Police and security officials in the Jordanian city of Zarqa are investigating the mutilation of a teenager. Six people have been charged. AFP
Police and security officials in the Jordanian city of Zarqa are investigating the mutilation of a teenager. Six people have been charged. AFP
Police and security officials in the Jordanian city of Zarqa are investigating the mutilation of a teenager. Six people have been charged. AFP
Police and security officials in the Jordanian city of Zarqa are investigating the mutilation of a teenager. Six people have been charged. AFP

Torture attack on teenager outrages Jordanians


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Jordanians were outraged after attackers cut off a teenager's hands and gouged out one of his eyes.

The 16-year-old from the city of Zarqa, identified as Saleh, said he went out to buy bread and encountered a gang member he routinely avoided, local news broadcaster Roya TV reported on Tuesday.

In Saleh’s effort to escape the man, he jumped on a bus and then realised the driver was also a gang member.

According to Saleh, the driver threatened him with a screwdriver if he did not shut up. Others boarded the bus and began beating Saleh. The bus was driven to a location where the assault continued.

“An attacker put my hands on the table and struck me with an axe several times,” Saleh told local media. He said the man gouged out one of his eyes and damaged the other.

Saleh said 12 people were involved in his abduction and torture.

A witness said he called the police when he saw Saleh covered in blood and screaming from his "torment".

King Abdullah II ordered that the 16-year-old be provided with the necessary health care following the attack. Justice Minister Bassam Al Talhouni described the assault as a “heinous crime”.

A video circulating on social media showed Saleh sitting bleeding from wrists and eyes as he asked the attackers to call an ambulance.

It is believed that the attack was retaliation for the murder of the lead suspect’s relative this year, media said. Saleh’s father is serving a prison sentence for that crime.

Colonel Amer Al Sartawi, spokesman for the Public Security Directorate, confirmed the attack on Tuesday evening.

Six people were charged in connection with the assault. A security source said the main suspect had a record of more than 170 arrests.

The charges included conspiracy to commit premeditated murder, indecent assault and kidnapping, a source told Roya TV. All six will remain in police custody.

In a televised interview, Saleh’s mother said she would have rather died than sent her son out to buy bread had she known the fate that awaited him.

Mabrouk Al Surihin, director of Zarqa Governmental Hospital where Saleh was treated before being moved to King Hussein Medical City, said the teenager was in a stable condition after four operations.

Mr Al Surihin said that one of Saleh's hands was cut off at the wrist and the other from the middle of the forearm. Saleh would need more surgery and prosthetic limbs, he said.

Dr Safia Shehadeh said it was not yet clear if the sight in Salah's remaining eye would be permanently impaired.

Mr Al Talhouni said penalties will be enforced on anyone who commits such crimes, adding that Jordan has a strong penal code to deal with criminals.

On social media, citizens criticised Article 335 of the Jordanian Penal Code, which states the punishment for the amputation of a limb should result in a maximum jail term of 10 years.

People called for stringent action against the perpetrators. Some demanded the death penalty. The hashtag #execute_Zarqa_criminal (#الاعدام_لمجرم_الزرقاء) was among the top trends on Twitter on Wednesday.


Journalist Yasser Zaatarah questioned the effectiveness of laws. He tweeted: "They kidnapped the 16-year-old boy in retaliation for the crime of his imprisoned father. What is the fault of the poor person of a crime that has nothing to do with it? What do modern laws do in a situation like this?!"

Twitter user Jina Lenetti posted: "How can people be this cruel? What have we [come] to? This is disgusting."

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

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Who are the Soroptimists?

The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.

The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.

Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.

Trippier bio

Date of birth September 19, 1990

Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom

Age 26

Height 1.74 metres

Nationality England

Position Right-back

Foot Right

The Two Popes

Director: Fernando Meirelles

Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce 

Four out of five stars

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In The Heights

Directed by: Jon M. Chu

Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda

Rating: ****

Wallabies

Updated team: 15-Israel Folau, 14-Dane Haylett-Petty, 13-Reece Hodge, 12-Matt Toomua, 11-Marika Koroibete, 10-Kurtley Beale, 9-Will Genia, 8-Pete Samu, 7-Michael Hooper (captain), 6-Lukhan Tui, 5-Adam Coleman, 4-Rory Arnold, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 2-Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1-Scott Sio.

Replacements: 16-Folau Faingaa, 17-Tom Robertson, 18-Taniela Tupou, 19-Izack Rodda, 20-Ned Hanigan, 21-Joe Powell, 22-Bernard Foley, 23-Jack Maddocks.

ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final

Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
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World Cup League Two

Results

Oman beat Nepal by 18 runs

Oman beat United States by six wickets

Nepal beat United States by 35 runs

Oman beat Nepal by eight wickets

 

Fixtures

Tuesday, Oman v United States

Wednesday, Nepal v United States

 

If you go

The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. 
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.   

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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3.49pm: 77kg male: Oliver Lovell (GBR) v Tommy Langarkar (NOR)
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4.10pm: 94kg male: Adam Wardzinski (POL) v Kaynan Duarte (BRA)
4.17pm: 110kg male: Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE) v Joao Rocha (BRA

Gender pay parity on track in the UAE

The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.

"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."

Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.

"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.

As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general. 

The biog

Siblings: five brothers and one sister

Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota

Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym

Favourite place: UAE

Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera

What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books

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Secret Nation: The Hidden Armenians of Turkey
Avedis Hadjian, (IB Tauris)
 

Our legal consultants

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Under 12 – Minerva Academy

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T20 World Cup Qualifier

October 18 – November 2

Opening fixtures

Friday, October 18

ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya

Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan

Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed

Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed

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Where to Find Me by Alba Arikha
Alma Books 

Walls

Louis Tomlinson

3 out of 5 stars

(Syco Music/Arista Records)