Local

AMMAN — East Amman Civil Defence Department firefighters on Tuesday put out a fire that erupted in a plastic and packaging factory, according to the Civil Defence Department.

More than 30 fire trucks were used to extinguish the flames, while no casualties were reported.

Printing materials, including printing presses, paper rolls and ink were at the 1,500-square-metre factory in northern Marka.

AMMAN – The Ministry of Public Sector Development has prepared guidebooks outlining the services offered by the Finance Ministry, Awqaf Properties Development Department (APDD) and the National Library Department (NLD).

According to a ministry statement issued Tuesday, Minister of Public Sector Development Khleef Al Khawaldeh said technical teams reviewed services provided by the three agencies and amended some measures, while scrapping other procedures deemed unnecessary for obtaining services.

Khawaldeh noted that the guidebook for the Finance Ministry covered 26 services, while it covered 13 services at APDD and 21 for NLD.

AMMAN — Amman Preventive Security Department personnel have foiled an attempt by a suspect to sell a JD1 million plot of land using a false power of attorney, the Public Security Department (PSD) announced on Tuesday.

The preventive security personnel received a tip that a man had land for sale in a commercial area in Amman and claimed to have power of attorney to sell it on behalf of its owner, who was abroad.

The PSD contacted the owner to verify the transaction, and he told them the land is not for sale and that he had not authorised anyone to sell it.

PSD cadres identified the suspect, and reached him through another potential buyer.

The suspect confessed to falsifying the power of attorney knowing that the owner is overseas, and was referred to the prosecutor general.

AMMAN — The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has referred 12 cases to the prosecutor general for suspected graft, an ACC official said Tuesday.

The new cases included suspected financial violations, forgery, wasting public money, favouritism and using Syrian secondary education certificates to register at Jordanian universities and colleges.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday sent cables to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani congratulating them on the anniversary of the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

AMMAN — The steamship rented for the liquefied natural gas project in Aqaba will arrive at the LNG terminal on May 25 after undergoing the required adjustments, Energy Minister Ibrahim Saif said Tuesday.

Saif added that the steamship is currently docked in regional waters near Singapore, waiting to leave for Qatar in order to be filled with the LNG shipment required for operational tests.

The minister said the steamship is one of the most important elements of the LNG project conducted by the ministry to secure new natural gas sources and supply power plants.

The steamship can store up to 160,000 cubic metres of LNG, and can supply a maximum of 715 million cubic feet per day.

AMMAN – The US has transferred a total of $57 million to the Treasury, which is the second and last tranche of the 2014 financial grant to support the state budget, the Ministry of Planning and International cooperation announced Tuesday.

The ministry said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times that the transfer is part of the $184 million allocated by the US in direct support to the budget as $127 million was transferred at the end of last year.

 The funds were transferred by USAID.

Jordan and the US signed the economic aid agreement for 2014 in September at a value of $633 million, out of which $197 million was allocated to finance development schemes across the Kingdom.

AMMAN — Jordan officially assumes the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council on Wednesday for a month.

Under Jordan’s presidency, the council is scheduled to discuss major issues, such as the situation in the Middle East, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Syrian and Yemeni crises, the situation in Libya, and anti-terror efforts, in addition to regular issues listed on the council’s agenda.

The Kingdom will also present initiatives concerned with women, young people, peace and security.

AMMAN — University students belonging to different parties and tribes engaged in a brawl at the University of Jordan (UJ) on Tuesday over the student union elections, slated for Thursday.

The clash took place on campus near the UJ clock tower and lasted for 30 minutes, according to Fakher Daas, coordinator of “Thabahtoona”, the national campaign for defending students’ rights.

Firas Qasas, a member of the UJ student union, said the students clashed over disputes related to the upcoming elections.

“Today’s brawl was about origins, where two groups of students from different political and social backgrounds had a scuffle and damaged university facilities, classrooms and some administrators’ cars,” Qasas added.

UJ Chairman of the Higher Elections Committee Azmi Mahafzah told The Jordan Times that the fight was a result of “over-excitement” about the elections.

“It was a fight between no more than 20 students; the security department at the university will send a report to us; there are also cameras filming and the appropriate measures will be taken regarding this issue,” he said.

No students or staff members were injured, according to Mahafzah.

“The clock tower is a strategic place and is always crowded. One of the groups involved was told to take another route, but they insisted on going towards the tower and insulting the other group,” he said.

“We encourage democracy and transparency in our elections, but those who distort the university’s reputation, by triggering issues of origin, religion, or race will be suspended,” Mahafzah said.

Witnesses said the university’s security personnel moved towards the scuffle and in front of main university gates, fearing further consequences.

“The university is fully prepared for the student union elections this year. We have about 250 security staff members. In addition, some of the security personnel at UJ Hospital and a number of police officers from outside the university will be present on Wednesday and Thursday,” Mahafzah added.

“The elections atmosphere at the university is stable and safe so far. There is no need to spread rumours among students,” he stressed.

In the elections, 511 candidates are vying for 78 seats, after 11 seats were won by acclamation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — Over 800 journalists paid their subscription fees and pension fund dues before the March 31 deadline given to them by the Jordan Press Association (JPA). 

Dhaher Al Damen, a JPA council member, said those who did not pay, around 300 journalists, will be considered as non-practising members according to Article 14 of the syndicate’s law. 

Once the non-practising journalists pay membership subscription fees, which is JD50 a year, and all outstanding dues to the pension fund they will automatically regain the status of practising journalists, Damen said. 

Non-practising journalists are not eligible for any privileges or services offered by the association, such as health insurance, training or low-interest loans offered by lending institutions as part of agreements signed with the JPA, the syndicate council member added. 

Damen warned that if journalists remain registered as non-practising for five consecutive years, they will lose their JPA membership. 

Amendments to the JPA Law, which went into effect in mid-July 2014, stipulate that any member who does not settle all outstanding fees by March 31 of each year automatically loses membership.

Under the law, it is mandatory for journalists to subscribe to the fund, but they have the option to choose one of two categories.

The first category entails payments of JD10 per month for the first 10 years, JD15 per month for the second 10 years and JD20 monthly for the third 10 years. At the completion of the 30 years, members receive a JD180 monthly pension.

Under the second category, a journalist can pay JD20 per month for the first 10 years, JD25 per month for the second decade and JD30 per month for the third 10 years. Subscribers in this category will get JD300 as a monthly pension upon the completion of 30 years. After the completion of the first 10 years, subscribers can ask for early pension and will receive a smaller amount of the total pension in each category.