Day: April 1, 2024

Amman: Criminal Investigation Police Monday arrested a “very dangerous” man, who was wanted on 33 criminal charges, including murder and drugs, west of the Balqa Governtae, the Public Security Directorate media spokesperson said.

He said a police force raided the hideout of the suspect, who tried to flee the site in a vehicle which overturned, and was apprehended and transferred to a nearby hospital where he was receiving treatment.

The spokesman said three firearms and ammunition were found in his possession as well as a quantity of drugs, adding that he will be referred to the competent authorities after an investigation.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman: Criminal Investigation Police Monday arrested a “very dangerous” man, who was wanted on 33 criminal charges, including murder and drugs, west of the Balqa Governtae, the Public Security Directorate media spokesperson said.

He said a police force raided the hideout of the suspect, who tried to flee the site in a vehicle which overturned, and was apprehended and transferred to a nearby hospital where he was receiving treatment.

The spokesman said three firearms and ammunition were found in his possession as well as a quantity of drugs, adding that he will be referred to the competent authorities after an investigation.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman: The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research said Monday it postponed a decision to announce students who will benefit from loans for the academic year 2023-2024, which was scheduled today.

The ministry said it deferred the announcement for 48 working hours as it needed more time to ensure more accuracy and transparency.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman: The Lower House Monday passed by majority vote a draft bill amending the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Law of 2024.

In a session chaired by Speaker Ahmad Safadi and attended by the government team, the legislature also approved the recommendations of the Parliamentary Finance Committee on the Audit Bureau’s reports for the years 2018-2021.

The amendment sets the size and nature of renewable energy facilities, small renewable energy facilities, housing renewable energy systems and the selling price of electrical energy generated from these, and any other allowances incurred by these facilities and systems under a system issued for this purpose.

Allowances incurred by facilities are excluded, and Paragraph (A) of the Article does not apply to renewable energy facilities, small renewable energy facilities and residences that had renewable energy systems before the amended law came into effect.

On March 25, the Parliamentary Energy and Mineral Resources Committee completed the preliminary re
ading of the amended renewable energy law.

The bill is intended to regulate procedures for buying and selling electrical energy generated from renewable energy systems, specify renewable energy sources’ systems, devices and equipment, conserve energy consumption exempt from customs duties and subject to the general sales tax at a rate of zero, under a regulation issued for this purpose.

Regarding 2018-2021 Audit Bureau reports, the MPs endorsed the recommendations of the Parliamentary Finance Committee in this respect.

Lawmakers also reiterated the need to stamp out corruption and hold to account those who misappropriate public funds.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman: The Director General of the Income and Sales Tax Department, Hossam Abu Ali, urged Jordanians to file for taxes for 2023 fiscal year and pay the amounts declared therein electronically before April 30.

Abu Ali said taxpayers must declare their income with “realistic and correct information that reflects their real and correct incomes from their work during the fiscal year 2023.”

He added that employees who receive monthly salaries and wages are obligated to submit an income tax return if the annual total income for individuals exceeds JOD9,000 and JOD18,000 for families.

He explained that workers whose monthly salaries are deducted for tax by the institutions they work for are still required to file for tax.

He also called on all retirees whose monthly pension salaries exceed JOD2,500 to file for tax.

Abu Ali said that failing to submit the income tax return beyond the legal date that ends on April 30 “will expose the taxpayer to a fine of JOD100 to JOD500.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman: According to preliminary data released by the Central Bank of Jordan, there was a notable reduction in the current account deficit for the year 2023, decreasing by JD1.46 billion to JD1.25 billion, equivalent to 3.5 percent of the gross domestic product, compared to 7.8 percent in 2022.

This decline in the deficit was primarily driven by a significant decrease in the Kingdom’s trade deficit, amounting to JD901.2 million (11 percent), totaling JD7.3 billion, while tourism income surged by 27.4 percent, reaching a historic high of JD5.2 billion.

Additionally, remittances from Jordanians working abroad experienced a 1.4 percent increase, reaching JD2.5 billion in 2023.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman: According to preliminary data released by the Central Bank of Jordan, there was a notable reduction in the current account deficit for the year 2023, decreasing by JD1.46 billion to JD1.25 billion, equivalent to 3.5 percent of the gross domestic product, compared to 7.8 percent in 2022.

This decline in the deficit was primarily driven by a significant decrease in the Kingdom’s trade deficit, amounting to JD901.2 million (11 percent), totaling JD7.3 billion, while tourism income surged by 27.4 percent, reaching a historic high of JD5.2 billion.

Additionally, remittances from Jordanians working abroad experienced a 1.4 percent increase, reaching JD2.5 billion in 2023.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman: Majdi Yaqoub, Head of the Parliamentary Tourism and Antiquities Committee and Chairman of the Korean Parliamentary Friendship Association, emphasized the significance of enhancing relations between Jordan and Korea across various domains during his meeting with the Korean Ambassador to Amman, Kim Dong-gi.

Yaqoub, underscoring the importance of boosting tourism collaboration, particularly in religious and therapeutic sectors, as well as economic ties, emphasized the need for strengthened cooperation.

He commended the Korean government’s support for Jordan across water, education, and tourism sectors.

Abdul Rahim Maayah, First Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament described Jordanian-Korean ties as “robust and distinguished,” advocating for their further development to benefit both nations.

The Korean ambassador underlined his nation’s commitment to enhancing partnership across all domains with Jordan, especially in the economic, tourism, and investment sectors.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman: The Jordanian Media Credibility Observatory (Akeed) has released findings revealing that a total of 58 rumors were circulated among citizens during the month of March, with 12 originating from abroad.

In its monthly report, Akeed said 16 of the rumors were subsequently debunked, compared to 17 in February.

Security-related rumors dominated last month’s discourse, comprising 22 rumors, or 38% of the total. A significant portion of these revolved around security operations in the Kingdom’s north.

Political rumors followed closely, amounting to 18, or 31%, while economic rumors numbered 9, 16%. Social affairs and public affairs rounded out the categories, with 6 and 2 rumors, respectively. The health sector saw only one, comprising 2% of the total.

Internally sourced rumors predominated, comprising 46 of the total recorded, while 12 originated from external sources. Social media emerged as the primary conduit for rumor dissemination, accounting for 90% of the rumors, with the remaining 10% sourced fro
m traditional media outlets.

Akeed underscored the importance of verifying content from social media users before publication. Failure to do so can lead to the proliferation of inaccurate news, perpetuating rumors and disseminating misleading and false information, it said.

Source: Jordan News Agency

NABLUS: Israeli colonists Monday evening attacked Palestinian vehicles on the road linking as-Sawiya and al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, south of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, according to local sources.

They said that colonists hurled stones at Palestinian-registered vehicles traveling along the road from as-Sawiya town and al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya village, smashing the windshields of a vehicle of a villager from Beit Dajan.

Colonists’ violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.

Colonists’ violence includes property and mosque arsons, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, and attacks on vulnerable homes, among others.

Over 700,000 Israeli colonists are living in colonial settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in violation of international law.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA

NABLUS: Israeli forces Monday evening detained two Palestinians from Aqraba village, south of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, according to security sources.

They said that undercover Israeli forces, known as Musta’ribeen, assaulted two local herders who were grazing their sheep in the vicinity of the village, inflicting bruises across their bodies.

Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene and rounded up the herders.

Meanwhile, the gun-toting soldiers re-arrested a former prisoner from Jaba’ town, south of the northern West Bank city of Jenin, after stopping him at a military checkpoint near Ramallah.

Earlier, soldiers detained three others and ransacked several houses in Artas village, southwest of Bethlehem, turning them upside down, as confirmed by the head of Artas Village Council, Samir Abu Soy.

This came as another was rounded up from al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem.

In the predawn hours, the occupation forces detained 22 Palestinians, including four women, from different parts of the occupi
ed West Bank.

This brings the total of Palestinians detained on Monday to 29 and the number of those detained since October 7th to about 7930.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA

GAZA: Nine civilians were killed and others were injured tonight in an Israeli bombardment targeting the center of Khan Yunis and the eastern part of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Local sources reported that four people were killed in an Israeli shelling targeting a site near the Sheikh Nasser roundabout in the center of Khan Yunis.

An Israeli airstrike also targeted a site near the refugee tents set up adjacent to Al-Aqsa University, west of the city.

The sources added that five civilians were also killed in an Israeli shelling east of Rafah.

According to medical sources, the death toll of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7th, 2023, has risen to 32,845. Meanwhile, the number of people injured has also surged to around 75,392. Thousands of civilians are still missing under the rubble and in the streets.

To be noted, Israeli forces have committed six massacres against civilians in the past 24 hours, resulting in the killing of 63 people and the injury of 94 others.

Sour
ce: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA