Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
King Abdullah II of Jordan vowed on Monday to continue support for beleaguered Palestinians in Gaza as the war between Hamas and Israel raises political and economic pressures on the kingdom.
In a speech to what is mostly a staunchly loyalist parliament, which was elected in September, the king said Jordan will remain by the Palestinian people's side, having been among the first "to deliver aid by air and land to people in Gaza".
The kingdom of 11 million has a peace treaty with Israel and a defence pact with the US, on which it depends for financial and military assistance. King Abdullah, who has ruled Jordan since 1999, is the fourth monarch in the Hashemite dynasty since the kingdom was founded as a British protectorate in 1921. The monarchy has acted as a balancer between two main population components – descendants of Palestinian refugees and tribes that existed since the kingdom was founded – contributing to uninterrupted stability since the ousting of the Palestine Liberation Organisation from Jordan in a civil war in 1970.
At the beginning of the year, Jordan, along with allied countries, started delivering aid to Gaza by parachuting parcels into the strip from military planes. The kingdom has also received some wounded civilians and became an assembly point for donors and international organisations sending aid to Gaza by land. The aid is inspected for dual-purpose materials and contraband, although Israel has placed restrictions on the flows.
"Jordan has exerted tremendous efforts and Jordanians have valiantly been treating the wounded in the direst of circumstances," the king said.
In apparent reference to suggestions by ultranationalist Israeli politicians that Palestinians should be expelled from the occupied West Bank to the kingdom, thus altering the demographic balance in both areas, he said Jordan is a "state that does not risk its future" and has "a deep-rooted identity".
Jordan, he said, "will remain a country blessed with its people and land, an honest Arab homeland". A large proportion of its population are descendants of Palestinian refugees who fled their homeland when Israel was created in 1948 and when it expanded in 1967 by occupying the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
At the UN General Assembly in New York in September, King Abdullah said Jordan would not become an “alternative homeland” and any forced displacement of Palestinians would be a war crime.
He told parliament that a just peace "is the way to end the historical injustice against" Palestinians and that Jordan is committed to achieving it "despite the obstacles and the extremism of those who do not believe in peace".
The kingdom signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. Despite strong criticism by the king of Israel's war conduct in Gaza, Jordan has abided by the treaty and the security guarantees at its core, which obliges each country to prevent threats to each other's security.
Jordanian security forces have prevented people from mounting pro-Palestinian demonstrations near the border with Israel and have placed curbs on protests elsewhere in the country, particularly near western interests. This year, infiltration attempts into Israel from Jordan have increased, although most have failed. Last month, Israeli forces shot dead two members of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood who had tried to mount a cross-border raid near the Dead Sea.
The International Monetary Fund expects economic growth this year to fall to 2.4 per cent, from 2.6 per cent in 2023, partly because the effects of the war have hit tourism, a main foreign currency earner.
The Gaza war is seen widely as a main factor behind gains by the religious opposition in the elections to the 138-seat parliament, although pro-government tribal deputies remain dominant. All significant power in Jordan lies with the king.
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
September 30
South Africa v Australia
Argentina v New Zealand
October 7
South Africa v New Zealand
Argentina v Australia
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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 specs
Engine: 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 445bhp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh474,600
On Sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
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Price: From Dh825,900
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