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AMMAN — Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh on Sunday met with Oxfam Country Director in Jordan Geoffrey Poynter and stressed that the Kingdom, despite the scarcity of its resources, has been dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis from a humanitarian perspective.

Poynter praised the Jordanian efforts in hosting refugees and presenting them with all necessary services, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — Police on Saturday night had to impose a security blockade in Ajloun’s Hashemiyah region to prevent friction between two tribes there following the injury of a young man in a shooting.

The Public Security Department (PSD) said angry tribesmen tried to set fire to tyres and block the main road, adding that the heavy security presence was imposed there to prevent violations. The PSD added that those who break the law will be referred to court.

Police detained the suspected shooter and referred him to court, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — Irbid police are currently investigating the case of a minor girl who had been reported missing since September 5 and was found on Friday, according to a statement released by the Public security Department (PSD) media centre.

On Friday, Irbid’s police received a report of an incident at the King Abdullah II Park.  A police patrol found that a family had identified the missing girl at the park and was trying to prevent her from leaving until the police arrived.

The girl’s mother arrived at the scene and they were both escorted to the police station to find out the details of the girl’s whereabouts. The girl is in good condition, according to the PSD media centre. 

AMMAN — Libya seeks to cooperate with Jordan to restructure its police and security bodies, Libyan interior minister-designate Mohammad Al Fakheri said Saturday.

During a meeting with Interior Minister Salameh Hammad, Fakheri said Jordan’s police and security services are known regionally and internationally for their expertise and efficiency, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Discussions at the meeting also covered recent developments in the region and ways to restore security and stability in Libya, in addition to cooperation in security and police matters. Hammad said both countries share political, economic and social ties.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah held talks with Spanish King Felipe VI on Friday and stressed that Jordanian-Spanish ties are firm and deep-rooted.

During the meeting, held at the Royal Palace in Madrid, the two leaders also reviewed regional issues and challenges, especially the threat of terrorism and its extremist organisations and ways to counter it with a holistic approach that guarantees world peace and stability.

In addition, they discussed the latest developments in the Syrian arena, calling for finding a comprehensive political solution to end the crisis, according to a Royal Court statement.

Moreover, King Abdullah and King Felipe VI reiterated the importance of increasing bilateral cooperation and coordination on issues of mutual interest and regional developments, and boosting economic cooperation.

The Spanish king expressed his appreciation of King Abdullah’s keenness on developing relations in a way that positively reflects on Jordanian-Spanish ties and serves the interests of both peoples, the statement added.

He also praised King Abdullah’s role in dealing with regional challenges, in addition to Jordan’s efforts in hosting Syrian refugees.

HRH Prince Feisal, Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and Spanish officials attended the talks.

Also on Friday, His Majesty, accompanied by Prince Feisal, visited the headquarters of the Airbus-affiliated EADS CASA, specialised in manufacturing cargo and military transportation aircraft.

King Abdullah, in the presence of King Felipe VI, listened to a briefing on the company and had a firsthand look at the advanced technology it employs, a Royal Court statement said.

His Majesty, who returned to the Kingdom later on Friday, also met with several Spanish political and academic leaders and reviewed the challenges and developments in the Middle East and the world, expressing his views on them.

At a meeting hosted by King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace in Madrid, the King highlighted the importance of intensifying regional and international efforts to combat terrorism.

His Majesty added that realising the gravity of this challenge calls for comprehensive efforts and coordination in order to counter the danger terror poses to people’s lives and future.

King Abdullah highlighted the peaceful and moderate image of Islam, which rejects all forms of violence and extremism.

The international community must intensify its efforts to reach a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state premise, His Majesty said, adding that Jordan condemns all Israeli violations in Jerusalem, especially at Al Haram Al Sharif.

He warned that failure to achieve peace will only increase violence and extremism in the region.

The meeting covered developments in Syria, focusing on the importance of finding a political solution to end the crisis and reviewing the results of the international meeting recently held in Vienna.

For his part, King Felipe VI commended the leadership of King Abdullah in the region and his moderate approach in dealing with its issues.

The Spanish king said His Majesty is the custodian of Jerusalem’s holy sites, and his efforts promote the peaceful image of Islam and bring followers of different religions closer.

He described the Monarch as a global leader who is capable of facing all challenges, under whose leadership Jordan has become a role model in security, stability, transparency and good governance.

The political and academic Spanish leaders commended His Majesty’s vision in analysing events and Jordan’s pivotal role to achieve peace in the Middle East and fight terror.

Europe, they said, looks to benefit from Jordan’s experience in hosting Syrian refugees to better deal with the refugee crisis it is currently facing.

His Majesty’s visit to Spain was the third leg of a European tour that started last Tuesday in Kosovo, where he met with President Atifete Jahjaga and expressed commitment to enhancing cooperation that would contribute to launching prosperous partnerships.

His Majesty also met Prime Minister of Kosovo Isa Mustafa and highlighted the importance of expanding ties.

The King’s second stop was Austria, where he held talks with Austrian President Heinz Fischer in Vienna on ties, regional developments and anti-terror efforts.

His Majesty also discussed the Syrian crisis with Doris Bures, president of the National Council of Austria, and with the joint committee on foreign affairs and defence at the Austrian parliament and political party leaders.

In addition, he met with members of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and CEOs of several major Austrian companies and highlighted Jordanian-Austrian cooperation at the economic, commercial and investment levels.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday condemned the terrorist attack that targeted a hotel in Bamako, Mali, on Friday and killed 19 people.

In a cable to Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the King expressed his deepest sympathies over the loss of life, according to a Royal Court statement. 

His Majesty wished the injured a speedy recovery.  

On Friday, the government condemned the bloody nine-hour hostage taking, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani stressed Jordan’s firm rejection of all forms of terrorism in different parts of the world. 

Momani, who is also the minister of state for media affairs and communications, asserted that the government stands by the government of Mali in its efforts to combat terrorism.

He extended his condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery, Petra reported.  

Mali was hunting Saturday for suspects wanted over the terrorist siege, Agence France-Presse reported. 

The Al Murabitoun group, an Al Qaeda affiliate, claimed the attack.

Gunmen went on a rampage from the early morning, shooting in the hotel’s corridors and taking 170 guests and staff hostage.

The assault, which ended when Malian and international troops stormed the hotel, left 19 people dead as well as two attackers, President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said, according to AFP.

The victims included six Russians, three Chinese, two Belgians, an American, a Senegalese and a member of the Malian special forces.

Authorities are now “actively pursuing” at least three people over the attack, one security source told AFP.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet for talks in Sochi, Russia, this week, according to a Royal Court statement. 

Talks will address global counterterrorism efforts, in addition to the latest developments in the region, especially in Syria, said the statement, released on Friday.   

Six Russians who worked for a cargo airline were killed in a Friday siege at a luxury hotel in Mali, the Russian foreign ministry said Saturday, according to Agence France-Presse.

In all, 12 Russians — all staff at the Volga-Dnepr airline — were caught up in Friday’s hostage taking in Bamako, but six were freed.

Those who died “were shot by gunmen in the restaurant literally in the first minutes of the terrorist attack on the hotel”, the ministry said.

The attack was claimed by the Al Murabitoun group, an Al Qaeda affiliate.

Putin said on Saturday he wanted global cooperation to combat terrorism in the wake of the Mali attack, which killed 19 people, Reuters reported.

Three weeks earlier, a Russian airliner was downed over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula by what Moscow and Western governments say was a bomb, killing 224 all people aboard.

Putin has pledged to hunt down militants responsible for blowing up the airliner and has intensified air strikes against militants in Syria.

AMMAN — UNHCR Jordan has transferred files of Syrian families to the Canadian authorities for the resettlement process, Andrew Harper, the agency’s representative to Jordan, said on Saturday.

Canada will release details next week concerning its pledge to take in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year, Immigration Minister John McCallum said on Friday, according to Reuters.

The agency added that the pledge became a significant component of the new Liberal government’s election campaign, but since the attacks in Paris last week, questions have been raised as to whether the government will be able bring that number of refugees to Canada quickly and safely.

Details will be released on Tuesday, McCallum said.

The number of Syrian refugees from Jordan who will be resettled in Canada has not been decided yet, according to Harper.

“They talk about 25,000 from the entire region; we have to find out how many they will take from Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq,” Harper told The Jordan Times.

Other countries that committed to take Syrian refugees are the US, the UK, Australia, Norway and Sweden, the UNHCR official said.

“We have to find out if they will change the criteria after what happened in Paris,” he added. 

Last week, the US House of Representatives, defying a veto threat by President Barack Obama, overwhelmingly passed Republican-backed legislation to suspend a programme to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year and then intensify the process of screening them, Reuters reported.

The measure was drafted following the attacks in Paris last Friday that killed 129 people.

A total of 633,644 Syrian refugees are currently registered with the UNHCR in Jordan, according to the agency’s website, but the authorities say the actual number of Syrians residing in the Kingdom is around 1.4 million, constituting some 20 per cent of the population.

AMMAN — The Lower House is scheduled to hold two sessions on Sunday to discuss the draft decentralisation law, and elect the members and chairpersons of its permanent committees.

In October, His Majesty King Abdullah sent the 2015 decentralisation law back to Parliament, citing its incompatibility with the Constitutional Court’s interpretation of Article 121 of the Constitution.

In a statement listing the reasons for withholding his endorsement of the draft law, the King cited Paragraph A of Article 6 of the law concerning the establishment of governorate councils as incompatible with the Constitutional Court’s ruling.

In its interpretation of Article 121 of the Constitution, the court issued a ruling stipulating that any units or councils established under a law should be administratively and financially independent from the central government.

The Senate had rephrased Paragraph A of Article 6 to read: “Each governorate shall have a council called ‘governorate council’,” removing from the said provision a previous phrase stating that councils established under the law should enjoy complete financial and administrative independence.

In September, the two Houses of Parliament passed the 20-article decentralisation bill in a joint session after they disagreed twice on this provision and others. As the Constitutional Court’s opinion supported the deputies’ version, the Parliament’s final say was considered unconstitutional.

During Sunday’s session, MPs are expected to revisit Paragraph A of Article 6 of the reform-oriented law, and then pass it again and send it to the Senate for endorsement.

The Lower House will also refer the laws submitted by the government to its permanent committees for review, as per procedures.

In addition, MPs are scheduled to discuss two official letters from Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour informing the House of Abed Kharabsheh’s appointment as president of the Audit Bureau and Mustafa Barari’s as president of the Ombudsman Bureau.

Deputies will then start electing members and presidents of its 20 permanent committees.

AMMAN — Jordanian and foreign students who finish high school outside the Kingdom without a national certificate should sit for a competency exam if they apply to one of the country’s universities, according to a Higher Education Council decision.

The council approved the introduction of this test, because some countries do not have national exams or give students the option to apply to universities either using their accumulative scores at school, or by sitting for a national exam, according to a higher education official.

Bashir Al Zu’bi — president of the Higher Education Accreditation Commission, which will be in charge of the planned competency exams — said the test mechanism will be announced once  it is approved.

However, for university admission purposes, the competency test will have two parts: one measuring students’ general knowledge and accounting for 30 per cent, and the second testing their knowledge in the subjects they studied — scientific or literary streams —  and accounting for 40 per cent of the rate qualifying a student to be admitted at a local university.

The remaining 30 per cent will be allocated for a student’s performance in the certificate he/she holds from the country of origin.

Zu’bi told The Jordan Times on Saturday that students who finish school in Jordan will not have the choice to sit for this exam, as they still have to obtain the General Secondary Education Certificate Examination certificate to be eligible to study at university.

Higher Education Minister Labib Khadra noted that the Education Ministry will be the entity authorised to review certificates that require a student to sit for the competency exam.