Jordan’s King Abdullah returned to Amman on Tuesday after surgery on his back in Germany, official media said.
Official photos showed the king being greeted by his son, Crown Prince Hussein, at Marka Military Airport.
King Abdullah, who is 60, had surgery last week in Frankfurt on a slipped disc in his back. The royal palace said the operation was successful and that it had been urgent because he was in pain.
Dr Rakan Al Lozi, a Jordanian doctor who was with the king in Germany, told state television that “all the symptoms prior to the operation has completely disappeared”.
During his 10-day absence, the king appointed Crown Prince Hussein as regent. The 27-year old prince has been assigned more roles in the past couple of years.
Several Jordanian warplanes accompanied the private jet carrying the king as it entered Jordanian air space. His wife, Queen Rania, was with him. The couple have been married since 1994 and have four children, the eldest of whom is Crown Prince Hussein.
The monarch succeeded his father, the late king Hussein, in 1999. He was a commander in the military in the decade before his ascension to the throne.
Official media said parachuting from military planes contributed to the king’s back condition.
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
