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AMMAN — The Cassation Court and other Amman criminal courts have used the “remote trial” method in 307 cases since the project was launched last July, according to the Jordanian Judicial Council.

 In a recent statement, the council noted that the aim of the “remote trial” or “trial by distance” project is to “facilitate and accelerate litigation procedures and reduce time, efforts and financial costs as well as mitigate detainees’ transportation risks”.

 The remote trial approach also ensures that those awaiting hearings or trials do not miss their sessions if faced with a critical emergency that prohibits them from physically being in court, whether it be a health condition or otherwise, according to the statement.

 Given that relying on modern techniques in trial procedures “makes the sessions more accessible under all circumstances”, the Ministry of Justice launched the project in July of 2018.

 Communication devices and screens were installed in the trial halls of the Amman Court, the Irbid Court and the Cassation Court. The devices and screens were then electronically linked with rehabilitation centres in Juwaida, Karak, Irbid and Marka in the initial launch of the project.

 The first remote trial session, which was described by the Ministry of Justice as a “qualitative leap in the criminal justice system and the strengthening of the rule of law”, was held on July 24, 2018. 

AMMAN — The cold front gripping the Kingdom is forecast to continue until Saturday, bringing heavy rain and chilly conditions to most parts of the country, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD ) said on Thursday.

Heavy rain is expected during the day on Friday, accompanied by thunder and hail at times in some parts, the weather department said, warning residents in low-lying areas of flash-floods.

A slight chance of snowfall in areas located 1,500m above the sea level is expected in the Kingdom’s southern regions, with westerly brisk winds and occasional gusts, the JMD said, adding that winds will gradually weaken by the early hours of the night.

The inclement weather expected to continue on Saturday, with partly cloudy to cloudy skies accompanied by rain in different parts of the country, according to the forcecast. 

The temperatures in Amman on Friday will see a high of 10°C during the day and a low of 4°C at night, with no changes in forecast for Saturday.  

The temperatures will range between a high of 20°C and a low of 16°C at night in Aqaba, according to the JMD.

The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) announced a “medium state of emergency”, urging the public to contact the hotlines at 065359970/065359971 or on mobile at 0798166789 in case of emergencies, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Thursday.

GAM said that 4,500 employees have been deployed to monitor the drainage system and streets around the clock. 

AMMAN — In sharp contrast to the chilly wind and empty streets outside, the pews of two Amman churches were flooded with candlelight, music and hundreds of people, mostly women working as domestic workers in the Kingdom, who came to sing, pray and celebrate Christmas.

For Fresnaida Palamayan, Christmas in Jordan is an opportunity to join fellow Christians hailing from around the world in Amman to celebrate the religious occasion.

However, every year she experiences a bittersweet mingling of hope and heightened loneliness as she celebrates the holiday thousands of miles from her family in the Philippines.

She is not the only one. Hundreds of people flocked to St Joseph Church in Jabal Amman and Annunciation of Mary Church in Jabal Luweibdeh on Wednesday, carrying with them warm memories of Christmas celebrations with family in their homelands.

Fresnaida, who has worked in Jordan for 14 years, told The Jordan Times after the service in Jabal Luweibdeh that she misses her family and home.

“I prayed for everything,” she said. “I have a brother, and he is sick. So I prayed for him, and all my family.”

In between familiar Christmas songs that echoed around the packed church, Father Gerald, chaplain of the Filipino Chaplaincy in Jordan, delivered a Christmas message and led his congregation in prayer for their families back home, their employers, Jordan and its leadership.

In his message, the priest urged those crowded together in front of him to remain steadfast in their faith and not to abandon hope in the midst of difficult circumstances.

For the majority of the congregation, life far away from their home countries and loved ones is indeed difficult.

“Some are celebrating birthdays without their loved ones around them, some are mourning a death. But all miss their families,” Gerald told The Jordan Times.

“Of course it is different, because my family is there, and I am here. It’s lonely,” said Monerh, who has been living in Jordan for 11 years, adding that she only gets to see her daughter every one or two years.

Despite the sadness that comes from spending such a time far away from parents, siblings and children, it is also a day of thanksgiving, Gerald noted.

“They come here to thank God for their blessings — big and small, little or plenty — this is a thanksgiving,” he said.

Nantale, a young woman from Uganda who arrived in Jordan six months ago, said: “I feel happy because I got a chance to come here and pray. I prayed for my family in Uganda, and my life.”

For Shaji Joseph, who hails from the southern Indian state of Kerala and has been working in Jordan for 13 years, Christmas is an occasion to cherish.

“Though it’s not like celebrating it with dear ones back home, Jordan is our second home. The spirit of harmony, unity and peace in Jordan makes it a special Christmas home away from home,” he said.

Coming to the Christmas service is also a way for many who work as domestic workers and other occupations that limit their free time to meet each other and spend time with friends, Gerald noted. 

“There’s no other way for them to meet. It’s in the church when they see each other,” he said.

“In times of depression, the joy brought about by faith brings a lot of relief.” 

AMMAN — As part of its continued efforts to maintain the quality of water resources, the Water Ministry, in cooperation with the concerned authorities, on Thursday seized an oil tanker filled with olive pomace, foiling an alleged attempt to get rid of it in a valley south of Amman.

The ministry, the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) and the Royal Department for Environment Protection (Rangers) formulated a team that follows up on such "dangerous violations", which threaten people's health by contaminating drinking water, according to a ministry statement.

Pomace is a black residue from olive presses, according to online sources.

The driver of the tanker was allegedly trying to empty the residue in the valley, before he was detained. The tanker was seized and delivered to the Jiza police, the statement said. 

The ministry expressed its gratitude to its partners for their support, noting that as per Article 30 of the WAJ Law, any abuse of water sources in violation of the law leads to a prison sentence of up to two years of imprisonment and a fine of JD3,000.

In cooperation with the authorities, the ministry said it will continue monitoring and tracking all violations and illegal uses of water sources and hold accountable any persons who attempt to tamper with water resources and networks, according to the statement. 

"Any contamination could negatively impact the lives of thousands of innocents," the ministry said, urging citizens to ensure that the water they buy comes with a stamped receipt to ensure quality. 

The WAJ also urged the public to contact the unified complaints number 117116 to report any violations and to avoid buying water from unknown resources, as it is highly possible that their water is not compliant with the standards and thus poses a danger. 

AMMAN — The Health Ministry is providing private hospitals with swine flu (H1N1) medication free of charge, according to the Private Hospitals Association. 

The medicine is dispensed upon on the request of physicians and as per the regulations of the Health ministry, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Wednesday, quoting Private Hospitals Association President Fawzi Hammouri.

Hammouri said that once the stock of medicine has run out, a request will be sent to the ministry for re-supply, noting that swine flu patients get free medication. 

For its part, the Jordanian Pharmaceutical Manufacturing company said that it is capable of meeting the increasing demand for the medication, as it is the only manufacturer of H1N1 vaccines in the Kingdom.

Demand for the flu vaccine has risen after a joint press conference held last week by Health Minister Saad Jaber and Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh to discuss swine flu (H1N1), according to pharmacies.

During the conference, Jaber announced the government’s decision to cut the cost of the flu vaccine in half, which brought the price down from an average of JD11 to JD5.5.

Assistant Secretary General for Primary Healthcare at the Ministry of Health, Adnan Ishaq, stated on Tuesday that the number of deaths due to swine flu (H1N1) has reached nine, adding that 341 others are infected.

AMMAN — The number of Chinese students at Jordanian universities stands at around 500, while there are more than 600 Jordanians studying in Chinese universities, according to a Higher Education Ministry statement.

Higher Education Minister Muhyiddine Touq revealed the numbers on Thursday during a meeting with chairperson of the Beijing Foreign Studies University's board of directors Wang Dinghua, according to the statement. 

The meeting was attended by Chinese Ambassador in Amman Pan Weifang and the cultural consul from the Chinese embassy in Amman Yang Rong Hao and several Jordanian officials in the Higher Education sector. 

Touq voiced his contentment at the level of student exchange between the two countries, noting that most Jordanian students in China study medicine and that the ministry is preparing a strategy to attract more Arab and foreign students to study in Jordan in all majors.

He said that many Jordanian universities provide majors in modern specialisations that conform to the international labour market, noting that there are three Jordanian universities listed among the top 600 universities in the world.

Touq also commended the Beijing Foreign Studies University as it is listed among the top 20 universities in the world. 

The minister also gave a presentation to the Chinese delegation on the means the Higher Education Ministry adopts to acknowledge non-Jordanian universities, noting that it accepts directly any university listed among the top 500 around the world, while other universities need to send an online application through the Higher Education ministry's website.

For his part, Dinghua congratulated Touq for his recent appointment as a Higher Education Minister, commending the high quality of the higher education sector in Jordan. 

Dinghua said that the Beijing Foreign Studies University teaches 101 foreign languages, including Arabic, as part of its efforts to spread the language and Arab culture. 

The meeting also discussed issues of mutual interest, on top of which was activating the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries in the field of higher education as well as grants to study the Arabic and Chinese languages. 

AMMAN — The Ministry of Agriculture has refuted claims by livestock traders and importers that it has granted only one company a licence to import sheep from Romania and Australia.

"There is no monopoly on the import of livestock, or granting a single, specific company licences to import sheep from Romania and Australia,” Mahmoud Hanatleh, director of the livestock directorate at the ministry, said in a statement.

He added that a new mechanism was recently agreed upon during a meeting with livestock stakeholders to regulate the import of livestock and meat, with the aim of benefitting Jordanian importers and traders.

 The new mechanism, which replaces the import of fresh, chilled meat with the import of live livestock, was described as “benefitting citizens, the livestock sector and a number of related sectors”.

 The ministry noted that storing the livestock in pens to be slaughtered in local slaughterhouses presents consumers with fresher meat, increases livestock traders’ profits and activates more manpower in the labour sector.

In a recent statement sent to the Prime Ministry, the Livestock Traders and Importers Association said that the new mechanism has "negatively affected about 10,000 small-scale livestock farmers on such a huge scale that they cannot follow it, given that they do not own slaughterhouses.”

The association alleged that one company was “granted a year-round import licence with unlimited import quantities on the pretext that it possesses a slaughterhouse, despite several others having slaughterhouses as well”. 

However, Hanatleh stressed that more than 20 companies acquired licences last year, adding that “everyone who applied for a licence and met the conditions set for import was granted a licence”.

 The director mentioned that the Animal Health Committee, which was formed to discuss the drafting and implementation of the new mechanism, is made up of 11 members, “only a third of whom are from the ministry, with the rest representing the concerned professional unions”.

Jordan University of Science and Technology is also part of the committee, with its Agricultural Faculty entrusted with the task of studying import licences, livestock health conditions and trade agreements, as well as ensuring that the countries Jordan imports from are committed to the conditions of halal slaughter and animal safety.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Wednesday extended his greeting to Christians in Jordan on the occasion of Christmas and the New Year during a visit to St Mary of Nazareth Church in Amman.

The premier said that holidays in Jordan are an “expression of the Kingdom’s true national unity”, adding that Jordanians embody the values ​​of peaceful coexistence, love, harmony and dialogue.

He underscored the role of His Majesty King Abdullah as the Custodian of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

In the presence of the heads of churches in the Kingdom, senators, deputies and representatives of the Christian clergy, Razzaz pointed out that Jordan, with its model of coexistence between Muslims and Christians, embodies a “homogeneous mosaic” of religious diversity.

He concluded his speech with a prayer for peace upon Jordan and Jerusalem.

Archbishop William Shomali, the bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in Jordan, said that "Christians and Muslims in Jordan are one family, following His Majesty King Abdullah in adhering to the values ​​of openness, dialogue and respect for the other.”

On behalf of the churches in Jordan, Archbishop Shomali thanked the government for its recent decision to allocate a plot of land in Shafa Badran as a Christian cemetery for the people of northern Amman.

Director of the Catholic Centre for Studies and Media, Father Refaat Badr, said that Christians are also celebrating the 20th anniversary of His Majesty's decision to observe Christmas Day as an official holiday in Jordan.

Meanwhile, at the end of the visit, the charge d'affaires of the Vatican embassy in Jordan, Mons. Mauro Lalli, delivered a "letter of peace" to the Prime Minister from Pope Francis. 

AMMAN — Royal Court Chief Yousef Issawi on Thursday met with Balqa tribes in Amman, in implementation of His Majesty King Abdullah's directives to meet tribes and follow up on their needs and demands.

During the gathering held at Al Hussein Youth City, Issawi, who is also the head of the follow-up committee for the implementation of Royal initiatives, met with representatives of Balqa tribes and listened to their needs, demands and suggestions, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The meeting aimed at enhancing communication with all citizens nationwide and considering the possibility of including their demands within the government’s priorities to improve Jordanians' living conditions and provide quality services.

Highlighting His Majesty's vision to improve citizens' living conditions and achieve sustainable growth across the Kingdom, Issawi said that "challenges are great, but far greater are the opportunities", lauding Jordanians resilience. 

Improving the level of services presented to citizens and meeting various demands are based on cooperation with citizens and the complementary roles played by all stakeholders, the chief said.

The Royal Court chief acquainted the gathering with His Majesty's efforts in developing economic conditions, emphasising that Royal Initiatives already implemented and soon to be implemented are complementary to the government’s plans and programmes.

For their part, Balqa tribe notables and representatives reviewed their demands, which are mainly related to developing healthcare services, job creation, establishing income-generating projects, improving infrastructure and creating vocational training centres and cultural centres that can tap into youth's talents.

Issawi, last Saturday, met the dignitaries of Balqa tribes in Madaba and Balqa, Petra added.

AMMAN — Under the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah and after follow-up with Libyan officials, a mechanism has been agreed upon by which Libya will pay its debts to Jordanian hospitals.

The King has directed that the dues be wired directly from banks to the Jordanian hospitals that provided medical care to Libyans, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

President of the Private Hospitals Association Fawzi Hammouri previously told The Jordan Times that the medical bills accumulated by Libyans in the Kingdom had reached nearly $350 million after the Libyan crisis broke out in 2011.

The medical bills, accumulated by Libyans at 30 different private Jordanian hospitals, were to be paid back in three phases this year, as per an agreement signed in November 2018.

Under the agreement, $125 million was to be paid in December, $62.5 million in February and the remaining $62.5 million in April.