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AMMAN — HRH Prince Mohammad, His Majesty King Abdullah’s personal representative, celebrates his birthday on Wednesday.

Born on October 2, 1940, Prince Mohammad was educated at the Islamic Scientific College and pursued his higher studies in Switzerland and Britain.

He also studied at the Military College in Baghdad between 1956 and 1957, later joining the Special Royal Guards before becoming His Majesty the late King Hussein’s military adviser.

The prince assumed several posts, serving as Crown Prince from 1952 until 1962.

In 1970, a Royal Decree was issued appointing him as head of the tribal leader council and in 1973, he was named as the King’s personal representative.

Prince Mohammad chaired the Higher Tourism Committee several times, and served as Regent on numerous occasions while the King was abroad.

He holds the honourary rank of field marshal in the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and has received several medals from Jordan and abroad.

In addition to mastering Arabic, English and French, the prince understands German and Turkish.

Prince Mohammad married Princess Taghrid in 1981 and has two sons from a previous marriage, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Talal, the King’s special adviser, and Prince Ghazi, chief adviser to the King for religious and cultural affairs and the King’s personal envoy.

AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor on Monday charged a young man with one count of premeditated murder for allegedly stabbing his stepmother to death in Central Badia on Friday, official sources said.

Criminal Court Prosecutor Sultan Shakhanbeh also charged the suspect, who is in his late 20s, with one count of attempted murder for allegedly stabbing his father during the assault on Friday night, a senior judicial source said.

Police officials told The Jordan Times earlier in the week that the suspect stabbed the victims at his father’s home with a sharp object. The woman, who was sleeping when the assault took place, died instantly. Her husband was rushed to a nearby hospital and survived the stabbing incident, according to officials.

According to the judicial source, in his initial confession to police and the court prosecutor, the suspect claimed that “his father would often kick him out of the house and would mistreat him”.

The suspect also told investigators that his stepmother mistreated him as well, which prompted the assault, according to the source. The suspect then fled the scene and was captured by police a few hours later.

Shakhanbeh ordered that the suspect be detained at a correctional and rehabilitation centre for 15 days pending further investigations, and is currently questioning the victims' family to learn more about the incident, the judicial source said. 

AMMAN — Several local media outlets on Monday published a report that Digital Economy and Innovation Minister and Deputy Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Muthanna Gharaibeh issued a signed circular to companies and institutions requiring them to obtain the ministry’s approval before launching social media marketing campaigns.

The alleged official letter instructed companies and institutions to obtain approval before conducting marketing campaigns or presenting awards and conducting competitions on social media platform or other websites to avoid a fine.

However, Gharaibeh told The Jordan Times over the phone that he did not sign the letter, noting that it was officially issued by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, and was not solely concerned with running marketing campaigns on social media, but rather dealt with ministry approvals in general.

Later, the ministry shared a statement clarifying that the circular was signed by one of its directors, noting that it was just a “reminder about a routine legal measure” that the ministry has been practising in accordance with the Industry and Trade Law No. 18 of 1998 and its amendments. 

The circular, sent regularly, aims to inform the public about misleading marketing campaigns, including those on social media.

TUNIS — Arab women activists and feminists meeting in Tunis agreed that engaging the younger generation in women’s causes is of extreme importance to continue the struggle for better women’s representation in their respective countries.

The participants discussed several topics related to women’s empowerment in their own countries and made a number of suggestions, including to ensure that the younger generation’s voice is heard and that they are informed about the experiences, ideas and stories of successes and failures of veteran activists.

25 feminists and activists from various parts of the Arab world are attending a three-day feminist forum in Tunis, which is being organised by the Oxfam MENA Region Office to address women’s causes in an unconventional manner to ensure real change in their societies.

The participants also discussed means to introduce comprehensive plans that target schools, the media and the arts world to ensure gender equality and to eliminate all content that reinforces stereotypes and discrimination against women.

Among other topics covered was means for the women’s movement to continuously set their priorities, regardless of insufficient funding that sometimes limits their activities.

Among the aims of the forum, according to a statement by Oxfam, is to exchange ideas and experiences within the women’s movement in order to tackle social barriers that are contributing to gender-based violence.

Another goal is to revise and revisit previous and current campaigns to discuss necessary changes to ensure the success and continuation of such movements, according to the statement.

The meeting also seeks to explore new and unconventional methods of collaboration within the women’s movement in the Arab world to support local activism, the statement said.

The ultimate aim is to empower the women’s movement in the Arab world and to focus on creating a clear and sustainable vision that has a positive impact on people’s lives, the organisers added.

Other points of discussion during the second day’s meeting focused on breaking the ceiling of fear in tackling certain topics related to gender equality.

The gathering also stressed the need to run clear and strong campaigns that serve the purpose of raising awareness and guaranteeing a societal openness towards women’s causes. 

AMMAN — Authorities uncovered an alleged major violation against the main water carrier in Muwaqar, from which over 100 cubic metres of freshwater were siphoned off per hour, the Water Ministry said on Tuesday.

A two-inch pipeline was installed within the main carrier, which supplies the area with water, diverting water to a number of Muwaqar's factories and water tanks.

The illegal fixture was dismantled and an investigation is under way, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The ministry underlined that the national campaign to end all forms of water theft and violations is still ongoing, urging the public to cooperate with authorities by reporting violations on water resources and networks.

Under the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) Law, those who abuse water carriers and mains, wastewater, pumping, purification or desalination stations, cause the pollution of water resources, pipes or stations used for drinking water or are involved in the digging of wells without obtaining a licence, will be jailed for up to five years and fined up to JD7,000. 

In addition, violators of WAJ water and wastewater projects will be jailed for up to three years and fined up to JD5,000.

All penalties stipulated under the new law will be doubled in the case of repeat offenders, according to the ministry, which said that Article 31 of the legislation classifies water conveyance schemes and pipes as “strategic, vital projects”.

AMMAN — Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tareq Hammouri and Turkish Minister of Trade Ruhsar Peckan on Tuesday signed a trade and economic  cooperation agreement in Ankara.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Hammouri said the agreement came in fulfillment of His Majesty King Abdullah’s vision to enhance strategic cooperation with neighbouring countries that share historical and fraternal relations with Jordan.

Hammouri added that the agreement was the result of efforts by the two governments to bolster ties and increase trade and investment cooperation.

According to Hammouri, the accord seeks to “expand and diversify frameworks of trade and economic cooperation between Jordan and Turkey, built on a firm foundation in service of the two nations’ best interests”.

AMMAN — Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Jumana Ghunaimat on Tuesday expressed her condolences over the passing of journalist and writer, Hazem Mubaidin on Monday.

Ghunaimat commended the achievements, contributions and efforts of Mubaidin throughout his long career in the media, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. Ghunaimat also expressed her deepest sympathies and condolences to Mubaidin’s family.  

AMMAN — The Ministry of Education has said that a letter, which social media claims have attributed to Minister of Education Walid Maani and the ministry’s spokesperson, Walid Jallad, was “forged”, noting that it will take legal action against those who are proven to be behind the creation and circulation of the document.

The ministry warned against the threat posed by false news and fabricated material, especially at a time when the ministry is “sparing no effort in restoring normalcy to the educational process”, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.  

AMMAN — The Education Ministry on Monday sent circulars to public school principals across the Kingdom, instructing them to invite students to return to their schools. 

The abiding circular is in compliance with the Administrative Court's ruling, issued on Sunday, ordering an "immediate" suspension to teachers' nationwide strike following a lawsuit filed by parents, Education Minister Walid Maani said on Monday in an official letter carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The ministry also instructed education directors to make substitute instructors available should striking teachers fail to report for work in implementation of the Civil Service Bylaw, according to Petra.

Later in the day, in an interview with Jordan Television, Maani said that the ministry’s measures, which call on parents to send their children to school, “do not seek to punish or deprive, but rather restore our schools back to normal and resume the educational process”.  

Referring to the administrative court’s ruling, Maani said: “It is our duty to abide by the decision, failing to implement it would result in penalties that may include jail time.” 

In a statement, Minister of State for Legal Affairs Mubarak Abu Yamin said that the interim relief judge’s ruling to temporarily suspend the strike “must be implemented as issued”, noting that the Law Interpretation Bureau had already deemed the strike to be in violation of the law. Meanwhile, the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) announced late on Monday that the nationwide strike is ongoing, calling on its members to abide by the decision and "ignore all circulars" from the government.

The JTA again said that the strike, which began on September 8, is legal and that the Administartive Court's ruling is not abiding as it can be challenged.

A number of education directorates affirmed their readiness to implement the alternative plans set to ensure that classes are resumed, noting that the lists of substitute teachers have been prepared for immediate hiring, Petra added.

The ministry also said it has received a number of complaints from parents concerning their children’s dismissal from public schools on Monday. In response, the ministry launched a hotline (06/5699916) for receiving complaints, stressing that measures will be taken against violators.

Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Sunday urged parents to send their children back to schools, underling that his government will implement the court ruling on teachers' nationwide strike.

The government has offered to grant teachers a pay raise ranging between JD24 and JD31 to take effect on October 1 should the strike end, but the JTA refused, insisting on their demand of a 50-per cent pay raise.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday attended the funeral of former French president Jacques Chirac at the Church of Saint-Sulpice. King Abdullah paid condolences to French President Emmanuel Macron and Chirac’s family.

France had declared Monday a day of national mourning over the passing of Chirac, who died on Thursday. Later in the day, His Majesty returned to the Kingdom, according to a Royal Court statement.