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AMMAN — The “Future of Culture in Arab Cities” conference began in Amman on Tuesday, with the participation of 26 city representatives from 11 Arab nations, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh said that culture is a main aspect of human and social development, and a basic contributor to economic growth.

Ahmad Sbeih, secretary general of the Arab Towns Organisation, stressed that cities are the main contributor to development, noting the importance of cultural activities they host. 

AMMAN — The total number of divorces registered at Sharia courts in 2016 reached 21,969, including 19,919 divorces of Jordanian men and 2,050 of non-Jordanian men, the Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI) said in a statement, citing the 2016 Department of Statistics report on Tuesday.

The divorces involved 19,487 cases for Jordanian women and 2,482 cases for non-Jordanian women. SIGI noted that 21.2 per cent of divorced men and 51.8 per cent of divorced women are under the age of 25, while 4,674 males and 11,397 females in the age group of 15-25 were divorced.

The institute said that 402 marriages, out of the total of 10,907 in 2016 ended in divorce in the same year. 

AMMAN — The Kingdom displays competitive characteristics for more than 46 local products to enter the Kenyan market, a Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) study showed on Tuesday.

The study noted that such Jordanian products are mainly manufactured in the construction, chemical, cosmetics, plastic, rubber, leather, engineering, electric, wood and furniture fields, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The survey showed that local products face some non-customs obstacles that are related to time and high fees at Kenyan ports. Jordan’s exports to Kenya in 2016 valued some $4 million, compared to $5.77 million in 2015, marking a 38.9 per cent drop. 

AMMAN — A teacher on Tuesday was allegedly assaulted by a visitor in a school in Mafraq Governorate, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Secretary of the teacher’s syndicate in Mafraq said that the teacher has been transferred to Mafraq public hospital, noting that the association has been following up with the education directorate and security forces. He added that the suspected attacker has been arrested, and that the syndicate will take action following this attack. 

AMMAN — Criminal Investigation Department (CID) personnel have arrested a suspected fraudster, who tried to blackmail two citizens after leading them to believe that they can get job contracts outside the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Tuesday. 

After they travelled to the destination, the suspect with accomplices stationed outside the country, took videos of the job applicants in “compromising situations”, Petra said.

The two filed a complaint to the CID/cyber crimes unit against the suspect, adding that after they returned to Jordan, they received a phone call demanding money, allegedly claiming to have videos of the victims outside the country. After further investigation, the suspected fraudster has been arrested. 

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah met on Monday with senior US administration officials, with discussions covering means to bolster Jordan’s strategic partnership with the US, as well as current regional developments.

At a meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence, the two sides affirmed the deep-rooted Jordanian-US ties, and their keenness to build on them in various areas, as well as maintaining coordination and consultation on regional and international issues.

Discussions covered Jordan’s economic plans and reforms, aimed at rejuvenating growth and increasing the Jordanian economy’s resilience in the face of regional challenges.

The two sides also discussed Jordanian-US economic cooperation, and the renewal of the memorandum of understanding between the two countries, which will set the volume of economic and military support for the coming years.

King Abdullah expressed appreciation for the US’ constant support for the Kingdom, which bolsters development efforts.

Discussions at the meeting also touched on efforts to achieve peace between the Palestinians and Israelis.

His Majesty affirmed the importance of the US administration’s commitment to this issue, calling for intensifying efforts to relaunch serious and effective negotiations based on the two-state solution, the Arab Peace Initiative and international terms of reference.

The King and Vice President Pence discussed other crises in the Middle East, including the Syrian crisis and efforts to reach a political solution, as well as the developments in Iraq.

Moreover, discussions addressed regional and international efforts to fight terrorism in line with a holistic strategy.

For his part, Vice President Pence expressed his appreciation of Jordan’s steadfast positions, led by His Majesty, supporting security and stability in the region.

The meeting with Assistant to the US President for National Security Affairs H. R. McMaster covered Jordanian-US security cooperation and developments in the region, as well as cooperation in line with regional and global efforts to fight terrorism within a holistic approach.

The King stressed that failure to reach a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause will fuel further extremism and violence in the Middle East.

His Majesty held separate meetings with US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis, Senior Adviser to the US President Jared Kushner and several members of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

 Discussions at these meetings tackled the strategic partnership between Jordan and the US at various levels, efforts to push the Palestinian-Israeli peace process forward and current developments in the region.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan and Jordan’s Ambassador in Washington, DC, Dina Kawar attended the meetings.

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Monday discussed with Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Saeb Erekat the US Department of State’s decision to close the organisation’s offices in Washington DC, calling on the US administration to reverse the move.

During Safadi’s visit to Erekat in Washington to check on his health following a surgery, the two officials also discussed progress in efforts to resume the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis on the basis of the two-state solution that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital. 

The two officials stressed the importance of putting an end to the Israeli illegal settlement activity and the unilateral measures Tel Aviv takes to impose a new status quo in East Jerusalem, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

They reiterated that peace is an Arab strategic option that Jordan and Palestine will continue supporting in cooperation with the international community.

AMMAN —  The number of Syrian refugees returning voluntarily to Syria from Jordan has been “slightly” rising since a tripartite agreement to back a ceasefire in southwest Syria went into effect early July.

In October, there were some 750 returns from Jordan to Syria, compared with 1,078 voluntary returns in September, 1,203 in August and about 631 in July.

The increase is more evident when the October figure is compared to the first six months of the year when 1,700 refugees voluntarily returned to Syria, Olga Sarrado Mur, associate external relations officer at UNHCR, told The Jordan Times on Monday.

The UNHCR, however, said the numbers were not very significant compared to the overall Syrian refugee population.

“Despite the increase in absolute figures, we are still talking about very small numbers [less than 0.2 per cent of the overall Syrian refugee population in Jordan] as refugee communities are rightfully cautious about the relative calm created by the ceasefire that took effect on July 9, 2017,” Mur said.

Asked on whether the deal reached between Jordan, the US and Russia to create a de-escalation zone that went into effect on July 9 played a role, she said: “Giving the ongoing changes within Syria it would be premature to make correlations between specific political events and movement of refugees at this time.“

“Improvement of security is not all that matters for returns; it is an important element, but there are many other reasons to consider too, like family reunification, which is the main reason mentioned by refugees returning from Jordan to Syria followed by economic pressure,” Mur added.

UNHCR, she stressed, believes that conditions for refugees to return in safety and dignity are not yet in place in Syria and hence the organisation neither facilitates nor promotes returns. 

“There remain significant risks for civilians inside Syria and UNHCR counsels refugees accordingly to allow for informed decision making,” Mur added.

The total number of Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR in Jordan stands, as of November 15, at 655,056 individuals, according to the UN agency.

According to official figures, the overall number of registered and unregistered Syrian refugees in the Kingdom stands at about 1.3 million.

In July, Jordan, the US and Russia agreed that the ceasefire aims at permanently de-escalating the tension in southern Syria, ending acts of hostility, restoring stability and allowing free access of humanitarian aid for this key area in Syria.

AMMAN — “I never thought of myself as a migrant before, but now, I realise that we are all migrants in a way,” said Rasha Al Sharqawi, a 24-year-old Jordanian who lived in Germany for a year and a half.

The young woman came to that realisation after she was acquainted with the International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) global campaign on migration titled “i am a migrant” (IAAM).

Launched in 2015, the project seeks to highlight positive aspects of migration and to create a paradigm shift in the way people perceive the issue of migration, according to Fedza Lukovac, IOM Jordan communication and programme assistant.

“We are all migrants as soon as we start living in a country other than the one we were born in. However, people tend to have the idea that a diplomat or a Westerner living abroad is ‘an expat’ rather than a migrant,” he told The Jordan Times at the Haya Cultural Centre.

With the aim of promoting diversity and more inclusive acceptance of migrants in society, the IOM designed the online campaign to shed light on the diversity of worldwide migration, letting individuals share their stories and personal experiences with living away from home.

“I am even more aware of my privileges, especially the privilege of being able to migrate freely,” said Guillaume, a Belgian national living in Portugal. 

“Every day I think about Syria. It seems that everything I knew there happened in another life — a life I miss a lot,” Rafat, a Syrian living in Lisbon recounted, adding: ”I was born and lived for most of my life in Damascus but, when the war broke out, my family and I moved to Cairo. After three years, we were relocated to Portugal and it was the second time we started again from scratch and this new beginning was more difficult because of the language and the cultural differences.”

By allowing the voices of individuals to “shine through” and provide “an honest insight into the triumphs and tribulations of migrants of all backgrounds and at all phases of their migratory journeys”, the platform seeks to combat xenophobia and discrimination at a time when many are exposed to negative narratives about migration, the IAAM website said. 

“We started the campaign in Amman, to show the Jordanian side on migration. A lot of foreigners live here, and many Jordanians have lived abroad as well,” said Laura Sisniega, communication officer at IOM Jordan.

“When we talk with people about the issue, many people realise that they are or have been migrants themselves, and this is when their perceptions start changing,” she continued. 

So far, IAAM has published over 1,200 profiles, allowing the public to skim through the “good and bad” of migration, the challenges some have faced in their journey and the richness it has brought to others.

“The anecdotes and memories shared on the platform help us understand what words such as ‘integration’, ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘diversity’ truly mean,” the website stated, noting that “diversity finally finds a human face”.

Everyone is welcome to participate by answering a few questions posted at http://iamamigrant.org/ and sending a picture of themselves for their story to be featured, according to Sisniega.

AMMAN — Jordan Armed Forces (JAF), Mafraq Development Company and the US Safe Ports Company on Monday signed two initial agreements to set up a logistics airport and hub in Mafraq Development Zone, the Jordan News Agency ,Petra, reported.  

State Minister for Investment Affairs and Head of The Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) Muhannad Shehadeh attended the signing ceremony at JIC offices.

The first agreement, signed by Chief of Strategic Planning Brig. Gen. Nassar Athamneh and Safe Ports’ CEO Lucy Duncan, aims to offer logistical facilities at King Hussein Air College in Mafraq and establish a logistics airport that is operated in parallel with the land port that will be used for commercial purposes.

The second agreement, signed by Director General of the Mafraq Development Company Nayef Bakhit and Duncan, aims to endorse the Mafraq Development Zone as a logistical hub for rebuilding in Iraq and Syria. Safe Ports will benefit from the investment gains, exemptions and infrastructure in the development area.

Shehadeh stressed that the airport and logistics hub will improve development and serve the national economy in particular, and the region in general for its strategic location. He added that the construction of an airport and a logistics centre would boost Jordanian exports to regional markets.

Bakhit said that having a logistics centre in Mafraq will positively impact that region as an international multipurpose gateway.

For her part, Duncan said that establishment of the facilities gives economy a boost that will contribute to the advancement of development due to its strategic location.