The metals reveal: The Bronze Age was more connected than we previously thought

In connection with the research project Metals & Giants, an international research team has shed new light on the metal trade in the Bronze Age

Aarhus University

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Close up of a Nuragic bronzetti, a bronze statuette of circa 10 cm height with the typical horned helmet and the welcoming hand symbol. The bronzetti was found at the Bronze Age sanctuary of Abini in central Sardinia.

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Credit: by Heide W. Nørgaard with permission of the Museo Archaeologica Nazionale di Caglairi.

In the Bronze Age, the so-called Nuraghe culture flourished in Sardinia. A culture that is known for tower-like stone constructions, nuraghers, and for the small bronze figures, bronzetti, which often depict warriors, gods and animals. These figures have fascinated scientists, but their exact metallic origins have been unknown.

To find out where the copper in these figures came from, the research team used a new scientific method called a multi-proxy approach (a combination of different chemical analyses). Here, they compared isotopes of copper, tin, lead and a rarer isotope called osmium to get a clearer picture of the origin of the metals. The method, developed at the Curt-Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry in Mannheim, has made it possible to solve a puzzle that has puzzled researchers for years.

"The results show that bronzetti was primarily made from copper from Sardinia, sometimes mixed with copper from the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal). The study also revealed that copper from the Levant – places like Timna in Israel and Faynan in Jordan – was not used in Sardinia, which was only made clear by looking at osmium isotopes," says first author Daniel Berger from the Curt-Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry, who developed the new method, performed the analyses and provided the basic interpretation.

Collaboration between natural science and archaeology
While Daniel Berger emphasizes how the new method of isotope analyses provides a clear picture of the geographical origin of copper, Helle Vandkilde points to the collaboration between natural science and archaeology.

"Archaeological methods establish a strong foundation that the latest scientific methods can refine and explain. This will bring old discussions to an end. In our case, the very latest geochemical knowledge points to the origin of the metal in specific geographical areas and certain mines. It is also possible in several cases to trace a strategic mix of copper with different origins; Presumably to achieve certain effects such as the product's colour and strength," says Professor Helle Vandkilde from Aarhus University.

The researchers also examined three of the largest Nuraghian shrines, all of which produced bronzetti, and discovered that the metal used at each site was very similar. This suggests that there was a common approach to the production of these objects throughout the island.

According to the research group, it is interesting that although Sardinia has local sources of tin and lead, they were not used in the figurines. The tin to be used to make bronze must have been imported, probably from the Iberian Peninsula, based on the isotope signatures of bronzetti and the chemical patterns of Sardinian tin objects.

"Having the opportunity to analyse the famous bronze figures from Sardinia is an important step towards understanding how the island has been a central piece of the metal trade during the Bronze Age. The shape and execution of the figures fit into the material culture of the period, and yet they contain stylistic features that feel amazingly familiar to us in southern Scandinavia. We only have to think of the Viksø helmets or the warriors on our petroglyphs wearing helmets adorned with horns. With new knowledge about where the metal for these figures came from, we are now one step closer to mapping the connections between Sardinia and Scandinavia," says Associate Professor at Moesgaard Heide Wrobel Nørgaard.

A Nordic connection
Field studies in collaboration between Aarhus University and Moesgaard Museum have demonstrated hitherto unknown connections between Sardinia and the Nordic countries in the Bronze Age 1000-800 BC.

Iconic horned helmets, which we know from Viksø, Kallerup, Grevensvænge and Tanum, also appear in Sardinia, both in miniature and giant formats. In both places, these unique horn-helmeted figures are found.

 

The warior bronzetti from Abini, central Sardinia. Most bronzetti are shown with a weapon set consisting of differnet combinations. This bronzetti is part of the archer group and features a sword, bow, arrows, and elements of body armour, including the typical horned helmet. These horned helmets are worn by warrior statuettes.

A bronzetti picturing another kind of warrior found in the sanctuary of Santa Vittoria di Serri in central Sardinia. This warrior type is only shown with a dagger and has a long, wide cloak. The hands of this bronzetti are broken; however, based on similar bronzetti, it might have shown the open hand gesture. 

Credit

picture by Heide W. Nørgaard with permission of the Museo Archaeologica Nazionale di Caglairi.

Facts about the research project

• The project 'Metals & Giants' is supported by the Augustinus Foundation.
• The project is a collaboration between Aarhus University, Moesgaard, the Curt-Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry (Mannheim) and Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la Città Metropolitana di Cagliari e le province di Oristano.
• First author: Daniel Berger (Curt-Engelhorn Center for Archaeometry), has developed the new method for determining the origin of copper, performed the analyses and was responsible for the basic interpretation.
• Additional archaeological research contributions come from Aarhus University (Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies) and Moesgaard represented by Professor Helle Vandkilde, Associate Professor Heide Wrobel Nørgaard and Postdoc Nicola Ialongo.

Read more in the scientific article"Multiproxy analysis unwraps origin and fabrication biographies of Sardinian figurines: On the trail of metal-driven interaction and mixing practises in the early first millennium BCE

 

 

Sardinia | Italy, Map, History, People, & Points of Interest | Britannica

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DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0328268 

Article Title

Multiproxy analysis unwraps origin and fabrication biographies of Sardinian figurines: On the trail of metal-driven interaction and mixing practices in the early first millennium BCE

Article Publication Date

10-Sep-2025

New evidence of long-distance travelers in Seddin during the Bronze Age

University of Gothenburg

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Recent research suggests that many of the Bronze Age people buried in Seddin, Germany, were not locals but came from outside the region. While archaeologists had previously uncovered artefacts from other parts of Europe around Seddin, this new study reveals that people themselves travelled and settled in Seddin.

This is the first bioarchaeological investigation on human skeletal remains from the Seddin area. While studying archaeological artefacts can reveal trade and exchange between different areas, it cannot determine whether this was accompanied by human travel. This new study sheds light on how people travelled around Europe during the Bronze Age.

”We were able to address this knowledge gap for the elite population at Seddin by investigating their skeletal remains, and identifying that their chemical composition was foreign to the region. However, the investigated individuals generally came from outstanding burial mounds, meaning that our results are not representative of the general populous, only the elites.”, says Dr. Anja Frank, who has lead the study.

The study is the result of an international collaboration including researchers and archaeologists from the University of Gothenburg. The study concludes that Seddin—with its monumental burial mounds—must have been a significant hub of international connections between 900 and 700 BCE.

” This is reflected in the fact that most buried individuals show a non-local, foreign strontium signature”, says professor Kristian Kristiansen, University of Gothenburg.

”The strontium signatures of most of the buried individuals point both to south Scandinavia as well as Central Europe, and possible northern Italy.  This is in good accordance with the archaeological knowledge that shows intensified trade between these regions”.  

How the research was conducted
The international and interdisciplinary team analysed cremated remains from five Late Bronze Age burial sites around Seddin, including the 9th-century BCE Wickbold I mound, for their strontium isotope composition. Dr. Anja Frank explains how strontium isotopes can track past mobility. To determine whether a person is local or non-local, their strontium isotope composition needs to be compared to a reference baseline. For this purpose, the strontium isotope composition of the surrounding area of Seddin was defined using different environmental materials, including archaeological soil and surface waters.

“We measured strontium isotopes in the inner ear bones found within elite cremation burials. The inner ear bone is formed in early childhood and resistant to change after, even during cremation. During it’s formation the bone incorporates the strontium composition of our food and, due to its robustness, “safes” it”, says Dr. Anja Frank.

Hence, if the strontium isotope composition of the inner ear bone of a Bronze Age individual does not match the strontium isotope composition found in the environment around the settlement they were buried in, meaning the area food was sourced from, they can be identified as non-local to the area.

“Identifying the area of origin is less straight forward, as multiple areas can have the same strontium composition, thus, we identified multiple, which were narrowed down further using the archaeological record”, says Anja Frank.

Kristian Kristiansen and Serena Sabatini, both archaeologists from the University of Gothenburg have participated in the study. The study is published in PLOS One as open access: “ A Late Bronze Age foreign elite? Investigating mobility patterns at Seddin, Germany”

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0330390

Facts

The study was conducted in collaboration with archaeologists, archaeometrists and geochemists from the University of Gothenburg, the National Museum of Denmark, the University of Copenhagen, the Brandenburgisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologisches Landesmuseum and the Eurasia-Department of the Deutschen Archäologbischen Instituts und Facts.

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Journal

PLOS One

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0330390 

Method of Research

Case study

Subject of Research

Human tissue samples

Article Title

A Late Bronze Age foreign elite? Investigating mobility patterns at Seddin, Germany

Article Publication Date

10-Sep-2025

 

Researchers revive the pinhole camera for next-gen infrared imaging

Lens-free system delivers clear mid-infrared images in low light and across long distances, opening possibilities for better night vision, industrial inspection and environmental monitoring

Optica

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Researchers use laser light to form a tiny “optical pinhole” inside a nonlinear crystal, which also turns the infrared image into a visible image that a traditional silicon-based camera sensor can detect. With this setup, the researchers captured clear, wide-depth images without using any lenses, even in very low light.

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Credit: Kun Huang, East China Normal University

WASHINGTON — Researchers have used the centuries-old idea of pinhole imaging to create a high-performance mid-infrared imaging system without lenses. The new camera can capture extremely clear pictures over a large range of distances and in low light, making it useful for situations that are challenging for traditional cameras.

“Many useful signals are in the mid-infrared, such as heat and molecular fingerprints, but cameras working at these wavelengths are often noisy, expensive or require cooling,” said research team leader Heping Zeng from East China Normal University. “Moreover, traditional lens-based setups have a limited depth of field and need careful design to minimize optical distortions. We developed a high-sensitivity, lens-free approach that delivers a much larger depth of field and field of view than other systems.”

In Optica, Optica Publishing Group’s journal for high-impact research, the researchers describe how they use light to form a tiny “optical pinhole” inside a nonlinear crystal, which also turns the infrared image into a visible one. Using this setup, they acquired clear mid-infrared images with a depth of field of over 35 cm and a field of view of more than 6 cm. They were also able to use the system to acquire 3D images.

“This approach can enhance night-time safety, industrial quality control and environmental monitoring,” said research team member Kun Huang from East China Normal University. “And because it uses simpler optics and standard silicon sensors, it could eventually make infrared imaging systems more affordable, portable and energy efficient. It can even be applied with other spectral bands such as the far-infrared or terahertz wavelengths, where lenses are hard to make or perform poorly.”

Pinhole imaging reimagined

Pinhole imaging is one of the oldest image-making methods, first described by the Chinese philosopher Mozi in the 4th century BC. A traditional pinhole camera works by letting light pass through a tiny hole in a lightproof box, projecting an inverted image of the outside scene onto the opposite surface inside. Unlike lens-based imaging, pinhole imaging avoids distortion, has an infinite depth of field and works across a wide range of wavelengths.

To bring these advantages to a modern infrared imaging system, the researchers used an intense laser to form an optical hole, or artificial aperture, inside a nonlinear crystal. Because of its special optical properties, the crystal converts the infrared image into visible light, so that a standard silicon camera can record it.

The researchers say that the use of a specially designed crystal with a chirped-period structure, which can accept light rays from a broad range of directions, was key to achieving a large field of view. Also, the upconversion detection method naturally suppresses noise, which allows it to work even in very low light conditions.

“Lensless nonlinear pinhole imaging is a practical way to achieve distortion-free, large-depth, wide-field-of-view mid-infrared imaging with high sensitivity,” said Huang. “The ultrashort synchronized laser pulses also provide a built-in ultrafast optical time gate that can be used for sensitive, time-of-flight depth imaging, even with very few photons.”

After figuring out that an optical pinhole radius of about 0.20 mm produced sharp, well-defined details, the researchers used this aperture size to image targets that were 11 cm, 15 cm and 19 cm away. They achieved sharp imaging at the mid-infrared wavelength of 3.07 μm, across all the distances, confirming a large depth range. They were also able to keep images sharp for objects placed up to 35 cm away, demonstrating a large depth of field.

3D imaging without lenses

The investigators then used their setup for two types of 3D imaging. For 3D time-of-flight imaging, they imaged a matte ceramic rabbit by using synchronized ultrafast pulses as an optical gate and were able to reconstruct the 3D shape with micron-level axial precision. Even when the input was reduced to about 1.5 photons per pulse — simulating very low-light conditions — the method still produced 3D images after correlation-based denoising.

They also performed two-snapshot depth imaging by taking two pictures of a stacked “ECNU” target at slightly different object distances and using those to calculate the true sizes and depths. With this method, they were able to measure the depth of the objects over a range of about 6 centimeters, without using complex pulsed timing techniques.

The researchers note that the mid-infrared nonlinear pinhole imaging system is still a proof-of-concept that requires a relatively complex and bulky laser setup. However, as new nonlinear materials and integrated light sources are developed, the technology should become far more compact and easier to deploy.

They are now working to make the system faster, more sensitive and adaptable to different imaging scenarios. Their plans include boosting conversion efficiency, adding dynamic control to reshape the optical pinhole for different scenes, and extending the camera’s operation across a wider mid-infrared range.

Paper: Y. Li, K. Huang, J. Fang, Z. Wei, H. Zeng, “Mid-infrared nonlinear pinhole imaging,” 12, 1478-1485 (2025).

DOI: 10.1364/OPTICA.566042.

Imaging with a large depth of field [VIDEO] 

The video shows the mid-infrared imaging system capturing clear images of a resolution test target as it is moved 9 cm away, demonstrating the large depth-of-field capability of the lensless configuration.

Credit

Kun Huang, East China Normal University

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Journal

Optica

DOI

10.1364/OPTICA.566042 

Article Title

Mid-infrared nonlinear pinhole imaging

About Optica Publishing Group

Optica Publishing Group is a division of the society, Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide. It publishes the largest collection of peer-reviewed and most-cited content in optics and photonics, including 18 prestigious journals, the society’s flagship member magazine, and papers and videos from more than 835 conferences. With over 400,000 journal articles, conference papers and videos to search, discover and access, our publications portfolio represents the full range of research in the field from around the globe.

About Optica

Optica is an open-access journal dedicated to the rapid dissemination of high-impact peer-reviewed research across the entire spectrum of optics and photonics. Published monthly by Optica Publishing Group, the Journal provides a forum for pioneering research to be swiftly accessed by the international community, whether that research is theoretical or experimental, fundamental or applied. Optica maintains a distinguished editorial board of more than 60 associate editors from around the world and is overseen by Editor-in-Chief Prem Kumar, Northwestern University, USA. For more information, visit Optica.

 

Gender gap in Africa’s water leadership undermines fair policymaking

A new analysis by UN University scientists reveals that African women remain significantly underrepresented in key leadership positions in water sector across the continent

United Nations University

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This figure presents two bar charts comparing the representation of women and men in leadership roles across five African sub-regions: North, East, Central, West, and Southern Africa. Each region displays a stark gender disparity, with men consistently occupying the majority of leadership positions. Women’s representation ranges from 11% in Central Africa to 20% in West and Southern Africa. Error bars indicate variability across countries within each region, emphasizing both the persistent gender gap and regional differences in progress toward inclusive leadership in water governance. [Source: UNU-INWEH]

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Credit: United Nations University Instiute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH)

A new analysis by UN University scientists reveals that African women remain significantly underrepresented in key leadership positions in the water sector across the continent 

Richmond Hill, Canada – 11 September 2025: Women experience major consequences from water scarcity and pollution. Across the world, many women and girls lose education and employment opportunities due to spending long hours fetching water. They also face major health and safety risks due to lack of access to safe water to satisfy their menstrual and hygiene needs. Yet they remain underrepresented in leadership and decision-making in water governance, leaving policies disconnected from the realities they face. 

A new publication by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) finds that women remain significantly underrepresented in water governance across Africa. The analysis reveals that only 17% of national ministries responsible for water in Africa are led by women. Moreover, just one out of eleven transboundary water organizations are headed by a woman, highlighting the absence of women’s voices in regional cooperation and decision-making on shared water resources. At the academic level, only 13% of universities offering water science programs are led by women, further highlighting their underrepresentation in the field. 

“These figures confirm that women in Africa are often left out of key leadership positions in the water sector, which may lead to policies that fail to fully address their health and sanitation needs,” said Professor Grace Oluwasanya, lead author of the publication and Senior Researcher at UNU-INWEH. “This means that commitments to gender equality in water governance have not been fully realized, and urgent efforts are needed to ensure women have a decisive role in decision-making.”  

The authors note that the gender gap in Africa’s water sector is driven by social and institutional barriers. These include traditional gender bias and limited access to technical education, which restrict women’s opportunities to reach leadership roles. The analysis also identifies limited networking, weak mentorship, and restrictive recruitment and promotion practices as obstacles to women’s advancement.  

Overcoming these barriers is essential for achieving effective, inclusive, and sustainable water management across Africa. The publication recommends practical steps such as introducing gender quotas with support systems, expanding scholarships and mentorship opportunities, ensuring transparent and inclusive recruitment and promotion practices, and strengthening regional networks and funding mechanisms that prioritize gender equality. 

“Excluding women from leadership weakens governance and undermines progress on water security and the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Professor Kaveh Madani, Director of UNU-INWEH and the co-author of the publication. “Africa cannot afford to leave out key stakeholders in water governance. Women must be equally represented in shaping policies and decisions that directly impact them.” 

Several African countries have already begun to challenge the gender imbalance in water leadership. For instance, Kenya’s Water Services Regulatory Board introduced guidelines requiring at least 33% female representation on utility boards, and Uganda’s National Water and Sewerage Corporation introduced leadership programs for women in the sector. Although these steps are promising, their long-term impact is still uncertain. 

“Achieving gender balance in water leadership demands a transformative shift in behavior—one that challenges entrenched norms and recognizes that leadership qualities are not inherently gendered,” said Professor Oluwasanya. “Men, in particular, have a vital role to play as champions of change, by embracing inclusive practices such as equitable recruitment, promotion, and pay parity for comparable roles.” 
 

Key Findings:  

• Women head only 17% of national ministries responsible for water and sanitation in Africa. 

• By sub-region, leadership of women is highest in West and Southern Africa (20%), followed by North Africa (17%), East Africa (14%), and Central Africa (11%). 

• Women lead 11% of government-owned and 15% of privately-owned higher education institutions offering water science across Africa, averaging 13% overall. 

• Only one of eleven transboundary water organizations in Africa is led by a woman. 

• Women hold 9–24% of leadership roles across water sector domains, with representation highest in low-income countries (24%), compared to 15% in upper-middle-income and 10% in lower-middle-income economies. 

 

Read the publication: Oluwasanya, G., Omoniyi, A., Nunbogu, A., Qadir, M., Madani, K. (2025). Women in African Water Leadership: Numbers Don’t Lie. United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, doi: 10.53328/INR25GRP002 

 

This map of Africa visually distinguishes countries based on the presence of women in leadership roles within national ministries overseeing water and sanitation. Countries shaded in pink represent those with a notable footprint of female leadership, while those in blue indicate limited or no representation. The figure highlights regional disparities, with southern and select western African nations showing stronger female leadership presence, underscoring both progress and persistent gaps in gender inclusion across the continent’s water governance landscape. [Source: UNU-INWEH]

Credit

UNU-INWEH

About UNU-INWEH 

 

The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) is one of 13 institutions comprising the United Nations University (UNU), the academic arm of the United Nations. Established in 1996 through an agreement with the Government of Canada, UNU-INWEH, also known as the UN's Think Tank on Water is headquartered in the City of Richmond Hill, Ontario. UNU-INWEH specializes in addressing critical global security and development challenges at the intersection of water, environment, and health. Through research, capacity development, policy engagement, and knowledge dissemination, the institute bridges the gap between scientific evidence and the practical needs of policymakers and UN member states, with particular attention to low and middle-income countries. By collaborating with a diverse array of partners—including UN agencies, governments, academia, the private sector, and civil society—UNU-INWEH develops solutions that advance human security, resilience, and sustainability worldwide. 

 

 

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DOI

10.53328/INR25GRP002 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Women in Africa’s Water Leadership: Numbers Don’t Lie

Article Publication Date

11-Sep-2025

Claims now open in $500-million bread price-fixing class action settlement

By The Canadian Press
September 11, 2025 

A worker re-stocks shelves in the bakery and bread aisle at an Atlantic Superstore grocery in Halifax, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly Clark

TORONTO — Canadian shoppers now have a chance to get their share of a $500-million settlement in a class-action lawsuit related to the alleged industry-wide price fixing of bread.

Strosberg Wingfield Sasso LLP and Orr Taylor LLP said Thursday the claims process is now open in the approved settlement involving Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd.

To claim compensation, eligible Canadian residents who purchased packaged bread for personal use between Jan. 1, 2001 and Dec. 31, 2021 — including bagged bread, buns, rolls, bagels, naan, English muffins, wraps, pita and tortillas — must submit a completed claim form by Dec. 12.

Proof of purchase is not required.

Forms can be found online at CanadianBreadSettlement.ca for those residing anywhere in Canada outside of Quebec as of Dec. 31, 2021, and at QuebecBreadSettlement.ca for those living within that province on that date.


“This resolution provides Canadian consumers with monetary relief they deserve,” said Jim Orr, partner at Orr Taylor LLP.

In May, Ontario Superior Court Judge Ed Morgan approved the $500-million settlement in the case, which includes a combined $404 million to be paid by Loblaw and George Weston after they were accused of engaging in an industry-wide scheme to fix the price of bread.

The remaining $96 million is accounted for through a gift card program Loblaw began in 2018 and ran through 2019 in hopes of making amends with customers who paid about $1.50 more per loaf of bread.

Morgan had said in his written decision that the money put forward by the grocery companies was “an excellent and fair result for all concerned.”

The settlement agreement was also approved by the Superior Court of Quebec in July.

Once legal fees and other court expenses are paid, 78 per cent of the funds are to be allocated to shoppers in Ontario with the remaining amount headed for people in Quebec.

Customers who bought bread between January 2001 and December 2021 and did not previously take a gift card from Loblaw will eventually receive up to $25.

The law firms said Thursday that customers who previously received the $25 Loblaw card may submit a claim for additional compensation, but they will only be paid an incremental amount if there are sufficient settlement funds available.

They will also only receive additional compensation if the amount is more than the $5 minimum payment threshold set for the settlement.

“We encourage Canadian consumers who purchased packaged bread to apply for compensation under the settlement,” said Jay Strosberg, managing partner at Strosberg Wingfield Sasso LLP.

“We have designed a claims process that is straightforward and easy for consumers to use.”


The settlement ends one chapter in the saga that has also lobbed allegations at other large grocers, including Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, Canada Bread and Giant Tiger.

Class actions continue against those companies.

While those players have denied their participation in an alleged scheme to co-ordinate the price of bread back to 2001, Loblaw and George Weston told the Competition Bureau they were part of the practice in 2015. Their admission wasn’t publicized until 2017.

The law firms say settlement funds allocated for Canadian businesses or entities that purchased packaged bread for resale between 2001 and 2021 are being held in trust. The funds will be distributed at a later date as directed by the courts.

By: Sammy Hudes

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025.

Companies in this story: (TSX:L, TSX:WN)

OpenAI argues Canadian news publishers’ lawsuit should be heard in U.S.

By The Canadian Press
September 10, 2025 

The ChatGPT app icon is seen on a smartphone screen on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

OTTAWA — OpenAI is set to argue in an Ontario court today that a copyright lawsuit filed by Canadian news publishers involving its ChatGPT generative AI system should be heard in a U.S. courtroom instead.

A coalition of Canadian news outlets which includes The Canadian Press, Torstar, The Globe and Mail, Postmedia and CBC/Radio-Canada is suing OpenAI for using news content to train ChatGPT.

In what is the first case of its kind in Canada, they argue OpenAI is breaching copyright by scraping large amounts of content from Canadian media, and then profiting from the use of that content without permission or compensation.

OpenAI is challenging the jurisdiction of the Ontario Superior Court to hear the case, arguing the company isn’t located in Ontario and doesn’t do business in the province. It’s headquartered in San Francisco and the court documents note all of the companies’ subsidiaries were “incorporated or formed under the laws of Delaware.”

OpenAI says in a court filing that “the alleged conduct — namely, the training of AI models and the automated crawling of web content — occurred entirely outside Ontario.”


OpenAI is arguing the Copyright Act doesn’t apply to activities that occurred outside Canada and the case should be heard in the United States.

“Canadian copyright law does not apply to extraterritorial conduct,” it says in its submission. “The fact that the Plaintiffs are located in Canada or that some of their websites are hosted on servers in Canada is immaterial to the extraterritorial conduct alleged.”

In their filing, the news publishers say the case should proceed in Ontario. They argue there is a “real and substantial connection to Ontario” and that they deliver the “vast majority” of journalistic content in Ontario and Canada.

“The News Media Companies are each Canadian owned or controlled, with their headquarters in Ontario,” the document states.

It argues the news content “is property that was largely created in Ontario, is owned by companies based in Ontario, and resides in significant part in Ontario,” and that much of OpenAI’s “scraping” of that online content happened in the province.

Many of the arguments in case are technical and revolve around factors like the locations of servers and whether a protocol used to disallow web crawling is a technological protection measure under the Copyright Act.

But the news publishers also argue the case involves bigger questions.

“Aside from being wrong in law, adopting OpenAI’s arguments and defining digital jurisdiction based solely on what they say is their lack of physical presence in the jurisdiction would mean Canada giving up jurisdiction over a large part of its digital economy,” their court document says.

They call that a “sobering prospect, particularly in the context of news media and its importance to Canadian sovereignty.”

OpenAI, in turn, accuses the news publishers of politicizing the case. It says their court filing “improperly invokes themes such as national sovereignty and the importance of journalism.”

“These hyperbolic submissions are irrelevant to the jurisdictional issues,” the company says. “Copyright’s territorial nature does not raise sovereignty concerns and attempts to politicize the motion through appeals to sentiment should be rejected as distractions from the legal issues.”


The lawsuit, which was launched last year, is the first Canadian case to address the practice of using copyrighted content to train generative AI systems.

Multiple lawsuits dealing with AI systems and copyright are underway in the United States, some dating back to 2023. While AI companies won victories in two of those cases in June, U.S. courts have not yet set a clear precedent on the wider question.

OpenAI notes in its document that the “the permissibility of training AI models on copyright-protected works is an active issue before the U.S. courts.”

It says in a partially-redacted section of the filing that if U.S. courts were to decide such use is lawful — by, for instance, determining that it falls under the fair use doctrine — “it would be problematic for this Court to reach a contrary conclusion under Canadian law.”

The news publishers disagree and say there is no risk of conflicting decisions.

“The consideration under this factor is whether different courts may reach conflicting decisions in respect of the particular facts of this case, not whether courts in the U.S. and Canada may apply their respective jurisprudence to reach different conclusions on novel legal issues,” says their filing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2025.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press

Release resignation letter, says member who quit panel on N.L.-Quebec energy deal

By The Canadian Press
September 11, 2025 

The inside of the powerhouse at the Churchill Falls hydro electric station in Churchill Falls, N.L. is shown on Friday Nov. 20, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kevin Bissett

ST. JOHN’S — An accountant who quit a panel overseeing energy negotiations between the electric utilities of Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec says the public should be able to read his full resignation letter.

Mike Wilson said Wednesday he is unable to share the letter himself because he signed a non-disclosure agreement. However, he called on the panel’s chair to encourage the Newfoundland and Labrador government to release the unredacted text of his resignation letter, which he submitted May 12.

The former EY executive has previously said he resigned because the panel was not serving the public as intended.

“Releasing my letter would demonstrate transparency and enable the public to make an informed decision,” Wilson said in a statement to reporters on Wednesday.

Hydro-Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro are negotiating final agreements of a draft energy deal unveiled in December. The Liberals established the panel in January, as a condition for the NDP and Independent members of the legislature to accept the memorandum of understanding and proceed with talks toward final agreements.

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives have criticized the panel, saying its chair, Dennis Browne, is a longtime Liberal supporter. Leader Tony Wakeham has promised to have an independent third party review the draft energy agreement if the Tories win the provincial election expected next month.

The tentative agreement would see Hydro-Québec pay a forecasted $33.8 billion for power over the next 50 years from the Churchill Falls plant in Labrador and lead new projects along the Churchill River.

Wilson said earlier this month he believes Newfoundland and Labrador could get a better deal. He questioned the panel’s independence and said its quarterly reports would not meet the public’s expectations.

On Wednesday, Wilson said neither he nor Browne, who is also the province’s consumer advocate, could release his resignation letter because of a non-disclosure agreement. “However, if it is truly (Browne’s) opinion there was no impairment of the independence of the panel, he could encourage the government to release my letter to the public,” Wilson said.

When asked for comment, Browne pointed to a previous statement, which said the panel’s public reports do not disclose its recommendations and findings “due to the commercial confidentiality of ongoing negotiations.”

Wilson said he was not aware of any commercially sensitive information in his resignation letter.

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador pointed to access-to-information laws protecting the “disclosure of information harmful to intergovernmental relations or negotiations, and financial or economic interests of the province,” when asked if it would release Wilson’s letter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025.

Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press

Ontario set to begin building road to the Ring of Fire

By The Canadian Press
September 10, 2025

The sun sets behind the treeline outside Neskantaga First Nation in Neskantaga, Ont., Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Ontario is set to begin building the road to the Ring of Fire, Ontario Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford announced Wednesday.

The province is investing nearly $62 million in Geraldton, Ont., to rebuild several segments of existing road that will serve as the start of the eventual road to the mineral-rich region that the government is dubbing the “gateway to the Ring of Fire.”

“This five-kilometre stretch from where the TransCanada is based, through Geraldton, cannot handle the kind of commercial, industrial and personal travel that is required to build the corridor that will revitalize the nation, creating more opportunities for First Nations communities,” Rickford said at the Toronto Region Board of Trade.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney both want to mine the region as part of the country’s response to the ongoing trade war with the United States.

The Ring of Fire is some 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont., and said to be rich in a multitude of critical and base minerals.

The project will connect Highway 11 in the south with Highway 584 in the north and be able to handle sustained truck traffic from mining activities.

The project will connect Highway 11 in the south with Highway 584 in the north and be able to handle sustained truck traffic from mining activities.

That road project would ultimately connect to three other proposed roads to the Ring of Fire that have been undergoing environmental assessments over the last several years.

Those roads would connect Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nation, which are only accessible by air or winter road, to the provincial highway system, as well as to mining activities.

The province is set to reveal the details in a news conference Wednesday morning.

“This is more than a roadworks project, it’s a signal that Geraldton is a gateway to one of Ontario’s greatest assets in the face of economic threats from the United States, and that our government is serious about supporting the communities that anchor the north,” Rickford said.

The province will soon send the Geraldton road contract out for tender with the hopes of construction beginning in the spring, if not sooner.

The news has the support of Chief Cornelius Wabasse of Webequie First Nation. It is the proponent for the Webequie Supply road at the north end of the proposed route that will connect the First Nation with mining activities inside the Ring of Fire.

“It’s something to look forward to that’ll bring opportunities for our community as well, not right away, but it will be something that we can tap into as development progresses in the north and northwest of Ontario,” he said.

The news has the support of Chief Cornelius Wabasse of Webequie First Nation. It is the proponent for the Webequie Supply road at the north end of the proposed route that will connect the First Nation with mining activities inside the Ring of Fire.

“It’s something to look forward to that’ll bring opportunities for our community as well, not right away, but it will be something that we can tap into as development progresses in the north and northwest of Ontario,” he said.


The goal is to have construction begin on the north end of the route when the environmental and impact assessments are complete.

“It’s an opportunity for us and we are taking it,” Wabasse said. “It’s something that will in time benefit our community in terms of prosperity.”

Webequie finished a draft of the environmental and impact assessment in June, which was sent out to 22 other First Nations for a 60-day review period. The work and subsequent draft report were done under the province’s Environmental Assessment Act and the federal Impact Assessment Act. The report is thousands of pages long, but concludes that the road would bring prosperity to the nation.

It may also endanger caribou in the region, the report found.

It’s unclear when the final environmental and impact assessments will be done because it depends how many submissions they receive from the review period, said Michael Fox, the project manager of the Webequie Supply Road. It is possible to have the final draft completed by next summer, if not earlier, he said.

“We acknowledge there’s impacts, so we’re moving the discussion around to mitigation measures whether that’s the caribou or the water, the wildlife, fish,” Fox said.

Webequie is in its sixth year on the environmental assessment process, Fox said.

“With First Nations and communities as integral leaders in these projects, our government is ensuring partnerships remain a central piece of our commitment to unlocking the Ring of Fire and building infrastructure that delivers prosperity for northern and First Nations communities, for generations to come,” said Rickford.

In the spring, Ford’s government rammed Bill 5 through the legislature. It’s a law that, in part, aims to speed up the building of large projects, including mines.

The new law also gives the government the ability to create so-called “special economic zones” that allow for the suspension of provincial and municipal laws.

Ford has said the Ring of Fire would be declared the first such zone, though that hasn’t occurred yet.

The bill sparked anger among the majority of First Nations across the province, who said it ignores their concerns and tramples their treaty rights.

Most took issue with the lack of consultation beforehand. The government has tried to appease First Nations since and has said it will not move forward without extensive consultation.
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But that consultation isn’t happening and is another example of Ontario trying to divide and conquer First Nations, said Sol Mamakwa, the New Democrat representative for the riding of Kiiwetinoong, where the Ring of Fire is located.

“These types of announcements intentionally undermine First Nations rights under the banner of strengthening the economy against the U.S.,” Mamakwa said.

“First Nations rights holders do not support policies like Bill 5 that blatantly disregard and degrade inherent treaty rights.”

Many First Nation residents and leaders have told him they are not against mining or development of the Ring of Fire, but how the governments are going about it, he said, giving deals to some while ignoring others.

Many remote First Nation chiefs have also told Ontario and Ottawa they need help to address numerous long-standing crises that continue to affect them, from a severe dearth of housing to undrinkable water to spates of suicides, especially among young people.

Complicating matters further, several First Nations who inked deals with the province to build the roads to the Ring of Fire have since sued Ontario over Bill 5.

That includes Marten Falls First Nation, which is the lead proponent on one of the three main proposed roads to the Ring of Fire and a partner with Webequie on the third road.

The province will soon send the Geraldton road contract out for tender with the hopes of construction beginning in the spring.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2025.

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press

Barrick Mining Corp. to sell Hemlo gold mine to Carcetti Capital

which is its last Canadian gold mine

By The Canadian Press
September 11, 2025 

Barrick Mining Corporation President & CEO Mark Bristow, right, rings the New York Stock Exchange opening bell, Friday, May 9, 2025. Barrick has agreed to sell its Hemlo gold mine to Carcetti Capital Corp. for proceeds of up to $1.09 billion. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

TORONTO — Barrick Mining Corp. has agreed to sell its Hemlo gold mine to Carcetti Capital Corp. for proceeds of up to $1.09 billion.

The transaction includes $875 million in cash, along with $50 million worth of shares in Carcetti, which will be renamed Hemlo Mining Corp. once the deal closes.

The Vancouver-based investment firm will also owe Barrick a production and tiered gold price-linked cash payment structure of up to $165 million starting in January 2027 for a five-year term.

Barrick says it will use the proceeds to strengthen its balance sheet and return capital to shareholders, noting that Hemlo, which is its last Canadian gold mine, had an attractive valuation.

Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow says the company expects to generate over $2 billion from the divestment of non-core assets this year, including its Donlin and Alturas projects.


Carcetti’s incoming president and chief executive Jason Kosec says the acquisition of Hemlo “establishes the foundation for the next leading mid-tier Canadian growth-focused gold producer.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025.

Household debt-to-income ratio ticked higher in Q2: Statistics Canada

By The Canadian Press
September 11, 2025

Credit cards shown on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. Statistics Canada says the amount Canadians owe relative to their income ticked higher in the second quarter as debt grew faster than income. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says the amount Canadians owe relative to their income ticked higher in the second quarter as debt grew faster than income.

The agency says the ratio of household credit market debt to disposable income rose to 174.9 per cent on a seasonally adjusted basis, up 1.1 per cent.

In other words, Statistics Canada says there was $1.75 in credit market debt for every dollar of household disposable income in the second quarter.

The household debt service ratio — measured as total obligated payments of principal and interest on credit market debt as a proportion of disposable income — ticked up to 14.41 per cent in the quarter, an increase from 14.37 per cent.

The results came as the pace of household credit market borrowing slowed to a seasonally adjusted $31.6 billion in the quarter, down from $34.5 billion in the first quarter of 2025.


The total seasonally adjusted stock of household credit market debt, which includes consumer credit, and mortgage and non-mortgage loans, rose one per cent to surpass $3.1 trillion in the second quarter, with mortgages accounting for almost 75 per cent of the total.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2025.