Trade mission from Philippines to arrive in Jordan to strengthen economic ties

A delegation of 13 Philippine companies and senior officials will arrive in Jordan on Sunday as part of a business, trade, and investment mission aimed at deepening economic cooperation between the two nations. (Petra)
A delegation of 13 Philippine companies and senior officials will arrive in Jordan on Sunday as part of a business, trade, and investment mission aimed at deepening economic cooperation between the two nations. (Petra)
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Updated 08 February 2025
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Trade mission from Philippines to arrive in Jordan to strengthen economic ties

Trade mission from Philippines to arrive in Jordan to strengthen economic ties
  • Delegation set to arrive on Sunday

AMMAN: A delegation of 13 Philippine companies and senior officials will arrive in Jordan on Sunday as part of a business, trade, and investment mission aimed at deepening economic cooperation between the two nations.

The mission, scheduled for Feb. 11-12 in Amman, will see the Philippine delegation engage with 39 Jordanian companies in efforts to boost bilateral trade and investment, the Jordan News Agency reported.

Speaking at a joint press conference alongside Philippine Trade Commissioner Vichael Angelo Roaring from the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Dubai, Wilfredo C. Santos, Philippine ambassador to Jordan, reaffirmed Manila’s commitment to fostering stronger economic ties with Jordan.

Santos said: “The Philippines, as one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, seeks to expand its global presence by forging strategic partnerships. Our robust sectors in food, agriculture, manufacturing, and creative industries align well with Jordan’s strategic location, its safety and security as an oasis of peace in this region, and its investment-friendly environment.”

The ambassador also highlighted that the delegation — which will include representatives from the Philippine Department of Agriculture, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the PTIC in Dubai — reflected the country’s dedication to expanding its footprint in Jordan’s market and building long-term partnerships with local businesses.

He expressed confidence that the visit would serve as a “springboard for elevated bilateral trade levels and facilitate meaningful business exchanges.”

Santos also acknowledged Jordan’s Filipino community, numbering around 48,000, praising their contributions and the care they received in the country.

Roaring officially announced the launch of the Philippine Outbound Business Matching Mission to Jordan, describing it as a strategic initiative to strengthen trade relations and create new market opportunities for Filipino exporters in the Middle East.

Roaring said: “Jordan is a valued trading partner and a gateway for Filipino companies seeking regional expansion.”

He added that the delegation would include Filipino exporters specializing in food, beverages, and personal care products.

A key element of the visit will be a business-to-business matching session on Feb. 11, hosted by the Amman Chamber of Commerce, at which Filipino exporters will engage directly with Jordanian industry players to explore trade and investment opportunities.

Roaring added: “This mission is more than just trade: It is about building long-term partnerships and expanding business opportunities in Jordan and beyond. With the continued support of our partners, we look forward to turning discussions into concrete trade deals that benefit both our nations.”


Egypt makes new proposal to restore Gaza ceasefire deal, sources say

Egypt makes new proposal to restore Gaza ceasefire deal, sources say
Updated 57 min 29 sec ago
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Egypt makes new proposal to restore Gaza ceasefire deal, sources say

Egypt makes new proposal to restore Gaza ceasefire deal, sources say
  • The Egyptian plan suggests Hamas release five Israeli hostages each week, with Israel implementing the second phase of the ceasefire after the first week

CAIRO: Egypt made a new proposal last week aimed at restoring the Gaza ceasefire deal, security sources told Reuters on Monday.
The proposal follows an escalation in violence after Israel resumed air and ground operations against Hamas last Tuesday, effectively ending a two-month period of relative calm.
The Egyptian plan suggests Hamas release five Israeli hostages each week, with Israel implementing the second phase of the ceasefire after the first week, the sources said.
Both the US and Hamas agreed to the proposal, the security sources said, but Israel had not yet responded.
The sources said Egypt’s proposal also includes a timeline for the release of all hostages in exchange for a timeline for Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza, backed by US guarantees.
Hamas has accused Israel of breaking the terms of the January ceasefire agreement but has said it is still willing to negotiate a ceasefire and was studying proposals from US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.


Lebanese defense minister to visit Syria: official

Lebanese defense minister to visit Syria: official
Updated 24 March 2025
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Lebanese defense minister to visit Syria: official

Lebanese defense minister to visit Syria: official
  • The aim of the visit was to “discuss ways to manage the situation at the border”

BEIRUT: Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa will visit Syria on Wednesday to discuss recent tensions along the border between the two countries, a Lebanese official said.
“The defense minister will head a security delegation to Damascus to meet with his counterpart, Marhaf Abu Qasra,” the official told AFP on Monday on condition of anonymity.
The aim of the visit was to “discuss ways to manage the situation at the border, strengthen bilateral coordination and prevent cross-border aggression,” the source said.
Ten people were killed in clashes that broke out along the fronter in mid-March.
Damascus accused Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group once allied with deposed president Bashar Assad, of abducting and killing three Syrian soldiers, which the Iran-backed movement strongly denied.
Subsequently, seven Lebanese were killed in air strikes from Syria, according to Lebanese authorities.
A Lebanese security source told AFP that Syrian forces shelled the border area after three Syrian soldiers were killed by armed Lebanese smugglers.
Both countries later announced they had reached a ceasefire agreement.
Syria shares a 330-kilometer (205-mile) border with Lebanon, with no official demarcation.
In February, Syrian authorities announced the launch of a security campaign in the border province of Homs aimed at shutting down routes used for arms and goods smuggling.
Hezbollah, which fought alongside Assad’s forces during the Syrian war, has long exerted influence over large parts of the Lebanese-Syrian border.
The group was massively weakened in its war with Israel late last year.


Israeli strike kills Hamas official Ismail Barhoum in Gaza hospital

Israeli strike kills Hamas official Ismail Barhoum in Gaza hospital
Updated 24 March 2025
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Israeli strike kills Hamas official Ismail Barhoum in Gaza hospital

Israeli strike kills Hamas official Ismail Barhoum in Gaza hospital
  • Member of Hamas’s political bureau was getting treatment at Nasser Hospital
  • Barhoum is the fourth member of Hamas’s political bureau killed since last Tuesday

GAZA CITY: An Israeli air strike on Sunday killed a member of Hamas’s political bureau as he underwent treatment in hospital, a source in the Islamist movement said, after Israel confirmed it targeted “a key terrorist.”
“The Israeli army assassinated Hamas political bureau member Ismail Barhoum,” the Hamas source said, requesting anonymity to speak more freely.
“Warplanes bombed the operating room at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, where Barhoum was receiving treatment after sustaining critical injuries in an air strike targeting his home in Khan Yunis at dawn last Tuesday.”
AFP photos showed the building of about four-storys largely undamaged except for fire blazing in one section off a stairwell.
Barhoum is the fourth member of Hamas’s political bureau killed since last Tuesday when Israel resumed air strikes in the territory after an impasse over continuing a ceasefire.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed in a statement that Barhoum had been targeted in the strike.
The Israeli military said it hit the hospital with “precise munitions” following extensive intelligence-gathering.
It said the target was a key member of “the Hamas terrorist organization who was operating inside the Nasser Hospital compound.”
The Ministry of Health in Hamas-run Gaza said Israeli forces “have just targeted the surgery building inside the Nasser Medical Complex, which houses many patients and wounded individuals, and a large fire has erupted at the site.”
The ministry later confirmed that one person had been killed and said many others were injured, including some medical staff. The entire department was evacuated, the ministry said in a statement.
Gaza’s civil defense rescue agency said the hospital’s emergency department had been targeted.
Earlier Sunday, Hamas said an Israeli air strike the previous day near Khan Yunis killed Salah Al-Bardawil, a senior member of its political bureau.
Bardawil, 65, was killed along with his wife in a camp in Al-Mawasi, the group said.
The Israeli military confirmed that it had targeted Bardawil, saying that “as part of his role, (he) directed the strategic and military planning” of Hamas in Gaza.
His “elimination further degrades Hamas’ military and government capabilities,” it added.


EU top diplomat: Israel strikes on Syria, Lebanon ‘risk further escalation’

EU top diplomat: Israel strikes on Syria, Lebanon ‘risk further escalation’
Updated 24 March 2025
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EU top diplomat: Israel strikes on Syria, Lebanon ‘risk further escalation’

EU top diplomat: Israel strikes on Syria, Lebanon ‘risk further escalation’

JERUSALEM: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned on Monday during a visit to Jerusalem that Israeli strikes on Syria and Lebanon threatened to worsen the situation.
“Military actions must be proportionate, and Israeli strikes into Syria and Lebanon risk further escalation,” Kallas said at a joint news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.


Israel shooting attack kills one, gunman ‘neutralized’

Israel shooting attack kills one, gunman ‘neutralized’
Updated 24 March 2025
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Israel shooting attack kills one, gunman ‘neutralized’

Israel shooting attack kills one, gunman ‘neutralized’
  • A 75-year-old man was killed by the shooting, and that the attack also left a 20-year-old man in critical condition

JERUSALEM: A shooting attack in northern Israel on Monday killed a 75-year-old man and wounded another, first responders said, with police saying officers had “neutralized” the gunman.
The “ramming, stabbing and shooting” attack, according to emergency services provider Magen David Adom, was the first in Israel since it resumed bombardment of the Gaza Strip last week following a January truce in its war with Hamas.
A police statement said that “a terrorist opened fire at civilians and was immediately neutralized by police forces present at the scene” at a junction southeast of the coastal city of Haifa.
Magen David Adom said that a 75-year-old man was killed by the shooting, and that the attack also left a 20-year-old man in critical condition.
A paramedic said in a statement that first responders provided “medical treatment to a young man... who had been hit by a vehicle and suffered penetrating injuries in the attack.”
Israeli police label as “terror” attacks those connected to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.