Local

AMMAN — The Arab Potash Company (APC) has signed its supply contracts in the Indian market with its customers Indian Potash Limited (IPL) and ZuariAgro.

The agreements were signed by APC President and CEO Maen Nsour, according to an APC statement. 

Nsour commented in the statement that the selling price agreed upon with customers in India is “in line” with the current pricing level adopted in India. 

Nsour further added that the cost and freight selling price amounts to $280 per tonne.

APC Chairman of the Board of Directors Jamal Al Sarayrah said in the statement that the APC “highly appreciates” the "valuable relations" it has with its main customers in India — IPL and ZuariAgro — which have lasted for more than 26 years.

AMMAN — The youth of the Kingdom have voiced their appreciation and gratitude for His Majesty King Abdullah’s “continuous support and confidence” in them, following his mention of them in his Parliament speech yesterday. 

During the Speech from the Throne given in Parliament yesterday, His Majesty said: “The most difficult reforms are behind us, and the promising future lies ahead. We are marching confidently towards that future to realise the aspirations of the people of this nation.”

“[The King’s] future-directed speech, along with his description of youth as ‘qualified’, has prompted us to work hard to live up to that standard,” said 21-year-old Mostafa Maani on Twitter.

“It is so easy to lose hope these days with the current financial situation and the negative vibes all around us, but hearing His Majesty saying he has faith in us has certainly raised my spirit,” said Loai Sababha in another tweet.

Firas Shawabkeh, manager of youth programmes at the Ministry of Youth, told The Jordan Times that “the positive energy and support that the King directs towards youth is driving them to push their limits”.

“In all our programmes, you can feel the participants wanting to become the best version of themselves,” he added.

Abdulraheem Zawahreh, director of the All Jordan Youth Commission, told The Jordan Times: “His Majesty stresses the important role of young people in all his Parliament and international forum speeches, highlighting how they are essential to building society.”

The royal speech, according to Zawahreh, “informs everyone, including the different state institutions as well as the private sector, of their responsibilities towards the youth ".

 “His Majesty is building a new reality that fosters growth and creates thousands of opportunities for all Jordanians, and that means not putting a ceiling on top of the aspirations of the youth, who have the distinctive freshness of energy and thought,” he added.

Amani Majali, former spokesperson for the Ministry of Youth, told The Jordan Times that His Majesty’s words about not succumbing to darkness or pessimism can be rendered as “an order for all state institutions to develop appropriate plans and programmes to help youth reach their ambitions”.

AMMAN — The Edraak K-12 platform has launched new free online English courses for grades 7-12, which aim to help students, teachers and parents learn the English language.

Launched by Her Majesty Queen Rania in 2014, Edraak is a leading Arabic massive open online course (MOOC) platform that aims to create a “paradigm shift” in the way that education is delivered and accessed in the Arab world by providing high-quality educational experiences for both adults and students, according to a statement from the platform. 

The courses were developed in response to a “pressing need” to help students improve their English language listening, reading, writing and speaking skills through a comprehensive and engaging online learning experience, and were made possible by a grant from the Jack Ma Foundation, according to the statement.  

The smart educational interface uses numerous tools and techniques to facilitate the learning process. These include activities recognising words by their sound and practising English conversations, as well as a wide range of materials and diverse content to enhance the proficiency of English language learners, the statement said. 

Students can also practise what they learn through exercises and questions that test their understanding of the courses. 

Another useful feature of the platform is a placement test students can take that determines their current skill level before beginning a course. The test results determine the most appropriate courses for the student’s enrolment, according to the statement. Additionally, teachers can use the platform to create virtual classrooms, form a curriculum from the topics available, or follow a preset sequence. 

They can also access performance assessment tools and discover areas of improvement for students. In turn, parents can create accounts that allow them to track their children’s learning journey and provide guidance along the way.

Free online English courses for grades K-6 are expected to be launched by the middle of next year, the statement said.

AMMAN — A Royal Decree has been issued approving the appointment of Sheikh Abdul Karim Khasawneh as grand mufti as of November 11, 2019.

Another Royal Decree was issued approving the appointment of Abdul Hafez Rabtah as chief Islamic justice, as of November 11, 2019, according to a Royal Court statement on Monday.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz took to Twitter to celebrate the return of Baqura and Al Ghamr to Jordan. Razzaz tweeted: “Al Ghamr and Baqura are now under full Jordanian sovereignty, where the one body is united territorially, as is the case with its people, under the Hashemite banner that joined the people to make the dream come true.

” He added: “Together, we will realise more development, growth and prosperity for the precious homeland.Al Ghamr and Baqura are Jordanian lands within the homeland.”

In October 2018, His Majesty King Abdullah announced the Kingdom’s decision to terminate the annexes on the Baqura and Al Ghamr areas in the Peace Treaty with Israel at the end of their legal term in October 2019.

AMMAN — The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Monday congratulated His Majesty King Abdullah, the government and the people of Jordan for raising the Jordanian flag over Baqura and imposing total Jordanian sovereignty over Baqura and Al Ghamr, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The Palestinian ministry stressed that the Palestinian people and leadership will always stand by Jordan, and highly appreciate the Kingdom’s valiant positions in consistently and fully supporting the rights of the Palestinian people on all levels and in all international forums.

AMMAN — The Iraq Football Association (IFA) has lauded the support of HRH Prince Ali, president of the Jordan Football Association  and the West Asian Football Federation for football in Iraq at various events, most recently in Jordan’s hosting of Iraq’s matches with Iran and Bahrain as part of the World Cup’s Asian Qualifiers.

The IFA said the prince’s directives to facilitate hosting the aforementioned games were “not unusual”, stating that he has stood by Iraqi football “during the most difficult of circumstances”, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Monday received a copy of the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission’s (IACC) annual report, which details its work and achievements during 2018.

Razzaz, during a meeting with Chairman of the IACC Muhannad Hijazi and board members, expressed the government’s support for the commission as the “most important supervisory body in the Kingdom”, highlighting the IACC’s role in preserving public money and combatting violations in various sectors.

Hijazi on Monday also handed a copy of the annual report to Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh. During the meeting, Tarawneh stressed the importance of unifying IACC efforts, expressing the Lower House’s readiness to receive any proposals to amend laws related to coordinating the commission’s work.

At the meeting, Hijazi highlighted the importance of cooperation and coordination with the Lower House to contain and reveal instances of corruption, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — Firas Odwan on Monday took an oath of office before Prime Minister Omar Razzaz as commissioner at the Jordan Securities Commission (JSC).

JSC Chief Commissioner Mohammad Hourani attended the ceremony, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — Public Security Department Director Maj. Gen. Fadel Hmoud on Monday discussed ways to enhance security, police collaboration and exchange of expertise with South Korean Ambassador to Jordan Lee Jae-wan.

The department is keen to work with all friendly countries in terms of police collaboration and exchanging expertise in training and technology, Hmoud said, as reported by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The Korean ambassador expressed appreciation for the high level of competence of Jordan’s Public Security Department in performing its duty to protect citizens, residents and visitors, commending the distinct relations and collaboration between the two countries’ security services, Petra added.