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But the opposition, dominated by the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, is boycotting the Jan. 23 vote and vowing to continue street protests.
The Islamists argue that a new election system gives too much weight to traditional tribally based conservatives loyal to the monarchy who dominate local politics. The government insists that Jordan's system is used by many countries, and that the Islamists' preferred all-party list system would inflate their...
Many Jordanians are keen to avoid the turmoil that followed the revolution in Egypt, which led to the election of a Muslim Brotherhood member as president of the Arab world's most populous nation.
"We will not trade our stability for anything. People in the region envy us for it," said 25-year-old Mohammed Shneikat, who works at a music store in Amman.
The king's supporters point to voter registration that has exceeded 2.3 million, or 33 percent of the country's 6 million population.
"Nobody wants the king to abdicate," said independent lawmaker Hosni Shiyyab. "There's a consensus among supporters and opponents that he should stay because he is a stabilizing factor among the different segments of the society."
There are, however, signs of increasing opposition. Street protests in Jordan have remained largely peaceful, but recent slogans have begun pointing to the king, breaking a longstanding taboo against criticizing him.
"Abdullah, listen well, your reforms are cosmetic. The Arab Spring's next stop is Amman," chanted 7,000 Islamist opposition and youth movements during a recent protest in the Jordanian capital — the largest gathering in months.
Even the king's traditional supporters have started to voice unheard of criticism, with young Bedouins staging small rallies to rebuke the monarch, although their families still form the bedrock of support for Abdullah's Hashemite monarchy.
"He gave us nothing. In fact, he made us poorer and without jobs," lamented Yazan, 26, a high school teacher who earns $300 a month. He declined to give his last name fearing government reprisal.
Jamal Halaby is the Associated Press correspondent in Jordan, covering the kingdom since 1987.
Romanian businessman and politician Sebastian Ghita, who has been a fugitive since December, has been arrested in Belgrade.
Ghita was mentioned in connection with Serbia before. The Serbian Interior Ministry on Friday confirmed that the arrest took place based on a warrant issued by Interpol.
The controversial businessman whose assets are appraised at EUR 100 million in the past served as member of Romanian parliament and owns a TV station. He was under investigation in his country in several cases when he disappeared after being ordered not to leave the country.
According to available information, he was located in Istanbul, Turkey after fleeing the country, and then moved to Belgrade.
By showing a fake passport to Serbian authorities, Ghita committed a crime in this country and will now have to face the court.
Serbia and Romania do not have an extradition agreement, which is why Romanian officials say the extradition process would "take a while," and that negotiations would not start before Serbian authorities "process" Ghita's case.
According to Romanian media, he is under investigation for a corruption case linked to the visit to Romania in 2012 of former British PM Tony Blair.
Ghita is suspected of abuse of confidential information, bribery, influence peddling, and blackmail.
After becoming a fugitive, Ghita used his TV station to publish a series of recordings where he is seen accusing state prosecutors and intelligence officers of corruption and blackmail, and claiming that he had evidence that they blackmailed former Romanian PM Victor Ponta.
His name is Sebastian Ghiț�, not Ghica, not Piggy, just Ghiț�.
Following a career of more than forty years, Bill Moyers retires.
After more than forty years on the air, Bill Moyers has turned off his microphone. While the longtime face of public broadcasting had threatened to retire in the past, this time he has assured us that we have heard his final farewell. His voice and regular presence will be deeply missed, but his legacy, and his impact ...
During his storied career, the former White House press secretary and newspaper publisher produced groundbreaking reports on subjects ranging from the Iran/Contra scandal and the Iraq war to economic inequality and the corrosive influence of money in politics. His relentless commitment to the truth made Moyers the targ...
Acknowledging that he was leaving the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a “trail of controversy”, outgoing Director Ranjit Sinha on Tuesday defended several of his moves to overturn the conclusions of his juniors in controversial cases, while warning against attempts from various quarters to wreck the system.
In a two-page farewell note to colleagues on his last day in office, Sinha said the agency's success story rested on procedural discipline based on liberty to dissent.
“All ranks are expected to record their views, and the final opinion of the competent rank becomes an organisational decision. Compromising on this basic tenet of functioning would rob the organisation of its unique character. We have amongst us the best of the Indian Police, and I am sanguine that the tradition will f...
These remarks are being seen as his response to allegations that he went against the decisions of the Investigation Officers, other senior officers and even CBI counsel in the 2G spectrum, coal block allocation and Aircel-Maxis deal cases.
Emphasising that working in the premier investigation agency was a supreme challenge, he said the CBI was expected to not just be the best but also appear so too.
“We live in an age of instant gratification in a digitally networked world. Our work protocols chalked out in the CBI Crime Manual are for a pre-digital age. The public expect the time gap between initiation of an investigation to the delivery of judgment to be shorter. We need greater velocity in decision-making witho...
Speaking about his controversial tenure, he said the events that unfolded in the last few months would continue to be debated. “In fact, I am leaving in a trail of controversy,” he said in an apparent reference to the recent Supreme Court order asking him to recuse from the 2G case probe.
Is Julian Assange an Anti-Semite or Should We Take Him at His Word?
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange recently agreed to sit down with Ian Hislop, an editor with Private Eye, the satirical British news magazine, to respond to the accusation that he associates with anti-Semites. According to Hislop, Assange said the rumor started because there were a cadre of Jewish reporters out to get ...
Hislop admits that the quotes were based on what he “remembered,” and that he did not take notes or record the interview.
The problem with Julian Assange, of course, is that he’s the silver-haired man of mystery who sees conspiracies everywhere. And as Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson have shown us, anti-Semitism is on the conspiracy theorists all-time greatest hits. The fact that some of Assange’s theories have turned out to be true — like t...
So you may have noticed that Roseanne Barr, formerly of the 1980s-90s hit TV comedy series "Roseanne," is making a comeback. I'll admit that I've noticed, and that I was watching a recent episode of "The View" this morning (via DVR) when Roseanne revealed her solution to all the world's problems, including global warmi...
The show chronicles "Barr's decision to manage a fully functional 40-acre macadamia and livestock farm in Hawaii after a long, self-imposed sabbatical from series television." There will be 16 episodes of this.
Back to the nut, she said on "The View" (inbetween making a bid for president and prime minister) that macadamia nuts are a solution because "if people were to get their protein from nuts rather than beef, you see, there'd be no global warming, and there would also be enough grain to feed all the hungry people."
The full July 14 episode is here. Her solution starts at the 25-minute mark.
Is she right? Well, as Sara reported earlier this year, a plant-based diet is better for the planet, decreases your risk of heart disease and even lowers the risk of death from infectious and respiratory diseases.
Roseanne may be nutty, but she's also got a good point (maybe her first one in a while, depending on your perspective). For the record, my wife was watching "The View." I just sat down for a few minutes to drink some coffee.
Supreme Court Will Hear Health Care Challenges : The Two-Way As expected, the nation's High Court will take up the issue of whether the overhaul is constitutional.
The Supreme Court just confirmed it will hear oral arguments in challenges that have been raised to the health care overhaul signed into law by President Obama.
According to ScotusBlog, the case will likely be heard in late March.
Our friends over at the Shots blog will have much more.
"The justices are seeking to examine three major questions.
"Finally, the justices want to examine whether all of the cases brought against the law so far are premature because of a law called the Anti-Injunction Act."
Put the words “rich” and “thin” in the title of a book and it’s pretty much guaranteed to get my attention.
When the book is by a top Park Avenue diet doctor, I immediately assume she holds the secret to how those “Vogue girls” I see during Fashion Week stay so stiletto skinny.
But Dr. Jana Klauer doesn’t endorse or support any particular diet. The advice in her books, “How the Rich Get Thin” (2006, St. Martin’s Griffin, 288 pp., $13.95) and “The Park Avenue Nutritionist’s Plan” (St. Martin’s Griffin, 240 pp., $23.95), gets our attention by appealing to our vanity. In order to have good skin,...
“We really need to think more about beauty from the inside,” says the New York City doctor. Too many women try to lose weight by simply cutting calories without considering the nutrients they’re eliminating from their diets. I can’t count the times I’ve fooled myself into thinking that a 150-calorie cookie and a large ...
Klauer has teamed with beauty giant Lancôme to drive home the point that great makeup can only do so much if you’re not taking care of yourself. She’ll be at the Lancôme boutique in Valley Fair on April 26 to talk about this very topic in small group sessions. You have to make an appointment (408-244-8334), and the adm...
While the diet doctor’s advice isn’t radical, her delivery is fresh – especially for women like me who try to eat well yet occasionally (OK, frequently) succumb to the lure of baked goods, candy and processed foods.
• “Eliminate sugar,” she says. “We have a natural craving and love for sweet things,” but sugar wreaks havoc not only on glucose levels but is bad for the skin, molecularly breaking down its elasticity.
• Include protein at every meal and eat every four hours. Protein calories digest slowly, keeping your blood sugar level balanced and your hunger checked. It also takes three times the energy to burn. Carb calories are processed in two or three minutes, accounting for the “sugar high” and need for more. Eating pretzels...
Klauer, who graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, says the only difference between women in New York and California is the emphasis here on outdoor workouts and the wide availability of fresh and organic fruits and veggies.
She’s right. I’m one who takes our nice weather and agricultural abundance for granted. But if it means good hair days, no breakouts and more energy, I’ll take her advice starting with the sugar fix. Oranges instead of Oreos. I’ll let you know how I did next week.
Have a fashion or style question? Ask Donna. Post your question on her blog at www.mercextra.com/dkato and look for your answer here or online.
After a productive home stand, the Capitals found themselves shut out by the Blue Jackets 3-0 in their first game of a lengthy road trip.
The Caps’ recent issues with penalties are no secret. In the first period of Tuesday’s game, Wilson and Kempny each took a hooking penalty. Both were killed successfully, but coach Todd Reirden did not look pleased with the trend.
The first tally of the game came when Anthony Duclair scored for the Blue Jacket six minutes into the second period off an odd-man rush.
Struggling to generate offense as Columbus out-skated them, Washington was whistled for too many men on the ice a few minutes later, their third minor penalty of the game. Ovechkin sat to serve the time in the box.
But penalties weren’t the only cause for concern. Through the first 40 minutes of play, Columbus outshot the Capitals 24-7 — over three times as many offensive chances. Save for a few good chances — including a shot by Devante Smith-Pelly that seemed good to go — the Caps struggled to carry the puck from their own zone...
In the early minutes of the final frame, things seemed to look up a bit as the Caps got a power play and had three great shots almost right away.
With more than a minute remaining in the power play, John Carlson was called for slashing against Cam Atkinson, and that advantage was reduced to a 4-on-4, followed by a brief Columbus power play.
Frustration mounted as the Blue Jackets flaunted sleek skating and choked the Caps’ chances on net. A scuffle erupted between Lars Eller and Anthony Duclair with nine minutes left in the game.
A nifty top-shelf goal by Nick Foligno all but sealed the Capitals’ fate, putting them down 2-0.
Though Braden Holtby was pulled in favor of an extra attacker, the shutout held, and Artemi Panarin’s empty net goal brought the score to 3-0, finalizing the Jackets’ victory.
One thing to take away: Holtby allowed two goals tonight, but for the amount of time the Jackets spent in the Capitals’ end, it could have easily been more. His latest impressive performance needs to be mentioned.
Neale Cooper has returned to take charge of Hartlepool United - six and a half years after walking out at Victoria Park.
Hartlepool were on the verge of a place in the League One play-offs when he left the club abruptly in May 2005.
He took over at Gillingham three weeks later, spending just six months there before returning north to Scotland to spend three years as Peterhead boss.
But he returns to Pools following Mick Wadsworth's sacking on 6 December.
Wadsworth was relieved of his duties after 16 months in charge, following a run of six straight home defeats.
Two more losses under caretaker boss Micky Barron, who is to remain as reserve team coach, followed but Pools' surprise 1-0 Boxing Day victory at Oldham leaves them 12th in League One.
That steered them nine points clear of trouble, and they are now only six points adrift of a play-off place as 48-year-old Cooper resumes control, inheriting Wadsworth's official job title of 'first team coach'.
A statement on the club website said: "Neale previously left the club several years ago due to personal and family issues, which he needed to address at the time.
"However, he has always indicated a desire to return to the club to continue the good work he did previously.
"Although the club received many applications for the vacant position and studied all CVs carefully, it was decided that by appointing Neale, and retaining Micky Barron as the reserve team coach, it would cause minimum disruption to the team's main focus which is to climb the division and to try and reverse the current...
Pools' first game with Cooper back at the helm will be at Bramall Lane against second-placed Sheffield United on Saturday (31 December, 1300 GMT).
His first match back at Victoria Park, when Pools will attempt to earn their first home point since 17 September, after a dreadful run of eight straight home defeats, will then come against Scunthorpe United next Monday (2 January, 1500 GMT).
WASHINGTON, DC – Less than 24 hours after U.S. Senator Ben Cardin [D-MD] led a bipartisan group of 17 Senators in an hour-long colloquy about reopening government by supporting a short-term Continuing Resolution (CR), President Trump and Senate leadership have endorsed such a plan for good faith negotiations on border ...
“Last night, we brought a large, bipartisan group of senators together who all agreed that too many critical functions of our government have been disrupted, and too many workers and their families – employees and contractors – have been hurt by this needless shutdown. Today, we are on our way to quickly reopening the ...
“I was proud to work with Democratic and Republican colleagues to find a path forward. I applaud each member’s willingness to work together to find a lasting compromise that will return stability and productivity to the operations of our government. We have all pledged to engage in good faith negotiations on border sec...
Identical in effect to the bipartisan amendment Senator Cardin and colleagues introduced Thursday, the measure to be passed by the Senate Friday will include a CR through February 15, contains no new funding for a border wall, and guarantees back pay for federal workers. Passage should allow an immediate end to the gov...
The Suns (29-20), who won five of six in the series, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Brian Goodwin hit a leadoff double and later scored on a wild pitch.
The BlueClaws (19-30) answered in the bottom half when Aaron Altherr doubled and scored on right fielder Caleb Ramsey’s error to tie the game at 1.
Hagerstown took a 3-1 lead in the second. Adrian Nieto led off with a double and scored after singles by Ramsey and Justin Miller. Goodwin’s sacrifice fly scored Ramsey.
Lakewood cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the second on Brian Pointer’s seventh home run of the season, then tied the game at 3 in the third on Kelly Dugan’s fourth homer.
The Suns took the lead for the third time with a four-run fifth. Steven Souza delivered the big blow with a bases-loaded triple to score three runs, and Nieto’s sacrifice fly scored Souza.
The BlueClaws cut the lead in half, 7-5, on a two-run double by Harold Martinez in the bottom of the fifth. Then in the eighth, Lakewood cut it to 7-6 with the help of an error by Suns shortstop Jason Martinson, as Maikel Franco came around to score on a walk, Bob Stumpo’s single and a double-play grounder.
Aaron Barrett got his fifth save with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth, striking out the final two BlueClaws.
Brian Dupra (3-4) got the win for the Suns, allowing five runs — two earned — on five hits with four strikeouts. Christian Meza allowed two hits, a walk and one unearned run in three innings of relief with two strikeouts.
JUNEAU — The Alaska Legislature passed a long-awaited oil tax reform bill Monday, with Rep. Mike Hawker, R-Anchorage, ill with cancer, casting a pivotal vote in the House after returning to Juneau for the first time in two months.
The vote on House Bill 247 was 13-6 in the Republican-led Senate, whose finance committee last month wrote the final version of the bill that was slightly adjusted in a committee hearing Monday morning.
But the House vote was a razor-thin 21-19, with four committee amendments helping to flip a few votes and allowing the legislation to pass with the bare minimum it needed — over the objections of minority Democrats and some moderate Republicans who said the legislation went too easy on the state's largest oil companies...
The bill could still net the state as much as an estimated $140 million by 2020, but that's only half of what was projected in a version of the bill produced in a bipartisan House compromise. The legislation passed Monday also preserves a tax credit for the state's four largest oil companies that the House compromise h...
With the bill's passage, lawmakers now are poised to tackle the biggest piece of Gov. Bill Walker's deficit-reduction plan — his proposal to restructure the Alaska Permanent Fund to help close the state's $4 billion budget gap.
But the oil tax bill approved Monday — if it escapes Walker's veto pen — may make passage of the Permanent Fund proposal more difficult in the House.
That chamber's version of the Permanent Fund legislation has been stuck in the finance committee, where it's faced opposition from conservative Republicans as well as Democrats who say they won't touch residents' dividend checks without steeper oil taxes.

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