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AMMAN — Amman Mayor Aqel Biltaji on Saturday inaugurated the “Christmas joy festival” organised by the Catholic Mar Elias Church in Marj Al Hamam, and lit the Christmas tree. Biltaji, who also opened a bazaar for Christmas food and gifts, said the festive season is a source of joy and happiness, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

AMMAN — The Civil Coalition for Monitoring Elections and the Performance of Elected Councils (Rased) on Saturday said the major performance issue recorded in the fourth week of the Lower House’s third ordinary session is the continued lack of quorum.

In its weekly report, Rased stressed the importance of dealing with the phenomenon, pointing out that some sessions failed to convene due the frequent absence of MPs. Rased also pointed to the increasing number of resignations from House committees, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

AMMAN — Although the number of refugees from different nationalities in the Kingdom varies from one estimate to other and is difficult to identify, a World Bank official last week said, in Jordan “one in every three persons [is] being a refugee”.

Colin Bruce, senior adviser to the World Bank Group’s president, made this statement at a press conference last week to launch a World Bank new report, without elaborating on numbers of refugees or their nationalities.

The government did not reject or confirm this percentage but noted that figures are difficult to estimate.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani, who is also government’s spokesperson, told The Jordan Times it is difficult to identify the total number of refugees in the country, “especially if we want to include Palestinians in these estimates”.

According to UNHCR, Jordan is the second largest host of refugees per capita in the world following Pakistan.

Still, the agency has only some 700,000 persons from 41 nationalities registered as refugees in the Kingdom, said Mohammad Hawari, senior mass information and communication associate at UNHCR.

Hawari, however, added that the number differs when adding number of Palestinians who are registered with UNRWA.

An infograph that was recently published on the World Bank Twitter account states that there are 2.7 million registered refugees in Jordan, which stands for 41.2 per cent of the total population.

Data included in the infograph will be published in the World Bank’s migration and remittances report for the year 2015 and is based on figures from both UNHCR and UNRWA.

According to the UNRWA website, there are 2.1 million Palestinian refugees in Jordan; with only 140,000 of whom non-holders of Jordanian nationality.

As for refugees from other nations, Syrians come on top, with more than 600,000 registered with the UNHCR. However, the government says there are 1.5 million Syrians in Jordan, stressing that more than 80 per cent of Syrian refugees dwell in host communities rather than in designated camps.

Iraqis come second with more than 30,000 registered refugees in Jordan.

The UN Security Council threw its unanimous support Friday behind a plan to end Syria's brutal civil war by summoning rebels and the regime to the negotiating table, Agence France-Presse reported Saturday.

The US and Russian initiative, which emerged from talks with a 17-nation group, foresees a rapid ceasefire in the almost five-year conflict, perhaps as early as next month.

If the plan brings President Bashar Assad's regime to the table with the armed opposition, it will allow Russian and US-led forces to focus their firepower on Daesh.

"In January, we hope and expect to be at the table and to be able to implement a full ceasefire," US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters.

"And that means all the barrel bombs will stop, all the bombing, all the shooting, all the attacks on either side."

The Security Council met Friday after the latest round of talks by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), which had gathered in New York to renew its push for peace.

Attention now turns to Moscow and Riyadh, as Russia pressures Assad's regime to agree to a ceasefire and Saudi Arabia wrangles the opposition to form a negotiating team.

The UN special envoy on the conflict, Staffan de Mistura, said he would send out invitations to talks in January.

The United States and Arab allies remain convinced Assad must leave office as part of the process, but his allies Moscow and Tehran insist this is a decision for the Syrian people.

The resolution does not touch on this vital issue.

Jordan

Describing the resolution as “historic”, during his participation at the Security Council meeting Friday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said that international efforts resulted in the establishment of the ISSG, which will continue its work to facilitate a political transition according to Geneva 1, the group’s meetings and the council’s resolution on Friday.

He also added that the Kingdom, since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, has always said that the comprehensive political solution is the only one for Syria, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Omar Malhas commended another Security Council resolution related to combating financing terrorism, noting that the terrorist crimes perpetrated by such organisations prove their followers “seek to destroy shared values”, Petra reported.

Malhas said that Jordan has always stressed the importance of fighting terrorism financing and draining its resources, adding it is a main pillar in any comprehensive effort aimed at combating terrorism.

Terror list 

According to AFP, Judeh presented a draft list of “terrorist” groups that the ISSG nations will agree to exclude from the talks.

This would include, but may not be limited to, Daesh and the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front.

Kerry said that there were still sharp disagreements between the ISSG parties, some of which sponsor armed factions on the ground, as to which groups should be banned.

“There was a very rigorous discussion this morning, as you might imagine, about who might or might not qualify as a terrorist,” he said.

He said it was “impossible to reach consensus” in the time available and that other countries would now help Jordan redraft the list in the weeks to come.

Iran said it would work with Russia, Oman, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan and France to prepare a list of extremist groups it wants to see banned from talks.

“Terrorist groups have no place in this national dialogue,” Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying. 

Massacred so many’ 

“Only a Syrian-led, inclusive dialogue can put an end to the untold suffering of the Syrian people,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the Security Council.

Nevertheless, Kerry — who has “agreed to disagree” with Moscow on Assad’s fate — said the vote would act as a springboard for forging ahead with peace talks.

He emphasised that victory over Daesh hinges on a peaceful settlement in the broader Syrian civil war.

“We know that Daesh can never be allowed to gain control in Syria so we have a global imperative here to deal with a terrorist entity but also to end the civil war,” he said.

“President Assad in our judgement has lost the ability, the credibility to be able to unite the country and to provide the moral credibility to be able to govern it.”

Kerry said that most ISSG members agreed that Assad would have to go, and many said so, notably France.

“How could somebody bring together a whole people when he has massacred so many?” Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius demanded.

The resolution enshrines the plan developed by the ISSG countries in a series of meetings in Geneva and Vienna.

“We have a time frame. That transitional process needs to try to be achieved within the target time of six months,” Kerry said, arguing that the UN vote gave the plan legal force.

“The election needs to take place within 18 months, the same start time, so that after six months of the transition you’re about a year away, or less, from an election.”
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond hailed the plan as a “great step forward”.

‘Unrealistic’ timetable

Syria’s main opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, warned that hopes for a ceasefire by January 1 were unrealistic and demanded that Russia halt its air strikes as part of that truce.

Najib Ghadbian, the SNC’s envoy to the United Nations, said opposition groups need “a month or so” to prepare for the political talks that would begin in tandem with a ceasefire.

And, on the eve of the talks, Assad warned in an interview with Dutch television that misguided efforts to bring about regime change would make the conflict “drag on”.

Assad responded with sarcasm when asked whether he was comforted that Washington’s stance on his departure had seemingly softened.

“I was packing my luggage. I had to leave, but now I can stay,” he joked. 

AMMAN — Jordanian and Egyptian armies will conduct a joint military exercise, a well-informed source from the Jordan Armed Forces - Arab Army said Saturday.

Without giving details on when the drill will take place, the source added that the military exercise is part of cooperation between the armies of the two countries.

Elite military units from the two armies will participate in the joint military exercise which will simulate common regional threats, the source added. 

Jordan and Egypt have both been harmed by Sinai-based terrorist groups, which have attacked a vital gas pipe more than dozen times since 2011. The sabotage eventually led to a complete halt of the cheaper Egyptian supplies of the commodity and a subsequent energy crisis in the Kingdom, caused by its independence on the expensive fuel oil to generate electricity. 

AMMAN — Jordanian coming-of-age tale "Theeb" has been shortlisted for the Oscars' best foreign language film category, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced late last week.

The "bedouin Western" movie by director and co-writer Naji Abu Nowar's first feature film was selected out of 80 contenders from around the world.

"Theeb", which was filmed entirely in the Southern Badia, is one of only two shortlisted films not from Europe — the second being Colombian feature "Embrace of the Serpent".  

The other selected movies are from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary and Ireland.

Foreign Language Film nominations for 2015 are being determined in two phases, according to the Oscars' official website.

The "Phase I committee", consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based academy members, screened the original submissions in the category between mid-October and December 14.  

"The group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist," the academy said.

The shortlist will be reduced to the category’s five nominees by "specially invited committees" in New York, Los Angeles and London.  

"They will spend Friday, January 8, through Sunday, January 10, viewing three films each day and then casting their ballots," the academy added.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on January 14, 2016.

In late November, "Theeb" won the Grand Prize at Festival International Du Cinéma De Dakhla in Morocco, bagging the 15th international award, the feature's distributor, MAD Solutions, said in a statement.

The 100-minute feature has been screened in 12 countries and premiered in the United States in November. ART network has also begun airing the film exclusively on its screens since November 22, according to the distributor.

The film’s producers collaborated with the bedouin tribes to ensure the authentic depiction of life in the region. The cast was entirely formed from the local tribesmen of these communities, who have lived in the area for hundreds of years, after they were engaged in acting workshops in the eight months prior to principal photography.

Co-scripted with Bassel Ghandour, the film is set in the Arabian Desert of 1916. 

It follows Theeb, a young bedouin boy, and his brother Hussein as they leave the safety of their tribe to venture on a treacherous journey at the dawn of the Great Arab Revolt.

“If Theeb is to survive, he must quickly learn about adulthood, trust and betrayal,” a statement from the distributor said.

The film stars young Jacir Eid as Theeb, opposite Hussein Salameh, Hassan Mutlag, Marji Audeh and Jack Fox, the only professional actor on the cast.

The crew included Wolfgang Thaler, an award-winning Austrian director of photography, British composer Jerry Lane and British production designer Anna Lavelle.

The film was edited by Rupert Lloyd.

Ghandour’s Bayt Al Shawareb, in association with Lloyd’s Noor Pictures produced the film, in co-production with Nasser Kalaji and Laith Majali’s Immortal Entertainment.

Nadine Toukan — the producer of acclaimed Jordanian features such as “Captain Abu Raed” and “When Monaliza Smiled” — is the executive producer.

AMMAN — Efforts of international agencies and Sudanese refugees who resisted deportation did not work out, as Jordanian authorities on Friday morning and Saturday deported 585 of the 800 Sudanese nationals seeking international help.

Reports said they already arrived home.

The deportees and those on the waiting list had protested for a month in front of the UNHCR calling on the agency to expedite the processing of their applications.

Ali Qandil, who is registered as an “asylum seeker” with the UN agency, told The Jordan Times that he did not want to return home as all his dreams of starting a new life in one of the Western countries would be shattered.

Human Rights Watch said in a statement last week that these people are in danger back home.

Qandil and his fellow citizens resisted deportation until last minute.

But for the government, the 800 Sudanese did not meet the criteria of refugees, noting that they had entered Jordan under the pretext of seeking medical treatment, then “they started demanding to be recognised as refugees”.

Mohammad Hawari, a senior mass information and communication associate at UNHCR, told The Jordan Times that the agency has requested Jordanian authorities to “provide us with list of names for those who have been deported”.

He explained that some of those who were deported are covered by the international protection as refugees or asylum seekers, and “they remain under this protection”.

Asked if the agency will follow up on cases of those registered as refugees or asylum seekers even after deportation, the UNHCR official said this is the first time that such an incident has happened, and the issue would further be examined.

Meanwhile, Hawari expressed the agency’s concern about those who were deported and registered as refugees as they might be in danger once they are deported.

Meanwhile, in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said the world community had a "huge debt" to Jordan but also made reference to the incident involving the Sudanese, The Associated Press reported on Friday.

"We have been in close contact with the Jordanian government on the Sudanese question," said Guterres, adding that UNHCR's position was that the Sudanese are in need of protection should not be deported.

According to AP, Guterres expressed concern about growing wariness worldwide about refugees and noted a “trend towards a more restrictive approach to refugee policies”. He cited contributing factors such as public reaction to the large number of refugees pouring into Europe and concerns about security in the wake of terror attacks in Paris and elsewhere recently.

“We need to understand that refugees are the first victims of terror, and they are refugees exactly because they are fleeing areas where terrorism, violence and other forms of persecution have been proliferating more strongly,” he said.

AMMAN — Jordan on Friday welcomed the UN-backed national unity government deal recently signed  by the rival Libyan factions. Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani described the deal as an “important step” towards restoring Libya’s security and stability, calling on all Libyan factions to support and adhere to the agreement.

Momani also stressed the importance of the deal in unifying anti-terror efforts and addressing all political and economic challenges facing Libya, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. He also expressed Jordan’s support to Libya’s national unity government in its endeavour to restore stability, Petra said.

A group of lawmakers from Libya’s rival parliaments, as well as other political figures, inked the UN-sponsored accord in the Moroccan resort of Skhirat on Thursday.

AMMAN — The General Secondary Certificate Examination (Tawjihi) will be held once every academic year starting in 2017, not 2016, according to the latest decision approved by the Education Council.

Earlier this month, the council decided to hold one Tawjihi examination session every year, instead of two, starting from the 2016-17 academic year, a move that sparked controversy and disapproval among teachers, parents and students.

In order to “mitigate” the street’s reaction to the decision, the council postponed applying the new system until 2017, while making a few changes to the exam, according to MP Mohammad Al Haj, head of the Lower House Educational Committee.

“We were furious when the council first came out with its decision on the Tawjihi, particularly as Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat did not consult with any of the stakeholders,” he told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

“However, after summoning the minister to a special session with the committee members and listening to his say on the issue, we realised that the ministry is right about the feasibility of holding one Tawjihi session a year for students, teachers and the government,” Haj added.

In earlier remarks, Thneibat said holding one Tawjihi session per year will have a positive impact on students since they will be tested in fewer courses.

Students will be tested for some courses only at their schools, while fewer subjects will be counted in the Tawjihi score, Thneibat explained.

The two-session examination system costs the ministry around JD25 million, with each session requiring over four-and-a-half months of preparation.

“During our meeting with Thneibat, we agreed on certain changes in order for the new system to succeed, including reducing the number of subjects students should be tested in and revisiting the materials themselves to eliminate the burden on students and teachers,” the MP said.

Haj added that public dismay over the decision and the modifications that need to be introduced to the Tawjihi curricula prompted the ministry to postpone the application of the new system until 2017.

He noted that the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) is also satisfied with two-year postponement.

The Jordan Times could not reach officials at the JTA for comment on the issue. 

Before the decision to delay the implementation of the new Tawjihi system, JTA Spokesperson Ayman Okour expressed the syndicate’s disapproval of the one-examination session per academic year, as it would “increase anxiety, fear and burden on students, their parents and educators”.

The National Campaign for Defending Students’ Rights (Thabahtoona) advised against the decision, saying that it contradicts efforts to develop the educational system.

A Thabahtoona statement said the one-examination system was applied for two years, but proved a “failure” as it resulted in students delaying their studies until the end of the academic year.

In addition, the campaign claimed that the decision “paves the way for cancelling the Tawjihi as a reference for university acceptance and enabling universities to hold their own tests”.

“This would result in deepening corruption and wasta [favouritism] at universities,” Thabahtoona said.

AMMAN — By winter next year, Amman households will be equipped with new smart water meters which provide accurate readings and detect tampering attempts, according to the Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna).

The company started replacing regular water meters with the smart gauges this week in a bid to preserve the costly and limited resource.

Mohammad Malkawi, director of Miyahuna’s customer service directorate, said a contractor started the partial installation of the smart meters in areas where gauges are not being read at the moment, such as Dabouq, Jabal Al Kursi and Abdoun.

The readings take place in rotation according to a set schedule.

“The new smart water meters provide very accurate readings. It is difficult to hack them as they are fitted with a recorder that detects any tampering attempts, thus limiting violations and water loss,” Malkawi told The Jordan Times.

The company imported the “expensive” smart meters from Europe, according to Miyahuna, which said the government exempted them from taxes.

“We started replacing old water meters with the new ones for subscribers categorised as large water consumers who use 50 cubic metres of water and more per cycle [three months],” Malkawi underscored.

The Miyahuna official said the new meters will be installed free of charge.

“People won’t have to pay anything for getting their water meters replaced. All we ask of them is to cooperate with our teams, to preserve the new meters and to avoid tampering with them as the devices will detect any attempt.”

Noting that all houses and institutions in the capital will be equipped with smart meters by winter next year, Malkawi said it is possible that the Zarqa and Madaba governorates will also receive smart meters in later phases.

“It all depends on areas with higher priority.”

Miyahuna supplies 630,000 subscribers in Amman with water and wastewater services, The company’s figures indicate that current water loss in Amman stands at around 37 per cent.