WORLD

Amman, Dec 11 (IANS) King Abdullah II of Jordan and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani emphasised here on Wednesday the importance of strengthening coordination between the two countries to address the challenges posed by the regional situation. During a meeting in Amman, the two sides also underlined the need to exert maximum efforts to prevent a slide into chaos and the expansion of conflict in the region, according to a statement by the Royal Hashemite Court.During the meeting, the Jordanian king reiterated his country's support for the Syrian people and respect for their will, stressing the need to protect Syria's security and its citizens, Xinhua news agency reported.He also underscored the importance of intensifying international efforts to achieve an immediate cessation ...

Damascus, Dec 11 (IANS) Syria's Military Operations Administration announced Wednesday that it has lifted the curfew previously imposed on Damascus and its surrounding areas, calling on residents to resume their daily activities and return to their workplaces.In a statement, the administration encouraged citizens to "contribute to building the new Syria" as the country attempts to normalize conditions following recent fall of Bashar al-Assad's government.The lifting of the curfew came as Mohammed al-Bashir, previously a regional leader in northwestern Syria, announced Tuesday that he had been tasked with heading a transitional government in Syria until March 2025, Xinhua news agency reported.A militant alliance led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham waged a major offensive from northern Syria sin...

Madrid, Dec 11 (IANS) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hosted his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati on Wednesday in Madrid to address pressing issues in Lebanon and the Middle East.The Spanish prime minister's office said that the meeting focused on Lebanon's challenging situation, just two weeks after the ceasefire agreement with Israel took effect and five days following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.Both leaders emphasized the importance of solidifying the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel into a lasting peace, paving the way for full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. They stressed the need to end hostilities permanently to foster regional stability.Sanchez reiterated Spain's support for Lebanon and assured Mikati that Spain would contribut...

Jakarta, Dec 11 (IANS) Indonesia will build a methanol plant worth 1.2 billion US dollars in Bojonegoro, East Java, as part of the country's efforts to achieve national energy sovereignty, said Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia on Wednesday. "The construction of this methanol plant is crucial to support the mandatory biodiesel programme, as methanol is used in the biodiesel production process," Bahlil said during the National Investment Coordination Meeting in Jakarta.Bahlil added that Indonesia needs around two million to 2.3 million tonnes of methanol, highlighting the importance of the methanol plant's downstream development, Xinhua news agency reported.The ministry has requested support from the Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory to ensure a...

Berlin, Dec 11 (IANS) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday submitted a formal request for a vote of confidence in the Bundestag, the country's lower house of parliament. According to a statement by the federal government, the vote is expected to take place on December 16.Since the Free Democratic Party (FDP) left Germany's ruling coalition during the government rift last month, the country has been on its way toward a snap election.Considering the remaining Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Greens in the government no longer have a majority in the Bundestag, Scholz is expected to lose the vote of confidence next week, Xinhua news agency reported.After Scholz lost the vote, the German president could dissolve the parliament within 21 days. Snap elections will have to take place withi...

Montevideo, Dec 11 (IANS) Uruguay's 2023 national census counted 3,499,451 inhabitants, 2.5 percentage points higher than the 2011 one, the National Statistics Institute (INE) reported.Despite the growth, the number of children per woman fell from 1.8 to 1.7, according to the census. And there were 31,385 births registered in the country and 34,678 deaths last year, Xinhua news agency reported."We are with a negative population growth, unless immigration compensates, or we are already losing population," INE director Diego Aboal said, adding that Uruguay reported "a drop of 18,000 births" in the last eight years.According to the census, the number of foreign residents settling in Uruguay has grown by 4 per cent since 2011.Montevideo, the capital city, is still the most populous city with a...

Manila, Dec 11 (IANS) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said it has approved a grant of $25.45 million to help the Solomon Islands develop sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient water supply and sanitation services.The Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project is implementing high-priority components of the government's water and sanitation sector plan to increase access to piped supply and sanitation services, enhance hygiene awareness, promote water conservation, and improve fecal sludge management, Xinhua news agency reported.The ADB said the latest additional financing will help meet cost overruns incurred from the growing cost of goods and works, which have increased significantly since March 2020.The ADB, the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, and ...

San Francisco, Dec 11 (IANS) US Alaska Airlines announced a new strategic plan to offer at least 12 nonstop global destinations with long-haul widebody aircraft from Seattle by 2030.Dubbing Seattle a "new global gateway," Alaska said it will begin offering nonstop flights from Seattle to Tokyo in May and Seoul in October, Xinhua news agency reported."There has never been a more exciting time to be a part of Alaska Air Group," Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement. "Now, with the combination with Hawaiian Airlines, we will transform our business and solidify our competitive advantage for years to come."The Alaska Air Group, based in SeaTac, includes subsidiaries Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, McGee Air Services and the recently acquired Hawaiian Airlines.Tokyo and Seoul were ...

United Nations, Dec 11 (IANS) The United Nations stands against any violation of the territorial integrity of Syria, a UN spokesperson said, after Israel seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad government.When asked about media reports that recently the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted 320 Syrian military targets, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said at a daily press briefing, "It is very clear that we stand against any violation of the territorial integrity of Syria. We are against these types of attacks."In the wake of the fall of al-Assad's government, Israel ramped up its military operation in Syria, launching airstrikes against military weaponry and seizing control of a demilitarised buffer zone in the Golan...

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) The quick fall -- and flight -- of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has evoked triumph in certain quarters and disquiet in others, as it seems to have upended the political situation and strategic calculus of the Middle East. However, a look at the record of the key Arab country and others may suggest the last word on what follows remains to be said.Both Israel and the US have rushed to take claim for the overthrow of the over six-decade rule of the Ba'ath Party, Turkey is quietly exulting, and the end of the Russian and Iranian influence in the Arab heartland state is being celebrated.There are, however, reports that Assad, who had been moving family members out of the country quietly, had cut a deal with the rebels for a safe exit, given the problems in maintaini...