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US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met Jordan's King Abdullah in Amman on Friday who warned him that the Gaza war is likely to ignite a new Palestinian refugee crisis.
The king cautioned against "any attempt to expel Palestinians from any of the Palestinian lands or cause them to flee”, Jordan's official news agency Petra reported.
The king “affirmed that the crisis should not be moved to neighbouring countries and compound the refugee issue".
He called for the “opening [of] urgent humanitarian corridors”, as well as "protecting civilians, de-escalating, and ending the war on Gaza", Petra reported.
Mr Blinken, who arrived in Amman from Israel, said that he understood "as a Jew, as a husband and a father" the enormity of the Hamas attack.
After meeting King Abdullah, Mr Blinken met Mahmoud Abbas at the Palestinian president's residence in Amman.
Mr Abbas "affirmed ... the total refusal to uproot our people in Gaza", the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Such a scenario would be akin to a second Palestinian "catastrophe", Mr Abbas said.
The Palestinians consider the 1948 creation of Israel and the upheaval it caused as their national Nakba, or catastrophe.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US was talking with allies in the Middle East "to prevent the conflict from widening".
He said Mr Blinken told Mr Abbas that "Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to dignity, freedom, justice and self-determination".
Late on Friday Mr Blinken will travel to Qatar, the Arab country that is the most well connected to Hamas after Iran.
Hamas, which is supported by Iran, took scores of hostages in its attack on Israel at the weekend, including American citizens.
Jordan has the longest borders with Israel.
A large proportion of the kingdom's population are of Palestinian origin, descendants of the refugees who fled Israel's creation in 1948 and its expansion in the 1967 Middle East war.
The latest war in Gaza poses a challenge to authorities in Amman, which seeks to maintain a strong alliance with the US and keep a 1994 peace treaty with Israel, while placating pro-Palestinian sentiment in the kingdom.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The biog
From: Ras Al Khaimah
Age: 50
Profession: Electronic engineer, worked with Etisalat for the past 20 years
Hobbies: 'Anything that involves exploration, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, the sea, hiking, scuba diving, and adventure sports'
Favourite quote: 'Life is so simple, enjoy it'
