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AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti on Wednesday met with Defence Senior Adviser for the Middle East at the UK Ministry of Defence Lt. Gen. Sir John Lorimer over the latest regional and international developments and means to enhance military cooperation and coordination, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

They also agreed to enhance Jordanian-UK relations in a way that best serves the armed forces of both countries.  

AMMAN — Head of the Lower House's Foreign Affairs Committee Nidal Taani on Wednesday highlighted the depth of Jordan and China’s partnership and the strategic relations that unite them on a number of levels and in various fields.

During a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Pan Weifang, Taani said Jordan views China as a “great and proactive country” noting its close ties with the Middle East, especially Jordan.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Taani said His Majesty King Abdullah’s visit to China was a “turning point” towards the enhancement of bilateral relations, adding that the two countries share stances on issues of mutual interest, with the Palestinian cause at the forefront.

During the meeting, the Chinese ambassador underlined his country’s support to Jordan, noting that His Majesty’s visit helped enhance cooperation and that China views Jordan as a strategic partner.

AMMAN — Khirbet Jazzir, some four kilometres southwest from Salt, was mentioned in scholarly literature as biblical site Jazer, according to a German archaeologist.

“The archaeological site rests on a natural pointed rock outcrop that seems to have been artificially modified in large parts to create horizontal levels on which stone walls could be erected,” said Alexander Ahrens from the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin.

The flat plateau at the top could only be reached by a narrow passageway located at the eastern side of the rock outcrop, he told The Jordan Times in a recent e-mail interview.

That this is the place the Old Testament referred to as Jazer has been discussed ever since Roland de Vaux, a French Dominican priest and biblical researcher, visited and surveyed the region in 1937, Ahrens said.

“Although the location of the site generally seems to fit well with the geographical descriptions given in various written sources for the location of Jazer, several other sites also have been proposed to be the biblical site,” the archaeologist said.

Many scholars took over de Vaux´s tentative identification of Khirbet Jazzir with Jazer, but “no one ever visited the site and sampled material helping to reveal its chronology”, Ahrens said.

After a recent re-evaluation of the pottery found at the site it was concluded that it was not occupied during the Iron Age, the archaeologist said, adding that it therefore cannot be identified with the biblical site of Jazer.

“The site does not seem to have been an actual settlement in the strict sense of the word, but may instead have functioned as an outpost or rural farmstead of the Byzantine and mediaeval Islamic periods,” Ahrens noted.

There is no evidence for the existence of a densely settled lower town, he continued, adding that rather, the immediate vicinity around the site seems to have been used as agricultural land, which then seems to have been administered by the farmstead located at Khirbet Jazzir.

Several installations found at the site, such as remains of oil or wine presses and several underground vaults, point towards the processing and storage of agricultural products, such as olives, grain or even grapes for wine production, Ahrens said.

AMMAN — The Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) on Tuesday exported 79,400 tonnes of phosphate to India, increasing the total amount exported to India this month to 414,000 tonnes, which is the greatest amount in the history of the company since its establishment. 

JPMC Chairman Mohammad Thneibat said that the shipment was loaded on board of one of the biggest vessels available during one day, which is a “record, and unprecedented in time”, revealing  the competence of workers at the phosphate export port in Aqaba, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The chairman expressed appreciation for the efforts of all workers at the port and all JPMC sites and for their dedication and keenness in the interests and stability of the company, in a way that enhances its competitiveness in the international market.  

The company, with the efforts of its employees, will remain among the top economic institutions that support the national economy and will continue its role in pushing forward economic and social development in the Kingdom, he said. 

In May, JPMC announced that it had made JD6.3 million in net profit, during the first quarter of 2019.

At the time, Thneibat said that profits during the January-March 2019 period increased by 185.1 per cent compared with the same period of last year, where the company recorded JD7.4 million in losses.

Thneibat said that the company made JD164.3 million in sales revenue during the first three months of this year, compared with JD152.4 million made during the same period of last year. 

AMMAN — An explosion caused by a gas leak at a restaurant on Rainbow Street on Wednesday injured one person, levelling the building and damaging nearby businesses, the Civil Defence Department (CDD) said.

A  CDD cadre administered first aid to the injured and took him to Al Hussein Medical City. He was reported to be in good condition.

The Public Security Department (PSD) personnel arrived at the scene to regulate traffic while the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) cadre started removing the debris from the explosion, the CDD said in a statement.

Amman Deputy Mayor Mekhled Al Manaseer visited the site and commended the authorities' efforts and swift response, a GAM statement sent to The Jordan Times said, adding that the injured was a PSD officer.

GAM's Executive Director of Construction Supervision Yousef Dalabeeh said the public safety committee's report said the damage and evacuation were for the restaurant only, and there is no need to evacuate any neighbouring buildings, but they still require maintenance due to the damages sustained. 

This explosion is the third within a span of 60 days, as on August 20, the CDD dealt with an explosion at a restaurant in the Medina Street vicinity. No injuries were reported at the time. 

Moreover, on July 4, two people were killed and three others were injured in an explosion caused by a gas leak at a restaurant in downtown Amman.

The deceased were the branch manager and an Egyptian worker.

CDD personnel have undergone training to deal with large-scale gas leaks. On April 29, a drill was carried out at KEPCO KPS, an electricity general station, simulating a gas leak from the pipeline that feeds the station.

The training also covered the possibility of having several employees sustain various injuries while also taking into account the panic element during fire, according to the CDD.

AMMAN — Minister of State for Media Affairs Jumana Ghunaimat on Tuesday launched the official broadcasting of  “Madaba Hawana”, a local community radio station.

Broadcasting online through Facebook, “Madaba Hawana” translates a youth vision of a media platform into a professional presence that serves the local community and discusses its issues to raise awareness and bolster social interaction.

Ghunaimat, who is also the government spokesperson, in a live interview on “Madaba Hawana” highlighted the importance of community media as a tool of development and means of managing the challenges facing the public.

Drawing attention to the role of media, the minister stressed the need to link official and private institutions to elevate citizens’ voices that report their demands and problems, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Launching a youth-run community radio station is an achievement for Madaba’s young people, she added.

“Madaba Hawana” is part of Community Media Network’s (CMN) grants offered through the EU-funded “Sotak Hawitak” (“your voice is your identity” in English) programme, that aims at supporting the civil society through media.

Ghunaimat also met with a number of youths, representatives of civil society institutions and reporters at Madaba’s local community development centre, in the presence of Madaba Governor Bilal Nsour, CMN Projects Manager Itaff Radwan and Development Manager at EU Karoni Andreh.

The minister said that the government has included youth empowerment in its priorities list for 2019-2020, especially now that young people constitute some 70 per cent of the Jordanian population, noting that His Majesty King Abdullah has called for a focus on the youth.

The main challenge is unemployment, she added, pointing to the government’s achievement of creating 18,000 jobs during this year, as part of its commitment to provide 30,000 jobs annually for the next two years.

The government has set a five-year recruitment plan, including the national charter for recruitment, which will count jobless people, improving work environments and increasing Jordanian workers’ competitiveness, as well as supporting youths’ entrepreneurial initiatives, she added.

She also went over the government’s support for free expression under the umbrella of the Constitution and law, underscoring the necessity to distinguish between constructive criticism and harassment.

For her part, Andreh expressed the European Union’s keenness to support the Kingdom’s community media, while drawing attention to women’s rights so that women are given the chance to assume leading positions in the media sector.

AMMAN — Jordan advanced by 11.5 points in the mobile connectivity to the Internet index to 53.8 points in 2018, compared to 42.3 points in 2014, as shown by a Global System for Mobile Communications Association report.  

The index, which includes 163 countries, evaluates the advancements of countries in terms of Internet use over the period 2014-2018, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Wednesday.

On the international competitiveness index, the Kingdom advanced four ranks in 2018 to the 52nd among 63 countries, compared with the 56th in 2017, according the annual report of the International Institute for Management Development.

This index is an “important” tool for policy makers and decision makers in various economic sectors, as it ranks the competitiveness of the overall economy and sub-sectors, while relying on factors such as economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure, according to Petra. 

Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Chief Commissioner Ghazi Jbour said that the advancement in international indexes reflects the Kingdom’s development in various sectors, noting that the mobile connectivity to the Internet is an important ranking that shows the level of development in the information and communications technology sector. 

AMMAN — Bakery Owners Association President Abdul Ilah Hamawi on Wednesday said the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply’s decision to open the chance for receiving applications to build bakeries was “not studied in depth”.

“What we care about is to help the already existing bakeries to stand on their feet,” Hamawi said, noting that bakeries are already warning of shutting down due to the lack of productivity after the gradual lift of subsidies on bread which the government decided earlier.

“The current number of bakeries is sufficient to meet the Kingdom’s need, and so we need to preserve these bakeries and support them,” he said, noting that opening new bakeries will affect the existing ones and the new ones. 

The ministry sells flour to bakeries at a lower rate than international price, which shows that subsidies are not completely lifted on the material provided to bakeries. Opening new bakeries and supporting more of them will reflect negatively on the Treasury, Hamawi said.

There are other costs that need to be considered, including the moving and storage of flour, which would contribute to increasing the price, but the association worked hard to ensure the price of bread, the most vital food resource in the Kingdom, remains affordable, he noted.

The association president also said that otherwise it would have been more than JD0.5 per one kilogramme but this one kilo, mainly round bread, is cheaper in the Kingdom than the rest of the region, given that in some countries in the region it could reach around JD0.75  per kilogramme. 

Hamawi urged the ministry to cancel the decision and avoid the repercussions, allowing the opening of bakeries only in remote areas that lack them. 

Reconsidering the decision will ensure the preservation of the vital sector, according to Hamawi.

He said that the decision entails allowing owners to apply for opening a bakery after these applications were suspended for three years. The new decision also determined the bases and regulations to license bakeries. 

The bases are the space the bakery will occupy, the area’s need for a bakery and its proper placement, in addition to the experience in the field. 

The Jordan Times attempted to contact the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply’s spokesperson for comment, but he was unreachable. 

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania visited Umm Al Rasas District in Amman on Wednesday, and met with members and beneficiaries of its women’s cooperative society.

Her Majesty’s visit included a tour of the Umm Al Rasas Visitor Centre where she stopped by a clay production workshop run by a beneficiary of the society’s vocational training programme, a souvenir shop and the centre’s cafeteria and kitchen, according to a statement from Her Majesty’s office.  

Accompanied by the director of the Um Al Rasas Women Cooperative Society, Maha Almor, Queen Rania heard from women who are receiving support from the cooperative to create income-generating projects and become financially independent, the statement said.

During the discussion, Her Majesty reflected on how Jordanian women are known for their resilience and strong determination to achieve their goals. She also commended Almor, describing her as the archetype of the hardworking Jordanian woman.

The Queen reminded the beneficiaries that when women empower each other, they act as role models, supporters and friends to each other, according to the statement.

“You are setting a positive example of a productive and self-empowered community, and your track-record of accomplishments reinforces my faith in your projects and the need to support them,” she told them.

“You have worked hard, innovated, and utilised the opportunities available in Umm Al Rasas, then created successful projects by forging a link between those opportunities and your own skills and abilities,” she added.  

Almor expressed her delight in Queen Rania’s visit and its huge role in motivating the society to achieve more, describing Her Majesty as the number-
one supporter of women in Jordan. 

A number of local community members were also present at the meeting as well as district mayor, Ahmad Al Salaita.

Established in 2008, Umm Al Rasas Women Cooperative Society aims to improve the socio-economic status of community members, combat poverty and unemployment and train women in capacity building. The society also helps local women launch their own income-generating projects, manages the cafeteria of Umm Al Rasas Visitor Centre and runs a small handicrafts bazaar.  

Among its other undertakings are a family support and guidance programme, training programmes in traditional handicrafts and marketing, small project management, and a revolving loan fund project, according to the statement.

AMMAN — Yarmouk University and the Crown Prince Foundation (CPF) initiative Naua on Wednesday signed a cooperation agreement providing students with access to volunteering projects organised by partner institutions through the “Nahno” online platform. 

As per the agreement, Yarmouk University students will be able to create their own accounts on the Nahno website, while the university will work to facilitate sharing the primary data of student volunteers through a page “unique” to the university on the Nahno site, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

Additionally, Yarmouk University’s e-community service system will feature a shortcut to Nahno as an additional option available to students.  

The agreement was signed by Yarmouk University President Zeidan Kafafi and Naua CEO Ahmad Zu’bi, according to Petra. 

During the signing, Kafafi expressed appreciation for the efforts of HRH Crown Prince Hussein, his support to Jordanian youth and launching initiatives that fulfil their ambitions and motivate them. 

He lauded Naua’s role in embedding a culture of community service and introducing the youth to various volunteering opportunities available across the Kingdom, through Nahno, with the aim of making a positive impact and achieving sustainable development across all sectors.

Zu’bi highlighted Naua’s dedication to enhance its partnerships with universities and educational institutions as a key partner in supporting youth and their involvement in community volunteering.