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AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan, chairman of the board of trustees of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies (RIIFS), called for enhancing the integration principle between the countries of the Arab Orient region based on mutual respect, common understanding and develop commonalities, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During a workshop organised by RIIFS on the book "Rulers, Religion and Riches" by Jared Rubin, Prince Hassan said the free flow of ideas has been the key to prosperity in the past, calling for establishing new paths of ideas, communication and investment with scientific competencies abroad.

Prince Hassan stressed the importance of considering education as a priority in the region. He called for the empowerment of children affected by crises, through providing them with opportunities to learn and qualify them with necessary skills.

Rubin briefed the audience on his book that includes historical interaction between religion, politics and economics between Western Europe
and the Middle East.

AMMAN — In spite of a memorandum signed by a group of MPs requesting a no confidence vote in the government, parliamentary sources on Wednesday expressed doubt over the signatories' ability to "go the last mile”.

For these sources, the memo, now in the Lower House's permanent office, "was born dead”.

Put forward by the House's Reform bloc, the memo, a copy of which was seen by The Jordan Times, calls for a vote of no confidence in the government of Prime Minister Hani Mulki, citing its "inability to address the current challenges and the tax burdens it has put on citizens".

During Tuesday's session, House Speaker Atef Tarawneh said that the Chamber will discuss the memo once it completes other previously scheduled topics. 

 According to the House's bylaws, a request of no confidence in the government should be included on the House agenda for the next session if signed by at least 10 MPs. 

Paragraph A of Article 54 of the Constitution says: "A session to consider a vote of confidence in the Council of Ministers or any individual minister shall be held at the request of the prime minister or a request signed by no less than 10 deputies." 

When asked why it was not scheduled on the House agenda yet, a parliamentary source said: "It is normal to give mediators a chance to settle the dispute between MPs and the government."

"This memo in particular was born dead because its signatories are angry of  something from the government that the House has itself endorsed [tax hikes]," the source, who preferred to remain unnamed said.

"Plus, it [the request of no confidence] was initiated by the Reform bloc, whose members were absent when the prices and tax hikes were endorsed."

The 14-member Reform bloc was absent from the House's vote on the 2018 State Budget Law.

The source added that the memo's signatories may not be able to find support from the majority of their colleagues. "That is a big concern for them."

"It is just confusing. How come you are angry at  something your institution, of which you are a member, has approved," the source said.

An MP, who also requested anonymity, said that his colleagues' request for a vote of no confidence "was not well-coordinated”.

"It [the no-confidence vote] is a 'huge' political move that needs to be collectively agreed upon by a big number of deputies and not only 22," he added. 

"I cannot sense a fully fledged consensus inside the House on the government's departure."

AMMAN — Relatives of 28-year-old Sara Zghoul, who was recently found dismembered and decapitated in Oregon state in the US, asked the public to respect their wishes to mourn privately as the trial of the suspect is under way.

A statement issued by the Zghoul family read: "On behalf of the entire Zghoul family, we would like to first and foremost extend our deepest gratitude for the overwhelming show of compassion during this difficult time."

"We ask the public to respect our wishes to mourn privately  in peace…We have lost our daughter, mother, sister and friend, a beautiful soul who will remain in our hearts forever," the Zghoul family said in the statement posted by several family members on Facebook.

Zghoul's body was  found last month dismembered and  stuffed inside two suitcases in the trunk of a luxury car.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said earlier that it received word of a possible homicide and later found parts of Zghoul’s body inside a black BMW near Southwest Sarala Street and Hargis Road in Aloha, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

Authorities learned about a possible suspect and tracked him down to a ravine near Southwest Murray Boulevard and Southwest Teal Boulevard, where the man, who remains unidentified, attempted suicide , The Oregonian/OregonLive said citing sources.

The suspect in Zghoul's murder pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Haya, chairperson of Dar Abu Abdullah Society, has announced the launch of a strategic partnership with Tkiyet Um Ali (TUA) to help the underprivileged, according to a TUA statement on Wednesday.

Dar Abu Abdullah Society honours the legacy of His Majesty the late King Hussein who believed that the human being is the true fortune of Jordan, according to the statement, carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

The society's programmes seek to enhance the capabilities of individuals through addressing the "real" causes of poverty, while at the same time implementing programmes targeting all age groups to build capabilities and prepare them to enter the labour market, consequently improving their living conditions. 

Through partnership with TUA, Dar Abu Abdullah will launch three main programmes to enable needy families to improve their living conditions, the statement said, adding that the programmes will focus on families accredited by the TUA.

The three programmes will concentrate on education, health and technical training.

"Let's build this country" will be the motto of the programme aimed at supporting individuals in the educational sector, while the programme titled "Human" will focus on health issues that are not covered under the comprehensive health insurance.

Meanwhile, the "Ahl Al Azm" programme will seek to enhance individuals' technical skills and provide vocational training.

A total of 2,300 people are expected to benefit from the programmes in 2018, and the number is expected to increase to 5,000 in 2019 and to 7,500 beneficiaries in 2020.

Princess Haya said in the statement that providing the necessary assistance to these families will help their members develop skills and become self-reliant.

The princess noted that access to food has become a vital issue of the 21st century, and solutions have to be found to end the suffering.

"In pursuance of my parents' footsteps, Their Majesties the late King Hussein and Queen Alia, who worked relentlessly to fight poverty, Tkiyet Um Ali and Dar Abu Abdullah will focus their efforts in this new stage on helping underprivileged families and helping Jordan's continuous efforts towards this end," she added.

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury on Wednesday met with a joint international mission that seeks to assess mechanisms of financial support to underprivileged Jordanians and Syrian refugees, a ministry statement said.

The meeting was hosted by the Norwegian Ambassador in Amman Tone Allers and attended by members of the mission, which comprises ambassadors of donor countries, representatives of international organisations and international commissions that are working in Jordan.

During the meeting, Fakhoury urged donors to provide the necessary funding "continuously and regularly" for the target groups.

He stressed the need for periodic review of the eligibility criteria for this support targeting "all underprivileged groups without discrimination, and continued coordination with the relevant bodies, in addition to developing the necessary databases to be adopted as a unified source of distribution of support to ensure effective delivery to eligible groups", according to the statement.

The minister also urged the international community to support the Jordan Response Plan to the Syrian Crisis 2018-2020, and securing sufficient grants and concessional financing to deal with the requirements of the general budget over the next three years.

Fakhoury highlighted the importance of the international support provided to Jordan, describing it as essential for the Kingdom to continue granting humanitarian and development aid to the Syrian refugees and their host communities.

The planning minister outlined the current economic challenges facing the Kingdom due to the regional situation, including the burdens of hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees, noting the Jordanian approach in dealing with these challenges, the statement continued.

He described the financial support as the "most effective" way for the refugees to cover the expenses of basic needs such as housing, healthcare and education, "which would mitigate the burden on Jordan and maximise the benefit of the Jordanian economy". 

He pointed out that Jordan was "proactive" in devising funding mechanisms that contribute to providing humanitarian support to refugees. Additionally he highlighted the introduction of an iris scan system for refugees' registration with a focus on information technology in providing assistance.

The mission comprises representatives of Germany, Australia, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, the US, and the EU. 

For their part, the members of the mission expressed their appreciation for the Kingdom's humanitarian support for the refugees, stressing their "commitment to continue providing sufficient financing for the Jordan Response Plan and the Jordan Compact”.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Education and its partners on Wednesday launched a national programme for empowerment and employment in the kindergarten service sector under the title: "Our partnership for the future of our children”.

During the launch ceremony, Education Minister Omar Razzaz said that the ministry will work to raise the percentage of students enrolled in KG2 from 59 per cent to 80 per cent during the next few years through the creation of 315 kindergarten classrooms, reaching 2,520 by the year 2025, as well as the development of quality curriculum and the building of partnerships with civil society and families, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Razzaz added that the Ministry of Education will "incentivise" those wishing to participate in the national plan through paying half of the salary of teachers during the initial two years, providing health insurance, social security, and transportation allowances as well as training teachers in childhood programmes.

The programme's launch is part of the ministry's human resources development efforts which strive to achieve quality education in early childhood and increase children's readiness to learn, according to Petra.

The Ministry of Education previously announced a reduction in student enrollment in the educational stage before formal schooling, especially in underprivileged areas. 

Razzaz highlighted the interests of Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania regarding early childhood education as a central pillar of achieving sustainable human growth, a vital resource for accomplishing the Royal vision and a foundation upon which the country will build to achieve welfare for its citizens, Petra reported.

Razzaz also noted that investment in the field of early childhood education would improve the psychological and physical health of children as well as their performance in school, referring to global studies that cited that every dollar invested in early childhood development yields between 6 to 17 dollars. 

AMMAN — A total of 252 centres, societies and charity foundations involved in providing care for people with disabilities, orphans and elderly, have benefitted from the financial aid provided through Royal initiatives.

The aid is provided annually in celebration of His Majesty King Abdullah’s birthday, with the aim to empower these institutions, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Royal Court Secretary General Yousef Issawi, head of the follow-up committee for the implementation of Royal initiatives and Social Development Minister Hala Lattouf distributed the aid to the beneficiaries, who have been selected by the ministry.

During the ceremony, Issawi said that the initiatives aim to improve the livings of the targeted segment across the Kingdom. For her part, Lattouf said that the ministry selects beneficiaries according to “just eligibility standards”.

AMMAN — Deputising for HRH Prince Feisal, HRH Princess Ayah on Wednesday attended UNESCO open day for participants of the Networks of Mediterranean Youth project, a statement from the UN agency said.

During the event, attended by MPs, senior officials and 200 young people, the princess stressed the importance of empowering this segment of society and ensuring the availability of multiskills training.

EU Ambassador to Jordan Andrea Fontana, who also attended the event, said that the EU supports youth in Jordan in line with the national strategy for youth, which includes entrepreneurship, education, good governance and anti-extremism education.   

AMMAN — The Higher Education Ministry has sent more than 300,000 messages to 2018 General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (Tawjihi) graduates and university students to acquaint them with academic specialisations, Ministry Secretary General Ahed Wahadneh said on Wednesday.

He said that the messages included links of the “Choose your specialisation” website and a “How to choose your specialisation” video, which are both available on the ministry’s website www.mohe.gov.jo and aim at guiding students and parents while picking a specialisation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Wahadneh added that the website was developed to help students build their futures and enhance the Kingdom’s economy, noting that it included highly demanded specialisations locally and in the Gulf area.

AMMAN — Criminal Investigation Department (CID) personnel arrested two suspects for attacking a shop owner in Zarqa and stealing JD200, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Wednesday.

A security source said after receiving information, Zarqa Police and CID on Tuesday rushed to the scene, and transferred the shop owner to the hospital where he is reported to be in fair condition.

Meanwhile, security personnel in Balqa arrested a wanted suspect who is classified as dangerous. A security source said that the suspect is wanted for several crimes including drug cases, abuse, attempted murder and possession of weapons. Meanwhile, security agents arrested a suspect for counterfeiting official documents, including national ID cards and driving licences and for possessing narcotic pills.