Prince Hamzah ‘in my care’ at his palace: Jordan King Abdullah II

Jordanian King Abdullah II said the "sedition" had been nipped in the bud. (File/AFP)
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Updated 07 April 2021
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Prince Hamzah ‘in my care’ at his palace: Jordan King Abdullah II

  • Address was the first time the king has made a public statement about allegations of a plot to destabilize Jordan
  • Prince Hamzah has committed to follow the path of his parents and grandparents: King Abdullah II

AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah II said Wednesday that his half-brother Prince Hamzah was “with his family, at his palace, in my care.”

The prince signed a document on Monday pledging his support for King Abdullah after he was accused at the weekend of working with foreign parties and other Jordanians in a plot to destabilize the country.

“Hamzah today is with his family, at his palace, in my care,” King Abdullah said in an address read out in his name on state television.

“Prince Hamzah pledged before the family to follow in the steps of the ancestors, remain loyal to their mission, and to put Jordan’s interest, Constitution, and laws above all considerations.”

The address was the first time the king has made a public statement about the plot which ledt to the arrest of up to 18 people.

“I speak to you today, my family and my tribe, in whom I place my implicit trust, and from whom I draw determination, to assure you that the sedition has been nipped in the bud, and that our proud Jordan is safe and stable,” the king said.

“The challenge over the past few days was not the most difficult or dangerous to the stability of our nation, but to me, it was the most painful.  Sedition came from within and without our one house,” the king said.

“Nothing compares to my shock, pain, and anger as a brother and as the head of the Hashemite family, and as a leader of this proud people,” he added.

Soon after the statement, the king received a phone call from US President Joe Biden. 

The president expressed his country’s full solidarity with Jordan and its efforts to safeguard its stability. 

"They discussed the strong bilateral ties between Jordan and the United States, Jordan’s important role in the region, and strengthening bilateral cooperation on multiple political, economic, and security issues," a White House statement said.

*Read the king's full statement below*

“In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,
Prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad,
My fellow Jordanians,
Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
I speak to you today, my family and my tribe, in whom I place my implicit trust, and from whom I draw determination, to assure you that the sedition has been nipped in the bud, and that our proud Jordan is safe and stable; and it will always remain, with God’s grace, safe and stable, fortified by the determination of Jordanians, and impenetrable with their cohesion and with the dedication of our valiant Arab Army and security agencies working night and day to secure the homeland.
Our nation is used to facing challenges, and we are used to overcoming challenges, having conquered throughout our history all attempts to target the homeland, coming out stronger and more united, for being steadfast in our positions has a price, but no price will sway us from the path of righteousness set by the ancestors and their noble sacrifices, for the prosperity of our people and our nation, and for Palestine, Jerusalem, and its holy sites.
The challenge over the past few days was not the most difficult or dangerous to the stability of our nation, but to me, it was the most painful. Sedition came from within and without our one house, and nothing compares to my shock, pain, and anger as a brother and as the head of the Hashemite family, and as a leader of this proud people.
But there is no difference between my responsibility towards my small and larger families, for Al Hussein, may his soul rest in peace, dedicated me since the day I was born to serve you, and I have dedicated myself and my life to you, so we can continue together on the path of development and achievement, in the nation of pride, glory, love, and fellowship. My foremost responsibility is serving Jordan and safeguarding its people, Constitution, and laws. Nothing, and no one comes before Jordan’s security and stability, and it was imperative to take the necessary measures to honour that responsibility.
Our Hashemite legacy and Jordanian values were the framework I chose to handle the matter, in line with God’s words in the Holy Quran: “Who expend in prosperity and adversity, and restrain their rage, and pardon their fellow-men”.
I decided to deal with the matter of Prince Hamzah within the Hashemite family, and I entrusted this to my uncle, His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal. And Prince Hamzah pledged before the family to follow in the steps of the ancestors, remain loyal to their mission, and to put Jordan’s interest, Constitution, and laws above all considerations.
Hamzah today is with his family, at his palace, in my care.
As for the other aspects, they are under investigation, in accordance with the law, until it is completed, so that its outcomes are handled within the framework of our steadfast state institutions, in a manner that guarantees justice and transparency.
The next steps will be rooted in the criterion that defines all our decisions—the nation’s interest and the interest of our loyal people.
Our nation faces difficult economic challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We realise the weight of these difficulties facing our citizens, and we face these challenges and others, as we have always done, united within our Jordanian and Hashemite family, so that we can take our nation forward and embark on our state’s second centennial as one, building the future our nation deserves.
Jordan, with the determination of the Nashama and their dedication, will remain steadfast, grand in its values, will, and principles, guided by firmness in defending the nation, unity in facing adversity, and justice, mercy, and compassion in all that we do.
May God protect you and our proud Jordan, and grant us success.
Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
Amman

7 April 2021.”


Syrian state media: Israel attacked town near Lebanon border

Updated 3 sec ago
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Syrian state media: Israel attacked town near Lebanon border

DAMASCUS: An Israeli strike hit a Syrian town near the border with Lebanon on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, less than a week after deadly strikes on the same area.
“An Israeli aggression targeted the industrial zone in Al-Qusayr” in Homs province, the official SANA news agency said. There was no immediate news of casualties or damage.

Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391

Updated 13 min 48 sec ago
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Health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says war death toll at 43,391

  • The toll includes 17 deaths in the previous 24 hours

GAZA STRIP: The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Tuesday that at least 43,391 people have been killed in the year-old war between Israel and Palestinian militants.
The toll includes 17 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the ministry, which said 102,347 people have been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.


Greece says migrant arrivals rising in south-east islands

Updated 38 min 40 sec ago
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Greece says migrant arrivals rising in south-east islands

  • At the end of October, several hundred migrants set up tents and cardboard houses outside the local government offices of the city of Rhodes, sparking anger among residents
  • Rhodes mayor Alexandros Koliadis told Rodiaki that the island lacks the personnel, police officers and coast guard needed to register the arrivals before transferring them to camps

ATHENS: Some islands in the southeast of the Aegean sea, including Rhodes, are seeing an increase in migrants arriving by boat from Turkiye, Greek migration and asylum minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said Tuesday.
“The southeast of the Aegean and the island of Rhodes are experiencing migratory pressure right now,” he said on public television station ERT, though he said the increase does not appear to be linked to rising tensions in the Middle East.
At the end of October, several hundred migrants set up tents and cardboard houses outside the local government offices of the city of Rhodes, sparking anger among residents and local authorities.
According to local media Rodiaki, more than 700 migrants arrived during the last week of October.
Rhodes mayor Alexandros Koliadis told Rodiaki that the island lacks the personnel, police officers and coast guard needed to register the arrivals before transferring them to camps on the mainland or in other islands.
Previously, Aegean islands further north such as Lesbos and Samos had received the brunt of migrants crossing from Turkish shores.
Crete, which has likewise seen an increase in arrivals from Libya, also needs to build facilities to process migrants.
Greece has seen a 25 percent increase this year in the number of people fleeing war and poverty, with a 30 percent increase alone to Rhodes and the south-east Aegean, according to the Migration Ministry.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees says 48,158 arrivals have been recorded so far in 2024, of which around 42,000 arrived by boat and 6,000 by crossing the land frontier with Turkiye.
“The camps on the islands have an occupancy rate of 100 percent. But on the mainland they are only 55 percent full, which provides a margin in the event of an increase in arrivals on the islands,” Panagiotopoulos said.


Sudan files AU complaint against Chad over arms: minister

Updated 51 min 17 sec ago
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Sudan files AU complaint against Chad over arms: minister

  • Chad last month denied accusations that it was “amplifying the war in Sudan” by arming the RSF

PORT SUDAN: Sudan’s army-backed government on Tuesday accused neighboring Chad of supplying arms to rebel militias, likely referring to the paramilitary forces it is battling.
The northeast African country has been engulfed by war since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the regular army, led by de facto ruler Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Justice minister Muawiya Osman said Burhan’s administration had lodged the complaint against Chad at the African Union.
Speaking to reporters, including AFP, Osman said the government demanded compensation and accused Chad of “supplying arms to rebel militias” and causing “harm to Sudanese citizens.”
“We will present evidence to the relevant authorities,” he added from Port Sudan, where Burhan relocated after fighting spread to the capital, Khartoum.
Chad last month denied accusations that it was “amplifying the war in Sudan” by arming the RSF.
“We do not support any of the factions that are fighting on Sudanese territory — we are in favor of peace,” foreign minister and government spokesman Abderaman Koulamallah said at the time.
The United Nations has been using the Adre border crossing between the two countries to deliver humanitarian aid.
Sudan had initially agreed to keep the crossing open for three months, a period set to expire on November 15. Authorities in Khartoum have yet to decide whether to extend the arrangement.
The Sudanese war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 11 million, including 3.1 million who are now sheltering beyond the country’s borders.


Explosion at Turkish oil refinery injures 12

Updated 05 November 2024
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Explosion at Turkish oil refinery injures 12

  • The 12 employees sustained slight injuries and were taken to a hospital for examinations

ANKARA: An explosion at an oil refinery in northwestern Turkiye on Tuesday left at least 12 employees slightly injured, the company said. A fire at the facility was quickly brought under control.
The Turkish Petroleum Refineries company, TUPRAS, said a fire broke out at its facilities in Izmit, in Kocaeli province, during maintenance work on a compressor. The company’s emergency teams responded immediately to the incident, it said in a statement.
The 12 employees sustained slight injuries and were taken to a hospital for examinations, the company said.
The company said the unit where the incident occurred “was deactivated in a controlled manner” and that other operations at the refinery were “continuing as normal.”
Earlier, Tahir Buyukakin, the mayor for Kocaeli told private NTV television that the blast occurred during a drill. The fire was quickly brought under control by the company’s own crews and no request for help was made, he said.
Video footage from the site showed smoke rising from the refinery, which is one of Turkiye’s largest. Izmit is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of Istanbul.
The Borsa Istanbul stock exchange temporarily halted trading of TUPRAS shares, until the company provides a detailed explanation of the incident.