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AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania met on Tuesday with the taskforce overseeing the National Strategy for the Elderly during a visit to the Home of the Human Care in Fuheis, northwest Amman.

The home was inaugurated by Queen Rania in 1999 and is run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Cross Congregation of Lebanon.

During the meeting, Her Majesty listened to a briefing by Secretary General of National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) Fadel Hmoud on the council’s efforts to implement the national strategy, which is based on Jordanian traditions and religious values of respect and compassion with the elderly and solidarity between generations, according to a statement from Queen Rania’s office 

Hmoud said that the strategy on the elderly, which was drafted in 2008, set the benchmarks for the endeavours that followed, including a study that evaluated the elderly’s situation in Jordan, between the years 2009 and 2013, which NCFA conducted in collaboration with the UNFPA.

He also noted that the strategy’s task force comprises representatives of 25 governmental bodies and civil society institutions, explaining that such diversity helps stakeholders benefit from the pool of expertise and experiences available, and strengthens the participatory approach to action and policy implementation.

During the meeting, the Queen and the attendees addressed the way forward regarding the strategy, along with gaps and shortcomings in the plan.

Her Majesty thanked members of the task force for their efforts and urged them to dedicate their efforts in the next phase to changing the public’s perception of the elderly, stressing that senior citizens are members of society who have extensive life experiences and their contributions remain vital to society. “Not benefiting from their experiences and wisdom is a big loss,” she noted.

Upon her arrival, Queen Rania was greeted by Sister Janet Abu Abdallah, president of Sisters of the Cross, and other officials in charge of the home.

Her Majesty toured the home, which consists of three floors and more than 60 rooms.She checked on one of the residents, a 96-year-old woman. She also thanked the team running the home and commended the quality of services and care provided.

AMMAN — A misbehaving passenger on Monday caused a Royal Jordanian (RJ) flight to be delayed for two-and-a-half hours after he claimed that the plane had a “security issue”, an RJ official said Tuesday.

Before the take-off of the RJ plane from Queen Alia International Airport, the passenger, a Qatari national, was causing a nuisance on board the plane, forcing security personnel to remove him from the plane according to aviation regulations, RJ spokesperson Basel Kilani explained.

“While the passenger was being sent out of the plane, he told security personnel the plane had a security problem,” he added, noting that the security personnel acted professionally and took the passenger’s words seriously by reporting the statement to the captain. 

Afterwards, the captain had to move the plane, which was heading to Dubai, to a nearby gate for further examination to confirm its safety, Kilani said.

“The RJ Airbus A320 aircraft was confirmed safe after the 2.5-hour delay and left the airport for its destination safely,” Kilani said, adding that the unruly passenger was referred to security authorities for investigation.

RJ was established by a decree issued by His Majesty the late King Hussein in 1963 to be the national carrier.

According to its Facebook page, the airline has a modern fleet of 32 aircraft with flights covering 59 destinations spread over four continents.

AMMAN — Jordanian taxi driver Ahmad Melhem has returned lost belongings, including some $5,000, to a British tourist who forgot them in his taxi.

The passenger, who took the cab from Queen Alia International Airport to Amman, left the money and some documents in the taxi, Melhem told The Jordan Times. 

The driver added that he reported the missing items to his manager as soon as he saw them.

"The man called the airport taxi's number and within an hour-and-a-half he was at the airport to retrieve his belongings," the 28-year-old driver said, adding that his behaviour is the normal practice among his colleagues serving airport passengers and other customers.

"My morals would not not allow me to keep money that is not mine," he said over the phone Tuesday, commenting on the incident, which, he said, took place two weeks ago.

"A tourist’s first experience of a country is generally the one he or she has with their taxi driver; therefore, drivers must be a living example of the true values of the country," he told The Jordan Times.

With 184 airport taxis working around-the-clock, lost belongings are a common occurrence for taxi drivers, with the "vast majority" returning lost items to their owners, said Jamal Khatib, a manager at the taxi company. 

Khatib explained that the majority of airport taxi drivers are retired military men who enjoy high ethics and commitment, adding that the airport taxi project operates under Economic and Social Association of Retired Servicemen and Veterans.

"There have been cases when thousands of dinars, as well as expensive belongings such as laptops and modern mobile phones were returned," he said. He also pointed out that in cases of loss of official documents or unclaimed items, the taxi office reports to police

Commenting on the issue, Ahmad Abu Haidar, president of the Transport Services and Taxi Owners Union, said the move presents a "beautiful image" of what Jordanians are like to tourists.

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a March Criminal Court ruling sentencing a 23-year-old man to death for robbing and murdering a female university student in Zarqa in December 2013.

The convicted man stabbed the victim, a Sharia student at Al al Bayt University, 37 times with a knife. The murder took place at a bus terminal in Zarqa Governorate, 22km east of Amman, on December 3, 2013.

The court acquitted the defendant of attempted rape and molestation charges “for lack of evidence”.

Court papers said the man, who was employed at the National Electricity Power Company, worked as fare collector on buses on the Mafraq-Zarqa route for almost two years prior to the incident.

The victim used the bus route to go to university, which is how she met the convicted man. The two developed an “innocent relationship”, the court transcripts stated.

“The defendant wanted to marry the victim but she started to talk to him about a colleague of hers at the university, which enraged him…” the 11-page verdict said.

“The convict became suspicious and was constantly harassing and stalking her so she ended the innocent relationship with him… he decided to take revenge…” the court maintained. 

On the day of the murder, the defendant grabbed a kitchen knife and lured the victim onto a bus at 6:00am. He then stabbed the young woman repeatedly, took her mobile and fled, court papers said.

Investigators traced the phone, which led them to the man. He was arrested by police nine hours after the body was discovered, the court said.

However, the convict retracted his confessions during court proceedings and claimed that he went to the bus to meet the victim, only to find her dead, his lawyer, Zahra Sharabati, told The Jordan Times in March.

Confused, he took her mobile and left, she added. 

Sharabati appealed the April verdict, claiming that her client’s confessions were “extracted under duress after being subjected to four days of interrogation by investigators”.

She also argued that having the victim’s mobile “in the possession of the defendant and traces of DNA evidence belonging to her client under the woman’s right nails are not enough to tie him to the murder”.

But the Cassation Court, which issued its ruling a few months ago and recently allowed access to the documents, decided that the Criminal Court’s decision fell within the bounds of the law and that the proceedings were proper. The court sentenced the defendant to death. 

The Cassation Court tribunal comprised judges Mahmoud Ababneh, Basel Abu Anzeh, Yassin Abdullat, Mohammad Tarawneh and Hussein Sakaran.

AMMAN — South Korea stands by Jordan in its efforts to cope with the Syrian refugee crisis and will continue to support the Kingdom in different areas, according to South Korean Ambassador to Jordan Choi Hong-ghi.

The Korean ambassador, who stressed the strategic ties between Jordan and Korea, said Korea has placed special emphasis on the education and health sectors.

“We are currently establishing three healthcare centers, a special school for the hearing impaired, a public school in Irbid, and also contributed to many UNICEF projects on education,” the ambassador said at a ceremony Monday marking South Korea’s National Day.

The ambassador added that Korea had donated 2,000 caravans to the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees.

“This comes from our hands-on experience that no matter how challenging the situation is, education remains on top as a means to ensure a brighter future and give hope to the younger generation,” said the ambassador.

At the event, attended by officials and diplomats from several countries, the Korean diplomat announced that Jordan was also selected as a main beneficiary for the “Better Life for Girls” initiative launched by the President of the Republic of Korea at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York last month. 

The initiative aims at providing quality education and healthcare for girls in 15 countries around the world at the cost of $200 million to be donated by Korea over the next five years, said the ambassador.

The ambassador added that Jordan is the only country in the Middle East that will benefit from a $100 million initiative to contribute to health sector capacity building in 13 selected countries worldwide.

In the area of culture, the ambassador said the embassy will host various events next week between October 11 and 14, including the 10th Korean Film Festival, the Korean Speech Contest and a performance by a highly renowned Korean music group. 

In his address, the ambassador referred to His Majesty King Abdullah’s recent visit to South Korea, during which the king held talks with the Korean president on bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional developments.

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Judeh on Tuesday met with retired General John Allen, US special envoy to the anti-Daesh coalition, to discuss efforts exerted to combat extremism and terrorism.

The two officials highlighted the importance of intensifying the international community’s efforts at all levels to overcome this challenge so as to preserve international peace and security, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Both sides also reviewed the latest developments related to the coalition’s efforts in confronting Daesh.

KARAK — As part of its corporate social responsibility and in implementation of His Majesty King Abdullah’s encouragement of the private sector to contribute to social welfare and development process, the Arab Potash Company (ABC) on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for Taybeh Secondary School in Karak’s southern Mazar District.

The school, expected to be completed in a year, is built on 3,995 square metres of land at a total cost of approximately JD1.256 million.

The cornerstone was laid during a ceremony attended by Royal Court Secretary General Yousef Issawi, who chairs a committee to follow up on Royal initiatives, Minister of Public Works and Housing Sami Halaseh and APC Chairman Jamal Al Sarayreh.

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Judeh on Tuesday stressed the historic and distinguished relations between Jordan and Russia.

During a meeting with Chairwoman of the Russian Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko, the two officials highlighted the importance of the upcoming meetings of the Jordanian-Russian Joint Higher Committee in boosting cooperation in economic and commercial fields.

Regarding the crisis in Syria, Judeh asserted Jordan’s position in support of a political solution, pointing out that it is the sole means to end the crisis and urged the international community to assist Jordan in carrying on with its humanitarian efforts towards the Syrian refugees.

Also at the meeting, Judeh stressed that while countries are caught up in regional challenges, they should not ignore the Palestinian cause “which is the central regional issue”.

AMMAN – Officials, lawmakers, educators and labour rights activities gathered on Tuesday to address the issue of unfair wages for private school teachers.

Injustices faced by female teachers in the sector were the focus of the seminar organised by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) in cooperation with the International Labour Organisation (ILO). 

Attended by HRH Princess Basma, the event provided stakeholders with an opportunity to address the pressing issue of wage discrimination faced by Jordanian women in education, particularly in the private sector where 27 per cent receive less than the monthly minimum wage of JD190, according to the NCPE. 

In addition to low salaries, teachers are expected to work extra hours for free and have been denied sick leaves, panelists noted.

The gender gap in relation to wages in the private education sector in Jordan is 41.6 per cent. The average monthly salary for a male teacher is JD435, while the average monthly salary for a female counterpart is JD254, according to the NCPE.

Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat remarked at the seminar that female teachers make up 85 per cent of the teaching staff at private schools.

The committee’s “Stand with Teachers” campaign that aims to tackle this issue has been adopted by the NCEP and is headed by the Labour Ministry and the Jordanian National Commission for Women, with support from the ILO.

Princess Basma congratulated the NCPE and teachers working to ensure the fair treatment of women, calling on national institutions to “listen and respond to the needs of women and men workers for a more productive Jordanian society”.

Nariman Shawaheen, who has been working in private schools for nearly two decades, is one of many teachers who has been subjected to “unfair” practices. 

“I questioned my decision to leave home and go to work every day. The pressure I feel is tremendous, and I get nothing in return,” she said.

Shawaheen and her colleague were fired for taking part in Tuesday’s seminar, they said.

Minister Thneibat vowed to take action against the school in question. However, he simultaneously blamed teachers who suffer injustices for not filing complaints against their employers. 

In contrast, Shawaheen noted that she and her colleagues had tried to take their complaints to the Education Ministry but were always hindered by bureaucratic procedures and were often referred to the Labour Ministry. 

Labour Ministry Secretary General Hamada Abu Najmeh pointed out that the current law does not include penalties against those who choose to discriminate between their male and female employees. 

“This gives the private sector leeway. We are working to amend the law and train specialised inspectors to carry out field visits to private schools,” he added, unveiling plans to launch a hotline designated to receive teachers’ complaints. 

Mohammad Tarawneh, deputy director general at the Social Security Corporation (SSC), said the new corporation’s law is a “model”, but negative practices prevent many women from reaping its benefits. 

He also criticised some private schools for terminating teachers’ contracts during the summer vacation, and depriving them of benefits stipulated in the Social Security Law, such as maternity leave.

Shauna Olney, ILO chief of gender, equality and diversity, commended the teachers on their determination and courage to stand up for their rights, stressing the ILO’s commitment to stand with them in their cause.

AMMAN — Members of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (ISESCO) committee for archaeologists are gathering in Amman to document Israeli violations against Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

The three-day meeting, which started Tuesday and is being conducted in partnership with the Department of Antiquities (DoA), seeks to preserve Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites, which have been witnessing ongoing violations by Israeli settlers.

The meeting also seeks to examine current writing techniques of reports on the violations with the aim of maximising reach to the international community, according to an official ISESCO statement.

Speaking at the opening session, DoA Director General Munther Jamhawi said illegal Israeli excavations and attempts to Judaise Al Aqsa Mosque and its surrounding area are major national and regional concerns.

The Kingdom has maintained its commitment to preserving Jerusalem’s cultural heritage, through Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites, and a number of reconstruction projects and international agreements.

Jamhawi noted that Israeli aggression has prohibited Muslims entering Al Aqsa Mosque from freely practising their religion, in addition to repetitive and daily aggressions against visitors.

ISESCO representative Mohammad Younis underscored the need for “further collective efforts in combating Israeli violations”, adding that archaeological reports document all man-made constructive and destructive moves.

This consistent documentation means legal and technical reports can expose the “terrible violations” to the international community, he said, adding that the following step will be to present the reports at international conventions.  

A total of 11 experts from Jordan, Palestine, Egypt and Morocco are participating in ISESCO’s eighth meeting. Recommendations are expected to be released on Thursday.