Middle East & North Africa

Riyadh, Apr 14 (AFP/PTI) Oil output cuts by OPEC and its allies, together with pledges from other G20 nations and purchases by strategic reserves, could remove 19.5 million barrels per day from the market, the Saudi energy minister said.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that the actual output cuts may be deeper than the headline figure of 9.7 million bpd -- with top producers considering slashing output by 20 million barrels a day under the deal.

DUBAI, Apr 15 (NNN-WAM) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday announced 412 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 4,933.

UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, said in a statement that, the new cases include different nationalities, and all are in a stable condition and receiving medical treatment.

And 81 more patients have recovered from the virus, taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 933, according to the ministry.

DUBAI (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund is still assessing Iran’s request for $5 billion in emergency financing in a process which is taking time partly because of the IMF’s limited engagement with Tehran in recent times, a senior IMF official told Reuters.

Iran, the Middle East country worst affected by the new coronavirus outbreak, approached the IMF last month to request the $5 billion from its Rapid Financing Initiative, an emergency programme that aids countries faced with sudden shocks such as natural disasters.

CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian policeman and seven suspected militants were killed late on Tuesday in an exchange of gunfire after the ministry of interior received information about potential Easter attacks against Coptic Christians, the ministry said.

It said three other policemen had also been wounded.

SANA’A, April 15 (NNN-SABA) – A court run by Yemen’s Houthi rebels sentenced four journalists to death, after their conviction on spying charges, their lawyer said.

The four were among a group of 10 journalists detained by the Iran-backed rebels and accused of “collaborating with the enemy,” in reference to the Saudi-led coalition, that has been at war with the Houthis since 2015, Abdel-Majeed Sabra, said.

14 April 2020; MEMO: The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday called on the embassies of Egypt and India to repatriate their citizens who were in the country illegally to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The ministry is reported to have asked the Egyptian embassy in Kuwait to urge members of the Egyptian community to abide by quarantine instructions, stressing that they serve the interests of everyone.

14 April 2020; MEMO: About 110,000 displaced Syrians have returned to their homes in Idlib, northern Syria, after Turkey and Russia reached a ceasefire agreement in March.

More than a million civilians were displaced from Idlib Governorate due to the military operation launched by the Syrian regime and its allies in the province in November 2019.

Some of the displaced went to camps near the Syrian-Turkish border, while others headed to opposition-held towns in northern Syria.

TRIPOLI, Apr 14 (NNN-XINHUA) – The UN-backed Libyan government, said that, its forces took four more cities from the rival east-based army.

“Our brave forces took complete control of Al-Ajaylat, Aljmail, Riqdalin, and Zolton, and are now chasing the fleeing terrorist militias,” said Mohamed Gonono, spokesman of the UN-backed government forces.

Earlier in the day, Gonono announced the takeover of the northwestern cities of Sabratha and Surman from the east-based army, which had been in control of both coastal cities since Apr, 2019.

ISTANBUL, Apr 14 (NNN-XINHUA) – Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced a new two-day curfew, which would be put into effect on Apr 17, to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Speaking in Istanbul, after attending a cabinet meeting via teleconference, Erdogan said, the lock-down would start at midnight on Friday, and would last until midnight on Apr 19.

“We decided to continue to impose these bans, if necessary,” the Turkish leader added.

JERUSALEM, Apr 14 (NNN-XINHUA) – The number of COVID-19 cases rose to 11,586 in Israel, after 441 new ones were added on Monday.

The ministry also reported 11 new deaths, bringing the death toll to 116.

Among the 11 death cases is a 41-year-old woman, one of the youngest COVID-19 victims in Israel so far.

Currently, 744 patients are hospitalised, 7,222 treated at home, and 1,181 at hotels, converted to quarantine facilities, while the remaining 468 will be treated at home or hotel according to decisions to be made soon.