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Jordan News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Jordan News
Al-Awdat: Jordan is a Cohesive State Drawing Strength from Its People's Awareness and Its Leadership's Wisdom
Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Monem Al-Awdat, affirmed that despite the numerous challenges and pressures surrounding it, Jordan has consistently proven over the decades to be a strong and cohesive state, drawing its resilience from the awareness and loyalty of its people, the wisdom of its leadership, and the strength of its national institutions, which have withstood many storms. اضافة اعلان During his meeting with the President and members of the 'Elite Forum' at the ministry, Al-Awdat reiterated Jordan's unwavering stance towards its Palestinian brothers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Despite the surrounding challenges, Jordan continues to provide humanitarian, medical, and relief aid to the people of Gaza—a position that reflects the authenticity of the Jordanian state and its deep moral and national commitment. He emphasized that the Arab region is undergoing an unprecedented phase, particularly the brutal and systematic aggression on the Gaza Strip, which targets both people and infrastructure in a manner unmatched in ancient or modern history. Al-Awdat pointed out that Jordan is currently the target of suspicious smear campaigns aimed at questioning its national stance and undermining its regional role and credibility. These attacks require heightened awareness and caution, and call for strengthening society against populist rhetoric and deliberate misinformation driven by hostile entities that wish no good for either Palestine or Jordan. He stressed that the burden falls on political elites and opinion leaders to guide public discourse responsibly, promoting a culture of consensus over exclusion, and dialogue over polarization. Al-Awdat also underscored the importance of overcoming all obstacles to continue the comprehensive modernization project, foremost of which is political modernization, describing it as a national project that reflects a sincere desire to build a mature democratic life based on effective participation, pluralism, and respect for opposing views. President of the Forum, Mahmoud Al-Dabbas, explained that the forum—comprised of elite figures from various ideological and intellectual backgrounds across Jordanian society—has engaged with decision-makers to examine areas of weakness and amplify achievements, all in pursuit of the nation's supreme interests. Forum members also discussed key internal and external challenges facing Jordan, emphasizing the need to fortify the internal front. Among the topics addressed were: The role of political parties in highlighting economic challenges, particularly unemployment. The need to expand citizen participation and develop electoral behavior. The importance of legislation in enabling greater representation of women and youth in Parliament. An evaluation of the most recent elections and their outcomes. Members also stressed the importance of protecting and empowering civil society institutions and professional unions, viewing them as crucial to the Ministry's goals and its role as a bridge between the legislative and executive branches in realizing the core objectives of political modernization.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Vintage Pokémon Card Collecting World Rocked By A Possible Flood Of Fakes
Last year, hundreds of vintage prototype, test, and presentation Pokémon cards believed to date back to the creation of the game in the 1990s sold for auction to various collectors for hundreds of thousands of dollars collectively. Now, one of those collectors has investigated the prototype cards they bought more thoroughly and made a terrible discovery: they were seemingly printed only just last year. 'I will lose thousands,' they told fellow fans. The collector in question, as first reported by PokéBeach, is a user who goes by pfm on the Elite Forum discussion boards where people facilitate trades, analyze market trends, and scrutinize auction prices for the rarest cards. In 2024, that included hundreds of cards printed during the creation phase of the Pokémon trading card game that were authenticated using the personal collection of Takumi Akabane, one of Pokémon TCG's original creators. 'CGC Cards utilized all the tools at our disposal to help document and authenticate these cards, compiling vast resources for comparison with future submissions,' the grading house wrote last year in a press release. 'A very thorough process is in place for the authentication and grading of these cards using ones verified by Mr. Akabane.' Now, however, at least some of the cards authenticated by CGC and later sold at auction for anywhere from $1,000 to over $200,000 are being questioned as fakes. On January 26, user pfm shared several examples of early test cards that displayed printer metadata suggesting they were actually created in 2024, including even some signed by Akabane. The alleged discovery has made the entire collection suspect in some collectors' eyes, as fans speculate about how a possible scam might have been orchestrated, including the potential use of high-quality original art leaked in the past. 'It was really disheartening to find this out,' pfm told PokeBeach. 'More than the financial aspect, I thought it was cool to own a piece of history and it's unfortunate it turned out this way.' It's still unclear how many of the hundreds of cards sold may indeed be fakes, and if Akabane was aware or just duped like everyone else. Collectors who were already unsure about test card auctions last year are now being extra critical of grading house CGC as well. 'We're aware of recent claims regarding CGC graded Pokémon Prototype and Playtest cards that have been sold across various platforms,' one of the sellers, Alt auction house, told PokéBeach in a statement. 'CGC has assured us they are taking these allegations seriously and are conducting a thorough review. We're staying in close communication with CGC and will share updates as they become available.' . For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
