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Oil prices drop after OPEC+ agrees on raising output targets
The oil prices fell on Monday as OPEC+ agreed that it would?increase the output target for August, while key?producers are recovering their exports via the Strait of Hormuz. This could add to global supplies. Brent crude futures fell 24 cents or 0.33% to $71.88 per barrel by 0010 GMT, after closing 0.45% higher Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was $68.58 per barrel, down by 11 cents or 0.16%. WTI was not settled on Friday due to the U.S. market being closed for Independence Day on Saturday. The two contracts were largely unchanged last week after falling over the previous few weeks. Investors kept an eye on the talks between the United States and Iran regarding the fate of shipping via the Strait of Hormuz, while also keeping tabs on the recovery of 'Gulf oil exports. On Sunday, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, including Russia have agreed to increase their output targets by 188,000 barrels a day starting in August. This is on top of the similar increases made for June and July. The increase in oil production has remained largely on paper due to the U.S./Israeli war against Iran. This conflict closed the Strait of Hormuz for tanker traffic, limiting the output of key OPEC producers such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq. Tony Sycamore, IG's market analyst, said that the number was in line with expectations. "I'm not certain they mean much right now. With UAE leaving, and when quotas probably aren't being met because production is still ramping up following the conflict, I don’t think they really matter." The United Arab Emirates left OPEC on?May 1? Gulf countries have started reopening the supplies that were closed during the Iran War and are increasing exports. OPEC's oil?output? in June increased by 3.3 millions barrels per month, a study found. It had been at its lowest in over two decades. Gulf oil exports increased by?more than three million barrels in June from May, to 10 million barrels a day. However, the volume was still 40% below pre-war levels, according to data. Sources in the industry said that oil shipments from Russia's western port ports reached a record high in June, and that they are expected to remain at that level throughout July, as Ukraine drone attacks have damaged its refineries, forcing Moscow to increase crude exports. (Reporting and editing by SonaliPaul)
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Can it deliver? Who will buy and how much crude oil can OPEC+ increase? Russell
Two questions are raised by the decision of OPEC+, to increase crude production quotas a fifth consecutive month? from August. Who will purchase the product if they are able to ship it? At a Sunday meeting, the'seven core members' of OPEC+ (which groups together OPEC, as well as other producers like Russia) agreed to increase quotas - by 188,000 barrels a day starting August. This will bring the 'total increase since April to nearly 800,000 bpd. The first question can be answered positively if the Strait of Hormuz remains open and the volume of water flowing through the narrow waterway is restored to levels similar to those before the United States, Israel and Iran attacked Iran on 28 February. It's important to note that the benchmark should be total crude exports from the Middle East, not just the flows through the Strait. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates continue to use ports that are outside of the Strait of Hormuz. Even though the total number of shipments out of the Middle East has increased since the United States, Iran and other countries agreed on a 60-day truce on June 17, the volume is still below the pre-war levels. According to Kpler, data from commodity analysts, June exports were 9,62 million bpd. This is about half the average of 18,4 million bpd for the three-month period leading up to the conflict with Iran. Kpler is tracking shipments at 9.99 million bpd in July. However, this number is likely be revised higher once more cargoes have been?assessed. Even so, data shows that Middle East exports remain constrained, and the increased shipments of other regions such as Americas and Africa have not been enough to offset losses in the Gulf region. The oil industry is known to adapt quickly and it's reasonable to assume that they can increase production and exports from the Middle East as long as the Strait oh Hormuz remains open. The crude oil market prices crude as if OPEC+ will be able deliver its higher production quotas and as if there will be additional crude from former OPEC+ members the United Arab Emirates as well as Iran. Brent contracts traded around $71.72 a barrel in the early Asian trading on Monday. This is down from the closing price of $72.12 on the 3rd July and also lower than the $72.48 on the 27th February, the day before U.S. - Israeli attack on Iran. SUPPLY GLUTEN The crude futures markets appear to be pricing in a return to a narrative of oversupply that was prevalent prior to the Iran War. This narrative can only be justified if supply chains are restored, and OPEC+ producers and non-OPEC ones are able deliver increased production. There are other factors at play besides the obvious danger of a return of some sort of conflict between Iran and the United States. Brent prices were not able to rise above $126 per barrel during the Iran War because China, the world's largest crude importer, drastically reduced purchases. Kpler estimated that China's seaborne exports fell to their lowest level in over a decade, in June. Arrivals were?5,84 million bpd or half of pre-war levels. Kpler's tracking of imports shows that only 5.31 million bpd were imported in July. However, this number will increase as more cargoes arriving in July are assessed. If past experience is any indication, China will return to the crude market when refiners feel that crude prices have dropped enough. China's imports have a strong track record for increasing when prices drop and decreasing when they increase. This pattern has been accelerated in the last few months. Imports of petroleum products from smaller refineries will likely increase by August. If prices remain low, China's largest refiners will also be?likely to repurchase, though it won't show up until the fourth quarter at least. You like this column? Check out Open Interest, your new essential source of global financial commentary. ROI provides data-driven, thought-provoking analysis on everything from soybeans to swap rates. The markets are changing faster than ever. ROI can help you keep up. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, X. These are the views of the columnist, who is also an author. Editing by Jacqueline Wong
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Tennis-Sinner is prepared for Wimbledon heatwave
Jannik Sinner, who has been battling in the heat at the previous two Grand Slams, said that he is well-prepared to deal with it when temperatures are expected to soar in Wimbledon this week. The second week of the tournament will see temperatures rise again above 30 degrees Celsius. This is after a heatwave that broke British records in June with temperatures around 37 degrees Celsius. Sinner is from the Alpine region in northern Italy of South Tyrol. He struggled to stay physically fit during the heatwave in Paris in May, and fell in the second round?of the French Open. In January, he suffered cramps after an early scare in the Australian Open. The four-time major winner will face German Jan-Lennard Stuff in the quarterfinals, but he did not engage reporters in a discussion about when he would take to the court. It seems that you know the schedule better than I do. I don't remember when they put me in. It doesn't matter to me. I'm prepared. Sinner, after winning 6-3 7-6(0) and 6-3 over Japanese qualifier Shintaro mochizuki, said: "We did a great job preparing." "Whatever happened before, it is gone now. We'll now see if we have a solution. We'll keep trying to find the next solution if we don't. In any case, when you reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament, your feelings will be different. "There is definitely more tension. In the same time, I am?very satisfied with where I am right now. We'll have to see what happens." Sinner stated that it is important to have the correct attitude on the court during the Grand Slam business stage. He added, "We know that the stages are becoming bigger and more important." "There is a greater attention to detail. We prepare each match as if it were the most important and then we'll know. "I try to control what I can, and then the others are trying to solve the problems." Reporting by Shrivathsa Shridhar in London, editing by Clare Fallon
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Sources say that OPEC+ is set to increase oil production again.
Sources with knowledge of the matter say that OPEC+ will agree to a further increase in production targets for August. This would add to the global supply amidst falling oil prices due to the gradual reopening of Strait of Hormuz to oil exports. One?OPEC+ official said that the oil producing group had agreed to increase quotas in principle by 188,000 barrels a day starting August. This is on top of the similar increases made for June and July. According to two other sources, a decision to increase this amount is the most likely result of the online discussion. Seven members of OPEC+ (which includes Russia and allied producers) have increased their production quotas by nearly 800,000 barrels a day between April and July. The production?begins to recover. However, the increase remained largely on the paper due to the U.S. and Israel war against Iran which shut down the Strait of Hormuz, preventing tankers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq, some of the most significant OPEC+ member countries. OPEC data shows that OPEC+ production fell from 42.77 to 33.13 millions bpd between February and May. The U.S. helped the 'UAE and other OPEC+ countries export more oil in June, but it is still below pre-war levels. Oil prices are back to pre-war levels despite the supply disruptions. This is due to lower Chinese imports and higher exports by non-Middle East producers. Also, an unprecedented global strategic stock release coordinated by the International Energy Agency has pushed oil prices up. The Memorandum of Understanding to end the War has also helped to convince traders that eventually supply will return to normal levels. Brent crude prices LCOc1 were trading at $72 per barrel Friday, down significantly from recent highs of over $120 per barrel. Reporting by Alex Lawler and Olesya Astakhova; editing by Joe Bavier, David Holmes and Ahmad Ghaddar
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Sources say that OPEC+ is set to increase oil production again.
OPEC+ will 'agree' on Sunday to increase output targets from the August levels, a source with knowledge of this matter said. This would add to the global?supply? amid falling oil prices as a result of a gradual reopening of Strait of Hormuz to oil exports. OPEC+ sources said that the oil producing group had agreed to increase quotas in principle by 188,000 barrels a day starting August. This is on top of increases similar to those for June and 'July. According to two other?sources, an increase in this amount is the most likely result of the online discussion. Seven members of OPEC+ (which includes Russia and allied producers) have increased their output quotas by nearly 800,000 barrels a day from April to July. PRODUCTION BEGINS RECOVERING The increase is largely a paper figure because of the U.S. and Israel war against Iran. This conflict has closed the Strait of Hormuz to tankers from the most important OPEC+ countries, including Saudi Arabia Kuwait, and Iraq. OPEC+ production fell to 32.13 million bpd from 42.77 in February, according to OPEC's data. The U.S. helped the UAE and other OPEC+ countries export more oil in June, but it is still below pre-war levels. Oil prices are back to pre-war levels despite the supply disruptions. This is due to lower Chinese imports and higher exports from non-Middle East countries, as well as a record global release of strategic stocks coordinated by the International Energy Agency. The Memorandum of Understanding to End the War has also helped to convince?traders, that eventually supply will?return? to normal levels. Brent crude prices,?LCOc1, traded at $72 per barrel Friday. This is down from recent highs of over $120 per barrel. (Reporting and editing by Joe Bavier, David Holmes, and Olesya Almakhova; Reporting by Alex Lawler and Olesya Kazhdannikov)
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Trump will mark the 250th anniversary of US with a rally in campaign style on National Mall
U.S. president?Donald Trump is set to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States on Saturday, with a political event on a fenced off National Mall in Washington. The rally will cap a celebration lasting weeks that has been described as divisive. Washington's annual?celebration of July 4?usually draws hundreds of thousands. This year, visitors will have to deal with increased security and possible thunderstorms as well as a record-breaking temperature wave. The crowds were sparse initially, but they have grown in recent days. Visitors are now forced to wait for entrance lines that stretch several blocks. Frank DiGiovine said that gift shops and restaurants near the Smithsonian Institution near the event had reported sales nearing records on Friday. The temperature reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday afternoon (39 degrees Celsius) and people near the National Mall waited in line at security checkpoints for prime viewing spots of a fireworks show that wasn't due to begin for several hours. It's part of my contract," Glen Solander said, 60, a visiting software engineer from Sioux Falls in South Dakota. WHITE NATIONALISTIC GROUP ARRIVES Patriot Front, a white nationalist group, was also among the visitors. The group announced on social media its arrival in the capital. Hundreds of people dressed as members of the group traveled to the city by D.C. Metro train. Local police claimed that they had not received any violence reports. Trump has billed his 10:10 p.m. ET (0200 Sunday GMT) appearance at the Lincoln Memorial as "the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all." The Lincoln Memorial appearance at 10 p.m. ET (0200 GMT Sunday) was billed as "the most spectacular Trump rally of all time." The past presidents of the United States have avoided making in-person public appearances during July 4 celebrations. But Trump has blurred that line between official commemoration, and campaign-style politics. Freedom 250, a Trump administration group, has largely ignored a nonpartisan organization set up in 2016, which was responsible for handling the 250th anniversary. It has also fenced off a large portion of the National Mall (1.5 miles / 2.4 km) to host a "Great American State Fair", featuring attractions like a Ferris?wheel and displays by conservative groups. Freedom 250 claims the fair's goal is to show the innovations and people that make America "the greatest nation in the world." Many Democratic-led state delegations declined to attend, and performers who were scheduled to appear canceled their appearances due to concerns over partisanship. Trump kicked off the event on June 24, with a rally. The?Freedom 250 brand is also used for a 'faith rally with mostly conservative Christian speakers and a number of sports events. One such event was a mixed martial arts card on the White House grounds to celebrate Trump's 80th Birthday. IndyCar racing in Washington is scheduled for August. Freedom 250 also sponsors "Freedom Trucks", which critics claim paint an overly-religious?version of American?history and gloss over issues like slavery and racial justice. A /Ipsos survey found that the majority of Americans, including the three quarters of Democrats and the half of Republicans, believe the events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States have become too political. Trump's efforts to transform large swaths in the capital city before the 250th anniversary celebration have had mixed results. Many statues and fountains have been renovated. However, the much-touted 15 million dollar renovation of Lincoln Memorial's reflecting pool has had problems. The pool's algae-covered waters and peeling paint are now under the watchful eye of soldiers and security cameras. Andy Sullivan, Jana Winter, Alistair Bell and David Gregorio edited the story.
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Ukraine denies Russian takeover of Kostiantynivka, a key eastern city
Ukraine's 'general staff' rejected Russian claims on Saturday that Moscow's forces captured the key eastern city of 'Kostiantynivka. "We ?deny this. "These are fake claims," said a member of the general staff. The General Staff stated that Kostiantynivka remains under Ukrainian control. It said that "military units and subunits of 19th Army Corps" continue to conduct offensive operations on designated lines in the town as well as its approach. The Russian military informed President Vladimir Putin, on Friday, that it had taken control of Kostiantynivka. This strategic target has been sought by Moscow for a long time in its advance across the Donetsk Region. Kostiantynivka, the southernmost settlement of the four that make up the defensive line in Ukraine's attempt to keep the heavily industrialised Donetsk Region. Analysts believe that capturing Kostiantynivka would 'give Russian forces an advantage to push north on the 'defensive belt. This is now the main axis of the campaign. The Russian military has been claiming to control parts of Kostiantynivka for some time. This is one of the heavily fortified cities in Ukraine's "fortress belt", which includes Donetsk. Reporting by Pavel Polityuk. Mark Potter (Editing)
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Russian officials claim that a major drone attack on St Petersburg has been carried out by Ukraine.
St Petersburg, Russia's second largest city and the surrounding Leningrad area were hit by a major Ukrainian drone attack over night. A Baltic Sea port which handles oil exports was also reported to have been affected. Alexander Beglov, the governor of St Petersburg, said that the city's?6-million population had been subjected to a "large scale" drone attack. He did not give any details about specific targets but the local media outlet Bumaga reported that there was a fire in the oil terminal of St Petersburg. Alexander Drozdenko, Governor of the Leningrad region, said that drones struck the port of Vysotsk located about 170 kilometers (105 miles), northwest of St Petersburg in the Gulf of Finland. The port is used to handle oil, grain and coal. Drozdenko said 72 drones had been shot down in the Leningrad area. Ukraine has intensified its?strikes against Russian energy infrastructure in the past year, causing fuel shortages throughout Russia. St Petersburg is about 900km (560miles) from Ukrainian-held territory. Drones have occasionally attacked St Petersburg. The?city's?oil terminal and a moored?warship were among the targets during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum held in June. Reporting by Felix Light. Felix Light is the author. Mark Potter (editing by Felix Light)
AI is revolutionizing the most prolific film industry in the world
Welcome to the new look movie set. The cacophony created by cameras, clapperboards, and shouted instructions has been replaced with the quiet hum from a coding room.
Collective Artists Network is a leading talent agency that represents Bollywood's A-listers. It has been facilitating the careers of superstars for many years. It's now engineering digital ones. The Bengaluru facility uses artificial intelligence to create content that is based on Hindu mythology, a genre popular in India. In a movie based on a religious text called "Ramayana," there is a scene where the god Hanuman is seen flying with a mountain in his arms. The show "Mahabharat" is based on another ancient epic. It features a scene depicting princess Gandhari who blindfolded her eyes when she married a blind king.
India is the country that produces most movies, and its stars like Shah Rukh Khan or?Amitabh?Bachchan have cult followings. Many?industry participants say that changing audience habits and the growth of streaming are impacting production budgets. Ormax Media, a consulting firm, says that moviegoers will drop to 832 millions in 2025 compared to 1.03 billion people in 2019. Box-office sales last year?hit an all-time high of $1.4 billion, but revenue has been choppy and dependent on a few hits and more expensive tickets since the pandemic. To view this story on.com go to
India's studios are deploying AI on a massive scale, releasing films in multiple languages and even recutting the endings of old titles in order to increase sales. They are also reshaping filmmaking economics by reducing production timelines and utilizing AI to improve efficiency.
Rahul Regulapati is the head of Collective's AI Studio, Galleri5. How about production time? He said, "down to a quarter."
Hollywood has taken a different approach, with union contracts and concerns about job loss limiting studios' adoption of AI. Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia are making early bets in India by partnering local filmmakers. At least one major production company is reviewing its entire catalog for AI rereleases. In previous reporting, we have explored the ways in which Indian filmmakers harness AI and India's divergence from Hollywood. The first report to detail the extent of India's film industries?reorganization around AI, and the economics that are driving this shift. This story includes interviews with 25 people, including directors and studio heads. American and British studios are experimenting with AI filmmaking. They will produce the first full-length AI animation features in 2024, and an AI powered immersive version of 'The Wizard of Oz' last year.
Dominic Lees said that India's film-makers' ambitions are at a?different level. He is a researcher in AI and film at the University of Reading, Britain. He said that if India can meet the demands, it will become a leader in AI filmmaking. India's pivot towards AI is a reflection of its embracement of technology in general. India bet last year that embracing AI would create enough opportunities to offset any short-term disruption. According to an analysis by EY, AI could increase revenue for Indian media and entertainment companies by 10% while reducing costs by 15% in the medium term.
Vikram malhotra, the founder of Abundantia Entertainment told reporters that Abundantia Entertainment is building their AI capability from scratch. The Bollywood production house recently announced an investment of $11 million in a studio for AI.
NEW ENDINGS FOR OLD DRAMAS
India's Eros Media World released "Raanjhanaa" with an AI-altered version last year. The film replaced the tragic ending in which the protagonist dies with a happier conclusion where the lover smiles through tears when he opens his eyes.
Rewrites drew criticism. Dhanush, Dhanush is the name of the actor who plays the main role. He said on X, that the AI remake "stripped away the film's very soul." It also set a "deeply worrying precedent for artists and art."
The re-released "Raanjhanaa", however, still attracted audiences. PVR Inox India's biggest cinema chain reported that 35% of tickets for the Tamil-language version were sold in August, the month when the film was released. This was 12 percentage points more than the average for 2025.
Eros has gone further. Pradeep Dwivedi is the group CEO and he said that Eros was reviewing its 3,000 titles catalog to "identify candidates for AI-assisted adaption." Last year, Eros' Indian unit Eros International warned about "competition by digital platforms," as its annual consolidated revenue from operations dropped 44%.
Dwivedi explained that the AI rewrites are both a revenue-generating opportunity and a strategy for creative renewal. Hollywood would have to deal with such changes. A deal with the U.S. actors union SAGAFTRA prohibits studios from digitally altering an actor's performance, or creating a digital copy without informed consent. The Directors Guild of America contract prohibits studios from relying on AI to make creative decisions without consulting directors and forbids AI from performing the work of their members.
Indian studios are experimenting aggressively with AI in Hindu mythology tales. This is big business for a country that has millions of devotees. Collective plans eight AI-generated titles focusing on deities like Hanuman and Krishna.
JioStar is a joint venture media company between Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Media and Walt Disney. It airs an AI-generated version of the Hindu epic “Mahabharat” – the first episode series that emerged from Collective’s cinematic AI laboratory.
JioStar said that the AI version of the story about a dynastic battle between princes, which was released in October on the streaming platform by JioStar, has attracted 26.5 million viewers since its release. A previous TV adaptation attracted 200 million viewers from 1988 to 1990. However, the show has been met with a mixed reception by audiences. IMDb gives "Mahabharat", a 1.4-star rating. Some reviewers cite lip-syncing issues, while others say that some scenes are low-quality and lack authenticity because of unnatural styling.
Alok Jain is a senior executive with JioStar. He stated that the response has been "a mixture of appreciation and healthy discussion, which is normal for any ambitious creative step." JioStar also plans to make original stories using AI.
Some film industry figures have expressed concern about the use of AI. Jonathan Taplin, a writer and producer from the United States who has worked for Hollywood studios, says that the use of AI to create feature films is an "affront to all of cinema's history."
He said, "It'll fill your screens and cinemas with formula slop."
AI DUBBING
The acceptance of AI may be easier to achieve through dubbing.
India has 22 official languages, and there are hundreds of dialects. Dubbing is essential to make a movie a blockbuster in India. AI is now beginning to solve the problem of mismatched lip movements, a complaint that audiences have had for years.
Subhabrata Debnath, the co-founder of NeuralGarage in Bengaluru, a startup that offers dubbing services to top studios such as Yash Raj Films and other major studios, demonstrated a clip showing an AI-generated English character. Subhabrata Debnath then added a German audio track and the character spoke fluent German within minutes.
Debnath explained that the technology preserved "the performance, the identity and the speaking styles of the person", while modifying the face to look natural.
Last year, NeuralGarage AI technology was used to translate Yashraj's Hindi film "War 2" from the Hindi language into Telugu of south India. The production house did not respond to any questions.
The Red Carpet meets the RED MAJORS
Tech giants around the world are also interested in getting a piece. Google partnered in August with Bollywood director Shakun Bhatra to produce a 5-part cinematic'series' using Veo 3 video generation and Flow AI to experiment with AI powered filmmaking. Mira Lane is Google's Vice President of Technology and Society. She said that AI can also help independent artists create complex sequences which "might be otherwise out of reach because of budget or logistical limitations."
Microsoft has been working on a collaboration with Collective, and it said that Microsoft would be providing AI computing power in order to "shape" the next wave of global story-telling through such collaborations.
Collective uses a hybrid approach of digital animation and physical recording to bypass the limitations of text prompts. The actors wear motion-capture suits equipped with sensors to capture body movements in 3D, while their smartphones record facial expressions. This data is then fed into the AI pipeline to allow for more nuanced control of the AI generated characters.
The ripples go beyond the studio. Festivals dedicated to AI-generated shorts have proliferated around the world, including in Los Angeles, Cannes and Barcelona. India's first event took place at Mumbai's Royal Opera House in November, when young storytellers and a robot walked down the red carpet.
In February, Nvidia was on stage in New Delhi with the second edition of India’s AI Film Festival. Pradeep Gupta told the audience that Nvidia is working on reducing computing costs to allow anyone "to create something substantial" without spending a lot of cash.
Anurag Kashyap is a Bollywood Director who expressed concern about the use of AI and its growth in India. He reluctantly acknowledged the economic benefits of studios deploying the technology.
In India, cinema doesn't revolve around art. "It's just business. Studios will use it to create mythologicals," Kashyap stated of AI. "Our audience loves it."
(source: Reuters)