Category: General

Minister of State for Media Affairs, and government spokesperson, Sakher Dudin, patronized Monday the “Let’s Start Digital Media and Information Education 2021” teleconference, organized by the Irbid-based Protection of Family and Childhood Association (PFCA), in cooperation with the Deutsche Welle Academy.

In an opening speech, Dudin stressed the importance of promoting the concept of media and information literacy in light of the massive and ongoing development in communication technologies, and the large amount of information flowing through cyberspace, social networking sites and media.

This requires, he said, promoting an appropriate culture to deal technological advancements, enabling individuals to reject rumors, refuting fake news, and enhancing their critical thinking skills.

Individuals, he pointed out, obtain information mostly from social networking sites, saying: “These tools became the most influential on their thoughts and behaviors.” The state minister highlighted the need to promote awareness among the community on how to deal with them, and employ them positively to serve individuals and societies.

He pointed to His Majesty King Abdullah II’s vision for social media platforms to be “a voice for us and unprecedented opportunities for communication, through which we shed light on crucial issues and discuss them through a constructive dialogue.”

He also pointed out the importance of media and information education in training generations against many societal dangers, which are partly promoted by technological development and the spread of social networking sites, such as extremism, hatred, extortion, character assassination and other wrongdoings. He said such dangers, and means to address them, must be publicized.

He stressed the importance of media education in familiarizing individuals about laws and legislation to avoid certain illegal practices, such as abuse and defamation, which are often committed due to ignorance of laws.

Dudin lauded the efforts exerted by the organizers of this conference, noting that they are in line with the national efforts aimed at cementing the concept of media and information education skills to enhance awareness among individuals and serve society. He underscored the government’s commitment to partnering and cooperating with such creative initiatives to benefit the Jordanian society.

The opening session of the two-day conference included speeches by the President of the PFCA, Kazem al-Kafiri, Director of the Deutsche Welle Academy, Carsten von Nahmen, and the Head of the Culture and Media Department at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Leonie Lorenz.

The conference includes sessions and workshops presented by educators and teachers from different schools, certified trainers in the field of media and information education, supervisors of youth centers and representatives of youth civil society institutions from the Irbid Governorate.

The conference aims at cementing skills and interactive educational methods among workers in the educational and youth sectors in Irbid.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Israeli Ministry of Health on Monday reported that 30 new coronavirus fatalities and 6,456 infections were recorded during the last 24 hours.

A statement by the ministry said that the death toll has climbed to 7,541 since the outbreak of the pandemic, adding that the number of active cases reached 76,541 patients, of whom 1,109 are hospitalized, including 714 in critical conditions, while194 are on ventilators.

Israeli hospitals’ directors on Sunday revealed a severe shortage of beds and respirators in COVID departments.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday announced the appointment of Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, hailed Brown as a champion for galvanizing the world’s major economies to protect health and prevent future disease outbreaks.

“I am delighted and honored that Gordon Brown has agreed to serve as WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing. In this role, he will elevate and support WHO’s work to raise awareness internationally on the great need for sustained global health financing, particularly from G20 and G7 countries,” he said.

Brown, who served as Prime Minister of the UK from 2007 to 2010, said: “I have a tremendous personal regard for Dr Tedros with whom I first worked two decades ago, and I am delighted to be able to help his and WHO’s work raising global finance to ensure everyone has access to health,” adding ” Our immediate task is to work together to finance the vaccination of the whole world and protect the poorest countries from the terrible effects of COVID-19 and other diseases.”

Source: Jordan News Agency

The prices of oil derivatives in global markets have risen in the third week of September, according to data released on Monday by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

The ministry’s figures showed that the prices of 90-octane gasoline went up by 3 percent, going from $675.9 per ton in the second week to $696 in the third week, while the prices of 95-octane gasoline rose from $696.7 per ton to $716, an increase of 2.8 percent.

Diesel prices also increased by 3.1 percent going from $586.2 per ton to $604.1 while the prices of kerosene rose by 3.1 percent, from $613.1 per ton to $632.

The prices of liquefied gas for September went up by 1.3 per cent, going from $656.3 to $665 to per ton.

The Benchmark Brent crude prices rose in the third week of the current month, from $72.3 to $73.9 per barrel.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Civil Aviation Authority in Libya and Egypt have agreed to re-operate direct flights to Cairo International Airport by the end of this month.

The agreement was made after the recent visit of the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, to Egypt, during which several agreements were signed with the Egyptian side, including a memorandum of cooperation between the Ministry of Communications of the Government of National Unity and its Egyptian counterpart, according to the Libyan News Agency, which cited the media office of the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity as saying on Sunday.

The office indicated that the Civil Aviation Authority of both countries agreed to take the necessary measures to re-run direct flights between the airports (Mitiga- Misurata – Benina) and Cairo International Airport as of September 30.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

The Qatari Ministry of Health announced that 65 new confirmed cases of coronavirus were recorded Sunday.

In the past 24 hours, 173 people have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries across the country to 233,289, the ministry said in a statement.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Australia Sunday defended its decision to abandon a submarine deal with France and said Paris had knowledge about Canberra’s “deep and grave concerns” over the deal.

The Euronews network reported that Prime Minister Scott Morrison had told a press conference in Sydney that he understands France’s disappointment over Canberra’s decision to scrap the deal; nevertheless, he emphasised Australia seeks to advance its interests.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Kuwait is mulling over a new mechanism whereby people on business visits in the country would be able to turn their “business visit” visas into work permits.

The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported Sunday that Ahmad Musa, Director of the Public Authority for Manpower, said the mechanism would meet the needs of the market amid the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic economic fallout.

Musa said the mechanism would also make it easier for workers to change employment during the pandemic.

He said teachers who have come to the country under a business visit visa would be able to turn them into work permits ahead of the start of the new school year.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

The Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) Sunday struck two deals with the Abu Dhabi Ports Group to build a tourist port in Aqaba and develop a system that would link up all Aqaba ports.

The Group said in a statement the port would be their first in Jordan and the first tourist port outside of the UAE, saying it would offer a range of services.

The preliminary agreement, which was signed in Abu Dhabi, stipulates the Group would develop a system whereby all ports in Aqaba would be linked up in a single system to make it easier for port operators and different competent bodies to better coordinate amongst themselves.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Deputy Head of Truck Owners Syndicate (TOS), Nael Dhiabat, said the freight movement on the Jordanian-Iraqi borders is facing “a number of obstacles after nearly 80 Jordanian trucks entered Iraq,” according to a door-to-door delivery mechanism.

In a press statement to “Petra” on Sunday, he said 200 Jordanian oil trucks headed to the Jordanian-Iraqi borders, after obtaining Iraqi visas since Saturday evening.

The truckers are facing obstacles, most notably is the “high” cost of the PCR test to detect Covid-19 to JD45, which affects transportation costs of Jordanian and Iraqi trucks, failure to relieve jabbed truckers from conducting the test, in addition to the fees for the Land Transport Regulatory Commission (LTRC), according to Dhiabat.

Dhiabat also called on relieving Jordanian and Iraqi drivers, who have international certificates for taking the Covid-19 vaccine, from conducting the PCR test, reducing its cost, as well as vaccinating Iraqi drivers in Jordan and giving them a Jordanian certificate, which would speed up drivers’ entry and prevent stranding oil tanks at the borders.

Any additional fees imposed on Jordanian trucks heading to Iraq will “negatively” affect the shipping movement between the two countries, and goods prices, Dhiabat pointed out.

The TOS offered nearly 4,000 security clearance letters for truckers, to obtain Iraqi visas, he said, noting that the number of drivers who obtained visas stand at 400, he noted.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY