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AMMAN — The government on Wednesday denounced the two terrorist blasts that took place in the south of Pakistan and in northern Cameroon earlier in the day, killing scores of innocent civilians. 

Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani expressed condolences on behalf of the government over the death of innocent victims, stressing Jordan's unwavering rejection of terrorism, in its various forms. 

Momani, who is also minister of state for media affairs and communications, stressed Jordan's solidarity with and support for the Pakistani and Cameroonian governments, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

Confronting terrorism, which is striking in different world countries on a daily basis and targeting their security, calls for doubling and coordinating international efforts to root out extremism, he said.

A suicide attack on a polio vaccination centre in southwest Pakistan on Wednesday killed 15 people, mainly police officers gathered to escort health workers, The Associated Press quoted officials as saying. 

The bombing on the outskirts of the city Quetta killed 13 police officers, a soldier and a civilian, said Shahzada Farhat, a police spokesperson. He said 23 people were wounded, according to AP.

On the same day, a suicide bomber killed 12 worshippers at a northern Cameroon mosque, Agence France-Presse reported, quoting security officials.

The blast struck the mosque in the village of Kouyape, in Kolofata district near the Nigerian border, at around 5:30am during morning prayers, a security source told AFP.

AMMAN — Zaki Ammareen, a lifelong resident of Jabal Luweibdeh, says he no longer feels the "nice and calm" atmosphere he used to enjoy in the area when he was a child. 

Ammareen was born in the old neighbourhood 75 years ago, and its "former beauty and his fond memories of it encouraged him to stay; getting married and living there at his family's house.  

"In the past, there were very few restaurants and cafés on Baouniah Street. But over the past three years, so many liquor stores, restaurants and cafés have opened on this narrow, one-way street," he told The Jordan Times. 

The increasing presence of these commercial venues has made life difficult, due to the noise and limited parking spaces, according to Ammareen. 

Many of the neighbourhood's old residents share the same complaint, and they are worried that the "beauty and uniqueness" of their locality might "go with the wind". 

Omar Faouri, the mukhtar (unpaid community leader) of Jabal Luweibdeh, said the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) should have licensed businesses other than cafés in the area.

"They should have licensed shops where clients do not stay for long," he told The Jordan Times at his store in Jabal Luweibdeh.   

Hayat Al Naser, president of the Friends of Luweibdeh Cultural Association (FLCA), noted that these cafés spill over onto the pavements, which makes it difficult for pedestrians to walk. 

Saleem Quna, a FLCA member and former president of the association, said he does not want to see what happened in Jabal Amman and Rainbow Street — in terms of commercialisation and "loss of heritage" — repeated in Jabal Luweibdeh. 

“It will destroy the cultural soul of the area. Jabal Luweibdeh has managed to maintain its image because most of its residents still live here unlike Jabal Amman, whose residents are high-class families who moved to new neighbourhoods,” he told The Jordan Times.  

According to Quna, around 10 houses have either been transformed into or are about to become restaurants. 

Faouri said Amman Mayor Aqel Biltaji has already prohibited demolishing houses of heritage significance and called for renovating them in accordance with regulations. 

“But they have not prevented people from transforming houses into commercial investments. We want these orders to be enshrined under a law,” he added.  

The increasing number of cafés causes traffic jams in an area that already suffers from limited parking spaces, Quna said.

GAM Spokesperson Izz Eddein Shammout said the municipality has banned the establishment of new residential building in the neighbourhood to preserve its “beauty and heritage”.

“We care about the identity of the capital. There is a club affiliated with GAM in Jabal Luweibdeh and we are thinking of making it a parking lot that accommodates around 600 vehicles,” he added. 

Shima Tal, another FLCA member, called for turning abandoned houses into cultural centres.  

Ayman Taqatqa, the owner of Rumi Café in Jabal Luweibdeh, said he does not see any problem in opening a café, as it benefits residents. 

“Sixty per cent of my customers are from the neighbourhood. Also, I made sure that my café is in harmony with the soul of the area and this adds more beauty to it,” he said.   

Faouri called on GAM to conduct a feasibility study before granting licences to new businesses. 

“They should first double-check if the location is suitable and has parking spaces.” 

Despite the transformation that he feels has already affected the aesthetics of Jabal Luweibdeh, Ammareen insisted he will not move to another neighbourhood. 

“All my memories are here. I know every nook and cranny like the back of my hand. Whatever happens in the future, I will never leave.”

AMMAN — Four innovation labs in different parts of Jordan officially opened on Wednesday seeking to create a “unique” atmosphere that fosters entrepreneurship among young people. 

The UNICEF-supported labs, incubated by the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), are inculcating the learning-by-doing concept, nurturing the ideas of marginalised young people to grow into innovative ventures that contribute to their development, in addition to that of their communities. 

The facilities, established with donations from the EU and Germany, through the German Development Bank (KfW), are expected to serve around 15,000 beneficiaries between the ages of 10 and 24, according to JOHUD. 

Three of the labs are managed by JOHUD, while the fourth, located in the Zaatari Refugee Camp, is run by the NRC. 

After engaging in the Zaatari innovative lab, a group of young people have decided to focus on improving lives of refugees with disabilities, designing wheelchairs that can be used in the camp. 

For 16-year-old Rahaf Siouf, her experience as a fellow of one of the JOHUD-run labs “goes far deeper than the leadership and technical skills” she gained.

“The lab has changed the way I perceive the world. I sense a difference in the way I and girls my age think. I am more engaged in community problems and have faith in my ability to effect the change,” Siouf told The Jordan Times. 

At a ceremony marking the official inauguration of the labs, JOHUD Executive Director Farah Daghistani voiced her appreciation of the partnership with UNICEF, along with other partners, which is geared towards providing young people with better opportunities. 

She cited the ability of JOHUD, through its centres across the country, to mobilise youths to serve their local communities. 

Unleashing the potential of young people —  regardless of their nationality — and empowering them to come up with solutions to social issues are the main aims of the innovation labs, which focus on four main pillars; I-Learn, I-Design, I-Change and I-Compete. 

“I would also like to emphasise the ‘we’ next to the ‘I’, because we need each other to learn, and we need each other to change,” said Jacob Arts, education and youth programme manager at the EU Delegation in Jordan.

On behalf of the German embassy, Nina Lutter, development counsellor, underlined the significance of the innovation facilities in putting young people in the position of taking charge of their own lives, which allows them to shape the future of their countries. 

The ceremony included a Skype dialogue between beneficiaries of the labs in Amman, Madaba, Irbid and Zaatari.

AMMAN — Fruit and vegetable exports dropped by 11.3 per cent last year compared to 2014, Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson Nimer Haddadin said on Wednesday.

The Kingdom exported 783,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables in 2015, compared to 888,000 tonnes in 2014, according to the ministry, which attributed the drop to the closure of the border with Syria last April.

“A total of 82.4 per cent of the agricultural exports were vegetables, with tomatoes constituting 65 per cent,” Haddadin told The Jordan Times.

Produce exports generated JD520 million in 2015, while revenues stood at JD550 million the previous year, ministry figures indicate.

The revenues in 2015 only dropped by 4 per cent compared to 2014 because exports of high-value fruit and vegetables increased, such as peaches, strawberries, dates and medicinal herbs, Haddadin underscored.

“The Gulf countries were the major importers of our fruit and vegetables last year, importing 83.2 per cent of the country’s produce. The Syrian and Lebanese markets followed with 6.6 per cent, while Iraq imported 5.2 per cent, Israel 3 per cent, European countries 1 per cent and other countries 1 per cent,” he said.

Agriculture Ministry data indicate that the Kingdom exported the highest amount of fruit and vegetables last July, amounting to over 100,000 tonnes and constituting 12.8 per cent of produce exported in 2015. 

AMMAN — Around 100 senior Justice Ministry employees are scheduled to engage in a one-year capacity building training programme in order to elevate the level of provided services, the minister, Bassam Talhouni, said Wednesday.

The programme seeks to enhance strategic planning and management skills for employees at courts and the Jordan Judicial Institute, Talhouni told reporters.

The “specialised” training course, implemented by the Talal Abu Ghazaleh Professional Training Group (TAGI-TRAIN) and funded by the EU, will start at the end of this month.

“The move is part of the ministry’s efforts to develop the justice sector, which entails offering high-standard services to citizens and service recipients,” the minister said, estimating the cost of the training course at 140,000 euros.

Talhouni noted that the EU’s previous support to the ministry was mainly to establish a new building for the Jordan Judicial Institute so it could accommodate more students and judges and offer them “better” training experiences.

EU Ambassador to Jordan Andrea Matteo Fontana told reporters that the training programme aims at improving the organisational structure of the ministry and developing the project management capacity of its employees, as well as strengthening their planning and information technology skills.     

He said this step is a continuation of previous EU support valued at 30 million euros to enhance the efficiency of the Jordanian judicial system, and to further promote the rule of law and democratic development, adding that previous cooperation was marked by “full success”.

Fontana noted that reforming the judicial system grants Jordanians better access to justice and enables the vulnerable to access legal aid, emphasising the need for an “independent, efficient and credible” judicial system.

The processes of reform, development and training are “infinite and need constant advancements”, according to TAGI-TRAIN Chairman Talal Abu Ghazaleh, who commended the ministry’s efforts to improve its services, particularly in electronic archiving.

The ministry has so far archived some 6 million documents in the first phase of its electronic archiving project, while the second phase includes over 20 million documents, according to Talhouni. 

AMMAN — With the government saying that the image of journalism has been harmed by the irresponsible actions of a few, media practitioners warned of using these claims to justify further restrictions of media freedoms.

Speaking at a session earlier this week in the presence of journalists and lawyers, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani said "intruders" in the profession have harmed its image and legacy in the country.

There are many cases of violations because of these "intruders", the minister said on Monday.

Commenting on the issue on Tuesday, Basel Okour, chief editor of jo24.net, disagreed.

"The government is using the pretext that there are intruders in the profession to restrict media freedoms,” he charged.

"Even if there are some intruders, which is the case in all professions, that does not make it okay for the government to impose collective punishment on media outlets," Okour said over the phone.

"The number of journalists going to jail and sued is on the rise in Jordan due to repeated government interference,” he charged.

Speaking during the Monday session, Jordan Press Association (JPA) President Tareq Momani said there were 112 cases against journalists in 2015 in civil and military courts.

Eight journalists were detained, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted the JPA president as saying. 

He added that there was a rise in the number of cases filed against journalists in 2015, attributing it to some amendments to legislation governing the media sector.

"Unfortunately, there are many intruders in the profession who have nothing to do with journalism, but they managed to start some news websites and resort to practices far from being professional in the field,” Mohammad Hawamdeh, chief editor of Khaberni.com news website, told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

"Because of those intruders, we have started to witness cases of blackmail, character assassination and many unprofessional practices,” Hawamdeh argued.

Since the Press and Publications Law stipulates that the chief editor of a website should be a member of the JPA, some journalists agree to assume this post in return for an amount of money from the owners of the website and they have no role in monitoring the content or ensuring that it is professional. 

“These journalists who accept this situation are also to blame,” Hawamdeh said

AMMAN — A campaign was initiated this week to garner support against a recent decision by the government to “treat holders of temporary Jordanian passports as migrant workers”.

Ad-Dustour columnist Omar Kollab and several people affected by the decision launched the campaign, which targets decision makers and has garnered the support of several lawmakers.

A Cabinet decision announced last week requires Gazans living in Jordan and Palestinians holding a temporary passport (two or three years) to obtain a permit to be able to work in the Kingdom.

Although the decision was issued on December 24, it was only circulated last week. On Sunday, the Cabinet decided to exempt holders of temporary Jordanian passports from work permit and stamp fees, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The decision also includes any additional fees collected under the Labour Law.

“Holders of temporary passports are not migrants and they enjoy civil rights like any Jordanian,” Kollab told The Jordan Times, noting that this is the message of the campaign.

In Jordan there are 1 million holders of temporary passports, 150,000 of whom are Gazans and the rest are Palestinians who do not have a national number after Jordan’s disengagement from the West Bank in 1989.

Some temporary passport holders have been living in Jordan since 1967.

According to Kollab, 20 lawmakers have already signed a petition, as part of the campaign, calling for amending the Labour Law.

Although Gazans are refugees, as holders of temporary passports they are legally treated as “state subjects, which means they have civil rights but not political ones”, the columnist said.

Before this decision, he noted, Gazans used to be asked to obtain security clearance when they apply to work in certain sectors, even for enrolling in schools.

AMMAN — The Lower House on Wednesday continued deliberations over the draft 2016 state budget law and the bill governing the budget of independent government units for the third day, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Deputies who took the podium at the session criticised the government's economic policies and called for spending more on education and development projects to provide job opportunities.

MP Abdul Hadi Maharmeh (National Labour list) criticised the government's policies of raising prices and taxes and its employment strategy.

MPs Hadithah Khreisha (Central Badia) and Tamam Riyati (Aqaba) took turns in speaking on behalf of the Mubadara bloc, highlighting that the budget is not read only from a monetary angle but also from political, economic and social ones. 

The bloc called for establishing an independent unit specialised in evaluating performance indicators related to the budget and giving the unit the authority to hold officials and departments accountable. 

Mubadara also proposed increasing spending on education, stimulating the private sector, enhancing political life, and reconsidering administrative divisions in the Kingdom, noting that infrastructure and services are provided on the basis of districts, which is unfair to governorates with no districts like Jerash and Ajloun.

The two MPs highlighted the importance of increasing capital spending and benefiting from loans for productive projects to increase employment, calling for an executive plan to manage public debt. 

Deputy Mohsen Rjoub (Irbid, 2nd District) said the national economy needs innovative ideas that increase revenues through attracting investments and not the collection of taxes.

For his part, MP Nayef Khazaaleh (Mafraq, 1st District) charged that the government is not serious when it comes to combating poverty and unemployment, claiming that state economic policies have not reflected positively on citizens' living conditions.

Deputy Samir Oweis (Irbid, 1st District) said the government does not have an economic programme to address national challenges, adding that Irbid, 80km north of Amman, is suffering, with refugees constituting a quarter of its population.

On December 6, 2015, the government submitted to the House the draft 2016 general budget law in addition to the bill governing the budget of independent government units.

Public spending for 2016 was put at JD8.496 billion with a projected deficit of 3.1 per cent of the gross domestic product.

The growth projection for next year is estimated at 3.7 per cent, while inflation is estimated at 3.1 per cent in the 2016 draft general budget law.

The House is scheduled to continue deliberations over the bills in two sessions on Thursday and vote on their endorsement, First Deputy House Speaker Mustafa Amawi said.

AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor on Wednesday charged a 34-year-old man with premeditated murder in connection with the shooting death of a merchant in Karak last week, official sources said.

Meanwhile, calm was restored in Karak’s Mutah town late Tuesday night following riots by the family of the victim, who was shot at his shop last Friday, official sources said.

The riots began on Tuesday hours after police announced the arrest of a suspect in connection with the shooting death of Turki Sarairah in Mutah, some140km south of Amman.

“We had to deal with minor riots that targeted property belonging to the suspect’s family,” Public Security Department Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

Sartawi said gendarmerie forces contained the situation and “life is back to normal in Mutah”.

Four people were arrested in connection with the riots and are currently in custody pending further investigations, he added.

The suspect, who is single and unemployed, reportedly confessed to shooting Sarairah to death “because the victim and his father owed him money”, according to a senior judicial source close to the investigation.

The suspect confessed in front of Criminal Court Prosecutor Tayseer Bani Khalid to entering the victim’s shop wearing a hood to conceal his identity and shot him once in the chest then left, the judicial source told The Jordan Times.

The suspect reportedly expressed his regret in front of Bani Khalid, who issued orders for his detention at a correctional and rehabilitation centre for 15 days pending further investigations.

A police statement released on Tuesday said that a special investigation team tasked with handling the murder case used “evidence from the scene to locate the suspect”.

Sarairah is survived by his 35-year-old wife, a three-year-old daughter and a nine-month-old boy.

AMMAN — Medical specialists on Wednesday advised the public against buying non-prescribed antibiotics from pharmacies amid the prevalence of viral infections such as influenza and the common cold during winter.

Consultant Physician Abdulrahman Anani noted that the consumption of antibiotics in Jordan is three times as much as in the UK, "although the weather is colder there and the population is bigger”.

Anani told The Jordan Times that the use of antibiotics without a prescription will enable microbes to develop higher resistance against any medicine. 

“Jordan was listed by the World Health Organisation [WHO] as one of the countries with the most misuse of antibiotic drugs,” he said.

WHO’s 2014 report on global surveillance of antimicrobial resistance revealed that antibiotic resistance "is no longer a prediction for the future; it is happening right now, across the world, and is putting at risk the ability to treat common infections in the community and hospitals", according to the organisation's website. 

"Without urgent, coordinated action, the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries, which have been treatable for decades, can once again kill," WHO warned.

Anani urged the public to visit a physician or a specialist before buying antibiotics, especially in the flu season.

The doctor called for holding awareness campaigns for patients and doctors to avoid the overuse of antibiotics.

“The society as a whole is in danger if overdependence on antibiotics continues, because it enables bacteria to build better immunity and spread quicker.”

Anani stressed that patients should complete the whole course of medication they are prescribed.

“As soon as they feel better, they stop taking the medicine. This is wrong, because the disease will re-enter the body, in a stronger manner and the medicine will not work again,” he explained.

Madallah Maaytah, a chest and internal medicine consultant, also stressed the importance of having a medical prescription when buying antibiotics. 

“Without a prescription, the medicine shouldn’t be sold to the patient; as the body will develop resistance against the antibiotic and not the bacteria,” Maaytah said.

He noted that many medical conditions do not need antibiotics as they are considered “simple infections”.

As for the flu, Maaytah said patients should recover without taking medication by having plenty of hot drinks and vitamin C-rich food, taking painkillers and getting one to two days of rest at home.

Noor Abdallah, a pharmacist, said customers tend to ask for antibiotics because they think it is “easier, faster and cheaper”.

She said pharmacies usually do not sell non-prescribed antibiotics to patients unless they travel or insist on it for personal reasons. 

Another pharmacist said they do not sell antibiotics to those who suffer major illnesses and advise them to see a doctor instead; however, some patients prefer using antibiotics rather than seek a medical opinion.

According to a 2014 study published in the Bulletin of Environment, Pharmacology and Life Science, 67.1 per cent of 1,141 surveyed Jordanian adults believe they can treat common infections due to changes in the weather with antibiotics, while 28.1 per cent said they use the drugs as painkillers. 

The study said 49 per cent of respondents use leftover antibiotics without consulting a doctor, while 51.8 per cent said they take antibiotics based on a relative’s advice.