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Environmental concerns are a challenge for Equinix to Cape Town data centers
The plan of U.S. listed Equinix, to build two data centers in Cape Town, should not be approved unless its full disclosure regarding?water, electricity and environmental impact is made, according to a formal complaint lodged with?city planners. Housing Assembly (HA), a South African social movement that represents more than 20 communities, and UK non profit Foxglove claim the application can't be approved without key information for officials to evaluate the project. Equinix has said that it did not submit any planning applications for Cape Town. The company already operates an energy-only site in Johannesburg. We can confirm that the purchase of land in Cape Town has been completed. "At this time, no planning application has been filed in relation to the site," said it in an email statement as a?response. Equinix stated that "should we decide to move forward with any development we will be fully transparent, and provide detailed information?in a timely fashion? to all stakeholders relevant." Equinix says it works with local utilities and government leaders to understand the local priorities, and inform its decisions. Technology?firms are racing to increase computing power around the world, but they're facing local opposition. Communities are concerned about rising power bills, noise, pollution, and water stress. Rosa Curling said, "There is simply not enough data to make a decision about a project this size, as there are no details on water usage, emissions, electricity demands, diesel generators or air pollution. According to the document, the project involves two large data centers in Cape Town. The combined power consumption is projected to be up to 160 Megawatts. However, questions remain about the type of backup power generation that the site will have. Curling added that the water requirements of the site were also important, given Cape Town's history with water scarcity. Cape Town experienced a severe water shortage in 2017-2018. This is known as the "Day Zero" crisis. The city had to shut down the taps of most households because the reservoirs were dangerously low. Saadiyah kwada, an lawyer at the Legal Resources Centre, a non-profit organization in Cape Town, said: "There is a rush to build data centres without properly considering the impacts." King David Golf Club and Equinix, owners of King Air Industria (the development site on which the data centers are to be built), have 30 days in which to respond. The City then has 180 days to decide. KAI declined comment. Alderman Eddie Andrews, Cape Town's Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and ?Environment, said: "The City of Cape Town still needs ?to evaluate the application together with all comments and objections ?received from internal and external departments/interested and affected parties. He added, "The City is unable to comment further because this application is being processed." The South African government pledged on Wednesday to increase investment in digital infrastructure including data centres through tax incentives, policy reforms and regulatory barriers. (Editing by Simon Jessop and Kirsten Donovan)
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Putin dodges the question of whether he'll stay in power through 2036
Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, avoided a question about whether he will stay in power until 2036. He said that it was "too early" to discuss this issue. Putin was asked by senior editors from news agencies in St. Petersburg if he planned to serve until 2036, and if he thought he had enough stamina and good health to do so. He replied: "Only God can tell if I, you and everyone gathered here have enough health to survive until tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. And even more, we need to accomplish some of the tasks that we face to reach the goals we set for ourselves." Putin, who has been in power since 1999 as president or prime minster, claimed that the constitution allows him to run in 2030, and if he wins, serve another term up until 2036. "In fact, the Constitution allows me to run in 2030. But I think it is?too soon?to discuss it. It's still very early. Right now, I don't even think about it. I'm completely honest. Putin said, "I don't think about it at all." The country is facing a number of pressing and large-scale issues. "They need to be solved without thinking about it, but instead thinking about the future for Russia."
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Nigeria's Dangote Refinery Tops 700,000 Barrels Per Day In Test
The Nigerian Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which is owned by Dangote Group, has increased its crude processing capacity to 700,000 barrels a day during a test conducted by the process licensors. This exceeds the nameplate capacity, 650,000 bpd, and marks a significant milestone in operations, according to a statement released on Thursday. Devakumar?Edwin, vice-president for oil and?gas at Dangote Industries said that the ramp-up is part of a larger plan to expand the capacity to 1.4 million bpd in 30 months. This level could make the facility among the largest globally. The refinery owned by billionaire Aliko. Dangote began fuel production in the year 2024. Since then, it has increased output of petrol, diesel, and jet fuel. It exports products to Saudi Arabia and the United States, as well as to African countries, such as the United Kingdom and France. Dangote Refinery is a major global supplier, despite supply disruptions caused by Middle East tensions. African buyers are looking for more reliable suppliers. Kpler data shows that exports rose to 353,000 barrels of oil per day from 168,000 in February. About half of this volume was exported to other African nations. Analysts warn that it is still too early to determine if the surge represents a shift in trade patterns. This is especially true after exports dropped to 285,000 barrels per day in May. Mick Strautmann is a market analyst at Vortexa. He said: "We are seeing a shift towards regional barrels with Dangote increasing its share in Africa's seaborne imports of fuel." David Bird, the Chief Executive of the refinery, said that it has a surplus of jet fuel and can supply international markets. The rising production is attracting increasing interest from international crude traders and suppliers. (Reporting and editing by Matthew Lewis in Lagos, Isaac Anyaogu)
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U.S. revokes endangered species listing for Permian Basin lizard, resolves Texas attorney general lawsuit
The Trump?administration has agreed to strip endangered species status from a lizard whose range overlaps?the biggest oil-producing area in?the United States. This is a settlement of a lawsuit?brought?by Texas attorney general Ken Paxton. The U.S. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the dunes sagebrush-lizard endangered in May 2024 after concluding oil and gas development had rendered the loss of habitat "effectively permanently." The U.S. Justice Department said that the USFS now considers that it made an "important and fundamental" mistake by assuming incorrectly that habitat restoration was impossible and by ignoring experimental efforts which "showed potential", in a court document filed on Wednesday. The Justice Department stated that the error "led an incomplete and possibly inaccurate assessment of the potential and ongoing conservation activities in New Mexico and Texas". The settlement must be approved by a federal judge in Midland, Texas. This is the latest in a series of environmental rollbacks under Donald Trump. A Republican, Trump has been pushing to dismantle regulation?to reduce costs for industry and increase domestic energy production. Critics claim that his actions weaken air, water and health protections. Paxton's Office did not respond immediately to comments on Thursday. PAXTON CALLS BIDEN-ERA RULE POLICIALLY MOTIVATED The lawsuit filed in September 2024 sought to overturn the final rule protecting the lizard that was issued by then Democratic President Joe Biden's administration. Paxton claimed that the rule was political in nature, could have a negative impact on energy production and threaten private landowners’ ability to do business. The Fish and Wildlife Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior declared the lizard to be endangered. This was done under the federal Endangered-Species Act which limits 'development' in habitats that are deemed vital for a species survival. The settlement calls for the agency to conduct a further review, and decide within two-years whether to reclassify this lizard as threatened or endangered. The government did not admit wrongdoing other than acknowledging a mistake in habitat restoration. Paxton is a Republican who is running for a U.S. Senate position. He is also a Trump supporter. According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, the lizards' range is a?1.25million acres (1.953 square mile) according to the?dunes Sagebrush Lizard. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Texas will account for 43% percent of the nation's crude production and 28% percent of its gross natural gas withdrawals by 2024. Jonathan Stempel, New York; Sanjeev Mikleni, editing.
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Gold prices rise as hopes for a Middle East ceasefire pressure bond and dollar yields
Gold prices rose more than 1% Thursday, as oil prices fell?on the back of optimism about a possible?end to Iran conflict. This caused the dollar to rise and bond yields to drop. As of 1:41 pm EDT (1741 GMT), spot gold was up by 1% to $4,476.85 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery settled 0.9% higher at $4,505. Independent metals trader Tai Wong says that reports of a ceasefire agreement between?Israel? and Lebanon? have pushed the dollar and bond yields up, which has helped gold to hold above?the 200-day moving averge. Israel and Lebanon announced late on Wednesday that they had agreed to implement ceasefire. This raised hopes of a deal being reached between Washington and Tehran. Oil prices dropped by more than 3% in response to the news amid hopes of a reopening of 'Strait of Hormuz. Gold's appeal was boosted by the lower yields of U.S. Treasuries including the 10-year bond, as well as a 0.2% decline in the dollar. Wong stated that "record highs in gold prices this year are unlikely to happen unless there is a lasting, clean ceasefire between Iran and the West, which opens Hormuz. This will allow energy prices to fall, and for markets to stop worrying over possible higher rates." Gold, the traditional "safe-haven" asset, reached a record of $5,594.82 an ounce on January 29. Since the start of the Iran conflict, in late February, it has lost about 16%. The high interest rates are a burden on non-yielding gold. Investors will now be focusing on the release of the May U.S. Employment Report. The data may shed light on the health of the labor market, which will help determine the direction the Federal Reserve takes in the future. Silver spot rose by 1.7%, to $73.95 an ounce. Platinum gained 2.1%, to $1.897.61. Palladium increased 1.4%, to $1.320.23. (Reporting and editing by Paul Simao in Bengaluru, Shailesh Kumar, and Anjana Anil)
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IMF: Oil price is close to April baseline forecast
The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday that while oil prices are only 3% higher today than the levels used in its April global growth forecast, physical spot prices continue to be volatile and global reserves keep falling. Brent crude benchmark futures have dropped in recent days. On Thursday, they were trading at $94.79 per barrel for August delivery, while contracts for delivery in December are currently priced at $86.18. IMF's April World Economic Outlook global growth "reference estimate" was based upon an average oil price per barrel of $82.22 for the year. The forecast was issued in mid-April, after prices spiked in March. It assumed that the conflict would end quickly, and prices would fall to $76 by 2027. Brent was trading?at $94.80 at the time?the forecast came out. IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was crucial to the stability of oil prices. She did not say that the IMF reference forecast will hold. She and other IMF officials said previously that the world economy had moved into the "adverse scenario" of the IMF due to the conflict. Growth was expected to fall to 2.5% in this year. Kozack stated that "the price of oil, and its direction will be very dependent on the length of the war as well as how quickly and when the Strait of Hormuz is reopened." She stated that the spot price is?higher? than the futures prices, which the IMF uses? to?back up its forecasts. The IMF will therefore take this difference into consideration when it releases its next global forecast update in July. Reporting by David Lawder, Editing by Elaine Hardcastle
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Data shows that Iranian oil exports have fallen to their lowest level in six-years.
According to shipping data, and analysts, Iranian crude oil exports and condensate fell to their lowest levels?in six years?in?May. They were well below 300,000. barrels per day. This was mainly because of the U.S. Naval Blockade. The U.S. started enforcing its blockade in April, which choked Iranian exports. This is because the oil market has been facing a shortage of supply due to the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off exports from Saudi Arabia. Vortexa data indicates that Iran's exports in May averaged around 209,000 bpd, down sharply from the 1.34 million in April and almost 1.9 million in March. Vortexa reported that this is the lowest level of tensions since late 2019 or early 2020 when U.S. president Donald Trump pursued a "maximum-pressure" campaign against Iran during his first term. The Iranian officials in New York didn't immediately respond to a comment request. The 'key drivers' appear to be the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. Naval Blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports. Also, owners, operators and insurers are unwilling to expose their vessels and crews to current security conditions, said Vortexa analyst Claire Jungman. Kpler data showed a similar drop, though it tallied May exports at a slightly higher level of 260,000 bpd - still a six-year record low. IRANIAN OIL IN FLOATING STOCKAGE FALLS Kpler data shows that the volume of Iranian crude oil stored on ships is decreasing as more tankers are discharging in China. Kpler stated that 67 million barrels of Iranian condensate and crude oil are stuck in the Gulf of Oman and Mideast Gulf. The floating storage volume has fallen since a recent peak of around 190 million barrels at the end of April. Iman Nasseri is an analyst with FGE?NexantECA. He estimated that 55 million barrels (less than Kpler's figure) of Iranian crude are floating on ships beyond the blockade. Homayoun Falikshahi, Kpler analyst, said that if the blockade continues for two more months, Iran will run out of oil to export to China, which is its largest buyer. Kpler reports that China's imports from Iran of crude oil fell to 1,10 million bpd, the lowest level since January 2025.
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How Trump's ceasefires have failed to end Middle East violence
Residents in Gaza, Lebanon's south, northern Israel, and Kuwait have all been under fire in the past week, despite ceasefires that were supposedly in place in these regions, arranged by the United States. Israeli airstrikes struck Gaza and Lebanon. Israeli forces are still "actively" deployed in both locations. Hezbollah launched rockets at northern Israel and Iranians attacked Kuwait's airport. The violence has continued. The continued violence prompted?U.S. The three?truces that his administration negotiated were intended to?stop the war. While the major combat has been greatly reduced, munitions still fall and people still die. Here's how the ceasefires and fighting are unfolding: WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE CEASEFIRE? On October 10, 2025 the United States brokered an agreement between Israel and Hamas that ended major warfare. The ceasefire agreement included a halt in all fighting, Hamas freeing all of its remaining hostages, Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal phased, increased aid, and the opening a border crossing to Egypt. Trump's plan for a ceasefire included agreements on Hamas disarmament, a new Gaza Government without the group’s involvement, reconstruction in Gaza, and a complete Israeli pullout. Both sides disagree on how much aid Israel allowed to enter, despite the fact that all hostages have been released. Hamas is refusing to disarm. Israel claims that no significant reconstruction has taken place and that it wants to expand its control in Gaza. Israeli air strikes in Gaza have continued. Since the ceasefire, more than 900 Palestinians have been killed including nine on Friday. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza by sporadic Palestinian militant attacks. Why is there still violence in Lebanon? A ceasefire was only partially implemented in 2024 after Israel and Lebanon's Iran backed Hezbollah fought. Both sides accused the other of violating it. After the war against Iran broke out, open warfare resumed in March. Hezbollah fired into Israel while Israeli forces seized large areas of southern Lebanon. They also pounded other areas with airstrikes. Trump announced on April 16, a 10-day ceasefire between the Israeli and Lebanese government representatives. Israel mostly avoided striking Beirut, despite intense fighting in the south. According to the Lebanese government, hundreds of civilians have been killed in Israeli attacks since?April 16. The total death toll is now more than 3,500, and this includes both combatants and civilians. Israel claims that 26 soldiers and 4 civilians were killed by Hezbollah in attacks since March. Iran wants to include a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon as part of a deal to end the war it has with Israel and the United States, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to implement an entirely new ceasefire contingent upon Hezbollah's departure from the southern areas. The group rejected this plan, and the fighting continues. Will the US and Iran cement their ceasefire? On February 28, Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran to destroy its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. Both countries expressed hope that the theocratic regime would be overthrown. This came after a 12-day conflict last year, in which Israel and the United States struck a number of Iran's military leaders and nuclear facilities. The United States announced a ceasefire with Iran in early April, and talks were to follow on a lasting end to hostilities, the reopening of Hormuz or the end of a?U.S.-led blockade. Early April, the United States announced that it would cease hostilities with Iran. Talks were to follow, including a permanent end to hostilities and the reopening or Hormuz. The United States announced a ceasefire with Iran in early April, and talks would follow on a lasting end to hostilities,?the reopening of Hormuz, the ending of a?U.S. There has not been a full agreement yet despite the repeated rounds of indirect negotiations mediated by Pakistan. Negotiations on the nuclear issue would be put off to a later date if a deal is reached. Iran has also targeted Gulf States including Kuwait in this week's exchange of fire. Why haven't the ceasefires been effective? The first phase of all three agreements has failed to produce a lasting ceasefire. The combatants in each case refused to make the painful concessions necessary to progress beyond the first phase transitional ceasefires. Sometimes, they have used'military action' to achieve goals that they had set aside when the ceasefires were agreed upon or to test boundaries of agreements. Urban Coningham is a research fellow at London's Royal United Services Institute. He said that when there is no movement or political horizon it makes it difficult to maintain a ceasefire, as the parties have no incentive to keep it up if the ceasefire doesn't lead to any real changes. He said that the diminishing influence and assertiveness by regional powers, as well as the United Nations, have made it more difficult to maintain long-term agreements. (Compiled by Angus McDowall, edited by Cynthia Osterman).
Biden officials make desperate push for Greenland mining investment
The outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is making a lastditch push for mining business and others to buy Greenland, a relocation focused on sealing its vital minerals diplomacy and enhancing Western supply of materials for the energy transition.
Before President-elect Donald Trump takes workplace in January, Biden and his staff have been taking multiple steps to fortify their legacy, including increasing help to Ukraine and hurrying to approve U.S. mine permitting and financial rewards.
Jose Fernandez, the State Department's under secretary for economic development, energy and the environment, spent four days in Nuuk last week to meet with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Minerals Resource Authority.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of Denmark and host to one of the biggest U.S. Air Force bases, consists of big deposits of the majority of the minerals thought about vital by the U.S. Geological Survey.
That was my attempt to offer to investors a peek of what opportunities exist in Greenland, Fernandez told Reuters. Greenland wants to end up being the next mining frontier.
The check out culminated in an eight-hour teleconference last Wednesday from Nuuk moderated by Fernandez in between Greenland authorities and more than 70 Japanese, European and U.S. mining companies and other prospective financiers.
Diplomats from Australia, the United Kingdom and the European Union, in addition to the U.S. Export-Import Bank and the European Investment Bank, joined the call, which concentrated on 7 tasks, consisting of an unusual earths project from Neo Efficiency, a nickel job from Anglo American and a molybdenum project from Greenland Resources .
In Greenland, we see the advancement of important minerals as a shared worldwide responsibility, where our nation can handle a leading role, said Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland's minister for industry, trade, minerals, justice and gender equality.
The U.S. State Department has actually been offering allowing, mapping and other regulative suggestions to Nuuk authorities, also as assisting to draft a mining financial investment law, all targeted at prodding investment in Greenland at standards considered greater than Chinese-linked rivals.
Yes, we wish to get their important minerals and utilize them in our economy, but we don't wish to do that at their cost, said Fernandez.
Trump, who takes office in January, unsuccessfully attempted to purchase Greenland from Denmark during his very first term.
I can not forecast what the next administration will do, but business case will not change, Fernandez said. The need for critical minerals around the world is increasing significantly.
(source: Reuters)