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AMMAN — Placing Internet-connected sensors on the country’s water network can greatly reduce leakage and better detect water thefts, according to Doug Davis, corporate VP and general manager of the Internet of Things Group at Intel Corporation.

Installing such sensors, which would be connected to the Internet and directly linked with water authorities, can help reduce water loss, Davis told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

“Nowadays, everything is connected to the Internet. These sensors can send real-time data to authorities,” he said.

Through this technology, the authorities can know ahead of time of which parts of the water network require maintenance, which reduces costs and ensures efficiency, Davis added.

Authorities dealt with approximately 20,000 violations on water mains and resources across the Kingdom over the past two years, when a national crackdown on water theft was launched, according to official figures.

Water theft in Jordan is blamed for 70 per cent of water loss, according to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, which seeks to save an estimated 35-50 million cubic metres of water stolen or wasted via illegal fixtures and the drilling of illegal wells.

In Amman alone, the current water loss stands at around 37 per cent.

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a grant agreement between the Jordanian and German governments and a grant agreement offered by the Islamic Development Bank, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Cabinet also approved a protocol document between the Planning and International Cooperation Ministry, the Education Ministry and UNICEF, in addition to a memorandum of understanding between the Jordanian and Canadian governments.

The 15-million euro finance agreement between the German Development Bank (KfW) and the government aims at supplying communities hosting Syrian refugees in the Zaatari Refugee Camp with electricity generated by solar power.

AMMAN — The Labour Ministry on Wednesday warned against forcing employees to work on the holiday marking Prophet Mohammad’s birthday without paying them overtime as stipulated in the law. In a statement sent to The Jordan Times, the ministry said the overtime pay should be at least 150 per cent of the usual rate according to Article 59 of the Labour Law.

The ministry’s inspection teams will implement intensive field campaigns on Thursday to ensure institutions’ commitment to the law, said the statement. The ministry also urged employees forced to work to file a complaint at the nearest labour directorate.

AMMAN — HRH Prince Hamzah on Wednesday attended a ceremony in Tabarbour marking the opening of the first branch of Ethmar Islamic microfinance institution.

The prince expressed his pride in the establishment of the institution, which is fully owned by the King Hussein Foundation, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. Ethmar is a microfinance institution compliant with Sharia (Islamic law).

AMMAN — Palestine’s Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said on Wednesday that Jordanian prisoner Abdullah Abu Jaber, who is on hunger strike, was transferred from Ramlah Prison Hospital to Afouleh Prison, after his health condition deteriorated.

Abu Jaber, 40, was in bad health condition on the 48th consecutive day of his strike. He is on strike to demand his transportation to a Jordanian prison to spend the last five years of his 20-year-term, according to a commission statement. Abu Jaber was arrested in 2000 for “resisting the occupation forces”, according to the commission.

AMMAN — An 11-year-old child died on Wednesday after being hit by a vehicle in Zarqa, according to a Civil Defence Department (CDD) statement. Also on Wednesday, a man died and three people were injured in a two-vehicle collision.

CDD cadres administered first aid to the injured and took them to Prince Hashem Military Hospital where they were listed in fair condition.

AMMAN — A man in his fifties died on Wednesday after being shot in the chest during a fight in Ruseifa, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted a security source in the Ruseifa police department as saying.

The man died two days after the brawl in Prince Feisal Hospital, the source said, adding that the alleged shooter and those reportedly involved in the brawl were all arrested. An investigation is under way.

AMMAN — An inmate at the Jweideh Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre died on Wednesday while receiving treatment at Al Bashir Hospital, the Public security Department (PSD) said. The 22-year-old, who was detained on December 2, was initially examined on Tuesday by the centre doctor who decided to transfer him to hospital.

After receiving treatment for chest pain and breathing difficulties, the man was returned to the centre. But at dawn on Wednesday, the inmate was readmitted into hospital after suffering stomach pain and cramps, but he died as a result of low blood pressure and blood poisoning caused by pneumonia, the PSD statement said. The body was sent to the National Centre on Forensic Medicine for an autopsy, and the prison authority formed an investigation committee to look into the incident.

AMMAN — Energy Minister Ibrahim Saif on Wednesday met with Cypriot Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Yiorgos Lakkotrypis and discussed energy cooperation, especially in natural gas and renewable energy, a ministry statement said.

During the meeting, held in Nicosia, Saif stressed Jordan’s interest in increasing energy cooperation and the two officials highlighted the importance of activating regional cooperation to achieve mutual economic benefit. Saif’s visit follows the visit of Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades to Jordan in November.

AMMAN — The ninth session of the joint Jordanian-Omani committee concluded on Wednesday after two days of discussions that covered ways to enhance economic cooperation. The committee reviewed means to enhance trade between the two countries, according to an Industry, Trade and Supply Ministry statement.

The ministry’s secretary general, Yousef Shamali, and Omani Finance Ministry Adviser Abdul Malik Bin Abdullah Al Hinai signed the minutes of meetings. Both parties agreed to encourage and facilitate the participation of each country’s private sector in commercial, industrial, marketing and specialised exhibitions in the other country.