Latest news with #Jordan
Japan Times
36 minutes ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Japanese nationals flee Iran and Israel amid conflict
Government-chartered buses have evacuated 87 Japanese nationals and their family members from Israel and Iran amid the intensifying conflict between the two Middle Eastern countries, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Friday. By Friday, 21 people from Israel arrived in the Jordanian capital of Amman, 66 people feeling Iran arrived in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, Iwaya said, adding that they are all healthy. According to the Foreign Ministry, some 1,000 Japanese citizens are still in Israel and about 220 are in Iran. The second round of evacuations from Iran by bus will be conducted as early as Saturday, Iwaya said. "We are determined to do everything to protect Japanese nationals while closely monitoring local conditions," he said. The Japanese government has already ordered the Air Self-Defense Force to dispatch transport aircraft to Djibouti in East Africa in order to make preparations for a possible airlift mission amid the Iran-Israel clash. Two C-2 transport planes and around 120 ASDF members are expected to depart from the Miho base in Tottori Prefecture on Saturday at the earliest, people familiar with the matter said. Airports are closed in Iran and Israel amid the most intense fighting in history between the two enemy nations. The government is preparing for evacuations by air in the event that airspace is reopened in Iran and Israel, Iwaya noted.
Zawya
an hour ago
- Business
- Zawya
Wizz Air suspends flights to Tel Aviv, Amman
Wizz Air has taken the decision to suspend all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its flights from Europe to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately, until September 15. The airline will also avoid overflying Israeli, Iraqi, Irani and Syrian airspace until further notice. This decision follows the recent escalation of the situation in the Middle East. The safety and security of its passengers, crew, and aircraft remains the highest priority for Wizz Air, and the airline is closely monitoring developments in coordination with the relevant authorities, the airline said. "Wizz Air is committed to minimising disruption to passengers and will be contacting affected customers directly via email (who booked directly with the airline) with information on their options, including rebooking or refunds. Customers who have booked via third parties, should contact these providers directly," it said. - TradeArabia News Service Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
River City gangster on his 'polar opposite' role in Glasgow
Jordan Young, the actor who plays both, agrees. 'That's the absolute beauty of being an actor - you hope you will be able to play a huge variety of roles with as much colour and character as you can,' he says, with a grin. 'And with these two, I've been very lucky, as they are polar opposites.' Jordan Young outside the Tron Theatre (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest) Jordan is about to take to the stage at the Tron Theatre as the aforementioned Ronnie in Douglas Maxwell's Man's Best Friend, a one-man play about love and loneliness. 'It struck a chord with me immediately,' nods Jordan. 'It's a huge challenge, of course, just me on the stage for an hour and a half.' He pauses. 'The fear of it …' he says, paling slightly. 'It's relentless. There's no time to breathe, or pause while the other actors do their bit, because it's just me. 'It's my job to bring out the story. If you're a runner, you prepare for a 5k, then a 10k, a marathon, then an ultramarathon … this is definitely an ultramarathon.' (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest) Writer Douglas Maxwell, who staged his first play at the Tron Theatre 25 years ago, says a one-person show is 'an intimate thing.' He adds: 'It can create a powerful theatrical connection between a skilled storyteller and an audience, built in empathy, imagination and shared experience, which in the end becomes something much bigger. 'That's also what Man's Best Friend is about. Our need to connect with the world, to be of use, to be bigger. And dogs. It's also about dogs.' 'I genuinely love dogs,' says Jordan, enthusiastically. 'My mum was a dog trainer and she used to show dogs. My entire life has been spent with dogs – sometimes we had about 10 in the house at the one time 'So this is the perfect part for me.' Ronnie is 'very complex', says Jordan, adding: 'I mean. there isn't a human being alive who isn't complex, but I feel like there is an awful lot going on in Ronnie's life. And he's not in charge of any of it. 'Life happens TO him, he's not proactive. It's a comedy, but a dark one, full of pathos, with a lot of heart.' Jordan grew up in Fife, where he was 'never one of those really young kids who went to acting classes', he says. 'I just liked making people laugh,' he explains. 'There was probably always a bit of a performer in there. 'I lost my dad at 14, and while I didn't know it at the time, I think maybe I found drama cathartic, a way of coping with an incredibly difficult time in my life.' He pauses. 'It's only looking back that I can work that out now. 'And it just grew from there. I went to drama college, and 30 years later, here I am.' Jordan as Alex Murdoch with Dawn Steele in River City (Image: BBC) Jordan is a popular and respected stage and screen actor who has appeared in everything from Shetland and Still Game to Rebus and Scot Squad. It is as notorious villain Alex Murdoch in River City, however, that he is probably best known. The news that River City will end next year was a 'bolt out of the blue', he admits. 'It will definitely be a seismic change in my life, but it was never a job for life – there aren't many of those any more, and especially not in this industry," he says. 'When I was leaving drama college, if you'd said I'd have a job that would last 12 years, I would not have believed it.' He will miss Alex, he acknowledges with a laugh. (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest) 'Yes, talk about complex characters ...' he says, smiling. 'Alex just never seems to be able to do the right thing. 'He's been a joy to play though, and I've had the chance to work with some amazing folk. It is sad, of course, because River City is a huge part of the Scottish industry's eco-system.' He pauses. 'But you have to look at the positives, always, and this is a reset for me,' he adds. 'It's an opportunity to get back out there, to see what else there is.' Originally staged at Òran Mór as part of A Play, A Pie and a Pint, this longer and fully-staged version of Man's Best Friend, directed by Jemima Levick, will be at the Tron Theatre from June 19 until July 12.
Zawya
2 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Jordan targets 50% renewable energy in 2033
Jordan is pushing ahead with plans to expand its reliance on solar power and other renewable energy sources to 50 percent in 2033, an official has said. Renewable energy currently accounts for around 27 percent of the total energy mix in the Arab countries after it was negligible a decade ago, said Amani Azzam, secretary general of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. Azzam, quoted by Al-Ghad and other local newspapers on Friday, said Jordan is facing real challenges in its power sector given its heavy reliance on gas imports. 'We are working hard to tackle these challenges…we have drawn up an ambitious strategy to expand renewable energy sources from 27 percent to 50 percent in 2033,' she said. Jordan has awarded several renewable energy projects to foreign companies over the past two years and is pursuing an ambitious project to develop a key desert gas field to ensure at least 60 percent of its energy needs. (Writing by P Deol; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Women's Asian Cup qualifiers postponed due to Israel-Iran conflict, Singapore FA says
Women's Asian Cup qualifiers scheduled for next week in Jordan have been postponed because of the air war between Iran and Israel, the Football Association of Singapore said on Friday. Advertisement The Singapore team had been expected to travel to Amman to face Jordan as well as Iran, Lebanon and Bhutan in the preliminary rounds for the 2026 finals, which are to be held in Australia next March. The qualifiers had been scheduled to kick off on Monday and finish on July 5. 'The Lionesses will face a delay to the start of their AFC Women's Asian Cup Australia 2026 qualifying campaign, after the Asian Football Confederation announced the postponement of all Group A matches,' the association said in a statement. 'The AFC cited the ongoing situation in the region and logistical concerns raised by several Participating Member Associations as reasons for the change. Advertisement 'A new neutral venue is expected to host the group fixtures, but has yet to be confirmed.'
