2020-03-27: News Headlines

Aarathi Prasad (2020-03-28). [Perspectives] Leadership bid. thelancet.com The Perfect Candidate, director Haifaa Al-Mansour's second film based in Saudi Arabia, opens with a scene of an old man on a stretcher, bloodied and groaning after a collision with a truck brings him to the only emergency room in the area. Once the under-resourced clinic staff have heaved him through the only route into the building—a mud-clogged and flooded road—he opens his eyes to what for him is an even greater horror: the face of the only doctor qualified to treat him. Through her niqab, a pair of determined eyes examine him, as Dr Maryam expertly turns the patient's body to palpate his spine.

Robert Fisk (2020-03-27). What Trump is Doing in the Middle East While You are Distracted by COVID-19. counterpunch.org And still the virus shrouds Donald Trump's mischief in the Middle East. First it was his sly retreat from Iraq; now it's his cosy military exercises with the United Arab Emirates — famous in song and legend as a former Saudi ally in the bloody Yemen war — and his cut of $1bn in aid

Kate Zeller (2020-03-27). G20 Emergency Meeting Convenes on Coronavirus Health and Economic Impacts. indybay.org Saudi Arabia chaired an emergency virtual G20 meeting for Presidents and Prime Minsters as the coronavirus wreaks havoc on the global economy.

sputniknews (2020-03-27). Saudi Oil Industry at Risk as American, European Refiners Refusing Riyadh's Crude — Reports. sputniknews.com Oil prices collapsed to their lowest levels in decades in March amid coronavirus concerns and OPEC+'s failure to reach a deal on production cuts, which prompted Riyadh and its allies to open the taps.

Darius Shahtahmasebi (2020-03-26). Has Saudi Arabia Shot Itself in the Foot With Its Oil Price War? mintpressnews.com The impact of coronavirus has destroyed the demand for oil and neither Saudi Arabia, Russia or the United States will escape the resulting price war unscathed.

teleSUR (2020-03-26). Virtual G20 Summit Ends With Vague Promises, Sparks Critics. telesurenglish.net The group of 20 (G20) comprising the 20 most prosperous and large economies held Thursday a virtual summit chaired by Saudi Arabia, at the end of which the member nations expressed their confidence that the world "will overcome" the global coronavirus pandemic. | RELATED: | G20 leaders, whose countries account for more than 80 percent in the world's GDP, issued a statement following the two hours video meeting saying they will present "a united…

teleSUR (2020-03-25). Turkey Prosecutor Indicts Saudi Suspects for Khashoggi Killing. telesurenglish.net Istanbul prosecutors said Wednesday they had prepared an indictment against 20 suspects over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, including a close aide to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a former deputy head of general intelligence. | RELATED: | The indictment accuses former deputy head of Saudi Arabia's general intelligence Ahmed al-Asiri and former royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani…

news.un (2020-03-25). UN chief calls for ceasefire as Yemen braces for possible COVID-19 outbreak. news.un.org Echoing his 23 March appeal to warring parties across the globe for an immediate ceasefire, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on those fighting in Yemen to end hostilities and ramp up efforts to counter a potential outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff (2020-03-19). Headlines for March 19, 2020. democracynow.org Italy Records Record 475 Coronavirus Deaths as Infections Continue Climbing, British PM Boris Johnson Closes Schools After Reversing Lax Virus Containment Plan, Millions of Brazilians Protest from Windows and Balconies Demanding President's Ouster, World Health Organization Warns Critical Lack of Testing Is Costing Lives, Egypt Arrests Protesters Calling for Release of Prisoners at Risk of COVID-19, Yemen, Already Wracked by U.S.-Supported, Saudi-Led War, Braces for Coronavirus, Trump Admin Tightens Sanctions That Have Devastated Iran's Public Health System, Trump Signs Coronavirus Relief Bill Providing Paid Leav…

Claudio Ronco, Paolo Navalesi, Jean Louis Vincent (2020-02-06). [Spotlight] Coronavirus epidemic: preparing for extracorporeal organ support in intensive care. thelancet.com Zoonotic viral infections are more frequently crossing species to infect human populations. In 2003, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus was transmitted to humans from exotic animals in wet markets in China, and in 2015, the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus was transmitted from camels in Saudi Arabia. In both cases, and with the 2019 coronavirus outbreak in China, the original host of the virus is likely to be bats.