted depths of about 50 metres.
Independent ground penetrating radar (GPR) and single beam echo sounder surveys have provided the first detailed three-dimensional understanding of the sedimentary basin, while identifying multiple previously unrecognised sediment-filled valleys extending beyond the current exploration footprint.
Krakatoa Resources Ltd (ASX:KTA, LSE:, AIM:) has accelerated drilling and technical studies at the Zopkhito Antimony-Gold Project in Georgia, with its 2026 resource definition campaign running about two months ahead of last year’s program.
Four surface diamond holes and 13 underground holes have now been completed, while initial drill core has been logged and sampled. The first batch of samples is being transported to a laboratory in Türkiye for analysis.
The S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Index gained 18.10 points, or 0.54%, on Wednesday to close at 3,342.70.
Despite the positive session, the small-cap benchmark remained 35.70 points, or 1.06%, lower over the past five trading days.
Ariana Resources PLC (AIM:AAU, ASX:AA2, FRA:4A6) told investors that the Tavşan gold mine in Türkiye has completed its ramp-up and is now loading ore onto its heap-leach pads at the required rate of at least 4,000 tonnes per day.
The operation is placing around 60,000 tonnes of ore on the pads each month, with approximately 350,000 tonnes currently being heap-leached. The recovery circuit is performing to specification, with gold recovery maintained at the expected level of around 70%.
Cavendish has reiterated its buy rating and 19.8p target price on 88 Energy Ltd (AIM:88E, ASX:88E, OTCQB:EEENF, FRA:POQ), implying significant untapped upside from the current 1.02p share price.
The AIM-listed oil and gas explorer's South Prudhoe acreage on Alaska's North Slope now holds 768.9 million barrels of gross prospective resources, of which 640.7 million barrels are net to the company.
88 Energy Ltd (AIM:88E, ASX:88E, OTCQB:EEENF, FRA:POQ), in Wednesday's release of its Quarterly Activities report, noted that it had moved its Augusta-1 exploration well closer to a targeted first-quarter 2027 spud after securing Nordic Rig-3 and an Arctic-rated camp, alongside a 35% increase in South Prudhoe prospective resources.
Gross unrisked 2U prospective resources at the Alaska project rose to 768.9 million barrels of oil, of which 640.7 million barrels are net to 88 Energy. Augusta-1 is designed to test up to 133.7 million barrels gross across the Ivishak, Kuparuk and Upper Schrader Bluff reservoirs.
Dusk Group Ltd (ASX:DSK) shares fell more than 9% to 68.5 cents after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched Federal Court proceedings over alleged breaches of mandatory button battery safety standards.
The regulator alleges Dusk subsidiary Dusk Australasia supplied 66,453 non-compliant products across 29 product lines between May 17, 2023, and December 12, 2024.
Sequoia Financial Group Ltd (ASX:SEQ) has announced the immediate resignation of chief executive Garry Crole as subsidiary InterPrac Financial Planning faces Federal Court action linked to the collapse of two investment funds that cost 12,000 investors $1 billion.
Head of corporate finance Alex Fabbri has been appointed interim chief executive, while non-executive director David Hentschke will serve as interim chairman. Sequoia has begun searching for a permanent replacement.
Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX:WES) is strengthening its lithium ambitions with a $1.45 billion expansion of the Mt Holland operation in Western Australia, aiming to double spodumene concentrate production despite weak prices.
The project, jointly owned with SQM (NYSE:SQM) through Covalent Lithium, will lift production from 380,000 tonnes to 760,000 tonnes. Construction of a second concentrator and ore-sorting facility is expected to begin in the second half of 2027, with first production targeted for 2030.
Every Federal Budget produces its fair share of headlines. Most focus on the winners and losers, political point scoring or the immediate cost-of-living measures. Investors, however, should be looking beyond the headlines writes director of Tax Communications at H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) Australia, Mark Chapman.
This year's Budget contains some of the most significant investment tax reforms Australia has seen in decades. While many of the measures will not take effect immediately, they have the potential to reshape investment decisions for years to come.
Codeifai Ltd (ASX:CDE) has secured firm commitments to raise $770,000 through a share placement, providing fresh funding to advance its artificial intelligence platform, pursue new industry applications and strengthen working capital.
The company will issue 110 million shares at $0.007 each to sophisticated and professional investors, with participants receiving one free-attaching option for every share subscribed.
MoneyMe Ltd (ASX:MME) has surpassed a $2 billion loan book and returned to normalised profitability in the second half of FY26, supported by record originations, improving credit performance and lower funding costs.
The AI-powered digital lender ended June with a gross loan book of $2.08 billion, up 34% year on year, after FY26 originations increased 34% to a record $1.23 billion.
Vitura Health Ltd (ASX:VIT) has appointed two senior executives and reshaped its leadership team as the digital health company moves to improve operational efficiency, strengthen execution and place patients closer to the centre of decision-making.
James Frayne will join Vitura as chief financial officer on October 1, 2026, while Trudy Adams has been appointed executive general manager of strategy and technology and is expected to start on August 18.
Pilbara Gold Ltd (ASX:PGL) has intersected broad gold mineralisation below the current pit shell at its 2.1-million-ounce Mt York Gold Project in Western Australia, strengthening the potential for further resource growth and a deeper open-pit development.
The first results from the company’s 2026 drilling campaign extended mineralisation at both Main Hill and Gossan Hill, where the gold system remains open at depth.
Artificial intelligence is now producing music faster than audiences can listen to it, with fully AI-generated tracks accounting for more than half of all new music delivered to streaming platform Deezer on peak days.
Deezer received an average of almost 90,000 completely AI-generated songs each day during June 2026, up from around 75,000 a day and 44% of uploads in April.
BOA Resources Ltd (ASX:BOA) has signed drilling contracts and secured approvals for its maiden program at the Neds Creek Copper Project in Western Australia, with a 7,500-metre reverse circulation campaign expected to begin in early August 2026.
Heritage surveys have been completed and Programme of Works approvals received for the planned 53-hole program, clearing the principal requirements ahead of mobilisation.
Aruma Resources Ltd (ASX:AAJ) has kicked off the second phase of diamond drilling at its Tillex Copper-Silver Project in Ontario, targeting extensions to the wide, high-grade mineralisation identified in its initial campaign.
The approximately 3,600-metre program will test the southwest strike and depth potential of the Tillex deposit, including a strong electromagnetic conductor interpreted to extend beyond the limits of current drilling.
Novo Resources Corp (TSX:NVO, OTCQX:NSRPF, ASX:NVO, FRA:1NOR) has confirmed a significant hydrothermal alteration system at its Wyloo Polymetallic Project in Western Australia’s Pilbara, following maiden reverse circulation drilling that returned high-grade silver and antimony mineralisation from surface.
The 16-hole, 2,615-metre program at the Wyloo SE prospect delivered a standout intercept of 9 metres at 92 g/t silver and 1,280 ppm antimony from surface, including 1 metre at 460 g/t silver and 1,425 ppm antimony from 2 metres.
Horizon Gold Ltd (ASX:HRN, OTC:HZGLF) has confirmed a financially robust development pathway for its 100%-owned Gum Creek Gold Project in Western Australia, with a definitive feasibility study targeting first production in the second half of 2028.
The open-pit study outlines average production of 98,000 ounces of gold per annum during the first five years and total recovered production of 880,000 ounces across an initial 10-year mine life.
The S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Index (XSO) gained 9.60 points, or 0.29%, to close at 3,324.60 yesterday, although the benchmark remains 60 points, or 1.77%, lower over the past five trading sessions.
The modest daily rise came as junior resource and energy companies continue to advance drilling, development and funding initiatives across projects in Australia and Canada. You can read about the following and more throughout the day.
Terrain Minerals Ltd (ASX:TMX, OTC:TMXAF, FRA:T4Y) advanced its flagship Smokebush Gold and Silver Project toward a maiden mineral resource estimate during the June 2026 quarter, supported by high-grade drilling results, completed technical studies and new exploration targets across its Western Australian portfolio.
At the Lightning prospect, Terrain completed 29 reverse circulation holes for 5,309 metres, testing extensions to the known gold system along strike and at depth.
Recce Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:RCE, OTC:RECEF) advanced its diabetic foot infection treatment toward commercialisation during the June quarter, securing approval to expand an Australian study into a pivotal Phase 3 trial while progressing a proposed 10-year licensing agreement across the Middle East and North Africa.
The synthetic anti-infective developer also completed a successful regulatory inspection of its Indonesian Phase 3 trial site, raised A$4 million through an institutional placement and reported a pro-forma cash position of about A$33.1 million.
Lumos Diagnostics Holdings Ltd (ASX:LDX, OTC:LDXHF) has secured the rollout of its FebriDx rapid diagnostic test across more than 30 US urgent care sites and advanced three additional major healthcare groups, representing more than 230 sites, into clinical and economic validation.
Together, the four priority accounts represent more than 430 potential locations and an internally estimated minimum of 2.6 million acute respiratory infection presentations annually.
Australia is preparing tighter controls on how artificial intelligence is used across government, workplaces and digital services as Canberra attempts to balance faster adoption with stronger public safeguards.
The Albanese government’s emerging framework will place greater scrutiny on automated government decision-making, with new rules expected to prioritise transparency, accuracy, fairness and human accountability.
Saturn Metals Ltd (ASX:STN) has secured a key mining lease covering its Apollo Hill Gold Project in Western Australia, clearing another important development milestone as the company advances a definitive feasibility study due later this year.
The Western Australian Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration has granted Mining Lease M31/496, an approximately 11,700-hectare tenure surrounding Saturn’s existing Apollo Hill mining leases.
H&P Research has assigned Tamboran Resources Corporation (NYSE:TBN, ASX:TBN, OTC:TBNRL, FRA:O8R) a risked valuation implying 113% upside, concluding that the company’s record stimulation campaign in the Beetaloo Basin has materially reduced execution risk ahead of first gas.
Western Mines Group Ltd (ASX:WMG) has intersected further high-grade nickel sulphide mineralisation grading up to 2.26% nickel and 0.35% copper at the Mulga Tank Project in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields.
Assays from six reverse circulation holes returned broad mineralised intervals in every hole, reinforcing the scale and continuity of the nickel sulphide system and supporting the potential expansion of the project’s current mineral resource.
Silver Mines Ltd (ASX:SVL, OTC:SLVMF, FRA:SWQ) has completed a definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the Bowdens Silver Project in New South Wales, outlining a potential 26-year operation with a pre-tax net present value of A$1.04 billion and silver reserves of 93.5 million ounces.
The updated ore reserve stands at 47.9 million tonnes grading 60.8 g/t silver, 0.36% zinc and 0.26% lead, representing a 30% increase in contained silver and a 46% rise in reserve tonnes compared with the previous estimate.
Aeris Resources Ltd (ASX:AIS, OTC:ARSRF) has more than quadrupled Ore Reserves at its Tritton Operations in central New South Wales, strengthening the foundation for a long-life, multi-mine copper hub centred on the project’s existing processing infrastructure.
Tritton’s Ore Reserve now stands at 10 million tonnes grading 1.7% copper, 0.38 g/t gold and 10 g/t silver, containing around 180,000 tonnes of copper, 130,000 ounces of gold and 3.2 million ounces of silver.
Lightning Minerals Ltd (ASX:L1M) has completed Phase 2 exploration at its wholly owned Warby Tungsten Project in North Queensland, collecting about 90 samples across priority targets as it moves closer to selecting initial drill sites.
The program combined detailed geological mapping with soil, stream-sediment concentrate, and targeted rock-chip sampling across a prospective two-kilometre structural corridor centred on historical tungsten workings near the Angor Granite contact.
Alkane Resources Ltd (ASX:ALK, OTC:ALKEF) has delivered annual production in the upper half of guidance, generated record cash flow and proposed its first dividend following a strong finish to the 2026 financial year.
The gold and antimony producer generated 42,491 gold equivalent ounces in the June quarter at an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of A$3,011 per ounce, taking full-year production to 168,337 gold equivalent ounces at an AISC of A$2,925 per ounce.
Titan Minerals Ltd (ASX:TTM, OTC:TTTNF) has reported another broad porphyry copper intersection from the Linderos Copper Project in Ecuador, where Hancock Prospecting subsidiary Hanrine has now earned a 51% interest after meeting a US$20 million expenditure commitment.
The standout result from the Copper Ridge prospect was:
The S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Index gained 8.80 points, or 0.27%, to close at 3,315.00 yesterday, providing some relief after a weaker trading week.
Despite the positive session, the index remained 37.80 points, or 1.13%, lower over the past five days as investors continued to navigate volatile commodity markets and broader economic uncertainty.
Venari Minerals NL (ASX:VMS, OTC:ASMTD) is raising A$6.1 million capital to advance its flagship Red Mountain Lithium and Strategic Minerals Project in Nevada, United States.
The money will support further drilling, metallurgical test work, an updated mineral resource estimate incorporating potential by-products and delivery of a scoping study targeted for the first quarter of 2027.
Iondrive Ltd (ASX:ION) has appointed former BHP head of innovation Dr Grant Caffery as chief executive officer as the critical minerals technology company moves toward commercial deployment of its IONSolv™ metal extraction platform.
Caffery will begin the role on August 1, 2026, bringing experience in technology development, commercialisation and global resources operations.
Sky Metals Ltd (ASX:SKY) has returned further shallow, high-grade tin-tungsten-silver intercepts outside the recently updated mineral resource at its wholly owned Tallebung Project in New South Wales, strengthening the case for additional resource growth.
The results were received after the cut-off date for the latest mineral resource estimate and will be assessed for inclusion in future updates.
Comet Ridge Ltd (ASX:COI, OTC:COMRF) has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Highview Power Pty Ltd for the potential supply of natural gas from its Mahalo Gas Hub to a major energy storage project near Gladstone, Queensland.
Under the proposed gas sales agreement, Comet Ridge would supply 3.6 petajoules per year, equivalent to 10 terajoules per day, for a minimum of five years to Highview’s planned Central Queensland Energy Storage Project (CQESP).
Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has acquired a 16.8% stake in EQ Resources Ltd (ASX:EQR), backing one of the Western world’s largest tungsten producers as governments and industry seek more secure critical minerals supply chains.
Forrest’s investment vehicle Wonongarra will purchase the entire holding of US private equity firm Oaktree Capital Management, comprising around 862 million EQR shares and 35.5 million options.