JERUDONG International School pupils have raised more than $5000 dollars for the relief effort in Haiti. The pupils decided to donate the funds to Médecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors without Borders (Canada) whose staff were the first medical team on the front line providing emergency care. The recent earthquake in Haiti was a major natural disaster. Some .
AMMAN, Jan 30 (NNN-PETRA) — Jordan will Saturday mark the 48th birthday of King Abdullah II.
Born in Amman on Jan 30, 1962, King Abdullah is the eldest son of His Majesty the late King Hussein and Princess Muna.
King Abdullah got married to Queen Rania on June 10, 1993 and they have four children: Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem.
The King, since he ascended the Throne a decade ago, underlined the importance of building a modern Jordan based on equality and the sovereignty of law in a bid to raise the living standards of Jordanians and to achieve the desired economic development.
The Monarch, on the 10th anniversary of his coronation, told Jordanians that his vision for the future of the Kingdom focuses on investing in the Jordanian citizen, creating job opportunities for the youth and institutionalizing participation in the decision-making process, adding this insight takes decentralization in local governance, transparency, and accountability as its pillars.
The King’s vision for a prosperous and secure Jordan is a comprehensive modernist reform outlook.
” We are committed to reform emanating from our belief in its necessity to unleash the potentials of Jordanians, ” the King told London-based Hayat newspaper last November.
His Majesty is also keen to ensure a broader popular involvement in the decision-making process and this insight is outlined in his directives to the consecutive governments to accomplish the ambitious decentralization scheme.
Another top priority for His Majesty is the conducting of fair, transparent and neutral parliamentary election in a bid to create an effective Parliament capable of carrying out its duties in legislation and supervision to its utmost.
He also underlined the importance of supporting independence of the judiciary, enhancing the prevalence of law and combating all forms of corruption.
The King’s housing vision led to the emergence of “Decent Housing for Decent Living” initiative currently being implemented to provide relevant hosing for about 100,000 Jordanian families over the next years.
The King also made education a top priority.
The King’s outlook in this key field focuses on investing in the creative and entrepreneurial Jordanians through the implementation of the Educational Development Project, supporting higher education sector, preserving the independence of universities and boosting vocational training to create job opportunities.
To date, Jordan has 23 universities and the rate of illiteracy is 8 percent.
On the healthcare, the Monarch seeks to extend medical services to reach all segments of Jordanians countrywide and directed the government to expand health insurance umbrella to cover all citizens.
His Majesty was also keen to support Jordanian women and youth to enhance their participation in the political decision-making process and to map out plans and programs to empower them.
King Abdullah also made economic development a top priority.
Under Royal directives, Jordan worked to implement economic initiatives and to promote the role of the private sector to achieve sustainable economic development and to create job opportunities for Jordanians.
This policy helped to reduce indebtedness and to maintain high economic growth rate.
Jordan joined the World Trade Organization, signed free trade agreements with a number of Arab countries and the U.S. and inked partnership agreement with the European Union (EU).
Jordan’s exports rose and 95 percent of the privatization program was completed. Foreign investments stood at $2 billion per year over the past ten years.
In 2004, Jordan launched the Amman Message, which was approved by a number of Islamic conferences held in various world countries with the participation of Muslim scholars.
King Abdullah gave the media sector due attention “as a key pillar of national development process” and directed the government to take concrete steps to ensure freedom of expression and to give professional media outlets a chance to carry out their duties without obstacles.
He also stressed the importance of providing attention to women and children to protect them from all forms of violence and abuse and to adopt necessary legislations to achieve this desired goal.
His Majesty also made agriculture one of his top priorities as it is a basic pillar for economic and social development.
His Majesty gave utmost attention and care to the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) and was keen to improve living conditions of its personnel.
On the Palestinian issue, the King made it a top priority as the Palestinian cause is the core of conflict in the region.
The King continued his efforts at all arenas to achieve just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, that guarantees the establishment of a sovereign and viable Palestinian state on the Palestinian national soil according to the two-state solution.
Jordan, under his rule, exerts relentless efforts to protect Jerusalem and warns of Israel’s unilateral acts aimed to tamper with its holy sites.
The King also issued directives to provide relief aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip and to take necessary steps to provide treatment to the injured in Jordan. — NNN-PETRA
LIMA, Jan 30 (NNN-ANDINA) — The committed private investment in Peru until 2011 adds up to 45 billion USD, as reported by the head of the Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCR), Julio Velarde.
He said here friday that out of the total of the private investment between 2009 and 2011, 29 billion USD were already confirmed.
Velarde considered as improbable that the political risk affects the execution of the investments this year and trusted that in 2011 it will not have an important impact.
In addition, he forecast that the inflation would be around 2.0 per cent this year because of the reversion of foreign impacts.
?This year will be very good for the Peruvian economy since we have a better scenario, and 2011 will be good as well if the projections are maintained,? he explained. — NNN-ANDINA
QUITO, Jan 30 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — Tourism ministers and officials from member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) began a two-day meeting Friday in Quito to analyse joint tourist projects to boost regional atractions.
Tourism authorities from Ecuador, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and Bolivia are joining hands to establish a strategy to develop the industry and improve its services.
“We want to design a strategy to optimize tourist security and boost air and maritime (cruises) connectivity levels,” said Ecuadorian Minister Veronica Sion in highlighting projects like the Route of the Liberators.
“Based on the experience of Cuba and Venezuela, we also want to establish an institute to train tour operators,” the Ecuadorian official told Andes news agency.
A declaration with conclusions and agreements is expected to be signed at the end of the meeting on Saturday. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA
UUNITED NATIONS, Jan 30 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — The United Nations is seeking 700 million USD for the reactivation in Haiti of the agricultural sector, which was severely hit by the earthquake that struck that Caribbean nation on Jan 12.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) made that request on Friday, with the purpose of boosting agriculture and food production and at the same time creating job opportunities for the Haitian population.
FAO expert Javier Escobedo Urquizo recently visited Haiti and alerted that aqueduct systems were also severely hit by the earthquake.
According to the FAO expert, the rural areas and agriculture of the southern region of that country, specifically in Logane, were also destroyed by the earthquake, which left more than 170,000 people dead and 200,000 injured and millions homeless.
The FAO also sought 32 million USD for the acquisition of seeds, farming implements and fertilizers. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA
GHK MOTORS Sdn Bhd, being the franchise holder of the Chrysler range of vehicles, recently treated Chrysler owners to a special screening of the movie “Spy Next Door” at the Mall Cineplex — a movie featuring the latest model of the Chrysler Voyager. The Spy Next Door is a comedy film about Bob Ho played .
PARAMARIBO, SURINAME, Jan 30 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — The first Special Summit on Youth and Development of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) began here Friday with the focus on concrete solutions to the problems, challenges and threats faced by youth in the region.
The two-day forum gathers the leaders of CARICOM, officials and representatives of youth organizations of the area to analyze the results of a three year-old study on the situation of the new generations.
The investigation was carried out by former World Bank economist Jad Cavan, who interviewed about 6,000 young people about education, employment opportunities, access to public health, sexuality, delinquency, migration and politics.
Among other aspects, the document suggests that the adolescent pregnancy and the high rate of AIDS infected people could be the main social and economic challenges of the member countries of CARICOM.
It also concludes that the average of juvenile unemployment in the region is 23 per cent in comparison with 17 per cent in 75 developed and developing countries.
The summit will also co-ordinate a common strategy to help the people of Haiti before a possible massive exodus toward neighbouring nations after the disaster caused by the earthquake razing Port-au-Prince, the capital, and another three close cities two weeks ago. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA
CARACAS, Jan 30 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — The Venezuelan Public Ministry is investigating the use of students as spearheads to cause disturbances, a practice encouraged by radical opposition sectors.
The investigation follows a denunciation the Youth of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) presented at the Attorney’s Office, after violent incidents in different points of the country, including one that left two students dead in Merida state.
The attorney of the Caracas metropolitan area, Harvey Gutierrez, was named to head the inquiries.
The socialist youth on Thursday issued a release demanding the investigation, and the end of the media manipulation following those who are inciting violence.
According to PSUV Youth leader Carlos Sierra, traditional politicians, rectors of private universities, and anti-government media are behind the violent protests staged by students.
They are using students as cannon fodder. They try to cause death and disorder, he told Prensa Latina. They know they cannot defeat President Hugo Chavez in the polls, and resort to disturbances, he pointed out. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA
PORTO ALEGRE, NRAZIL, Jan 30 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — The World Social Forum (WSF) concluded on Friday in Porto Alegre, capital of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, after five days of debates under the slogan “10 years later: challenges and proposals for another possible world.”
The same Brazilian city which celebrated the first and other editions in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005 carried out about 500 activities to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Forum. The event also took place in India (2004), Venezuela (2006), Kenya (2007), several nations in 2008, and Belem (2009).
In addition of criticism against the expired neoliberal model and the international monetary system, participants in the event highlighted this week in Porto Alegre the need of protecting the environment and humanitarian aid to Haiti, whose capital was devastated by an earthquake on Jan 12, as well as the danger of a rightwing advance in Latin America.
Businessman Oded Grajew, the founder of the WSF, told the media that the proposal of another possible world is valid, created in comparison to the advance of neoliberalism, represented in the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
“More than ever another world is possible. The neoliberal model was booming 10 years ago, former Argentine President Carlos Menem was welcomed as a model to be followed. The political situation moved, mainly in Latin America. The Forum’s several frequenters are today in the governments,” Garjew stated.
In a special activity to celebrate the 10th anniversary, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva discussed this issue, and demanded wealthy nations to participate in global warming, so they are obliged to suspend emissions of carbon dioxide.
– NNN-PRENSA LATINA
QUITO, Jan 30 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — Deputy defence ministers of the Defense Council of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) have approved at their meeting in Manta, Ecuador, a special resolution to support the people in Haiti.
The meeting, which began on Thursday, concluded Friday with the adoption of procedures to implement confidence and security measures, to strengthen peace in the region.
The special resolution adopted to analyze the situation unleashed in Haiti, after an earthquake devastated that country on Jan 12, reiterated solidarity among the UNASUR member countries with the government and people of the Caribbean nation.
The document also regretted the death of more than 150,000 people, as well as officials from the United Nations and countries working in that country rescuing survivors and helping to alleviate effects of the quake.
Representatives from the 12 South American governments in UNASUR have also supported Haiti’s efforts to co-ordinate humanitarian assistance activities and established common guidelines and responsibilities for the reconstruction of that nation.
During his stay Friday in Port-au-Prince, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who is also pro tempore president of UNASUR, was expected to meet with his Haitian counterpart, Rene Preval, to convey the solidarity of the South American countries.
– NNN-PRENSA LATINA
