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AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Wednesday sentenced 11 people to hard labour ranging between three and five years for promoting terrorist ideology and attempting to join terrorist groups, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. SSC also sentenced seven to 15 years of hard labour and a penalty of JD10,000, for drug possession with the intent to sell and use, while acquitting three defendants of all charges.

The convicts had planned to smuggle 543,000 Captagon pills from Jordan to Saudi Arabia by hiding them inside a truck, according to Petra. The SSC also sentenced a Syrian drug dealer to 11 years of hard labour and a fine of JD10,000 for attempting to smuggle 630,000 Captagon pills from Syria. Meanwhile, the court convicted two women of terror recruiting and promoting Daesh ideologies.   

AMMAN — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Wednesday launched the 2nd annual edition of Amman Design Week (ADW), which for this year focuses on increasing the event’s reach among members of the public through an array of programmes that target schools in governorates, as well as field visits and mobile experiments.

The event, which is an initiative by Queen Rania and held under her patronage, will open its doors under this edition to the public from October 6 to 14, and will present a comprehensive programme of exhibitions, workshops, talks, tours and events under the theme "Design Moves Life Moves Design".

Queen Rania launched the ADW 2017 at an event at the Ras El Ain Hangar in downtown Amman, where she was received by Greater Amman Municipality Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh, and ADW Co-Directors Abeer Seikaly and Rana Beiruti.

Several princesses were also in attendance, in addition to several public and private sector leaders, Jordanian and Arab media figures and design enthusiasts.

Queen Rania toured the Hangar Exhibition, where she viewed the works of more than 100 regional and international designers hailing from the United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Lebanon, Morocco, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, India, Germany, France and the US.

Throughout the nine-day event, the nearby Crafts District, also located in Ras El Ain, will feature several demonstration booths, pop-up shops, cultural activities, and food options, according to a statement from the Her Majesty's Office.

According to the organisers, this year's event will present its first-ever Student Exhibition, showcasing the works of student members of ADW’s year-round mentorship programme. This year’s programme also comprises a diverse selection of workshops and panel discussions, which aim to highlight design’s "unseen impact on our daily lives".

Drawing on the event’s theme of "motion", ADW 2017 will extend beyond the Ras El Ain area, with activities held at more than 50 sites around the city, including galleries, shops, institutes, universities and other public spaces.

This year's edition of ADW focuses large efforts on increasing the event’s reach among members of the public through programs that target schools in governorates, as well as field visits and mobile experiments, according to the statement.

In an address at the event, Beiruti said that the programme for ADW 2017 builds on the success experienced during the event’s pilot in 2016. “After focusing last year on raising awareness on the ever-presence of design in our lives, this year’s programme tackles the power of design to move the world around us,” she added.

“Design is a movement that seeks to beautify while also serving as a medium for positive change…It empowers people to take control, make an impact, and rise up to challenge the status quo," she said during the launch of the event.

Seikaly highlighted that this year’s edition of ADW reinforces the focus on the key pillars of the event, such as empowering local designers, education, social transformation and paying tribute to Jordan’s cultural heritage.

 “This personifies the year’s theme of movement, as we are endeavouring to contribute towards creating a potent and sustainable design movement in Jordan among current and future generations,” she added. 

According to Ahmad Humeid, the curator of this year’s Hangar Exhibition, the Hangar Exhibition is one of the key landmarks of ADW, offering a snapshot of the state of Amman’s design landscape and the "remarkable potential" possessed by local and regional designers.

“The exhibition will challenge our understanding of design and its ability to push the boundaries of physical reality and the elements of material, scale, form and function,” Humeid said. 

The 2017 Hangar Exhibition showcases the work of local and regional designers with a focus on the idea of movement, presenting designs that move between extremes in physical, intellectual, cultural or social terms, according to Humeid.

Humeid explained that the curatorial team “had the task to look within over 300 submissions to seek projects, ideas and initiatives that reflected a spirit of motion: design that helps us move within our cities, design that moves our industries, design that moves our minds".

Tarek Hreish and Farah Kayyal (Aperçu Designs), Rand Gharaibeh and Dania Khasawneh (Alaq), Katia Al Tal (Nuwa Creations) and Aymen Azzam are some of the featured designers, whose work fill the Hangar space rehabilitated by TURATH: Architecture and Urban Design consultants and the Greater Amman Municipality.

AMMAN — UNESCO Amman Office on Wednesday celebrated the International Day for the Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) at the Jordan University for Science and Technology (JUST) in Irbid, a statement from the UN agency said. 

Held under the theme “Powering Sustainable Development with Access to Information”, the outdoor TEDx-style event brought together community leaders in a public discussion on the role of access to information in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Jordan. 

IDUAI carries a particular relevance with the new 2030 Development Agenda, especially SDG target 16.10 which calls for ensuring public access to information and protection of fundamental freedoms, the statement said. 

The event was organised as part of the talks that the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) is encouraging worldwide and under the framework of the Regional ICT Accessibility Week in the Arab States organised with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to raise awareness on the critical role played by information in supporting holistic and sustainable national development, according to the statement.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Jordan Anders Pedersen highlighted the critical role that access to information can play in reducing inequalities.

“Access to information and knowledge is a key element to addressing inequalities, since it gives individuals the opportunity to make informed decisions that affect their lives. Poor and vulnerable groups often lack information that is vital to their lives… They also lack visibility and voice to enable them to define and influence policy priorities and access resources,” Pedersen was quoted in the statement as saying.

President of JUST Omar Al Jarrah elaborated on the strategic importance of access to information in advancing scientific research and the role of academia in this regard, the statement continued

He said in the statement: “Future universities will have to adapt to the new age of complete democratisation of information accompanied by its unlimited accessibility and the impact it will have on teaching and research.” 

JUST has taken several measures to meet the demands of this changing environment including investing heavily in its IT infrastructure and the recent establishment of the Open Educational Resources Center at its campus to design and implement strategies to meet the future demands of this sector, the statement read.

In the statement, Hadeel Abu Sufa, activist for the rights of persons with disabilities, illustrated how information and communication technologies can concretely support the enhancement of the livelihoods and the participation of persons with disabilities in the social and economic development of their communities. 

Costanza Farina, UNESCO Representative to Jordan, said in the statement: “The inclusion [of Access to Information] reflects the growing recognition by the international community that peace and justice, as well as effective, accountable, inclusive institutions are at the core of sustainable development.”

This celebration was held with financial contributions from the regional EU-funded project “Networks of Mediterranean Youth”, as well as from the EU-funded project “Support Media in Jordan,” both implemented by UNESCO.

AMMAN — A new partnership launched on Wednesday between the Citi Foundation and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) will provide refugees, displaced youth and vulnerable young people from host communities with support to generate a reliable income in order to contribute to their local economy, a statement from the foundation said.

The two-year project, titled “Rescuing Futures” will help around 1,000 young people in Greece, Jordan and Nigeria, to start their own businesses. 

 “The IRC’s partnership with the Citi Foundation represents a best-in-class global public-private partnership,” David Miliband, president and CEO of the IRC, said in the statement.  

Sixty per cent of the world’s refugees and 80 per cent of internally displaced people are currently living in urban areas, mostly living in developing countries that can barely afford to host them, according to the statement. 

Jim Cowles, CEO of Citi Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) said in the statement: “Our Pathways to Progress initiative is our solution to secure positive futures for vulnerable young people… Given today’s context, Rescuing Futures can address inequality of opportunity, and positively impact community wellbeing and economic growth.”

The Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative has pledged $100 million to reach 500,000 young people with entrepreneurship and employability training before 2020, the statement said.

Alongside the $2 million grant from the Citi Foundation, a further $8 million has been committed across EMEA to support programmes under the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative and contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goal 8: reducing youth unemployment. 

Grants include $1.6 million to Youth Business International, $1.3 million to TechnoServe, $450,000 to United States African Development Foundation, and $450,000 to Ruwwad Al Tanmeya, the statement concluded.

AMMAN — The Chief Executive Officer of the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) Farouq Hiyari on Wednesday announced that 17,289 cases of electricity theft have been recorded since the beginning of the year until the end of July, according to an EMRC statement. 

Hiyari said that the commission carried out 21,140 periodic inspections over the period, which led to the detection of 8,227 cases of electricity theft.

The electricity distribution companies detected 7,064 of the theft cases, while the Public Security Department (PSD) and the Gendarmerie forces in cooperation with the three electricity distribution companies, discovered 1,998 cases.

Hiyari said that courts have ruled against 1,352 cases of electricity thefts in the past nine months, 570 of which were filed by the Jordan Electric Power Company (JEPC), 651 by the Irbid Electricity Company (IEC) and 131 by Electricity Distribution Company (EDC).

The cases of theft detected by members of the PSD and Gendarmerie in areas supplied by the JEPC reached, 1,172 cases, 193 cases in the IEC areas and 633 in the EDC areas, according to Hiyari.

Hiyari highlighted the importance of coordination between electricity companies, security forces and the EMRC, and the role this cooperation plays from the detection of all theft cases until they reach the courtroom.

He called on the citizens to report cases of illegal exploitation of electric power, whether by contacting the authorities in Amman on the number of the control centre (5805025) or by contacting the electricity companies. 

AMMAN —   Haya Theatre Festival starts on Thursday, with the participation of a number of groups from Arab and European countries.

Organised by the Haya Cultural Centre (HCC), the festival aims at spreading the culture of theatre among children and encouraging them to attend theatrical performances, according to the centre’s General Manager Diala Khamra. 

“The festival is held for the second time and we are planning to organise it annually, mainly for children,” she told The Jordan Times. 

Groups from Iceland, Jordan, Lebanon, Spain and Austria will perform a variety of shows at the HCC premises in Amman.  

“Every year, we are working on bringing a new experience to the audience,” Khamra stated.

The HCC official said that the culture of attending theatrical shows benefits children in the long run. 

“These shows will remain in the memory of children for years to come. Theatre has educational and creative goals,” she added. 

 Khamra said the shows target children aged three and above, adding that a total of 3,500 children attended last year. 

This year’s calendar of performances includes “Metamorphosis” by Worlds of Puppets from Iceland, a series of original short stories told through a “delightful cast of puppets”.

The second week will present “The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark”, produced by the London-based Unicorn Theatre and adapted and re-produced for Arabic-speaking audiences by the HCC. 

During the third week, audience members will be exposed to “Let it Rain Chicks” from Lebanon, a puppet-play for children and adults directed by Karim Dakroub.

Ladybug Theatre will be co-presenting the interactive theatre piece “Lulu and Janjoon Go the Moon” directed by Jana Zaineddine. 

As part of week five, “Like Cat and Dog” from Spanish Teatre Animal, will be showcased. It is a performance that creatively integrates visual arts, multimedia and music, according to a statement by the organisers. 

 The closing week of the festival will feature Mozart’s children opera and marionette performance “The Magic Flute” from Austria.

The festival will run through November 11.  

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the advisory council of communications and technology sector (ICT), the Jordanian News Agency, Petra, reported.

The ICT council, which was recently reshuffled and headed by Mulki, includes the ICT minister, assigned as the deputy director of the council, specialists in the ICT sector and representatives of leading businesses.

During the meeting, which was attended by Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani, the PM stressed that the government considers the ICT sector of great importance, which "elevates the national economy" and contributes to providing job opportunities for Jordanians. 

AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat on Wednesday received Egyptian ambassador to Jordan Tareq Adel and an accompanying delegation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. The two discussed the scopes of cooperation between both countries' armed forces in the presence of the Egyptian military attaché in Amman.

AMMAN — HRH Princess Basma on Wednesday attended 25th Dentistry Conference, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. The conference, organised by the Jordan Dentists Association, witnessed the participation of around 1, 000 dentists from Jordan and 16 other Arab countries. The event included lectures, workshops and training courses.

During the opening ceremony, also attended by Health Minister Mahmoud Sheyyab, the princess commended the advanced levels reached by the sector in the Kingdom. She highlighted the importance of intensifying efforts to raise awareness on dental health and preventing related illnesses, especially among children.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday renewed Jordan’s support for Iraq in “its efforts to maintain its security, stability, integrity of its lands and unity of its population”. 

In a phone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi, His Majesty
reasserted Jordan’s backing of the Iraqi government’s anti-terror drive and efforts to launch an inclusive political process that engages all the Iraqi spectra, “in a way that contributes to building a secure and stable Iraq”. 

Meanwhile, Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani on Tuesday said that the security and unity of Iraq’s lands are paramount for the region’s stability. 

Momani stressed that Jordan supports Iraq in the war against terrorism, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He praised Iraq’s victory against Daesh, describing it as a victory for the region and the world.

Momani also stressed Jordan’s backing for the Iraqi government’s efforts to realise security, establishing a state of citisenship that is based on laws and the Iraqi constitution and where equality among the Iraqi people is guaranteed.

The spokesperson called for avoiding escalation and solving dispute through dialogue, in the aftermath of the referendum on to the independence of Kurdistan province.

He expressed hope that a dialogue would be launched as soon as possible, with the constitution as the reference framework, to preserve the unity of Iraq’s people and integrity of its land, including Kurdistan.

Momani, who is also state minister for media affairs, called against any unilateral measures that would jeopardise Iraq’s unity and sovereignty or undermine its achievements led by Prime Minister Abadi.