Day: December 18, 2022

Cairo, The Arab League Sunday condemned the escalation of the “systematic” Israeli campaign in occupied Jerusalem and the attacks on Palestinians and their Islamic and Christian sanctities.

The Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and the Occupied Arab Territories of the Arab League, Saeed Abu Ali, said the incursions into Al Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli occupation authorities by settlers is “part of [Israeli] attempts to change the status quo and divide the Mosque temporally and spatially.”

He added that the expulsion decisions taken by the Israeli occupation authorities fall under the policy of ethnic cleansing and forced displacement in occupied Jerusalem and attempts to “besiege the Holy City, isolate it from its surroundings, empty it of its original inhabitants, Judaise it and change its demographic, geographical and historical features.”

Source: Jordan News Agency – Petra

Amman, The Cabinet Sunday decided not to collect additional “floor” fees for storing goods and containers at the Aqaba port until the return of freight traffic as usual.

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh instructed competent authorities to submit the necessary recommendations to implement the decision.

Source: Jordan News Agency – Petra

Amman, The Cabinet Sunday decided to promote police officer Abdul-Razzaq Dalabeeh, who was killed during the Ma’an troubles, posthumously to brigadier general.

The Cabinet started its session by reciting Quran verses in honour of the slain officer, who died while performing his duty in the Al-Husseiniyah area in Ma’an.

Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh said, “The martyr Dalabeeh is the martyr of the entire nation, and we all accept condolences along with his family and relatives from the sons of the Bani Hassan tribe, which offered convoys of martyrs for the homeland and the nation.”

The Cabinet wished a speedy recovery for security officers who sustained injuries during the Ma’an troubles, praising the efforts of state agencies, institutions, administrative rulers, community leaders and actors who prioritised the public interest and contributed to weathering the troubles.

Khasawneh said, “The right to express one’s opinion is guaranteed under the constitution, but the rule of law is never compromised,” noting that “assaults” on roads, public and private property, and “assaults” on police officers would be countered “firmly..”

He said the government has responded to the legitimate demands of workers in the transport sector by adjusting the tariffs for cargo from phosphate, potash and bromine companies and the transport tariffs related to containers.

He noted the government’s “firm desire to ease as much as possible on citizens, in the context of structural reforms and general modernisation visions that aim to benefit Jordanians in the medium- and long-term and to ward off the possible harm.”

Khasawneh, nonetheless, explained that the government is restricted with what it can offer, saying that “there is a constant desire on the part of the government to support citizens and commodities, but this is not possible in light of the current economic conditions.”

He said his government is mindful of taking “measured” procedures that do not detract from or impact the structural reform programme of the national economy.

He explained that by failing to reflect the global fuel prices, the government would run the risk of dealing with increased deficits and “severe” damage to the public treasury and the national economy.

Cabinet ministers confirmed that the public transport sector has returned to work across Jordan and that the movement of trucks to and from the port of Aqaba has gone back to normal.

Source: Jordan News Agency – Petra

Amman, The Republic of Korea Sunday said Northern Korea had fired two ballistic missiles into the sea off the eastern coast of the Korean peninsula today.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Republic of Korea said in a statement the two missiles were ballistic and fired by Pyongyang at an “acute angle,” adding that the two missiles were mid-range and travelled 500 km.

“The intelligence agencies of the Republic of Korea and the United States are conducting a comprehensive analysis, considering the factors behind the latest trends in North Korea’s missile development,” the statement added.

The Japanese Deputy Defence Minister, Toshiro Inoue, said the two missiles launched by North Korea fell outside the exclusive economic zone of Japan, and there were no losses.

Source: Jordan News Agency – Petra

Amman, The Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) pledged continued action to protect water resources within operation areas and King Abdullah Canal (KAC), as a “vital” source for delivering water to farmers in the Jordan Valley region for drinking and irrigation purposes.

The JVA, in a statement on Sunday, said it implemented “strict” monitoring campaigns and removed all forms of attacks on the KAC infrastructure.

These attacks deprive some farmers of their water rights and constitute a depletion of water quantities that threaten reservoirs, JVA noted.

Over the target period, the statement noted these campaigns reduced KAC’s water loss from 25% to 18% and raised its efficiency from 75% to 82%.

These efforts achieved a water abundance in the KAC’s northern part designated for irrigation and drinking purposes, during April-October period at about 3,080,000 cubic meters, the statement pointed out.

To date, 75 illicit water pumps were seized and confiscated, which were used to illegally siphon off water from the KAC, while about 3,627 violations were issued to remove irrigation pipe fixtures of different diameters and were transferred to the competent authorities, the statement noted.

The JVA stressed continuity of its intensive monitoring campaigns in the Jordan Valley region to protect water resources from all forms of “irresponsible” practices that violate laws and regulations in force.

Source: Jordan News Agency – Petra

Amman, Lower House Speaker Ahmed Safadi Sunday mourned the death of former MP Laith Shbeilat. He died Sunday at the age of 80.

Safadi expressed the Parliament’s condolences to the family of Shbeilat.

Source: Jordan News Agency – Petra