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AMMAN — Deputising for Prime Minister Hani Mulki, Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Yarub Qudah on Thursday launched regulations that allow practising some professions from home.

A total of 59 jobs were listed as allowed to be practised at home, based on 2017 regulations of profession-practising licensing, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Qudah stressed that home-based jobs are a main contributor to the economy, yet they are practices which are unorganised and unofficial therefore part of a shadow economy, noting that some 12,000 employers run businesses from home.

He added that home-based jobs amount to some 50 per cent of the small enterprises in the US, totalling 28 million institutions in all sectors and contribute to $400 billion in the US economy annually.

In regards to the anticipated economic impact, the minister said that 16,800 families are expected to benefit from the regulations, estimating the number of household projects to join the sector at 12,000, which will generate around 13,000 jobs for women and young people and 3,000 jobs for other categories. 

The overall annual economic impact expected to be generated after the regulation stands between JD74 million and JD138 million, Qudah indicated.

Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh said that the Greater Amman Municipality has granted more than 220 licences for home-based jobs following the regulations.

The regulations divided professions that can be practised at homes into four categories: ideological jobs, handicrafts, food manufacturing and home services, providing that the area does not exceed 15 per cent of the total house area, and that it does not use outdoor areas.

AMMAN — Two persons were fined and sentenced to prison on Wednesday for chopping down trees in Ajloun Governorate in August, government officials said on Thursday.

Ajloun Reconciliation Court sentenced the two individuals to six months in prison for violations on Ajloun’s forests, Minister of Agriculture Khaled Hneifat said in a statement to the press, indicating that one of them was fined JD6,200 and the other JD1,000.

After the ministry’s forest rangers caught the two cutting down trees over the summer, the case was referred to court, Hneifat said in the statement.

The minister praised the judicial authorities for cooperating with the ministry in accelerating procedures and court sessions concerning violations on the country’s forests, indicating that authorities’ cooperation is key in putting an end to illegal logging.

Meanwhile, ministry’s spokesperson Nimer Haddadin indicated that the illegal loggers were caught while chopping down centennial oak trees for trade purposes.

“The court ruling, especially in this accelerated approach, is a milestone in the country’s fight against illegal logging,” Haddadin said, noting that the court ruling was issued on Wednesday.

Forests in Jordan constitute less than 1 per cent of the country’s total area of 89,342 square kilometres, making the Kingdom among the poorest countries worldwide in terms of forest cover. The internationally accepted average of land covered by forests is 15 per cent of a country’s total area.

Forestry land amounts to 1.5 million dunums, of which 250,000 dunums are bare, 400,000 dunums are natural forests, 500,000 dunums are planted forests and 350,000 dunums are nature reserves, according to official figures.

Official figures show that violations on forests are dropping, with 453 cases recorded in 2015 and 230 recorded in 2016, according to ministry’s figures, which indicate that so far, 50 cases of forest violations have been recorded since the start of this year.

AMMAN — Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday met with Antigua's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Charles Fernandez, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, the two ministers discussed bilateral relations and agreed on supporting each other at international conventions such as the UN. Safadi stressed Jordan's support to Antigua after the damages caused by Hurricane Irma.

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) sentenced five defendants to three to one-and-a-half years of hard labour for supporting and promoting Daesh on social media, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Thursday.

The court reduced the sentence of a university student to half to give him a chance to reform himself as a young man, Petra said. Also on Wednesday, the SSC referred a man accused of orchestrating terror plots to kill security officers at a security centre in Eid Adha morning to trial.

The accused, who has been detained since September, has denied the charges. The defendant was tried by the SSC in 2015 for promoting the ideas of a terrorist group and sentenced to two years of hard labour.

AMMAN — The ninth Royal Medical Services (RMS) international conference will be held between October 30 and November 2, RMS Director Maj. Gen. Muin Habashneh has announced, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Thursday.

Habashneh said that the conference is a local and regional scientific demonstration of the wide experience that the RMS cadres have developed, as well as a platform for the scientific and medical progress in Jordan's health sector, according to Petra. 

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Thursday announced that it will implement maintenance to rainwater drainage network and manholes on Friday at the Wasfi Tal (Gardens) — Mohammadiah streets intersection near Assaf gas station.

GAM also said it will revamp the pedestrian bridge on the Shaaer Street (10-bridge street) in Al Manara neighbourhood, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. GAM and the Central Traffic Department will cooperate to ensure traffic safety and provide necessary signs at these locations.

AMMAN — Eight Jordanian athletes with the potential of qualifying for the next Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 have received a huge boost with financial backing from Olympic Solidarity.

Bashar Al Najjar and Aseel Al Nu’aimi (karate), Saleh Sharbati and Bana Daraghmeh (taekwondo), Hussein Ishaish and Obadah Al Kesbeh (boxing), Lawrence Fanous (triathlon) and Tamara Armoush (athletics) will all have their Olympic qualification programmes supported by the fund which is managed by the International Olympic Committee.

Ishaish, Al Kesbeh and Fanous all represented Jordan at the last Olympics, but the rest will be looking to book their first places in the games. The athletes were delivered the news during a meeting at the Jordan Olympic Committee where Secretary General Nasser Majali congratulated them before urging them to do their best and make Jordan proud.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday held talks with the Australian Governor General Peter Cosgrove and an accompanying delegation, during which he stressed the Kingdom’s keenness to expand its economic, security and defence partnership with Australia.

The two leaders held a one-on-one meeting, followed by expanded talks attended by Her Majesty Queen Rania and HRH Crown Prince Hussein.

Thanking Governor General Cosgrove for the hospitality shown during the state visit to Australia last year, His Majesty said the two countries have always had a warm relationship and strong political, military and security ties.

The King also expressed commitment to working towards strengthening economic ties with Australia.

Jordan and Australia face common challenges, His Majesty continued, noting that the governor general’s visit is a reminder of the special relationship shared by the two countries and their peoples, a Royal Court statement said.

This visit is an opportunity to strengthen cooperation, exchange views, and work jointly in a holistic approach to face the global challenge of terrorism, the King added.

For his part, Cosgrove thanked the King and Queen Rania for their hospitality, noting that his country is proud of its deep-rooted
ties with Jordan.

He also congratulated Crown Prince Hussein on his graduation from the Royal Military Academy of Sandhurst and praised his speech at the General Assembly of the United Nations in September.

Recalling Their Majesties’ visit to Australia last year, Cosgrove voiced hope that his visit to Jordan would be a further demonstration of the friendship between the two countries that will continue to prosper in the future.

Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi, King Office Director Jafar Hassan, Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Musa Maaytah, Jordanian Ambassador in Australia Ali Kraishan and Australian Ambassador to Jordan Miles Armitage attended the meeting. 

Prime Minister Hani Mulki also met with Cosgrove, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them to serve the interests of the two countries.

They also discussed developments in the Middle East, particularly the Palestinian issue, the situation in Syria and Iraq, and the war on terror. The premier stressed that resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution is necessary for achieving stability in the region.

Mulki emphasised the impact of the Syrian crisis on Jordan, noting that receiving about 1.3 million refugees put pressure on the country’s infrastructure in general, and education, health and water in particular. The prime minister pointed out that Jordan was one of the first countries to confirm that the way out of the Syrian crisis is only through a political solution. He also stressed that Jordan is making every effort to restore security and stability in Syria, Iraq and the region.

Mulki stressed Jordan’s efforts in the fight against terrorism within the framework of a holistic strategy, including fighting it militarily and ideologically.

The governor general praised the relations between Jordan and Australia, and expressed aspirations to increase bilateral cooperation between the two countries on all issues of common concern. He also acknowledged the degree of the burdens borne by Jordan as a result of the regional situation in the Middle East.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah and Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem, All Palestine and Jordan Theophilos III on Wednesday discussed King Abdullah's efforts in the protection of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

They also reviewed the latest developments regarding "blatant violations" of church property and Islamic awqaf in the occupied territories, according to a Royal Court statement. 

King Abdullah — in the presence of HRH Prince Ghazi, King’s Special Adviser for Religious and Cultural Affairs and Personal Envoy of His Majesty — expressed Jordan’s keenness on the Palestinian unity in facing all challenges imposed by Israel on Jerusalemites and the Palestinians in occupied territories. 

His Majesty told the patriarch that Christian holy sites receive the same level of attention and care as the Islamic ones.

The King renewed Jordan’s rejection of any threats to the historical status quo in Jerusalem, which is based on co-existence and peace and guarantees churches the right to administrate their assets. 

The Monarch noted it is a duty for Jordan, under the Hashemite Custodianship over Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem, to continue efforts to maintain these shrines and defend the churches’ properties during all international events and future meetings of UNESCO. 

King Abdullah stressed that any attempt to confiscate Christian assets is null and void and must be stopped.

In August, Theophilos III vowed to fight back accusations over the sale of church properties in Jerusalem and fight back an Israeli court ruling that upheld a set of alleged real estate deals between the Greek Orthodox Church and the Israeli organisation Ateret Cohanim for two hotels near the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City, reports have said. 

At his meeting with the King, the patriarch said that Jerusalemites, Christians and Muslims, highly appreciate the Hashemite concern for their cause, especially that the Palestinian issue is historically the top priority of His Majesty in all Arab and international arenas.

He added that King Abdullah’s efforts in safeguarding the Christian presence in Jerusalem have been and are still a source for strength and hope for Jerusalemites as they resist Israeli policies. The church leader expressed appreciation for His Majesty’s support of the patriarchate’s efforts to end the Israeli violations, especially with regard to the sales issue, dubbed as the Jaffa Gate case.

Theophilos III noted that the patriarchate is cooperating with all churches to cancel an Israeli proposed draft law that stipulates confiscating church lands and abort attempts by occupation Israeli entities to seize properties at the Omar Bin Al Khattab roundabout at the Jaffa Gate.

The patriarch also briefed His Majesty with the aims of a tour he has embarked on to some counties seeking their intervention to stop Israeli violations in Jerusalem and other occupied lands and reverse any Israeli measures involving the seizure of church assets.  

Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan attended the meeting.

AMMAN — The unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2017 stood at 18 per cent, marking a 2.7 per cent increase when compared to the same period of last year, the Department of Statistics [DoS] announced on Wednesday.

The DoS noted that the rate witnessed a 0.2 per cent drop when compared to the first quarter of 2017, a DoS statement said.

Results of a DoS survey that covered a sample of 16,000 households nationwide, representing urban and rural areas, showed that joblessness stood at 13.4 per cent among males and 33.9 per cent among females in the April-June period of 2017. 

On a gender basis, unemployment among males dropped by 0.5 per cent and went up by 0.9 per cent among females during the second quarter of 2017, when compared to the rates of the first quarter of the same year. 

The unemployment rate in 2016 stood at 15.3 per cent, compared to 13.7 per cent in 2000, according to DoS figures.

The rate of unemployment for males in 2016 stood at 13.3 per cent, up by 1 per cent from 12.3 per cent in 2000, while female unemployment went up by 3.1 per cent, from 21 to 24.1 per cent, during the same span.

The unemployment rate was the lowest in 2014, when it stood at 11.9 per cent, while 2002 and 2016 saw the highest rate in the 2000-2016 period, amounting to 15.3 per cent.