(2020-02-04). Yemen official accuses UAE of backing rebellion. yenisafak.com A Yemeni government official on Tuesday accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of supporting military rebellion against authorities in the strategic island of Socotra.Socotra's Governor Ramzi Mahrous also alleged the Gulf country of supporting the separatist forces of the Southern Transitional Council (STC).In a statement posted on Facebook, Mahrous said he was surprised by the announcement of the Coast Guard Brigade of the 1st Marine Brigade that it was rebelling against Yemen's President Mansur Abdrabbuh Hadi, and joining the transitional council militia.He said the "step is a dangerous precedent" carried out b…
(2020-02-03). Trump Is Expanding His Racist Travel Ban, This Time Targeting Africans. truthout.org The Trump administration has expanded its contested travel ban to six additional countries — most of which are African nations. Under the new restrictions, nationals of Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan will no longer be able to obtain visas to live and work in the U.S., while Sudan and Tanzania will no longer be able to participate in the diversity visa lottery program. The ban, commonly referred to as the "Muslim ban," already affects citizens from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia,…
(2020-02-03). ACLU: Trump Is Expanding His Racist Travel Ban, This Time Targeting Africans. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration has expanded its contested travel ban to six additional countries — most of which are African nations. Under the new restrictions, nationals of Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan will no longer be able to obtain visas to live and work in the U.S., while Sudan and Tanzania will no longer be able to participate in the diversity visa lottery program. The ban, commonly referred to as the "Muslim ban," already affects citizens from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela and North Korea. The expansion is expected to affect more than 350 million people. Democrats say they will…
(2020-02-03). Putin & Saudi king Salman agree to 'coordinate efforts' to stabilize oil markets as Brent hits new low. rt.com 
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz expressed their readiness to coordinate efforts within OPEC+ format to stabilize the situation on the international oil markets, which saw crude prices plummeting amid a deadly coronavirus outbreak in China. | The two leaders "extensively discussed" the present situation and agreed to "maintain contacts" on various levels, Kremlin said in a statement. OPEC+ is a format that involves the members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major oil producers, including Russia, which earlier already coordinated reduced oi…
(2020-02-03). 'Saudi Arabia Must Be Held Accountable': Jamal Khashoggi's Fianc√©e to Attend State of the Union as Congressman's Guest. commondreams.org In an effort to pressure President Donald Trump to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the brutal 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Democratic congressman announced Monday that his guest for Tuesday night's State of the Union speech will be Khashoggi's fianc√©e, Hatice Cengiz. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1145326901.png …
