Middle East & North Africa

DUBAI (Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani urged Iranians to respect health protocols to guard against the new coronavirus as “low-risk” economic activities resumed in most of the country on Saturday, state news agency IRNA reported.

So-called low-risk businesses will resume across the country from Saturday with the exception of the capital Tehran, where they will restart from April 18. Iran is the Middle Eastern country worst-affected by the highly infectious COVID-19 respiratory disease.

EGYPT, Apr 11 (NNN-MENA) – On Thursday, OPEC+ agreed to the largest oil production cuts in history, but oil prices crashed towards $20, as markets decided that a 10 million bpd cut was insufficient to balance the demand deficit.

Yesterday, the G20 met to discuss more cuts and more details will likely come out about the OPEC+ deal. Markets were closed yesterday and so all eyes will be on developments over the weekend.

RIYADH, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Energy ministers of the Group of 20 (G20) agreed on Friday to ensure the energy market's stability, as well as affordability and security in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, but remained quiet on the issue of oil production reduction.

The G20 economies will develop collaborative policy responses to ensure market stability across all energy sources taking into account each member's circumstances, according to a joint statement released after the energy ministers' virtual meeting.

DAMASCUS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. forces sent 35 truckloads of military gears into a base in the northeastern province of Hasakah on Saturday, state news agency SANA reported.

The military shipment includes vehicles, equipment, and logistics, said the report, adding that the military support came from Deir al-Zour province in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border.

Over the past few months, the U.S. brought in thousands of military trucks and weapons to Hasakah, according to SANA.

JERUSALEM (AP) — On the day set aside to mark Christ’s crucifixion, most churches stood empty. Streets normally filled with emotional processions were silent. St. Peter’s Square was almost deserted. And many religious sites in the Holy Land were closed.

Instead, Christians around the world commemorated Good Friday behind closed doors, seeking solace in online services and trying to uphold centuries-old traditions in a world locked down by the coronavirus pandemic.

10 April 2020; MEMO: Egypt has received a third Type 209/1400 submarine from Germany, the Egyptian army announced yesterday.

10 April 2020; MEMO: On a sombre and quiet Good Friday in Jerusalem, the Vatican’s apostolic administrator in the Holy Land called for prayer for people suffering and dying from the coronavirus.

“We are celebrating Good Friday, the commemoration of the death of Jesus, under very difficult circumstances,” Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa said outside Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, revered as the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection.

10 April 2020; MEMO: The Ministry of Interior of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) warned that cutting off drinking water supplies by General Khalifa Haftar’s militias in the capital of Tripoli, amid the proliferation of the coronavirus pandemic, is seriously en

10 April 2020; MEMO: The Department of Finance at the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s emirate of Dubai has informed all government agencies to reduce capital spending as an economic precautionary measure following the coronavirus outbreak.

ADEN, April 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) —The World Food Programme is set to halve aid to parts of Yemen’s Houthi-controlled areas due to a funding crisis.

The UN says some donors have stopped their aid over concerns that deliveries were being obstructed by Houthi forces.

From mid-April, families will get aid every other month, instead of monthly.

The war in Yemen has been described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. More than 100,000 people are reported to have died.