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Kuwait cracksdown on cryptocurrency mining amid power crises
Kuwait has launched an offensive against cryptocurrency miners, which it believes are a major cause of the power crisis leading to blackouts. The authorities want to relieve pressure on the grid ahead of the hot summer. The Interior Ministry said that authorities launched a "widespread" security operation in the last week. It targeted homes used to mine cryptocurrency, which it called illegal. The ministry stated that crypto mining activities are "an unlawful exploitation" of electrical power and can cause outages in residential, commercial, and service areas. This poses a direct danger to the public's safety. Kuwait has banned cryptocurrency mining but no specific laws. Kuwait, an OPEC country, is facing a severe energy crisis due to population growth, urbanization, rising temperatures, and delays in maintenance. The government is urging residents to not waste electricity in order to avoid straining the electrical grid. A source from the electricity ministry said that cryptocurrency mining is a major factor in the power crisis but it's not the only one. The mining of crypto requires a large amount of computing power. This has led authorities in Kosovo and Russia to reduce its use, to avoid electricity shortages. Miners often base themselves in places where electricity is cheaper, and where it's easier to cool servers. Researchers from the University of Cambridge estimated in 2022 that Kuwait was responsible for only 0.05% of bitcoin mining around the world. There is no reliable data on the power consumption of crypto miners in Kuwait. However, Alex de Vries Gao, the founder of Digiconomist - a research project that tracks crypto's energy usage - said, "It only takes a small share of the entire bitcoin mining network to make a significant impact on Kuwait's relatively low total electricity consumption." Kuwait's crackdown targeted homes in Al-Wafrah. The electricity ministry had previously stated that around 100 homes were being used for mining. Some of these homes consumed up to 20x the normal amount of electricity. The electricity ministry announced on Saturday that energy consumption in Al-Wafrah dropped by 55% after last week's operation. "They exploited their situation because they saw government subsidies and the lack of oversight. They also saw that there were no laws," said Saud al-Zaid. He was a former executive board member at the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority of Kuwait. Kuwait's central banks has warned investors against investing in cryptocurrency. Kuwait's approach is different from that of its neighbours who have embraced this industry. The son of U.S. president Donald Trump, Eric Trump, is among the attendees at a crypto event in Dubai. (Reporting and Additional Reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft, Writing by Yousef SABA; Editing by Tommy Reggiori Wilkes & Frey Whitworth).
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Utility Pinnacle West suffers a quarterly loss due to higher costs
Pinnacle West Capital, a U.S. utility company, reported a loss for the first quarter of this year due to higher interest and operating costs. New power plants and other intangible assets have increased the operating and maintenance costs of Phoenix-based company. Interest rates that are higher for longer hurt utilities as well, since they need more capital to build and maintain grids. The company reported that its total operating costs rose to $975.1 millions during the first reporting quarter from $884.9 during the same period last year. The total cost of interest rose to $94.8 millions during the third quarter from $86.6million a year earlier. The shares of the company are down slightly in morning trading. Utility said, however, that the number of retail clients grew by 2.3% in Arizona. Electricity demand there is increasing, largely due to multi-billion dollar semiconductor plants that are coming online. The company stated in February that Pinnacle West, whose main subsidiary serves 1.4 millions customers in Arizona, plans to add 9,805 MW of renewable energy, battery storage, and natural gas from 2025 to 2028. Over 90% is expected to be carbon free. The company posted a loss of $4.6m, or 4c per share, in the third quarter that ended on March 31. This compares to a profit of $16.9m, or 15c per share, a year ago. Reporting by Arunima Kumra and Khusbu Jeena in Bengaluru, Editing by Sahal Muhammad
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US construction spending drops in March
U.S. construction expenditures unexpectedly declined in March, amid large declines in both private and public outlays. Census Bureau of the Commerce Department reported on Thursday that construction expenditures dropped by 0.5% following a 0.6% rise in February, which was slightly revised downward. The economists surveyed by predicted that construction spending would increase 0.2%, after an earlier reported 0.7% jump. The construction spending in March increased by 2.8% compared to the same month last year. The amount spent on private construction fell by 0.6%. Residential construction investment fell by 0.4%. However, new single-family housing projects saw a 0.1% increase in spending. Homebuilding is being hampered by high mortgage rates and import tariffs. Last month, the National Association of Homebuilders calculated that tariffs on Chinese imports had been increased to 145%, and a 25% tax on foreign steel, aluminum, and other metals. This led to an increase in construction costs of $10,900 for each home. In March, the expenditures on multi-family housing units remained unchanged. Investments in non-residential private structures such as offices and factories fell by 0.8%. The spending on public construction projects decreased by 0.2%. Spending by state and local governments also decreased 0.2% while federal government expenditures fell 0.4%. Lucia Mutikani, Andrea Ricci and Andrea Ricci (Reporting)
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US: Minerals deal will strengthen Trump's position in negotiations with Russia
Kyiv, Washington and other Ukrainian officials hailed the deal that gives the United States preferential rights to access new Ukrainian minerals on Thursday as a major milestone. A top U.S. government official stated that this would give President Donald Trump a better basis to negotiate with Russia. The Kremlin did not comment on the agreement reached Wednesday, but former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev claimed that Trump "broke the Kyiv regime", because Ukraine will have to pay U.S. military assistance with its mineral resources. The agreement, signed in Washington, and heavily promoted by Trump establishes a fund of joint investments for Ukraine's rebuilding as the U.S. President tries to achieve a peaceful settlement in Russia's conflict in Ukraine. This agreement gives the U.S. priority access to any new Ukrainian mineral projects. The agreement is crucial to Ukraine's efforts in repairing its ties with Trump, the White House and other foreign governments, which were strained after Trump took office. However, the Ukrainian parliament has yet to consider it. In an interview with Fox Business Network, U.S. Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent said that the deal would show "the Russian leadership" that there was no daylight between us and the Ukrainians. He said: "I think that this is an even stronger signal to the Russian leadership and gives President Trump the power to negotiate with Russia now on a more solid basis." His remarks seemed to send a message to Russia that Washington is still aligned to Kyiv, despite questions about its commitment to Kyiv since Trump's arrival at the White House in early January, which upended U.S. diplomatic relations. Kyiv says that the U.S. has increased its efforts to achieve a peace agreement, and since then Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukraine. Washington has expressed its frustration at the inability of Moscow and Kyiv, to reach an agreement on terms. Trump has also shown signs of dissatisfaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin because he has not moved faster toward peace. Trump said Tuesday that he believes Putin wants to end the war. He added: "If I weren't there, I believe he would want to take the entire country over." MILESTONE Andrii Syhiba, Ukrainian foreign minister, said that the deal was "an important milestone (in) Ukraine-U.S. Strategic partnership aimed to strengthen Ukraine's economy, security and stability." Kaja Kallas is the top diplomat of the European Union. He briefed her on the agreement. In response to Trump's criticism of the EU member states' contribution to Ukraine war effort, they have pledged to increase their defence spending. Medvedev, a former senior Russian security official, claimed that Ukraine was forced to sign the agreement. He wrote on Telegram that "Trump has broken Kyiv's regime to the extent where they will be forced to pay U.S. assistance with mineral resources." "Now (Ukrainians), they will have to buy military supplies using the wealth of a country that is disappearing." The international debt of Ukraine rose by more than two cents after the signing the mineral deal. Financial analysts said that the agreement had better terms than originally expected for Ukraine. The Ukraine is rich with natural resources, including rare earths, which are used for consumer electronics, electric cars, and military applications. China is the dominant player in rare-earth metal mining, and is engaged in a fierce trade war with America after Trump's tariff increases. Ukraine has also large reserves of uranium, iron and natural gas. Yulia Shvyrydenko (Ukrainian First Deputy Premier Minister), who signed the deal, stated that Ukraine had no debt obligations towards the United States as a result of the agreement. This was a major point in the long negotiations between the countries. She said that the deal was also in line with Ukraine's Constitution and its campaign to join Europe, which were key elements of Ukraine's negotiation position. Although the agreement was initially aimed at ensuring Ukraine's security, it did not provide any concrete guarantees. Denys Schmyhal, the Prime Minister, was to deliver it to various parliamentary factions on Thursday evening. Some lawmakers also want him to make it available at a Friday session of parliament. It is unlikely that a vote will be held on the issue any time soon. Some members of the parliament have welcomed this deal. Others have criticized some of its terms, and complained that the chamber had not been properly consulted.
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Third Point has stake in U.S. Steel and sees credit opportunities, a letter states
Third Point hedge fund owns "meaningful" stakes in U.S. Steel, and it expects the merger between Nippon Steel of Japan and U.S. Steel to proceed. In a letter, billionaire investor Daniel Loeb said that his firm believes U.S. Steel will "complete a planned merger" with Nippon Steel on the basis of the industrial logic. Third Point's share was not previously disclosed. Investors are now trying to figure out the future of the merger. Loeb said Third Point also sees new opportunities for investment in credit markets which have been shaken by the reaction to Trump's policies. He had increased its investment in activist, event-driven and risk arbitrage positions, which he believes will perform well under more turbulent market conditions. The Biden administration blocked the deal earlier this year between the two companies. However, U.S. president Donald Trump ordered a national security review last month, which raised hopes that a deal could still be reached. Loeb wrote in his article that a U.S. Steel-Nippon tie-up would have "benefits for 'America First,' reindustrialization plans." Third Point also has a stake in the consumer healthcare company Kenvue. Other activist investors are already pushing for change, such as divestments, or even a possible sale of the company.
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Elche's stadium cleanup act bans sunflower seeds snacks
Elche, a Spanish club, has decided to break tradition and ban the sale and consumption sunflower seeds on their own ground. Cleaning up the shells that fans spit led to higher costs and unhygienic situations. Elche plays its home matches at the 31 388-capacity Estadio Martinez Valero, but the popular Spanish snack known as 'pipas" will no longer available to match-going fans. Elche has described the recent "structural problems" that have resulted from eating sunflower seeds. Elche stated in a press release that "the shells clog pipes and drains, they degrade the seats and damage the paint and finishes on multiple surfaces." They increase maintenance and cleaning costs. They attract rats and pigeons. And, most importantly, they compromise the safety of the stands. It is impossible to remove all the waste from every match despite the efforts of the cleaning teams. The club stated that the husks contribute to the erosion and deterioration of the concrete flooring, while debris can sometimes accumulate in difficult-to-reach places in the stadium. The club said that "this decision is not meant to penalise anyone, but to preserve the best conditions possible for a shared space." Valencia implemented similar measures at the Mestalla Stadium in 2023, where they prohibited the sale of sunflower seed and asked fans bring a bag to dispose of shells. (Reporting and editing by Toby Davis in Bengaluru, with Rohith Nair reporting from Bengaluru)
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Southern Co's retail sales beat first-quarter estimates
Southern Co, a power company in South Carolina, beat Wall Street expectations for its first-quarter profits on Thursday. This was due to an increase in retail electricity sales and a higher demand for energy. Utilities in the U.S. have seen a rise in demand due to the increasing use of artificial intelligence, which is driving the need for larger data centers that consume more energy. Electricity demand for heating, transportation and business purposes is also increasing. In February, the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicted that power demand would reach record levels in 2025 and in 2026. Residential, commercial, and industrial customers accounted for a 4.2% rise in sales of kilowatt hours in the company's first quarter. The company reported a 11% increase in data center usage for the first three months of this year. It also said that it has a large load-pipeline of over 50 gigawatts, of which 10 GW are committed and 6 GW are contracted. Total operating revenues for the quarter rose by 17%, to $7.78 Billion from a year ago. Interest expenses, however, rose 7.3%, to $714 millions, in the first quarter. Operating expenses, meanwhile, increased from $4.9 billion to $5.8 Billion, a jump of $1 billion. Southern Company is the U.S.'s second largest utility company, measured by its customer base. It provides power to six states: Alabama, Georgia Illinois, Mississippi Tennessee and Virginia. LSEG data shows that the Atlanta-based company reported an adjusted profit per share of $1.23 for the three-month period ended March 31. This compares to analysts' expectations of $1.20, which were compiled by LSEG. (Reporting from Katha Kalia, Bengaluru. Editing by Leroy Leo.)
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PBF Energy reports quarterly loss amid maintenance and turnaround activities
PBF Energy, a U.S. refiner, posted a loss for the quarter on Thursday as compared to a profit from last year. The fire at the Martinez refinery in California along with other turnaround activities affected refining margins. In preparation for summer driving, U.S. refineries undergo seasonal maintenance and turn-around activities. This reduces the refinery's ability to generate revenue and temporarily lowers its utilization. "Policy volatility and macroeconomic uncertainty combined with the Martinez incident, planned maintenance in PBF's refinery system, as well as policy volatility and macroeconomic uncertainties, created a challenging first quarter environment," said CEO Matt Lucey. A fire had broken out on February 1 at its 156,400-barrel-per-day Martinez refinery, impacting operations. In April, limited operations were resumed and the remaining units will likely restart in the fourth quarter. The Parsippany refiner in New Jersey reported a first-quarter loss of $401.8 million or $3.53 per common share. This compares to a profit of $106.6 millions or $0.86 per ordinary share compared to a year ago. PBF Energy reported that its gross refining margin for the first quarter was $6.39 a barrel, compared to $2.68 a barrel a year ago. The company reported that its crude oil and fuels throughput fell from 897.400 barrels per day a year ago to 730.400 barrels a day in the quarter under review. LSEG data shows that the company's adjusted loss per share was $3.09, compared to the estimated loss of $3.12, according to the data.
Pentagon's AI Metals Program goes private to boost Western Supply Deals
The U.S. Department of Defense has transferred control of an artificial intelligence program created by the U.S. Government that predicts the supply and prices of critical minerals to a non profit organization, which is assisting miners and manufacturers in striking supply deals. The Open Price Exploration for National Security AI Metals program, launched by the U.S. Department of Defense in late 2023, is an effort to counter China’s sweeping control of critical minerals, as reported last summer.
Rob Strayer is the president of the Critical Minerals Forum, which includes more than 30 mining firms, manufacturers, and investors, including Volkswagen. They will be the first users.
Seth Goldstein is a Morningstar analyst who specializes in lithium. "Everyone wants more transparency when it comes to prices," he said. "Any tool, like the CMF, that could help is welcome."
Members include South32, a copper miner, MP Materials, a rare earths producer and RTX - a defense contractor. CMF members met for the first time in November. Prior to this, the CMF and its membership had not been reported.
The CMF, armed with an AI model, aims to reduce the reliance of manufacturers on China through the signing of more metal supply agreements with Western mines. This is according to over two dozen industry consultants and purchasing agents as well as analysts, regulators, and investors. They said the program represents one the boldest attempts to date to change the way certain metals are purchased and sold. The AI model is designed to determine the price of a metal after labor, processing costs and other costs have been taken into account. This will help buyers and sellers feel confident about a deal.
Deals with the CMF have begun to form. Nevada officials said this week that they would be working with the CMF, and its AI model, to attract copper smelting in the state. As the U.S. only has two copper smelters, it imports almost half of its red metal demand.
It has been questioned whether the program can actually achieve its goal of changing the way metals have traditionally been bought and sold.
It is less aimed at metals with high volumes of trade, such as aluminum, and more towards metals that are lightly traded or those which have a lot of overproduction by some to try to influence market prices. The CMF model, for example, could help manufacturers predict available nickel supplies in the year 2028, if the U.S. imposed a 100% tariff against Indonesia, which is the world's top producer of the metal.
This data could be used to help a manufacturer decide whether to invest in an American nickel mine, or to agree to purchase its future production. This would allow a manufacturer to obtain funding for the construction of a mine. The AI model would be used by the nickel buyer to negotiate a long term deal that ensured supply regardless of whether Chinese miner's increase production and lower market prices as they have in recent years.
The CMF, with its AI model, assumes that a buyer will be happy to pay more than market price for metals if the supply is guaranteed.
CHINA SQUEEZE
CMF's entry into the complex metals market comes at a time when Beijing is restricting critical minerals exports. This type of market interference, according to CMF officials, underscores the necessity to build more U.S. mining and processing facilities in order to power the energy transformation. In recent years, the London Metal Exchange (LME) and other futures markets for nickel and cobalt have been dominated by Chinese miners who are operating at a loss to increase market share in Indonesia and Congo. Beijing has placed export restrictions on many essential battery minerals, such as rare earths (a group of 17 metals needed to produce magnets which turn energy into motion), germanium, and gallium. These minerals are rarely traded or not at all.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., in response to a question about the CMF, stated that China manages their exports of rare Earths according to rules set by the World Trade Organization.
Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the embassy, said that "China will continue working with other countries to share responsibility of global rare Earths supply." Volkswagen and other CMF members believe that the CMF helps to increase visibility in what can be a opaque supply chain for critical minerals. MP Materials and RTX didn't respond to comments. U.S. president Donald Trump has ordered his administration to collaborate with private developers in order to boost U.S. vital minerals production. This step could be helped by the data CMF is aiming to provide to markets, according to program officials. The president also has launched a study on potential tariffs for all U.S. mineral imports.
Strayer said that the CMF, using its government connections to help connect mining projects with manufacturers and investors who need a more secure metals supply. Phoenix Tailings, a rare earths-processing startup based in Massachusetts, hopes that the CMF will help to create U.S. prices for minerals based on actual production costs. CEO Nick Myers.
Myers stated that Phoenix intends to use the data provided by CMF in order to negotiate with potential clients, including manufacturers who are CMF members. Myers stated that in a sector which is opaque, the CMF is a tool to help get more information.
Some market analysts do not believe that CMF's AI-model is revolutionary.
Ian Lange is a mining economist at Colorado School of Mines. He said, "I have tried to say politely that I believe this is worthless." Lange compared the Pentagon AI model's goals with the larger and more complex global oil market.
Can we better predict oil prices now than five year ago? No. Lange stated that machine learning is not helpful.
'ENCOURAGE MUCH MORE VISIBILITY
The Pentagon is training its AI model using 70 data sets related to mining. It aims at guiding investment decisions for 15 years in advance based on unexpected market shocks, such as export restrictions.
Officials said that FactSet, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, and other price providers, as well as the U.S. Commerce Department provide data.
The CMF believes that it is the access to the analysis of this data, some of which are not publicly available, that sets apart the Pentagon AI program from ChatGPT and other AI programs.
Officials said that the CMF costs the most in data. The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will fund the CMF for the next several years, while it decides whether or not to charge its members.
According to the Pentagon, the model was developed by S&P Global and AI developer Charles River Analytics in collaboration with software firm Exiger, Metal Miner, as well as Exiger's partner, a price reporting agency.
S&P Global declined comment. Charles River Analytics has not responded to our request for comment. Exiger believes that its data can be used to forecast the cost and availability of a particular material and improve supply chain visibility.
CMF is a non-profit trade association, with a board made up of members. The CMF has a small staff of less than 10 people and does not disclose its budget.
Officials said that DARPA has no representative on the CMF Board, but funds the program until at least 2029. They also plan to transfer the intellectual property of the AI model to the CMF before the start of 2027.
Officials said that there are no plans for the CMF to become a for-profit organization, but in the future, the CMF may charge for access to data sets with greater detail.
Strayer stated that the CMF will launch a campaign in order to attract new members, especially those from the semiconductor, aerospace and defense industries. The CMF will also offer free memberships for the next fourteen months, while the Pentagon finances data collection.
CMF officials have said that foreign governments, such as Zambia, which is rich in copper, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (which is rich in cobalt), are considering joining the CMF to use its data. They also want to expand the program to include more countries to increase transparency on the metals markets.
The Zambian and DRC Embassies of Washington, D.C., have not responded to comments. Western miners are increasingly demanding green premiums on their metals. These new agreements require market intelligence, which the CMF model is designed to provide.
"Any mechanism which can provide better market modeling is clearly of enormous value," said Brian Menell. Menell is the CEO of TechMet and a member of CMF. The AI model adds another variable to the LME's equation, particularly as it struggles to compete with rivals from Chicago and Shanghai for market share in some niche battery metals.
The LME declined comment. (Reporting and editing by Ernest Scheyder, Veronica Brown and Claudia Parsons).
(source: Reuters)