Local

AMMAN — Security personnel have arrested 60 people who violated the law during the protests against the income tax draft law, including eight Arab nationals, Public Security Department (PSD) Director Maj. Gen. Fadel Hmoud said on Monday.

He added that investigation was ongoing with the arrested people, especially with the non-Jordanians to stand at their motives for participating in the protests, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

At a press conference on the latest developments regarding the nationwide protests, Hmoud added that some violators used weapons and fireworks against security agents, resulting in the injury of 42 security agents, noting that some participants were arrested in possession of cold weapons.

He noted that the PSD on Thursday dealt with 45 protests with the participation of 2,500 citizens, while on Friday there were 171 protests that saw the participation of 18,500 people, and on Saturday the figure was 14,500 people who took part in 125 protests. On Sunday night, the protest movement saw the participation of 14,500 protesters.

The police chief pointed out that violations included street closures through parking vehicles, burning tyres or blocking roads with rocks.

Also speaking at the conference, Gendarmerie Director Maj. Gen. Hussein Hawatmeh stressed that security apparatuses are disciplined and only use proportional force when the situation requires that, noting that law violations and abuses are unacceptable and will be dealt with according to the law.

Hmoud and Hawatmeh stressed that Jordan is secure and stable and that security agencies will not spare any efforts to defend the Kingdom and Jordanians and to counter any attempt to tamper with the country’s security.

Safeguarding the peaceful protesters across the nation is the top priority of security apparatuses, which, at the same time, will not hesitate in using force to deal with saboteurs and those trying to damage public and private property, they highlighted. 

In this regard, both security chiefs underscored that the peaceful approach followed by security agents was not a sign of weakness, stressing that security forces can end any chaotic protest in a short time. 

They also pointed out that security departments carry out exceptional efforts while dealing with protests, adding that security personnel’s professionalism enables them to protect protesters as they exercise their freedom of expression.

The press conference included a video that highlighted situations where security agents had to deal with cases of sabotage and attacks on security personnel and vehicles. 

AMMAN — Jordan is planning to conduct a study to assess the economic impact of the EU Association Agreement and the EU deal on relaxed rules of origin to Jordanian industries, an official said Monday.

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply has floated a tender to attract bids for conducting the comprehensive study on the EU Association Agreement with Jordan, which was signed in 1997, a ministry’s official told The Jordan Times on Monday.

“We want to look into the developments and impact since the agreement was signed to date and how to help achieve economic integration between Jordan and the EU,” the official said.

The study will also look into the economic impact of the relaxed rules of origin agreement with the EU, according to the official.

In July 2016, the EU and Jordan signed a deal under which manufacturers in the Kingdom can import up to 70 per cent of the raw materials used in production and still label the finished products as “Made in Jordan”, qualifying them for trade concessions. 

The agreement is valid for 10 years.

Under the deal with the EU, parties designated a total of 18 industrial and developmental zones in Jordan as beneficiaries, while the relaxed rules will also be applied to other industries across the Kingdom as soon as 200,000 jobs are created for Syrian refugees following the issuing of work permits.

In March this year, Jordan renewed its call for the revision of the EU relaxed rules of origin for Jordanian exports to Europe as only three factories have benefited from the deal so far and exported to Europe under the deal.

The association agreement, according to related literature, “fosters the development of balanced economic and social relations” between the parties through dialogue and cooperation, entails encouraging regional cooperation with a view to the consolidation of peaceful co-existence and economic and political stability and promoting cooperation in other areas that are of reciprocal interest.

The deal also entails cooperation in trade in agricultural and industrial products, rights of establishment and services, payments and capital movements, competition, intellectual property rights, financial cooperation, economic cooperation in the fields of industry, agriculture, investment, standards and measurements, transportation, telecommunications, energy, science and technology, environment, tourism, statistics, and the fight against illegal drugs.

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, HRH Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad, His Majesty’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, on Monday participated in an international anti-terror conference in Albania, a Royal Court statement said. 

The conference, which was opened by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and co-organised with the Dutch government, was held on the sidelines of a two-day gathering, which is part of the “Aqaba Meetings”, a process launched by King Abdullah in 2015 to enhance security, military coordination and cooperation and exchange experiences and intelligence between regional and international partners to combat terrorism through a holistic approach.

Delivering the King’s speech at the conference, Prince Ghazi commended a move to establish a coordination centre in Albania to counter violent extremism in the Balkans, noting that such challenges are mounting and all stakeholders should join forces to overcome them through cooperation and consultation.

Highlighting Jordan’s efforts in this regard, the prince cited international interfaith initiatives launched by Jordan such as Amman Message, A Common Word, World Interfaith Harmony Week and the Baptism Site in Jordan Valley.

He stressed that the ideological challenge is terrorism in the name of Islam, reiterating that fighting terror is a war within the Muslim nation. He noted that Jordan presented the correct narratives against terrorism.

Since the feeling of resentment among individuals is manipulated by terror recruiters, Prince Ghazi said, ensuring justice and the rule of law and making way for dialogue are essential factors in the war against terrorists. The remarks were echoed by Balkan countries’ leaders who took part in the conference, including the premiers of Kosovo and Bulgaria.

The Sunday-Monday meeting, which was held for the first time outside Jordan, particularly addressed security challenges in the Western Balkans, involving security and political officials from 22 countries, as well as officials from the Balkans, international partners and the EU.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday received a telephone call from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, during which they discussed “brotherly ties” between the two countries and the latest regional developments.

The two leaders voiced keenness to continue cooperation and enhance coordination and consultation regarding regional issues, in a way that can achieve joint interests and serve the Arab nation’s causes, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The telephone call comes less than two weeks after His Majesty’s visit to Cairo and meeting with Sisi, where they stressed eagerness to bolster economic, trade and investment cooperation, especially after signing a memorandum of understanding to establish a coordination council for investment cooperation between the two countries.

AMMAN — Kuwait on Monday voiced willingness to support Jordan economically through increased investments and concessional loans. 

The message was delivered to His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday by visiting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al Saleh .

The Kuwaiti official conveyed to His Majesty the greetings of Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who also affirmed Kuwait’s support for Jordan under various circumstances and its constant readiness to support the Kingdom in all fields, according to a Royal Court statement.

Al Saleh  said that Kuwait is currently considering more Kuwaiti investments in the Kingdom and extending concessional loans to support growth-stimulating projects.

His Majesty expressed Jordan’s appreciation for Kuwait’s historically supportive stands led by Sheikh Sabah, stressing the strength of brotherly relations between the two countries and the keenness to elevate them to the highest levels in the service of their common interests.

The meeting was attended by the Chief of the Royal Court Fayez Tarawneh, Adviser to His MajestyKing Abdullah and the Director of His Majesty’s office Manar Dabbas, Adviser to His Majesty for economic affairs Mohammad Eses, and the Kuwaiti ambassador in Amman.

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a December Criminal Court ruling sentencing a 36-year-old ex-convict to death after convicting him of murdering his sister and her grandson in Amman in February 2017.

The court declared the defendant guilty of two counts of premeditated murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of his 60-year-old sister, a mother of five children, and her grandson while at her home in Muwaqqar on February 27.

Court papers said the defendant, named Ahmad K, had been released recently from prison and had no money.

He asked the victim repeatedly for money but she refused so he plotted to kill her, according to court documents.

On the day of the incident, the court maintained, the defendant headed to the victim’s home armed with a switchblade and asked her again for money.

When she refused, the court maintained, “he drew the weapon and stabbed her eight times and also stabbed and killed her grandson who was on her lap”.

The suspect fled the scene and was later arrested in Ruseifeh by a police team tasked with tracking him down, the court added.

The defendant had previously been convicted of murdering two people during fights in the past, for which he was sentenced to 15 years in jail in one incident and received amnesty in the other case after he reached a settlement with the victim’s family back in the 1990s, according to the court.

The Higher Court ruled that the Criminal Court followed the proper proceedings when sentencing and the defendant deserves the verdict he received.

“The defendant confessed to the murder and it was evident that he planned well for it by preparing the weapon and waiting for the right time to commit the murder,” the Court of Cassation said.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zubi, Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat and Majid Azab.

AMMAN —  As the rainy season is officially over, officials on Monday described current water storage at the country’s dams as “acceptable” given the weak precipitations of this year’s winter.

 Water levels at the main dams are now a little less than half their storage capacity of 336 million cubic metres (mcm), an official at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation said.

“The water now is a little below the dams’ half storage mark. As the wet season is now officially over, the Kingdom’s 15 main dams hold 43 per cent of their total capacity,” the official told The Jordan Times, noting that the dams hold 147mcm of water.

The wet season in Jordan usually starts late September or early October and ends around May 10, when the annual khamsini weather phenomenon, which brings rain during unstable weather conditions, usually abates, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department. 

 “The amount is less than what the dams held during this time last year, because rain during the 2017/2018 wet season started later than usual. In addition, precipitation was less,” the official said.

He noted that climate change has "drastically" affected the Kingdom’s precipitation amounts and rainfall patterns.

“The impact of climate change on Jordan has been evident during the past decade, during which the country has been receiving less rain and witnessed shifting rainfall patterns, in addition to rising temperatures and more frequent heat waves. This has aggravated Jordan’s water dilemma,” the official stressed, citing international reports on the impact of climate change on Jordan and the Middle East.

Jordan’s 2013-2020 Jordan Climate Change Policy suggests that the country will witness a 1ºC to 4°C increase in temperatures and a 15 to 60 per cent decrease in precipitation. Both changes could in turn have a serious impact on the Kingdom’s natural ecosystems, river basins, watersheds and biodiversity.

Meanwhile, a study carried out by the Stanford University and the Ministry of Water and Irrigation in 2015 indicated that climate change over the past two decades has caused a drastic drop in rainfall, prolonging dry spells in Jordan.

AMMAN — Some 28,000 General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (Tawjihi) students from the scientific and literary streams will undergo a computerised exam for their high school IT module as of Sunday, an official announced, drawing some concerns among educators.

"This is the first time the ministry conducts such an exam, which is the first step of a long-term and gradual plan to shift to computerised exams," Nawwaf Ajarmah, examinations and tests management director at the Ministry of Education told The Jordan Times on Monday.

Ajarmah said that the exam will be conducted at the schools' labs over five days with several one-hour-long sessions between 10am and 2pm, noting that the ministry has commissioned professional experts from the exams directorate to prepare 20 different exam models in the form of multiple choices.

He stressed that the computerised exam will give flexibility for students compared to the "rigid" paper tests, which entail all students from all schools to sit for the examination at the same time.

"Students can now join any of the available sessions whenever they are ready to take the test," the official said.

However, a Tawjihi IT teacher expressed concerns over the "new vision". "The computerised tests may not be a fair evaluation for students as they will be evaluated on their final answer only, while the steps of solving the questions will be neglected," he said.

"The IT curriculum has both theoretical and practical parts, which makes it illogical to have all questions in the form of multiple choices," the teacher told The Jordan Times.

He highlighted that students may have "more chances for easier cheating" as they might circulate the exam questions among each other and create their own "test bank" to memorise the answers.

For Ajarmah, who clarified that the questions are "different but equal in difficulty level" in all models, "there is no way that the same question would be repeated".

Mamoun Al Qrtouty, another teacher, praised the idea of digital transformation as a whole but stressed the need for "prior training" for both students and exam supervisors.

"Some students were lost in today's session and the supervisors, who are not IT teachers, were not experienced enough to deal with the systems and equipment," he explained.

The teacher also referred to the latest ministry decision which makes IT skills an optional subject for the Tawjihi students. "How is it possible that we have a plan for shifting to computerised exams while students are not even obliged to study IT skills and learn how to deal with them," he asked.

Another IT teacher, who proffered to remain anonymous, said: "Such steps require a solid and high quality infrastructure that includes a strong Internet connection and advanced computer devices, which is not the case in many public schools."

Ajarmah stressed: "This is an empirical test which seeks to prepare teachers for the next generation of students and to increase the coordination between the ministry's tests management and the network department in Queen Rania Al Abdullah Centre for Educational and Informational Technology so as to provide a suitable environment for the exams including supplying schools with computer devices."

The teachers agreed that the computerised exams will facilitate and fasten the announcement of results as the correction process will be carried out automatically.

AMMAN — HRH Prince Feisal on Monday attended an Iftar banquet hosted at the Royal Air Force headquarters, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Upon arrival, the Prince was received by Royal Jordanian Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti. Prior to the Iftar, Prince Feisal inaugurated a new mosque where he performed Maghrib (sunset) prayers. 

AMMAN — Since 1991, Jordan has seized about 42,000 pieces of antiquities, most of which were returned to the countries of origin, Tourism Minister Lina Annab said on Monday.

She added that the security conditions in some of these countries prevent the remaining part of these antiquities to be retrieved, so they are stored until they are returned to their countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The remarks were made as the minister delivered a keynote speech at an international conference opened by Director General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay in France under the theme “circulation of cultural property and shared heritage”.