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FM condoles Turkish, Syrian counterparts over earthquake victims

Amman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs Ayman Safadi on Monday made separate phone calls to his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad to offer the Kingdom’s condolences over the victims of an earthquake that hit several areas in Turkiye and Syria.

Safadi underscored the Kingdom’s full solidarity with the two countries in the face of the ramifications of the earthquake, adding that His Majesty King Abdullah II has given directives to send immediate aid to the two countries to assist in relief and rescue efforts.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

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Jordan observatory picks up secondary 7.5-magnitude earthquake in Turkiye

Amman, The Jordanian Seismological Observatory at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources recorded Monday a secondary 7.5 magnitude earthquake south of Turkiye.

President of the observatory Ghassan Sweidan said that the earthquake, recorded at 1:25 p.m. Amman time, occurred nearly 685 kilometers away from the capital at a depth of 10 kilometers.

Meanwhile, official Turkish and Syrian sources said that the death toll from the first earthquake, which occurred at dawn, is at 1,283, and the number of people injured in the two countries has risen to 6,472.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

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Jordan’s textile exports up 20pct in Jan-Nov of 2022

Amman, Jordan’s textile exports increased during January-November 2022, by $338.4 million, with a growth rate of 20.2 percent, compared to the figure reported in the same period of 2021, according to representative of the leather and textile sector in the Jordan Chamber of Industry, Ehab Qadri.

In a statement on Monday, Qadri said that the growth rate is higher than the expected average annual growth rate stipulated in the Economic Modernization Vision, which was predicted to be about 12 percent annually.

The growth, he indicated, was driven by the efforts exerted to enhance the national products’ access to many global markets, most notably the United States, the biggest importer of Jordanian garment, accounting for, on average, more than 85 percent of the Kingdom’s total garment exports.

According to the International Trade Center’s Export Potential Map the garment sector has untapped export opportunities to many global markets estimated at about $550 million, Qadri pointed out, stressing that the sector is capable of raising its actual exports much higher than the current amount. An opinion supported by the sector’s exports during the current difficult circumstances that the global economy is suffering from, including the lack of global demand as a result of inflation, and the turmoil of some global markets, in addition to the high costs of production such as raw materials, energy prices, freight and transportation costs.

He pointed out that it is possible to increase exports if the difficulties facing the sector’s products are overcome, stressing that the recent opening of a direct maritime line between Jordan and the United States will be a major driver to that end by saving time, effort and cost.

Qadri also called for the need to work in a participatory approach between the public and private sectors and to follow up closely on the national strategies to ensure the implementation of initiatives and strategies.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

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Jordanians mark passing of King Hussein

Amman, Tuesday marks the 24th anniversary of the death of His Majesty King Hussein, who passed away at the age of 63 on February 7, 1999, after a battle with cancer.

His Majesty King Abdullah II was proclaimed King on the same day.

The eldest son of King Talal and Queen Zein Al Sharaf, the late King Hussein was born on November 14, 1935.

He attended the Islamic Scientific College before enrolling at Alexandria’s Victoria College. He enrolled at Harrow College in England in 1951 before attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England, where he graduated in 1953.

On August 11, 1952, King Hussein was proclaimed King of Jordan, and a Regency Council was appointed until his formal Accession to the Throne on May 2, 1953, when he assumed constitutional powers at the age of 18.

On this day, Jordanians honor the memory of His Majesty Late King Hussein, a great and an exceptional leader who dedicated himself to serving his country, his people, and his nation, and laying the foundation for modern Jordan during his 47-year reign.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

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Jordan hosts global video game development event

Amman, The Jordan Gaming Lab, a project by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development, hosted a free video game development event that tours the world to attract enthusiasts to design games based on a secret theme.

The Global Game Jam (GGJ), which went on for 48 hours at the Lab’s branches in Amman, Zarqa, and Aqaba, lured 107 participants, where 16 Jordan-made games were uploaded to GGJ’s website, according to a statement by the Lab.

During the event, participants design a video game based on a theme revealed at the opening ceremony. The Lab said it provided all programs needed to develop video games.

The challenge allows participants to get hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies while also learning about video game development and launch from a diverse group of professional game designers from all over the world.

The Jordan Gaming Lab, established in 2011, seeks to bolster the Jordanian video games industry, educate on its importance among the new generation, and interconnect those interested in this field.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

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GAM on high alert as wet depression affects Kingdom Monday

Amman, The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) declared a state of extreme emergency, starting Monday morning, to deal with the expected air depression that is forecast to bring heavy rain and strong winds, according to weather prediction centers.

GAM Spokesperson Naser Rahamneh stressed that the municipality is fully ready around the clock to deal with such weather conditions, urging the public to exercise caution and to contact the unified call center numbers (102 and 117180) in case of weather-related emergencies or observations.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

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Irbid building collapse kills construction worker

Irbid, A 47-year-old construction worker was killed on Monday after an under-construction warehouse building collapsed in the al-Rafid area of the Bani Kinana district, north of Irbid.

Governor of the Bani Kinana district Abdul Rahman al-Rababa’a told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that the Civil Defense Department’s personnel rushed to the scene, extracted the man from under the rubble and attempted to resuscitate him to no avail.

The body, he added, was transferred to the forensic medicine center in the northern region, and an investigation into the incident is underway.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

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King receives cables on 24th anniversary of assumption of constitutional powers

Amman, His Majesty King Abdullah has received cables marking the 24th anniversary of his assumption of constitutional powers, which falls on Tuesday, 7 February.

The cables’ senders senior officials and officers, and representatives of civil society organisations paid tribute to His Majesty the late King Hussein, and highlighted Jordan’s progress under King Abdullah’s leadership.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

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JFDA inspects over 11K Zarqa-based facilities in 2022

Amman, The Jordan Food and Drug Administration’s (JFDA) monitoring and inspection teams in the Zarqa governorate have carried out 11,537 inspections in 2022, disposing of nearly 119 tons of foodstuffs that violate health standards.

In a statement on Monday, the General Director of the JFDA Nizar Muhaidat revealed that in 2022 the inspection teams shut down 65 facilities and gave a warning to 5,248 others, while 194 owners were referred to the Public Prosecutor, who will take the appropriate legal measures against them.

On a monthly level, the JFDA’s Zarqa inspection teams shut down 40 facilities and gave a warning to 551 others in January 2023 for violating the JFDA’s health requirements and standards.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY