Local

AMMAN — Three people, including a Sri Lankan domestic helper, were killed and two others suffered smoke inhalation in a house fire in Mahes, around 8km west of the capital in Balqa Governorate, on Sunday morning an official source said.

The fire, which started at 6am in a three-storey house, resulted in the death of an 85-year-old man, a 16-year-old boy, both Jordanian, and a 26-year-old Sri Lankan domestic helper, a Civil Defence Department (CDD) official said.

The Sri Lankan woman was charred to death, while the two other victims received second- and third-degree burns, and died shortly after being admitted to hospital, according to a CDD statement.

Two other people — also Jordanians — suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to Al Hussein Medical Centre, the CDD official told The Jordan Times.

“The fire gutted an entire floor and destroyed its contents,” the official added.

It took CDD personnel around three hours to bring the fire under control and prevent it from spreading to the two other floors, he said.

A special committee was formed to investigate the cause of the fire, according to the CDD statement. 

“It will take investigators around one week to determine the starting point of the blaze and its cause,” the CDD official explained.

AMMAN — The Health Ministry is awaiting the Cabinet’s endorsement of a set of rules that regulate licence renewals for cafés and outlets that serve argileh, a ministry official said on Sunday.

Fatima Khalifeh, head of the ministry’s tobacco control department, said a steering committee with representatives from the concerned institutions has already finalised its recommendations for this purpose.

She said the recommendations include preventing those who are under the age of 18 from entering any place that serves argileh or even allows any type of tobacco.

“Even if those children are accompanied by others who are older than 18, they are not allowed to enter these places,” Khalifeh told The Jordan Times.

Another recommendation is to designate a space for non-smokers at restaurants serving argileh that should be completely separated from the smoking area, she said.

Khalifeh added that based on the recommendations, there should be an air filtering system to clean the polluted indoor air of a smoking room.

However, the challenge that might face the implementation of these recommendations once they are endorsed is identifying the authorised party to ensure that the targeted outlets abide by these regulations, according to Khalifeh. 

She noted that the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) is only authorised to renew licences. 

In a letter sent to the Health Ministry, the municipality said it is not authorised to monitor health standards related to allowing argileh smoking.

“The ministry cannot work alone and other parties should be involved to help us monitor the implementation of these regulations,” Khalifeh said.

In February, GAM announced that it will not issue or renew any licences for cafés serving argileh, citing a Health Ministry request to enforce the Public Health Law, which prohibits smoking in public places.

The application of the law was supposed to go into effect April 1, since all licences issued to restaurants and cafés that offer argileh were due to expire by March 31.

Following protests by café and restaurant owners, GAM revisited its decision and decided to only stop issuing new licences for serving argileh at cafés and started receiving applications for licence renewals last Wednesday.

The municipality said the applications are only for renewals and not for new licences.

The Public Health Law was enforced in the Kingdom’s shopping malls and Queen Alia International Airport in March 2009, and in fast-food restaurants in June of the same year.

A Cabinet decision prohibiting smoking in ministries and public institutions went into force May 25, 2010.

According to the law, smoking is prohibited in hospitals, healthcare centres, schools, cinemas, theatres, libraries, museums, public and non-governmental buildings, public transport vehicles, airports, closed playgrounds, lecture halls and any other location to be determined by the health minister.

AMMAN — Sports gives people the opportunity to come together and keep in touch with other nations despite their differences, according to Thomas Wörle, Bayern Munich women’s technical director.  

In a recent interview with The Jordan Times, Wörle said football is something very easy for anyone to play, because it can be played anywhere and one can make a ball using simple material.

The Bavarian club, whose members began a visit to Jordan late last week to play two friendlies with the national women’s team, visited the Zaatari Refugee Camp on Saturday and played football with 50 Syrian girls aged under 13.

“We don’t know a lot of details about the Syrian issue but we know that Jordan is a friendly country and [it is] receiving refugees,” Wörle added.  

Gina Lewandowski, one of the team’s members, said football is good for refugees to take their minds off what they have been through.

“Football is a universal sport that can be connected with everybody no matter what their language is and either rich or poor people can play it. Football helps refugees interact with other people in different countries,” the 28-year-old defender told The Jordan Times.    

The German women’s club, which conclude their visit to Jordan on Monday, first came to the Kingdom in 2011.

“During these two visits, we learned about the culture and we visited several sites such as Petra, the Dead Sea, the Baptism Site and Jerash,” Wörle said, describing Jordan as “beautiful”.  

The Jordan women’s team has improved during the past three years, the German coach said, observing that the squad’s defence has become well organised. 

“They played quite compact and it was very difficult for us to find gaps to play through… It was a very tough match for us,” he told The Jordan Times.

Bayern beat Jordan 1-0 and 2-0 in the Thursday and Saturday friendly matches.

Wörle said women’s football was not that popular in Jordan during his last visit, but has now gained more fan interest. 

“Football developed and there are many things [that] changed in the structure. I think the JFA [Jordan Football Association] headed by HRH Prince Ali worked hard and did a lot of things for women’s football in the Kingdom.”

Lewandowski noted that women’s football is not as popular as men’s in Germany, but it is gaining a loyal fan base. 

“I think there is more interest than a couple of years ago,” she added.  

Clara Schöne, another Bayern player, said it is normal to see a girl playing football in Germany. 

“My family supported me when I began playing football and support me in everything I want to do,” she said.

Noting that football is the main sport in Germany, Wörle said the women’s Bundesliga (German League) has improved over the past years.

“It consists of 12 teams and it is a good competition. It was not like that 10 years ago, but the German football federation worked hard and coaches got better,” he added.  

Lewandowski noted that women’s football is a little better in Germany compared to other countries and it is also more developed. 

“When you think about women’s football in Europe, you think of Germany. Germany competes in… numerous contests,” she added.  

But Wörle said Bayern have no chance to win this year’s Bundesliga.

“We have a young team and the team has developed over the years. We hope that in the coming few years we can make the gap smaller between us and the other teams… This season, if we can get fourth place it will be great,” he said.  

Bayern have not won any Bundesliga title, but they won the German cup in 2012, according to Wörle. 

AMMAN — The government is committed to supporting Royal Jordanian (RJ) to enable it to continue its role as the Kingdom’s flag carrier, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said Saturday.

During a visit to RJ, where he met with its chairman Nasser Lozi and CEO Amer Hadidi, Ensour stressed the importance of supporting the airline as it continues to be one of the major backbones of Jordan’s economy.

The premier, who was accompanied by Finance Minister Umayya Toukan and Social Security Investment Fund Chairman Suleiman Hafez, was briefed on the challenges facing the airline in light of the current security and political situation facing the region.

Lozi said that overall air traffic to and from the Middle East is declining, especially due to the increase in the prices of fuel derivatives, which has “noticeably” raised operational costs during the last three years.

He also highlighted the company’s strategic plan to deal with the difficulties, namely conducting a feasibility study of routes, enhancing its competitiveness and reducing additional operation costs incurred by Queen Alia International Airport.

Ensour stressed the need for RJ to work at its full capacity to improve its services, increase revenues, cut expenses and reconsider its routes to overcome challenges.

The visit came on the heels of a government decision to increase its capital share in RJ by JD50 million, and after the announcement of the findings of the Privatisation Evaluation Committee, which showed that the airline’s privatisation plan is in line with the best international practices and transparency standards.

AMMAN — Temperatures on Sunday will be eight degrees above the annual average for this time of the year, as the country remains under the effect of a hot air mass and khamsini depression, a meteorologist said on Saturday.

The hot air mass and “weak” khamsini depression are expected to taper off on Monday evening, when a humid air mass affects the country, bringing temperatures back to their annual average of 21°C during this time of the year, according to a meteorologist at the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

“A rise in temperatures is expected on Sunday, when the weather will be relatively hot, dusty and dry. Temperatures will be seven to eight degrees higher than their annual average,” the meteorologist said.

Temperatures in Amman will reach a high of 29°C during the day and drop to a low of 16°C at night, while winds will be southeasterly to southwesterly moderate to brisk, the weather forecaster noted.

Khamsini weather will continue prevailing on Monday, and it will be relatively hot, dry and dusty, particularly in the southern region. Temperatures in the capital will range between a maximum of 28°C and a minimum of 11°C, according to the JMD.

Khamsini weather conditions affect the eastern part of the Mediterranean an average of once a week. The hot, sand-laden winds, originating from the Atlas Mountains in North Africa, annually move east of the Mediterranean Sea around this time of year and are usually preceded by unseasonably high temperatures and dusty conditions.

The JMD weather forecaster added that temperatures will drop starting Monday night, as the country will be affected by a humid air mass.

“Temperatures will drop at night; humidity levels will rise and winds will become northwesterly moderate to brisk at times,” the meteorologist said.

Mercury levels on Monday will range between a high of 28°C and a low of 11°C in Amman, according to the JMD.

A tangible drop in temperatures is expected on Tuesday, when the weather will be fair. 

Mercury levels will be 22°C during the day and 8°C at night in the capital, while winds will be northwesterly moderate to brisk, raising dust in the south and east of the country.

AMMAN — Jordan faces demographic and environmental challenges due to scarcity of natural resources, but it is characterised by the presence of enormous energies of youths who have learned from a long history and rich achievements, HRH Princess Sumaya, said on Thursday.

The princess, who is chairperson of the Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) board of trustees, made the remark at the opening of the conference on “Building international networks to promote scientific research in Jordan”.

“I am happy to see this number of scientists and researchers in various scientific fields together to discuss ways to promote scientific research through international networking, which must play a vital role in promoting science to achieve greater equality in our region and our world.” 

“Inequality within societies and across borders is the primary and overarching threat to our global sustainability, for it promotes the deployment of science for division, and not science for peace,” she added, underscoring that “we must ensure that science and technology are not arrayed to divide our world between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’”. 

“The great strides that we have made in communications and other technologies have united the enfranchised people around our world, but they are in danger of excluding those who are not connected to this new and artificial global consciousness. Smart technology does not create the problems of the future; it solves them before they arise,” the princess noted.

She stressed that “building research networks is critical in removal of barriers between peoples and we must reject the inequality between people that is rapidly increasing in our world.” 

The princess added that “we must be ready to harness science and mobilise creativity to achieve a promising future to which we all aspire.”

A total of 150 participants representing 25 countries are attending the three-day conference. 

Khalid Toukan, chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) and president of the conference, said Jordan faces many challenges, notably the growing energy demand, increasing costs and the lack of natural resources, as well as water scarcity, noting that the Kingdom is working to address this shortfall.

“In Jordan, we are currently concentrating on developing resources to face power and energy shortages. These include renewable energy, oil shale, natural gas resources and above all water. We are working hard to develop a network of research within Jordan and with other developed countries in the world.”

German Ambassador Ralph Tarraf thanked all those involved in the conference, held at the PSUT, and praised the strong relations between Jordan and Germany.

He praised Princess Sumaya’s encouragement and support of the scientific community working in the fields of scientific research and technology to enable local communities to achieve growth and prosperity.  

The event is part of a series of conferences held by the Humboldt International Foundation, and was organised by the Humboldt Jordan club in collaboration with the German-Jordanian University and the JAEC as well as several local universities.

AMMAN — Police and Department of Antiquities (DoA) officials on Saturday announced the arrest of three men in Zarqa, 35km northwest of the capital, who reportedly attempted to sell ancient artefacts believed to belong to the Byzantine period.

The suspects were allegedly in possession of 10 ancient statues, pots and other ancient relics that they planned to sell, according to a statement issued by the Public Security Department on Saturday.“The police received a tip four days ago that the suspects were looking for a buyer and arrested them while they were in their car where they found the ancient pieces,” the statement said.

DoA Director General Monther Jamhawi said an expert who was dispatched to examine the items determined that nine pieces were authentic and one was a fake.

“This is the result of vandalism that destroys archaeological sites since robbers are just looking for valuable objects or gold,” Jamhawi noted.

He told The Jordan Times that the pieces belonged to the Byzantine era and were “most probably snatched from the over 100,000 registered archaeological sites dating to that period in Jordan”.

“These sites represent the entire chronology of human life on earth but unfortunately no more than 20 per cent are registered with our department,” Jamhawi explained.

He added that the department “does not have the capabilities or financial resources to excavate all these sites”.

“We hope that people can be more aware of this important heritage and preserve it for future generations instead of vandalising these sites.”

Jamhawi added that the department is waiting for the conclusion of the investigation to obtain the items and register them.

If convicted, the perpetrators could receive between one and three years in prison for violating the Archaeology Law, he noted.

AMMAN — The situation in Syria a “political conundrum and a heartbreaking humanitarian crisis”, Her Majesty Queen Rania said on Thursday, urging the international community to step up support to refugee host communities. 

Speaking at the fifth annual Women in the World Summit as the featured dinner interview guest, the Queen also addressed various issues and challenges pertinent to women and education in the Arab world, according to a statement from her office.

During the onstage conversation with Tina Brown, founder of Women in the World and CEO of Tina Brown Live Media, Her Majesty told the audience at the Lincoln Centre in New York that Jordan is hosting over 600,000 refugees, and is struggling to manage the huge pressure this place on its economy and infrastructure.

The Queen explained that Syrian refugees in Jordan have free access to public healthcare and school systems, all of which are stretched to the limit. 

Asserting the historic humanitarian role Jordan has played in the region due to its constancy in being a country of moderation, Her Majesty noted that even with the best of intentions, Jordan cannot cope with the unprecedented needs without increased international support.

The Queen touched on the important role played by the international community in supporting Jordan with its humanitarian efforts, adding that “there is no shortage of sympathy”, but aid and donations have not kept pace with the mounting needs. 

Her Majesty also spoke about the importance of education reform in Jordan and across the Arab world in light of the region’s persistent unemployment challenge, stressing the importance of innovation and creativity in addressing this challenge.

One such innovation that can help transform the Arab world is free online education, Queen Rania said. 

“Transformative shifts take place when what is suddenly possible meets what is urgently needed. When opportunity intersects with necessity.”

The Queen spoke about her foundation’s plan to launch a new Arabic MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) platform that utilises the latest technology in making quality education more accessible through the Internet to the general Arabic-speaking population.

When asked about what seemed to be a lack of progress on women’s issues following the Arab Spring, Her Majesty explained that in light of heightened polarisation, violence and conflict in some Arab countries, concerns about safety and security have drowned out many of the voices supporting women’s issues. 

However, the Queen reminded the audience that change on such a scale needs time, explaining that tangible transformations “… will take much more than a three-month spring or even three years to take root in the Arab world”.

Her Majesty also urged the audience to remember that every country in the Arab world, and the starting point for women in each, is different.

Despite the continuing challenges to Arab women’s empowerment, Queen Rania highlighted the surge in activism by women in the region after the Arab Spring. New advocacy groups and movements championing women’s rights have emerged across the region.

She added that the region has also witnessed a dramatic cultural shift, at the heart of which is a new generation of men and women who are more empowered and passionate about making their voices heard. 

The Women in the World Summit was launched in 2010 by the electronic news media, The Daily Beast, to primarily focus on and discuss challenges faced by women and girls in the world as well as inspire conversation about the role of women and their contribution to global development.

Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, International Rescue Committee President and CEO David Miliband, US Ambassador and Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security Executive Director Melanne Verveer, and Global Health Corps CEO and Cofounder Barbara Bush also attended this year’s summit, along with many other leading women from around the world.

IRBID — Islamists and youth activists took to the streets of Irbid Governorate on Friday to reiterate their calls for economic, political and social reform.

Participants in the march, dubbed “Israr 16” (persistence), called for holding the corrupt accountable and raised slogans that accused the government of “turning its back” on their demands.

SALT — The Higher Committee for the Shamel Exam, the annual comprehensive final exam for community college students, on Saturday decided to computerise all examination papers for the next summer session.

The committee also decided to start the written part of the examination on August 9, and the practical section on June 8.

Nabil Shawaqfeh, president of Balqa Applied University and chairman of the committee, said the panel provided enough time for students to prepare for the exam, noting that the general examination and assessment unit at the university will issue the exam schedule through the university’s website: www.bau.edu.jo.

Registration for the Shamel Exam started last Tuesday and will conclude on April 30.