MIXED NEWS (Society, Culture, Education, Entertainment, Events, Exhibitions...etc)

[MARTYR]

This thread is to shed the light more on the happenings and developments in the Jordanian Community. This thread to dedicated to all types of news and events in jordan, whether social, cultural, educational or even about concerts and exhibitions.

[MARTYR]

Jomo Trade appoints Aramex


08 October 2009
Aramex recently completed a project to deliver 3,500 computers to 130 public schools across the Kingdom in record time in cooperation with Jomo Trade, which was assigned by the Ministry of Education, to supply the computers to a number of Jordanian schools.

Jomo Trade, in turn, selected Aramex to implement the project after issuing a tender to this effect, using Aramex's logistical facilities and ground distribution network to complete the task of equipping 130 computer labs across a number of Kingdom's schools.

In recognition of the success of this strategic partnership between Jomo Trade and Aramex, an agreement to import 4,500 computers was renewed in order to equip the computer labs of a further 300 public schools across the Kingdom after the Eid holiday.

[MARTYR]

Gov't to suspend recruitment of domestic helpers from Indonesia, Sri Lanka


09 October 2009
AMMAN - The government on Thursday suspended the recruitment of Indonesian and Sri Lankan domestic workers for two weeks in order to accredit medical centres in both countries, according to an official.


According to President of the Non-Jordanian Domestics Recruitment Offices Owners Association Khaled Hasanat, a Jordanian delegation representing the ministries of health and labour and the recruitment association is heading to Indonesia and Sri Lanka on Saturday to accredit medical centres.


"Until we finalise the agreements with these offices, a decision was made to suspend worker recruitment in these countries in order to regulate the process," Hasanat told The Jordan Times yesterday, adding that the decision will be enforced as of next Sunday.


In a previous statement to The Jordan Times, Director of Chest Diseases and Foreigners' Health Khalid Abu Rumman said that the Health Ministry will terminate agreements with some 27 medical centres in Indonesia as some of them issued forged health certificates to domestic workers coming to Jordan.


Many Indonesian workers are issued forged certificates that state they do not have any communicable disease, according to Abu Rumman.


During the first seven months of the year, 181 Indonesian workers tested positive for communicable diseases: 89 for tuberculosis, 72 for hepatitis and 20 for HIV, according to the ministry's statistics.


In comparison, 11 tuberculosis, 32 hepatitis and two HIV cases were registered among Filipino workers, while six Sri Lankan domestic workers were diagnosed with tuberculosis, two with hepatitis and one with HIV.

[MARTYR]

Third Khalifa Award for Education launched



AMMAN - The third annual Khalifa Award for Education was launched on Wednesday with two new award categories.


The award was established in 2007 with the aim of enhancing educational work in the UAE by "stimulating and encouraging creative and talented personnel working in the field".


Originally restricted to UAE educators, the award was expanded last year to include other Arab countries including Jordan.


This season, the organising committee added two categories to the award, including one for "E-teachers" both within the UAE and the Arab world.


"This award will be given to teachers in general education who use information technology applications in the education process," Khaled Al Ebry, a member of the award's executive committee, said in a press conference yesterday.


He added that in order to be eligible for the new award category, a teacher must have demonstrated creativity in applying technology in the learning process, such as using a blog to communicate with students and his or her colleagues in school.


The other category is for innovative applied educational research at the local and regional levels.


The Khalifa Award for Education is issued for excellence in general and higher education, innovative programmes and projects, research and special studies to enhance Arabic language curricula in the UAE and special needs, among others.


Among its many objectives, the award aims to encourage and promote excellence and creativity among educators in the UAE and the Arab World and promote the implementation of modern technology in the learning process, according to a statement received by The Jordan Times.


Winners receive a financial award, a trophy and a certificate bearing their name.

[MARTYR]

'Methane gas likely to blame for Umm Jouzeh incident'


08 October 2009
SALT - Smoke and intense heat that were found emerging from the ground in an area in Umm Jouzeh, near Rmemin, on Tuesday was likely caused by a chemical reaction that ignited an underground deposit of methane gas, an expert said Wednesday.


President of the Jordanian Geologists Association Bahjat Odwan told The Jordan Times yesterday that the actual area emitting heat was around 20 square metres, adding that the heat is emanating from a small hole.


After the area was cooled and the land was overturned, municipality workers dug a 1.5-metre-deep trench in the area, he added. Initial findings showed that the site was saturated with accumulated bio-organic materials and methane gas.


Due to chemical reactions, the gas, which is highly flammable, ignited in that area, producing heat whose temperature was measured at 180°C, Odwan said.


After the area's soil was overturned and the area was opened using heavy machinery, the gas trapped in the soil went out. Civil Defence Department fire trucks cooled the area with water, and the site became safe, the Jordanian Geologists Association said in a statement yesterday.


Concerned official agencies on Wednesday collected underground soil samples to determine the precise cause of the event.


These agencies are currently examining the samples to determine the nature and concentration of the bio-organic materials and whether there were any substances from an adjacent stream, where treated wastewater from the Zai Water Treatment Plant runs, Odwan said, noting that the results of the studies should be revealed at the beginning of next week.


Local residents have long been calling for the stream to be blocked to prevent the polluted water from reaching their lands, he added.


The phenomenon of heat, flames and smoke reported two days ago could happen again at any time in the future, Odwan said, noting that this will depend on the concentration of bio-organic materials in the area, 10 kilometres north of Salt.


The colour of the soil in the area is very dark, which is an indication of its being rich in bio-organic materials, Odwan said.


After the area was cooled, people could stand around one metre away from that vent, he said, noting that there were no volcanic recordings in the area, and the condition is "reassuring".


At the site itself, there were no signs of any life yesterday. Trees and shrubs, which had grown in the area at some time in the past, were dead.


But just 12 metres to the right, olive trees could be seen growing and their conditions were normal.


The site yesterday continued to attract many people, who stood along the street opposite the area, which is believed to be around 1.5 to 2 dunums.


Some were still baffled by the small amount of smoke that continued to emanate from the earth, with no one daring to go near its source.

[MARTYR]

Jordan's population to reach 7.6 million within two decades


AMMAN - Jordan's population is projected to stand at 7.6 million as of 2025, according to figures released by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB).


The Kingdom's population, which amounted to 5.9 million as of mid-2009, is projected to reach 9.6 million by 2050, according to the bureau's world population data sheet for 2009, received by The Jordan Times on Monday.


The PRB indicated that births per 1,000 people in Jordan stood at 28 in mid-2009 compared to 25 per 1,000 at the West Asia regional level. Deaths per 1,000 population reached four in Jordan, compared to the regional average of six deaths per 1,000 in the rest of the region, according to the figures.


As of mid-2009, the rate of natural increase in Jordan stood at 2.4 per cent compared to 1.9 per cent at the level of West Asia, the figures showed.


Infant mortality rate in Jordan stood at 20 deaths per 1,000 live births by mid-2009 compared to 38 at the western Asia level, while the Kingdom's total fertility rate reached 3.6 compared to 3.1 at the western Asia level, the PRB indicated.


Founded in 1929, the PRB is a nonprofit US organisation that focuses on reproductive health and fertility, children and families, population and the environment, according to its website.

[MARTYR]

New swine flu strategy to be enacted next week


AMMAN - Health authorities are expected to adopt a new strategy next week to treat people infected with the H1N1 (swine) flu, a Health MinistryHealth
official said on Tuesday.


Aktham Haddadin, a member of the ministry's emergency committee and director of the central labs, told The Jordan Times yesterday that the new strategy, which is to be approved by the health minister this week, was developed in response to the increase in swine flu cases.


According to the ministry's statistics, the number of swine flu cases registered in the Kingdom has reached over 500.


"Swine flu has become uncontrollable like any other flu. We cannot hospitalise all patients and we have to deal with every case according to their medical history," Haddadin said.


Under the new strategy, rather than hospitalising each case, patients will be divided into three classifications in order to prioritise who is admitted and receives treatment.


The first group includes those who suffer from respiratory diseases, according to Haddadin, who noted that this category of patients will be admitted to the hospital.


"Usually people who suffer from any respiratory disease develop complications when they are infected with any type of influenza. This group will be hospitalised immediately to be under medical supervision," he explained.


The second group consists of people at high risk of developing complications including children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with chronic diseases.


This category of patients will receive treatment at home and will not be hospitalised unless they develop complications, Haddadin indicated.


The third classification is of suspected cases - those who exhibit swine flu symptoms and are later proven not to have the virus.


"Some people exhibit swine flu symptoms but following medical check-ups, they are found to have seasonal flu. In this case, they will not be hospitalised or given anti-viral medication," he noted.


Also yesterday, Education Ministry Secretary General Fawaz Jaradat said 13 schools are currently closed following the discovery of multiple cases in each, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.


Meanwhile, officials will hold further meetings this week to reevaluate measures taken by the ministries of education and health concerning school closures.


According to current procedures, if one swine flu case is detected in a school, only the classroom where the case was confirmed is suspended.


However, if more than one case is confirmed in multiple classes, the school will be closed down for one week, or two weeks in the case of kindergartens and nurseries.

[MARTYR]

Jordan ranked 96th in human development index



AMMAN - Jordan has been ranked 96th out of covered 182 countries in the recent 2009 UN Human Development index (HDI) report.


According to the 2009 Human Development Report, released on Monday, the Kingdom was listed among the countries that enjoy "medium human development".


Jordan was ranked 86th among 177 countries in the 2007/08 report.


In the 2009 report, the Kingdom's HDI stood at 0.770, down from 0.776 previously. The closer to one, the better the country's situation in human development, according to the index.


The report, which is based on figures from 2007, aims to provide a composite measure of three dimensions of human development: Living a long and healthy life (measured by life expectancy), being educated (measured by adult literacy and gross enrolment in education) and having a decent standard of living (measured by purchasing power parity and income).


At the regional level, Jordan ranked ninth in terms of development. Topping the list of Arab states were Kuwait, ranked 31 overall, followed by Qatar (33), the UAE (35), Bahrain (39), Libya (55), Oman (56), Saudi Arabia (59) and Lebanon (83).


The Kingdom was followed by Algeria, ranked 104, as well as Syria and Egypt, listed as 107th and 123rd respectively.


The annual index, which has been published since 1990, indicated that the average life expectancy in Jordan stood at 72.4 and placed the literacy rate at 91.1 per cent.

In terms of remittances, the index showed that in 2007, $3.434 billion in remittances were sent to Jordan. The average remittances per person were $580, compared with the regional average of $125 per person. Top five countries in the index:


Norway


Australia


Iceland


Canada


Ireland

Top five Arab countries:


Kuwait


Qatar


The UAE


Bahrain


Libya

[yazm1991]

Thousands celebrate a century of modern Amman

By Khalid Neimat

AMMAN - Thousands of capital residents and visitors gathered in downtown Amman on Friday to witness a “historic parade” organised by the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) to celebrate its centennial.

The “centennial parade”, which was held under the patronage of Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania, focused on ten decades of “progress and transformation in Amman”, according to GAM officials.

Ten floats representing the capital’s past, present and future in addition to the city’s diverse social fabric, passed through the area between the Roman Amphitheatre and City Hall.

Each of the floats marked important events in the history of the city, according to Investment and Tourism Adviser to the Mayor of Amman and Parade Manager Khalid Burgan.

The event, which was broadcast live on Jordan Television, celebrated the founding of Amman’s First Municipal Council on October 9, 1909 and coincided the 10th anniversary of the King’s accession to the Throne, according to the GAM Press Centre.

Thousands of children lined up along Hashemi Street near the Hashemite Public Yard, where the parade began, and followed it to its final destination, the King Hussein Cultural Centre.

GAM described the event as the “biggest and most unique event in the region” this year.

Banks, schools, NGOs, cultural centres, marching bands, scouts and artists in addition to several public agencies took part in the one-day event.

In addition to the Roman Army and Chariot Experience, the parade witnessed the participation of folkloric groups such as Al Hanouneh, the Aqaba Folkloric Troupe, the Armenian Folkloric Troupe, the Chechnian Folkloric Troupe, the Maan Folkloric Troupe, Al Amaneh Troupe for Arts and Folklore, Al Ahli and Al Jeel Clubs for Circassian Folklore and the Hail Dance Troupe.

Amman Mayor Omar Maani commended the efforts of all participants, particularly the private sector saying “through such events we can measure the link between Amman and its residents”.

[yazm1991]

Fallen peacekeepers honoured in Haiti

AMMAN –– The UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) on Tuesday held a ceremony to honour the memory of five Jordanian and six Uruguayan officers who lost their lives on Friday in a plane crash in the southeast of the Caribbean country, according to a UN official.

The bodies of Colonel Obeidallah Mawajdeh, Lieutenant Colonel Jihad Mheirat, First Lieutenant Bilal Abu Hjeileh, First Warrant Officer Amer Rawashdeh and Major Mohammad Shorman, who were participating in the UN peacekeeping mission, were recovered at the site of the crash Saturday.

Their remains were due for repatriation immediately following the memorial ceremony, which was held in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince at 7:30am local time (3:30pm Amman time), Douglas Coffman from the UN Department of Public Information, told The Jordan Times via e-mail yesterday.

“On behalf of the entire United Nations system, I extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the peacekeepers whose lives we honour and whose service we will forever cherish,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement.

In the statement read by Ban’s special representative and chief of MINUSTAH, Hedi Annabi, the UN chief said: “Words provide little comfort, but their deeds speak eloquently. I have seen with my own eyes the remarkable progress that Haiti has made thanks to the efforts of our peacekeepers.”

“They were the proud sons of Jordan and Uruguay. But we can also claim them as our own,” the statement said, while thanking Jordan and Uruguay for their commitment to the enduring values and mission of the UN.

Ban ordered that the UN flag be flown at half-mast at the UN headquarters in New York to honour the fallen peacekeepers as well as World Food Programme staff recently killed in Pakistan, Coffman told The Jordan Times over the phone.

During the ceremony that took place at the headquarters of the Brazilian battalion - MINUSTAH’s largest military base - Haitian President Rene Preval bestowed the National Order of Honour and Merit on the fallen Jordanian and Uruguayan military personnel, according to David Wimhurst, MINUSTAH’s chief of public information.

Hundreds of UN staff, as well as Haitian and international dignitaries, attended the early morning ceremony at the battalion’s base in Tabarre. The 11 coffins were each decorated with a wreath of flowers laid by Annabi and the commanding officers of the Jordanian and Uruguayan battalions.

Meanwhile, the crash site has been secured and will remain secured until all necessary pieces of information from the investigation are collected, the UN official said.

Coffman said according to international norms, the investigators of the country owning the plane (Uruguay), the country where the plane was made (Spain) and the country where the accident took place (Haiti) will examine the wreckage to determine the cause of the tragedy.

Experts from the Untied Nations will also participate in the investigation which could take several weeks, he added.

Rest In Peace

[yazm1991]

Thousands of students purchase laptops under gov't initiative

By Mohammad Ghazal

AMMAN - A total of 12,000 public and private university students have purchased laptops under the government-supported "Laptop for Each Student” initiative, an official at the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology said on Tuesday.

Under the initiative, launched in early 2008, university students can purchase "high-quality" laptops at affordable prices by paying average monthly instalments of JD12-15, according to Ghaida S. Emiesh, director of the ministry’s performance, monitoring and evaluation unit and acting director of the e-initiatives unit.

The initiative not only seeks to provide students with laptops, but also to provide them with access to the World Wide Web, Emiesh told The Jordan Times. Accordingly, the ministry has signed agreements with five Internet Service Providers under which students benefiting from the initiative will receive Internet services at 25 per cent lower than market prices.

"The whole idea behind the initiative is to get university students to use IT tools and enhance their knowledge… the initiative will also help achieve the goals of the national ICT strategy," she added.

The strategy seeks to increase Internet penetration, which currently stands at 26 per cent, to 50 per cent by 2011 as well as raising the sector's revenues to $3 billion and creating an additional 18,000 jobs by the same year.

Internet penetration is expected to hit 30 per cent by the end of 2009, according to the ministry.

University students can buy the laptops through their universities or post offices on campus. So far, 12 universities have signed agreements with the ministry to offer the initiative to their students.

[yazm1991]

Originally Posted by yazm1991

Thousands of students purchase laptops under gov't initiative

By Mohammad Ghazal

AMMAN - A total of 12,000 public and private university students have purchased laptops under the government-supported "Laptop for Each Student” initiative, an official at the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology said on Tuesday.

Under the initiative, launched in early 2008, university students can purchase "high-quality" laptops at affordable prices by paying average monthly instalments of JD12-15, according to Ghaida S. Emiesh, director of the ministry’s performance, monitoring and evaluation unit and acting director of the e-initiatives unit.

The initiative not only seeks to provide students with laptops, but also to provide them with access to the World Wide Web, Emiesh told The Jordan Times. Accordingly, the ministry has signed agreements with five Internet Service Providers under which students benefiting from the initiative will receive Internet services at 25 per cent lower than market prices.

"The whole idea behind the initiative is to get university students to use IT tools and enhance their knowledge… the initiative will also help achieve the goals of the national ICT strategy," she added.

The strategy seeks to increase Internet penetration, which currently stands at 26 per cent, to 50 per cent by 2011 as well as raising the sector's revenues to $3 billion and creating an additional 18,000 jobs by the same year.

Internet penetration is expected to hit 30 per cent by the end of 2009, according to the ministry.

University students can buy the laptops through their universities or post offices on campus. So far, 12 universities have signed agreements with the ministry to offer the initiative to their students.

It would be a great achievement if Jordan can increase the internet usage from 26% to 50% not to mention in only 2 years. Good to see some initiative from the Government.

[yazm1991]

Africans dominate 1st Amman Int'l Marathon

By Roufan Nahhas

AMMAN - Amman woke up Saturday to the sound of thousands of runners taking part in the first Amman International Marathon, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Amman municipality.

The event, which started at the Greater Amman Municipality and finished at the Hashemite plaza downtown, was dominated by Africa's best athletes with Kenya's David Kiptum taking the first place in the 42km race after clocking 2h20m48s, leaving second place to Ethiopia's Gezahagn Girma Beyene with 2h21m39s.

Italy's Said Boudalia settled in the third spot with 2h21m58s.

Jordanian runners also did well, with Mithqal Marouf Abbadi taking first place among Jordanians with 2h27m18s, leaving Salameh Aqara in second place with 2h43m55s and Hayel Rawahneh in third place with 2h53m29s.

In the women's category, also dominated by African runners, Ethiopia's Tadelech Telila won first place with 2h51m39s while her teammate Etaferahu Getahun took the second spot with 2h54m19s and Kenya's Lilian Chelimo took third place with 2h57m53s.

Jordanian women, headed by Their Royal Highnesses Princess Ghaida Talal, president of the Trustees Committee of the King Hussein Cancer Centre, and Princess Dina Mired, also did well.

Olympic runner Bara Marwan took first place, clocking 3h48m12s, while Yasmeen Bishawi took second place with 4h23m16s and Abeer Al Ghool came in third with 4h46m13s.

Around 12,000 runners representing 71 countries and from all walks of life took part in the event, which also marked the 10th anniversary of His Majesty King Abdullah’s accession to the Throne.

Deputising for King Abdullah, HRH Prince Mired gave the start signal to the crowds of runners, labelled by many as "an exceptional celebration for an exceptional city".

"Definitely, it is a huge event here in Amman where thousands registered to be part of the event marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of Amman Municipality," Amman Mayor Omar Maani told The Jordan Times.

"The event is a success due to the cooperation of citizens, government agencies and the private sector in addition to all participants from around the world," he added.

The event had the support of the International Marathon Committee in addition to other sporting organisations.

The mayor highlighted the idea of organising the event each year.

"We would like to see the event launched every year to become a truly international event here in Jordan," he said.

Twenty-five internationally renowned runners took part in the event, such as Ethiopia's Aregash Guba, Kenya's Christopher Rono and Ethiopia's Gizaw Bekele.

Mithqal Abbadi, the first Jordanian to cross the finish line in the 42km run, said that it was an "excellent" and "one-of-a-kind" event.

"It is really a big event that coloured the streets of old Amman and the participation of several world athletes made it even more challenging," he said.

Kenya's Joseph Keino said: "It was a medium race event, not difficult and not easy, but we had a good run and I am happy with my position."

The organiser donated JD10 to the King Hussein Cancer Centre for each participant that crossed the 42.195km finish line.

The categories of the running events were 42km for professional runners, 10km for leisure runners to encourage public participation, and 4km for children.
The event was supported by Abdali Investment and Development Psc. and Arab Bank, in addition to many others.

[yazm1991]

Kingdom witnesses slight increase in visitors through September

By Khetam Malkawi

AMMAN - The Kingdom's tourism revenues dropped slightly in the first nine months of this year, as the overall number of visitors increased by nearly half a percentage point, official figures revealed on Monday.

According to statistics issued by the Central Bank of Jordan yesterday, revenues generated by the sector between January and September stood at JD1.559 billion compared to JD1.569 billion in the same period of 2008.

According to Tourism Ministry figures, 5,413,000 tourists visited the Kingdom during the first three quarters of the year, a 0.4 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2008, when 5,391,000 visitors were registered.

Between January and September, 2,885,000 million tourists spent one night or more in the country, compared to 2,842,000 in 2008.

The number of same-day tourists in the first three quarters, however, declined by 1 per cent to 2,528,000, down from 2,549,000 in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the figures indicated that 327,026 overnight tourists were registered in September, a 6 per cent increase from the same month last year, which witnessed 284,860 visitors.

Around 294,494 same-day visitors were registered last month, compared to 303,933 visitors in September last year, a 3 per cent drop.

Tourists from neighbouring Arab countries topped the list of arrivals, accounting for 317,059 tourists, 110,697 of them from the Gulf states.

[MARTYR]

Jordan: Pilot manages to land safely after technical failure

23 October 2009
A flight training instructor managed on Thursday to safely land his aircraft after the plane suffered a technical failure. On the condition of anonymity, a source from the local aviation training academy, which owned the aircraft, told The Jordan Times that the incident happened during a regular training flight. The instructor, accompanied by a student pilot, tried to land the training aircraft at Amman Civil Airport, but once they realised that the nose wheel was stuck, they decided to take off again, he added. Following standard procedures, the pilot decided to remain in the air so as to consume most of the aircraft's fuel as a precautionary measure for an emergency landing. Civil Defence Spokesperson Colonel Farid Sharaa said the landing went smoothly with no loss of life, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

[MARTYR]

Kingdom to purchase more Tamiflu ahead of winter

23 October 2009
AMMAN - Amid expectations of a rise in H1N1 (swine) flu cases this winter, the government will float a tender to purchase additional Tamiflu anti-viral medicine, a ministry official saidon Thursday.


"Like any other type of seasonal flu, swine flu is expected to spread uncontrollably," Primary Healthcare Director at the Health ministry Adel Bilbeisi told The Jordan Times, adding that the H1N1 virus infectious rate this winter will be "indeterminable".


He said the ministry has decided to purchase three million capsules of Tamiflu and JD1.5 million worth of Relenza inhalers as a precautionary measure. The ministry currently has more 2.9 million doses of Tamiflu on hand.


Bassam Hijjawi, director of the health ministry 's disease control department, said the ministry has stopped registering "mild" swine flu cases in accordance with World Health Organisation regulations.


"We will only register severe cases and deaths among swine flu patients," Hijjawi told The Jordan Times yesterday, adding that the measure, which went into effect this week, will reduce the weekly swine flu total.


The first 100,000 of 2.25 million doses of swine flu vaccine purchased by the government will arrive in the Kingdom in two weeks.


The vaccines will be exclusively for pilgrims, who will be inoculated ahead of the Hajj, upon a request from Saudi Arabia.


Since the announcement of the first two swine flu cases in the Kingdom on June 15, health authorities have registered more than 1,600 cases, including two deaths due to the disease.

[MARTYR]

Jordan records 3rd swine flu death

25 October 2009
Amman,-- A 15-year-old girl has died of swine flu, becoming the third fatality of the deadly pandemic in Jordan, Health Minister Nayef Al Fayez announced on Saturday.

He told Petra that the girl, who was treated at a private hospital for pneumonia, was admitted to the Prince Hamza State Hospital after being diagnosed with the flu symptoms.

Fayez said the girl was put to medication upon her admission, but stressed that pneumonia was the main cause of death.

Over the past two weeks, Jordan has registered two H1N1 flu deaths; the first was a 26-year-old man suffering from tuberculosis and the other a 60-year-old man who had heart problems.

[MARTYR]

Technology exhibition to showcase 80 IT companies

AMMAN - Jordan's annual technology show will feature the participation of 80 IT companies from across the world, according to the Jordan Computer Society (JCS).


The Middle East Technology Show (METS), which opens November 18, is expected to attract 10,000 visitors, JCS CEO Rafiq Daas said in a press conference on Saturday.


Among the companies taking part in the three-day show are IBM, Infosys, Temenos, Fiserv and Polaris in addition to 10 major Palestinian companies in the sector, he added.


"There is a good opportunity for local partners to build partnerships with these international companies especially since a number of them are searching for local agents. This opens the door for the creation of new regional offices," Daas said, noting that several international companies are currently exploring investment opportunities in the Kingdom.


Topics related to the IT industry will be addressed in a conference to be held in parallel with the show, he added.


The JCS president pointed out that there will be a specialised pavilion for the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology showcasing government breakthroughs in the e-government programme.


METS is an annual gathering for executives, experts and job seekers in the IT industry, a JCS statement indicated

[MARTYR]

Jordan: Despite progress, room for improvement in press freedoms'

23 October 2009
AMMAN - The government and members of the media on Thursday welcomed a recent report indicating the Kingdom's progress in press freedoms, but stressed that more work is needed.


The Kingdom improved its standing by 16 places in the 2009 Press Freedom Index, which was issued by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders late Tuesday, ranking 112th out of 175 countries.


Welcoming the progress, Minister of Media Affairs and Communications Nabil Sharif said the achievement should encourage the government and members of the press to make further improvements in the sector.


"The achievement is a good step for the Kingdom and corresponds to His Majesty King Abdullah's directives to enhance press freedoms," Sharif told The Jordan Times yesterday, citing the King's directives to the government to address the arrests of journalists for published works and the recently endorsed Access to Information Law.


Moreover, Sharif said the diversity of media outlets and the government's transparency in licensing several private media institutions contributed to the progress, stressing that authorities do not wish to monopolise media outlets.


"With our diverse media, citizens can express their views and opinions in many ways, either through print or audiovisual media or through the electronic news websites," the minister said.


Meanwhile, the Jordan Press Association (JPA) welcomed the report, saying that the progress achieved over the past 12 months reflects an increased awareness and sense of responsibility among journalists.


"This achievement should motivate authorities to take greater steps towards enhancing press freedoms locally and to revisit the legislative environment governing media performance in order to secure a more independent media," JPA President Abdul Wahab Zgheilat told The Jordan Times on Thursday.


However, Zgheilat criticised the report's methodology, underlining that not all questions included in the questionnaire applied equally to all countries.


"Some countries in the region practise censorship on journalists as well as media institutions prior to publication. Therefore, the questions about how many journalists were arrested or how many media outlets were shut down does not apply in their case," Zgheilat explained.


Centre for Defending the Freedom of Journalists Director Nidal Mansour told The Jordan Times yesterday that Jordan's "slight progress" was due to the fact that press freedoms deteriorated in other countries that were ahead of the Kingdom in last year's report.


"Press freedoms cannot move forward unless we have a clear strategy that tackles all obstacles preventing the improvement of media performance towards meeting the relevant international standards," Mansour said.


According to the report, Jordan ranked behind Kuwait (60), Lebanon (61), the UAE (86), Qatar (94) and Oman (96) among Arab countries, while Saudi Arabia (163), Syria (165) and Yemen (167) were near the bottom of the list.

[MARTYR]

First shipment of vaccines expected to arrive early November

26 October 2009
AMMAN - The first shipment of H1N1 (swine) flu vaccines is expected to arrive in the Kingdom after seven to 10 days, a Ministry of health official said on Sunday.


Primary Healthcare Director Adel Belbeisi told The Jordan Times that the vaccine manufacturing company was given the go-ahead yesterday to dispatch the first shipment of 12,000 vaccines, after receiving approval from the Jordan Food and Drug Administration (JFDA).


He noted that the first shipment will be used to vaccinate pilgrims, referring to a circular issued by Saudi authorities requesting that people preparing for the pilgrimage this year be vaccinated ahead of the Hajj season.


JFDA Director General Mohammad Rawashdeh said the administration approved the entry of the vaccines following a thorough study by the JFDA's vaccines and plasmas committee.


"The committee studied all documents related to the swine flu vaccines developed by two European companies that won a tender floated by the
Ministry of health earlier to provide 2.25 million vaccines," he told a press conference yesterday.


Rawashdeh said the approval was issued to one company, while the second might receive the go-ahead soon.


"The European Food and Drug Administration has approved this same vaccine, and this is an indicator that it is relatively safe," he noted, adding that the JFDA requested the company to provide a bi-weekly report updating the administration about any possible side affects.


"If there are any complications in the future in any country in the world that uses the vaccine, we will immediately stop using it in Jordan," Rawashdeh added.


He explained that in order for any vaccine to be allowed entry, the manufacturing company should provide the JFDA with an original Lot Release Certificate from the authorised health entities, a copy of the production batch record, in-process quality control testing during production and the product licence certificate from the manufacturer.


In addition, the administration requested the two companies to provide documents showing that they conducted trials on a 9,000 sample study, according to Rawashdeh.

By Khetam Malkawi