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New York imposes data centre moratorium

US strikes Iran, reimposes blockade

TEHRAN: The United States launched yesterday a fresh wave of strikes on Iran and President Donald Trump vowed to reimpose a naval blockade, prompting Tehran to respond with attacks on countries in the region. Trump said a deal with the Islamic republic was still possible even as fighting surged to a scale unseen since an April ceasefire, with Iran striking two ships in the strategic waterway and killing one crew member, according to the United Arab Emirates. UK maritime security agency UKMTO reported yesterday yet another tanker struck by a missile while transiting Hormuz near Oman’s coast. The US military earlier said its five-hour mission hit targets across Iran including coastal Bushehr and Bandar Abbas to “degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping”. Renewed US attacks since last week have killed at least 28 people in Iran, according to an AFP tally based on Iranian media and official announcements. After the strikes, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced they had in turn fired missiles and drones on Bahrain, targeting a residential building for US forces and other facilities. Bahrain subsequently said it had intercepted “several treacherous aerial attacks launched by Iran” and accused Tehran of targeting civilians, after explosions and sirens were heard in Manama. Trump’s declaration on the Hormuz blockade and the scale of the renewed fighting have called into question efforts to bring a permanent end to the war. Iran started blocking the strait after US-Israel attacks in February, which prompted Washington’s blockade on Tehran’s ports but restrictions eased after the sides agreed a preliminary deal in June. Trump said on Monday that the United States was “taking over” the strait and would slap a levy of 20% on all cargo shipped through it, in an announcement that drew mockery from Iran and accusations of “piracy”. US Central Command said Iran’s ports on the waterway would be blockaded today. Trump said “all other countries will have fair and open use of the strait”. Tehran launched attacks on other US allies in the region, including Jordan, which said it had shot down four missiles from Iran. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said their strikes targeted US forces at an air base and urged Jordanians to issue a “serious demand for the removal of the occupying American bases from the region”. Iran insists it only targets US interests in the Gulf, but its military command spokesman said any collaboration by Gulf countries with the United States would be considered “an act of war.” – AFP

approve of the fast pace of data centre construction and most would oppose building one in their own community, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll. Dozens of state legislatures have introduced Bills to rein in the effects of data centres on power bills and the environment. New York is the first to enact a full moratorium. In April, Maine Governor Janet Mills vetoed a Bill that would have imposed a similar freeze. As of May, there were more than 12 gigawatts of very large energy using loads, including data centres, in line to connect to the state’s grid, according to a recent report by the New York independent grid operator. The state has the eighth-most expensive retail price for residential electricity in the country, according to US Energy Department data. – Reuters

(GEIS) to ensure that new data centres coming online are being held to “consistent standards”, as well as examine the potential environmental impacts of the construction and operation of data centres in the state. The ban will be lifted once the state finalises those standards, according to Hochul’s office. New York’s legislature last month passed a Bill meant to impose guardrails on data centres, but it has not yet been sent to Hochul’s desk for signing. Officials in her office described the Bill as complicated, adding that “it’s going to take some time to work through” with the state legislature. The expansion of data centres in the US is driving up power demand – and electricity bills – in large swathes of the country, drawing local and political backlash. Only one-in-three Americans

o One-year construction ban

WASHINGTON: New York became the first US state yesterday to halt construction of large new data centres, imposing a one-year moratorium as concerns grow that the facilities driving the artificial intelligence boom are raising power costs, straining water supplies and burdening local communities. The moratorium positions New York at the forefront of a growing national debate over how to manage the infrastructure needed to support artificial intelligence. While technology companies are racing to build new data centres, lawmakers and regulators in dozens of states are weighing measures to limit their effect on electricity grids, utility bills and local communities. “As data centre development Ahmadinejad denies NYT report ISTANBUL: Former Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rejected a New York Times report alleging that Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency had sought to recruit him and that he is under house arrest, describing the claims as “completely false”. Ahmadinejad’s office accused the newspaper of publishing fabricated reports to mislead public opinion and fuel internal divisions in Iran. The office also denied that Ahmadinejad is under house arrest, saying the allegation was fabricated. “We categorically reject all the false allegations promoted by The New York Times ,” it said. The New York Times reported on Monday that Mossad had attempted to persuade Ahmadinejad to cooperate with Israel and viewed him as a potential candidate to lead Iran. It also claimed that the former president is under house arrest. The report alleged that the plan was part of a broader Israeli effort to bring about regime change in Iran. According to the report, an Israeli airstrike on Feb 28 targeted Ahmadinejad’s compound, hitting a building used by his bodyguards as well as his armoured vehicle. It claimed a black Peugeot arrived after the strike, picked up the former president and took him to a secret safe house inside Iran. Last week, Ahmadinejad, who served as president from 2005 to 2013, attended the funeral of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in his first public appearance since the war on Iran. – Bernama Iranian president

threatens to hike up utility bills, deplete our natural resources and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it’s my responsibility to take action and lead,” said Kathy Hochul, who said she will also pursue legislation to repeal sales tax exemptions for large data centres. The construction ban will apply to data centres that use 50 megawatts or more of power, officials in the governor’s office said. During the moratorium, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation will not issue any discretionary permits not already deemed complete, the governor’s office said. Instead, Hochul directed state officials to develop a Generic Environmental Impact Statement

Graham Nordone speaking during a press conference outside the South Carolina State House office on Monday in Columbia. – PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/ AFPPIC

Lindsey Graham’s sister to fill senate seat WASHINGTON: The younger sister of US Senator Lindsey Graham will take over his duties after the South Carolina Republican’s death. Graham Nordone said her appointment was “such an honour” and that she would work to complete some of the important work her brother had begun.

following term in the congressional mid-term elections on Nov 3. Graham, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, died unexpectedly on Saturday at the age of 71. His office said he died from complications related to vascular disease. Graham Nordone is expected to be sworn in as early as this week, allowing Majority Leader John Thune to maintain Republicans’ 53-47 majority in the Senate. The Senate opened on Monday with Graham’s desk draped in black with a vase holding white flowers atop it. – Bernama/Reuters

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced that Darline Graham Nordone would serve out the remainder of her brother’s term. The Washington Post reported that she had no political background and that little was publicly known about her own political views. McMaster praised Graham as “one of South Carolina’s greatest sons.” He said: “It’s my honour to ask his little sister, Darline Graham, to finish his work for him now.”

Senator Graham raised his sister after their parents died when he was barely out of his teen years and Darline was still a child. “Lindsey has always been there for me and now I will be there for him,” she said of her appointment to complete his Senate term. The late senator’s term runs until January 2027, meaning Graham Nordone will hold the seat until then. Voters will decide who serves the