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AMMAN — Two people died in separate accidents on Friday, the Civil Defence Department (CDD) said. A 45-year-old died in a two-vehicle collision in Irbid while nine were injured and taken to hospitals where they were listed in fair condition.

A man also died in a two-vehicle collision in the Naour area and three were injured. On Thursday, two people died and 10 were injured in road accidents.

Avehicle overturned in the Adaseyeh area resulting in the death of a person and the injury of another who was taken by West Amman CDD cadres to Al Hussein Medical Centre.

In Irbid, one person died and another was injured in a collision, whereas in Balqa, four were injured in a similar accident All injured were listed in fair condition.

JERASH — Some 300 young people on Saturday participated in the annual Clean Up the World campaign by cleaning the Dibbeen Forest Reserve.

The campaign was launched by the UN Environment Programme under the theme “Our Environment, Planet, Responsibility”.

The campaign, implemented by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature in cooperation with Hikma Pharmaceutical, included cleaning the forests as well as holding entertainment and awareness activities for children and participating families.

AMMAN – A slight drop in temperatures is forecast on Sunday, but will remain three to five degrees higher than the annual average.

According to the Jordan Meteorology Department website, it will be relatively hot in Amman and hilly areas on Sunday and hot in the rest of the Kingdom with chances of scattered rain.

The maximum temperature in the capital and northern region on Sunday will be 37ºC, dropping to a minimum of 24ºC, while in central parts of the country temperatures will reach a high of 34ºC during the day, and drop to a low of 20ºC at night. 

AMMAN — Seven feature-length narrative movies, shot in Jordan in the past couple of years, are taking part the 40th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which kicked off Thursday and is running until September 20.

According to a statement by the Amman-based Royal Film Commission, the festival is showcasing 256 international features from 71 countries. 

The seven films involving Jordan were selected out of more than 5,600 submissions from all over the world, the statement said.

“This is the first time such a large number of films shot in Jordan have found their way, in one year, to such a prestigious festival,” said the commission, an independent government agency concerned with promoting and supporting Jordan’s cinema industry. 

 The seven films selected at Toronto include three war-related movies — the British “Kilo Two Bravo (Kajaki)” by Paul Katis,  Canadian “Hyena Road” by Paul Gross and  Austrian “Thank you for Bombing” by Barbara Eder. All three films are set in Afghanistan and were shot in various parts of the Kingdom.

Three Arab drama movies — the bio-drama “The Idol” by award-winning Palestinian Director Hany Abu Assad,   Palestinian drama “3000 Nights” by Mai Masri and “Dégradé”, the first feature of the Gazan brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser — have all been partially or entirely shot in Jordan, according to the statement.

“The Martian”, a science-fiction movie, “is the latest long-awaited work of Ridley Scott, who spent eight days filming in the lunar stunning landscape of Wadi Rum.”

The Royal Film Commission — Jordan (RFC) has provided logistical support — and in the case of “3000 Nights”, also financial aid — to all these movies, facilitating the shoot, getting filming permits, spotting appropriate locations, linking foreign productions to local crew and cast, and easing customs procedures, the commission said.

“Foreign productions are attracted to Jordan not only for the variety of its locations but also for its well-developed infrastructure, the absence of red tape and the availability of skilled cast and crew,” said George David, general manager of the RFC. 

The seven feature films, at this year’s edition of TIFF, stand as a “proof that Jordan is picture perfect and a privileged cinematic destination”.

Jordan has been the venue for shooting historic Hollywood films like Lawrence of Arabia in 1961, the third part of Indiana Jones (1989) and the 2010 Oscar winning war drama, Hurt Locker.

AQABA — HRH Princess Basma on Thursday inaugurated a permanent exhibition in Aqaba, showcasing women’s handicrafts and homemade foods.

At a meeting with representatives of Aqaba women, youth committees and officials, Princess Basma stressed the importance of teamwork that guarantee better voluntary works aimed at serving society and women.

The Princess Basma Development Centre, supported by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and the Aqaba Development Company, organised the exhibition to provide the city with a handicraft market that reflects its identity.

The fair will provide women from Aqaba and neighbouring villages, the opportunity to display their products and secure permanent incomes for their families.

AMMAN — Financial funding, as part of the 2015 Jordan Response Plan to address the repercussions of the Syrian refugee crisis on Jordan, currently stands at 34.5 per cent, according to a statement by Planning Minister Imad Fakhoury on Saturday.

Fakhoury renewed in a stament a call for further assistance by the international community. He issued the statement as  his ministry is making arrangements for a forum Jordan is scheduled to host on November 9.

The gathering will bring together donors, UN agency representatives and NGOs, along with private sector leaders to draw a regional road map on empowerment and financing mechanisms necessary to address the Syrian refugee crisis. 

AMMAN — The University of Jordan (UJ) has received a JD1 million financial grant from Jordanian historian Raouf Abu Jaber to build a centre specialised in women’s studies under an agreement signed between Abu Jaber and UJ President Ekhlief Tarawneh.

The agreement stipulates issuing an urgent tender to start building the centre on a 1,700-square-metres plot of land allocated by UJ in front of the Law Faculty.

AMMAN — A Border Guards commander on Thursday said the Kingdom received 536,788 Syrian refugees since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, 91 per cent of whom are women and children.

The commander made his remarks during a field tour organised by the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) for representatives of media outlets to brief them on JAF’s efforts in dealing with the Syrian crisis.

The commander briefed the representatives on the process of work and the services offered to the refugees from the moment they enter the Kingdom until they arrive in the camps, and said advanced medical cadres run by the Royal Medical Services treated more than 85,000 medical cases. 

AMMAN — Criminal Investigation Department personnel on Saturday arrested a suspect for allegedly scamming the public by telling them he could secure Hajj (the greater pilgrimage) visas in return for money, according to the Public Security Department (PSD).

The PSD warned the public against such scammers who appear during the Hajj season. Also on Saturday, Irbid PSD personnel arrested a person suspected to be involved in forging accredited university certificates, and confiscated his equipment.

The PSD said a complaint showed that the suspect forges the certificates and sells them to people for use to secure jobs abroad.

AMMAN — The fourth Petra Desert Marathon kicked off Saturday with the participation of 115 runners from 26 countries. The event, organised by the Jordanian Experience Tours in cooperation with the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), started at 6:30am from the Petra Visitors Centre and continued through Al Siq and the Treasury, according to a PDTRA statement.

Acting PDTRA Chief Commissioner Imad Hijazin said that tourism, along with its cultural and humanitarian aspects, requires everyone to suggest novel ideas that highlight Jordan’s tourist sites. Head of the marathon’s higher committee Salah Hilalat, said the event, which had 42- and 21-kilometre categories, was aimed at connecting sports with tourism and promoting the city internationally.