Jordanian FM visits Syria, promises more earthquake aid
February 15, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Jordan's foreign minister Tuesday met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, vowing to continue delivering earthquake aid and work to find a political solution to Syria's 12-year conflict, Syrian state media reported.
Arab leaders warn Israeli actions threaten regional turmoil
February 12, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Dozens of leaders and senior officials from Arab and Islamic countries warned on Sunday Israeli actions in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank could worsen regional turmoil, as violence surges between Israel and the Palestinians.
Netanyahu meets Jordan’s king in surprise trip amid tension
January 24, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a surprise trip to Jordan on Tuesday to meet with King Abdullah II for the first time in over four years, seeking to shore up ties that have strained since he took office at the helm of Israel's most right-wing government in history.
State media: Jordan’s ministers resign ahead of reshuffle
October 26, 2022 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Jordanian government ministers submitted their resignations to Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh on Wednesday ahead of an anticipated Cabinet reshuffle, the state-run Petra news agency reported.
Queen’s reign saw British leave Mideast with a mixed legacy
September 15, 2022 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The long reign of Queen Elizabeth II saw large swaths of the world cast off London's rule, but after her death a handful of British-installed monarchies still endure in the Middle East.
Israel’s interim leader meets Jordan’s king in Amman
July 27, 2022 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Israel's caretaker prime minister and Jordan's king met on Tuesday in the Jordanian capital Amman, both leaders' offices said.
A statement from the office of Israeli interim premier Yair Lapid said he and King Abdullah II discussed recent regional changes, an apparent reference to ties that have improved between Israel and several Arab nations in recent years.
Nearly 160 world leaders plan to attend UN September meeting
July 19, 2022 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — A very high number of heads of state and government -- 157 -- say they plan to attend September’s first totally in-person gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020.
Saudi crown prince visits Egypt ahead of Biden Mideast trip
June 20, 2022 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Cairo on Monday on the first leg of a Middle East tour that comes ahead of U.S.
Jordan offers to station firefighting aircraft in Cyprus
May 19, 2022 GMTNICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Jordan’s King Abdullah II has offered to station firefighting aircraft in Cyprus through the summer fire season, the Cypriot foreign minister said Monday.
Minister Ioannis Kasoulides thanked the Jordanian monarch following talks with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi.
Jordan king places ‘erratic’ half-brother under house arrest
May 19, 2022 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Jordan's king has gone public with a royal rift with his half-brother and formalized the former crown prince's house arrest, calling him “erratic” in an unprecedented harshly worded letter published Thursday.
Biden reaffirms Jordan’s role overseeing Temple Mount
May 13, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday reaffirmed his administration’s support for Jordan’s long-running role as the custodian of Muslim holy sites at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem following a meeting with King Abdullah II at the White House.
Jordan Palace says king to receive spine surgery in Germany
April 10, 2022 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan’s monarch is traveling to Germany Sunday for a spine surgery, Jordan’s palace announced Saturday.
King Abdullah II, 60, will undergo a surgery to treat “a herniated disk in the thoracic spine” at a hospital in Frankfurt next week, and will return home after a recovery period of one week.
Jordan prince drops title in protest over how country is run
April 3, 2022 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — An outspoken half-brother of Jordan's king relinquished his princely title Sunday in apparent protest over how the country is run. It was the latest chapter in an ongoing palace feud that saw the junior royal placed under house arrest a year ago.
Israel defense chief, Jordan’s king discuss Ramadan calm
March 29, 2022 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's defense minister met with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman on Tuesday in what both sides said was an effort to maintain calm in Jerusalem ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Israel to host top Arab diplomats during Blinken’s visit
March 25, 2022 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel said Friday it would host the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Bahrain during U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit early next week, in what would be the latest in a flurry of high-level meetings held across the Middle East.
Jordan’s king, Israeli FM meet to calm tensions in Jerusalem
March 10, 2022 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s foreign minister and Jordan’s king met in the Jordanian capital of Amman on Thursday in an effort to calm tensions in Jerusalem ahead of holy celebrations for Muslims, Christians and Jews.
Jordan says prince apologizes over last year’s palace feud
March 8, 2022 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The royal court in Jordan said Tuesday that the half-brother of King Abdullah II has apologized for his role in a rare palace feud last year and is seeking the king's forgiveness.
Israeli defense chief meets Jordanian king in reset of ties
January 5, 2022 GMTTEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel's defense minister met with the Jordanian king on Wednesday, both sides said, part of a reset of ties between the two countries.
According to Benny Gantz' office, the two discussed “security and policy topics.” Gantz “welcomed the expansion of relations between Jordan and the current Israeli government.”
Britain’s Prince Charles pays royal visit to Jordan
November 16, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Britain's Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, kicked off a three-day visit to Jordan on Tuesday aimed at cementing a century of relations between the allied countries. It is part of the first royal tour since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
UAE’s embrace of Syria could lead to more Arab overtures
November 10, 2021 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — A visit by the United Arab Emirates' top diplomat this week may have turned a page for Syria's embattled autocratic president, enabling more Arab countries to re-engage with Bashar Assad.
Jordan says King Abdullah met with Israeli Islamist lawmaker
November 9, 2021 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — The head of the Islamist party in Israel's governing coalition met with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman on Tuesday, the latest sign of warming ties between the two countries.
Ex-queen: Jordan prince who feuded with king still not free
November 4, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — A Jordanian prince who was put under house arrest by his half-brother, King Abdullah II, in the spring is still not free, his mother alleged, drawing new attention to a scandal that exposed the typically guarded royal family to rare public scrutiny.
Poland’s president discusses security with King of Jordan
October 26, 2021 GMTWARSAW, Poland (AP) — King Abdullah II of Jordan visited Poland on Tuesday for talks with President Andrzej Duda on security issues and further defense cooperation.
The two leaders met at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw.
US does not support normalization of relations with Syria
October 13, 2021 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — The United States does not support efforts to normalize relations with the government of President Bashar Assad or lift sanctions imposed on Damascus until there is progress in the political process in the war-torn country, the U.S.
Jordan’s king vows to support Lebanon in meeting with PM
October 10, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan’s King Abdullah II received Lebanon's prime minister in Amman Sunday, saying his country will stand by the small nation and its people during its worst-ever economic crisis.
‘Nothing secretive’ about Jordan king’s real estate, FM says
October 7, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan’s foreign minister on Thursday pushed back against a report that the country’s monarch, King Abdullah II, went out of his way to hide the purchase of more than a dozen luxury homes worth more than $106 million, saying there was "nothing secretive” about the transactions.
Leaked records open a ‘Pandora’ box of financial secrets
October 5, 2021 GMTHundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century, according to a review of nearly 12 million files obtained from 14 firms located around the world.
‘Pandora papers’ show London is a key hub for tax avoidance
October 5, 2021 GMTLONDON (AP) — Transparency advocates are calling on Britain to tighten the country's defenses against money laundering and tax avoidance after a massive leak of financial data showed how London is a key destination of choice for some of the world’s richest and most powerful people to conceal their cash.
Jordanian king’s properties undercut father figure image
October 4, 2021 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Jordan’s King Abdullah II was meeting with the World Bank president, asking for more financial support for his country’s battered economy, just around the time the news broke: A trove of leaked documents revealed the king had secretly bought more than a dozen luxury homes in the U.S.
Syria’s Assad calls Jordan’s king amid thaw in relations
October 3, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan’s King Abdullah II received a call on Sunday from Syrian President Bashar Assad, the first conversation between the two leaders after a decade of strain over Syria's civil war.
Over 100 world leaders to attend UN gathering in person
September 13, 2021 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — More than 100 heads of state and government are planning to attend the U.N. General Assembly’s annual gathering of world leaders in person next week, including U.S. President Joe Biden, King Abdullah II of Jordan and the presidents of Brazil and Venezuela, according to the latest speakers list.
Jordanian court upholds convictions in royal plot
September 9, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — A Jordanian court on Thursday upheld the conviction of two former senior officials on sedition and other charges connected to an alleged plot against the kingdom involving the half-brother of King Abdullah II.
Israel President meets Jordanian king to cultivate ties
September 4, 2021 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's president met with the Jordanian king this past week, in a new sign of improved relations between the two countries, the president's office said Saturday.
At the king's invitation, new President Isaac Herzog met King Abdullah II at his palace in the Jordanian capital, Amman, Herzog's office said in a statement.
Leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Palestinians meet in Cairo
September 2, 2021 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s president held talks in Cairo on Thursday with the King of Jordan and the president of the Palestinian Authority aimed at reviving the Middle East peace process and strengthening a ceasefire that halted the Israel-Hamas war.
US raises concerns about treatment of ex-Jordanian official
August 27, 2021 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — The U.S. State Department has raised concerns with Jordan about the possible mistreatment of a former top official imprisoned for sedition in an alleged plot against the Western-allied monarchy involving the half-brother of King Abdullah II.
Seeking Mediterranean allies, Greece hosts Jordan’s king
July 28, 2021 GMTATHENS, Greece (AP) — King Abdullah II of Jordan was meeting Wednesday in Athens with the leaders of Greece and Cyprus as part of regular high-level contacts launched between the three Mediterranean countries in 2018.
Biden calls Jordan king a loyal ally in ‘tough neighborhood’
July 19, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden praised King Abdullah II of Jordan as a stalwart ally in a “tough neighborhood” as the two leaders huddled at the White House on Monday, a meeting that came at a pivotal moment for both leaders in the Middle East.
Two Jordanians sentenced to 15 years over alleged royal plot
July 12, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — A Jordanian state security court on Monday sentenced two former officials to serve 15 years in prison over an alleged plot against the Western-allied monarchy involving the half-brother of King Abdullah II.
In Jordan sedition trial, U.S. defendant alleges torture
July 11, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — A U.S. citizen and former top aide to Jordan’s King Abdullah II alleged he was tortured in Jordanian detention and fears for his life, his U.S.-based lawyer said Sunday, on the eve of a verdict in the high-profile sedition trial linked to a rare public rift in the kingdom’s ruling family.
Biden to host Jordanian king as royal feud engulfs US ally
July 7, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will host Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House on July 19, just months after the detention of his half-brother amid a rare moment of palace intrigue for the close American ally.
Lawyer: Jordan court to rule Monday in royal sedition case
July 7, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan’s state security court is to issue its verdict in a high-profile sedition case against a former senior official and a member of the royal family on Monday, just three weeks after the trial began.
Jordan tribes, bedrock of monarchy, on edge as economy tanks
July 1, 2021 GMTKARAK, Jordan (AP) — Jordan has drawn a curtain of secrecy on the unprecedented public rift within its royal family, but the social tensions laid bare by the palace drama that unfolded in April — particularly the economic despair of its influential tribes — can be seen everywhere.
Defense seeks prince’s testimony on alleged Jordan plot
June 30, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Defense attorneys in the trial surrounding an alleged plot to destabilize Jordan's monarchy on Wednesday asked to call Prince Hamzah and other royals to testify in a state security court.
Egyptian, Jordanian and Iraqi leaders meet in Baghdad
June 27, 2021 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq, Egypt and Jordan took a step toward deepening a regional alliance by holding tripartite talks in Baghdad on Sunday, in a first visit by an Egyptian head of state to the country in 30 years.
2 plead not guilty in trial linked to Jordan’s royal rift
June 21, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — A former top adviser to King Abdullah II and a relative of the monarch pleaded not guilty Monday to sedition and incitement charges linked to an unprecedented public rift in Jordan's royal family.
Jordan’s unprecedented palace drama moves to the courtroom
June 20, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's version of a trial of the century gets under way Monday when a relative of King Abdullah II and a former chief of the royal court are to be ushered into the defendants' cage at the state security court to face charges of sedition and incitement.
2 confidants of senior Jordan royal charged with sedition
June 13, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The prosecutor of Jordan's state security court on Sunday filed sedition and incitement charges against two confidants of King Abdullah II’s half-brother Hamzah, marking the latest step in a rare, intrigue-filled palace drama that has rattled the Western-backed kingdom.
Jordan refers 2 to security court over alleged foreign plot
June 2, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan has referred the cases of two former senior officials accused of taking part in a foreign plot linked to the half-brother of King Abdullah II to a national security court, the official Petra news agency reported Tuesday.
Jordanian prince, brother of late King Hussein, dies at 80
April 29, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's Prince Mohammad bin Talal, the younger bother of the late King Hussein who served as his crown prince for 10 years, died on Thursday at the age of 80, the royal palace said...
Jordan releases alleged plotters following king’s appeal
April 22, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan released 16 people detained earlier this month over an alleged foreign-backed conspiracy linked to a former crown prince after King Abdullah II requested they be let go in honor of the holy month of Ramadan...
Jordanian prince makes first public appearance since arrest
April 11, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's Prince Hamzah on Sunday made his first public appearance since he was placed under house arrest last week, reciting Quranic verses together with King Abdullah II at the graves of their forefathers...
Jordan king doubles down on sedition claims against brother
April 7, 2021 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Jordan's King Abdullah II addressed the unprecedented public rift within the royal family for the first time Wednesday, portraying it as an attempted sedition involving his half-brother that had been “nipped in the bud," but caused him anger, pain and shock...
Jordan issues gag order as new audio backs prince’s claims
April 6, 2021 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Jordan imposed a sweeping gag order on coverage of its palace feud Tuesday after a recording indicated that authorities tried to silence a former crown prince over his meetings with critics, a sign officials are increasingly nervous about how the rare public rift in the royal family is being perceived...
Statements on defusing public feud in Jordan’s royal family
April 5, 2021 GMTBEIRUT (AP) —
Jordan’s palace and a confidant of a senior royal have issued statements saying that mediation has successfully resolved an unprecedented public feud between King Abdullah II and Prince Hamzah, his half-brother:
Lawyer says mediation resolves feud among Jordan royals
April 5, 2021 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Mediation between Jordan's King Abdullah II and his outspoken half brother, Prince Hamzah, successfully de-escalated one of the most serious political crises in the kingdom in decades, the palace and a confidant of the prince said Monday...
Jordan’s king sends tough message on dissent in royal family
April 4, 2021 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Jordanian authorities said Sunday they foiled a “malicious plot” by a former crown prince to destabilize the kingdom with foreign support, contradicting the senior royal's claims that he was being punished for speaking out against corruption and incompetence...
Jordan prince says he’s confined, lashes out at authorities
April 3, 2021 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) —
The half-brother of Jordan's King Abdullah II said Saturday he has been placed under house arrest and accused the country's “ruling system” of incompetence and corruption, exposing a rare rift within the ruling monarchy of a close Western ally...
Jordan health minister steps down after deaths in virus ward
March 13, 2021 GMTSALT, Jordan (AP) — Jordan’s health minister stepped down Saturday after at least seven patients in a hospital COVID-19 ward died due to a shortage of oxygen supplies, state media reported...
US considers withholding aid to Jordan to force extradition
June 16, 2020 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is considering withholding aid to one of its closest Arab partners, Jordan, in a bid to secure the extradition of a woman convicted in Israel of a 2001 bombing that killed 15 people, including two American citizens...
Jordan king cancels Romania trip over Jerusalem remarks
March 25, 2019 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's King Abdullah II has canceled a visit Monday to Romania to protest its prime minister's support for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
The Royal Hashemite Court said the decision came "in solidarity with Jerusalem...
Jordanian king vows to protect Jerusalem holy sites
March 21, 2019 GMTZARQA, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's King Abdullah II is vowing to keep protecting Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, calling it a "red line" for his country.
Abdullah said Wednesday, during a visit to the Zarqa governorate outside Amman, that he's under pressure to alter his country's historic role as custodian of the Jerusalem holy sites but that he wouldn't...
Dartmouth professor wins top religion prize
March 19, 2019 GMTHANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A Dartmouth College professor of physics and astronomy was awarded one of the world's leading religion prizes for blending hard science and deep spirituality in his work, a foundation announced Tuesday...
Jordan cancels part of peace agreement with Israel
October 21, 2018 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday said he has decided not to renew parts of his country's landmark peace treaty with Israel.
Abdullah released a statement that he intends to pull out of two annexes from the 1994 peace agreement that allowed Israel to lease two small areas, Baqura and Ghamr, from the Jordanians for 25 years...
Saudi Arabia to host Gulf conference on supporting Jordan
June 9, 2018 GMTRIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia says it will host a meeting among several Gulf Arab countries to offer support to Jordan after it faced mass protests over the kingdom's economic problems and its plans to tax its citizens...
Jordan PM quits over mass protests against tax increases
June 4, 2018 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's King Abdullah II on Monday accepted the resignation of his embattled prime minister and reportedly tapped a leading reformer as a successor, hoping to quell the largest anti-government protests in recent years, which are also seen as a potential challenge to his two-decade-old rule...
Fathers of slain US soldiers attend trial in Jordan
June 18, 2017 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Four more witnesses testified before a Jordanian military court Sunday morning in the fourth hearing of a Jordanian soldier charged with murder in the shooting of three U...
The Latest: Jordan’s king, Trump to speak later Tuesday
May 16, 2017 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the report that President Donald Trump shared classified information with Russian officials (all times local):
3:45 a.m.
Jordan says King Abdullah II is to speak by phone later Tuesday to President Donald Trump.
At White House, Jordan king to present Arabs’ view on peace
April 4, 2017 GMTAMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's King Abdullah II will be able to deliver an Arab consensus on Mideast peace when he meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, after a recent summit hosted by the monarch renewed an Arab offer of recognition of Israel in exchange for Palestinian statehood...
Arab leaders ready to work with Trump on Mideast peace deal
March 29, 2017 GMTDEAD SEA, Jordan (AP) — Arab leaders on Wednesday relaunched a peace plan that offers Israel full ties in exchange for Palestinian statehood, signaling to President Donald Trump that they are ready to engage if he tries to broker a broader Mideast peace...
With eye toward Trump, Arab leaders to seek consensus
March 26, 2017 GMTDEAD SEA, Jordan (AP) — With an eye toward Washington, leaders of a fractured and conflict-ridden Arab world hold their annual summit this week, seeking common positions and possible leverage as President Donald Trump weighs his approach toward the region...