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AMMAN — Demand for food supplies increased over the weekend despite government assurances that there are enough supplies ahead of an expected snowstorm, according to trade sector insiders.

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply has provided shopping centres, shops and gas stations with an additional supply of products to prepare for the upcoming snowstorm, the ministry's spokesperson, Yanal Barmawi, said Saturday.

The flour supply for bakeries has been increased, since demand has risen and more bread is consumed before and during snowstorms, he said. 

“Flour in bakeries supplied by the ministry should be enough for five to seven days, and the ministry is willing to increase the quantity of the allocations."

Barmawi told The Jordan Times that the ministry signed an agreement with the Gas Stations Owners Association, JoPetrol Gas Company and the Energy Ministry to provide gas stations with more fuel and kerosene for the week.

“Everything will be available for consumers — gas, kerosene, food and other products," he said.

Inspections will still take place at shopping centres to “control the quality of products sold to customers in such circumstances”, Barmawi noted.

He urged the public not to buy more than they need during the storm, adding that stores will be open and many are close to people's houses.

“All products are in stock; there is no need to panic and buy quantities that would go straight to the trashcan after the storm,” the spokesperson said.

The director of the sales department at a local shopping centre in the capital, who preferred to remain anonymous, said demand for dairy products, meat, bread and snacks usually increases before any snowstorm.

“Consumer demand for the past few days recorded an increase and is predicted to rise today and tomorrow,” he told The Jordan Times.

He noted that such extra demand is “normal” and “isn’t only a Jordanian phenomenon”.

“Many shops in the eastern part of the US had the same crowds and were packed with customers [ahead of a snowstorm]. It is normal that customers’ demand increase since some roads would be blocked during the storm,” he said.

Saleh Salameh, a customer, said it is “not new” that the demand increases during winter in general.

He said snow usually makes people want to consume more food as they spend their time at home without a TV signal.

Grocery shopping mania ahead of storms doesn’t only happen in the Kingdom’s shopping centres; Washington DC is currently witnessing heavy snowfall, during which many social media users circulated pictures of empty shelves at shopping centres.

Many users posted pictures of their shopping carts and expressed their readiness for more snow using the hashtag #SnowStormReady.

Twitter user @WailAshshowwaf posted: “Water sold out at supermarket #DCCantHandleSnow”.

“The supermarket crush has hit the Soviet Safeway. Eggs and milk almost cleaned out. Long lines. #snowmaggedon2016”, wrote Twitter user @CahnEmily.

Several users commented on the lines packed in stores during the ongoing snowstorm in Washington.

@HankSilverberg wrote: “Well now this is ridiculous. Empty bread shelves? It's only #snowmaggedon2016. Not Armageddon.”

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday met with African leaders and officials from Asia, Europe, the US and Canada in the port city of Aqaba, a Royal Court statement said.

At meetings with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, the King discussed means to enhance consultation and coordination in counterterrorism efforts on the basis of an international comprehensive approach.

During meetings also with senior US, Asian and Canadian officials as well as representatives of international organisations, His Majesty underlined the trans-border threat of terrorist groups, the statement said.

Earlier on Saturday, King Abdullah met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri, Tanzania Foreign Minister Augustine Mahiga and senior officials from Kenya and Uganda.   

The meetings, which will continue on Sunday, came as part of His Majesty's belief in the need to maintain constant international cooperation and coordination to eradicate radicalism and terrorism, the statement said.

The "Aqaba meetings" came in continuation of similar meetings the King held in April last year with world leaders, according to the Royal Court.

On Friday, His Majesty condemned the terrorist attack in Mogadishu, which claimed the lives of many people and wounded several others.

At least 17 people were killed in the Somali capital when five gunmen set off bombs and stormed a popular beach-front restaurant late on Thursday, The Associated Press reported, quoting Somali police.

In a cable sent to the Somali president, King Abdullah expressed his condolences and wished the injured a speedy recovery. 

The government also condemned the attack, voicing Amman's support for Mogadishu in fighting terrorism, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Also on Friday, His Majesty spoke on the phone with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and highlighted the importance of increasing international support for Syrian refugee host countries. 

He also mentioned the donor conference, which will be held in the UK next month, where countries around the world will gather to discuss the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on neighbouring countries, particularly Jordan. 

Renzi voiced his country's support for Jordan in its efforts to deal with the refugee burden and the economic challenges resulting from it. 

Discussions also covered regional and international efforts to combat terrorism, and His Majesty and Renzi agreed to maintain coordination and dialogue on regional issues.

AMMAN — The Jordan Press Association (JPA) said Saturday it was following up on the detention of journalist Tayseer Al Najjar in Dubai.

JPA President Tareq Momani said the syndicate received information that the journalist was detained at the airport in Dubai as he was heading back to Amman recently, and has sent an official letter to the UAE Journalists Association to follow up on the issue.

“We have not received a response yet from the UAE association, and we are exerting our utmost efforts in this regard to check on his situation and identify his whereabouts,” Momani told The Jordan Times.

“The JPA also contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Amman, which pledged to look into the issue,” Momani said.

In a post on his Facebook timeline over the weekend, journalist Walid Husni said Najjar, a member of the JPA and the Jordan Writers Association, was detained on December 13 last year in Dubai.

The detained journalist was not allowed to contact his family, Husni said, citing Najjar’s wife.

Najjar’s family tried to contact the authorities in Dubai several times but to no avail, said Husni.

The detained journalist covers cultural news and has published several studies and research papers.

AMMAN — Although Jordan appreciates the international support it has received to cover the cost of hosting refugees, the needs far outpace and outweigh the assistance provided, according to Her Majesty Queen Rania. 

In an interview with British Channel 4 News, conducted by Cathy Newman in Davos, Switzerland, Queen Rania explained that there is tremendous pressure on Jordan’s economy and infrastructure with around 90 per cent of Syrian refugees living in towns and cities, as opposed to camps, according to a statement released Friday by Her Majesty’s office.

“Sometimes, there’s a misconception and Jordan gets lumped in with some of the rich countries in the Gulf. But Jordan is not an oil producing country. We were in a difficult financial situation even before the refugees,” the Queen said.

She added that the UK is a major donor in providing assistance for Syrian refugees and highlighted the importance of the upcoming Syria Donors Conference, slated for early February in London, in providing long-term solutions for the crisis.

In earlier discussions at Davos, Her Majesty insisted that resolving the Syrian refugee crisis cannot come at the expense of Jordanians or Jordanian jobs, which are already in short supply. 

She underlined the need for the international community’s help in strengthening Jordan’s resilience, supporting development, and creating growth and opportunities that can benefit both Jordanians and Syrians.

Asked about the thousands of Syrian refugees living in camps in no-man’s land between Jordan and Syria, the Queen said Jordan is doing its best with the help of humanitarian organisations to cover their needs. 

But she explained that because the refugees are coming from areas under Daesh’s control in northern Syria, there are concerns that they have been infiltrated. 

“The number one concern for Jordan is the safety and stability and security of our country,” Queen Rania stressed.

In her response to a question about her thoughts on attacks against Muslim refugees in Europe, Her Majesty explained that some of these attacks happen when people act out of fear, but the vast majority of the European public has shown compassion towards refugees.

AMMAN — The army said on Thursday that 52 Syrian refugees entered Jordan in the previous 24 hours.

Border Guards transferred the new arrivals to shelters and camps, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Royal Medical Services personnel treated the injured.

AMMAN — Jordan, which leads the Arab world in renewable energy projects, is on track to generate 10 per cent of its power needs via wind and solar projects by 2020, an official said Thursday.

The percentage is set as a target for green energy’s contribution to the country’s power mix under a national energy strategy.

Jordan, which currently produces 3-4 per cent of its electricity through renewable energy projects, is witnessing “great momentum” in the sector and has attracted world-renowned companies with decades of experience to invest in such projects in the Kingdom, Haidar Gammaz, spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

“Jordan is placing a heavy emphasis on projects in the fields of solar and wind power. It was the first Arab country to endorse legislation governing this sector,” said the official.

“We are certainly on track to achieve our target and work is under way on upgrading the national energy strategy to boost the percentage of renewable energy contribution to the overall energy mix in the Kingdom. This reflects the government’s keenness to diversify energy sources, preserve the environment and optimally utilise local energy resources to meet the rising demand on electricity,” said Gammaz.

In Jordan, the annual daily average of solar irradiance ranges from 5-7 kWh/m2, which is almost twice the ratio in Germany, which by mid-2015 generated 34 per cent of its electricity via renewable energy projects, according to experts and officials in the sector. 

Jordan will have solar and wind projects with a total capacity of 1,600 MW by 2020, according to Gammaz, who added that a project will start soon to expand the capacity of the national grid to enable it to absorb more loads generated by renewable energy projects.

When completed, the project will help open the door for more projects in the field of green energy. 

Currently, the Kingdom’s annual electricity generation stands at 4,600 MWH.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Thursday met with Greek Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos and an accompanying delegation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

During the meeting, Ensour and Kammenos discussed bilateral relations and cooperation.

Ensour stressed the depth of the relations and the level of coordination towards issues of mutual interest. 

The premier and the minister also highlighted the importance of combating terrorism, noting that the Middle East is going through “formidable challenges”. Ensour stressed that Jordan has been able to preserve its stability and protect its borders. 

He also urged Greece, through its EU membership, to help support Jordan by opening the markets of the union for exports of Jordanian products. 

For his part, Kammenos invited the premier to visit Greece and highlighted the importance of military exchange of expertise and training. 

HRH Prince Feisal met separately with Kammenos and the accompanying delegation. 

They discussed issues of mutual interest and ways to enhance bilateral relations. 

Also on Thursday, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh met with the Greek official and briefed him on the comprehensive reforms implemented by the Kingdom. 

He also acquainted Kammenos with the burdens the Kingdom is shouldering as a result of the situation in the region, especially the Syrian refugee crisis, which affected the Kingdom’s infrastructure and its economy, society and security. 

Tarawneh commended Greece’s support for Arab causes, especially the Palestinian issue, voicing hope that Greece will continue its support for Jordan and Arabs through its EU membership. 

AMMAN — Among the 20 to 25 per cent of Jordanians who are annually infected with flu as a seasonal illness, many cases of H1N1 (swine) flu continue to be recorded, Health Ministry Spokesperson Hatem Azrui said on Thursday.

Azrui noted that the H1N1 virus has spread globally since 2009, while in 2010, the ministry began to treat it as a seasonal virus, given that it occurs mostly in winter.

“H1N1 is spread in the streets and not in hospitals,” he stressed. 

“The ministry imposes restrictions to control the spread of the virus in medical centres and hospitals and it raises public awareness by advising people to use protective masks to avoid catching the virus.”

The official told The Jordan Times that while there are no official figures on the number of swine flu infections or fatalities so far this year, 70 per cent of patients who have died after contracting the virus also suffered from other health problems, such as heart disease, kidney failure, or a weak medical condition overall.

Earlier this month, a 47-year-old man died of H1N1 flu in Southern Shuneh Hospital.

Also in January, 10 people were admitted to King Abdullah I University Hospital in Irbid and were diagnosed with H1N1 flu.

By April 2015, the authorities had registered 348 cases of H1N1 and 13 related fatalities — nine involving Jordanians. 

“The ratio of women who are likely to catch the virus globally is 2 per cent, while it is lower in Jordan,” he said.

Any person potentially infected with the virus should take a day off work or school and visit a specialised doctor to diagnose and treat the condition before it generates more serious complications, Azrui noted.

“The symptoms of H1N1 include diarrhoea, fever, and a sore throat. If these appear, people should see a doctor,” he added.

Azrui said medication for the virus is available at healthcare centres, and treating it in its first stages makes the process easier, especially for those who suffer from other health conditions.

AMMAN — The German Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung (FES) will continue to work with Jordan’s civil community to support local and regional political reforms, according to the foundation’s resident director, Anja Wehler-Schoeck.

Speaking at an event Wednesday evening to mark 30 years of the foundation’s work in the Kingdom, Wehler-Schoeck highlighted the “distinguished” relations between the foundation and Jordanian partners.

She also called for further cooperation as the region’s situation is “becoming more difficult”, stressing the need to promote social democracy.

Throughout the foundation’s work in the Kingdom, it has engaged in several partnerships that resulted in capacity building programmes and projects in various fields, Wehler-Schoeck said, such as politics, energy and climate.

Jawad Anani, former Royal Court chief and several-time minister, delivered a speech on behalf of HRH Princess Sumaya, president of the Royal Scientific Society, highlighting the cooperation between the society and FES.

Since 2002, this cooperation in the fields of renewable energy, green economy, environment preservation, rehabilitated industrial cities, electronic commerce and tourism development has resulted in the implementation of 21 “important” projects that have affected local policies and laws, Anani said.

Addressing an audience of German, Jordanian and Iraqi diplomats and officials, he commended the role of FES in publishing books and research papers, expressing keenness to further cooperation with FES and German civil society organisations.

For her part, German Ambassador to Jordan Birgitta Siefker-Eberle underscored FES’ “significant” activities, which contribute to civil and political life in Jordan, adding that the organisation’s work is “complementary” to that of the embassy. 

Praising Jordan’s efforts to maintain its stability in an unstable region, she said “it remains as important to continue to pursue institutional reforms, which are also crucial for internal stability”.

Siefker-Eberle noted that FES is the oldest of six German political foundations affiliated with the main six political parties in Germany, four of which have a presence in Jordan and perform complementary work.

Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan Safia Al Suhail reviewed the foundation’s efforts to build capacities and promote democracy in her country since 2003.

German politicians attending the event said the economy, vocational training and employment are central fields with great potential for cooperation in the future.

AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor on Thursday charged the son of Fayez Suheimat, former director of the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company, with premeditated murder in connection with the shooting death of his father a day earlier, official sources said.

Criminal Court Prosecutor Mohammad Bdeirat, who questioned the suspect Thursday evening, also ordered that “he be placed under mental evaluation until investigations are over”, a senior judicial source who is close to the investigations said.

The 37-year-old suspect reportedly shot Suheimat, 75, on Wednesday night as he was entering his villa in the capital’s Rabiah neighbourhood, the judicial source told The Jordan Times.

On Thursday, police announced in a statement the suspect’s arrest after questioning several family members and collecting evidence from the crime scene.

“Police summoned the suspect, and he confessed to buying a gun almost half an hour before the incident, deactivating the camera system in the house and then shooting his father when he entered the house’s courtyard,” the statement said.

The police statement and the judicial source stated that the suspect, who is the head of a unit at a local bank, “had a record of mental illness and was being treated by many doctors for schizophrenia”.

In his initial testimony to police and Bdeirat, the suspect claimed that “he was miserable and felt that he was unsuccessful, and he believed that his father was the cause of his misery and depression”, the senior judicial source said.

“The suspect, probably because of his mental illness, blamed his father and told investigators that he was thinking of getting rid of this misery,” the source said.

On Wednesday evening, the source maintained, the suspect “headed to a weapons place and bought a gun”.

“The suspect returned home, and the minute his father walked in, he fired three rounds at him, two of which struck him in the forehead and lips,” according to the source.

The suspect then disposed of the weapon in a dumpster near his home, took off with his car and abandoned it halfway to take a taxi. He then checked in at a hotel in Shmeisani.

Police found three empty shells at the crime scene and collected other evidence that implicated the suspect, according to the source.

“The suspect led investigators to the dumpster where he disposed of the weapon but no gun was found,” the source said, adding that police are still searching for the pistol.

The police statement added that crime lab experts picked up gun residue from the suspect’s hands and clothes.

The suspect will remain detained while he is being psychologically evaluated by a team of government psychiatrist “to learn more of his mental status”.

“The criminal prosecutor wants to determine the mental status of the suspect and if there are any other motives behind this murder,” the judicial source said.

Suheimat, who was also the former president of the Jordanian-Chinese Friendship Society, is survived by his wife, two sons, including the suspect, and one daughter.

Shop owners in the area where the victim resided expressed their disbelief and shock over the incident.

A local shop owner described the victim as a “good and respectable person”.

“I still cannot comprehend what happened. I dealt with him on a daily basis and he was a kind person with a lovely spirit,” the shop owner told The Jordan Times.

A butcher in the area told The Jordan Times that Suheimat, who was also director of the state-owned Jordan Industrial Estates Corporation from 1980 to 1995, was a true gentleman with a positive spirit “who always laughed and made us laugh”.