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AMMAN — The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) solved 200 criminal cases since the beginning of December, according to a Public Security Department (PSD) statement released Saturday. The CID arrested 441 suspects involved in theft and fraud cases.

Recent cases include arresting three suspects on Thursday at 5am for attempting to rob employees at a gas station.

CID agents also arrested a man and two women who reportedly picked pockets at malls and commercial complexes, including stealing $10,000 from a woman in downtown Amman. In Irbid, CID agents arrested two suspects who confessed to burglarising six houses.

AMMAN — Government Coordinator for Human Rights Basel Tarawneh said on Saturday that Jordan has placed freedom of speech among its top priorities.

Participating at the meeting of regional experts on freedom of press and human rights, organised by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in Rabat, Morocco, Tarawneh said all policies and national plans contain references to freedom of the press. 

AMMAN — A man died on Saturday when his vehicle overturned in Aqaba, according to a Civil Defence Department (CDD) statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

On Friday, five people were injured in a two-vehicle collision in Jerash. Also on Friday, four people were injured in another two-vehicle collision.

All nine injured people were reported to be in fair condition.

AMMAN — The Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), supported by the European Union, is organising a tour to Ethiopia this week within the industry and exports support and development programme (JUMP II), a JEDCO statement said Saturday.

Thirty-three Jordanian companies will participate in the tour within efforts to continue looking for new markets to showcase Jordanian products, the statement said, adding that the Ethiopian market is promising.

The volume of trade between Jordan and Ethiopia during 2014 stood at JD72.1 million, JD47.7 million of which were exports, according to the statement.

AMMAN — Activists organised a rally on Friday near Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque in Zarqa in support of Al Haram Al Sharif, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The participants chanted slogans that support Palestinians’ resilience against Israel to prevent the Judaisation of Jerusalem.

AMMAN — Culture Minister Lana Mamkegh on Thursday attended a ceremony to mark the end of the “Jordanian city of culture” for 2015 project at the Jerash Municipality’s grand hall, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Friday. She said the project included 837 cultural activities that varied between workshops, seminars, exhibitions, poetry recitations and others in Jerash.

At the end of the ceremony, Jerash Mayor Ali Qoqazeh gave the flag of the cultural city to Mahdi Qatamin, adviser to the chief commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, as Aqaba was chosen as the Jordanian city of culture for 2016.

AMMAN – Sitting with his family members in an interview room inside the UNHCR offices in Amman, Syrian refugee Abdul Razzaq Omar was not as excited as expected when he was told that he might be moved to Canada by the end of this year. 

Going to Canada, a dream of thousands of people like him, was an option he sought for totally pragmatic reasons, and emotional ones: a better future for his family.  

Omar, who has one child, said he lives comfortably in Jordan, which he described as his second home. 

"I am fairly happy in Jordan because it is the closest to my homeland, but it seems it is our destiny to move to Canada. To me, it is also an obligation as I am responsible for a family of seven, including my parents, he told The Jordan Times Friday. 

Omar was among many refugees who have been contacted by the UNHCR in Amman to be interviewed for a potential opportunity for departure to Canada. 

Around 2,000 compatriots of Omar’s flocked to the UNHCR’s offices on Friday, according to Mohammad Hawari, a senior mass information and communication associate at the agency, with all pursuing the same dream, option or destiny. 

Helene Daubelcour, senior external relations officer at the UN refugee agency, said the Friday interviews were part of a Canadian humanitarian programme of transfer.

"We will look into their cases and see if they meet all the criteria that have been established," she told The Jordan Times in an interview. 

Daubelcour said UNHCR staff checks and verifies Syrians' documentation to make sure that all is in place.

If approved, the next step is a medical checkup and other procedures, the relief officer said.

A major selection criterion, she explained, is the applicant’s personal, social and economic vulnerability, including poor health conditions of the refugee. 

"As you know, 86 per cent of refugees who live in urban areas in Jordan live under the national poverty line but we also take refugees from the camps because vulnerability is everywhere," she added. 

Daubelcour said they started this process on November 20 as a pilot project and then they went in full speed one week later. 

“We have been working on this specific programme only during weekends or after working hours because we do not want to disturb all (our other activities) and maybe we will finish by the end of next week (ending Thursday),” she added. 

Daubelcour said they have selected 8,800 people from those interviewed so far. 

Yafa Arman, one of the UNHCR staff who was involved in the interview process, said that when applicants first arrive, they undergo the IRIS scanning and are asked a number of questions including if the person wants to leave for Canada or not and if he is ready to move by the end of this year.  

“Many of the Syrians I interviewed said they wanted to think first and required further details about Canada and how their situation would be — whether they would be able to live there or not,” she told The Jordan Times.

Syrian refugees interviewed by The Jordan Times echoed Omar’s reasons for seizing this opportunity: a better future.

Um Mohammad, who has been in Jordan for more than three years, said she received a message from the UNHCR to be interviewed and decided to come to give it a try.

“I have three children including one son and I want to ensure a good education for him,” she added.  

Kareem, from the city of Homs, said the living conditions in Jordan are good but his main concern is to work. 

“I used to have a sweets factory and I lost it, so I want to open my own business in Canada. Here I can hardly make ends meet, especially due to high rents,” he said as he was holding his baby, waiting for his turn to be interviewed.   

“I have no concerns about living Western community; besides, there is a Muslim community there and I can easily adapt to life in Canada,” he explained.  

“Would you return to your country if violence comes to an end?” Most of respondents to this question seemed as not expecting it. 

Ahmad Abdullah Al Ahmad, from Daraa, paused with a deep look in his eyes before saying that he is not thinking about returning to Syria ever after he lost his house and business in the civil war. 

Um Mohammad also believes there’s nothing to go back to.

But for Omar, Canada or no Canada, Jordan provides enough home so far, and he hopes for better days.

AMMAN — Border Guards on Saturday foiled an attempt by two persons who tried to infiltrate from Syria into Jordan, according to an official source of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army. 

Border Guards dealt with the situation in accordance with the rules of engagement during which one man was killed and the other was injured, the army's source said.  

The source pointed out that JAF will not tolerate any such attempts and will use the necessary force to deal with those who attempt to undermine the country's and citizens' security. 

Earlier this month, Border Guards foiled an infiltration attempt by two foreigners who attempted to cross from Jordan into a neighbouring country.

Border Guards apprehend both men and referred them to the concerned authorities. 

AMMAN — Work on connecting public facilities in the southern governorates to the National Broadband Network and providing them with high-speed Internet is scheduled to start in 2016, according to Cisco, which recently won the tender to implement the second phase of the national project.

Under the second phase of the multi-million dollar project, public facilities including schools and healthcare centres in Karak, Tafileh and Maan governorates will be connected to the network, Ziad Salameh, managing director at Cisco Gulf, Levant, Iraq and Pakistan and country manager for Jordan, told The Jordan Times in an interview at the Internet of Things World Forum, which was recently held in Dubai.

The government was able to float the tender for the second phase of the project after the allocation of JD90 million for the completion of the National Broadband Network from the Gulf Cooperation Council grant in 2014. 

Work on the network, which started in 2003 and of which 35 per cent has been completed so far at a total cost of $36 million, was halted several times over the past few years due to lack of financial resources.

“Connecting public agencies, schools, and healthcare centres and hospitals is a boost to Jordan towards becoming an ICT hub,” Salameh said.

“The broadband network is the main foundation for Jordan to start the digitisation of the country, provide e-government services and enhance inclusion.”

Calling for supporting start-ups in the ICT industry, the Cisco executive said the Kingdom's ICT sector is home to genuine talented human resources, noting that public and private partnerships are key to the advancement of the sector and supporting these start-ups.

“There are many success stories for Jordanian start-ups in the sector… It is also the job of the private sector to support them and help them grow,” said Salameh, highlighting the Kingdom's safety and infrastructure as some of the main factors that the government should build on to attract investors.

“Jordan is on the right path towards becoming the region’s ICT hub…sometimes there is slow movement but the country is on the right direction.” 

AMMAN — The Electricity Distribution Company (EDCO) board of directors has elected former labour minister Samir Murad as its chairman, succeeding Omar Malhas, who was recently appointed as finance minister, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Murad served as labour minister from 2010 to 2011.