Day: April 13, 2024

New York: Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, announced appointment of Jordanian Muhannad Hadi as UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian Territory and Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, succeeding James Eugene McGoldrick of Ireland.

According to a UN statement on Saturday, Hadi has more than 30 years of international experience in humanitarian affairs and development work, most recently as regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syrian crisis.

Hadi served as WFP Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, WFP Regional Emergency Coordinator for the Syrian Crisis, and WFP Representative/Country Director in Syria.

In 1990, Hadi began his career with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and has since worked with the World Food Program in Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Indonesia, Lebanon, Italy, Jordan, Egypt and Syria.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman: The Jordanian Civil Aviation Regulatory Authority (CARC) has announced that Jordanian airspace will be temporarily closed to all incoming, departing and transiting aircraft starting at 20:00 UTC.

CARC issued a statement saying, “The dioscin comes to preserve the safety and security of civil aviation in Jordanian airspace in light of the escalation of surrounding risks in the region and after assessing the risks following internationally followed standards.”

CARC added that it would review the decision in light of developments.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Ajloun: The Ajloun cable car witnessed an increasing demand by Jordanians during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

The Director General of Development Zones, Yousef Arafat, said more than 6,500 people visited Ajloun for its cable car, noting the implementation of a plan to provide a comfortable and suitable atmosphere for visitors.

He talked about the programmes and events in Ajloun during the holiday, including an exhibition of rural products, handicrafts and carnivals for children and cartoon characters.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Aqaba: Over 110,000 tourists and visitors spent the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Aqaba, while the average hotel occupancy rate in the coastal city reached 89 per cent.

According to a statement, the Commissioner of Tourism and Economy of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), Hamza Al-Haj Hassan, Saturday said over 110,000 people spent the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Aqaba including 95,000 visitors through the crossings in Wadi al-Yatam and Wadi Araba and 15,000 tourists from international land, air and sea crossings.

Al-Haj Hassan added that some 13,000 cars and 1,800 large and medium buses entered the city, explaining that the number of vehicles that entered was determined using a system of smart cameras placed at the entrances to Aqaba.

He added that tourism numbers in Wadi Rum, managed by the ASEZA Rum Natural Reserve staff, reached 8,000 foreign and local visitors during the holiday.

He added that Aqaba witnessed an “active tourist and commercial movement due to systematic marketing” and activities o
f ASEZA or other tourism projects in the city, noting that the facilities the Authority provides in cooperation with the Aqaba Chamber of Commerce (ACC) and the private sector for tourist, service, hotel and marine facilities “have contributed to making the holiday season a success.”

Source: Jordan News Agency

Gaza: Israeli warplanes Saturday killed three Palestinian civilians after targeting their home in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, according to sources.

The Israeli warplanes bombed a house in the “new refugee camp” in Nuseirat and destroyed the “Harzallah” tower in the north of Nuseirat.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Beirut: Israeli warplanes Saturday bombed southern Lebanese towns, destroying several buildings and homes.

A Lebanese security official said Israeli warplanes targeted Armati and Al-Rayhan Heights and the towns of Marjayoun, Taybeh, Al-Adisa, Hula and Wadi Beit Lev.

The official added that the Israeli artillery bombed the outskirts of the towns of Maroun Al-Ras and Alma Al-Shaab, destroying several buildings.

He added that the Israeli forces opened fire on farmers on the outskirts of Abbasiya, Majidiya and al-Mari.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Ramallah: Six Palestinians were injured, one critically, Saturday afternoon in an attack by Jewish settlers on a village near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

It said in a statement that a man was shot in the head and was in a critical condition, and five others were shot in the lower limbs during the attack in the village of Al-Mughayer, east of Ramallah in the Central West Bank.

Jewish settlers backed by Israeli troops also launched another attack on the village of Doma, southeast of Nablus in the northern West Bank, setting dozens of homes of on fire.

The raid touched off clashes with local youth in which a number of people were injured by live Israeli army fire, said Suleiman Dawabsheh, head of the Doma Local Council.

Since this morning, the hardline settlers, protected by the Israeli army, have closed entrances to the towns of Silwad, Turmusaya, Sinjil and Deir Dibwan, east of Ramallah, and attacked passing vehicles, according to Palestinian sources.

Source: Jo
rdan News Agency

_: Additionally, ACI’s exports to Palestine slumped by 31% during the first quarter of this year, recording about JD35 million, compared to JD50 million for the same period last year.

During the first quarter of 2024, the chamber’s exports were distributed among the chemical and cosmetic industries sectors with a value of JD561 million, while about JD307 million went to mining exports and engineering, electrical, and information technology sectors generated JD251 million.

Exports of the Kingdom’s catering, foodstuff, agricultural and livestock industries sectors amounted to about JD202 million, while therapeutic and medical supplies amounted to about JD170 million and leather and textile products hit JD114 million, the data revealed.

Over the same period, the rest of ACI’s exports were distributed among sectors of the packaging, paper, cardboard, and office supplies industries with a value of JD70 million, while plastic and rubber industries generated about JD68 million, then came construction at JD29 mill
ion and finally the wood and furniture industries made about JD6 million.

Established in 1962, the ACI currently has 8,600 industrial facilities under its membership, employing 159,000 male and female workers, with a capital of about JD5 billion.

Source: Jordan News Agency