Jordan will work to strengthen ties with Lebanon, the kingdom's prime minister told his Lebanese counterpart in Amman on Thursday, despite delays plaguing a major electricity deal involving the two countries
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati thanked Jordan's Bisher Al Khasawneh for Amman's support to help Beirut "confront the challenges and deepen its stability," the kingdom's state news agency reported.
Jordan has been trying to improve relations with Lebanon in an attempt to secure more influence in the region since US President Joe Biden took office in January last year.
The US is Jordan's main donor and has thousands of troops in the kingdom as part of a military agreement. The current American administration is regarded in Amman as being friendlier than its predecessor, which focused on normalisation between Arab states and Israel.
Washington supported a deal this year under which 250 megawatts of Jordanian electricity were supposed to flow to Lebanon by March through Syria. The deal was widely regarded as a delivering political and financial gains for Syrian President Bashar Al Assad.
But Lebanon's Energy Minister Walid Fayad said on Wednesday that “politics and bureaucracy” were behind the delay and that the World Bank, which was supposed to finance the deal, had named new conditions.
Mr Fayad and did not rule out that US support for the deal may have waned since the Russian invasion of Ukraine three months ago.
The Lebanese government oversaw general elections in the country last month and is due to be replaced once a new administration is formed, a process that could take months.
Historically, Jordan has stayed away from involvement in Lebanon, particularly during the 1975 to 1990 civil war there.
Relations cooled after the 2005 assassination of Lebanese statesman Rafik Hariri, who had sought good relations with Jordan and other Arab countries as part of his drive to restore Lebanon's position as the business and tourism centre of the Middle East.
The Hariri assassination set the stage for the dominance of Hezbollah, the Shiite guerrilla group and political party supported by Iran, over Lebanese politics.
Jordan has refrained from criticising the group but does note welcome its rising influence in Lebanon and the rest of the region.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
UAE finals day
Friday, April 13
Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Milkman by Anna Burns
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Circe by Madeline Miller
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
