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More than 100 House Republicans are demanding increased oversight of Syria as the U.S. prepares to repeal longstanding sanctions against the country.

Reps. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., and Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., are leading 134 fellow GOP lawmakers in calling for guarantees that the Syrian government will adhere to terms in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that set the stage for repealing those sanctions, while warning the U.S. needs to be prepared to reverse that if Syria falters on its progress.

‘Many Members of Congress, committed to seeking peace, prosperity, and tolerance for religious minorities in the region, worked with the Trump Administration and House leadership to secure assurances that snapback conditions regarding the repeal of Syrian sanctions would be enforced if Syria does not comply with the terms highlighted in the repeal language,’ their joint statement read. 

‘The mass murder of the Syrian Christians, Druze, Alawites, Kurds, and other religious and ethnic minorities must be a thing of the past.’

They said Congress was committed ‘to keeping a watchful eye on the new al-Sharaa Administration to ensure protections for religious and ethnic minorities in Syria.’

It comes after two members of the Iowa National Guard serving in Syria were killed in an ambush by an ISIS gunman.

Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa took power in Syria after the previous government led by Bashar al-Assad was toppled in 2024.

The new leader has sought friendlier relations with the West, even visiting the White House in November of this year.

The House GOP lawmakers said they ‘look forward’ to being invited to Damascus themselves to see that his administration ‘has created a safe environment for the religious and ethnic minorities historically persecuted in the region.’

‘We look forward to confirming that these terms have not been squandered by the Syrian government–whether by their President or by rogue military officials–and seeing for ourselves that the al-Sharaa Administration has created a safe environment for the religious and ethnic minorities historically persecuted in the region,’ they said.

‘As Members of Congress, we understand that the Syrian government’s adherence to the conditions laid out in the NDAA’s sanction repeal language is essential for lasting peace in the Middle East and Syria’s prosperity.’

President Donald Trump signed the NDAA into law on Thursday evening.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Senate Republicans tried to advance a funding package as their last act of the year, but a last-minute block by Senate Democrats sent lawmakers home frustrated as the deadline to fund the government creeps closer.

Lawmakers have spent the last month since the government shutdown building consensus on a five-bill spending package that would go a long way toward preventing another one come Jan. 30.

The package would have funded the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Commerce, Justice, Interior, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, which represent a massive chunk of Congress’ overall funding responsibilities.

But a deal never materialized, and the lights of the Senate chamber went out for the last time of the year as lawmakers beelined from Washington, D.C., back to their home districts. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., remained hopeful that when the Senate returned, Democrats would cross the aisle to finish the job.

‘The Democrats are indicating that they want to do them, they just didn’t want to do them today,’ Thune said. ‘So hopefully, when we get back, we’ll test that proposition, and hope that we’ll take them to face value, and hopefully we’ll get moving, and get moving quickly, because we’ve got a lot to do.’

Before the last gavel rang through the chamber, however, there was still hope that a deal could be reached.

As the clock ticked deeper into the night and the smell of jet fumes grew stronger in the Senate, top Republicans kept working the phones and trying to negotiate a path forward on the package.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, told Fox News Digital that Republicans had cleared the decks on their end after several weeks of holds on the package from fiscal hawks demanding amendment votes on earmarks, among other thorny issues.

When asked if Senate Democrats would play ball, she said, ‘I don’t know.’

‘I’m about to call one of the people,’ Collins said before ducking into her office.

When she emerged, Collins said that there was only one hold left. And that last remaining blockage appeared to be from Sens. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who were incensed by the Trump administration’s plan to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought called the facility in a post on X ‘one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country,’ and vowed a comprehensive review was underway and that any ‘vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location.’

Hickenlooper suggested that he and Bennet would lift their hold only if they received a guaranteed outcome on an amendment vote — a proposition Republicans have time and again this year for several other Democratic issues that they said they couldn’t do.

‘We need to find some Republican supporters. All we’re trying to do is just protect the budget that was already there,’ Hickenlooper said. ‘So, whatever disagreement there is between the state, the governor of Colorado, and the President of the United States, that shouldn’t affect a scientific institution. Science should be free of that kind of politics.’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was more blunt.

‘What the president did to Colorado is disgusting, and Republicans ought to get him to change,’ Schumer said.

Republicans opted to open the floor late following a signing ceremony at the White House for the annual, colossal defense package in order to finish the confirmation process for a tranche of President Donald Trump’s nominees.

It was a bid to buy time to keep negotiations alive in the hopes of a breakthrough. They even tacked on a handful of extra votes to keep the machine whirring, but in the end, Senate Democrats wouldn’t budge.

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee, remained hopeful ahead of the vote and said the goal was ‘to stay until we get it finished.’

‘If we want the Senate to matter, we should figure it out,’ Britt said.

Failure to advance the package on Thursday does not guarantee another government shutdown next month, but it does tee up what will likely be a brutal January in the upper chamber.

Lawmakers are still scrambling to find a deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire on Dec. 31, and they will have to contend with the funding deadline at the end of the month. And anything that can pass in the Senate has to make its way through the House and ultimately be approved by Trump.

Despite the inability to move forward with the funding package, for now, it appears that neither side wants to thrust the federal government into another shutdown.

‘I don’t think either side wants to see that happen,’ Thune said. ‘I think that’s toxic for both parties. So I’m hoping that there will be goodwill, and we’ll figure out how to fund the government.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused the Trump administration of orchestrating a ‘cover-up’ as the deadline for the release of documents and materials related to the late Jeffrey Epstein arrives.

Schumer on Friday blasted the Department of Justice (DOJ) following Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s admission that the administration would not be releasing all the documents in one, massive tranche.

Congress last month passed a law, later signed by President Donald Trump, that compelled the DOJ to dump all the documents, albeit with certain exceptions, including materials that reveal victims’ identities or medical files, child sex abuse materials, information that could jeopardize active investigations, images of graphic death or injury, or classified national security information.

‘This just shows the Department of Justice, Donald Trump, and [Attorney General] Pam Bondi are hellbent on hiding the truth,’ Schumer said in a statement. ‘Senate Democrats are working closely with attorneys for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and with outside legal experts to assess what documents are being withheld and what is being covered up by Pam Bondi. We will not stop until the whole truth comes out.’

‘People want the truth and continue to demand the immediate release of all the Epstein files,’ he continued. ‘This is nothing more than a cover-up to protect Donald Trump from his ugly past.’

Earlier in the week, Schumer warned that failure to release the documents on Friday would result in legal and political ramifications for Trump and the DOJ.

His ire came after Blanche, in an interview with Fox News, said that the DOJ would be following through with releasing hundreds of thousands of documents related to Epstein, his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, known associates and entities linked to Epstein and Maxwell, internal DOJ decision-making on the Epstein case, records on destroying or tampering with documents, and all documents on his detention and death.

But, it wouldn’t be every shred of information on the late pedophile.

‘Now the most important thing that the attorney general has talked about, that [FBI Director Kash] Patel has talked about, is that we protect victims,’ Blanche said. ‘And so what we’re doing is we are looking at every single piece of paper that we are going to produce, making sure that every victim, their name, their identity, their story, to the extent it needs to be protected, is completely protected.’

‘And so I expect that we’re going to release more documents over the next couple of weeks,’ he continued. ‘So today, several hundred thousand, and then over the next couple weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

More than 100 House Republicans are demanding increased oversight of Syria as the U.S. prepares to repeal longstanding sanctions against the country.

Reps. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., and Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., are leading 134 fellow GOP lawmakers in calling for guarantees that the Syrian government will adhere to terms in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that set the stage for repealing those sanctions, while warning the U.S. needs to be prepared to reverse that if Syria falters on its progress.

‘Many Members of Congress, committed to seeking peace, prosperity, and tolerance for religious minorities in the region, worked with the Trump Administration and House leadership to secure assurances that snapback conditions regarding the repeal of Syrian sanctions would be enforced if Syria does not comply with the terms highlighted in the repeal language,’ their joint statement read. 

‘The mass murder of the Syrian Christians, Druze, Alawites, Kurds, and other religious and ethnic minorities must be a thing of the past.’

They said Congress was committed ‘to keeping a watchful eye on the new al-Sharaa Administration to ensure protections for religious and ethnic minorities in Syria.’

It comes after two members of the Iowa National Guard serving in Syria were killed in an ambush by an ISIS gunman.

Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa took power in Syria after the previous government led by Bashar al-Assad was toppled in 2024.

The new leader has sought friendlier relations with the West, even visiting the White House in November of this year.

The House GOP lawmakers said they ‘look forward’ to being invited to Damascus themselves to see that his administration ‘has created a safe environment for the religious and ethnic minorities historically persecuted in the region.’

‘We look forward to confirming that these terms have not been squandered by the Syrian government–whether by their President or by rogue military officials–and seeing for ourselves that the al-Sharaa Administration has created a safe environment for the religious and ethnic minorities historically persecuted in the region,’ they said.

‘As Members of Congress, we understand that the Syrian government’s adherence to the conditions laid out in the NDAA’s sanction repeal language is essential for lasting peace in the Middle East and Syria’s prosperity.’

President Donald Trump signed the NDAA into law on Thursday evening.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

As the United Nations adopted a resolution condemning Iran for its execution spree ‘in the strongest terms,’ a leading dissident group released a report accusing Tehran of putting 2,013 Iranians to death under President Masoud Pezeshkian between Jan. 1 and Dec. 15 of this year.

TheMujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) report says this more than doubles the total of 975 executions that the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights counted in 2024. The U.N. noted that the 2024 figure was the highest recorded since 2015. Thegroup counted a similar total of 1,001 executions in 2024.

According to MEK documents provided to Fox News Digital, a free-falling Iranian currency, nationwide protests, factional power struggles, ‘snapback’ U.N. sanctions and fractures among leaders are stoking the increase in executions. The MEK says that this year’s execution total is the highest recorded since the 1980s.

A State Department spokesperson condemned Iran’s continued abuse of human rights, telling Fox News Digital that, ‘We strongly condemn the Iranian regime’s use of execution as a tool of political repression.  For decades, the regime has subjected Iranians to torture, forced confessions, and sham trials, resulting in unlawful executions. Today, innocent civilians are being used as scapegoats for the regime’s military and economic failures.’

The spokesperson continued, ‘The Trump Administration restored the policy of maximum pressure, ending the Biden Administration’s policy of announcing fig-leaf sanctions while handing the regime billions.  Since January, we have designated dozens of people and over 180 vessels in Iran’s shadow fleet to deplete the regime’s coffers.’

Behnam Ben Taleblu, the senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Iran Program, said there are more steps needed to be taken by Washington. He told Fox News Digital that the U.S. has ‘been lagging behind’ other Western partners who have responded to Iranian human rights violations with sanctions and other measures, most recently Canada, which sanctioned four individuals after a protest in the Iranian city Mashhad in December.

‘The lack of practical measures to support the Iranian people is a strategic own goal,’ Taleblu said. 

Taleblu noted that Iran ‘arrested over 21,000 people’ following the 12-Day War in June, alongside a ‘political repression that is even much more expansive than ever before.’ He said that the Islamic Republic ‘understands how weak it is,’ and any efforts to appear more socially lenient, including regarding hijab laws, are an attempt to ‘retain their oligarchic political position in a post-Khamenei Iran.’

Noting the prior Trump administration’s strong stance on Iran, Taleblu says that ‘it certainly can do better much more cheaply and more cost effectively than it thinks.’ Taleblu said that one ‘simple’ messaging strategy will present itself in March during President Trump’s Nowruz address, when he can ‘give an homage to the most pro-American, the most pro-Israeli population in the heartland of the Muslim Middle East.’

‘The imperative for Washington to support Iranian protesters… stands,’ Taleblu said. ‘But that should be a constant in U.S. foreign policy, given the disposition of the Iranian street, which is almost entirely against the Iranian state. U.S. human rights policy towards Iran should not be limited to merely having social media accounts that are the stenographers for Iran’s decline into failed state status.’ 

The MEK has urged U.S. policymakers to recognize the Iranian people’s right to resist and overthrow the regime, which they claim is the only means for eliminating the country’s theocracy.

On Dec. 10, the European Parliament marked International Human Rights Day by calling for the world to take action against Iran on account of its execution campaign. Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, addressed the parliament with her concerns that Iran is attempting to crush dissent. She urged that ‘all relations with the regime must be conditioned on the halt of executions,’ with members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Ministry of Intelligence placed ‘on the terrorist list.’

Among those sentenced to death is Zahra Tabari, a 67-year-old engineer and mother who the MEK say was given her sentence after a ‘sham 10-minute trial… without her chosen legal representation.’ MEK documents say Tabari was arrested because she held a banner reading ‘Woman, Resistance, Freedom.’

The total number of executions in Iran has doubled since October. At the time, the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that Iran was murdering up to nine prisoners each day, which they called an ‘unprecedented execution spree.’  In response, death row prisoners staged a hunger strike.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not offer comment on the report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The uranium market moved through 2025 with less drama than the previous year, but the quieter tone masked a sector still tightening beneath the surface.

After 2024’s surge to two-decade highs, in 2025, U3O8 prices traded in a narrower US$20 range in 2025, slipping to a low of US$63.71 in March before climbing back toward the mid-US$80s by late September.

In December, spot prices had settled near US$75, a level that has acted as a floor since late summer.

Despite the muted price action, uranium’s underlying drivers strengthened. Long-term demand projections, renewed government backing for nuclear power and rising concerns over supply security all helped support the market.

Investor appetite also played a defining role. Continued buying from the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust (SPUT) (TSX:U.U,OTCQX:SRUUF) and retail investors added steady pressure to the spot market, absorbing millions of pounds of material and lifting prices above where utility demand alone would have placed them.

While true supply shortages did not materialize in 2025, production interruptions and operational uncertainties at major mines made sellers more cautious and prompted utilities to top up inventories more aggressively. The result was a market that remained fundamentally tight, while uranium equities continued to outperform on the strength of a durable, long-term bull thesis.

Against this backdrop, we profile the five best-performing Canadian uranium stocks by share price performance below.

All data was obtained on December 15, 2025, using TradingView’s stock screener. Uranium companies on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market caps above C$10 million at that time were considered. Read on to learn about the top Canadian uranium stocks in 2025, including what factors have been moving their share prices.

1. North Shore Uranium (TSXV:NSU)

Year-to-date gain: 637.5 percent
Market cap: C$22.17 million
Share price: C$0.295

North Shore Uranium is an exploration company focused on advancing uranium assets in established North American districts. Its core projects include the Falcon and West Bear properties along the eastern margin of Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin in Canada, complemented by a growing presence in the Grants uranium district of New Mexico, US.

The company is also evaluating additional exploration opportunities in the United States and Canada as it builds a diversified uranium project portfolio.

In June, North Shore penned a binding term sheet to acquire an up to 87.5 percent interest in the Rio Puerco uranium project in Northwest New Mexico from Resurrection Mining. The project hosts a historical inferred mineral resource estimate, released in 2009, of approximately 11.4 million pounds of U3O8 from 6 million metric tons of ore grading 0.09 percent U3O8 equivalent.

Subsequently, on August 28, the company officially entered into a definitive option agreement for the acquisition and closed a C$1.4 million private placement. On September 11, the company announced it staked 27 additional mining claims at the Rio Puerco project, bolstering its holdings in the area to 64 adjoining Bureau of Land Management claims.

As for its projects in Canada, in an October press release North Shore announced the completion of a prospecting program at its Falcon property, during which crews evaluated 18 priority targets for surface expression and anomalous radioactivity, collecting samples to support further exploration.

Later in the month, North Shore fulfilled its final earn-in requirement at the West Bear property, issuing C$50,000 shares to Gem Oil to secure the right to acquire a 75 percent interest in the project.

Shares of North Shore Uranium rose to a year-to-date high of C$0.29 on December 15, a few days after the company launched a C$3 million private placement on December 11.

Looking ahead, the company is planning a drill program at the Rio Puerco uranium project during H1 2026.

2. Energy Fuels (TSX:EFR)

Year-to-date gain: 156.12 percent
Market cap: C$4.76 billion
Share price: C$19.26

US-based uranium producer Energy Fuels has a large portfolio of conventional and in-situ recovery (ISR) projects across the Western US, including Pinyon Plain in Arizona, a top national producer.

Additionally, Energy Fuels owns and operates the White Mesa mill, the only fully licensed and operating conventional uranium mill in the US. The company is progressing heavy rare earth oxide processing at the plant as well.

Company shares reached a year-to-date high of C$36.84 on October 14, 11 days after Energy Fuels closed its US$700 million offering of 0.75 percent convertible senior notes due 2031, which was upsized after initial purchasers exercised their option to purchase a further US$100 million in notes.

In a Q3 report released on November 3, the company underscored a rise in uranium sales, as its low-cost US production continued to outperform, putting the miner on track to exceed its 2025 guidance.

The firm also advanced its rare earth ambitions, producing 29 kilograms of dysprosium oxide in pilot runs through September, with terbium oxide next in line.

The October US$700 million convertible note offering strengthened the balance sheet, lifting working capital to nearly US$1 billion and raising the effective conversion price to US$30.70 per share.

3. Stallion Uranium (TSXV:STUD)

Year-to-date gain: 150 percent
Market cap: C$49.57 million
Share price: C$0.375

Uranium junior Stallion Uranium holds a 2,870 square kilometer land package on the western side of the Athabasca Basin, in Saskatchewan, Canada, including a joint venture with Atha Energy (TSXV:SASK,OTCQB:SASKF) for the largest contiguous project in the region. The company’s primary focus is the Coyote target at the Moonlite project.

Stallion’s share price shot upward on July 8 after the company announced a technology data acquisition agreement for Matchstick TI, an intelligent geological target identification platform with 77 percent accuracy. Stallion plans to use the technology to enhance its exploration efforts. It closed the acquisition on November 12.

In early September, Stallion Uranium closed the final tranche of a non-brokered private placement, raising gross proceeds of C$10.49 million. The financing included 22.3 million non-flow-through units and 30.1 million flow-through units, both priced at $0.20 per unit.

Stallion’s shares registered a year-to-date high of C$0.51 on September 16.

According to an October statement, Stallion planned to start a high-resolution ground time domain electromagnetic survey on Coyote on November 1, but it has not yet released a further update on the survey.

The company announced a further private placement on December 12, this one consisting of flow-through shares for gross proceeds of C$4.55 million at a price of C$0.45 per share.

4. District Metals (TSXV:DMX)

Year-to-date gains: 139.51 percent
Market cap: C$165.24 million
Share price: C$0.97

District Metals is an energy metals and polymetallic explorer and developer with a portfolio of seven assets in Sweden, including four uranium projects: Viken, Ardnasvarre, Sågtjärn and Nianfors. Currently, District is focused on its Viken uranium-vanadium project, which it says hosts the world’s largest undeveloped uranium deposit.

Shares began trending upwards in mid-May following news of a fully subscribed C$6 million private placement.

District spent 2025 advancing its four uranium projects through a series of targeted surveys. A helicopter-borne mobile magnetotellurics (MobileMT) program wrapped up at the flagship Viken property in June, followed by drone-based radiometric and magnetic surveys at Ardnasvarre, Sågtjärn and Nianfors in July.

Early September results at Sågtjärn and Nianfors were strong enough for the company to seek expanded licenses. Later that month, new MobileMT data from Viken revealed large low-resistivity anomalies both within and beyond the known deposit footprint, pointing to potential for additional uranium deposits.

Shares of District rallied to a year-to-date high of C$1.53 on October 15, the day the company released the results of its radiometric and magnetic survey at the Ardnasvarre property, which identified strong and large anomalies associated with uranium polymetallic occurrences.

District also reported fresh momentum at its alum shale properties after completing airborne MobileMT surveys across the Österkälen, Tåsjö and Malgomaj licenses this summer.

The first batch of results, released in late October, outlined a significant new geophysical anomaly at its wholly owned Österkälen license. District has already applied for an adjacent mineral license to capture the anomaly’s northwestern extension. The Österkälen area lies roughly 100 kilometers northeast of the company’s flagship Viken property.

In subsequent announcements, District reported the discovery of high priority targets at the Tåsjö alum shale property, and of large, robust targets at the Malgomaj alum shale property, both of which led the company to file applications for adjacent mineral licenses.

In early November, District Metals welcomed a landmark decision in Sweden when Parliament voted to repeal the country’s 2018 moratorium on uranium exploration and mining.

The new legislation, set to take effect January 1, 2026, opens the door for renewed development in a nation that holds roughly 27 percent of Europe’s known uranium resources.

5. Purepoint Uranium (TSXV:PTU)

Year-to-date gain: 113.64 percent
Market cap: C$38.01 million
Share price: C$0.47

Exploration company Purepoint Uranium has an extensive uranium portfolio including six joint ventures and five wholly owned projects, all located in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin.

In January, Purepoint strengthened its relationship with IsoEnergy (TSX:ISO,NYSEAMERICAN:ISOU) when the latter exercised its put option under the framework of a previously announced joint-venture agreement, transferring 10 percent of its stake to Purepoint in exchange for 4 million shares. The now 50/50 joint venture will explore 10 uranium projects across 98,000 hectares in the Athabasca Basin, including the Dorado project.

As for Q3, the company closed the final tranche of a C$6 million private placement on September 5.

Later in the month, Purepoint released partial assay results from the Dorado project for one hole from its 11 hole drill program. The drill hole returned the most significant intervals to date, according to the company, with one interval of 2.1 meters grading 1.6 percent U3O8, including 0.4 meters at 8.1 percent, as well as another interval of 4.9 meters at 0.52 percent. The company has since dubbed this the Nova discovery

Purepoint ended September by launching its inaugural drill program at the Tabbernor project, located on the southeastern edge of the basin. The program, which concluded in November, targeted a 60 kilometer long corridor of graphitic conductors with five first-pass diamond drill holes. The Tabbernor findings will be combined with the company’s ongoing regional interpretation work to prioritize next targets.

Shares of Purepoint registered a year-to-date high of C$0.80 on October 14 as uranium prices rose.

In early December, Purepoint and IsoEnergy approved an expanded 2026 exploration program at the Dorado project following the previously released strong drill results, which Purepoint said confirm ‘a steeply dipping, uranium-bearing structure that remains open in all directions.’

The joint venture will prioritize the northeastern extension of the Nova discovery while advancing other high-potential zones across Dorado.

FAQs for investing in uranium

What is uranium used for?

Uranium is primarily used for the production of nuclear energy, a form of clean energy created in nuclear power plants. In fact, 99 percent of uranium is used for this purpose. As of 2022, there were 439 active nuclear reactors, as per the International Atomic Energy Agency. In 2023, 9 percent of US power came from nuclear energy.

The commodity is also used in the defense industry as a component of nuclear weaponry, among other uses. However, there are safeguards in effect to keep this to a minimum. To create weapons-grade uranium, the material has to be enriched significantly — above 90 percent — to the point that to achieve just 5.6 kilograms of weapons-grade uranium, it would require 1 metric ton of uranium pre-enrichment.

Because of this necessity, uranium enrichment facilities are closely monitored under international agreements. Uranium used for nuclear power production only needs to be enriched to 5 percent; nuclear enrichment facilities need special licenses to enrich above that point for uses such as research at 20 percent enrichment.

The metal is also used in the medical field for applications such as transmission electron microscopy. Before uranium was discovered to be radioactive, it was used to impart a yellow color to ceramic glazes and glass.

Where is uranium found?

The country with the greatest uranium reserves by far is Australia — the island nation holds 28 percent of the world’s uranium reserves. Rounding out the top three are Kazakhstan with 15 percent and Canada with 9 percent.

Although Australia has the highest reserves, it holds uranium as a low priority and is only fourth overall for production. All its uranium output is exported, with none used for domestic nuclear energy production.

Kazakhstan is the world’s largest producer of the metal, with production of 21,227 metric tons in 2022. The country’s national uranium company, Kazatomprom, is the world’s largest producer.

Canada’s uranium reserves are found primarily in its Athabasca Basin, and the region is a top producer of the metal as well.

Why should I buy uranium stocks?

Investors should always do their own due diligence when looking at any commodity so that they can decide whether it fits into their investment plans. With that being said, many experts are convinced that uranium has entered into a significant bull market, meaning that uranium stocks could be a good buy.

A slew of factors have led to this bull market. Discourse has been building around the metal’s use as a source of clean energy, which is important for countries looking to reach climate goals, and interest in nuclear power to fuel artificial intelligence energy demand has increased significantly as well.

Nations are now prioritizing a mix of clean energies such as solar and wind energy alongside nuclear. Significantly, in August 2022, Japan announced it is looking into restarting its idled nuclear power plants and commissioning new ones.

Uranium prices are very important to uranium miners, and levels had not been high enough for production to be economic. However, prices have climbed significantly in recent years, and spiked from US$58 per pound in August 2023 to a high of US$106 per pound in February 2024.

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Trump Media & Technology Group (NASDAQ:DJT) has agreed to merge with fusion power developer TAE Technologies in an all-stock transaction valued at more than US$6 billion.

Under the terms of the agreement announced Thursday (December 18), shareholders of Trump Media and TAE will each own roughly 50 percent of the combined entity on a fully diluted basis once the transaction closes, which the companies expect to occur in mid-2026.

Trump Media will serve as the holding company for a portfolio that will include Truth Social, Truth+, TAE Technologies, TAE Power Solutions, and TAE Life Sciences.

The merger pairs Trump Media, best known for operating the Truth Social platform associated with US President Donald Trump, with a privately held fusion company that has spent more than two decades developing alternative nuclear technologies.

TAE Technologies says it has raised more than US$1.3 billion in private capital from investors including Google, Goldman Sachs, Chevron Technology Ventures and Sumitomo Corporation of Americas.

Management of the combined company will be shared. Devin Nunes, chairman and chief executive of Trump Media, and TAE chief executive Michl Binderbauer are set to serve as co-CEOs following completion of the deal.

Michael Schwab, founder and managing director of Big Sky Partners, is expected to become chairman of a nine-member board.

Trump Media said the transaction is designed to leverage its access to public capital to accelerate the commercialization of fusion power.

“Trump Media & Technology Group built uncancellable infrastructure to secure free expression online for Americans, and now we’re taking a big step forward toward a revolutionary technology that will cement America’s global energy dominance for generations,” Nunes said in the company press release.

Nunes further described fusion as “the most dramatic energy breakthrough since the onset of commercial nuclear energy in the 1950s.”

TAE, which has built and operated five fusion reactors during its research phase, said recent technical advances have reduced the size, cost and complexity of its systems, bringing them closer to commercial deployment.

As part of the transaction, Trump Media has agreed to provide up to US$200 million in cash to TAE at signing, with an additional US$100 million available upon the initial filing of the merger’s registration statement.

The companies said the combined group plans to identify a site and begin construction of a first utility-scale fusion power plant, targeted at roughly 50 megawatts of electrical output, in 2026, pending approvals.

Shares of Trump Media surged more than 30 percent in pre-market trading following the announcement.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The oil and gas market was punctuated with volatility in 2025.

Oil prices softened as supply outpaced demand and inventories built. Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slipped in late 2025, with Brent dipping below US$60 per barrel and WTI hovering at US$55.

Production increases from non-OPEC producers — including record US output — and higher OPEC+ quotas have contributed to a notable supply overhang, pressuring crude toward four year lows.

Starting the year above US$70, both Brent and WTI prices have now seen steep declines of more than 20 percent amid signs of weaker demand in major economies like China and elevated global stocks.

Meanwhile, the natural gas market saw price shifts driven by weather and storage dynamics.

Prices started the year at US$3.64 per million British thermal units and slipped to a seasonal low of US$2.74 in August. Values peaked at US$5.31 on December 5, and have since retreated to the US$3.94 level.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) raised its outlook for late 2025 and early 2026 gas prices after an early cold snap bolstered heating demand, even as forecasts have moderated Henry Hub projections for 2025 to 2026.

Oil market battles persistent headwinds

2025 saw oil prices fluctuate between highs of US$81.86 (Brent) and US$78.99 (WTI) and lows of US$59.41 and US$55.56, respectively, as the energy market served as a barometer of global political and trade tensions.

“Throughout the year, prices have continued the downtrend they began in April (2024) as OPEC+ continued to hike output and China’s economy continued to struggle under the weight of a flailing property sector, downbeat consumer confidence, overindebted local governments and flagging external demand,” he added.

While the oil market isn’t new to volatility, this year proved different as US President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs infused global uncertainty into the energy market.

“We can see that Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs pushed prices down to a level from which they’ve not recovered from, barring a spike in June as a result of the 12 day Iran-Israel war,” said Cunningham.

“Since then, Brent crude oil prices have continued to fall as OPEC+ caught the market off guard with its aggressive output hikes, which were designed to win back market share from non-cartel producers.’

Demand growth, underinvestment reshape oil outlook

Meanwhile, OPEC is approaching full production capacity, with Saudi Arabia being the main exception.

“Even though people are talking about lots of supply, demand is still growing,” Schachter said, noting that global oil demand rose roughly 1.3 million barrels per day in 2025 and is expected to increase by about 1.2 million in 2026.

New supply additions are limited, he explained, mentioning Guyana’s offshore discoveries by ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM), some output from Brazil and minor contributions from Canada.

“Most basins are tired, and not enough money is being spent to bring on production,” Schachter said, predicting that global inventory drawdowns in 2026 will support higher prices.

Despite lack of investment at the exploration level, FocusEconomics panelists are forecasting a rise in both oil and gas supply in 2026 fueled by output growth at existing operations.

Cunningham pointed to organizations like the EIA and International Energy Agency (IEA), which “hiked their forecasts in recent months in response to OPEC+ increasing output unexpectedly fast and the recent surge in demand for US LNG.”

“The real question is not if oil and gas production will increase, but by how much,” said Cunningham.

A ramp up could be curtailed by geopolitical disruptions, he went on to note.

“Recent frictions between members of the OPEC+ cartel will persist, with Russia likely to favor lower production levels given US sanctions and countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates eager to push production higher given their excess capacity and desire to win back market share from non-OPEC+ producers,” he said.

“Moreover, countries like Kazakhstan and Iraq continue to overshoot their quotas, and in late 2023 Angola left the cartel due to disputes over its allowed production level.”

Transport and petrochemicals driving oil demand

Global oil demand is expected to rise in 2026, driven primarily by transportation fuels and petrochemical feedstocks.

Gasoline is projected to lead the increase, supported by recovering air travel and road mobility, while diesel and other products also contribute. Non-OECD regions, particularly China and India, will account for most of the growth, with expanding petrochemical capacity in major economies boosting crude-derived feedstock demand.

Overall, transport and industrial activity remain the key engines behind the expected rise in oil consumption.

“Our panelists see world oil production rising 1.1 percent in 2026 as non-OPEC+ countries such as Guyana and the US hike output,” said FocusEconomics’ Cunningham.

LNG expansion fuels gas growth

Similar to the trajectory for oil, natural gas demand is expected to rise in 2026 as global consumption rebounds and LNG exports expand sharply. “The IEA (is) estimating growth at around 2 percent with consumption at an all-time high on higher demand in the industrial and electricity sectors,” said Cunningham.

Rising LNG supply — with new export capacity coming online in the US, Canada and Qatar — is projected to support stronger import growth, particularly in Asia, where demand is expected to rebound after a 2025 slowdown.

“Asia is hungry for LNG; the IEA estimates the region’s natural gas demand will rise over 4 percent in 2026, with LNG imports up by 10 percent,” the expert said. Increased use of natural gas in power generation and industrial sectors will also contribute to growth, helping push global gas demand toward a new peak next year.

“Of course, these forecasts could change quickly if the world economy or the oil and gas sector is subject to further shocks, which is why we recommend regularly checking the latest forecasts that are available,” Cunningham added.

Further ahead, Schachter argued that rising global power needs will underpin long-term demand for natural gas, particularly as alternatives struggle to scale. Aging power grids are another constraint. Much of the world’s electricity infrastructure has not been meaningfully upgraded, and expanding capacity will require major investment in transmission — driving demand for copper, steel and aluminum alongside new generation.

Against that backdrop, Schachter sees LNG as central to meeting near- and medium-term power needs.

“The demand for LNG is the story,” he said, adding that natural gas is increasingly viewed not as a temporary transition fuel, but as “the most efficient, from a climate and environmental point of view.”

He also highlighted Canada’s advantage as producers invest heavily in emissions-reduction technologies, including methane mitigation. That positioning could make Canadian LNG more attractive to import-dependent nations such as Japan and South Korea.

While new supply from Qatar and the US will add capacity, Schachter cautioned that LNG development is rarely linear, pointing to Canada’s decades-long path to its first operating export terminal. Despite inevitable delays and short-term imbalances, he said the long-term outlook remains clear: “The industry’s fundamentals are very, very positive.”

Cunningham also pointed to increased output from the US and Qatar as key areas to watch in 2026.

“The big Qatari and US LNG projects will help natural gas prices converge globally — our Consensus Forecast is for the percentage difference between US gas prices (which tend to be lower due to huge domestic production) and those in Asia and Europe to ease to the lowest level since 2020, the year the pandemic sent gas demand plummeting,” said Cunningham, adding, “In short, record US LNG shipments will send up prices at home and lower them abroad.”

Cunningham went on to explain that unlike oil, in the natural gas market there tends to be more price divergence between regions as natural gas is harder to transport over large distances. Oil can be poured into a barrel and shipped, whereas natural gas first needs to be liquified if it’s to be sent overseas. Greater LNG capacity will help bridge this gap.

Oil and gas price forecast for 2026

Schachter expects WTI to average over US$70 in 2026, with Brent around US$73 to US$74.

He anticipates some volatility early in the new year, saying that in Q1 he expects trading to be “still sloppy between US$56 and US$66,” before prices rise in Q2 to US$62 to US$72. From there, he sees prices reaching US$68 to US$78 in the year’s third quarter as inventories tighten and market fundamentals assert themselves.

“People think we’re going back to US$80 today. US$58 oil — it ain’t going to US$80. But when the industry is in rational supply and demand, prices climb, especially when inventories draw down quickly,” Schachter said, recalling the 2008 peak in oil prices near US$147 during extreme supply shortages.

Looking at the year ahead, FocusEconomics expects the trends of 2025 to continue.

“Average Brent crude oil prices will ease further to a post-pandemic low, while US natural gas prices will increase to the highest average level since 2014 barring 2022’s Russia-Ukraine-war-driven spike,” said Cunningham.

“OPEC+ is set to continue raising output — after a pause in Q1 2026 — and the global economy should slow as the boost from export front-loading ahead of US tariff wanes.”

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Denison Mines (TSX:DML,NYSEAMERICAN:DNN) has closed a previously announced deal with Skyharbour Resources (TSXV:SYH,OTC:SYHBF) that repurposes a large block of uranium exploration ground surrounding its flagship Wheeler River project in northern Saskatchewan.

The recent transaction formalizes the division of Skyharbour’s former Russell Lake uranium project into four separate joint ventures positioned directly adjacent to, or proximal to, Wheeler River.

The structure is intended to promote closer technical collaboration between the two companies while advancing exploration across claims that sit along the same geological corridors as Denison’s advanced-stage development assets.

Under the new arrangements, Denison will operate the Wheeler North and Wheeler River Inliers joint ventures, holding ownership interests of 49 percent and 70 percent, respectively.

Skyharbour will operate the Russell Lake and Getty East joint ventures, in which Denison holds minority interests of 20 percent and 30 percent. In addition, Denison has secured earn-in option agreements that allow it to increase its ownership in both Wheeler North and Getty East to as much as 70 percent, subject to future conditions.

The claims involved were previously consolidated under Skyharbour’s Russell Lake project, which borders Denison’s Wheeler River property.

The deal strengthens Denison’s already dominant position around Wheeler River, which is the largest undeveloped uranium project in the infrastructure-rich eastern Athabasca Basin.

The company currently holds an effective 95 percent interest in Wheeler River, which hosts the Phoenix and Gryphon deposits.

A feasibility study completed in 2023 outlined Phoenix as an in-situ recovery operation, while an updated study for Gryphon evaluated conventional underground mining.

Both deposits are expected to rank among the lowest-cost uranium operations globally, based on those studies.

Regulatory momentum has also continued at Wheeler River. The project’s environmental assessment received provincial approval from Saskatchewan in July 2025, and federal review advanced with the conclusion of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s public hearing in December.

Beyond Wheeler River, Denison maintains a broad portfolio across the Athabasca Basin, including interests in the McClean Lake joint venture as well as stakes in the Midwest, Tthe Heldeth Túé, and Huskie deposits.

For Skyharbour, the transaction allows it to remain an active operator on key exploration assets near Wheeler River while continuing to advance its broader Athabasca Basin portfolio.

The company holds interests in 37 uranium projects covering more than 616,000 hectares, including the Moore uranium project, located east of Wheeler River, and the remaining Russell Lake ground now organized under joint venture structures.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.


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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / December 19, 2025 / CoTec Holdings Corp. (TSXV:CTH,OTC:CTHCF)(OTCQB:CTHCF) (‘CoTec’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to note MagIron LLC’s (‘MagIron’) press release dated December 18, 2025. CoTec owns 16.5% of the equity in MagIron on a fully diluted basis.

MagIron announced that it has acquired five new state iron ore mining leases with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources following the approval by the State of Minnesota Executive Council on December 2, 2025. These five new iron ore mining leases grant MagIron the rights to explore, mine and process hematite iron formation located in Itasca County, Minnesota. The leases are effective January 1, 2026 for a 20-year term and cover an area of 760 acres.

These new leases represent the first State-issued hematite mining leases specifically aligned with MagIron’s proprietary process for targeting and upgrading oxidized iron formation into high-grade Direct Reduction (‘DR’) grade iron ore concentrate, a critical input for ore-based metallics needed for the growing U.S. Electric Arc Furnace (‘EAF’) steel sector.

Combined with MagIron’s existing stockpiles, tailings, private mineral agreements, other State mineral leases and the mineral rights it owns, these new leases further strengthen the Company’s restart plans for Plant 4, a modern past-producing concentrator designed to supply the U.S. steel industry with low-carbon, domestically sourced iron units.

Julian Treger, CoTec CEO commented: ‘These leases are another exciting milestone for MagIron as it further secures supply for MagIron in the execution of its strategy of becoming a multi-decade integrated supplier of DR grade pellets to America’s rapidly expanding EAF steel industry.’

For further information, please visit https://magironusa.com

About CoTec

CoTec Holdings Corp. (TSX-V: CTH, OTCQB: CTHCF) is redefining the future of resource extraction and recycling. Focused on rare earth magnets and strategic materials, CoTec integrates breakthrough technologies with strategic assets to unlock secure, sustainable, and low-cost supply chains for the United States and its allies.

CoTec’s mission is clear: accelerate the energy transition while strengthening U.S. economic and national security. By investing in and deploying disruptive technologies, the Company delivers capital-efficient, scalable solutions that transform marginal assets, tailings, waste streams, and recycled products into high-value critical minerals.

From its HyProMag USA magnet recycling joint venture in Texas, to iron tailings reprocessing in Québec, to next-generation copper and iron solutions backed by global majors, CoTec is building a diversified portfolio with long-term growth, rapid cash flow potential, and high barriers to entry. The result is a game-changing platform at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and strategic materials.

For more information, please visit www.cotec.ca

For further information, please contact:
Braam Jonker – (604) 992-5600

Forward-Looking Information Cautionary Statement

Statements in this press release regarding the Company and its investments which are not historical facts are ‘forward-looking statements’ which involve risks and uncertainties, including statements relating to the Company’s interest in MagIron, the state leases secured by MagIron, the potential restart of the MagIron operations, the MagIron strategy and its execution and management’s expectations with respect to its current and potential future investments, and the benefits to the Company which may be implied from such statements. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements, due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, including but not limited to resource and reserve risks; environmental risks and costs; labor costs and shortages; uncertain supply and price fluctuations in materials; increases in energy costs; labor disputes and work stoppages; leasing costs and the availability of equipment; heavy equipment demand and availability; contractor and subcontractor performance issues; worksite safety issues; project delays and cost overruns; extreme weather conditions; and social and transport disruptions. For further details regarding risks and uncertainties facing the Company please refer to ‘Risk Factors’ in the Company’s filing statement dated April 6, 2022, a copy of which may be found under the Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. The Company assumes no responsibility to update forward-looking statements in this press release except as required by law. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release and are encouraged to read the Company’s continuous disclosure documents which are available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE: CoTec Holdings Corp.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

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