Amman

Jordan's king flies to Riyadh for talks on peace process

Jordan's king flies to Riyadh for talks on peace processAmman - King Abdullah II of Jordan flew to Riyadh Wednesday for talks with the Saudi leadership at the start of a new round of regional diplomacy to spur the stalled Palestinian-Israeli talks.

The visit comes in the wake of what Amman officials labeled as a successful trip to Washington by the Jordanian monarch last week.

King Abdullah planned similar meetings in the coming few days with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, they added.

Jordan's king flies to Riyadh for peace-moving talks

Jordan's king flies to Riyadh for peace-moving talksAmman - King Abdullah II of Jordan flew to Riyadh Wednesday for talks with the Saudi leadership at the start of a new round of regional diplomacy to spur the stalled Palestinian-Israeli talks in the wake of what officials labeled as a successful trip to Washington last week, officials said.

King Abdullah planned similar meetings in the coming few days with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, they added.

Jordanian journalist acquitted of slandering parliament

Jordanian journalist acquitted of slandering parliament Amman - A Jordanian court on Monday acquitted columnist Khalid Mahadin of a slander charge filed against him by the lower house of parliament, judicial sources said.

The chamber's Permanent Bureau accused Mahadin of defaming the House of Representatives in an article he published online in mid- March urging King Abdullah II to intervene to stop "illegal privileges" given to deputies.

"What Mahadin said in his article was nothing more than legal criticism because he sought to protect society's interests," the court said in its verdict.

Jordan bans meat imports from countries reporting swine flu cases

Jordan bans meat imports from countries reporting swine flu cases Amman - Jordan on Monday banned the import of all types of meat, including pork, from countries with reported cases of swine flu including the United States and Mexico, a senior official announced. The government also set up a technical committee and tasked it with formulating precautionary measures to avert the outbreak of the epidemic in the country, Nasser Hawamdeh, Assistant Secretary General at the Agricultural Ministry, said.

Arab bourses lacklustre on global market moves, quarterly results

 Arab bourses lacklustre on global market moves, quarterly results Amman - Arab stock markets reflected mixed performance this week as investors remained under psychological pressures from global markets and the impact of first quarter results, financial analysts said Friday.

"Regional markets are relatively stable, but investors are still responsive to what takes place on Wall Street and other global bourses," Nizar Taher, head of brokerage at the Jordan Ahli Bank, told the German Press Agency dpa.

Jordan Islamists called for Pope Benedict to postpone Mideast trip

Jordan Islamists called for Pope Benedict to postpone Mideast trip Amman - Jordan's influential Muslim Brotherhood movement on Sunday urged Pope Benedict XVI to postpone his planned Middle East visit next month and to apologize for statements that the group considers "injurious" to Islam.

"We hope that the Vatican will take a decision to postpone the visit until certain issues are cleared," Muslim Brotherhood official spokesman Jamil Abu Bakr said in a statement.

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