Arab leaders warn Israeli actions threaten regional turmoil
CAIRO — (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. The high-level gathering came amid one of the deadliest periods of fighting in years in Jerusalem and the neighboring Israeli-occupied territory. Since Israel captured the site in the 1967 Mideast War, Jews have been allowed to visit but not pray there. “The region cannot live in peace, stability, and prosperity without any progress made on the Palestinian cause,” he warned. Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Egyptian, Israeli and Palestinian leaders and urged them to ease tensions.
wftv.comArab leaders condemn Israeli actions in Jerusalem, West Bank
CAIRO — (AP) — Dozens of leaders and senior officials from Arab and Islamic countries Sunday condemned recent Israeli measures in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, where violence has surged between Israel and the Palestinians. Speakers at the meeting condemned Israel's "unilateral measures" in Jerusalem and the West Bank in statements, including home demolitions and expanding settlements. Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital, while the Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The Cairo gathering came amid one of the deadliest periods of fighting in years in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Egyptian, Israeli and Palestinian leaders and urged them to ease tensions.
wftv.comNetanyahu meets Jordan's king in surprise trip amid tension
Jordan's royal court said the king urged Israel to respect the status quo at the sacred compound, which Muslims call the Noble Sanctuary and Jews call the Temple Mount. The compound — the third-holiest site in Islam — sits on a sprawling plateau also home to the iconic golden Dome of the Rock. Netanyahu’s office said he discussed “regional issues” and security and economic cooperation with Jordan, a key regional ally. Netanyahu has repeatedly offered assurances that there has been no change in the status quo at the site. Because of Jordan’s special role and the site’s importance to Muslims around the world, whatever happens at the site has regional implications.
wftv.comNetanyahu flies to Jordan for surprise meeting with king
JERUSALEM — (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a surprise trip to Jordan on Tuesday to meet with King Abdullah II, his first visit since taking power at the helm of Israel's most right-wing and religiously conservative government in history. The sacred compound — the third-holiest site in Islam — sits on a sprawling plateau also home to the iconic golden Dome of the Rock. Netanyahu’s office said he discussed vaguely defined “regional issues” and security and economic cooperation with Jordan, a key regional ally. Earlier this month, Israel’s new hard-line minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, made a provocative visit to the site, drawing condemnations from Jordan and around the Arab world. Because of Jordan’s role and the site’s importance to Muslims around the world, whatever happens at the site has regional implications.
wftv.comTrump told Jordan’s king he would give him the West Bank, shocking Abdullah II, book says
The unreported offer of the West Bank to Jordan's king is among the startling new details about Trump’s chaotic presidency in the book, “The Divider: Trump in the White House 2017 — 2021” by Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for the New York Times, and Susan Glasser, staff writer for The New Yorker.
washingtonpost.comJordan vows inquiry into deadly gas release at Red Sea port
CORRECTION Jordan Gas Leak CORRECTS DAY TO TUESDAY -- Experts investigate at the site of a toxic gas explosion in Jordan's Red Sea port of Aqaba, Tuesday, June 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh) (Raad Adayleh)AQABA, Jordan — (AP) — Jordan on Tuesday promised an investigation into the deadly explosion of a chlorine tank the previous day at the Red Sea port of Aqaba, which killed at least 13 people. A crane loading chlorine tanks onto a ship on Monday dropped one of them, releasing a large plume of toxic yellow smoke. State-run Jordan TV said 13 people were killed. Aqaba is on the northern tip of the Red Sea, next to the Israeli city of Eilat, which is just across the border.
wftv.comJordan's Prince Hamzah relinquishes title a year after plot
AMMAN, Jordan — (AP) — The half-brother of Jordan's king relinquished his princely title on Sunday, a year after a rare palace feud saw him placed under house arrest. Abdullah had appointed Hamzah as crown prince upon his succession but stripped him of the title in 2004. The prince apologized last month for his role in the alleged plot, the Royal Palace said. He was accused last year of involvement in a plot to destabilize the Western-allied kingdom and was placed under house arrest last April. In a video statement at the time he denied the allegations, saying he was being punished for speaking out against official corruption.
wftv.comJordan prince drops title in protest over how country is run
An outspoken half-brother of Jordan's king relinquished his princely title Sunday in apparent protest over how the country is run. Prince Hamzah posted the announcement on his official Twitter account. The Royal Court had no immediate comment.
news.yahoo.comBlinken set to see Israelis, Arabs wary about Iran, Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will try to use his three-nation tour of the Middle East and North Africa to reassure wary Israelis and Arabs that the Biden administration is committed to the region’s security at a time when Washington is confronting multiple foreign policy challenges.
William and Kate share 2021 Christmas card photo
Christmas smiles In this image released Friday, December 10, 2021, Princess Charlotte, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis and Prince George are pictured in Jordan earlier this year. (Photo by Handout/Getty Images) (Kensington Palace/Getty Images)Prince William and Kate Middleton are wishing their followers a Merry Christmas. >> Read more trending newsThey shared the family’s official Christmas card for 2021 on Instagram Friday. The photo was taken during a private trip to Jordan, Kensington Palace said. Prince William’s father, Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall visited Jordan earlier this year, according to Kensington Palace.
wftv.comBritain's Prince Charles pays royal visit to Jordan
AMMAN, Jordan — (AP) — Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, arrived in Jordan on Tuesday as part of the first royal tour since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Charles and his wife were greeted on the tarmac by a Jordanian color guard. The British Embassy said last month that the visit was aimed at shoring up “strong bilateral relations” on the centenary of relations between Amman and London. The royal visit will be putting particular emphasis on combating climate change in the wake of the Glasgow conference, and interfaith tolerance. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
wftv.comJordan says King Abdullah met with Israeli Islamist lawmaker
The Jordanian Royal Palace said in a statement that Abdullah and United Arab List lawmaker Mansour Abbas discussed “the latest developments in the Palestinian territories and ways to advance the peace process.” Abbas’s office confirmed that he met with the Jordanian leader in Amman, but provided no additional details.
news.yahoo.comIsraeli, Jordanian economic ministers meet, talk trade, ties
Israel's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Economy Minister Orna Barbivai and her Jordanian counterpart, Yousef Alshamali, signed an agreement to increase caps on Jordan exports to the Palestinian Authority. The meeting was aimed at “enhancing civilian ties between Israel and Jordan, strengthening neighborly relations, and promoting cooperation between the two countries," the ministry said. Israel and Jordan made peace in 1994 and have close security ties. Since the inauguration of Israel's new government in June, however, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has prioritized mending fences with Jordan. The countries have signed trade and water deals, and in September, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met King Abdullah II in the Jordanian capital, Amman, less than two months after Bennett met Abdullah in secret.
wftv.comMore repression, fewer jobs: Jordanians face bleak outlook
Jordan Downward Slide FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2021 file photo, Jordan's King Abdullah II speaks during a meeting with tribal leader in Al-Qasta, south of Amman, Jordan. Recent revelations that King Abdullah II secretly amassed more than $106 million in luxury properties abroad have further undermined public trust. Recent revelations that King Abdullah II secretly amassed more than $106 million in luxury properties abroad have further undermined public trust. Anger at this trifecta of increased repression, a worsening economy and perceived corruption is bubbling just under the surface, several activists said. In 2021, it appropriated $1.7 billion, including $845 million in direct budget support.
wftv.comJordan's king vows to support Lebanon in meeting with PM
AMMAN, 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. The visit to Jordan by Prime Minister Najib Mikati is his first to an Arab country since he formed his Cabinet last month. On Wednesday, Jordan agreed to supply Lebanon with electricity through Syria and work is underway for a timetable. Egypt has also agreed to supply Lebanon with natural gas to its power plants through Jordan and Syria. Jordan’s Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh visited Lebanon late last month, and said there are efforts to provide Lebanon with some electricity from Jordan.
wftv.com'Nothing secretive' about Jordan king's real estate, FM says
Jordan Pandora Papers Jordan's King Abdullah II speaks during a meeting with tribal leader in Al-Qasta, south of Amman, Jordan, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. Advisers to the king “spared no effort to conceal his real estate holdings,” the report alleged. This may have been, in part, because of the contrast between his luxury real estate holdings and Jordan's heavy dependence on international aid and the nation's continued economic crisis. In the wake of the royal court statement Monday, Amman Net had a new story, other outlets published some details and commentary, and there was limited discussion on social media. Safadi, a former journalist, denied the story had been suppressed, citing the detailed court statement.
wftv.com'Pandora papers' show London is a key hub for tax avoidance
The British government is facing calls to tighten up defenses against “dirty money” after a leak of offshore data showed how London, in particular, is the venue of choice for some of the world’s richest and most powerful people to conceal their cash.
'Pandora Papers' bring renewed calls for tax haven scrutiny
Jordan Pandora Papers Jordan's King Abdullah II speaks during a meeting with tribal leader in Al-Qasta, south of Amman, Jordan, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. The investigation, dubbed the Pandora Papers, was published Sunday and involved 600 journalists from 150 media outlets in 117 countries. The Pandora Papers are a follow-up to a similar project released in 2016 called the “Panama Papers" compiled by the same journalistic group. The document trove reveals how powerful people are able to deploy anonymous shell companies, trusts and other artifices to conceal the true owners of corrupt or illicit assets. And while the plan would cover huge multinational corporations, it would not include the shell companies and other entities behind the schemes described in the Pandora Papers.
wftv.comJordanian king's properties undercut father figure image
Jordan Pandora Papers Jordan's King Abdullah II speaks during a meeting with tribal leader in Al-Qasta, south of Amman, Jordan, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. He said even a perception of misspending could lead to calls for greater oversight of future American assistance to Jordan. Even independent Jordanian media outlets engage in self-censorship, avoiding criticism of the royal family and security forces. According to the World Bank, Jordan’s economy contracted slightly last year, while unemployment spiked to 25%. Abdullah, who took power in 1999 after the death of his father, King Hussein, has sought to straddle these worlds by portraying himself as father figure.
wftv.comA look at world leaders named in the Pandora Papers
A global investigation has revealed how the rich and powerful have being hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century. Collectively these assets are worth trillions of dollars. The investigation, dubbed the Pandora Papers, was published late Sunday and involved 600 journalists from 150 media outlets in 117 countries.
news.yahoo.comJordan's king denies impropriety in luxury home purchases
Pandora Papers FILE - Jordan's King Abdullah II speaks during a media conference prior to a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at NATO headquarters in Brussels, in this Wednesday, May 5, 2021, file photo. Jordan's King Abdullah II is one of 330 current and former politicians identified as beneficiaries of the secret accounts. Even independent Jordanian media outlets engage in self-censorship, avoiding criticism of the king, the royal family and the security forces. Abdullah denied there was anything untoward in the purchases, saying security required him to keep the transactions quiet. “Business as usual, it will not be the same as long as this information is floating worldwide.”___Federman reported from Jerusalem.
wftv.comLeaked 'Pandora' records show how the powerful shield assets
Pandora Papers FILE - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is shown ahead of a meeting at the EU Charlemagne building in Brussels, in this Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019, file photo. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is one of 330 current and former politicians identified as beneficiaries of the secret accounts. The report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists involved 600 journalists from 150 media outlets in 117 countries. Many of the accounts were designed to evade taxes and conceal assets for other shady reasons, according to the report. Khan, the Pakistani prime minister, is not accused of any wrongdoing.
wftv.comLeaked records open a 'Pandora' box of financial secrets
Pandora Papers FILE - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is shown ahead of a meeting at the EU Charlemagne building in Brussels, in this Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019, file photo. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is one of 330 current and former politicians identified as beneficiaries of the secret accounts. The report released Sunday by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists involved 600 journalists from 150 media outlets in 117 countries. The more than 330 current and former politicians identified as beneficiaries of the secret accounts include Jordan’s King Abdullah II, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso, and associates of both Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Khan, the Pakistani prime minister, is not accused of any wrongdoing.
wftv.comJordan's king denies impropriety in luxury home purchases
AMMAN, Jordan — (AP) — Jordan’s King Abdullah II has denied any impropriety in his multi-million-dollar purchases of luxury homes abroad, citing security needs for keeping the transactions quiet and saying no public funds were used. Monday’s comment by the Royal Palace comes a day after the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reported that the monarch had secretly bought $106 million in luxury homes over the past decade by using offshore transactions. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
wftv.comJordanian king's properties undercut father figure image
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. and Britain for over $100 million in the past decade. Abdullah was one of scores of public figures identified as holders of hidden offshore accounts. “Nobody’s going to turn a blind eye to this,” said Dave Harden, a former senior official at the U.S. Agency for International Development who is now running for Congress as a Democrat in Maryland.
news.yahoo.comLeaked records open a "Pandora" box of financial secrets
Jordan's King Abdullah II is one of 330 current and former politicians identified as beneficiaries of the secret accounts. The report released Sunday by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists involved 600 journalists from 150 media outlets in117 countries. Many of the accounts were designed to evade taxes and conceal assets for other shady reasons, according to the report. The records date back to the 1970s, but most of the files span from 1996 to 2020. Buying the company shares instead of the building saved the Blairs more than $400,000 in property taxes, the investigation found.
wftv.comPutin’s Alleged Mistress Bought a $4 Million Pad in Monaco, Pandora Papers Reveal
Alexander Natruskin/AFP via Getty ImagesFinancial records and tax documents reviewed by the Washington Post and other media outlets reveal that a former cleaner who is alleged to be the onetime mistress of Russian President Vladimir Putin—and the mother of his supposed 18-year-old daughter—bought a lavish $4 million apartment in Monaco through an offshore shell company in the British Virgin Islands, created just weeks after she gave birth to the girl. The multi-million outlay in 2003 by Svetlana
news.yahoo.comIsraeli president, Turkey's Erdogan talk in sign of thaw
Israel’s newly inaugurated president spoke Monday with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a sign of a possible thaw after years of frosty relations between the two former allies. President Isaac Herzog’s office said in a statement that the two leaders emphasized “that Israel-Turkey relations are of great significance for security and stability in the eastern Mediterranean” and that cooperation had great potential for both countries. Israel and Turkey were once close regional partners, but relations between the two countries soured in the the past decade.
news.yahoo.comJordanian court to announce verdict in alleged royal plot
The royal family says it resolved the dispute with Hamzah, whose exact status is unknown but was never formally charged. The court denied requests by Jordanian defense lawyers to call witnesses and prosecutors only shared purported transcripts, but not audio, from surveillance of the alleged plotters. The prosecutor’s office at the state security court denied the trial was unfair, saying Awadallah was given due process in line with Jordanian law and was not mistreated in any way. Awadallah, who also holds Jordanian and Saudi citizenship, served as head of the royal court and government minister in Jordan. The Awadallah family urged the Biden administration to call for his release.
wftv.comTwo Jordanians sentenced to 15 years over alleged royal plot
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. Bassem Awadallah, who has U.S. citizenship and once served as a top aide to King Abdullah II, and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a member of the royal family, were found guilty of sedition and incitement charges.
news.yahoo.comIn Jordan sedition trial, U.S. defendant alleges torture
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. Along with the mistreatment allegations, the closed-door trial before Jordan's state security court “has been completely unfair,” Michael Sullivan, a former federal prosecutor hired by defendant Bassem Awadallah's U.S.-based family, told The Associated Press.
news.yahoo.comBiden to host Jordanian king as royal feud engulfs US ally
Biden Jordan FILE - In this May 26, 2021, file photo, Jordan's King Abdullah II speaks during a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at Bayt Al Urdon in Amman, Jordan. President Joe Biden will host Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House on July 19, months after the detention of his half-brother amid a rare moment of palace intrigue for the close American ally. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool, File) (Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON — (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. Prince Hamzah has been silenced, and his purported co-conspirators are on trial behind closed doors in a rare moment of turmoil for one of the strongest Western allies in the region. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
wftv.comBiden to host Jordanian king as royal feud engulfs US ally
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. The White House says Abdullah, Queen Rania and Crown Prince Hussein will visit with the Bidens to “highlight the enduring and strategic partnership between the United States and Jordan.”
news.yahoo.comDefense lawyer: Not guilty pleas in Jordan sedition trial
Jordan Royal Trial FILE - In this Dec. 10, 2020 file photo released by the Royal Hashemite Court, Jordan's King Abdullah II gives a speech to parliament, in Amman Jordan. A relative of King Abdullah II and a former chief of the royal court will be ushered into the defendants’ cage at the state security court to face sedition charges. They are accused of conspiring with Prince Hamzah, a half-brother of the king, to foment unrest against the monarch. Awadallah, who has Jordanian, U.S. and Saudi citizenship, held senior posts in Jordan, including head of the royal court and planning minister. They are the most senior establishment figures to appear before the security court, which typically goes after drug offenders or suspected militants.
wftv.comUS considers withholding aid to Jordan to force extradition
She has lived freely in Jordan since Israel released her in a 2011 prisoner swap with the militant group Hamas. Jordanian authorities have rebuffed U.S. requests to turn her over, despite an extradition treaty. The United States has multiple options and different types of leverage to secure Ahlam Aref Ahmad Al-Tamimis extradition, Wooster wrote. We will continue to engage Jordanian officials at all levels not only on this issue, but also on the extradition treaty more broadly. In 2017, Jordans high court ruled she could not be extradited, reportedly saying the 1995 extradition treaty had not been ratified.