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AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Monday sentenced a man to 15 years of hard labour for planning to commit a terrorist act for Daesh by stabbing a Gendarmerie officer who was guarding the Tourism Ministry.

The court convicted the suspect, 24, who has been detained since March, with charges of conspiracy to commit terrorist acts, promoting the ideologies of Daesh and trying to join terrorist organisations and armed groups, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Also on Monday, the SSC sentenced six convicts to three years of hard labour, and a four-year hard labour against a seventh suspect for promoting ideologies of Daesh and trying to join terrorist organisations and armed groups. The court acquitted a suspect on charges related to promoting terrorist ideologies while also acquitting another over charges of hostage taking, Petra added.

AMMAN — The Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI) on Monday said that any rise in sales tax on food products manufactured locally, such as chickpeas and beans, will harm the national industry, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported quoting a press statement.

The ACI said that increasing sales tax will lead to regression in the sales of national food products due to its incompatibility with of citizens’ income. He noted that an average Jordanian family spends 38 per cent of its income on food products.

The ACI also said that the national industry, which is already suffering from high production costs due to high costs of power and fuel prizes and low demand, will not be able to compete with imported products that receive governmental support and enter Jordan without customs fees.

The food industry sector produces products worth JD150 million annually, with 2,132 facilities employing 41,000 workers and investments estimated at JD628 million, according to Petra. 

AMMAN — HRH Prince Feisal, president of the Jordan Olympic Committee, on Monday acted as patron at a ceremony to honour athletes and coaches who represented Jordan in the 5th edition of the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, hosted by Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The prince presented prizes to the winners in recognition of their achievements during the competitions.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Monday inaugurated the governmental electronic services unit established by the Amman Chamber of Commerce, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. The unit aims to facilitate procedures for traders, importers and citizens and to save their time. The unit will provide services such as renewing vocational, banks and companies' licences.

Its members are Amman Chamber of Industry, Greater Amman Municipality and the Central Bank of Jordan. Also on Monday, Mulki inaugurated the "one place" service, which is a combination of public institutions providing services and licences to companies and institutions in the private sector.  

AMMAN — The Royal Medical Services (RMS) on Monday conducted a free medical day at the Azraq military medical centre, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The day was held in accordance with RMS' vision that seeks to reach all segments of society, with a special focus on remote areas and to contribute to raising the level of medical services presented to the population. Col. Anis Shobaki, director of the centre, said that the day included women care, abdominal, surgical, ear, teeth, joints, eye and child medical services, in addition to diagnostic services conducted through a laboratory and X-ray department. 

AMMAN — Deputising for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat, Royal Jordanian Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti and Dutch Ambassador to Jordan Barbara Joziasse on Monday signed a military cooperation agreement.

Senior officers of the Jordanian Armed Forces-Arab Army and the Dutch military attache in Amman attended the signing ceremony, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, on Monday visited the Special Police Operations Command affiliated with the Gendarmerie Department.

During the visit, King Abdullah met with chiefs and heads of delegations of security apparatuses taking part in the meeting of the higher council of the Association of European and Mediterranean Gendarmeries and Police Forces with Military Status (FIEP) being held in Amman between Sunday and Wednesday.

His Majesty, during the meeting, highlighted the importance of consolidating partnership among security and military institutions in the world, unifying international efforts in the war against terrorism and extremism, and combating crime, according to a Royal Court statement.

The Supreme Commander listened to a presentation by Gendarmerie Department Director Maj. Gen. Hussein Hawatmeh, in his capacity as FIEP chairman, on the main achievements the association realised during Jordan’s presidency, as well as future plans and activities that aim at boosting cooperation and coordination among member security departments.

His Majesty also attended a briefing about the Gendarmerie Department’s strategies that contribute to building its organisational and operational capabilities, in addition to cooperation and coordination mechanisms with local and international institutions, in a way that enables it to execute its mission “efficiently and professionally”. 

For their part, participants in the meeting commended the King’s role in enhancing security and stability in the region and the world, highlighting the importance of boosting coordination among security and military institutions over various international issues of concern.

FIEP is an association of national gendarmeries or affiliated corps, encompassing the European and Mediterranean Gendarmeries and Police Forces with Military Status. 

The goal of FIEP — which started with the corps of France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal — is to broaden and strengthen mutual relationships, to promote an innovative and active reflection on the forms of police cooperation, and to value its model of organisation and structures abroad. 

FIEP wants to be recognised by the European authorities as a forum and a structure of separate police cooperation, capable of leading concrete actions.

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Monday said that the establishment of the Teacher Education Professional Diploma (TEPD) was a gateway for transforming teaching from a job into a career, which is a “limitless horizon” to be crossed “one graduating class at a time”.

The Queen made her remarks at a ceremony held for the graduation of the first batch of Queen Rania Teacher Academy’s (QRTA) TEPD and Advanced Instructional Leadership Professional Diploma (AILPD), where 174 teacher trainees were awarded the TEPD, while 33 school principals received the AILPD.

Referring to the launch of the National Strategy for Human Resources Development by His Majesty King Abdullah in 2016, the Queen said: “On that day, I presented the reality of education in Jordan, and we decisively moved forward on a roadmap for education reform that elevates teachers’ qualifications and improves learning outcomes.”

Despite current perceptions of the Jordanian education system, seen as “a wilted tree — parched, and incapable of bearing fruit”, Her Majesty affirmed that education in the country was very much alive, describing the graduates as “heralds of the upcoming educational spring”.

“One year ago, we said that the education we provide our children over the course of 12 years must be a journey that is worthy of their childhood, and we attested to the fact that in Jordan, when we want to achieve something, we can,” Queen Rania stated. 

“Today, I say with much pride, we willed and we acted,” she added.

Both diplomas, each consisting of 24 credit hours, were introduced during the previous academic year in line with QRTA’s efforts to implement the National Strategy for Human Resources Development.

In an address at the ceremony, held at the Palace of Culture, Minister of Education Omar Razzaz said the graduation of the diplomas’ first cohort “was a major turning point in the quality of our educational system, in accordance with the ministry’s plans and policies for teacher development and in cooperation with QRTA and the University of Jordan”.

The minister also highlighted the ministry’s attempts to elevate not only the status of teachers but also the education system as a whole. He described the training and preparation of the educators as “a cornerstone of the developmental and modernisation processes”.

“At the beginning of their professional lives, this first cohort of graduates has acquired skills and teaching methods prior to ever entering the classroom, resulting in an enriched educational environment that fosters creativity and excellence. This is sure to reflect positively on our children, leading to the development of a generation of innovative and competitive youth capable of impacting the community,” Razzaz said.

The batch of graduates, he continued, carries great responsibility in sharing their expertise with their peers to help improve the overall process in education.

“This programme and the training received by the teachers and principals at the academy is the solution to address the crisis in the country’s education sector and to expand horizons and open new opportunities in the field,” he said.

There are about 80,000 teachers in Jordan while there is a need for around 3,000 teachers annually, he said.

The TEPD was established by QRTA to equip new teachers with necessary skills to empower them to excel in the classroom based on the latest developments in the field of education. The diploma was launched with technical assistance from University College London’s Institute of Education and accreditation from the University of Jordan.

 Meanwhile, the AILPD was introduced for school principals to improve the educational environment in Jordan’s schools and provide further support to the nation’s teachers.

 The diploma was developed and implemented in partnership with the University of Connecticut in the US, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and with accreditation from the University of Jordan.

AMMAN — “People with cerebral palsy [CP] have the exact same brain capacities as you and me. However, they are often isolated from the rest of society because they cannot communicate properly,” explained 16-year-old Leen Khasawneh.

The high school student created the “Ergo-Egg”, a writing aid device that allows people suffering from the cerebral disorder to communicate in spite of their physical impairment.

“When I realised that people with CP have completely functional brains and that only some parts of their body are stuck, I thought ‘that’s crazy! Why can’t they be part of society just like anyone else?’” Khasawneh told The Jordan Times at the Amman Design Week where her invention was exhibited.

Cerebral palsy is a collection of neurological disorders caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the brain at birth or later in life that primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination, according to online sources.

Although she does not know anyone who suffers from CP personally, the young girl was shocked by the situation people with the neurological condition tend to end up in and was inspired to create the Ergo-Egg.

“In Jordan, there is a lot of stigma around the issue of CP and there is not much support for people with CP. We need to understand that there is nothing wrong with suffering from cerebral palsy or any other impairment,” she stated, noting that she struggled to find the resources she needed for her research.

Khasawneh finally got hold of experts in the field who explained to her how people with CP tend to wrap tape multiple times around their hand to have a proper grip on the pen and be able to write.

The high school student went on to create a “simple” solution to help people with CP communicate with others and, ultimately, become more involved in society. 

“Although some solutions exist in other countries, they are all technology reliant and therefore expensive or dependent on electricity,” she explained, adding “I wanted to create something that was not only simple but also cheap and accessible to everyone.”

Citing the motor ability classification system used to identify degrees of CP severity, she explained that she created a tailored device that can help people “who never thought about the idea of holding a pen before”.

“This condition does not get worse over time so all we have to do is help them access the same opportunities as we do naturally,” she stressed, noting that her current device is tailored for children around five years-old as this is the age at which people learn to write. 

Khasawneh met the very first person with CP at the Amman Design Week exhibition. She recalled: “It was amazing to see how such a simple device could actually help him so much! I really do believe in the power of writing, and how much something that seems so small to us can make a great impact on someone else’s life.” 

“My aim now is to expand the Ergo-Egg to the multiple cerebral palsy hand positions and to ergonomically suit older ages, so that this device can help a much wider range of people,” the young student concluded. 

­AMMAN — Microfund for Women (MFW) has recently invited over 650 beneficiaries from several areas of the Kingdom to attend the activities of Amman Design Week (ADW), which was held from 6-14 October, according to a MFW statement.

The visits were organised as part of MFW’s non-financial services, which are aimed at enhancing the participation of beneficiaries in numerous activities and events.

 MFW provided buses across the Kingdom to transport the beneficiaries to the venue of the event in Ras Al Ain in Amman, where the women were able to interact with the designers as well as view the different works displayed.

The visit was aimed at exposing the beneficiaries to various ideas that could further develop their projects or inspire them to start new ones, in addition to networking with  designers, according to the statement.

Managing Director of MFW Muna Sukhtian stated: “We strive to help our beneficiaries participate in various events and activities that are held across the Kingdom, in order to empower them both economically and socially.”

“Through this event, the beneficiaries were able to discover new opportunities and expand their horizons and perspectives which, in turn, will serve to enhance their talents and help develop their work,” she added. 

Mitha Touqan, an Eastern Badia resident, and the owner of the “Khiyata” project said that she benefited greatly from the numerous designs on display at the exhibition. 

“I will reflect what I saw at the exhibition on my project directly. I also got to communicate directly with the designers and discuss several designs and ideas with them,” she was quoted in the statement as saying. 

MFW is a private non-profit company that provides financial services to low-income, small business owners in Jordan in a bid to empower women economically and socially so that they become active members of society. 

To date, over 140,000 people, 96 per cent of whom are women, have benefited from MFW served by over 700 employees spread over 60 branches across the Kingdom, the statement concluded.