Local

AMMAN — Temperatures on Sunday will drop further, and the weather will remain extremely cold and partly cloudy, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) forecast on Saturday.

There is a slight chance of light, scattered rainfall in the western parts of the Kingdom during the early morning of Sunday, possibly in the form of light snow over mountain heights, the JMD added. 

Monday’s weather will be extremely cold, ranging from partly cloudy to occasionally overcast. There remains a chance of light morning rain, possibly turning into light snow over mountainous areas.  

By Tuesday, temperatures will rise slightly, but conditions will remain very cold, with high-altitude clouds appearing. 

Several high-altitude areas in Ajloun Governorate, 70 kilometres northwest of Amman, saw snowfall and hail showers on Saturday morning.  

Ajloun governor urged the public to take weather warnings seriously to ensure everyone's safety.  

On Sunday, temperatures in East Amman will range between 5°C and -1°C, in West Amman between 3°C and -2°C, in the northern highlands between 1°C and -4°C, in the Badia region between 7°C and -2°C, in the plains between 5°C and -1°C.

In the northern Jordan Valley, mercury levels on Sunday will range between 12°C and 3°C, in the southern Jordan Valley between 16°C and 7°C, at the Dead Sea between 14°C and 6°C, and in Aqaba between 17°C and 6°C.

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a November 2022 Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to 12 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man during a brawl in Irbid in August 2020.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of attempting to murder the victim with a switchblade on August  2.

The defendant, who was also convicted of resisting arrest charges, was given the maximum sentence.

Court papers said the defendant contacted the victim and asked him to meet in an area close to downtown Irbid to discuss an old feud.

When the victim arrived at the designated destination, “the two had a heated exchange and the defendant ended up stabbing the victim in the neck,” court papers said.

"The defendant then sped off with his vehicle and refused to stop when a police patrol attempted to pull him over following a complaint by the victim’s family," court documents said.

Meanwhile, the victim was rushed to a nearby hospital with severe injuries but survived the stabbing incident, the court added.

The defendant was eventually arrested and referred to the Criminal Court prosecutor for questioning and indictment, the court papers stated.

The defendant did not appeal his verdict at a higher court.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the 12-year sentence ruling.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and that the defendant was given the appropriate punishment.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat, Qassem Dughmi, Mohammad Khashashneh and Hammad Ghzawi.

SHARJAH, UAE — The 9th edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival opened with grandeur as Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi inaugurated the event at Aljada, Sharjah. 

The festival, reaffirming the irreplaceable power of human vision and artistry, extends through February 26, thereby marking the outset of a seven-day global convergence of photography, filmmaking and visual storytelling.

Spanning 49,000 square metres, Xposure 2025 brings together 420 renowned photographers, filmmakers and industry experts from 48 countries. Through a dynamic programme composed of solo and group exhibitions, panel discussions and workshops, the festival cements Sharjah’s reputation as a global centre for cultural and artistic exchange.

In his opening address, Director General of SGMB Tariq Saeed Allay emphasised photography’s powerful ability to capture reality and evoke deep human emotion.

“When the first photograph was taken in 1826, the process was far from the simple click of a button we know today. It was a painstaking endeavour requiring hours of preparation and patience," Allay said. 

"At the time, capturing just 50 images was considered a scientific and artistic achievement, akin to uncovering the secrets of an unseen world. In 2024 alone, nearly two trillion images were taken globally, an undeniable testament to humanity’s innate desire to document, express, and preserve memories,” he noted.

Contrasting AI-generated renditions of iconic images like the Afghan Monalisa with authentic photography, he posed a pivotal question: “What gives an image its true power?” 

The answer, he argued, lies not in algorithms but in the raw, unfiltered vision of photographers who brave the world’s harshest landscapes, take risks, and wait for the defining moment — immersing themselves in the lives of others to capture images that resonate, move, and inspire. 

Allay added that while AI has carved a role for itself in research, analysis, and innovation, no machine can replicate the instinct of the human eye, the depth of human emotion, or the irreplaceable power of lived experience.

Reaffirming Xposure’s founding purpose, he reiterated the festival’s commitment and dedication to honouring and celebrating photographers whose work goes beyond mere technical expertise, through redefining storytelling through patience, dedication, and an unrelenting pursuit of truth. 

“And what better place to celebrate such vision than Sharjah?” he said, reinforcing the unshaken Emirati standing as a distinguished global beacon and hub of cultural excellence, literature, and the arts.

The festival’s global stature was reinforced by a keynote speech by Glen Gainor, who is Head of Production at Amazon Original Films. 

During the inaugural ceremony, Gainor lauded Sharjah’s commitment to education and cultural excellence under the leadership of Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi. 

He highlighted that beyond words, pointing that photography serves as a universal language, one capable of transcending borders and shaping global narratives.

“Xposure is not just a festival; it is a platform where cultures converge, where ideas take form, and where the world’s most pressing issues, from climate change to social justice, find visual representation,” Gainor said.

He also noted the transformation of storytelling in the digital arena, where platforms like YouTube and AI-generated images have revolutionised how people consume and generate visual content, warning that “technology may enhance storytelling, but it can never replace the authenticity, patience, and depth that human photographers bring to their craft.”

Moving forward, among Xposure’s most compelling discussions delved into the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and photography. As AI-generated images increasingly blur the boundaries between truth and illusion, Xposure 2025 posed a pivotal question: What ultimately determines an image’s authenticity?

The festival’s opening film explored this theme in depth, drawing a striking visual comparison between pixels in an image and cells in a living organism, each an essential component of a larger whole. Enhanced by a live performance blending poetry and music, the screening reinforced photography’s profound ability to shape human awareness and foster global connections.

More than just an exhibition, this year’s Xposure serves as a call to action. From documenting humanitarian crises to exposing environmental devastation, the festival highlights the critical responsibility of photographers to capture truth in its most unfiltered form.

An Immersive Platform for Photography Enthusiasts

Xposure 2025 presents a dynamic and engaging experience for both professionals and aspiring photographers. Attendees can take part in specialized workshops, panel discussions, film screenings, portfolio reviews, and guided tours. Also, the fourth edition of the Conservation Summit will spotlight photography’s crucial role in capturing environmental challenges and amplifying global awareness.

The opening ceremony welcomed a distinguished gathering of guests, including Chairman of the Sharjah Ruler’s Office Sheikh Salem bin Abdulrahman Al Qasimi, Director General of the Sharjah Digital Department Sheikh Saud bin Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Director General of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators Sheikha Jawaher bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, and First Lady of Zanzibar Mariam Mwinyi.

AMMAN — The Umm Tuwayrat site is a dolmen field probably related to the Bronze Age located near the city of Shobak. The site was first documented by Elżbieta Dubis, Mohammad Marahleh, and Sami Nawafleh in 2004.

Jagiellonian University (JU) team included preparing a detailed geological map of the site’s geological stratigraphy and lithology and the geological layers at this site span from the Late Cretaceous to the Palaeocene.

To the east and west, the natural boundaries of the site were the valleys of two seasonal rivers. 

However, several stone structures identified during their search appear to be fragments of two stone walls that probably constituted the original symbolic boundaries of the site from the south and north, noted Marek Novak from JU, adding that within these borders were other stone structures including 12 dolmens and at least 10 stone circles or mounds.

"The function of stone mounds and circles is often difficult to identify. Similar stone circles found throughout the Near East have been linked to a variety of activities [e.g. agricultural, cultic, funerary, land marking]," Novak said.

"However, the rocky nature of the Umm Tuwayrat site makes it unsuitable for agriculture, therefore this activity can be ruled out as the original context of the stone structures," Novak underlined.

He added that due to the funerary nature of the site, the stone circles were used in rituals or during preparation of corpses prior to secondary burial in the dolmens.

Six out of 12 dolmens were well preserved, while the remaining dolmens were damaged. The structures reached up to 160 cm in height, 200 cm in width, and

300 cm in length, Novak said, adding that the goal of the fieldwork was to comprehensively document the structures and all the artefacts scattered on the surface in their vicinity, as well as to methodically explore the soil pockets and hollows around and inside the dolmens.

The Polish team identified deposits resulting mostly from natural erosion processes, especially in the sloping part of the site. Only dolmen contained a thin soil layer that seemed to constitute the primary archaeological context for the artifacts and the deposited human remains. 

"In this context, the bones were found folded in a non-anatomical position, piled up inside the dolmen along one of its walls. In addition, several unidentified structures have been found at the site, the most intriguing being a rectangular pool and a well carved into the rock at the top of the hill," said Jacek Karmowski.

Karmowski added that the chronological relationship between these structures and the dolmens remains elusive, and the pool and well may have been built at a later date.

It remains unknown when dolmens were created.

In general, little can be said about this assemblage beyond the fact that pottery fragments, ranging from the Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age to the Byzantine period, were found near the dolmens and in their interiors.

"The research brought to light 608 artefacts made of siliceous rock scattered among the dolmens. The majority, e.g. flakes and blades were difficult to assign to precise cultural or chronological groups, although some specimens appeared to be associated with the Bronze Age and, possibly, with the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic," Karmowski elaborated.

These included flakes with steep or semi-steep retouches on the edges transverse to the débitage axis and minor retouches on the sides, classified as inserts or sickle.

The latter are considered to be more characteristic of the EB I, but they also occurred in Chalcolithic assemblages, although in smaller numbers.

Only one unmistakable example of a tabular scraper was found but numerous flake tools of a similar type, commonly referred to as scrapers were present as well. Notably, the forms mentioned here have also been recorded in Neolithic contexts. 

"However, given the other finds at the site, including structures and pottery, these tools should be attributed to the Chalcolithic or the Bronze Age," Novak underscored, adding that the lithic assemblage also contained core bifacial tools, which rather seem attributable to the Chalcolithic.