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AMMAN — HRH Princess Basma has inaugurated the new headquarters of the Jordanian Women’s Union (JWU) in Jabal Hussein.

The event, held late last week, came as part of the Kingdom’s celebrations to mark International Women’s Day, annually celebrated on March 8.

The princess toured the premises to check on services provided by the JWU, including general medicine, ophthalmology and dental clinics, the women and children’s shelter, tailoring and embroidery facilities, a computer lab, a productive kitchen, and a beauty salon, supported by UN Women and the Italian embassy.

The JWU was established in 1945 as a women’s democratic committee with the aim of strengthening women’s role in society, demanding better rights and fighting all forms of discrimination and violence against women.

JWU President Tahani Shakhshir gave an overview of the union’s activities and campaigns, including raising the marriage age and scrapping Article 308 of the Penal Code, which allows sex offenders to get away with their crime if they marry their victims.

Other campaigns target the human trafficking issue, citizenship, and the civil societies and political parties laws.

JWU Director Nadia Shamroukh, who spoke at the ceremony, affirmed the union’s stand towards major issues, such as calling for secularism and separating religion from the state.

Shamroukh also highlighted the union’s hotline services, first started in 1996, offering social, legal and psychological services to women, the child house service provided to divorced couples, and reconciliation services.

She added that the union runs two shelters, one for abused women and one for human trafficking victims.

AMMAN — The history of Indo-Arab relations goes back to first traders who connected the Indian subcontinent with the Levant and West Asia; these relations were not limited to the exchange of goods, but also encompassed ideas and scientific innovations, according to Indian Ambassador Anil Trigunayat.

“Even in Jordan,” Trigunayat said at a lecture late last week, “Little Petra was frequented by Indian traders and travellers,” as a transit route to regional and western markets.

“According to Ancient Egyptian inscriptions, India’s commercial and cultural linkages with the Arab world are known to have existed since the 3rd millennium BC,” Trigunayat said during the lecture, titled “Indo-Arab Relations: Perspectives and Prospects”, held at the Arab Thought Forum (ATF).

According to the ambassador, India is “probably the largest investor in Jordan with $1.5 billion in phosphates and textiles, and is the third largest trading partner of this country with $2.2 billion in bilateral trade”.

“A trade target of $5 billion by 2025 has been set,” Trigunayat explained.

India and Jordan launched their diplomatic relations 65 years ago and they were established on a foundation of mutual respect and cooperation, he added.

Speaking at the lecture, ATF Secretary General Mohammad Abu Hammour emphasised the importance of Indian-Arab relations, highlighting commonalities between the two cultures.

One of the core issues in Indian-Arab relations has been the Palestinian issue, Trigunayat said, where India calls for a just resolution for the crisis. 

Like Jordan, India’s stance remains “steadfast and unwavering, supporting of a negotiated solution resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital”, the ambassador noted.

“India has played a proactive role in garnering support for this cause... We have called upon both sides to exercise restraint and work towards a comprehensive resolution of the Palestinian issue; we have been happy to provide budgetary, economic and developmental assistance to Palestine,” Trigunayat explained.

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Saturday said that Jordan, despite its limited resources, is rich in human resources capable of creating innovating and leading projects that can grow beyond the Kingdom to the rest of the world.

Fayez made his remarks at the opening of the annual Berlin Economic Forum at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Germany, attended by political and economic leaders and higher education students of political sciences, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — Jordanian-Emirati relations witnessed major developments in all sectors, said Maj. Gen. Abdul Razaq Obeidli, assistant general commander of Dubai police for quality and excellence.

At a symposium on Saturday organised by the Arab Union for Intellectual Property Protection in cooperation with the Amman Chamber of Industry (ACI), he added that the UAE 2021 vision aims at making the UAE the best country in terms of protecting intellectual property, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

ACI President Ziad Homsi said the industry sector suffers from the spread of imitation items of low quality in the market, which are sold as genuine products and negatively affect the national industry.

AMMAN — Culture Minister Lana Mamkegh last week visited the Books and More Library in Amman and stressed the importance of community-based initiatives and volunteer work within society, according to a statement released by the library.

Mamkegh said the initiatives are important, especially when it comes to the promotion of reading and its benefit to readers.

Director of Books and More Harvey Bacus and his wife, Nancy, founded the library for the people of Jordan, opening its doors in 2010 as a public lending library that bears the slogan “Reading for All”, the statement said.

AMMAN — Royal Court Secretary General Yousef Issawi, who heads a committee entrusted with following up on Royal initiatives, on Saturday visited several education and health projects in Karak, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The visit came after His Majesty King Abdullah met with Karak community leaders last week and directed Issawi to check on Royal initiative projects, and visit Shahabiyeh town to listen to the needs and demands of its residents. 

AMMAN — A man died and another was injured on Saturday when a vehicle hit them in downtown Amman, a Civil Defence Department (CDD) statement said.

East Amman CDD cadres administered first aid to the injured man and took him to Al Bashir Hospital where he was listed in fair condition.

In Zarqa, seven people were injured in a two-vehicle collision. CDD cadres administered first aid and took them to Zarqa Public Hospital where they were listed in fair condition.

AMMAN — The Jordan Press Association (JPA) on Saturday "strongly" denounced the Israeli occupation forces for closing the Palestine TV Channel and Transmedia Company in Ramallah and sealing their headquarters with red wax.

The JPA also condemned the confiscation of transmission equipment and detention of three Palestinian journalists, as part of Israel's measures to "silence" the press, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The association considered the attack as "a sign that the occupation can no longer tolerate free media that highlight the Palestinian cause".

AMMAN — Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and an accompanying delegation visited the ancient city of Petra on Friday and toured its various sites.

Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority chairman Mohammad Nawafleh received the president at the ancient Nabataean city, some 235km south of Amman.

Grabar-Kitarovic's tour included the Siq, the Treasury, the Nabataean Amphitheatre, the Court and the Byzantine church, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

She was briefed on the history of the city, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and its importance for tourism.

The city’s inhabitants, Nabataean Arabs, carved structures into the soft sandstone more than two millennia ago.

The once bustling city was the capital of the Nabataeans, who controlled the trading routes that passed through Petra to Gaza in the west, Basra and Damascus in the north, Aqaba in the south, and across the desert to the Arabian Gulf.

The delegation also toured the Petra Visitor Centre, which is among tourists' major stops when visiting the city.

According to official figures, 215,970 tourists visited the Nabataean city in the January-June period in 2015, compared to 327,858 tourists in the same period of 2014.

Petra was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in an online vote in 2007, in which around 100 million voters from around the globe took part.

An estimated 22 million votes were cast for Petra, which is known for its dramatic tombs and temple facades, including one that served as a church during Byzantine times.

The rose-red rock city was forgotten for centuries until Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovered it in 1812. The ancient city was hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday underlined the need for immediate halt of Israeli violations in Jerusalem.

The King made the remarks during a meeting with visiting US Vice President Joe Biden, in which discussions covered efforts to make peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Talks also addressed regional issues, including efforts to eradicate terrorism and extremism through a comprehensive approach, in addition to bilateral ties, according to a statement by the Royal Court. 

Jordan was the last leg of a tour by Biden in the region that also took him to the UAE, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

On Jordanian-US relations, the King said Jordan is keen on deepening its strategic partnership with the US in various areas.

Turning to Syria, His Majesty reiterated Jordan’s constant stance that supports a political solution to the crisis in the country.

The Monarch also reviewed burdens Jordan is shouldering due to hosting a large number of Syrian refugees.

Discussions also covered the situation in Iraq. The King voiced support for the Iraqi government in fighting Daesh terror group and in ensuring Iraq’s unity and safety with the engagement of all the components of the Iraqi population.

The US official, who arrived early Thursday at the Marka airport along with his wife Jill Biden, expressed the US appreciation of Jordan’s contribution to peacemaking efforts, its work to restore stability in the Middle East and efforts in the fight against terrorism.

Biden said the US is also keen on continued cooperation and partnership with Jordan in various areas. 

While in Israel Wednesday, Biden, commenting on the confrontations between Israeli forces and Palestinians, hinted at criticism of Tel Aviv when he said that “the violence must be stopped”, but added that “this cannot and will not be done just by physical force”, according to The Associated Press.

At the start of his tour to the UAE Monday, Biden vowed that the US and its allies would “squeeze the heart” of Daesh and destroy it.

“We have to squeeze the heart of Daesh in Iraq and Syria so they can’t continue to pump their poison in the region and around the world,” Biden said in the UAE.

Also on Thursday, King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF), and Biden attended a joint military drill implemented by the JAF Quick Reaction Forces and US forces.

The joint exercise, also attended by King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben, included strategic mobilisation operations, where participants showed high levels of skills and competence, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty expressed his admiration of the skills, high morale participants showed during the drill, and the level of planning and cooperation among the forces.

Biden praised the “distinguished level” JAF has reached in different fields, commending the Kingdom’s role in combating extremism and terrorism, as well as its contributions in maintaining the regional security and stability, the statement added.