Category: General

UNITED NATIONS — Iran, Venezuela and Sudan are in arrears on paying dues to the United Nations’ operating budget and are among eight nations that will lose their voting rights in the 193-member General Assembly, the U.N. chief said in a letter circulated Wednesday.

Also losing voting rights are Antigua and Barbuda, Republic of Congo, Guinea, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the letter to General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid.

The suspension takes effect immediately.

The U.N. Charter states that members whose arrears equal or exceed the amount of their contributions for the preceding two full years lose their voting rights. But it also gives the General Assembly the authority to decide “that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the member,” and in that case, a country can continue to vote.

The General Assembly decided that three African countries on the list of nations in arrears — Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe, and Somalia — would be able to keep their voting rights.

According to the secretary-general’s letter, the minimum payments needed to restore voting rights are $18,412,438 for Iran, $39,850,761 for Venezuela and $299,044 for Sudan. The five other countries each need less than $75,000 to restore their voting rights.

Iran also lost its voting rights in January 2021. It regained those rights in June after making the minimum payment on its dues and lashed out at the United States for maintaining sanctions that have prevented it from accessing billions of dollars in foreign banks. At that time, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq thanked banking and government authorities in various places, including South Korea, for enabling the payment to be made.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran after pulling the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and six major powers in 2018.

Source: Voice of America

The Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) on Tuesday released a statement explaining the new electric tariff announced August last year, which will come into effect on April 1st.

The commission said that subscribers who have more than one electric meter registered to their name, but are used by tenants, relatives or others, will be eligible for the subsidization, only if they are the breadwinners and they meet the required conditions.

Additionally, a beneficiary can still benefit from the subsidized electric tariff even if the electric meter is not registered to their name. Despite that, a beneficiary is allowed to transfer the ownership of the meter to themselves if they would like to. To that end, electricity distribution companies have been instructed to cut red-tape related to transferring ownership without extra costs until the end of June of the current year, the commission added.

Most Jordanian households will not be affected by the new electricity tariff, the EMRC underlined. Subscribers whose monthly bill was at JD50 or less (about 600 kWh consumption) will not be affected, it said, noting that it may even cost less. However, subscribers with more than 600 kWh consumption will see an increase on their monthly bill and will not be eligible for subsidization.

The aim of new electricity tariff was to cannel government subsidization into Jordanian households, and cut electricity costs for a number of vital economic sectors such as the commercial, industrial, hotel, agricultural and hospitals sectors, the commission underscored.

Moreover, the maximum load tariff for various sectors was nixed, which will reduce operational costs, increase competitiveness and create more job opportunities.

On the groups benefiting from the subsidized electric tariff for households, the commission indicated that each Jordanian family is eligible for the subsidization, but for one electric meter only. This includes Jordanian women who are the breadwinners for their family, the beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund and the Royal Makruma (benefaction), in addition to families, who have temporary Jordanian passports and the people of the Gaza Strip residing in Jordan.

There are two types of subsidies for household tariffs; the first is a fixed JD2 – 2.5 subsidy deducted directly from the bill in accordance with the consumption, while the second subsidy is determined according to the consumption segments that have been reduced from 7 to 3 segments.

Further details can be found on the following link: https://emrc.gov.jo/Pages/viewpage?pageID=368

On the registration mechanism for those eligible for household subsidization, the commission said that it will make an announcement over the next few days.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Jordanian parliamentary delegation, chaired by House Speaker, Abdel Karim Dughmi, concluded its visit to Bahrain on Tuesday, after holding a series of meetings and talks with speakers of house of representatives and the Shura Council in Bahrain, and a number of civil and military officials.

Dughmi and the delegation attended part of a Bahrain house of representatives’ session, during which Speaker Fawzia bint Abdullah lauded the visit and its role in deepening joint parliamentary cooperation, according to a Lower House statement.

In the presence of Jordan Ambassador to Bahrain, Rami Wreikat, Dughmi and the delegation also met with the Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defense Force, Field Marshal Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, and with the Bahraini Minister of Interior, Lieutenant-General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.

During the two meetings, Dughmi said, “We in Jordan, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, are keen on strengthening Arab unity,” stressing that Jordan always supports his nation’s causes, and sees Bahrain’s security and stability as part of Jordan’s security and stability.

“The deep-rooted historical ties between the two kingdoms push us in the House of Representatives to maintain coordination and consultation on various issues of common concern,” Dughmi said.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defense Force commended the deep-rooted ties with Jordan, thanks to both kingdoms leaderships.

For his part, the Bahraini Minister of Interior expressed his appreciation for the security cooperation and coordination that brings together Bahrain and Jordan, which contributed to strengthening joint security work and consolidating stability to ensure the protection of national gains for both brotherly countries and enhancing regional security.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The 48th Conference of the General Assembly of the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA) kicked off Tuesday in Riyadh, under the patronage of Saudi Acting Minister of Media and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi.

The two-day conference will bring together heads of member agencies in FANA, including Director General of the Jordan News Agency (Petra) Fayeq Hijazin.

At the opening ceremony, Al-Qasabi highlighted the role of media “in conveying facts and information we live in, yet whatever contradicts the ethics of professionalism and deliberately disseminates misleading and erroneous information requires scrutiny and response to reveal the truth and correct facts, and information.”

Al-Qasabi said: “Today, everyone in our societies has become a source and a receiver for news through social media applications, which requires keeping pace with this stage, and qualifying national cadres capable of investing these platforms and means to serve the Arab media discourse.”

He also expressed his thanks to heads of news agencies, members of FANA for their efforts that enhance the strength of relations rooted in religion, Arabism, neighborhood and common positions.

SPA President, Fahd bin Hassan Al Aqran, Who was unanimously elected as FANA President for the next two years, stressed the importance of concerted efforts by all to promote FANA’s role in serving the Arab media work and enhance its international footprint.

He said that the media scene in its reality is going through fundamental changes that affect all pillars of the media process, underlining the importance of the role of media professionals, governmental and private media institutions for change of its means and media in line with the rapid changes in the media industry, as well as enhancing its efforts, impact and continuity given the credibility and professional reliability of these institutions and agencies.

Also, Al Aqran stressed the importance of news agencies as a reliable source in the transfer and flow of information, and the impact they have on the local and international levels.

FANA Secretary General, Farid Ayar, stressed that FANA has worked over the past years to achieve a number of goals to support Arab news agencies and build bridges of communication with their counterparts in the world, pointing out to the importance of developing work and shouldering responsibility towards developments in the field of media and transformations.

Participants in the conference discussed issues related to FANA’s professional and organizational development, as well as ways to develop the media performance of FANA member agencies and it’s activity going forward.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ayman Safadi, held meetings with a number of officials in the US State Department on ways to enhance Jordan-US ties and promoting strategic partnership in various fields.

Talks focused on the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the strategic partnership between the two countries, which frames the US support for the Kingdom to replace the current MoU, which expires at the end of September 2022.

Safadi met with Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Yael Lambert, Director of the State Department’s Bureau of Foreign Aid Dafna Rand, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Assistance Coordination and Press and Public Diplomacy at the State Department’s Bureau for Near Eastern Affairs, Chris Hodges, the State Department’s Senior Advisor for Global Energy Security Amos Hochstein and U.S. Department of State’s Senior Bureau Official for Population, Refugees, and Migration Nancy Jackson.

In the meetings, Safadi and the US officials emphasized the centrality of the Jordan-US partnership, and agreed on consolidating it to serve common interests.

Safadi lauded the US support to Jordan, and stressed its importance in helping the Kingdom to support the development process and address economic challenges, including those resulting from regional conditions, the burden of refugees, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under to the current MoU, the United States has provided Jordan with annual support over the past four years, amounted to about $1.65 billion in 2021.

Talks also dealt with regional developments, especially efforts to find a real horizon for achieving a just and lasting peace on the basis of the two-state solution, maintaining comprehensive calm in the occupied Palestinian territories, and supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), in addition to efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis and supporting Iraq.

Safadi thanked the United States for announcing an additional $99 million in financial support to UNRWA late last month, in addition to the $318 million it provided last year.

The meetings also discussed joint efforts in combating terrorism, and a number of regional and international issues of common interest.

Enhancing cooperation in environmental protection issues, addressing climate change and clean energy, including the two projects to supply Lebanon with Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity, were also discussed.

The foreign minister and the US officials stressed on the continuation of coordination and cooperation in order to resolve regional crises, create economic opportunities and achieve security and stability.

In addition, Safadi also met with a number of heads and leaders of US Jewish organizations in Washington.

Yesterday, Safadi started a working visit to the United States, during which he will meet with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, a number of senior US administration officials from the State Department and the National Security Council, members of the House and Senate, think tanks, and media outlets.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Temperatures on Tuesday is expected to slightly rise, bringing sunny but cold weather conditions in most parts of the country, while it will be pleasant in the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, with southwesterly to southeasterly moderate winds, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said in its daily update.

Similar weather will prevail on Wednesday, with clouds at high altitudes and southwesterly moderate winds, the JMD added.

On Thursday, clouds will cover the skies and bitterly cold temperatures will prevail at night, as the Kingdom will be affected by a depression centered over Cyprus. The cold front will bring rain in the northern regions, gradually extending to the central parts.

Today, the maximum and minimum temperatures in eastern Amman are set to range between 16 Celsius degrees to 7C, while Amman’s west will see 14C at daytime, dipping into 5C at night. The Gulf of Aqaba will see a fair 23C, sliding to 13C during night hours.

Source: Jordan News Agency