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AMMAN — Jordan’s hosting and co-training of Iraqi forces on its territories along with the US are part of its continued cooperation with the two countries, particularly in the area of military training, according to a senior official.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said the Kingdom was “proud” to possess one of the best military and security training centres in the region.

In a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times, the minister announced that a new round of training will start soon to include 50 Iraqis, as part of an ongoing programme that started years ago and is implemented in cooperation with Iraq and the US.

“The upcoming training will not increase the number of US military personnel in Jordan,” said Momani, noting that the Kingdom will continue developing its security and military training capabilities. 

He said that the programme, slated to be concluded by the end of April, is aimed at improving several skills, especially those related to special operations and combating terrorism.

“It [training] is also in line with Jordan’s vision and efforts to entrench security and enhance regional stability,” said Momani, according to a statement received by The Jordan Times. 

AMMAN — Jordan Television is scheduled to host the head of the Lower House’s Energy and Mineral Resources Committee, Jamal Gammoh, and Jordan Atomic Energy Commission President Khaled Toukan at 7pm on Sunday to discuss the nuclear energy file.

Both guests will discuss all issues related to nuclear energy and answer viewers’ questions during an episode of the “Jordan Tonight” programme.

MANAMA — King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifah of Bahrain on Saturday received HRH Princess Alia Bint Al Hussein, president of the Royal Jordanian Equestrian Federation.

The princess conveyed His Majesty King Abdullah’s greetings to King Hamad, and wished more progress and prosperity for Bahrain.

King Hamad praised the “unique relations” between Jordan and Bahrain, stressing the Gulf country’s keenness on strengthening them.

The princess is currently visiting Manama to attend the Khalid Bin Hamad Arabian Horse Racing Cup Festival for people with disabilities.

AMMAN — The deadline for amending laws to be compatible with the new version of the Constitution is approaching, while the government is yet to submit to the Lower House at least one key law, officials and legislators said on Saturday.

According to Article 128 (ii) of the Constitution, amended in 2011: “All laws, regulations and other legislative acts in force in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on the date on which this Constitution comes into force shall continue to be in force until they are repealed or amended by the legislation issued there under within a maximum of three years.”

Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Khaled Kalaldeh confirmed that the deadline for amending all the laws in question is
April 20, noting that laws of highest urgency have already been amended in line with the Constitution, including the State Security Law and the Anti-Torture Law.

He also noted that the proposed amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Law were referred to the Lower House of Parliament, pending endorsement.

The proposed amendments to the law entail an expanded definition of terrorism and those who are tagged as terrorists.

According to the proposed modifications, those who join, attempt to join, fight with or finance armed groups outside Jordan are considered terrorists.

However, according to MP Abdul Munem Odat, head of the Lower House Legal Committee, the House is still waiting to receive an amendment to the Judiciary Law.

Citing the Constitution, he said the administrative litigation should be at two levels; thus the said law should be amended to establish a higher administrative court.

He explained that currently if someone wants to appeal the ruling of the Higher Court of Justice, which looks into cases filed against state agencies, he/she cannot go to another court because the HCJ is the highest administrative court. 

According to Article 100 of the Constitution: “The establishment of the various courts, their categories, their divisions, their jurisdiction and their administration shall be by virtue of a special law, provided that such a law provides for the establishment of an administrative judiciary that should be at two levels.”

Meanwhile, Senator Muhannad Azzeh, member of the Senate’s Legal Committee said if laws that contradict the Constitution are left without amendment before the deadline, this will be in violation of the Constitution.

He argued that there is another law that should be amended in line with the Constitution, which is the Crime Prevention Law.

The controversial law authorises administrative detention upon orders from Interior Ministry’s provincial governors and administrators of provincial subdivisions. The 1954 law allows the detention of anyone who is “about to commit a crime or to assist in its commission”. Such powers have allowed the arrest of people for being caught in what law enforcers deem “suspicious situations”.  

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Friday reiterated Jordan’s higher interests, especially those pertaining to final-status issues of the Middle East peace process, according to a Royal court statement. 

The King made the statement during a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the port city of Aqaba where discussions focused on the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations.  

Kerry, who was on a short visit to the Kingdom, briefed the King on the situation of the current US-brokered Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. He also highlighted the outcome of the recent visit by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the US and his meeting with President Barack Obama. 

King Abdullah stressed the importance of support from all parties and the international community for efforts exerted to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region, on the basis of the two-state solution, international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, in a manner that meets the aspirations of the Palestinian people. 

The solution should lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian national soil, within the pre-1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, to live in peace and security side by side with Israel, the King stressed. 

At the meeting, which was attended by Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, Kerry lauded the King’s efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East and to boost regional security and stability, the statement said.  

AMMAN — The authorities on Saturday dismantled eight illegal pipes that were diverting thousands of cubic metres from the water main that supplies Jerash Governorate, according to officials.

The illegal pipes were channelling water to several wells on farms in Jerash Governorate, 48 kilometres north of the capital, Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) Secretary General Tawfik Habashneh said.

“The Jerash water directorate detected disruptions and a severe shortage in the amount of water pumped to the Majar area in Jerash. After inspecting the pipeline, the teams detected the violations,” Habashneh was quoted as saying in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times.

A joint team from WAJ, the Gendarmerie Department and the Public Security Department headed to the site and removed the illegal pipes, Water Ministry Spokesperson Omar Salameh told The Jordan Times on Saturday.

“The cases were referred to court for legal action against the violators,” Salameh noted.

He underscored that the ministry and security forces are pressing ahead with the crackdown on violators of water resources, noting that since the launch of the campaign in August last year, hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of water have been saved.

Last Wednesday, the authorities dismantled three illegal pipes that were diverting more than 5,000 cubic metres of water daily to farms in south Amman. The pipes were installed on a water main that supplies east Amman with its water share, according to the ministry.

Since August last year, more than 7,000 illegal pipes have been dismantled, 75.5 per cent of them in the capital. The ministry registered 1,919 violations on water mains and 3,360 cases of gauge tampering in the capital alone between August and December last year.

The ministry called on the public to cooperate with authorities and report violations.

“Every illegal pipe that is removed means an improved water supply to people,” Salameh noted.

AMMAN — The country will be affected by a depression accompanied by a cold air mass on Sunday expected to bring the “first heavy rain” since last December, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

The combined weather condition is expected to cause a drop in temperatures and bring heavy rain, thunder and hail, a JMD meteorologist said on Saturday, adding that its impact will continue prevailing until Tuesday.

Temperatures on Sunday will drop by seven degrees compared to Saturday, when the maximum reached 27°C, nine degrees above the annual average of 18°C during this time of the year.

It will be cloudy and temperatures in Amman will range between a high of 20°C and a low of 7°C, the weather forecaster said.

“Rain will start falling in the south of the Kingdom on Sunday morning. By the afternoon hours, the central and northern regions will start receiving rain, which will be heavy and accompanied by thunder,” he added.

Southwesterly moderate to brisk winds on Sunday will change to westerly brisk in the afternoon, according to the JMD.

A further drop in mercury levels is forecast for Monday, when the weather will be relatively cold and partly cloudy, with a chance for scattered showers during the day in the northern and southern regions.

Temperatures in the capital will range between a maximum of 16°C and minimum of 7°C, while winds will be northwesterly moderate, turning to southwesterly at night, according to the meteorologist.

The weather will remain relatively cold and partly cloudy on Tuesday, with chances of light rain during the night in the northern and central regions. Winds will be northeasterly to northwesterly moderate to brisk, while temperatures will rise 17°C during the day, dropping to 7°C at night in Amman.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom witnessed heavy dust on Friday and Saturday, which reduced road visibility, especially in the southern and eastern regions.

Despite the dusty weather, which was caused by sand-laden southeasterly moderate to brisk winds, the desert road, which links Amman with the southern region, was open to traffic, according to the Public Security Department (PSD).

“Traffic movement is normal on the desert road and across the east and south of country,” an officer at the PSD press office told The Jordan Times.

Royal Jordanian (RJ) also said that air traffic at Queen Alia international Airport was unaffected by the dusty weather.

“No flights were diverted or delayed due to the dust,” RJ Media Office Director Basel Kilani told The Jordan Times over the phone.

AMMAN –– Three French tourists fell to their deaths on Saturday while mountain climbing in Wadi Rum, according to the Civil Defence Department (CDD).

A 32-year-old man and two women, aged 35 and 40, plunged 200 metres while climbing a 1,500-metre high mountain in the Um Rumaileh area in Wadi Rum, some 300 kilometres southwest of the capital, a CDD officer told The Jordan Times over the phone on Saturday.

“The incident took place around 11:30am on Saturday. Investigations are under way to identify the cause of the unfortunate incident,” added the CDD official, who requested anonymity.

He noted that the three tourists were found on a cliff.

“The team of paramedics faced a hard time reaching the site of the accident because of the mountainous terrain. The three tourists were... transported on stretchers for 300 metres before reaching the ambulance,” the CDD officer said.

The bodies of the victims were taken to the Wadi Rum Health Centre for forensic examination and then transferred to Prince Hashem Military Hospital in Aqaba, located 58 kilometres south of Wadi Rum.

“The bodies of the French tourists are expected to be flown to Amman by Saturday evening,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Nidal Katamine expressed his regret over the death of the French tourists, noting that they fell after their rope was cut.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Katamine said the tourists arrived in Jordan individually and went on the climbing expedition without a guide.

“It is very important for tourists to coordinate with the related authorities when planning adventures in the country, especially climbing,” Katamine was quoted by Petra as saying.

AMMAN — Developing cooperation in the labour and tourism sectors was the focus of talks Minister of Labour and Tourism Nidal Katamine held with three diplomats on Thursday. 

During separate meetings with the ambassadors of China, Thailand and India, discussions covered means of increasing the number of tourists visiting the country.

Katamine highlighted the Kingdom’s tourist attractions, mainly historic and religious sites, stressing the need to activate the memoranda of understanding signed with their respective countries in this regard. 

During a meeting with China’s Ambassador to Jordan Gao Yusheng, Katamine briefed him on the ministry’s plans to promote tourism, underlining the importance of His Majesty King Abdullah’s recent visit to China to boost cooperation between the two countries. 

The Chinese ambassador suggested intensifying promotional campaigns in his country and for Jordanian tourism companies to launch joint programmes with other neighbouring countries as a means to attract more visitors, underlining Jordan’s diverse tourism products.

Meanwhile, Thai Ambassador to Jordan Piriya Khempon asserted the importance of establishing a Jordanian embassy in his country to facilitate travel procedures for Thai tourists.

Khempon welcomed the idea of ??bringing Thais to work at different hospitality facilities such as hotels, restaurants and tourist resorts that provide therapeutic services.

He highlighted the opportunity to promote religious tourism in Thailand, especially since there are nearly 10 million Muslims and four million Christians in his country.

India’s Ambassador to Jordan Radha Ranjan Dash said recent measures taken to streamline the entry of Indian tourists to the country will definitely boost the sector. 

He also called for renewing a memorandum of understanding on labour that was signed between the two countries in 1988.

In addition, Dash suggested filming documentaries that highlight Jordan’s ancient and historic sites and heritage, noting that several Indians have volunteered to carry out this mission. 

In “Krrish 3”, a 2013 science fiction film, a song was shot in Jordan where different scenes showed Petra’s Treasury. 

Furthermore, Katamine and Dash agreed to organise meetings between Jordanian and Indian tourism and labour officials to discuss ways to strengthen ties in these spheres.

AMMAN — Warm and dusty weather will prevail on Friday and Saturday as the country will be under the impact of a warm air mass, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

Southeasterly moderate to brisk winds blowing from the Sinai desert will be laden with dust, which will make the weather relatively hazy over the weekend, when temperatures will be 10-11 degrees above their annual average of 16°C during this time of the year, JMD meteorologist Hassan Shanaa said on Thursday.

“The dusty weather will start prevailing on Friday afternoon and continue until late Saturday. Temperatures will reach a maximum of 27°C and drop to a minimum of 15°C in the capital,” Shanaa told The Jordan Times.

A slight drop in temperatures is forecast on Saturday, but the weather will remain warm and dusty with a chance of scattered showers. Mercury levels will range between a high of 26°C during the day and a low of 12°C at night in Amman, the weather forecaster said.

Meanwhile, a depression accompanied by a cold air mass is forecast for Sunday, according to Shanaa.

“The impact of the combined weather conditions will cause a drop in temperatures and the weather will become cloudy. Sufficient amounts of rain are expected, in addition to thunderstorms,” the meteorologist said.

Temperatures in Amman will range between 20°C and 10°C and winds will be northwesterly moderate to brisk.

“The impact of the depression and the cold air mass are expected to taper off on Monday evening,” Shanaa noted.

He added that the weather will stabilise on Tuesday and temperatures will rise to above their annual average of this time of the year.