Jordan's teachers are continuing their fight for what they say is a long-overdue salary increase, entering their third week of strike action despite the government urging students to attend classes on Sunday.
The Jordan Teachers' Syndicate and the government failed to reach an agreement in talks held at the weekend, subsequently leading teachers to continue their strike for a twelfth school day.
The government’s proposal to address teaching conditions and improve the quality of education was rejected on Saturday by the JTS.
Instead, it delivered a set of counter-demands in which it called for an apology from the government, an investigation into the alleged violations by security forces against teachers during the initial protest on September 5, and a 50 per cent salary increase — the latter being the core demand since the beginning of the strike.
Despite a failed attempt to reach an agreement, the government demand that students attend school "as usual" caused uproar on social media.
Twitter user Sumya-Wael called the move "shameful", while another Basil Mansour said the government had "a legal responsibility" regarding students' welfare after it issued a statement telling them to attend school in the knowledge that the teachers are striking. He said students shouldn't be involved in the dispute in this way.
Jordanian news site Roya reported that students had attended a school in Karak, a city 130 kilometres south of Amman, and that teaching had resumed on Sunday. However, comments under the story disputed this claim.
Muneer Wardat, 44, a teacher trainer at JTS and a trainer in media education at the Ministry of Education, said his school in Irbid, a city north of Amman, remained empty.
"The government is using the press and social media to try and pressure the JTS into ending the strike. When a principal of a school in Irbid announced she would open the school again today, the students responded by saying they stand with their teachers and support the strike. The authorities are using students in an unacceptable manner," he told The National.
“This strike is about fighting for our dignity. It’s about fighting to improve our quality of life and it’s about improving teaching standards — this isn’t just about us, it’s about the entire country’s education.”
Local reports said the representative for JTS, Noureddine Nadim said on Saturday: "The strike continues until the teachers' demands are fulfilled and there is no retreat from any teacher or the union council.
"This is an issue of rights that has been due for five years and we can only reverse it by the government's response to these demands. The ball is now in the government's court. It has to recognise the right of teachers."
During a press statement broadcast on local TV channels, Minister for Media Affairs Jumana Ghanimat called on the JTS to end the strike while stressing the importance "not to involve students and their right to education in these issues”.
She said a number of parents had submitted complaints to the directors of education about the strike.
On Friday, Jordan's Ministry of Awqaf And Islamic Affairs banned a number of Imams from delivering Friday prayers because they had deviated from protocol the previous week by addressing the teachers' strike.
In addition to the first legal complaint against the strike, heard at the West Amman Court on Thursday, by parents concerned about the impact of the strike on their children’s education, a second complaint has been filed against the JTS by a parent in the Balqa Governorate, north-west of Amman.
The strike began when tens of thousands of teachers across the kingdom took to the streets of Amman in protest of a 50 per cent salary increase they were promised by the government five years ago, on September 5.
The action forced the closure of many of the city’s major roads for several hours, causing chaos throughout Amman’s transport network.
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Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
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More on Coronavirus in France
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
Florence and the Machine – High as Hope
Three stars
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
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TRAINING FOR TOKYO
A typical week's training for Sebastian, who is competing at the ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon on March 8-9:
- Four swim sessions (14km)
- Three bike sessions (200km)
- Four run sessions (45km)
- Two strength and conditioning session (two hours)
- One session therapy session at DISC Dubai
- Two-three hours of stretching and self-maintenance of the body
ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
For more information go to www.abudhabi.triathlon.org.
India Test squad
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Bharatanatyam
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
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5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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