Briefly

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Suspected outbreak of rare hantavirus kills 3

Three people have died and three

are ill after a cruise ship was hit by a suspected outbreak of hantavirus, a rodent-borne virus that can cause fatal respiratory illness, authorities and media reports said on Sunday. Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions said in a news release that it was "managing a serious medical situation" on a polar expedition ship, which was off Cape Verde, an island nation in the Atlantic west of Africa. The cruise departed from Argentina about three weeks ago with around 150 passengers and stopped in the Antarctic and other locations on its way to Cape Verde, according to media reports. A Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed that two Dutch passengers had died, but gave no further details.

OIL MARKETS

7 OPEC+ countries to hike production in June

Seven countries in the OPEC+grouping of oil-producing countries say they have decided on a modest increase in production starting in June as part of a commitment to "market stability". The decision from the seven countries — Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman — to raise production by 188,000 barrels per day comes after they held a virtual meeting on Sunday. The increase is part of adjustments to the additional voluntary production cuts first announced in April 2023. The voluntary adjustments could be returned gradually, either in part or in full, depending on market developments, the group said.

Agencies - Xinhua