Amman - Jordanian Islamists and unionists plan to dispatch a boat on December 25 with medical aid to break the siege imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip, a spokesman for the organizers, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), said Thursday.

A letter was sent to the government on Wednesday listing the names of activists, MPs and trade unionists who agreed to be on board the ship, which is due to sail from the Red Sea port of Aqaba, said Rhayyel Ghraibeh, IAF Deputy Secretary General, head of the voyage's organizing committee.

Amman  - Jordanian lawmakers observed a minute's silence in a show of support for Iraqi reporter Montazer al-Zaidi who hurled his shoes at US President George W Bush during a press conference in Baghdad earlier this week, local newspapers reported Thursday.

The move came in response to a proposal by the Deputy Speaker Tayseer Shdeifat, who also urged the lower chamber to issue a statement demanding his release.

"Zaidi will remain a symbol of defending Arab dignity which (Bush) vanquished in 2003," by invading Iraq, pro-government member of parliament Najeh Momani said.

Amman  - Jordan and Egypt on Wednesday signed 23 agreements and memoranda of understanding to boost bilateral cooperation in commercial, investment, manpower, educational and information spheres.

The signing of the accords came at the end of an annual meeting of the Higher Jordanian-Egyptian Commission, which is co-chaired by the prime ministers of the two countries.

Amman - Jordanians appeared split over the possibility that the election of Barack Obama as new US president will lead to a "change" in the US Middle East policy, according to an opinion poll published Tuesday.

The survey conducted by the Centre of Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan showed that only 43 per cent of the national sample believed Obama's election would "change" the US policy in the region, compared with 57 per cent who said they did not expect such a shift.

Amman - Engineers working for the Iraqi Electricity Ministry will start receiving their training from Jordan's National Electricity Co (NEC), the company announced Sunday.

Under the agreement, the NEC agrees with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) to train the Iraqi engineers, NEC Director General Ahmad Hiyasat said.

"The agreement, which goes into effect early in 2009, provides for training Iraqi cadres to set up a system for the maintenance of power stations, transport lines and transformation stations," Hiyasat said.

Amman - Lebanese President Michel Suleiman arrived in Amman Sunday for a two-day state visit, the first to Jordan by a Lebanese head of state in nine years.