Saudi Arabia’s energy minister Khalid al-Falih has recommended “gently” driving oil inventories down at a time of plentiful global supplies, saying that Opec would not make hasty decisions about output ahead of its June meeting.

Opec moved yesterday to cap Nigerian oil output and called on several members to boost compliance with production cuts to help clear excessive global stocks and support flagging prices.

Saudi Arabia, under growing pressure to account for a crush that killed more than 700 people at the hajj pilgrimage, suggested pilgrims failing to follow crowd control rules bore some blame for the worst disaster at the event for 25 years.

A leading international human rights group appealed to Saudi King Abdullah today to stop the execution of a woman accused of witchcraft.