Day: July 14, 2022

Aqaba, July 14 (Petra) — A joint operation between the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and OceanX, an American non-profit initiative, brought together 16 researchers from 6 Jordanian universities to participate in global scientific expeditions in the Gulf of Aqaba.

The first expedition began on Thursday morning with the goal of promoting Jordanian tourism and protecting the marine environment. For the first time in Jordan, approximately 20 research projects will be carried out using cutting-edge technologies such as hydrographic surveying to study coral species, seagrass, marine organisms, and genetics, as well as document and publish the findings.

Researchers participating in the expedition said augmented virtual reality and artificial intelligence technologies will be leveraged for the documentation process, which will use high-tech photography as the ship accesses an unreached depth of 800 meters. The footage will be sent to a laboratory to be shared with thousands of students.

Ali Sawalmih, Director of the Marine Science Station (MSS), said this cooperation is the fruit of royal interest to highlight Aqaba’s gulf and establish a marine reserve, noting that this expedition is an opportunity for Jordanian researchers to publish their work locally and globally.

The most important part of the research is the genetic features of corals responsible for climate change resistance, as well as the effect of climate change on marine species, Sawalmih added

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman, July 14 (Petra)- The Anti-Vagrancy Department arrested 197 beggars during Eid al-Adha vacation, according to Assistant Secretary-General of the Ministry of Social Development, Mahmoud Jabour.

During the department’s campaigns, he said 46 male and 56 female beggars were arrested, in addition to 54 and 41 male and female juveniles, respectively.

In an interview to “Petra” on Thursday, he noted the ministry is “working hard” to reduce this phenomenon and has strengthened its effort by intensifying joint campaigns, in cooperation with Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) and the Public Security Directorate (PSD).

This effort is also supported by enhancing societal awareness on the phenomenon’s causes and effects, he pointed out.

Stiffening penalties for the begging crime, per the amended Article 389 of Penal Code No. 10 of 2022, will contribute to reducing the beggars’ numbers and mitigating phenomenon’s negative effects, as the article has been in force since the first of this July, he said.

In this regard, penalty was raised to a 1-year jail instead of 3- month term, while the forced labor sentence was raised to two years, while repeat offenders will now get an increased imprisonment for a period of no less than 6 months to a year, and discretionary mitigating reasons are excluded, he noted.

The citizen, he noted, is a partner to the concerned authorities in combating the phenomenon by raising the level of public awareness and reducing the begging rates at the society level.

Source: Jordan News Agency