Day: September 10, 2024

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Jordan: polling stations open nationwide for the country’s 20th parliamentary elections


Polling stations opened at 7:00 AM across Jordan Tuesday for the country’s 20th parliamentary elections, marking a significant milestone as the Kingdom embarks on its second century, according to the Jordan News Agency (Petra).

More than 5.1 million registered voters are eligible to participate, reflecting a broad engagement in the political process.

There are 1,649 polling and counting centers distributed throughout the 18 electoral districts, with 5,843 ballot boxes set up. Among these, 95 centers have been specially equipped to accommodate voters with disabilities.

Jordan’s electoral system divides the Kingdom into 18 local districts, with 97 seats available for contest. In addition, candidates in the general electoral district will compete for 41 seats, bringing the total number of parliamentary seats to 138.

A total of 697 candidates are contesting in the general electoral district, including 505 men and 192 women. In the local districts, 937 candidates are competing, with 747 men and 190 women vyin
g for seats.

Voting will close at 7:00 PM sharp, with no extensions, as stipulated in the Election Law No. 4 of 2022. The counting of votes will begin immediately after the polls close, with results expected to be announced within 48 hours.

Source: National news agency – Lebanon

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ZATCA Urges Entities That Pay Excise Tax to File Returns for July and August

The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) has urged entities dealing in goods subject to the Excise Tax Law to file their tax returns for July and August by September 15.

Taxpayers may do so through the authority’s website, zatca.gov.sa, to avoid a 5% fine for unpaid taxes every 30 days after the due date.

According to ZATCA, business taxpayers wishing to receive more information about the Excise Tax Law should contact the authority via the call center’s number 19993, which operates 24/7, the X account @Zatca_Care, e-mail info@zatca.gov.sa, or instant chat via ZATCA’s website zatca.gov.sa.

The excise tax is imposed at varying rates on goods deemed to adversely affect public health or the environment, including soft drinks, energy drinks, sweetened beverages, tobacco, and its derivatives.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

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Saudi Arabia strongly condemns Israeli occupation attack on Khan Yunis

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday strongly condemned the Israeli attacks on Khan Yunis, South of the Gaza Strip, that led to the killing of a civilian and dozens of injuries.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement reiterated its strong rejection for the continuous mass annihilation and called for an immediate ceasefire.

Saudi Arabia holds the Israeli occupation forces full responsibility for the obvious violation of international and humanitarian laws.

It affirmed that the legal, humanitarian and moral responsibilities rely on the international society to end these violations.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

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Arab League FMs to discuss Gaza situation during Cairo meeting

The 162nd session of the Arab League Council at the level of foreign ministers is set to begin Tuesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab League, under the chairmanship of Yemen and with the attendance of several foreign officials.

The council’s agenda will feature discussions on ways to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against Gaza and the West Bank, including the war crimes committed by the occupation forces against the Palestinian people over the past 11 months, which have resulted in the death, injury, or disappearance of more than 145,000 Palestinian civilians.

The council will also consider political, diplomatic, and legal measures to halt Israel’s aggressive policies aimed at displacing the Palestinian people from their land, which constitutes a severe violation of international humanitarian law and poses a threat to Arab national security.

The council is expected to call on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to swiftly issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, reite
rate its continued support for Palestine in obtaining full membership in the United Nations, and focus on monitoring political developments and reviving the Arab Peace Initiative amid persistent Israeli violations in occupied Jerusalem.

The meeting will also tackle issues such as Arab water security, the theft of water resources by Israel, the situation in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, developments in several Arab countries–including Libya, Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia–solidarity with Lebanon, the security of navigation and energy supplies in the Arabian Gulf region, and the Ethiopian dam crisis.

Additionally, discussions will explore the risks posed by Israel’s armament on Arab national security and international peace, and the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free and weapons of mass destruction-free zone in the Middle East.

The ministers will also consider social issues and human rights, alongside economic matters, national security maintenance, and combating terrorism.

The council is set to revie
w reports from its permanent committees related to administrative, financial, legal affairs, and human rights.

The meeting will be attended by several international figures, including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, UN Under-Secretary-General and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, and UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs and Reconstruction in Gaza Sigrid Kaag.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

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Trump, Harris face off in 1st debate amid tight competition

The two US presidential candidates, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump, will face off on Tuesday in their first debate, as the race between them intensifies with recent polls showing Harris with a slight lead over Trump.

The debate would be taking place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a key swing state crucial for the elections taking place in November 5.

The debate would be broadcasted by ABC, which has establi8shed several rules for the debate, of which has sparked significant controversy between the two campaigns.

For Harris, this would be her first debate as the official Democratic presidential nominee, while Trump has previously participated in several presidential debates, including those against current US president Joe Biden and former democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.

ABC has revealed that the debate would last 90 minutes, with two commercial breaks, and one notable rule was that each candidate’s microphone would be cut off once their time to speak
has ended, a measure intended to prevent irruptions.

Harris’ campaign attempted to remove this rule but Trump’s campaign opposed the change, resulting in the rule being maintained, as it was during the last debate between Trump and Biden.

This rule aims to ensure a more orderly debate and prevent the discussion from developing into verbal clashes, something that could influence undecided voters, who often rely on debates to make their final decisions.

The candidates would not be allowed to use pre-prepared notes, though they would each be provided with a pen and paper to take notes during the debate, and neither candidate would deliver an opening statement, but they would each have two minutes for closing remarks.

Each candidate would be given two minutes to respond to questions, one minute to comment on their opponent’s response, and another minute for follow-up remarks.

The debate would take place without live-audience, with both candidates hoping to attract undecided voters through this event.

Accord
ing to a YouGov poll, 40 percent of Americans believe that Harris would win the debate, while 38 percent believe that Trump would be the winner, 60 percent of Americans plan to watch the debate.

Among Democrats, 70 percent said they would watch, while 69 percent of Republicans and 46 percent of independent voters expressed the same intention.

A Pew Research Center poll conducted between August 26 and September 2 showed that both candidates were tied with 49 percent support among registered voters, the results were published on Monday.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

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Kuwait FM meets with Comoros, Tunisian counterparts

Kuwait Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya met on Tuesday with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in charge of the Arab World, Diaspora, Francophonie and African Integration in the Comoros Mohamed Mbae.

Al-Yahya later met with Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Tunisians Abroad Mohamed Ali Al-Nafti.

Both meeting took place on the sidelines of the 162nd regular session of the Arab League in Cairo.

During the meetings, both sides discussed bilateral ties, boosting cooperation and latest international and regional developments.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

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King Hussein Bridge opened for passengers only


Al-Karameh crossing has been reopened today, according to local sources.

The sources said that the crossing will be open for passengers going to and coming back from Jordan only, and will remain closed to the entry of commercial trucks.

Local sources told WAFA that travelers are actively moving in both directions at the crossing after it was closed for two days.

The King Hussein Bridge, also known as the Karama/Allenby Bridge, was closed by Israeli occupation authorities two days ago following a shooting incident that occurred on Sunday.

Source: National news agency – Lebanon

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Gaza: Israeli forces commit new massacre, killing dozens of displaced people


Israeli occupation forces at dawn on Tuesday committed a new massacre in the Gaza Strip after they launched a violent airstrike targeting the area of ??the displaced people’s tents in Mawasi Khan Yunis, southwest of the Strip.

The massacre, which took place near the British Hospital at the entrance to the Mawasi area, resulted in the killing and injury of dozens of civilians, including a large number of children and women, while a large number of citizens are still missing.

Medics said that 40 slain people and 60 wounded others were recovered after three hours of recovery operations for the victims of the Mawasi Khan Yunis massacre.

The Civil Defense said that “we are facing one of the most heinous massacres since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, and that entire families disappeared in the sand due to the concussion missiles.”

According to press and local reports, five missiles were used in the attack, causing total destruction to the tents and digging nine meters deep into the
ground, which made it more difficult for rescue and medical teams to reach the victims.

The area is seeing chaos, with an intense presence of Israeli reconnaissance aircraft flying over the site, amid a complete power outage and fires resulting from the bombing.

Eyewitnesses and paramedics from the Palestinian Red Crescent said that medical teams are facing major challenges in retrieving bodies and the injured due to the massive destruction and deep holes.

They also added that a large number of ambulances transported the slain people and the injured to field hospitals and nearby medical centers, while rescue teams continue to search for the missing.

This bombing comes within the framework of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, where the Strip has been subjected to intensive raids by the occupation army since October 7, amid catastrophic humanitarian conditions.

Source: National news agency – Lebanon

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What is happening in Gaza is horrific attack, gross violation of human rights, says EU’s top diplomat


European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said that what is happening in Gaza by the Israeli occupation is a horrific attack, not self-defense, and represents a gross violation of human rights.

At a press conference at the Rafah crossing, Borrell emphasized that the EU can exert political and diplomatic pressure on Israel to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, noting that he supports the mediation efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.

Borrell added that the EU continues to support the Palestinians, saying that the solution is not to ‘feed the people for one night only to die the next night,’ calling for humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip.

Source: National news agency – Lebanon

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UNESCO Recognizes ICAIRE as C2C at Global AI Summit

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), in partnership with UNESCO, announced today that the International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics (ICAIRE) classifies as a Category 2 Center (C2C) under UNESCO auspices.

The announcement was made at SDAIA’s third Global AI Summit, held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh.

ICAIRE’s classification underscores the significant role Saudi Arabia plays in fostering international and regional partnerships in AI policies, ethics, and research, in addition to its global initiatives supporting the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The classification is an acknowledgement of the Kingdom’s dedication to advancing UNESCO’s mission to utilize AI for the betterment of humanity, with emphasis on assisting developing nations, and the attainment of the UN SDGs.

Source: Saudi Press Agency