Day: April 7, 2025

Amman: Ahmad Mahmoud Al-Omari, a graduate of the Computer Science Department at the Faculty of Information Technology at Yarmouk University, has won the “Computer Engineering Graduation Research Award” for his work in artificial intelligence (AI), which was ranked the second-best research project across U.S. universities.

According to Jordan News Agency, Al-Omari’s award-winning research involves the design of a smart algorithm that integrates AI and quantum physics to create high-efficiency sensors for data collection within computers.

Al-Omari is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in computer engineering at Cleveland State University in the United States, specializing in quantum machine learning. To date, he has seven published scientific papers in this cutting-edge field.

Amman: Director General of the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Khaled Abu Hammour, recently met with Hassan Machlab, Country Manager of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) for Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine, to discuss enhancing collaboration to develop the national seed bank and promote sustainable agricultural production.

According to Jordan News Agency, Abu Hammour emphasized the importance of expanding research cooperation by drafting proposals for scientific projects across various agricultural disciplines, particularly in dryland areas. He underlined the critical role of the national seed bank as a strategic asset for conserving plant genetic resources.

He noted that ICARDA is one of NARC’s key strategic partners, with several pioneering joint research projects having contributed to the development of the agricultural sector.

Machlab praised NARC’s efforts in implementing research initiatives, highlighting the potential of the national seed bank to serve as a regional hub for genetic resource conservation, in coordination with ICARDA’s own seed bank.

During the visit, Machlab toured the national seed bank’s facilities, where experts provided an overview of the bank’s preservation methods and its role in supporting scientific research and bolstering food security.

Amman: Interior Minister Mazen Farraya recently visited the King Hussein Bridge crossing, the sole gateway for Palestinians in the West Bank to access Jordan and subsequently travel to other destinations globally. This crossing facilitates a significant amount of two-way traffic, managing nearly two million passengers each year. Security and customs authorities are making exceptional efforts to facilitate passenger movement and ensure the smooth flow of goods.

According to Jordan News Agency, Farraya announced that the government is implementing a comprehensive plan to upgrade the crossing’s infrastructure. The plan includes improvements to the road network, expansion of cargo areas, construction of designated public transport parking, and relocation of the duty-free market to a more suitable location. He noted that arrival and departure lounges have already seen improvements, and new measures aimed at enhancing the work environment and improving baggage handling operations within the terminal will be introduced in the coming weeks.

Cairo: Jordanian and Egyptian positions on the Palestinian issue were reaffirmed with French backing during the recent trilateral summit in Cairo, signaling Europe’s growing recognition of the critical roles Amman and Cairo play in regional stability, political analysts and academics said.

According to Jordan News Agency, the summit, which brought together His Majesty King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and French President Emmanuel Macron, came at a pivotal moment, particularly in light of developments in Gaza and France’s active involvement at the European level, they told the Jordan News Agency (Petra).

They stressed the importance of the leaders’ joint call to mobilize international support for Gaza’s reconstruction, reject the displacement of Palestinians, oppose any attempts to annex Palestinian land, and uphold the historical and legal status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites.

Zuhair Abu Faris, deputy speaker of the Senate, said the summit continues King Abdullah’s diplomatic efforts to end the war on Gaza, including his recent engagements in Europe, where he stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

Abu Faris underscored the importance of France’s participation in the summit, describing Paris as a key European and international player. He said the summit also reflected the King’s ongoing drive to rally global public opinion and pressure Israel to halt its military campaign in Gaza and the West Bank while reviving prospects for a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

He highlighted the pivotal Jordanian-Egyptian alignment on the Palestinian file, noting that their unified stance played a key role in thwarting Israeli plans for the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza-a move widely viewed as a precursor to a similar scheme in the West Bank.

Abu Faris also pointed to the recent remarks by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during King Abdullah’s visit to Berlin, reaffirming the importance of the Hashemite Custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem-an issue also echoed in the summit’s final communique.

Former Agriculture Minister Reda Khwaldeh said the summit reflects ongoing Jordanian-Egyptian coordination since the start of the Gaza war, underpinned by both nations’ historic roles in championing the Palestinian cause.

He noted that the summit’s significance lies in its clear reiteration of Jordanian and Egyptian principles, now with French endorsement, which sends a unified message to Europe.

In light of Washington’s diminished role in mediating a ceasefire, Khwaldeh said the summit highlighted the need for a cohesive European front to support the Arab position, apply pressure on the United States, ensure the flow of humanitarian aid, reject displacement policies, and advance a peaceful resolution based on the two-state framework.

He added that France has repeatedly affirmed its support for Jordanian and Egyptian stances on Palestine, and the summit may serve as the starting point for greater European alignment with Arab priorities in the region.

Cairo: A recent trilateral summit in Cairo, involving France, Jordan, and Egypt, emphasized a unified approach toward the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the broader Palestinian cause.

According to Jordan News Agency, this summit showcased the increasing recognition by France and other European nations of the crucial roles Jordan and Egypt play in regional affairs, especially concerning the Palestinian issue. Al-Hareth Al-Halalemah, a professor of political science at Zarqa University, noted that the summit demonstrated Europe’s ethical commitment to the Palestinian people. French President Emmanuel Macron’s collaboration with Jordan and Egypt is seen as both realistic and practical, as evidenced by his previous support for Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan, which opposes forced displacement and supports Palestinians’ right to stay on their land.

Al-Halalemah further highlighted France’s participation in humanitarian airdrops over Gaza alongside Jordan, illustrating a shared commitment to crisis alleviation. Macron’s presence at the summit reflects Europe’s desire for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid delivery, and empowering the Palestinian Authority to fulfill its governance and humanitarian roles. France’s awareness of Israeli right-wing efforts to annex parts of the West Bank and alter Jerusalem’s holy sites’ status quo underscores the significance of the summit.

Political affairs expert Areej Jabr described the summit as a comprehensive and objective engagement with the Gaza and West Bank situation. Speaking to Petra, she emphasized that French involvement indicates European support for Jordanian and Egyptian positions and the urgency of advancing the Arab vision to end Gaza’s bloodshed. The summit leaders called for reopening border crossings for humanitarian and medical aid and stressed the importance of providing essentials to rebuild Gaza’s homes and hospitals, advocating for diplomatic solutions to ensure Palestinian rights under international law.

Osama Tleilan, an academic and political analyst, remarked on the summit’s timing amid sensitive ground conditions, highlighting French support’s strong signal across Europe. Speaking to Petra, he noted that Jordan and Egypt have maintained a unified stance from the conflict’s onset, with Jordan actively supporting Egypt’s efforts and working to expand Arab consensus on Gaza. He emphasized Jordan’s early call for a ceasefire and continuous advocacy for restoring order and security in Palestinian territories.

The summit, Tleilan stressed, reaffirmed the rejection of any plans for Palestinian displacement, and the calls for aid resumption, ceasefire, and reconstruction revival are strategic measures to prevent displacement plans and ensure Palestinian presence.

Amman: The Jordan Center for Disease Control (JCDC) marked World Health Day under the theme “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures”, reaffirming its commitment to improving maternal and newborn health across the kingdom.

According to Jordan News Agency, the JCDC highlighted that World Health Day, observed annually on April 7 since 1950 by the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to spotlight critical public health issues with this year’s emphasis on mothers and newborns. JCDC President Adel Bilbeisi said the occasion serves as an opportunity to reaffirm national efforts to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in Jordan. Despite a decline in the maternal mortality rate to 23.7 per 100,000 live births, both communicable and non-communicable diseases remain significant challenges.

He cited WHO data showing that nearly one woman dies every two minutes from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications, with global maternal deaths reaching 287,000 annually as of 2023. Bilbeisi referenced several government-led assessments of maternal and newborn health in Jordan, particularly in relation to communicable and non-communicable diseases. These studies, including the 2023 National Maternal Mortality Report, are informing a national action plan to curb such diseases and advance progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

He noted that maternal health in Jordan has improved significantly in recent years, with the 2023 maternal mortality rate dropping from 28 per 100,000 live births in 2022, the lowest figure in six years. However, non-communicable diseases pose an ongoing concern. Data show that 32% of maternal deaths were due to indirect causes, primarily circulatory system diseases and cancers (accounting for 20%). Moreover, 53.7% of the women who died suffered from anemia, with an average hemoglobin level of 10.5 g/dL, compared to 11.5 g/dL among the general pregnant population, underscoring the need for targeted nutritional interventions.

While 86% of pregnant women received at least four antenatal care visits, women who died had fewer checkups, averaging 5.3 visits compared to 6.8 among the broader group, indicating a need to strengthen early detection of infections and chronic conditions. On neonatal health, Jordan recorded a newborn mortality rate of 11.5 per 1,000 live births in 2022 and an under-five mortality rate of 14.2 per 1,000. Immunization coverage reached 97%, demonstrating the success of national vaccination programs in preventing communicable diseases among children.

Bilbeisi outlined a number of recommendations issued by the JCDC to bolster maternal and newborn health from a disease control standpoint. These include enhancing infection prevention in hospitals through strict sterilization protocols, training healthcare personnel in managing postpartum infections, and expanding early screening for conditions like anemia and gestational diabetes. He also called for iron supplementation programs and improved maternal nutrition, as well as efforts to curb excessive cesarean deliveries by establishing national surgical intervention guidelines to reduce infection risks.