Jordan's Prime Minister Hani Mulki resigned Monday following nationwide protests against increased austerity measures.
The embattled prime minister was summoned to a meeting with King Abdullah II on Monday following four days of anti-government demonstrations, which had called on the premier to resign.
King Abdullah accepted Mr Mulki's resignation and asked outgoing education minister Omar Al Razzaz to form a new government. Activists meanwhile vowed to keep protesting until the incoming government agrees to overturn austerity measures.
Across the country, thousands of Jordanians have protested against planned tax increases in what were the largest demonstrations in Jordan since 2011.
The immediate cause of public anger was a proposed law that would expand the tax base by lowering the income tax threshold. According to the IMF, 95 per cent of Jordanians do not pay income tax.
The proposed law, which was backed by the International Monetary Fund, followed austerity measures earlier in the year that saw the price of bread double and fuel costs rise significantly. Sales tax was also levied on hundreds of everyday goods ranging from Internet subscriptions to electricity and from soft drinks to stationery.
The reforms have been billed as painful but necessary in a country struggling to rein in its deficit. Nine per cent of Jordan's gross domestic product is spent on subsidies and the debt to GDP ratio is over 95 per cent.
But with unemployment above 18 per cent and poverty levels rising, the measures have gradually stirred widespread public anger.
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Read more:
Few easy options for Jordan’s incoming prime minister
Jordan's king freezes planned price increases
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“The government has made us penniless,” protesters chanted in the streets of Amman over the weekend. "They have left us with no more money in our pockets."
King Abdullah called a meeting of the National Policies Council on Saturday night and later sought to reassure Jordanians that he empathised with their situation. "I know how much Jordanians have endured," the Petra state news agency reported him as saying. "We are working day and night to overcome this difficult situation."
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Read more:
Jordanians down tools for national walkout over tax reform
Jordan's prime minister rejects demands to scrap tax law after protests
Jordan seeks ways to defuse anger over tax hike
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Jordanians welcomed Mr Mulki's resignation on social media but also said more needed to be done to change government policies. "People have became the victims of the government and the financial crisis," said Mutaz Shawarab, an activist at the professional associations, who took part in the protests. "We do not want just a change of government but the way it governs. Can the new prime minister fight entrenched corruption?"
Amateur footage from the demonstrations has been widely shared across social media, showing that the protests so far have remained largely peaceful. But neighbour Syria's ongoing civil war is a constant reminder to Jordan's leadership of the potential for demonstrations to get out of hand.
Protesters praised the police and gendarmerie for their disciplined behaviour at demonstrations so far, Jordan's largest privately-owned newspaper Al Ghad reported.
Minor clashes with police have occurred in some areas, with protesters blocking roads and burning tyres. The head of Jordan's Public Security Department said 60 protesters have been arrested so far for rioting and vandalism.
Mr Mulki, a business-friendly politician, was appointed in May 2016 and given the responsibility of resuscitating a flat-lined economy and reviving business confidence that has been dented by ongoing regional turmoil.
Mr Al Razzaz, who has been tasked with forming a new government, is a former World Bank economist.
It is not yet clear whether Mr Mulki's resignation will quell public anger, and some analysts have questioned whether it will improve Jordan's situation.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Sunday's games
Liverpool v West Ham United, 4.30pm (UAE)
Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm
Arsenal v Manchester City, 7pm
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
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Sly%20Cooper%20and%20the%20Thievius%20Raccoonus
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EXPATS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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