2020-04-17: News Headlines

Whitney Webb (2020-04-17). As US Shale Oil Plunges, Trump Admin Takes Aim at Venezuela. mintpressnews.com WASHINGTON DC ( Despite the president's rosy tone, most analysts have called the agreement — which presumably will freeze the Saudi-Russian oil price war that broke out…

yenisafak (2020-04-17). Saudi grand mufti says Ramadan night, Eid prayers to be done at home amid coronavirus. yenisafak.com Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh, the highest religious authority in the country, said that Muslim prayers during Ramadan and for the subsequent Eid al-Fitr feast should be performed at home if the coronavirus outbreak continues, Saudi's Okaz newspaper reported on Friday."Ramadan's Taraweeh (evening) prayer can be performed at home if it cannot be performed at mosques due to the preventive measures taken to fight the spread of coronavirus," he said in response to a question, adding that same applies for Eid prayers, according to the paper.

sputniknews (2020-04-17). Houthis Say Saudi-led Coalition Launched 23 Airstrikes on Several Yemeni Provinces. sputniknews.com CAIRO (Sputnik) — Air forces of the Saudi-led coalition have conducted 23 air raids on Yemen's northeastern and northwestern provinces despite the coalition announcing a halt of activities amid the COVID-19 crisis, the Houthi rebel movement said on Friday.

Marwan Kabalan (2020-04-17). With Oil Prices in Freefall, Coronavirus Reveals Weaknesses of Saudis, Arab Gulf States. iranian.com The coronavirus outbreak has put the Arab Gulf States under the spotlight and exposed their structural weaknesses. It has also suggested that security, which is often the focus because of geopolitical regional rivalry, especially with Iran, distracts from other equally important threats. While it is true that the Gulf States are relatively rich compared to …

Eds. (2020-04-16). Some oil producing nations agree to cut production 10%. mronline.org Oil-producing nations led by Russia, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia reached an unprecedented agreement on Sunday to cut oil production by 9.7 million barrels per day, or nearly 10 percent of what is currently produced, as The New York Times reported.

news.un (2020-04-16). Yemen can't survive war on two fronts, top UN envoy tells Security Council, as coronavirus outbreak looms. news.un.org With the COVID-19 pandemic threatening to deepen suffering in Yemen, now is the time for rival parties to commit to ending their conflict, UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths told the Security Council on Thursday, during an informal meeting via videoconference.

Medea Benjamin (2020-04-04). Saudi's Brave Women Pull Back the Curtain on Crown Prince MBS. zcomm.org The bogus trial against Loujain al-Hathloul should compel governments around the world to put more pressure on the Saudis and demand al-Hathloul's immediate and unconditional release…