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AMMAN — The State Security Court military panel on Monday sentenced a defendant to three years in prison after convicting him of promoting ideologies of a terror group (Daesh).

In light of the case’s circumstance, the sentence was commuted to one year.

The court also sentenced other defendants to three years in prison after convicting them of promoting, recruiting and joining a terror group, in violation of the Anti-Terrorism Law, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

AMMAN — Security personnel apprehended a suspect in a fatal hit-and-run accident the Public Security Department’s (PSD) media centre said Monday.

Central Amman PSD on Saturday dawn received a phone call reporting the incident, with traffic and criminal investigation teams interviewing witnesses and viewing camera recordings at the site to identify the vehicle, according to a PSD statement.

Coordination between criminal investigation departments in the capital and the northern region resulted in finding the vehicle in western Irbid and arresting its driver, the PSD said.

The suspect said he had a dispute with a client over the fare and hit him deliberately before fleeing the scene.

The suspect and evidence were referred to the prosecutor general, added the PSD statement.

AMMAN — Security personnel in Irbid on Monday arrested 20 “wanted suspects” and seized 93 street stalls in a crackdown by the Greater Irbid Municipality on street vendors, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Zuheir Ababneh, head of the markets department at the municipality, said the campaign is supported by police and the Gendarmerie Department, adding that it will continue this month.

AMMAN — Jordan Institute of Public Administration (JIPA) and the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) on Monday signed an agreement to provide training services to develop the capabilities of women in senior government positions.

The agreement was signed by Minister of Public Sector development Khleef Al Khawaldeh and JNCW Secretary General Salma Nims, a statement issued by the ministry said.

Khawaldeh said the ministry has included a project to empower women in the civil service sector in its 2015-2016 executive programme, adding that the project seeks to increase the number of women in the public sector and empower them to be leaders.

Under the agreement, the statement said, JIPA will conduct a field survey to identify the training needs of female government employees in the northern governorates. A total of 120 female employees would receive training under the agreement.

AMMAN — The 2015 Science Film Festival kicked off on Sunday at the Children’s Museum Jordan and will last until November 21.

The festival is organised by the museum and Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation in cooperation with the Goethe Institut, according to a foundation statement.

Issa Nshiwat, head of the educational and social communication department at the foundation, said around 650 children attended this year’s inauguration ceremony, according to the statement.

AMMAN — Female engineers make up 25 per cent of members at the Jordan Engineers Association (JEA) and comprise around 40 per cent of engineering students at universities, JEA President Majid Tabaa said Monday.

Tabaa made the remarks at the Arab Female Engineers Committee meeting, held at JEA headquarters in Amman, according to a JEA statement.

AMMAN — The Public Security Department (PSD) is gearing up for the approach of winter with its annual campaign to ensure vehicles are ready for the season. 

In a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times, the PSD said its personnel will examine vehicles during the month-long campaign to ensure they are equipped with the essential components needed for winter in order to reduce road accidents. Traffic patrols will check the front and tail lights, windshield wipers, tyres, brakes, side- and rear-view mirrors, seat belts, anti-freeze and heating systems, and other basic equipment. PSD teams will notify motorists if any part of the car is damaged and give them a week to fix it.

Vehicles that are properly equipped for winter will be marked with a sticker, so that PSD personnel do not stop the driver again for  random inspection.

Motorists interviewed by The Jordan Times commended the PSD campaign.

Ibrahim Dababneh, a public sector employee, said he always takes advantage of weekends to have his vehicle checked out. 

“It is ok if parts of the car such as wipers are not working during summer, but in winter they must be fixed,” he told The Jordan Times. 

Dababneh urged people to have their cars examined, as the process does not take very long. 

“It will not take more than half-an-hour and does not cost a lot of money,” he said. 

Hanna Ibrahim agreed with Dababneh, adding that the PSD campaign will raise awareness among motorists who do not pay attention to these matters. 

AMMAN — The EU is expected to finalise its European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Review on November 18 after consultations with all partners, including Jordan, EU Ambassador to Jordan Andrea Matteo Fontana said Monday.

The policy review seeks to develop responses that are more oriented to the needs of the concerned countries, taking into consideration the different requirements of EU neighbours, the ambassador said at the opening of a two-day conference marking 20 years of Euro-Mediterranean relations.

The review, which underwent deliberations with member states, neighbouring countries, civil society, think tanks and researchers over the first half of this year, is based on four main pillars: greater differentiation, encouraging ownership of neighbourhoods, focusing on a limited number of sectors and more flexibility.

Nonetheless, issues of migration, economic development, youth and security will receive the greatest attention in the policy review, Fontana said.  

Although the ENP is crucial for promoting peace, stability and prosperity in Europe, it also boosts bilateral trade, promotes inclusive economic growth and encourages political reform in partner countries, the ambassador said, describing such ties as the “tool” for bringing the EU and its neighbours together.

He noted that Jordan was the first Mediterranean ENP partner country to achieve “Advanced Status”, which allows closer cooperation in many areas and more specific commitments from both sides. 

“A strong EU-Jordan partnership has never been more important than now, where Jordan is at the forefront of the fight against terrorism and extremism, and has shown tremendous solidarity in hosting a massive influx of Syrian refugees,” Fontana said at the event, held by the University of Jordan’s Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS).

A lot has changed in the EU and in the region since the ENP was launched 10 years ago, he noted, adding that in these conditions, it is now “high time” for a review to make sure that the ENP is still fit for its purpose.

“To take on this challenge, we need to refresh our ENP approach, reinforce the partnership with our neighbouring countries, and make our priorities more clear,” he said, citing emerging threats such as Daesh, economic growth, job creation and political reform. 

For his part, CSS Director Musa Shteiwi highlighted the threat of Daesh and the Syrian refugee crisis as two major common challenges facing the EU and this part of the world.

These issues, as well as other political, economic and security challenges require “new thinking of new policies” that address the symptoms and the root causes, he said.

The two-day conference, featuring Arab and foreign researchers, is held in cooperation with the University of Southern Denmark’s Centre for Contemporary Middle East Studies.

AMMAN — With attacks on teachers reaching an “unprecedented” level this year, the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) on Monday commended a Cabinet decision to study the imposition of tougher penalties on assailants. 

On Sunday, the Cabinet tasked its legal committee with studying the possibility of imposing stiffer punishments against those who attack teachers and doctors upon a recommendation by the education and health ministers.

The recommendation was made in light of the “concerning and shameful phenomenon” witnessed in the Kingdom.

“Putting an end to these occurrences is part of comprehensive efforts to entrench the rule of law,” said a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.  

“Hundreds of cases of verbal and physical attacks against educators took place this year. Unfortunately, the vast majority of them do not reach court due to the pressure teachers face when deciding to press charges,” JTA Spokesperson Ayman Okour told The Jordan Times on Monday.

Okour noted that there are currently 70 cases of violence against teachers in court.

During Sunday’s session, the Council of Ministers also decided to amend Article 266 of the Penal Code to toughen penalties against those who issue fabricated medical reports to be presented at trials. 

The prison term for this offence was raised from between three months and one year to one to three years imprisonment. 

“This is a huge step forward. There are many incidents that forced teachers to drop charges after being falsely accused of attacking the assailants based on fabricated medical reports,” Okour said. 

Monday also witnessed an attack on a school principal’s car in Karak.

According to the JTA, the principal of Faqou School summoned the parents of several students to discuss their children’s behaviour. 

One student refused to bring his parents and damaged the principal’s car.

The principal dropped the charges after filing a complaint due to “societal pressure”, the JTA said. 

The syndicate is also calling for the establishment of an “education court” for teachers, a suggestion it has raised to the government and the Lower House. 

“The court should deal with complaints against teachers. It is not acceptable that teachers face arrest and detention for educational cases,” Okour said. 

AMMAN — The Public Security Department (PSD) on Monday launched an initiative aimed at instilling positive security, traffic and social behaviour among individuals.

The campaign, titled “I Rise Because I Am Jordanian,” focuses on people’s role in developing the cultural image of Jordanian society, a PSD statement said.

PSD Director Maj. Gen. Atef Saudi,  who launched the initiative through the PSD’s radio station, Amen FM, said it started with a campaign to combat “negative attitudes” displayed by motorists which threaten the safety of pedestrians and pollute the environment, most significantly through littering.

Branches of the Central Traffic Department in the various governorates, in cooperation with the local community, distributed around 250,000 bumper stickers to motorists that say: “I do not throw trash from the car,” according to Saudi.

The PSD director general said the initiative will pave the way for other campaigns in which different official and civil institutions, as well as those interested in voluntary work, will take part.

Some campaigns that target public and private universities have been planned in coordination with their administrations and student volunteers, in order to raise awareness on how to use the Internet and social media “safely”, according to Saudi.