Day: August 28, 2022

During its meeting on Sunday, the Lower House Freedom and Human Rights Committee, headed by MP Abdullah Abu Zeid, was briefed on role of the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND ) at Public Security Directorate (PSD) in countering drug abuse and trafficking cases and the mechanism followed by Jordan’s Department of Correction and Rehabilitation Centers (DCRCs) in dealing with sick inmates and hunger strikes.

Abu Zeid said the House panel supports all Jordanian security apparatuses to ensure citizens’ security and hailed AND’s efforts, which always seeks to combat this phenomenon and curb its spread at the Kingdom’s level.

Abu Zeid also stressed the need to pay “greater” attention to the quality of services provided to prison inmates, especially in the healthcare field.

Meanwhile, the committee’s members lauded security departments’ efforts to combat all forms of crime, especially drug trading and promotion.

The lawmakers also called on intensifying efforts to combat this phenomenon by expanding awareness activities in all Jordanian universities.

For his part, AND Director, Col. Hassan Qudah, said the latest statistics show that about 11,718 drug cases were seized, including 3,290 trafficking attempts.

The AND’s new mechanism to deal with drug trafficking cases seeks to reduce abuse incidents, he noted, referring to joint cooperation made by all security and military agencies to combat this phenomenon.

On the youth-oriented campaigns, he said 2,224 awareness activities have been carried out this year in this regard, mostly at universities and educational institutions.

For his part, DCRCs Director, Brigadier Gen. Ashraf Omari, said prisons have a capacity to house 13,282 inmates, distributed among 17 rehabilitation centres, adding that inmate number so far exceeded 20,000.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Agriculture Minister Khaled Huneifat Sunday affirmed his ministry’s interest in improving livestock veterinary as part of the national plan for sustainable agriculture.

During a meeting with the head of the Jordanian Veterinary Association, Dr Ahmed Dahiyat, Huneifat explained that the Ministry of Agriculture is keen to regulate the sector and organise it according to mechanisms and a roadmap, noting that it needs a permanent partnership with the Association.

He added that the ministry established a joint committee to review the instructions governing the livestock sector, noting that the committee would work to develop frameworks to protect the profession of the veterinarian, regulate the profession and veterinarian clinics and implement the law and instructions to maintain the quality of services provided to farmers.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) Sunday reported that they detained three drug dealers and pushers in Amman and Zarqa as part of a national campaign against illegal drugs.

An investigative team from AND had gathered information about two drug dealers in Zarqa. The investigative team located the suspects and raided the place where they hid the illegal drugs. They were placed in custody pending their trial.

In Amman, the police arrested a suspected drug dealer after they found illegal substances on him.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman Mayor Yousef Shawarbeh has decided to suspend the working hours for the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) field workers from 12 pm until 4 pm on Monday and Tuesday to avoid the heat of the sun as the country goes through a heatwave that peaks this week.

GAM would hand out head coverings and water to its field workers, according to the GAM media office.

It noted the need for field workers to wear protective headgear from the sun and to avoid working during peak hours and heat.

It added that the Municipality’s water tanks would spray water on main streets, especially downtown where it is the hottest.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman Mayor, Yousef Shawarbeh, on Sunday met with Mayor of Ramallah, Issa Kassis, on ties between the cities of Amman and Ramallah and the importance of enhancing cooperation between them.

The Palestinian delegation were briefed on the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM)’s 2022-2026 strategic plan and projects in the public transport system, traffic improvements, infrastructure, solid waste management, electronic transformation, planning, and community development.

“The GAM is committed to royal directives by providing all available capabilities and accumulated technical expertise to all Palestinian municipalities” Shawarbeh said.

He lauded efforts of Ramallah Municipality, which was able to build strong ties with international institutions, as well as its indicators of development in the provided services’ level.

The Mayor of Ramallah lauded as “strong and strategic” ties between Amman and Ramallah, and said both cities’ aspirations are linked in various fields of municipal, cultural and societal work, pointing out that the visit aims to exchange expertise between Amman and Ramallah.

Shawarbeh congratulated the mayor of Ramallah and the accompanying delegation on their recent municipal elections win.

Over the next two days, both sides will to discuss cooperation and exchange of expertise in various aspects of the municipal work.

The delegation will present the Ramallah municipality’s tasks and directions in implementing projects that reflect the public interest, including the smart city, the green city, waste management, sanitation and infrastructure, as well as the cultural and societal aspect.

Source: Jordan News Agency

French utility Engie SA is closing in on an agreement with Algeria for an increase in imports of natural gas, a deal that could come after an official visit to the country by President Emmanuel Macron.

“Diplomatic negotiations are ongoing,” government spokesman Olivier Veran said Sunday on BFM TV, adding that an announcement could come shortly, according to France 24.

Europe 1 radio first reported on the possible accord that could raise deliveries by about 50%.

“There was a rapprochement during the visit,” Veran said. “During his visit, the French president stressed that France depends a little on gas for its energy needs, about 20 per cent, while Algeria represents 8 to 9 per cent in total.”

Source: Jordan News Agency

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Sunday reaffirmed Berlin’s support for Ukraine “as long as necessary”, warning that the conflict (with Russia) “could go on for years.”

“Unfortunately, we have to assume that Ukraine will still need new heavy weapons from its friends next summer,” DW cited Baerbock in an interwiew with Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

Baerbock also categorically rejected demands made by some politicians

in Germany for Berlin to approve the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline to allow for more Russian gas deliveries.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Deir Alla, town in Balqa Governorate northwest of Amman, on Sunday recorded the highest temperature at 46.2 degrees Celsius, while the Aqaba Governorate, southern Jordan, recorded 45.2 degrees Celsius.

The Capital Governorate recorded 40.5 degrees Celsius at the Amman Airport monitoring station, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said Sunday evening in a statement.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has called for rationalizing energy consumption after the electric load reached 3,580 megawatts on Saturday evening, up from 3,020 megawatts in the morning.

The current summer season’s highest electricity load was 3,400 megawatts, while the highest load ever recorded in the Kingdom was 4,010 megawatts last January, according to the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO).

According to the company’s data, the amount of energy generated from traditional sources edged down by 0.6 percent from 4,000 megawatts in 2020 to 3,977 megawatts in 2021. In contrast, the share of renewables increased from 1,424 megawatts in 2020 to 1,579 megawatts in 2021, an increase of 10.9 percent.

The ministry issued an energy conservation and rationalization guide, recommending that windows and curtains be closed to keep out hot air and sunlight, and that air conditioner filters be cleaned, especially during the summer, when the electric load is at its peak.

Source: Jordan News Agency