Day: November 17, 2022

Temperatures on Thursday are expected to be around their annual average, with relatively cold weather conditions prevailing in much areas of the Kingdom, except in the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba where it will be moderate, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said in its daily update.

Clouds at various altitudes are also forecast to form, with a weak chance for light showers in limited parts of the northern region, the JMD added, warning of poor horizontal visibility due to fog formation in the morning and late night hours over the highlands and plains.

On Friday, mercury levels will rise a few degrees, triggering fair conditions countrywide, with clouds at different altitude, while winds will be southeasterly light.

Today, temperatures in the capital Amman will range between a high of 20 degrees Celsius and a low of 9C, while the port city of Aqaba will see a high of 28C, sliding to 17C at night.

Source: Jordan News Agency

China’s fiscal revenue amounted to approximately 17.34 trillion yuan (about 2.46 trillion U.S. dollars) during the first 10 months of 2022, official data showed on Wednesday.

China’s Ministry of Finance indicated that the figure represents a drop of 4.5 percent from the same period of last year.

Excluding the impact of value-added tax credit refunds, fiscal revenue grew 5.1 percent from a year earlier.

The central government collected about 8 trillion yuan in fiscal revenue, down 5.5 percent, and local governments collected 9.34 trillion yuan, down 3.6 percent.

Tax revenue came in at nearly 14.26 trillion yuan in the January-October period, down 8.9 percent year on year.

Fiscal spending rose 6.4 percent year on year to hit around 20.63 trillion yuan during the period, according to the ministry.

Source: Jordan News Agency

China’s major steel maker Ansteel broke ground on a 22.9-billion-yuan ($3.25 billion) underground iron ore mine project in Northeast China’s Liaoning province on Wednesday.

It is estimated that the Xi’anshan mine, located 7 kilometers Southwest of Qianshan district in Anshan city, will produce an annual 30 million tons of iron ore and 10 million tons of iron ore concentrate.

The project is scheduled to begin operations in 2027. With an iron-ore reserve of 1.3 billion tons, it will become the country’s largest underground single ore-body iron ore mine.

“The Xi’anshan iron ore mine is of great significance to improving China’s iron ore supply capacity and promoting the healthy development of the steel industry,” said Luo Tiejun, vice-president of the China Iron and Steel Association, at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Known as the cradle of China’s steel industry, Ansteel was the first iron and steel giant established after the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

China is the world’s largest importer of iron ore, with imports exceeding 917 million tons in the first 10 months of 2022.

Source: Jordan News Agency

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser Al Khater denounced allegations by western media about tournament organizers using expatriate fans to attend matches in exchange for money.

Al Khater indicated that this came as part of the systematic smear campaigns that have increased in the recent period, with the launch of the most prominent sporting event in the World in Qatar imminent.

Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Khater said that “some of the reports published by English and French newspapers about hiring migrant workers to pose as fans to attend matches are completely false,” describing these allegations as a new attempt to defame and question the ability of the State of Qatar to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Qatar won the honor of hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, there have been continuous attempts over 12 years to defame this tournament, he added, stressing that Qatar will organize an exceptional tournament, and this will be clear in a few days.

Al Khater also affirmed his rejection of the belittlement of a group of people living in Qatar, some of them have lived in Qatar for more than 30 years, saying “it is shameful to belittle those fans who will watch World Cup matches and describe them as paid workers for a World Cup that sold 3.1 million tickets so far.”

On Sunday, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will commence as the first edition to be held in the Arab region and the Middle East.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Zeina Toukan, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with British Ambassador to Jordan, Bridget Brind, to frame joint cooperation between the Department of Statistics (DoF) and the UK Office for National Statistics.

A statement issued by the Ministry on Thursday said that the two-year MoU aims at providing technical support to the DoF, especially in implementing the department’s plan to transform into an interactive statistical center as part of the public sector modernization roadmap.

Under the MoU, a group of informal sector activities will be estimated, the construction index will be established, and the indicators of volumes and prices for services, transportation and communications activities will be provided in the short term, the statement added.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The US Embassy in Amman on Thursday highlighted the importance of the visit of US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), Julieta Valls Noyes, to Jordan, in terms of reinforcing the two countries’ excellent relationship.

In a statement, the Embassy said that during the visit, Noyes also served as Head of Delegation to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) Advisory Commission.

“Her visit, which ends today, highlighted the strong U.S. partnership with Jordan in providing critical humanitarian support for refugees and host communities throughout the region,” the statement added.

“We appreciate Jordan’s efforts to provide refugees access to health, education, and formal employment,” Assistant Secretary Noyes said, adding “We hope that this trip continues to expand on the relationships the United States has fostered with Jordan and local leaders to improve the lives of Syrian, Palestinian, and other refugees around the region alongside the Jordanians who have welcomed them into their communities.”

The official noted that the United States remains committed to supporting the humanitarian response in Jordan for all refugee populations, noting that in Fiscal Year 2022, the U.S. government provided more than $257 million in humanitarian assistance in Jordan.

During the visit, Noyes discussed cooperation on refugee issues with Jordanian officials including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Zeina Toukan. Noyes also met with UN agencies and other U.S. partners implementing humanitarian assistance projects with refugees living in Jordan.

While at the Zaatari refugee camp, the Assistant Secretary expressed appreciation to Jordan for hosting Syrian refugees until a time when they can return safely and voluntarily to Syria with dignity.

Noyes also heard from student parliamentarians at the PRM-supported Zuhour School, where more than 2,000 refugee girls study. The students shared their challenges, aspirations, and appreciation for the state-of-art facility since senior representatives from PRM and Embassy Amman partnered with UNRWA to inaugurate the school in 2021.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Minister of Youth Mohammad Nabulsi stated that Jordan has placed all of its resources at the disposal of the Qatari government in order to ensure the success of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

During a Thursday meeting with Qatar’s Ambassador to Jordan, Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani, Nabulsi emphasized that Qatar’s hosting of this major global event “brings pride to the entire region and demands everyone’s full support.”

The envoy, for his part, praised Jordan’s supportive stance toward Qatar’s hosting of the world’s largest sporting event, noting that “such honorable actions are influenced by the close relations between Jordan and Qatar.”

Hosting the World Cup, he continued, is not only an accomplishment for Qatar, but for the entire Arab region.

Source: Jordan News Agency

A Declaration of Intent (DoI) was signed between Jordan and Israel on the sidelines of the UN climate summit (COP27) in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh to rehabilitate and improve the environment and water system of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.

The declaration was signed Thursday by Jordan’s Minister of Water and Irrigation, Muhammad Najjar, and Israel’s Minister of Environmental Protection, Tamar Zanderberg.

The DoI aims to rehabilitate the Jordan River, whose runoff has decreased to 7% and, as a result, the Dead Sea level has dropped by 3 feet per year. Jordan has worked hard for years to mobilize international support in order to save the Dead Sea, which represents a common human heritage.

The declaration also fits into Jordan’s effort to rally international support for addressing climate challenges, restoring the environment, and ensuring the sustainable development of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.

It also aims to create job opportunities and more water for those living on both sides of the Jordan River, including Palestinians.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The police carried out a raid on Thursday and arrested two drug dealers in Zarqa governorate, seizing 20,000 narcotic pills, five palm-sized sheets of hashish, crystal meth, and a firearm.

The Public Security Department’s spokesperson said one of the traffickers was classified as dangerous and is convicted of 14 drug-related cases.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Chief Executive Officer and Director General of the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), Asem Mansour, announced Thursday that the center and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) had signed a cooperation agreement to advance translational and clinical cancer research in the Middle East.

Under the agreement the KHCC will serve as a Middle East Coordinating Office (MECO) to support the organization’s activities in the region.

This partnership will devote a significant portion of its efforts to developing cancer research in middle- and low-income countries, where many patients have not yet had access to clinical trials, according to a KHCC statement.

“We are thrilled to usher in a new era of clinical research in the Middle East. We are confident that we will make significant advancements in clinical trial research. Regional cooperation will help us consolidate and update all cancer diagnosis and treatment advancements. It will also allow patients to participate in clinical trials and gain access to cutting-edge new treatments that would otherwise be unavailable outside of the research environment,” Mansour said.

HRH Princess Dina Mired, Honorary Chairwoman of EORTC and the Cancer Research Support Fund (ECRF), welcomed the signing of the agreement, saying, “The MECO agreement exemplifies how EORTC remains true to its mission of improving survival and quality of life for all patients.” She added that access to clinical cancer research means bridging a gap in cancer treatment and care.

“We are delighted that this collaboration will allow us to expand our cancer research work in the Middle East and bring our expertise to help cancer patients in this part of the world,” said Denis Lacombe, CEO of EORTC.

He stated that EORTC is a European organization with a global vision and mission to improve the lives of cancer patients worldwide, emphasizing that “the agreement with the KHCC brings us one step closer to achieving this mission.”

Since 2017, the KHCC has successfully contributed to 6 clinical trials conducted by EORTC and is represented in the organization by 13 physicians and researchers representing the majority of EORTC research groups.

Source: Jordan News Agency