Latest News
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Texas penalizes data centers for violating water laws
On Monday, the 'governor' of Texas, a state that is one of the fastest-growing areas for artificial intelligence infrastructure, instructed'state regulators to penalize any data centers who fail to provide details regarding their water usage. Texas, which has halted new data center connections to the state's?electrical grid, pending an assessment of the facilities' water and power use, amongst other issues, re-examines its regulations for server warehouses. Governor Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Water Development Board to "impose legal consequences" to data centers and large water-using entities that fail to report their water usage. Abbott's office issued a statement saying that "major water users including data centers appear to have violated civil and criminal laws by failing to provide TWDB the required information about water usage." The 'Texas water regulator tries to survey data centres about their 'water use and consumption expectations. The data center will be denied new or renewed environmental permits if it fails to submit the survey by the deadline.
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Interior Secretary: US oil export ban unlikely lower energy prices
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated on Monday that a ban on U.S. fuel or oil exports was unlikely to help lower energy prices for consumers in the midst of the Iran War. Burgum, speaking to reporters at the G20 meeting on energy in Houston, said: "We'd consider an export prohibition if it actually could lower prices. But that's not true." Burgum, a Trump appointee, stated that a ban on the export of oil, gasoline, or diesel could result in retaliatory measures from other countries. This could harm consumers in California, whose energy imports are largely dependent on. Burgum stated, "We stopped exporting products, and then someone said, "We're not going to export to California." Burgum stated that California has already shut down several oil refineries which has contributed to the rise in fuel prices. Burgum stated that California already has the highest gas and diesel prices in the nation due to their policies. We don't want to make it worse. The Trump administration has run out of options to reduce prices for diesel and oil, which recently reached a record-high above $6 per gallon, and are even higher in California. The White House is considering how it can use the Cold War Defense Production Act in order to increase U.S. refinery capacity.
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US EPA will undo carbon emissions limits for power plants during G20 meeting
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday rules to repeal former President?Joe Biden?s limits on carbon emission from coal-and-gas-fired power stations and to prevent future climate regulations of these facilities. The move is part President Donald Trump’s effort to undo U.S. Climate Policy, which his administration claims has hampered energy production. The announcement was made at the sidelines of the G20 Energy Ministers' meeting in Houston this week, where global officials will discuss "regulatory efficiencies," expanding baseload power, and energy security. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that 'new measures to prevent future regulation on greenhouse gas emissions in the power sector would enable the U.S. build new generating infrastructure to meet the skyrocketing demand for electricity. He said that the Americans have demanded more common sense from federal agencies under President Trump’s leadership at a press conference held in Houston. "That means reducing red tape so that we can build a new power-generating system." Environmental groups slammed this new proposal. They said that it would be more expensive in terms of damage to the public and the environment. Nearly a quarter (25%) of U.S. emissions are attributed to the electricity sector. In June 2017, the Trump administration proposed to repeal regulations written by Biden that would have reduced emissions of mercury, carbon dioxide and other air pollutants at power plants. Biden's carbon emissions rules for power plants would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one billion metric tonnes by 2047 as part of his administration’s fight against climate changes. This rule would have required that coal-fired power stations and new natural gas-fired generators install equipment to capture emissions in the next decade before they reach the atmosphere. This requirement made zero-emissions options like solar and wind attractive. Denying the existence of climate pollution that accounts for a quarter in the United States is reckless. Maggie Coulter said on Monday that it would 'lead to greater suffering and loss of life from extreme heatwaves, severe storms and destructive 'wildfires', similar to those we have seen this summer. According to a report by a reporter, Under Secretary of Energy Kyle Haustveit said that the new regulations would boost 'coal-fired electric power in the U.S. which has been steadily declining due to the availability and cheaper natural gas. He said, "President Trump has ended the war against beautiful, clean coal." "Coal has many advantages: it is affordable, reliable and secure."
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VTB sanctions imposed by the U.S.
Treasury Department: The United States imposed Iran-related Sanctions on Monday against?Russia's VTB Bank Public Joint Stock Company accusing it of involvement in Iranian sanctions evasion. Washington is seeking to increase economic pressure on Tehran. This action is a continuation of the sanctions that were imposed in 2022 against VTB, Russia’s second largest?lender. The bank was targeted following Moscow's full-scale invasion into Ukraine. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that "Under Operation Economic Outcast Treasury will continue to target those who provide material or financial support to the Iranian regime to enable it to maintain its terrorist enterprise." Treasury will not tolerate any regime support and will continue to expose and isolate Iran’s "enablers." Bessent warned that the Trump administration will sanction a "large bank" as it continues to exert economic pressure on Tehran in order to end a six-month conflict between the U.S. and Iran. Since the conflict began in February, the 'United States' has taken a number of economic measures to target Iran, including oil exports, shipping networks, channels for weapons procurement, financial intermediaries and digital asset exchanges.
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European shares fall on AI concerns and inflation fears
European shares dropped on Monday, as technology stocks were under pressure following leaders of top AI companies who pushed for a slower pace of development. Meanwhile, a surge in global bond yields and oil prices dampened risk appetite. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down by 0.5%, at 635.99. The majority of regional markets fell, but London and Zurich's indices rose by 0.4% and 0.8% respectively. As AI-linked stocks fell globally, technology shares were among the worst performers, falling 2.1%. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, called for companies to halt the advancements in AI models due to misuse concerns. This view was backed by xAI’s Elon Musk as well as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The STOXX 600 was led by the French chipmaker Soitec, which fell 12.5%. However, software stocks gained. Octave Intelligence, Capgemini, Sage and Relx all rose between 5% and 75%. Chris Beauchamp is the chief analyst at IG. He said, "These stocks were victims of SAASpocalypse on fear AI would wipe their businesses out." "Those fears were exaggerated, but if the AI giants put their foot down, the outlook for revenue for Sage, RELX, and their SAAS brothers globally becomes much brighter. Even if this only delays a long-term loss of biz." European miners declined 2.5% as a result of the weakness in commodity prices. Healthcare stocks rose 2.7%, bucking the trend. GSK grew by 4.7% following the positive results of two lung cancer drugs. This added to the momentum in this sector. Energy stocks fell 0.8% but crude prices rose 2% as supply concerns increased after new strikes on Saudi energy infrastructure, and attacks against ships in the Middle East. Recent oil prices have heightened inflation concerns, which has led to expectations that central banks around the world could raise interest rates this year. The European economies are especially vulnerable to rising oil prices, as they heavily rely on imports. ECB policymakers warned 'on Monday' that euro zone inflation may exceed high forecasts. Traders now price in an additional 25 basis-point ECB rate increase by the end of the year after last?week?s rate hike. Government bond yields soared as a result of the developments. The 10-year bund - considered to be the benchmark for the region - was at its highest level since mid 2009. The benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yields also rose to a psychologically important level of 5%. The U.S. Federal Reserve is widely expected to raise its main lending rate by at least 25 basis point this week --?in stark contrast to the split chances between a hike or a pause that were seen only a week earlier. After a close election, which reduced the influence of the far right, Sweden's opposition centre-left appeared most likely to win power on Monday.
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German Finance Minister demands UniCredit CEO to meet certain conditions regarding possible Commerzbank acquisition
On Monday, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil outlined a list of demands to UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel regarding the possible acquisition of Commerzbank by the Italian bank. The German Ministry of Finance said that these included Commerzbank staying listed on the stock market, maintaining its base in Frankfurt, and continuing to fund German medium-sized businesses?at home as well as abroad. After Berlin failed to stop a takeover, the meeting in Berlin marked an important turning point in the two-year struggle for control of Germany's largest bank. Klingbeil said, "In a productive discussion with Mr. Orcel I made it clear to him that future negotiations should be conducted responsibly." Orcel stated in a press release that the meeting was "a good and constructive first discussion that will be quickly followed by others." He said, "Both sides should now reflect on this initial discussion to find a way forward that is in the best interests of all stakeholders and shareholders."
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The UK government is looking to buy out an insolvent steel specialist
The British government announced on Monday that it was drafting a plan to buy Speciality Steel UK, a manufacturer who formerly supplied the automotive, aero, and defence industries and entered liquidation at the end of August 2025. Speciality Steel was a part of Liberty Steel before it went into liquidation. Liberty Steel is owned by the commodities tycoon Sanjeev Gupta. The government announced that it was moving toward public ownership, after it decided it couldn't support a private sector bid. This company?has locations in Northern and Central England and supports more than 1,300 jobs. "We don't interfere in private companies lightly." "We cannot simply sit back and let the future of this company and its 1,300 employees be decided by default," said Jonathan Reynolds, business minister. Working towards public acquisition 'will keep options open while we work with workers, local leaders, industry, and investors to determine the best?long-term?"future? for these sites." The government stated that any purchase would be subject to a due diligence process and would be funded by existing government budgets. The government did not specify how much an acquisition might cost.
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EPA will undo carbon emissions limits for power plants during G20 meeting
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will announce on Monday its final 'rule' that will repeal the Biden administration’s carbon emission limits for coal and gas fired?power plants. This is a major part of their broader efforts to undo U.S. Climate Policy that they claim has hindered American energy production. The announcement will take place on the sidelines a meeting of G20 energy Ministers in Houston, where global officials will discuss "regulatory efficiencies," expanding baseload power, and energy security. In June 2017, the Trump administration proposed to repeal rules that were written by former President Joe Biden in order to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and mercury from power plants. Biden's carbon emission rules for power plants would have cut greenhouse gas emissions from 1 billion metric tonnes by 2047. This was a key part of the administration's effort to combat climate change. Nearly a quarter (25%) of the U.S. greenhouse-gas?pollution is attributed to the electricity sector. At the time, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin claimed that this move would save businesses $120 million a yearly. Environmental?groups have criticized the proposal saying that it would cause more harm to the environment and the public health. Denying a quarter of the climate pollution in the United States is reckless. ?It'll lead to more deaths and suffering due to intense heatwaves and dramatic?storms.
The world awaits Iran's reaction after Trump claims US 'obliterates nuclear sites'
On Sunday, the world was waiting for Iran's reaction after Donald Trump announced that the U.S. "obliterated", Tehran's nuclear sites. The U.S. joined Israel in the largest Western military action since 1979 against the Islamic Republic.
Tehran pledged to defend itself no matter what. The damage seen from space was caused by 30,000-pound bunker-buster U.S. bombs that crashed into the mountain over the Fordow nuclear facility in Iran. The Iranians fired another round of missiles that caused many injuries and destroyed buildings in Tel Aviv.
In an attempt to avoid a full-scale war with the U.S. Superpower, the country has yet to act on its threats to retaliate against the United States - by either targeting U.S. base or trying to choke-off global oil supplies.
Abbas Araqchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister in Istanbul, said that Tehran would be considering all possible reactions. He said that Tehran would not return to diplomacy unless it had taken retaliatory measures.
The U.S. has shown that they do not respect international law. He said that they only understood the language of force and threat.
Trump called the strikes "a spectacular success" in his televised announcement.
"Iran's nuclear enrichment plants have been totally and completely destroyed." Iran, the Middle East bully, must now find peace. He said that if they don't, future attacks will be much more powerful and easier.
His administration insisted that there had not been any orders for a wider war against the hardline Shi'ite clerical regime that has ruled Iran from 1979.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said to reporters at the Pentagon that "this mission was and has never been about regime-change." "The President authorized a precision operation in order to neutralise threats to our national interest posed by Iran's nuclear program."
U.S. Vice-President JD Vance stated that Washington is not at war against Iran, but rather with its nuclear program. He added that this has been delayed by a long time because of the U.S. involvement.
The Iranian parliament has approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz. This is the narrow waterway that connects the Gulf with Oman, and shares by Iran, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Nearly a quarter of all oil transported around the globe passes through this area.
Press TV in Iran said that the Supreme National Security Council would have to approve the closure of the Strait. The council is led by a member appointed by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet is based in Gulf of Mexico and has been tasked to keep it open. If the Gulf Strait were closed, the oil prices would skyrocket, the economy would crash and there was a high likelihood that a conflict could arise.
In a Fox News Interview, U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio warned Iran against retaliating for the U.S. strike, saying that such an action would be "the biggest mistake they've made."
Rubio told CBS's "Face the Nation," that the United States have "other targets" they can target, but "we achieved our goal." Later, he added: "There is no military operation planned against Iran right now unless -- unless they mess about."
BUNKER BUSTERS
Israel has stated that its goal is to destroy Iran's nuke programme. It launched the war on Iran with a surprise strike on June 13th. Only the United States has the 30,000-pound bombs and batwing B2 aircraft that can drop them to destroy underground targets such as Iran's Fordow uranium-enrichment plant, which is built under a mountain.
Satellite images taken after the attack showed damage to both the mountain and the entrances near the site.
IAEA, the U.N. nuclear monitor, reported that no increase in radiation levels off-site had been reported following the U.S. attacks. According to a senior Iranian source, the vast majority of highly enriched uranium in Fordow was moved before the attack.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said that while it is obvious that U.S. aircraft have hit the Fordow nuclear site, it's not possible to estimate the damage underground yet.
Iranians who were contacted by expressed their fears at the prospect that a larger war would involve the United States.
"Our future looks bleak." "It's like being in a horror film," Bita, a 36-year-old teacher from Kashan, central city, said, before the phone was cut.
Residents have fled to the countryside from Tehran, a city with ten million residents, to escape Israeli bombing. Iranian authorities claim that over 400 people, mostly civilians, have died since Israel began its attacks.
Iran launched missiles at Israel in the last nine days. This is the first time that the projectiles penetrated Israel’s defenses. The elite Revolutionary Guards claimed to have fired 40 missiles in the latest round of fire at Israel overnight.
On Sunday, air raid sirens were heard in most of Israel, sending millions to their safe rooms.
Aviad Chernovsky (40) of Tel Aviv emerged from his bomb shelter only to discover that the house he lived in had been completely destroyed by a direct strike. "It is not easy for us to live in Israel right now, but we are strong." He said, "We know we will win."
Israel has killed a large number of Iran's senior military leaders in the nine days since it began its war. It targeted residential buildings and bases where they slept. Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, has openly spoken of the possibility to continue until the Islamic Republic’s clerical leaders are overthrown. He denied that this was his main objective.
Trump oscillated between offering to end this war through diplomacy and joining it. At one point, he even publicly mused about the death of Iran's supreme ruler. It is his biggest foreign policy bet of his career that he decided to fight.
Netanyahu congratulated Trump on a "bold decision". Yair Lapid, the Israeli opposition leader, praised Trump as well. He said that now the world is a safer place.
(source: Reuters)