AMMAN // With their country bordering two nations - Iraq and Israel - where upheaval has been a regular occurrence lately, Jordanians frequently lament the fact that they pay a "geographical tax".
They paid it again yesterday when a rocket struck the Jordanian port of Aqaba, killing a 51-year-old taxi driver outside the Intercontinental Hotel and wounding four others. Three rockets fell into the Red Sea, while two others hit an open area in the nearby Israeli town of Eilat, according to Israeli media.
It was not immediately certain where the rockets were aimed, since there was no claim of responsibility.
Still, Eilat, which stands at the southern tip of Israel between Egypt and Jordan, was the best guess at the intended target, since it is a thriving Israeli tourist hub that has been a target of similar attacks in the past.
Nor was it immediately certain where the rockets came from, though speculation in Israel immediately centred on Egypt's Sinai peninsula, which borders Eilat. Militant groups have been known to operate in the Sinai with a large degree of impunity. Egyptian authorities denied the rocket barrage originated on Egyptian soil.
Jordanian officials did not speculate about whether their country was the target. They simply described how it was affected by an attack apparently not aimed at it, the second since April.
"One Grad rocket was fired from outside Jordanian territory on a main street in front of the Intercontinental Hotel in Aqaba. Two cars were also burned," Ali Ayed, Minister of State for Media Affairs, told Petra, the state-run news agency. "Jordan condemns this criminal and terrorist attack which is a useless act that serves only suspicious agendas."
Muhammad Abu Rumma, an analyst with Alghad daily newspaper, was confident he knew the attack's origin and intended target.
"It is evident that the main target is Israel, though the operation was not accurate. Initial information indicates that the rockets were launched from Egyptian territory and that they were targeting Israel," Mr Rumma said.
The ability of militant groups to operate freely and carry out the attack was worrisome, particular for the Egyptian government, Mr Rumma said.
"Lately, there is a real security problem between the Egyptian authorities and the tribes in Sinai, and there are elements from al Qa'eda and militant groups infiltrating into that area," he said. "Al Qa'eda is trying to make political gains and promote itself in the media through announcing operations against Israeli targets. This means that the Palestinian issue is on its agenda."
Although it appears the rockets were fired at Israel from Egypt, some analysts said Jordan could well be within the sights of militant groups such as al Qa'eda, although the group's threat to Jordan is widely believed to have diminished since Abu Musab al Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant, was killed in 2006 in Iraq.
Still, the Jordanian government acknowledged in January that it had a counter-terrorism role in Afghanistan. One of its security agents was killed in a suicide bombing that also killed seven agents of the US Central Intelligence Agency.
Jordan is a moderate country that signed a peace treaty with Israel and has close ties with the United States.
"The attacks are a message to the US and its allies, and they come at a time when the US is escalating action against Iran and pressuring the Palestinians to get into direct negotiations" with Israel, said Marwan Shehadeh, an Amman-based expert on Islamist movements.
"My interpretation is that the perpetrators are Palestinian groups that carry the ideology of the Salafi Jihadi movements but have no organizational links with al Qa'eda."
@Email:smaayeh@thenational.ae
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
RESULTS
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances