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AMMAN — Edraak, the open online courses initiative of the Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development (QRF), on Sunday launched a feature for sign language interpretation to enable the deaf community to benefit from the its services.

Edraak (www.edraak.org) has cooperated with qualified sign language interpreters who rephrased the information in the courses to be compatible with the requirements of sign language.

QRF CEO Haifa Dia Al Attia underlined the importance of the step as part of the foundation’s belief in the need to provide quality education for all.

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Interior Minister Hussein Majali on Sunday participated in a march that was held in Tunis against terrorism.

Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi, members of the Tunisian government, and several world leaders and representatives took part in the march.

The march was held to call for combating the threat of terrorism and show solidarity with Tunisia against terror.

AMMAN — A video of street drifters blocking a tunnel in Amman went viral on social media on Friday and Saturday, with police intensifying campaigns targeting reckless drivers.

The video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_JvcwyWab4) shows young motorists “performing doughnuts” and blocking traffic in the tunnel, which police said was in east Amman.

The Public Security Department (PSD) said the video, which drew criticism from social media users, was recorded a year ago. 

A statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times Sunday by the PSD media office said after investigating the video, police officers were able to identify one of the cars and the driver, and he was apprehended and charged with reckless driving.

Another motorist was also arrested and work is still under way to arrest the others involved in the incident so legal and administrative actions can be taken against them, said the statement, which added that three days ago PSD launched a campaign targeting “irresponsible” driving and drifting.

A total of 91 cars have been seized so far, and the drivers will be subject to legal actions such as fines.

Commenting on the video, Alia Omar said on her Facebook that police should intensify the campaign against such people, whom she described as irresponsible and childish. 

Those people should be thrown in jail, wrote Basel Taha on his Facebook page.

The video posted on various YouTube channels on Friday was seen by more than 30,000 people.  

Al Arabi ‏(@ArabiMogtareb) said on his Twitter account that it is unacceptable to block the streets, wondering how these drivers would feel if a woman were on her way to hospital for delivery and could not pass through. 

AMMAN — Jordan exported around 2,500 tonnes of vegetables to Syria in three days, 400 tonnes of which were on Sunday alone, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted the ministry’s spokesperson, Nimer Haddadin, as saying that exports to Syria are flowing normally with no decrease in quantity or disruptions in truck movement.

Haddadin said demand on Jordanian agricultural products is increasing in the Syrian market, adding that the border crossing is operating normally.

Locally, the prices of fruits and vegetables in the central markets are stable, especially at the Amman central market, he noted, as more products are becoming available due to the increase of cultivated lands.

However, Jordan Exporters and Producers Association for Fruits and Vegetables President Saadi Abu Hammad said earlier this month that prices of several vegetables available at the central market were below production cost, especially potatoes and tomatoes, which has negatively affected farmers.

Highlighting efforts to “alleviate the burden” on Jordanian farmers when promoting their products, Haddadin said the government is collaborating with the Iraqi government to ensure the smooth flow and entry of Jordanian trucks into the neighbouring country, Petra reported.

Jordan’s exports of agricultural products last year stood at around 900,000 tonnes despite the situation in the region, especially in Syria and Iraq.

AMMAN – Ahmad Masri, who suffers from cerebral palsy, has always been into sports, but he could rarely practise that hobby due to the lack of accessible sports facilities for people with disabilities.

That is why when the Orient Spirit Development (OSD) centre opened a gym for its students, Masri was among the first to join. 

“Training is really important to boost our fitness. I haven’t practised sports for a long time,” he told The Jordan Times after he took a break from working out at the new gym. 

The 25-year-old Masri is among 40 students benefiting from the gym at OSD’s headquarters in Amman.

People with disabilities learn around 11 crafts such as carpentry, sewing, cooking, and making jewellery and accessories at the centre.

Falesteen Awad, the centre’s director, said OSD is already providing students with vocational training, adding that they wanted to expand their services to further benefit the students.

“We noticed that there are no places for people with disabilities to enjoy their time or play any kind of sports so we decided to open this gym,” she added.  

Awad said many families used to tell them that their children find it difficult to play or practise sports because of lack of accessibility.

“Around 40 children are benefiting from the services of the gym and the priority for us is for people with disabilities and their family members,” the centre’s director added. 

Ghaith Qteishat, a trainer at the gym, said he decided to volunteer in this project after the centre asked him to work as a trainer.

“This is the first project in Jordan that is being done for the sake of people with disabilities. It will really be beneficial for them because sport is really good for their health,” he told The Jordan Times. 

Qteishat said the gym offers stationary bicycles, treadmills and other sports equipment designed for people with disabilities. 

“This project will help boost their mental and physical strength,” he added.

The trainer said it is important to have similar projects around Jordan because these places give people with disabilities the confidence to depend on themselves.

Earlier this month Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said people with disabilities constitute 13 per cent of the Jordanian community.

AMMAN — The country will be affected on Monday by a relatively cold air mass which will bring rain and below-average temperatures, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said on Sunday.

Temperatures on Monday are forecast to drop three degrees below their annual average during this time of year of 20°C, a JMD meteorologist said.

The weather will be relatively cold in mountainous areas and fair in the rest of the country, the meteorologist said, adding that winds will be westerly moderate to brisk, and high temperatures will be 17°C, dropping to 8°C at night in the capital.

The impact of the relatively cold air mass is expected to continue on Tuesday, when the weather will become cloudy, with light rain expected in the western parts of the country, said the weather forecaster, who requested anonymity.

Temperatures on Tuesday will be 17°C during the day and 10°C at night in Amman, and winds will be westerly to northwesterly moderate to brisk.

Cloudy weather will continue on Wednesday, when it will be relatively cold with light rain forecast in the northern and central regions, according to the meteorologist.

Winds will be northwesterly moderate to brisk, raising dust in the badia, and temperatures will range between a high of 16°C and a low of 9°C in Amman.

Unstable weather and relatively cold air masses affect the country during spring, which started on March 21 in the northern hemisphere.

Spring in Jordan also marks the start of the khamsini season.

The name is derived from “khamsin” — meaning 50 in Arabic — because it usually occurs during a 50-day time frame, from March 21 through May 10. Khamsini weather conditions affect the eastern part of the Mediterranean an average of once a week during this period, according to the JMD.

The hot, sand-laden winds, originating from the Atlas Mountains in north Africa, annually move east of the Mediterranean Sea around this time of year, and are usually preceded by unseasonably high temperatures and dry and dusty conditions.

SHARM EL SHEIKH — His Majesty King Abdullah has said Jordan is fully committed to the Arab military effort in Yemen to support Yemen’s legitimate leadership, its people and uproot foreign interference in Yemen’s internal affairs — an interference that serves expansionist powers and brings Yemen and its people no good.

"We will continue to stand by our brotherly country and its legitimate leadership... Our aim is to ensure Yemen’s stability, preserve its political independence, enhance its security, preserve its territorial integrity, protect its borders and guarantee that there are no threats to neighbouring countries, especially brotherly Arab countries of the Gulf, whose security is integral to the security of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and we reject any attempt to compromise it," King Abdullah said in an address at the Arab Summit read on his behalf by Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour (see full text).

His Majesty noted that the military operation was initiated in response to an official request made by Yemen’s legitimate and constitutional authority to the Arab League and the United Nations Security Council, in line with the Arab Joint Defence Treaty and Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. He said Jordan looks forward to seeing Yemen overcome its current situation and to preserve its national unity, sovereignty and achievements. 

“We stress on Jordan’s full support for the GCC’s initiative on Yemen and its executive mechanisms and national dialogue efforts under President [Abed Rabbo Mansour] Hadi. Jordan condemns all forms of terrorism targeting Yemeni people and Yemen’s social fabric,” the King said at the summit attended by 14 Arab leaders at Sharm El Sheikh.

Calling for collective pan-Arab efforts to achieve a comprehensive Arab strategy to address the growing dangers of terrorism and sectarian and political violence, which aim to distort the true image of our faith and its message of peace, the Monarch said the “war on terrorism and extremism is our war”.

“It is a war in which we, Muslims, defend our faith and its ideals against terrorist groups that have nothing to do with Islam and seek to undermine the security and future of the Arab nation. Accordingly, we need to adopt a holistic approach to defeat and uproot this new breed of Khawarij. This approach should entail military, security, social, educational and cultural efforts among others. It is complemented by policies and resources made available to fight marginalisation, poverty, exclusion and creating jobs for our youth,” said the King.

In order to dispel terrorists’ ideology, scholars, intellectuals and opinion leaders must assume their responsibility in formulating discourses in the fields of religion, media and culture that seek enlightenment and reflect Islam’s true principles of moderation, openness and tolerance. This effort is necessary to refute the false claims of deviant groups against our true religion and enhance the role of the media in fighting the lies these Khawarij are spreading, he said.

“Because this war is our war, we, Muslims and Arabs, must unite our efforts and lead an Arab-Muslim coalition to face terrorism and confront all forms of Islamophobia, which feed religious extremism,” said King Abdullah.

In his address, King Abdullah said the Palestinian cause is the core conflict in the Middle East.

 “It is the key to addressing all regional issues. It encompasses the rights of the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate aspirations to establish an independent, sovereign and viable state on national Palestinian soil on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution, international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, which together compose the basis to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and achieve comprehensive peace in the Middle East,” he said.

“We urgently call on the international community and world powers to concentrate efforts on resuming serious negotiations, leading to a just and permanent settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in order to allow our region to embark on building a secure and stable future. Otherwise, our legitimate cause will continue to get used as a rallying call for forces that do not seek our people’s interests, but their interests at the expense of Palestinians,” said the King.

His Majesty added that Jordan affirms its commitment to protect and preserve the Islamic and Christen holy sites and confront all actions that seek to violate their sanctity or infringe on their status, stressing that Jordan will continue to encourage the international community to fulfil its responsibilities to end grave Israeli violations in the holy city, particularly Al Aqsa Mosque Compound — Al Haram Al Sharif. 

The Monarch warned that the continuation of these violations thwart peace efforts. Equally, Jordan will always uphold the historical, religious and national responsibility to preserve the Arab identity of Jerusalem and support its people’s resistance, he said.

On Syria, the King reiterated Jordan’s call for a comprehensive political solution that fulfils the demands of the Syrian people and ensures the inclusion and participation of all components of Syrian society in charting their future.

On Iraq, the King said Arab countries should also support the efforts being led by the Iraqi government and people to counter terrorism and uproot criminal gangs and organisations from Iraq. Participation of all components of the Iraqi people and their real and continued inclusion is a key requirement for the success of these efforts.

Referring to the escalating situation in Iraq, the King stressed the importance of commitment to support its efforts to enroot sovereignty, security and stability.

He also called for supporting Libya’s institution-building efforts and its elected national parliament and the government that emerged from it, which represent the foundations of legitimacy. 

On the sidelines of the summit, King Abdullah held several separate meetings with Arab leaders, according to a Royal Court statement.

At a meeting with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, the two leaders underlined the need for intensified efforts to face the challenges facing some Arab countries at present, especially Yemen. 

The two leaders urged more efforts to revive the peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis, leading to the creation of an independent Palestinian state in line with the relevant international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. Talks also covered the situation in Syria, Iraq and Libya.

His Majesty also met with King of Bahrain Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, where they urged developing a unified Arab stance to face extremism and combat terrorist gangs, and deal with challenges in the region, especially in Yemen.

On Syria, King Abdullah called for a political solution that preserves the unity of the country and ends the bloodshed. 

At a meeting with Iraqi President Fouad Masoum, King Abdullah voiced support for Iraq and efforts to safeguard its security and stability. Discussions also focused on regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and face terrorist ideologies.

His Majesty also held separate meetings with President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, where they discussed cooperation, regional developments and means to activate joint Arab work.

AMMAN — The Planning and International Cooperation Ministry and the UN on Saturday signed a launching agreement of the Jordan Resilience Fund (JRF) as a unified channel for donor contributions against the impact of the Syrian crisis on Jordan. 

The fund, which is jointly managed by the government, the UN and donors, seeks to coordinate donations addressing the needs of Syrian refugees in Jordan as well as host communities, estimated at $2.9 billion in the Jordan Response Plan 2015 (JRP).

In his remarks to the media, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury said the establishment of the fund is meant to provide an “impartial platform to strengthen coordination, assessment, planning and communication among various entities of the Jordanian government, UN agencies, international aid agencies and nongovernmental organisations”.

He added that JRF will allow non-traditional donation means for donors that are not represented in Jordan, adding that establishing the fund is part of the government’s preparations for the upcoming Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, scheduled to take place in Kuwait on March 31.

He noted that increasing donor funding will help Jordan continue the support it provides for Syrian refugees, as well as sustaining the development achievements it has worked on accomplishing for decades.

“The humanitarian and development needs of the refugees were incorporated within the 3RP [Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan] to guarantee that the regionally collected funding to deal with the Syrian crisis is in harmony with Jordan’s national priorities,” he said. 

The minister highlighted an electronic information system that is already in place for donors to use to submit their funding applications. He noted that users can view assistance for projects to avoid duplication of funding, adding that donors and representatives of international agencies have received training on using the portal. 

The JRP is a one-year programme to consolidate all major national and international efforts to address the humanitarian and developmental impacts of the Syrian crisis within a nationally-led and owned process in partnership with the UN and the international community.

From his side, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Edward Kallon described the capitalisation of the JRF as a “priority”, calling on donors to consider it as a possible mechanism for contributions and pledges, including those to be made at the upcoming conference in Kuwait.

“The effect of the Syria crisis in Jordan is unprecedented. The country remains a bastion of regional stability, but national response capacity and traditional humanitarian response infrastructure are at full stretch,” he said at the signing event, addressing representatives of several UN and other aid agencies.

He highlighted the need for a paradigm shift in donors’ collective response to crisis, describing the JRF as a tool to promote aid effectiveness, reduce fragmentation and avoid duplication of efforts. Kallon noted that the success of the JRP hinges on the “mobilisation of very significant additional resources to meet the $2.9 billion funding needed”.

“We must now collectively seek to do more, including breaking down traditional funding silos and committing to JRP as the single funding framework for mitigating the effects of the Syria crisis,” he concluded. 

The number of registered Syrian refugees in Jordan has reached 625,000, while the overall number of Syrians in Jordan is around 1.4 million. 

SHARM EL SHEIKH — The Saudi Arabia-led operation against the Houthi rebels in Yemen is crucial to protect the region's stability, Arab unity and the Arab identity of Yemen, Arab leaders agreed Saturday.

At the 26th Arab League Summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Arab leaders voiced their "full support" for the operation against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, saying the militia’s “coup” is a threat not only to the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, but to the Arab world and world peace.

Operation Storm of Resolve, in which several Arab countries are taking part with the support of the US and many other nations, comes after the Houthi rebels’ insistence on destroying the country and serving regional agendas, leaders said at the opening of the annual summit, held at the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh.

Saudi Arabia did not spare any efforts to address the situation in Yemen, but the Houthis’ intransigence and pursuit of power and control, rejection of all initiatives and their aggression against the Yemeni people led to the military operation, Saudi Arabia's King Salman Bin Abdulaziz said in his address at the annual gathering of Arab leaders.

"The Houthi militants elicited foreign powers' support to threaten the region's security," said the newly crowned Saudi monarch.

“We hoped not to resort to this decision [the operation]. The Houthi militants’ aggression is the biggest threat to the stability and security of the region,” he added.

The Saudi-led operation against the Houthi militants will continue until security is restored, King Salam told the summit, emphasising that the door remains open for dialogue.

Delivering a speech that was not scheduled for the opening summit, embattled Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi called for going ahead with air strikes against the Houthi rebels, whom he labelled as the “stooges of Iran”, until they surrender.

Hadi, who called on his supporters to rise up in peaceful protests, said the regional coalition’s air strikes should continue until the Houthi militants return heavy and medium weapons they looted from army depots.

Arab leaders also backed a plan to set up a joint Arab military force to face threats facing pan-Arab security and stability.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia pledged to use 100 warplanes and contribute 150,000 soldiers to the Yemen operation as the rest of the countries in the coalition, that includes more than 10 nations, announced participation with 85 fighter jets.

Voicing support to pounding Houthi targets in Yemen, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi accused the Houthis of “terrorising Yemenis and jeopardising regional stability”.

“They resorted to weapons, neglecting the legitimacy of the presidency and violating all previous understandings and dialogue outcomes,” he said.

Sisi labelled the militants as “opportunists seeking to marginalise the remaining segments of the Yemeni society and serving the purposes of external powers that aim to take advantage of the situation in Yemen to spread chaos and destruction in the Arab world”.

“It was a must for Arabs to take action through a coalition of Arab countries and international players to preserve the stability, unity, Arab identity and territorial integrity of Yemen, and to ensure that the legitimate leadership restores power over all Yemeni territories,” the Egyptian president said.

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah noted that his country was among the first to support the operation to bring an end to the Houthis’ aggression on the legitimate leadership in Yemen, taking control of key facilities in the country, and threatening Saudi Arabia, the GCC countries and the entire region.

“After all peaceful means to find a solution failed and upon a call by the Yemeni president for intervention and in line with the GCC Defence Pact and the Arab Treaty of Joint Defence, Arabs stood up to defend Yemen,” the Kuwaiti emir said.

Speaking during the summit, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the sole way to prevent a conflict in Yemen was through UN-facilitated negotiations.

“Negotiations — facilitated by my special envoy Jamal Benomar and endorsed by the Security Council — remain the only chance to prevent long, drawn-out conflict,” he said.

The UN chief urged Israel to end nearly a half century of occupation, stressing that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal and constitute a serious impendent to peace.

On top of Arab leaders’ agenda during the summit, which will run through Sunday, was also encountering terrorism and terrorist groups via a comprehensive strategy. As it is the case during each summit, the decade-long Arab-Israeli conflict figured on the summit’s agenda with rejection of Israeli settlement activities and violations against Al Aqsa Mosque.

Also on their agenda was the escalating situation in Syria. They called for an inclusive political solution to end the cycle of violence that ensures the Syrian people their right to determine their future.

On Libya, the Arab leaders called on the international community to shoulder its responsibility to restore stability in the country and fight terrorist groups. 

AMMAN — The Civil Coalition for Monitoring Parliamentary Elections (Rased) on Saturday issued a report on the 21st week of the Lower House’s second ordinary session.

The report noted that the Lower House voted last Wednesday to postpone a general discussion session to look into the issue of print media, despite the fact that it lacked quorum at the time of the vote.

The Chamber adjourned the session without setting another date or explaining the decision, Rased said, adding that the decision was based on a memo received by MP Ahmad Safadi, who presided over the session.