The OPEC+ group is set to approve another increase in oil production targets on Sunday, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. It would be the fourth rise in production quotas in as many months, even as several members continue to face export problems stemming from the conflict between the United States and Iran.

The war has disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy routes, limiting the ability of several OPEC+ members, including Saudi Arabia, to supply customers with planned volumes. The situation has been further complicated by the withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The seven main OPEC+ members increased their production quotas by almost 600,000 barrels per day between April and June. Real output has nonetheless fallen as exports from Gulf states have been severely curtailed, according to OPEC data.

The group could increase its production target by around 188,000 barrels a day from July, the same increment as in June. The originally planned higher growth rate was scaled back following the UAE's departure from the organization.

The increase will be negotiated by Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Kazakhstan and Oman. A broader OPEC+ ministerial meeting is also scheduled for Sunday but is not expected to result in any major policy changes.

(reuters, max)

The Israeli army said it intercepted two projectiles fired into Israeli territory from Lebanon on Sunday, after sirens sounded in the Yiftah and Ramot Naftali areas.

Clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have continued unabated. The Lebanese militant group has rejected proposals linking a ceasefire to disarmament, insisting that Israel must first halt its attacks and withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon.

Iran has made a ceasefire between its close ally Hezbollah and Israel a condition of any peace deal with the United States.

Hezbollah entered the war on 2 March, citing retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader at the start of a conflict that has since claimed thousands of lives and displaced more than one million people in Lebanon. Israel had continued attacks in Lebanon even before that date despite a US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect in November 2024, saying they targeted Hezbollah members and infrastructure.

(reuters, su)

OpenAI is planning its biggest-ever redesign of ChatGPT, aiming to transform it into a "superapp" incorporating coding tools and artificial intelligence (AI) agents, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The move is intended to boost revenue ahead of a potential stock market listing.

According to more than a dozen current and former employees cited by the paper, the changes are part of a broader reorganization aimed at shifting resources toward lucrative enterprise clients, a move that would intensify competition with rival Anthropic.

Central to the overhaul is Codex, OpenAI's coding product, which is set to receive greater prominence and resources. The changes are expected to roll out in the coming weeks, initially appearing as updates to ChatGPT's website and mobile apps.

OpenAI said earlier this year that ChatGPT had more than 900 million weekly active users and more than 50 million consumer subscribers.

(reuters, su)

Armenians go to the polls on Sunday in parliamentary elections seen as a test of the government's efforts to reach a peace deal following a crushing military defeat to Azerbaijan three years ago.

Polls show Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's ruling Civic Contract party leading with up to 32% of the vote, with the pro-Russian Strong Armenia party in second place on up to 11%.

Pashinyan has steered Armenia closer to the West and away from its traditional patron Russia since coming to power in 2018, drawing Moscow's ire in the run-up to the vote. GDP per capita has also doubled under his leadership. A former journalist and opposition activist, he has faced criticism from opponents who accuse him of capitulating to Azerbaijan, particularly since the 2023 war, and from human rights groups who allege a pattern of authoritarianism following the jailing of several political opponents in recent years.

Armenia has around 2.48 million registered voters among a total population of three million.

(reuters, su)

At least a dozen people were wounded on Saturday at a festival in Toledo, Ohio, after two gunmen opened fire on each other, police said.

Two of the injured are in critical condition, police announced at a news conference. "I've been to a lot of scenes, but this is way over the top", Lt. Dan Gerken said.

Deputy Police Chief Joseph Heffernan described the investigation as "pretty active," with officers still searching for suspects. "We do have some evidence and we're following up on some leads", he said.

Investigators are interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage. George Kral, Toledo's public safety director, has publicly requested cell phone records to help identify the suspects.

(reuters, su)

The US government is considering diverting frozen Iranian assets to Gulf states to cover damage caused by Iran, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has directed his team to assess the cost of damage Iran has inflicted on Gulf allies. The source added that the US is also considering using Iranian assets to cover any future damage.

The disclosure came a day after Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, told CNN that a peace deal to end the three-month war hinges on the release of $24bn in Iranian assets frozen by the United States.

The prospect of diverting those assets could create a new obstacle to the fragile truce between the two countries, which came under fresh strain this weekend following renewed US and Iranian attacks.

(reuters, su)

General Rudolf Haykal, commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, visited Pakistan at the invitation of the country's military leadership.

The visit comes amid rising regional tensions as Pakistan steps up diplomatic activity and seeks to support efforts to end the conflict involving Iran and Israel. The Lebanese military did not provide details on the topics discussed or the duration of the visit.

The trip is seen as part of broader regional consultations between military and political leaders. Lebanon is among the states most exposed to security developments in the Middle East, making the strengthening of international contacts a priority for its leadership.

(reuters)

Airlines are entering the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Rio de Janeiro under significantly more pressure than anticipated just a few months ago. The conflict involving Iran has pushed up oil and aviation fuel prices while also restricting access to some airspace.

Carriers are trying to offset rising costs with higher ticket prices, but industry officials warn there is a threshold beyond which demand will begin to weaken. The situation is compounded by a shortage of new aircraft caused by delivery delays from Boeing and Airbus.

Many airlines are consequently having to extend the operational life of older, less fuel-efficient and more expensive aircraft. Although the premium and corporate segment remains strong for now, analysts expect the IATA to revise down its initial forecast of record profits for this year. The industry faces a combination of rising costs and growing uncertainty over future demand.

(reuters)

The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has resumed electricity supply through the Ferrosplavnaya-1 line, following repairs made possible by a short-term local truce brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The plant's management said all systems are functioning normally. The development was again accompanied by mutual recriminations, however, with Rosatom claiming that Ukraine had violated the agreed ceasefire with a drone strike that injured at least three people.

The Zaporizhzhia plant has been under Russian control since 2022 and remains one of the most sensitive flashpoints of the war. Although it does not currently generate electricity, a stable external power supply is essential to cool the nuclear fuel and maintain safe operations. The latest ceasefire was the sixth such measure since late last year.

(reuters)