Outages on Shopify’s e-commerce platform have been resolved, the company said late Monday, bringing to an end a daylong glitch on the annual ‘Cyber Monday’ shopping day.
Some merchants that use Shopify’s service to sell goods online said they experienced issues with checkouts through the company’s point-of-sale system.
Businesses that run on Shopify also had trouble logging into their administrative portals.
In a statement, Shopify said: ‘We had a system degradation that has now been mitigated.’
Throughout the day, business owners posted angry messages directed at the company on X, where Shopify President Harvey Finkelstein had posted ‘HAPPY CYBER MONDAY! Let’s finish strong!’ earlier in the day, with an emoji of a flexed arm.
One business, Costack Spices, based in London, replied: ‘How??? [We] cannot fulfill orders or log on,’ with three red-faced emojis. In a follow-up, the company posted, ‘This is unbelievable.’
Another user wrote, ‘@ShopifySupport I haven’t been able to access it for the last couple hours.’
Shopify replied to most users on X with the same message: ‘We are aware of an issue with Admins impacting selected stores, and are working to resolve it.’
In 2024, merchants using Shopify services recorded $11.5 billion in sales from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, the company said, with more than 76 million customers buying from businesses powered by the platform.
Shopify provides website design tools, online checkout services and digital advertising products to businesses of all sizes. The company says that millions of merchants use its services.
While Shopify’s share of Cyber Monday sales may be limited, smaller businesses that rely on the company to process their transactions may have missed out on crucial sales at the start of the all-important holiday season.
Total Cyber Monday sales are expected to be more than $53 billion, according to Salesforce.
Tech billionaires Michael and Susan Dell announced Tuesday that they are pledging $6.25 billion to create some 25 million additional ‘Trump Accounts’ for children across the country.
These accounts will be seeded with $250 each, and available for children who missed the eligibility cutoff for the $1,000 federally funded ‘Trump Accounts’ for babies born after Jan. 1, 2025.
Children living in ZIP codes with median incomes below $150,000 will be the first to receive the funds, the White House said.
‘The greatest investment that we could possibly make is in children,’ Susan Dell said alongside President Donald Trump at the White House.
‘It’s really an amazing moment that two people would do that kind of a contribution,’ Trump said.
The president said he was also talking to other wealthy donors and friends to potentially make similar contributions.
Michael Dell; President Donald Trump.Errich Petersen; Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Asked how this donation came to be, Michael Dell said: ‘We started talking about Texas only at the beginning. And then we thought about it some more, and we went back and forth, as we do on these things, and this is where we ended up.’
The Dells said they considered making the pledge for a long time. But they said they didn’t want the pledge to be the end of their involvement.
Michael Dell encouraged states to ‘really grow financial literacy’ to help educate families about how the accounts and markets work.
‘These deposits will reach the accounts of most children age 10 and under who were born prior to the qualifying date for the federal newborn contribution,’ the Dells said in a statement issued by their foundation.
‘Children older than 10 may benefit, too, if funds remain available after initial sign-ups,’ the Dell family said. ‘It is an incredibly practical and direct step to help families begin saving today.’
The Dells say they ‘believe this effort will expand opportunity, strengthen communities, and help more children take ownership of their future.’
The Dell family gift “is expected to reach nearly 80% of children age 10 and under across 75% of U.S. zip codes,” according to the nonprofit Invest America.
Children born after Jan. 1 and until Dec. 31, 2028, will receive an account infused with a $1,000 investment from the U.S. Treasury, as part of the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill.
The accounts will open and begin accepting contributions starting on July 4, 2026. The accounts will initially be held by a financial firm designated by the Treasury Department, but later will be able to be transferred to any brokerage firm.
Those accounts will also be eligible for additional contributions of up to $5,000 per year until the beneficiary child reaches age 18. Withdrawals from the accounts are not permitted until the children reach that age.
Trump accounts can be invested only in low-cost index funds or ETFs that either mirror the S&P 500 or ‘another American stock index,’ according to the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
‘These investment accounts are simple, secure, and structured to grow in value through market returns over time,’ the Dell family said.
‘Trump Accounts represent a potentially valuable tool for building up savings and tapping the power of compound growth for the young,’ Charles Schwab tax planning director Hayden Adams recently wrote.
If a family could contribute and invest the maximum $5,000 per year in the accounts, and with a reasonable growth rate of about 6%, ‘by age 18, the child’s account would hold around $191,000 in assets.’
Once a child turns 18, the accounts are eligible to be converted to a traditional individual retirement account, ‘meaning it could continue to accumulate potential gains on a tax-free basis’ for many years.
The Dells are one of the wealthiest families in America, with a fortune of nearly $150 billion, according to Bloomberg Billionaires. The family’s primary source of wealth is Dell Technologies, the company founded by Michael Dell in 1984.
In recent years, the value of Dell shares have been fueled by the booming AI revolution, for which Dell is a supplier of servers and other technology.
MILAN — The Prada Group announced Tuesday that it has officially purchased Milan fashion rival Versace in a 1.25 billion euro (nearly $1.4 billion) deal that puts the fashion house known for its sexy silhouettes under the same roof as Prada’s “ugly chic” aesthetic and Miu Miu’s youth-driven appeal.
The highly anticipated deal is expected to relaunch Versace’s fortunes, after middling post-pandemic performance as part of the U.S. luxury group Capri Holdings.
Prada said in a one-line statement that the acquisition had been completed after receiving all regulatory clearances.
Prada heir Lorenzo Bertelli will steer Versace’s next phase as executive chairman, in addition to his roles as group marketing director and sustainability chief.
The son of co-creative director Miuccia Prada and longtime Prada Group chairman Patrizio Bertelli has said he doesn’t expect to make any swift executive changes at Versace. But Bertelli has said that the company, which places among the top 10 most recognized brands in the world, has long been underperforming in the market.
Prada has underlined that the 47-year-old Versace brand offered “significant untapped growth potential.’’
Versace has been in the midst of a creative relaunch under a new designer, Dario Vitale, who previewed his first collection during Milan Fashion Week in September. He had previously been head of design at Miu Miu, but his move to Versace was unrelated to the Prada deal, executives have said.
Capri Holdings, which owns Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo, paid $2 billion for Versace in 2018, but had been struggling to position Versace’s bold profile in the recent era of “quiet luxury.″
Versace represented 20% of Capri Holdings 2024 revenue of 5.2 billion euros. An analyst presentation for the Prada deal said that Versace would represent 13% of the Prada Group’s pro-forma revenues, with Miu Miu coming in at 22% and Prada at 64%. The Prada Group, which also includes Church’s footwear, reported a 17% boost in revenues to 5.4 billion euros last year.
The Prada Group has already begun preparations to incorporate crosstown rival Versace into its Italian manufacturing system, a point of pride for the group.
“Making a bag for one brand or another, the know-how is the same,″ Bertelli told reporters last week at the group’s Scandicci leather goods factory, which already makes bags for the Prada and Miu Miu brands and will soon add Versace.
The Prada Group’s has invested 60 million euros in its supply chain this year, including a new leather goods factory near Siena, a new knitwear factory near Perugia as well as increasing production at its factory Church’s footwear factory in Britain and expanding another Tuscan factory. That’s on top of 200 million euros in investments from 2019-24.
Prada’s efforts include an academy that has trained some 570 new artisans over the last 25 years in an in-house training academy operating in the Tuscany, Marche, Veneto and Umbria regions.
Last year, Prada hired 70% of the 120 artisans who trained in the academy. The number of trainees rose by 28% to 152 this year.
On about two dozen occasions, the Supreme Court had to step in during President Trump’s second term because many inferior courts refused to accept that he is the president. The justices must do so again, after lower courts invalidated the appointments of acting U.S. attorneys Alina Habba of the District of New Jersey and Lindsey Halligan of the Eastern District of Virginia.
The Senate has a tradition that is over a century old called the blue slip. Home-state senators have an extraordinary power: the ability to veto U.S. marshals, U.S. attorneys, and U.S. district judges. In order for nominees to proceed, home-state senators must return a blue slip approving the nominations. Senators will never let this power go, so administrations have to bear the consequences. In New Jersey, leftist senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim have refused to allow the nomination of Alina Habba to serve as U.S. Attorney. Likewise, in Virginia, their fellow leftist senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner will not acquiesce to the nomination of Lindsey Halligan to serve as U.S. Attorney. As such, Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Habba and Halligan to 120-day terms to serve on an interim basis, as 28 U.S.C. § 546 allows. Halligan replaced another interim prosecutor, Eric Siebert, who departed shortly before his 120 days lapsed.
After 120 days have expired, leftists asserted that Bondi can make no more appointments, only district judges can. The Executive Branch, this argument goes, has no say whatsoever after 120 days. This result would lead to a scheme where leftist senators can block President Trump’s nominees. Then, courts composed mostly of leftist judges in these blue states can install leftist puppet U.S. attorneys, and the Executive Branch must grin and bear it, just as with the blue slip process.
The 120-day limit first appeared in a statute in 1986. During the years of presidents Clinton and Bush, attorneys general made successive 120-day appointments under the statutory scheme in effect from 1986-2006, the same scheme as today. Yet, Clinton Judge Cameron Currie of South Carolina did not view this historical evidence as persuasive when she invalidated Halligan’s appointment. Halligan secured indictments against New York Attorney General Letitia James for mortgage fraud and former FBI Director James Comey for false statements to and obstruction of Congress concerning the Russiagate hoax.
Those indictments are, for the moment, invalid. Currie’s opinion drips with disdain for Halligan, noting Halligan’s lack of prosecutorial experience. This issue is irrelevant to the legal question. Halligan, under Currie’s analysis, could have had three decades of prosecutorial experience, and her appointment would still have violated the Constitution’s Appointments Clause. Currie also quoted another irrelevant piece of evidence: President Trump’s social media post demanding Bondi move faster on prosecutions. Whether Halligan’s appointment is valid has nothing to do with that post. Its inclusion thus has no valid legal purpose.
The Appointments Clause vests appointment power in a president, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for principal officers. Congress can also require the advice and consent process to apply to inferior officers, and it did so with respect to U.S. attorneys. As such, presidents nominate U.S. attorneys, and the Senate confirms them. When there are vacancies, attorneys general can fill them for 120 days at a time, and a separate part of Section 546 allows for district courts to make appointments after the 120 days have expired. The Constitution grants department heads and courts the power to appoint inferior officers. District judges, for example, appoint magistrate judges.
Section 546 does not vest the authority to appoint U.S. attorneys exclusively in district courts. Under the reading of the judges who have invalidated the appointments of Habba and Halligan, a future President J.D. Vance’s attorney general could not make a 120-day appointment, either. The text of Section 546 does not specify a 120-day appointment per president. When one president’s attorney general makes a 120-day appointment, these judges absurdly prevent any future president’s attorney general from doing so in that district. District judges therefore have all the power until the Senate confirms a nominee one of these years or decades.
Fortunately, the issue now is ripe for Supreme Court review. This week, a Third Circuit panel ruled that Habba’s appointment is invalid. The justices should decide the cases together, even though the Fourth Circuit has not ruled on the Halligan appeal. There is only one circuit with all states that have Republican senators: the Fifth. This district court control could continue into the terms of a President Vance.
The easiest way to correct the lower court’s error is for the Supreme Court to hold that Section 546 allows attorneys general to make more than one 120-day appointment. Alternatively, the justices could hold that Section 546’s stripping of appointment power from the Executive Branch with respect to its officials violates the separation of powers.
In the face of immense criticism from Democrat politicians, the leftist media, and academic elites, the justices have intervened time and again to thwart unlawful interference by resistance lower courts. Because of the Supreme Court’s intervention on issues ranging from the ability to fire Executive Branch employees to the ability of the president to revoke temporary protected status from illegal immigrants, President Trump has been able to do his job far more effectively.
Bondi, Solicitor General John Sauer, and their team of stellar lawyers have amassed a success rate of over 90% at the Supreme Court. The justices must restore Habba and Halligan to preserve the separation of powers and prevent U.S. attorneys from being servants of district courts instead of presidents.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth chastised the press following media reports that he signed off on a second strike against an alleged drug boat after the first one left survivors.
The Trump administration has come under renewed scrutiny for its strikes in the Caribbean targeting alleged drug smugglers, after the Washington Post reported on Friday that Hegseth verbally ordered everyone onboard the alleged drug boat to be killed in a Sept. 2 operation. The Post reported that a second strike was conducted to take out the remaining survivors on the boat.
On Monday, the White House confirmed that a second strike had occurred, but disputed that Hegseth ever gave an initial order to ensure that everyone on board was killed, when asked specifically about Hegseth’s instructions.
Hegseth said that he watched the first strike live, but did not see any survivors at that time amid the fire and the smoke — and blasted the press for their reporting.
‘This is called the fog of war. This is what you in the press don’t understand,’ Hegseth told reporters at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. ‘You sit in your air-conditioned offices or up on Capitol Hill and you nit pick, and you plant fake stories in the Washington Post about ‘kill everybody’ phrases on anonymous sources not based in anything, not based in any truth at all. And then you want to throw out really irresponsible terms about American heroes, about the judgment that they made.’
Hegseth said that after watching the first strike, he left for a meeting and later learned of the second strike. The White House said Monday that Hegseth had authorized Adm. Frank ‘Mitch’ Bradley to conduct the strikes, and that Bradley was the one who ordered and directed the second one.
At the time of the Sept. 2 strike, Bradley was serving as the commander of Joint Special Operations Command, which falls under U.S. Special Operations Command. He is now the head of U.S. Special Operations Command.
According to Hegseth, carrying out a subsequent strike on the alleged drug boat was the right call.
‘Admiral Bradley made the correct decision to ultimately sink the boat and eliminate the threat,’ Hegseth said Tuesday.
Meanwhile, reports of the second strike have attracted even more scrutiny from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill and calls for greater oversight, amid questions about the strikes’ legality.
‘This committee is committed to providing rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense’s military operations in the Caribbean,’ Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., who lead the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement on Saturday. ‘We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question.’
Hegseth said Tuesday that although there has been a pause in strikes in the Caribbean because alleged drug boats are becoming harder to find, the Trump administration’s campaign against the influx of drugs will continue.
‘We’ve only just begun striking narco-boats and putting narco-terrorists at the bottom of the ocean because they’ve been poisoning the American people,’ Hegseth said.
The Trump administration has carried out more than 20 strikes against alleged drug boats in Latin American waters, and has bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean to align with Trump’s goal to crack down on the influx of drugs into the U.S.
The Trump administration is rolling out a new visa-restriction policy in response to a wave of brutal anti-Christian attacks in Nigeria, targeting those accused of orchestrating religious violence against Christians in the West African nation and around the world.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that a new policy in the Immigration and Nationality Act will allow the State Department to deny visas to those ‘who have directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom.’ Immediate family members may also face visa restrictions in some cases.
‘The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and beyond,’ Rubio said in the statement.
The move follows a surge of attacks on Christians and Christian institutions in Nigeria. Last month, gunmen stormed the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, killing two people and kidnapping dozens. The 38 abducted worshipers were freed nearly a week later.
Days later, armed attackers raided St. Mary’s School in Niger State, abducting more than 300 students and staff. School officials said 50 students aged 10 to 18 escaped in the following days, but 253 students and 12 teachers remain captive.
The violence prompted President Donald Trump to designate Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern,’ though the Nigerian government disputes the U.S. assessment.
‘I’m really angry about it,’ the president told Fox News Radio last month. ‘What’s happening in Nigeria is a disgrace.’
Rubio said the new visa restrictions will apply to Nigeria and to any other governments or individuals involved in violating religious freedom.
Echoing Trump’s warning, Rubio said: ‘As President Trump made clear, the ‘United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries.’’
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith on Wednesday for a deposition, escalating Republicans’ investigation into one of President Donald Trump’s top political foes.
Jordan directed Smith to appear before the committee on Dec. 17, according to a copy of the subpoena reviewed by Fox News Digital.
‘Due to your service as Special Counsel, the Committee believes that you possess information that is vital to its oversight of this matter,’ Jordan wrote in a letter accompanying his request.
The forthcoming deposition, which is set to take place behind closed doors, comes as House and Senate Republicans have zeroed in on Smith’s election-related investigation of Trump, describing it as a scandal that unnecessarily swept up hundreds of Republican lawmakers, GOP entities, Trump allies and media outlets as part of the probe.
Smith has repeatedly stood by his work as special counsel, which eventually involved bringing two sets of criminal charges against Trump over the 2020 election and over alleged retention of classified documents. Smith dropped both cases after Trump won the 2024 election, citing a Department of Justice policy that discourages prosecuting sitting presidents.
Smith has already offered to publicly testify before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, but a source familiar with Jordan’s request said a deposition is the chairman’s preferred format because each party on the committee can question Smith for an hour at a time and build a better record. In a public hearing, lawmakers typically question a witness in five-minute intervals.
Peter Koski, an attorney for Smith, responded to the subpoena in a statement provided to Fox News Digital and reiterated that Smith offered six weeks ago to appear voluntarily in a public hearing setting.
‘We are disappointed that offer was rejected, and that the American people will be denied the opportunity to hear directly from Jack on these topics,’ Koski said. ‘Jack looks forward to meeting with the committee later this month to discuss his work and clarify the various misconceptions about his investigation.’
Jordan’s subpoena also included a sweeping demand for all documents and communications related to Smith’s time as special counsel, a request that comes after the DOJ told Smith’s lawyers in a letter on Nov. 12, reviewed by Fox News Digital, that it would make a ‘unique’ accommodation to Congress by authorizing Smith to ‘provide unrestricted testimony to the Committee, irrespective of potential privilege.’
Fox News Digital reached out to committee Democrats for comment.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The Defense Department inspector general report analyzing the use of messaging app Signal to share classified information, particularly in planning for Houthi strikes in March, will be released on Thursday.
A classified version of the report has been handed over to the Senate Armed Services Committee and an unclassified, redacted version will be made public, a source familiar with the process told Fox News Digital after Axios first reported it.
Trump administration officials used Signal to discuss sensitive military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen in March. Then-national security advisor Mike Waltz had created the chat, which included many of Trump’s top Cabinet members, and inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic.
The IG launched a probe in April following requests from top lawmakers on the hill. It was intended to examine whether Hegseth improperly discussed operational plans for a U.S. offensive against the Houthis in Yemen and will also review ‘compliance with classification and records retention requirements,’ according to a memo from Inspector General Steven Stebbins.
Hegseth’s Signal messages revealed F-18, Navy fighter aircraft, MQ-9s, drones and Tomahawks cruise missiles would be used in the strike on the Houthis.
‘1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package),’ Hegseth said in one message notifying the chat of high-level administration officials that the attack was about to kick off.
‘1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)’ he added, according to the report.
‘1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)’
‘1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)’
‘We are currently clean on OPSEC’ — that is, operational security.
Waltz later wrote that the mission had been successful. ‘The first target — their top missile guy — was positively ID’d walking into his girlfriend’s building. It’s now collapsed.’
Trump administration officials have insisted that nothing classified was shared over the chat. The report should offer clarity on that claim.
Thursday will be a contentious day for the Pentagon — Admiral Mitch Bradley, commander of Special Operations Command, will also be on Capitol Hill to offer his account of the Sept. 2 ‘double tap’ strike on alleged narco-traffickers.
After one strike on a boat carrying 11 people and allegedly carting drugs toward the U.S. left two survivors clinging to the wreckage, Bradley ordered another to take out the remaining smugglers.
Lawmakers and legal analysts have claimed that killing shipwrecked survivors is a war crime. Bradley is briefing leaders on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
Original reporting by the Washington Post claimed that direction came from the top: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had directed the commander to ‘kill them all.’ But Hegseth claimed he issued no such directive and did not witness the second strike. He said Bradley made the decision on his own, but he stands by it. U.S. officials who spoke with the New York Times said Hegseth did not order the second strike.
Charbone Corporation offers investors exposure to the rapidly expanding clean ultra high purity (UHP) hydrogen and specialty gases market through a modular, capital-efficient strategy that accelerates deployment and revenue generation. With first helium and UHP hydrogen deliveries, successful financings, and a growing network of long-term supply agreements, the company is entering a pivotal commercial phase supported by robust industry and policy tailwinds.
Overview
Charbone Corporation (TSXV:CH,OTCQB:CHHYF,FWB:K47) is an integrated company specialized in clean UHP hydrogen and the strategic distribution of industrial gases in North America and the Asia-Pacific region. It is developing a modular network of clean UHP hydrogen production while partnering with industry players to supply helium and other specialty gases without the need to build costly new plants. This disciplined strategy diversifies revenue streams, reduces risks and increases flexibility.
Charbone has accelerated its growth trajectory, negotiating a US$50 million financing, as one of possibilities in its toolbox, to expand across North America, executing a US$1 million collaboration agreement to advance a clean UHP hydrogen project in Malaysia, and achieving multiple milestones at its flagship Sorel-Tracy facility in Quebec. In 2025, the company completed the construction and equipment installation at Sorel-Tracy and began commissioning, after acquiring from Harnois Énergies and relocating the operating hydrogen production and refueling equipment to the site to enable faster commissioning and earlier hydrogen sales.
Charbone also launched its Industrial Gases Distribution Division and made its first helium delivery of 161,000 cubic feet of helium to an independent distributor in the Greater Toronto Area, underpinned by a three-year supply agreement. The company also signed a five-year clean UHP hydrogen supply contract with an Ontario-based distributor, with first deliveries scheduled to begin in December 2025. These agreements mark the company’s entry into the Ontario market and its integration into the North American specialty gases supply chain.
With its exclusive focus on clean UHP hydrogen, Charbone is positioning itself as a first mover in a multi-billion-dollar market. Leveraging Canada’s hydroelectric power and expanding nuclear capacity, Charbone plans to deliver sustainable hydrogen solutions that meet rising demand from both governments and global industries.
Company Highlights
Canada’s only publicly listed clean UHP hydrogen company: Charbone Corporation offers investors unique exposure to the fast-growing hydrogen economy as a company focused on clean UHP hydrogen production and distribution.
Building a North American clean UHP hydrogen pipeline: Advancing multiple projects, anchored by its flagship Sorel-Tracy facility in Quebec, to establish a scalable production and distribution network.
Well-financed for growth and expansion: Charbone negotiated US$50 million financing, facilitated by US Capital Global, as one of its possibilities in its toolbox to accelerate funding of modular build-out and expand its footprint across North America.
Expanding into international markets: Through a US$1 million master collaboration agreement, Charbone is supporting the deployment of a clean UHP hydrogen project in Malaysia, highlighting its global reach.
Aligned with strong policy and market tailwinds: For years, Canada leaned on centralized, fossil-based reformers. That playbook is obsolete. Now, Quebec’s hydropower can supply electrolyzers that split H₂O into H₂ and O₂ with zero carbon footprint. Charbone’s plug-and-play approach repurposes proven gear, slashing lead times and trimming capex. Charbone is well-placed for long-term growth.
Focus on clean UHP hydrogen production: Charbone is dedicated to producing hydrogen using baseload renewable energy, such as hydroelectric and nuclear energy — a critical pathway to decarbonization with a reliable and efficient production capacity.
New Industrial Gases Distribution Division: Achieved its first helium delivery and signed a three-year supply agreement, establishing a new revenue stream in specialty gases.
Project Pipeline and Key Partnerships
Charbone forged strong partnerships to execute its business model. Here’s where it gets cool: renewable hydroelectricity powers electrolyzers that split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Purification skids then crank it up to 99.999% purity – true industrial grade. This hydrogen production model serves everything from fuel-cell fleets and semiconductor fabs to specialty metal processing and next-gen refueling stations.
Charbone isn’t flying solo. The company has built a network of strategic partners across production, infrastructure and commercial distribution, including:
Energy and technology partners such as Hydro-Québec and ABB, supporting clean power supply and the development of modular hydrogen facilities across North America.
Equipment and construction partners responsible for the delivery, relocation and installation of Charbone’s operating hydrogen production assets and the completion of civil works at Sorel-Tracy.
A US Tier-One industrial gas producer, with whom Charbone recently formed a strategic alliance to expand access to helium and specialty gases and strengthen North American market penetration.
Commercial distributors in Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area under multi-year agreements for clean UHP hydrogen and UHP helium, marking Charbone’s entry into these fast-growing specialty gas markets.
Public listings on the TSX Venture Exchange, OTCQB, and Frankfurt Stock Exchange, supporting access to global capital.
Charbone’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ABB includes the development of up to 16 modular and scalable green hydrogen production facilities across North America over the next five years. Under the MOU, ABB will support Charbone in standardizing basic engineering for systems and components across its project portfolio to increase energy efficiency and reliability.
Among the sites covered by the collaboration is Charbone’s flagship Sorel-Tracy facility near Montreal in Quebec, Canada. In 2025, the project reached several major milestones: the safe reception and transfer of all major hydrogen production components, the launch and completion of civil works, and the equipment installation and the start of Phase 1a commissioning on schedule in November 2025. These advances were enabled by Charbone’s acquisition from Harnois Énergies and relocation of operating hydrogen production assets, accelerating deployment and reducing capital requirements.
The construction of its Sorel-Tracy facility is being done with the participation of EBC, one of the largest construction companies in Quebec. EBC has a proven track record of designing and building facilities in Canada and the US. The partnership agreement gives EBC the right of first refusal to construct additional Sorel-Tracy phases, as well as one or all of Charbone’s facilities within the North American market.
In addition, Charbone has entered into several other strategic partnerships, all aimed at expanding its footprint in North America. The company entered into a special consultancy agreement with Enki GéoSolutions for potential partnership proposals as a co-operator and distributor of an emerging form of clean and renewable hydrogen, known as white or natural hydrogen.
In June 2024, Charbone executed a supply agreement for a complete containerized electrolyzer system ready for shipment to its flagship clean UHP hydrogen site in the City of Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. Since then, the company has completed grid and water connections, obtained its first hydrogen tube trailer for bulk transport, and introduced a dedicated helium tube trailer to support new commercial activity in Ontario. These logistics capabilities now support both hydrogen and helium deliveries under multi-year supply agreements.
Charbone also signed commercial supply agreements (CSAs) with a top-tier US industrial gas producer and distributor. The first CSA secures hydrogen supply ahead of Charbone’s own production, while the second expands its product offerings to include helium and other industrial gases. In 2025, this relationship expanded into a broad strategic alliance, strengthening Charbone’s access to high-value gases and enhancing its commercial footprint across North America.
Superior Plus
This partnership allows Charbone to sell hydrogen produced at the Sorel-Tracy facility to Certarus, a subsidiary of Superior Plus. Such supply agreements ensure that Charbone can generate cash flow immediately following the commencement of production.
NEK Community Broadband
The agreement with NEK Community Broadband ensures the supply of green hydrogen in the Northeast Kingdom of the state of Vermont, USA. NEK Broadband is building a high-speed broadband infrastructure and plans to install a hydrogen fuel cell backup system for a reliable power supply.
Oakland County Economic Development Department, Michigan
Further advancing its goal of US expansion, Charbone signed a memorandum of understanding in December 2023 with Michigan’s Oakland County Economic Development Department to set up Charbone’s first clean UHP hydrogen facility in the US. Oakland County is home to major automakers, and a clean UHP hydrogen facility in their proximity will support the effort of producing environmentally friendly mobility options.
Being the only publicly listed clean UHP hydrogen player in Canada, Charbone offers investors a unique opportunity to participate in the rise of Clean UHP hydrogen as a potential low-emitting alternative to fossil fuels.
Management Team
Dave Gagnon – Chairman and CEO
Dave Gagnon has been chairman and chief executive officer of Charbone Corporation since April 21, 2022. With over 20 years of executive leadership experience in Cleantech, Wind Power, Hydropower, Lithium Resources, and Industrial Gases, he has built a career focused on scaling innovative infrastructure, accelerating sustainable energy solutions, and leading cross-border growth initiatives in high-impact sectors.
Benoit Veilleux – Chief Financial Officer
Benoit Veilleux was appointed as the CFO of Charbone on August 15, 2022. Veilleux has over 15 years of experience in corporate accounting and finance. He began his professional career at KPMG in 2003, where he managed and coordinated audit teams for public companies until 2010. Since then, he has worked with a number of companies including Air Liquide Canada and the Hypertec Group.
Daniell Charette – Chief Operating Officer
Daniell Charette has been the chief operating officer of Charbone since February 2019. He brings over 25 years of experience in running and managing renewable energy companies. He has worked in senior leadership roles with several renewable companies including NEG Micon A/S, Vestas and Brookfield Power. He has served on various association boards and councils, including the Canadian Wind Energy Association, Association Québécoise des Producteurs d’Énergie Renouvelable, and Latin Wind Energy Association.
Francois Vitez – Director
Francois Vitez is a hydropower and energy storage expert with more than 24 years of experience in development, engineering and construction management as well as operations and maintenance of hydropower and energy storage projects in North America and internationally. He is a board member and chair of the Value of Hydropower committee at Waterpower Canada, vice-chair of the Energy Storage Association of Canada, board member of the California Energy Storage Association, and member of the International Hydropower Association.
Patrick Cuddihy – Industrial Gases Operations Team
Patrick Cuddihy is a seasoned operations leader with over 20 years of experience at Air Liquide Canada, to its hydrogen operations team. Patrick brings a wealth of expertise in managing industrial gas production and distribution, having held senior roles including network sales director for Quebec Region, general manager for Pacific Region, director of procurement services, and director of logistics and assets for the Eastern Region.
Jean Watelle – Hydrogen Production
Jean Watelle is an engineer with more than 25 years of experience in technical and manufacturing management, including 11 years as director, hydrogen and site operations, large industries – Eastern Region at Air Liquide Canada, five years in Lean Manufacturing and as a Tier 1 specialist for Chrysler and Ford. Known for his dynamism, creativity and excellent knowledge of continuous improvement tools, Watelle enjoys successfully completing stimulating challenges with a committed team.
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Osisko Metals Incorporated (the ‘ Company ‘ or ‘ Osisko Metals ‘) (TSX: OM,OTC:OMZNF; OTCQX: OMZNF; FRANKFURT: OB51) is pleased to announce that it expects to complete a non-brokered private placement with certain strategic investors for an aggregate of approximately 67,666,666 common shares of the Company (the ‘ Common Shares ‘) at an offering price of $0.48 per Common Share for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $32,480,000 (the ‘ Private Placement ‘).
The Private Placement is expected to include subscriptions from certain strategic investors, including:
Hudbay Minerals Inc. : 29,166,666 Common Shares for gross proceeds of $14,000,000;
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited : has indicated that it intends to subscribe for 26,000,000 Common Shares for gross proceeds of $12,480,000 pursuant to an existing participation right;
Franco-Nevada Corporation : 4,166,667 Common Shares for gross proceeds of $2,000,000; and
A strategic institutional investor : 8,333,333 Common Shares for gross proceeds of $4,000,000.
The size of the Private Placement will depend on, among other things, certain contractual participation rights granted by the Company to Glencore Canada Corporation (the ‘ Glencore Participation Right ‘).
Osisko Metals CEO Robert Wares commented: ‘ We are pleased to welcome Hudbay Minerals as a new significant shareholder of Osisko Metals. We also appreciate the continued participation of Agnico Eagle and two of our existing principal and strategic shareholders. We view the participation in the private placement by these investors as support for the potential of the Gaspé Copper project and we look forward to continued support from these shareholders as we advance our project. ‘
After giving effect to the Private Placement, but before giving effect to any other issuance of Common Shares (including pursuant to the Glencore Participation Right): (i) Hudbay Minerals Inc. (‘ Hudbay ‘) is expected to beneficially own or control 29,166,666 Common Shares, representing approximately 4.3% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares, calculated on a non-diluted basis; and (ii) Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (‘ Agnico ‘) is expected to beneficially own or control 87,815,000 Common Shares, representing an ownership interest in the Company equal to approximately 12.5% (calculated on a partially-diluted basis). As part of the Private Placement, the Company and Hudbay have agreed to enter into an investor rights agreement, pursuant to which Hudbay will be granted certain rights, including top-up rights and the right to participate in future offerings of securities of the Company upon Hudbay’s ownership interest increasing to 9.9% and, subject to certain minimum ownership thresholds and other conditions, the right to board representation.
The net proceeds of the Private Placement are expected to be used to advance the Company’s Gaspé Copper project (including drilling, permitting and technical studies) and for general corporate purposes. The Private Placement is expected to close on or about December 16, 2025, subject to the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements and the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions therein, including the conditional approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange (the ‘ TSX ‘).
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.
About Osisko Metals
Osisko Metals Incorporated is a Canadian exploration and development company creating value in the critical metals sector, with a focus on copper and zinc. The Company acquired a 100% interest in its flagship project, the past-producing Gaspé Copper mine, from Glencore Canada Corporation in July 2023. The Gaspé Copper project is located near Murdochville in Québec’s Gaspé Peninsula. The Company is currently focused on resource expansion of the Gaspé Copper system, with current Indicated Mineral Resources of 824 Mt grading 0.34% CuEq and Inferred Mineral Resources of 670 Mt grading 0.38% CuEq (in compliance with NI 43-101). For more information, see Osisko Metals’ November 14, 2024 news release entitled ‘ Osisko Metals Announces Significant Increase in Mineral Resource at Gaspé Copper ‘. Gaspé Copper hosts the largest undeveloped copper resource in eastern North America, strategically located near existing infrastructure in the mining-friendly province of Québec.
In addition to the Gaspé Copper project, the Company is working with Appian Capital Advisory LLP, through the Pine Point Mining Limited joint venture, to advance one of Canada’s largest past-producing zinc mining camps, the Pine Point project, located in the Northwest Territories. The current mineral resource estimate for the Pine Point project consists of Indicated Mineral Resources of 49.5 Mt at 5.52% ZnEq and Inferred Mineral Resources of 8.3 Mt at 5.64% ZnEq (in compliance with NI 43-101). For more information, see Osisko Metals’ June 25, 2024 news release entitled ‘Osisko Metals releases Pine Point mineral resource estimate: 49.5 million tonnes of indicated resources at 5.52% ZnEq’ . The Pine Point project is located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, close to infrastructure, with paved road access, an electrical substation and 100 kilometers of viable haul roads.
For further information on this news release, visit www.osiskometals.com or contact:
Don Njegovan, President Email: info@osiskometals.com Phone: (416) 500-4129
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains ‘forward-looking information’ within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always, using phrases such as ‘expects’ or ‘does not expect’, ‘is expected’, ‘interpreted’, ‘management’s view’, ‘anticipates’ or ‘does not anticipate’, ‘plans’, ‘budget’, ‘scheduled’, ‘forecasts’, ‘estimates’, ‘potential’, ‘feasibility’, ‘believes’ or ‘intends’ or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results ‘may’ or ‘could’, ‘would’, ‘might’ or ‘will’ be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking information. This news release contains forward-looking information pertaining to, among other things: the ability for the Company to complete the Private Placement on the terms contemplated (if at all); the size of the Private Placement; the expected ownership interest of certain participants in the Private Placement; the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements in connection with the Private Placement; the exercise of the participation rights by Agnico and Glencore Canada Corporation; the closing date of the Private Placement; the ability for the Company to obtain the conditional and final approval of the TSX; the anticipated use of proceeds of the Private Placement; the ability for the Company to unlock the full potential of its assets and achieve success; the ability for the Company to create value for its shareholders; the advancement of the Pine Point project; the anticipated resource expansion of the Gaspé Copper system; and Gaspé Copper hosting the largest undeveloped copper resource in eastern North America.
Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management, in light of management’s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, including, without limitation, assumptions about: the ability of exploration results, including drilling, to accurately predict mineralization; errors in geological modelling; insufficient data; equity and debt capital markets; future spot prices of copper and zinc; the timing and results of exploration and drilling programs; the accuracy of mineral resource estimates; production costs; political and regulatory stability; the receipt of governmental and third party approvals; licenses and permits being received on favourable terms; sustained labour stability; stability in financial and capital markets; and availability of mining equipment and positive relations with local communities and groups. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information are set out in the Company’s public disclosure record on SEDAR+ ( www.sedarplus.ca ) under Osisko Metals’ issuer profile. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
