Jordan said on Tuesday it had thwarted a plot against the kingdom's security by 16 members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who were arrested on suspicion of manufacturing rockets and possessing explosives.
The 16 had allegedly worked in four cells since 2021, with some receiving training in Lebanon or travelling abroad to obtain help in making missiles, in what government spokesman Mohammad Al Momani described as a "direct threat to national security and to the Jordanian state".
If the plot had continued, 300 missiles could have been made, with a range of 3km to 5km "meaning a threat on targets inside the kingdom", authorities said. One missile was described as “ready to use”. Mr Al Momani said that all the explosives were imported from abroad.
The suspects, some of whom had allegedly met to discuss making drones, have been transferred to a special anti-terrorism court. Mr Al Momani said they belonged to an "unlicensed and disbanded group", in reference to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, which is not banned in the country but has had some of its operations shut down, said in response that it has "no link" to the allegations by the government. It said the people involved had carried out "individual actions, within the context of supporting the resistance". The Brotherhood "was and remains a genuine part of the fabric of Jordan and puts the kingdom's high interests ahead of any consideration," it said.
In Jordan, the Brotherhood operates under the Islamic Action Front, a religious party that has been playing a significant role in organising demonstrations in support of Gaza. The party made gains in Jordan's parliamentary elections in September last year, adding 24 seats to the eight it already held, and raising its share to one fifth of the assembly. However, all significant power in the country is held by King Abdullah.
The UAE expressed support for Jordan after the plot was revealed late on Tuesday. "Our position is firm and steadfast in the face of anyone who attempts to undermine its security and prosperity," said Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed.
Lebanon said it was ready to co-operate after it was alleged that some suspects had been trained in the country. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Jordanian counterpart Jafar Hassan in a call that Lebanon "refuses to be a headquarters or launching pad for any action that would threaten the security of any brotherly or friendly country", Lebanon's official news agency said.
Authorities in Jordan face challenges in maintaining a balance between the kingdom's crucial alliance with Washington and containing local discontent over US ally Israel's actions in Gaza, where it has continued its deadly war against Hamas despite agreeing to a ceasefire.
Official TV singled out Ibrahim Mohammad, one of the 16 arrested, as a "primary" instigator of the plot. He is said to have come up with the plan of making missiles and arranged for two members to visit Lebanon and receive training to carry out the plot. Another member was assigned the task of moving money to finance the plan, it was reported.
Moath Al Ghanem, one of the captured men, said in a videotaped confession released by Jordanian authorities that he went to Lebanon in 2021 with other members of the group and met a man called Abu Ahmad, who proposed the idea of making rockets.
Muhsin Al Ghanem, a second alleged member of the cell, said he transported $20,000 from abroad for the operation. A third called Abdullah Hisham said he also went to Lebanon where those involved in the plot taught him machine work at a garage.
The TV report said that an "organisational official" was in Beirut, but no further details were provided. Mr Mohammad has been charged with transporting and storing 30kg of TNT, C4, and Semtex-H explosives, it said. Security forces swooped just as members of the cell were about to produce the first prototype, according to the television report.
The cell allegedly worked in areas near Amman and "imported machines for its illicit purposes". Missile parts were hidden in a secret room with a concrete door, according to authorities. The parts, when assembled, would form short-range Grad-type missiles, ready "to be supplied with explosives, engines and detonators", the report said.
Official television also broadcast confessions linked to another cell it said had the task of planning to make drones. It consisted of four members, including a civil aviation engineer named Abdul Aziz Haroun. The four allegedly met several times, with Haroun assigned the task of securing the shell. Another member was supposed to design an electricity circuit.
Security concerns
In November, amid rising domestic pressure on the authorities related to the Gaza war, Jordan’s security forces shot and killed a gunman in the capital Amman in an exchange of fire near the Israeli embassy.
King Abdullah and his government have strongly criticised Israel's war conduct in Gaza and repeatedly called for a ceasefire. But more than a year of war in the Palestinian enclave has led to frustration with the official policy of honouring Jordan's 1994 peace treaty with Israel, which obliges the two sides to prevent threats to each other's security. The kingdom also has a defence pact with the US, Israel's main ally, on which it depends for financial and military assistance.
Officials say no one has supported the Palestinian cause more than Jordan, highlighting the kingdom's role in preserving Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, through a custodianship that traces its roots to King Abdullah's great-grandfather.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Poacher
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The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
MATCH INFO
Red Star Belgrade v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight (Thursday), UAE
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Superliminal%20
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MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
OPENING FIXTURES
Saturday September 12
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds United
Tottenham v Everton
West Brom v Leicester
West Ham v Newcastle
Monday September 14
Brighton v Chelsea
Sheffield United v Wolves
To be rescheduled
Burnley v Manchester United
Manchester City v Aston Villa
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Results
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Company%20profile
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
