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AMMAN — The Centre for Defending the Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) on Thursday launched an online campaign to raise awareness of  the right of society and media personnel to access to information.

Titled “I have the right to know,” the campaign aims at bolstering efforts to put the Access to Information Law to test and promote it as a tool for political participation and monitoring the performance of public agencies, according to a CDFJ statement.

AMMAN — The general union for workers in the electricity sector on Thursday threatened to observe a strike on May 14 if the Jordan Electric Power Company administration does not respond to employees’ demand for an increase in salaries.

The union said in a statement that the workers want to reach a settlement that is in both parties’ interests.

 The union said employees want occupational hazard allowances and JD50 added to their basic salary to cover the increasing costs of living, among other demands.

The strike will be held in accordance with the Labour Law, the union added.

AMMAN — Members of the Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party and family members of Jordanian and Palestinian prisoners in Israel staged a sit-in on Thursday in front of the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation, demanding their release.

Participants presented a petition to Catherine Gendre, head of the ICRC delegation in Amman, demanding more efforts to identify the “real situation” of the prisons.

The number of Jordanian and Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails amounts to around 5,000, including around 230 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18.

Also on Thursday, the Families of Jordanian Prisoners in Israel Society called for an end to “inhumane” Israeli practices against prisoners.

In a statement issued to commemorate the Palestinian Prisoner Day, observed annually on April 17, the society said around 205 prisoners in Israel have died due to ill-treatment, torture and negligence.

AMMAN — A teacher on Thursday found the body of a student, identified as Huthaifah Abu Zreiq, lying on the ground some 50 metres away from his school in Northern Shuneh, according to a statement from the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA).

As soon as the teacher informed the school administration, Civil Defence Department personnel arrived at the scene, but the 11th grader was already dead, the JTA said.

Police are currently investigating the incident to determine the cause of death, the statement added.

AMMAN — More than 800 journalists have settled their annual fees to be eligible to take part in the Jordan Press Association (JPA) elections later this month.

Of the association’s 1,058 members, 832 have paid their fees to the syndicate, JPA Director Fakhri Abu Hamda told The Jordan Times on Thursday.

He said a total of three journalists have registered to run for the presidency of the association.

A total of 21 others have registered to run for the JPA council, Abu Hamda added, noting that 10 will be elected as council members.

Those wishing to run for the post of president or council members have until April 22 to register, he said.

The elections will be held on April 25 to select the president and council members who will serve a three-year term, Abu Hamda added.

The association was established in 1953.

AMMAN — Public Security Department (PSD) Director Gen.

Tawfiq Tawalbeh on Thursday inaugurated the Northern Aqaba Police Station.

Tawalbeh stressed that the PSD seeks to provide citizens with the best police services in all regions of the Kingdom.

AMMAN — Border guards have received 716 Syrian refugees over the past 48 hours, a Jordan Armed Forces official said on Thursday.

Children, women and the elderly represented the majority of arrivals, who crossed through illegal points along the 376-kilometre border with Syria.

First aid was administered to those who needed immediate assistance, while patients with critical medical conditions were taken to the nearest hospitals.

Arrangements were made to transfer the refugees to the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Mafraq.

AMMAN — Parliament on Thursday endorsed the State Security Court (SSC) Law after both chambers agreed to remove an addition made by the Lower House to the law, excluding “acts of resistance” against Israel from the bill’s jurisdiction.

During their Thursday joint session, convened to resolve their dispute over two draft bills (the other is the illicit fortune law), the MPs accepted the argument of the senators and Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, who said that such an addition would suggest that resistance is actually a crime.

“Occupation is the crime and not resisting it,” the premier said in his remarks during the session.

Veteran MP and jurist Abdul Karim Dughmi agreed, saying he had second thoughts after he listened to the explanation. 

He noted that there is no provision in Jordanian laws that prohibts resistance against occupation.  

The Upper House has recommended that the government submit a draft anti-terrorism law that specifies the crimes falling under the category of terrorism, suggesting that the “resistance” issue can be discussed in that context. 

The amended SSC Law limits the jurisdiction of the court to five crimes specified in the Constitution: treason, espionage, terrorism, drugs and money counterfeiting.

Meanwhile, the Parliament could not reach a final decision over their dispute in connection to the draft illicit fortune law, after discovering a typing mistake in the joint session’s agenda.

However, the two chambers resolved one of their disputes when they both agreed to name the draft bill as the “illicit fortune law” avoiding the use of “How did you earn it [fortune]?”, which is a cliché Arabic pharse use to express doubts over the sources of money and assets.

The Senate rejected the tag as “unnecessary”.

Last year, MPs rejected the Senate’s amendments to the bill, insisting on their decision to annul the anti-illicit fortune department at the Justice Ministry and vesting its responsibilities in a judicial commission to be established for this purpose and function under the Judicial Council.

The new commission must be independent and include three judges as members, along with technocrats, the House argued.

Parliament will meet for another joint session next week to reach a final decision over this draft bill.

Chairperson of the joint meeting, Abdur-Ra’uf S. Rawabdeh, said the draft law in question must be finalised before the end of the current parliamentary session early next month.

Parliamentary sources and observers say it is very likely that His Majesty King Abdullah will summon Parliament to convene for an extraordinary session to discuss and endorse reform-related bills. 

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Thursday urged China to cooperate with regional partners in the construction of the planned cross-border railway, along with other projects on the drawing board in vital sectors. 

During a meeting with a delegation representing the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Ensour said that China’s interest in the railway project on the ancient “Silk Road”, which connected China and the Levant, would enhance political and trade ties between Beijing and the region. 

The premier highlighted available opportunities for cooperation and investment in the Kingdom in other fields as well, such as renewable energy and higher education, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

He noted that Jordanian-Chinese ties had developed significantly during the recent years in terms of strategic cooperation. 

He cited a recent visit paid by a Jordanian delegation from the planning and trade ministries to China. 

Ensour also outlined Jordan’s reform plan and achievements made in this regard. 

He also reviewed with the visiting delegates regional issues, commending China’s support for the Palestinian and Arab causes. 

Also on Thursday, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh met with the delegation and highlighted challenges facing the Kingdom as a result of regional instability and the influx of Syrian refugees. 

Talks also covered bilateral ties and prospects for further cooperation, Petra reported. 

Tarawneh noted that the trade volume between the two countries is in favour of China, according to Petra.  

AMMAN — Some 30 volunteers gathered to clean the Shmeisani area earlier this week as part of “Be Their Assistance” initiative, which aims to support sanitation workers.

Organised by Creative Care nonprofit organisation, the initiative took place for the first time on April 5 in Sweileh, and it seeks to target different areas in Amman. 

“Everyone wants to change things for the best, and real change always comes when you start it yourself. We are part of this society so we have to see and feel what its needs are,” initiative founder Eman Jaber told The Jordan Times. 

“One day a friend of mine, Basel Saeed, came to me complaining that he saw a guy picking on a street cleaner, and this is where the idea of this initiative came from, so we started to plan for the event right away,” the 25-year-old added.

“Our charity work is supported by the community. Their free time is all we ask for. Also, the Greater Amman Municipality has been such a big help with this initiative, giving us ideas and providing us with cleaners’ uniforms,” Jaber said. 

According to organisers, the campaign uses social media to announce activities and spread the word.

“Our main goal is to highlight the vital role sanitation workers play in our society, and also to help keep our cities clean and healthy. We hope that such initiatives can help others see that as well,” said Jaber, who works as a 3D artist in a production company. 

“Our vision aims to change the way people think about volunteering. It does not always have to be by collecting and giving money. We believe that giving time and effort is also important and can make a difference,” she said. 

Ala Kazkaz, one of the volunteers, pointed out that each and every member of the community should be responsible for keeping the streets clean one way or the other by — for example — not littering.   

“In the past couple of weeks we joined sanitation workers to help them clean Amman’s streets. These men should not be treated in a demeaning way because of their uniforms,” the 24-year-old said.  

For volunteer Sarah Abdel Haq, helping sanitation workers has been a new experience.

“Volunteering has always been fulfilling to me but this time it was totally different. The idea grabbed my attention as these workers have always been neglected and sometimes even humiliated. So we tried to give them back a bit of the respect and appreciation that they actually deserve,” she said.