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AMMAN — The Costa Mediterranea cruise ship on Sunday arrived at the port of Aqaba, carrying 2,800 European tourists, according to Sharhabeel Madi, the tourism and economic affairs commissioner at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority.

Madi told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that 1,300 tourists will visit the city of Petra, while the others will spend their stay in Aqaba visiting, archaeological sites and tourist facilities.

He said that cruise ship trips to Aqaba, are part of plans to promote Aqaba and Petra, in cooperation with international companies specialised in marine tourism. 

AMMAN — The new regulations of the General Secondary Education Certificate Examination’s (Tawjihi) stipulate that the minimum pass grade for each course will be 40 per cent.

The regulations, which were published in the latest issue of the Official Gazette and went into effect immediately, also stipulated granting a certificate in Arabic for each student who achieved the minimum pass grade or higher in all courses in a certain stream, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

AMMAN — Secretary General of Foreign Ministry Zaid Lozi on Sunday received a copy of credentials for the new Japanese Ambassador to Jordan Hidenao Yanagi, as an accredited and resident ambassador to the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The two officials reviewed bilateral ties and voiced their keenness on developing them.  

AMMAN — A two-day conference on Alcoholics Anonymous titled Carrying a Message began on Sunday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The event was organised by Forearms of Change Centre To Enable Community in cooperation with the Alcoholics Anonymous fellowship and Drug Addicts Anonymous.

The conference aims at reviewing the personal experiences of quitting alcohol and drugs for a long period of time. The conference sees the participation of experts from France, the US, Australia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Egypt, as well as Jordan.

Anti-Narcotics Department Director Brig. Gen. Anwar Tarawneh said that the department is engaged with civil society organisations to support all efforts to prevent youth from drug addiction.

AMMAN — Police are investigating a case in which three suspects have allegedly lured victims through a “pornographic” social media account and ended up stealing their belongings.

A statement by the Public Security Department  said Sunday that detectives at Ruseifah’s criminal investigation department (CID) acted on a tip-off that the suspects allegedly impersonated women and set appointments with the victims before they robbed them of their money, mobile phones and other belongings.

The CID agents identified the three and arrested them. During interrogation, the men reportedly confessed to committing the crime six times. The police statement urged people to be cautious while using social media, and especially websites that promote unethical materials. 

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Monday agreed to train 500 fresh engineering graduates at municipalities under an agreement between the Ministry of Municipals Affairs and the Jordan Engineers Association, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The trainees, half of them females, will be mainly from underprivileged areas. The training is aimed at providing job opportunities and to lower unemployment rates among engineers.

Earlier this year, the association and the ministry signed an agreement to train around 300 engineers in municipalities across the Kingdom and remote areas.

AMMAN — The Cabinet has decided to raise the borrowing limit of the Agricultural Credit Cooperation from the Central Bank of Jordan by JD10 million to reach JD60 million, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The decision came as part of implementing His Majesty King Abdullah’s vision and the government’s plans to support the agricultural sector. 

AMMAN — The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) branch in Jordan on Sunday announced that it will hold its annual international conference, “the first of its kind” in Jordan and the region, between December 11 and 13. HRH Prince Feisal, honourary president of the association, will attend the conference titled “Secure the Future with Cyber Protection”, according to an AFCEA statement.

AFCEA’s executive director in Jordan, Rula Amouri, said that some 300 local, Arab and international specialists in the ICT sector are scheduled to participate in the meeting that will address electronic security needs and challenges, electronic intelligence and means to develop the sector.

Amouri said that the event will also include workshops on the importance of information safety in various sectors.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday met with the presidents of a number of African countries and representatives of nations participating in the two-day Aqaba Meetings to discuss the global efforts to fight terrorism and extremist ideologies, especially in West Africa.

On the sidelines of the Aqaba Meetings, King Abdullah met with President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, President of Guinea Alpha Condé, President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou, and President of Mali Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, a Royal Court statement said.

His Majesty also held meetings with US Secreary of Defence Jim Mattis, Brazilian Minister of Defence Raul Jungmann, French Minister of State attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, UK Minister of State for the Armed Forces Mark Lancaster, and High Representative of the African Union Pierre Buyoya.

The Aqaba Meetings were launched by the King to maintain international and regional coordination and cooperation in the fight against terrorism within a holistic approach, and to discuss security challenges in regions around the world that are dealing with terrorism hotspots, with the aim of identifying shortcomings and coordinating efforts to fight terrorism.

 The meetings are part of His Majesty’s initiative to reach out to countries around the world and coordinate with them on this issue, since the anti-terrorism fight “must be a joint, international effort, based on close coordination and consultations, to counter the global threats of terrorism and extremism”, the statement said. 

Held with the aim of exchanging expertise and information — as well as to bolstering security and military cooperation in the fight against terrorism — the latest Aqaba Meetings feature the participation of presidents of West African countries, as well as ministers from the US, the UK and France.

Senior political and security officials from European, Latin American, and African countries, and representatives from the UN, the EU, NATO, and the African Union are also attending.

The participants also include other senior officials from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Romania, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Cyprus, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Australia, India, Indonesia, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Nigeria, Mauritania, Antigua and Barbuda, Mali, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Chad, and Burkina Faso, in addition to representatives of regional and international organisations.

Over the past two years, the Aqaba Meetings featured similar discussions held by the King with heads and representatives of a number of countries in East Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Balkans.

 AMMAN — A Jordanian economic delegation on Saturday began a tour to a number of African countries to explore the available opportunities for Jordanian exports to those countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The tour also aims to promote the investment and trade opportunities available in the Kingdom. 

The visit, which was organised by the Jordan Investment Commission and Jordan Chamber of Industry, will include Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia, where the delegation is scheduled to attend business forums and hold meetings with officials and organise meetings for Jordanian companies to sign memoranda of understanding with the private sector leaders in these countries, according to Petra. 

Emerging African markets have become a target for Jordanian exporters after regional turbulence has led to the closure of vital markets in the neighbourhood.