King Abdullah II of Jordan vowed to protect his country from regional tension following Iran’s strikes on Israel, during which Jordanian forces intercepted several missiles and drones launched by Tehran.
“Jordan’s security and sovereignty are above all considerations,” a Royal Hashemite Court quoted the king as saying in a speech to community leaders in the northern Mufraq province on Tuesday, stressing that the “protection of Jordanians comes above all else”.
“Jordan will not be a battlefield for any party,” added the king.
Iran last weekend launched an unprecedented attack on Israel when it fired a barrage of missiles and drones. Jordan shot down some that flew over its capital Amman, with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi saying the kingdom believed the projectiles posed “a real danger” to its territory.
Jordan, about half of whose population is of Palestinian origin, is also a close US ally and signed a peace treaty with neighbouring Israel 30 years ago.
It was among a group of nations, also including the US, UK and France, that shot down the missiles, rockets and attack drones launched by Iran and its allies at Israel.
Jordan stressed its aim was to protect its own sovereignty rather than defend Israel.
“I think [the king’s] message is very clear. Jordan is defending its territory and sovereignty. It's ready to take action to do that though we don't want to be in the middle of any conflict,” Amer Al Sabaileh, a Jordanian geopolitical analyst, told The National.
Mr Al Sabaileh said he expects the king to increase his visits to different cities across the country in the coming days to ensure Jordanians of the kingdom’s efforts to maintain stability amid volatile developments among its neighbours.
“I think talking to internal social forces and visiting cities sends a clear message, as well to the people, that the stability and the unity of the internal front is the major issue and the pillar on which the Jordanian strategy today is built,” he said.
Following Jordan’s interception of the drones and missiles, Iran – which labelled its attack an act of self-defence after a deadly Israeli strike on its Syria consulate – warned Jordan it could be “the next target”, a military source was reported as saying by Iran's Fars news agency.
Jordan's Foreign Ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador and demanded that Tehran stop “questioning” its positions.
Mr Safadi insisted that “if the danger had come from Israel, Jordan would have taken the same measures”.
Earlier on Tuesday evening, the official spokesman for the Jordanian Armed Forces confirmed that the Royal Jordanian Air Force began increasing its air sorties to “prevent any air penetration” and defend Jordanian airspace.
“This measure confirms Jordan's firm position not to allow the use of Jordanian airspace by any party for any purpose, given the infringement it constitutes on Jordanian sovereignty, and what may threaten the security of the nation and the safety of its citizens,” the spokesman said.
Israel has been heavily scrambling GPS this past week inside its territories, as well as over its neighbours Lebanon and Jordan, to diminish the ability of attack drones to navigate and reach its targets in Israel.
The National has verified using several phones that applications such as Google Maps and Uber showed users in Jordan appearing in Cairo as of Wednesday.
“Those in the West claiming that Arab co-operation in downing Iranian drones is evidence of an emerging patchwork of an Arab-Israel missile air defence system or a common Arab-Israeli front against Iran are either wishful thinkers or, even worse, spinning this incident for PR,” Nasser bin Nasser, a Jordanian political strategist, said on X.
The Israeli spins on Jordan and Saudi Arabia intercepting several drones were clear when Israeli news websites were quick to publish reports that regional Arab neighbours had actively taken part in helping them.
Informed sources denied reports that Riyadh had participated in the interception of Iranian drones during the attack on Israel, Saudi news channel Al Arabiya reported.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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FIGHT INFO
Men’s 60kg Round 1:
Ahmad Shuja Jamal (AFG) beat Krisada Takhiankliang (THA) - points
Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) beat Akram Alyminee (YEM) - retired Round 1
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Bhanu Pratap Pandit (IND) - TKO Round 1
Men’s 71kg Round 1:
Seyed Kaveh Soleyman (IRI) beat Abedel Rahman (JOR) - RSC round 3.
Amine Al Moatassime (UAE) walk over Ritiz Puri (NEP)
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The biog
Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico
The biog
Age: 35
Inspiration: Wife and kids
Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Best Travel Destination: Bora Bora , French Polynesia
Favourite run: Jabel Hafeet, I also enjoy running the 30km loop in Al Wathba cycling track
Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit
As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
