King attends military drill
AMMAN (Petra) - His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces, attended on Wednesday a military drill performed by a Special Operations Force unit. The King was briefed on the military exercises by Prince Hashem and the commander of the unit. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff General Khaled Sarayreh and several high-ranking military officers were present at the exercises.
Prince Feisal receives Petraeus
AMMAN (Petra) - HRH Prince Feisal received on Wednesday General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, and reviewed recent developments in Iraq and across the region. Also yesterday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff General Khaled Sarayreh met with Petraeus and the accompanying delegation to discuss scopes of cooperation.
Princess Sumaya highlights Kingdom’s economic transition
AMMAN (Petra) - President of the Royal Scientific Society HRH Princess Sumaya on Wednesday said Jordan has embraced free trade and investment activities. Addressing the opening session of a conference on the Arab common market in Amman yesterday, the Princess said that Jordan’s economy is now based on a free market. In a speech delivered by her deputy Khalid Kahaleh, she added that 45 per cent of Jordan’s total exports are to Arab markets.
Interior minister highlights importance of tourism
AMMAN (Petra) - Minister of Interior Eid Fayez on Wednesday reiterated that the government is keen to facilitate the entry of incoming visitors to the Kingdom as directed by His Majesty King Abdullah. Presiding over a meeting at the ministry attended by Minister of Social Development and acting Minister of Tourism Hala Latouf, Director of the Public Security Department Major General Mazen Qadi and Director General of the Gendarmerie Directorate Major General Tawfiq Halalmeh, Fayez said tourism is an important source of income to the Kingdom. He called on all stakeholders in the public and private sectors to support efforts designed to boost the sector.
Irbid governor derides delay in projects
IRBID (Petra) - Irbid Governor Ali Fayez criticised on Wednesday the delay in development projects in Northern Mazar and the Northern Jordan Valley. He noted that it has been seven months since the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation allocated JD500,000 for the projects, which include a car maintenance complex, a factory for juice and pickles and tourism development initiatives in Himmeh. Fayez made his remarks during a meeting with representatives from the Planning Ministry and the Noor Al Hussein Foundation. No reasons were given as to why no progress has been made on the proposed projects.
SMS service to aid citizens in water shortage in the north
JERASH (Petra) - Citizens in Jerash Governorate facing water shortages can now send free SMS messages to authorities, Director of the Water Authority for the Northern Region Ahmad Rjoub said on Wednesday. At a press conference to announce the service, he noted that the water share of an average Jerash citizen is 64 litres a day with an inefficiency of 45 per cent. Rjoub also announced a project to replace the city’s water network.
Karak citizens urge action over water shortage
KARAK, AJLOUN (Petra) –– Karak citizens on Wednesday complained of a severe shortage in potable water, calling on water authorities to speed up procedures to pump water to their homes. Karak water authorities said they have raised the amount of water allocated for the governorate from 360 cubic metres of water per hour to 460, adding that projects are under way to solve the problem. Also yesterday, water authorities in Ajloun reported water pipeline violations which have caused shortages in some areas.
Badran appointed NCHR chairman
AMMAN (Petra) - A Royal Decree was issued on Wednesday appointing former prime minister Adnan Badran as chairman of the National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR).
Education workshop to enhance teacher skills
AMMAN (JT) - Education Minister Tayseer Nueimi inaugurated on Monday a workshop to train and certify teachers and school administrators on effective education methods. The workshop hosted 75 teachers, school principals and supervisors from the ministry, as well as several representatives from Columbia University in New York, the University of Jordan, the Yarmouk University and King’s Academy. Addressing the participants, Nueimi highlighted the ministry’s endeavours to implement His Majesty King Abdullah’s vision placing education as a top priority. During the workshop, Safwan Masri, chairman of King’s Academy, expressed appreciation for Her Majesty Queen Rania’s efforts to connect Jordanian institutions with their foreign counterparts in a bid to further increase the exchange of knowledge and expertise.
Jordan to participate in Palestinian affairs conference
AMMAN (Petra) - Jordan will participate on Sunday in the 80th Conference of Supervisors of Palestinian Affairs in Cairo. Delegations from host countries, the Arab League and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference will take part in the event. Director of the Department of Palestinian Affairs Wajih Azayzeh will head the Jordanian delegation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported yesterday. The five-day conference will discuss several issues including Jerusalem, Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's services for the Palestinian refugees in Arab host countries. The conference will also discuss the consequences of the Israeli violations in the Palestinian territories.
ASEZA assists Nepalese cycling for peace
AQABA (Petra) –– Two Nepalese cyclists Jannrdan Khanal and Lok Bandhu Karki, who are touring the world to promote peace, on Wednesday received a donation from the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) to help them in their trip to Egypt. The cyclists have covered 27,379km since they started their trip on December 7, 2004 and hope to achieve their 113-country target by 2013.
