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AMMAN — The Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) has raided a “laboratory” for allegedly manufacturing Captagon pills and arrested eight suspects in a “first of its kind case” in the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Monday. 

The Public Security Department (PSD) said that the AND personnel have been working for months to track the suspects after a tip-off.

During the preliminary investigation, the security personnel identified one of the suspects importing chemicals used to manufacture detergents and hiring foreign nationals to treat these chemicals in preparation of the pills, according to the PSD. 

The suspect had already begun to produce quantities of these materials in a rented place.

According to the PSD, AND personnel on Sunday evening raided a hangar in an industrial area in east Amman,  and arrested one suspect and seized tonnes of various chemicals that are processed to extract the basic materials involved in the production of narcotic pills.

Another team raided an apartment in the capital, which was used as storage for the narcotic pills, and found around 2 million Captagon pills and arrested another suspect there, Petra reported citing a PSD statement

The security personnel also arrested six other suspects involved including a foreigner.

Preliminary investigations indicated the suspects were allegedly planning to produce huge quantities for smuggling. 

The investigations also indicated that the seized chemicals are sufficient to produce over 100 million narcotic pills, according to Petra. Investigations were still ongoing.

AMMAN — The smartphone application ArabiaWeather has been singled out by Google as one of the top applications of the past year in its “Best of 2017” awards, where thousands of applications added to the web giant’s Play Store competed for the accolade. 

Developed by the Jordanian company ArabiaWeather Co., the app was awarded the global “Best Daily Helper” after a year maintaining its ranking as the first application in the “Weather” and “Travel” categories in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. ​

Asked about the reasons behind such recognition, ArabiaWeather CEO Mohammed Al Shaker told The Jordan Times that the company’s aim is “to provide the users with relevant information, rather than just an accurate weather forecast”.

“We strive to make a difference in their lives,” Shaker continued, noting that “the app goes far beyond informing users about the temperature outside, providing tips on outdoor activities or the best clothing for the day”.

“Part of the success is also in our ability to be hyper local, in the sense that we provide forecasts not only for entire cities, but for specific areas and landmarks,” he added. 

In addition, the CEO highlighted the benefits of having in-house product engineering and consumer teams, praising their “constant work to move forward and provide users with a better experience”.

The teams were responsible for several new app features introduced over the past year, including the clothing recommendations section based on the expected weather conditions and a section with information on whether schools will be operating regularly or not due to adverse weather conditions.

Most recently, the application introduced its latest crowdsourcing feature allowing users to share text, photo and video posts directly on the ArabiaWeather app.

The company is now looking forward a heavier reliance on video content for the dispersion of weather reports and updates, aiming at widening its reach and increasing the consumer engagement and satisfaction. 

“We hope to continue to be the weather app that people in the region go to find relevant information, and to keep on making a difference in their day-to-day lives,” Al Shaker said, expressing that “ArabiaWeather is very proud and thankful for this award, because it means that people rely on us.”

AMMAN — Approximately 6,000 complaints have been submitted to the Ministry of Higher Education objecting the recently issued list of students covered by the support funds, Higher Education Minister Adel Tweisi told The Jordan Times on Monday. 

Most of the complaints submitted by the students were petitions to convert loans into grants, according to the minister. 

The Directorate of Scholarships at the Higher Education Ministry announced the initial list of beneficiaries on January 6, where all applicants meeting the necessary requirements were granted either scholarships or loans.​

“The revision of the complaints will start shortly and the process will take a week,” Tweisi said, adding that the final list will be announced after a period two weeks. 

Fakher Daas, coordinator of the National Campaign for Defending Students’ Rights (Thabahtoona), told The Jordan Times that “one of the biggest concerns regarding the student support funds is the large increase in the loans to grants ratio”, stressing that “the main contribution should be based on actual scholarships, and  not loans”.

“We [Thabahtoona] are afraid that the student support system will end up turning into a loan fund, working just like a bank under a different label,” Daas added.

The coordinator also referred to the slowdown in the Jordanian economy over the past four years, stressing that “the poor financial capacity of the citizens added to the increasing tuition fees leave many students with no other option than resorting to these funds”.

AMMAN – A compendium on the good and innovative practices implemented in response to regional conflicts has highlighted Jordan’s efforts in developing new ways to tackle the challenges caused by the Syrian and Iraqi crises.

The document, which was published by the UNHCR and the UNDP this week, aims to document the evolution of the ways the international community has been working together to respond to the conflicts in the Middle East.

Through 52 case studies from various countries in the region (including Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt, among others), the document seeks to “provide a snapshot of good and innovative practices in responding to protracted crises at the nexus where development and humanitarian activities often meet”. 

The report highlighted the importance of these innovations and adaptations in “informing current and future programmes and policy design”.

Among the Jordanian examples cited in the report, the Mowgli mentorship programme was considered as an “innovative and cost effective project”, which helped strengthen social cohesion between Jordanian and Syrian communities. 

This mentoring programme, which started in 2008, brings together aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders to connect and create sustainable projects through training and exchange of expertise.

“The Mowgli model represents a service innovation. It utilises a tested, award-winning mentoring approach and engages its network of graduate alumni mentors in Jordan to address the needs of Jordanian and Syrian refugee micro-entrepreneurs and to strengthen the role of teachers in cultivating social cohesion,” the report noted.

The scale and complexity of the Syrian and Iraqi crises have provoked devastating human and material consequences, which have called for a high level of innovation from stakeholders to be able to deliver aid to people in spite of financial constraints and environmental hazards, according to the report. 

To optimise their humanitarian responses, the main actors, which include 75 UN agencies, international NGOs, businesses and locally led organisations, have had to increase cost effectiveness of their programmes, strengthen local capacities, and enhance resilience building, the joint report explained.

Another example of innovation in implemented in Jordan is Funzi, a mobile learning platform for women owned and small - and medium- sized businesses in Jordan, which partnered with the UN Office for Project Services, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UK Department for International Development and the Jordan River Foundation.

The eight-month course, which covers general business skills and addresses common knowledge gaps encountered by underprivileged businesses, constitutes a model of “process innovation”, the report stated, noting that it changes the way entrepreneurial learning is delivered in two ways. First, by increasing accessibility through a mobile app available to all and, secondly, by involving a network of partners into a blended learning model.

“Our intention when publishing the compendium was to uncover the most innovative practices at the regional, national and community levels across the region so we could share these practices with colleagues from all agencies and build our shared capacity to innovate, respond effectively, and build sustainable solutions,” the report said, citing the “great number” of proposals received for this second volume, which was three times higher than the first volume’s entries.

“This compendium is a tool that innovators, change makers and practitioners can use to advance good and innovative practices in response to prolonged crisis,” the report concluded, noting that it also constitutes a call for stakeholders to keep improving the tools and technologies used to “protect the human and physical capital”.

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Monday met with Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares organisation Tariq Al Gurg, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During the meeting, Fayez stressed the importance of social and humanitarian work in enhancing the spirit of solidarity among societies.

He called on Arab NGOs and institutions to enhance their cooperation to best serve those in need, and praised the support provided by the UAE to Jordan.

He highlighted the role of Dubai Cares in education, stressing that the organisation is playing a major role the establishment of schools across all governorates and in host communities.

Gurg briefed the attendees on Dubai Cares’ role in education in over 53 countries worldwide and outlined its future plan in Jordan. 

AMMAN — Minister of Industry and Trade Assistant Secretary General Emad Tarawneh said that the ministry “will not hesitate” to take legal action against violators of national regulations, especially bakeries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Monday.

He noted that inspection teams have been working to ensure effective monitoring in all governorates, especially regarding the closure hours of bakeries. He also warned against increasing bread prices before February 1.

Tarawneh pointed out that the law stipulates clear penalties against violators, which amount up to JD3,000. He noted that the ministry has recently issued fines against 15 bakeries that hid flour or refrained from selling bread.

AMMAN — Gendarmerie Department Director Maj. Gen. Hussein Hawatmeh on Monday attended the department’s celebrations of the Arbour Day and a ceremony to open the Gendarmerie Department Martyrs Forest in Amman’s Bader Al Jadeidah neighbourhood.

Hawatmeh and other department personnel planted trees in the forest, the Jordan NEWs Agency, Petra, reported.

Hawatmeh also listened to a briefing on the department’s agricultural plans and projects that aim at increasing green areas.

AMMAN — Members of the seventh conference of Islamic women parliamentarians on Monday agreed on choosing Jordan, represented by MP Safaa Momani, as its rapporteur.

The decision was taken during a meeting that was held on the sidelines of the 13th session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In a session on women’s capabilities in resolving problems in local and regional conflicts, Momani highlighted the importance of supporting Muslim women all over the world, especially in conflict zones, noting that the Kingdom always seeks to enable women reach senior positions.

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Monday expressed her gratitude towards all Jordanian volunteers for “uplifting the nation with their passion” during a meeting with members of the Nashmi Centre for Youth Empowerment, according to a statement from Her Majesty's Office.

Speaking at a gathering with Nashmi members at Beit Shams in Jabal Amman, Her Majesty said that she is always eager to meet with volunteers for their crucial role and important efforts to advance their communities. The Queen spoke with the youth volunteers about the importance of positivity and constructive criticism, which should be followed by “reform, hard work, and collaboration”.

Her Majesty was received by Nashmi founder, Ala’ Al Bashiti, and Shams founder, Maha Dahmash Malhas. Following an overview from Bashiti on the organisation’s work, the Queen joined a number of the centre’s youth volunteers for a discussion on volunteerism in Jordan.

Her Majesty explained how social media has changed the face of volunteerism, providing it with new avenues that did not exist 10 years ago. Commending the Nashmi Centre for creating sustainable, data-driven initiatives, Queen Rania highlighted the importance of gathering statistics in developing effective initiatives that meet the public’s needs.   

Launched in 2016, the Nashmi Centre for Youth Empowerment is a non-profit organisation that promotes social work and volunteering across Jordan. 

Among the 21 initiatives it supports, Nashmi lobbies against the use of firearms at public events, raises awareness to protect youth from cybercrime, performs repairs and maintenance at primary schools, and works to assimilate people with disabilities into society.

According to Bashiti, Nashmi was built upon the values of dialogue, honest work, and productivity. At the meeting, he shared the organisation’s strategy for 2018, which aims to launch initiatives that counter extremist ideology, encourage school students to perform community service, and shed light on the importance of maintaining parks and other public spaces.

AMMAN – A new batch of the houbara bustard, a rare desert bird that has been extinct in Jordan until recently, will be released back to its natural habitat under an ongoing programme to reintroduce the bird to the Kingdom, a conservationist said on Monday.

The houbara bustard, recognised by nature conservationists as “an icon of the Arabian desert”, will be released in February under the second phase of a programme started in 2014 under a partnership between the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) and the Abu Dhabi-based International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC).

The RSCN and the IFHC on Sunday signed the agreement of the programme's second phase, after field surveys proved the success of the first phase with the apparition of nests and chicks, RSCN Director General Yehya Khaled said.

"The new batch of birds will be released under the second phase in February in the historical habitat of the houbara, including Wadi Araba, the eastern and northeastern desert," Khaled told The Jordan Times.

The second phase will last until 2022, Khaled said, noting that the society will release batches every year.

The IFHC will be transferring the birds to Jordan from breeding centres located abroad, according to the RSCN official.

The houbara bustard reintroduction programme started in Jordan as an initiative of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, according to the RSCN, which said that the bird was last recorded in Jordan in the 1990s due to the destruction of its habitat and high levels of hunting.

A total of 1,300 birds has been released in Jordan between 2014 and 2017, according to the society, which reported sightings of houbara nests in the east of the country, nest and chicks in Wadi Araba and nesting in the Wadi Rum area.

The society said that discovering nests and chicks of the houbara is an indication that the reintroduction programme has succeeded.

Khaled indicated that there is still a need for a breeding centre for the houbara bustard in Jordan, but noted that setting up such a centre necessitates large amounts of investment.

He underlined that as a part of the programme, and to ensure the success of the reintroduction process, the RSCN is working with local communities living near areas where the birds were released to raise their awareness about the bird and its critical status.

The RSCN said it will support the socio-economic development of communities near birds' release sites, and establish income-generating projects or provide absent basic services.

Furthermore, the society will step up inspection of hunting activities in places where the bird is released, according to Khaled, who noted that contrary to the first phase which was a trial, the second phase aims at increasing the survival and adaptation rate of the bird.  

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the houbara on its Red List of Threatened Species as “vulnerable”. In its explanation for categorising the bird as vulnerable, the IUCN said that the species is subject to considerable overexploitation and declines in its total population have been estimated in large proportions.