According to the Department of Statistics, the rate of inflation jumped by 3.2 per cent over the past eight months, making this year’s inflation so far 6.19 per cent higher than during the same period last year. This is indeed alarming. Many factors contributed to this ra

Monday’s Royal Decree rejecting lifetime pensions for parliamentarians was good news for many around the country. It, again, demonstrated the role of the Hashemite leadership as the safety valve and a voice of the people. Last Thursday’s decision by a joint session

As violence rages in the region, Jordan forges ahead with its evolutionary political reform process. On Saturday, His Majesty King Abdullah reaffirmed Jordan’s commitment to enhancing this democratisation process in his fifth national discussion paper, titled: “Goals

In a first hint that Hamas might change its negotiating tactics with Israel, senior Hamas member Musa Abu Marzouq recently  told Al Quds TV that the movement is now open to the idea of negotiating directly with Israel. “If the situation remains as it is now...

His Majesty King Abdullah told visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday that Jordan stands ready to shoulder its responsibility in the fight against radicalism and terrorism in the region. Jordan, said the King, will support regional and international efforts to co

The Jordan Food and Drug Administration announced plans to ban the use of recycled plastic bags and food containers, starting next year. “Recycled” is better than nothing, but banning plastic bags, generally, would be an even better idea. The move, taken late in the

Little wonder that the unity government agreed upon by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas in April is on the brink of collapse. These two main Palestinian factions are miles apart on fundamental issues related to their common cause. The much-acclaimed unity accord struck betwe

The minister of energy and mineral resources Sunday said that Jordan is considering importing natural gas from Cyprus, just after reports about a decision to purchase gas from Israel. This is all being done as the state-owned National Electric Power Company’s losses a

The conflict in east Ukraine and the growing threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant took centre stage at the just-concluded NATO summit in Wales. These two issues dominated the two days of talks of the alliance’s 28 leaders, to which some 60 others, including H