Royal Jordanian Reports $17.9M Profit in First Half, Reversing Previous Loss - Jordan News
He also emphasized RJ's role in maintaining Jordan's air connectivity during periods of regional turbulence. Despite temporary airspace closures, the airline continued to operate safely and reliably, transporting passengers even as other carriers suspended operations. RJ also added extra flights to support travelers affected by the disruptions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Roya News
2 days ago
- Roya News
US reverses policy to block disaster aid over 'Israel' boycott
The Trump administration on Monday reversed a controversial funding requirement that would have denied disaster preparedness grants to US states and cities that support boycotts of 'Israeli' companies. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that it had removed the earlier condition from its website, which had stated that recipients of certain federal disaster funds must certify they do not 'sever commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies.' The language had appeared in at least 11 grant notices tied to USD 1.9 billion in funding, according to Reuters. These funds, managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), are crucial for covering expenses like emergency response equipment, salaries of disaster management personnel, and backup power systems. DHS now says that the grants 'remain governed by existing law and policy and not political litmus tests,' according to spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. The withdrawn provision had sparked backlash for targeting supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a campaign that aims to apply economic pressure on 'Israel' over its treatment of Palestinians. Calls to boycott 'Israel' intensified following its 2023 invasion of Gaza. While the administration has previously sought to penalize institutions it viewed as unsupportive of 'Israel' or insufficiently tough on anti-Semitism, this reversal marks a rare retreat. FEMA's updated guidance now omits the earlier requirement barring states from engaging in what the agency had labeled a 'discriminatory prohibited boycott.'
Roya News
2 days ago
- Roya News
Trump administration unveils plan to charge visa security deposit up to $15,000
In a controversial move aimed at reducing visa overstays, the Trump administration has unveiled a new pilot program requiring certain foreign visitors to pay bonds of up to USD 15,000 before entering the United States. The initiative, announced Monday by the State Department, will apply to tourists and business travelers from countries with historically high rates of overstaying visas. Under the 12-month trial, visitors from selected nations will be asked to post a bond ranging from USD 5,000 to USD 15,000. The sum would be refunded if the visitor leaves the US on time, but forfeited in cases of overstay. The list of countries included in the program has not yet been released, but officials say it will be determined using data from the Department of Homeland Security. 'This is a key pillar of the Trump administration's foreign policy to protect the United States from the clear national security threat posed by visa overstays and deficient screening and vetting,' the new rule states, as published in the Federal Register. The administration cited 2023 data estimating that more than half a million visitors likely remained in the country past their authorized stay. The initiative also applies to individuals from countries deemed to have inadequate security screening processes and to those who were granted US citizenship through investment programs or without meeting a residency requirement. Consular officers will be responsible for determining whether a visa applicant must pay the bond and, if so, how much. The department says the program is meant to evaluate whether collecting such bonds is feasible in practice, a concept previously dismissed as impractical. The rule is scheduled to take effect on August 20, with participating US airports announced two weeks in advance. A similar bond system had been considered during the first Trump administration but was shelved as international travel plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Roya News
3 days ago
- Roya News
How did Mark Zuckerberg become $26B richer in 24 hours?
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is having a standout week as his net worth skyrockets to an all-time high of USD 271 billion, following a stellar earnings report from his company, Business Insider reported. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index on August 1, 2025, Zuckerberg's wealth jumped by USD 26.8 billion in a single day, positioning him as the third-richest person globally, trailing only Tesla's Elon Musk and Oracle founder Larry Ellison. The surge followed Meta's report of second-quarter earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations. Shares soared more than 12 percent in after-hours trading on Wednesday, reaching a historic high of USD 780. The company's earnings call was largely dominated by discussion of Meta's future in artificial intelligence. Zuckerberg outlined an ambitious vision of developing 'personal superintelligence' for the masses, a goal he detailed in a letter published hours before the call. He emphasized Meta's ongoing investment in AI talent, highlighting the newly formed Superintelligence Labs team. 'Small talent-dense teams are the optimal configuration for driving frontier research,' Zuckerberg said, referencing Meta's strategy of hiring top-tier AI experts. Zuckerberg also emphasized his belief in smart glasses as the future interface for AI, describing them as "the ideal form factor for AI" and warning that failing to adopt them could lead to a "significant cognitive disadvantage." Meta has already launched its Ray-Ban smart glasses and more recently introduced Oakley Meta eyewear. A prototype of its augmented reality Orion glasses was also showcased last fall. When asked whether Meta would continue its open-source approach to AI development, Zuckerberg signaled cautious optimism but left room for change. 'We're getting models that are so big that they're just not practical for a lot of other people to use,' he said. 'So we kind of wrestle with whether it's productive or helpful to share that, or if that's really just primarily helping competitors or something like that.'
