Category: General

The U.S. government will take steps on Friday to free half of the $7 billion in frozen Afghan reserves held in the United States to aid the Afghan people without providing the Taliban access to the funds.

A multi-step plan calls for the other half of the funds to remain in the United States, subject to ongoing litigation by U.S. victims of terrorism, including relatives of those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacking attacks.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Cold weather conditions are forecast, on Friday, with a chance of light showers in central and southern parts, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said in its daily update.

Winds will be northwesterly moderate, the JMD noted.

The department warned of fog and frost formation during night hours in Badia regions and mountainous areas.

Temperatures in the capital Amman will range between a high of 9 degrees Celsius and a low of 2 degrees at night.

Highs in the port city of Aqaba will hike up to 22 degrees, sliding to 9 degrees.

Source: Jordan News Agency

A U.S. decision on Pfizer (PFE.N) and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months through 4 years of age has been postponed for at least two months after the Food and Drug Administration said it needed more data.

The FDA had planned to make a decision on the vaccine based on early trial data because of what it had called a great public health need due to the surge in infections caused by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The decision was slated for next week with a rollout starting as soon as Feb. 21.

On Friday, the agency said it had reviewed new trial information that had come in since Pfizer and BioNTech’s request for emergency authorization and decided it needed more data before moving forward.

The FDA said parents anxiously awaiting the vaccine for their younger kids should be reassured that the agency is taking the time to make sure it meets the standard it has set for authorization.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Turkish Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati said on Friday the economy’s only problem was inflation, adding that the country had achieved high growth with a low current account deficit and would continue to do so.

In an interview with broadcaster Haberturk, Nebati also said Turkey had achieved a competitive exchange rate with the dollar stable, adding that his meetings with investors in London this week were “fantastic”.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, on Friday, called on the Jordanian community residing in Ukraine to registers their personal data in order to communicate with them on the following website:https://mfa.gov.jo/ar/embassy/Ankara/form.

In a statement, the ministry called on Jordanians residing in Ukraine to call the Jordanian embassy in Ankara on (00905384419586) or the cultural office in Kiev on (00380939361181) or the ministry’s operations center on (00962795497777).

Source: Jordan News Agency

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Major Gen. Yousef Huneiti, on Friday, followed up on operations that took place in the Eastern Military Zone, which resulted in seizing large quantities of narcotic pills and weapons from Syria.

He stressed that the armed forces will use all its available capabilities, to prevent and confront infiltration and smuggling operations in order to preserve the country’s security and stability and the safety of its citizens alike.

Huneiti stressed that the armed forces continues to stand firmly against anyone trying to undermine the security of the Kingdom and its people, apply the new rules of engagement and deal with full force with any attempt at infiltration or smuggling.

Today’s operation resulted in seizing some 9,343,000 Captagon pills, 38,900 tramadol pills, 7096 palm-sized sheets of Hashish, two vehicles three firearms and large quantities of ammunition.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, on Friday, stressed along with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock that the countries are continuing to strengthen their distinguished relations and joint work to find a political horizon for achieving peace on the basis of the two-state solution.

During talks held in Amman, the two top diplomats stressed the strength of the partnership between the two sides and their keenness to enhance it by increasing cooperation in various fields, especially in the energy, water and education sectors.

They affirmed the continuation of coordination within the framework of efforts to activate the peace process through the Munich Group, which also includes Egypt and France, and the support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

During her first visit to the Kingdom, since assuming her position last December as foreign minister, Safadi and Baerbock discussed the latest developments in the Middle East region, Europe and the refugee issue.

Safadi stressed the importance of the summit meeting, which will soon bring together His Majesty King Abdullah II and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in giving more momentum to strengthen the deep-rooted partnership between the two countries.

He thanked his German counterpart for the assistance her country provided to Jordan, as Berlin represents the second largest donor to the Kingdom after the US.

In a joint press conference, Safadi pointed out that Germany approved 483 million euros in support for Jordan last year, pointing out that this support will contribute to helping face challenges, many of which stemmed from the regional crises that Jordan has suffered from.

Safadi thanked his German counterpart for the continuous support provided by her country to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), pointing out that Germany is the third largest donor country to the agency, as its support in the year 2020 amounted to about $70 million and in the year 2021 about $40 million.

The Palestinian cause, the Syrian crisis and the refugees issue were figured high during the joint press conference.

Source: Jordan News Agency