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AMMAN — A 25-year-old divorced woman was allegedly shot and killed by her minor brother in a so-called honour murder late Saturday night in Muwaqqar, official sources said on Sunday.

The victim, who was not identified by officials, died after being shot by her 17-year-old brother with a pump-action rifle while at their home, a senior official source said.

The suspect then reportedly headed to the nearest police station and turned himself in, the official source told The Jordan Times.

“Family honour is the possible reason for this murder,” the source maintained, adding that the “woman has been divorced for the past three months”.

The source added that police are questioning other family members “for the possibility of having another accomplice in the shooting incident”.

“It seems the woman was shot twice in the back and chest, which raises the possibility that there were two shooters,” the source explained.

Director of the National Institute of Forensic Medicine Kais Koussous said the victim was shot at close range based on an autopsy conducted by pathologist Adnan Abas and other government pathologists.

“The results indicated that the woman was shot with a pump-action rifle once in the back and once in the chest at very close range,” Koussous told The Jordan Times.

Police said they are investigating the incident.

The suspect will be questioned by a juvenile prosecutor since he is a minor.

AQABA — Young people in the southern governorates interested in learning how to develop digital games will be able receive specialised training in the field thanks to a gaming lab that will be opened in Aqaba in the first quarter of 2016.

The gaming lab, sponsored by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD) in collaboration with the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), will provide school and university students in the southern governorates with the necessary skills to develop digital games through courses taught by experts in the field.

“The opening of the lab is part of our keenness to empower youths and provide them with new opportunities,” KAFD Director Saeb Al Hasan said in a statement to The Jordan Times. 

“The lab that will be opened in early 2016 will greatly empower young people in the promising industry of digital gaming.”

The lab is aimed at providing young people in the southern governorates with the skills to start their own businesses and start generating income, ADC CEO Ghassan Ghanem said at the Jordan Gaming Summit 2015, which concluded on Sunday.

“More efforts are required to focus on developing the southern governorates socially and economically, and the lab will play a role in inspiring young people to come up with innovative ideas and gain a skill that can generate income,” Ghanem said.

The lab will have a built-up area of about 500 square metres, according to Bashar Abu Rumman, vice president of the ADC.

“The lab will be close to schools and heavily populated areas to benefit a large number of young people,” he said. 

A partnership agreement for the lab’s establishment will be signed by the ADC and the KAFD soon, Abu Rumman added.

He noted that the two partners also plan to provide transportation for people from different areas in the southern governorates to receive training at the lab in Aqaba, some 330km south of Amman.

Nour Khrais, chairman of the Jordan Gaming Taskforce, said the lab will enhance Jordanians’ technological capabilities.

Noting that many young people in the south succeeded in developing digital games for several operating systems, he said demand on digital games will continue to rise amidst increased penetration of smartphones and Internet usage.

The Aqaba lab is the third gaming lab established in Jordan, including the labs in Amman and Irbid, according to Khrais. 

“Having talented and well-trained people in the digital gaming industry is crucial for making Jordan a hub for game development, and the lab can play a significant role in creating these talents,” he said.

AQABA — Jordanian gaming start-ups and companies need to make their games adaptable to be able to penetrate international markets, according to owners and heads of digital gaming and game publishing companies.

They also need to build partnerships with regional and international gaming companies, which will help them scale up and reach new markets in an industry that “has no boundaries”, they said.

At a session during the Jordan Gaming Summit 2015, which concluded on Sunday, Joseph Shomali, co-founder of Play3arabi, said it is important for entrepreneurs, start-ups and companies to focus on local markets at the beginning. 

However, he said they should also have in mind the need to eventually reach international markets.

Hosam Hammo, founder and CEO of mobile gaming publishing company Tamatem, said the Jordanian market is very small and limited, which makes it necessary for game developers to seek new markets.

“Game developers need to think as if they are developing their games for an international audience,” said Hammo.

Speakers at the session said it was crucial for companies and start-ups to invest more in marketing and PR to ensure that their games reach a wide audience.

They should also focus on investing in the capabilities of Jordanian talents and human resources in the industry, which is one of the fastest-growing across the world, Tamer Qaraeen, representing Bee Labs games, said at the session.

Qaraeen also stressed the need for Jordanian companies to take part in conferences and events in the digital gaming industry, which will help them build partnerships with their peers in different countries and thus become able to explore opportunities and enter new promising markets.

The summit, organised by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development, attracted over 700 experts, developers, industry stakeholders as well as school and university students.

AMMAN — King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben on Sunday received Commander of the US Special Operations Central Command Maj. Gen. Michael Nagata.

Discussions covered military cooperation and coordination, and means to enhance it. HRH Prince Feisal, US Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells, and Nagata’s accompanying delegation also attended the meeting, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Sunday approved a new mechanism under which societies, NGOs and nonprofit organisations would be able to acquire financial assistance.

The decision asserts that the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the Coordination Committee of Humanitarian Assistance Affairs will remain the point of reference for any applications for external financing for Syrian refugees and for the Jordan Response Plan, including in-kind and cash assistance.

Under the new mechanism, registered societies that wish to obtain assistance or donations from a foreign party should fill out an application within the societies’ registrar of the Social Development Ministry, detailing the financing source and local partners.

In Jordan, there are 4,869 registered societies, 3,353 of which are supervised by the ministry, while the others are under the supervision of other ministries.

AMMAN — Irbid police personnel have arrested more than 150 suspects wanted for theft, harassment and assault as part of raids carried out in the past week.

The raids were executed in Irbid on a daily basis and the suspects were detained and referred to specialised courts, according to a security source quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra. The security campaigns will continue, the source said.

AMMAN — Jordanians held demonstrations around the Kingdom on Friday in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance and to express support for Al Aqsa Mosque.

In downtown Amman, hundreds of Jordanians marched from Al Husseini Mosque towards Al Nakeel Square in an event organised by the public committee for supporting Al Aqsa Mosque. 

Participants waved the Jordanian and Palestinian flags and raised banners with pro-Palestinian slogans, while a number of attendees delivered speeches expressing their support for the Palestinians and condemning Israeli violations.

Ali Abul Sukkar, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, described Al Aqsa Mosque as the “blood line” and said the protest in Amman represents the voice of Jordanians from all over the Kingdom. 

“The Palestinian people have proved over the years that despite being under siege, they are able to defend themselves. 

“We urge the Palestinian security agencies to stand with their brothers and not act on behalf of any Zionist entity,” he told The Jordan Times as he joined demonstrators walking towards the square.  

The overall leader of the unlicensed Muslim Brotherhood group, Hammam Saeed, took this occasion to demand that all Arab governments cut relations with Israel. 

Ahmad Mimi, one of the demonstrators, called for expelling the Israeli ambassador to Jordan. 

He added that events in occupied Palestine made him feel as though his own brothers were the ones being killed. 

Meanwhile, a demonstration that was scheduled to take place outside Kalouti Mosque near the Israeli embassy was dispersed peacefully by security forces. 

A number of demonstrators were seen leaving the site and some of them moved to downtown Amman to join the main event of the day. 

Also in Amman, nationalist and leftist parties held a sit-in near the Prime Ministry in solidarity with Palestine

Various events were held in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance in several cities across the Kingdom including Maan, Karak, Ramtha, Ajloun and Zarqa, the Jordan News agency, Petra, reported.

Protesters called for stiff international penalties against Israel and a united Arab stance in support of Palestine. 

They also commended Jordan’s support for the Palestinians and its efforts to safeguard holy sites in Jerusalem.

AMMAN — Authorities have foiled attempts to smuggle around 3 million pills believed to be narcotics to a neighboring country, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday.

Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) customs personnel on Friday, in cooperation with specialised security bodies, confiscated 1.5 million narcotic pills that were found hidden in a vehicle inspected near the border. 

Mahmoud Khleifat, ASEZA commissioner for revenues and customs, said this is one of the biggest operations foiled by the ASEZA customs, adding that the vehicle’s driver was referred to the judiciary, Petra reported.

In the second incident, Durra customs centre personnel foiled an attempt to smuggle 1.45 million pills which were believed to be drugs, Jordan Customs Department Spokesperson Fadi Qudah said Saturday. 

The personnel tracked the suspected smuggler, an Arab national, and found the pills hidden in his private car, while he was heading to a neighbouring country, Qudah said, adding that the case was referred to the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND), according to Petra.

Last month, Deputy Public Security Department Director for Criminal Investigation Affairs Maj. Gen. Tahsin Momani said 5,490 drug cases were registered in the first six months of 2015, 468 of which were related to trafficking, 36 related to addiction and 4,986 related to possession.

Senior drug officials disclosed figures last year stating that between May 31, 2013 and the end of May 2014, the department dealt with 7,713 illegal narcotic cases, including 712 cases of drug trafficking.

The number of arrested individuals during that period was 10,792, including 1,296 who are non-Jordanians, according to the figures.

Most of the seized drugs, according to AND figures, were destined to neighbouring countries such as Saudi Arabia, Israel, Lebanon and Egypt.

The majority of the seized illegal narcotics are not for local consumption; they are destined for neighbouring countries such as illegal pills, which are worth between JD7 to JD10 per pill there, a senior AND official said in previous remarks to The Jordan Times.

AMMAN – Egyptians residing in the Kingdom headed to their embassy on Saturday to cast their votes for their country’s first parliamentary elections since the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. 

Egypt’s state-run news agency MENA says embassies and consulates in 139 countries will be open for two days of voting, according to The Associated Press.

Egyptian Ambassador to Jordan Khaled Tharwat described the elections as the third step on the path towards a bright future for Egypt.

“The parliamentary elections are the third step in the roadmap after the revolution… all segments of society met to put [together] a roadmap that consisted of the constitution, the presidential elections and, finally, the parliamentary elections,” he told The Jordan Times at the embassy. 

The Egyptian diplomat said the coming parliament will have more power and authority than it has had in the past. 

Tharwat predicted that many Egyptians will flock to the embassy to vote. 

“Nationals register at the embassy and staff members check whether they are eligible to vote or not. Not all citizens are eligible to cast their votes… the ones who can are the ones who have a national ID or computerised passports,” he added.    

Tharwat also said Egyptians have to prove they live abroad.

Egyptians interviewed by The Jordan Times expressed hope that the parliamentary elections will be a positive step in the future of their country. 

Um Khaled, who spoke to The Jordan Times as she was waiting her turn outside the embassy, said she wanted her country to be more organised, calling on the candidates to support Egypt’s social sector more. 

Hussein Abdulaal Abdul Aziz, who has been in Jordan for 17 years, said he went to the embassy to cast his vote as a show of support for Egypt. 

“I came here in support for the government and I want Egypt to stand on its feet. I hope that the parliament will rectify the negative points that existed in the past,” he added.  

Rajab Ismail, another voter who has been residing in the capital for 20 years, described the elections as “important”. 

“I want a good parliament that speaks on behalf of myself and all Egyptians. Once parliament is formed, all aspects of life including the social and economic ones will improve,” he added.  

In Egypt, the vote will be staggered, with polling in half of the governorates set to start Sunday. 

The election will take place in two phases, concluding in early December, according to AP.

AMMAN — Jordan unveiled the world’s longest Slip and Slide, a type of water slide frequented in amusement parks, at the Dead Sea area on Friday.

Guinness World Records representatives confirmed that the 611-metre slide was the longest in the world, according to a statement from developers Monaco Business Development and Ziyad Mazzawi Corporation. 

It surpassed a 602-metre slide at Action Park in the US state of New Jersey.

Speaking at a ceremony to announce the achievement, Tourism Minister Nayef Al Fayez said Jordan offers a variety of activities for visitors, thanking the organisers behind the world’s largest Slip and Slide for their efforts to promote the Kingdom as a tourist destination, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Mona Naffa, president of Monaco Business Development and director of the Slide Jordan project, said in a statement from the organisers that the slide “truly highlights Jordan as a family fun destination”.

“We want the world to know that life in Jordan is filled with joy and innovation,” she added.

The slide was manufactured in Jordan and backed by sponsors such as Orange Jordan and the Jordanian sports brand TOL Clothing. 

Monaco Business Development and Ziyad Mazzawi Corporation have previously been recognised for creating the largest floating human image in the world on October 30, 2014, also at the Dead Sea. 

Jordan is seeking to boost tourism after the number of visitors fell by 15.4 per cent in the first six months of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. 

The government’s initiatives have included an increased budget for the Jordan Tourism Board, a single entry pass covering numerous tourist sites, and marketing campaigns targeting several European countries.