Two national winners and six finalists recognized for exceptional compassion, dedication, and commitment to clients and their families

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- BrightStar Care, a leading provider of in-home care and medical staffing solutions, today announced the winners of its annual Best & Brightest Nurse of the Year and Caregiver of the Year Awards, recognizing exceptional nurses and caregivers across its nationwide network who exemplify a commitment to compassionate, high-quality care.

Each year, BrightStar Care invites clients, family members and fellow employees to nominate nurses and caregivers who have made a meaningful difference in the lives of those they serve. The awards celebrate the individuals who go above and beyond in providing care while embodying BrightStar Care's core values of compassion, integrity, excellence, trustworthiness, accountability and reliability. This year, BrightStar Care recognized one National Nurse of the Year and one National Caregiver of the Year, along with three finalists in each category. National Nurse and Caregiver of the Year recipients will each receive a $5,000 cash prize, while each finalist will receive $2,500 in recognition of their contributions to the clients and families they serve.

Best & Brightest Award Winners

Shari Rice, RN, of Omaha, Nebraska, was named National Nurse of the Year for the calming, steady presence she has provided to a pediatric patient and their family. The patient previously experienced significant anxiety surrounding their regular infusion treatments, but through the trust and connection Shari built with them, that anxiety has been greatly reduced. Her commitment to going above and beyond is perhaps best illustrated by her decision to use her own 3D printer to create figures of some of the patient's favorite characters, helping bring comfort and joy to their care experience.

LaDonna Chaney, of Chesapeake, Virginia, was named National Caregiver of the Year for providing love, compassion, and servant-hearted care to her client during the final year of her life. LaDonna formed a meaningful connection with her client and went above and beyond to create a special birthday celebration by arranging for a local family choir to perform a private concert for the client and her family. The moment was so meaningful to the client that she later requested the same family perform at her memorial service after her passing – a request that was honored.

"These awards are a reflection of the incredible people behind the care we provide," said Josh Wall, Chief Executive Officer at BrightStar Care. "Shari and LaDonna demonstrate how the strongest care relationships are built through trust, empathy and a willingness to see the person beyond the care they need. We're incredibly proud to recognize them, as well as each of this year's finalists, for the difference they make in the lives of clients and families every day."

Best & Brightest Award Finalists

Joining this year's national winners as Best & Brightest finalists are Tammy Mulchay (West Portland, OR), Elizabeth Martinez (Baltimore City/County, MD) and Amy Nguyen, CNA (Santa Barbara, CA), recognized as Caregiver of the Year finalists, as well as Joyce Eldredge, RN (Gloucester County, NJ), Madelyn "Maddie" Leader, RN (York, PA) and Kari Erdmann, RN (Northern Michigan), recognized as Nurse of the Year finalists.

BrightStar Care celebrated this year's honorees through surprise events at their respective franchise locations, bringing together colleagues, clients, and family members. Each recipient received a physical award, and nomination letters were read aloud during the celebrations. CEO Josh Wall and SVP of Clinical Operations Kelley Hill attended the national award presentations to personally recognize Shari and LaDonna.

To find out more about the 2026 Best and Brightest Winners and Finalists, please visit www.brightstarcare.com/best-brightest-awards.

About BrightStar Care

Founded in 2002, BrightStar Care is a leading franchisor of home care services with more than 420 franchised locations nationwide that provide skilled and unskilled home care to clients and custom medical staffing solutions to corporate entities. BrightStar Care franchise agencies employ more than 15,000 caregivers and 5,700 registered nurses who oversee the care and safety of each individual client. Network-wide BrightStar Care agencies are accredited by The Joint Commission, and the brand has been recognized as an Enterprise Champion for Quality for over a decade. In March 2025, BrightStar Care was acquired by Peak Rock Capital, a leading middle-market private investment firm focused on investing in growth-oriented businesses. In addition to supporting families at home, BrightStar Care partners with healthcare organizations to meet evolving staffing needs with experienced, credentialed professionals. Learn more at www.brightstarcare.com.

Media Contact

Power Digital

[email protected]

SOURCE BrightStar Care

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The inaugural WSF Sport ReportTM 2026 reveals higher costs for girls, a belonging gap among teens and warning signs for women in college sports.

NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Women's Sports Foundation (WSF®) released its inaugural WSF Sport ReportTM 2026, a new annual benchmark examining the state of girls' and women's sports across the full sports pipeline.

A first-of-its-kind annual assessment, the WSF Sport Report takes a view no other research does: examining the state of girls' and women's sports across the full pipeline, from a girl's first opportunity to play through collegiate, professional and elite (Olympic and Paralympic) competition. By pairing the experiences of girls and their families with candid assessments from leaders shaping women's sports today, the report connects what is happening at every level to reveal where progress is taking hold, where it is stalling or slipping backward, and what demands attention next.

The inaugural findings reveal a striking disconnect between the progress making headlines at the professional level and the reality across the full sports pipeline:

- More than half of girls who have never played want to. 54% of girls ages 8–18 who have never played organized sports say they want to, essentially the same as boys (52%). Yet 45% of girls currently participate in organized sports compared with 52% of boys.

- Girls face higher costs to play. Median annual sports spending is $500 for girls compared with $400 for boys, a 25% difference. Cost is an even greater barrier for girls from lower-income households, who are more than twice as likely to cite it as a reason they have never played.

- A belonging gap is evident among teens. At ages 8–10, 80% of both girls and boys feel sports are "for someone like me." Among 14–18-year-olds, that figure is 66% for girls compared with 73% for boys, leaving roughly one in three teen girls who does not feel sports are "for someone like her."

- Most girls and parents are unfamiliar with Title IX. 79% of girls ages 8–18 and 55% of parents say they have never heard of the landmark law.

That lack of awareness comes as 47% of industry experts identify Title IX rollbacks or weakened enforcement as the greatest threat to continued progress for girls and women in sports.

"Girls deserve an equal chance to get in the game, the resources to stay there, a place where they know they belong and the knowledge to stand up for their rights. We fought, and continue to fight, for Title IX because every girl deserves an equal chance to discover what sports can give her. These findings remind us that progress has to be understood, protected and pushed forward," said Billie Jean King, Founder and Honorary Chair of the Women's Sports Foundation.

Professional Progress, College Warning Signs

Further along the pipeline, the report finds a stark contrast between the professional and collegiate levels:

- Experts overwhelmingly report progress at the professional level. 93% say progress toward gender equality improved over the past year, by far the strongest assessment of any level examined.

- College sports show warning signs. College is the only level examined where more experts say progress for women declined than improved (37% vs. 35%). And 40% say the leading barrier they identified has worsened over the past year, compared with just 16% who say it is improving.

Experts point to unequal resource allocation and disparities in name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities among the greatest barriers facing women college athletes, while also raising concerns about new revenue-sharing structures and implementation of the House v. NCAA settlement.

"The extraordinary growth in professional women's sports shows what is possible when investment, innovation and opportunity align. But our research tells a more complicated story. College sports, where the next generation of athletes, coaches and leaders are often developed, is the only level where more experts say progress declined than improved over the past year. NIL, revenue sharing and litigation are rebuilding an outdated economic model from the ground up, and women don't yet have a guaranteed seat at the table. The WSF Sport Report exists to name where that work is needed and to hold the field accountable to getting it done," said Danette Leighton, CEO of the Women's Sports Foundation.

Visibility Is Growing. Connection Still Has to Follow.

Even amid the professional boom, the report finds differences in how girls and boys connect with professional athletes:

- Nearly half of girls cannot name a favorite professional athlete. 45% of girls cannot name one of any gender, compared with 29% of boys.

- Few boys name a woman as their favorite professional athlete. Only 2% of boys name a woman, compared with 23% of girls.

"Visibility has the power to change what girls believe is possible for themselves in sports, but it has to be sustained. When we invest in women athletes and tell their stories year-round, we're not only building fans and growing the business of women's sports. We're showing the next generation that there is a place for them in the game, too," said Gabby Thomas, Olympic gold medalist and Women's Sports Foundation Trustee.

What Comes Next

The inaugural WSF Sport Report points not only to where gaps remain, but to what is possible. The investment, innovation and attention transforming professional women's sports demonstrate what can happen when opportunity is met with intentional action.

The opportunity now is to bring that same ambition across the full sports pipeline, from expanding access and belonging for girls to strengthening the protections that preserve equal opportunity and ensuring women are not left behind as college sports undergo historic change.

For more than 50 years, the Women's Sports Foundation has used research to identify barriers and inform action. The WSF Sport Report creates a new annual benchmark to do just that: track progress, surface emerging challenges and help identify where the field must focus next.

The full WSF Sport Report, including complete findings and methodology, is available at www.WomensSportsFoundation.org/WSFSportReport.

About the WSF Sport ReportTM 2026

The WSF Sport Report draws on two original research initiatives conducted in 2026. A nationally representative online survey conducted by YouGov from May 28 to June 15 included more than 6,100 U.S. parents and their children, ages 8–18. Parents completed a survey about their household's experiences with youth sports and identified an eligible child to participate. The youth survey was then completed independently by 3,065 children, with roughly equal numbers of girls and boys across three age groups: 8–10, 11–13 and 14–18. Age-group comparisons are cross-sectional and reflect differences between groups at a single point in time, not changes within the same children over time.

WSF also surveyed 60 professionals across the women's sports ecosystem from June 25 to July 22, representing perspectives across collegiate, professional and elite (Olympic and Paralympic) sport. Nearly three-quarters had more than 10 years of professional experience in women's sports.

About the Women's Sports Foundation

The Women's Sports Foundation® (WSF®) exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate, and a catalyst for tomorrow's leaders. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we are one of the first organizations to recognize the powerful connection between sport access, equity, and society. For over 50 years, WSF has been changing the game through its research, advocacy, and community programming, investing over $115 million to help girls and women play, compete, and lead – in sports and beyond – without barriers. A leader and champion of the entire women's sports ecosystem, WSF amplifies the vital societal and cultural impact that is made when girls and women play sports. When girls play, they lead, and we all win!® To learn more about the Women's Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Kandice Miller

Women's Sports Foundation

[email protected] 

Meg Rushton

Women's Sports Foundation

[email protected]

SOURCE Women's Sports Foundation

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Ready for a New Career or Side Gig?

PLANO, Texas, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For people dreaming of a career that offers flexibility, entrepreneurship and the opportunity to turn a love of travel into a business, becoming an independent travel advisor can be an appealing path. International Vacations, Inc., a full-service travel agency and host agency, provides aspiring travel advisors with the tools, training and industry support needed to get started.

Whether you are new to the travel industry, exploring a side business or second career, or looking for a host agency that feels like a better fit, International Vacations, Inc. provides the tools, resources and support to help independent travel agents learn the industry and build their own businesses.

"Travel is something people are already excited about, and we wanted to show that passion can potentially become more than just a hobby," said Shamali Przywara, President of International Vacations, Inc. "You don't have to know everything about the travel industry when you start. That's where having a host agency behind you can make a difference."

What Is a Host Agency?

For someone new to the travel industry, getting started can seem overwhelming. A host agency provides independent travel agents with access to industry resources and support that would otherwise take significant time and investment to establish independently.

International Vacations, Inc. provides its independent travel agents with access to:

- Established travel industry credentials

- Consortium access and benefits

- Preferred supplier relationships

- Training and educational opportunities

- Travel agent resources and benefits

- Marketing resources

- Booking and business tools

- Basic CRM technology

- Commission tracking

- Commission-processing services

- Ongoing agent support

Independent travel agents operate as contractors and have the flexibility to develop their own travel businesses and brands while utilizing the resources, credentials and supplier relationships available through International Vacations, Inc.

"One of the biggest advantages of working with a host agency is that you don't have to build the foundation of your travel business completely on your own," Przywara said. "We provide the infrastructure, resources and support, while our independent agents have the opportunity to build their business in a way that works for them."

A Flexible Business Opportunity

The travel industry offers opportunities for people with a wide variety of backgrounds. Parents, retirees, career changers, entrepreneurs and anyone with a passion for travel may find becoming an independent travel advisor an appealing way to explore a new business opportunity.

For some, travel advising may begin as a side business while they maintain another career. For others, it may become a second career or develop into a larger independent business over time.

International Vacations, Inc. emphasizes personal support to help new agents understand the travel industry, learn how to work with suppliers, market their services and develop relationships with their clients.

"Starting something new can be intimidating," Przywara said. "Our goal is to give people the resources and support they need to take that first step. They bring their passion, their personality and their desire to build something. We provide the industry foundation and help them learn along the way."

Ready to Explore a Career in Travel?

For those who have ever thought, "I love to travel. Could I actually build a business around it?" International Vacations, Inc. encourages aspiring travel advisors to explore the possibilities.

Learn more about becoming an independent travel agent with International Vacations, Inc. at:

https://www.internationalvacations.com/

Coming Soon

As part of its continued commitment to providing innovative tools and opportunities for its network of independent travel advisors, International Vacations, Inc. is preparing to launch a new strategic initiative focused on expanding group travel opportunities.

The initiative will include a partnership with an emerging travel technology platform designed specifically for the group travel market, giving advisors access to new tools and resources to help simplify the group planning process and support the growth of their group travel businesses.

More details about the partnership and upcoming opportunities for International Vacations Inc. agents will be announced soon.

Brandi Lilley

Marketing Manager

[email protected]

SOURCE International Vacations, Inc

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The CyberSense Research Lab analysis of 1,064 ransomware strains finds directory destruction in more than twice as many variants as full encryption

HOLMDEL, N.J., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Index Engines the leader in cyber resilience, today announced its latest findings from its proprietary CyberSense® Research Lab (Patent #12248574) revealing a shift in ransomware behavior, with a growing share of analyzed variants using corruption techniques that avoid the traditional signs of obfuscation.

Among 1,064 ransomware strains acquired and detonated during the first half of 2026, 47.8% exhibited directory-entry destruction, more than twice the 18.3% that exhibited full encryption. The lab also documented new ransomware designed to suppress familiar signs of corruption by preserving file extensions and timestamps, maintaining low entropy, encrypting slowly, and targeting only selected sections of files.

"Bad actors know what scanning tools look for, and the variants we detonated this year are built to hide it," said Jim McGann, CMO of Index Engines. "Encoder is the clearest example. It destroyed files while leaving their names, sizes, timestamps, and entropy unchanged. A surface scan would report that data as clean. CyberSense caught it by analyzing the content and structure of each file. The Research Lab exists to find techniques like this early and build them into the model our customers rely on for recovery."

The CyberSense Research Lab automates the ingestion and behavioral analysis of ransomware variants in a controlled environment, enabling continuous training of AI/ML models on real-world attack patterns and, enabling continuous training of AI/ML models on real ransomware behavior. The result is more comprehensive corruption detection that keeps pace with the threat landscape, backed by 99.99% ESG-validated accuracy, and smarter recovery decisions for organizations facing today's cyber criminals.

Key findings* from the H1 2026 research include:

- Ransomware is moving beyond full encryption: Directory-entry destruction was the most common behavior identified by the Lab, appearing in 47.8% of strains analyzed.

- Traditional signs of corruption are disappearing: Variants suppressed traditional signs of corruption including changed extensions, entropy spikes, altered timestamps and rapid file changes.

- The window to respond is shrinking: Lab detonations showed a median attack velocity of approximately 97,321 files corrupted per hour, reaching 10,000 files in about six minutes.

- AI is not present at the point of impact: None of the 1,064 strains showed AI making choices about data at the destructive payload stage. Industry research from Palo Alto Networks and ReliaQuest places AI's current footprint earlier in the attack lifecycle, where it is compressing reconnaissance and lateral movement.

- The findings change the recovery equation: As ransomware moves beyond encryption and suppresses traditional signs of corruption, data that appears unaffected may not actually be clean. Organizations need to validate the integrity of their data before trusting it for recovery.

The research also found polymorphism at work in 64.7% of analyzed samples. These variants kept their functional code intact while regenerating their file signature between builds, so each new infection presented a fingerprint that signature-based tools have never previously seen.

At the data layer, the Lab documented variants that used partial encryption, preserved or faked timestamps and low-entropy corruption to shrink the visible footprint of an attack. These techniques evade detection that depends on entropy spikes or bursts of encryption activity.

"In our detonations, ransomware reached 10,000 files in about six minutes, which is faster than most Incident Response escalation paths," McGann added. "By the time a team moves to recovery, the question is which copy of the data can be trusted. CyberSense answers it with a forensic account of what was affected and pinpoints clean data to restore from."

Access the full CyberSense Research Lab report at www.indexengines.com

* Findings reflect variants acquired and detonated by the CyberSense Research Lab and are not an estimate of how often each technique appears in real-world attacks. Individual samples can exhibit multiple behaviors, so percentages reflect overlapping patterns.

About Index Engines

At Index Engines, we are experts in Cyber Resiliency, helping organizations build an infrastructure where trusted data is available and reliable. Our leading solution, CyberSense, provides a 99.99% SLA for detecting ransomware corruption. CyberSense empowers organizations to confidently navigate cyber challenges, mitigate risks, and quickly recover to normal business operations in the ever-evolving cyber landscape. For more information, visit www.indexengines.com.

SOURCE Index Engines

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Funding will help military relief societies provide critical assistance to service members, retirees, and their families

STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Philip Morris International's U.S. businesses (PMI U.S.) today announced $340,000 in donations to the four military relief societies: Air & Space Forces Aid Society, Army Emergency Relief, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, and Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. The organizations provide critical financial assistance and support services to active-duty service members, retirees, and families. This funding brings PMI U.S.'s total giving to these organizations to $1,220,000 and comes as an increasing number of service members are actively engaged in conflicts around the globe. New data shows only 31 percent of military families feel they're getting the support they need right now, highlighting the need for robust support systems.

Military relief societies serve as an essential safety net for service members and their families, providing emergency financial assistance, education support, disaster recovery resources, financial counseling, and other programs that help ensure military families can weather unexpected challenges while maintaining readiness and resilience. Examples of this support include covering transportation costs to bring service members home for the holidays, paying upfront funeral expenses before survivor benefits can be accessed, and providing basic amenities during stays at emergency locations.

"Military families often face financial hardships that arrive without warning, from natural disasters, medical emergencies, and other life-changing events to unexpected relocation expenses," said Marian Salzman, SVP of Corporate Development & Senior Advisor to the U.S. CEO, PMI U.S. "These organizations provide support to service members and their families in times of critical need, and we're honored to assist. Through these sustained partnerships, we can help ensure that those who have served our country—whether in uniform or at home—can access assistance when they need it most."

The latest contributions reflect PMI U.S.'s continued commitment to supporting organizations that deliver direct and targeted assistance to address critical needs of military communities nationwide. Donation amounts were allocated across the organizations based on factors including the scope of their service populations, program reach, and demonstrated needs. This funding will support a range of programs designed to address both emergency and long-term needs:

- Air & Space Forces Aid Society (AFAS): The donation will help Airmen, Guardians, and their dependents access critical support ranging from emergency financial assistance and disaster relief to educational opportunities and family-based programs that promote long-term stability.

- Army Emergency Relief (AER): This contribution will help Soldiers and their families navigate unexpected financial hardships through emergency assistance programs covering housing, utilities, medical expenses not covered by insurance, emergency travel, vehicle repairs, food, and scholarships.

- Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA): Funding will strengthen CGMA's network of financial wellness and emergency assistance programs, including interest-free loans, grants, counseling services, education support, and relief for Coast Guard families facing unforeseen challenges.

- Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS): The funding will advance the Society's mission of supporting Sailors, Marines, retirees, and their families through financial assistance, financial education, and personalized resources designed to foster lasting financial resilience.

PMI U.S.'s ongoing commitment to these societies follows its "pragmatic philanthropy" model of corporate giving, a commitment to practical, long-term partnerships that deliver meaningful impact, with emphasis on service members, veterans, and their families across the country.

About Air & Space Forces Aid Society

Air & Space Forces Aid Society (AFAS) is the official relief organization of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. Founded in 1942, AFAS provides financial assistance, scholarships & education support, family & community programs, and disaster relief to Airmen, Guardians, and their families.

For more information, visit www.afas.org.

About Army Emergency Relief

Army Emergency Relief is the official nonprofit of the U.S. Army with a mission of supporting active-duty Soldiers, retired Soldiers and their families in times of need. Established in 1942, AER continues to fulfill its commitment of empowering Soldiers and enhancing lives through grants, zero-interest loans and scholarships. AER's supports the well-being of Soldiers by helping alleviate financial stress and promoting economic stability through five areas of support: care during a crisis, basic needs and housing, health and wellness, workforce development and family support. Overall, AER supports over 30,000 Soldiers and families on an annual basis.

For more information, visit https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org.

About Coast Guard Mutual Assistance

Coast Guard Mutual Assistance is the official relief society of the U.S. Coast Guard. Founded and led by members of the Coast Guard community, CGMA has been Helping Our Own for more than 100 years. Today, more than 600 CGMA Representatives serve at over 140 locations around the world. CGMA provides grants, interest-free loans, and other assistance to help Coast Guard members and families navigate emergencies, disasters, education expenses, family needs, and other financial challenges.

Learn more at mycgma.org.

About Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

Founded in 1904, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) is a nonprofit military aid society that operates both ashore and afloat with more than 3,400 volunteers and 180 employees who assist active-duty and retired Sailors, Marines and their eligible family members during times of financial need. NMCRS provides a variety of financial, educational and other assistance and offers interest-free loans and grants for essential needs like food, rent, utilities, vehicle repairs, emergency transportation, disaster relief and more. NMCRS annually supports over 40,000 clients with more than $47 million in financial assistance. In 2025, over 211,000 active-duty and retired Sailors, Marines and their eligible family members received support through the various NMCRS programs and services. NMCRS' accessibility and personal interaction are major contributing factors to its success at its 213 locations around the globe. Its efficiency and effectiveness are recognized by its 4-star Charity Navigator rating and platinum rating for transparency with Candid.

For more information, visit www.nmcrs.org.

About PMI U.S.

Philip Morris International Inc.'s U.S. businesses are invested in America's future and advancing a smoke-free nation. The businesses are committed to providing the approximately 25 million legal-age consumers who smoke cigarettes with better, smoke-free alternatives and to ensuring the products are marketed responsibly. From PMI's global headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, and other locations nationwide, PMI U.S. contributes leadership, jobs, investment, and innovation in the U.S. The U.S. businesses employ more than 3,000 people across America and operate product manufacturing facilities, including in Aurora, Colorado; Owensboro, Kentucky; and Wilson, North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.uspmi.com.

References to "PMI" mean the Philip Morris International family of companies. "PMI U.S.," "we," "our," and "us" refer to one or more PMI U.S. businesses.

SOURCE PMI US Corporate Services, Inc.

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VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Canada News Group News Commentary - The global gold market was valued at US$291.68 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach US$400 billion by the end of 2030, a compound annual growth rate of 6.51% over 2025 to 2030, according to Virtue Market Research. How that growth gets financed is shifting, as producers and developers lean on streams, royalties, convertible bonds and gold-denominated loans alongside conventional equity and bank debt. Active Companies from around the markets with current developments this week include: Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. (TSXV: LVG) (OTCQB: LVGLF) (FSE: E1K), Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (NYSE: WPM), OR Royalties Inc. (NYSE: OR), Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (NYSE: HMY), and Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc (NYSE American: CMCL).

The supply side helps explain why capital keeps chasing new ounces. GlobalData forecasts global gold production growing at a compound annual rate of just 0.9% to reach 141.6 million ounces by 2030, a slow build against demand that continues to be led by the official sector. Central banks bought a net 288.9 tonnes in the second quarter of 2026, a 62% year-over-year increase and the strongest second quarter on record, and gold-backed ETFs took in $18 billion in August, the second-largest monthly inflow on record, according to the World Gold Council.

Prices have been less cooperative in the short run. Benchmark gold slipped about 3% to roughly US$4,149 an ounce on Monday and is down about 6.6% over the past month as Treasury yields rose and rate-hike expectations built, though it remains around 8% higher year over year, according to Trading Economics. For developers, that kind of volatility tends to show up in financing terms before it shows up in cash flow, which is one reason structures that share metal-price exposure with the capital provider have gained ground.

Tanzania offers a live example of a gold economy scaling quickly. Gold exports rose 37.4% to US$5.67 billion in the year to July 2026, making up 47.4% of goods export earnings, according to the Bank of Tanzania, and newer projects in the Lake Victoria Goldfield sit alongside established operations such as Barrick's Bulyanhulu Mine and AngloGold Ashanti's Geita Gold Mine.

Lake Victoria Gold Initiates First Land Compensation Programme at Tembo Over the Ngula 1 Deposit, Following a Maiden NI 43-101 Resource Next to Bulyanhulu

- Maiden NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate at Tembo: Inferred 13.33 Mt at 1.12 g/t Au for 480,100 ounces and Indicated 2.69 Mt at 1.16 g/t Au for 99,700 ounces.

- Higher-grade component at a 1.00 g/t cut-off of 331,700 Inferred ounces at 2.15 g/t and 68,600 Indicated ounces at 2.00 g/t.

- First land access programme at Tembo covers 111.32 acres directly over the Ngula 1 deposit, with completion targeted for early October 2026.

- Proposed toll-milling arrangement with Nyati Resources' 500-tonne-per-day plant advancing as a potential capital-efficient route to near-term production.

- At the separate Imwelo Gold Project, a gold loan facility of up to 6,000 ounces of gold, approximately US$25 million, is structured to be repaid in gold.

Lake Victoria Gold Ltd. (TSXV: LVG) (OTCQB: LVGLF) (FSE: E1K) is a Vancouver-based gold exploration and development company focused on Tanzania's Lake Victoria Goldfield. It holds a 100% interest in the Tembo Project, adjacent to Barrick's Bulyanhulu Mine, and a 100% interest in the fully permitted Imwelo Gold Project, west of AngloGold Ashanti's Geita Gold Mine.

On August 11, the Company announced the maiden NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate for Tembo, with an effective date of May 29, 2026. The estimate covers three near-surface deposits, Ngula 1, Nyakagwe Village and Nyakagwe East, reported within conceptual open-pit shells at a 0.25 g/t cut-off using a gold price of US$2,400/oz. It was prepared by independent Qualified Persons Noleen D. Pauls and Dean Richards of Obsidian Consulting Services.

Grade strengthens materially as the reporting cut-off rises. At 1.00 g/t, the estimate retains 4.79 Mt at 2.15 g/t for 331,700 Inferred ounces and 1.07 Mt at 2.00 g/t for 68,600 Indicated ounces, and at 1.50 g/t it holds 2.27 Mt at 3.18 g/t for 232,100 Inferred ounces. These sensitivity figures are subsets of the stated resource, not separate estimates. Ngula 1 hosts approximately 56% of the Inferred ounces and 63% of the Indicated ounces and is the focus of a planned close-spaced drilling program of approximately 4,000 to 5,000 metres on a 20 m by 20 m pattern.

The resource covers only three target areas on a 34 km² property where a 2020 integrated study by GoldSpot Discoveries Corp. identified and ranked 39 exploration targets, across four granted mining licences. Barrick's December 2021 acquisition of six of the Company's non-core licences, for US$6 million in cash plus up to US$45 million in ounce-based contingent payments, leaves LVG with continued exposure to that ground, although those payments depend on exploration and development success by Bulyanhulu Gold Mine Limited, which is outside the Company's control.

On September 16, the Company initiated the Phase 1 land valuation and compensation programme at Ngula Village, the first land access programme undertaken at Tembo. The programme covers 111.32 acres, 88.51 acres within the mining licence area of LVG's wholly owned Tanzanian subsidiary and 22.81 acres associated with primary mining licences held by Nyati Resources, and completion is targeted for early October 2026. The programme also supports the proposed toll-milling arrangement under which Nyati's 500-tonne-per-day processing plant would process material from Tembo, including Ngula 1, subject to confirmatory drilling, permitting, financing and the execution of a definitive agreement.

Marc Cernovitch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lake Victoria Gold, commented: "We are taking the playbook that has worked at Imwelo and applying it at Tembo, starting at Ngula 1 because that is where our resource is concentrated and where our next phase of work is directed."

"There is no urgency forcing this. That is exactly the point. Doing land access properly, through the district authorities and the statutory valuation process, takes as long as it takes, and the way you avoid that becoming a problem is to start it early and run it transparently. We have the community and the district engaged from day one, and we intend to keep it that way."

Tembo runs as a second track alongside Imwelo, the Company's fully permitted near-term development priority, and the financing behind Imwelo reflects the broader shift in how developers are raising capital. LVG has announced a gold loan facility with Monetary Metals & Co. of up to 6,000 ounces of gold, approximately US$25 million, structured to be repaid in gold rather than cash, together with a convertible debenture financing that was later upsized to $5 million. On September 24, the Company also identified a preferred processing route for Imwelo's near-surface weathered material, with attrition scrubbing and desliming lifting 24-hour gold extraction on the pretreated fraction from 49.99% to 84.54% in agitated-leach testing.

There are several risks associated with the Company's plans. The Company has not completed a preliminary economic assessment, pre-feasibility study or feasibility study for Tembo, no Mineral Reserves have been estimated, and Mineral Resources do not have demonstrated economic viability. Inferred Mineral Resources carry a lower level of confidence, and it cannot be assumed that any part will be upgraded. The Nyati toll-milling arrangement is not yet a definitive agreement, land compensation timing depends on district authorities, and mineralization at Bulyanhulu is not necessarily indicative of mineralization at Tembo. At Imwelo, JORC-compliant studies are not current under NI 43-101 and any production decision would not be based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves. Financing remains subject to its terms and conditions. Readers should review the Company's filings under its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Read this and more news from this sector at: https://canadanewsgroup.com

In other industry developments and happenings in the market this week include:

Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. (NYSE: WPM) reported in its second quarter 2026 MD&A that, effective April 1, 2026, it receives a combined 67.5% of all silver produced from Antamina, up from the 33.75% delivered under the pre-existing Glencore silver stream, with the transaction funded in part through a new $1.5 billion two-year term loan. Net debt stood at $1.9 billion at June 30, and 2026 attributable production guidance remains 860,000 to 940,000 gold equivalent ounces.

Streams are also showing up on new African builds. Wheaton's first quarter report noted that Montage Gold anticipates first gold pour through the oxide circuit at its Koné project in late Q4 2026, with the hard-rock comminution circuit on track for Q2 2027. Subsequent to the second quarter, Wheaton made an additional $44 million upfront payment related to its El Domo stream, and the company hosted an Investor Day webcast on September 16 led by President and CEO Haytham Hodaly.

OR Royalties Inc. (NYSE: OR) reported a 62% year-over-year increase in second quarter 2026 revenues and cash flows from operations, with 96.8% of revenues converting to cash margin, and said its royalty, stream and other interests grew to $1.48 billion at June 30 from $1.14 billion at year-end 2025. The company has continued share repurchases under its normal course issuer bid and raised its quarterly dividend by 18% in May to US$0.065 per share.

On September 23, OR Royalties provided an asset portfolio briefing highlighting first gold production at Cuiú Cuiú and imminent gold production at Amulsar. Earlier in the year, the company closed an additional 1.

New 200 MW solar project will help power New Mexico industry while supporting local conservation efforts

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ørsted today announced the start of construction on Blackwater Solar, a 200 MW solar farm in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, marking the company's first project in the state. The company also announced a $100,000 contribution to Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) to support the restoration and conservation of local wetlands near the project site.

Located between Portales and Clovis, Blackwater Solar will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 56,000 homes annually within the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) territory. The project is backed by a long-term power purchase agreement that will help meet growing industrial electricity demand in New Mexico. In addition, Ørsted sourced solar panels for the project from domestic manufacturer First Solar, supporting American energy production and manufacturing. The project is expected to reach commercial operations date in late 2027.

"Blackwater Solar marks an exciting first chapter for Ørsted in New Mexico," said Melissa Peterson, President of Americas Onshore at Ørsted. "Blackwater Solar will generate affordable, homegrown energy while creating long-term benefits for the local area. We are honored to make our first investment in the state and look forward to being a dedicated partner to the Roosevelt County community for years to come."

As part of its commitment to being a responsible community partner and steward of the land where it operates, Ørsted is contributing $100,000 to Playa Lakes Joint Venture to restore wetlands near Melrose, New Mexico. The project will help conserve an 8.8 acre playa, a natural resource that is important to the region's wildlife and water resources. This effort builds on Ørsted's previous partnership with PLJV in West Texas, where the company's support helped restore more than 700 acres of playa habitat across five counties. Eastern New Mexico is home to more than 2,100 playas, which serve as important water resources and wildlife habitat across the region.

"Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) is committed to working with a diverse group of partners to conserve natural resources for the benefit of both people and wildlife," PLJV Coordinator Rich Schultheis said. "We appreciate not only Ørsted's financial commitment to restoring these critical wetlands, but also the shared understanding of the importance of maintaining biodiversity. It is rewarding to see Ørsted supporting bird habitat restoration and increasing the biological function of playas."

Blackwater Solar and the accompanying conservation investment reflect Ørsted's approach to meeting growing electricity demand while creating lasting environmental and economic benefits in the communities where it operates. In addition to the conservation investment, Blackwater Solar is expected to contribute nearly $18 million in property tax revenue to Roosevelt County over its operating life, helping support local schools, infrastructure, first responders, and other public resources.

About Ørsted

Ørsted's Americas Onshore business encompasses over 6 gigawatts of wind, solar, and battery storage capacity in operation across eight states. The company is one of the largest multi-technology independent power producers in the U.S., partnering with landowners and local communities to deliver affordable, reliable energy. Supported by a team of approximately 250 employees, the business develops, constructs, and operates projects serving utilities and corporate offtakers with long-term power agreements. To learn more about Ørsted in the U.S., visit us.orsted.com or follow the company on X (@OrstedUS), Instagram, and Facebook.

SOURCE Orsted

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Digital tool draws on extensive laboratory separation data to help sugar and sweetener producers identify best-fit DuPont™ AmberLite™ chromatography resins for Food & Beverage ingredient applications.

WILMINGTON, Del., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DuPont (NYSE: DD) today launched the DuPont Sugar Separation Advisor, an interactive digital tool designed to help sugar and sweetener manufacturers quickly evaluate chromatographic separation potential and identify candidate DuPont™ AmberLite™ resins for further testing. DuPont™ AmberLite™ chromatography resins play a critical role in producing many of the sugars and sweeteners used in food and beverage products around the world.

Built upon decades of chromatography application expertise and years of experimental separation data, the tool provides an accessible starting point for customers seeking to recover and purify target sugars and sweeteners from complex feed streams, making DuPont's chromatography knowledge more readily available to customers evaluating new separation opportunities.

"Selecting the right resin is an important early step in developing an effective sugar separation process," said Shane Kendra, Global Market Leader for Food and Beverage and Healthcare, DuPont Water Solutions. "The DuPont Sugar Separation Advisor makes our chromatography knowledge and laboratory data easier to access, helping customers focus testing on our most promising resin candidates and have more productive conversations with our technical experts."

The DuPont Sugar Separation Advisor helps simplify the early stages of separation evaluation. Users select the sugar or sweetener they want to recover or purify, add up to four additional sugars or impurities to represent their feed stream, and generate a predicted chromatogram based on experimental separation data. Based upon the information provided by the user, the platform then provides a qualitative separation assessment and suggests candidate DuPont™ AmberLite™ chromatography resins for the user's further evaluation. By helping users quickly identify promising resin options, the tool can support more focused laboratory testing and provide a faster path to process development decisions.

Sugar and sweetener manufacturers produce ingredients used in a wide range of applications. As producers diversify product portfolios to keep up with consumer trends and maximize value from existing feedstocks, evaluating new chromatographic separations has become increasingly important for applications ranging from high-fructose corn syrup and beet sugar processing to rare sugars, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and sugar alcohols. Determining whether a target compound can be effectively separated is often one of the earliest challenges in process development.

DuPont™ AmberLite™ chromatography resins help producers recover and purify target sugars and sweeteners with high yield and low dilution. The portfolio includes resin options for established and emerging applications, including high-fructose corn syrup, beet sugar, dextrose enrichment, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, high-purity sugars, polyols, and rare sugars.

DuPont developed the tool in response to recurring customer questions about separations involving sugars and sweeteners such as allulose, tagatose, sorbitol, oligosaccharides, xylose, and inositol. The resource builds on benchmarking work conducted by DuPont scientists and displays laboratory-generated separation data for relevant sugar and resin combinations, helping users assess resin performance in application-relevant separation scenarios. It does not use a theoretical model to predict performance beyond the available experimental evidence.

The DuPont Sugar Separation Advisor is available through DuPont's Resource Center Premium, which provides free access to digital tools and technical resources with registration. After using the tool, customers should work with DuPont technical experts to evaluate their specific feed composition, process conditions, location, operating requirements, and validation needs before making a final resin selection.

Learn more about DuPont solutions for sugar and sweetener processing: https://www.dupont.com/water/applications/sugar-and-sweetener-processing.html

The tool can be found at https://lifesciences-tools.dupont.com/sugar-chromatography.

About DuPont

DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader, providing advanced solutions that help transform industries and improve everyday life across our key markets of healthcare, water, construction, and industrial. More information about the company, its businesses and solutions can be found at www.dupont.com. Investors can access information included on the Investor Relations section of the website at investors.dupont.com.

DuPont™, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with ™, ℠ or ® are owned by affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. unless otherwise noted.

SOURCE DuPont

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Fray: Washington, D.C., Phoenix and Jacksonville

Founded in 2009 as United Social Sports, Fray launched in Washington, D.C. with skeeball leagues before expanding into recreational sports more broadly: nearly two decades of operating history that made it, until now, one of Volo's largest competitors in the D.C. market. Fray operates leagues across three cities: Washington, D.C. Fray (over 20,000 player registrations annually), Phoenix Fray (over 9,000 player registrations annually) and Jacksonville Fray (over 9,000 player registrations annually).

"For nearly two decades, our mission at Fray has been simple: to make fun possible by creating more opportunities for people to connect, compete and play. Joining Volo creates an opportunity to carry that mission forward on a larger scale and help connect more people to the communities and experiences we've worked to build," said Robert Kinsler, Founder and CEO of United Fray.

This marks Volo's first entry into Phoenix and Jacksonville, entirely new geography for the company, particularly in the South, while deepening its already-established presence in Washington, D.C., including a meaningful expansion into Virginia across the DMV. In Jacksonville, Fray's leagues run across neighborhoods including Murray Hill, Southside, The Beaches, Arlington, Downtown, San Marco, Springfield and Town Center; in Phoenix, they span Arcadia, Avondale, Downtown Phoenix, Mesa, North Scottsdale, Scottsdale and Tempe.

CLUBWAKA: Miami

CLUBWAKA Miami is a recreational sports organization known for its kickball and sand volleyball leagues, running primarily out of Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood at venues including Peacock Park, and David T. Kennedy Park. The acquisition is especially impactful for Volo: Coconut Grove is home to a young, active crowd surrounded by bars and restaurants that sits squarely within Volo's target demographic, and the deal adds established field space and an experienced player base to Volo's existing Miami operation.

"CLUBWAKA Miami started as a way to bring fun people together playing fun games and that's still exactly what our Coconut Grove leagues do every week. Continuity is what matters most to us in this partnership — the players keep the same fields, seasons, and crew they know and love while picking up everything else Volo is building around it," said David Lowry, CEO of CLUBWAKA. 

CLUBWAKA Miami players can expect their current leagues, seasons and registrations to continue without interruption, while gaining access to more ways to play, including pickup games, drop-ins, additional sports, Volo Pass membership and easy access through the Volo app.

"Fray and CLUBWAKA Miami are two of the strongest operators in the category, exactly the kind of proven, community-built growth we look for as we scale nationally. Together, they bring an abundance of players into new and existing markets, and our focus now is building on what they've already created, extending that same sense of belonging to more people, in more cities, who are looking for the chance to be part of something real," said Giovanni Marcantoni, Founder and CEO of Volo Sports.

Volo Sports was founded in 2010, when Giovanni Marcantoni launched a single bocce league in Baltimore, built around the idea that people crave real, in-person connection, especially now, as loneliness, digital burnout and dating app fatigue push many to look for it elsewhere. That single league has since grown into leagues, drop-ins and pickup games across kickball, volleyball, pickleball, soccer, softball and more, and today's acquisitions mark the latest step in that same trajectory: turning a local rec league into a national platform.

That growth also funds real results: when players participate in Volo programs, it helps to power the mission of the Volo Kids Foundation, Volo's nonprofit partner, which has provided completely free youth sports programming to kids regardless of a family's ability to pay, totaling more than 108,000 player registrations to date. As Volo Sports expands into Phoenix and Jacksonville, Volo Kids Foundation will follow, bringing the same free programming to families in both new markets and continuing the model of adult league growth supporting kids' access.

The Fray and CLUBWAKA Miami acquisitions follow Volo's 2025 acquisition of ZogSports, which added new neighborhoods within New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and San Jose and marked Volo's entry into Los Angeles, as well as Hoboken and Jersey City within New Jersey. That strategy was backed by an investment from Bluestone Equity Partners secured in November 2024, earmarked specifically for acquisition-driven growth, part of a broader effort to consolidate what remains a highly fragmented recreational sports industry.

About Volo Sports

Volo Sports is one of the largest providers of community-focused adult recreational sports in the U.S., operating across 17 major markets nationwide. Founded in 2010, the company has grown from a single bocce league into leagues, drop-ins and pickup games across kickball, volleyball, pickleball, soccer, softball, and more. Volo's mission is to create the opportunity for a fulfilled life through genuine communities and access to activity, grounded in the belief that sports make better humans. In cooperation with its nonprofit partner, the Volo Kids Foundation, the organization provides free, high-quality youth sports programming nationwide through the philosophy, "We play so kids play free." For more information visit https://www.volosports.com/ and https://volokids.org/.

SOURCE Volo Sports

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Mews Selected by Accor to Standardize F&B Technology Across Global Portfolio

With Mews POS already live across more than 850 Accor properties in 20+ countries, Mews is supporting Accor's strategy to elevate and modernize F&B technology across its global portfolio

PARIS, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mews, the operating system for hospitality, today announced the expansion of its food & beverage (F&B) technology deployment for Accor's Premium, Midscale and Economy portfolio. Mews POS (point-of-sale) is already live across more than 850 properties in 20+ countries.

F&B is a strategic business driver across the Accor estate as a source of total revenue growth for hotels. As Accor continues to strengthen its food & beverage offering across its Luxury, Lifestyle, Premium, Midscale and Economy portfolios, standardizing the technology that supports these operations has become a strategic priority to improve operational efficiency. Modern POS solutions help properties streamline operations, optimize costs, improve inventory management, and gain greater visibility through real-time reporting.

Property teams get one system for ordering, menu management, inventory and real-time reporting - cloud-native, mobile-first, and built to go-live fast, with an average support response time in under one hour.

"For our hotels, F&B is a fantastic revenue driver and a powerful engine to drive guest loyalty," said Jean Noel Lau Keng Lun, Chief Distribution Officer at Accor. "Following the rationalization of our CRS, PMS, RMS, MICE and payment systems, we are now set to streamline our F&B technology stack. As part of this strategy, we are establishing a new F&B Technology Program with a curated panel of preferred solutions available to our properties to help them maximize total revenue and integrate dining experiences deeper into our Loyalty ecosystem. I am pleased to welcome Mews as the first Partner joining this program."

"No two properties can run exactly the same F&B operation. Brand Dining Concepts perform even better when relevant to local demand and culture, and adapted to the specific context of each property," added Richard Valtr, Founder of Mews. "Mews POS is built for that reality: quick to deploy and run without dedicated IT support and adaptable enough to fit both Brand Dining Concept and the local operational situation. Mews POS differs from standalone POS solutions because it features a world–class Open API and, like the rest of Mews OS, belongs to an open ecosystem rather than a silo, enabling Accor to connect F&B operations to their broader guest loyalty journey."

About Mews

Mews is the operating system for hospitality, unifying workflows across revenue, operations and the guest journey so teams can automate the mundane and focus on memorable guest experiences. The Mews platform spans PMS, POS, RMS, Housekeeping and Payments, helping hoteliers move from property management to profit management. Powering 15,000 customers across 85 countries, the company was named Best PMS (2024, 2025, 2026), Best POS (2026) and listed among the Best Places to Work in Hotel Tech for six years running by Hotel Tech Report.

Media contact: [email protected]

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