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

[MARTYR]

Jordan to switch to wintertime on Friday

26 October 2009
Amman - Jordan will switch to wintertime on Friday, October 30.

Clocks will be set back by one hour as of midnight Thursday, October 29, making the Kingdom two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

© Jordan News Agency - Petra 2009

[MARTYR]

MoICT Selects Kulacom to Partner up on University Students Initiative

Amman, October 26st , 2009: Kulacom, a world-leading telecommunications network was selected by the ministry of telecommunication to be part of its University Students Initiative, which provides laptops and Internet subscriptions at competitive rates.


The campaign, which was launched on October 20th, offers students from 12 universities across the Kingdom with laptops at discounted prices and special Internet rates from Kulacom and the four other ISPs who won the bid out of a total of 13 bidders.


Mr. Hazim Alaeddin, Kulacom Jordan's CEO, stated, "We are proud to be one of the select ISPs to partner up with the ministry of telecommunication and provide students across the Kingdom with cost-effective laptops and internet rates." He added, "We continuously strive to be part of the Jordanian community and make every effort to assist in the development of our youth to make their lives a little simpler by supporting the usage of ICT tools in the educational process."


Kulacom Jordan is the only wholly locally owned wireless broadband internet provider in the Kingdom, established with the objective of providing private and corporate users in Jordan with the latest next generation networking technologies to deliver better, faster and more reliable telecommunications solutions, supported by exceptional customer service.


-Ends-

[yazm1991]

Jordan’s religious freedom record lauded

Jordan has been highlighted as a model of interfaith dialogue in a report recently released by the US State Department.

The US State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report of 2009, which was released on Monday, indicated that there were “no reports that the practice of any faith was prohibited” in the Kingdom between July 1, 2008 and June 30 of this year.

During the official release of the report on Monday, Michael Posner, US assistant secretary of state for human rights, singled out Jordan among other countries for efforts and initiatives promoting interfaith dialogue.

“We note in the report in various sections various interfaith initiatives, initiated by the Jordanians, by Qatar, by Spain and others. There really is a sense of a growing recognition that there needs to be more dialogue and more effort across faiths to figure out where’s common ground, where are differences, how do we mitigate those differences,” Posner said in a press briefing to anounce the report’s release, posted on the State Department’s website.

Noting that the government “continued to play a prominent role in promoting interfaith dialogue and harmony”, the annual report stressed that “prominent societal leaders and members of the Royal family continued to take steps to promote religious freedom”.

Referring to Christian-Muslim relations in Jordan as “good”, the report referred to the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the Kingdom in May of this year, the efforts of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies and the opening of the Evangelical Baptism Centre at Bethany Beyond the Jordan.

Also mentioned in the report was the first Catholic-Muslim Forum, which was held at the Vatican by Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

Although initiatives and measures at the national level were lauded, the report did state that members of unrecognised religions may face “societal discrimination and the threat of mental and physical abuse”.

The study also concluded that in the last year there were “no reports of misuse or neglect” of the Kingdom’s diverse religious sites, as well as no reports of “harassment, discrimination, or restrictions” to worshippers.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications and Government Spokesperson Nabil Sharif welcomed the positive remarks in the report, highlighting the Kingdom’s long history of interfaith coexistence.

“The world at large is facing serious challenges as far as accepting people of different faiths. We hope people would view Jordan as a model that can be emulated,” Sharif told The Jordan Times yesterday.

He highlighted various initiatives spearheaded by His Majesty King Abdullah, particularly the Amman Message, which aims to clarify the true spirit of Islam as a religion of tolerance.

“We are not creating anything new, but trying to be true to our religion, a central tenant which is reaching out to others,” he added.

The Amman Message was launched by the King in 2004 to highlight Islam as a faith of moderation and tolerance that rejects extremism and terrorism and believes in dialogue.

This year witnessed the second visit by a Pope to Jordan within a decade, during which the pontiff led a mass in Amman of 18,000 people from across the region and around the world.

Regionally, the report alleged abuses in Iraq, Israel, Egypt, the occuppied territories and Yemen, while Saudi Arabia and Sudan were listed among “countries of particular concern” due to restrictions.

The annual religious freedoms report, which is submitted to the US Congress, is compiled from sources including government and religious officials, nongovernmental organisations, journalists, human rights monitors and academics, according to the US State Department website.

http://jordantimes.com/?news=21117

[MARTYR]

Jordan – UAE discuss educational cooperation

27 October 2009
Abu Dhabi – Jordanian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Jamal Shamayleh met on Tuesday with the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan and Minister of Education Humaid Al Qutami.

The officials discussed bilateral cooperation and means of enhancing it on the basis of bilateral good relations.

In a separate meeting, Shamayleh discussed with Quatami renewing the executive educational programm for the years 2009-2011.

The executive program for educational cooperation aims at exchanging educational expertise and skills in the field of information technology, production of educational software.

[MARTYR]

Al-Ali highlights Jordanian women’s participation in decision making

28 October 2009
AMMAN - Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Suhair Al-Ali on Tuesday called for greater female participation in the decision-making process.


At an event held at Parliament to mark the launch of the International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics (iKnow Politics) Arabic website, Al-Ali said media outlets must play a key role to dispel current stereotypes surrounding women and leadership.


The website aims to boost cooperation between women politicians and activists worldwide, according to organisers.


Al-Ali highlighted Jordan's efforts to empower women, noting that women's participation in ministerial positions stands at 14.2 per cent, describing it as "high” compared to previous years.


Jordan has a quota in the Lower House to ensure six seats are occupied by women and designates 20 per cent of municipal council seats across the Kingdom for women, she added.


Women occupy 5.3 per cent of judicial positions and make up 16.5 per cent of the Kingdom’s diplomatic corps, the minister noted.


In addition, Jordanian women have been “very active” in professional associations, she said, adding that 28 per cent of association members are female, while women make up 6 per cent of their executive councils.


The ministry is working to overcome certain obstacles that still hinder the advancement of women's participation in political, economic and social activities in the Kingdom, Al-Ali said.


These obstacles include institutional, legal, social and cultural barriers, she said, adding that the government needs to invest in education and training for women and develop the business environment in order to encourage the private sector to hire women.


Senator Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Moroccan municipality chair and activist Milouda Hizab and UNDP Democratic Governance Group Director Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi attended the event, presided over by Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali.

[MARTYR]

Activists urge farmers to stop exporting olives to Israel

28 October 2009
AMMAN - Anti-normalisation activists on Tuesday urged farmers to stop exporting olives to Israel, describing the move as "unacceptable."


Abdullah Obeidat, president of the Professional Associations Council, an umbrella of 14 professional associations that opposes normalisation with Israel, said farmers "should not be tempted by financial incentives" to export olives to Israel.


"We have discussed the increasing export of olives to Israel by some businessmen. We rejected such actions and consider them unacceptable," he said in a statement made available to The Jordan Times.


Obeidat said Israel imports olives from Jordan at cheap rates, then presses them in its settlements and exports the oil with “Made in Israel” labels.


"Jordanians consider the Palestinian cause as their central cause and refuse all forms of normalisation with Israel," said Obeidat, one day after the professional associations burnt the Israeli flag in protest against the 1994 Wadi Araba Peace Treaty, which paved the way for trade exchange between the two sides.


"The Zionists are waging a racist war to Judaise Al Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem as we speak. They attack worshippers and we must confront them with all means including boycotts," he added.


Obeidat said Israel is trying to show the world that it enjoys normal ties with Arab countries to "cover up crimes against the Palestinians and Islamic and Christian holy sites", arguing that refraining from exporting olives to Israel would contribute to isolating the country.


"Israel continues to refuse entry of goods into Gaza and keeps up its pressure against Al Aqsa Mosque," he added.


He also called on all businessmen to stop dealing with Israel and urged them to "respect the will of the Jordanian people".


Jordan signed the Wadi Araba treaty with Israel in 1994, the second Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel following the 1978 Camp David Accords with Egypt.


Jordan imports exotic fruits, including mangoes and pineapples, from Israel, as well as tomatoes and carrots at certain times of the year.


According to Israeli figures, bilateral trade exchange between January and July 2008 stood at $247 million, an increase of 59 per cent compared to the same period of 2007.


Israel also exports precious stones, paper- and wood-related products, plant-related products, chemicals, plastics and rubbers, textiles, machinery and electric equipment and vehicles to the Kingdom.


Jordanian exports amounted to $51 million between January and July 2008, a 92 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.


Professional associations, which reject any trade exchange between Jordan and Israel, ban their members from making contact with Israel. Those who break the rules face the possibility of being disbarred and prevented from practising their profession.

[MARTYR]

Cancer prevalence set to rise in Jordan over next 40 years

28 October 2009
AMMAN - Almost 4,000 new cancer cases are registered annually in the Kingdom, a figure expected to increase to 8,000 by the year 2020 and 20,000 by 2050, a health expert said on Tuesday.


Mahmoud Sarhan, director of the King Hussein Cancer Centre, said international research and studies show that by 2010, cancer will be the leading cause of death worldwide, with 60 per cent of cancer cases occurring in the developing world.


Sarhan made his comment in an event that brought together local and international experts, who called for urgent action to combat cancer in Jordan and across the developing world through early detection and curbing tobacco use, among other practices.


Speaking at the “Combating Cancer and Tobacco Use in the Developing World" event, which hosted breast cancer activist and WHO Goodwill Ambassador Nancy Brinker, HRH Princess Ghida Talal, chairperson of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF), called for establishing a national comprehensive cancer control plan led by a national committee.


The proposed committee would "lead and guide all subcommittees on early detection specialising in specific cancers”, the Princess said.


She noted that the latest Economist Intelligence Unit report estimates that by the year 2020, there will be 16.8 million new cancer cases annually worldwide, with 50 per cent of all new cases expected in low- and middle-income countries.


The Princess also stressed the important role individual behaviour plays in reducing cancer risk.


“We, as individuals, have the power to reduce our cancer risk by 40 per cent, simply by not smoking and by leading a healthy lifestyle,” she explained, adding: “It is also high time to become more vocal about the evils of tobacco and to strictly enforce the new ban on tobacco in public places.”


Hashim Elzein, WHO representative in Jordan and mission head, said that tobacco use is one of the leading risk factors of cancer, which causes 7.4 million deaths a year or about 13 per cent of all deaths.


He added that 70 per cent of all cancer deaths take place in middle- and low-income countries.

[MARTYR]

Online resource to support Arab women leaders, elected officials

28 October 2009
AMMAN - Established and aspiring women leaders and activists from across the region and the world can now unite under a website launched in the capital on Tuesday.


The International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics (iKNOW Politics) website, an online workspace and forum designed to serve the needs of elected women officials as well as candidates and researchers, was launched in Arabic for the first time yesterday in order to encourage and assist Arab women leaders.


Addressing around 150 women leaders, political candidates and representatives of women’s organisations, HRH Princess Basma voiced hope that the new media will promote women’s political roles.


“I am confident that greater insight into the cause and message of individual members in the Arab region will be gained through the powerful medium which the iKNOW Politics Arabic website provides,” she said in her keynote speech at a conference to mark the launch.


Princess Basma, who is chairperson of the Jordanian National Women’s Commission, highlighted the commission’s work in securing a quota system to ensure women’s participation in municipal councils. Since the introduction of the quota, some 245 women have become council members, she noted, stressing that they serve as advocates for women in their local communities.


“Jordan recognises that it needs to promote and encourage its citizens to choose their representatives based on merit rather than other considerations, and is promoting the view that the right representative in a democratic process could well be a woman,” said Princess Basma, who also serves as UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador.


The utilisation of modern technology and new media has yet to have an impact on Arab women politicians, she said, as Arab politicians largely rely on “family networks and tribal, clan or regional affiliations”.


Some of the greatest barriers to women’s participation in the Arab world, are poverty and a lack of access to information technology, according to the Princess, who highlighted the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development’s ICT training programmes in rural and underprivileged areas.


Princess Basma stressed that established women politicians must also “play their part” in changing society and overcoming “distrust” of gender reform, which is too often misconceived as a threat to social or religious traditions.


The website, www.iknowpolitics.org,


is already available in English, Spanish and French and hosts a free online library of 1,500 documents including articles, training manuals, legislation and political campaign guides, according to organisers.


The site currently has 70 experts from 30 countries available to answer questions for established or up-and-coming women leaders as well as voters.


The organisation will translate ongoing forum discussion on the websites into the four languages in order to encourage participants from across continents and cultures to exchange insight and experiences, iKNOW Politics Project Manager Anita Vandenbeld told The Jordan Times.


She added that it was important to launch the website in Jordan, “where women’s talents can be unleashed and are in the process of being realised”.


“Before, as a woman politician, there were certain lessons you had to learn and you had to learn them on your own. Now with the iKNOW website, they are never alone,” she noted.


Women’s representation in parliaments stands at 18.9 per cent internationally, while it is 9.7 per cent in Arab states and 6.4 per cent in Jordan, according to organisers.


The two-day conference aims to address quota systems in the region and across the world, the role of the media and perceptions of women, and campaigning with new media.


iKNOW Politics is a union of five organisations including UNDP, UNIFEM, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

[MARTYR]

Conference to focus on climate change ahead of COP15

28 October 2009
AMMAN - Environment experts, officials and NGOs will convene in Amman on November 8 for a conference seeking to raise awareness on climate change and environment-related issues ahead of December's UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.


Jordanian stakeholders, along with the EU and other Arab countries will take part in the "Way to Copenhagen" conference, which functions as an opportunity for networking between key people working on environmental issues.


A deal is expected to be sealed at the December conference in the Danish capital with a view to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25-40 per cent by 2020 and by 80-95 per cent by 2050.


"Reaching the deal is very important for the earth and Jordan, which is affected by climate change," Environment Minister Khalid Irani said at a press conference on Tuesday.


The minister stressed the importance of the November meeting, noting that the Kingdom produces no more than 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.


Climate change has led to rainfall in Jordan dropping annually by 5-20 per cent, and caused a 30 per cent reduction in the country's surface water resources. If climate change continues at its current pace, Jordan is expected to witness a 1-2°C increase in temperatures by 2030-2050, according to Environment Ministry data.


Jordan will benefit from the adaptation fund to be discussed at the Copenhagen conference, Irani said, noting that the Kingdom will carry out studies on conducting projects and apply to the fund for required finance.


Swedish Ambassador in Amman Charlotta Sparre, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said the impact of climate change is universal, knowing no boundaries and borders, and thus must be tackled through regional and global approaches and cooperation across borders.


"Action thus needs to be taken, both at the policy level and through involving local communities. Therefore, we all need to make a serious effort to save our own future and the future of our children, before it is too late for us to face the retaliation of nature," she said.


Sparre also commended the Kingdom's efforts in this field.


"We are pleased to note that Jordan is making serious efforts… in promoting green solutions and taking important steps to continue its development along a sustainable path."


Meanwhile, Danish Ambassador to Jordan Thomas Lund-Sorensen highlighted the significance of the December conference.


"Climate change is a fact. We cannot ignore that human activity and the burning of fossil fuels carries a major responsibility for this. We have to act through a firm global response."


According to the Danish diplomat, some 15,000 participants are expected to attend the December 7-18 Copenhagen conference.


"Our objective is to conclude a new, ambitious global agreement on climate change that includes all countries of the world and… ambitious targets for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions," said Sorensen, adding that preparations are under way to host the conference.


The EU will continue to support Jordan in implementing projects to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, Patrick Renauld, head of the European Commission Delegation in Jordan, told The Jordan Times at yesterday’s press conference.


He also stressed that the EU is ready to support eco-business in the Kingdom, adding that attracting investments in the sector is also important.


The “Way to Copenhagen” conference is organised by the Environment Ministry, in partnership with the Swedish embassy, the European Commission and the Jordan Europe Business Association.

[MARTYR]

SSS Process Signs a Training and Employment Agreement for Fresh Graduates

Oct-27th-2009 Amman, The Jordanian-Saudi company, specialized in providing e-government services and software solutions, "SSS Process has signed recently an agreement with both of the Jordanian Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to train and employ Jordanian fresh graduates satisfying the company employment needs.

“This agreement comes out of our desire to minimize the unemployment rate in the local market in general and in the Information Technology sector in particular. Especially that the unemployment rate has been increasing significantly in the past few months in the whole region as a consequence of the international economic crises” stated by Alaa Ensheiwat Chief Executive Officer of the company.

According to Ensheiwat, the company is seeking to benefit from the Jordanian graduates’ competencies
of ambitions and perseverance, emphasizing the importance of more local information technology sector companies to join the national initiative launched by the Jordanian government represented by the Labor and Communication ministries.

Needless to say, the program aims to minimizing the gap between the market requirements from skills and experiences and the fresh graduates’ knowledge within the specialties of Communication and Information Technology. This will also supply the sector with qualified human resources that will reduce the training burden on the companies in addition to the increase of employment opportunities for interns in permanent jobs during and after their internships both inside and outside Jordan which will in turn reduce the unemployment rate in the Kingdom.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) contributed for the Labor and Communication Ministries’ joint venture with a financial grant to INJAZ for them to develop and manage the training of the fresh graduates in accordance with the market requirements’ and standards, thus, contributing in the development of a vital sector that will continue in supporting the national economy.

[MARTYR]

Al- Maani: Hawa Amman Radio is an Important Channel of Interaction between the Citizen and GAM

27 October 2009



Amman, Jordan: The Mayor of Greater Amman municipality (GAM) ), Eng. Omar Maani, affirmed that Hawa Amman Radio is steadily and confidently moving towards realizing the set objectives; it has developed into an interactive channel with the public in the service affairs.


Al Maani, pointed out, during his meeting with the director of the Audiovisual Commission, Dr. Amjad Al- Qadi, at Hawa Amman Radio, to the effective role of the Complaints Mobile Unit in solving the citizens grievances received by the Radio.


Al- Maani said that Hawa Amman Radio works to highlight the developmental projects that GAM is implementing in Amman city, as well as, broadcasting informative and awareness messages to serve all the community segments.


From his end, Al- Qadi praised Hawa Amman Radio staff and its professionalism, affirming the importance of all community stations in creating interactive methods between all social strata, given their ability in conveying information and solving problems, especially with regards to morning and evening live programs.


Al- Qadi referred also to the importance of establishing public radios such as Hawa Amman Radio to play a follow up and surveillance role.


The director of Hawa Amman Radio, Mr. Nofal Al- Khasawneh, escorted Al- Qadi on a tour in the Radio premises and studios in the presence of the Communication Consultant to the Mayor of Amman, Najeh Abu Az-Zein. Al- Qadi cited his admiration for the good technical standard, assuring the importance of the continuous upgrading and developing of each existing technological unit.


It is worth mentioning that Hawa Amman Radio started operation mid last year, and moved to its permanent head quarters in GAM building mid August, 2009.

[MARTYR]

Activists call for end to Wadi Araba treaty

27 October 2009
AMMAN - Protesters on Monday burnt the Israeli flag to mark the 15th anniversary of the Wadi Araba Peace Treaty with Israel, calling on the government to cancel the accord.


In a demonstration yesterday, activists from professional associations and the Islamist movement called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador, claiming that the diplomatic representation served as a "gateway" for Israel to "infiltrate society and the rest of the Arab region".


According to Abdullah Obeidat, president of Professional Associations Council, an umbrella of 14 professional associations that oppose normalisation with Israel, Israel poses a threat to Jordan despite the treaty.


"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considers Jordan as part of historical Palestine. He wants to end the conflict with the Palestinians at the expense of Jordan," Obeidat charged.


The activist claimed that Israel continues to violate the accord in a number of areas, including burning agricultural land in the Jordan Valley and "sending wild boars" to the Jordanian side to wreck havoc on local farms.


"We must all stand together to cancel the treaty," Obeidat said in front of a crowd that included professional association leaders and senior officials from the Muslim Brotherhood movement.


Obeidat decried Israeli policies in occupied Jerusalem as attempts to gain control over Islamic and Christian sites in the Holy City.


"Israel wants to share guardianship over Jerusalem sites with Jordan. This is the first step to full control over the holy places in the city in order to destroy Al Aqsa Mosque and build their temple," said Obeidat.


"This is a warning to the government. We must end peace with Israel sooner than later," he added.


During the demonstration, held at the Professional Associations Complex in Shmeisani, protesters held banners and shouted anti-Israeli slogans.


Hamzeh Mansour, president of the National Committee for Anti-Normalisation, described the peace accord as "a crime".


"What did we gain from the agreement?" asked Mansour who refuted claims that Jordan gained lost land in the aftermath of the agreement.


"We are unable to enter Baqoura without Israeli permission while unemployment and poverty are rising," he added.


Jordan signed the Wadi Araba treaty with Israel in 1994, ending decades of enmity. The Kingdom was the second Arab country to sign a peace deal, following Israel and Egypt's 1978 Camp David Accords.

[MARTYR]

Jordan's hospitality sector on display at int'l forum

28 October 2009
AMMAN - The Kingdom’s hospitality industry and services were showcased as the ninth International Hospitality Forum (IHF) opened on Tuesday.


The three-day forum, which was inaugurated by Tourism Minister Maha Khatib yesterday, features various activities highlighting the sector.


The annual trade show, which is seeing the participation of 60 companies, seeks to develop the sector across the region, according to Lebanese Hospitality Services Spokesperson Josette Hikri.


“The hospitality industry is a crucial aspect of the Jordanian economy and it is important to support the industry and explore opportunities for growth through the exhibition,” Hikri told The Jordan Times, noting that tourism and hospitality accounted for 14 per cent of Jordan’s gross domestic product last year.


This year’s forum is witnessing a 10 per cent increase in the number of chefs participating in the culinary competition, which will be assessed by a panel of international judges from France, Spain, Holland, the UAE, Cyprus and Lebanon.


Also part of the event is a Jordan Restaurants Association exhibition of innovative takes on traditional Jordanian cuisine, to encourage innovation and the preservation of culinary heritage.


In order to support the industry, which is expected to produce 20,000 job opportunities in the Kingdom within the next few years, the forum is hosting a recruitment corner to link job seekers with employers from across the country.


In addition to its annual trade expo, the forum features a series of seminars and training sessions on subjects ranging from hospitality and business etiquette to service mindset and cross-cultural communication.


This year, some 20 per cent of the exhibitors are from foreign countries including Syria, Lebanon, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Germany, according to the IHF.


The forum, held in cooperation with Lebanese Hospitality Services and Events Unlimited, is open only to trade representatives and professionals.

[MARTYR]

King launches e-health plan

28 October 2009
AMMAN - His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday launched the National e-Health Programme "Hakeem", which is envisioned to create a database of medical histories of patients across the Kingdom in the long term.




During a visit to Prince Hamzah Hospital, where the project was launched, King Abdullah also instructed the government to provide the state-run hospital with the equipment and staff needed to provide advanced services to citizens.




His Majesty was briefed on the project, which will be initially implemented at the hospital, Al Hussein Cancer Centre and Amman Comprehensive Healthcare Centre starting spring 2010. The plan will expand to cover all of the Kingdom's public and military hospitals in six to seven years, according to its director, Ghassan Lahham.




The project will serve as a bank of every patient's medical history and include all tests, procedures and surgeries undergone by patients, in addition to the diseases from which they suffer, their allergies, the medications they take and other health information.




"This will save time and effort, reduce reliance on paperwork and reduce the waste of drugs as medics will know the medical history of each patient in few seconds by using the system," Minister of Health Nayef Fayez said Tuesday.




The system also seeks to minimise medical errors and provide accurate information on patients, said the minister, adding it will reduce pressure on medical facilities.




The project is initiated by e-Health Solutions, a nonprofit company that has as stakeholders the ministries of health and information and communications technology, the Royal Medical Services, Al Hussein Cancer Centre, the Private Hospitals Association, the Royal Health Awareness Society and the King Hussein Institute for Biotechnology and Cancer.




Lahham said the database will help "greatly" reduce waste, adding that once the project is implemented there will be no need for paper files and documents.




"Sometimes patients forget if they are allergic to a certain medicine or if they underwent particular tests in the past. The system will help medical staff find these out in no time by entering the national ID number of the patient, which will ensure efficiency in their work," Lahham said.

[yazm1991]

Jordan confirms fourth A/H1N1 flu death

AMMAN, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's health authorities on Wednesday confirmed the fourth death case of influenza A/H1N1 in the country.

A 22-year-old Jordanian girl died of the novel flu after being admitted into the state-run Zarqa Hospital's intensive care unit on Sunday, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The girl contracted the disease a week prior to her diagnosis with the flu, said the statement, adding that late diagnosis of the disease made her condition deteriorate.

As of Wednesday, the number of A/H1N1 flu cases registered in the Arab kingdom hit 2,003 since the discovery of the first case in June, according to the Health Ministry.

[yazm1991]

Originally Posted by yazm1991

Jordan confirms fourth A/H1N1 flu death

AMMAN, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's health authorities on Wednesday confirmed the fourth death case of influenza A/H1N1 in the country.

A 22-year-old Jordanian girl died of the novel flu after being admitted into the state-run Zarqa Hospital's intensive care unit on Sunday, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The girl contracted the disease a week prior to her diagnosis with the flu, said the statement, adding that late diagnosis of the disease made her condition deteriorate.

As of Wednesday, the number of A/H1N1 flu cases registered in the Arab kingdom hit 2,003 since the discovery of the first case in June, according to the Health Ministry.

More needs to be done to address H1N1, winter is coming!

[yazm1991]

Depression to bring more rain, cold Monday

AMMAN - The Kingdom is forecast to be affected on Monday by a depression expected to bring rainfall and lower temperatures across the country, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

The cold air mass accompanying the depression is expected to continue to affect the Kingdom on Tuesday, the JMD indicated in a statement sent to The Jordan Times, noting that chances of rainfall will weaken by Tuesday night.

On Friday, the Kingdom was affected by a depression centred over Cyprus that brought rain across the country.

According to JMD figures, Samma in Irbid received 34.7 millimetres (mm) of rain from Thursday to Saturday morning and the northern Jordan Valley area of Al Baqoura area registered 33.9mm, while Ras Munif in the northern Ajloun Governorate recorded 29mm, Sweileh 25.5mm and Wadi Al Rayyan 25.2mm.

In a statement issued Saturday, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) said it did not receive any complaints of blocked drainage systems in the capital's streets over the past two days due to heavy rainfall.

The director of GAM’s implementation department, Nabil Jariri, said the municipality's teams are fully prepared to deal with weather conditions in winter, underling that GAM has put a strategy in place to rehabilitate drainage networks and clean manholes.

[yazm1991]

Originally Posted by yazm1991

Depression to bring more rain, cold Monday

AMMAN - The Kingdom is forecast to be affected on Monday by a depression expected to bring rainfall and lower temperatures across the country, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

The cold air mass accompanying the depression is expected to continue to affect the Kingdom on Tuesday, the JMD indicated in a statement sent to The Jordan Times, noting that chances of rainfall will weaken by Tuesday night.

On Friday, the Kingdom was affected by a depression centred over Cyprus that brought rain across the country.

According to JMD figures, Samma in Irbid received 34.7 millimetres (mm) of rain from Thursday to Saturday morning and the northern Jordan Valley area of Al Baqoura area registered 33.9mm, while Ras Munif in the northern Ajloun Governorate recorded 29mm, Sweileh 25.5mm and Wadi Al Rayyan 25.2mm.

In a statement issued Saturday, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) said it did not receive any complaints of blocked drainage systems in the capital's streets over the past two days due to heavy rainfall.

The director of GAM’s implementation department, Nabil Jariri, said the municipality's teams are fully prepared to deal with weather conditions in winter, underling that GAM has put a strategy in place to rehabilitate drainage networks and clean manholes.

Good start to winter with all this rain, hopefully it will continue, and Jordan's dams actually get full.

[yazm1991]

Rains boost dam storage

Heavy precipitation witnessed across Jordan until Tuesday morning boosted storage at the country's major dams by 1.1 million cubic metres (mcm) of water.

The quantity of water stored in the country's nine major dams following the rainfall, which started in the evening hours of Monday, accounts for 0.05 per cent of the dams' overall capacity of 217mcm, Ministry of Water and Irrigation media adviser, Omar Salameh, told The Jordan Times yesterday.

Storage is expected to further increase as the depression was due to subside Tuesday night, he said.

Minister of Agriculture Saeed Masri said the rainfall registered Monday and Tuesday benefits the winter grain crops, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported, adding it will also reflect positively on the vegetable harvest.

Meanwhile, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said the impact of the depression, which brought heavy rain accompanied with strong winds across the country, was expected to taper off by Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, a slight rise in temperatures is expected. A further rise in temperatures is forecast for Thursday and Friday, according to the JMD.

Temperatures for Wednesday and Thursday are expected to range between a low of 8ºC and a maximum of 22ºC.

According to JMD data, Samma area in Irbid witnessed the heaviest rainfall by 76.2 millimeters (mm) until Tuesday morning, followed by Ras Munif in Ajloun Governorate with 67mm, Salt (61.4mm), Sweileh (60.6mm), Al Baqoura (56.8mm) and Wadi Al Rayyan (25.8mm).

Meanwhile, the Civil Defence Department (CDD) said several road accidents occurred in various parts of the country on Monday, leading to the death of one person and injury of many others.

In Karak, a Pakistani died in a collision involving three vehicles and a truck. The accident was blamed on low visibility because of dust, according to the CDD.

Also Monday, the CDD dealt with a collision involving four vehicles in Amman that caused the injury of five persons, who suffered bruises and wounds to several parts of their bodies.

In Naour, the CDD rescued seven persons who suffered bruises and injuries when a public transport bus overturned Monday.

According to Petra, the CDD helped 13 families whose houses were flooded by rainfall Monday.

The CDD on Tuesday called on citizens to carry out maintenance works for water and electricity networks and urged drivers to be exceptionally cautious in such harsh weather conditions.

Monday's rainfall caused floods on several streets across the capital, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times Tuesday.

Amman Mayor Omar Maani said in the statement that GAM teams dealt with several blockages in the drainage network across the capital, calling on citizens to be patient while GAM's team deal with these problems as the technicians need sufficient time to clear the blockages.

[yazm1991]

Originally Posted by yazm1991

Rains boost dam storage

Heavy precipitation witnessed across Jordan until Tuesday morning boosted storage at the country's major dams by 1.1 million cubic metres (mcm) of water.

According to JMD data, Samma area in Irbid witnessed the heaviest rainfall by 76.2 millimeters (mm) until Tuesday morning, followed by Ras Munif in Ajloun Governorate with 67mm, Salt (61.4mm), Sweileh (60.6mm), Al Baqoura (56.8mm) and Wadi Al Rayyan (25.8mm).