UN Chief Warns Against Expanded Israeli Ground Operations in Gaza

Muscat: United Nations Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres on Monday expressed deep concern over Israel’s plans to expand its ground operations and prolong its military presence in the Gaza Strip.

According to Jordan News Agency, speaking through his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, Guterres warned that such actions would “inevitably result in countless civilian deaths and further destruction of Gaza.”

“What is needed now is an end to the violence, not more civilian casualties and devastation,” Haq said. He emphasized that “Gaza is an integral part of the future Palestinian state and must remain so.”

Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and urged the unconditional release of all hostages.

Wall Street Slips, Oil Drops as West Texas Crude Falls to $57.07

New York: Major U.S. stock indexes fell on Monday, accompanied by a decline in oil prices, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slipping nearly $1 to $57.07 per barrel.

According to Jordan News Agency, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 98 points to close at 41,218. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite lost 133 points to end at 17,844. The S and P 500 index shed around 36 points, finishing at 5,650.

House Labor Committee Honors Sanitation Workers in Symbolic Labor Day Tribute

Muscat: The Lower House Labor, Social Development and Population Committee hosted 100 long-serving municipal sanitation workers from Greater Amman Municipality on Monday, in a symbolic gesture of appreciation marking Labor Day. The initiative, launched by Committee Chair MP Mu’taz Abu Rumman, was held under the parliament dome, where lawmakers received the workers with applause and a welcome address from the Speaker of the House. Dressed in their bright green uniforms, the workers lined the balconies of the chamber as MPs stood in tribute.

According to Jordan News Agency, Abu Rumman described the gesture as an expression of gratitude for the workers’ daily contributions to maintaining the country’s environment and public spaces, emphasizing that “workers are our partners in success, the cornerstone of national development, and at the heart of modernization efforts.” The committee also presented the workers with symbolic gifts, including the traditional Jordanian shemagh (headscarf and agal), in recognition of their service.

Abu Rumman thanked Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh, the Greater Amman Municipality team, and partners from the Ministries of Labor and Social Development, trade unions, and chambers of commerce and industry. He emphasized that “true recognition lies in continuing to improve workers’ conditions in a manner befitting their sacrifice,” and concluded by extending his greetings to the Jordanian people and Hashemite leadership, acknowledging the essential role workers play as the nation’s “heartbeat, backbone, and builders.”