Jordan's King Abdullah II has instructed Jafar Hassan, head of King Abdullah's office and a former planning minister, to form new cabinet following the resignation of Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on Sunday, Petra news agency reported.
Mr Khasawneh will continue to serve in his position as a caretaker until the full formation of the new government.
King Abdullah had accepted the resignation earlier on Sunday days after the kingdom's parliamentary elections, where the religious opposition made significant gains and pro-government members retained their majority in the 138-seat parliament. All significant powers in Jordan reside with the king, who has ruled since 1999.
In last week's elections, the opposition gained more than 30 parliamentary seats – its largest in decades. Less than one-third of eligible voters cast ballots, according to an official tally, with public anger rising against tensions with Israel and a sluggish economy.
The elections were the first in Jordan under a new system aimed at boosting party representation.
Mr Hassan, a technocrat, will face the challenges of mitigating the impact of the Gaza war on the kingdom's economy, which has been hard-hit by curbs to investment and a sharp drop in tourism.
Mr Khasawneh had sought to drive reforms pushed by King Abdullah to help reverse a decade of weak economic growth, worsened by the coronavirus pandemic and conflict in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.
The war in Gaza has bolstered support for Jordan's religious opposition parties, which have organised some of the largest anti-Israel protests in the Middle East.
Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, becoming the second Arab state to do so after Egypt but regular protests have called for its dissolution since the Gaza war erupted last October.
Tensions were heightened last week after a Jordanian lorry driver killed three Israelis at the Allenby border crossing between Jordan and the occupied West Bank, a major trade route with Israel. The crossing was closed for several days before being reopened to travellers.
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
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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
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 171 points
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP) 151
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP) 136
4. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing) 107
5. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 83
6. Sergio Perez (Force India) 50
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 45
8. Esteban Ocon (Force India) 39
9. Carlos Sainz (Torro Rosso) 29
10. Felipe Massa (Williams) 22
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
