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AMMAN — Temperatures in Jordan will rise slightly on Tuesday, marking the beginning of a gradual warming trend that is expected to continue throughout the week.

According to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD), stable and mild weather conditions will prevail, especially in the highlands, while moderate temperatures are expected in most other regions.

High-altitude clouds may appear throughout the day, and winds will be northwesterly and moderate.

On Wednesday, temperatures are expected to rise slightly. The weather will be warm in most regions and relatively hot in the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba.

Light clouds may persist at higher altitudes, and moderate northwesterly winds will continue.

By Thursday, temperatures are expected to rise further, reaching levels 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average. Most regions will experience warm weather, while the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba will be hot. Winds will shift to the northeast and remain moderate.

The JMD advises caution in areas prone to early morning or overnight fog, especially at higher altitudes, and notes the possibility of light dust in parts of the eastern Badia.

Temperatures in Amman are expected to range between 24°C and 15°C on Tuesday, while Aqaba will be warmer, with highs of 33°C and lows of 20°C.

AMMAN — Run Jordan on Monday launched preparations for the fourth edition of the Bromine Women’s Race, scheduled for May 30, at Al Hussein Public Parks.

Held under the slogan “Run for You,” the race is sponsored by Bromine and organised in partnership with the Greater Amman Municipality and several private sector partners, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Run Jordan stressed its ongoing commitment to creating safe, inclusive spaces for women in sports, spaces that empower participants and foster greater community involvement.

The organisation also underscored the value of strategic partnerships in the race’s continued success, highlighting its strong collaboration with the Greater Amman Municipality, alongside the vital contributions of sponsors and volunteers.

General-Manager of Run Jordan Lina Kurd shared insights from her recent participation in the World Marathons Congress in Vietnam, where she spotlighted the significance of the Bromine Women’s Race.

She noted that while global female participation in marathons averages around 20 per cent, women account for up to 40 per cent of participants in Run Jordan events, which reflects Jordan’s leadership in advancing women’s sports.

Kurd said that the women-only race is not a response to the absence of women in mixed events, but rather a celebration of their presence and a platform to showcase their role in society.

She also stressed that the race aims to promote women’s empowerment and enhance both physical and mental well-being.

Run Jordan invites women of all ages and backgrounds to join the event, which features two race categories, 2.6 kilometres and 5.2 kilometres, both set to start at 9am.

AJLOUN — HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal, President of the Higher Council for Science and Technology (HCST), on Monday inaugurated the regional conference titled “Climate Justice in the Arab World: Where Do We Stand?”

The three-day event, held in Ajloun Governorate, is organised by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC – Quakers) in partnership with the Royal Academy for Nature Conservation.

In his opening remarks, Prince El Hassan called for redefining “scarcity” as a driver of regional solidarity and cooperation, highlighting the Arab world’s “acute vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.”

He also stressed that climate justice cannot be realised if communities are seen merely as recipients of aid, underscoring the need to empower people and foster dialogue to translate knowledge and expertise into community-led local action.

Prince El Hassan also urged for an integrated resource management approach, linking water, food, energy and ecosystems, as a path toward sustainable outcomes that bolster both climate and food security. He also called on Arab governments to adopt this model as a regional policy.

Highlighting the need for collective knowledge-sharing among Arab states, Prince El Hassan emphasised the importance of inclusive dialogue, good governance, and a holistic vision to balance human development with environmental protection and ensure a better future for the next generations.

He also renewed his call to establish a regional socio-economic council that can reshape Western perceptions of the Levant (Mashreq) and represent the region internationally in ways that reflect its real needs and promote integration based on equity and mutual respect.

AFSC Regional Director Khaled Kooz said that achieving climate justice in the region is inseparable from realising human justice. He noted that populations most affected by war and conflict in the Arab world are also the most exposed to the impacts of climate change.

Kooz also stressed the need to link human rights and environmental justice, noting that protecting human rights must be a priority in all development and environmental initiatives.

He added that the conference is part of AFSC’s broader “Regional Dialogue” programme, which aims to build bridges among diverse communities and promote shared understanding of key regional issues. He emphasised that the complex challenges facing the region require collective, cross-border solutions rather than isolated efforts.

The conference gathers experts, researchers, academics, environmental activists, and civil society representatives from Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon.

It features discussions on climate change, environmental justice, historical and political contexts, and the role of active movements working on environmental and climate issues in the Arab world.

AMMAN — Education For Employment-Jordan (EFE-Jordan), in partnership with Education For Employment-Europe and international humanitarian organisation COOPI, on Monday celebrated the conclusion of the B-LIEVE project.

The event marked the end of a three-year initiative funded by the EU to equip over 1,000 youth, including persons with disabilities and at-risk youth, with the skills and knowledge needed to enter the workforce and thrive, according to a Ministry of Social Development statement.

Held in the presence of Minister of Social Development Wafa Bani Mustafa and Team Leader for Governance and Human Development at the EU Delegation to Jordan Mary Horvers, the event highlighted the project's achievements in fostering diversity, inclusion, and empowerment in Jordan’s labour market.

 Participants and partners reflected on the transformative outcomes of the programme through testimonials and shared success stories. A central feature of the event was a panel discussion titled “The Power of Inclusion,” which brought together representatives from the EU Delegation in Jordan, the Department of Correctional and Rehabilitation Centres, civil society, private sector partners, and family members of programme graduates. The discussion underscored the importance of cross-sector cooperation in building inclusive pathways to economic opportunity.

The event concluded with a vibrant bazaar where young entrepreneurs, many of them project graduates, exhibited and sold their products, demonstrating both their skills and the tangible economic impact of the initiative.

The B-LIEVE project is a testament to the shared commitment of the European Union, EFE-Europe, EFE-Jordan, and COOPI to strengthening economic resilience and promoting social inclusion among marginalised Jordanians and Syrian refugees across the Kingdom.

Education For Employment-Jordan is a locally registered non-profit organisation established in 2006. It leads a national initiative to create economic opportunities for unemployed youth in Jordan. Since its inception, EFE-Jordan has trained over 40,000 youth, 70 per cent of whom are women, and linked 85 per cent of its graduates to jobs.

EFE-Jordan is part of the global Education for Employment (EFE) Network, comprising locally-run foundations in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, and Palestine, along with global support hubs in Europe, the US, and the UAE.

AMMAN — The Lower House passed on Monday the recommendations of its Finance Committee regarding the Audit Bureau's reports for the years 2022 and 2023.

The committee's recommendations include the formation of a permanent committee tasked with monitoring the spending of financial allocations for capital projects funded by loans and grants. The aim is to ensure that borrowing costs do not rise due to project delays or the failure to secure full funding from grants, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The committee has also recommended that grant and loan agreements be aligned with relevant laws and called for conducting feasibility studies for capital projects, and for halting the transfer of financial allocations between projects that do not yield significant results. It also highlighted the importance of implementing water loss reduction projects.

MP Awni Zou’bi, the committee’s rapporteur, said that "the lack of cooperation between the concerned departments and the Ministry of Public Works has contributed to delays in project completion, higher borrowing costs, and financial penalties,” calling for holding accountable those behind “administrative negligence.”

The committee also called for a review of contract terms to identify weaknesses and address instances of negligence in fulfilling contractual obligations. “The arbitration decisions had resulted in payments of around JD73 million from the Treasury in connection with 108 concluded cases,” Zou’bi said.

The committee has also recommended a review of the objectives and financial sustainability of the state-owned companies in which the government holds a 50 per cent stake to ensure that they do not incur further losses that could burden the Treasury in the future, according to Petra.

The committee emphasised the need for state-owned companies to comply with corporate law, issue financial statements in accordance with legal deadlines, and adopt strategies to reduce operating costs.

Also on Monday, the House approved the draft law on regulating the handling of virtual assets for the year 2025.

Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Digital Economy, Hussein Khreisha, said the draft law “will not prevent citizens from trading in virtual currencies and licensed platforms, hailing the dedicated follow-up by HRH Crown Prince Hussein for the attention he pays to the digital economy and virtual assets.

He said that the issue plays an important role in empowering Jordanian youth with modern tools and enhancing their role in building a knowledge-based and innovative economy. He added that passing the Virtual Assets Regulation Law is a pivotal step aligned with Royal directives calling for keeping pace with global technological advancements and enhancing Jordan’s standing in digital innovation.

He pointed out that the law is no longer a “deferred option, but a pressing national necessity in light of the official ban on this type of transaction, especially with regard to the growth in citizen activity in the field.”

“Estimates suggest that over 100,000 Jordanians trade virtual assets through global platforms, with a transaction volume nearing JD900 million,” he said.

Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Moneim Odat said that the law requires service providers to be legal entities and to register a company in Jordan, with known capital, budget, and location, to ensure a legal framework for those dealing with such companies and to provide legal and rights-based guarantees.

He added that the law will regulate dealings in virtual assets instead of leaving them unlegislated, saying, “Today, this law enters Jordan’s legislative environment, and in its minimum form, aligns with all other existing legislation. The law is in the interest of citizens dealing in virtual assets.”

Minister of State for Economic Affairs Muhannad Shehadeh said that one of the main reasons behind the draft law “is the large volume of trading by Jordanians through digital platforms based outside of Jordan, estimated at around JD900 million.”

AMMAN — The Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned attacks targeting vital facilities and civilian infrastructure in the Sudanese cities of Port Sudan and Kassala.

In a statement, the ministry described the attacks as a violation of international humanitarian law and an alarming escalation that threatens regional security and stability.

Ministry spokesperson SufianQudah reiterated Jordan’s solidarity with the government and people of Sudan, stressing the Kingdom’s firm support for efforts aimed at ending the crisis, preserving Sudan’s sovereignty, and safeguarding the country’s security and territorial unity.

Sudan's army-aligned authorities said rival paramilitaries launched on Monday a second drone strike in two days targeting the government's seat of power, setting ablaze the country's main fuel depot, AFP reported.

AFP correspondents said a thick cloud of black smoke was billowing for hours over Port Sudan, on the country's Red Sea coast, after the attack blamed of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)

The authorities were fighting to contain the fire, which the energy ministry said had spread across "warehouses filled with fuel".

The ministry warned of a "potential disaster in the area".

Energy Minister Mohieldin Naeem Saeed called Monday's attack a "terrorist operation" targeting civilian infrastructure.

In the conflict's early days, the government and UN agencies relocated from Khartoum to Port Sudan, which until Sunday had been spared the violence and where hundreds of thousands of displaced people have sought refuge.

The war has killed tens of thousands, uprooted 13 million and created the world's largest hunger and displacement crises.