Category: General

President of the Hashemite University, Fawwaz Al-Abed Al-Haq, on Tuesday met with Head of Student and Alumni Affairs Department at the Malaysian Embassy, Ziyad Azzam, and Vice-President of the Malaysian Universities Alumni Association in Jordan.

The meeting covered enhancing cooperation between the two sides and issues of interest to students wishing to study at the Hashemite University.

It also discussed the importance of the International Conference on Asian Studies, scheduled to be held by the Malaysian Universities Alumni Association in Jordan at the end of this year, and the scientific contributions of Jordanian universities in it.

The meeting also discussed ways of joint cooperation in concluding future academic and scientific cooperation agreements in student exchange, scholarships, the exchange of faculty members and scientific projects, in addition to exploring the possibility of establishing new joint academic programs not oly in the fields of Sharia, Islamic studies and teaching Arabic, but also in all study programs and graduate studies.

Al-Abed Al-Haq stressed the importance of Jordanian-Malaysian relations at all levels, lauding Malaysian universities’ distinguished level.

The university is keen to expand cooperation with various Malaysian educational institutions in various fields that keep abreast with the requirements of the labor market, Al-Abed Al-Haq added.

Azzam, for his part, commended the Hashemite University’s academic reputation in Malaysia, expressing hope for more cooperation between the two sides, signing more agreements and memoranda of understanding, and exchanging students between the two sides.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in Germany Tuesday announced the state is working to salvage troubled energy companies through government aid, according to DW.

The German Cabinet has paved the way for legislative amendments that would provide the expansion of the “tool box” for potential energy-saving measures.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck said: “The situation in the gas market is tense, and unfortunately, we cannot rule out its deterioration. We must prepare ourselves for an exacerbated situation.”

Habeck noted that efforts should maintain basic supplies in the coming winter and to keep energy markets running for as long as possible despite the high prices and risks.

The measures come against the backdrop of dwindling Russian gas supply through the Baltic Sea pipeline “Nord Stream 1”, which caused the largest importer in Germany of Russian natural gas “Uniper” to request state support.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Moderate weather conditions are expected to prevail on Tuesday in the highlands, while it will be hot in the Badia, the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, with clouds at medium altitudes, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said.

On Wednesday, temperatures will slightly dip, bringing fair conditions in most regions, except in the Badia, the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, the JMD added.

Similar weather conditions will persist on Thursday, with northwesterly moderate to brisk winds at times, the department predicted.

Today, the highs in Amman and other highlands will be around 30 degrees Celsius, while the port city of Aqaba will feel a high of 40 degrees Celsius and a low of 26 degrees.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Remittances of Jordanian expatriate workers soared 9 percent during the month of May, topping $290 million, compared with a 4.8 percent rise to $266 million in the same month of 2021, according to Central Bank statistics.

The figures showed that remittances during the first five months of 2022 posted a 2.9 percent rise to $1.42 billion, compared to a drop of 0.1 percent to $1.38 billion in the same period of 2021.

Source: Jordan News Agency

His Excellency Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, and his accompanying delegation met with His Excellency Wavel Ramkalawan, President of the Republic of Seychelles, in the presence of His Excellency Ahmed Afif, Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles, and His Excellency Sylvestre Radegonde, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of the Republic of Seychelles.

His Excellency Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan conveyed the greetings of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to His Excellency and their best regards on the occasion of the National Day of the Republic of Seychelles, as well as their wishes for his country and people to achieve further progress and prosperity.

For his part, His Excellency Wavel Ramkalawan conveyed to Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan his greetings to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his best wishes to the government and people of the UAE for further development and growth.

His Excellency Wavel Ramkalawan also extended his gratitude to the UAE for attending his country’s National Day celebrations, praising the strong relations between the two countries and constructive cooperation at all levels.

His Excellency Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan thanked His Excellency Wavel Ramkalawan for the invitation to participate in the National Day celebrations as a guest of honor, stressing that the relations that unite the UAE and Seychelles are continuously growing, and there are many opportunities to advance them for the benefit of both countries.

During the meeting, the two parties discussed the distinguished bilateral relations between the UAE and Seychelles and ways to enhance them in various fields of common interest.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued a Federal Decree-Law renaming the Ministry of Presidential Affairs as the Presidential Court.

The Decree stipulated amending some provisions of Federal Decree-Law No. 4 of 2004 regarding the establishment and organisation of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs. The phrase “Presidential Affairs” will be replaced with “Presidential Court”, provided that the responsibilities, tasks and roles remain the same as stated in the aforementioned Federal Decree-Law.

The Decree also stipulated that the phrase “Minister of Presidential Affairs” shall be replaced by “Minister of the Presidential Court,” and “Ministry” should be replaced by “Court”.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation

The UAE has strongly condemned the shooting incident that took place in a shopping center in Copenhagen, which resulted in the death of a number of innocent people.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) affirmed that the UAE expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts, and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence aimed at destabilizing security and stability and inconsistent with humanitarian values and principles.

The Ministry expressed its sincere condolences to the government and people of Denmark, and to the families of the victims of this heinous crime, and its wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation

The State of Qatar affirmed its interest in building a cohesive society based on justice and equality among all its members and providing them with equal opportunities to access quality education and quality work. It emphasized that government policies supporting Qatari women contributed to building their capabilities and providing them with full opportunities to effectively contribute to the comprehensive renaissance witnessed by the country.

This came in the statement of the State of Qatar delivered today by Second Secretary of the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hissa Al Sulaiti, at the 50th session of the Human Rights Council, during the annual thematic panel discussion on technical cooperation and capacity-building.

Al Sulaiti said that promoting women’s rights requires promoting the principle of equality and equity and raising society’s awareness of the important roles and responsibilities of all its members.

She added that the State of Qatar has adopted, in this regard, specific initiatives directed at promoting women’s involvement in the labor market, in political participation, and in decision-making positions, which was positively reflected in strengthening its role as an active and essential partner in development.

Al Sulaiti noted the initiative of the Women’s Work Group recently adopted by the Ministry of Labor in the State of Qatar with the participation of the public and private sectors and academic institutions in the country to serve as a joint cooperation platform for the exchange of experiences, information and best practices that ensure the presence of women at all levels and enhance their active presence, especially in the labor market.

She stressed that the State of Qatar has adopted relevant legislation in the field of protecting women from all manifestations of violence, and has also established specialized institutions such as the Aman center, which operates under the umbrella of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work and seeks to protect and rehabilitate women and children victims of violence and family breakdown and reintegrate them into society.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The West African bloc ECOWAS has lifted economic and financial sanctions against Mali’s military government after it vowed to hold elections in February 2024. The move was welcomed by many Malians who have been struggling under the restrictions and the global rise in fuel and food costs.

Early Monday morning, Bamako’s grand marché, or central market, slowly comes to life.

On Sunday evening, regional bloc ECOWAS announced the immediate lifting of economic and financial sanctions against Mali following a summit in Accra, Ghana.

The sanctions, imposed in January after military leaders delayed elections until 2026, were lifted after leaders announced a new election timetable in June with elections in 2024.

Mali is a landlocked country and depends on its ECOWAS neighbors for trade. The economic sanctions prohibited the trade of goods and closed borders between Mali and its neighbors, with exceptions for food, fuel and medicine.

Moussa Souare sells clothing in Bamako’s grand marché out of a small kiosk. He says his merchandise comes from Senegal, Benin and Nigeria — all countries that were cut off from Mali during the sanctions.

Taking a small break from speaking to clients, he says the sanctions made an already difficult situation worse.

Everyone works a little bit here and there to make a living, he says. Especially here, it’s a poor country. Our merchandise, it’s not made here. We don’t have those factories here.

In Bamako’s ACI 2000 neighborhood, a group of motorcycle taxi drivers gathered near a roundabout waiting for dispatches.

Seydou Coulibaly says he only began driving a motorcycle taxi, which pays little, because of a lack of available work in Mali. He says he hopes the lifting of sanctions will open up the country to more investment, and more jobs.

He says the sanctions were implemented, and we had a lot of difficulties. Different products became expensive, and there was also the rise in gas prices.

Though fuel was not subject to sanctions, gasoline prices have risen in Mali recently as they have worldwide.

Political analyst and political science professor Kalilou Sidibe says that though the lifting of sanctions is a turn in the right direction, it’s too early to say how the 2024 elections plan will play out.

For the moment, he says, the sanctions have been lifted. But the international community is watching the government. How will they proceed? How will concrete progress be made on the ground? It’s only after all of this that confidence can be re-established, he says.

The military government, which first took power in a 2020 coup, originally promised elections in February of 2022. It delayed elections in December 2021, citing lack of security.

Sidibe added that the management of Mali’s rampant insecurity will be an important issue for the junta and their ability to hold elections as promised.

With the lifting of sanctions, ECOWAS member states’ ambassadors will be able to return to Bamako. During the summit, ECOWAS leaders also agreed to a 24-month transition to civilian rule in neighboring Burkina Faso, which has also been under military rule since January. Burkina Faso and Mali have both seen increasing Islamist violence under military rule.

Source: Voice of America

BANJUI— Cryptocurrencies are the solution to tackling financial exclusion in the Central African Republic, its President Faustin-Archange Touadera said, citing the cost of opening bank accounts.

“The alternative to cash is cryptocurrency,” Touadera said at a launch event for crypto initiative Sango hosted by the country, after it became the first African state to make bitcoin legal tender in April. “For us, the formal economy is no longer an option.”

The move to adopt cryptocurrencies in a country where internet use is low and electricity unreliable has raised eyebrows among crypto experts, puzzled lawmakers and residents, and drawn words of caution from the International Monetary Fund.

The Sango project, including a Sango Coin, was backed by the Central African Republic’s National Assembly and spearheaded by Touadera, who said the token would provide access to the country’s “mountain” of natural resources, including gold and diamonds.

The country’s “Sango” website says that it will “facilitate the tokenisation of Central African Republic’s resources for worldwide investors”.

“Sango Coin will be the currency of the new generation of the Central African Republic,” Touadera said, without providing specifics.

The Central African Republic’s enthusiasm for cryptocurrencies does not seem to have been dented by recent losses in their values, with the price of bitcoin falling over 58 per cent in the past three months, according to Refinitiv data.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK